God

There Is a Real God and He Wants You to Know Him

bduval — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 03:03:03 +0000

There Is a Real God and He Wants You to Know Him

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There Is a Real God and He Wants You to Know Him

bduval Wed, 08/16/2023 - 03:03

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Is there such thing as God? If so, who is He, what is He like? Can you know? Do you need to know? Or does it even matter? Yes, there is a God. He orchestrated the creation of all things, and that includes you and me. We were not created to be ignored, or left as an afterthought. We are not some science experiment whose creator set it in motion and then stepped back only to observe from afar. Who is the Creator of the universe? He is a God you can know!

Watch to discover FOUR ways that God reveals Himself to man.

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Fri, 07/23/2021 - 12:00

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Michael Heykoop

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God

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God’s Church Through the Ages

4uwzvo — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 19:57:04 +0000

God’s Church Through the Ages 4uwzvo Mon, 02/28/2022 - 19:57

God’s Church Through the Ages

John H. Ogwyn (1949-2005)

Booklet Media

#Christianity

#Church History

#History

God’s Church has endured through the ages. It is a “little flock” (Luke 12:32), but God has always remained true to His promise that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). In this revealing booklet, you will find a brief account of the fascinating history of the true Church of God.

CHAPTER 1

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHURCH?

Jesus Christ said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades [the grave] shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Which church did Jesus build, and what happened to it?

When the Bible speaks of the Church, it is never speaking of a building—nor of a human organization incorporated under secular authority. The word in the Greek language that is translated “church” in English isekklesia. It is derived from two root words in Greek and literally means “called out” or “called from.” In secular usage, it referred to an assembly of citizens who were “called out” from the inhabitants of the city to consider some matter of importance. It was often used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to refer to the congregation of Israel or to the assembly of God’s people. “Congregation” or “assembly” expresses the meaning in New Testament usage as well.

However, the “called out” aspect of ekklesia is fundamental to understanding the Church. In Genesis 12, we read that Abraham was “called out” by God from Ur of the Chaldees. In Exodus 12, we read of Abraham’s descendants, the children of Israel, being “called out” by God from Egypt. They then became the congregation of Israel or the “church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38, KJV).

One of God’s final warnings to His people is a call to “come out” of Babylon (Revelation 18:4). The saints of God are not to participate in that corrupt, end-time culture’s sins, so they will not partake of the divine punishments that “Babylon” will receive.

Jesus made it plain that one cannot come to Him, and be part of His Church, without being called by the Father (John 6:44). Only those who respond to the Father’s call, through repentance and baptism, will receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and it is only through the Holy Spirit of God that we become part of the Church that Jesus built (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

What happened to the Church that Jesus Christ said He would build? Did it adapt and change with the times through progressive revelation? Did it veer “off the track” and need to undergo a reformation at the hands of such men as Martin Luther and John Calvin? Or, has there been a body of believers, down through the centuries, continuing to believe and practice the same doctrines Jesus Christ and the first-century Apostles taught?

When we look at the story of the mainstream, professing Christian church throughout the centuries, it appears to be a vastly different church from the one described in the pages of your New Testament. In the book of Acts we find that God’s Church celebrated “Jewish” holy days (Acts 2:1; 13:14, 42, 44; 18:21), talked about the return of Jesus Christ to judge the world (Acts 3:20–21; 17:31) and believed in the literal establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (Acts 1:3, 6; 28:23).

Yet, less than 300 years later, we find a church claiming Apostolic origin, but observing the “venerable day of the Sun” instead of the seventh-day Sabbath. When that church assembled its bishops to discuss doctrinal matters at the Council of Nicea, the meeting was presided over by a Roman Emperor—Constantine! How could such an amazing transformation have taken place? What happened?

Protestant author Jesse Lyman Hurlbut acknowledged the dramatic change that took place. In his book The Story of the Christian Church, he wrote, “For fifty years after St. Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120AD with the writings of the earliest church-fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul” (p. 41).

The history of the Christian Church between Pentecost of 31AD and the Council of Nicea in 325AD, almost 300 years later, is truly amazing. It is the story of how yesterday’s orthodoxy became today’s heresy, and how old heresies came to be considered orthodox Christian doctrine. It is the story of how church tradition and the teaching of bishops came to supersede the Word of God as a source of doctrine. It is a story that is stranger than fiction, yet is historically verifiable.

SIMON AND “ANOTHER GOSPEL”

In Acts 8, we are introduced to a man who was used by Satan to infiltrate and subvert God’s Church. This man was Simon, the sorcerer from Samaria, better known in secular history as Simon Magus. Simon was considered by the Samaritans to be God’s divinely chosen representative (Acts 8:9–10). Eduard Lohse, writing in The New Testament Environment,states that the expression, “the great power of God,” represents Simon’s “claim to be the bearer of divine revelation” (p. 269). Simon was baptized and became a nominal Christian, along with the rest of the Samaritans. However, the Apostle Peter recognized Simon’s real motives. In Acts 8:22–23, Peter rebuked him in the strongest terms as being “in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity” (KJV).

Who were the Samaritans? The book of 2 Kings tells us that when the northern ten tribes of Israel were deported by the king of Assyria, Babylonians were settled in their place. These Babylonian Samaritans continued to practice their old Babylonian paganism, but with the added infusion of biblical terminology to obscure what they were doing (2 Kings 17:33, 41). Though they professed adherence to the God of Israel, they did not really obey God’s law (v. 34). In fact, as is made plain in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, they became enemies of the true Work of God.

The Samaritans, just as the Jews, had become dispersed throughout the known world in the aftermath of Alexander the Great’s conquests. There were Samaritan colonies in several major centers of the Roman Empire, including Alexandria, Egypt and Rome. Simon had admirers and adherents among these people.

Samaritanism, with its blending of Babylonian paganism and lip-service to the God of Israel, was also heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. Simon Magus added to this an acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of mankind. However, as Jesus explained, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Simon used the name of Jesus, but substituted a different message—a message that did away with the need to really obey God and keep His commandments!

Eerdman’s Handbook to the History of Christianity notes, “Early Christian writers regarded Simon as the fount of all heresies” (p. 100). The Encyclopaedia Britannica(11th ed.) in its article on Simon Magus identifies him as the “founder of a school of Gnostics and as a father of heresy.” Noted historian Edward Gibbon says the Gnostics “blended with the faith of Christ many sublime but obscure tenets which they derived from oriental philosophy” (The Triumph of Christendom in the Roman Empire, p. 15).

Gnosticism (the term is derived from the Greek word for knowledge) was a highly intellectual way of life. It represented a blending of Babylonian mystery religion, Greek philosophical speculation and an overlay of biblical terminology. Among the Gnostics, biblical accounts were not taken literally but were treated as allegories used to teach deeper “truths.” “The Mosaic account of the creation… was treated with profound derision by the Gnostics” (Gibbon, p. 13). Gnosticism stressed pagan dualism with its emphasis on the immortality of the soul and the inherent evil of matter. It also introduced much vain speculation on the nature of God and the spirit realm. Several New Testament books—including the Gospel of John, Colossians and 1 John—were written to refute the Gnostic heresies that Simon Magus and many others began to spread.

Hellenistic culture, which pervaded the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, was an alternative worldview—a competitor to the perspective and values of the Bible. It stressed the supremacy of reason and logic rather than divine revelation. The later Greeks, embarrassed by the ribald antics of their ancient gods and heroes in the writings of Homer and Hesiod, sought to explain them away as profound allegories.This approach to their “inspired” writings was picked up by Hellenistic Jews, such as Philo of Alexandria, and applied to the Bible. This treatment of the Old Testament as an allegory was a handy tool for Gnostics and others who wanted to evade obedience to plain commands.

About 15 years after the baptism of Simon Magus, the Apostle Paul found it necessary to warn the Church in Thessalonica that “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). About five years later, Paul warned the Corinthians that they were in danger of being corrupted by false apostles teaching “another Jesus” and “a different gospel.” Simon and his followers were, in reality, ministers of Satan masquerading as ministers of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3–4, 13–15).

By the 60s AD, the Apostle Jude, brother of James and of Jesus Christ, exhorted Christians of the necessity to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). He went on to warn that there were certain men who had stealthily crept into the church organization, trying to turn grace into lawlessness by teaching that God’s law was no longer necessary (v. 4). By Jude’s time, the true faith had already been once and for all delivered.Modern scholars who claim that it remained for second and third century theologians to begin to formulate an accurate understanding of God’s nature would do well to reread Jude 3. It is clear that Jude does not allow for “progressive revelation”!

Writing at the close of the first century, almost 30 years after the rest of the New Testament was completed, the aged Apostle John had to contend with heresies that were far more widespread than those of the days of Paul and Jude. John repeatedly emphasized the necessity of keeping God’s commandments (1 John 2:3; 3:4, 22; 5:3). In 2 John 7, he warned, “Many deceivers have gone out into the world.” In 3 John 9–10, a leader by the name of Diotrephes had gained control of some congregations in Asia Minor and was actually putting out of the Church those true Christians who remained loyal to the aged Apostle John and his teachings.

THE CHURCH IN TRANSITION

An event of far-reaching implications for the New Testament Church had occurred about 25 years prior to John’s writing. This event was the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman legions under Titus in 70AD. The Jerusalem Church of God, under the leadership of James’ successor, Simeon (first cousin of James and Christ), fled Jerusalem shortly before 70AD and went to Pella, a remote desert community. Following Simeon’s death, the Jerusalem Church of God experienced great instability, having 13 leaders in the next 28 years.

Many previously promulgated heresies now emerged in full bloom. In addition, many in the Church were discouraged and confused. Events had not gone as had been generally expected. The Church was increasingly becoming a mix of new Gentile converts and second or even third generation members.

During the last part of the first century and the beginning of the second, the Roman world became increasingly hostile to the Jews. Extremely oppressive laws and heavy taxes were directed against them by the Roman Empire as punishment. Between the first (66–73AD) and second (132–135AD) Jewish revolts, there were many violent anti-Jewish pogroms in places such as Alexandria and Antioch. Reacting to this, the Jews rioted in Mesopotamia, Palestine and Egypt.

Frequently, Christians suffered as victims of these outbursts because they were regarded by the authorities as a Jewish sect. However, they were considered by Jewish revolutionaries to be traitors to Judaism and to Jewish political aspirations because they would not fight the Romans.During these times, hundreds of thousands of synagogue and Church members—those who worshipped on Sabbath days and studied the Scriptures—perished at Roman hands or by mobs.

During this dangerous era, the Roman church under its Bishop Sixtus (ca. 116–126AD) began holding Sunday worship services and ceased observing the annual Passover, substituting Easter Sunday and “Eucharist” in its place. This is the clear record preserved by Eusebius of Caesarea, a late third- and early fourth-century scholar, who became known as the “father of church history.” Eusebius quoted his information from a letter of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (ca. 130–202AD) to Bishop Victor of Rome. Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, in his book From Sabbath to Sunday,acknowledges: “There is a wide consensus of opinion among scholars that Rome is indeed the birthplace of Easter-Sunday. Some, in fact, rightly label it as ‘Roman-Easter’” (p. 201). Of course, what is not generally realized by the speakers of non-Latin languages is that the Romans did not use the name “Easter” for their new celebration; they continued to call it by the Latin word for Passover, paschalis.

This official break from the law of God was the natural outgrowth of the “mystery of iniquity,” which confused grace with lawlessness and taught that obedience to the law was unnecessary. When a practice is not deemed necessary, it is only a matter of time until convenience will dictate either its modification or its abolition. As the conflict between Judaism and the Empire heightened, many “Christians” in Rome, under the leadership of Bishop Sixtus, took steps to avoid any possibility of being considered Jews and thereby suffer persecution with them.

In 135AD, at the end of the Second Jewish Revolt, the Roman Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus) took drastic steps against the Jews. He renamed Jerusalem after himself and the “god” Jupiter Capitolinus—Aelia Capitolina—and imposed the death penalty on anyone called a “Jew” who would dare enter the city.

At this point Marcus, an Italian, became bishop of Jerusalem, as Gibbon records in chapter 15 of his famous Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: “At his [Marcus’] persuasion, the most considerable part of the congregation renounced the Mosaic law, in the practice of which they had persevered above a century. By this sacrifice of their habits and prejudices they purchased free admission into the colony of Hadrian, and more firmly cemented their union with the Catholic church” (vol. 1, p. 390).

What of those who continued to regard the law of God as binding for Christians? Gibbon writes: “The crimes of heresy and schism were imputed to the obscure remnant of the Nazarenes which refused to accompany their Latin bishop.… In a few years after the return of the church of Jerusalem, it became a matter of doubt and controversy whether a man who sincerely acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, but who still continued to observe the law of Moses, could possibly hope for salvation” (p. 390).

It was only a matter of time until professing Christians who had ceased observing the Sabbath “excluded their Judaizing brethren from the hope of salvation… [and] declined any intercourse with them in the common offices of friendship, hospitality, and social life.”

Incredible! This happened even though, just a few years earlier, they had all observed God’s Festivals together. Yet after Bishop Marcus brought in “new truth,” most professing Christians joined him in condemning those faithful Christians who held fast to the historic faith they had all been taught. Those who remained loyal to the truth were soon shunned as a source of “division” by a majority seeking to replace historic Christianity with something different.

A THEOLOGY OF “NEW TRUTH”?

Many of the supposedly “Christian” writings that have been preserved from the second century onward put forward a totally different theology from that of the Apostle John, who wrote just 10 or 20 years earlier. As Bacchiocchi asserts, “Ignatius, Barnabus, and Justin, whose writings constitute our major source of information for the first half of the second century, witnessed and participated in the process of separation from Judaism which led the majority of the Christians to abandon the Sabbath and adopt Sunday as the new day of worship” (p. 213). Ignatius of Antioch, in about 110AD, wrote, “It is monstrous to talk of Jesus Christ and to practice Judaism” (Magnesians, 10). He also talked of “no longer observing sabbaths.” Yet John, writing his gospel scarcely 20 years earlier, emphasized that Jesus kept the same Festivals the Jewish community kept (John 7:2; 11:55).

Barnabus of Alexandria, not to be confused with the Apostle Barnabus, in his epistle written about 130AD, alleges that the Old Testament is an allegory and not intended to be understood literally. He regards the prohibitions of the law against eating unclean meats as an allegory of the type of people that Christians should avoid(Epistle of Barnabus, 10). He also seeks to allegorize the Sabbath and states, “We keep the eighth day for rejoicing in the which also Jesus rose from the dead” (Epistle of Barnabus, 15).

Two prominent second century theologians, who played an important transitional role in the change from biblical theology to Roman Catholic theology, were both baptized in churches under faithful Polycarp’s leadership. Polycarp (ca. 69–155AD) had been a personal disciple of the Apostle John and was one of the few church leaders of his day to hold fast to the Truth. These two men, Justin Martyr (ca. 95–167AD) and Irenaeus (ca. 130–202AD), while maintaining some truths they had learned under Polycarp, also sought to accommodate themselves to the new direction of Roman theology in the name of “church unity.” Irenaeus, though he departed from much of Polycarp’s teaching, maintained a lifelong admiration for Polycarp as a great man of God.

Justin was a Greek from Samaria who became a Platonist philosopher and then, under the influence of Polycarp and his disciples, was baptized as a Christian at Ephesus in about 130AD. He came to Rome in 151AD, founded a school and was subsequently martyred in 167AD. After arriving in Rome, Justin sought to steer a middle course on the subject of the law. Henry Chadwick writes:

“Justin believed that a Jewish Christian was quite free to keep the Mosaic law without in any way compromising his Christian faith, and even that a Gentile Christian might keep Jewish customs if a Jewish Christian had influenced him to do so; only it must be held that such observances were matters of indifference and of individual conscience. But Justin had to admit that other Gentile Christians did not take so liberal a view and believed that those who observed the Mosaic law would not be saved” (The Early Church, pp. 22–23).

Irenaeus grew up in Asia Minor and, when a teenager, heard Polycarp preach. He came to Rome as a young man and later became bishop of Lyons in France in 179AD. Irenaeus is considered the first great Catholic theologian and seems to have gone to great lengths to promote peace and a conciliatory spirit. His desire for peace was so great, however, that he was willing to compromise with the Truth to maintain church unity. The churches in Asia Minor under Polycarp’s leadership observed the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Yet, when Irenaeus came to Rome, he readily adapted to the Roman practices of observing Sunday and Easter. In Lyons there were some who kept Passover on Abib 14 and some who kept Easter. Irenaeus kept Easter but sought to be tolerant of those who still observed Passover.

A theological revolution was indeed taking place in the Church of the second century. Notice: “Justin Martyr occupies a central position in the history of Christian thought of the second century.… Justin also molded the thinking of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons” (Chadwick, p. 79). Though Justin became a professing Christian in Ephesus, he “did not understand this to mean the abandonment of his philosophical inquiries, nor even the renunciation of all that he had learnt from Platonism” (p. 75). He believed that the God of Plato was also the God of the Bible. “Justin does not make rigid and exclusive claims for divine revelation to the Hebrews so as to invalidate the value of other sources of wisdom. Abraham and Socrates are alike Christians before Christ” (p. 76). This approach set the stage for a reshaping of Christian theology to embrace much of Greek philosophical thought concerning the nature of God.

In spite of all this, Justin acknowledged the authority of the book of Revelation and believed “Christ would return to a rebuilt Jerusalem to reign with his saints for a thousand years” (p. 78).

Irenaeus, heavily influenced by Justin, also preserved bits and pieces of the Truth in spite of conforming to Roman practices. He rightly taught: “The purpose of our existence is the making of character by the mastery of difficulties and temptations” (p. 81). He also adhered to the literal hope of an earthly millennium,during which Christ would reign on earth, and taught against interpreting the millennial hope as symbolic of heaven, though he toned down his insistence on this point in his later works.

TRUTH ABANDONED IN FAVOR OF UNITY AND TRADITION

There were two fundamental errors that separated professing Christians from those who truly represented the continuation of the Church that Jesus built. These errors involved whether or not God’s law was still obligatory for Christians, and who and what God is. Errors on these two points led to an ever-widening divergence between the professing Christian church and the true Church of God.

The importance of the law was the major area of controversy from about 50AD until 200AD. It was not finally resolved until the Councils of Nicea (325AD) and Laodicea (363AD) when the Roman state became involved. The substance of the conflict is preserved in the confrontation between Polycrates of Asia Minor and Victor, bishop of Rome, about 190AD.Polycrates was the successor of Polycarp who was himself a disciple of the Apostle John. Irenaeus records that Polycarp had traveled to Rome in the mid-second century to try and persuade Anicetus, bishop of Rome, of the true time of the Passover. Anicetus claimed to have been bound by the tradition of his predecessors since Bishop Sixtus, while Polycarp declared, “He had always observed it [Passover] with John the disciple of our Lord, and the rest of the apostles, with whom he associated” (Eusebius, xxiv).

About 50 years after Polycarp’s journey, Victor of Rome sought to intimidate the churches of Asia Minor into conforming to the Roman Easter practice. Polycrates wrote Victor:

“We therefore observe the genuine day [Passover]; neither adding thereto nor taking therefrom. For in Asia great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again in the day of the Lord’s appearing, in which he will come with glory from heaven, and will raise up all the saints; Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who sleeps in Hierapolis… John, who rested upon the bosom of our Lord… Polycarp of Smyrna.… All these observed the fourteenth day of the Passover according to the gospeldeviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith…and my relatives always observed the day when the people threw away the leaven [Abib 14]. I, therefore, brethren, am now 65 years in the Lord, who having conferred with the brethren throughout the world, and having studied the whole of the sacred Scriptures, am not at all alarmed at those things with which I am threatened, to intimidate me. For they who are greater than I, have said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men’” (Eusebius, xxiv).

As various controversies raged during the second century, a new approach to church government was to have consequences of monumental proportions. This approach was an emphasis on what was termed “Apostolic Succession.”

In the first century, Paul had praised the Bereans for their approach in “checking up on him” by searching the Scriptures daily to see if he was teaching truth (Acts 17:11). He exhorted the Thessalonians to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV). Constantly, throughout the first century, we see an appeal being made to the Scriptures.

But, beginning with the writings of Clement, bishop of Rome, we find anewemphasis. Clement wrote a letter to the church in Corinth about 100AD, probably very shortly after John’s death. The editors ofMasterpieces of Christian Literaturesummarize Clement’s principal ideas as: “The way to peace and concord is through obedience to established authorities, the elders. Christ rules the churches through the apostles, the bishops appointed by them, and the approved successors of the bishops.”

About ten years later Ignatius stressed the same point, “Unity and peace in the church and the validity of the church are acquired through faithful adherence to the bishop” (Masterpieces).

By the middle of the next century, the claims had grown so forcefully that Cyprian of North Africa stated: “The focus of unity is the bishop. To forsake him is to forsake the Church, and he cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother” (Chadwick, p. 119).

These claims were being made to hold brethren in an organization that was rapidly developing into what we know today as the Roman Catholic Church. How different these appeals are to those of Paul and the other New Testament leaders who pointed to the Scriptures and to the fruits of their ministries for authentication (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:1; Acts 17:2).No longer able to rely on a clear appeal to Scripture, second- and third-century church leaders increasingly based their claim to the loyalty of the brethren upon their assertion of being duly ordained successors of the Apostles and the bishops who succeeded them. While they increasingly abandoned what the Apostles taught, these deceivers sought to hold brethren together by appeals to unity and to the memory of the Apostles.

CHAPTER 2

A DRAMATIC TRANSITION

At the time of the Apostle John’s death near the dawn of the second century AD, the Christian movement, though obviously beset by many problems and false teachers, bore at least a recognizable resemblance to the Church of God of the book of Acts. But, by the beginning of the third century AD, most of those same congregations, though still calling themselves “Church of God,” bore far more resemblance in doctrine to the medieval Catholic Church than to the Church of God during the days of the Apostles Peter, James, Paul and John.How did so many move so far so quickly? This is the question that simply leaps out at us as we examine the history of the early Church.

During the second century, a number of gradual shifts occurred in both the doctrine and practice of the vast majority of church congregations. The stage was set for those shifts by some of the very ideas that began to be promulgated only a few years after Christ’s resurrection and ascension into heaven. Ideas always produce consequences!

ANOTHER GOSPEL

Christ spent His ministry preaching the “Good News” of a coming divine government that would replace the oppressive human governments Jesus’ listeners knew all too well. The disciples asked Him for signs showing when that time would be near (Matthew 24:3). The last question they asked, as He was preparing to ascend into heaven, concerned whether it was yet time for the Kingdom to be established (Acts 1:6). In the last stage of Paul’s ministry of which we have any record, we find that Paul was still “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him” (Acts 28:31)! Even in the last inspired book of the New Testament canon, Jesus Christ inspired the Apostle John with visions about the literal establishment of the Kingdom of God on this earth (Revelation 19:11–21; 20:4–6; 21).

In spite of this clear record of Jesus Christ’s plain teaching, we read in 2 Corinthians 11:3–15 that false ministers had crept into the Church, and within 25 years after its founding were preaching what Paul called “another gospel.” By the second century, the true Gospel that Jesus had taught was being called a “doubtful opinion” by the leaders of the budding “orthodox” Christian church. By the third century, Christ’s own example and teaching was being regarded as rank heresy. During the second and third centuries, the “gospel” that was being preached focused almost exclusively on the person of Jesus. Also, at that same time, pagan concepts about the immortality of the soul, as well as heaven and hell, gained acceptance.

The correct understanding about the Kingdom of God was maintained well into the second century, even by men such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus. Of course, they were seriously off-track in other areas, such as their teaching concerning God’s law. Edward Gibbon writes of this period:

“The assurance of such a Millennium was carefully inculcated by… [those] who conversed with the immediate disciples of the apostles.… But when the edifice of the church was almost completed, the temporary support was laid aside. The doctrine of Christ’s reign upon earth was at first treated as a profound allegory, was considered by degrees as a doubtful and useless opinion, and was at length rejected as the absurd invention of heresy and fanaticism” (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 1, ch. 15).

Much of this progression was the result of Origen’s influence. Origen was, as we shall shortly see, one of the least sound-minded individuals ever to be accepted as a Christian theologian. He played a major role in formulating Catholic teaching on the Trinity, the immortality of the soul and the Kingdom of God.

As the foundational understanding of the true nature of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God was abandoned, there were many disastrous consequences. One was the participation of church members in politics and in the military. Historians are virtually unanimous in acknowledging that early Christians avoided such involvement, “But, while they inculcated the maxims of passive obedience, they refused to take any active part in the civil administration or the military defense of the empire” (Gibbon, The Triumph of Christendom in the Roman Empire, p. 41). By the end of the third century, however, there were “Christian” legions in the Roman army. Professing Christians were told that political involvement was acceptable.

THE IMMORTAL SOUL

The doctrine of the immortality of the soul, virtually universal in paganism, is not taught in either the Old or the New Testaments. Notice the admission of the Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible in this regard:

“In the KJV of the OT [the clue is partly obliterated in modern translations] ‘soul’ represents almost exclusively the Hebrewnephesh. The word ‘soul’ in English… frequently carries with it overtones, ultimately coming from philosophical Greek (Platonism) and from Orphism and Gnosticism, which are absent in nephesh. In the OT it never means the immortal soul, but is essentially the life principle, or the living being.… Psuche in the NT corresponds tonephesh in the OT” (vol. 4, p. 428).

How did the concept of an immortal soul enter into Christianity? As early as 200BC, some Jewish sects were beginning to absorb this idea, due to Greek influence, and were attempting to meld it with the biblical teaching of the resurrection. This is illustrated by such intertestamental apocryphal writings as the Book of Jubilees and Fourth Maccabees, as well as by both Philo and Josephus. The Gnostics, with their emphasis on pagan dualism, stressed the immortality of the soul in contrast to the resurrection of the body. The International Standard Bible Encyclopediastates, “There is a distinction between a Platonic belief in the immortality of the soul alone and biblical teaching regarding the resurrection of the dead” (vol. 2, p. 810).

Late second- and early third-century writers such as Tertullian and Origen played a major part in shaping future Catholic doctrine regarding heaven, hell and the immortality of the soul. The ISB Encyclopedia goes on to reveal: “Early Christians were often influenced by Greek as well as Jewish thought. For example, many were influenced by Pythagoras’ teachings about the soul’s division into several parts and its transmigration: Platonic and Neoplatonic [especially Plotinus’] understandings lay behind Origen’s view of the soul.… Tertullian followed Stoic thought” (vol. 4, p. 588). The Encyclopedia of Religionbrings out that many later influential Catholic theologians “all interpreted the biblical concepts of the soul along Platonic lines and in the general tradition of Origen and his school.”

THE TRINITY

There was not simply one heresy regarding the nature of God, but many different contradictory ones. There seem to have been almost as many different ideas as there were philosophical schools and teachers. Mainstream Catholic thought, from which orthodox Protestant teaching on the subject sprang, merely represents the particular brand of heresy that won out over its competitors. Since it is this teaching that has survived, with some modification, until our time, it is the one that we will examine most closely.

The background of third-century orthodoxy on the subject of the Trinity is to be found not in the biblical text, but in Greek philosophical writings.The Roman Catholic New Theological Dictionary makes a number of frank admissions in this regard. Concerning the Scriptural teaching on the nature of the Holy Spirit, in its article, “Trinity,” it acknowledges, “As such, the Spirit is never the explicit object of NT worship, nor is the Spirit ever represented in NT discourse as interacting in an interpersonal way with the Father and the Son.”

Later in the same article, modern Catholic scholars, discussing the background of orthodox teaching on the Trinity, confess pagan influences upon their theology:

“Christians… conversant with the then dominant philosophy of middle-Platonism seized the opportunity to proclaim and elucidate the Christian message in a thought form which was meaningful to the educated classes of the widespread Hellenistic society. This movement, which Catholic theology has generally evaluated positively, will have an enormous impact on the development of Christian theology.… Confident that the God they [pagan Greek philosophers] preached was the Father of Jesus Christ and the salvation they proclaimed was that of Jesus, the apologists adapted much of the Hellenic worldview… [Tertullian made] the first known use of the term ‘trinity.’

Origen appropriated the philosophy of middle-Platonism more systematically than the apologists and Tertullian had. In fact, his ‘concept of eternal generation’ was an adaptation of the middle-Platonic doctrine that the whole world of spiritual beings was eternal. The Son is eternally derived (or generated) from the very being of God and hence is of the Father’s essence, but second to the Father.… Origen, like Tertullian coined a generic term for the ‘three’ of the divine triad. The Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit are ‘three hypostases’.… Origen’s major contribution to the formulation of the trinitarian doctrine is the notion of eternal generation. His generic term for the ‘three’ (hypostases) will be adopted and refined in the fourth century” (p. 1054).

As we look at the development of “Christian” theology in the late second and early third centuries, the names of Tertullian and Origen keep coming up. Tertullian (ca. 150–225AD), called the father of Latin theology, was “one of the most powerful writers of the time and almost as influential as Augustine in the development of theology in the West” (Eerdman, Handbook to the History of Christianity, p. 77).

Tertullian lived in Carthage and was one of the first to teach that a fiery hell began at death. In his later years he broke with Rome and became a Montanist. This meant that he accepted the claims of two demon-possessed women who called themselves prophetesses. They went into ecstatic frenzies and “spoke in tongues,” claimed to be the “Paraclete” (a term for the Holy Spirit in John’s Gospel), and taught a message termed the “New Prophecy.”

Origen (ca. 185–254AD) “was the greatest scholar and most prolific author of the early church” (Eerdman, p. 104). About 203AD, Origen succeeded Clement of Alexandria as leader of a famous school that purported to prepare Christians for baptism and offered courses in philosophy and natural science for the general populace. For all his reputation as a great scholar and teacher of theology, how much did Origen really understand? According to the fourth-century church historian Eusebius, not too long after he took over the school at Alexandria, Origen castrated himself! This act was based upon his understanding (or rather, misunderstanding!) of Christ’s words inMatthew 5:29–30.

This same utter lack of sound-minded understanding of the real meaning and intent of Scripture is poignantly displayed in much of his theological writing. “Origen introduced the possibility of a remedial hell [purgatory]” (International Bible Encyclopedia, “Hell”). He also played an important part in what later developed into Catholic Mary-worship by first proposing the idea that Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus.

RELIGIOUS ART IN WORSHIP

One of the most drastic changes to affect the church after the first century was the introduction of religious art into worship. This innovation so obviously smacked of the idolatry prohibited by the second commandment that it was slow to catch on. Notice:

“Both Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria regarded this prohibition as absolute and binding on Christians. Images and cultic statues belonged to the demonic world of paganism. In fact, the only second-century Christians known to have had images of Christ were radical Gnostics.… Yet before the end of the second century Christians were freely expressing their faith in artistic terms” (Henry Chadwick, The Pelican History of the Church, p. 277).

The earliest example of a church building that had pictures on the wall was a third-century building in Dura on the Euphrates. Even then, it was primarily Old Testament scenes. As late as the Emperor Constantine, many leaders of the professing Christian church were still shocked at the idea of having pictures or images of Christ. We read:

“About 327 [AD] the learned historian Eusebius of Caesarea received a letter from the emperor’s sister Constantia asking him for a picture of Christ.… Eusebius wrote her a very stern reply. He was well aware that one could find pictures of Christ and of the apostles. They were for sale in the bazaars of Palestine, and he had himself seen them. But Eusebius did not think the painters and shopkeepers selling these mementos to pilgrims were Christians at all… [he] takes it for granted that only pagan artists would dream of making such representations” (ibid., pp. 280–281).

Epiphanius of Salamis, a fourth-century church leader, was horrified to find in a church-porch in Palestine a curtain with a purported picture of Christ. He not only lodged a vehement protest with the bishop of Jerusalem, but personally tore down the curtain and destroyed it. By the time of his death in 403AD, however, portrayals of Christ and the saints were becoming increasingly widespread. This was accompanied by theveneration of Mary which, by 400AD, was occupying an ever-increasing place in private devotions.

THE IMPERIAL CHURCH

After almost three centuries of on-again, off-again persecution by the Roman government, the Edict of Toleration was issued at Milan in 313AD. Soon afterward, Christianity went from simply being officially tolerated by the Roman Empire to actually becoming the official state religion of the empire. Did this represent a success story for the Church that Jesus Christ built? Had true, biblical Christianity triumphed in the Roman Empire?

Far from it! What we have seen is a Gentile-influenced religion that appropriated Christian terminology while retaining pagan traditions—all enforced by the Roman emperor, Constantine. It was vastly different from the persecuted, Judeo-Christian Church established by Jesus Christ Himself in the first century. Constantine recognized the important role that religion could play in uniting his empire and giving his populace a common identity. Motivated primarily by these political concerns, Constantine forged an alliance with the bishop of Rome and began the process of creating a “standard brand” of “Christianity” throughout his empire. He was instrumental in calling the Council of Nicea in 325AD and actually presided over it himself. Keep in mind that Constantine was not even baptized yet! In fact he put off baptism until he was on his deathbed, at which point he was too ill to be immersed. His personal example of being sprinkled contributed much to an abandonment of immersion in favor of sprinkling.

The Council of Nicea primarily sought to resolve two thorny issues that had not been fully settled earlier. These involved controversies about thenature of God as well as the Easter/Passover question. Backed up by imperial muscle, the views of the Roman church prevailed at the council. All opposition was squelched.

Constantine was also responsible for making “the venerable day of the Sun” a state holiday when the courts were to be closed and most businesses were to shut their doors.

This Roman emperor had previously been a devotee of Sol Invictus (“the Unconquered Sun”) and with his “conversion,” many motifs of sun worship, such as the use of the cross and the halo in art, entered “Christianity.” Also at this time, there began to be mass conversions of the populace. To facilitate this, popular holidays such as Saturnalia and Lupercalia were recycled into new “Christian” observances, now called Christmas and St. Valentine’s Day. The leaders of the church at Rome claimed that they were merely broadening the way, making Christianity more accessible to the masses and certainly much less “Jewish.” Anti-Semitism was a motivating force in Roman Christianity.

WHERE WAS THE CHURCH JESUS CHRIST BUILT?

What had happened to the Church that was established through an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in 31AD? Where was Christ and what was He doing during this time?

In the second and third chapters of the book of Revelation, we find messages that Jesus Christ recorded for the seven churches of Asia Minor. In the first chapter, the Apostle John saw a vision of the glorified Christ standing in the midst of seven golden lampstands. These seven lampstands represent the Church of God in its entirety throughout time (Revelation 1:12–20). The seven cities of Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation were physically situated as successive stops on a Roman mail route. What is the significance of these seven messages?

Clearly, these message have a historical application to seven literal congregations in the first century. Additionally, however—and important for us today—these congregations exemplify attitudes and problems that might characterize the Christian community, as well as individual Christians, in the years since John wrote (cf. Revelation 2:7).

When we look at the context of the book of Revelation, we must recognize that it is primarily intended as a prophecy. Revelation 1:1shows that the book’s purpose is to show to God’s servants things that would soon begin to happen. Thus the seven churches should primarily be understood as representing the entire history of God’s Church in seven successive church eras.

The first church to be addressed in Revelation 2 is the Church at Ephesus. This church characterized the Apostolic era. In verse 2, we read that the great test of that first era lay in determining who were the true Apostles of Christ and who were liars (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:3–15). This was an era that labored long and hard to do the Work of God and endured much difficulty and persecution in the process. The true Christians of the Ephesian era were those who rejected and hated the practices of the Nicolaitans (followers of Simon Magus).

However, after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70AD, discouragement and spiritual lethargy set in. The brethren had expected Christ to return shortly after Roman armies had surrounded Jerusalem. But now most of Judea and Galilee lay in ruins, occupied by Roman legions. The Jewish Christians were considered traitors by their fellow countrymen, and probable troublemakers by the Roman authorities. Life was hard and dangerous.

This era had left its first love, that early zeal for doing the Work. The membership began losing focus regarding those doctrines, practices and priorities that gave them their true identity and purpose.

The living Christ’s message to Christians of the Ephesian era was that if the Ephesians did not repent and return to their first works of zealous proclamation of the Gospel, He would remove their lampstand. The apostasy of the overwhelming majority of the Jerusalem Church in 135AD(when the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome was totally crushed) is generally taken to mark the ending of the Ephesian era. Those who remained faithful during these trying final days were labeled as “Nazarenes” (cf. Acts 24:5) and “Ebionites” (poor ones) by the larger church. As is also the case today, a wide variety of “independent” groups, mixing truth and error in a wide assortment of ideas, existed alongside the true Church of God. These groups were sometimes lumped in as fellow “heretics” with the “Nazarenes” or “Ebionites” by the Roman church.

The Church at Smyrna is the second of the seven churches to be addressed. The Apostle John died in Ephesus at the end of the first century. The next faithful leader in Asia Minor, as noted in the previous chapter, was Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna. As a young man, Polycarp had been a personal disciple of John and had observed the Passover with him on several occasions. Polycarp became prominent during the first couple of decades of the second century. The churches under his leadership remained one of the few areas where God’s Festivals continued to be observed throughout the remainder of the second century. In his old age, Polycarp even made a journey to Rome seeking to convince the bishop of Rome, Anicetus, of his errors in not celebrating the biblical Passover date and in observing, in its place, an annual Sunday Paschal observance (Easter) and a weekly celebration of “Eucharist.”

In the closing decades of the second century, Polycrates, a faithful church leader who had been personally trained by Polycarp, arose. He remained the only Christian leader of prominence who was faithful to the example of the Apostles of the Jerusalem Church of God. Polycrates taught the true Gospel of the literal establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, the unconscious state of the dead awaiting the resurrection, the importance of keeping God’s law and the observance of the biblical Festivals.

Toward the end of the second century, Victor, bishop of Rome, had begun labeling Polycrates and those who followed his teachings as heretics—sources of discord and schism in the church. Polycrates remained faithful despite increasing pressure and isolation from supposed “fellow Christians,” as well as persecution and hostility from the surrounding pagan society. After his death, however, we know of no other strong, prominent leader among those faithful churches in Asia Minor.

In the public’s perception, true Christians lost ground to the much more popular and accommodating Roman church. Their numbers shrank and they became increasingly isolated. Despised and labeled “Ebionites” by the mainstream church, individuals and groups of families who remained faithful had to relocate into more remote areas of Asia Minor.

Even as early as the end of the first century, there were true Christians being put out of congregations headed by apostate leaders (3 John 9–10). By the second century, others, such as the faithful remnant who refused to accept “new truth” from Bishop Marcus of Jerusalem, were being forced to withdraw themselves from congregations of which they had been members. This occurred as unfaithful leaders led the visible church further and further astray.

The great test of the Smyrna era lay in two areas. One was their ability to distinguish between the continuation of the true Church of God and what was, in reality, the emerging Synagogue of Satan. The other lay in their willingness to endure persecution and even death in order to remain faithful to God (Revelation 2:9–10).

Physically, the Christians of this era were impoverished and persecuted. They were rejected as heretics by the rapidly growing “Orthodox” movement, labeled as apostates from the synagogue by the Jews, and looked upon with contempt and suspicion by the surrounding pagan Roman society. In God’s estimation, however, those who remained faithful during this horrible time were accounted as having spiritual wealth of great value, and will ultimately receive a crown of life (Revelation 2:9–10).

After Constantine began the systematic enforcement of compliance with Roman theology in 325AD, the remnants of the true Church were in large part forced to flee the bounds of the Roman Empire into the mountains of Armenia, and later into the Balkan areas of Europe. They were few in number, utterly lacking in prestige or wealth and labeled as enemies of the state by a supposedly “Christian” Roman Empire.

In God’s sight, however, they were precious. It was not God’s purpose that His true Church grow into a great, powerful organization that would “Christianize” the world. His true Church was to remain a “little flock” (Luke 12:32). Its continuity would be measured, not by a succession of proud, powerful, presiding bishops in a particular city (cf. Hebrews 13:14), but by a succession of faithful, converted people who, though scattered and persecuted, continued to worship the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:23–24).

There would be times when God would raise up faithful leaders to revitalize His people and do some sort of Work that had public visibility, at least in localized areas. There were other times when God’s Church continued to exist in such scattered obscurity that it was visible only to God. Still, it never died out.

CHAPTER 3

THE CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS

In the aftermath of the Council of Nicea, Emperor Constantine and his successors sought to stamp out all non-conforming brands of Christianity. Groups that refused to conform to the teachings and practices of the “established” church, which now called itself the Catholic (universal) Church of God, were viewed not merely as heretics, but as subversive enemies of the Roman state.

The true Church, symbolized by a woman in Revelation 12, was forced to flee into the wilderness for 1,260 “days.” In Bible prophecy, a “day” often represents a year (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6). Thus, the true Church would have to remain in hiding for 1,260 years following the Nicene Council. Historically, that is what happened. Though these were truly dark ages, there was a light that continued to burn. Its flame sometimes flickered, but it was never extinguished.

Several problems confront any church scholar or historian who wishes to trace the wanderings of the true Church during this 1,260-year period. This is because the true Church’s history is not about one continuous human organization. The preserved history of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God has been almost entirely written by its enemies who viewed it as heretical. We read of groups labeled by hostile outsiders with such names as Paulicians, Bogomils and Waldenses—of whom smaller or larger segments, at different times, appear to have been true Christians in the mold of the first-century Jerusalem Church. Another difficulty is that the teachings of each of these groups changed over a period of time, generally becoming more like those of their Catholic and Protestant neighbors.

Also we find that writers often lumped together various groups of “heretics,” including the true Church, under the same name, not truly distinguishing the differences in their teachings. Thus the great challenge in Church history is not simply to identify who taught what, but to recognize when a church ceased to be part of the true Church, and when God removed that true Church to another place.

THE CHURCH FLEES TO THE WILDERNESS

During the first three centuries of its existence, the Church of God faced intermittent periods of harsh persecution. However, during those times, they were not singled out, but were generally lumped in with the Jews and a wide range of Christ-professing sects. Those persecutions were of limited duration and local in scope. The Roman Emperor Diocletian, from 303 to 313AD, unleashed the worst of these pre-Council of Nicea persecutions. These are the “ten days” referred to in Revelation 2:10.

When Constantine consolidated his power in the Empire, things changed significantly. Gibbon tells us that Constantine’s religious devotion was “peculiarly directed toward the genius of the Sun… and he was pleased to be represented with the symbols of the God of Light and Poetry. The unerring shafts of that deity, the brightness of his eyes… seem to point him out as the patron of a young hero. The altars of Apollo were crowned with the votive offerings of Constantine; and the credulous multitude were taught to believe that the emperor was permitted to behold with mortal eyes the visible majesty of their tutelar deity.… The Sun was universally celebrated as the invincible guide and protector of Constantine” (The Triumph of Christendom, p. 309).

Four years prior to the Council of Nicea, Constantine proclaimed a law for the Roman Empire that was to have far-reaching implications for God’s people. “The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday as a legal duty is a constitution of Constantine in 321AD, enacting that all courts of justice, inhabitants of towns, and workshops were to be at rest on Sunday (venerabili die solis, i.e., venerable day of the Sun).… This was the first of a long series of imperial constitutions, most of which are incorporated in the Code of Justinian.” About forty years later, the Catholic Church followed up on this imperial edict in “canon [29] of the Council of Laodicea [363AD], which forbids Christians from Judaizing and resting on the Sabbath day, and actually enjoins them to work on that day” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., “Sunday”).

The very fact that, in the latter fourth century, the Roman Church felt the need to legislate against Sabbath observance shows that faithful remnants, particularly in Asia Minor, persevered in the Truth. This increasingly powerful church insisted that all must now accept the “Christianized” brand of Roman Sun worship. Those who refused were easily identified and could no longer function if they remained in the urban areas of the Roman Empire. Consequently, in the fourth century, those Christians labeled as Nazarenes disappeared from the populous areas of Asia Minor. For three centuries the remnants of the true Church had sojourned there, but with the enactment of this Sunday law by Constantine, they were forced to flee. The fourth-century Catholic historian Epiphanius describes these people who differed “from the Jews and [Catholic] Christians: with the Jews they do not agree because of their belief in Christ, with [Catholic] Christians because they are trained in the Law.… This heresy of the Nazarenes exists in Beroea in the neighborhood of Coele Syria and the Decapolis in the region of Pella.… From there it took its beginning after the exodus from Jerusalem when all the disciples went to live in Pella” (Ray Pritz, Nazarene Jewish Christianity, p. 34).

THE “PAULICIANS” APPEAR IN ARMENIA

In the fifth century, the Church appeared in remote areas of eastern Asia Minor near the Euphrates River and in the mountains of Armenia. These people were labeled by their contemporaries as “Paulicians.” Who were they?

According to Armenian scholar Nina Garsoian in The Paulician Heresy, “It would, then, appear that the Paulicians are to be taken as the survival of the earlier form of Christianity in Armenia” (p. 227). The author also states that the Paulicians were “accused of being worse than other sects because of adding Judaism” (p. 213).

Christ’s message to this third stage of God’s Church (Paulicians) is characterized by the Church at Pergamos (Revelation 2:12–17). The wordPergamos means “fortified,” and the Church members of this era were noted for dwelling in remote, mountainous areas. In Revelation 2:13, Christ said of the Pergamos Church that they dwell where Satan’s throne is. Pergamum was a center of the ancient Babylonian mystery religion. In 133BC, Attalus III, the last “god-king” of Pergamum, died and in his will bequeathed his kingdom and his title, Pontifex Maximus(“Supreme Bridge-builder” between man and God), to the Romans. The Roman rulers took the title and held it until Emperor Gratian bestowed it on Pope Damascus in 378AD. The Catholic popes continue to use that title to this day. Also, historically, the term “Satan’s throne” alludes back to Nimrod’s ancient kingdom, which in distant antiquity included Armenia and the upper Euphrates (Genesis 10). The Pergamos Church—the Paulicians—geographically relocated to that same area after Constantine enforced Sunday keeping on the Roman Empire.

As far back as the fifth century, we find the Paulicians condemned as heretics in Catholic documents. However, the first prominent leader among them with whose name we are familiar is Constantine of Mananali (ca. 620–681AD). About 654AD he began to preach, helping to revitalize the Church. Prior to his ministry, most of the Church membership consisted of descendants of Christians who had fled Greece and Asia Minor more than two centuries earlier. They preserved the names of their original congregations and continued to refer to themselves as the “church of Ephesus” or the “church of Macedonia,” even though they were located hundreds of miles from the original sites.

In 681AD, Constantine of Mananali was executed by Byzantine (Eastern Roman) soldiers commanded by an officer named Simeon. Profoundly overwhelmed by Constantine’s example and teachings, this Simeon returned in 684AD—not as a Roman soldier, but as a convert. Simeon became a zealous Paulician preacher, and in turn was martyred three years later, in 687AD.

In 1828, the manuscript of an ancient book titled The Key of Truth was discovered in Armenia. The book, portions of which date to 800AD, provides us with the greatest detail of the teachings of the Paulicians. Translated into English by Fred Coneybeare around 1900, we learn from it that the Paulicians shunned the use of the cross in worship and religious art, calling it a “cursed implement.” They condemned warfare, and they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month of the sacred calendar. The Paulicians rejected the Roman Catholic Church’s claim to be the “Church of God,” and they disputed papal claims of “apostolic succession.” They regarded the Trinity, purgatory and intercession of the saints as unscriptural.

In the introduction to his English translation of The Key of Truth,Coneybeare provides invaluable historical background on the practices of the early Paulicians. “We also know from a notice preserved in Ananias of Shirak that the Pauliani, who were the same people at an earlier date, were Quartodecimans, and kept Easter in the primitive manner at the Jewish date. John of Otzun’s language perhaps implies that the old believers in Armenia during the seventh century were Quartodecimans, as we should expect them to be” (Coneybeare, intro., clii). Coneybeare further states, “The Sabbath was perhaps kept and there were no special Sunday observances” (p., cxiii). He goes on to say of the Paulicians that “they were probably the remnant of an old Judeo-Christian Church, which had spread up through Edessa into Siuniq and Albania” (p. clxii).

At some point in their history, however, many Paulicians succumbed to a fatal error. They reasoned that they could outwardly conform with many of the practices of the Catholic Church in order to avoid persecution as long as in their heart they knew better. This road of compromise led many to have their children christened and others to attend mass. Christ prophesied of this, admonishing the Church at Pergamos about those who held to pagan, immoral doctrines (Revelation 2:14–15). The result of their compromising was that Christ allowed severe persecution to come upon them. When persecution came, some of the beleaguered Paulicians decided that the solution to their trouble lay in entering into an alliance with the Muslim Arabs who were then making serious incursions into the Byzantine Empire. Controversies among the Paulicians during these years created various splits in the group.

Prior to 800AD, a leading Church personality, a man named Baanes, came to the leadership of the Paulicians in Armenia and promulgated a doctrine of military retaliation. Shortly thereafter, another minister named Sergius became prominent within the Paulicians. Because Sergius condemned warfare, disagreeing with the position taken by Baanes, he was accused of causing a schism within the group. But, in spite of difficulties, Sergius’ ministry lasted more than 30 years. After his death, however, most of his followers began to take part in warfare as well.

RISE OF THE BOGOMILS

In the eighth and ninth centuries, many Armenian Paulicians were forcibly resettled in the Balkans by Byzantine emperors. They were placed there as a bulwark against the invading Bulgar tribes. Relocated to the Balkans, the Paulicians came to be called Bogomils.

What did these Bogomils teach? “Baptism was only to be practiced on grown men and women… images and crosses were idols” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., “Bogomils”). They also taught that prayer should be done at home, not in separate buildings such as churches. They taught that the congregation consisted of the “elect” and that each individual should seek to attain the perfection of Christ. Their ministry is said to have gone about healing the sick and casting out demons.

In the tenth and eleventh centuries, many Bogomils spread westward and settled in Serbia. Later, large numbers took refuge in Bosnia by the end of the twelfth century. These Bogomils were “only one version of a group of related heretical sects that flourished across Asia Minor and southern Europe during the Middle Ages under a variety of names, the best-known being the Patarenes, Cathars and Albigensians” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed., vol. 29, p. 1098). They were condemned as heretics due to their belief that “the world is governed by two principles, good and evil, and human affairs are shaped by the conflict between them; the whole visible world is given over to Satan” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, p. 1,098). From their Balkan base, the Bogomils’ influence, initially fostered by a merchant’s trading network, extended into Piedmont in Italy and also southern France. By the time the Ottoman Turks assumed power in Bosnia, the seeds of the Truth had spread to the Piedmont, Provencal and Alpine areas of Europe.

THE CATHARS AND WALDENSES

In the beginning of the twelfth century, there was a revitalization of the Truth with the raising up of the next phase of the Church under the leadership of Peter de Bruys in southeastern France. This stage in church history is characterized by the Church at Thyatira in Revelation 2. The Piedmont valleys of southeastern France were described by Pope Urban II, in 1096, as being “infested with heresy.” It was from one of these valleys, the Valley Louise, that Peter de Bruys arose in 1104 and began to preach repentance. He gained many followers among the Cathars, initially, and later among the general public.

The Cathars (meaning “puritans”), among whom de Bruys originally preached, were remnants of earlier Bogomil settlements. However, by this time, most had accepted a variety of new and strange doctrines and were quite divided among themselves. His preaching, and that of his successors, brought about a revitalized Church during the first half of the twelfth century in the valleys of southeastern France. De Bruys professed to restore Christianity to its original purity. At the end of a ministry of about 20 years, he was burned at the stake. In rapid succession after him, there arose two other strong ministers, Arnold and Henri.

After the death of Henri in 1149, the Church languished and seemed to go into eclipse. A few years later, a wealthy merchant in Lyons, Peter Waldo, was struck down by an unusual circumstance and began preaching the Gospel in 1161. After being shocked into contemplating the real meaning of life as a result of the sudden death of a close friend, Waldo obtained a copy of the Scriptures and began studying God’s word. He was soon amazed to find that the Scriptures taught the very opposite of much of what he had learned during his Catholic upbringing.

Historian Peter Allix, quoting from an old Waldensian document, The Noble Lesson,tells us: “The author upon supposal that the world was drawing to an end, exhorts his brethren to prayer, to watchfulness.… He repeats the several articles of the law, not forgetting that which respects idols” (Ecclesiastical History of Ancient Churches of Piedmont, pp. 231, 236–237).

Elsewhere, Allix writes that the Waldensian leaders “declare themselves to be the apostles’ successors, to have apostolic authority, and the keys of binding and loosing. They hold the church of Rome to be the whore of Babylon” (Ecclesiastical History, p. 175).

Peter Waldo made Lyons, France, the center of his preaching from 1161 until 1180. Then, because of persecution, he relocated to northern Italy. From about 1210 until his death seven years later, Waldo spent his time preaching in Bohemia and Germany. “Like St. Francis [of Assisi], Waldo adopted a life of poverty that he might be free to preach, but with this difference that the Waldenses preached the doctrine of Christ while the Franciscans preached the person of Christ”(Encyclopaedia Britannica,11th ed.).

What were some of the other doctrines taught by the Waldenses? Is there evidence that the early Waldenses were Sabbath-keepers? One of the names by which they were most anciently known was that ofSabbatati! In his 1873 work, History of the Sabbath, historian J. N. Andrews quotes from an earlier work by Swiss-Calvinist historian Goldastus written about 1600. Speaking of the Waldenses, Goldastus wrote, “Insabbatati [they were called] not because they were circumcised, but because they kept the Jewish Sabbath” (Andrews, p. 410). Andrews further refers to the testimony of Archbishop Ussher (1581–1656), who acknowledged “that many understood that they [the names Sabbatati or Insabbatati] were given to them [Waldenses] because they worshipped on the Jewish Sabbath” (p. 410). Clearly even noted Protestant scholars at the end of the Middle Ages were willing to acknowledge that many Waldenses had observed the seventh-day Sabbath.

In his 1845 work, The History of the Christian Church, William Jones wrote:

“Investigators made a report to Louis XII [reigned 1498–1516], king of France, that they had visited all the parishes where the Waldenses dwelt. They had inspected all their places of worship… but they found no images, no sign of the ordinances belonging to the mass, nor any of the sacraments of the Roman church.… They kept the Sabbath day, they observed the ordinance of baptism according to the primitive church, instructed their children in the articles of the Christian faith and the commandments of God.…

“The Waldenses could say a great part of the Old and New Testaments by heart. They despise the sayings and expositions of holy men [Roman Catholic church fathers], and they only plead for the test of Scripture.… The traditions of the [Roman] church are no better than the traditions of the Pharisees, and that greater stress is laid [by Rome] on the observance of human tradition than on the keeping of the law of God. They despise the Feast of Easter, and all other Roman festivals of Christ and the saints” (A Handbook of Church History, pp. 234, 236–237).

COMPROMISING ONCE MORE

There was, however, a serious problem that affected most of the Waldensian groups through the latter Middle Ages—just as it had troubled the Paulicians. This was the tendency of many to allow Catholic priests to “christen” their children, as well as their willingness to participate in Catholic worship ceremonies. Knowing that such ceremonies were useless in gaining salvation, many felt that outward conformity with Rome would avoid persecution and allow them to privately practice the Truth. This tendency was prophesied of the Church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:20–24. From God’s standpoint, what they were doing amounted to spiritual fornication and partaking of Catholic communion was “eating things sacrificed to idols.”

What happened to the Waldenses? “Waldenses slowly disappeared from the chief centers of population and took refuge in the retired valleys of the Alps. There, in the recesses of Piedmont… a settlement of the Waldensians was made who gave their name to these valleys of Vaudois.… At times attempts were made to suppress the sect of the Vaudois, but the nature of the country which they inhabited, their obscurity and their isolation made the difficulties of their suppression greater than the advantages to be gained from it” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., “Waldenses”).

In 1487, Pope Innocent VIII issued a bull calling for their extermination and a serious attack was made on their stronghold. A fog settling over and encircling the Catholic armies saved the Waldenses from total destruction. However, most were simply worn out and had lapsed into a spirit of compromise. When the Reformation began a few years later, the Waldensian leadership sent emissaries to the Lutheran church. “Thus,” as the Encyclopaedia Britannica writes, “the Vaudois ceased to be relics of the past, and became absorbed in the general movement of Protestantism.”

As total apostasy swallowed up most remnants of the Waldenses by the end of the 1500s, God preserved a faithful remnant. Individuals who were the fruit of the last seven years of Waldo’s ministry had been converted in Bohemia and Germany in the thirteenth century. In remote areas of the Carpathian Mountain area of central and eastern Europe, individuals and small groups survived. In fact, a faithful remnant has survived in isolation in those areas down to modern times (cf. Revelation 2:24–25).

As the seventeenth century approached, the next era of God’s Church was ready to emerge on the stage. Remnants of German Waldensians, sometimes labeled Lollards by outsiders, had penetrated into Holland and England as early as the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. However, it was only in the final decades of the sixteenth century that the Church could begin to emerge openly in Germany and Britain.

CHAPTER 4

TAKING ROOT IN A NEW WORLD

By the end of the 1500s, congregations that the world labeled “Sabbatarian Anabaptists” had emerged from remnants of the Waldensians and were growing in Central Europe, Germany and England. They were termed Sabbatarian because they taught and observed the seventh-day Sabbath. They were called Anabaptists, meaning “re-baptizers,” because they refused to accept as Christians those who had merely been sprinkled as babies. They taught that baptism was only for adults who had come to believe the Gospel and had repented of their sins (cf. Acts 2:38).What happened to the Church that Jesus built? It endured and it survived against incredible odds! The men and women who were the spiritual ancestors of God’s people today exemplified faith and courage. Time after time through the centuries they had to relocate in order to remove themselves from either outside persecution or internal apostasy and compromise. At those times, when it seemed that the flame of God’s Truth flickered most dimly, Christ always raised up another faithful leader to rally His people and revitalize the Work of God.

THE STORY OF THE “ANABAPTISTS”

Among them were remarkable men such as Oswald Glaidt, Andreas Fischer and Andreas Eossi. Their area of ministry was primarily in Germany, Poland, Hungary and parts of what later became known as Czechoslovakia and Romania. These men taught obedience to the Sabbath and Holy Days as well as a rejection of infant baptism and the Trinity. God used them to strengthen the faithful remnant and to provide a witness of the Truth as the turbulent Protestant Reformation was sweeping the same area.

Glaidt and Fischer met during a trip up the Danube River in 1527. They both wrote books in defense of the Sabbath. In response to those who accused him of trying to earn salvation because he taught that obedience to the Ten Commandments was necessary, Glaidt responded, “The moral law says, ‘Do not murder,’ yet nobody would argue seriously that this is no longer in effect, nor would anyone argue that simply to refrain from murder is an attempt to achieve salvation on the basis of ‘works’” (Daniel Liechty, Sabbatarianism in the Sixteenth Century, p. 31). Glaidt was executed in Vienna in 1546. Shortly prior to his death he told his accusers, “Even if you drown me, I will not deny God and His Truth. Christ died for me and I will continue to follow Him and would die for His Truth before I would give it up” (p. 35). Books and tracts on the Sabbath and other related subjects were also published in the late 1500s by Eossi, a Hungarian of noble birth.

By the mid-1600s, remnants of the Church in Central Europe were being increasingly persecuted by a resurgent Catholic Church that was regaining control there after the turbulence of the Reformation. True Christians were faced with either severe persecution or emigration to an area that offered greater freedom to practice their beliefs. The remote Trans-Carpathian mountain area, which was already home to Waldensian remnants, became a sanctuary for many. In the eighteenth century, most of the few remaining German Sabbath-keepers migrated to Pennsylvania. There were also a number of people who were associated with the “Anabaptist movement,” but who accepted otherProtestant teachings of the Reformation. From those descend such modern-day groups as the Baptists, Mennonites and Amish.

In the meantime, remnants of the true Church had come into England. The scene was set for the fifth stage in the history of the Church of God, characterized by the Church at Sardis. Our first clear records of Sabbath-keeping church congregations in England date from the 1580s. By the early 1600s a public debate was being waged as to whether or not the biblical Sabbath was still in effect. During this period, quite a few books were written—many of which survive—on the subject of the law of God and the Sabbath.

John Traske was one of the first in England to publish a book dealing with the Sabbath. Writing around 1618, he was imprisoned for his efforts. Some credit him with raising up the Mill Yard Church in London, the oldest known Sabbath-keeping church still functioning and parent of later Sabbatarian churches in America. Though some other historians date the founding of Mill Yard to the 1580s, well before Traske’s time, he certainly pastored the church in the early seventeenth century. Traske was later arrested and put in prison. While there, he seems to have recanted his teachings in order to gain release, though his wife refused to do so; she remained faithful to the Truth and spent the remaining 15 years of her life in prison.

In 1661, John James, another Church of God minister in the London area, was arrested for preaching the Truth. Author Ivor Fletcher, in his work,The Incredible History of God’s True Church, writes:

“In his final words to the court he simply asked them to read the following scriptures: Jeremiah 26:14–15 and Psalm 116:15.… after his execution his heart was taken out and burned, the four quarters of his body fixed to the gates of the city and his head set up on a pole in Whitechapel opposite to the alley in which his meeting-house stood. Such was the horrible price that some were prepared to pay for obedience to God in seventeenth century England” (p. 176).

Another remarkable leader was Francis Bampfield, a copy of whose autobiography, The Life of Shem Acher, has been preserved in the British Museum Library. From 1662 until his death in 1683, he spent most of his time either in prison or on the run from the English authorities. Even when he was detained at Dorchester Prison, people flocked there to hear him preach. It was at this time of persecution that an event of far-reaching implications happened: Stephen Mumford and his wife, members of the Church, left England for the New World and came to Rhode Island in 1664. By the early 1700s, the Church of God in England was virtually dead. Most of the ministers at that time, in addition to preaching on the Sabbath, were now pastoring churches on Sunday to make extra money. Compromise took its toll.

THE CHURCH IN EARLY AMERICA

Upon arriving in Rhode Island, the only American colony founded upon the principle of religious liberty, the Mumfords began to fellowship with Baptists in Newport. They were not quiet, however, about their belief in the Sabbath. In 1665, within the first year of the Mumfords’ arrival, Tacy Hubbard started keeping the Sabbath with them, becoming the first convert in America. Shortly afterward, her husband Samuel joined her. In 1671, the first Sabbath-keeping church in America officially began with seven members. William Hiscox was the first pastor of the church, serving from 1671 until his death in 1704.

In 1708, a second church was officially organized in Westerly, Rhode Island (later renamed Hopkinton). Throughout the eighteenth century, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New Jersey seem to have been the main areas of Sabbath-keeping churches. During this time, German Sabbath-keepers immigrated to Pennsylvania. Peter Miller was the best-known minister of the German Sabbath-keepers in Pennsylvania and was a friend of Benjamin Franklin.

The time of the American Revolution was difficult for many of God’s people. The history of that era also demonstrates how spiritually dead many of the ministers and members were. Several congregations were greatly divided on the issue of warfare and political involvement. Jacob Davis, pastor of the Shrewsbury, New Jersey, Church of God, joined the Continental Army as a chaplain. Many of the members followed his example and enlisted also. One member, Simeon Maxson, boldly objected and labeled any church members who supported carnal warfare as “children of the devil” (Richard Nickels, Six Papers on the History of the Church of God, p. 60). He was put out of the congregation because of his stand.

Sabbath-keepers in the Shrewsbury area were impoverished and divided by the War. Many relocated to Pennsylvania after the Revolution and, prior to 1800, most of those moved to Salem, Virginia (later West Virginia). The area around Salem became one of the major centers of God’s people from about 1800 on into the twentieth century. The history of God’s people in this area is not, however, the story of unity and of a great work being done. It is the story of division, apostasy and spiritual lethargy on the part of the majority—much of it furthered by the influence of the prominent Davis family, which produced many of the leading ministers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The vast majority of the brethren appear to have been so spiritually dead that they blindly followed apostate ministers into Protestantism.

William Davis, born in Wales in 1663, went from the Church of England to the Quakers, then became a Baptist. In 1706, he accepted the Sabbath and applied for membership in the Newport church, but was rejected because he held wrong doctrines. Finally, in 1710, he was accepted for membership and, in 1713, was authorized to preach and to baptize. Yet he believed in the Trinity, the immortality of the soul and in “going to heaven”—totally contrary to the doctrines taught by the Church at that time! For the rest of his life, Davis was variously in and out of fellowship with the Church. “Davis played a powerful role in shaping the future of Sabbatarian Baptists” (Nickels, p. 55).

In the earliest days, no special thought was given to an official church name. The congregations in their correspondence with one another referred to themselves as “the Church of Christ which is at Newport” or “the Church of God living in Piscataway.” Most members simply called it “the Church.” Outsiders referred to them as Sabbatarians or Sabbatarian Baptists. When the church in Newport received an official state charter in 1819 (it had been established in 1671, but legal requirements were changing), it was registered under the name “Seventh-Day Baptist Church of Christ.”

In 1803, a general conference was organized by eight Sabbath-keeping congregations in the Northeast in order to coordinate their evangelistic efforts and cooperate in the publication of literature. In 1805, they adopted the name “The Sabbatarian General Conference.” By 1818, the name was changed to Seventh-Day Baptist General Conference and the organization had grown to include Sabbath-keeping congregations outside the Northeast.

The Church was undergoing many changes. We can note a progression from non-Trinitarianism to the Trinitarian position championed by the Davis family and others. A statement written in 1811 upheld the traditional teaching of the Church, noting “that Sabbatarian Baptists believed the Holy Ghost to be the operative power or spirit of God.… There are few… who believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are three absolute distinct persons, coequal… and yet one God” (Nickels, p. 91). Just 22 years later, however, in the 1833 Expose of Sentiments, the official position had become, “We believe that there is a union existing between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that they are equally divine and equally entitled to our adoration” (Nickels, p. 91). Even as late as 1866, it was acknowledged that some of the ministers still possessed a strong aversion to using the word “Trinity.”

During this time, many ministers and members had diverged so far from the Truth that they were now merely Protestants who met on Saturday. The November 18, 1983, edition of The Westerly Sun newspaper described the anniversary celebration of the oldest Sabbath-keeping church in the United States with this headline: “Church Will Celebrate 275 Years Marked with Change.” The article in the newspaper said the “church will celebrate its 275th anniversary this weekend—an experience which has been marked by change from societal pressures, despite its Sabbath-keeping custom.”

The changes that have occurred have been marked by a steady erosion of the Truth and a move into mainstream Protestantism. In fact, the Seventh-Day Baptist churches in Rhode Island have long since ceased housing the living Church of God. They are merely old buildings, museums of where the Truth was once taught and the Work of God was once carried on. The congregations that now meet there believe in the Trinity, observe Christmas and Easter, and have even gone back and built steeples—definite pagan symbols—onto some of the old buildings.

While the bulk of Sabbath-keepers were moving further and further from the Truth, there were individual members and congregations that remained faithful. We find records of the South Fork church, in West Virginia, which observed the Passover and avoided unclean meats in the early 1800s. This little group was forced to withdraw “fellowship from the General Conference and all other Seventh-Day Baptist organizations, because of doctrinal differences” (Nickels, p. 68). By the 1870s, another generation was on the scene and, eventually, most of the South Fork church accepted the Seventh-Day Baptist organization.

Another group, calling itself the Church of God at Wilbur, was organized in 1859 by Elder J. W. Niles from Pennsylvania. It was still functioning in the 1930s and was called by Andrew Dugger, in his book A History of the True Religion, “the oldest true Church of God now functioning in the state of West Virginia” (p. 311).

THE ADVENTIST MOVEMENT

In the 1830s, a movement arose among Protestant churches in western New York that focused on the return of Jesus Christ to this earth, and on the establishment of His literal Kingdom. This message, which first began to be forcefully proclaimed by William Miller, was totally different from accepted Protestant doctrine. His teachings on prophecy attracted much interest and stirred increasing attention as his predicted 1844 date for the return of Christ drew near. After what was termed “the great disappointment,” confusion set in among these Protestant Adventists. Ridiculed by mainline Protestants, some became disillusioned and gave up religion altogether. Others continued to search the Scriptures to see where they had gone wrong.

Frederick Wheeler was a Methodist minister in Washington, New Hampshire, who had accepted the Adventist message of Christ’s Second Coming, and of the literal establishment of His Kingdom. Around the beginning of 1844, he received a visitor to his congregation. One Rachel Oakes, a member of a Seventh-Day Baptist congregation in Verona, New York, had come to visit her daughter.

Hearing Mr. Wheeler call upon his congregation to obey God and keep His commandments in all things, Mrs. Oakes confronted him after the service with the truth that Sabbath-keeping played a vital part in obeying God’s commandments. Taken aback, he promised to study the subject. Within weeks, he was convinced of the truth of the Sabbath, and began to proclaim it. The truth of the Sabbath spread like wildfire among disillusioned Adventists. Hundreds of others responded, as well, to the simple truth of the real Gospel and of obedience to all of God’s commandments.

Into the fellowship of these zealous Sabbatarian Adventists came Roswell Cottrell, a long-time minister and Sabbath-keeper. His family had been among the earliest members of the Church of God in Rhode Island, but the Cottrell family withdrew from the fellowship of what was then being called the Seventh-Day Baptist Church over doctrine. This was the time when such changes as the Trinity and the immortality of the soul were being adopted as official Seventh-Day Baptist doctrine. About 15 years after coming into the fellowship of the Sabbatarian Adventists, he found himself once again embroiled in controversy. Elder James White, who had emerged as the main leader among the Sabbath-keeping, Adventist Churches of God, was pushing for an organizational conference and an official name, Seventh-Day Adventist Church. There were those who opposed this change as unscriptural and also opposed giving credence to the visions of Elder White’s wife, Ellen G. White. Roswell Cottrell opposed Mr. White’s organizational moves. He wrote, in the May 3, 1860, Review and Herald, “I do not believe in popery; neither do I believe in anarchy; but in Bible order, discipline, and government in the Church of God” (Nickels, p. 162).

In October 1860, at a conference in Battle Creek, Michigan, the overwhelming majority of those present rejected the name “Church of God” and adopted the name Seventh-Day Adventist as a name descriptive of their beliefs. This was the name being pushed by the Whites. Mrs. White’s visions were increasingly being advanced as “new truth” for the Church.

Throughout the 1860s, the split between the majority who followed the Whites and the scattered remnant who did not became more and more decisive. During the Civil War, Church of God members took a firm stand as conscientious objectors, in contrast to the Seventh-Day Adventists under the Whites’ leadership. A delegation from the Church of God met with President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, in order to establish conscientious objector status for young men in the Church.

A quotation from a circular letter from brethren in Marion, Iowa, published in the September 7, 1864, issue of The Hope of Israel, the Church’s publication, gives a flavor of what was happening at the time:

“On the 10th of June, 1860, something over 50 of us adopted a form of a church covenant, drawn up by [M. E. Cornell].… Nearly a year and a half afterward, the same messenger held up, publicly, some other volumes by the side of the Bible… and urged us to adopt their teaching also, as a rule of faith and discipline. A portion of us were unwilling to accept these new planks in the platform of our Church.…The result was, about one half of the Church decided to receive these volumes as a valid Scripture, and drew off from us, or rather repelled us from them, denouncing us as rebels.… As it regards us being rebels, we boldly assert that we are not rebels. We have not rebelled against the constitution which we adopted, for we stand firm on it yet… so the charge of rebellion reflects with shame on them, who have made it, they being the ones who have departed from their first position and have adopted a new one” (Robert Coulter, The Story of the Church of God Seventh Day, p. 16).

In August 1863, the small church paper called The Hope of Israel began to be printed in Michigan. It started with fewer than 40 subscribers. In 1866, it was relocated to Marion, Iowa, and in 1888 moved again to Stanberry, Missouri. Over the years, the paper underwent several name changes, ultimately being called The Bible Advocate.

One of the most prominent figures in the Church of God during this time was Jacob Brinkerhoff. He edited the paper from 1871 until 1887, and again from 1907 until 1914. In 1874, A. F. Dugger Sr. of Nebraska entered the full-time ministry of the Church of God. From the 1870s until the years just prior to World War I, Elders Brinkerhoff and Dugger contributed many of the articles that helped to clarify and solidify doctrine in the Church. Articles on prophecy, clean and unclean meats, tithing, proper observance of the Passover and what it means to be “born again” were printed.

As early as 1866, articles on prophecy taught that the Jews would be restored to a homeland in Palestine. There was some truth restored and taught but, all in all, the efforts of the Church were weak and only reached small numbers of people, primarily in rural parts of the Midwest.

The phase of Church history we have focused on in this chapter is best described by Christ’s message to the Church at Sardis recorded inRevelation 3:1–6. This Church was told that while it had a name that it was alive, it was really spiritually dead. “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die” (Revelation 3:2). While this Church as a whole is spiritually lethargic or even dead, there are a few among them who Christ says “have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (v. 4).

CHAPTER 5

SCHISMS, SPLITS AND A NEW START

The twentieth century was clearly the time of the most rapid change in human history. The century opened with the horse and buggy as the primary means of transportation, yet within the first 70 years men had traveled to the moon and back! This century saw two great world wars and the introduction of weapons of mass destruction. For the first time in human history, it was possible to annihilate all life from this planet, just as Jesus Christ foretold (Matthew 24:22).

Another prophecy that uniquely characterizes this end time is that the true Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached in all the world for a witness and then the end will come (v. 14).

THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Church of God was small and scattered, with fewer than 1,000 members, living mostly in the American Midwest. The General Conference of the Church of God legally incorporated in 1900 in the state of Missouri. The Church’s newspaper underwent a name change that same year to become The Bible Advocate.

In 1903, Gilbert Cranmer, a minister since the 1850s and one of the chief builders of the Church in the aftermath of the Seventh-Day Adventist/Church of God split in the 1860s, died at age 89. In 1910, Alexander Dugger, who had served as a leader of the General Conference since its inception, as well as having served as editor of TheBible Advocate, also died. A third faithful pioneer, Jacob Brinkerhoff, died in 1916. He had served as editor of the Advocate on and off from 1871 to 1914. Mr. Brinkerhoff was considered by many to be the most outstanding leader of the Church in his time. “Jacob Brinkerhoff had served the Church of God for over 40 years.… Instead of buying a home in 1874, Brinkerhoff used the money instead to buy the press equipment for the Advent and Sabbath Advocate.… Single-handedly, it seems, he had prevented the total collapse of the Work” (Richard Nickels, History of the Seventh Day Church of God, p. 85).

Andrew N. Dugger, son of Alexander Dugger, began his ministry with the Church of God in 1906. When Jacob Brinkerhoff retired from the editorship of The Bible Advocate in 1914, he became both president of the General Conference and editor. “During his tenure as president and editor, Dugger exerted much influence upon the Church. Throughout the early period of Dugger’s leadership, the Church of God experienced some of its most rapid and greatest growth” (Coulter, pp. 41–42). Andrew Dugger retained leadership from June 1914 until 1932.

The issue of organization and government had long been a source of controversy within the Church of God. Recognizing that no Work of any consequence could be done with the meager amount of monies coming into the headquarters in Stanberry, Missouri (less than $1,000 in 1917), Andrew Dugger took steps to correct the situation. He sent a survey to the membership in 1922 to find out how much tithe they had paid in the previous year, and to whom it was paid. It became apparent that most of the tithes were being collected by individual ministers, and that one particular minister who “worked little” had collected the lion’s share. Soon, a policy was enacted that all tithes were to be paid into the State Conferences, and that a tithe of that tithe was to be sent to the General Conference. In 1923, the income of the General Conference in Stanberry jumped to more than $18,000.

In about 1904, G. G. Rupert entered the ministry of the Church of God. Mr. Rupert had previously been in the ministry of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and had raised up congregations in South America. After several years of growing doctrinal disagreement, he left the Adventists in 1902. Among other things, Mr. Rupert had come to understand that both the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days were binding upon the New Testament Church. In 1913, Jacob Brinkerhoff published a series of articles by G. G. Rupert in The Bible Advocatediscussing the subject of the law of God, arguing that the Holy Days of Leviticus 23 were binding upon the New Testament Church. Though the Church in the United States paid little heed to this teaching, many of the South American congregations Mr. Rupert had established not only followed his example in leaving the fellowship of the Adventists, but also accepted God’s Holy Days. Because of disagreement between Mr. Dugger and Mr. Rupert over some issues of doctrine, and particularly over the issue of church organization and government, Mr. Rupert continued as an “independent” Church of God minister, publishing his own magazine, The Remnant of Israel, until his death in 1922.

THE 1930S AND 1940S: A NEW BEGINNING

The late 1920s and early 1930s saw the Church of God become virtually paralyzed by political infighting and doctrinal strife. The Church’s Conference in 1929 was marked by considerable confusion and dissension. Issues of controversy revolved around “born again,” clean and unclean meats, the use of tobacco, the date of the Passover (Nisan 14 or 15), and the work of the Holy Spirit (Pentecostalism). The number of conversions dwindled and the Work of the Church was virtually at a standstill.

It was at this point, in the autumn of 1926, that the life of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong became intertwined with the story of the Church of God. Mr. Armstrong’s ministry undoubtedly had greater impact on more people than any Church of God minister since the first century. Challenged by his wife regarding which day was the Christian Sabbath, as well as by a sister-in-law over the question of evolution, Mr. Armstrong began a six-month period of intensive study. By the spring of 1927, he had come to understand that much of what he had grown up believing was not biblical Truth. He learned that both the seventh-day Sabbath as well as God’s annual Holy Days are to be kept by Christians today!

In the aftermath of this intensive study, Mr. Armstrong struggled with the question: “Where is the true Church?” He eventually entered the fellowship of Church of God brethren in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, because he saw them as retaining more Truth than any other group.

By 1928, Mr. Armstrong began submitting articles for publication in TheBible Advocate. As there was no minister in Oregon at that time, the brethren in Eugene frequently asked him to speak to the congregation. In June 1931, Mr. Armstrong was ordained to the ministry by the Oregon Conference of the Church of God, thus beginning a ministry that lasted almost 55 years!

In the meantime, trouble was building for the Church of God as a whole. At the General Conference, held in August 1933, Andrew Dugger, the primary church leader for the past 20 years, lost his position by one vote. This precipitated a crisis that split the group down the middle. “On the one side, Andrew N. Dugger and others held to ‘reorganization’ of church government, clean meats, no tobacco, and Passover on Nisan 14. On the other hand, Burt F. Marrs led a group of ‘independents’ who were pro-pork and tobacco, and felt Passover should be on Nisan 15. The issue of when to observe the Passover was debated for three days during the time of the division” (Nickels, p. 151). Andrew Dugger withdrew from the General Conference of the Church of God headquartered at Stanberry and held a meeting to reorganize the Church in Salem, West Virginia, in November 1933. A new organizational structure was instituted with “Twelve Apostles,” “Seventy Elders” and “Seven” set over the finances.

Offices were chosen by lot rather than by vote. Mr. Armstrong, of Oregon, was chosen as one of “The Seventy.” He and most of the Oregon brethren switched their affiliation from the Stanberry organization to the new organization headquartered in Salem. Though Mr. Armstrong did not receive a salary from Salem, he accepted their ministerial credentials and submitted monthly ministerial reports.

“The division of the Church of God (Seventh Day) caused the membership and leadership much grief. Many members and prospects were discouraged by the frequent attacks one church launched on the other. In some instances, ministers switched organizations, bewildering their membership. In other cases, the membership became pawns in the struggle between ministers who were vying for their loyalty and support. The membership growth of the 1920s was not realized or even approached in the decades of the 1930s and 1940s” (Coulter, p. 55). Actually, membership decreased during this period.

At the time all this was occurring, the foundation was being laid for a Work of God that would have unprecedented worldwide impact. Rather than waste his energies on political infighting within the Church, Mr. Armstrong began making a regular weekly radio broadcast aimed at preaching the Gospel to the world. The program, called Radio Church of God, first aired on KORE, a 100-watt station in Eugene, on the first Sunday in January 1934. In February of that year, Mr. Armstrong began publication of a mimeographed “magazine” called The Plain Truth, which was at first sent to about 200 people. Little did he realize at the time that Christ was using him to raise up the sixth era of the Church, typified by the Church at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7–13).

In addition to the weekly radio broadcast, Mr. Armstrong conducted evangelistic campaigns throughout the area. Though several churches were raised up as a result of his efforts, these new congregations usually fell apart or went astray because of a lack of faithful, dedicated ministers to shepherd the flock. During this period, Mr. Armstrong came into increasing conflict with the Church headquarters in Salem because of his teachings about the identity of Israel and the annual Sabbath days. Although Andrew Dugger had admitted in a private letter that Mr. Armstrong’s teachings on the “lost Ten Tribes” were correct, Mr. Dugger refused to publish an article on the subject in The Bible Advocate.

Finally, the issue of the Holy Days came to a head in 1937. The following is quoted from the minutes of the business meeting held in Detroit, Michigan, May 5–10, 1937, by the Board of Twelve Apostles of the Church of God (Seventh Day), Salem, West Virginia, Headquarters: “May 7, at 1:00 p.m. Reading of Elder Armstrong’s letter to the Twelve. Reading in periods of 20 minutes each of Elder Armstrong’s articles on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Passover, Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles, etc., followed each time by discussion pro and con by the Elders.… A decision was made as given in the following resolution: ‘Inasmuch as some have troubled the Churches, teaching them they should observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread and yearly Sabbaths… we reaffirm the teachings of the Church of God on this point… that we observe no such custom’” (John Kiesz, History of the Church of God, p. 180). According to the official records provided by Virginia Royer, bookkeeper of the Church of God Publishing House in Salem, “It was in 1938 that he [Mr. Armstrong] was asked to turn in his credentials for continuing to preach contrary to Church doctrine” (p. 180).

Although Mr. Armstrong no longer carried ministerial credentials from the Church of God (Seventh Day) after 1938, he continued to teach and preach more forcefully than ever. As reported in the April 1939 Good News, the weekly Radio Church of God broadcast was reaching 100,000 listeners in the Pacific Northwest. That also was the year that the first, full eight-day Feast of Tabernacles was held in Eugene, attended by 42 people. (From 1933 to 1938, services had been held only on the Holy Days.) In addition to Mr. Armstrong, other Church of God elders such as John Kiesz were guest speakers at the Feast until about 1945.

By mid-1942, the name of the radio program changed from Radio Church of God to The World Tomorrow, and there was an experimental period of daily broadcasts begun in the Los Angeles area. In the late summer of 1942, more than 1,700 people attended an evangelistic campaign Mr. Armstrong held at the Biltmore Theater in Los Angeles. The Work that God was accomplishing through Mr. Armstrong was growing and bearing fruit. In August 1942, The World Tomorrow went nationwide, with a Sunday broadcast from WHO in Des Moines and, in 1943, WOAI in San Antonio was added. By 1944, The Plain Truth’s circulation reached 35,000.

As the impact of the Work God was doing through Mr. Armstrong grew, the Church of God (Seventh Day) continued to split and splinter with more and more independent churches and ministers. There were efforts toward unity that resulted in the merger of the Salem and the Stanberry groups in 1949. However, that merger itself spawned additional splits. Twenty years later, in 1969, that Church’s primary publication, The Bible Advocate, had a circulation of just over 2,000. The Church of God (Seventh Day) represented the final phase of what is described in Revelation 3 as the Church at Sardis—a Church described as spiritually dead, though there would be a few of its members who walked with Christ in white.

OPEN DOORS AND DRAMATIC GROWTH

In 1946, God started positioning the Radio Church of God, and the Work being done through Mr. Armstrong, for dramatic growth. Faced with the pressures of daily radio broadcasting (for which Hollywood was well-equipped to provide technical support), and recognizing the need for a college to train an educated and faithful ministry, Mr. Armstrong looked into moving to Southern California. He located an appropriate property in Pasadena, and entered into negotiations to purchase it.

At this time, Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong took a trip to Europe to investigate the possibility of establishing a European branch of the college to prepare ministers for a worldwide Work. No one can accuse Mr. Armstrong of thinking small! Yet most people would have viewed his idea as totally unrealistic. After all, only 50 people attended the Feast of Tabernacles in Belknap Springs in 1946! There was not even an American college up and running—only great dreams and a run-down estate with two buildings that Mr. Armstrong was trying to purchase. Others, both within and without the Church of God, were talking about “when this thing folds up.” However, vision and the ability to “think big” were qualities Mr. Armstrong demonstrated in far greater measure than any other Church of God leader of his day. Ambassador College opened its doors in the fall of 1947, with four students and eight instructors. Expansion, and a European branch college, would have to wait—for a little while.

In 1949, Ambassador College students conducted their first nationwide baptismal tour. Much of the fruit of those early, student-led baptismal tours was reflected in the jump in Feast attendance from 150 in 1951 to 450 in 1952. In December 1952, Mr. Armstrong ordained the first evangelists of this phase of the Church of God: Richard Armstrong, Raymond Cole, Herman Hoeh, C. Paul Meredith and Roderick C. Meredith. In February 1953, Marion and Raymond McNair were ordained, bringing the total to seven. This began a period of rapid growth and development in the Work.

After the first two classes of Ambassador College students had graduated, a Graduate School of Theology was established. Mr. Armstrong used the Graduate School of Theology as a springboard to delve more deeply into a number of subjects, the most important of which involved the nature of God and the destiny of man.

Throughout its history, the Church of God has been non-Trinitarian, never accepting the formulations of the early Catholic councils as a valid guide for Christians. However, in modern times, it was not until the spring of 1953 that Mr. Armstrong and the other ministers began to develop a clear understanding of the biblical teaching that God is a divine Family into which converted human beings will be born at the resurrection. At first, they attempted to prove this understanding false, from the Bible. Instead, they found this vital truth reaffirmed throughout God’s Word. Though this understanding was the clear implication of much that had previously been taught, Mr. Armstrong and the others found it challenging to accept this simple—yet profoundly important and overwhelming—truth. This key teaching of Scripture—that we can be born into the Family of God—is perhaps the single greatest truth that God restored, through Mr. Armstrong, to the Church of God.

Two giant leaps forward in the preaching of the Gospel occurred in 1953. The year began with the opening of one of the greatest single doors in the history of the Work. On January 1, Radio Luxembourg—at that time the most powerful radio station on earth—began broadcasting The World Tomorrow to Europe. Additionally, Mr. Armstrong obtained time for a daily broadcast carried over the entire ABC Radio Network.

In February 1953, Richard Armstrong (Mr. Armstrong’s eldest son, who died in an automobile accident in 1958) opened a mailing office in London. In 1954, accompanied by his wife Loma, Richard Armstrong and Roderick C. Meredith, Mr. Armstrong conducted evangelistic campaigns in Britain. In 1956–57, Mr. Meredith returned for more campaigns. In 1958, back again in the United States, he was appointed second vice president of the Church.

In May of 1959, Mr. Armstrong announced that Mr. Meredith would lead another series of campaigns in Britain. Here is what he wrote to British co-workers: “Mr. Meredith is fully consecrated, utterly sincere.… He is going to tell you things you can’t hear from any other source.… You’ll be shocked, surprised—you’ll hear more real truth in one night of these meetings than most people learn in years of the preaching of our day!” (May 19, 1959). By October 1960, the second Ambassador College opened its doors in Bricket Wood, England. In 1964, a third campus opened in Big Sandy, Texas.

As the number of ministers available to conduct baptizing tours and pastor churches increased, so did the harvest that was being reaped by the Work. Feast attendance jumped from 750 in 1953 to more than 2,000 in 1957. By 1961, the numbers were almost 10,000 and, by 1967, more than 40,000. The Plain Truth’s circulation topped the half-million mark in 1964, and hit one million by 1967. By the late 1960s, The World Tomorrow was broadcast daily and heard by tens of millions of people around the world. Amid this worldwide explosion of interest in God’s Word, in 1967 the legally incorporated name of the organization was changed from “Radio Church of God” to “Worldwide Church of God.”

Throughout the soaring 1960s, Garner Ted Armstrong (Mr. Armstrong’s younger son) served as the main speaker on The World Tomorrow and as vice president of the Church. Dr. Roderick C. Meredith (who had in January 1966 received his Th.D. from the Ambassador College Graduate School of Theology) was named director of the U.S. ministry.

In 1967, Mrs. Loma Armstrong died at age 75. By the end of the 1960s, signs of future problems for the Work were already surfacing.

In January 1972, the Church was shaken by the removal of Garner Ted Armstrong from his responsibilities. Four months later he was reinstated. The 1970s saw in the Church, as in America as a whole, the emergence of an increasingly liberal, permissive spirit. A number of ministers and members left the Church in 1974; increasing doctrinal confusion, coupled with accusations of scandal, assaulted the Work. After beginning recovery from massive heart failure in 1977, Mr. Armstrong finally removed his son from his responsibilities in the spring of 1978 and disfellowshipped him in June.

In January 1979, the Church was temporarily hit by a receivership imposed by the State of California. Mr. Armstrong, from Tucson, Arizona (where he was still recovering from heart trouble), named Dr. Meredith to his old job as director of the ministry, seeking to restore stability to the Church and the ministry during this troubled time. At the same time, Mr. Armstrong sought to “set the Church back on track” doctrinally after the liberal, watered-down doctrinal approach of the 1970s. By the time of his death in January 1986, The Plain Truth had a circulation of more than eight million copies printed in seven languages. Attendance at the Feast of Tabernacles approached 150,000 worldwide.

When Joseph Tkach took the helm of the Worldwide Church of God upon the death of Mr. Armstrong in January 1986, the Church was a seemingly unified body. It appeared focused on the Work of God that lay ahead and committed to the Truth. There were problems beneath the surface, however. They became increasingly obvious, at first faintly and then more clearly.

THE FINAL PHASE OF CHURCH HISTORY

In Revelation 3, we read of the two final phases of the history of the Church of God. The Church of Philadelphia is characterized by zeal to do the Work. God promised to set before them an “open door” to preach the Gospel (v. 8) as well as to protect them from the future Great Tribulation (v. 10). However, there is a final, seventh stage of the Church described, the Church at Laodicea. This Church is characterized by spiritual lukewarmness and lethargy (vv. 15–17). It became increasingly apparent, from the very early 1970s onward, that two different “spirits” co-existed within one organization—though Mr. Armstrong put the Church “back on track” during the last seven years of his life.

Starting about a year after Mr. Armstrong’s death, there began a gradual trend back toward the permissive, liberal approach of the 1970s. Within a few years, however, changes moved far beyond those of the 1970s, into total apostasy from the Truth—even to the point of teaching the Trinity and that obedience to God’s law (including the Sabbath, Holy Days, tithing and unclean meats) is unnecessary. In December 1992, 40 years after his ordination, Dr. Meredith was forced out of the Worldwide Church of God because of his refusal to compromise with the prevailing forces of apostasy. Joined by faithful brethren and ministers, Dr. Meredith moved quickly to revive the Work of God under the banner of the “Global Church of God.” Within six weeks, the Church began producing a weekly radio program. In May 1995, the Church began a weekly telecast.

In January 1995, the Worldwide Church of God leadership dropped all pretense of continuity with historic Church of God doctrine and openly embraced Protestant theology. This brought about a virtual “meltdown” of the organization, and led to the departure of thousands of brethren as well as scores of ministers from around the world. Sadly, this post-1995 departure spawned many competing organizations, and to the formation of a multitude of independent ministries that have continued to split and divide.

In November 1998, several Global Church of God (GCG) board members attempted to stage a “corporate takeover” of that organization by ousting Dr. Meredith against the wishes of a majority of the Church’s Council of Elders. However, most Church members and ministers continued to recognize Dr. Meredith and his Council of Elders as the human leadership of the Church under Jesus Christ. Immediately after his ouster from the GCG, Dr. Meredith revived the Work under the banner of the “Living Church of God,” supported by thousands of faithful brethren and ministers, and was back on television in less than two months—on the very same television station and in the very same time-slot that the GCG board members canceled!

Forty weeks after Dr. Meredith announced the formation of the “Living Church of God,” the GCG entered into bankruptcy proceedings. Since then, the splinter groups forming from the bankrupt organization have continued to scatter and divide. The ten men who sat on the reconstituted GCG Council of Elders in December 1998 after the ouster of Dr. Meredith scattered within a few years into at least seven different Church of God organizations. Some of those organizations still exist; others collapsed within a few years of their founding. Still others suffered further divisions and splits that have greatly diminished their effectiveness in reaching the world with the true Gospel message.

The Living Church of God has maintained its focus on doing the Work—reaching the world with the true Gospel message of Jesus Christ. You are reading this booklet because of the spirit of teamwork and unity that has allowed the Living Church of God to hold Philadelphian zeal as its common ideal, and to reject the spirit of self-will and “resting on one’s laurels” that has afflicted so many Laodicean members of God’s Church. The Living Church of God is committed to living by every word of God—including Jesus Christ’s “Great Commission” to go “into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

Dr. Meredith has done his best to ensure that the Work will continue powerfully even if he must die before Christ’s return. He has appointed Mr. Richard Ames—ordained into the ministry in 1965, and ordained an evangelist by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong during the Days of Unleavened Bread in 1984—to succeed him if necessary as the human leader of the Living Church of God, to carry on accomplishing the Work that God has given His Church to do. Mr. Ames was one of four presenters who helmed the Worldwide Church of God’s World Tomorrow telecast after Mr. Armstrong’s death, and he has spent the last half-century as a pastor, teacher and broadcaster, declaring the true Gospel to a world that desperately needs Christ’s return.

All around us, we can see how Satan has sown confusion and discouragement. Many brethren are hurt and angry, or have been overwhelmed by the cares of this life. Others have been deceived by false teachers, and have gone into apostasy. Still others have become so lethargic and lukewarm that they have lost their vision and merely wish to maintain local congregations, no longer caring about doing the Work. This represents a fulfillment of Christ’s Matthew 24:10–13 warning to the Church.

However, the Gospel will be preached to the world in this end-time (Matthew 24:14), and there is a growing assembly of believers that is both zealous for the full Truth and zealous to finish God’s Work. Just as God’s people have had to do from the first century onward, so His people today must “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). God clearly states that “He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness” (Romans 9:28). Who will He use to do it? According to Daniel 11:32, it is “the people who know their God [that] shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”

Where is the Church that Jesus built? It has not died out! Rather, it has defied the gates of hell and is miraculously defying them still. Today, the Living Church of God continues to do the Work of God, proclaiming the true Gospel to a world spiraling toward destruction. Thanks to the faithful and dedicated leadership of Dr. Meredith, millions have received through the Living Church of God a warning message about God’s end-time intervention in world affairs.

Will you be one whom God uses to finish His end-time Work? Do you have the true Philadelphian spirit that reaches out to the whole world in genuine love and concern to share God’s message of Truth and hope? Do you consider it important that the House of Israel be warned of the impending time of Jacob’s trouble? Is the Work of God more important to you than your own personal comfort?

We in the Living Church of God understand that we are a continuation of the Philadelphia era that Christ raised up through Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong many years ago. We are motivated by a sense of urgency in these years that are the immediate prelude to the Great Tribulation. We truly believe what Jesus Christ taught—that we must work the works of the Father while it is yet day, for the night indeed comes when no man can work (cf. John 9:4)! Will you, too, heed Christ’s words?

Booklet Category

God

What Is The Meaning Of Life?

4uwzvo — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 14:26:02 +0000

What Is The Meaning Of Life?

4uwzvo Wed, 03/02/2022 - 14:26

What Is The Meaning Of Life?

Roderick C. Meredith (1930-2017)

Booklet Media

#Afterlife

#Heaven

#Holy Days

#Resurrection

#Salvation

Why were you born? Why does God allow even dedicated Christians to go through years and decades of trials, tests and persecution? Why is it so important that we all “overcome”? What is the magnificent purpose for all our lives here on planet earth?

Most people never stop to consider their real purpose in life.

In fact, most assume there is no real purpose. How about you? Is there any transcendent reason for you to be alive? Can you have a remarkably interesting and fulfilling destiny ahead of you, regardless of your present situation? Can you be 100 percent sure of a future rendezvous with happiness, joy and peace?

Or, are you living a fleeting, disappointing existence on planet earth with no more purpose for your life than the birds, the bees or, for that matter, the worms that crawl in the dirt? As a human being, you obviously have much higher intelligence than these creatures; you can visualize the future; you have hopes and dreams; and creative imagination far beyond any other form of physical life on this earth. Yet do all these gifts, potentials and dreams rot when you die and “dust returns to dust”?

This truly is worth considering. You should think about it! Sure, some religious people may feel they will be wafted off to heaven to sit around for all eternity with nothing to do except “roll around heaven” all day, as the song goes. But you should not assume anything. Do not be gullible—find out for yourself and prove what is your ultimate destiny!

The real truth of the matter has been revealed in the Creator’s instruction manual for humanity, the Holy Bible. In the Bible, God decrees the fate of nations and empires. He prophesies of world-shaking, future events that are to happen. And these prophecies are unfolding before the eyes of this generation!

However, in a more quiet yet profound way, your Creator also reveals the ultimate destiny of mankind—the real purpose for your life and my life. In a number of places, it is called the “mystery” of God. Indeed, it is a mystery to the vast majority of people—even to most of the supposed “Christian” world. For it goes far beyond what most humans have ever visualized or imagined. Yet it is so obvious, so simple, so powerful in its logic that you may wonder why you did not understand it all along.

So, again, what is your ultimate destiny? Why were you born?

A PURPOSE in Humanity’s Creation

You did not just “happen.” Human beings are not the product of blind chance. By common sense, most people realize that a fine Swiss watch was not the result of slow, evolutionary processes which took place over millions of years in a mineral-rich, primordial sea, as silica and metallic elements washed back and forth while being charged by lightning strikes. Even though the sand and the elements washed back and forth for billions of years, a delicately fashioned, accurate Swiss watch would never be the result of unplanned, blind happenstance.

Yet some intelligent, “educated” individuals prefer to be “politically correct” and subscribe to the evolutionary theory that your mind—with a complexity far surpassing any watch or computer ever designed and produced—somehow came together, with your body, as an “accident” of the evolutionary process.

If you believe that, you had better stop reading right here because, until God Himself wakes you up, you are not going to understand anything about your ultimate destiny or any other spiritual thing. As it is written, “The things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).

The revealed Word of the Creator shows us that man was purposefully created. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, God describes how He designed each creature “according to its kind” (Genesis 1:21, 24–25). Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (v. 26).

Here we discover two vital points. First, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” So there were two different personalities here discussing the creation of man in Their image. These were obviously God the Father and the Logos or “Word” (Spokesman) who was later born in the human flesh as Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:1–2, 14).

The second vital point is conveyed by the rest of the verse, “let them have dominion over the fish… birds… cattle.” So, from the beginning, mankind was ordained to have dominion, to rule, to be in charge over all the physical creation here on earth. He was immediately given the responsibility and the opportunity to use creative imagination and judgment.

Notice these inspired words of David: “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels (Hebrew Elohim), and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:4–6). Here we see that God has a special purpose for man. Man is made a “little lower” than the “Elohim“—a Hebrew term denoting God! Yet man is crowned with glory and honor and given “dominion” over the work of God’s hands (v. 6).

Remarkably Unique Abilities

From the beginning, man was given a mind, which is remarkably distinct from any animal brain. Unlike any other creature on earth, man has creative imagination and the capacity even to analyze himself. He can laugh at himself or reason between right and wrong, enabling him to make judgments—to a limited degree— like God Himself!

At the time of the building of the tower of Babel, God said: “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them” (Genesis 11:6). The clear indication here is that, unless restrained by God, man might have “progressed,” even back at that time, to the point of being able to destroy himself from off the face of the earth!

Today, as the abilities of different nations and races are once again being utilized in a worldwide scientific community, humanity has indeed progressed to the point where we could destroy ourselves. Man is able to launch huge, complicated rockets into outer space. He is able to store and then instantly recall billions of pieces of information in marvelous computer systems. And he is also able to break matter down to its smallest components, and to detonate the hydrogen atom in a blinding, searing explosion. ˙

Almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ specifically prophesied this situation when He warned: “For then [when certain foreseen events take place] there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21–22).

Yes, unless the Creator intervenes to save His own creation from self-destruction, mankind would obliterate all human life from planet earth! But, as we shall see, God gave man this great intelligence for a purpose—and God’s purpose shall stand.

Created to Rule

From the beginning, man was placed over the physical creation on earth. He was given the capacity and responsibility to help direct and judge his fellow man under God (cf. Exodus 18:13–26). Humanity was given God-like responsibility from the beginning.

Then, when Jesus Christ came to earth in human flesh to bring the Gospel, He continually preached about the coming government of God: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'” (Mark 1:14–15). This coming world-ruling government was predicted by most of the Old Testament prophets as well as Jesus Christ, Peter, Paul and John.

After describing the four great, world-ruling kingdoms that would govern the world until the end of this age, the prophet Daniel stated: “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).

Most of Jesus’ parables concern the Kingdom of God. In Mark 4:30–32, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a grain of mustard seed. Jesus shows that the Kingdom of God, though starting out extremely small, will eventually grow to tremendous size. In the parable of the nobleman (Luke 19:12–19), Jesus clearly states that those who “overcome” and use their talents, as God intends, will be given authority in Christ’s soon-coming government to rule over cities. To the servant who had increased his money ten times, Jesus said, “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities” (v. 17). To the servant who had increased his money five times, Jesus said, “You also be over five cities” (v. 19).

Then, on the night just before His death, Jesus promised the Apostles: “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29–30). If we believe that Jesus meant what He said, then we know that the Son of God specifically promised that “overcoming” Christians will join Him at His Second Coming in ruling over the cities and nations on this earth!

Notice these direct statements by Jesus, the Christ, as recorded in the book of Revelation: “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the potter’s vessels shall be broken to pieces’—as I also have received from My Father” (Revelation 2:26–27). “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21). Then note the prayer of the saints as recorded in Revelation 5:10, “[You] have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Finally, notice Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Yes, the true saints are called of God and are being trained through an entire lifetime of overcoming to join Jesus Christ in ruling over the cities and nations on this earth! Could anything be plainer than that?

Yet, somehow, many misguided people, even theologians, still believe in the idea of “doing nothing” for all eternity. They do not remotely realize that true Christians are called for a wonderful, exciting, awe-inspiring purpose.

Only Overcomers Need Apply

God says only overcomers will be in His kingdom. Only overcomers will join Christ in ruling this earth. We are told throughout the New Testament to become like God. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Again, Jesus instructed, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

The Apostle Peter instructed Christians: “But as He who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy'” (1 Peter 1:15–16). The Apostle John exhorted God’s faithful, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The Apostle James wrote, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

So there it is! True Christians are to overcome their own human vanities and passions, overcome the world and its temptations, and finally resist Satan himself. Peter concludes his last letter with this searching admonition, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

Now, in the human flesh, we are subject to all sorts of weaknesses and sin. But by regular, diligent study of the Holy Bible; by constant, fervent prayer on our knees, and by continually yielding and actively surrendering ourselves to God, we are to overcome our sinful ways and let God, through His Holy Spirit, build within us the holy, righteous character of God.

We know that we will not achieve perfection in this life, but we must be making real progress. For we are to grow in the very nature and character of God Himself. Therefore true Christians are ensured of constant trials, tests and persecution.

The Apostle Paul predicted, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s foes will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34–36). The Apostle Peter warned, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

It is clear that the true Christian is required to overcome himself, the world and the assaults of Satan. He will be harassed, persecuted and perhaps even martyred by the enemies of God.

WHY We Must Build Righteous Character

Is a Christian to go through life’s difficulties just so he can take a very long celestial vacation to “roll around heaven” all day and be bored watching the clouds pass by while plunking out harp music? Or, perhaps, is he to serve God as a messenger like the angels? After all the remarkable trials, tests, tears and perhaps even the agony of overcoming physical sufferings, is our reward to be no greater than that of the multiple millions of created beings in the angelic host? No way!

The truly awesome purpose of human existence goes far beyond even what the righteous angels and archangels will experience! Why do we go through trials? Why are we tested time and again? God wants to see if we are willing to totally surrender to Him. His ultimate purpose is to reproduce in us His mind, His love and His character. God is reproducing Himself!

Yes, you read it right. At this point, I should exhort all of you who read this not to tune out. Ask God for an open, inquiring mind—do not make assumptions. Spiritual safety rests with a sincere desire to “prove all things” according to the words in your own Bible. For the great purpose for human life, which truly makes sense, has clearly been inspired and placed in the pages of the Holy Bible for centuries!

Now go back to Genesis and review again what God did in the beginning. Each animal was created “according to its kind” (Genesis 1:24). So cattle reproduce cattle. Lions reproduce lions, and so on. This was God’s mind or pattern as He created each creature. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis 1:26). In plain language, God was indicating that they—the God Family now known as the Father and His Son Jesus Christ—would begin to reproduce themselves, adding more members to the “God Family”! Does it sound blasphemous to you to think that God planned to reproduce “after His kind”?

Some of the self-appointed religious leaders during Jesus’ day thought so. You might be surprised to learn that this matter of God having a family was a big issue of debate between Jesus and that day’s religious authorities. For Jesus had said to them, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). This statement by Jesus angered the religious leaders enough that they considered Him a heretic worthy of death.

When Jesus asked them why they were trying to kill Him, these honored religious authorities retorted, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (v. 33).

Notice carefully what Jesus said to defend Himself against this charge of blasphemy, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “you are gods”‘? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (vv. 34–36).

The passage Jesus referred to is Psalm 82:6. The Hebrew word translated as “gods” is Elohim. It is the same word translated “God” in Genesis 1:1, and is used hundreds of times throughout the Old Testament to denote the divine Being. Many modern religious scholars maintain that this word just means “mighty judges.” But this is not a valid understanding of the usage of the Hebrew word Elohim. Otherwise Jesus would not have been so quick to pick this passage in a life or death situation. Jesus used this passage in the Psalms to clearly show that man does have God-like potential, that humanity is truly “made in the image” of God. Obviously those incensed religious authorities recognized that Jesus was flesh and blood just as they were. Further, since Jesus was the “Son of God,” He was not blaspheming by making Himself equal with God when He called God His Father!

In fact, this issue came up earlier in John’s gospel when these same religious authorities sought to kill Jesus because they accused Him of breaking the Sabbath, and also because He “said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). They obviously recognized that a real son is, in fact, equal to his father.

I am a father myself. I am privileged to have four sons and two daughters. As God has ordained, I have reproduced “according to my kind.” My sons and daughters are fully human just as I am human. Though I may be greater in experience and wisdom, and am the patriarch of my family, my children are as fully of the human family as I am, and have completely the same human capacity, potential and dignity that I do.

What about God’s sons? Are we so accustomed to the modern religionists using religious-sounding “fluff words” that we no longer have real understanding as to the meaning of the words we use? Do we fail to recognize that a literal “son” of God would truly be like God?

Biblical Meaning of “Elohim”

The very first name that God applies to Himself in the Old Testament is “Elohim.” “In the beginning God [Hebrew Elohim] created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Elohim is used 31 times in the first chapter of Genesis—and clearly identifies “God” as the Creator. But what does Elohim mean?

All authorities are agreed that this Hebrew name (Elohim) for “God” is plural in form. Some think this plural name of God proves that the Old Testament “God” is comprised of more than “one Being.” Others deny this, but there can be no question that the plural ending -im of this Hebrew word clearly allows for a “plurality of Beings” in the concept of the Hebrew God as mentioned in the Old Testament.

Grammatically, the form ‘Elohim’ contains the plural ending -im. The function of ‘Elohim’ as a true plural (“gods”) is reflected in numerous biblical texts (Exodus

12:12: ‘all the gods of Egypt’). In this function ‘Elohim’ can be preceded by a definite article (‘the gods,’ Exodus 18:11, ‘now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods’). In Hebrew ‘Elohim’ can be accompanied by plural adjectives (very frequently in Deuteronomy: ‘other gods’) and construed with plural verbal forms (Psalm 97:7: ‘all gods bow down before him [Yahweh]’). The striking feature of the OT text lies in the use of this plural form ‘Elohim’ in order to designate the one God of Israel (“Names of God in the Old Testament”, The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 4, p. 1006).

There is irrefutable biblical proof that this plural noun (Elohim) is to be understood as conveying, not the sense of a dual or a triune God, but of a “God Family” with more than one member. If God were to be forever limited to only Father and Son, then presumably, they would have used another Hebrew word to convey such a limited, two-member Godhead. The Hebrew word Elohaim does connote duality; however God (Hebrew Elohim) did not use Elohaim (conveying duality), but used Elohim, indicating plurality. Why did God use Elohim? Simply because Elohim is a divine family of Beings—a family into which many divine sons and daughters will later be added, as revealed in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 6:18).

One of the greatest proofs that Elohim is to be understood as being plural in actual meaning is the undeniable fact of how the Creator used that word in the Bible, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'” (Genesis 1:26). Clearly, God did not say, “Let Me make man in My image, according to My likeness.” God nowhere says the angels are creators, but always speaks as though only God is Creator.

Proof that Elohim is to be understood as plural in meaning is found in numerous other scriptures:

1) Christ said, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28). Clearly, though there is only “one God,” it is unscriptural to say that God is “one Being” or “one Entity.” If the Father and His Son were not two distinct Persons (Beings/Entities), Christ could not have said that His Father was “greater than” He.

2) In Matthew 22:41–46, Jesus revealed that Psalm 110:1 refers to Himself and His Father, “The LORD [Hebrew Yahweh, the Father] said to My Lord [Hebrew Adonai, the Son], ‘Sit at My [the Father’s] right hand, till I make Your [the Son’s] enemies Your footstool.'” Many scriptures reveal that only two Persons—the Father and His Son—now comprise the divine Family. The Trinity is nowhere taught in the Bible—it is not so much as even once mentioned in either the Old or the New Testaments. Rather, God Almighty reveals that all who become His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18) by a new spiritual begettal—at the resurrection of the just—will be born of the spirit as immortal, glorified spirit beings in the very God Family (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:50–57).

Such glorified saints will then be changed from human into divine—from mortal into immortal beings. As immortal sons and daughters of God, they will then be higher than the angels (whom they will then judge—1 Corinthians 6:3), and will at that time be worthy of receiving the worship of mortal humans (Revelation 3:9)!

Elohim is a plural noun which denotes that God is a Family of divine Beings—not a closed Trinity, which could never admit other sons and daughters of God into the God-plane Family of divine beings. Elohim can and does allow for a plurality of divine Beings in the Family of God; the Hebrew Scriptures clearly prove that this word, Elohim, is to be taken quite literally. Can we believe the plain Word of God? God meant what He said, “Let Us make man in Our image”!

“Born” of the Resurrection

In this life, we are “begotten” or regenerated through conversion and the impregnation of God’s Spirit. This Spirit is the Spirit “of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). The Spirit of God imparts to us the very nature of God.

As we surrender our wills to God, yield to His Holy Spirit and drink in of it through regular Bible study and prayer, we grow in spiritual maturity until it is time to be fully “born of God” at the resurrection of the dead!

Jesus Christ is our example and forerunner. He was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). Later, in Romans, Paul was inspired to write that true Christians are “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

Notice! All who truly yield themselves to God will become like Christ, so that He, then, will become the firstborn of many other sons of God—literal sons just like Jesus Christ, the firstborn and Captain of our salvation.

Again Paul states, “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

So, for the second time, God shows clearly that to be ultimately “born again” like Christ, the firstborn from the dead, we must finally be “born” into the very family of God by the resurrection from the dead!

In Revelation 1:5, the Apostle John was also inspired by God to describe Christ as “the firstborn from the dead.” If Christ is the “firstborn,” there must be others. If the “firstborn” of God is very God, then those later born of the very same Father must also become full members of the God Family!

The entire Bible is clear on the fact that you do not leave the state of death except by the resurrection. We have just discussed three scriptures showing clearly that those truly “born again” are born of the resurrection from the dead, and that they become full members of the “God Family”—the God level of existence—just as Jesus did.

Who Will Always Be in Charge?

The Bible indicates the Father will always be greater in power and authority. Obviously, God the Father will never get old or retire or die. So He will always be the unquestioned Head of the God Family. Even Jesus Christ said, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28).

Similarly, the Bible clearly shows that Jesus Christ will always be greater than the other sons to be born into the God Family. He is to sit at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 8:1). He is to be “King of kings” (Revelation 19:16). He will always be our High Priest (Hebrews 6:20).

It is obvious that the major purpose of the Christian life is to reconcile man to God. The Holy Spirit guides a person through an entire process of total surrender to God and to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the Spirit, a person grows in the grace and knowledge—the very character—of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). With God’s help, this process involves overcoming and learning to “live… by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). For a person to draw near to God, he must deeply study the Bible, “eating” of the spiritual bread of life (John 6:56–63), so that it literally becomes the way he thinks and acts. Overcoming involves regular, heartfelt prayer to God every day of one’s life—often several times a day and always being in a spirit of prayer. It involves constantly meditating on God’s Word and purpose, and occasionally fasting to draw closer than ever to God.

In all this, and then in daily, active yielding to let Christ live His very life within us through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20), the true Christian learns to walk with God. Month by month, and year by year, the totally surrendered Christian becomes increasingly like God. Indeed, a person with genuine faith should live this way, for Jesus instructed us, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). The Apostle Peter exhorted Christians, “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15).

In his final letter, Peter described how God’s “divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness… that through these [promises] you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3–4).

Do all these scriptures mean what they say? Can we honestly “spiritualize away” the many, many inspired scriptures that tell us to be holy, to be like God, and to yield to Him so He can place within us His own divine nature? Consequently, it is logical to consider the idea that it has been God’s plan all along to reproduce Himself. This is what the God Family (Elohim) had in mind when they said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

“Born Again”—But Are We to Be INFERIOR Sons?

We have already seen that Jesus Christ was “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Will the younger brothers yet to be born have far less glory than Christ?

Although, as just explained, Christ will always be greater in power and authority, yet the Bible clearly indicates that the Spirit-born sons of God will share the same level of glory and majesty as their Elder Brother, Jesus Christ. Notice Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Throughout the Bible, there are literally dozens of verses that indicate our sufferings, our trials and our tests—the whole process of overcoming—are to help fashion and mold us into God’s image. They prepare us to be born at the resurrection from the dead and to be glorified as Christ was glorified.

Of course, the truly converted Christian is regenerated or “begotten” of God in this present life. But the final, ultimate birth is to be born into the very Family of God at the resurrection.

As the Apostle Paul wrote: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive…. And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven…. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Corinthians 15:20–22, 45–47, 49).

Yes, we are to be sons of the resurrection—not falsely “born again” in front of an emotional crowd of people in some “revival meeting”! The true “born again” experience will so far surpass these counterfeit emotional outpourings which confuse today’s religious world that there is no room for comparison! For, at the “last trumpet,” Christ will return to this earth as King of kings, and those found worthy will find themselves surging upward toward the clouds to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). They will have spirit bodies and will be glorified as newly “born” members of the divine Family! They will not be regarded as “adopted,” or merely “created” beings. Rather, these Spirit-born sons will come right out from God, having His very divine nature just as surely as we in this life have the human nature and characteristics imparted by our human parents.

Using a human analogy, we are now “begotten” children of God, still in our Mother’s womb (Jerusalem above, Galatians 4:26), but growing in grace and knowledge so that we may be born of God at the resurrection (cf. Romans 1:4; 8:29). The Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Yes, we shall look “like” Christ at that time!

How does the living Christ look? We find His present appearance described in Revelation 1:13–16. Now, following His resurrection, Jesus’ eyes are like “a flame of fire.” His face is like the “sun shining” in full strength! He is glorified, as we shall be glorified, according to the marvelous purpose of the Great God who made us in His own image!

What a Future for Those Who Overcome!

Let’s turn to 1 John 3 for a moment. After describing how we shall be “like” Christ and be able to look right into the face of that blinding glory, John writes, “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (v. 3). Once we grasp the ultimate purpose of God, the truly incredible human potential that our Creator has planned for us, we have every reason to want to be “pure,” to live a righteous and holy life.

Our true reward is not some vague and nebulous “pie in the sky” concept of “rolling around heaven” all day, with nothing to do. Rather, it involves becoming “sons of the resurrection” and joining Christ in actively ruling this planet for at least the next 1,000 years. What will Christ’s saints be doing? They will be cleaning up pollution, stamping out pornography and war and healing the sick. The saints’ job will be to bring indescribable joy to a shell-shocked world. Could anything be more personally rewarding?

We shall not merely rule over humans, but over the mighty angels of God! Notice 1 Corinthians 6:2–3: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” Our whole Christian experience of developing Christ’s mind (Philippians 2:5) and character is for this supreme purpose.

It will be an exciting, stimulating, productive, and incredibly fulfilling experience. It is real!

What comes after this? Read Paul’s inspired statements in Hebrews 2:5–7: “For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: ‘What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands.'” Notice man’s ultimate superiority to the angels. For man was made a “little,” or as many scholars translate it, “a little while” lower than the angels. Ultimately, God plans to put “all things” in subjection under man.

Even now, man is creating computer systems that can almost rival the human mind in their astonishing capacities, and he is also capable of annihilating all human life from this earth through atomic and hydrogen bombs and other weapons of mass destruction! Yet because of the need for food, water and oxygen to sustain human life and because of the exceedingly vast distances between the planets—man could not conceivably explore the entire universe even if he could travel at the incredible speed of light.

Inheriting a Universe

But, describing Tomorrow’s World, God indicates that “all things” will be put under man. The Greek word here used for “all things” may correctly be understood as “the entire universe”! In fact, in the Weymouth Version, Hebrews 2:8 is translated, “For this subjecting of the universe to man.”

Immediately after that, Paul wrote: “For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him” (Hebrews 2:8). Notice that nothing is excluded from being under man’s dominion. But it is not yet accomplished. Commenting on those verses, Eerdmans’ Critical and Experimental Commentary states, “As no limitation occurs in the Scripture, the ‘all things’ must include heavenly as well as earthly things” (vol. VI, 1948, pp. 530–531).

The New Bible Commentary: Revised also comments on this passage, “Further, these verses indicate that not only Jesus, but men— through Jesus as their High Priest and Author of Salvation—are called to inherit a destiny of glory and dominion” (ed., Guthrie, et al., 1975, pp. 1196–1197).

In plain language, then, it is clear that God created man to be truly like Him. We who overcome are destined to be real Sons of God—not “pseudo-sons” of a much lower rank and level of existence.

Speaking of the “sons of the resurrection,” the book of Hebrews says, “He [God] left nothing that is not put under him” (Hebrews 2:8). Our ultimate destiny, then, is to become full-fledged Sons of God and help rule the entire universe under the direction of our Elder Brother and High Priest, Jesus Christ!

Then we will have glorified spirit bodies that will not be subject to physical laws, as we know them now. We will be able to hurtle throughout the universe far faster than the speed of light, for we will be full members of the Creator Family—the Family of God—able to move at the speed of thought!

Serving our Father and Jesus Christ in the perfect government of God, we will undoubtedly be challenged in ages to come to rejuvenate and beautify vast portions of the universe that are now bleak, lifeless and desolate. No doubt there will be further creative activities and exciting projects of all kinds to contemplate. As the scripture says: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6–7).

Once this awesome purpose for mankind is fully understood, then many other things involving human life and the true Christian way of life begin to make a lot more sense.

Notice Romans 8:17, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” When we grasp what that supreme “glory” really involves—the very glory of God—then our human trials do truly seem less formidable. Philippians 3:21 speaks of the returning Jesus Christ, “who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

Spirit Beings Will Teach God’s Way to Mankind

Speaking of the ultimate “born again” experience, Jesus Christ told Nicodemus: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:6–8).

In the resurrection, the Spirit-born saints will be like Christ was after His resurrection. We will be able to simply pass through walls, (John 20:19), and disappear into thin air (Luke 24:31).

At the same time, the resurrected saints, like Christ, will also be able to appear in human form, visit with, eat with and teach human beings during Christ’s millennial reign on earth. John 21 describes the risen Christ preparing an outdoor fish barbecue (v. 9) for the disciples and then teaching them.

Of course, many interesting, exciting and even amusing situations may be envisioned when the resurrected sons of God may surprise or even temporarily frighten (“It’s one of them, again!”) unsuspecting human beings in Tomorrow’s World.

Isaiah 30 describes the time when the whole nation of Israel is brought back from its coming captivity to be governed and taught by divine Beings: “And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (vv. 20–21).

During the soon-coming millennial rule of Christ and the resurrected saints, those millions of humans still living on earth will be taught the way to peace, prosperity and true happiness. “Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4:2–3).

Now notice verse 5, “For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.” The people each walk in the name of “his god”? What is this inspired prophet talking about?

Possibly, Micah is describing the relationship of people in various cities or provinces to their particular Ruler or Judge—a “born-again” member of the God Family assigned to rule their city or state (Luke 19:17–19).

God’s great purpose in giving us life and breath is that we may join Him and His “firstborn” Son, Jesus, in a real family relationship based on love, service and obedience to the way that produces peace and happiness—the spiritual law of God as revealed in the Ten Commandments and teachings of Christ.

A Stupendous Truth Explained!

Before we are even “converted” in this present life, we must deeply repent of “sin”—which is simply the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4, KJV). Then we are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) which God gives to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32).

Then, we must overcome through the strength and help of God’s Spirit within us and grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, in the very character of God. For our heavenly Father, through this process, puts His very nature within us. So, in that way, we are not merely “adopted.” But we are literally begotten and finally born of God, having been impregnated with the divine nature and continuing to grow spiritually until we are ready to be “born of God” at the resurrection!

As Supreme Ruler over all that is, God is taking no chances that His sons would ever rebel against Him! Only those who have totally surrendered their lives and wills to God and to their Savior and coming King, Jesus Christ, will be considered worthy of becoming members of the divine Family—the ruling Kingdom of God.

The above analysis should thoroughly disprove one objection which some have voiced against this marvelous truth. Some people think that if the resurrected saints were to become truly God— with the power of God—then there would be a grave danger that they would rebel against God the Father and perhaps start a spirit war as Lucifer did (Isaiah 14:12–15). But this objection reveals an almost total lack of understanding of what real conversion is all about! For after we have surrendered to our Creator, “walked with God” in our Christian lives over years while suffering trials, tests and persecutions (the expected lot that befalls every true Christian), and in spite of these trials, hung in there and endured faithfully to the end (Matthew 24:13)—there is no way we would ever turn aside and fight our own heavenly Father!

As “sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36), we will be like God. Remember, “God cannot be tempted by evil” (James 1:13). God will not sin—because of His very divine character, which is eternally and naturally faithful and righteous. So the idea of a full member of the God Family rebelling or sinning is a contradiction in terms.

Another objection is the idea that since God the Father is uncreated and has always existed, we could never be like Him. But this neglects the wonderful truth that, at the resurrection, we are to be literally born of God! We will not—at that time—be merely “created.” Rather, we will come right out from God, being literally filled with and composed of the Holy Spirit, like God Himself.

For, again, God is reproducing after His kind just as surely as we humans do! His Spirit-born sons, in the resurrection, are not “lesser” types of spirit beings any more than your children turn out to be something less than human!

Another vital point to remember in this connection is that Christ is to “marry” the church at His second coming (2 Corinthians 11:1–2; Revelation 19:7). Is the bride of Christ to be something inferior to Him—a completely different class of being? Will the glorified saints exist on some lower plane of existence from God like a pet dog compared to a human? Think about it!

Some people are sincerely shocked, at first, by this stupendous truth involving our ultimate destiny. But there are others who seem interested only in playing word games to try to confuse the issue and obscure one of the most vital and magnificent truths revealed in the entire Bible—the awesome, inspiring, supreme purpose of our Creator in giving us life and breath and making us “in His image”!

As I have already said, and I repeat once more lest someone try to twist these words, God the Father and Jesus our Head and Savior will always be greater in power and authority than we will be. But, as “sons of the resurrection,” the saints will be on the same level of existence, just as your sons and daughters are on the same human level as you are. Truly, God the Father and Jesus will always have existed longer and done more in the past than any of the resurrected saints. But you and I have lived longer and done more in the past than our human children. Yet they are fully human just as we are!

We need to realize that the continuum of “eternity” goes on and on and that, as full members of the Creator Family, the saints will also join God in ruling, creating and accomplishing awesome projects throughout the universe in ages to come (Isaiah 9:7).

God Is Eternal

One false argument against the truth of our ultimate destiny goes like this: “We can never become fully like God because God has eternally existed and has been the Creator of all that is—and we have not.”

Is there an answer? Part of the real answer is found in Romans

4:17. Here Paul notes that God called Abraham “a father of many nations.” God stated this as a fact long before it ever occurred! So Paul was inspired to write, “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

The ultimate reality is God’s will. God had already willed that Abraham was to be “a father of many nations.” So, in God’s mind, it was a fact because God had willed it so!

In like manner, God must have planned from the beginning to reproduce Himself “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). Again, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

God’s plan is to bring more full sons of God into His Family so that Christ might be “the firstborn among many brethren.” All this was predestinated—willed—by the mind of God “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). So, in the terms of the will of God—we who overcome are already eternal, have already been given the gift of eternal life through the immutable will of God!

Another clear indication that this is the way God thinks of things is found in Hebrews 7:9–10: Notice this scripture, “Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.”

So God says that Levi “paid tithes through Abraham” even though Levi did not yet exist! As Levi was “in the loins” of his great grandfather, Abraham, so we—so to speak—have certainly been in the spiritual “loins” of our heavenly Father who has willed that we become His full sons! So in that way—the way God Himself thinks and acts—the true saints who remain faithful and overcome have always existed in the mind of God.

We were in the “loins” of God when He created the angels, later created the earth and put mankind upon it, and still later when He sent His Son to make possible our entrance into the Eternal Family of God.

Jesus said, “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). And again, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). When we are truly “born of God” and become “sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36), we will have the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). So we will be composed of the Holy Spirit as God and Christ are composed of that same Spirit. The Holy Spirit is eternal and has always existed and will always exist.

Therefore, although we will be new personalities added to the Family of God by a literal spiritual birth in the resurrection, we will always have existed in the mind and will of God. We will have been in the “loins” of our Father from eternity, and we will then be composed of the Spirit, which is eternal.

So our spiritual birth as full sons of God is merely part of the spiritual continuum of God’s will. And once we (if we are overcomers!) are members of the extended Family or Kingdom of God, we also will then join with the Father and our older Brother in creating, recreating, building, working and improving this vast universe. For truly, as God’s Word tells us, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).

True Christians have an absolutely awesome opportunity and future ahead. A billion years from now, when we have been working and creating for an “eternity” under the direction of our Father—the specious arguments and word games employed by the blinded theologians of this world who deny the clear intent of God to make us His genuine sons—will seem trite indeed.

Jesus said, “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14).

God’s Awesome LOVE

God has created humans so that, after a young man and woman marry, they most sincerely desire children. They want to share their home, share their lives and share their love with a little human being made in their image. They look forward to having a baby—a child who, as a full human being, will develop, learn and grow to fully share its life, its plans, hopes and dreams with its parents and other brothers and sisters in a loving family relationship.

So it is with God. “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). And because God is love, He wants to share His love, His glory, His eternity, with billions of others who will become His genuine Sons in the resurrection! If God the Father and Christ were selfish, aloof, or lacking in love and out-flowing concern, perhaps they would want to keep to themselves and not make it possible for others to join their Family in a complete God-plane relationship by literally reproducing themselves.

But in the transcendent spiritual love that motivates our Father and our Lord (Elohim—the God Family), they have chosen to reproduce themselves by placing within surrendered Christians their very own “divine nature.” Then, God nurtures these “begotten” sons through this physical life of overcoming until they, like Christ—”the firstborn from the dead”—are also literally “born” of God as “sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36).

How great is the love of Christ? The inspired Apostle Paul prayed that Christians, “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18–19). How can you be filled with all of the “fullness of God” and not be God?

The love of Christ, and of our Heavenly Father, impels them to share with us their eternal glory as full sons of the kingdom, or Family, of God. In the future, when you read passages in the New Testament concerning the resurrected saints inheriting God’s glory—perhaps they will now have much deeper meaning. For this “mystery, which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26–27).

Yes, men have always wondered, “Why was I born? What is the purpose of life? If there is a real God, why does he try and test mankind so much and allow so much suffering to occur?”

Now, the mystery is solved! If your mind and heart are open, you now know the answer to these profound questions that have puzzled philosophers and scholars for centuries. You should be everlastingly grateful and thankful to our God and our Savior, Jesus the Christ, for making us “after their kind.”

Jesus’ Fervent Prayer

In the final 24 hours of His life, on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus offered to God His most complete prayer recorded in the Bible. Let us review some highlights of that inspired prayer, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). Here we find Christ specifically asking that the stupendous glory He had shared with the Father from eternity be restored to Him—He who was to be “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

In verse 11 of John 17, Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” Christ and the Father are one God, one Family, one level of existence above all other creatures. Jesus prayed that the saints become one in the same way!

Notice John 17:20–23: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

These words of out-flowing love are inspiring and magnificent. They certainly make clear that those of us willing to utterly surrender to God and let Christ live His life in us through the Holy Spirit will attain to the same type of glory that He attained. We will be completely one with God (as Christ is one with the Father) and therefore obviously be God. This will be the supreme fulfillment of God’s own purpose in giving us life and then calling us to spiritual understanding! “That the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (v. 23).

The indescribable love of our Father is somewhat beyond full human comprehension. Yet we who understand must respond to that love with deep reverence, thankfulness and obedience to our great God. We must strive to “live… by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). And we must learn to “walk by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7)— keeping our eyes always on the magnificent goal our God has set for us.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). And how great is that reward!

With all my heart and all my being, I encourage all of you who read this to truly “seek Him“—diligently. Do not allow yourself to put anything ahead of God and His truly wonderful purpose for your life. Learn to truly study the Bible as never before. Learn to get down on your knees before the Supreme Governor of the universe and literally pour out your heart in prayer to Him for the love, the wisdom, and the strength to truly be an overcomer and to become His real son in a world-ruling kingdom soon to be set up on this earth.

Nothing is more exciting. And, when you really understand, nothing is more “real” than what the Great God says will happen! This is the final fulfillment of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the ultimate good news—that man can be born into the God kingdom, the God-level of existence.

The ancient patriarch Jacob had 12 sons. They collectively had sons, daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren—millions and millions of descendants—and so became the nation or the “Kingdom of Israel.” So, as Christ assists the Father in “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), they are bringing into being an entire Spirit-composed nation. It is a spiritual “Kingdom” of God, comprised of real sons of God—who have been literally born of God by the resurrection, and are possessed of the full nature and character of God. Again, I say, this is the ultimate meaning of the “Gospel,” the ultimate good news and transcendent purpose for your life!

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2–3). Now that you understand your ultimate destiny, you know why God wants you to let Him and His Son build within you their holy, righteous character.

God the Father is not a “nicey-nice” wimp, or a stern, unsmiling puritan or an impractical philosopher. He and His firstborn Son, like a loving family, are preparing other sons to join with them in ruling this world and, later, the entire universe. So go out under the stars some clear night—try counting as many stars as you can see and think of the billions of stars scattered across the vast universe which you cannot see—and then meditate on this awe-inspiring purpose for your life and thank God for it! Then, get down on your knees and begin to zealously do your part to make it all possible!

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The Ten Commandments

4uwzvo — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 21:01:20 +0000

The Ten Commandments

4uwzvo Tue, 03/01/2022 - 21:01

The Ten Commandments

Roderick C. Meredith (1930-2017)

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#Christian Living

#Christianity

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#Law of God

#Ten Commandments

Today’s “modern” society is in conflict over the Ten Commandments. Have they been “done away” by divine fiat or by mankind’s march toward scientific knowledge? Should they be displayed in public places, or reserved for the church? Are they a burden to “enlightened” people, or a blessing to those who obey them?

Preface

More than 40 years ago, I had the privilege of writing the first edition of this booklet, The Ten Commandments. It was adapted into a booklet from a magazine serialization, and was sent to hundreds of thousands who requested it over several decades. It has been out of print for more than a decade, but I have now updated it for Tomorrow’s World viewers and subscribers. Even so, it is very much the same booklet as was first offered more than 40 years ago. This is no surprise, for it is describing the unchanging laws of God. As He said, “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6).

Even secular scholars recognize that the very first Christians based their lives on following the great spiritual law of God—the Ten Commandments. When they said, “The Lord Jesus Christ,” they recognized that the word “Lord” means “Boss”—the One you should obey! Jesus reminded them again and again of this vital relationship, as in Luke 6:46: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”

It is my hope and prayer that you will study this booklet carefully, and come to appreciate that God’s law—the very law that will be in effect during the soon-coming Millennium—is a blessing for those individuals, families and nations that keep it, following the perfect example of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Keys to Understanding

This is a lawless age. Crime and violence are increasing at a fearful rate because among millions of people there is practically no respect for law or constituted authority, either of God, or of man! On the international scene, nations live in fear because they very well know that the so-called “guarantees” and treaties of peace are not worth the paper on which they are written. There is no law—no respect for authority—among the nations of the world. This is the world in which you live!

The Real Source of Law

Men have lost all deep respect for law because they have forgotten the very source of all law and authority! Your Bible says: “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy” (James 4:12). That lawgiver is Almighty God. In their modern search for a man-devised “peace of mind” or a “religion that satisfies,” men have totally forgotten about the great God who rules this universe! No wonder some of our young people—the leaders of tomorrow—have such a lawless attitude. One of the world’s foremost educators warned a group of military leaders of this very problem. He was the late Dr. Rufus von Klein Smid, former chancellor of the University of Southern California. He stated: “I have no quarrel with the present emphasis placed on science, but today we are paying for support of schools which act from September 1 to June 30 as if there were no God.” Dr. von Klein Smid noted the “absence of moral values” in our youth resulting from this attitude. When you leave the true God out, there is no real standard of behavior left. The result is spiritual chaos and lawlessness and wretchedness in the human heart. In nearly all present-day religious denominations, the tendency is to try to “modernize” and “democratize” God, and do away with His authority to rule His creation—and us, His creatures. There are very few truly “God-fearing men” left on earth today! Having made their imaginative pet “god” in their own image, men certainly do not stand in awe and deep respect of such a “god.” They do not fear their “god.” And they certainly do not obey this creature of their own imagination! Yet the real message of Jesus Christ was about the God who created this earth! His was the God who blessed men for obedience to His laws—and who punished for disobedience. The Jesus Christ of your Bible always preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14; Luke 4:43). In modern language, He preached the happy news of the government of God—the rule of God. He said: “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Before you can sincerely believe and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and have His shed blood cover your sins, you must repent. But repent of what? Repent of sin! What is sin?

Despite the contradictory ideas and generalizations of organized religious denominations, your Bible clearly states: “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4, KJV). Sin is breaking God’s spiritual law—the Ten Commandments. That is definitely and specifically what sin is! Before God will forgive your past sins, you must first repent of breaking His law! You must learn to fear and respect God as the Supreme Ruler of this universe—and as your King and Ruler. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, was inspired to write: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). This godly fear is by no means a personal dread, but a deep respect and reverence for the great office and authority of God—for His divine power—His wisdom—His love. Without faith in such a great and real God, mankind is incomplete. Cut off from the true God of law and order, mankind is purposeless, empty, frustrated, confused. The way out of modern man’s emptiness and confusion may sound trite or simple to some people. But it is real—and it works! It is simply that mankind must quit worshiping false gods. Mankind must return to the God of the Bible, the God of creation, the God who rules this universe! Summarizing His way to the fulfillment of man’s desire for a happy, abundant and purposeful life, God inspired these words at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes: “The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, Moffatt). Mankind is frustrated and incomplete without this living, vital contact with God—walking His way, keeping His commandments. Obedience to God’s commandments would bring peace and fulfillment and joy to all the nations and peoples of this earth. It is the real answer to all of our problems, individually and collectively. It is the way of life Jesus Christ is going to teach when He returns to rule this world (Micah 4:2).

Do You Really Understand God’s Commandments?

The prophet David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). He is used as a type of Christ, and will rule directly under Christ over the entire nation of Israel in the soon-coming millennium (Ezekiel 37:24), when Christ will bring peace to this earth. David wrote: “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). David studied and pondered God’s law all day long! He learned how to apply it to every situation in life. This gave David wisdom. “You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies” (v. 98). God’s law showed David the way to go—a way of life. “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (v. 105). Throughout Psalm 119, David declared how he loved God’s law, and used it as his guide in life.

Do you? Probably you do not. Most of you have been taught that God’s law was done away—or else you simply have not realized that it is the only way of life that will bring mankind true happiness and joy. You have not realized that God’s law reveals the very nature and character of God Himself. And God commands us: “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Remember that the true Christians, the “little flock” of Jesus, are described as those “who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17). And God gives this description of the character of His saints: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). If you are to be counted among God’s true saints who will escape the seven last plagues, you will have to have this living faith—this obedient faith—in Almighty God through Jesus Christ living His life in you! You will have to understand and keep God’s spiritual law as revealed in the Ten Commandments! Please really study this booklet, look up each scripture quoted and live by His spiritual and holy law.

The Almighty God of Israel

To properly understand and feel the real impact of the Ten Commandments, let us notice the setting in which they were given. Remember that Moses and the Israelites had preserved the knowledge that their God was the Creator of heaven and earth. He was the great ruler of the earth who had brought about the Flood in the days of Noah, their forefather. And now the true God, the God of Israel, had delivered them from Egyptian bondage by tremendous miracles; He had brought them out of Egypt and through the waters of the Red Sea that rose on either side of them as a mighty wall (Exodus 14).

Since the time they had passed through the Red Sea, God had begun to deal with them and to remind them of His laws that they may have, in part, forgotten. Before they ever reached Mount Sinai, God erased all doubt about which day was His Sabbath by performing a series of miracles to remind them (Exodus 16). In Exodus 18, Moses was already judging the people according to God’s laws and statutes (v. 16). Now that they were come to Mount Sinai, God proposed—not to give them a new law—but to enter into a covenant or agreement with them so that they would be His special people and He would be their God whose laws and statutes and judgments they would obey. Since the Ten Commandments were—and always will be—God’s basic spiritual law (Romans 7:14), they were made a part of this agreement between God and Israel.

Long before Sinai, God specially blessed Abraham, the “father of the faithful” (Romans 4:11), because “Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (Genesis 26:5). So Abraham certainly understood and obeyed the Ten Commandments.

Since the Ten Commandments were God’s holy and spiritual laws, He proclaimed them with great power and, unlike the rest of the covenant, wrote them with His own hand. Notice the setting in Exodus 19. God commanded the people to clean themselves up and be ready against the third day when He would come down to them (vv. 10–11). “Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled” (v. 16). God was here showing His power as the Creator of this earth as He began to speak with His own voice the Ten Commandments! As the Creator Himself descended upon Mount Sinai in His glory, “Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly” (v. 18).

In this setting of great glory and majesty and power, God spoke the Ten Commandments to the people who were trembling in awe below the mountain. His voice must have literally shaken these people with its power as it boomed across the land like the sound of thunder (Psalm 104:7).

The First Commandment

And so God began speaking the Ten Commandments—revealing to His people the laws of life that bring success and happiness and peace with God and with man. In our day of human reason, of agnosticism and of creeping materialism, it is important to notice that the Almighty spoke first not about the “brotherhood of man,” but about obedience and worship to God—the Creator and Ruler of heaven and earth—and the personal God of those who serve and obey Him! “And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me’” (Exodus 20:1–3). That is the first and, as we shall see later, greatest commandment. Study the wording of this commandment carefully—and meditate on it as David did! “I am the Lord your God” is a more revealing phrase than at first meets the eye. The “I” who was speaking with such tremendous power was quite evidently the great Creator of heaven and earth. In His very manner of appearance, He had demonstrated His power as Creator by sending forth thunder and lightning and literally shaking Mount Sinai as if it were a wet dishrag!

The First Commandment and You

Now that we have seen the power and might with which God revealed Himself when He spoke the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, let us see how each one of them—beginning with the first commandment—applies to you personally. For if you make any claim to being a Christian, remember that Jesus Christ, the Founder of Christianity, said that you shall live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4). And certainly—through God’s help—you must walk according to the commandments of Almighty God if you would enter into eternal life (Matthew 19:17). How, then, does the first commandment apply to you? “I am the Lord your God,” the Creator states. Is the God of creation—the God of Israel, the God of the Bible—really your God whom you serve and obey? Or have you conjured up your own false “god” or “gods”? Or are you falsely worshiping according to the “traditions of men,” which Jesus said would cause you to worship God in vain? (Mark 7:7). These are issues that you need to consider!

To Christians, God says that He is the One who has “brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Throughout the Bible, Egypt is used as a “type” to represent sin. All the unconverted are held in slavery to the organized, paganized system of this world, and to their own personal lusts. When a person is really converted, God brings him out of that bondage—and he comes out willingly and gladly! You need to examine whether or not you have ever really come out from the false traditions and ways of this world and have also repented of your own personal lusts and sins.

God commands: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Have you put something else in place of God? Is your time, your interest, your service taken up more with something other than the true God? What idol have you placed between yourself and the true God, studying His Word, and living by it? God says: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Throughout its pages, the Bible declares that God is the real Creator of this earth and of the universe. He is the one who gives life and breath to all creatures (Genesis 1). Do you honestly think of and worship God as your Creator and the One who gives you every breath of air you breathe? You should, for that is part of worshiping the true God and having no false gods before Him!

Today, the greatest deception of all is not communism or atheism, but the false, pagan doctrine of evolution preached by the false god of science. Evolution is an attempt to explain the creation without the Creator. It denies the true God and His very nature and office! It is the very basis of most of this world’s “education”! But the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God (1 Corinthians 1:20). In the Bible, God is revealed not only as the Creator, but the One who sustains and who rules His creation—intervening in the affairs of His servants to guide and to bless and to deliver them. David said: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2). Literally hundreds of times, David called upon God to intervene and deliver him from some trouble or calamity. Do you go to God with these matters, or do you trust in your own strength and in purely human devices?

Understand God’s Purpose

In Matthew 6:9, Jesus tells us, when we pray, to address God as our “Father.” Throughout the New Testament, He is revealed as the One to whom we should go with all of our trials and problems. Like a human father, He watches over His children and blesses and protects them. He also chastens every son that He loves (Hebrews 12:6). From the beginning, God has been the ultimate Father of mankind. In creating man, God said: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness: let them have dominion over the fish of the sea…” (Genesis 1:26). Human beings were made in the physical image of God—the outward form and shape of God. Mankind was given certain responsibilities and prerogatives like God Himself—dominion or rule over all the creation on this earth. We were given certain limited powers to make—or “create,” so to speak—new things that had never existed before in that exact form. In this limited way, human beings exhibit some of the very abilities of God! For God plans and purposes that we shall ultimately be like Him—glorified as He is glorified (1 John 3:2)! Mankind is ultimately to be born of the spirit—made of spirit—composed of spirit (John 3:6). We will be part of the spirit-born, ruling family of God. God plans that those who overcome human nature in this life and learn—through the help of His indwelling Holy Spirit—to keep His perfect laws shall be made like Him—born into His very family and kingdom! Then, after this life of growing and overcoming, after this spiritual rebirth, we will be able to exercise some of the prerogatives of God Himself! We will be qualified as an additional member of the ruling Kingdom of God! (If you would like a detailed exposition of this spiritual rebirth, write for our free booklet, Your Ultimate Destiny).

Yet, even in this regard, science and this civilization compete with God, and therefore become false gods! Modern science is trying desperately to give mankind power far in excess of its mental and spiritual capabilities for handling such forces! As former President Eisenhower said in his first inaugural address: “Science seems ready to confer upon us as its final gift the power to erase human life from this planet.” And now—realizing what they have already done forebodes destruction of this earth—scientists are working feverishly to colonize the very heavens! And here on earth our civilization continues its paganized teaching that mankind is the ultimate judge of what is right or wrong and puts human beings completely in the place of God and His laws! Whether we realize it or not, this carnal attitude—this God-rejecting attitude—permeates every phase and facet of our civilization today!

What You Serve Is Your “God”

Most people who just go to church once a week and take their religion for granted do not actually know what real worship is. They think “worship” is something you do once a week in church, not realizing that it should affect every thought and word and action every day of your life! In everything you think or say or do, you either serve God, or else you serve your own lusts and Satan the devil! The Apostle Paul was inspired to explain this: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). There is no middle ground! You either delight in God and His law and serve and obey Him all day long, or else you serve and obey your own lusts! One key to this situation is how you use your time. For your time is your life! The Bible commands us to be “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). How much time do you actually spend each week studying and meditating on God’s Word and law as David did? How much time do you spend in earnest, prevailing prayer to Almighty God? How much time do you spend in discussing the Bible with others, teaching it to your family, writing words of spiritual edification to others as well as words of purely social interest?

Most professing Christians think of their religion as just occupying a corner of their lives. But in all fairness and love, we say that the day will come when they will realize that that type of religion is false religion and false worship! What is the most important thing God commands you to do? When Jesus Christ your Savior was asked this question, He answered: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40).

The destiny of all nations and individuals rests on these two commandments! If men will obey these two commandments as they are magnified throughout the Bible, they will be blessed! If not, they will be cursed and will become wretched in their own confusion and frustration! As Jesus said, the very writings of the prophets hang on whether or not nations obey or disobey God’s law. Every prophecy written against a nation shows that God foresaw that the nation would disobey and turn away its eyes from His law and obedience to His commandments! These are living laws—like the law of gravity—that rule the world in which we live!

Learn to Love and Worship God Above All Else

Jesus said that the great commandment is to love God with all of your heart and soul and mind. You are to worship and serve God with all of your being! Whenever you think or speak or hear of anything good or beautiful or wonderful, you should think of God! Remember James’ inspired statement: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Because you love Him, because you know His way is right, because you truly worship Him, you should meditate on God’s law and on His Word daily as David did. You should study your Bible regularly to live by every word of God. You should pray to God regularly, with sincerity and with all your heart, as Jesus did, setting us an example. Whenever you find that God commands you in His Word to do something, you should immediately say: “Yes, Lord,” and not argue, “reason” or evade the issue, as so many falsely professing Christians do today.

Knowing that He made you and that your life really belongs to Him, you should present your body a living sacrifice as God tells you to do (Romans 12:1). You should serve and obey God with all your being—with a willing heart—and do all in your power to prepare yourself for and to further the work of reaching others with the message of the soon-coming government of God that will finally bring real peace to this earth. Your attitude should always be that of Jesus Christ, your example, when He was called upon to give His very life: “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). This is what true worship really means! This is how to keep the first commandment, the great commandment!

The Second Commandment

In His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated: “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever does and teaches them [even the “least” commandments], he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). Throughout the entire message, Jesus was explaining and expounding and magnifying the Ten Commandments. He was showing that this spiritual law was a living law—like the law of gravity or inertia. When you break it, it breaks you! We have seen, therefore, that when men or nations break the first commandment—”You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3)—they bring an inevitable penalty of suffering and wretchedness upon themselves and their posterity. Men cut themselves off from the source of their being, from the purpose of life, from the laws that would give them happiness, peace and joy. Men cut off from the true God are empty, frustrated and miserable. And whether by the awfulness of war, personal violence, sickness or simply the rotting of corruptible human flesh, the ultimate fate of all men cut off from God is an ignominious death—with no hope or promise of eternal life thereafter (Romans 6:23; Revelation 21:8).

The Second Commandment Stated

Man is incomplete, having cut himself off from the true worship of the true God. Yet he is to worship that God alone: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). The second commandment tells us how to worship the true God, what pitfalls to avoid in our worship, and of the continuing blessing or penalty that comes to our progeny as a result of the way in which we worship Almighty God. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord [Eternal] your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:4–6).

The natural physical mind cries out for something to help in the worship of God. Physical human beings want some physical object—some “aid” to worship—to “remind” them of the invisible God. Yet that is exactly what is forbidden in this commandment! Jesus said: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23). Notice that it is only the “true” worshipers who are able to worship the Father in spirit and truth. Many others attempt some form of worship but, because they limit their worship by a false concept of God, it is largely in vain. “God is Spirit: and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (v. 24). The instant that human beings set up any representation of God, they deny what is essential in God. God is the essence of all power—all wisdom—all love. God is limitless. When a man invents his own mental or physical image of God, he automatically limits in his own thought and worship the God who will not be limited!

The Basis of Idolatry

Many times after reiterating the Ten Commandments, God again warned Israel against any form of idolatry. “You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 26:1). God was continually against every form of idol or image used in worship. However, lest some misunderstand, let us pause at this point to note that God does not condemn art or sculpture, but rather the setting up of any picture or image or representation “to bow down to it.” In the original command in Exodus 20:4–6, God is not condemning every picture and image, but, as the command continues, “you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” So it is the use of art or sculpture as a form of worship or “aid” to worship that God condemns! The real basis of all idolatry is that self-willed, rebellious mankind refuses to surrender himself to worship the true God in the way that He commands! Not really knowing the true God, then, nor having His Spirit, human beings think they need some “aid” or “representation” to help them worship their humanly devised concept of God. Notice that this second commandment is not speaking of the worship of an idol, which is forbidden in the first commandment. This second commandment forbids the use of physical “aids” or “helps” in worshiping the invisible God.

A Truly Converted Person Knows God

No one who really knows God as Father—no one who is living in daily communion with Him—needs a picture or image to help with prayer. If someone thinks he needs this kind of help, it is simply because he has not come to know God—and undoubtedly is not filled with and led by the Holy Spirit of God. In order to worship God in spirit, you must have the Holy Spirit. “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). But God gives His Holy Spirit only after genuine repentance and baptism—and only to those who “obey Him” (Acts 2:38; 5:32). Very few men in this day and age have truly surrendered themselves to obey God, to walk with Him, to let Him rule their every thought and word and action. Therefore, they are not actually acquainted with God. He seems far off—unreal—nebulous. They look instead to a physical “reminder” in front of them to help them realize that He exists and is there to hear their prayers!

Pictures of Jesus

Thousands of professing Christians employ representations or pictures of a so-called Jesus Christ in their worship—and even display them in their homes. What does your Bible say about such pictures? First of all, the second commandment itself obviously prohibits the use of anything that represents God or could easily become an object of worship. Certainly, since Jesus Christ is God (Hebrews 1:8), this would directly prohibit any picture or likeness of His person! In addition, for those who might wish to “reason” or argue about this point, these so-called pictures of Christ have no similarity whatever to the way Jesus Christ really looked! Jesus—when in human flesh—was a Jew (Hebrews 7:14). The features in most of His supposed pictures are obviously not Jewish! As the Word of God, Christ inspired the Apostle Paul to write: “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?” (1 Corinthians 11:14). Yet these pictures invariably show a man with long hair, soft feminine features and a sentimental, sanctimonious look in His eyes. This is not the Christ of your Bible!

Actually, Jesus was undoubtedly very masculine in appearance. As a young man, He was a carpenter—working outdoors. And He continued spending most of His time outdoors even during His ministry. So most crucifixes, pictures and images of Jesus are in total opposition to every description given of Him in the sacred Word of God! They give a false impression of the true Jesus Christ in every respect. Jesus’ face must have had a rugged, sunburned appearance. He was not womanish in appearance, but rather had short hair like a man. He did not have beautiful, aristocratic features, but as He inspired Isaiah to describe His human appearance: “He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2). As a human being, Jesus was a normal, healthy, perhaps somewhat rugged looking young Jewish carpenter in His early thirties. With earnestness and conviction, He began preaching the message of God’s soon-coming Kingdom or rule over this earth. However, if we think of Jesus’ appearance at all, we should think, in general terms at least, of the way He looks today. He has described this for us in Revelation 1:14–16: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes like a flame of fire… and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” As very God, Jesus’ face now shines with radiance and with power. As a human being, you would not dare to look directly into it! Many will claim they do not worship these pictures or images. Perhaps so. But this false picture and false concept of Christ undoubtedly comes into their minds quite often when they think of Christ or pray. These false pictures and statues actually come between them and Christ. They separate the worshiper from Christ! If you use such images or pictures of Christ, you are breaking the second commandment! And you are greatly limiting your concept of the living Christ—who now sits glorified at the right hand of God in heaven with His face shining like the sun in full strength!

Worshiping Systems and Institutions

One of the most common forms of modern idolatry is making an idol out of one’s church or society. For many people, this world’s society—its dictates, customs and traditions—becomes a literal god. Many people are desperately afraid of doing anything that might be regarded as different or “odd.” They feel they must conform to this world and its ways. But God commands: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). This command must seem very hard to obey for people who get to thinking that other people must be right in what they think and say and practice. The Bible shows that many people in Jesus’ day failed in their worship, for “they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43).

If you blindly obey the customs and traditions of your family, your church or society instead of the commands of the word of God, you are guilty of idolatry. That group or institution becomes an idol to you in place of the true God! Even ritual in a church service may become dangerous, for however refined the ritual of some institutions may be, it begins and ends in the physical senses of human man—and is not a valid substitute for the true worship of God “in spirit.” The Bible directly describes people of our day as “having a form of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5).

The true God is the invisible, Eternal Creator and Ruler of the universe. How should you worship Him? He answers: “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). You must worship God directly—and with a humble and willing heart. You must study God’s Word, willingly be corrected by it, and tremble before its authority over your life! With a heart proven to be submissive through repentance and obedience, you must pray to God in heaven many times each week on your knees and in silent prayer as you go about your daily tasks. You must come to know Him and love Him as your Father. As this entire booklet explains, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). So you will genuinely love and honor your Creator by living an obedient life based on following the way of the Ten Commandments—just as Jesus did.

As Enoch and Noah and Abraham did, you must learn to “walk with God”—and be in constant and increasing communion and yieldedness to Him throughout every day of your life. Then—guided by His Spirit—you will never even begin to consider using an image or idol or picture as an “aid” to prayer and worship of the great sovereign Ruler of this universe, and your personal Father in heaven!

A Solemn Warning and Promise

We have seen that God forbids the making of any image or idol to represent Him: “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:5–6). Because God is our Father, He is lovingly zealous for our eternal welfare. He is jealous over us, in that He will not countenance His children worshiping false gods. This, of course, is for our own good! If we persist in an idolatrous and vain form of worship, God says He will visit our iniquity upon our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. There are many ramifications to this statement and principle. But there is one obvious direct meaning in this context. If, in worship, men put an idol, image or something else in place of God and come under the influence of that false worship, then they are not only harming themselves—but their children and grandchildren! The principle is that their false idea of worship will be transmitted to their children—damaging and wrecking their lives and happiness! It is a solemn and terrible thing to pass on to your children a false concept of God. It is one of the most awful things a parent can do! For it should be obvious to any Bible-believing person that the worship of idols and false “gods” has absolutely wreaked havoc in the lives of billions of people. Cut off from the knowledge of the Creator, untold millions have been deceived by Satan (Revelation 12:9), and as a result have experienced wars, broken homes, mass starvation, slavery—and all manner of human suffering and degradation beyond description!

But together with this warning, God gives a merciful promise to those who are willing to worship God as He commands. In their case, He is a loving and merciful God, “showing mercy to thousands” who love Him and keep His commandments. Here is a remarkable contrast. God only visits the iniquity of the fathers to the third and fourth generations before intervening with merciful punishment and awakening to truth. But He shows mercy to the thousandth generation! God calls men into His own immediate spiritual presence—to worship their Creator directly. Men can come to really know the great God of the universe as their personal Father. They can daily walk with Him, talk with Him. Whenever a man stops short of that face-to-face worship of the Eternal God, he is working ruin in his own character—breaking the commandment of God. This is the meaning and force of the second commandment.

The Third Commandment

Is God really first in your personal life? Results of a poll of 1,500 college students showed that they had two sets of values toward which they professed allegiance: on the first level, towards self, family and friends; on the second level, to mankind (in general) and God. It is notable that God was least regarded by these “educated” young people! Yet in this same poll, 90 percent of those questioned indicated a belief in God. This prevailing spiritual lethargy and passive disrespect toward God—and toward the great magnitude of His office and power—is indicative of a growing trend even among churchgoers and professing Christians. People like to talk about religion and God, but they do not stand in awe of His position and His name. And this spiritual cancer has within it the seeds of the destruction of our Western civilization!

The Third Commandment Stated

In discussing the first and second commandments, we found that we must guard against making a god out of anything—and putting it in place of the true God. And we learned that God commands us to worship Him directly—to walk with Him, to talk with Him, to really know and worship Him in spirit and truth—and to avoid using any image, picture or physical object as an “aid” to worship or to “remind” us of the great Creator. The third commandment deals with God’s name, His office, His position as the great sovereign Ruler of the universe: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). In the Bible, personal names have a meaning. The original Hebrew name of Abram was changed to Abraham—for Abraham means “a father of many nations.” And Abraham was destined to become just that—”a father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5). So it is with God’s name.

God’s Name Reveals the Kind of God You Worship

Every name or title of God reveals some attribute of the divine character. In studying God’s Word, we learn new facts about God’s nature and character with each new name by which He reveals Himself. In other words, God names Himself what He is! If men use the name of God in a way that denies the true meaning and character of God, they are breaking the third commandment. God declares through Isaiah: “Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness” (Isaiah 48:1).

People to whom this prophecy applies use the name of God, but fail to obey the revelation of God contained in His name. And shocking though it may be, many religious people repeat over and over the name of God in sermons or prayers. They are taking God’s name in vain—to no good use or purpose! The original command says: “The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” The Hebrew word here rendered “guiltless” may also be translated “clean”—”The Lord will not hold him to be clean who takes His name in vain.” The test of spiritual cleanliness is our attitude to the name of God! We are clean or unclean according to whether we take the name of God in truth—or for vanity. Do you realize what this means? It certainly indicates that someone is better off who—because of sincere religious doubts—has dropped the name of God from his vocabulary, than a professing Christian who talks about God continually, but denies Him in daily life!

In the Lord’s Prayer, we are instructed to “hallow” God’s name. And the third commandment with which we are dealing has directly to do with showing the proper respect for the name of God. One of the ten great points of God’s eternal spiritual law is devoted to this very thing! First of all, however, let us make it clear to those who may have been misinformed on the subject that reverencing God’s name does not mean trying to speak Hebrew or Greek or learning to pronounce God’s name in the original biblical languages! There are certain sects that make a great matter out of this. Some claim that “Jehovah” is the Father’s name. Others claim that it is “Yahweh,” others “Yahveh,” and others use still different variations. The truth of the matter is that since all admit that the Hebrew vowels have not been preserved, no one knows exactly how this Hebrew name of God should be pronounced! (For proof that “God” is the Father’s name, request our free reprint article titled “The Truth About ‘Sacred Names'”).

Describing the significance of one’s name, Moulton-Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament states: “By a usage similar to that of the Heb.… [onoma, “name”] comes in the N.T. to denote the ‘character’, ‘name’, ‘authority’ of the person indicated” (p. 451). Also, and even more important, God Himself inspired Daniel and Ezra to use the Aramaic word for God in nine chapters of the Bible that they wrote in this language, and the New Testament writers all were inspired to use the Greek words for the Deity. The real importance of the matter, of course, lies not in the phonetic sound that is used to describe God, but in the meaning that His names convey! Thus, this respected authority on biblical linguistics clearly shows that one’s name signifies one’s office, authority and especially one’s character. The names of God show us what God is like—they reveal His character! Do you really know what God is like? Do you respect His various offices and His name as you should? Turn to your Bible and check up!

God’s Nature and Character Revealed

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). In this very first verse of the Bible, God reveals Himself by the Hebrew name Elohim. There is one God—but more than one member in the Godhead, or God family! This same word Elohim is used in Genesis 1:26: “Then God [Elohim] said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.'” Here it is clearly seen—in context with the passage itself—that more than one person shares the name of God—Elohim. In the New Testament, this is made clear by the revelation that God the Father created all things by and through Jesus Christ—who was with God and was God from the beginning (John 1:1–14; Ephesians 3:9).

In these passages, therefore, it is revealed that God is more than one person—God the Father and the “Word” or Spokesman, who later became Jesus Christ when born in human flesh. This Father-Son relationship shows that God is a family. And the way the word Elohim is used in these early passages in Genesis and elsewhere certainly indicates that God is the creating kingdom or family! Interestingly, Elohim is plural in form but is used either in the singular or plural, depending on the context. God, by virtue of being Creator, is also the Ruler over His creation. We find that immediately after creating the first man and woman, God gave them both a blessing and a command: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28).

Yes, the true God is Ruler—and you should obey Him because He made you and gives you every breath of air you breathe! In dealing with Abraham, God sometimes called Himself El Shaddai, which means “Almighty God.” So God is the source of all power! His name should be revered, because it stands for the one who is the source of all power, all might, and all authority. The name most commonly translated “Lord” in the Old Testament is translated from the Hebrew letters YHWH, sometimes rendered YAHWEH or YAHVEH. The original Hebrew word means the “Eternal” or “Self-Existent One.” The word is both used and defined in Genesis 21:33: “Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord [YHWH], the Everlasting God.” This Hebrew word, often translated “Jehovah” in some of the revised versions, shows God’s character as the ever-living God and is used to show His everlasting office in a covenant relationship to those whom He has created. God has always existed and will always exist to carry out His blessings, His promises, and His covenant with His people! Our God is the Eternal—the Self-Existent One. Throughout His Word, God’s name is connected with His attributes—His power, His eternal existence, His mercy, His faithfulness, His wisdom, His love. Notice how the prophet David connects God’s name with His creative power: “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set your glory above the heavens!… When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:1–4). Here God is pictured as setting His glory above the heavens. Then David proceeds to show that God has created the heavens, the earth and man. No wonder God’s name and office are to be respected!

In our everyday speech, many of us are damning the very name of our Creator and our God! We are using our breath to curse and damn the name of the very One who gives us our life and the very breath with which we curse His name! An expression used with terrible frequency is asking God to “damn” someone. Poor men and wealthy men alike give ready tongue to this vile oath—and often think they are proving their “manhood” or getting away with something by doing it! Yet it would be hard to find any normal human being anywhere who would like to see this phrase carried out with respect to others in all of its terrible meaning. Using this expression is trifling with the name of our God—asking Him to do something that He has never intended to do. God never “damned” a person in the way many seem to think! This idea is an awful heresy! God’s work is the work of salvation, and God will deprive no one of eternal life, except that one who, by his own volition and will, rejects God’s way. God says: “On this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). The very same may be said about the deep respect and godly fear we should have for God’s name—which directly represents God’s character, His Word and His purposes.

Should You Swear?

Men today are accustomed not only to profane swearing and invoking God’s name to back up their oaths, but there are also many legal ceremonies that invoke the name of God in a form of swearing or an oath. Jesus Christ said: “But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool: nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King” (Matthew 5:34–35). God’s name is so sacred and holy that we are commanded not to invoke it to back up our words or our oath! We can be glad that the American nation was founded by men who read their Bibles and made great allowance for religious liberty and freedom. Therefore, even though many public officials will, on occasion, ask you to raise your hand and “swear,” they all realize that provision has been made so that you can employ the word “affirm” instead of swearing. And actually, as we should all know, the simple affirmation or formal word of a God-fearing Christian is far more to be relied upon than ten thousand oaths given by a liar on the witness stand! The travesty of businessmen, politicians and even college professors taking God’s name in vain on the witness stand in this manner bears ample proof of this statement!

Religious Titles to Avoid

Speaking of using certain expressions as a religious title, Christ said: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). Although there is a flagrant and obvious abuse of this command in some large religious organizations, this statement of God’s Word is clear to anyone who wishes to obey it. Our only spiritual Father is God! Any application of this word as a religious title to a man is simply direct blasphemy against the Creator who has made all men—even the weak, corruptible human beings who impudently take to themselves and falsely assume that which is a divine title. Of course, we should call our human parent “father,” as God Himself does in the fifth commandment. Another common misuse of the divine name is the application of the term “Reverend” to any human being—be he a minister or otherwise. For God applies this title to Himself alone: “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his [God’s] name” (Psalm 111:9, KJV). “Reverend” applies to someone to be revered—someone worthy of worship! No mortal human being is worthy of such a title! Even so great a servant of God as the Apostle Paul himself was inspired to write: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18). Anyone who considers himself worthy of worship—or deserving of the title “Reverend”—is someday going to have to repent of breaking the third commandment!

The Most Common Sin of All

In teaching His disciples, and us as Christians, how to pray, Jesus Christ set forth the right manner to approach Almighty God and the attitude of reverence in which we should hold His office and His name. In the opening phrases of what is commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer,” some translations of the Bible are falsely punctuated. After the invocation, “Our Father which art in heaven”—the approach of mankind to God—there are three requests linked together, and then a clause following which conditions all three—and not the last one only. The correct rendering would be as follows: “Our Father which art in heaven, thy name be hallowed, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.”

The phrase “as in heaven, so on earth” has reference not merely to “thy will be done,” but to “thy kingdom come” and to “hallowed be thy name.” These thoughts contained in what is called the Lord’s Prayer—the hallowing of God’s name, the coming of His kingdom, and the doing of His will—are simply different phases of the same thing. For we hallow God’s name by submission to His kingdom and government, and by doing His will and obeying His laws. Simply holding the phonetic sound of God’s name in reverence is only a small part of fulfillment of the third commandment. Jesus asked: “But why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Prayer without obedience is a subtle form of blasphemy! The supposedly religious people who talk about religion and God but refuse to obey His Word and His law are guilty of greater sin than those who admittedly go the way of the flesh and at least refuse to pretend otherwise. The hypocrisy of religious denominations and religious people is infinitely worse than the profanity of the street. Praise offered to God that is counteracted by rebellion against His ways and His laws is certainly blasphemy—and it is taking the name of God in vain! One who preaches or prays with eloquence and a devotional attitude, but then proceeds to break the least of God’s commandments (Matthew 5:19) blasphemes when he prays! But even if such a one deceives the world, he never deceives God!

Speaking of the “religionists” of His day who refused complete obedience to the will and law of God, Jesus declared: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6–7). In like manner, many today profess God with their lips, but their worship is vain! “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

May God grant you the willingness to obey His will and law! May you learn to worship Him in spirit and in truth. May you learn to honor and reverence His great name—for it represents His creative power, His wisdom, His faithfulness, His love and kindness and patience and infinite mercy. It represents the character and office and dignity of the great God who sits at the controls of the universe!

The Fourth Commandment

Why were you born? What is the meaning of your life? What is the true goal of life—and what are the laws of life by which that goal can be attained? How much time do you spend each week in considering these very important questions? Most people are so busy with the day-to-day cares of making ends meet that they devote almost no time at all to the spiritual issues of life. If questioned about Bible study or prayer, most people reply that “there just isn’t enough time” for these religious activities.

Because he is so engrossed with his job during the day, and with television, movies, parties and sports in the evenings and on weekends, the average American is totally lacking in even a rudimentary knowledge of his own religious beliefs. And he is childishly ignorant of the fundamental truths of the Bible—so much so that a survey showed that the average American is unable even to name the four Gospels correctly! God seems far away to him. The Bible is “for old folks and preachers” to read and understand. Yet he proclaims that he “hopes to do better” someday. The big question is—when? When will he take the time to really get to know God? When will he take time to study his Bible, to pray earnestly to the Creator as his Father, to meditate on the laws and purposes of life? For most people, the true answer will probably be “never”—unless they learn to obey the fourth commandment of Almighty God! Obedience to this little-understood commandment is a powerful factor in bringing the lives of men and women close to the Creator God—and to His blessings and direct guidance.

The Fourth Commandment Stated

We have already discussed the prevalent sin of putting another god in place of the true God. We learned that God commands us to worship Him directly and to avoid using any image, picture or physical object to “remind” us of the great Creator, or as an “aid” to worship. And we were warned against the vain use of the name of Almighty God, which stands for His position, His character, His power, His office as the great Ruler of this entire universe. The fourth commandment completes the first section of the Decalogue, which deals with man’s relationship to God. It provides for the perpetual observance of a sign of the relationship between God and man. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8–11).

This command is, in its wording, the longest of any of the ten. It is placed, protectively as it were, in the very midst of the Ten Commandments. Yet, sad to say, it is the one command about which men “reason” and argue most, and which they would most quickly tear asunder and try to separate from the rest of God’s law. Notice that it starts out with the injunction to “remember.” This very statement proves that the Sabbath command was already understood by God’s chosen people and that, in incorporating it as part of His covenant, God was reminding them of a spiritual command of which they already had knowledge. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” You cannot “keep” cold water hot! And mortal men cannot make anything holy. Therefore, to fully grasp the significance of this divine command, we need to learn who made the Sabbath day holy and when! Jesus said: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27–28). Notice that Jesus said the Sabbath day was “made.” Whatever was made has a Maker. Note also that Jesus did not say that the Sabbath was made only for the Jewish people, but for man—for all mankind, in other words. Then He stated that He—Christ—is “Lord” of the Sabbath. In this statement, He claims to be—not the destroyer—but the Lord of the Sabbath. In His human life, Jesus kept the Sabbath, and many verses in the four Gospels are devoted to His instructions to the disciples in how it should be kept, and in freeing it from the traditions that the Jews had added. But, before continuing, let us answer the question: “Who made the Sabbath day?”

Who Made the Sabbath?

In understanding the command to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, and in understanding who made the Sabbath in the first place, we need to turn to an account of the very beginning of God’s creation. The New Testament gives such an account in the first chapter of the Gospel according to John. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him; and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1–3). Here we find Jesus Christ described as the “Word” (or “Spokesman,” as the original Greek may more properly be rendered). This passage reveals that Jesus has been with the Father from the beginning, and that nothing was made without Him—without Jesus Christ! As the second person in the Godhead, the Father used Him as the instrument through whom the creation was brought into being. The Apostle Paul was inspired to speak of how God “created all things through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9).

In Hebrews, we find Christ described as the Son of God, “whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:2). These and many other scriptures show that He was the person in the Godhead who later became Jesus Christ, who actually carried out the job of creation! He was the one who said: “Let there be light,” and there was light. He was the one who created man—and set him on this earth in the Garden of Eden. So speaking in particular of He who did the creating, the inspired writer of Genesis states: “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:2–3).

Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man. Here we see that the Sabbath was made when man was made. And it was made by the divine Being who later became Jesus Christ! It was made as an intrinsic part of the environment that surrounded mankind, and which God made in the seven days of creation. Notice that God “blessed” the seventh day and “sanctified” it. Such an honor was not conferred on any of the preceding six days. When God blesses something, He bestows His divine favor upon, and His divine presence in, that thing. The very word “sanctify” means to set apart for holy use or purpose. Thus, we see that in the very act of creation, the Almighty God put His divine favor upon, and set apart for holy use and purpose, a certain space of the most enduring thing there is—time.

The Sabbath Is a Blessing

Certainly this insight into the background of the Sabbath gives added meaning to God’s command: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Through Jesus Christ, God made the seventh day of the week holy—and on His authority as our Creator He commands us to keep it that way! The Sabbath, then, is holy time. Yet it was made for man—as a great blessing to all mankind! Our Creator knew that we would need a period of rest and worship every seventh day, and this is the basic purpose for which the Sabbath was created. Each of us tends to become overly absorbed in our daily cares and work and pleasure during the week. Our Creator foresaw this, and set apart His Sabbath day as a consecrated time when we can completely forget our daily routine and draw closer to the Creator God in study, meditation and prayer. Modern mankind desperately needs this period of time in which to have real communion with its Maker and God. Taking time to think about God and to worship Him, to pray, to study and meditate upon the purpose for human existence, and upon God’s revealed laws of life—all this adds great strength and meaning to human life the other six days of the week. The Sabbath is one of the greatest blessings that has ever been bestowed upon the human family!

The Command Expounded

Understanding that the Sabbath command is just as binding as the commandments against murder and adultery, let us proceed to analyze and expound this commandment of God and its application to our personal lives today. Except for the explanatory and expository statements, the fourth commandment consists of two basic injunctions: First, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Second, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.”

It is by the authority of God that the first six days of the week are appointed for man’s business and labor. It is the will of God that human beings should work and earn their daily bread. One who continually idles away time in the six days is as equally guilty in the sight of God as one who works on the seventh! The idle person is ordinarily clothed with rags, and his idle mind and hands lead him into many wretched vices and sins. This second part of the Sabbath command is just as binding as the first! One who never works is totally unfit for worship! The honest, purposeful work of the six days is in itself an act of worship and obedience to God. We are placed in a world that contains all that is necessary for our physical being, but to obtain it we must work! It is part of the original intention of God, for mankind was placed in the Garden of Eden “to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).

However, in like manner, one who never pauses from daily business and pursuits, to worship as God has commanded on the seventh day that He has made holy and set apart, is—through lack of contact with his Maker—rendered incapable of the highest potential achievement in work, in service and in the joy of accomplishment. Since the very Creator has so commanded, we can keep the Sabbath day of rest and spiritual rejuvenation with complete confidence that God will bless and prosper us, because we have done this!

A Paid Vacation

Normally speaking, if you would quit working every few days to take a needed rest, you might naturally expect to get behind with your work and finances. But God Himself has set in motion a great law. God’s Ten Commandments are living, active laws—just like the law of gravity. They are in operation—they work automatically. The law of the Sabbath backed up by the very power of the Creator—says that if you will pause to rest and worship Almighty God on the seventh day every week, you will be so blessed during the work of the six days that this will more than make up for what you might have accomplished by laboring on God’s Sabbath!

Do you realize what this amounts to? In one way of looking at it, God is giving us a paid vacation every seventh day! But this vacation is not only for the purpose of physical rest, it is also a time for worship, for spiritual rededication, for the contemplation and exercise of the spiritual purposes and laws of life that God has set. In the observance of the seventh day, which God has made holy—and which alone points to creation—man is brought into close communion with his Maker and his God. For God’s very presence and His divine blessing are especially evident in this day that He has set apart and sanctified.

These are the busiest days that humanity has ever seen. These are days in which most men seem to have little or no time for the contemplation of the spiritual purposes and goals of life—the most important questions that mankind ought to be considering. The tremendous blessing of God’s true Sabbath is that it enables human beings to take time to fully consider and weigh these most important of all questions in life—and to commune with our God and Creator in a way that few in this age have ever experienced. The true observance of the Sabbath would keep mankind in contact with God! Without that contact, we are cut off from the very purpose of our existence, from the laws that govern our success or failure in life, from an understanding of what we are, where we are going and how to get there. Without this contact with the Creator God, human life is emptiness, frustration and a thing of vanity. In this age above all others, mankind needs the contact with God, the spiritual strength and understanding, and the divine blessing and guidance that proper observance of God’s true Sabbath provides.

Jesus’ Example

Jesus Christ—the inspired example of how every true Christian ought to live—taught by His own life and actions that the Sabbath is a holy convocation (commanded assembly) for God’s people, as is taught in Leviticus 23:3. Jesus’ example and customary practice is recorded in Luke 4:16, where we read that Jesus, “as His custom was… went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.” Certainly the true Sabbath is a day for the worship and adoration of God by His called servants. And it is a time for the preaching and expounding of God’s Word and His living laws. It is the duty of every true Christian, then, to find out where that Church is in which he can really worship God “in spirit and in truth,” a Church that properly observes the true Sabbath of the Creator God, and a Church in which Christians are taught to “live by every word of God.”

There are a number of churches that believe in keeping the fourth commandment. But most of these churches, in their teaching and practice, directly break one or more of the other commandments. Jesus founded only one Church (Matthew 16:18), and it alone keeps all of God’s commandments. You need to find out about this Church. Write immediately for the informative free booklet, God’s Church Through the Ages. We also offer you personal services to help you understand where God’s Church is and to help you with any questions you may have. The Living Church of God has ministers available in all parts of the United States and many other parts of the world, ready to counsel with you personally to answer any questions you may have about the Church or how to keep the Sabbath. Of course, none of them will call on you uninvited. But, if you of your own volition want to discuss these vital subjects with a qualified and dedicated servant of God, please write and let us know. We would be happy to send one of our ministers to see you.

Rejoice in God’s Sabbath

Learn to keep the Sabbath in a positive way! Use the seventh day that God has sanctified and made holy as He has intended—to rest from worldly labor, to pray, to study and to meditate on God’s Word and the purpose for human existence. Take time to do good to others, to care for the sick, to visit the afflicted. Assemble with other true Christians on the Sabbath if this is possible. The seventh day, which God made holy, is the commanded and God-blessed time for rest, for worship and for contemplation of the vital keys to the meaning of life. If you have any doubt whatsoever about the day on which the Sabbath should be observed, write for our free booklet, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? Properly understood and properly observed, the fourth commandment—the keeping of God’s holy, Sabbaths is one of the greatest blessings that the Creator has ever bestowed upon the children of men! It is an identifying sign, between mankind and the true God. Remember it—keep it holy!

The Fifth Commandment

Youthful violence and insolence characterize the age in which we live. Broken homes are increasing. Teenage crime is absolutely skyrocketing! Years ago, one of America’s most respected authorities on juvenile problems, Judge Samuel S. Leibowitz, set out to find the answer to the frustration of America’s youth. He decided to go to the Western nation with the lowest reported incidence of juvenile crime: Italy. He sought the reason from police and school officials throughout the nation. From every part of Italy, he received the same answer: Young people in Italy respected authority. Judge Leibowitz had to go into Italian homes to find out why. He found that even in the poorest home, the wife and children respected and honored the father as its head. He found that the modern do-as-you-please, permissive world does not really make a child happy and balanced. Rather, a child wants the solid walls of discipline and rules around him, defining his world—telling him exactly how far he can go. Just as will be expected of him in the adult world, a child must be disciplined to do things he does not necessarily want to do. From infancy, a child must be taught to respect and obey his parents.

Judge Leibowitz concluded his investigations with a nine-word solution to juvenile delinquency: Put father back at the head of the family. The remarkable answer to juvenile problems given by this eminent authority goes deeper than might be realized. For it goes to the very source of the problem—a lack of deep-seated respect for authority, beginning in infancy and continuing throughout life. This problem has its origin in childhood—in the home! Long before a child is even aware of the existence of church, school or nation, he is forming attitudes and habits toward those who are his superiors in the nursery, the home and the neighborhood. Developed from infancy, this part of a child’s character will undoubtedly affect his thoughts and actions for the rest of his natural life!

The Fifth Commandment Stated

The first four commandments define man’s relationship with God. They teach us the magnitude of God’s power and name—and exhort us to remember Him as Creator of all that is. The fifth commandment is placed first among those that govern our human relationships. It is not only chief in importance among these, when we understand its full meaning, but it acts as a “bridge” between the two sections of God’s law. For true obedience to the fifth commandment is inevitably linked with obedience and honor toward God Himself! Our Creator knew this when He inspired it to be “the first commandment with promise” (Ephesians 6:2). “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). Why honor our parents? The true answer reveals the depth of this commandment and its true import.

If only every parent on earth might come to realize the tremendous influence upon a child’s later life that automatically comes as a direct result of obedience or disobedience to this God-given command! This commandment is one of the ten great points of God’s eternal, spiritual law. Under the Old Testament dispensation, the penalty for directly and flagrantly violating this law was death! “And he who strikes his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.… And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 21:15, 17). That is how important this command is in God’s eyes! The home and the family unit are the basis of all decent society. And the relationship of children to their parents is an exact type of the spiritual relationship between true Christians and God. The lessons of character learned in that relationship may last children the rest of their lives—and for eternity! In the eyes of a small child, a parent stands in the place of God Himself. For the loving and affectionate parent is the child’s provider, protector, teacher and lawgiver. A child’s early training and response to this relationship will in large measure determine his later response to the larger relationships with society. And, ultimately, it is certain to affect his relationship with his spiritual Father in heaven.

Honor and Respect for Parents

The New Testament magnifies this command in many places. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise” (Ephesians 6:1–2). The original command to honor father and mother applies to all of us throughout our lives. But in this place children specifically are told to obey their parents “in the Lord.” Because of his total lack of experience and judgment, it is absolutely necessary that a child be taught to obey his parents instantly and without question. Explanations and reasons for this may and should be given to the child from time to time. But, at the moment a parental command is given, there may not be time or opportunity to give the reason why! Therefore it is imperative that a child be taught the habit of unquestioning obedience to his parents. For, until the young child develops, his parents stand to him in the place of God. And God holds them responsible for teaching and directing the child properly.

Obedience “in the Lord”

By direct implication, parents are bound by the fifth commandment to make themselves honorable. For to be honored, one must be honorable. All parents need to realize that they represent God to their children! Parents should live lives worthy of a child’s deep respect and reverence. Then they should teach their children to honor and respect both of their parents. As their children mature, parents should instruct them about the existence of the great spiritual Father of all life, the Creator of heaven and earth, the sovereign Ruler of the universe—Almighty God. Christian parents should teach their children to honor and obey their spiritual Father with even more implicit faith and love than they do their earthly parents. For the greatest lesson that a child or anyone can be taught is that of fear and obedience to the One who set in motion all life in the first place! Thus, children will be taught the habit of obedience. They will learn to respect authority. In due time, if their minds are opened to know the Supreme Father of all life, they will already have learned the very basis of godly character—loving obedience to God, and deep respect and reverence for all law and constituted authority.

Blessing for Obedience

The Apostle Paul reemphasizes the blessing attached to the fifth commandment: “That it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:3). Obedience to the fifth commandment automatically results in the building of habits and character that tend to long life. A young person so trained will avoid the recklessness, the violence, the wrong companionship and the rebellion against authority that often result in untimely death. And, in its ultimate meaning, those who learn to respect and obey their parents and later—because of this training—God Himself, will certainly “live long on the earth.” For, as Jesus said: “Blessed are the meek [the humble and obedient], for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

There are also many everyday blessings to the obedient child. Certainly not the least of these is a sense of security. As Judge Leibowitz pointed out, a child is confused if he is not told the bounds of his activities. But if a child is told what those bounds are by his parents—and stays within them—he is then relieved of the responsibility that he innately realizes his parents must shoulder. Frustration is another problem that is alleviated. The disobedient child is a frustrated child—for his mind is constantly plagued with feelings of guilt and rebellion. A child who loves, honors and obeys his parents is a blessed child indeed. He will tend to live a more truly happy, carefree and purposeful life. And in his spiritual life, he will pass through the natural and beautiful sequence from the honoring of his parents to the joyful worshiping of his God!

Thus far we have dealt primarily with the application of the fifth commandment to children and young people. But the original command to “honor” our parents is not addressed just to children—but to everyone.

Even Adults Should Honor Their Parents

The time may come when it is no longer necessary or right that a person should strictly obey his parents. But the day should never come when he ceases to honor them. The word “honor” has a much larger meaning than that of obedience. It indicates a high respect, as for worth, merit or rank. It denotes a feeling of high esteem and reverence. A person who has properly obeyed his parents in childhood later expresses his honor for them in a deeper appreciation of the comforts and training they provided him as a child. This honor expresses itself in courtesy, thoughtfulness and kind deeds. As we mature, it becomes increasingly evident that untold hours of work, of anxious thought and agonized prayer were bestowed for our welfare by faithful and loving parents. It should become the delight of every decent man and woman to return this love that our parents showered on us. In the evening of life, many parents long for this affection and fellowship with their children more, perhaps, than for any other blessing. Let us think and act on this opportunity to return the love our parents so freely gave!

To the everlasting shame of our professing Christian society, thousands of elderly parents are reduced to living on a mere pittance that comes to them through governmental agencies. In all too many cases, the children are able but simply unwilling to provide additional comforts for their parents. Jesus Christ gave one of the most forceful interpretations of the fifth commandment in its application to this very problem. In His day, men were excusing themselves from providing for the necessities of their parents. They were saying that funds that might have been used in this way were “Corban”—that is, dedicated to the service of the altar. These funds were not part of God’s tithe, but rather an additional offering that was used to gain favor in approaching God. Reproaching these hypocritical religionists, Jesus said: “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death” (Mark 7:9–10). Now notice how these hypocrites “reasoned” their way around this commandment! Jesus continued: “But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”… then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition'” (vv. 11–13). Jesus condemned these hypocrites. His words plainly teach that a Christian must give material and financial assistance to his aged parents if it is possible and their needs so require. He must not excuse himself by saying that all his extra funds are “dedicated to God”! This is a part of our obedience to the fifth commandment.

Jesus’ Own Personal Example

Jesus Christ lived the message He taught. His own personal life is a dramatic illustration of obedience to the fifth commandment. Just before His death, Jesus said: “I have kept My Father’s commandments” (John 15:10). Through obedience to His heavenly Father, and to His human parents as well, Jesus grew in wisdom and maturity even as a youth. Even in His dying moments, while suffering one of the most agonizing deaths ever devised by men, Jesus honored and loved His mother to the very end. Just before He died on the stake, John records: “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home” (John 19:26–27). Here Jesus made final provision for John to take care of His mother after His death.

At a time when the thoughts of all other men would have been of self, Jesus still remembered the fifth commandment and extended love and honor to the woman who gave Him birth, who nourished Him from infancy, who taught Him the Scriptures, and who now stood in this awful place—unashamed—weeping at His death. Remember the perfect example of Jesus Christ! “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).

The Sixth Commandment

This is an age of hate and violence. It is an age of intense competition, strife and personal tensions. The nations of the earth—and the individuals within them—are conditioning their minds and consciences to the likelihood of wholesale murder and possibly world suicide. Naturally, this situation is devastating to the spiritual principles and ideals of our people. The effect of this is being felt now—even as you read this booklet. We have seen the blessings that come through awe and respect for the one true God, through reverencing His name and office, through hallowing His Sabbath day and keeping it in the true knowledge of Him, and through honoring our fathers and mothers in their high office that directly reflects God’s Fatherhood and love for all creation. In all these commandments, we have seen love and wisdom and blessings. And so it is with the sixth commandment.

Amid the thunder and lightning and literal shaking of Mount Sinai, God’s voice thundered the sixth commandment: “Thou shalt not murder” (Exodus 20:13, Jewish Publication Society translation). Biblical authorities agree that “murder” is a more correct reading of the original inspired Hebrew than the word “kill.” For it is possible to kill, yet not to murder. And it is important to understand that only the letter of God’s law was given to ancient Israel, whereas Christians are to live by the spirit and fullest intent of that law as magnified by Christ Himself. Under the original letter of the law, it was intentional killing or murder that was forbidden. Remember that in this same “book of the covenant” given to Israel, God commanded them to kill or execute those guilty of major crimes (Exodus 21:12–17). Also, the instructions in Numbers 35:9–34 show that accidental killing was not regarded as murder. Even here, though, manslaughter was obviously a terrible offense—and the careless or unwitting slayer had to remain in a city of refuge for perhaps many years until the high priest died. Just as God commanded capital punishment for serious crimes under the letter of the law, so the commanded wars of Israel should be viewed not as acts of wholesale murder but the carrying out of the divine will through human instruments. Notice in Deuteronomy 7:1–2 that God directly commanded Israel to exterminate the heathen tribes in the land of Canaan. This was not humanly devised warfare nor was it personal vengeance or malice. It was the express will of Almighty God who gives life—and who alone has the right to say when it shall be taken.

Incidentally, it should be noted that the history of the time indicates that these nations occupying Canaan were absolutely wicked in the extreme—and were burning alive their own children in human sacrifice to their pagan gods. This was part of the intelligent reason why the Creator ordered their extermination at that time. Notice that in all these cases where God permitted human beings to take life, it was only as His agent—at His express will. God’s original purpose was that mankind should learn not to kill. And although it was permitted in certain instances to the carnal, unconverted people of Israel, we shall see that God is now developing in His Spirit-begotten children the character to love, to serve and to save life—not to destroy it.

The Source of Life

“Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness: let them have dominion…” (Genesis 1:26). Man is given life by his Creator. He does not give it to himself. Neither may he take it from himself—or from others. Life is sacred because it is God-given. Mankind has been made in the very image and likeness of God. Of all the physical creation, only human beings have the type of mind that God possesses. God is the Ruler of all that is. But out of human flesh He is forming literal sons who will someday share in that rule. So God said, “let them have dominion.…” Human beings need experience in order to develop the character God purposes for us. Experience requires time. And a human life consists of just so much time. God gave that life for the supreme purpose of preparing another son to be in His kingdom and family forever. The giving of life and breath and ability includes all mankind. It is the most wonderful gift of which physical mankind has knowledge. The taking of life ends all. It cruelly and unexpectedly crushes all the hopes and dreams and plans of a being made in the very image of the Creator Himself. It is a wicked usurpation of a prerogative belonging to God alone who gives life in the first place—and who alone has the authority to take it away (Job 1:21). That is why any form of murder is one of the ten great sins; it is destroying the highest creation of Almighty God! In effect, it is an attempt to thwart the very purpose of the great sovereign Ruler of the universe! The Giver of all life is God. And puny, mortal human beings have no business whatsoever interfering with God’s greatest gift!

Personal Application of the Commandment

Jesus Christ came into this world to “exalt” God’s law and “make it honorable” (Isaiah 42:21). Jesus cast a spotlight, as it were, on the Ten Commandments, and showed their real spiritual intent and meaning in the full Christian life. Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:21–22). Here murder is traced to its source—hate and anger. Christ declared that if personal anger fills the heart of one of His subjects, such a person is in danger of judgment. If that anger leads a man to have utter derision and contempt for a fellow human being, that man shall be “in danger of the council”—of God’s punishment. If in bitterness and scorn one shall say of his fellow, “You fool,” such a one shall be “in danger of hell fire.” This is Jesus Christ’s application of the sixth commandment to us. If we harbor hate and anger in our hearts, we are harboring the spirit of murder. Action follows thought. First we think, then we do! The Spirit of Christ guides us not only to control our actions, but to control our thoughts and our attitudes. In part, the New Covenant is the process of God writing His law in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10). God spoke through Paul: “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Mankind is incapable of taking vengeance with proper wisdom and justice for all concerned. God alone has the wisdom and power and the right to take vengeance on human beings—to the extent of executing them if need be.

The true Christian must learn that God is real—and that His protection and His vengeance are just as real! How, then, should you deal with your enemies? “Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (vv. 20–21). It takes real strength of character to help and serve your fellow human being when he has directly tried to harm you! It takes the spiritual wisdom to realize that he is a fellow human being, made in the image of God, and simply misguided for the time being in his thoughts and actions.

Humanity’s Greatest Crime

Perhaps the greatest international crime of humanity is the scourge of war. Millions of human lives created in the image of God have been mercilessly slaughtered down through the ages in useless, senseless, idiotic wars that in most cases failed utterly to accomplish their stated purpose! The spirit of God’s law as magnified by Jesus Christ is totally opposed to every form of war! Nearly all the really great religious and political leaders of the world have acknowledged the utter futility of war. Before the outbreak of World War II, Pope Pius XII declared: “Everything is gained by peace; nothing is gained by war.” One of the most respected statesmen and military leaders of our time, General Douglas MacArthur, stated: “Men since the beginning of time have sought peace… military alliances, balances of powers, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by way of the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blots out this alternative. We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and equitable system, our Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence, an improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature, and all material and cultural developments of the past two thousand years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.” Humanity’s “last chance” is to repent of the sin of war before human annihilation removes every vestige of life from this planet! General MacArthur acknowledged that the problem we face is theological—it is a Christian problem involving a true knowledge of the true God! He went on to say that it involves “an improvement of human character.”

The greatest statesman of all times was Jesus Christ. He was the Spokesman for the government or Kingdom of God. Christ said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43–44). There is a great deal of highly respectable, cultured and educated paganism abroad in the world today under the name of “Christianity.” But can even this sophisticated paganism face these clear words of Jesus Christ without confessing that His life, His teaching, and His Spirit condemn the very essence of war? More lives have been snuffed out prematurely, more suffering has been endured, more homes have been wrecked and broken, more time and property has been utterly wasted because of the scourge of war than through any other means in the history of man! And war has never solved the problems of men or brought permanent peace. Instead, it only breeds more war! For “all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).

The Bible Teaching

Jesus Christ came into this world as a messenger of the government or kingdom of God. He took no part in this world’s politics or wars. On trial for His very life before Pontius Pilate, He said: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36). As we have stated, only God who gave life has the right to take life. Therefore, only God has the right to wage war! And, as Jesus taught, God does not choose to have His children wage war for Him during this age. Jesus said that His servants would fight if His kingdom were of this world. But it is not. Through the Apostle James, God shows that war results from a type of spirit exactly opposite of what He wants His servants to have. “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:1–2).

God’s Government Will End War

Jesus Christ came preaching the good news of the government or rule of God. That rule is based on the Ten Commandments—God’s spiritual law. Jesus magnified that law and showed its spiritual intent and purpose. He taught that if we even hate our brother, we are spiritually guilty of murder! Jesus taught that men should obey the laws of God and prepare for His coming Kingdom by yielding themselves to let God’s laws—His character—be placed within them. When God’s government does come very soon now to this earth, His law will go forth as the standard of conduct of all nations (Micah 4:1–2). At that time, God alone will wage war to punish rebellious nations in perfect wisdom and justice. As for the peoples of the world themselves? “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (v. 3). War involves learning to hate and kill. Young men will no longer be forced to learn an attitude that is diametrically opposed to the rule of God’s law of love. Dwight D. Eisenhower once said: “Man’s hope for world peace does not rest in opposing armed camps, but in an idea. That idea is the concept of a rule of law as the means of settling disputes among sovereign states.” Whether this former President realized it or not, he pointed out the fact that only the government of God, based on His laws, will solve the problems of men and nations! But meanwhile, true Christians must work and pray for God’s Kingdom of peace, and we must realize that the spirit of war is the spirit of murder—and avoid it with all of our strength.

Speaking before the League of Nations, American clergyman Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick years ago put this thought in a very powerful way that still rings true today: “We cannot reconcile Jesus Christ and war—that is the essence of the matter. That is the challenge which today should stir the conscience of Christendom. War is the most colossal and ruinous social sin that afflicts mankind, it is utterly and irremediably unchristian; in its total method and effect it means everything that Jesus did not mean and it means nothing that He did mean; it is a more blatant denial of every Christian doctrine about God and man than all the theoretical atheists on earth ever could devise. It would be worthwhile, would it not, to see the Christian Church claim as her own this greatest moral issue of our time, to see her lift once more as in our fathers’ days, a clear standard against the paganism of this present world and, refusing to hold her conscience at the beck and call of belligerent states, put the kingdom of God above nationalism and call the world to peace. That would not be the denial of patriotism but its apotheosis.”

The essence of the matter is that Jesus Christ is against the spirit of murder in every form. He is against war—and someday He will put an end to it forever! He is against all malice and envy and hate. Jesus Christ taught the dignity of mankind and the sacredness of human life—”Created in the image of God.” And the great Father of Jesus Christ, the Almighty God who governs the universe from His throne in heaven—that God thunders at an age of violence and rebellion: “You shall not murder.”

The Seventh Commandment

Is “sexual compatibility” the all-important thing in marriage? In this age of broken homes, juvenile delinquency and modern psychology, many will say that the answer is “yes.” But the fact remains that the more “modern” theories about marriage are put into practice, the faster the divorce rate climbs and the more little children are doomed to grow up without the blessing of a stable, happy home. It is a painful fact that almost half of all marriages in America end in the divorce courts. The marriages end—but the suffering and anguish and grief do not. For the little children of such broken homes, the years of frustration and emptiness are only beginning. Is there a real meaning to marriage that modern men and women need to understand? Are there God-given laws and principles that can safeguard a Christian marriage and make it happy and purposeful?

The Seventh Commandment Stated

The Creator God devoted two of His ten great spiritual laws—the Ten Commandments—to protecting the relationships in the home and family. In this booklet, we have already discussed the first of these: “Honor your father and mother.…” The other law directly governing the home and family is contained in the seventh commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). Almighty God gave this commandment to protect the honor and sanctity of marriage. Immediately after the sixth command, which declares the sacredness of human life, God gives this law to safeguard the highest earthly relationship. For marriage and the home are the basis of all decent society. The words of the command directly forbid adultery as violating the sacred rights of the marriage relation. Its spirit makes evident the fact that all unchaste conduct before marriage is a wrong done to the future marriage, and unfaithfulness before marriage is violating the command as much as adultery committed after marriage. The seventh commandment covers in principle all forms of illicit sex, including male and female homosexuality—now an enormous sin in the Western world. Marriage is in God’s sight such a precious, righteous, holy thing that it must not be defiled! The meaning of marriage and its great purpose in God’s plan needs desperately to be understood in this age of unhappy marriages and broken homes.

The Purpose of Marriage

It is impossible to understand the true meaning of marriage without first understanding that sex and marriage are God-given and God-ordained. To leave God out of the picture—as this modern age is doing—is to degrade the marriage union to mere animalism. Notice God’s purpose in creating man and woman! “And the Lord God said [after He had made only the man], ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18). God saw that a man was incomplete by himself, and so He decided to make a “helper” suitable for a man—one with whom a man could really share his life. So the first and primary purpose of marriage is to make man and woman complete. Each is incomplete without the other.

Man alone was not able to fulfill the purpose for which God created him—was not able to learn the lessons of character that God intended—so God created the woman as a “helper” to the man and, in the very creation, showed that they were to dwell together as man and wife in one fleshly union—to share everything in this life, and so make their lives meaningful and complete (in a physical sense, at least). The second purpose of sex and marriage is the begettal and training of children. For God had told the man and woman: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…” (Genesis 1:28). With begetting children comes the responsibility of protecting and training them. A stable, happy home and marriage are indispensable to the correct nurture and training of a child. And God commands: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). The home and family form the basis of all decent society! The lessons of character learned in the home—patience, understanding, kindness—all of these are qualities that God wants in us for all eternity, and the family relationship is one of the best places in which they can be learned! Better than in any other place, the lessons of decency, loyalty, and a sense of responsibility are learned in a happy and well-balanced home. And so, in addition to making us complete, and the begetting and training of children, a third great purpose of sex and marriage is the building of character in the home and family relationship. The kingdom and law of God are based on love. Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). To obey God’s law of marriage, man and wife must literally give themselves to each other in every phase and facet of their lives.

Marriage Pictures Christ and His Church

As ordained by God, the marriage union is holy. It is so holy that, in His Word, Almighty God uses the marriage union as a type (a model or parallel) of the relationship between Christ and His Church! Notice Ephesians 5:22–24: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church: and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church; is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” Here, God shows that in the Christian home the wife is to submit herself to her husband as the head of that home, just as she must learn to submit to Christ Himself for all eternity! In this holy relationship, she is learning a lesson of lasting faithfulness!

Then the husbands are addressed: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her.… So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself” (vv. 25, 28). Jesus Christ served, helped, trained, protected and eventually gave Himself for His Church. So husbands are to protect, to provide for, to guide, to encourage, to love and give to their wives! A Christian man is to be the head of his house. Yet he is to use that office to serve and to give protection, guidance and happiness to his wife and family. And Almighty God holds him responsible for being the right kind of head! Because of this great lesson and purpose in marriage, God says: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (v. 31). In the marriage union, man and woman are made one. Their relationship is then to picture the eternal, loving and serving relationship of Christ and His Church. Therefore, nothing should come between them.

The lesson of marriage is to teach us eternal faithfulness to Jesus Christ as our Head! To separate from one’s God-given mate is to fail to learn the lesson that God intends for us to learn in marriage. It is a reproach to Almighty God—for it denies His wisdom in ordaining the marriage union in making us truly “one flesh” with our mate! How can we ever be faithful to the living God throughout all eternity if we selfishly refuse to be faithful to the mate to whom we are bound in this life for only a few years and fail to learn the lessons of patience, kindness, long-suffering, self-control, love and faithfulness in the sacred marriage union?

What Jesus Christ Taught

Now it becomes increasingly clear why Jesus Christ taught the enduring quality of the marriage vow. When Jesus was asked by the hypocritical Pharisees why Moses allowed divorce in Old Testament times, He answered: “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matthew 19:8–9). Divorce generates divorce! A moment’s reflection will recall that the commonplace granting of divorces, as is so prevalent today, was practically unheard of even 50 years ago. The religious leaders of that time and before warned us that if divorce were once tolerated, there would be no restraint powerful enough to keep it within the limits then fixed. Today we see the truth of this warning! We now behold the sad and miserable spectacle of as many as one-half—or, in some areas, more—of all marriages ending in failure in the divorce courts of men! And after divorce, what? It is a matter of record that most divorced persons seek a second mate, and many find a third or a fourth mate to satisfy a desire that God intended should be satisfied and channeled to and uplifted in the holy and sacred marriage with their first mate—who in most cases is still living at the time of the remarriage. This is a pitiful spectacle and a national disgrace!

Even though God permits divorce in certain instances, it is far better for each marriage partner to learn to help and serve and forgive the other, and thus preserve the sacred marriage bond. Jesus’ famous exception clause, “except for sexual immorality [porneia]” (Matthew 19:9), should be employed only as a last resort and even then after much prayer, counsel, and sincere attempts to save the marriage. And the same would apply to the Apostle Paul’s permission for the Christian to remarry if deserted by an unconverted mate (1 Corinthians 7:15).

Marriage Is Ordained of God

We now see that marriage is not something that just evolved through the reasoning and gradual civilization of man. Rather, marriage was ordained by the Creator God. He ordained it as a holy union picturing the everlasting faithfulness between Christ and His Church! And every form of adultery is so very wrong and evil because marriage is holy and sacred in the sight of Almighty God. Adultery is not only an offense to the aggrieved husband or wife involved; it is an offense to their home and their children. It is an offense against society—because it strikes at the very basis of all decent society. But, most of all, it is an offense against God Himself and against an institution that He has ordained.

In America and Britain today, a God-rejecting society all too often seeks a Hollywood-type romantic ideal in marriage. Thus men and women are subtly encouraged to break the marriage covenant if their selfish, sensual desires are not fulfilled with the wife or husband of their youth. In a “marriage-go-round” society, they fail to learn the basic lessons of character that marriage can and should teach—outgoing concern for their mate, patience, mercy, humility, service and lasting faithfulness. In addition, they fail to consider the suffering and frustration of the children from their original marriage—the irreparable damage done to their lives and minds that will carry over into yet future generations and future marriages.

Truly, even though God allows some marriages and homes to be shattered by divorce, it is something our Creator abhors. “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce…” (Malachi 2:16). Again: “…The Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion, and your wife by covenant” (v. 14). There is no question, then, that God hates divorce—even though He allows it. To learn the lessons God intends in marriage, true Christians should seek to “cleave” to their mates in body, mind and attitude. They should seek earnestly to understand each other—to share freely and joyously their plans, their hopes, their dreams. And, with God’s help, they will crush any adulterous and lustful thoughts that present themselves. The sin of lust is more fully understood when you realize how righteous and holy the proper use of sex in marriage is to Almighty God the Creator. The process of adultery, and the process of divorce and remarriage, usually begin in the heart.

Notice how Jesus Christ covered this point in magnifying the law of God and making it holy: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27–28). Jesus taught that you break the seventh commandment when you even so much as entertain thoughts of sexual lust toward another person. Action follows thought. So it is part of the development of Christian character for every God-fearing person to learn to guide and to channel his thoughts away from all lust and illicit desires.

Meanwhile, in the industries that control the most realistic, lifelike media that influence and move young people to action—movies and television—the emphasis in an ever-increasing number of productions is upon sex or violence, or a combination of both. But modern society is paying a terrible penalty for these widespread sins and abominations! More and more homes are made miserable and wretched because of adulterous relations of one or both mates. Increasing numbers of homes are broken in divorce. More children are being left without the love and guidance of both parents! And illicit sexual intercourse before marriage—called “fornication” by God—is becoming epidemic among young people in today’s society. Yet any and all of these things constitute breaking the seventh commandment! Those young people who are cheapening and damaging the happiness of their future marriages through illicit sex before marriage are seriously injuring their entire future in this present life. And unless they repent and stop this vile practice, they will force God by an eternal necessity to exclude them from His Kingdom and everlasting life and happiness (1 Corinthians 6:9–10). God’s laws are always for our own good and the good of those around us. They should be obeyed. We should fear being counted with the “abominable” and “sexually immoral” who will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death! (Revelation 21:8).

Obey the Seventh Commandment

God gives some important advice to those who are tempted to commit fornication or adultery. In this age of sexual stimulation and lust, it is invaluable to heed this advice if you would enter into the Kingdom of God and eternal life. God says: “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). He does not say to let your mind dwell on honoring sexual ideas or desires. He does not say to place yourself alone with another person’s mate or with a single person with whom you might be sexually tempted. He does not say to watch movies or television or read books that wrongly stimulate the sexual appetite. God does say to get as far away from these things as you possibly can! He says to run—flee—away from temptation to sexual sin.

Sex is not a toy to be played with and experimented with. It should be regarded as a God-given blessing in the holy and sacred marriage union that the Creator Himself has ordained. It should always be thought of with reverence, and as an expression of unselfish love in a Christian union that pictures the everlasting faithfulness of Christ and His Church! This generation needs desperately to learn the lesson of lasting faithfulness in marriage and in the home! It needs to obey both the letter and the spirit of God’s seventh commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).

The Eighth Commandment

After the God of heaven thundered from the top of Mt. Sinai the commandments ordaining the true worship of Him, and laws protecting the most sacred human relationships—the home, the family, and human life itself—God gave the eighth commandment. This is God’s law protecting all private property and possessions: “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

Because men do not think the God who gave this commandment is real—and do not fear to disobey His law—we have more physical theft than ever before. But we also violate the eighth commandment in hundreds of ways through a watered-down system of morality. After discussing some debased scheme by which to cheat a business competitor or customer, executives shrug their shoulders and say: “Well, that’s just business.” Or, after a meeting involving false measurement, poor quality or misleading advertising, a businessman will say: “What’s the difference? If I don’t do it, somebody else will.”

When cheating the government or falsifying an income tax return, the common American phrase to salve one’s conscience is: “Let Uncle Sam sweat this time. The government is taking too much money anyway. So what?” Yes, so what? Is that “just business”? Well, it also happens to be God’s business—and He has set in motion a law stating: “You shall not steal.” When you break God’s law, it breaks you! For God’s laws are living, active things—like the law of gravity. When you transgress them, the punishment is automatic—and it is sure.

The Right to Property

According to God’s Word and His law, there are only two right ways by which you can come into possession of anything. The first is by a free gift—or an inheritance—from another person, or from God Himself. The second is by honest labor, which earns something as a legitimate return. Any other way is theft—the taking from another that which belongs to him.

The eighth commandment recognizes the legitimate acquisition of property, and forbids theft. It is important to note that, in principle, the eighth commandment forbids all forms of communism that deny man’s right to property. It also forbids international thievery in which governments forcibly confiscate and steal the property and possessions of their own or other nations’ citizens. And, to our lasting shame, all nations stand guilty of breaking God’s law in this respect! Young people today are learning to steal in an immensely large and organized fashion. Not only are they purloining articles by the thousands from stores, shops, schools and even churches, but they regularly organize an intricate system of cheating on tests and exams in schools and colleges. Because it is generally looked on without too much alarm, this practice is growing at an unprecedented rate. But what the young people may not have been told is that cheating is taking a score or grade illegally—and is stealing. It is directly breaking the eighth commandment of God!

The industrialist or merchant who uses false weights and measures or a poor quality of material or workmanship to deceive the public is just as guilty of breaking the eighth commandment as a common thief! He is trying to get something more than a legitimate return for his product. Viewing the illegal profits he hopes to receive, he is trying to get that extra something for nothing. In principle, he is simply stealing! Yet, in how many thousands of cases this type of lawlessness and deception is practiced, God alone knows.

Thievery Through False Advertising

One of the great commercial sins of our age is the common practice of false advertising. The consumer is led to expect that a certain “pill,” for instance, will cause him to lose weight, gain weight, increase his potency, restore his thinning hair, or whatever the case may be. And, in most cases, this statement is a direct, willful lie without any doubt. Such a practice is, in effect, stealing from the people who pay money to achieve the promised result. In many cases, the victims of these gigantic frauds are not only robbed of money, they are robbed of health, happiness and peace of mind. Many a “respectable” businessman and community leader has attained his position largely through this type of mass deception and theft!

Our nations and peoples need to wake up! Just because a sin can be made outwardly to appear “respectable,” remember that God is the real Judge. The Almighty has this to say: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators… nor thieves… will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10, KJV). Lest any misunderstand, remember that it is God’s will that His servants prosper in material wealth—as long as they gain it honestly, and do not set their hearts upon it. The Apostle John wrote: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John v. 2).

Tarnished Wealth

Moreover, we must realize that an industrialist’s wealth that is tarnished by an unnecessarily high death rate in his plants or factories is ill-gotten gain—and he is branded in the light of God’s law as a thief, if not a murderer! The principle behind the eighth commandment is broken again and again in the relations of capital and labor. James was inspired to warn the dishonest employer: “Indeed the wages of the laborers… which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries… have reached the ears of the Lord…” (James 5:4). It is also equally true—and especially so in this era of corrupt unionism—that many an employee robs his employer! He does this by taking his wage and yet withholding his full share of honest labor. And that is stealing! All too often one laborer tells his coworker: “Slow down, buddy, you’re working too hard. If you keep on working like that, we’ll all have to work hard around here!” British and American laborers, spending an undue proportion of their working time on “tea breaks,” “coffee breaks” and “cigarette breaks,” are causing our industries to be badly beaten in the worldwide trade war now going on. This lack of productivity is affecting the destiny of the American and British people! The eighth commandment of Almighty God has a message for both capital and labor. To capital: “A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work.” To labor: “A fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage.” But just stealing from a fellow human being is not the only principle involved in the eighth commandment. God owns far more property than any man (Haggai 2:8).

Stealing from God

In Malachi 3, speaking to modern-day Jacob or Israel, God declares: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings” (v. 8). God here indicts our modern English-speaking peoples for robbing our very Creator and His Work! No wonder there is so little true religion left on earth today! No wonder there is so much confusion and deceit going about in the name of Christianity! God continues: “You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (vv. 9–10).

Here is a bold challenge from Almighty God! God says He will bless you if you begin tithing—as He commands—through faith in Him and in His Word. Countless case histories may be cited to show that God certainly does bless the tither even in material ways. He may not always do so immediately. You may have to obey Him and exercise faith for a while. But as you serve Him, obey Him, trust Him, God will keep His part of the bargain. Your blessing is certain to come! Notice this joyful letter from someone who took God’s promise literally: “A few weeks ago I was absolutely broke financially. I received ten cents. I was tempted not to tithe the one cent. I did. Then a few days later I received one dollar. Again, I was tempted to keep the tithe because of many needs. I just received 40 dollars and am getting the tithe off to you as soon as possible. I have been faithful and so has God.”

The Command Applied Positively

The definite positive application of the eighth commandment is stated in the New Testament letter to the Ephesians. “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28). On the one hand, this passage condemns stealing. On the other, working and giving are outlined as the way of life the positive application of God’s command dictates. Property and possessions are to be gained by honest work—not merely to satisfy personal desires and needs—but so that any excess may be freely given to the brother in need. In the real intent or spirit of God’s law, a man not only steals by taking from another that which is his, but by refusal to work in order to share and give to others in need! The true Christian should be “distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality” (Romans 12:13).

As God’s begotten children, we are to become like Him (Matthew 5:48). And Jesus said: “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17). The positive lesson of the eighth commandment is also summarized in these all-inclusive words of Jesus, the Christ: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). If, through God’s Spirit, we can truly learn to live by those words, we will have indeed fulfilled the spirit of the eighth commandment!

The Ninth Commandment

This is the age of the sophisticated lie, the double standard of morality, the “Enron” syndrome. This is the age of respectable-appearing lawyers, industrial leaders, government officials and college professors perjuring themselves on the witness stand and even before the United States Senate. This age also presents a peculiar spectacle—of millions of people who believe in evolution attending churches that nominally, at least, believe in the Creator God of the Bible. The Christ of the Bible thoroughly condemned the hypocrites of His day. What would He say about our generation?

Society Living a Lie

In his book, Sex, Vice and Business, noted author Monroe Fry wrote of “the willingness of communities to accept vice when it brings an indirect profit to their respectable businessmen.” His book shows plainly what thousands of sophisticated adults already know: “Respectable” church and civic leaders are often ready and willing to support gambling, prostitution and narcotics if it is to their financial advantage to do so. To the community at large, they appear as the pillars of virtue and respectability. To the procurers of prostitutes, narcotics or to big-time gambling czars, they are ready to make an “undercover deal.” They are ready to use their civic influence or position to let organized vice and crime flourish in their community—so long as they get a financial cut. In plain language, they are living a lie! The revelation of how much our entire “Christian” society is based on this type of hypocrisy is absolutely astounding! But we are paying a stern penalty nevertheless—for we are breaking the ninth commandment of God. In this booklet expounding the Ten Commandments, we have seen that the greatest sin of all is putting something else in place of the true God. This, in turn, leads to idolatry, to blaspheming God’s name, to breaking His Sabbath, to dishonoring our human parents, to murder, adultery and stealing. And the exact same principle applies to the ninth commandment of God.

The Ninth Commandment Stated

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). It is only in seeking and bearing witness to the truth that man is associated with God. For, in fact, God is truth! Jesus said: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). And: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). No matter what other faults and weaknesses a person may have, if he is willing to speak the truth, live openly and truthfully what he really is, and acknowledge the truth when it is shown to him, that person can be respected and helped to overcome personal weaknesses.

The far-reaching spiritual applications of the ninth commandment are tremendous. There is a personal, living Almighty God of this universe whose ways and laws are intrinsically right. Therefore, an honest person—one who is willing to speak the truth and acknowledge the truth when it is revealed—must eventually be converted to the true God and His ways! But if one’s word is no good, and one is in the habit of lying to others (and oneself), one’s very character and mental processes are so twisted and perverted so as to prevent understanding the truth of God until one’s lying mind is cleaned up! That is why it is so vitally important that—even though people may have honest differences of opinion on many matters—we all learn to live and speak truthfully. Yet we are living in a society that is increasingly permeated by various forms of untruth, hypocrisy and self-deception. If we are ever to build the character of God—and inherit eternal life—we must consider the ninth commandment in all of its ramifications, and learn to obey it.

The ninth commandment protects every upright and decent person, in that it helps guard reputations. Perhaps there is no more despicable sin than that of slander, the lie invented and spread with intent to harm another human being. A thief takes only material goods, which may usually be replaced. But a false witness who slanders may rob one of esteem and reputation in the eyes of others—and chances are slim that a lost reputation will ever be fully regained.

The Practical Value of Honesty

The immediate value of being able to rely on a man’s word would not only guard every decent man’s reputation and eliminate millions of wasted hours from the burden of investigating every statement and report several times over, it would also prevent unworthy men from ever being placed in high positions of responsibility. It would absolutely clean up our society! Often, today, entire nations are guided by leaders who are in power only because of their ability to delude and deceive their own people! Throughout the world, we see dictators arising and promising their followers something for nothing. By means of clever propaganda, a leader makes the people believe what he himself knows to be a big lie. Then follow many months or years of uncertainty, anguish and frustration, until ultimate disaster strikes and the truth is finally made plain only by force of circumstance.

Even in our democratic nations, men are all too often recommended for high office—not because of integrity and ability—but because of what seems expedient at the moment in party politics. The political and governmental leaders who countenance this are certainly “bearing false witness” against their fellow countrymen! They are living a lie—as well as helping tell one. In the field of industry and business, think of the tremendous benefit that would come to the public if each company would really tell the truth about its own product and honestly seek to serve the consumer’s real needs! The effects of this would be absolutely astounding! Think of a society where each brand of toothpaste and breakfast cereal, for example, was not just an imitation or needless variation of another but was the only and best of its particular type, honestly priced and truthfully advertised! Apply this to every phase of society and you get something near utopia. But this is not a farfetched or fantastic suggestion. It is simply the blessing that would come if the entire society really and literally obeyed the ninth commandment of God! If you would live forever in the society of God, you are commanded by Him who gives you life and breath: “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25).

Apply the Ninth Commandment in Your Life

The very root principle of all sin is vanity. “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). The real reason most men reject the true God is that they want to be “gods” in their own eyes and the eyes of their fellow men. It is vanity. Every sin that is committed by human beings has its ultimate roots in this one principle. And so it is with every form of lying.

People lie because they are more concerned with their own self-esteem and sense of importance than they are with the ultimate good of their neighbor. They speak and act falsely because they fear the opinions of men much more than that of Almighty God Himself! The daily actions and words of nearly all men bear eloquent testimony to the literal truth of this statement. As John said even of the religious leaders of his day, “they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43). Men and women are often ashamed of what they call “failure” in a business or social sense. They will cheat, falsify and lie in order to avoid this “failure”—or to cover it up.

But from the point of view of what is intrinsically “right”—and of eternal values—the thing they should fear is sin. For, as the Apostle Paul said, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Jesus said: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matthew 5:11). We all had better quit worrying so much about what puny, mortal men think—and become far more concerned about what Almighty God thinks! Then we will learn to cease from all hypocrisy in business, in social life, in politics—yes, in our religious and scientific endeavors. Remember that many whom this deceitful world condemned have received God’s blessing and are heirs of eternal life. Never forget that it was through the sin of false testimony and lying that Jesus Christ was murdered! “For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree” (Mark 14:56).

Since, through vanity, men want to believe what is popular at the moment, they will kid themselves and their associates into believing even religious and scientific theories that have no basis whatsoever in actual fact! God warns against all such hypocrites: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

Men suppress the truth. God is condemning those who knowingly suppress the truth of His existence and His purpose on this earth! God says the vain philosophers and scientists of this world are “without excuse” for denying that He literally created this universe and is now ruling it through His power (v. 20). Most scientists and theologians who believe in the Satan-inspired theory of evolution ought to know better. Some of them do know better! But they are going along with what pleases men, and they are living a lie! God says they are “without excuse”!

And in the same category are those ministers and Bible students who continue to teach and practice what they know are ancient heathen and pagan beliefs and customs condemned in the Word of God. In all too many cases, they know better! They are “without excuse.” The continued teaching of these basic scientific and spiritual lies is the very thing that is blinding most of this world from the real nature of God and of His true plan and purpose here below. This is the truly terrible result of bearing false witness, self-deception and lying. For as long as supposedly “educated” leaders keep deceiving themselves and others about the very existence and power and plan of God, our civilization is doomed!

Live by the Truth

In your own personal life, then, learn the importance of telling the truth, believing the truth, living the truth. Be careful not to base your whole life on a series of lies—whether they be personal, political, scientific or religious distortions of truth. Remember, it is the truth that will make you free (John 8:32). In your personal speech, guard your words carefully. Never forget that a person is only as good as his word. It is almost impossible to help one who has become a habitual liar, because any response to help may simply be another deception. One of the basic qualities of God’s character is that He is truth. If we could not rely on God’s Word, there could be no real assurance of forgiveness from past sins, of present help in time of need, or of future reward and eternal life.

If God had tremendous well-meaning love, and all wisdom and power—but you could not rely on His Word or His promises—where would you be? Have you ever thought of it that way before? The very diametric opposite of God’s character is that of Satan the devil. As Jesus Christ revealed: “When he [Satan] speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Those who follow Satan in his refusal to live by truth have a terrible fate awaiting them: “But the cowardly, unbelieving… and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). Remember, there are no “white lies” in God’s sight. Half-truths, distortions and deceptions are condemned throughout God’s Word. Jesus said: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Let us live by that inspired Word that we may inherit eternal life in the kingdom that is based on what is literally true and right. This is the message of the ninth commandment.

The Tenth Commandment

Did you know that recent surveys have revealed that the financial troubles plaguing most families are not the result of low income? Rather, they are directly caused by overextending a normally adequate income for luxuries and personal indulgence, and by the American habit of installment buying! “Buy now and pay later,” say the advertisements. But do you really need to buy this item now? And are you sure you will be able to “pay later”?

A Society Based on Lust

“Keeping up with the Joneses” is a popular American slogan. High-pressure advertisements constantly encourage this idea. It is made to seem backward or wrong not to strive and compete and lust after as many material possessions as your neighbor owns. The modern idea is to “get all you can while the getting is good.” The incessant pressure to get ahead—which usually means to acquire more money and material property—has spawned more and more idolatry. It is blinding the minds and hearts of millions to the life of God.

Several years ago, a prominent religious publication, The Canadian Churchman, ran a sobering article revealing the effect of this material idolatry on young Africans studying theology in the United States and Canada. One such young man said: “Before I came to study here, I was a good Christian. I dreamed someday of becoming a medical missionary. Now I’m an atheist.” “Why?” asked the shocked interviewer. “Since coming here,” he replied, “I’ve discovered that the white man has two gods. One that he taught us about, and another one to whom he prays. A Presbyterian mission school taught me that the tribal doctrines of my ancestors who worshiped images and believed in witchcraft were wrong and almost ludicrous. But here you worship larger images—cars and electrical appliances. I honestly can’t see the difference.”

Surprising? It should not be—except that most people get so close to their own sin that they cannot see it. We live in a so-called “Christian” society that in actual fact is based on lust and greed for more and more material things! The frenzied effort to compete with others and get ahead is the source not only of most financial problems, but the real cause of much physical and mental illness, broken homes, frustrated lives. Most important of all, this form of idolatry leaves one with almost no time, strength or desire ever to become acquainted with the true God—whose living laws and ways alone would bring real inner peace and joy.

The Tenth Commandment Stated

Most men fail to realize that the Ten Commandments are living, moving, active laws—like the law of gravity. They are automatic. When you break them, they break you! So it is with the final commandment of God’s law. Even though it may be broken without the knowledge of any other human being, the penalty for its violation is absolutely certain! “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17).

Of all the commandments, the tenth refers most specifically to man’s relation to man. The force of the commandment lies in these words: “your neighbor’s… your neighbor’s… his… his… his… his… your neighbor’s.” This is a sevenfold guarding of the interests of another. It is not wrong to lawfully desire a wife, a servant, or an ox or donkey. But where the object admired is legitimately out of reach of the one admiring, admiration merging into desire to possess breaks the commandment. Although this commandment deals most obviously with human and physical relationships, the spiritual requirement of the command is in some ways more rigid than any that has preceded it. This command regulates even the thoughts in the mind and heart of man. Most men look on sin as an outward or physical type of thing. They do not realize that the holy, righteous character that God purposes in us necessitates that even our thoughts be completely purified and made like His. Action follows thought. What you think, you are. If you secretly reject God’s standard and His way, if in your heart you lust after something that you either cannot or will not come to lawfully possess with His blessing, then—sooner or later—this mental rebellion will prompt outward sin. The actions will then proceed to defy God—to break His law—because the thoughts have been doing this all along!

This command pierces through all “surface Christianity” and shows whether a person has really surrendered his will to his Maker! It is a searching and fearful principle. But it is a command you must learn to obey if you are ever to receive eternal life and glory in the Kingdom of God. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Through God’s Spirit in us, we must fight the fight of faith—put down the lustful human nature within us—and ultimately succeed in “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is the ultimate goal of true Christianity, to be fully attained in the resurrection.

But we are to grow in God’s character during this life. We must learn—as did righteous Enoch, Noah, Abraham and other servants of the Most High—to “walk with God.” We must go His way—do as He does—think as He thinks. But the normal mind of the human being is filled with selfishness, vanity, competition, greed, hate, lust. It is a mind cut off from the ways and thoughts of God (Isaiah 55:8–9). That is why Jesus emphasized how important it is to get our minds changed, converted and cleaned up when He said: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Where Do We Stand?

Especially since World War II, life in our Western society has sped up. We are rushing to make more money. We are in a hurry to have a good time, to get everything we can out of life. On every side, we are taught to compete with our neighbors for social honors and material advancement. We have come to literally crave material luxuries that were in some cases completely unknown just two or three generations ago. We are urged to spend more than we make—to do more than we ought. “You owe it to yourself,” the subtle advertisement reads, putting over the idea that we would be foolish not to buy a bigger car, eat at a more expensive restaurant or take longer and more costly trips. The emphasis is on getting and on self. On an international scale, the nations of the world fight and kill because of this same attitude of heart. “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:1–2).

All too often, the capitalist lusts for more money than he can easily attain by paying fair wages. So he robs his employees by paying too little, and spending too little on improving working conditions and safety. Likewise, the modern laborer—often misguided by unscrupulous union leaders—learns to lust after more money than he can honestly earn. Through organized pressure and political trickery, he thinks he can get something for nothing.

Why do so-called “authors” write cheap paperback novels based on nothing but filth, obscenity and juvenile stupidity? Why do publishers print such corruption that degrades the human emotions of love, kindness and idealism to a level lower than the animal? You can quickly see hundreds of other major examples of covetousness in our society if your eyes are really open. But be willing to see your own covetousness as well! Be willing to repent of it and ask God for the love and strength to overcome it. Our generation needs these words of the Son of God: “Take heed and beware of covetousness; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). Do you understand that? Your real success and happiness in life, Christ said, cannot truly be measured by how new or powerful a car you drive, the kind of home you live in, the clothes you wear, or even the food you eat. Happiness is a state of mind. It comes from having the very Spirit and mind of Christ inside your own mind. Jesus said: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58). The love, joy and peace that Jesus exemplified came from giving and serving—not from any material thing Jesus was able to get. Jesus, the Son of man, was able to overcome human vanity and covetousness because He put the service of God far ahead of anything and everything else. After telling how the unconverted seek after—and worry about—the material necessities and comforts, He commanded: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

The Commandments Join Together

And so at this point the last commandment joins hands with the first. For whatever you seek contrary to God’s will, you covet. If in your mind and heart you lust and covet something more than to obey the Creator and receive His blessings, that thing becomes an idol to you. “Covetousness… is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Then, whatever you idolize you put in place of the true God. And you break the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The Apostle Paul said: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).

When you begin to covet material things, you “serve” them. You spend your time, your energy, your money for these things. In such a situation, you have neither time nor energy to really study the Bible, or to spend an hour in earnest prayer before the One who gives you life and breath. And you find yourself being stingy and jealous of the money you owe your Maker to finance the proclamation of His truth. By this simple process, the material things you lust for and covet become your actual “god.” For you truly serve and worship them—and find in your life little time, strength and wealth with which to serve the true God with all of your heart, strength and mind.

Do you see? Covetousness is a terrible thing—for it cuts you off from the fellowship and blessings and love of the great God of heaven who made all that is—but intended that this material creation be used in His service and for His glory. And, in practical daily life, covetousness violates the basic principle of the way of life set forth by all the commandments of God and by Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus summarized this principle when He said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

In learning to lovingly, sincerely and intelligently serve your fellow man, and to serve and worship the true God, you will find the only real sense of fulfillment and joy in this life. And in tomorrow’s world, you will be given eternal life and glory in a divine government literally based on the Ten Commandments—the true way of love, of giving and serving your fellow man, and of worshiping and exalting the living God who gave these commandments for our eternal good.

The New Commandment of Jesus

Many teach that Jesus Christ substituted some sort of “new” commandments to take the place of the Law of His Father. What is the Truth? Are the Ten Commandments still to be obeyed?

This is an age of rebellion against all law and constituted authority. Nations and governments are being overthrown, and homes and schools thrown into chaos by various forms of rebellion.

A revealing insight into modern man’s reaction to the phrase in the Lord’s Prayer “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” was given by an Ohio minister several years ago, who wrote: “We do not mean it. We don’t like authority, nor will we give in easily even if He is the King of heaven… It is all too obvious that most men over most of the years have prayed earnestly: ‘Thy kingdom not come, my will be done.'”

The Ten Commandments Abolished?

In the previous chapters of this booklet, we have explored the positive application of the Ten Commandments to every aspect of our personal lives as living, active laws. But today, many professing ministers and Bible teachers are wrongly proclaiming that the Ten Commandments are “done away”—as they say—or that they have been replaced by the “new” commandments of Jesus.

What are these “new” commandments? Do they replace or contradict the Ten Commandments? What does the Bible reveal on this important subject?

First of all, let us notice one of the all-important purposes for Jesus Christ’s coming to this earth in the human flesh. Isaiah prophesied of Jesus: “He will exalt the law and make it honorable” (Isaiah 42:21). Here we find that Christ came not to abolish the law, but to “magnify” it (KJV).

To exalt, or to magnify, has just the opposite meaning of changing or abolishing something. It means to reveal in the most minute detail—to enlarge upon. Certainly the life and teachings of Jesus do just that with the Father’s law.

Jesus said: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus did just what these words imply. Both in His life and teaching, he fulfilled the law. He magnified it by His perfect example. He filled it to the full, passing beyond the mere letter to observe even the minutest spiritual intent and purpose of the Father’s perfect law.

Those who knew Him as a teacher could never charge Him with having substituted the traditions of men for the commandments of God. He obeyed the Ten Commandments in word and in deed. He taught and lived them as the perfect way of life.

He said: “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever does and teaches them [even the “least” commandments], he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19).

Certainly, we should all aspire to be “great” in God’s Kingdom. For we should want to overcome as much as we can, and have the opportunity to serve the most we can! Therefore, we should earnestly and fervently strive to do and teach even the “least” of God’s commandments. Do you think the Sabbath commandment is “least”? If so, you had better do and teach God’s Sabbath just as He commanded, following Christ’s perfect example in keeping holy the seventh day—not the “day of the sun”!

The Way to Eternal Life

When a young man came to Him asking the way to eternal life, Jesus said: “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:16–18).

The young man asked, “Which?”

Jesus answered: “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery…'” and proceeded to list several of the Ten Commandments. Jesus Christ knew the way to salvation! He said that way was obedience to the law of God the Father and surrender to His will.

Jesus declared: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

Far from abolishing the Ten Commandments, Jesus obeyed them (John 15:10). Christ was the “light” that God sent into the world to show men how to live. After His death and resurrection, Christ sent the Apostles out with this command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20).

The Apostles had been there when Christ told the young man: “Keep the commandments.” They had heard Him magnify the commandments of God in what is called the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7).

The Apostles had witnessed the obedience of Christ to the Ten Commandments, and knew that His was the perfect example. Therefore, when Jesus Christ sent them out to every nation with the order to teach themallthings He had commanded them, there could be no possible doubt in their minds but that this included the Ten Commandments of God.

Obedience to the Ten Commandments, then, was the very basis of the teaching of Christ and of His original Apostles. But what about the “new” commandments of Jesus? Did they not alter or abolish the necessity for literally keeping the Ten Commandments that were revealed in the Old Testament?

A “New” Commandment

Actually, in spite of what many think, there is only one place in all the Bible where Jesus said He was giving a “new” commandment. The other references—by the Apostle John—are to the exact same principles, as we shall see.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35).

Jesus gave this “new” commandment during the last night of His physical life on earth. He had—by teaching and example—already shown the disciples that keeping God’s commandments was simply an expression of love.

We show real love toward God when we truly worship and obey, allowing no other “gods,” idols, pictures or anything else to come in His place, and always honoring His name and keeping holy His seventh-day Sabbath—which He made holy, and which Jesus and the Apostles always kept! And we show love to those around us when we zealously obey the last six commandments.

Christ had already summarized God’s law into the two great principles: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). In fact, in the latter part of this summary of God’s law, Jesus quoted directly from the Old Testament (Leviticus 19:18)!

What, then, was “new” about Jesus’ command to love our neighbors?

The answer is plain. The principle of loving our neighbors was notnew, but Jesus’ magnification of that principle in His own perfect life shed a completely new light on the spiritual intent and depth of this commandment.

Remember Jesus’ emphasis—”As I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Jesus’ own perfect example of love and service was the greatest and most meaningful magnification of the love of neighbor as commanded by God. In His life, He demonstrated how that love actually functions in day-to-day life.

How to Love Your Neighbor

Three times the Divine voice broke the usual silence of the heavens in announcing the satisfaction of God in the life of Jesus. Even the Roman Procurator, Pontius Pilate, declared: “I find no fault in Him” (John 19:4).

This was because Jesus lived a life of giving to others. Whether in His constant teaching of the multitudes, His healing of the sick, His feeding of the hungry crowds or in an act of humility such as washing the disciples’ feet, He was always giving of Himself.

This loving and giving Jesus Christ also said to the religious leaders of His day, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33).

Are these strange words from a man of love? No. Rather, they are manifestation of how perfect love sometimes says and does things for the good of others which at the time they may not appreciate.

Jesus loved these Pharisees! It was in love that He thundered these words to wake them up from a life of religious hypocrisy and perversity that was damning their souls. Remember, it was also for these same Pharisees that Jesus died. It was for these men and others like them that Jesus prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

It was in that perfect, understanding love that Jesus withdrew Himself occasionally from the multitude to rest, to meditate or to pray. For He knew that only by keeping close to the Father and being an instrument in His hands could His human presence and teaching enrich the lives of others.

Jesus did not just act like He loved others. He did love them with a perfect love. Through God’s Holy Spirit within Him, He desired from the heart to love and serve His fellow beings for their highest good.

He literally lived the words Paul later showed He uttered: “It is more blessed to givethan to receive” (Acts 20:35). In this way, His command that men love one another “even asI have loved you,” certainly does become a “new” and more all-encompassing command in governing human relationships.

Did Jesus Literally Obey the Ten Commandments?

Many religious people think that Jesus had a sentimental type of “love” in His heart, but that He did not really obey God’s commandments literally.

The truth is that Jesus Christ kept and obeyed every one of the Ten Commandments in the letter and in the Spirit—just as His followers today should do. As we have already seen, He declared that He had obeyed the Father’s commandments (John 15:10).

To make it perfectly clear, Jesus Christ never had another god before the true God. He never committed idolatry, or blasphemed God’s name. Jesus kept holy the Sabbath that God had made holy and often worshipped in the synagogue on that day as was His custom (Luke 4:16).

Jesus honored His parents, and He never killed, committed adultery, stole, lied or coveted. He set us an example, that we should follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21).

Today, a true Christian is one so surrendered to God that Christ is actually living His life in that person through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. For the Apostle Paul said: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith ofthe Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, KJV).

A true Christian should not only have faith in Christ, but should live by the very faith of Christ placed in him by the Holy Spirit. Christ—through the Spirit—should literally be living in the true Christian. Remember, Christ will live the same life in you today that He did 1900 years ago—setting an example. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Jesus, in His flesh, “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Tempted, yes, but in His fleshly life He obeyed the Ten Commandments. Dwelling now in His true disciples through the Holy Spirit, He will keep the commandments in them.

It is Christ’s love. It is His power in us that can keep the spiritual law of God. For Jesus Christ was, and is, obedient to God the Father.

Did John Give a “New” Commandment?

In an epistle of John—the Apostle Jesus loved—we also find reference to a “new” commandment.

“Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now” (1 John 2:7–9).

Here the Apostle refers his flock first of all to the “word” of God which they had from the beginning. But then he mentions one “new” thing. He proceeds to explain this is the deep spiritual love which brethren in Christ should have for one another. There is simply no room in this love for hate, envy or malice.

But does this Christian love “do away” or change the Ten Commandments of God?

Of course not!

It only emphasizes and magnifies the personal love Christians must have toward their fellow men. This love goes far beyond the letter of the Ten Commandments—but by no means replaces them!

As John wrote in his second epistle: “And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it” (2 John vv. 5–6).

Here John defines Christian love as keeping the commandments!

We are not just to love the persons of God and Christ. We are to love their way—their very character—which is expressed in the Ten Commandments. Christ not only taught obedience to the commandments, He lived them!

And so John adds: “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (v. 9).

What the “New” Commandments Actually Teach

When we examine the positive side of the “new” commandments, we find that they simply reinforce and make more binding the old! They outline a way of love—of giving—of serving, which can only be attained through Christ Himself living in us.

In perfect unselfishness, we are to learn to love others as Jesus loved us. That is New Testament doctrine! It is far more binding than the letter of the commandments stated in the Old Testament.

But it does not replace them. Rather, it magnifies them to their full spiritual intent. And these “new” commandments themselves refer to the perfect magnification in the life of Jesus.

And Jesus obeyed the Ten Commandments literally in spirit as well. He is to be our “light,” our example.

Describing the principle of how we should love our neighbor, the Apostle Paul stated: “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). For God’s spiritual love flows down the riverbed, or channel, of the Ten Commandments. In perfectly obeying the Ten Commandments—in their every phase and facet—Jesus’ entire life was a radiant life of love itself, and love is the fulfillment of law. The “new” commandment He gave called attention to His perfect example of obedience to the Father, and of kindness and service to all men.

Millions of professing Christians have been taught that all they need to do is to “love Jesus” or to have the “love of God.” What is that “love”? How does God Himself tell us how His love is to be expressed? At the very end of the Apostolic Age, decades after Jesus’ resurrection, God inspired the Apostle John (Jesus’ dearest friend among the Apostles) to tell us: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Remember, Jesus lived God’s law in everything He thought, said and did. In this flesh, none of us will keep God’s law perfectly. But God’s law must be our “pattern” of life. We are commanded to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18)—patterning our lives after Christ’s life ever more perfectly as each year goes by.

May God help you to follow the example of His Son in obeying His law. And may you, through surrender and obedience, develop the very character of God. Thus, by His mercy through Christ’s sacrifice, and through your total surrender to let Christ live His obedient life within you through the Holy Spirit, you may be granted everlasting life in the Kingdom of God!

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The Real God: Proofs and Promises

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The Real God: Proofs and Promises 4uwzvo Tue, 03/01/2022 - 20:53

The Real God: Proofs and Promises

Douglas S. Winnail

Booklet Media

#Existence of God

#God

#Promises

Why is the God of the universe not real to most people today? Why is there so much skepticism and doubt about God? If you have ever pondered these questions, the answers could change your life! In this booklet we will examine the sources of modern misunderstandings about God, and consider seven proofs that reveal the true God.

Questions About God?

Have you ever wondered whether God actually exists? Can you know for sure? Can you prove it? Is there one true God, or are there many gods? Is the idea of God merely the product of the human imagination? Does it make any difference if you believe in God or not? These are among the most important questions you could ever ask. However, in our modern secular world, we know more about television schedules, celebrities’ private lives, and professional athletes’ statistics, than we know about God!

While millions profess to believe in God, the true God is just not that real to most people. How real is God to you? Is the God you worship the same God revealed in the pages of the Bible—or is your concept of God something conjured up in men’s mind? Has the doubt and skepticism permeating our society influenced your ideas about God? Today many people have real difficulties when it comes to finding solid answers about God.

It may come as a shock to you, but our modern, sophisticated, well-educated world has been deceived when it comes to life’s biggest questions! The truth about the real God has been perverted and suppressed—not just by atheistic philosophers and secular scientists, but by misguided theologians! This may sound like an outrageous statement, but it is exactly what the Bible revealed would happen, and it is verified by historical facts, as we will see in this booklet.

Atheists claim that God does not exist, and that the idea of God is an invention of the human mind. Agnostics say it is impossible to know whether or not God exists. Evolutionary biologists prefer to think that God is not necessary. Secular scientists want to eliminate God from all discussion on the assumption that the whole idea of God rests on personal belief and not on proof. Unwittingly, misguided and misinformed theologians play into this deception by suggesting that you can take God’s existence on blind faith—just believe—no proof is necessary or possible!

With so-called experts offering such conflicting ideas, it is no wonder that the average person has doubts and reservations about God. Do you have doubts? We ask for a receipt as proof that we have purchased an item. We get a deposit slip when we put money in the bank. Yet when it comes to the most important question in life, we are told we can just “take it on faith”—blindly, without any proof—that God exists! Or we listen to “experts” claiming that God does not exist, or that we cannot know for sure, but we do not seriously question or demand any verification for such dramatic statements.

For much of the last century, many have taken for granted that science can explain the universe without God, and that His existence is doubtful at best. Sometimes it is claimed that intelligent people no longer believe in God—yet nothing could be further from the truth! Theologians who make excuses for the Bible and shrink from making dogmatic statements about God and His Word, in an attempt to harmonize science and religion, have only succeeded in undercutting their own influence. Much of organized religion is in decline today simply because the truth about the real God has been ignored, perverted and suppressed.

The God of the Bible challenges us to prove that He really does exist—and He offers specific ways to do that. The real God predicts the future, and challenges anyone to do the same with any similar degree of accuracy. The God who inspired the Bible boldly states that to live contrary to His instructions invites disaster. The real God is going to send Jesus Christ back to this earth to put a stop to human misrule and establish His kingdom—on this earth, not in heaven—as a world-ruling government with the aid of His saints. Is this the God you worship? Is this the God you hear about when you go to church or tune in a religious broadcast on radio or television? Probably not!

In this booklet, you will see how and why the knowledge of the real God has been perverted and suppressed. You will learn why our modern society is so skeptical when it comes to questions about God. You will see why mankind’s questions about God will just not go away. You will also be able to study for yourself seven definitive proofs that demonstrate that God is real and very much alive.

But first, we need to understand why our modern culture is so skeptical and mixed up when it comes to questions about God, and how it became that way. Let us notice why belief in God has been discounted as being unimportant, and examine the consequences of that misguided approach. You cannot afford to remain in the dark about such fundamental issues. The real answers may shock and surprise you!

Superficial Religion

Current surveys indicate that approximately 95 percent of Americans believe in God—yet many Americans live their lives as if God does not exist. More than 80 percent seldom or never attend church or read a Bible. Only about 30 percent view the Word of God—the Bible—as the ultimate authority in their lives. Most just follow their conscience and do whatever they think is best—or whatever they please! In European countries, belief in God is much lower, and the number of people who do not regularly practice any faith is even greater. In Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia, only 30 percent or less believe in a personal God (The Empty Church: The Suicide of Liberal Christianity, Reeves, 1996, pp. 51, 61–65). These figures indicate that for most people today—even in so-called “Christian” countries—belief in God is just not a relevant part of their lives.

While interest in religion among Americans runs high, America has been described as a secular and materialistic society. Vanderbilt Divinity School professor Edward Farley asserts “religiosity is marginal” to most of our cultural institutions—government, business, education and entertainment. Pollster George Gallup found that America is a “nation of biblical illiterates” where fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels of the New Testament (ibid., pp. 49, 63). Fewer than half of Americans can name even five of the Ten Commandments—the fundamental principles that the real God outlined for human society. When one cannot even name the commandments, it is not surprising if one does not live by them!

Today, many practice a superficial “consumer Christianity” or “cafeteria religion”—that is, people pick and choose what religious tenets they wish to believe and reject those teachings that do not appeal to their interests. For many people, religious beliefs are often personal, vague, generalized and casual. Levels of confidence and conviction are often rather low. Doctrinal specifics are usually fuzzy. Each person tends to believe what seems to be right in his or her own eyes. This is part of the legacy of the Protestant Reformation—where the individual, not the church or the Bible—becomes the sole authority (ibid., pp. 61–62). As one teenager responded when asked by a reporter about what she thought about God: “God is everywhere. God is in me. I am God.” These are, as we shall see, sadly misinformed opinions!

America and the European countries are described today as having entered a “post-Christian era” (ibid., chapter 2). We no longer believe the actual teachings of Jesus Christ, as found in the Word of God. The Bible states that Jesus Christ will return to reign on this earth with His saints (Daniel 2:44–45; 7:27; Revelation 5:10, 11:15–18), yet mainstream Christianity teaches, and most professing Christians prefer to believe, that we all go to heaven. God said to remember the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11); yet most people “do their own thing” on this day. The Bible condemns fornication, adultery and murder; yet these behaviors permeate our societies. Noted educator, author and American civil servant William Bennett has written, “We have become the kind of society that civilized countries used to send missionaries to” (ibid., p. 66). This is largely because we have forgotten, rejected, or perhaps never heard about the real God. But just how did this happen?

Reason Replaces Religion

The America that on its coins proclaims to the world, “In God We Trust,” developed from European roots. Europe had received the knowledge of the true God from the Apostles, who brought it from Jerusalem to the European peoples. We learn in school that western civilization was built on the noble ideas of Greek democracy and Roman law, yet both the Bible and history reveal how the misguided religious ideas of these ancient pagan cultures have contributed to the current confusion. In the book of Acts, we read that the Apostle Paul told superstitious pagan Athenians about the one true God. Noticing an inscription “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD,” Paul stated: “The One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim unto you” (Acts 17:23–24). They may have practiced democracy, but they were sadly misinformed about religious truth!

In Rome, Paul was even more explicit. He told the Romans that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest [evident] among them, for God has shown it to them” (Romans 1:18–19). He told these educated Romans that they were without excuse for not knowing about the true God, “for since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20). Paul further states that misguided humans “although they knew God… did not glorify Him as God.” As a result, their understanding was darkened so that, “professing to be wise, they became fools… who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature [creation] rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:21–25). The Bible reveals a remarkable human tendency and its consequences: “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind,” which has led to widespread spiritual confusion, physical immorality and social evils that still confront us today (Romans 1:26–32).

Many today do not realize that the knowledge of the true God and true Christianity, which Paul brought to Greece and Rome, was soon corrupted with a mixture of pagan religious ideas. As Roman Catholic historian Will Durant writes: “Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it.” The form of Christianity that developed in Europe and later spread to America and the rest of the world “was the last great creation of the ancient pagan world” (Caesar and Christ, Durant, 1944, p. 595). Durant and other historians explain that belief in the one true God became belief in a Trinity as a result of the influence of pagan philosophy. They note that perverted Gnostic ideas “obscured the Christian creed” and that theologians schooled in pagan philosophy tried to explain the nature of God through speculation instead of teaching what God had revealed about Himself in Scripture. After centuries of such discussion and debate, it is not surprising that the often abstract God of modern Christianity bears little resemblance to the true God of scripture.

Other European ideas also undermined and altered the teachings about the real God. The Enlightenment of the 18th century, and scientific discoveries that seemed to contradict Scripture, led some to conclude the Bible and its God were only myths (see God’s Funeral, Wilson, 1999). Darwin’s speculations about evolution seemed to remove the need for a God of creation. Julian Huxley, a promoter of Darwin’s ideas, confidently stated: “There is no longer either need or room for supernatural beings capable of affecting the course of events in the evolutionary pattern of thought. The earth was not created, it evolved. So did all the animals and plants that inhabit it, including our human selves, mind and soul as well as brain and body.” Huxley also asserted boldly that, “operationally, God is beginning to resemble not a ruler, but the last fading grin of a cosmic Cheshire cat.” In the face of what seemed to be overpowering discoveries made by scientists, theologians retreated and back-pedaled in their teachings about God.

Huxley made another observation that is still influencing contemporary views of God. He commented: “Our concept of God needs to stress religious experience instead of a belief in a particular dogma.” In other words, God is the warm feelingthat you feel in your heart—not a Supreme Being whose existence you can prove and who intervenes in history. This idea was promoted in the 1600s by the French philosopher Pascal who said: “It is the heart that experiences God, and not the reason.” The Reformation theologian, John Wesley, also spoke of the “warmed heart” as a sign that one had discovered religious truth. Yet all this clashes dramatically with Paul’s admonition to a Greek audience to “prove all things; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The prophet Malachi quotes God as saying: “Prove Me” (Malachi 3:10, KJV). Proof involves solid and convincing reasons. Belief in the real God involves the mind—not just warm feelings in the heart!

Over the last two centuries, belief in God has come under attack by many intellectuals in the West—the children of the Enlightenment. The German philosopher Nietzsche asserted that “God is a thought.” Freud termed belief in God a form of mental disorder that mankind would eventually grow out of. Karl Marx termed religious belief “the opium of the people.” Atheist H. L. Mencken asserted: “God is the immemorial refuge of the incompetent, the helpless, the miserable.” Playwright Tennessee Williams described God as a “senile delinquent.” In the 1960s, prominent theologians echoed Nietzsche’s earlier sentiments and actually asked: “Is God dead?” Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins asserted, in a speech titled A Scientist’s Case Against God, that there is no evidence to support religion, and that better educated people today admit this (Science, August 15, 1997, p. 892). He claims that anyone who believes in a Creator God is “scientifically illiterate.”

In light of such assaults against belief in God, the near absence of powerful biblical teaching by clerics, and the dearth of honest, objective presentations of physical evidence by scientists, it is not surprising that the real God of this universe remains little known to most people today. But questions need to be asked. Are the critics right, or have they been deceived? Have the rantings of secular, atheistic individuals tragically misled our society about God? Let us notice several important lessons that we can learn from the Bible and our recent past that relate to questions about God. We will then examine seven proofs that demonstrate the reality of the true God.

New Evidence, New Lessons

David wrote in the Psalms more than 3,000 years ago: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God'” (Psalm 14:1). Solomon states: “The mouth of fools pours out foolishness” (Proverbs 15:2). Looking back over the last few centuries it is painfully obvious that many of the “enlightened” intellectuals who have molded our modern world were simply wrong! They made foolish assumptions and foolish statements that many people believed! These misguided individuals were essentially the blind leading the blind.

Marx’s communism proved to be a dismal failure that caused untold suffering. Freud’s psychological theories have largely been discredited. While Freud proclaimed religion a neurosis, one of his students, Carl Jung, found religion to be very beneficial in treating psychologically disturbed individuals (God: The Evidence, Glynn, 1997, p. 69). In fact, a growing body of scientific literature documents the positive effects of certain religious beliefs on personal health. Marx and Freud, whose ideas did much to secularize our society by undermining its religious and moral foundation, were sadly mistaken about many things.

The same is now being said about the ideas of Charles Darwin and his free-thinking contemporaries. The evolutionary theories of Darwin that supposedly did away with the need for a Creator God have come under increasing criticism in recent decades. A growing number of scholars—among them cosmologists, biologists, biochemists and paleontologists—are admitting that the theory of evolution simply does not and cannot explain the origin of the earth, the origin of life or the origin of species. The ideas generated by Darwin and others simply do not fit with the facts of the fossil record or what has been discovered about the universe in the last century (see Creation and Evolution, Hayward, 1995; “Debating Darwin,” Christian Century, July 15–22, 1998, pp. 678–681).

As the 20th century comes to a close and we begin a new millennium, questions about God are being asked with a new earnestness. Evolutionists’ purposeless universe has proven to be a psychologically empty and depressing concept. Surprising discoveries about the universe point to an intelligent creator (see Newsweek, July 20, 1998, pp. 47–52; November 9, 1998, p. 88). Naturalistic science that seemed to provide answers to all questions is now recognized as having serious limitations. In the remainder of this booklet, we will see what can be learned about the real God by examining proofs from both the natural world and the Bible. The evidence is astounding and it is powerful—and it comes from “scientifically literate” scholars. You can prove that God exists—you do not have to doubt or just blindly “take it on faith.” The God of the universe is real!

Proof 1 —

Creation Demands a Creator

The theory of evolution postulates that the earth and the universe came into existence slowly over eons of time, or that the universe has always existed. The atheist astronomer Carl Sagan once stated that, “the Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.” However that simply is not true! Studies in cosmology have demonstrated in recent years that there was a time when the cosmos did not exist—that it had a beginning at a specific point in time. This is exactly what the Bible states. In Genesis 1:1 we read: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Both the Bible and the discoveries of science clearly indicate that the earth and the universe have not always existed.

Astronomers studying galactic motion have observed that the universe is expanding outward from a given point, but at a decreasing rate of speed. The universe appears to have begun with a large explosion. This is referred to as the “big bang.” Scientists have been able to detect echoes of this explosion that still reverberate through the universe—called the “radiation echo” or “background noise.” Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist at Cambridge University, has written that the big bang cosmology may reveal “the mind of God,” and American astrophysicist George Smoot has suggested that background radiation represents “the handwriting of God” (Science, August 15, 1997, p. 890). Such evidence is forcing scientists to reevaluate long-cherished naturalistic theories.

Physicists have also formulated laws concerning thermodynamics. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that the amount of energy in the universe remains constant. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the amount of usableenergy in a closed system (the universe) is decreasing. This means the universe is running down—thus, “it could not have existed forever in the past and will not exist forever into the future” (When Skeptics Ask, Geisler and Brooks, 1996, p. 220). It had a beginning. The existence of radioactive elements (such as carbon-14) which decay at a measurable rate (called a half-life) also points to a time when those elements were made radioactive. Again this points to a beginning. This, too, is contrary to what evolutionists have theorized, but is consistent with Scripture.

But what causative agent brought the universe into being? Science operates on the principle that for every effect there is a cause. But what caused the “big bang?” Was it merely blind, natural forces, or was it an intelligent being, a Creator God who carefully planned it beforehand? Since this was a one-time event that was not observed or repeatable, the scientific method is of little value in rendering a decision on this matter. The subject of origins lies beyond the realm of scientific investigation. However, the Bible describes the origin of the universe and the earth in terms that are compatible with facts ascertained by scientists. The discovery that the universe had a definite beginning agrees with clear statements in the Bible.

Scripture repeatedly refers to God as the Creator of the physical earth and universe (Genesis 1; Isaiah 40:28; Mark 13:19; Revelation 4:11). However, the real God is concerned with far more than just the physical creation. The Bible also reveals there is also an ongoing spiritual dimension to God’s creation.

The Apostle Paul writes that when a person chooses to turn from a self-centered way of life, and chooses to begin living by the teachings of Jesus Christ, that person becomes a “new creation” or a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). As we will see, God has an incredible purpose for human beings who are willing to embark on this challenging spiritual journey. The Bible indicates very clearly there are more aspects to life than naturalistic science can discover. These aspects are revealed by the Creator—the real God of the universe—and are not discoverable in a laboratory by the scientific method! Creation, in all of its aspects, requires a creator.

Proof 2 —

Life Demands a Life-Giver

The origin of life presents another challenge to those who want to reject the idea of a supernatural God. Evolutionists have suggested that life formed spontaneously in a pool of chemicals as the earth cooled billions of years ago. We are told that carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and ammonia combined randomly, with the aid of solar energy and cosmic rays, to form amino acids and DNA molecules. Over eons of time, cells supposedly developed from these accidental combinations. While this may sound plausible, biochemists know better. Scientists who have tried to produce life by these methods have learned that it is much more difficult than their theories would suggest. A DNA molecule contains as much information as a volume of an encyclopedia. Proposing this evolutionary theory of life’s origins is analogous to suggesting that an explosion in a junk yard could produce a fully assembled automobile—and that this automobile could then begin reproducing itself!

In the 1950s, Stanley Miller performed a simple experiment to see if these theories would actually work. He succeeded in producing some simple amino acids, and his experiment was hailed as proving that life could be generated spontaneously from non-living matter. However, the proclamations were premature. No one has yet produced life from a pool of chemicals (pre-biotic soups)—in spite of a lot of tinkering. Astrophysicist Hugh Ross comments: “Even under highly favorable conditions of a laboratory, these soups have failed to produce anything remotely resembling life. One problem is that they produce only a random distribution of left- and right-handed pre-biotic molecules… Life chemistry demands that all the molecules be either right- or left-handed. With all our learning and technology we cannot even come close to bringing life together in the lab” (The Creator and the Cosmos, Ross, 1993, p. 148).

Forty years after his initial experiment, Miller stated: “The problem of the origin of life has turned out to be much more difficult than I, and most other people, envisioned” (Scientific American, February 1991, p. 117). German biochemist Klaus Dose has observed that all the experimental efforts have “led to a better perception of the problem of the origin of life on earth rather than to its solution. At present all discussions on principal theories and experiments in the field either end in stalemate or in a confession of ignorance” (The Creation Hypothesis, Moreland, 1994, p. 176).

This is not surprising. Anaxamander of Miletus, the ancient Greek philosopher, also speculated that life could develop spontaneously from non-living matter. This superstitious idea prevailed until the 1800s when experiments done by Redi and Pasteur proved otherwise. These now-classic experiments revealed that maggots appearing in spoiled meat came not from the meat but from the eggs of flies that came in contact with the meat. Life came from life—not from non-life. Until recent decades, this was referred to as the law of biogenesis. Only in the last several decades—when scientists have attempted to generate life spontaneously to verify evolutionary theories—has this once-accepted law been ignored. Still, there is no evidence that exceptions to this law exist.

Human beings can speculate that life could be generated spontaneously from non-living matter, but the facts do not agree with these speculations. Man has not been able to produce life—in spite of considerable effort on the part of highly intelligent individuals. Scripture portrays God as creating life. In Genesis 2:7 we read: “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 being”—something all the sophisticated laboratories in the world have been unable to begin to duplicate. Life demands a life-giver. There appears to be no other way.

Proof 3 —

Laws Demand a Law-Giver

Science exists because scientists understand that the universe operates in an orderly manner according to laws—the laws of physics (of gravity and of motion), the laws of chemistry and laws of biology. As one writer comments: “Ever since Isaac Newton, science has blared a clear message; the world follows rules, rules that are fundamentally mathematical, rules that humans can figure out” (Newsweek, July 20, 1998, p. 49). Even evolutionists begin their speculations assuming that the rules, or natural laws, worked the same in the beginning as they do today. If the universe did not operate on these rules, or laws, it would cease to function and would come apart in chaos. Notice several examples of how these laws work.

Gravity holds the planets in their orbits. Without gravitational forces there would be no solar systems. Stars and planets would be hurtling through space in a helter-skelter manner. Gravitational forces hold the earth at a distance from the sun that makes it possible for life to exist on this planet. If gravitational forces were either stronger or weaker than they are, stars (such as our sun) would not burn hot enough, or would burn out too rapidly and certain chemical elements essential for life would simply not be produced. Our bodies exist because chemicals combine in only certain ways. If chemical reactions did not occur the same way every time (according to laws), we would cease to exist as living, breathing human beings. Life would cease to exist.

For years, biology textbooks have referred to another law known as fixity of the species—that there seems to be a genetic limit to the amount of variation that can occur within a species. Plant and animal breeders are aware of these limits. Charles Darwin was aware of the variety that could be produced by breeding domestic animals (such as dogs, pigeons, cows and horses). During his cruise on the Beagle, he also observed striking variations among finches and turtles on islands in the Pacific Ocean. In formulating his theory of evolution, he speculated that, given enough time, these small variations could eventually produce totally new species—that natural forces alone could produce new life forms without the need for a creator. These ideas had a profound effect on the Western world—especially on its religion—and seriously undermined belief in God.

However, time has exposed serious problems with Darwin’s ideas. No one has ever observed a new species coming into existence in nature in this way. In spite of many attempts, neither has anyone been able to produce new species by selective breeding. Dogs may vary in size, color and many other characteristics, but they are still dogs. Horses are still horses. Fruit flies are still fruit flies. The Bible clearly states many times that God created each type of plant and animal “according to its kind” (Genesis 1:11–12, 21–25). There is no evidence from the biological world that one species can turn into another. The Bible also indicates that God created human beings after the “God kind”—which, as we will see, has profound implications for the purpose of human life.

Even the fossil record supports this fundamental biblical principle. Darwin speculated that intermediate forms of life must have existed as species evolved, yet he knew this was not the actual case. He wrote in The Origin of Species: “Why then is not every geological formation and every stratum full of such intermediate links? Geology assuredly does not reveal any such finely graduated organic chain, and this, perhaps, is the most obvious and gravest objection that can be urged against my theory” (see Geisler and Brooks, p. 228). Darwin assumed these intermediate links would be found, but a hundred years after his book was published they are still missing! This absence of transitional forms has been called “the trade secret” of paleontology. When species appear in the geologic record they appear fully formed. This makes sense if they were created. The evidence of the fossil record lends further support to the biblical concept of the fixity of species and a real God that operates according to laws and rules.

The fundamental question is: how did these laws originate? Where did they come from? Who set them in motion? How are they sustained? Evolutionists do not know. Natural scientists do not have a clue. Physicist Stephen Hawking, a scientist attempting to answer questions about the universe without the aid of Scripture, has acknowledged “the laws [of physics] may have originally been decreed by God” (Ross, p. 91). This is interesting because the Bible refers to the real God repeatedly as the “Lawgiver” (Isaiah 33:22; James 4:12). As the Creator, God designed and set in motion the laws and forces that hold the universe together (Job 28:24–27). We are also told in Scripture that God is “upholding all things [the universe] by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3)—that He sustains the laws that He originated and set in motion.

On the subject of law, the Bible reveals a dimension beyond the physical. While God is described as a law-giver in the physical sense, Scripture contains spiritual laws that God designed to govern human conduct. The Ten Commandments form the basis of the spiritual law of God. We are told plainly that if we obey those laws we will be blessed and if we disobey those laws we will reap negative consequences (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Solomon wrote in Proverbs that life will be difficult for a person who transgresses the laws of God (Proverbs 13:15, KJV). Why would this be so, unless there is a real God who designed and sustains those laws? Evolutionary theory has no answer for this. One of the reasons people want to do away with the concept of God is that without God there are no laws of conduct and any type of behavior becomes permissible. We are living with the consequences of that philosophy today—and it is destroying our society! The existence of laws requires a law-giver. For those laws to continue to operate, a sustainer is necessary. This is how the real God operates.

Proof 4 —

Design Demands a Designer

One of the most powerful proofs of God’s existence, and one of the most revealing aspects of the true God, is the wondrous evidence of design found throughout the universe—from the smallest atom to the cosmos. It is on the issue of design that naturalistic evolutionary theories have run aground. It is in the area of design that surprising discoveries have been made in recent years that are compelling even skeptical scientists to consider the reality of God.

Solomon wrote: “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens” (Proverbs 3:19). David, referring to the human body stated: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works” (Psalm 139:14). Abraham Lincoln once observed: “I can see how a man can look upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he can look up into the heavens and say there is no God.” Even Albert Einstein realized “God is not playing dice with the universe.”

The profound truth in these statements has begun to register in the scientific community, as a result of surprising recent discoveries in fields as diverse as molecular biology and cosmology. Darwin acknowledged that “complex organs such as the eye would be difficult to explain in terms of the gradual stepwise process outlined by his theory,” but he did not realize how complicated the molecular biology of vision would turn out to be (Christian Century, July 15–22, 1998, pp. 679–680). Biochemist Michael Behe writes in Darwin’s Black Box that evolutionists’ inability to explain the development of such complicated structures and processes is “a very strong indication that Darwinism is an inadequate framework for understanding the origin of complex biochemical systems” (ibid.).

Discoveries about the universe have been just as profound. As man’s knowledge has grown, so has the evidence that the universe could not have come about by chance. One writer observes: “The very science that ‘killed’ God is, in the eyes of believers, restoring faith. Physicists have found signs that the cosmos is custom made for life and consciousness. It turns out that if the constants of nature—unchanging numbers like the strength of gravity, the charge of the electron and the mass of a proton—were the tiniest bit different, then atoms would not hold together, stars would not burn and life would never have made an appearance” (Newsweek, July 20, 1998, p. 48). Physicist John Polkinghorne, who became an Anglican priest, wrote: “When you realize that the laws of nature must be incredibly finely tuned to produce the universe we see, that conspires to plant the idea that the universe did not just happen, but that there must be a purpose behind it” (ibid.). Astrophysicist Hugh Ross discusses 33 of these finely tuned conditions that make life possible on this earth (see The Creator and the Cosmos, Ross, 1993, pp. 131–145).

A growing number of scientists in the fields of physics, astronomy and cosmology are acknowledging what is called the “anthropic principle” (Greek anthropos=man). This principle, suggested in the 1970s by physicist Brandon Carter, states that for life to exist on earth, all the conditions had to be “pre-planned” from the very beginning of the cosmos. As Harvard Ph.D. Patrick Glynn notes: “The most basic explanation for the universe is that it seems to be a process orchestrated to achieve the end or goal of creating human beings” (God: The Evidence, Glynn, 1997, pp. 7, 32). Glynn states further: “From the scientist’s viewpoint, the fact that the universe looks as though it had a definite beginning might be upsetting enough. But what appears to drive cosmologists nearly to distraction is the anthropic principle”—that the earth and the universe was created for mankind (ibid., p. 42). That is an astounding observation for a scholar to make today!

While a universe pre-planned for mankind may be shocking for atheists and evolutionists to consider, this is exactly what the Bible clearly states. Scripture reveals that God created human beings for a purpose. In Genesis 1:26–28 we read that God created human beings in His own image (not in the image of apes) and gave human beings dominion over the earth—to rule it or manage it. The Apostle Paul told the Romans that we can become “children of God” and “heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:14–17). This means we will share, by inheritance, what Jesus Christ has—that is, eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:50–53) and rulership on this earth in the coming kingdom of God (Revelation 5:10). The Bible reveals that human beings were created for the ultimate purpose of becoming part of the family of God (1 John 3:1–4; Hebrews 2:1–11) eventually to rule this earth with Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:10; Daniel 7:27). This is the purpose of human life, yet this exciting information has been perverted and suppressed over the centuries! This is not even understood today by most theologians.

Compare this astounding future, as outlined in the Bible, with the common idea that either we go to heaven and sit on clouds and play harps, or else we burn forever in hell fire. Compare the future revealed by the true God, to zoologist Richard Dawkins’ ideas that, “the universe we observe has… no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but pointless indifference… we are machines for propagating DNA… It is every living object’s sole reason for living” (Science, August 15, 1997, p. 892). Is it any wonder that people today see no real purpose in life, or have no hope or excitement about the future? Science, philosophy and theology have failed to grasp the real meaning of life!

The Bible clearly states that mankind has been deceived by a very clever deceiver (Revelation 12:9). Evolutionary theories that undermine faith in a real God, and the misguided reasoning of theologians, have also played their part in this deception. So have human beings, who simply do not want to consider that God exists, because of the restraints on behavior this would entail. However, the real God who designed this universe also has a design and a purpose for mankind. Scientists are discovering astounding evidence of intelligent design in the cosmos. Scripture reveals God’s amazing, ultimate purpose for mankind. Intelligent and purposeful design—both physical and spiritual—requires a supernatural Designer—a real God!

Proof 5 —

Fulfilled Prophetic Promises

Some of the most compelling evidence for an all-powerful, supernatural God comes from the disciplines of history and prophecy. The astounding accuracy of Bible prophecy is a constant challenge to skeptics. Yet it is amazing to realize how many people, including secular scholars, are simply unaware of how Bible prophecy is so remarkably confirmed by known history. Even more amazing is that prophecy is seldom mentioned today by the clergy—yet fulfilled prophecy absolutely proves that there is a real, all-powerful God. Isaac Newton, one of the most brilliant minds in Western civilization, was fascinated by Bible prophecy (Science, August 15, 1997, p. 892).

The real God of Scripture literally defies others to predict the future accurately and bring it to pass. The prophet Isaiah quotes God as saying: “Present your case… Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods… indeed you are nothing; he who chooses you is an abomination” (Isaiah 41:21–23). Those who study forecasting understand the folly of trying to predict future events in detail—especially in the volatile fields of political science and sociology—yet Scripture does this repeatedly with striking accuracy! Nearly 30 percent of the Bible is devoted to prophecy, yet this subject is rarely the topic of Sunday morning sermons in most churches. It is no wonder the powerful God of the Bible does not seem real today.

A striking example of fulfilled prophecy is found in the book of Ezekiel, which dates from about 600bc. Ezekiel records very different futures for two major Phoenician cities, Tyre and Sidon. This would be like predicting what will happen to San Francisco and Los Angeles, Toronto and Ottawa or London and Paris over the next 2,500 years! Sidon is promised to have a bloody history but to continue to exist (Ezekiel 28:22–23). By contrast, Ezekiel very specifically prophesied that many nations would come against Tyre like waves of the sea (26:3). Tyre would be scraped bare like the top of a rock (v. 4), the debris thrown into the sea (v. 12), never to be rebuilt (v. 14). This mighty city, the center of a great trading empire, would become an insignificant place where fishermen would spread their nets (v. 5). All this has happened—to the letter (see Evidence That Demands a Verdict,McDowell, 1979, vol. 1, pp. 274–281). A real God predicted the future in detail, and brought it to pass (see Isaiah 46:9–10).

Another series of remarkable prophecies concerns specific promises about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These prophecies were recordedmany centuries before Christ was born. The first two chapters of Matthew quote prophecies that Jesus was to be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). He would have to flee to Egypt (Hosea 11:1). Before His death, he would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). In death, His hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16), and lots would be cast for His garments (Psalm 22:18). David prophesied that Christ would be resurrected (see Psalm 16:10). Here again, the real God of the Bible predicted specific future events and brought them to pass—to the letter!

Fulfilled prophecies, however, are not just limited to ancient history and long-vanished empires. Additional prophecies are being fulfilled today, as you read this booklet! The key to understanding prophecies that apply to our time is the identity of the modern Israelite nations. The God of the Bible promised Abraham that his descendants would become great and be a blessing to the peoples of the earth (Genesis 12:1–3). God foretold that they would eventually come to possess the gates of their enemies (Genesis 22:17; 24:60).

The modern Israelite nations are descendants of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, whose name was changed by God to Israel (Genesis 32:28). Jacob had 12 sons including Judah—the father of the Jews. However, two of Jacob’s grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were prophesied to become the primary inheritors of the birthright promises originally made to Abraham. Manasseh was to become a great nation, but Ephraim was to become a great company of nations (Genesis 48:14–20). The blessings promised to Manasseh and Ephraim have been inherited by the United States and the nations that made up the British Commonwealth. This amazing story and the sobering future that is prophesied for these birthright nations is described in our booklet, available free upon request, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.

The record of history, as well as of world events today, confirm the incredibly accurate prophecies recorded in the Word of God. The Bible is inspired by an all-powerful, supernatural God. Its prophecies are not merely the product of mortal men trying to formulate a philosophy or religion. Scripture’s fulfilled prophetic promises demand an explanation—they cannot simply be ignored or explained away! The God who inspired those prophecies and brought them to pass has to be real!

Proof 6 —

Answered Prayer

Another dramatic proof of God is that He fulfills His promises of answered prayer. For those who do not believe in God and have never prayed, this is merely a matter of doubt and skepticism. However, for individuals who believe in God and who do pray—which includes up to 90 percent of Americans—answered prayer is one of the most powerful personal proofs that God exists. To those who know their prayers have been answered, the doubts of skeptics are of little significance.

It is from the Bible, not naturalistic science, that we learn about prayer. Scripture abounds with examples of answered prayers. Solomon’s request for wisdom was granted with even additional blessings (1 Kings 3:5–13). We are told that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain” (James 5:17–18).

The New Testament records many examples of dramatic answers to prayers. Jesus prayed all night, asking God for guidance, before choosing the Twelve Apostles He would use to build His Church (Luke 6:12–13). Jesus had been praying during the hours before He came—walking on the water—to the disciples (Matthew 14:23–25). Lazarus was resurrected from the dead as the result of Jesus’ prayer to God (John 11:41–44). When the members of the fledgling New Testament Church prayed for boldness to preach the gospel, God acknowledged their request by shaking the building in which they were meeting (Acts 4:23–31).

The Bible also teaches us how to pray. Just as a child must learn how to talk, we must learn how to pray. Jesus was asked by His disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus gave us a model to follow (Matthew 6:5–15). We can see from this example that prayer is an earnest conversation with God about our needs and concerns—not just repeating some words and phrases over and over (v. 7). We are told that God hears the prayers of the righteous—individuals attempting to obey Him (1 Peter 3:12; 1 John 3:22). The Bible reveals that the prayers of the saints are pleasing to God—like sweet-smelling incense (Revelation 5:8).

Jesus encouraged His followers to “ask, and it will be given unto you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7–12). One challenge in learning to pray is learning to ask in accord with God’s will (1 John 5:14). To understand God’s will, we must study Scripture—God’s instruction manual. Through prayer, we can talk to God about all our concerns.

If you have sensed a void in your life, if you feel cut off and alone, why not talk to God about it in prayer? If you can see the lack of meaning and purpose in our secular, materialistic world, why not get down on your knees in a private place and talk with your Father? If you have sensed the emptiness and irrelevance of organized religion, just share your feelings with your Creator, the real God of the universe! Ask Him to help you come to understand the Bible and the true meaning of life. Ask Him to guide you to where He is working through His Church. Ask Him to help you learn how to live life according to His instructions, so you can receive the rewards that are His to give. Follow the instructions of Jesus Christ that you read in Matthew 6:5–15 and Luke 11:1–4. Begin to pray!

You can experience the proof of answered prayer for yourself when you begin to ask according to God’s instructions. God does not change (Malachi 3:6). He has answered prayers in the past. He answers prayer today. He will answer prayers in the future. The Bible clearly states, “the eyes of God run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Answered prayer is a powerful and personal proof that God is real!

Proof 7 —

A Way of Life That Works

The final proof that a real God exists and His Word is true is a sobering one. This proof may be more meaningful to individuals who have lived life and made a few mistakes. However, this can also be an important proof to anyone, young or old, who has “eyes to see and ears to hear”—who can learn by seeing what happens to others. This proof involves comparing the results of two contrasting ways of life.

The message that permeates our modern society is that whatever works is right for you—that there is no such thing as absolute right and wrong. The message God has recorded in the Bible is very different. Scripture shows that there is God’s way of life, and there is the world’s way, where we just do our own thing. And, as the old saying goes: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

Scripture clearly outlines these two contrasting approaches to life. Moses explained God’s instructions to the ancient Israelites: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:15–20). Today, this is still one of the major challenges of life.

As human beings with free moral agency, we have the freedom to choose to obey God and experience His blessings, or to ignore and live contrary to His instructions (by following our own reasoning) and reap the consequences (Deuteronomy 28; Leviticus 26). Solomon recorded similar advice: “The way of the transgressor is hard,” yet “when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 13:15; 16:7). Jesus described these same choices—a narrow, challenging way that leads to life, and a wide easy way that most people choose that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13–14).

The sad story of human history is that most people “go with the flow”—we do what seems right in our own minds. Instead of seeking to learn from our Creator how to live life according to His instructions, we seem to prefer doing things our own way. The result of this approach to life is sometimes called the “school of hard knocks.” If your life has been a series of difficulties, disappointments and blind alleys, why not try another approach? Look into the Word of your Creator, and begin to do things His way for a change. Let the “proof of the pudding be in the eating.” Live God’s way, and prove it for yourself!

Let us look briefly at the way of life that God recommends in Scripture, so that you can put His way to the test. Anciently at Mt. Sinai, God gave the Israelites His law (Exodus 20) which they agreed to follow (Exodus 19:5–8). God intended the Israelites to be an example to the whole world as they learned to live according to His divine instructions (Deuteronomy 4:1–10). However, they failed to live up to this agreement and went into captivity as a result of turning their backs on God’s instructions (see Ezekiel 20).

In the New Testament we are told that Jesus came to explain the law more fully for Christians (Matthew 5:17). He explained how to live by the spirit of the law, not just the letter (Matthew 5:21–28). Here again, it was God’s intent that those who choose to follow His instructions would become lights [examples] to the world, that God’s way works.

Jesus clearly stated that “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He was definitely advocating a better way to live. The contrast between Jesus’ teaching and the ways of this world was likened to the difference between night and day (John 3:16–21). When His disciples began urging people to come out of this world and live according to the real teachings of Jesus (2 Corinthians 6:11–18) they were pelted with accusations that, “those who have turned the world upside down have come here, too” (Acts 17:5–6).

God’s way of life as outlined in the Bible is not some vague, nebulous, watered-down approach that people can take or leave and modify to suit themselves. God’s way is based upon His laws. It involves specific attitudes, behaviors and practices that not everyone is willing to follow and adhere to. We are told the truth of God will actually separate friends and families (Matthew 10:34–36), but it works and following it will bring certain rewards (Revelation 3:10–11).

One of the major reasons that mainstream Christianity is floundering today in western countries is that theologians have watered down the teachings of the Bible so much that religious beliefs have literally no impact on how people live their lives. One mainline denomination has been described as “an institution in free fall… with nothing to hold on to… no shared belief, no common assumptions, no agreed bottom line, no accepted definition” of what it means to belong to that church (The Empty Church, Reeves, 1996, p. 10). A chaplain in that denomination has declared that he “is not in the business of dispensing dogmatic answers about anything” (ibid., p. 24). This is simply not the same church, founded by Jesus Christ, that you read about in the pages of the New Testament! Compromising and watering down Scripture does not work. Churches die, spiritually, when they try to do that. This, too, is living proof that God’s way works—the way that seems right to the human mind does not (Proverbs 14:12). This is what the real God clearly states in His word.

Conclusion:

A Coming Judgment

Modern professing Christianity offers to the world a benign God who is nice, loving, forgiving and endlessly patient. He just lets people do pretty much what they want, and is happy if they pray once in a while and attend church a couple of times a year. However, this false idea of God—which is the product of the human imagination—is not relevant to the lives of most people today, as we have seen in this booklet.

The real God of the Bible, however, stands in striking contrast to mankind’s imaginings! The God that emerges from Scripture is a powerful creator, an intelligent designer, a life-giver and law-giver who intervenes in the course of history yet still answers the prayers of individuals. He has clearly outlined in His word two contrasting ways of life. Although loving and merciful, He is a God of justice and judgement who rewards us according to our works. He gives us the opportunity to make choices, and He lets us reap what we sow. This is why the God of the Bible commands His true servants to “cry aloud and show My people their sins” (Isaiah 58:1) and not just preach “smooth things” that deceive people (Isaiah 30:9–10). God wants human beings to understand what life is all about, so they will learn to make the right choices that bring the lasting rewards they desire—and that are His alone to give. The real God also forgives us when we repent—when we come to understand our mistakes (when we break His laws and sin—see 1 John 3:4). God is pleased when we begin to change our lives, and live as He has instructed.

The Bible reveals that God is working out a plan and purpose on this earth. The realGod is going to send Jesus Christ back to this earth to establish the soon coming Kingdom of God. This is literally the heart and core of the true gospel message. This is what Jesus taught and His disciples proclaimed (Mark 1:14–15; Luke 9:1–2; Acts 8:12; 28:23, 31). This same message will also be proclaimed to the world by God’s true Church just before the end of this age (Matthew 24:14).

At His return, Jesus Christ will literally change the course of human history in a very dramatic fashion. He will judge this earth in righteousness—according to His divine law (Psalm 96:13; Revelation 19:11). He is going to put an end to human suffering and human misrule. The Apostle John writes of this time when God takes His great power and reigns—rewarding His servants and destroying those who destroy [pollute and corrupt] the earth (Revelation 11:15–19). God will make a distinction between those who choose to do things His way and those intent on doing their own thing (Matthew 25:31–46), between those who know what the Bible plainly teaches and those who have been deceived by the false ideas of misguided teachers. That time of judgement appears to be just ahead of us.

Jesus Christ is going to reorient human societies toward real peace, justice and truth (Isaiah 9:6–7; Revelation 11:15–18) with the aid of His saints (Daniel 7:27). The prophet Micah relates: “He shall judge between many nations afar off; and rebuke strong nations; nations shall not lift up swords against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4:3). This all-powerful God reveals through the prophet Ezekiel: “I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. Surely it is coming, and it shall be done, says the Lord” (Ezekiel 39:7–8). The deception, doubt and skepticism about God that so permeate our society will be removed forever.

The real God of the Bible commanded His chosen people not to worship any other god or gods (Exodus 20:1–7). He warned His chosen people about the consequences of following other gods (Deuteronomy 8:11–20). The Apostle Paul told the church at Rome they would incite the wrath of God if they began creating ideas of God according to their own imagination (Romans 1:18–23). He warned the church in Corinth of the same thing (2 Corinthians 11:1–4). Yet all this has happened in our time today. Misguided theologians have chosen “to abandon so-called natural proofs for the existence of the Creator and emphasized personal faith and the presence of God in the human conscience” (Reeves, pp. 95–96). The unfortunate result of this modern, liberal approach is that many have been deceived about the real God.

As the end of this age approaches, do not let yourself be deceived. Jesus clearly warned about this possibility on several occasions (Matthew 7:15–20; 24:4–5, 11, 24). The Apostle Paul urged members of the early New Testament church to “prove all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). You can prove that God exists; you do not need to just blindly “take it on faith.” You can have a real faith, based on real evidence, and a real relationship with your Creator! The God of the universe—the God who inspired the Bible—is real. The Creator, Designer and Sustainer of the cosmos is alive. He is going to bring to pass what He has prophesied in His word. Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth to establish the kingdom of God that will rule over all nations. This is what the gospel of the true God is all about. You can be part of this exciting future if you get to know the real God.

Booklet Category

Doctrine

God

The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan

4uwzvo — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 16:50:24 +0000

The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan 4uwzvo Tue, 03/01/2022 - 16:50

The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan

Roderick C. Meredith (1930-2017)

Booklet Media

#Christian Living

#Christianity

#God

#Holy Days

#Jesus Christ

#origins of traditions

#Salvation

What are the most important days on the Christian calendar? Most would say Christmas and Easter. But the first followers of Jesus Christ observed NEITHER of these days. They followed Christ’s example and observed the SAME Holy Days that Jesus Christ Himself observed! The Holy Days are not obsolete “Jewish” observances, but in fact picture, in sequence, the destiny God has planned for ALL humanity. God Himself ordained these Holy Days for ALL of His people to observe.

Sadly, most of us just “grew up” in Protestant churches—or in Catholicism—and basically took for granted all that we were taught about God, Christ and religion. Very few people usually bother—even after reaching adulthood—to actually study and genuinely prove WHY they believe what they believe. It just seems easier to “follow the crowd” and go along with whatever we have been taught.

Have you been like this?

Have you carelessly ASSUMED that the Bible teaches us to observe Christmas and Easter? Have you assumed that Christ, our example, and the original inspired Apostolic Church observed Christmas and Easter?

If so, you could not have been more WRONG!

For nearly all honest theologians and historians freely acknowledge that Christmas and Easter were injected into “Christianity” many years after the death of the original Apostles! Under the article “Christmas,” the Encyclopedia Britannica states: “in the Christian Church, the festival of the nativity of Jesus Christ. The history of this feast coheres so closely with that of Epiphany (q.v.), that what follows must be read in connection with the article under that heading…. The great church adopted Christmas much later than Epiphany; and before the 5th century there was no general consensus of opinion as to when it should come in the calendar, whether on the 6th of January, or the 25th of March, or the 25th of December…. In 1644 the English puritans forbade any merriment or religious services by act of Parliament, on the ground that it was a heathen festival, and ordered it to be kept as a fast. Charles II revived the feast, but the Scots adhered to the Puritan view” (vol. 6, 11th ed., pp. 293–294).

The Catholic Encyclopedia tells us: “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church. Irenaeus and Tertullian omit it from their lists of feasts; Origen, glancing perhaps at the discreditable imperial Natalitia, asserts (in Lev. Hom. viii in Migne, P.G., XII, 495) that in the Scriptures sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday…. In England, Christmas was forbidden by Act of Parliament in 1644; the day was to be a fast and a market day; shops were compelled to be open; plum puddings and mince pies condemned as heathen. The conservatives resisted; at Canterbury blood was shed; but after the Restoration Dissenters continued to call Yuletide ‘Fooltide'” (vol. 3, pp. 724, 728).

REJECTING the Example of Christ and the Apostles

A vital key to remember in trying to understand what happened is to realize that the vast majority of “Christian” priests and scholars have NOT seriously tried to follow the example of Christ and the original Apostles! As the professing Christian Church grew in the Roman Empire, they tried to make their religion more “convenient” to the pagans around them in an attempt to win them over, and also, at times, in an attempt to avoid persecution. As Dr. Rufus M. Jones points out: “If by any chance Christ Himself had been taken by His later followers as the model and pattern of the new way, and a serious attempt had been made to set up His life and teaching as the standard and norm for the Church, Christianity would have been something vastly different from what it became. Then ‘heresy’ would have been, as it is not now, deviation from His way, His teaching, His spirit, His kingdom…. What we may properly call ‘Galilean Christianity’ had a short life, though there have been notable attempts to revive it and make it live again, and here and there spiritual prophets have insisted that anything else than this simple Galilean religion is ‘heresy’; but the main line of historic development has taken a different course and has marked the emphasis very differently” (The Church’s Debt to Heretics, pp. 15–16).

And mainstream Protestant author, Jesse Lyman Hurlbut—writing about the period between 313ad and 476ad—acknowledges: “The forms and ceremonies of paganism gradually crept into the worship. Some of the old heathen feasts became church festivals with change of name and worship. About 405ad images of saints and martyrs began to appear in the churches, at first as memorials, then in succession revered, adored, and worshipped” ( The Story of the Christian Church, p. 79).

So, although the early “Christian” leaders were accommodative to the pagans around them, God warned our spiritual forefathers against following the customs of the surrounding heathen nations saying: “Do NOT inquire after their gods, saying ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall NOT worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates have they done to their gods” (Deuteronomy 12:30–31).

Jesus Christ warned the religious leaders of His day, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (Mark 7:9). Notice carefully Jesus’ comment about rejecting the commandment of God by keeping human tradition. This is very definitely the case when we consider which days God made holy. For virtually no one keeps the days introduced by the pagans and also observes the biblical Holy Days that God commands and which Christ and the Apostolic Church observed.

In effect, you have to CHOOSE.

You have to choose between observing the “mass of Christ”— which pictures Christ as a helpless little child, and is surrounded by pagan concepts of the Yule log, the Christmas tree, Santa Claus and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer—OR, on the other hand, observing the biblical Holy Days that picture, step-by-step, the awesome PLAN that God is working out here on earth. You have to choose between following Christ and the original Apostles, or following the Catholic “fathers” of the Dark Ages who increasingly injected layer after layer of rank paganism into professing Christianity.

Which Will YOU Choose?

As I explain in the booklet, Which Day is the Christian Sabbath?, if you were on the proverbial desert island with only a sacred calendar and a Bible, you would have to observe the biblical Sabbath and biblical Holy Days because these are the ONLY days the Bible commands or even directly talks about. For instance, the word “Christmas” is not even in the Bible. And there is not even the slightest hint in the Bible that we should observe the day of Christ’s birth, even IF we knew when it was—which we do not! And the word “Easter” is purposely not mentioned in any reputable modern translation of the Bible. It is incorrectly mentioned one time in the King James Version in Acts 12:4. But all scholars concede that the word “Pascha” from which it is translated is correctly rendered “Passover” and has no relation to Easter whatsoever. And, virtually all scholars recognize that the word “Easter” is simply a derivation of the name of the ancient goddess Ishtar or “Isis”—goddess of sex and fertility of the ancient Middle East. That, of course, is where “Easter eggs” come from—the pagan worship of sex and fertility.

Interestingly, even though we were not taught about God’s Holy Days in Sunday School, God’s commanded days are mentioned quite often in the Bible! For these days were clearly commanded in the Old Testament and their observance by Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament certainly ratifies them for the Christian Church.

Luke tells us: “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover” (2:40–41). Then the account describes how “when they had finished the days… Jesus lingered behind” (v. 43). All scholars recognize that “the days” spoken of here were the Days of Unleavened Bread, which come immediately after the Passover. So even though Jesus was “strong in the spirit” and able to discuss spiritual principles at the highest level with the doctors of the Jewish law, He joined His parents in keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread.

During His ministry, we find Jesus going up to observe the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. He told His physical brothers, “You go up to this feast” (John 7:8). Clearly, they were instructed by the Son of God to go up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles! Then, Jesus Himself went up secretly, at first, so as not to arouse persecution (v. 10). Then “about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught” (v. 14).

At the end of Jesus’ human life, Luke tells us: “Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat…. ‘ Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer'” (Luke 22:7–8, 15). So as an adult—setting us an example—Jesus observed the Passover.

Then we find that the inspired Apostolic Church began on another of God’s Holy Days, the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1). What if the disciples had rejected God’s Holy Days and were not even there on the day when the Holy Spirit was given?

Some may assume that this was the only Day of Pentecost the early Church observed. Not so. For in Acts 20:16 we read, “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.” And Paul observed yet another Pentecost in Ephesus: “But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:8–9).

Also, the Apostle Paul clearly commanded the Gentile Church at Corinth to observe the Days of Unleavened Bread. Speaking of these days, Paul wrote: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us KEEP THE FEAST, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7–8). Paul was obviously speaking of “keeping the Feast” of Unleavened Bread.

ALL Nations to Observe God’s Holy Days

A powerful END-time prophecy makes it exceedingly clear that ALL nations will soon learn to observe the Feast of Tabernacles! Notice what God inspired the Prophet Zechariah to write about the years just ahead of us: “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south…. And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to KEEP the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:1–4; 16–19).

Since EVERY human being on earth will soon learn to observe these biblical Holy Days, why not learn to obey God and start keeping them NOW? Why not become a spiritual “pioneer” and help blaze the trail for the BILLIONS of others who will come to this understanding soon after Christ’s return?

“But,” you may say, “we have been taught that these are Jewish Holy Days! Are Christians to keep the Jewish Holy Days?”

Well, I have just explained that ALL nations, Jew and Gentile, will soon learn to keep the biblical Holy Days—NOT because they are “Jewish”—but because God commands all of His people to observe them. And all of His people did keep them in the New Testament Church and, as we have seen, Christ kept them—setting us an example. The original Apostles kept them also.

True Christians are the “Israel of God”

A vital key to understanding is to truly grasp Jesus’ instruction to the Samaritan woman. He told this non-Jewish woman, “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).

Although they often rejected His teaching or overlaid it with all kinds of human traditions, the Jewish people did preserve the knowledge of the Creator God and the only written Bible available to the original New Testament Christians—which we today call the Old Testament. Clearly, the Jews were given the “oracles of God” (Romans 3:1–2), which certainly included God’s Holy Days and the understanding of how to construct the sacred calendar upon which those days are based. So the Jews did “know” whom they worshipped. And through Christ and a correct understanding of the Old Testament, salvation was “of the Jews.” For in spite of human weakness and man-made tradition, the Jews have preserved God’s spiritual LAW, the Ten Commandments, the true Sabbath and the annual Holy Days that the Creator has commanded. And the Jewish race produced Jesus Christ—the prophesied Messiah.

As the Apostle Paul was inspired to write, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Romans 2:28–29). So ALL true Christians are spiritual “Jews”! And we are bound to keep the spiritual laws and Holy Days that God gave Israel and which were reaffirmed by the example of Christ and the inspired New Testament Church.

Again, the Apostle was inspired to write: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:15–16).

Clearly, the “Israel of God” are the true people of God—those who are spiritually circumcised and have Christ living His obedient life in them through the Holy Spirit. So, yes, we must get rid of our prejudices and quit calling “Jewish” those things GOD gave for ALL His people of all races and all nations!

True Christians are to keep holy the days God made holy. And we are to follow the example of Jesus and the original Apostles in so doing. Then, as we shall see, the understanding and observance of God’s Holy Days will open our minds to the great plan and PURPOSE that God is working out here below. Indeed, God does have a great plan in mind for all humanity. God reveals this to us through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the PURPOSE of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:9–11).

A Preview of the PLAN

Most professing Christians observe what they call the “Lord’s Supper,” “mass,” “Eucharist” or some such observance involving the partaking of bread and wine that symbolize Christ’s sacrifice. Few even begin to understand why they are doing this and—as I just pointed out—there are several different types of observances involved when you consider the different branches of Christendom.

But, as we shall see, these occasions are memorial observances of only the FIRST step in God’s Plan. For most professing Christians, all the other stages of God’s Plan are NOT observed in any way—and are therefore not understood in any way! Yet God has a “seven-step” plan—as are so many things God does revealed in patterns of seven. For in the beginning, God created the seven-day week (Genesis 1). The seventh day was revealed to be His Holy Sabbath (2:1–3). Later He gave exactly SEVEN annual Holy Days to reveal His overall plan and purpose in dealing with humanity (Leviticus 23). In the New Testament, we find the SEVEN Churches of Revelation described (Revelation 2–3). We read of the SEVEN seals, the SEVEN trumpets, the SEVEN last plagues, etc. For seven is the number of completion or perfection.

Therefore, when we understand, it should seem ridiculous to observe just ONE of God’s annual Festivals picturing His Plan and OMIT all the others! As a “preview” of what is to come, let us very briefly examine all seven of God’s annual, spiritual Festivals so we can better understand His Plan and PURPOSE in these Festivals as we go along.

First comes the solemn observance of Christ’s suffering and death on our behalf. The Bible calls this the “Passover.” It pictures our acceptance of Christ’s broken body and shed blood, which He offered as our Savior. But remember, this is only the first step in God’s Plan for us! Next, we need to GROW in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18) and begin to put our old sinful ways and habits completely out of our lives. This “overcoming” process is pictured by the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Third, all of us together in the spirit-begotten Church—the “little flock” (Luke 12:32)—are only the “firstfruits” of the great spiritual harvest that will occur after Christ’s Second Coming. So God’s third annual Festival, the Feast of Pentecost or Feast of “Firstfruits” pictures the fact that only a very small spiritual harvest is being reaped by God at this time. God is NOT TRYING to “save” the whole world now. Otherwise He would be doing so—and the BILLIONS of unbelievers of past ages and even in our present day in China, India and other nations would quickly come to full understanding of the true God and genuine acceptance of His Son as their Lord and Savior!

END-Time Events Pictured in the SEVENTH Month

Fourth, the cataclysmic events at the END of this present age and Christ’s return to earth are pictured by the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24). Trumpets were literally used in ancient Israel as alarms of war. In our day, at the climax of a series of wars and worldwide upheavals, Jesus Christ will return and the dead will be raised “at the LAST TRUMPET” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

Then, immediately after Christ’s return, Satan is supernaturally bound and put into the bottomless pit “so that he should DECEIVE the nations NO MORE” (Revelation 20:3). Finally, with Satan bound, man can become “at one” with God. This is clearly pictured by the fifth spiritual Festival—the Day of Atonement.

After Christ’s return, God pours out His Spirit and begins to enlighten all humanity with the true understanding of His great PLAN. At that time, God says, “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). This is pictured by our joyous observance of the sixth Festival in God’s Plan—the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles or “Feast of Ingathering” (Exodus 34:22).

God’s Holy Day calendar is based upon the harvest seasons of Israel. As indicated, this pictures for us the spiritual harvest God plans to reap. First, the small spring harvest pictured by the “Feast of Firstfruits.” Finally, at the END of this age, the massive autumn harvest is pictured by the “Feast of Ingathering.”

Now, we come to the seventh and final spiritual Festival God gave His people. “But what part of His plan could still be left to picture?” you might ask. As shown earlier, even at the end of Christ’s 1,000-year reign there will be the untold BILLIONS of people of past ages who NEVER UNDERSTOOD virtually anything about the true God, about Jesus Christ or about God’s purpose for their lives. What will happen to these “unsaved” billions of human beings since “there is NO PARTIALITY with God”? (Romans 2:11). The solemn seventh Festival of God pictures the time when God will—for the FIRST time—open their minds to understand His Word and His will and give them a genuine opportunity to have their names written in the “Book of Life” (Revelation 20:11–12).

With the observance of this seventh Festival that we call the “Last Great Day” (John 7:37), we finish the portrayal of the entire PLAN of our Creator. From our first acceptance of Christ as Savior to the picturing of His Second Coming all the way until the Last Great Day picturing the time when ALL human beings will finally have a real opportunity for salvation—these God-given, God-inspired Festivals picture the REAL plan of God. The pagan religious festivals that Satan has foisted off on a deceived humanity are indeed a cheap substitute. For, in reality, they picture a false god, a false Christ and lead to the acceptance of a false gospel, which directly contradicts the true message that Christ and the Apostles preached!

These seven Festivals—two lasting seven days and five lasting one day—make 19 annual Feast days each year. Seven of these 19 days are special rest days or “Sabbaths.” These seven annual Sabbaths—also known as God’s annual Holy Days—are the First and Last days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the First Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day.

As we will see in this booklet, God’s Holy Days are far more than just days on which we cease from our normal work; they are far more than mere civil holidays. Other Jewish holidays, such as Hanukkah and Purim, played an important part in the civil life of the Jewish nation and are important to many Jews today. Yet those civil holidays are not Feasts of the Lord, as listed in Leviticus 23. They may be joyous national celebrations, like the Thanksgiving Day festivities held in the United States and Canada—but just as one would not expect a British citizen to observe Canada’s Thanksgiving, one would not expect a non-Jew to find relevance in a holiday established by the Jewish nation-state. And God did NOT command that these civil holidays be kept, as He commanded the observance of the Feasts listed in Leviticus 23.

Now, let us retrace and fully understand the meaning and purpose of each of the SEVEN RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS that God gave for all mankind to keep. Remember, understanding and observing these Festivals helps us keep in mind the great MASTER PLAN of our Creator whereby He intends to enlighten and ultimately to save the vast majority of humankind.

Step 1:
The Passover

Perhaps millions or even billions of years ago, God decided to bring forth creatures who would become His real sons and daughters. Beings who would come right out from Him, having His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), His very CHARACTER placed within them through the Holy Spirit.

They must not be merely created beings like the angels. They must have free moral agency—the capacity to “choose” between good and evil. And they must prove by a lifetime of overcoming that they would always choose God’s way, yield to Him, serve Him and NEVER turn aside as did Satan and one-third of the original angels (Revelation 12:4; cf. 1:20).

Therefore, God decided that He would create the human race in His own image—having His form and shape and certain God-like capabilities, such as genuine mind power, creative imagination, freedom of choice, etc. God would allow humanity to SIN—under the influence of the fallen archangel Lucifer who has now become Satan the Devil. He would allow humans to go their own way for the first 6,000 years of human history. They would write the lessons of life through human experience and suffering yet, for the most part, not really LEARN those lessons until such time as God chose to supernaturally “call” each individual to genuine understanding and repentance (John 6:44).

Since SIN in any form is rebellion against God, it is a truly horrible thing. And since God has decreed that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), God decided long ago that only the DEATH of His own Son, Jesus Christ, could truly atone for the awfulness of sin. “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love…. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:4, 7).

God told ancient Israel that the “life of the flesh is in the BLOOD” (Leviticus 17:11). So God planned that His own Son’s blood would be shed. Christ would be the ultimate Passover Lamb—reconciling all true Christians to God the Father. “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). And again, “Much more then, having now been justified by His BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9).

Weeks before they came to Mount Sinai and before the Old Covenant was even proposed, God told the people of Israel to set aside an unblemished male lamb (Exodus 12:3–6). This lamb was to be the “Passover lamb” and was to be slain on the eve of the 14th day of Abib—the first month of the year in God’s sacred calendar.

God had determined to destroy ALL the firstborn in Egypt because of Pharoah’s refusal to let His people go. But God told the Israelites that if they would obey Him and kill and eat the Passover lamb—putting some of its blood on their doorposts and lintels of their homes—then “when I see the blood, I will PASS OVER you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a MEMORIAL; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an EVERLASTING ordinance” (vv. 13–14).

So, more than 1,400 years ahead of time, God guided an entire nation of some three million people to preenact the awesome SACRIFICE that His own Son, Jesus Christ, would later make on behalf of all humanity. For the slaying of the Passover lamb directly portrays the sacrifice of Christ—the first step in God’s Plan to make human beings His full sons and daughters.

The Passover pictures the fact that we are “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had PASSED OVER the sins that were previously committed” (Romans 3:24–25).

Every true Christian is commanded by God to KEEP the Passover! It is to be observed once a year as God commanded—on the very night in which Jesus was delivered to be crucified. The Apostle Paul explains: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the SAME NIGHT in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

Notice that first comes the partaking of the bread. This pictures Christ’s body, which is “broken” for us (v. 24). God’s Word clearly shows that Jesus suffered a horrible beating or “scourging” just before He was crucified. The historians tell us that this Roman scourging was done with a leather whip in which were fastened sharp pieces of metal designed to cut and tear the flesh. Because of the violence of this scourging and resultant loss of blood, many condemned prisoners died of the scourging itself even before they could be crucified.

WHY did Jesus have to go through this awful beating?

About 700 years before it occurred, God inspired the prophet Isaiah to describe what would happen and why: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4–5).

By Jesus’ stripes we are HEALED! And it is more technically correct to translate the phrase, “He has borne our griefs” as, “He has borne our SICKNESSES.” In the New Testament, Matthew describes Jesus healing many people who were sick, and then cites this as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses'” (Matthew 8:16–17).

So when we eat the broken bread at Passover, we are reaffirming our acceptance of Christ’s broken body for our physical HEALING. Let us appreciate these vital symbols of our Savior’s sacrifice with deep humility, awe and FAITH in the Great God who made our physical healing and our spiritual forgiveness possible!

Next, at the Passover service, we should partake of red wine to symbolize the shed blood of Jesus Christ in full payment for our sins. It is important to understand that Christ is our CREATOR. Therefore, His life is worth more than all of ours put together. The Gospel of John tells us this about Jesus Christ: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made…. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:1–3, 10–11). So the Personality who had been with the Father from eternity “emptied” Himself (cf. Philippians 2:7, NRSV) of His divine glory and power and became our Savior. But in the beginning, it was Christ Himself who created mankind and all that is—acting, of course, for the Father. Ephesians 3 tells us that God “created ALL THINGS through Jesus Christ” (v. 9).

No wonder the Bible speaks of the “precious” blood of Jesus Christ! For His is the blood of the Great Being who acted for the Father in creating the vast heavens, the earth and all that is.

When we partake of the red wine symbolizing this awesome act of total humility on the part of our Creator, it should fill us with a deep sense of appreciation and WORSHIP toward our God and our Savior. If we have truly repented of our sins and accepted Christ as our Savior, we should have total FAITH that we have not been “redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19).

Step 2:
The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Through the Passover sacrifice of Christ we are justified, forgiven of our past sins and “made right” in relation to God. “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9). But even though we are now forgiven our past sins, how will we become “overcomers” and put sin completely out of our lives?

The Festival of Unleavened Bread provides the answer. And it pictures the next step in God’s Plan. Right after commanding the Passover, God told Moses: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance” (Exodus 12:15–17).

Notice! As the Festival of Unleavened Bread was the time when God delivered Israel from Egypt—a symbol or “type” of SIN—so the symbolism of this Festival pictures true Christians coming out of spiritual Egypt—SIN! Leaven itself, of course, is also a symbol of sin. For when Jesus wanted to warn the disciples about the treacherous, sinful teachings of the Pharisees, He said to them, “Take heed and beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees and the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6). Literal leaven causes bread to rise, to “puff up,” just as the attitude of sin—or self will—causes us to puff up and “do our own thing.” And leaven tends to spread itself through dough just as unchecked SIN tends to spread through the Church! Therefore the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians: “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:6–7).

Many nominal Christians believe that we are “saved” when our sins are forgiven. And, indeed, we are at that time saved from the death penalty incurred by our past sins. But we can still fall away and lose out on salvation (Hebrews 6:4–8; 10:26–31; 1 Corinthians 9:27). Salvation is a process. We are now “being saved” (1 Corinthians 1:18) and ultimately “shall be saved”—if we endure to the end (Matthew 24:13). Paul explains, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His LIFE” (Romans 5:10). If we observe just the Passover, we leave God’s plan incomplete. We leave Jesus hanging dead on the cross—end of story! Yet remember—our Savior rose again! And it is through His resurrected life that we shall be saved.

Jesus told His followers, “If you want to enter into [eternal] life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). He also told us to “repent” (Mark 1:15)—that is, turn completely away from sin and go the other way, the way of righteousness. In other words, God requires that we make a covenant with Him to put sin out of our lives—to stop breaking His spiritual law and start keeping it. And then He expects us to follow through.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Many will say this verse proves that we need not do anything more than receive God’s free gift—that we do not need to keep God’s law. But how shortsighted a point of view this is, when you consider the very next verse, in which Paul explained that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (v. 10). Indeed, our whole way of life must change from disobeying God to obeying Him. Of course, He knows that we will not succeed perfectly in this while still in the flesh (Romans 7:18, 24; 1 John 1:8–10). But He still requires that we grow in His character through a process of striving against and overcoming sin (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Revelation 2:11; 3:21; 21:7). Our past sinful life must be “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). We are baptized as a symbol of our old nature being figuratively buried with Christ, then raised from the “watery grave” of baptism as a symbolic “resurrection” to new life in Christ. That being so, we should from then on live according to His way. The Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures this process of living His way, putting sin out of our lives.

So Paul commanded the Gentile Church at Corinth: “Therefore let us KEEP THE FEAST [the Feast of Unleavened Bread!], not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Obviously, this is a New Testament command to KEEP the Feast of Unleavened Bread! And this command was given to a primarily Gentile Church—so there was not any “Judaism” here! In verse 7, Paul links the unleavened bread Festival with the Passover that immediately precedes it. For again, Passover deals with forgiveness of past sins whereas the Festival of Unleavened Bread deals with the “follow through”—the determination, with God’s help, to GROW in grace and in knowledge “to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

So how are Christians to keep this Feast? As it approaches each year, true followers of New Testament Christianity are to remove leavening (and bread products that are already leavened) from their homes and property. Then for seven days they are to eat no leaven. (Incidentally, there is nothing wrong with literal leaven itself. It is simply a symbol for sin during this Feast.) And as they go through this Festival, if they happen across some leaven in their homes that they had previously overlooked, they are to put that out as well (Exodus 13:7).

While they search about their property doing this “spring cleaning,” they should remember that, just as crumbs of leavened bread may fall into various nooks and crannies around their homes, so sin may be lurking in the hidden corners of their lives. Indeed, they may be quite surprised at some of the places they find leavening! Christians should be asking God to thoroughly clean them up and scrub them out spiritually—even showing them parts of their minds that they did not know were harboring sin.

For seven days—the number of perfection—true followers of New Testament Christianity are to put leaven out of their homes and off their property. They are to focus on getting completely RID of sin. They are to remind themselves through the observance of these God-commanded actions that they have a continuing responsibility before God to overcome themselves, the world and Satan the Devil. This is the true meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread!

Step 3:
Pentecost

As we have seen, each of God’s commanded Holy Days builds on the previous one in picturing for us the great Master Plan that God has in mind for humanity. Passover pictures our acceptance of Christ’s broken body and shed blood—our forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Unleavened Bread pictures the need to come out of sin and to grow in grace and in knowledge.

In describing how New Testament Christians can go above and beyond the carnal Israelites of old, the inspired writer of Hebrews tells us: “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it” (Hebrews 4:1–2). Through receiving the promised Holy Spirit, New Testament Christians can have genuine FAITH in God—far more fully understand His purpose—and be given a measure of God’s own character to help them overcome sin and grow in grace and in knowledge.

Speaking of the magnificent promises of God, Peter writes that “through these you may be partakers of the DIVINE NATURE” (2 Peter 1:4). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God places within us His very own nature—His divine character—as we walk with Him and grow spiritually. This is what enables us to genuinely overcome sin—in contrast to the ancient Israelites, who never received the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Coming soon after the Days of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Pentecost or Feast of “Firstfruits” (Exodus 34:22) reminds us that God is now calling only a small “firstfruits” spiritual harvest, but that He will bless this small harvest by EMPOWERING us with His Spirit so that we can overcome and grow spiritually even though living in “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4).

In commanding the Feast of Firstfruits to ancient Israel, God told the Israelites to bring a sheaf of the “firstfruits” of the spring grain harvest to the priest (Leviticus 23:10). He was to wave this sheaf—in a solemn ceremony—to be accepted by God and thus obtain God’s blessing on this spring harvest and spiritually depict the resurrected Christ being accepted by the Father as the “first of the firstfruits”—the first human to be actually born of God by a resurrection. The “waving ceremony” took place on the Sunday immediately following the weekly Sabbath during the days of Unleavened Bread (v. 11). If you compare Matthew 28:9 with John 20:17, you will see that Christ presented Himself to the Father after His resurrection the previous evening (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18).

The Israelites were to count 50 days beginning with this Sunday: “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your habitations two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord” (Leviticus 23:15–17). Pentecost literally means “50th.” By counting exactly 50 days from a designated Sunday, they would always end up a Sunday seven weeks later—but not, obviously, on any particular day of the month. If Pentecost had been commanded to be kept on a particular day of the month, the Bible would have clearly said so—and there would be no need to “count”!

Then, on the day of Pentecost or “Firstfruits,” they were to offer two “wave loaves.” It was stated that these wave loaves “are the FIRSTFRUITS to the Lord” (v. 17). These “firstfruit” loaves evidently pictured both the Old Testament and New Testament people of God—since even the Old Testament prophets had the Holy Spirit of God (cf. 1 Peter 1:10–11).

Again, one of the lessons of the “firstfruits” is that God is only calling out a small number of people—the “firstfruits”—in this age. As we have stated, the early spring harvest in Israel was a small harvest compared to the major harvest that came in the autumn.

So it is today spiritually. Jesus Christ said: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are FEW who find it” (Matthew 7:13–14). And John reports Christ’s powerful warning: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day…. And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father'” (John 6:44, 65).

Strange as it may seem to millions of “mainstream” Christians who have been taught that God is trying to “save” the world now, the true God of the Bible is trying to do no such thing! If He were, then the vast BILLIONS of human beings who have lived for millennia in India, China, Africa and elsewhere would have been “called” to Christianity. But the vast majority of them lived and died never hearing the name of Christ!

The Feast of Pentecost or “Firstfruits” reminds us, year by year that those few called out of this world today are only the “firstfruits” and that a FAR LARGER harvest of souls will occur later—as we shall see. And as we read of the “outpouring” of the Holy Spirit on the first New Testament Day of Pentecost, we can be inspired that though small in number—we “called out ones” today have the POWER of the Holy Spirit to do the Work of God, as well as overcome ourselves with help never before given to human beings.

For the inspired Peter proclaimed: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38–39). Then we read Paul’s inspired words in Romans 5: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (v. 5).

And what kind of love is this poured out by the Holy Spirit? The Apostle John clearly stated, “For this is the love of God, that we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Through the Holy Spirit, we receive the spiritual love of God—the kind of love we must have to fulfill God’s great spiritual law, the Ten Commandments, and build the very character of God. Yearly, the Day of Pentecost reminds us of our unique calling and of the strength we are given through God’s Spirit to make our “calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10).

The Holy Days — God's Master Plan

* Passover		Feast of Unleavened Bread	Day of Pentecost	Feast of Trumpets
Old Testament meaning
A lamb was sacrificed and its blood placed around the doors of Israelite houses in Egypt, which God "passed over" when slaying the Egyptian firstborn. (Leviticus 23:5)		A seven-day festival during which leavening (such as yeast, which causes bread to rise when baking) is put out of dwellings and is not eaten. (Leviticus 23:6-14)	A day celebrating the gathering in of the first and smaller of the two annual harvests; observed 50 days from a fixed point in the previous Feast. (Leviticus 23:15-22)	Called Rosh Hashana by the Jews; a day of rejoicing marked by the blowing of trumpets. (Leviticus 23:23-25)
New Testament meaning
Pictures Jesus Christ's shedding His blood for the sins of mankind.		Pictures the Christian's duty to "put out sin" from a life yielded to Jesus Christ.	Pictures the Christian's receiving God's Holy Spirit.	Pictures a time of war and plagues, concluding with Jesus Christ's Second Coming.
2007	Apr 2	Apr 3 - 9	May 27	Sep 13
2008	Apr 19	Apr 20 - 26	Jun 8	Sep 30
2009	Apr 8	Apr 9 - 15	May 31	Sep 19
2010	Mar 29	Mar 30 - Apr 5	May 23	Sep 9
2011	Apr 18	Apr 19 - 25	June 12	Sep 29
2012	Apr 6	Apr 7 - 13	May 27	Sep 17
2013	Mar 25	Mar 26 - Apr 1	May 19	Sep 5
2014	Apr 14	Apr 15 -21	June 8	Sep 25
2015	Apr 3	Apr 4 - 10	May 24	Sep 14
2016	Apr 22	Apr 23 - 29	June 12	Oct 3
2017	Apr 10	Apr 11 - 17	June 4	Sept 21
2018	Mar 30	Mar 31 - Apr 6	May 20	Sept 10
2019	Apr 19	Apr 20 - 26	Jun 9	Sept 30
2020	Apr 8	Apr 9 - 15	May 31	Sept 19
2021	Mar 27	Mar 28 - Apr 3	May 16	Sept 7

(continuation)

Day of Atonement		Feast of Tabernacles	Last Great Day
Old Testament meaning
A day of fasting and repentance, known to the Jews as Yom Kippur (Leviticus 23:26-32)		A seven-day celebration of the great fall harvest, observed by living in temporary dwellings for the duration of the Feast. (Leviticus 23:33-43)	Adjacent to the Feast of Tabernacles, this eighth day is considered a separate Feast. (Leviticus 23:36, 39)
New Testament meaning
Pictures the binding of Satan at the beginning of the Millennium and the world becoming at one with God.		Pictures the Millennium, when the earth will be ruled by Jesus Christ and His saints.	Pictures the coming "Great White Throne Judgment" at which all of humanity not previously called will have the chance to hear the True Gospel and accept salvation.
2007	Sep 22	Sep 27 - Oct 3	Oct 4
2008	Oct 9	Oct 14 - 20	Oct 21
2009	Sep 28	Oct 3 - 9	Oct 10
2010	Sep 18	Sep 23 - 29	Sep 30
2011	Oct 8	Oct 13 - 19	Oct 20
2012	Sep 26	Oct 1 - 7	Oct 8
2013	Sep 14	Sep 19 - 25	Sep 26
2014	Oct 4	Oct 9 -15	Oct 16
2015	Sep 23	Sep 28 - Oct 4	Oct 5
2016	Oct 12	Oct 17 - 23	Oct 24
2017	Sept 30	Oct 5 - 11	Oct 12
2018	Sept 19	Sept 24 - 30	Oct 1
2019	Oct 9	Oct 14 - 20	Oct 21
2020	Sept 28	Oct 3 - 9	Oct 10
2021	Sept 16	Sept 21 - 27	Sept 28

* Observed the previous evening after sunset

Step 4:
The Feast of Trumpets

The first three of God’s commanded Festivals come in the spring. They all picture spiritual aspects of the Plan of God. The last four Festivals all fall in the seventh month—the month of finality or completion—and picture the completion of God’s plan on earth.

The Feast of Trumpets occurs on the very first day of the seventh month of God’s sacred calendar. It ushers in the final events of God’s Plan. It pictures the MASSIVE intervention of God in human affairs—climaxing in the Second Coming of Christ as King of kings. Notice God’s original command to ancient Israel: “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of TRUMPETS, a holy convocation'” (Leviticus 23:24).

In Israel, the blowing of trumpets was used as a signal for the people to assemble, to take some action—or as an alarm of WAR (Numbers 10:1–10). Therefore, being placed as it is just before the final events of this age, the Feast of Trumpets clearly signifies the soon-coming time of world upheaval, chaos and war that virtually all the prophecies of the Bible show will immediately precede Christ’s return.

It should be noted that trumpets were also used to herald the coronation of a new king, as in the case of Israel’s King Solomon (1 Kings 1:34, 39). And the peaceful rule of Solomon, following the wars of his father David, was a type of the coming rule of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Kings 4:25; 1 Chronicles 28:5).

This evil age of human self-rule will end with the human race standing on the very threshold of mass extinction. Indeed, the Bible has much to say about a terrible World War to come that will engulf the whole earth in the near future. To learn about this horrific time called the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21) and the circumstances that will bring it about, please write for our informative booklets, The Beast of Revelation and What’s Ahead for America and Britain? Both are available free of charge.

Thankfully—before it is all over—God’s intervention will prevent humanity from utterly destroying itself (v. 22). For then the day of man will be over—and the Day of the Lord will commence. Yet it will not begin with peace and joy for everyone. Rather, the Almighty will have to enforce peace upon rebellious humanity—by first breaking its stubborn will. Thus, our Creator will intervene to show HIS POWER and remind a wayward civilization that HE is the ultimate RULER of heaven and earth.

Notice Joel’s inspired prophecy: “Blow the TRUMPET in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand” (Joel 2:1). So the blowing of trumpets here sounds an “alarm” that the prophesied “Day of the Lord is at hand”!

Picturing the time when the Israelites are released from captivity at Christ’s Second Coming and are brought back to the land of Israel, the Prophet Isaiah proclaimed: “So it shall be in that day that the great TRUMPET will be blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem” (Isaiah 27:13).

Of course, the “trumpet plagues” are described in Revelation 8 and 9. Coming after the Great Tribulation, these awesome plagues will literally SHAKE this earth like nothing ever has before. At a time when the prophesied Beast and False Prophet (cf. Revelation 13:15–18) have just destroyed millions of lives with awesome technological weapons of war, then the great God intervenes to show HIS POWER and remind a rebellious civilization that He is the ultimate RULER of heaven and earth. “So the seven angels who had the SEVEN TRUMPETS prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up” (8:6–7).

Finally, the Living Jesus Christ supernaturally intervenes to SAVE a rebellious humanity and to bring genuine PEACE to the world. “Then the seventh angel sounded: and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'” (11:15).

So Christ will return at the seventh trump! “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a TRUMPET, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29–31).

What is the significance of Christ sending angels to gather His elect at this time? As the Apostle Paul wrote regarding Christ’s return at the last trumpet: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). But notice what he further stated: “For since by man [Adam] came death, by Man [Christ] also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits [i.e. the first of the firstfruits], afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming [i.e. the rest of the firstfruits]” (vv. 21–23). And when will it all happen? Paul wrote: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST TRUMPET. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (vv. 51–52). Perhaps there is nothing more encouraging than this amazing fact.

Can we picture a great blinding LIGHT so radiant that humans cannot even look at it? That is how the risen Christ’s face will look as He returns in GLORY. Can we picture a massive TRUMPET BLAST literally SHAKING the earth and Christ returning as King of kings? Can we picture the true saints of God rising to meet Christ in the air and then descending with Him to the Mount of Olives to join Him in RULING this rebellious planet? (cf. Zechariah 14:1–4, 9; Revelation 2:26–27).

All of these things will occur at the seventh trumpet! For although the Feast of Trumpets pictures the horrifying upsets and WARS and PLAGUES at the end of this human civilization, it also pictures the glorious DIVINE INTERVENTION of the Creator God who will finally restore order and bring genuine PEACE and JOY to a chastened humanity that is finally ready to “listen” to God and follow His righteous ways.

Step 5:
The Day of Atonement

Following the enormous “shaking” of the nations and Christ’s return in mighty power, the next step in God’s Master Plan is for the peoples of the earth to become “at one” with God. Then they can willingly learn God’s ways and be blessed.

But today, the nations are rebelling against God and His ways because they have been DECEIVED. In His wisdom and infinite mercy, God has made all human beings free moral agents. He knew that mankind would desperately want to try to do things his own way before finally learning that GOD’S way is right. Therefore, God has allowed humanity to be deceived—to be mainly “cut off” from God through these past 6,000 years of human history.

In His revealed Word, God clearly tells us that Satan the Devil is the “god” of this present world, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). Again, Paul was inspired to write: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1–2).

Satan the Devil, the “prince of this world,” as Jesus called him (John 14:30, KJV), is working overtime to deceive humanity. Being the “prince of the power of the air,” Satan “broadcasts”—just like radio and television. But he spiritually broadcasts wrong attitudes and ideas. He makes mankind feel that God is either “dead” or that He is not “real,” that He is an ethereal God, a “blind force” way off somewhere and, always, that mankind does NOT need to obey God’s law and literally follow His ways, the Ten Commandments and keep holy His weekly Sabbaths and annual Festivals like Christ and the original Apostles did do—setting us an example.

The beloved Apostle John wrote: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9).

The Apostle Peter was inspired to warn us: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a ROARING LION, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8–9).

Therefore, at the beginning of Christ’s reign—IF there is to be genuine peace and a right spirit among men—Satan the Devil must be banished! Notice the commandment regarding the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 23:27–28: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.” This day was to be a “statute” FOREVER to the people of God. As we have seen, even the Apostle to the Gentiles was obviously KEEPING the Day of Atonement in a Roman prison ship in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea—years after everything was supposed to have been nailed to the cross! (Acts 27:9).

A very clear indication of the real meaning of Atonement is given in Leviticus 16. Here we find an Old Testament ritual wherein two goats were to be presented before the High Priest. In Israel, “casting lots” was an appeal to GOD to decide a matter. So Aaron was to “cast lots” to find what each of these goats represented (Leviticus 16:8). One was to represent “the Lord”—the God of Israel who later emptied Himself and became our Savior (1 Corinthians 10:4). The other goat was to represent Azazel, which is a term—as many Hebrew references explain—for the “adversary,” Satan the Devil!

The goat representing the “Lord” was to DIE. God told Aaron to “offer it as a SIN offering” (Leviticus 16:9) just as Jesus Christ gave His life for our sins. But regarding the “adversary goat,” God commanded: “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the INIQUITIES of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness” (vv. 21–22). Then the man who led this goat symbolizing Satan into the “wilderness” was to bathe his body and even his clothing (v. 26) for, symbolically, he had come into direct contact with the very embodiment of evil—Satan the Devil!

He had been used to separate Satan from the people of God. He had led the “adversary” goat to a wilderness—FAR AWAY—where he (Satan symbolically) could not hurt or deceive God’s people anymore!

When was this ceremony to be carried out? “This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month” (v. 29). Though the ancient Israelites understood that this ceremony was to be part of the observance of the Day of Atonement, very few grasped the real spiritual meaning this should have for New Testament Christians. For how could they, since they were blinded even to the meaning of the first goat—the Messiah—when He came to this earth to die for their sins?

Yet the New Testament shows that this is exactly what happens when Christ returns. Jesus’ return as King of kings is described in Revelation 19:11–21. Then, in Revelation 20, we read that a mighty angel is appointed to remove Satan. “He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while” (vv. 2–3). Clearly Satan—the “Azazel” or adversary—is CUT OFF from humanity so he is unable to DECEIVE mankind during the one thousand year reign of Christ!

That is why humanity will quickly become “at one” with God’s ways—NO MORE SATANIC INFLUENCE. That is why, during the glorious reign of Christ, “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 11:9).

And Isaiah further explains how at the time the blindness of humanity is fully removed, “He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken” (25:7–8). So with “Satan’s Broadcasting System” shut down and the BLINDNESS of humanity removed, man can indeed become “at one” with God. For Christ will have paid our part in our sins, but Satan the Devil will certainly be utterly banished to a symbolic “wilderness” or “bottomless pit” and be restrained and held in this kind of a prison for his part in our sins.

God is just! He will place on Satan’s own head the enormous GUILT he bears for stirring up mankind against God, for DECEIVING humanity into thinking God is “unfair” and that His laws and righteous ways are not good. Finally, again, humanity will learn to APPRECIATE God and His ways, to genuinely LOVE and WORSHIP the true God of the Bible. For at this point, the “atonement” for humanity’s sins will be complete.

Step 6:
The Feast of Tabernacles

After Satan is put away, the next stage of God’s Plan is the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ as King of kings. This involves Christ and the resurrected saints teaching ALL of humanity the ways of God. It involves the MASSIVE “fall harvest” of saints—the time when everyone then living will finally learn the ways of God and have full opportunity—without Satan’s deceptions—to serve and obey the Creator.

In Leviticus 23:34, God commanded this Festival to ancient Israel, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord.'” So the Feast of Tabernacles was to last seven days. It pictures the seventh millennial day or 1,000-year period of human history—coming just ahead of us. In Leviticus 23, it is called the Feast of Tabernacles or “booths”—to remind Israel that they were “sojourners” in the land. Spiritually it reminds Christians that we are—as our father Abraham—”strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13) looking forward to the Kingdom of God.

But in Exodus 23 we find an autumn Festival described as “the Feast of INGATHERING, which is at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field” (v. 16). So it also pictures and celebrates the great fall harvest in Israel—picturing for Christians the great spiritual harvest of souls to be reaped during the one thousand year reign of Christ!

As we have already seen, at that time the earth will become “full of the knowledge of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:9). And “they shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.” There will be an outpouring of peace and JOY such as the world has never experienced: “No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain JOY and GLADNESS, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (35:9–10).

The inspired Peter called this period the “times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of ALL His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). Indeed, literally scores of prophecies throughout the Old and New Testaments speak of the time of Christ’s return, of all the world coming to understand, and of genuine peace and safety permeating the earth because humanity will be learning God’s righteous LAWS and practicing His entire way of life:

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the LAW, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:2–4).

When the modern Israelites return from their end-time captivity: “They shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations…. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; EVERLASTING JOY shall be theirs” (Isaiah 61:4, 7).

The millennial reign of Christ is definitely the time prophesied by Jeremiah: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put MY LAW in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jeremiah 31:31–33).

For God’s magnificent spiritual law, the Ten Commandments, has NEVER been done away! But they have been “magnified” by Jesus Christ and made even more binding, so that we are to keep, not only the letter but the spiritual intent of God’s law. So we do not merely refrain from murder, we refrain from enmity and hate and the attitude of murder (Matthew 5:21–22). We are taught not only to forsake adultery, but not even to “look on” a woman to lust after her! (vv. 27–28).

During the Millennium, God’s laws are to be written in the hearts and minds of His people all over the earth. For God’s laws expresses His very CHARACTER—the character He demands that we develop in order to be kings and priests forever in His Kingdom! This blessing will be afforded ALL MANKIND during the wonderful “Feast of Ingathering,” the 1,000-year reign of Christ here on this earth. Revelation 20 tells us: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (v. 6).

So all true Christians should be preparing NOW to learn and PRACTICE God’s laws and His way of life so that they will be able to TEACH these things to others in Christ’s soon-coming world government. The inspired Apostle Paul admonishes true Christians: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” (1 Corinthians 6:2–3).

Will just the “true Christians” or the Israelites observe the Feast of Tabernacles? Notice Zechariah 14:1–4: “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.” Then read verse 9, “And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—’The Lord is one,’ and His name one.” And read verses 16–19, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of ALL the nations that do not come up to KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.”

The above verses should make it very clear that ALL nations will learn to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in a very few years under the immediate direction of Jesus Christ. Even the Egyptians, who may at first have resentments against anything “Jewish,” will, learn to OBSERVE the Feast of Tabernacles—and ALL of God’s commanded Festivals.

Step 7:
The Last Great Day

Is this the ONLY day of salvation? The overwhelming majority of ministers, priests and “mainstream” Christians would resoundingly answer “YES.”

But these same people utterly fail to realize the depth, breadth and width of the massive DECEPTION Satan the Devil has perpetrated on a confused humanity. As we have seen, the Bible clearly says that Satan “deceives the WHOLE WORLD” (Revelation 12:9). Again, Satan is the “god” of this present age (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). People generally follow Satan’s ways—not God’s.

The Last Great Day pictures the amazing truth that God is NOT TRYING to save the world now! If the great GOD who made the universe were actually “trying” to save humanity, He would succeed. The BILLIONS of people in Asia, Africa and elsewhere would all become good Christians in short order! Yet the fact is that the OVERWHELMING majority of people throughout human history have NEVER subscribed to—or even been exposed to—any form of Christianity. And so it remains until this very day!

What is the REAL answer to this dilemma?

First of all, the Son of God stated plainly: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber…. Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep'” (John 10:1, 7). And He inspired the Apostle Peter to declare about Himself: “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11–12). So you either accept Christ—the TRUE Christ of the Bible—or you do not. And if you truly accept Christ as your Savior AND your Lord, you will surrender to Him and let Him rule your life. As Christ commanded, you will keep the Ten Commandments as a way of life (Matthew 19:17) You will let Christ live His Obedient life in you through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20). And if you do not, you are NOT a Christian and you yourself may be BLINDED. It is just that simple.

The overwhelming majority of mankind has been BLINDED to the knowledge of the true God and the true Christ. And yet again, God’s inspired Word tells us, “For there is NO RESPECT of persons with God” (Romans 2:11, KJV). And the Apostle Peter stated, when God began to call a few Gentiles to repentance, “Of a truth I perceive that God is NO RESPECTER of persons” (Acts 10:34, KJV).

Is God contradicting Himself? Of course not! For God has NEVER said that He is trying save everyone “now”! God has said, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). It is God’s will that ALL “come to repentance”—but they certainly HAVE NOT done so in this age! Notice also how the Apostle Paul speaks of “God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3–4).

It is simply a matter of TIMING.

For in God’s time—as we shall see—all humans who have EVER lived will be given a real understanding of God’s Master Plan and Purpose, and the vast majority will ACCEPT God’s Truth once their eyes are fully opened. No, it is NOT a “second chance” as some would like to protest. It will be the first genuine opportunity for these people to come to understand the true God and the true Jesus Christ and Their great PURPOSE!

The Bible speaks time and again about a time of “judgment” for ALL humanity. And as used, the term “judgment” does NOT usually mean condemnation but, rather, a time of decision—a time of trial and testing (cf. 1 Peter 4:17). Notice Jesus Christ’s own statements to those cities of His own day who REJECTED Him and His teaching: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the DAY OF JUDGMENT than for you” (Matthew 11:21–22).

The pagan cities who NEVER HEARD of Christ will have a “more tolerable” opportunity in the coming day of judgment. Notice how even the city of Sodom was included in this category: “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you” (v. 24).

If God judges these people by the same standard as others—which the Bible clearly indicates that He will—then the ancient pagans would have NO CHANCE for eternal life because they clearly did NOT accept Christ as their Savior or obey God’s ways. Again, the ONLY answer is that they will—in a coming judgment period—be given the opportunity to really understand God’s great PURPOSE, to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and then—at that time—to be “judged” by how they respond based on this genuine FIRST OPPORTUNITY for salvation.

But does the Bible indicate that such a time is coming?

Yes, it does! For in Revelation 20, after describing the Millennium and the short period after the Millennium, when Satan is released for a “little while” (v. 3), God goes on to describe a time of “judgment” for the dead people who died before the Millennium began and had never been converted. After describing a great “white throne,” notice what the Apostle John wrote under inspiration: “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works” (vv. 12–13).

When these dead people are seen “standing,” this involves a resurrection! And notice that verse 12 also says that the “books” were opened. The Greek word biblia, from which the word “Bible” is normally translated, is used here. So these people—for the first time—have their minds and hearts opened to the Bible. They also have opportunity to obtain salvation—to have their names written in the “Book of Life.” In this “Great White Throne Judgment Period,” they are truly being “called.” Satan is once again banished. Their minds are now opened to real understanding. In this judgment period, even the inhabitants of Sodom and hundreds of other pagan or deceived cities of the past, may have a better opportunity than some who lived at the time of Christ. For these ancient pagans never before understood virtually ANYTHING about the true God or His ways. They were NOT responsible for being “blinded”!

Countless millions of these men and women of past ages may zealously grasp on to the Truth when they fully understand. They may become better Christians—better servants of God—than many of us who sometimes take God’s precious Truth for granted and are not as zealous as we should be.

How clear!

God will resurrect the countless millions who lived and died long before Christ came and brought the full understanding of salvation. Additional BILLIONS who have lived and died since Jesus Christ, or who now live but are BLINDED to the knowledge of the true God and His purpose—all these will be brought to REAL understanding and repentance! They will be given God’s Holy Spirit—the very nature and character of GOD that will be imparted to them after real repentance and baptism—just as it is to us today. Then they, too, will have an opportunity for some years to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

They will have an opportunity for full salvation—eternal life in the very Kingdom and Family of GOD. It is only a matter that the TIME of their “calling” is later than many of ours—but it is SURE to come!

Then, finally, every single human being who has EVER drawn breath will have had a genuine opportunity for salvation! And so the SEVENTH of God’s Holy Days, the mysterious “eighth day” coming immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles—but as a separate Festival (Leviticus 23:36)—pictures this wonderful time soon after the Millennium when ALL humanity will finally be given an opportunity to understand the Truth.

This is obviously the time Jesus was referring to in John 7: “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'” (vv. 37–38). For in the Great White Throne Judgment “anyone”—EVERYONE who has every lived—will finally have his or her eyes opened and be given the opportunity to respond to God and to receive His Holy Spirit.

With this seventh God-commanded Festival, the picture of God’s Plan is now COMPLETE. In realizing the marvelous wisdom and mercy of God in all of His Plan, we may truly say with the Apostle Paul in Romans 11:32–33: “For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

Conclusion:
FOLLOW God’s Plan!

If the Living God is opening your mind to His Truth, then you have the responsibility to act on it (James 1:22; 4:17). And to help you in doing so, please be informed that the Living Church of God—which sponsors this booklet and the Tomorrow’s World magazine and telecast—has ordained ministers and local congregations or video groups throughout the world. They meet together for worship regularly each Sabbath and on the annual Holy Days as well.

If you are interested in observing these days with us, please write or phone the Living Church of God office nearest you. All of our office addresses and phone numbers are listed at the end of this booklet. Be assured that no one will call on you unless you request it. If you desire, one of our representatives will set up an appointment at a time and place convenient for you. You will NOT be pressured to “join” anything. In fact, our minister or local representative may suggest that you do further reading, take your time and be sure that you truly want to live by every word of God.

Then, once you do start attending services with God’s people and truly observing His weekly and annual Sabbaths, you can expect to be amazed at how spiritually uplifted you will feel.

Attending services, hearing God’s Truth spoken each week and having the opportunity to fellowship with happy, forward-looking people of like faith will truly be a delight. In all of this, you will be a spiritual “pioneer.” You will have shown your Creator that you are willing to “step out in faith” to obey His inspired Word in spite of possible obstacles and opposition.

In so doing, you will be preparing for the first resurrection, the “better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35). And if you stand firm in this way of life you will, in the end, hear these encouraging words from Jesus Christ: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you RULER over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21).

We hope to hear from you soon.

Booklet Category

Christian Living

Doctrine

God

The Bible: Fact or Fiction?

4uwzvo — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 16:42:44 +0000

The Bible: Fact or Fiction? 4uwzvo Tue, 03/01/2022 - 16:42

The Bible: Fact or Fiction?

Douglas S. Winnail

Booklet Media

#Bible

#Christianity

#God

Is the Bible just a collection of myths and legends, or is it the inspired word of God? Many assume that modern scholarship has discredited the Bible, but the facts of history — and the discoveries of archaeology — confirm its contents to be true! The Bible recounts the past with amazing accuracy — and it predicts the future like no other book! Most of the world has been misled and misinformed about the Bible. You need to understand the truth — and how it can affect your life!

Chapter 1
What Do You Believe About the Bible?

Is the Bible really the inspired word of God? Was it accurately preserved for thousands of years as a unique revelation from the Creator of the universe? Or is it just a collection of humanly devised myths and fables? Do we even have the right books in the Bible, or are important sources missing that would change our view of God, Jesus Christ and Christianity? Can we trust Scripture? Is the Bible vital and relevant today?

Discovering the truth about the Bible could prove to be one of the most important and exciting adventures you have ever embarked upon. Although critics attack the Bible, and preachers ignore or gloss over many of its teachings, the Bible contains a dimension of knowledge that is almost totally missing from our modern world. The Bible reveals the true purpose of life. Bible prophecies not only foretold the rise and fall of ancient nations; they also explain the real significance of world events making headlines today and where those events are heading. In spite of what millions have been led to believe, the Bible is much more than a pious devotional book or an incense-shrouded source of comfort for the troubled and bereaved!

Today, many educated people assume that science and modern scholarship have thoroughly discredited the Bible. This assumption thrives because so many know so little about the Bible. Many people today are simply unaware of discoveries that continue to confirm the historical accuracy of Scripture. Instead, people are encouraged to believe that all religions are equally credible—or equally fanciful—without ever comparing the sourcebooks of those religions. As a result, millions are unaware of how the Bible is unique, and what amazing features distinguish it from all other religious books.

Before you accept the idea that the Bible is “just like any other book,” you need to examine the evidence for yourself. That evidence is eye–opening and extremely informative, and it could change your life! You need to understand why so many today doubt the Bible’s credibility, and what the truth about the Bible can mean to your future.

A Change in Attitude

For thousands of years, Jews and Christians believed, and died for believing, that the Bible was the inspired word of an Almighty God. Down through the ages, antagonists and skeptics have challenged, attacked and ridiculed the Bible. Popes and pagan Roman emperors attempted to destroy Scripture, and even altered its words. Yet, during these same turbulent centuries, the Bible was carefully preserved and its message spread in remarkable ways!

The Bible is surely the most influential book ever written. It has been translated into more languages than any other piece of literature. More than two billion people alive today embrace, at least nominally, its teachings. Even so, many do not realize how profoundly the Bible has influenced the course of all Western civilization. Millions do not understand that biblical laws and teachings provided the basis for social values and legal systems throughout the Western world for centuries. Sir Isaac Newton, one of the most brilliant minds of his century, remarked, “There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history.” Britain’s Queen Victoria said of the Bible, “That book accounts for the supremacy of England.” U.S. president Andrew Jackson stated, “That book, sir, is the rock on which our republic stands.” U.S. president George Washington commented, “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible.” France’s Napoleon observed, “The Bible is no mere book, but a Living Creature, with a power that conquers all who oppose it” (Halley’s Bible Handbook, pp. 18–19).

Yet much has changed since these statements were made. Today, Bibles can be found in far-flung corners of the globe. But in Western nations founded on biblical principles, there has been a steep decline in respect for the Bible. There is a pervading notion that the Bible is just another book, and that its teachings are archaic, outdated and irrelevant to our modern lives. Many seriously doubt that God inspired Scripture. Millions who live in nations that once learned to read from the Bible, and sent Bible-toting missionaries around the world, cannot even name books in the Bible or explain basic biblical doctrines. Surveys done in recent decades show that even many professing Christians have little real knowledge about the Bible. Coinage in the U.S. proclaims, “In God We Trust.” Yet recent legislation and judicial decisions have made it illegal in the U.S. to display the Ten Commandments in public buildings, or for students to pray in school!

What has produced such a profound shift in attitudes toward the Bible in the very nations that once professed strong belief in Scripture? Why do millions now doubt that God inspired the Bible? Why are billions searching everywhere else for answers found clearly in the Bible? Why do people fail to recognize that the Bible contains prophecies clearly revealing the course of world history, and even the future of specific nations? Why have modern generations chosen to ignore a book that reveals essential details about the future and explains the way to peace and the ultimate purpose for human existence? Why has such vital information remained hidden from so many today?

The answers to these important questions read like a novel laced with danger, intrigue and adventure. You will be surprised by information about the Bible that is readily available, yet has largely gone unappreciated or been ignored. You will be shocked to learn how power-seeking religious leaders have twisted Scripture to support misguided and anti-biblical doctrines.

The more you learn about Scripture, the more you will realize that you can believe the Bible, because it has been inspired and preserved by a real God who is alive today! The Bible is firmly based on the facts of history, not on myth and fiction. The evidence presented in this booklet will make this clear.

The Challenge of Scripture

Many today assume that to believe the Bible, you must ignore the facts of science and history and just proceed on “blind faith.” Some believers relish the old saying, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it”—but this does not fit well with the skepticism that dominates our age. Others want to ignore what Scripture plainly states, and invent ways to “harmonize” the Bible with modern preferences. Many theologians teach that the Bible is only authoritative when it speaks of broad spiritual principles, and suggest that details of science or history in Scripture are merely the untrustworthy additions of human writers.

This desire to accommodate the Bible to the modern world is reflected in an October 2005 document issued by Roman Catholic bishops from England, Scotland and Wales. In “The Gift of Scripture,” the bishops warned that while they consider the Bible true in passages regarding salvation, “we should not expect total accuracy from the Bible in other matters… We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical accuracy.” Even so, the bishops profess respect for Scripture, telling their flock: “We have rediscovered the Bible as a precious treasure, both ancient and ever new.” These double-minded statements reflect the mindset of many theologians today, who say they respect the Bible but deny its authority. When religious leaders urge people to believe in a book that cannot be trusted on many topics, it is not surprising that church attendance in many countries has fallen off dramatically in recent decades.

The plain teachings of the Bible, however, stand in striking contrast to what many religious leaders preach today. The Apostle Paul did not encourage first century Christians to “just believe” in Jesus and merely accept the teachings of the Bible and Christianity “on faith.” Instead, he told his audiences, “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Paul urged people to check into the facts and believe what they could prove to be true! His admonition reflects Old Testament passages where God challenged the ancient Israelites to “prove Me now… if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:8–10, KJV). God urged Israel to put His promises to the test, and promised that He would bless them, to prove that He was real and that His promises were true! Paul knew that true religious belief involves evidence, assurance and certainty, not “blind faith.” He wrote that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). According to the Bible, faith should rest on solid evidence, not just warm, fuzzy, emotional feelings in your heart. You should never believe something in spite of the facts, and that includes believing in the authenticity and authority of the Bible!

The Apostle Peter emphasized the credibility of Scripture and of the Christian message when he wrote: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). Peter also warned his readers to “be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets” because “scoffers will come in the last days” questioning and ridiculing Scripture, “saying, ‘where is the promise of His coming?'” (2 Peter 3:1–9). Peter challenged prevailing misconceptions about Scripture; he did not try to water down fundamental scriptural teaching.

The Bible clearly reveals that the apostolic writers were advocates of Scripture, and of the teachings of the Christian faith! They knew that they were preaching the truth! Their approach followed the example of their teacher, Jesus Christ. The New Testament shows that Christ’s manner of preaching surprised His audiences. “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28–29).

The contents of Scripture can be verified by the facts of history and the discoveries of modern science and archaeology. What is more, the Bible provides answers to life’s big questions. Not only do the hundreds of detailed Bible prophecies accurately reveal the future course of world events; they set the Bible apart from all other religious books! The Bible provides a dimension of knowledge that is simply not available from any other source.

With so much evidence available, the real question that we face today is simply whether or not we can believe the Bible. As you read this booklet, you will see that the answer is, “Yes, we can!”

Chapter 2
Prophecy: The Bible’s Unique Dimension

Many assume that all religions are equally credible, that religious people all worship the same God and that the holy books of various religions are of equal value. Yet nothing could be further from the truth! Scholars confidently claim that no one can predict the future with assurance—and that only fools try! However, these assertions overlook or ignore the incredible phenomenon of Bible prophecy, which distinguishes the Bible from any other book that has ever been written.

The God of the Bible claims that He can predict the future and bring it to pass! The Bible contains hundreds of prophecies that have come true, and are confirmed by history. The Bible also contains dozens of prophecies that are coming alive today! Bible prophecies explain the real significance of global events making headlines today. Bible prophecies also reveal what is ahead for major nations of our modern world—and for the human race! No other book, religious or secular, does this with such accuracy and detail! Prophecy is clearly the Bible’s most striking feature!

Notice this amazing statement by Dr. Gleason Archer, a renowned Old Testament scholar: “The Holy Bible is like no other book in all the world. It is the only book which represents itself as the written revelation of the one true God, intended for the salvation of man, and demonstrating its divine authority by many infallible proofs. Other religious documents, such as the Muhammadan Koran, may claim to be the very word of God, but they contain no such self-authenticating proofs as does the Bible (for example, the phenomena of fulfilled prophecy)” (A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Archer, p. 9).

Another authoritative source notes: “One of the strongest evidences that the Bible is inspired by God is its predictive prophecy. Unlike any other book, the Bible offers a multitude of specific predictions—some hundreds of years in advance—that have been literally fulfilled or else point to a definite future time when they will come true” (Geisler, p. 609). Old Testament professor Milton C. Fisher recognizes a “sharp distinction between prophetism in Israel and the outwardly similar phenomenon in surrounding cultures… both the type of message and the writings of Israel’s prophets is without parallel” (The Origin of the Bible, Bruce, pp. 105–106). Another scholar has noted that “the Bible… is the most remarkable volume that has ever been produced in some five thousand years… it is the only volume that has ever been produced by men, or a group of men, in which is to be found a large body of prophecies relating to individual nations, to Israel, to all the peoples of the earth, to certain cities, and to the coming One who was to be the Messiah. The ancient world had many different devices for determining the future, known as divination, but not in the entire gamut of Greek and Latin literature… can we find any real specific prophecy of a great historic event to come in the distant future, nor any prophecy of a Savior to arise in the human race” (Evidence That Demands a Verdict, McDowell, p. 22). These are absolutely remarkable statements that clearly recognize the unique nature of Bible prophecy!

The Challenge of Prophecy

Being able to predict the future accurately and consistently is simply not a human trait. Even the best strategic planners acknowledge that detailed prediction of future events—especially geopolitical events—is difficult in the short term, and practically impossible in the long term, at least at any level of detail. Yet the Bible repeatedly predicts the rise and fall of prominent individuals, nations and empires with amazing accuracy and in remarkable detail! Bible scholars have determined that more than one quarter of the Bible—about 27 percent—is devoted to prophecy, and that the Bible contains more than 1,800 predictions, many of which are very specific. Hundreds of specific prophecies, given centuries before their exact fulfillment, are undeniable evidence that an all-powerful God is alive and in control of future events!

Scripture makes this plain when the God of the Bible challenges skeptics to predict the future and bring it to pass! Through the pen of the prophet Isaiah, God thunders: “Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods… indeed you are nothing, and your work is nothing; he who chooses you is an abomination” (Isaiah 41:23–24). And again: “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do my pleasure'” (Isaiah 46:9–10). These verses boldly state that no human being can predict the future and bring it to pass on the scale that the God of the Bible claims He can—and has, and will!

This unique capacity to predict the future accurately sets the Bible apart from any other piece of literature. Bible scholars recognize: “Other books claim divine inspiration, such as the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and parts of the [Hindu] Veda. But none of these books contains predictive prophecy. As a result, fulfilled prophecy is a strong indication of the unique, divine authority of the Bible” (The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, McDowell, p. 13). Bible prophecy stands in marked contrast to human attempts to predict the future. A study of 25 top-rated psychics discovered that 92 percent of their predictions were totally wrong, and that chance or general knowledge of circumstances could explain the remaining 8 percent that were accurate (Geisler, p. 615). Anyone familiar with the so-called prophecies of Nostradamus (Michael de Nostredame), the 16th century French psychic who dabbled in astrology, alchemy and other occult practices, is aware that his vague and nebulous verses simply do not compare to biblical prophecies. Specific prophecies, given centuries before they were accurately and consistently fulfilled, are some of the most stunning proofs that the Bible is the inspired word of God!

Hundreds of Prophecies About Jesus Christ!

Some of the Bible’s most striking examples of fulfilled prophecies are those that accurately foretold specific details about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, centuries before He was born! More than 200 prophecies, written centuries before His birth, foretold specific events in His life that were fulfilled to the letter. He would be born of a virgin and named Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23), in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:3–8). He would be a descendant of David (Matthew 1:1; 22:42–45). He would sojourn in Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:13–15). His birth would prompt a massacre of children (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16–18). He would live in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1–2; Matthew 2:19–23). He would enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1–5). He would die with transgressors and be buried in the tomb of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9, 12). He would be resurrected after three days (Matthew 12:40; Jonah 1:17).

The remarkable fulfillment of hundreds of specific predictions, recorded centuries earlier in the Hebrew Scriptures, demonstrates beyond any reasonable doubt that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah of the Bible and the Son of God. It should be noted that “Mohammedanism cannot point to any prophecies of the coming of Mohammed uttered hundreds of years before his birth. Neither can the founders of any cult… rightly identify any ancient text specifically foretelling their appearance” (McDowell, p. 22). Some Muslim scholars cite Old Testament verses that they say prophesied Muhammad (Deuteronomy 18:15–18), but it was Jesus Christ who actually fulfilled those prophecies (see Matthew 21:11; Luke 1:76; 24:19; Acts 3:18–22) more than 600 years before Muhammad was born! The Bible’s prophecies about Jesus Christ are unique among religious writings.

Cities and Kings

The Bible contains more than 1,500 prophecies that foretell in remarkable detail the future of prominent cities, kings and kingdoms. Fulfilled prophecies about the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre stand as a sobering testimony to the power and accuracy of Bible prophecy. When Ezekiel recorded his prophecies (around 585bc), Tyre was one of the great cities of the ancient world. It was situated on an island at the center of a maritime trading network that controlled Mediterranean commerce. Tyre was a wealthy emporium of goods, surrounded by 150-foot-high walls that were considered impregnable. The Bible reports that Tyre’s citizens rejoiced when Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army conquered Jerusalem; they anticipated gaining access to valuable inland trade routes passing through Jerusalem. In response, God delivered a series of specific prophecies of Tyre’s future devastation. Ezekiel wrote that, “because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples’… Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea… they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the midst of the water… you shall never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, says the Lord God'” (Ezekiel 26:2–14).

To appreciate the power and scope of Ezekiel’s prophecies, picture someone trying to predict what will happen to New York or London over the next 2,500 years! Yet history records how Ezekiel’s predictions have come to pass. In 585bc, Nebuchadnezzar began a 13-year siege against Tyre. His was the first of many nations that would come like waves against Tyre. Around 530bc, the Persians gained control of Tyre. In 332bc, Alexander destroyed the mainland portion of Tyre and threw the debris into the sea to build a causeway for assaulting the island city. When Alexander conquered the island fortress of Tyre, he battered down the walls and reduced the city to ruins. As Phoenician specialist Glenn Markoe wrote, “The conquest of Alexander… marked the beginning of the end for Tyre and Phoenicia… Tyre would soon recover commercially… yet it would never fully reclaim the pride of place it had enjoyed” (Phoenicians, Markoe, p. 61). Greeks and Romans later dominated what remained of the city. In 638ad, Muslim armies captured Tyre. Crusaders recaptured the city in 1124, and used it as a staging area for military operations. In 1291, the Muslims retook Tyre and laid it in ruins, “after which she never again regained any importance” (Geisler, p. 870). Today, there is a small fishing village near the ruins of the once proud city of Tyre, but the city’s ancient power and splendor, and its extensive trade network, are gone. The site of one of the wealthiest cities in the ancient world has become “a place for spreading nets,” just as the Bible predicted.

The Bible contains prophecies about other cities near Tyre that would have a bloody history but a different future. Sidon, an idol-worshiping Phoenician city about 20 miles north of Tyre, was noted for artistic metalwork and fine cloth. Bible prophecies reveal that Sidon would have a bloody history and suffer from pestilence, but would come to “know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 28:21–23). Nowhere did God prophesy total destruction or oblivion for Sidon. History records that the Assyrians destroyed Sidon in 678bc, but the city was rebuilt, and it submitted to Nebuchadnezzar after suffering from a devastating pestilence. Persians burned the city in about 351bc. Syria and Egypt fought over Sidon, and it became a free city under Roman rule. The Bible indicates that Jesus may have visited Sidon (Matthew 15:21) and that Sidonians heard Jesus preach the gospel (Mark 3:7–8). The Apostle Paul also visited Sidon (Acts 27:3). Today, modern Sidon is known for its gardens and orange groves. Bible prophecy outlined a very different future for Tyre’s sister city Sidon—and it came to pass, just as Scripture predicted!

Around 700bc, the prophet Isaiah recorded several specific prophecies about the downfall of the Babylonian Empire and the destruction of the city of Babylon (see Isaiah 13; 14). At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, Babylon was subject to the Assyrians and would not become a major power for another hundred years. Yet Isaiah foresaw the future glory that Babylon would achieve under Nebuchadnezzar with its Hanging Gardens, magnificent palaces, luxurious living, massive walls and military conquests. Isaiah also foresaw the Medes’ destruction of Babylon, and the city’s ultimate desolation, several hundred years in advance! Isaiah’s prophecies foretold: “The burden against Babylon… I will stir up the Medes against them… And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited, nor will it be settled from generation to generation; nor will the Arabian pitch tents there… but wild beasts of the desert will lie there… her days will not be prolonged” (Isaiah 13:1–22). History records that these prophecies were fulfilled: “In 539 [bc] Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians… Xerxes destroyed the city in 478, and it was finally abandoned in the 4th century bc” (Eerdmans’ Handbook of the Bible, p. 382).

The Chosen People

Some of the Bible’s most amazing and surprising prophecies deal with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—the twelve tribes of Israel, whom God chose to use for a special purpose (Exodus 19:1–6). God promised Abram (Abraham) that in return for obedience, his descendants would become great and be a blessing to the world (Genesis 12:1–3). Later prophecies stated that Jacob’s descendants through Manasseh and Ephraim would ultimately become a “great” nation, and a great “multitude [company, commonwealth] of nations,” who, along with the other descendants of Jacob, would in Bible prophecy be called Israelites(Genesis 48:14–22). In the Bible, the terms Israel and Israelite generally apply to the descendants of all twelve of Jacob’s sons. The Jews are the descendants of Judah, who was just one of Jacob’s sons. In a more specific sense, Israel applies to the descendants of the ten tribes that made up the nation of Israel (with its capital in Samaria), which broke away from the nation of Judah (with its capital in Jerusalem) when the kingdom of Solomon was divided (see 1 Kings 12). This biblical distinction between the Jews and the other Israelite nations is an important key to understanding Bible prophecy.

Genesis 49 contains a remarkable series of prophecies foretelling how the Israelites—descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons—will be recognized “in the last days.” Reuben will become powerful and have notions of grandeur, but will lack national stability; consider how this description could describe France. Judah (the Jews) will provide the Messiah and retain knowledge of the Law of God. Zebulun will dwell by the sea and become a mercantile people; a description evocative of modern Holland. Dan will leave its mark, having traveled from its base in the Middle East; a description evocative of Denmark and Ireland. Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) will become a colonizing people dwelling in the choice places of the earth—and dwelling “separate from his brothers”—a description perfectly apt to describe the former British Commonwealth nations and the U.S. (see Genesis 49:22–26). These remarkable prophecies were not to be fulfilled only by the Jews—to whom the world gives the name “Israel”—but also by eleven other nations that are part of the “whole house” of Israel. These prophecies reveal keys to the identity and location of the modern descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons—the children of Israel. For a more detailed discussion of this topic, please request our free booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.

Understanding the true identity of the Israelite nations is not only a key for understanding Bible prophecy; this knowledge is also essential for God’s Church, which must fulfill the commission that Jesus gave. Jesus commissioned His disciples to “go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”—to preach about the coming kingdom of God, and warn the Israelites about terrible trials they would face in the last days because of their disobedience to God’s laws (see Jeremiah 30:7–24). Jesus’ disciples took this commission seriously. In their day, the tribes of Israel were not “lost.” The Apostle James addressed his epistle “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (James 1:1). Josephus revealed that in the days of the apostles, “ten tribes are beyond the Euphrates… and are an immense multitude” (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XI, 5, 2). This explains why several of the apostles, including Peter and Andrew, traveled in that direction.

Historical sources also indicate that Peter, Paul and others traveled to Western Europe and Britain preaching the gospel. The clear implication of these leading apostles’ journeys to the West is that Israelite peoples were there! Examine the history of ancient Ireland, and notice which Israelite tribal name appears in the records. When you study the Genesis 49 prophecies about the characteristics and future history of Jacob’s descendants, you will notice the connection with peoples that currently reside in, or emigrated from, northwest Europe! When you understand the identities of modern Israelite nations, you can begin to understand from Bible prophecy what lies ahead for these nations—and for other nations mentioned in Bible prophecy!

The Future of Nations

Bible prophecies are not just about ancient history. The book of Daniel contains detailed yet sweeping prophecies that provide an outline of history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon through the return of Jesus Christ at the end of the age. Modern critics, seeking to discredit the prophetic and supernatural elements in the book of Daniel, have revived ideas put forward by Porphyrius, a third-century pagan philosopher from Tyre. Porphyrius (also called Porphyry) claimed that the book of Daniel was a fraudulent work produced in the second century bc, after the events it recounts had already taken place! However, this theory does not square with the facts. The book of Daniel gives precise dates, locations and names that can be verified. The prophet Ezekiel was a contemporary of Daniel, and mentioned him very respectfully (Ezekiel 14:20). The book of Daniel was widely accepted as inspired, and was included in the Hebrew Bible in the second century bc. Jesus acknowledged Daniel as the author of the book (Matthew 24:15). One respected source notes: “In NT prophecy Daniel is referred to more than any other book in the OT. Moreover, it contains more fulfilled prophecies than any other book in the Bible”(see The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 3).

Daniel recorded a dream about a huge image (Daniel 2). The four parts of the image—head, chest, belly and thighs, legs and feet—pictured four empires that would arise in the future to dominate the Mediterranean world. Bible scholars now recognize these empires as the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greco-Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire. Daniel also revealed that Jesus Christ will strike the last remnant of the Roman Empire on its feet and toes (made of iron and clay) when He returns to set up His kingdom on this earth at the end of this age (Daniel 2:41–45). Daniel described the same four empires as four beasts, and gave additional details about each. The third empire (Greco-Macedonian under Alexander) was pictured with four heads (Daniel 7:6). History records that after Alexander’s death, his empire split into four parts, about 300 years after Daniel recorded the prophecy. Daniel described the fourth beast (the Roman Empire) as having ten horns representing “ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom” (Daniel 7:7, 24). History records the many attempts to continue or revive the Roman Empire down through the centuries. They have all occurred in Europe, including revivals under Charlemagne, Charles V of the Hapsburgs, Napoleon and Mussolini. According to Bible prophecy, the final revival will be lead by a person labeled “the beast,” backed by a religious leader called the “false prophet” (see Revelation 13 and 17). For more information about these end-time prophetic developments, please request our free booklet, The Beast of Revelation.

Daniel also mentions a “little horn” that will disown the first three attempts to continue the Roman Empire, but will be intimately involved with subsequent revivals of the Roman Empire in its various forms. This figure is prophesied as speaking “pompous words against the Most High… persecute the saints… [and] change times and law” (Daniel 7:8, 20, 24–25). This “little horn” foreshadows those religious leaders who have claimed to be the “vicar of Christ” (meaning “in place of Christ”), who murdered Bible-believing Christians through an Inquisition and who replaced commanded biblical Holy Days with pagan holidays. Other prophecies identify this “little horn” as a prominent religious figure whose latter-day counterpart will play a key role in events leading to Jesus Christ’s return (2 Thessalonians 2; Revelation 13; 17).

The ten toes of Daniel’s image (Daniel 2:40–43) correspond to ten kings who will give their power and authority to “the beast,” a powerful and deceptive political leader who will emerge on the scene in Europe just before Jesus Christ returns at the end of the age (Revelation 17:1–13). This political leader will receive support from, and be influenced by, a powerful religious leader—the final manifestation of the “little horn.” Like his predecessors, this “little horn” will play a key role in world politics (Revelation 13; 17). History records that Roman Catholic popes have crowned the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and that popes and bishops have long influenced European politics. The iron and clay of the ten toes of Daniel’s image foretells the attempts by squabbling European nations to form a union by surrendering their sovereignty to a central government (akin to what the E.U. has done in Brussels). Current attempts to create a united Europe modeled on the old Roman Empire have been backed by several popes and the Roman Church. Daniel and other books of the Bible indicate that the final fulfillment of these remarkable prophecies will occur in the years just ahead!

It is ironic that while these ancient and detailed prophecies are coming alive today, leaders of the Roman Church insist that the symbolic language used in Daniel and Revelation “is not to be interpreted literally. We should not expect to discover in this book [Revelation] details about the end of the world” (The Times, October 5, 2005)—yet that is exactly what these prophetic books claim to reveal! Today, for people who really want to understand where world events are leading, the challenge is: Whom do you believe, theologians or the Bible? This is why it is important to determine whether or not the Bible is truly the word of God—whether it is fact or fiction!

The End of the World

Sadly, modern skeptics—and even many who claim to believe in Jesus Christ—dismiss ideas about the end of the age as pure fantasy and wild-eyed doomsday talk. Yet the Bible takes a linear view of history, and pictures all events moving toward a climax. The prophecies in Daniel take this view, with the climax being Jesus Christ’s return to establish the kingdom of God on this earth. Jesus spoke freely and in detail about specific events that would signal the end of the age. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age” He did not beat around the bush or try to avoid answering the question, as many theologians do today (Matthew 24:3). He told His disciples to watch for a time when they would see widespread religious confusion and deception, and increasingly frequent reports of violence, wars, ethnic strife, famines, disease epidemics and natural disasters on a global scale (Matthew 24:4–7).

These are the very headlines dominating our news today! Yet Jesus said that this would be just the “beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). Christ went on to reveal that there will be a global persecution of Christians, but that the true gospel of the coming kingdom of God will nevertheless “be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Jesus said that all these events leading up to the climax of this age will occur at a time in history when the very existence of life on this planet will be threatened. Notice Jesus’ description that “unless those days were shortened [by Jesus’ return], no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:22). Jesus admonished His disciples to watch—to remain alert—so that they will recognize when the civilizations of this world are entering their final hour (Matthew 24:36–44; 25:1–13; Mark 13:32–37; Luke 21:34–38).

In the 1950s, world leaders first realized that, with the development of nuclear weapons, mankind has created the capacity to destroy all life from the face of the earth. This was never possible until the last half of the 20th century! Is it just a coincidence that between 1950 and today we have seen the global spread of HIV-AIDS, the return of drug-resistant tuberculosis and the threat of international pandemics of bird flu and other infectious diseases? Is it just a coincidence that today we are concerned with the emerging threat of global warming and the sobering consequences of global climate change? Is it just a coincidence that all this is happening amid rising fears about international terrorism and escalating conflict in the Middle East—all of which Scripture predicted long ago? Is this all coincidence, or are we seeing the approaching fulfillment of ancient Bible prophecies that describe in detail the end of the age? These astoundingly accurate prophecies distinguish the Bible from any other book on this planet, and they offer proof that the Bible was written by “the finger of God.”

Chapter 3
Did God Inspire the Bible?

One of the Bible’s most striking features is that it plainly claims to be the inspired word of an Almighty God. We see this in the words of the Apostle Paul, a highly educated Hebrew who wrote, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God“ (2 Timothy 3:16). The Apostle Peter wrote that the content of Scripture “never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit”(2 Peter 1:21). To early Church leaders, “inspiration was not an ecstatic overpowering of the writer’s consciousness, but rather a high degree of illumination and calm awareness of God’s revelation… extending to every word of Scripture” (The Origin of the Bible, Bruce, et al., p. 38). Scripture indicates, and the early Church recognized, that God inspired the biblical writers to use their own minds and their own styles to write what God wanted them to write.

The Bible describes the process of divine inspiration in the way God worked with Moses, “And God spoke all these words… And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord… when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book… Moses commanded the Levites… Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant” (Exodus 20:1; 24:4; Deuteronomy 31:24–26). Centuries later, Ezra and Nehemiah read to the people of Israel from the “Book of the Law of Moses,” which was also called “the Book of the Law of God” (Nehemiah 8:1, 18). Jesus acknowledged its divine inspiration when He said, “have you not read in the book of Moses… how God spoke to him” (Mark 12:26). The prophet Jeremiah recorded a similar experience: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ‘Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying: Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you” (Jeremiah 30:1–2). The phrase, “Thus says the Lord” is used more than 350 times in the Old Testament, clearly implying that the words of Scripture came from God.

As we will see, other religious books may claim divine inspiration like the Bible, yet they lack the specific characteristics that confirm the Bible’s authenticity.

Not only does the Bible claim to be divinely inspired, it claims to be the ultimate source of truth, revealed by the one true God. The Apostle John wrote, “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17, KJV). David wrote, “Your law is truth… all Your commandments are truth… The entirety of Your word is truth” (Psalm 119:142, 151, 160). The prophet Isaiah asserted, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). Isaiah meant that if statements and ideas do not agree with Scripture, we can recognize them as false. The Apostle Paul also calls Scripture “the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

These statements stand in marked contrast to the uncertain words spoken by Pontius Pilate, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Today, many skeptics and cynics share Pilate’s question. Yet the Bible’s bold claims show that its writers clearly believed that the words they recorded were absolutely true and inspired by a wise and all-powerful God (see Genesis 17:1; Psalm 86:10; Jude 1:25). What is truth? You need to prove that for yourself!

The Bible repeatedly emphasizes, “the Lord is the true God” (Jeremiah 10:10; see also John 17:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 John 5:20). Scripture records that when the ancient Egyptian priests saw the miracles announced by Moses, and saw their own gods powerless, they concluded: “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:16–19). Daniel records that Nebuchadnezzar, pagan king of Babylon, came to the same conclusion after encountering the God of the Bible: “Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets” (Daniel 2:47). The Bible records that the Apostle Paul, distressed at seeing Athens “given over to idols,” taught superstitious Greek philosophers about the true God (Acts 17:16–34). For more information about the true God of the Bible, request our free booklet, The Real God: Proofs and Promises.

The Bible’s clear and unambiguous message is that Scripture is the inspired word of a real God, and is the ultimate source of truth! This is difficult for many today to believe, because we live in a skeptical age where even so-called biblical scholars doubt that the Bible really is God’s word. However, the Bible’s bold claim that it is the inspired word of an all-powerful God, and is true in its entirety, can be verified in the records of history and the discoveries of archaeology. The evidence is there for anyone willing to look!

Critics Challenge the Bible

Scripture boldly asserts that “the word of our God stands forever” and “the word of the Lord endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25). King David wrote, “His truth endures to all generations” (Psalm 100:5). Yet, down through the centuries, antagonists and critics have tried to undermine, disparage, defy and destroy Scripture, and even mock the God of the Bible. The Bible warns, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked” (Galatians 6:7). The Old Testament records that during the Assyrian invasion of Judah (ca. 700bc), Sennacherib, a pagan Assyrian king, mocked the God of Israel before king Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:9–19). Shortly thereafter, “the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor… in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he [Sennacherib] returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there” (2 Chronicles 32:21–22).

Historical records confirm that Sennacherib did not conquer Jerusalem, and that his own sons killed him. Secular history does not explain why this occurred. However, the Bible reveals that dire consequences can arise when doubters and critics mock the real God! Next to the exodus from Egypt, this is one of God’s most dramatic interventions in Israel’s history, and the facts of secular history support the biblical record. Incidentally, the Greek historian Herodotus relates that Sennacherib also suffered an embarrassing setback, with supernatural overtones, when his army invaded Egypt and a swarm of field mice chewed up their weapons, causing him to flee from the field near Pelusium with heavy losses (The Histories, 2:141). This truth of Scripture—that God will not be mocked—stands confirmed.

In the century after the apostles, historical sources confirm that Celsus, an articulate pagan philosopher, created a major stir when he wrote a blistering attack against the Bible and Christianity. Celsus wrote that biblical teachings were “absurd,” that the gospel accounts were “a deception” and that anyone who believed in one God was “deluded” (Is the Bible True?, Sheler, p. 9). The Bible survived, and Christianity spread around the world, but few people today have even heard of Celsus! Modern biblical critics who have resurrected Celsus’ ideas should remember that his attack on Scripture was answered by an early religious scholar named Origen, whose eight-volume Against Celsus gave a point-by-point rebuttal in defense of the Bible.

At the beginning of the 4th century, the Roman emperor Diocletian sought to wipe out the Christian religion. He unleashed a terrible persecution of Christians, and commanded that all Bibles be burned. However, within a few short years a new emperor (Constantine) actually ordered the production of 50 Bibles! During the Middle Ages (ca. 500–1500ad), scholars influenced by pagan philosophy taught that scriptural accounts were merely allegories and should not be taken literally. Their allegorical approach assumed that Bible passages hid a deeper meaning, making the literal meaning unimportant. The Bible survived, but this way of thinking also survives today in many theological schools. The allegorical approach is a very subtle way of undermining the Bible’s clear message, because it ignores what the Bible actually says.

Secular scholars in the 18th century became enthralled by the apparent power of human reason and the new discoveries of science. Regarding human reason as the ultimate authority, and armed with a bias against the supernatural, these critics began to offer speculative theories about the Bible’s supposed origins, apparent contradictions and assumed errors. However, the assumptions and speculations of these critics have not stood the test of time. In fact, some of their bold pronouncements now appear extremely presumptuous and naïve. Toward the end of the 18th century, the French philosopher Voltaire predicted that Christianity would be swept from existence within a century. Yet, 50 years after he died, the Geneva Bible Society produced stacks of Bibles in Voltaire’s house on his own press (The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, McDowell, p. 10). The facts of history and the discoveries of archaeology make it plain: secular critics’ ill-founded pronouncements and theories are intellectual castles built on hot air.

Evidence from Archaeology

Over the last 200 years, the rise of biblical criticism spawned many confident assertions by scholars who doubted the inspiration of Scripture. Skeptics at first claimed that since there was no evidence outside the Bible of various people and places mentioned in the Bible, the writers of Scripture must have invented them. This approach found fertile ground in “progressive” schools of theology, and in secular academic circles. The press and media fed these ideas to society, furthering doubts about the Bible’s credibility. This doubt and skepticism persists today, even though ongoing archaeological discoveries continue to validate the Bible’s historical accuracy, and discredit the skeptics’ assumptions!

As recently as 1992, some scholars were confidently asserting, “There are no literary criteria for believing David to be more historical than Joshua, Joshua more historical than Abraham, and Abraham more historical than Adam” (see “House of David Built on Sand,” Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 1994, pp. 54–55). Yet, just one year later, archaeologists digging in upper Galilee discovered a 9th century bc inscription about the “house of David.” Jeffrey Sheler, an award-winning journalist and a religion writer for U.S. News & World Report, wrote: “The fragmentary reference to David was a historical bombshell. Never before had the familiar name of Judah’s ancient warrior king… been found in the records of antiquity outside the pages of the Bible” (Is the Bible True?, p. 60).

For decades, critics viewed the biblical story of David and Goliath as a fanciful tale of religious fiction. Yet, recently, “archaeologists digging at the purported biblical home of Goliath [Gath, see 1 Samuel 17:4] have unearthed a shard of pottery bearing an inscription of the Philistine’s name, a find they claimed lends historical credence to the Bible’s tale of David’s battle with the giant” (The London Times, November 13, 2005). This is the oldest Philistine inscription ever discovered, dated to 950bc—within 70 years of the biblical narrative.

Doubting scholars for years assumed that “there were no Hittites at the time of Abraham, as there were no records of their existence apart from the Old Testament. They must be a myth” (McDowell, p. 11). However, later “archaeological research… uncovered more than 1,200 years of Hittite civilization” (ibid.). In similar fashion, critics assumed that the biblical patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were fictional figures from Hebrew folklore. Yet cuneiform tablets discovered in the royal archives of the palace of Mari in northern Syria, dating from the start of the second millennium bc (the approximate time of the patriarchs) mention “such names as Abam-ram (Abraham), Jacob-el and Benjamites” (When Skeptics Ask, Geisler & Brooks, pp. 186–187). All these discoveries support the biblical record and refute the charges of critics.

Scholars skeptical of the Bible have noted the similarity between the Genesis creation account and Babylonian clay tablets describing the creation of the world. These scholars have glossed over major differences in the accounts, and suggested that biblical writers simply borrowed their material from other sources. However, the discovery of more that 17,000 clay tablets at Ebla (in modern Syria), dating from 2500bc, has overturned the critics’ theories. The Ebla tablets (which predate the Babylonian creation epic by some 600 years) contain “the oldest known creation accounts outside the Bible… The creation tablet is strikingly close to that of Genesis, speaking of one being who created the heavens, moon, stars and earth. Parallels show that the Bible contains the older, less embellished version… They [the Ebla tablets] destroy the critical belief in the evolution of monotheism from supposed earlier polytheism” (Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Geisler, p. 208).

There have been dozens of other remarkable discoveries. The Merneptah Stela describes an Egyptian pharaoh conquering Israel (ca. 1200bc). The Black Obelisk from Nimrud pictures Israelite king Jehu bowing before Assyrian king Shalmaneser III. An inscription near Jerusalem refers to “Joseph, son of Caiaphas” (Caiaphas was the high priest in Jerusalem at the time of Christ’s crucifixion; see Matthew 26:57). An inscribed stone from first century Caesarea reads, “Pontius Pilate, the Prefect of Judea” (Pilate was the Roman governor at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion; see Matthew 27:2). Such evidence, carved in stone, supports the conclusion that the Bible writers were recording facts and not fiction (see The Signature of God, Jeffrey, pp. 72–74; Is the Bible True?, Sheler, pp. 110–112).

The manner in which archaeology has verified the historical accuracy of the Bible has been nothing short of remarkable! As noted archaeologist Nelson Glueck has written, “it may be clearly stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a single biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible” (Rivers in the Desert, Glueck, p. 136). Glueck’s comments echo the words of another prominent archaeologist, William F. Albright, who stated, “There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of Old Testament tradition… The excessive skepticism shown toward the Bible by important historical schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries… has been progressively discredited” (Evidence That Demands a Verdict, McDowell, vol. 1, p. 65). The evidence of history and archaeology defies the critics, and supports Scripture!

Chapter 4
Has the Bible Been Preserved Accurately?

How can we know whether the text of the Bible has been preserved accurately down through the centuries? Is it logical to believe that a book written by more than 40 authors in different locations over 1,500 years can be trustworthy? Can we prove that the text we have today is reliable?

If the Bible is the inspired word of an Almighty God who encourages people to “check the facts,” we should expect to find convincing evidence that Scripture has been preserved carefully and accurately over time. Such evidence is available—in Scripture itself! Evidence can also be found in Jewish historical literature, in the writings of early Church scholars and in a multitude of modern sources. The evidence for the accurate transmission of the Bible is remarkable, overwhelming and, indeed, irrefutable!

Old Testament Preservation

The Apostle Paul revealed where to find evidence of Scripture’s preservation when he wrote, “What advantage then has the Jew…? to them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1–2). Biblical scholar Bernard Ramm comments, “The Jews preserved it [the Old Testament] as no other manuscript has ever been preserved” (McDowell, p. 9). When God revealed His laws to their ancestors, they were given a mandate: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it… be careful to observe them [the statutes of God]… teach them to your children and your grandchildren” (Deuteronomy 4:1–10). History clearly shows how this has occurred.

The Bible records that God gave His laws directly to Moses (ca. 1400bc), and that “when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book… Moses commanded the Levites… Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant” (Deuteronomy 31:24–26). This ark was a box containing stone tablets of the law carved by God and the writings of Moses (see Deuteronomy 10:5). It was kept in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple at Jerusalem. The Bible shows Ezra the priest reading and explaining the “Book of the Law of Moses” to Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon in the fifth century bc (Nehemiah 8:1–12). By 150bc, there is even evidence from extra-biblical sources that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) was attributed to Moses (The Origin of the Bible, Bruce, et al., p. 56). In the first century ad, Jesus and the apostles also quoted from and referred to the books of Moses as inspired Scripture (see Mark 12:19–27; John 1:17; Romans 10:5). Thus, the Bible provides its own account of how Scripture was preserved and used over generations.

Canon Vs. Confusion

Evidence also exists from the Bible, as well as from historical sources, that the Old Testament consisted of specific books that were widely recognized as divinely inspired. The list of books recognized as inspired became the canon of the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible. In the first century ad, both Jesus (Luke 24:44) and the Jewish teacher Philo referred to three major divisions of the Old Testament canon: the Law, the Prophets and the Writings (see Bruce, p. 60). Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, acknowledged that the Hebrew Bible consisted of 22 books—essentially the same text which, divided differently, forms the 39 books of our modern Old Testament—and that these books “have all been accepted as canonical from time immemorial” (ibid., p. 61). The fact that 22 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament comprise the 49 books of the complete Bible (49 is considered a number of completion) indicates that a divine mind was guiding this process. The Bible is not just a haphazard collection of books!

Modern scholars generally agree that the Hebrew Scriptures were recognized as inspired from an early date. According to one source: “The evidence supports the theory that the Hebrew canon was established well before the late first century ad, more than likely as early as the fourth century bc and certainly no later than 150bc” (McDowell, p. 26). Another source states: “No one doubts that the Pentateuch was both complete and canonical by the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, in the fifth century bc… such evidence implies that by the beginning of the Christian era the identity of all the [Old Testament] canonical books was well known and generally accepted” (The Origin of the Bible, Bruce, et al., p. 56). It is worth noting that none of the biblical writers or early Church scholars accepted as inspired the apocryphal books written in the inter-testamental period.

Exact Copies Prepared!

But how reliable are the Old Testament books that we have today? Has the text of the Old Testament been transmitted to us accurately? Consider the evidence. “In Judaism, a succession of scholars was charged with standardizing and preserving the biblical text” during a period extending from about 500bc to about 1000ad(McDowell, pp. 73–77). The earliest scribes, the Sopherim (400bc to 200ad), worked with Ezra and “were regarded as the Bible custodians until the time of Christ” (ibid.). They were followed by the Talmudists (100ad to 500ad) and finally by the Masoretes (500ad to 1000ad). Numerous accounts confirm that these scribes copied the biblical texts with extreme care, counting the number of words in a book, counting the number of times a letter appeared in a book, and even pointing out the middle letter in the Pentateuch and the middle letter in the Bible!

Because of such careful attention to detail in the preparation and transmission of Old Testament manuscripts, modern scholars acknowledge that “the Hebrew Bible has been transmitted with the most minute accuracy… it may safely be said that no other work of antiquity has been so accurately transmitted… [it is] little short of miraculous” (Evidence That Demands a Verdict, McDowell, pp. 55–56). The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 proved just how accurately the Jews have preserved and transmitted the Old Testament text. Before the discovery of the scrolls in a cave near the Dead Sea, the oldest copy of the Hebrew text dated from around 1000ad. The newly discovered scrolls dated to the first century bc—about 1,000 years earlier! The scrolls contained two nearly complete copies of the book of Isaiah, which proved “to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95 percent of the text. The 5 percent of the variations consisted of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling” (When Skeptics Ask, Geisler & Brooks, pp. 158–159). The Dead Sea Scrolls provide solid evidence that the text of the Old Testament has not changed in more than 2,000 years!

The New Testament Preserved

The reliability of the New Testament rests on a wealth of material that is available. Scholars readily acknowledge, “There are earlier and more manuscripts of the New Testament than of any other book in the ancient world” (Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Geisler, p. 93). These manuscripts clearly reveal that the New Testament “has been transmitted to us with no, or next to no, variation” (Evidence That Demands a Verdict, McDowell, p. 44).

More than 24,000 manuscript copies of the New Testament in Greek, Latin and other languages provide evidence about the text. The earliest New Testament manuscripts date within a few decades or a few centuries of the apostolic writers. By comparison, there are only 643 manuscripts of Homer’s Iliad (written in the 8th century bc), and the earliest copy in existence today dates from about 400bc—some 500 years after it was composed. Only 10–20 copies of writings of Julius Caesar, the Roman historian Tacitus, and the Greek historian Herodotus exist today, with the oldest manuscripts copied 1,000 years after the originals were composed (McDowell, pp. 39–43). Compared against the New Testament, no other document from the ancient world has left such a wealth of material documenting the reliable transmission of its text. In addition to the many available manuscripts, early Christian writers quoted the New Testament so extensively that almost the entire New Testament could be reconstructed from other sources.

Critics have theorized that unknown authors composed the gospels centuries after the apostles. Yet the earliest fragment of John’s gospel is dated 130ad, about 30 years after the apostle’s death. This supports the traditional view that John wrote his gospel towards the end of the first century (see McDowell, pp. 39–47). Also, “there is no evidence from the first two Christian centuries that the gospels ever circulated without the names of the authors attached” (Sheler, p. 33). One scholar has observed: “If we compare the present state of the New Testament text with that of any other ancient writing, we must… declare it marvelously correct” (McDowell, p. 45). Another prominent scholar stated: “It cannot be too strongly asserted that in substance the text of the Bible is certain: Especially is this the case with the New Testament… This can be said of no other ancient book in the world” (ibid.).

New Testament Canon

For decades, critics have charged that the books of the New Testament were not written until a century or more after Jesus and the apostles lived, and were probably pieced together by anonymous authors. Such a late composition would allow time for myths and legends to creep into the text. Some progressive theologians and modern authors, as in The DaVinci Code, also assert that the books of the New Testament were selected by politically motivated committees, and that valuable books were deliberately omitted, thereby compromising the Bible’s accuracy and value. However, the internal evidence of the New Testament books, the facts of history and the weight of modern scholarship all refute these ideas!

Today, most credible scholars concur that “the New Testament canon with the Gospels and most of Paul’s Epistles was formed by the end of the first century… The attested date for the canonical Gospels is no later than 60–100” ad (Geisler, p. 520). Neither Luke’s gospel nor the book of Acts (also written by Luke) mention the 70ad destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, which was for Jews the most significant event of the century. Indeed, no New Testament author mentions the destruction of the Temple, which strongly suggests early authorship of the New Testament canon.

The New Testament books themselves reveal that the authors recognized which writings God had inspired, and belonged in the canon. The Apostle Paul wrote that “the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 14:37). Paul wrote that the teachings of the apostles were divinely inspired and were to be read in the churches, “because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 5:27). Peter warned that those who were twisting Paul’s writings were twisting “the Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:15–16). Scholars in the early centuries of the Church accepted the apostles’ writings as Scripture, but they “all draw a clear distinction between their own [writings] and the inspired, authoritative apostolic writings” (Bruce, p. 71). This argues strongly that the New Testament canon was recognized very early in Church history.

Tertullian, a religious historian who wrote in the early 200s, appears to be the first writer to call Christian Scripture the “New Testament.” This is significant, because it “placed the New Testament Scripture on a level of inspiration and authority with the Old Testament” (Bruce, p. 66). From the 300s we have records showing that the New Testament canon consisted of 27 books—the same books we have today. A letter written in 367ad by Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, provides the earliest documentation of the exact 27 books of the New Testament canon. His letter, which was “designed to eliminate once and for all the use of certain apocryphal books,” warns: “Let no one add to these; let nothing be taken away” (Bruce, p. 74). Later, in 397ad, a church council in Carthage decreed that “aside from the canonical Scriptures [which the council listed as 27 books] nothing is to be read in church under the Name of Divine Scriptures” (Bruce, p. 74). The clear purpose was to identify which books were part of the inspired New Testament canon, and to eliminate the use of apocryphal literature.

What About Apocryphal Books?

Just what are the apocryphal books? Why were they an issue of controversy in the early Church? Are they relevant today? The “Apocrypha” (which means hidden or concealed) refers to books that neither the Jews nor the early Church ever accepted as inspired or as part of the canon (see Bruce, pp. 79–94; Geisler, pp. 28–34). Most apocryphal books date to the inter-testamental period, and were written by anonymous authors or under the name of a person or a place named in Scripture. These books do not claim to be inspired. They contain no predictive prophecies, but instead contain historical and geographical errors and promote fanciful ideas and false doctrines that contradict canonical Scripture. Jesus and the New Testament writers never acknowledged the Apocrypha as Scripture. “No canonic list or church council accepted the Apocrypha for nearly the first four centuries” (Geisler, p. 33).

Although some apocryphal books were published along with canonical books in the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures produced by 70 scholars in Alexandria ca. 250bc), this translation was not supervised by scribes of the Judaic tradition, who had their centers in Tiberias and Babylon.

Josephus, writing in the first century ad, specifically excluded apocryphal books from the Hebrew canon when he wrote, “we have… but only twenty-two books, which are justly believed to be divine” (Against Apion, 1:8). Philo, a first century Jewish teacher in Alexandria, “quoted the Old Testament prolifically from virtually every canonical book. However, he never once quoted from the Apocrypha as inspired” (Geisler, p. 32). Prominent early writers such as Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius of Alexandria and Jerome all rejected the apocryphal books as inauthentic. In fact, it was Jerome (who prepared the Latin Vulgate Bible ca. 400ad) who first used the term Apocrypha when referring to books that were not considered part of the inspired biblical canon and should not be used to establish doctrine. Jerome disputed with the theologian Augustine, who felt that the apocryphal books were inspired and should be included in the canon, apparently because they had been included in the Septuagint.

The Apocryphal books became a major issue during the Reformation, when Protestants (following Jerome’s thinking) rejected the Apocrypha as uninspired. However, at the Council of Trent in 1546, Roman Catholic leaders (following Augustine’s ideas) declared those books part of the New Testament canon. This was an attempt by the Roman church to counter the influence of Martin Luther and other reformers who were teaching against celibacy, prayers for the dead, and purgatory—ideas that do not come from canonical Scripture but are found in some apocryphal books. Yet this was not the end of the controversy over apocryphal writings.

Gnostic “Gospels”?

In 1945, a group of books commonly called “Gnostic gospels” were found near Nag Hammadi, an Egyptian town north of Luxor, on the Nile. Gnosticism encompassed a collection of heretical ideas that early Church leaders attributed to Simon the Sorcerer (see Acts 8:9–25; Geisler, p. 274). Gnostic writings contain purported “secret sayings” of Christ that differ dramatically from His New Testament teachings. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus flies into a fit of rage and causes a child who has offended Him to wither (3:1–3). In another work, Jesus makes clay birds on the Sabbath; when His parents correct Him, He claps His hands and the birds fly away. The Gospel of Philip suggests that Christ had a romantic relationship with Mary Magdalene. The Gospel of Mary asserts that Mary was the real leader of Christ’s disciples.

Early Church leaders denounced the Gnostic writings as spurious and heretical. Yet modern biblical critics, along with revisionist theologians, creative writers and mystical New Agers, have resurrected these “alternative” gospels and present them as equally credible as canonical Scripture. Dan Brown, author of the widely read fictional novel The DaVinci Code, draws heavily on the heretical ideas of Gnostic writings, as well as on occult, pagan goddess worship and mysticism. In his novel, he “makes the case that Mary Magdalene was… a strong independent figure, patron of Jesus, cofounder of his movement, his only believer in his greatest hour of need, author of her own Gospel, his romantic partner, and the mother of his child. To the millions of women who feel slighted, discriminated against, or unwelcome in churches of all faiths today, the novel is a chance to see early religious history in an entirely different light… The DaVinci Code opens everyone’s eyes to a startlingly different view of the powerful role of women in the birth of Christianity. These themes have become mainstream at Harvard’s divinity school and other intellectual centers” (Secrets of the Code, Bernstein, p. xxvii).

When Dan Brown makes his leading characters say, “almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false” and, “The Bible is a product of man, my dear, not God,” he is promoting an agenda and world view that seeks to undermine and discredit the Bible, and the Jesus Christ of the Bible. Though the plot of The DaVinci Code appears to “advocate a courageous search for truth at any price, its real goal is to undermine one of the fundamental characteristics of the Christian faith—the belief that the original message of the Gospel, enshrined in the Bible, is the unique, inspired word of God” (Cracking the Code, Garlow & Jones, p. 72). The real danger of books like The DaVinci Code comes from doubts planted in the minds of people who lack historical and biblical knowledge. For such people, the fiction of apocryphal writings can appear to be fact, which leads to deception about the true nature of inspired Scripture. One of the primary reasons for public declarations about what books comprised the canons of the Old and New Testaments was to clearly distinguish between inspired books and the false and misleading writings of the Gnostics.

Chapter 5
Real Answers to Life’s Big Questions

Today, many people live in a materialistic world of affluence and abundance. More people enjoy a higher standard of living today than at any other time in human history. Yet with more money in our pockets and more time on our hands, millions of people still find life empty and meaningless. More and more people today are finding that money, material things and searching for the ultimate experience simply do not provide lasting happiness, remove the emptiness or provide meaningful answers to the big questions of life: Why was I born? Why am I here? Why do I exist? What is the real purpose of life? What happens when I die?

Those who take time to look beyond themselves soon notice the tremendous inequities in our modern world, and wonder: Why do millions of human beings suffer from a lack of food, lack of fresh water, lack of sanitation and inadequate shelter? Why are so many people exploited and abused by corrupt leaders in failing countries? Why are wars and deliberate acts of horrific violence and terrorism proliferating around the world? Why is there no peace? Millions want a better world, but know they cannot make it happen. Why, then, does God fail to intervene—if indeed there is a God?

Few people find satisfaction in the vague answers they hear from most religious leaders and secular philosophers. To hear that human beings are merely “trousered apes”—nothing more than bags of DNA struggling to survive in a purposeless universe, awaiting eternal nothingness at death—does not provide an inspiring reason to live. On the other hand, it seems like purposeless fantasy to believe that the goal of life is to spend eternity sitting on a cloud, playing a harp. To hear that “God is love”—and then to witness all the evil and inequality in the world—simply does not add up. Tragically, many today have been led to believe that these answers are “as good as it gets.”

But this is nonsense! Most people who assume that these are the best answers to life’s big questions have never heard the real answers that God recorded in the Bible! Many theologians either do not know or do not believe what the Bible actually says about life’s big questions. Because of our society’s prejudice against the supernatural, fostered by biblical scholars who do not believe in the personal and all-powerful God of the Bible, millions have been conditioned to be skeptical of whatever Scripture might reveal about these subjects. However, the Bible provides real answers to life’s big questions!

The Purpose of Life

Contrary to popular modern notions that life emerged from hot slimy pools of pre-biotic soup (akin to an idea espoused by pagan Greek philosophers) and that human beings evolved from an ape-like ancestor (as postulated by the disciples of Charles Darwin), the Bible reveals that God created human beings in His own image (Genesis 1:26–28). Whether or not you can believe this statement will depend on whether you can accept the plentiful evidence that the Bible is truly the word of God. According to Scripture, human beings were not created to amuse the gods, as some ancient philosophers assumed. The Bible reveals that God created humans so that they could learn to manage the earth (Genesis 1:26–28; 2:15), and build character by learning to discern right from wrong (Genesis 2:16–17). According to Scripture, God established the institutions of marriage and family (Genesis 2:18–24). He also established roles in marriage and revealed important guidelines so that these divinely ordained institutions would function smoothly and successfully (Matthew 19:3–9; Ephesians 5:22–33; 6:1–4; 1 Timothy 2:8–15; 1 Peter 3:1–7).

The reason for the biblical emphasis on learning to manage our own lives, and on functioning smoothly in marriage and family, is that we have been created to become members of God’s spiritual family (see Romans 8:15–17; Hebrews 2:5–11; 1 John 3:1–3). If we qualify to become members of that spiritual family, we will reign with Jesus Christ when He returns to establish the kingdom of God on earth (see Revelation 1:4–6; 5:10). The Bible, when properly understood, clearly reveals that we do not fly off to heaven when we die (see John 3:13; Acts 2:29, 34; 13:36). When you understand what Scripture actually reveals about the purpose of life, you can begin to understand why the teachings of today’s “mainstream” Christianity are not very satisfying or convincing. To learn more about the real purpose of life as it is revealed in Scripture, request our free booklet, Your Ultimate Destiny.

The Plan of God

But what is the cause of the human suffering that has occurred down through time? Why is there so much evil in the world? Why does God allow it? If there is a God, why does He fail to act? People ask these questions because they do not understand that God is working out a plan and a purpose on this earth. Scripture reveals His plan, and it is pictured in the Holy Days that He commanded His people to observe (Leviticus 23). God’s plan reveals not only the cause of, but also the solution to, the problems we see in our world.

Many today do not believe in God’s existence, but even fewer believe that Satan is real. However, Scripture reveals quite a bit about this spirit being. The Bible reveals that Satan was originally an “anointed cherub” covering the throne of God, who sinned, “became filled with violence” and led a rebellion against God involving one-third of the angels (see Ezekiel 28:1–19; Isaiah 14:12–17; Jude 6; Revelation 12:4). We see so much evil in the world today because Satan is the “god of this age… who deceives the whole world” by influencing people to reject the instructions and way of life that God has revealed in the Bible (2 Corinthians 4:3–4: Ephesians 2:1–2). You need to read these scriptures for yourself to verify what the Bible actually says about this individual who has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9).

The biblical Holy Days picture the major steps in God’s plan of salvation. Those steps reveal that Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of mankind, to replace Satan as the god of this world. Jesus then raised up His Church (Acts 2)—called the “Church of God” (1 Corinthians 1:2; 10:32; 15:9; 2 Corinthians 1:1)—to preach the gospel of God’s kingdom to the world (Mark 16:15) and to prepare a group of believers to become the “firstfruits” (James 1:18; Romans 8:23; Revelation 14:1–5) who will reign with Him in the coming kingdom of God for a thousand years—a period called the Millennium (Revelation 20:4–6).

The Bible also reveals that when Christ returns, Satan will be bound and put out of commission (Revelation 20:1–2). This is how God will eliminate evil, and will use the individuals whom He has prepared to solve the world’s problems. This will all happen according to God’s plan, which is revealed in Scripture. To learn more about God’s great plan for humanity, request our free booklet The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan. To learn more about the Church that began with Jesus Christ—and the remarkable and perilous course it has traveled through the centuries—request our booklet, God’s Church Through the Ages.

The Age to Come

But what is the real hope for the future? Why should we struggle against the trials and temptations of this world? What is the value of learning to live by God’s laws and the Bible’s instructions? The answers emerge when we understand what the Bible reveals about the kingdom of God, and why it is called the “gospel.” The word “gospel” means “good news” and the biblical message about the kingdom of God is good news—it is exciting news! The gospel of the kingdom of God, as described in the Bible, is not about some warm fuzzy feeling in your heart. It is about a coming world government that Jesus Christ will establish on this earth.

The Bible clearly reveals that Jesus will return to Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4). He will take charge of the kingdoms of this world (Revelation 11:15–18) and set up a world government that will bring true justice and lasting peace to this planet. Jesus will be aided by the saints, individuals who understand the laws of God and have learned to function within the family of God, who will serve as civil and religious leaders—”kings and priests” (Revelation 5:10). God’s government will bring peace and justice to the earth (Isaiah 9:6–7). The saints will also function as teachers (Isaiah 30:20–21) who will explain the laws of God (Isaiah 2:2–4), show people the way to peace (Psalm 119:165) and help them understand the real causes of strife and war (James 4:1–4). Christians are urged to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord” (2 Peter 3:18) so that they will be prepared to rule with Christ in this coming kingdom.

The Bible reveals that in the coming kingdom of God, rebuilt cities will promote a sense of community and will be in harmony with the environment (Isaiah 61:4; 11:6–9; Amos 9:14–15). Our polluted planet will be restored and made productive (Isaiah 35:1–7; Amos 9:13). The global curse of disease will be eliminated as people learn to live by the Bible’s personal and public health laws (see Leviticus 3:17; 7:23–27; 11:1–47). The peoples of the world will learn to speak one language (Zephaniah 3:9), and “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). The Bible speaks of the coming kingdom of God as the “times of refreshing” in which there will be a “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:19–20). The Apostle Paul called this “the world to come” or “the age to come” (Hebrews 2:5). We also call it Tomorrow’s World. The Bible holds out these scriptural teachings as our real hope for the future!

Modern critics scoff at taking Scripture literally, at face value. Many preachers do not even mention the exciting biblical information we have covered in this booklet. Instead, most willingly overlook or even ignore what history reveals about the teachings and beliefs of the early Church. Historian Edward Gibbon wrote: “The ancient and popular doctrine of the Millennium was intimately connected with the second coming of Christ… a joyful Sabbath of a thousand years; and that Christ, with the triumphant band of the saints and the elect… would reign upon earth… The assurance of such a Millennium was carefully inculcated by a succession of fathers from Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, who conversed with the immediate disciples… Though it might not be universally received, it appears to have been the reigning sentiment of the orthodox believers; and it seems so well adapted to the desires and apprehensions of mankind, that it must have contributed in a very considerable degree to the progress of the Christian faith” (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Gibbon, vol. 1, pp. 187–188).

Gibbon wrote plainly that early Christians believed and taught about the Millennium—the coming kingdom of God. The Bible’s exciting and inspiring gospel of God’s kingdom motivated believers and spurred the growth of the early Church. However, Gibbon also recorded how early theologians, influenced by pagan philosophy—believing they knew better than God’s inspired word—gradually watered down this important teaching of Scripture and then explained it away, first calling it allegory, then calling it heresy. Millions have lost sight of—or have never heard—the real biblical answers to life’s big questions, because most scholars and religious leaders have rejected—or never heard—those answers! This is one reason why so many today find life empty and meaningless.

Conclusion:
Truth and Consequences

In our modern age, many seriously doubt or openly disbelieve that an all-powerful supernatural God inspired Scripture. Many assume that the Bible is no different than any other humanly authored book. Many also assume that modern scholarship has completely discredited the Bible, and that no evidence exists that proves otherwise. Yet, as we have seen in this booklet, the truth is just the opposite! These widely held beliefs and assumptions are, in reality, fictions that are totally contrary to the facts!

The big question that you face, and the challenge that confronts many others today, is: What exactly will you believe about the Bible? Will you believe the facts discussed in this booklet (which only scratches the surface of this vast subject), or will you accept skeptics’ speculations that undermine and discredit the Bible—largely by ignoring the facts?

The God of the Bible can challenge us to “examine all things” and “prove” whether He exists (and whether He inspired the Bible), because there is so much remarkable and irrefutable evidence available! True biblical scholars know that the Bible is unlike any other religious book in the world, and that the most distinctive feature of the Bible is prophecy. Students of prophecy know that the Bible contains hundreds of specific prophecies that have been consistently and accurately fulfilled. No other book on the face of the earth contains such remarkable prophetic material, and human efforts to predict the future simply do not compare to the scope and accuracy of Bible prophecy. All this provides powerful evidence pointing to the Bible’s divine origin.

The facts of history demonstrate that the Bible has been preserved and accurately transmitted for thousands of years, in spite of concerted efforts to outlaw, suppress, corrupt, burn and destroy it. The continued existence of the Bible under such adverse and hostile conditions offers strong support that an all-powerful God inspired such biblical statements as “the word of the Lord endures forever” and “My counsel shall stand.” The remarkable way that archaeological discoveries continue to confirm Scripture’s historical accuracy, and undermine critics’ speculative theories, clearly affirms that the Bible is the inspired word of God! The Bible provides real answers to life’s big questions, unlike academics, philosophers and theologians who offer mere platitudes. This strongly indicates that the Bible’s answers were revealed from a supernatural source.

But why do critics and skeptics—who are often highly educated—ignore the facts and continue to claim that the Bible is only a collection of myths and legends, and is untrustworthy as a source of historical, theological or scientific information? Is it significant that secular-minded scholars have planted doubts about the Bible in the minds of millions of people today? What are the consequences of ignoring evidence that the Bible is the inspired word of God? Scripture provides informative answers and offers sobering warnings.

The Bible reveals the cause of this widespread deception: Satan “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). We can certainly see this when we consider the incredible misconceptions that so many have acquired about the Bible. Jesus prophesied that one sign of the “end of the age” would be the increasing number of false teachers who “will deceive many” by spreading false teachings (Matthew 24:3–5, 11). The Apostle Peter warned that false teachers would subtly bring in “destructive heresies” that would discredit the truth of God and deceive many people (2 Peter 2:1–3). He also warned that “scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts”—casting doubts on Scripture and ignoring the facts of history (see 2 Peter 3:3–9). This deception will be widespread at the end of the age.

However, the Apostle Paul reveals that scoffers and false teachers will reap serious consequences from the God they are mocking and defying. He wrote: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all… who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them… so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God… but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:18–22). Paul’s condemnation of the misguided pagan intellectuals of his day also applies to the misguided scholars and critics of today—who ignore the powerful evidence that points to God as the author and sustainer of the Bible. We need to remember that there is a judgment coming!

The stinging reproofs that the prophet Jeremiah leveled at his contemporaries also apply in our present day. Jeremiah warned that “the prophets become wind, for the word [of God] is not in them… The prophets prophesy falsely… and My people love to have it so… the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood… the prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them… they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams… and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness… they shall not profit this people at all” (Jeremiah 5:13, 31; 8:8; 14:14; 23:26, 30–32). God said through Jeremiah that because His people “have forsaken My law… and have not obeyed My voice… but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts… I will scatter them also among the Gentiles… I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them” (Jeremiah 9:13–16). The Bible clearly reveals that serious consequences will befall those who forsake the laws of God and promote their own theories, or follow those who do.

However, wonderful benefits come to those who prove and believe that the Bible is God’s inspired word, and who follow God’s biblical instructions. King David wrote: “Blessed are [they]… Who walk in the law of the Lord… Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies… Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path… Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble… All Your commandments are truth… The entirety of Your word is truth”(Psalm 119:98, 105, 151, 160, 165). The Bible reveals that God will look favorably on those who develop a deep respect for His word, and are willing to follow its instructions. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2).

The Bible reveals that God has not left human beings to flounder without fundamental guidelines, or without important answers to life’s big questions. God has inspired and preserved the Bible in a way that no other book has ever been preserved. He has filled Scripture with hundreds of prophecies that accurately predict the future—setting the Bible apart from all other religious books on earth. The discoveries of archaeology and the facts of history continue to confirm the validity of Scripture, even though it was written thousands of years ago. These facts are simply astounding and cannot reasonably be denied!

When you weigh critics’ claims about the Bible against the tremendous evidence of the Bible’s divine inspiration, you are left with a clear choice. You can choose to believe that critics’ theories might have some foundation in fact, while waiting for the next theory to change and assumptions to be revised. Or you can trust the evidence from archaeology, history and fulfilled prophecy, which clearly reveals that the Bible is the inspired word of God—fact, not fiction!

Booklet Category

Doctrine

God

Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!

4uwzvo — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 21:20:46 +0000

Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! 4uwzvo Mon, 02/28/2022 - 21:20

Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!

John H. Ogwyn (1949-2005)

Booklet Media

#Beast of Revelation

#False Christianity

#Revelation

Many consider Revelation the most difficult-to-understand book in the Bible. Some dismiss its complicated narrative and vivid descriptions as mere allegory. Others assume that it recounts past history. The truth, however, is far more remarkable: if you understand Revelation, you can know the future of our world!

Can You Know the Future?

Can you really know what the future holds? Many people are beset with anxiety and uncertainty about the years ahead. Are you? Our world is filled with widely varying predictions of what lies ahead in this 21st century. Whose predictions are correct? How can you possibly be sure?

Did you know that One claiming to be the Almighty Creator dares to proclaim the future in advance? God asserts that He declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and that His purpose shall stand. The Bible declares that human life is not a purposeless existence caused by blind chance or evolution. We are part of a planned creation, and there is a great purpose being worked out in our world. You can understand that purpose!

Today, terrorist threats grip the Western world and preoccupy many people’s thinking. Many worry about “rogue states” that may possess nuclear bombs and other weapons of mass destruction. Will we face the ravaging ecological disasters predicted by many environmentalists, or will dazzling futuristic technology finally solve mankind’s age-old problems?

Politicians regularly describe what they think lies ahead. Think tanks and analysts seek to point the way to the future, though disagreeing widely in their conclusions. Add to that the best-selling religious novels that claim to tell you what the Bible foretells. How can you possibly know what the future holds?

The book of Revelation is undoubtedly the most mysterious book in the Bible. Shrouded in symbols, it is a book that is absolutely closed to most people. Yet, over the years, readers have purported to find just about anything currently happening around them somewhere in its pages.

Is it true, as some claim, that you can prove virtually anything by the Bible? The answer is emphatically “No!”—if you take it in context and let the Bible interpret itself.

The ancient prophet Daniel was given an outline of what the future held, from his day (in the sixth century BC) until the time when Christ would finally establish the Kingdom of God on earth (cf. Daniel 2, 7). In addition, Daniel was given several specific prophecies that related to “the time of the end.” Daniel greatly desired to understand the meaning of those intriguing prophecies, yet he could not. They were sealed up until “the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4, 9).

God’s time for us to understand these prophecies has arrived! We are now in the time of the end—described as a time when “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” In the last century, and especially since World War II, we have seen a transportation revolution and a knowledge explosion. In just 66 years, mankind went from the Wright brothers’ first flight to Neil Armstrong walking on the moon!

The Old Testament book of Daniel reveals prophecies of the end-time—recorded, but sealed. The New Testament book of Revelation depicts Jesus Christ opening the seals to reveal the future to His true servants (Revelation 1:1; 5:5). In other words, it is now possible to understand the future with clarity.

Millions have wondered if they will perish in a terrible world war. Others have wondered whether Christ might come at any time, and they may find themselves “left behind.” Do you know the answers to these questions? You can know! The answers to these and other questions are recorded in the final book of your Bible—the book of Revelation. This mysterious book, understood by very few, can become clear to you. There are vital keys that will make it possible for you to understand what even many of the prophets of old desired to know, but were denied.

Does that sound incredible? Well, it is true! If you really want to know what lies ahead in the 21st century, then read on.

Seven Keys to Understanding

Most scholars, surprisingly, do not truly understand the Bible. All you have to do is to read some articles in theological journals, or read some of the many books in print on religious and theological subjects, to see the utter confusion that abounds. Holding widely divergent views, religious authors contradict one another in a way and to an extent seen among writers on virtually no other subject. Do you know why?

The most important single key to understanding the Bible is the attitude in which you approach it. The Bible is God’s book, and only those who approach it as God’s book have any real hope of understanding its message. “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor [humble] and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). The Creator claims that His word is generally hidden from the “wise and prudent” but is revealed to “babes” (Matthew 11:25). God is not talking about babies in age or understanding, but rather those with a simple, humble, teachable attitude that one might call “childlike.”

Along with this humble and teachable outlook must be a willingness to actually obey God. “A good understanding have all those who do His commandments,” the psalmist declares (Psalm 111:10). The natural or carnal mind is “enmity against God” (Romans 8:7). It is rebellious against God’s law and wants its own way. Many religious people talk about “knowing the Lord” but, as Paul told Timothy, have a mere form of religion, while denying the Bible’s authority to rule and regulate their lives (2 Timothy 3:5).

If you will approach the Bible in a humble and teachable way, and are truly willing to obey God and keep His commandments, the following keys will make the book of Revelation come alive before your very eyes. You can have this seemingly mysterious book’s message open up to you in a way you probably never thought possible.

Key 1—Christ Is the Revelator

In some Bibles, the book of Revelation is titled “The Revelation of Saint John the Divine.” It is important to remember that this title was added by men, and is not in the original text. In fact, the very first verse flatly contradicts this humanly devised title, explaining that this book is the direct revelation of Jesus Himself, which He received from the Father.

When Jesus Christ walked the earth, He frequently talked about the future. However, He never did so in a speculative or wishful sense. He spoke authoritatively, because He had come directly from the Father and spoke the words that the Father gave Him, not mere human ideas (John 14:24).

Jesus Christ came with a message: the good news about God’s coming kingdom and how we could become part of that kingdom (Mark 1:14–15). Yet when He was here on earth almost 2,000 years ago, He did not establish that kingdom. Only days before His crucifixion, as He traveled to Jerusalem one last time, He spoke a parable to His disciples, who mistakenly thought that the kingdom would immediately appear. Jesus told a story about a young nobleman who first had to go away into a far country to be invested with kingly power, before returning to possess his kingdom (Luke 19:11–12).

How excited would you be if you had the opportunity to ask Jesus Christ in personabout the events that would precede His return and the establishment of His kingdom? Some of the 12 apostles did have exactly that opportunity! Jesus’ answer is preserved in the parallel accounts of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, in what is often called the Olivet Prophecy. Seated privately with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, a hill just east of Jerusalem, Jesus described the signs of His future coming, and the end of this current age. In this Olivet Prophecy, Jesus used plain language to describe many events that would later figure in the apostle John’s symbolic visions, when he opened Revelation’s seven seals. In Revelation, as in the Gospels, it is vital to remember that Christ is the Revelator.

Key 2—Start With the Text

Many who study Bible prophecy will first look at the world around them, then look at certain Bible symbols or descriptions in order to find something that “fits.” In doing so, they have simply read their world’s current events back into Scripture. This is a backwards approach.

If we want to understand God’s revelation to mankind, we must start with Scripture and understand the story flow that God lays out. We cannot understand John’s description of a mysterious “beast” in Revelation 13, unless we look at what else Scripture has to say on the matter. We need to look at the earlier inspired information on this subject, given in the book of Daniel. Daniel, after all, recorded the divinely inspired foretelling of the rise and fall of great powers between his day (the sixth century BC) and the final establishment of the Kingdom of God on this earth.

We have to let the Bible interpret itself, rather than trying to read our own preconceived notions or current world events back into the text. Only in this way can we see Bible prophecies in their proper context.

Key 3—The Purpose of Revelation

Modern scholars disagree about what they consider the purpose of the book of Revelation. However, careful Bible students will see that the book’s very first verse describes its purpose! Jesus Christ gave Revelation to John so that he might show the servants of God the things that must shortly come to pass (Revelation 1:1). It was intended as a revealing or unveiling of the future. It was given so that God’s true servants could understand where world events are headed, and could know what the future holds. It was a message of encouragement to God’s people, showing that—even in the midst of turmoil and persecution—they need not become anxious about the future. God the Father allowed Christ to unveil, through John, the final culmination of future world events.

Therefore, it is wrong to think that Revelation is merely a vague allegory about good versus evil, or that it simply describes the historical circumstances and difficulties faced by first-century Christians. The entire book must be understood as laying out the future in advance.

Key 4—The Day of the Lord

Most commentators completely misunderstand Revelation 1:10. As a result, they do not understand the perspective from which the entire book was written. When John declared that he was in the Spirit in the Lord’s Day (Note that, elsewhere in the New Testament, the Greek word en is almost always translated “in,” though many wrongly render it here as “on”), he was not talking about the day of the week on which he received the prophecy. Rather, he was describing the future prophetic time that he saw in vision—a time when God will intervene powerfully in end-time world affairs. John’s perspective in writing Revelation was this vision of the future.

The Bible nowhere defines the first day of the week as “the Lord’s Day.” That usage developed among the early Roman Catholic “church fathers,” decades after Revelation was written. However, more than 30 times in the Old Testament, the future time of God’s judgment is called the “Day of the Lord.” When you look at the contents of Revelation, it is clear that the time of Christ’s coming is the focal point of the visions John saw.

The time of God’s future intervention and judgment is the theme that runs throughout Revelation. John wrote from that future perspective. Notice that in Revelation 1:12, when John saw the lampstands representing God’s Church through the ages, he looked behind him to do so. From the perspective of John’s vision, Church history was almost completely in the past.

Key 5—What John Recorded

Revelation 1:2 shows us that John wove together three strands of vital information—the “word of God… the testimony of Jesus Christ, and… all the things that he saw.”

The Old Testament authors used, as a standard phrase, “the word of the LORD came, saying” or “the word of God came, saying” (cf. 1 Kings 12:22; 13:9). When Revelation was written, “the word of God” primarily referred to what we now call the Old Testament.

More than 100 times throughout Revelation—more often than in any other New Testament book—John either quotes or paraphrases verses from the Old Testament. Most Old Testament prophets simply recorded God’s messages in the order that they received them. If you only had the Old Testament, you would be totally at a loss to fit many of the Old Testament prophecies into a clear time frame. But by weaving references throughout, John enables us to see where these different messages, previously recorded by the prophets, fit into God’s plan for the future.

The “testimony of Jesus Christ” describes the good news that Jesus brought from heaven. His “testimony” is simply what He bore witness to. In the book of Revelation, Christ’s direct testimony is primarily found in the messages to the seven churches.

Revelation 19:10 tells us that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” This means that the gospel message gives life and breath to prophecy. If you do not understand the gospel message that Jesus taught, then you certainly cannot understand prophecy. As we read through Revelation, we find John alluding to Jesus’ words in the Gospels, and also recording what he heard Jesus say during his visions.

In addition to weaving together strands from both the Old and New Testaments, John recorded a series of visions of the future. Some visions were filled with mysterious symbols, while others pictured events and weapons so far beyond his day that John struggled to find words to describe what he saw. For example, he could only compare futuristic weapons to first-century objects with which he and his readers were familiar.

Key 6—The Bible Interprets Its Own Symbols

To properly understand Scripture, we must let the Bible interpret itself. Most of the Bible is written as a straightforward narrative account, though some parts—such as Psalms and Proverbs—rely on poetic imagery. Revelation and some of the Old Testament prophets, particularly Daniel and Zechariah, describe symbolic visions. However—and this is a vital key—the Bible interprets its own symbols. When John saw the seven lampstands and seven stars recorded in Revelation 1, for instance, he was told that the seven lampstands represented seven churches and that the stars represented angels (v. 20).

Daniel not only recorded symbolic visions of a great image (Daniel 2) and of creatures emerging from the sea (Daniel 7), but he also gave the interpretation of these symbols. He explained to King Nebuchadnezzar that the great image with a head of gold, chest of silver, thighs of brass and legs of iron represented four successive world-ruling empires that would stretch from the days of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon all the way down to the future time when the God of heaven would set up a kingdom that would endure forever (2:31–44). The nightmarish creatures Daniel saw in Daniel 7 are also interpreted to represent the same succession of world-ruling governments that will conclude with the future establishment of the Kingdom of God (7:17, 23–27).

Elsewhere in Revelation, we read of symbols such as a dragon, a lamb, women, mountains and horns. Again the Bible interprets its own symbols. Revelation 12:9 identifies the dragon as a symbol of Satan the devil. This hearkens back to Genesis 3, which records Satan’s appearance in the guise of a serpent. In John 1:29, John identifies the “lamb” as symbolic of Jesus Christ. The Bible pictures the true Church as a woman—Christ’s virgin bride (2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7–8)—so a harlot, or “fallen woman,” represents a false church that has not been faithful to Christ. Mountains represent kingdoms or governments (17:9–10), while horns represent kings or rulers (vv. 12–13). We will never properly understand Revelation unless we are willing to let the Bible explain its own symbols rather than relying on human imagination.

Key 7—The Book of Revelation Is Primarily in Time Sequence

In Revelation 5, John saw a vision of One (clearly God the Father) sitting upon the throne in heaven, holding a scroll sealed with seven seals. The only One authorized to open the seals, and therefore to reveal the contents, was Jesus Christ. A scroll must be unrolled sequentially, and the seals must be broken one at a time to reveal what comes next. This vital key, when properly understood, makes plain that the book of Revelation is written in chronological order. While there are a few “insets” that go back and let a reader “catch up” on certain events, Revelation’s narrative flows chronologically.

The opening of the seven seals begins in Revelation 6. When the seventh seal is opened in Revelation 8, the seven trumpets begin to sound. After the seventh trumpet is blown, seven angels are given seven bowls containing God’s wrath to pour out.

Understanding this key point clears up many issues. It also sheds light on events such as the mysterious sealing of the 144,000 recorded in Revelation 7. In context, we can understand that this is a yet future event—not something that happened in the past. The book of Revelation allows us to view all the prophecies of the Bible in their proper time sequence, and to have an overview of God’s plan from start to finish.

With these keys in mind, we can proceed to examine the contents of Revelation itself.

A Final Vision for the End of an Era

The close of the first century was a bewildering and discouraging time for many of God’s people. Years earlier, after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Church of God had begun in a very dramatic fashion on Pentecost, 31AD. Three thousand people were baptized on that day. In the months that followed, the number of disciples multiplied greatly. God’s miraculous intervention was evident on a regular basis.

Three decades later, however, the situation seemed to have changed. God’s people were discouraged and confused by events both in the Church and on the world scene. In 62AD, Jesus’ brother James, who served as leader of the Jerusalem Church, was killed by a mob in Jerusalem. A few years later, the Roman government arrested Paul and transported him to Rome a second time, this time to be executed. Soon after, the Jerusalem Church had to flee the city to escape advancing Roman armies. By 70AD, both Jerusalem and its magnificent temple lay in ruins, destroyed by General Titus and his army. Nearly all the original leaders of the Church were dead. The only original apostle still alive was the aged John. After 70AD he made Ephesus, located in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) near the Mediterranean coast, his primary base of operations.

Around 96AD, the Roman government arrested this elderly apostle and banished him to the isle of Patmos, off the coast of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:9). Patmos was a place where political prisoners were exiled, and from which few ever returned. For someone of John’s advanced age, exile to a prison island must have seemed like a sentence of certain death. But it was in this context that John was given the visions that were to be recorded in the final book of the Bible.

God used John, almost 30 years after the deaths of the other original leaders of the Church, to complete the New Testament. John carried out this commission by writing a fourth Gospel and three letters, all probably completed before his Patmos exile, and finally by writing the book of Revelation. As such, John was responsible for putting the New Testament into its final form.

The Final Message

God the Father has reserved authority over the times and seasons of human history (Acts 1:7). The ebb and flow of the tide of world events is not simply a matter of chance. The rise and fall of great powers is not just determined by human decisions. Rather, God established limits for the roles of various nations. These limits include both length of time on the world stage and the extent of their geographic dominance (17:26).

Though God the Father has determined the nations’ roles in advance, how can we possibly understand unless He chooses to reveal them? It was precisely at the end of the first century that the Father did just that. He gave Jesus Christ an unveiling of what had previously been hidden, that Christ in turn would reveal to the Church. Christ did this by sending an angel to the aged apostle on Patmos (Revelation 1:1). Through a series of visions at the end of an era, John was allowed to see the future—and to record it in advance.

The book of Revelation is an unveiling. The English word “revelation” comes from the Greek word we also render as “apocalypse”—literally meaning a “revealing” or an “unveiling.” While the future is veiled and mysterious to human beings, it is plain to God. Man tries in vain to look through the mists of time to perceive what the future might bring. But while men can only guess, the great God who inhabits eternity is able to declare, from the very beginning, what the end will be.

As an elderly man, in exile on Patmos, John had the most remarkable experience of his long life. In a vision, he saw himself transported into the future, to the time of God’s impending intervention and judgment, which the Old Testament calls “the Day of the Lord.” Hearing a powerful voice behind him, John turned to gaze upon seven golden lampstands, then saw One, whose face shone like the sun in its full strength, standing in the midst of those lampstands. Absolutely overwhelmed by what he saw, John collapsed in a faint. The One he saw standing there was the very One with whom he had walked and talked as a young man; the One beside whom he had sat and upon whom he had leaned at their last Passover meal together. John had last seen Him about 65 years earlier, when he stood with the other disciples on the Mount of Olives, gazing up and watching Him disappear into the clouds. As John lay collapsed, that One reached down and touched him gently with His hand. “Do not be afraid, John,” He declared, “It is Me.” Christ went on to reveal Himself to John as the One who is the first and the last, the One who was dead but is now alive forevermore. John was then told to write down what he had seen and what would yet be shown to him.

This final book in your New Testament, then, is Jesus Christ’s unveiling of the future—your future! It is a book written as Christ’s final message to His Church, showing what will happen. Though most people have considered it a mysterious and closed book, it can now be open to your understanding. If you really want to know what lies ahead, then keep reading!

Setting the Scene

Revelation’s first chapter sets the scene, and provides an introduction to the book. As we have already seen, the Day of the Lord (Revelation 1:10) is the time setting from which events in the book are viewed. From this standpoint, John saw behind him the lampstands representing the seven churches, symbolizing God’s Church down through the ages.

Remember, Revelation was given as a prophecy to show God’s servants what would come to pass. Therefore, the messages to the seven congregations (Revelation 2–3) are far more than a mere historical account of circumstances extant in the last decade of the first century. These seven churches in Asia Minor represent the stages (or eras) through which the true Church would pass before Christ’s return.

After receiving the messages to the seven congregations, John received in Revelation 4—in vision—an invitation to come up to heaven. He described God’s throne in heaven, and noted that the One sitting on it held a sealed scroll in His hand. There was no one worthy to break the seals and open the book except Jesus Christ—the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. As Christ, the Revelator, opened the seals one by one, John was invited to come and look. Beginning in Revelation 6, he described what he saw when each seal was opened.

The first six of the seven seals are opened in Revelation 6. Revelation 7 tells of a pause before the opening of the seventh seal. During that pause in the action, 144,000 servants of God are sealed to ensure their protection from the plagues of the Day of the Lord that would follow.

The story continues in Revelation 8 with the opening of the seventh seal. When that seal is opened, John watches as seven angels are given seven trumpets, which they sound one after another. The first four trumpet blasts are revealed as ecological disasters. Revelation 9 describes the blowing of the fifth and sixth trumpets, and the dramatic military events that unfold in their aftermath.

Revelation 10 recounts a pause in the action before the seventh and final trumpet is sounded. At this point John is given a small scroll, which he is symbolically to eat, and he is told that more prophecies concerning nations and rulers must be delivered. Revelation 11 opens by describing what the Two Witnesses—special servants of God at the time of the Great Tribulation—are doing during the three-and-a-half years leading up to Christ’s return.

The seventh trumpet, described in Revelation 11:15, is central to Revelation both in the book’s length and in its importance. It is the “last trump”—the time of the saints’ resurrection to immortality. This verse is vital for understanding the rest of Revelation, because it marks the point at which the saints come out of their graves to enter into glory. The events from this point through the beginning of Revelation 20 all occur within a very short time. Except for inset accounts, the entire period covered by these chapters is after the first resurrection and before the onset of the Millennium.

An inset in the story flow occurs in Revelation 12 and 13. These chapters pick up the story at an earlier period, and bring it up to date, presenting the stories of the Church (Revelation 12) and of the beast (Revelation 13). These contrasting stories of the persecuted and the persecutors need to be understood as the background to the events surrounding Jesus Christ’s return as King of kings.

Revelation 14 and 15 contrast the newly resurrected saints rejoicing in glory, with the final preparation for God’s wrath to be poured out upon rebellious mankind. God will need to punish severely the “sons of disobedience” (cf. Colossians 3:6) and the system that has persecuted His faithful servants through the centuries, because they have refused to respond to previous calls to repentance. Then, in Revelation 16, we learn the details of the pouring out of the seven bowls that contain the fullness of God’s wrath.

Revelation 17 and 18 provide another inset into the story flow, giving an overview of the end-time system called Babylon the Great. This is an alliance of false religion, military-political power and commercial dominance that will hold sway before Christ’s return. Revelation 18 describes this entire system’s absolute destruction.

The first verses of Revelation 19 reveal a celebration at God’s throne. This is the prelude to both the marriage supper of Christ and the Church, and the actual arrival on earth of the all-conquering Jesus Christ to destroy the leaders and armies of Satan-inspired human rebellion against God.

Satan the devil is then placed under restraint for a thousand years (Revelation 20:2) and the remainder of Revelation 20 introduces Christ’s and the saints’ millennial rule on the earth. At the Millennium’s end, the rest of mankind will be resurrected (vv. 11–15).

After reading, at the close of Revelation 20, about the destruction of the incorrigibly wicked in the lake of fire, we learn in Revelation 21 and 22 about the new heaven and new earth that God promises to create. The new Jerusalem will come down to the earth and will be the dwelling place of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Church. The book of Revelation ends with a look at what God has in store for those who love Him. It leaves us standing on the threshold of eternity with an assurance of the certainty of Christ’s return and the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Having completed this brief overview of the book, we can now examine the story in greater detail, to understand what lies ahead for us and for all mankind.

The Seven Churches

Jesus Christ, the great Revelator, inspired John to record a message to His Church. While there were other Christian congregations in Asia Minor at the first century’s close, seven particular congregations were singled out. The Bible frequently uses numbers in a significant way, and this is certainly true in the book of Revelation.

In the Torah—the first five books of the Bible—we see particular emphasis on two numbers—seven and 12. The number seven denotes completion and perfection, as in the Genesis account of creation, where the seventh day of the week was hallowed and set apart as the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2–3; Exodus 20:11). Later, in Leviticus 23, God gave Israel seven annual festivals that outlined His plan of salvation. Even the economic life of ancient Israel was regulated by cycles of seven years. The sabbatical year came every seventh year, during which the land was to lie fallow and personal debt was to be forgiven (Leviticus 25:1–4). The 50-year jubilee cycle came at the end of seven cycles of seven years, marking the time when slaves were to be set free and land was to revert to its original owners (vv. 9–10). Throughout the book of Revelation, the number seven is used over and over. As just some of the many examples, there are seven lampstands, seven churches, seven angels, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls of wrath and seven heads on the beast.

Genesis introduces the number 12 with Jacob’s 12 sons who gave rise to the 12 tribes of Israel. Throughout the Torah, 12 is used as the number indicating “organizational beginnings.” When we look at Revelation, we again see this same pattern. Revelation 7 recounts the sealing of the 144,000 with 12,000 selected from each of the 12 tribes. It also reveals the New Jerusalem with 12 foundations, named after Jesus’ 12 apostles, and 12 gates named for the 12 tribes. Even the measurements of the city are based on the number 12.

We should take special note when Revelation uses numbers such as seven and 12. The descriptions of seven churches are not coincidental, but are clearly used in a symbolic way to represent the Church in its entirety. Jesus Christ is pictured as standing in the midst of the seven lampstands, which represent far more than a handful of first-century congregations. The cities in which those congregations were located were linked by Roman roads, and were successive stops on an ancient Roman mail route. Each of these seven congregations was used to typify or represent one of the seven successive stages or eras through which the true Church of God would pass from the time of the first century until the time just before Christ’s return. The church at Ephesus, for instance, represented the early Apostolic Church, from its beginnings on Pentecost 31AD until shortly after John’s death. Using this prophecy, the true Church’s story can be traced through the centuries, step by step.

It is beyond the scope of this booklet to offer a detailed history of the seven stages of the Church, but we encourage you to write for our free booklet, God’s Church Through the Ages, to help you understand this important subject. It is fully documented with historical sources to help you see how this remarkable prophecy has been fulfilled. Most commentators are unable to understand this prophecy properly, because they are looking at the wrong church! Not realizing that the Church that Jesus built was never to grow into a large worldly organization, entering into political intrigues and alliances—but was to remain a “little flock” separated from the world—most do not recognize the striking fulfillment of these prophecies.

We should especially note Christ’s words to the last two congregations: Philadelphia and Laodicea. These represent Christ’s true Church at the end time, and understanding His message to them will help make sense of a key prophecy recorded in Revelation 12. In Revelation 3:8, the living Christ tells the Church at Philadelphia that He has set before them “an open door.” Scripture uses the term “open door” to describe an opportunity to proclaim the gospel (cf. Colossians 4:3). Because of their faithful endurance, Philadelphians are promised protection from the great time of severe trial that will come upon the whole world in the end time (Revelation 3:10). By contrast, Christ rebukes the Church at Laodicea, representing the final era, for its lukewarm spirit. Lacking in zeal, Laodicea is beset by compromise with the world, unaware that it is spiritually impoverished and naked. Because of its attitude, the living Christ will have to spew Laodiceans out of His mouth and right into the Great Tribulation, to wake them up and bring them to ultimate repentance and complete surrender to Him. Understanding this distinction between the final two eras allows us to understand prophecies in Revelation 12 that describe Satan’s attempt to make war with the “woman”—the true Church.

At the Throne of God

Beginning in Revelation 4, John is given an astounding privilege. In vision, he is actually invited into the heaven of God’s abode, and is allowed to record some of what he saw. Obviously, pen and paper cannot adequately convey the glory and grandeur of God’s heavenly court, but several features of John’s description do stand out. John does not try to describe the appearance of the great Being on the throne, but does mention the beautiful colors and light surrounding the throne. The lightning and thunder that proceed from the throne are reminiscent of Exodus 19, in which the glory of God came down and settled on Mount Sinai before the giving of the Law.

We then find a description of the vastness of the heavenly court, including the presence of millions of angels (Revelation 5:11). There is a great crystalline expanse upon which the throne sits. From Revelation 15:2, we will learn that the expanse, called a sea of glass, has the appearance of fire embedded within it. Also present are four strange-looking creatures with six wings and the faces of a man, an ox, a lion and an eagle (4:6–8). John’s readers, familiar with the Old Testament, would recognize the similarity of the description of the seraphim recorded in Isaiah’s vision (Isaiah 6:1–2).

There are 24 elders who sit on 24 smaller thrones surrounding God’s throne. Many have tried to imagine who these elders are and some have tried to identify them with certain men mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. In fact, however, these elders are part of the angelic realm. They play an important part in God’s government (the number 24—12 doubled—makes this plain), probably in managing the millions of angels. God is not the author of confusion, and in heaven has a highly organized realm that is responsive to His will.

Revelation 4:5 mentions “seven lamps” before the throne, defined as the seven spirits of God, whom we are told in Revelation 5:6 are sent forth into all the earth. The ancient prophet Zechariah alluded to the same in Zechariah 4:10, referring to the seven “eyes” that God sends to run to and fro throughout the entire earth. Hebrews 1:7, referring to this created angelic realm, tells us that God “makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” In some way that we cannot fully fathom, God uses these spirit creatures, which looked to John like flames of fire, to gather information from all over the earth.

Next, John describes Jesus Christ standing before the throne in the midst of this great assembly (Revelation 5:5–6). Here, Christ is described by two symbols: a Lamb who was slain, and the Lion of Judah. The Lamb of God describes Jesus Christ in His sacrificial role, taking our place and dying in our stead. The Lion of Judah describes Him in His kingly role, as the One who will conquer rebellious mankind and sit on the throne of David, ruling over the earth.

Revelation 4 and 5 also allude to an aspect of John’s vision which is developed more fully in later chapters: the heavenly connection with the earthly temple. Remember, the earthly sanctuary was modeled after a heavenly reality (Hebrews 9:24). So, as we go through the book of Revelation and read about the altar of sacrifice, the altar of incense and the heavenly Ark of the Covenant, we should realize that these were the heavenly originals after which the furniture of the tabernacle—and later of the temple—were modeled.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

One of the best-known images from the book of Revelation is of “the four horsemen of the apocalypse.” Though most have heard the term, hardly anyone actually knows who or what it describes. Yet Christ is the Revelator, so in order to understand these symbols we must find where, in Scripture, He explained in plain language the events portrayed here. Is there such a place? Absolutely! It is Christ’s famous response when He was asked what would be the signs of His coming and of the end of the age (Matthew 24:3–31).

In Matthew 24, outlining a scenario that begins with false prophets and proceeds on through war, famine, disease, tribulation and dramatic heavenly signs, Christ describes the events leading up to His return from heaven. The parallel with Revelation 6 is remarkably clear. Notice what John records. He first sees Jesus Christ take the scroll from the Father and open the first seal. When this occurs, an angel tells John to come and look. John then sees a rider on a white horse wearing a crown and holding a bow (Revelation 6:1–2). Many have carelessly assumed that the rider is Christ, since Revelation 19 describes the returned Christ riding a white horse. This assumption could not be more wrong! In Matthew 24, and in the parallel accounts of Mark 13 and Luke 21, Jesus talks about false “Christs.” He says that some “will come in My name” and say that Jesus is the Christ, yet will deceive many. How can someone use Christ’s name, yet deceive people? By substituting a different message in place of the one He actually taught (Mark 7:7)!

History shows that there have been false teachers, wars, diseases, famines and religious persecutions throughout the almost 2,000 years since Jesus Christ spoke those words on the Mount of Olives. What is different about the events occurring after the seals are opened? Revelation 6 reveals that, in the end time, mankind will experience these age-old scourges occurring with far greater magnitude than ever before.

Notice what Paul taught regarding the Day of the Lord and the events surrounding the time of Christ’s return. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, he explained that the Day of the Lord “will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” Who is that “man of sin”? Down through the centuries, there have been many men of sin and many antichrists (1 John 2:18; 2 John 7). However, the one of whom Paul speaks in 2 Thessalonians is the specific one whom Christ will destroy at His coming (v. 8). This connects him with the one labeled the False Prophet, whom Christ will destroy at His return (Revelation 19:20).

2 Thessalonians 2 tells us more about this end-time False Prophet. He will make blasphemous claims, proclaiming his divinity and demanding worship (v. 4), and will work miraculous signs through satanic power (v. 9; cf. Matthew 24:24; Revelation 13:13–14). This final false religious leader, undoubtedly a very smooth and charismatic individual, will cut a dramatic swath on the world scene. He will not label himself as “antichrist,” but rather will present himself as the leader of the entire Christian church.

Remember, Jesus said that individuals would come in His name saying that Jesus is the Christ, not in the name of some false gods or merely in their own names (Matthew 24:5). Paul also explained that Satan appears as an “angel of light,” and that his ministers seek to appear as “ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14–15). The religious system that will yet produce this end-time man of sin was already at work in Paul’s day. Paul called this system the “mystery of lawlessness”—an outgrowth of the old Babylonian mystery religion that promoted the false idea that God’s law was “done away” and no longer need be kept. Though this system of false Christianity was already beginning in the first century, the final man of sin would not be allowed to emerge until the proper time (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7).

When this final False Prophet arises on the world scene, true Christians will be able to recognize exactly where we are in the scope of prophecy. The first seal will have been opened, and its end-time fulfillment will have been manifested. The opening of the other seals will follow quickly thereafter.

Tribulation and Trumpets

Revelation 6:3 records the opening of the second seal, revealing a rider on a red horse. This rider is given a great sword, the symbol of powerful war-making ability. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 24 shows us that this seal portends regional wars and world wars. As we near the end of the age, a great military power will emerge.

Just as the rider on the white horse reminds us of the role that the end-time False Prophet will play, so the rider on the red horse may remind us of the crafty military-political leader who will emerge on the scene in Europe—undoubtedly claiming to be a man of peace. In the name of “peace” he will launch preemptive strikes and wars in the Middle East and even against America and our allies in Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In close alliance with the False Prophet, this great military-political leader (called “the Beast” in Revelation 13 and elsewhere) will seek to dominate and control all nations. He will bear responsibility for a final round of warfare that will conclude only in the aftermath of the armies of the world gathering at Armageddon.

Soon after this dramatic upsurge in global strife and warfare, these events will combine with terrible weather upsets to produce massive food shortages and famine. This is pictured by the opening of the third seal, and a rider astride a black horse holding a set of balance scales. While basic foodstuffs (symbolized by barley and wheat) will be sold only in small amounts for vastly inflated prices, luxury items (symbolized by the wine and oil) will still be available for the wealthy. The denarius, or “penny” (KJV), was a day’s wages for laborers in the first century, showing that many ordinary people will be spending all of their earnings just trying to feed themselves and their families.

Disease and pestilential death will follow in the wake of food shortages, symbolized by the rider on the pale horse, revealed at the opening of the fourth seal. This grim rider is pictured as holding sway over a quarter of the earth when he emerges for his end-time ride. The events symbolized by the seals are cumulative and the seals, once opened, remain open.

The Great Tribulation

Jesus warned us of the Great Tribulation—a time unique in all history (Matthew 24:21–22). The Great Tribulation begins shortly after the “abomination of desolation” (v. 15), and is the result of the final end-time fulfillment, in rapid succession, of the first five seals. After the first four seals were opened and John saw the “four horsemen” ride forth for their end-time fulfillment, the fifth seal was opened and he was again called to come and watch. He saw a strange vision that, when properly understood, was the harbinger of terrible religious persecution on a scale that is almost unimaginable to us in the modern Western world. John described seeing “souls under the altar” and hearing them cry out asking God “how long” until they would be avenged. The answer is that the time of God’s judgment on their oppressors will not come until the number of martyrs is filled up. There is to be an end-time martyrdom that must yet take place.

Notice the symbols that John described. As is often the case in Revelation, it is important to understand the symbolism of the Jerusalem temple. What is meant by “souls under the altar”? The Bible uses the term soul (nephesh in Hebrew and psuche in Greek) to refer to creatures with life—both human and animal. Leviticus 17:11 states that the life is in the blood. The blood of sacrificial animals was poured out at the base of the altar of sacrifice, one of two altars in the temple. The altar of sacrifice was outside the sanctuary, and the altar of incense was inside, directly in front of the mercy seat. (In the temple at Jerusalem, before the earthquake that followed Christ’s death, a veil separated the altar of incense from the mercy seat). The altar of sacrifice is the basis of the symbolism used in Revelation 6.

In Genesis 4:10, we are told that the blood of righteous Abel figuratively “cried out” from the ground, demanding retribution from a God of righteous judgment. If the blood of one martyr cried out, with how much louder voice would the collective blood of all the righteous martyrs down through time cry out? In the vision, John heard them being told that they must continue to rest in their graves. More martyrs would die before the time would come for God’s judgment to be poured out.

This future time of trouble will clearly be a time of intense religious persecution, when all will be forced to conform to false religious practices that will be portrayed as “Christian.” All will be required to give their devotion to the great false church and its hierarchy, labeled in Revelation 13:15 the “image of the beast.” An outward sign of conformity called the “mark of the beast” will identify those whom Scripture labels as the children of disobedience.

There is another aspect of this coming Great Tribulation that is often overlooked. It is not only a time of religious persecution but it is also identified as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” in Jeremiah 30:7. We know that this is identical with the time of which Jesus spoke in Matthew 24:21, because in both places we are told that it is a unique time, a time such as never was before nor ever again shall be. There cannot be two separate times like that!

If you are not familiar with the identity of Jacob’s end-time descendants, we invite you to write in for our free booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. This will give detailed explanation and proof that is beyond the scope of this current booklet. The coming Great Tribulation will be a time of intense pressure and persecution directed against both spiritual Israel (the true Church of God) and physical Israel, which includes not only the Jews, but also the modern descendants of the so-called “lost ten tribes.” It represents Satan’s wrath and begins in deadly earnest once he is cast back to earth for the final time (Revelation 12:12–13).

Prelude to the Day of the Lord

When the sixth seal is opened, John sees dramatic signs in the heavens. He describes great meteor showers—so intense that it appears that the very stars are falling out of the sky! He also describes events, resembling eclipses, involving the sun and the moon. The sun becomes dark, just as during a solar eclipse, and the moon takes on a reddish hue, just as it often does during a lunar eclipse. These dramatic and frightening events, accompanied by massive volcanic and earthquake activity (cf. Joel 2:30–31), are the prelude to the time of the Creator’s intervention, called throughout Scripture “the Day of the Lord.”

At this point, there is a pause in the action before John sees the seventh seal opened. Revelation 7:1–4 makes plain that this pause is for a very specific purpose. Before the outpouring of God’s wrath, 144,000 saints from the 12 tribes of Israel are to be sealed so that they might be spared from what God is preparing to pour out on rebellious mankind.

A parallel can be found in Ezekiel 9, where Ezekiel saw a vision about God’s punishment on the rebellious people of Jerusalem. In the vision, he saw an angel clothed in linen with a writer’s inkhorn by his side standing beside the altar in front of the temple. The angel was told to go throughout the city, putting a mark on the foreheads of those who “sighed and cried” for all of the abominations of Jerusalem. In the wake of the angel with the writer’s inkhorn, the other angels were to go out as avenging angels to slay the rebellious and ungodly. In the same way, Revelation 7 describes that a remnant of Israel will respond to God’s grace with repentance. They are servants of God, and are to be set apart so that they might be spared God’s wrath that will be poured upon the children of disobedience during the coming Day of the Lord.

In the closing verses of Revelation 13, and the opening verses of Revelation 14, we see a contrast drawn between those who accept the mark of the Beast in their foreheads and the 144,000 who have the Father’s name in their foreheads. The forehead is the seat of intellect, and this pictures our choice of obedience—either to God or to Satan.

Many fail to notice that Revelation 7 records two different groups. They are both introduced by the same phrase, “after this I saw,” recorded in verses 1 and 9. The 144,000 drawn from the 12 tribes precede the description of a multitude of indefinite number drawn from every nation and people. This great multitude is described in a victory celebration before the throne of God, an event that is future to the time sequence that John has been describing. In the course of seeing the remnant of Israel sealed before the Day of the Lord, he also was allowed to look even further into the future. Who is this great multitude? Revelation 7:14 defines them as coming out of “the Great Tribulation.” Even though they may have perished as martyrs during that hellish time, thereby representing a completion of the martyrdom foretold in Revelation 6:11, they are actually victors. They will be resurrected in glory and will receive comfort and blessing from the Father and from Christ.

One other observation about the 144,000 should be made. We need to understand that the Day of the Lord is primarily the time of the seventh seal and the year-long period (Isaiah 34:8; 61:2) leading up to Christ’s second coming. But, in another sense, it stretches on into the future to include not only the year of God’s wrath, but also the thousand-year reign of the Messiah, the Great White Throne Judgment period and the introduction of the new heavens and the new earth (2 Peter 3:10–13). There will ultimately be a great harvest, numbering into the billions, brought in during this extended Day of the Lord, but these 144,000 from Israel will represent a firstfruits of those redeemed to their Creator during that time. 144,000 is the number of organized beginnings squared and multiplied a thousandfold. It represents the starting point of the Creator’s harvest of the nations after He has begun His direct intervention in judgment.

The First Four Trumpets Sound

Revelation 8 continues the flow of events that began with the opening of the first seal. In verse 1, John sees the seventh seal opened, as seven angels standing before God are given seven trumpets to be sounded, one by one, signaling God’s judgments. The seventh seal consists of these seven trumpets.

Note the symbolism in Revelation 8:3–5. Ceremonies carried out in the earthly sanctuary from the days of Moses were patterned after this heavenly reality, providing a key to understanding what is being described. In the earthly sanctuary, every morning and every evening after the daily sacrifice had been offered, the priest took fire from the altar of sacrifice and proceeded into the sanctuary to offer incense on the golden altar in the holy place, located “before the mercy seat”—from which it was separated by a veil (Exodus 30:6). As this account and other scriptures show, the incense offering represented the prayers of the saints coming up before God. The mercy seat, located inside the Holy of Holies and over the Ark of the Covenant, was symbolic of God’s throne.

In Revelation 6, we saw that the blood of those martyred down through time called out to God for vengeance. God did not answer that plea earlier, because it was not yet the proper time. In Revelation 8, however, fire from the altar is symbolically slung out upon the earth, and God instructs the seven angelic trumpeters to announce His retribution.

The remainder of Revelation 8 describes the trumpet blasts sounded by the first four angels. Remember, Isaiah 34:8 and Isaiah 61:2 equate the Day of the Lord with the year of God’s recompense. This period begins with the first trumpet and concludes with the last, or seventh, trump. When God gave ancient Israel His Holy Days, He ushered in the entire fall festival season by designating the first day of the seventh month as “a memorial of the blowing of trumpets.” Since other of God’s festivals received their fulfillment on the very day (note Christ’s being offered as the Lamb of God on the day of Passover and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost), it seems likely that the year of God’s recompense will begin and end on the Feast of Trumpets.

As each of the first four angels sound, terrible ecological disasters take place on earth. When the first angel sounds, terrible fires break out, ultimately consuming a third of the green vegetation. Next, a great meteor-like object lands in the ocean and causes one-third of the seas to become red like blood. This causes a third of sea life to die and greatly disrupts shipping and commerce. After the third trumpet, John sees another meteor-like object fall upon one-third of the fresh water rivers and lakes, turning them to poison and causing massive water shortages. When the fourth angel sounds, there follows disruption in the very sky above. Evidently, belts of smoke and debris will block out sight of the sky for one-third of every day. Perhaps this will be caused by massive amounts of smoke from the great fires that engulf virtually one-third of the earth, as well as from debris thrown into the air during increased volcanic eruptions.

The First Two Woes

If these ecological disasters in the opening months of the year of God’s recompense sound devastating, think about the even greater devastation that occurs when the final three angels sound. These last of the seven angels are said to announce the “three woes.” This involves mankind’s unleashing weapons of mass destruction that will imperil the world so severely that if Christ did not return, no flesh would be saved alive (Matthew 24:22).

When the fifth angel sounds his trumpet in Revelation 9:1–2, we find the great abyss opened and demonically inspired forces unleashed. Revelation 17:8 shows us that from this abyss the Beast power symbolically emerges. The forces that are unleashed are first compared to locusts, because John did not have the words to describe modern weapons of mass destruction. Notice that these “locusts” do not harm natural vegetation (which physical locusts would devour), but instead for five months cause incapacitating but not deadly pain—rather like that of scorpions. This describes an attack by the European-led Beast power on the nations of the east, as mentioned in Daniel 11:44.

This surprise attack will provoke a massive Asian retaliation against Europe. This retaliation, signaled by the sixth angel blowing his trumpet, is pictured as spewing out fire, smoke and brimstone, and destroying one-third of humanity (Revelation 9:17–18). This description fits well with modern nuclear weapons and the devastation they can bring.

At the fifth and sixth trumpet blasts, we see that God has removed restraints previously imposed on Satan and his demons. Abaddon or Apollyon, a name for the devil that means “destroyer,” is the one who precipitates the Beast power’s attack with futuristic weapons. Also, we are told that demonic spirits have been associated with the eastern powers that were previously restrained at the Euphrates River. Evidently, the Euphrates will be the dividing line between the eastern and western spheres of influence.

When the sixth angel sounds, two events occur. One is the unleashing of a nuclear attack on Europe, and likely on its Latin American allies as well. The other is the massing of the largest army ever assembled on the east bank of the Euphrates—200 million men (vv. 15–16). At this point, it will have been almost a year since the trumpets began to sound. The earth and its inhabitants will be reeling in what seem to be the very death throes of the planet itself. But this is not the end of the story.

Witnesses and Wrath

Revelation 10 opens with another short pause in the flow of action. After the sixth trumpet, but before the sounding of the final seventh trumpet, John sees an angel come down from heaven to give him a small scroll to eat. This is very similar to the Old Testament passages where Ezekiel is told to ingest the contents of a scroll so that he can deliver its message (Ezekiel 2:8–10; 3:1–3). The angel tells John to eat the contents of this little scroll and deliver yet another prophetic message to the nations and rulers of this world. What is that message? Before the abomination of desolation and the onset of the Great Tribulation, the Philadelphia era of the Church of God will for decades have gone through the “open door” provided by Christ, proclaiming the gospel and the end-time warning message. Near the time when the Church’s organized proclamation of the gospel is shut down, the Two Witnesses will boldly deliver God’s message, and will die in Jerusalem. Yes, there will still remain a message to be delivered to the world in the waning days of Satan’s rule! That is why John is told, after the sixth trumpet has been blown and just before the seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 10:7), that there yet remains a message to be delivered to nations and rulers. The Two Witnesses, who “prophesy” (Revelation 11:3) and “finish their testimony” (v. 7), along with three angels whom God dispatches after the sounding of the seventh trumpet (14:6–9), all “prophesy again” after John receives the “little book” from the mighty angel.

Matthew 24:15–21 and Luke 21:20–24 make plain that the multinational army described in Zechariah 14:1–2 will have occupied Jerusalem at the onset of the Great Tribulation. By comparing Luke 21:24 with Revelation 11:2, we see that the Beast power will occupy and control Jerusalem for 42 months, or three-and-a-half years. It is right after the False Prophet desecrates the holy place, revealing his idolatrous symbols and blasphemous claims, that God will empower two of His servants, known as the Two Witnesses, to make their public appearance in Jerusalem, two-and-a-half years before the Day of the Lord begins. God will empower them to deliver His message to a world dominated by the power of the Beast and mesmerized by the illusions of the False Prophet.

God will use these two men to perform miracles similar to those performed by Moses and Elijah. They will announce God’s judgments to a world in rebellion against Him, and will confront the power of the Beast and the False Prophet. Throughout the three-and-a-half years of their prophetic career, they will receive God’s supernatural protection, just as Elijah did many centuries earlier (cf. 2 Kings 1:9–14). Finally, God will allow them to be killed. Many will celebrate at their deaths, since the False Prophet will have accused them of causing all of the world’s troubles. Their unburied bodies will lie in Jerusalem’s streets for three-and-a-half days, then they will be restored to life and will rise in the air, disappearing into the clouds while their enemies watch in shocked amazement (Revelation 11:11–12).

The Last Trumpet Sounds

We now come to the mid-point of the book of Revelation and the defining moment of end-time events. What exactly happens when the seventh and final trumpet blast is sounded? Revelation 11:15 states: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'” According to verse 18, this final trumpet blast signals the time when the final wrath of God will be poured out and when God will begin to judge the dead and give reward to His true servants.

Paul tells us that this event will occur “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). It is a time when the dead in Christ, along with those Christians still alive on earth, will undergo an instantaneous change from mortal to immortal and death will be completely swallowed up in victory. It is called the “first resurrection” in Revelation 20:6, and those who are part of it are called “blessed and holy.” They need never worry about death again, but will rule and reign under Christ Himself as He establishes His thousand-year reign on the earth.

At this point, we should note that those who propound the so-called “rapture” theory do not understand Scripture correctly. The Lord will descend from heaven, and the resurrected saints will be caught up to meet Him in the air, at the seventh and final trump. As we have seen from the story flow of Revelation, this can only occur after all the previously described events have transpired, and is not something that could happen “at any moment” as some mistakenly believe.

The Woman and the Dragon

Having described Christ’s opening of all seven seals, John next provides, in Revelation 12, an inset describing the conflict between the woman and the dragon.

John describes a vision of a woman clothed with the sun, the moon and 12 stars. This description hearkens back to Genesis 37:9, where in a dream Joseph had seen the family of Israel depicted by the sun, moon and stars. As we have seen earlier, the Bible uses a woman to symbolize a church. In a few brief verses, the entire history of the Church is traced from the time of the Congregation of Israel—the Church in the wilderness—to the end of the Great Tribulation. The woman is said to have brought forth the man child who was to rule all nations—a clear reference to Christ, who sprang out of Israel. The dragon, defined in verse 9 as Satan the devil, attempts to destroy Jesus Christ—who was taken back to heaven after His resurrection.

In verse 6, we read of the woman having to flee to the wilderness to be protected during a period of 1,260 prophetic “days”—1,260 literal years. Since this occurs after Christ’s ascension, it clearly refers to the New Testament Church. Indeed, in the early fourth century AD, after the Roman emperor Constantine allied with the bishop of Rome, the true Church had to flee to remote areas. Historically, a 1,260-year period can be traced from after the Council of Nicea in 325AD, down to about 1585, when the true Church began to emerge openly once again. You can read this entire remarkable story in our free booklet, God’s Church Through the Ages.

Also, it should be noted that Revelation 12 describes two different rebellions of Satan. Verse 4 reminds us of the archangel Lucifer’s original rebellion (cf. Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28), in which he drew one-third of the angels with him before Adam was created. He was cast to earth, and his name was changed from “light bearer” (the meaning of “Lucifer”) to “adversary” (the meaning of “Satan”). In context, verses 7–12—placed in the story flow after the time of the Church in the wilderness (historically the medieval period)—refer to a yet future attempt of Satan to seize power in heaven, just before the final Great Tribulation.

After this future and final casting down of Satan, God will take the “woman”—His true Church—into a special place in the wilderness, to be nourished and protected during this final three-and-a-half-year period. A remnant will be left behind, however, which the devil will go to attack. Scripture shows the Church at Philadelphia being kept from this hour of severe trial, but Christ will spew out the Church at Laodicea into the Great Tribulation, because of its unwillingness to repent of—or even recognize—its lukewarm complacency, materialism, self-righteousness and spiritual blindness and nakedness!

The Beast

Having been given an overview of the history of the true Church in Revelation 12, John was shown another vision in Revelation 13 that gave him an overview of the Beast system. The Beast is first referred to in Revelation 11:7, seeking to destroy the Two Witnesses. It is not further defined until we come to Revelation 13. In this chapter, John saw a vision that hearkened back to what Daniel recorded in Daniel 7.

Daniel had seen four creatures emerge one after another from the sea: a lion, a bear, a four-headed leopard and a terrible creature with iron teeth and ten horns. These are defined in Daniel 7:23 as four kingdoms. When the vision in Daniel 2 is compared to that in Daniel 7, it is evident that this progression of four world-ruling kingdoms started in Daniel’s day with Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian Empire and continued down through the successive kingdoms of Persia, Greece and Rome. By the time of John’s vision in the book of Revelation, the empires of ancient Babylon, Persia and Greece had passed into history and the fourth kingdom—the Roman Empire—dominated the world scene.

In Revelation 13, John described the Roman Empire as having the characteristics of the earlier empires whose remnants it had absorbed. A detailed study of all the scriptures relating to this and the historical references that prove their fulfillment is given in our booklet, The Beast of Revelation. It will give you much detail that is beyond the scope of this present booklet.

John saw the Beast receive a deadly wound. Historically this was the fall of the Roman Empire in 476. Then John saw that the deadly wound was healed, as occurred with the Imperial Restoration by Justinian in 554. The Beast then continued for 1,260 prophetic “days,” the duration from Justinian until the fall of Napoleon in 1814. This was the period of the so-called Holy Roman Empire and its alliance with the Roman pontiff. John also saw a second beast, this one looking like a lamb but actually serving as the mouthpiece of Satan, the dragon (Revelation 13:11). Clearly this is symbolic of a religious system that claims to be Christian but actually proclaims the devil’s message rather than Christ’s gospel. This false religious system is pictured as constructing a model, or an image, based upon the institutions of the old Roman Empire. Ancient pagan Rome was the model upon which papal Rome and its political structure was built. There was an alliance of church and state that continued down through the medieval period. The church used the state to enforce conformity with religious edicts and in turn required its adherents to be loyal to the state.

The mark of the beast, a brand that advertises disobedience to the law of God, is something that goes back to antiquity. It has been insisted upon ever since this unholy alliance of church and state took place in the days of Emperor Constantine.

The number of the beast, 666, is derived from numeric values anciently assigned to letters of the alphabet, in lieu of separate numerals as we commonly use today. Hebrew, Greek and Latin all used such a system, so all names in those languages had a numerical value. See our booklet, The Beast of Revelation, for further information on the mark of the Beast, and the detailed proof that the Roman system is branded by the number 666—the number of a name.

It is also vitally important to realize that this medieval alliance of church and state is once again to rear its head. In the days soon ahead of us, the final appearance of the Beast system will emerge once more from out of the abyss. Will you give in to the pressures to fit in with this powerful system that will hold a brief sway over all the earth in the near future? You need to understand this subject for your own sake and for that of your family.

Triumph and Wrath

After these brief insets to bring the story of the persecuted and the persecutors from the time of antiquity down to the time when the seventh trumpet will blow, the story switches to focus on the aftermath of the final trumpet. It will be a time of wonderful triumph for the saints of God. Persecuted and derided down through the centuries, the saints of God are described in glory rejoicing before God the Father and Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the remainder of rebellious mankind is about to receive the undiluted wrath of God Almighty.

The 144,000 whom we had earlier seen sealed to protect them from the wrath of the Day of the Lord are now pictured in glory and are singing a new song as they stand before the throne of God praising Him for their redemption (Revelation 14:1–5). All the while this celebration is taking place, three angels go through the earth proclaiming God’s final message for mankind as He prepares to pour out His final wrath (vv. 6–11).

As the glorified saints rejoice and the three angels proclaim God’s final warning, preparation is made for rebellious mankind to be cast into the winepress of the wrath of God (v. 19).

Here we should note that Scripture identifies the true saints as those who actually obey God and keep His commandments. Revelation 14:12 emphasizes this point by describing the saints in comparison to those who will receive God’s punishment. Also, it should be noted that both the song of Moses and that of Christ (the Lamb) are sung before the throne (15:3). The messages of the Old and New Testaments are not contradictory or discordant; rather, they are in harmony, as shown by the singing of the glorified saints.

In Revelation 15, John records a vision of seven angels, with seven golden bowls that pour out seven final plagues, one after another. This pouring occurs rather quickly, as we see when we examine the nature of the plagues. If the second and third plagues, for instance, lasted more than a few days, all life would perish from the planet.

When the first bowl is poured out, a grievous sore comes upon those who had disregarded the third angel’s message and were still loyal to the Beast system. Then, when the second angel pours out his bowl, all the oceans become like “the blood of a dead man” (16:3). All sea life dies. With the pouring out of the third bowl, all the fresh water turns to blood, and sources of drinking water are destroyed. Then, the fourth angel pours his bowl, and scorching heat from the sun punishes rebellious mankind. Next, great darkness comes upon Europe (“the seat of the Beast”) and its people are in agonizing pain and heat, engulfed in total darkness and lacking usable water all at the same time. The darkness results from the bowl poured out by the fifth angel.

After this, John sees the sixth angel pour his bowl upon the Euphrates. Demon spirits go forth to bring all the armies together north of Jerusalem. The huge Asiatic army that had previously been massed on the east bank of the Euphrates pours into the land of Israel, and converges in the area of Armageddon (Hebrew for “mount of Megiddo”). Megiddo is a hill that stands overlooking the Valley of Jezreel, about 55 miles north of Jerusalem. When the final seventh bowl is poured out, there will be a tremendous earthquake so massive that the very topography of the earth itself will be altered (vv. 18–20). Very likely this earthquake is the same one that is described in Zechariah 14:4, when the feet of Jesus Christ finally stand once more upon the Mount of Olives, located just east of Jerusalem.

Babylon the Great Is Fallen

Following his vision of the seven last plagues being poured out, John is shown two more visions that represent an inset into the story flow of Revelation. These visions describe Babylon the Great and the final destruction that will come upon that terrible system. In Revelation 17 the focus is upon the religious and political alliance that once again—in the not-too-distant future of you who are reading this booklet—will come to dominate the world. The political system is described as ridden by a woman, but a woman very unlike the chaste virgin bride of Christ. This is a church that is described as a great whore, one that has entered into illicit liaisons with various national leaders. These unions have spawned what the Bible labels as harlot daughters. This whole religious system is defined as an outgrowth of the ancient pagan Babylonian mystery religion.

In Revelation 18, John was shown in vision the announcement of the fall and total destruction of modern Babylon. This chapter reveals that in addition to being a religious and political system, as is emphasized in Revelation 17, Babylon is also a commercial system that seeks to dominate the world economically. Many details of the prophecies recorded in these two chapters are covered in our free booklet, The Beast of Revelation.

It is important that we realize now, and in the crucial years ahead, that God’s victory is certain. This history has already been written in advance! Therefore, it is imperative that we come out of this world’s Babylonish system (18:4) and give our total and true allegiance to Jesus Christ and the message that He taught!

Beyond the Chaos

Much of Revelation describes the chaos that results from mankind following Satan and seeking to build its own civilization apart from Almighty God. But neither that chaos, nor God’s victory over Satan, is the climax of the book. Rather, Revelation ends with the living Christ showing John what would take place beyond the chaos.

After seeing, in vision, the cataclysmic destruction of Babylon the Great, John sees another vision of heaven, and of a celebration before the very throne of God. Babylon’s fall is noted in Revelation 19:2, and verse 6 depicts the rejoicing of those before God’s throne: “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”

John then learns that the time has finally arrived for the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Church, changed from flesh and blood to immortal spirit at the resurrection, is now ready to marry Christ. The bride—collectively the Church—is pictured as being arrayed in wedding garments of clean white linen, representing the righteousness of the saints.

Understanding ancient Jewish marriage customs may give us some insight into what is being described. The marriage ceremony had three major components, each taking place at a different time, as we know from secular history as well as Scripture. These three components share some of the symbolism of the three festival seasons that God gave to ancient Israel, by which he revealed His great plan of salvation (If you do not already have our free booklet on the Holy Days, then please request your free copy of The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan).

The first part of the wedding ceremony was the bride price, normally paid by the father of the bridegroom. We see this in Genesis 24, where Abraham offered gifts when arranging to seek a wife for his son Isaac. This parallels the Passover season. The bride price that God the Father offered was the life of His only begotten Son (John 3:16).

The second phase of the wedding ceremony was the espousal, or signing of the marriage covenant. Once this formal agreement was made, the couple was considered married, even before they had celebrated or consummated their marriage. Joseph and Mary were in this espousal stage when it was discovered that Mary had supernaturally conceived Jesus Christ. This second stage of the wedding ceremony parallels the second festival season: Pentecost, the time of the covenants (see Jeremiah 2:2, where the time of Israel in the wilderness was likened to the time of espousal).

The third phase of the wedding ceremony was the celebration of the marriage feast. Normally a week in duration (cf. Genesis 29:27), it was characterized by festivity and celebration (John 2:1–10). This phase usually began with a procession. The bridegroom would go to claim his bride, and the bridal party would go out to meet him (cf. Matthew 25:6). Usually the bride would proceed, together with the bridegroom, from her father’s house to the home that her husband had prepared. This was followed by seven days of feasting with friends and family. This final stage of the wedding ceremony parallels the Feast of Tabernacles—seven days of feasting that represent the millennial reign of the Messiah, when He will make a “feast of choice pieces” to the whole world (Isaiah 25:6).

The Kingdom Established

As Revelation 19 concludes, John sees heaven opened and the triumphant Jesus Christ returning to the earth in power and glory, astride a white horse, followed by the armies of heaven. Mankind’s armies, which had previously gathered at Armageddon, are destroyed on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The Beast and the False Prophet are taken and thrown into a fiery, molten lake where they are burned up. The blasphemous claims of divinity that they had made are thus shown to be empty and false.

When Christ’s feet stand once more on the very Mount of Olives from which He ascended into heaven about 2,000 years ago, the mount will split in two. At that point, a stream will break forth from beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It will flow eastward through the newly divided Mount of Olives, and westward into the Mediterranean Sea. Spreading quickly, this “living water” will supernaturally heal all of the dead waters that had become like blood a few days earlier (Revelation 16:3–4), when the second and third bowls of wrath were poured out. Abundant sea life will be restored (Ezekiel 47:1, 8–9).

The returning King of kings will immediately dispatch a mighty angel to seize Satan the devil and lock him away for a thousand years. This sets the stage for the reign of the Kingdom of God on earth. The symbolism of the Holy Days, which God gave to Israel, can help us understand the meaning of the sequence of events. Just as the Feast of Trumpets represents the time of God’s intervention and judgment, so the Day of Atonement—coming nine days later—pictures the time when Satan will be banished and made to bear his responsibility for sin. The fulfillment of what this day symbolized is described in Revelation 20:1–3. Most likely, the action that is described in the book of Revelation as occurring between the blowing of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15 and the putting away of Satan in Revelation 20:2 will take place in a nine day span between Trumpets and Atonement. Satan being put away will represent the liberation of mankind. This is the fulfillment of the symbolism of the ancient year of Jubilee, when freedom was proclaimed (Leviticus 25:9–10). Note that the Jubilee began on the Day of Atonement, the day that symbolized Satan’s banishment. At this point, the remnants of all 12 tribes of Israel will begin to be regathered from their captivity to the land of Israel (Isaiah 27:1, 13).

In his vision of the future, John described the resurrected and glorified saints carrying out governmental responsibilities (Revelation 2:26–27; 5:10). They will reign on earth carrying out their functions as kings and priests under Jesus Christ. Other scriptures, such as Isaiah 2 and Isaiah 11, describe how God’s government will go forth from a rebuilt Jerusalem to encompass all nations. There will be a thousand years of healing and rebuilding, and all mankind will have the opportunity to learn God’s ways. It will be a time of abundance and prosperity, when “everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid” (Micah 4:4).

During the last generation living at the end of the Millennium, Satan will be released for a short time, and he will immediately go out to deceive the nations once more (Revelation 20:7–10). Why will God release him, knowing what he will do? God has always given mankind a choice, desiring us both to choose the right and to reject the wrong. Some, even after experiencing the benefits and blessings of God’s government, will allow themselves to fall under Satan’s sway. Satan will gather armies, from many nations around the earth, that bear the same rebellious attitude as Gog and Magog—two of the nations that fought against God in the beginning years of the Millennium (cf. Ezekiel 38). These armies will converge on Jerusalem, but will quickly be destroyed, and Satan will be put away forever.

New Heavens and a New Earth

At the close of this period of judgment, when every human being who has ever lived will have had a genuine opportunity to receive God’s salvation, there will be a time of reckoning for those who have rejected that free gift. As the earth and the very universe itself appear to dissolve in a fiery cosmic conflagration (cf. 2 Peter 3:10–13), all of the wicked will be burned up completely and for eternity. After the passing of this sin-tainted realm will come new heavens and a new earth.

That new earth will become the dwelling place for God the Father and the family that He has built. John saw the New Jerusalem, which had been under preparation in heaven, descend to the new earth. God the Father will dwell there, with His children, forever.

Near the end of the book of Revelation, John describes the glory of this great city with its 12 foundations and 12 gates. The streets are of gold and the gates are each made of a single pearl. There is brilliant color, and light pervading everywhere, because of the presence of the Father and Christ. Those who are part of Christ’s bride will actually dwell in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1–3), while those who came later—during the Millennium and Great White Throne Judgment—will inhabit the remainder of the new earth. The rest of God’s glorified family—”the nations of those who are saved”—will have unfettered access to the Father and Christ, as the gates of the city will remain open by day and there will be no night there (vv. 23–26). They will have complete access to the tree of life that grows in the city, and to the river of the water of life (22:1–2).

Death, pain and tears will finally be banished forever. The curse will be removed that came upon mankind, and even upon the earth itself, after the sins of Adam and Eve. Sin and its consequences will at last be totally gone. Whoever desires will be able to take of the water of life freely.

“And behold, I am coming quickly,” Jesus declared to John, “and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.… Blessed are those who do His commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (vv. 12, 14).

The book of Revelation tells us of the end of history and the beginning of forever. It leaves us standing upon the very brink of eternity, with the assurance that Jesus Christ really will return soon. The promises that John was inspired to record are absolutely sure—and they apply to you and to your family! “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (1:3).

Booklet Category

Christian Baptism: Its Real Meaning

4uwzvo — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:34:39 +0000

Christian Baptism: Its Real Meaning 4uwzvo Mon, 02/28/2022 - 18:34

Christian Baptism: Its Real Meaning

Roderick C. Meredith (1930-2017)

Booklet Media

#Christian Living

#Christianity

#Holy Spirit

#Salvation

What do you see when you look at yourself? How badly do you personally need God’s forgiveness? Do you really stand in need of a Savior? Perhaps you have already been baptized as a child, or even as an infant. You might not even remember the event. Is your baptism really valid and acceptable in God’s sight? This is a truly vital question because your very salvation depends upon the answer!

The shoulders of the big man sitting across the table began to shake and heave. “I’ve broken every single one of God’s commandments,” he cried. “I need to be baptized!” This man, a World War II veteran and former Marine, was very deeply conscious that he was a sinner in need of salvation. As a young twenty-two year old college student conducting a baptizing tour, I was deeply struck by this man’s sincerely repentant attitude. He was coming to see himself, and he genuinely hated what he saw! He recognized his desperate need for a Savior.

What about you? What do you see when you look at yourself? How badly do you personally need God’s forgiveness? Are you one who has led a “pretty good” life? If so, is baptism even really necessary for you? Do you, personally, really stand in need of a Savior?

Perhaps you have already been baptized. Maybe it occurred when you were a child, and you do not even remember the event, or perhaps you were baptized as an adolescent or adult, when you “made a decision for Christ.” Is your baptism really valid and acceptable in God’s sight? This is a truly vital question because your very salvation depends upon the answer.

Millions Have Been DECEIVED

It is important to realize that the vast majority of human beings on this earth—even religious people—have been deceived The Apostle John was inspired to describe Satan as “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). It is hard for most people to fully grasp the fact that they, personally, may have been deceived into following wrong religious doctrines and practices.

But we all need to carefully and open-mindedly compare the clear examples and teachings of Jesus Christ with what today is purported to be “Christianity.” You will quickly see a vast difference, as Dr. Rufus Jones candidly explained: “If by any chance Christ Himself had been taken by His later followers as the model and pattern of the new way, and a serious attempt had been made to set up His life and teaching as the standard and norm for the Church, Christianity would have been something vastly different from what it became. The heresy would have been as it is not now, a deviation from His way, His teaching, His spirit, His kingdom” (The Church’s Debt to Heretics, p. 15).

If Jesus and the early Apostles do not represent the “standard” for true Christianity, then what is that standard? Is it the confused and often contradictory ramblings of the so-called “church fathers” of the Roman Catholic Church during the Dark Ages? Remember that Jesus Himself warned specifically about false religious leaders. He said: “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14).

Frankly, I grew up absolutely blind to most of the basic truths of the Bible. I belonged to a mainstream Protestant church. I was president of my Sunday school class at one point. Both my parents graduated from a college sponsored by that church which our family attended regularly. Yet I had no idea of the ultimate purpose of human existence, was totally ignorant of the great end-time prophecies of the Bible and was never taught about the power of the Holy Spirit to change my life and enable the living Jesus Christ to live His life within me (see Galatians 2:20)! Incredibly, however, I was regarded by dozens of my friends as more “knowledgeable” than they were about the Bible and things of religion. These other church-going youth often asked me questions and were wondering about, and in confusion about, the very purpose of human existence.

I was baptized as a helpless little infant—unable even to discern my left hand from my right hand, let alone able to grasp the enormity of sin and deeply repent of my sins and accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Was I, then, a true Christian?

Of course not!

My Personal Quest for Truth

In that famous Protestant church I was just like the millions of other deceived people who just grow up in the “church of their choice”—never even considering whether it is truly God’s Church and whether it is fully teaching His Truth instead of the ideas and the imaginations of deceived men. Finally, in my late teens, God began to open my mind to what true religion was all about. Rather than just reading the Gospels or Psalms for “inspiration,” I actually began to study the Bible just as one would study a history book or a book about physics or chemistry. I asked God for understanding, and I continued for months to read and mark, reread and meditate on the entire New Testament—then the Old Testament—and try to understand what Jesus Christ actually taught!

In my personal study, I began to realize that true Christianity is not just believing in the person of Jesus Christ, but believing and acting on His Message. I found that a true Christian must totally surrender and let Christ live within him through the Holy Spirit. As the Apostle Paul wrote: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Also, Paul stated: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, KJV).

I began to understand Jesus’ repeated warnings about accepting Him and using His name in vain: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). And again: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

But where do you stand?

Has God opened your mind to the fact that He really is the Governor of the universe; that He is a real God who created and now rules over all things? Do you realize that His Son Jesus Christ not only came into this world to die for our sins, but is now alive at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and that Christ is now our living High Priest? Do you understand that He will live His life in us through the promised Holy Spirit if we truly repent and are baptized, and that Christ will live within us the same obedient life He lived while in the human flesh? For your Bible says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

All of us need help—a lot of help. We simply cannot overcome our own human vanities and passions, overcome the world and also overcome Satan the Devil through our own strength. The God who made us has promised that He will give us the spiritual help and the spiritual strength that we need. Jesus said: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26). And again: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13).

BELIEVE What Jesus Actually Taught

Jesus Christ came preaching a message about the coming Kingdom of God. The Gospel of Mark records: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'” (Mark 1:14–15).

To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ and receive His Spirit, you must repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ’s Gospel. The true Gospel message about God’s Kingdom involves one’s willingness to obey the laws of that Kingdom—the Ten Commandments. When a young man asked Jesus how to gain eternal life, Jesus replied: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.

He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 19:17–19). Here Jesus is clearly naming the Ten Commandments as the Way of life for those who desire to be in His Kingdom.

Later, as our High Priest and living Head of the Church, Jesus inspired the Apostle James to explain that true Christians must keep all of the “points” of God’s law. Indeed, we must live as those who will be “judged” by the Ten Commandments, for they truly are the standard of true Christian conduct!

The beloved Apostle John warned those who would try to “water down” the clear biblical teaching of obedience to the Ten Commandments, “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). Many professing Christians and even many famous preachers may know about God, but they do not actually “know” God—are not truly acquainted with Him—unless and until they fully surrender to let the true Jesus Christ live His obedient life within them through the Holy Spirit! Then they will have experienced what it is like to express the very character of God. Then they will truly “know” God.

Does that mean that true Christians keep the Ten Commandments perfectly at all times? Of course not! For the Apostle John also stated—clearly writing about Christians: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9).

This “cleansing” from sin is a continuous action, for the genuine Christian is to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

The newly converted “babe in Christ” will constantly make mistakes. all of us who are Christians will make mistakes. Yet we will get up and try again. We will occasionally “slip off the path.” But we will repent each time with the help of the Holy Spirit and get back on the path of obedience to the Ten Commandments. For the great spiritual law of God—the Ten Commandments—is truly the Way of life. The man “after God’s own heart,” King David of Israel, stated: “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me” (Psalm 119:97–98).

What Should You Do?

If you have been drawn to God by His Spirit and want to become a true Christian, what should you do? The inspired answer was given by the Apostle Peter on the first New Testament day of Pentecost. After coming to realize the enormity of their sins, the repentant Jews asked Peter and the rest of the Apostles: “‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call'” (Acts 2:37–39).

Think carefully about this fundamental instruction from God’s Word. We are to be baptized “for the remission of sins.” Obviously, then, we are to repent of sin.

But what is sin?

The clearest definition of sin given in the Bible is found in 1 John 3:4: “Sin is the transgression of the law” (KJV). So we are to repent of breaking God’s spiritual law, the Ten Commandments! And we need to realize that Jesus Christ came to “magnify” the law and make it honorable (Isaiah 42:21). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained that we are not only not to kill, we are not even to harbor bitterness and hatred in our hearts—for that is the “spirit” or attitude of murder (Matthew 5:21–22). Christians are not only never to commit adultery, they are not even to “lust” after another person (vv. 27–28).

Far from “watering down” God’s law, Jesus’ teaching made the Ten Commandments even more binding!

It is only through Jesus Christ living His life within us that we can increasingly reflect the spirit of the Ten Commandments in our daily lives. As stated earlier, we must indeed grow in grace and knowledge continually.

Through the Holy Spirit, the spiritual love of God is given to us to enable us to keep God’s law. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). And what is the “love of God” which is given to the true Christian? How does it function? The Apostle John explains: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

So the true love of God flows down the channel or riverbed of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments tell us how to love God and how to love our fellow man. And, contrary to the clever arguments of many religious leaders, they are not “burdensome.” Rather, if obeyed, they become the “law of liberty” as we saw above in James’ epistle. They would free mankind from war, crime, adultery, broken homes, rebellious children and a host of other problems if they were practiced by all mankind!

In the soon-coming Kingdom of God, mankind will obey the Ten Commandments as a way of life. That is precisely why there will be peace, prosperity and joy in the coming millennial reign of Jesus Christ on this earth!

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4:1–3).

Be Sure You “Count the Cost”

Getting back to Peter’s sermon on the first New Testament Pentecost, remember that he exhorted these men to repent. To repent of sin means more than being “sorry.” The Bible makes it clear that genuine repentance involves being fully convicted of the fact that you are truly a sinner and that you have broken and smashed God’s law over and over—in the spirit if not in the letter. It means being convicted not only that you have done wrong, but that you are wrong! As the Apostle Paul explains: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Romans 7:18). And he stated again later: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God; through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (vv. 24–25).

When you have been brought to this kind of real repentance, it is time to be baptized! You will need to honestly “count the cost” as Jesus instructed: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it” (Luke 14:26–28).

Ask yourself: With the help of God, will you really put God ahead of family, friends, job, money and social position, or will you be like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day who “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43)?

Has God become real to you? Will you truly put Him ahead of everything else? Or do you have some secret “idol”—something that, in fact, you put ahead of God and of your relationship with Jesus Christ?

Remember that repentance means change Are you, personally, ready to accept in faith the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your sins and then fully surrender to let Him come in and “take charge” and change your entire life?

Have you come to a heartfelt appreciation for the fact that Jesus Christ—the Son of God—emptied Himself of His glory and power and came in human flesh to die for your sins (see Philippians 2:5–8) and that He who had been with the Father from eternity was willing to divest Himself of all that magnificence to serve you and me—to make it possible for us to share eternity with Him and with the Father in the Kingdom as full sons of God (see John 1:1–12)?

As you proceed toward baptism, will you—with God’s help— dedicate yourself to express total love and loyalty to Jesus Christ as your Savior, your Lord and Master, your High Priest and your coming King? Will you?

These are vital questions that need to be asked—and need to be sincerely answered in the affirmative. For when you are baptized, you are making a sacred covenant with your Creator to love, to obey and to serve Him and His Son Jesus Christ now and forever!

God does not owe you anything. But, on the contrary, you and I owe Him and His glorified Son everything. For God “created all things through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9; John 1:1–3). He created you and me. He created and sustains the earth we live in, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. God the Father, through Jesus Christ, created our minds—the very instrument we humans sometimes use to reason around the fact that something greater had to be there to create our minds! Then we “reason” ourselves into excusing ourselves from stealing, lying, committing adultery and all manner of things we should know are wrong. As the Apostle Paul explained in Romans 8:7–8: “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

So we need forgiveness. We desperately need a Savior. And we need the constant help of our Savior and High Priest who will not save us in our sins but from our sins—and give us the spiritual strength to overcome and grow in the very character of God. And all of this can be accomplished only through our coming to a place where we are willing to completely repent of our natural hostility toward God and to heartfeltly accept the shed blood of Jesus Christ—the very life of the Son of God—as payment for our sins.

Have you come to such a time and place in your life?

The Keys to Changing Your Life

The Bible records stories of dramatic change in the lives of many individuals. How were they able to make such total “about faces” in their lives? Is it possible for you to make changes of equal magnitude in your own life? There are two vital keys. Most people overlook them entirely. Even those who acknowledge them generally misunderstand what they really involve.

In Acts 2 we read of the events surrounding the beginnings of the New Testament Church. Simon Peter preached a powerful sermon to multiple thousands assembled to observe the Feast of Pentecost. A number of those who heard him that day had stood in the mob assembled outside Pilate’s Judgment Hall a mere seven-and-a-half weeks earlier. At that earlier time, they had been shouting “Crucify Him!” when Pilate was offering to free Jesus of Nazareth. Now, believing the truth of Peter’s message, they were convicted of the magnitude of what they had done. It was with a deep sense of shame and personal guilt, that they now humbly asked him: “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:36–39) He responded by telling them to repent. Faith and repentance are the vital keys without which real change is impossible.

Faith sets the stage for repentance. The kind of faith we are talking about is living and real. It produces a state of mind that wants to make an about face and turn to God. This faith is confidence in a real God and in the promises He makes. It results in action! “Faith without works is dead,” the Apostle James wrote in James 2:17. To really believe and trust, God makes it possible for us to absolutely, unconditionally surrender to Him.

Hebrews 11 is often called the “faith chapter” of the Bible. In Hebrews 11:13 we learn that the men and women of faith did certain things. Understanding what they did helps us to understand life-changing faith. We are told that they “saw the promises afar off, were persuaded of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

First, we must see and understand the promises that God makes, be convinced of both their value and their reality, and then we must embrace them. To embrace is to hold dear and precious. If we do not value and cherish what God offers, we simply will not hold on and endure through the ups and downs of life. Because the men and women of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 held dear what God promised, they demonstrated by word and action that they were not part of this world.

We cannot fit in with this world and fit in with God at the same time (James 4:4). In order to fit in with and cultivate the acceptance and approval of this world, a person must be in harmony with the values of this age. John summed up the values of this world as appealing to “the lust of flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). This age and its corrupt, decadent value system is going to pass away, but there is a new world coming based upon eternal values. That new world, tomorrow’s world, will be permanent.

If we really believe that, then we will want to turn to God with all of our hearts and learn how to dwell in harmony with Him forever. Living faith produces action, and genuine repentance is one of the first actions it produces. That is what Peter’s audience displayed when they asked him: “What shall we do?” They offered no excuses. They did not attempt to minimize their actions. They did not begin blaming others. Rather, they were humble, teachable, and surrendered in their heart and mind. Peter had preached the Gospel and they believed his message. They evidenced faith by their heartfelt desire to act upon that faith. So they asked the question that day that all who desire genuine change in their lives must ask, “What shall we do?”

Does Obedience Earn Salvation?

God’s law tells us how to be like God (1 Peter 1:15–16). However, all of us have fallen far short of being like God. What can we do? No amount of future good deeds can ever make up for what we have done in the past. This ought to be obvious even from looking at man’s laws. If you were arrested for murder, would the promise to refrain from ever doing it again earn your acquittal? Of course not! If we keep the law in the future, we are merely doing what is expected. No amount of future law keeping can ever atone for past law breaking.

All of us have sinned (Romans 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). God made possible our release from the death penalty, the curse of the law, by giving Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, to die in our stead. He took our place. We are, therefore, reconciled to God by the death of His Son (Romans 5:10).

God took the initiative to bring us into harmony with Himself, which is what reconcile means. He has demonstrated His love by giving the ultimate sacrifice, the life of His Son, to pay the penalty that you and I have incurred by our thoughts, attitudes, and actions (John 3:16). However, we must respond to God’s grace through faith and repentance. God’s intent is to save us from our sins, not in our sins. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”, Paul asks. “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1–2). If we are to accept God’s freely offered gift of eternal life, which we could never earn or deserve in a thousand lifetimes, then we must respond to Him by turning from our ways to His ways (Acts 2:38).

An attitude of unconditional surrender of our life and of our will is the attitude of repentance. If we come to really see the reality of the glorious future that God offers and to genuinely believe His Word, then we will want to seek God and His ways with all of our heart. That is what led to changes in the lives of the men and women of faith of whom we read in Hebrews 11. Living faith always results in action! Repentance is a response to living faith. While it starts on the inside, it will also be reflected in outward changes. If we really have come to hate the old ways, we will want to turn from them.

Have you been led by God to see that your very nature is wrong? Have you come to sincerely want to get rid of your own rotten, selfish, carnal human nature? Again, are you ready to repent of not only what you have done—but of what you are?

King David knew that this was what God required. He said: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart; these O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Before anyone—and this does mean anyone—is really and truly converted, he has to be humbled, beaten down and made to realize his own nothingness by God. He has to go through a period of time when he is abhorring himself, acknowledging his sins to God and repenting of them—turning around in his heart, mind and will and determining to go the other way.

When that time comes, a person will quit arguing and reasoning with God or with His ministers doing His Work. He will not grudgingly hang on to false concepts of God. He will quit trying to reason around obedience to God’s commandments and literally living by every word of the Bible. He will not get his “feelings” hurt at the correction and exhortation of God’s chosen servants. Rather, he will give his life to God as the Apostle Paul instructs us all to do: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1–2). As Paul instructed, even our thoughts must be changed by the “renewing” of our minds!

The Symbolism of Baptism

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:13. John the Baptist said that the Messiah would offer two baptisms—Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11–12). Those who will not be “plunged into” the Family of God through the Spirit of God, will ultimately be immersed in a lake of fire that will leave them “neither root nor branch” (Malachi 4:1). Jesus Christ compared the Holy Spirit to “rivers of living water” (John 4:14; 7:38–39).

Paul explains in Colossians 2:12 that baptism symbolizes a burial. The “old man” is symbolically put to death. We emerge a new creature. Arising from the watery grave of baptism pictures our faith in the resurrection, which is our ultimate hope to become a new creature.

In Romans 6:4–5 we read: “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” Baptism is not an empty ritual or a magical rite. It is, however, a very important symbol and is not something into which we should enter lightly.

Predicated upon faith and repentance, baptism is an outward sign of our commitment. It represents a new beginning. The old person with all of his sinful past is symbolically buried and a new creature comes forth. The waters of baptism symbolize the fact that we are washed clean inwardly through the Holy Spirit. Christ’s sacrifice has paid for our sins and we come forth from baptism clean in God’s sight. This represents not the end, however, but the beginning of the real conversion process!

The Role of God’s Holy Spirit

Following baptism, we find that it was the practice of Christ’s first century ministry to practice the laying on of hands (Acts 8:18; Hebrews 6:2). This laying on of hands symbolized a special setting apart by God. In the aftermath of baptism, it set apart the newly baptized person to receive God’s Holy Spirit. In Acts 19:1–6 we read that Paul encountered in Ephesus some people who believed his preaching, and previously had been baptized. However, they had not fully understood the Gospel when they were baptized and had never received the Holy Spirit, nor indeed even knew of it. After counseling with them, Paul re-baptized them in Jesus’ name and laid hands on them for the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit. God showed through an unusual miracle, such as had occurred on the first Pentecost of the New Testament era, that they did indeed receive the Spirit this time. Why was all of this necessary?

Peter told his listeners on the day of Pentecost that following repentance and baptism they would “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). What is receiving the Holy Spirit intended to accomplish in our lives?

Peter explains that it is through the Holy Spirit, God’s divine power, that we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). It is through the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ dwells in us and empowers us to live the same kind of life that He lived when He walked the earth as a human being (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:5).

Since Christ dwells in us through the Holy Spirit, our bodies are accounted as the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16) and we are told to glorify God in all aspects of life (1 Corinthians 6:20). Having God’s Spirit in us is what makes us a holy people, or what the Bible terms “saints.” We cannot make ourselves (or anything else for that matter!) holy. God is holy and only He can impart holiness. If we truly repent and turn to God in faith, He promises not only to forgive us our past, but also to impart His Holy Spirit to us. God’s Spirit, given us as a gift, is intended to transform our lives by renewing our minds (Titus 3:5; Romans 12:2). We become a new creation because God is changing us by writing His laws in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10).

Though it is the power of God that makes this transformation possible, nevertheless we have our part to play. We have to exercise God’s Spirit, we have to follow the lead of God’s Spirit—in short, we must walk with God. God’s Spirit will lead and empower, but it will not possess or control us. We must seek and desire to follow God’s lead in our lives. Our efforts apart from God’s empowering Spirit are futile, yet God’s power without our efforts simply represents potential energy. It is like a light switch in the off position; the potential to light up the room is present, but the circuit is open and nothing is flowing through. It is the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God that will ultimately make possible the completion of our salvation.

Upon faith and repentance, we are justified, made innocent and brought into right standing before God, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9). Next, since we have now turned to God, He sanctifies us—makes us holy—by placing His Holy Spirit within us. The Spirit is there to give us deeper understanding of spiritual things and to empower us to live Godly lives. As Christians, we must continue to grow in grace and in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). If we follow the urging of God’s Spirit, then the righteousness of God as defined in His law will be fulfilled in our lives (Romans 8:4).

While we are justified by Christ’s death, we are finally saved through His life (Romans 5:9–10). Christ is alive right now at the right hand of the Father on high! He actively intercedes for us as our living High Priest when we slip up and sin (Hebrews 4:14–16) and He lives His life of overcoming sin in the flesh in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20). The very fact of His triumph over death through the resurrection is the proof that we will ultimately be given immortal life at His return (1 Corinthians 15:20–23).

God “Inducts” You into His Church

Through baptism and the receipt of God’s Holy Spirit, you are automatically baptized into the true Church of God. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13), for God’s Church is composed of those people who are filled with and led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).

You cannot just “join” the true Church of God! God must “draw” you or “call” you and then place you in His Church by giving you His Holy Spirit. Remember how Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

Yet God does have an organized Church—and always has! Jesus Christ stated: “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). That “Hades” or the grave, would not prevail over God’s true Church may be taken in two ways: First, God will never permit His Church to be completely destroyed or cease to exist. Second, the basic hope of all true Christians is the resurrection from the dead. So although individual Christians may die, they will live again at the seventh trumpet when Christ returns to this earth as King of kings! “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

Paul instructs us that those in the Church are the spiritual “body” of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). As the hands and feet and eyes and ears and minds of our physical bodies must work together for the body to function properly, so the spiritual body—the Church of God—must be organized and its members cooperating to carry on the assigned functions of the Church. Jesus Christ is the living, active Head of the true Church (Ephesians 1:22–23). He sets the goals and missions for His Church. After His resurrection and just before His ascension to heaven, Jesus commanded: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20).

So the primary function of the true Church is to go to all nations and preach the same powerful message Jesus preached about the coming Kingdom of God! Then the Church is to “teach” the people all things that Christ taught His disciples—the entire Way of God based upon heartfelt obedience to God’s great spiritual law—and upon total surrender, to let Jesus Christ live His life within each of the people of God.

We all need to be instructed, taught, encouraged and guided toward the Kingdom of God. Therefore we are commanded: “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24–25). Notice that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together! Rather, we are to meet regularly on God’s Sabbaths and on His Holy Days just like Jesus and the early Apostles did (Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2).

Though some people pride themselves upon being “independent Christians,” that has never been God’s way. The entire story of the book of Acts describes a unified Church meeting together and all working together whenever possible! All of us need the fellowship, the love, the examples and the encouragement of fellow Christians who are committed to “live by every Word of God.” The true Church—called twelve times the “Church of God” in the New Testament—provides this opportunity for proper spiritual fellowship, growth and service.

Refusing to meet with those who are growing and those who are doing the Work of God is the complete antithesis of what Christ and the Apostles taught and practiced. For all of us must learn to love one another, to forgive one another and—through God’s Holy Spirit within us—to grow in that love. For God’s Word tells us: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:20–21).

A Covenant with Your Creator

God’s Word makes it very clear that genuine Christian baptism is an adult decision to be made after deep reflection and heartfelt repentance. For, again, it truly pictures the death and burial of our old selfish selves. And in this decision and in this action we are making a covenant with our Creator to accept Jesus Christ’s shed blood as payment for our sins and to truly acknowledge Him as our Lord, or Master, and our coming King whom we will henceforth obey!

On God’s part, we are promised the precious “gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Receiving God’s Holy Spirit involves being impregnated with His very nature and character. As the Apostle Paul explains: “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). And, as we read in Galatians 5:22–23, the “fruit” or result of the Holy Spirit in our lives is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

God’s Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual love and spiritual strength to obey God, to control our lusts, and to walk in His commandments as a way of life. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). So it is not us—in our human strength—keeping God’s commandments; it is Christ living within us His life through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:13: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” If we wish to inherit the Kingdom that God has prepared for those that love Him, we must remain faithful till the end. We do this by continuing to abide in Christ (John 15:3). How do you abide in Christ? Notice what John explained in 1 John 2:3–6: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

To abide or endure means to remain faithfully anchored and established in the Truth of God. Remember, the Bible shows that the Truth is not merely a list of doctrines to be argued about, but rather, a way of life that must be obeyed and lived (Galatians 3:1; 2 Peter 2:2, 21).

Most professing Christians think that salvation is merely a one time affair. Many who claim to be God’s representatives have trivialized God’s promises and His purpose. They have offered a cheap grace that costs the believer nothing. They have promised “liberty” by teaching that God’s law is a yoke of bondage and that real obedience to it is unnecessary. In reality their “easy grace” doctrine that Christ somehow did it all for us only leaves their adherents ensnared in the corruption of sin (2 Peter 2:19).

In contrast, Jesus said that those who would come after Him must stand ready to give up everything, even their very lives (Matthew 16:24–25). Christ requires nothing less than total, unconditional commitment and devotion from those who would accept Him as their Lord and Savior. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction”, Christ said. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:13, 21). This is the covenant that we are making with our Creator at baptism.

The Bible shows a great and awesome destiny for those who inherit God’s salvation. It also reveals the process by which God is reproducing Himself in us. Conversion is the key to that process. True conversion involves the total surrender of our life and of our will to Almighty God.

For those who turn to Him in this way, God makes possible our forgiveness, our transformation from the inside out, and our ultimate entry into His glorious Kingdom as one of His very sons. Will we encounter difficulties and even suffer persecution sometimes because we are trying to live by God’s instructions rather than by the traditions and customs of the world around us? You bet we will! But we must never forget the Apostle Paul’s admonition that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Our personal covenant with our Creator at baptism involves a commitment to a lifetime of change. There will be changes in how we feel, in what we do, and, most of all, in what we are on the inside. True conversion leads to our being “conformed to the image of His Son, that He [Christ] might be the firstborn of many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

ACT on the Truth

God tells us that we are not merely to be “interested” in His Truth, but we must act upon it! “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror” (James 1:22–23). No doubt thousands of you who read this are beginning to realize that somehow God has brought you into contact with His Church on this earth today. You have been learning, through the Work of the Living Church of God, through the Tomorrow’s World television program and the Tomorrow’s World magazine, the very purpose of human existence and the Way of life God commands. Now it may be time to act on this precious Truth. Do not treat it cheaply! Do not delay and procrastinate once you understand what God’s purpose is in your life. Do not wait until you think you have already overcome or until you have “perfect” understanding or “perfect” repentance, for you cannot even start toward perfection until after you have been baptized and received God’s promised Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen you!

So once you are sincerely repentant and have “counted the cost” and realize your need to be baptized, let us hear from you. The Living Church of God has ministers or trained representatives in most parts of the world. If you request this, they will call and set up an appointment with you for baptismal counseling. They will not show up unexpectedly. They will contact you ahead of time and get together at a time and place of your convenience.

You will not be pressured to “join” anything! In fact, our ministers may simply talk with you, answer your questions and give you some material to read and study before you are actually baptized. We want to be sure—as much as you do—that you are truly ready to be baptized. But this initial visit will give you the opportunity—probably for the first time in your life—to counsel with a true minister of God who genuinely understands and teaches the full Truth of God.

So call or write to us today.

Again, we look forward to hearing from you and serving you, for you are now in contact with the Living Church of God. May God grant you the understanding, the love and the courage to act upon the precious Truth you have been given.

Booklet Category

Christian Living

Doctrine

God

Which Day Is The Christian Sabbath?

4uwzvo — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 22:23:03 +0000

Which Day Is The Christian Sabbath? 4uwzvo Tue, 03/01/2022 - 22:23

Which Day Is The Christian Sabbath?

Roderick C. Meredith (1930-2017)

Booklet Media

#Christian Living

#Christianity

#Law of God

#Sabbath

#Ten Commandments

Here is an absolutely VITAL subject that is far more important than most people even begin to realize! It has everything to do with whether or not you really “know” the true God—the Creator. In fact, it directly affects your inheriting everlasting life in His soon-coming Kingdom.

Jesus said that—at the end of this age—only God’s direct intervention would stop man from destroying all human life from this planet. He said, “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive]; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).

As we swiftly approach the END of this present age of man’s rule under the influence of Satan the Devil, it is vitally important that we consider whether or not we are really obeying the God who gives us life and breath. For the Jesus Christ of the Bible taught time and again that “empty faith” is NOT enough! In His concluding remarks in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

In this regard, He asked, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). And in a heated discussion with the Pharisees, Jesus quoted Isaiah’s prophecy, saying, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And IN VAIN they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men'” (Mark 7:6-7). Think about that! Jesus clearly stated that it is possible to worship God—and yet worship Him IN VAIN by following the teachings of men! Then Jesus said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (v. 9).

Clearly then, when the traditions of men conflict with the commandments of God,we face a HUGE problem according to Jesus Christ!

Did you know that your willingness to keep holy the true Sabbath day, which God made holy, directly affects whether or not you will be granted eternal life in the Kingdom of God? Did you know that keeping the true Sabbath is—and always has been—a special “test” commandment in God’s sight?

Which Day Is the Biblical Sabbath?

Jesus Christ taught us, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). Jesus also made it clear that the Bible does NOT contradict itself. He showed that the teaching of Scripture is consistent. For Jesus said, “the Scripture CANNOT be broken” (John 10:35).

The Apostle Paul expanded on this theme, saying, “ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

If you are willing to BELIEVE these inspired statements, then you will have no problem understanding this vital subject. For the Bible teaches us about God’s true Sabbath day from Genesis to Revelation. In fact, it is one of the clearest and most easily understood subjects in the entire Bible—IF you honestly look at the facts and are not fearful about “what other people think.” Remember that in Jesus’ day many of the religious leaders knew that He was the Christ, but would not confess Him for this very reason: “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43).

Do you have the faith and courage to do what God clearly commands—regardless of what others think?

All right. Let’s get down to clear, absolute PROOF regarding the true Sabbath of Almighty God. Let’s assume that you were beginning your search for the true Sabbath on the proverbial desert island and that the only written materials you had managed to preserve after a shipwreck were the Holy Bible and a calendar. If you began your search with a completely open, objective mind, and had perhaps even forgotten the day you had previously observed, which day would you HAVE to keep after such an objective study?

“Sunday,” you say?

“No way!”

WHY? Because the Bible never commands anyone to observe Sunday as a weekly day of worship! Rather, it instructs us to work on that day. In fact, from Genesis to Revelation, many verses in the Bible clearly show that, rather than observing the first day—Sunday—it was the seventh-day Sabbath (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) that was kept by all of God’s faithful servants in both Old and New Testament times. And this same seventh-day Sabbath will continue to be observed by Christians on this earth during Christ’s soon-coming 1,000-year rule! (cf. Revelation 20:4-6).

Notice the teaching of Jesus Christ in Mark 2:23-28. Jesus allowed His disciples to pluck heads of grain to eat as they walked through grain fields on the Sabbath. He was challenged on this point by the Pharisees, who had added more than 60 legalistic “dos and don’ts” to the Sabbath—of their own human devising. But Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (vv. 27-28).

Christ did not say that the Sabbath was made for the Jews—but for “man.” He said the Sabbath (not Sunday) is the day He is “Lord of.” Jesus did not give the slightest hint about abrogating the Sabbath commandment. Rather, He showed both here and in the verses that follow, how to keep the Sabbath in a more meaningful way. Again, Jesus said that the Sabbath was “made for man”—for him to keep—LONG BEFORE the Jewish people even existed.

At this point, let us look at the inspired account of when God made mankind—and subsequently gave man the Sabbath. In Genesis 1:1 we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This original creation may have been billions of years ago. The next verse shows that the earth came to a state of chaos and waste. And the succeeding verses describe how God reformed our planet about 6,000 years ago and created the progenitors of the plant and animal life forms that presently inhabit it. Now notice verse 26: “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 mankind was created in God’s “image.” We were given “dominion” or RULE over all the rest of creation. But how was mankind to keep in contact with his Maker? How were we to remind ourselves that the true God is, in fact, the CREATOR of all that is?

Genesis 2:2-3 begins to provide the answer: “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God BLESSED the seventh day and sanctified it,because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

Notice that God “ended” or completed His work of creation by resting on the seventh day of the week. The word “Sabbath” is derived from the Hebrew word Shabath, which literally means “rest” or “cessation.” God created the Sabbath by resting on this day and ceasing from creating material things. And He “blessed” and “sanctified”—that is, set apart for holy use—this day and no other! By blessing and sanctifying the seventh-day Sabbath, God showed that His presence is IN this day in a very special way. For of all the days of the week, this one ALONE points to Him in a unique way as the true God, the One who created and now governs the entire universe.

Sunday in the New Testament

The word “Sunday” does not even appear in literal Bible translations. We do find the phrase “first day of the week” in the New Testament, but this occurs just eight times. Five of those references (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1-2; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1) describe Mary Magdalene and others coming to the tomb AFTER Christ’s resurrection. As we prove elsewhere in this booklet, Jesus was resurrected Saturday evening—NOT Sunday morning. So those references have nothing to do with observing the day of Christ’s resurrection!

In John 20:19, we read that on “…the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.'” This was not a worship meeting celebrating the resurrection; Scripture tells us that until they saw Him, they did not believe that Christ was risen! (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:27-41).

The book of Acts recounts the development of doctrine and practice in the early Church. Yet the first day of the week is mentioned only once, in Acts 20:7-12. “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread [i.e. eat a meal], Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight” (v. 7). This was a one-time farewell meeting and meal, not a regular worship service. And when we understand that by biblical reckoning days are from sunset to sunset, we can see that the before-midnight portion of “the first day” is actually on Saturday. This “first day” gathering was a Saturday evening event! And at sunrise Sunday morning, Paul began the hard work of a 20-mile hike (vv. 11-14)—not what one would expect if he considered Sunday his Sabbath day of rest!

In 1 Corinthians 16:2, the Apostle Paul requested: “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” This is no endorsement at all of Sunday worship. Notice that the practice was meant to stop when Paul came to Corinth! And notice that these verses say nothing about gathering for a weekly worship service to do this collection. This was not a collection of money, but of food to assist the poor in Jerusalem, suffering from drought and famine (cf. Romans 15:25-28). Until Paul’s arrival, each individual was asked to “store up” his contributions—surely in his home. Paul knew that the collection would be bulky enough that it would take several people to transport it to Jerusalem (v. 4)—not what one would expect if money were collected.

One more verse that some use to justify calling Sunday the “Lord’s Day” is Revelation 1:10. Here, the Apostle John says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day,and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.” But this does not refer to worshiping on the first day of the week—or any day of the week, for that matter. Revelation is a “prophecy” (1:3) of end-time events. Clearly, then, the “Lord’s Day” is synonymous with the “Day of the Lord”—a future time, mentioned more than 30 times in Bible prophecy, when God will supernaturally intervene in human affairs, executing punishment on the nations and finally sending Jesus Christ back to this earth to bring world peace at last. John meant that he was carried in vision by God’s Spirit to that time.

But even if this were talking about a day of the week, which day would it be? Remember what Jesus said: “The Son of Man is… Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). Also, the preincarnate Christ called the Sabbath “My holy day… the holy day of the Lord” (Isaiah 58:13). And in the fourth commandment, He said, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:10). Obviously, then, the seventh-day Sabbath is not our day. It is—without question—the Lord’s day! Weekly Sunday observance, therefore, has absolutely no biblical foundation.

The Test Commandment

As all Bible students know, the patriarch Abraham was the great-grandfather of Judah—from whom came the “Jews.” Did he keep God’s true Sabbath? Absolutely!For God said, “Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (Genesis 26:5).

Succeeding generations of Israelites clearly understood from these verses that Abraham kept the seventh-day Sabbath—the Sabbath that God had “sanctified” at the creation of mankind. And in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul tells us that Abraham is the “father” of the faithful (Romans 4:11, 16).

Many will argue that the Ten Commandments—including the fourth one about keeping the Sabbath holy—were just part of the “Old Covenant” that God made with Israel at Mount Sinai in the days of Moses. These people contend that, because the Old Covenant ended at Christ’s death, the Ten Commandments—with the Sabbath requirement—ended also.

But it was at the beginning of human history that God made the seventh-day Sabbath “holy time.” And about 2,000 years later, Abraham, the father of the faithful, set for us an EXAMPLE of faithfulness by keeping God’s commandments and statutes—obviously including the observance of the Sabbath day. Remember, this was still LONG BEFORE there was any Old Covenant with Israel!

Hundreds of years later, we find Abraham’s descendants being led out of Egyptian slavery by Moses in the Exodus. Several weeks before the Old Covenant was proposed at Mount Sinai, God wanted to remind His people of the true Sabbath, which He had given mankind at creation. In case any of them had forgotten or become mixed up about His Sabbath—which was possible since the Israelites had been in Egyptian slavery for several generations—God gave His people a series of signs to make clear to them which day He had made holy.

Now examine the account in Exodus 16:1-30. The people of Israel were “murmuring” against God because they wanted more food. So God said, “I will… TEST them, whether they will walk in My LAW or not” (v. 4). Interesting. Because this is more proof that God’s law was definitely in effect even BEFORE the giving of the Old Covenant at Mount Sinai!

So God explained that He would perform the following miracle. Every day of the week, except Saturday, a special food from heaven called “manna” would blanket the ground in the morning like dew. The people were to gather it up each morning and eat it that same day. They could not keep it overnight, because that would cause it to breed worms and stink.

But there would be no manna on the ground on Saturdays. What, then, were they to eat on that day? God’s answer: the second phase of His miracle. Every Friday, He would give them a double portion of manna—one portion for that day and another to be kept overnight and eaten on Saturday (v. 23). This would require a third phase of the miracle. God would allow manna collected on Fridays to remain unspoiled overnight, so that it could be eaten on Saturday. From Friday to Saturday was the only time each week they were permitted to keep food overnight—for God was showing them that Friday was the preparation day for the Sabbath.

Thus, God was arranging things so they wouldn’t have to do the work of gathering manna on Saturday—enabling them to rest on the Sabbath, yet still have something to eat that day. “So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. Then Moses said, ‘Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field'” (vv. 24-25).

Remember that this was a TEST—to see whether they would follow God’s law or not. So what did the people do?

As human beings so often do, they did NOT take God seriously! Some Israelites went out and tried to find manna even on the Sabbath. “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long do you [people] refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day” (vv. 28-30).

On this occasion, several weeks before Israel came to Mount Sinai, God began performing a weekly three-phase miracle to show His people WHICH DAY was—and had always been—His holy Sabbath. When some tried to work on that day anyway, the Creator thundered, “How LONG do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?”!

Who Gave the Ten Commandments?

The Ten Commandments—including the Sabbath-day requirement—have been in existence since mankind was created. God was simply reminding the people of this important fact.

Next, we come to God’s codifying of the Ten Commandments for His nation of Israel. This was truly an awesome occasion. Thunder roared. Lightning flashed. And the earth SHOOK with the power of the Creator. Then God Himself—not Moses—spoke the Ten Commandments! (Exodus 20:1). Many think that God the Fathergave these commands and that Jesus Christ later came along and did away with them. But Jesus told the Jews that they had “neither heard [the Father’s] voice at any time, nor seen His form” (John 5:37).

So just who was this God with Israel in the Sinai wilderness? He was often called the “Rock” of Israel (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 31; Psalm 18:2, 31, 46, etc.). In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write about Him. He says the Israelites “all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was CHRIST”! (1 Corinthians 10:4). The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the Person in the Godhead who spoke to ancient Israel was the One who later “emptied” Himself and became Jesus Christ!

During His human lifetime, Jesus told the belligerent Pharisees, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). Many respected Bible commentaries acknowledge that in this verse Jesus is clearly indicating that He was, in fact, the God of Israel now made flesh.

Regarding this phrase, “I AM,” the Expositor’s Bible Commentary states:

“I AM” implies continuous existence, including existence when Abraham appeared. Jesus was, therefore, asserting that at the time of Abraham’s birth, he existed. Furthermore, I AM was recognized by the Jews as a title of deity. When God commissioned Moses to demand from Pharaoh the release of the Israelites, he said, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you'” (Exod. 3:14). [One scholar] states that “the phrase harbors within itself the most authentic, the most audacious, and the most profound affirmation by Jesus of who he was” [vol. 9, p. 99].

Yes, Jesus Christ was certainly the God of the Old Testament—the “Word,” as the first chapter of John’s Gospel calls Him, who spoke on His Father’s behalf (To learn more about this subject, please write for our free booklet, The Real God). The Bible also shows that Christ was the One through whom God created all things (John 1:1-3, 14; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2-3). This means that Jesus Christ is the One who originally created the Sabbath by resting on the seventh day!No wonder He is Lord of that day, as we have seen from Mark 2:28. For He MADE the Sabbath!

We can now see that it was Christ’s own voice that SHOOK the mountains as He set forth the great spiritual LAW of God. As we have noted, that law had existed even from creation. But the Israelites had been in slavery, and no doubt their knowledge of the law and the Great God behind that law had become foggy over the centuries. So now God—in the person of the “Word,” Jesus Christ—spoke that law and then inscribed it on tablets of stone (Exodus 31:18; 34:1).

Near the middle of that law—with more space devoted to it than any other—is the fourth commandment, in which God reminded Israel again to keep the seventh-day Sabbath: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).

Notice that God said to “remember” the Sabbath. They had already been instructed about the Sabbath from creation and again in Exodus 16—as we have seen. Then God said to “keep” it holy. You cannot keep cold water hot! Likewise, the Sabbath had to have been made holy or Israel could not have kept it that way! Only GOD can make something “holy”—in this case, a period of time. And, as we shall see, the seventh day is the ONLY weekly period of time that God has ever “sanctified” or set apart as holy time.

In verse 11, God reminds us that the Sabbath points to creation. After God had spent six days creating, He “rested” on the seventh day. “Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Again, no other day of the week has been blessed by God—that is, had His divine favor put upon it—in this way.

But wasn’t the Sabbath a part of the Jewish sacrificial or ceremonial law that was done away? Some theologians try to contrive arguments along these lines. But if you will just study your own Bible, it is easy to see through this false reasoning. Note that in Exodus 20, NOTHING is said about animal sacrifices, washings or any ceremonial duties being connected with the Sabbath (cf. Jeremiah 7:22-23). For, as the inspired account in Deuteronomy tells us, the Ten Commandments stood ALONE as the great spiritual law of God. As Moses reminded the people, “these words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and HE ADDED NO MORE. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me” (Deuteronomy 5:22).

A Sign Between God and His People

Later, God-again in the person of Jesus Christ-made a special covenant with Israel concerning the Sabbath. God said, “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a SIGN between Me and you throughout your generations, THAT YOU MAY KNOW that I am the Lord who sanctifies you'” (Exodus 31:13).

The emphasis here is that we “know” the true God who sets us apart if we keep the “sign” of His Sabbath, which points to Him as the CREATOR.

The preincarnate Jesus continued, “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a PERPETUAL covenant. It is a SIGN between Me and the children of Israel FOREVER, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed” (vv. 16-17).

A “mark” or “brand” is something that is usually forced on a person or animal. But a “sign” is something voluntarily displayed, such as a sign that reads “Jones & Sons” outside a business establishment. In the case of the Sabbath, it points out who God’s faithful people are. They have surrendered to God and are willing to display the “sign” of the Creator by keeping holy the only day of the week God ever made that way. And to the faithful themselves, it is a constant reminder that they do NOT worship “gods” of wood and stone, or figments of human imagination, but the very CREATOR who made all the wood and stone-and even the human mind, which often tries to abandon the Creator and come up with its own concept of “god.”

Notice especially that the Sabbath was to be kept by the Israelites as a “perpetual covenant” between them and God “forever”! Do we find ANY evidence whatever that Israelites who became Christians were to forsake that sacred covenant and start keeping another day? Does God have a double standard when it comes to which day to keep as the Sabbath?

No. Rather, according to Paul, Gentile Christians were to be “grafted” into Israel and become spiritual Israelites (cf. Romans 11:17, 24; Galatians 3:28-29). This same Apostle was inspired to state very clearly, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Romans 2:28-29). For these reasons, Paul called the New Testament Church the “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16).

So truly converted Gentiles become part of spiritual Israel and must also obey the Ten Commandments-the great spiritual LAW of the Creator. Certainly they must also obey the terms of the “perpetual” Sabbath covenant that the preincarnate Jesus made with Israel. It is a sign between Jesus Christ and His people FOREVER!

In Isaiah 56, we find a remarkable prophecy set right in the midst of END-TIME prophecies-many of which refer to the years just ahead of us. In this setting, God gives this pointed instruction to men and women of ALL nations: “Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil” (v. 2).

A few verses later, God instructs the Gentiles or foreigners to keep His Sabbath and describes the BLESSINGS that would come from doing so: “Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants-everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant-even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for ALL NATIONS” (vv. 6-7).

As Jesus said, the Sabbath was made for “man”-that is, for ALL mankind. Now notice how Jesus and the Apostles continually kept the seventh-day Sabbath-the same day that all the Jews around them were keeping.

Example of Jesus Christ

God tells us time and again that Christ was the “light”-the EXAMPLE of how we ought to live. It is amazing how many professing Christian ministers will give lip service to this statement, yet “reason” and argue, argue, ARGUE against following Christ’s perfect example in Sabbath-keeping and other acts of obedience to God’s law!

Speaking of Jesus, the Gospel of John tells us, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5). Do most religionists today really comprehend that “light” any more than they did in Jesus’ own day?

Later, Christ said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). What did He mean by this term-“follows Me”? Can a person reject Jesus’ teaching, refuse to follow His example and the entire way of life He exemplified, and still claim to be His “follower”? In 1 Peter 2:21-22, God inspired Peter to instruct us, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an EXAMPLE, that you should follow His steps: ‘who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth.'”

Yes, in all things Christ set us an example! The Apostle Paul echoes this theme, telling the Corinthians, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). So we are to “imitate” Jesus Christ-not just loosely “follow” Him according to our own human reasoning.

The Apostle John stated, near the very end of his life, that “he who says he abides in [Christ] ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). The New English Bible translates this verse thus: “Here is the test by which we can make sure that we are in Him: whoever claims to be dwelling in Him, binds himself to LIVE as Christ Himself lived.”

And how did Jesus Christ live? The Sermon on the Mount is usually regarded as the very ESSENCE of His teaching. Here Jesus stated, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill [i.e. fill to the fullest]. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away [and they still have not!], one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the LEAST of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven”(Matthew 5:17-19).

Jesus did not come to do away with the Ten Commandments that He had previously delivered from the Father in the Old Testament. Rather, He came to give full expression to them-to show their real spiritual intent. In fact, He made them even more binding. For example, Jesus explained that the seventh commandment against adultery prohibited more than just having sexual relations with someone other than your spouse. It even forbade lusting after others in your mind (vv. 27-28). And as we’ve just seen, He also said that in order to be called “great” in His coming Kingdom, men must “do and teach” even the least of God’s commandments. How much more vital is it that we do and teach the very TEST commandment, which points to the true GOD-the Creator!

Now many say that Christ broke the Sabbath Himself. But that is completely false! The Bible says that He was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). And “sin IS the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4, KJV). So we know that Jesus never transgressed God’s law-including the fourth commandment about keeping the Sabbath holy. If Jesus had broken the Sabbath, He would have earned the wages of sin-death (Romans 6:23)-and could not have become our Savior. It is clear, then, that Jesus never broke even the least of God’s commandments-nor taught men so. On the contrary, He said, “I have KEPT My Father’s commandments” (John 15:10).

Furthermore, at the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus set the standard for what would be His lifelong example: “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His CUSTOM was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). Again, in Luke 13:10, we read, “Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.” Certainly, then, we should follow Christ’s example in keeping the same Sabbath day He kept! And which day was this Sabbath? Why, the very same one the Jews around Him were keeping, of course-Saturday.

Actually, God’s Sabbath-as the Jewish people understood then and now-was to be observed from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. In fact, all the days on God’s calendar are from sunset to sunset-nighttime followed by daytime (cf. Leviticus 23:32; Genesis 1:5-31). God did NOT have His days begin and end in the middle of the night as calculated by a man-made clock! In fact, they had no such clocks back then. But they did have God’s BIG “clock” in the sky-the sun. And they had the stars, by which ALL man-made calendars need to be adjusted, even today. For in the beginning, God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years” (v. 14). So, when we keep holy the days that God made holy, we find that they are based on His very creation-with its heavenly bodies marking time-which points to Him, the CREATOR of all that is!

Incidentally, the fact that Christ kept the same Sabbath as the Jews shows that the correct day had not been lost in the remote past, as some today will argue. Remember that the preincarnate Christ had made a big deal about reminding the Israelites of the correct Sabbath day following their enslavement in Egypt. Wouldn’t He have kept it on the right day during His human life-even if the Jews had been wrong about it? Of course! But they were not wrong. Christ was Lord of the day that the Jews kept as the Sabbath! (cf. Mark 2). And from that time until now, the seven-day week has remained unaltered.

How can we be sure? The Jews continued to observe the Sabbath-even after they were scattered. If the weekly cycle had been lost, Jews in one area of the world would be keeping a particular day while Jews elsewhere kept other days. But what do we find? In every nation in which the Jews have been scattered, they are unanimous in keeping the SAME DAY-Saturday! Thus, Saturday is still the seventh day of the weekly cycle that began at creation.

Christ and Disciples-Sabbath-Breakers?

We have seen that Jesus quite obviously kept God’s holy Sabbath day, though some today say otherwise. The Pharisees did accuse Him of breaking it, as in Mark 2 where Jesus’ disciples picked heads of grain to eat when they were hungry on the Sabbath. But this was NOT a transgression of the Sabbath. It was only a violation of the legalistic restrictions the scribes and Pharisees had added to the Sabbath.

Why had these men done this? Well, for one thing, under the Old Covenant, the penalty for Sabbath-breaking was death by stoning (Exodus 31:15; Numbers 15:32-35). It was that serious! Moreover, Sabbath-breaking and idolatry were singled out by God as two of the major sins for which He had caused Israel and Judah to be taken into national captivity and slavery centuries earlier-and, according to prophecy, would do so again (cf. Nehemiah 13:17-18; Ezekiel 20:10-25; 22:6-23:47). And so, as they did with most points of God’s law, the scribes and Pharisees went into the opposite ditch and began legislating, in extremely minute detail, everything that was permissible or not permissible to do on the Sabbath. As noted earlier, they added to God’s commandment-attaching more than 60 specific requirements or restrictions. In so doing, they made God’s weekly Holy Day a great burden-which it was never meant to be (cf. 1 John 5:3). For instance, according to them, you could only walk so many steps at a time on the Sabbath before having to sit down and rest. Yet God’s law says no such thing.

Of course, it was the responsibility of each individual to make sure that he wasn’t overexerting himself on the Sabbath to the point that his actions would have qualified as work. If Jesus had not been present with His disciples, it would simply have been a personal judgment call for them. But Christ was there as a perfect Judge-God in the flesh and Lord of the Sabbath. And He made it very clear that the scribes and Pharisees were wrong! Picking a few heads of grain and eating them simply does not violate the Sabbath command. On the other hand, if the disciples had been harvesting, that would have been a different matter. But they weren’t. They were just grabbing a bite to eat!

However, some will persist, surely the Sabbath was done away upon Jesus’ death. But was it? Did His disciples think so? Notice that after Christ’s burial, some of His most dedicated followers decided to better prepare His body so it wouldn’t decay so quickly in the grave. “Then they returned [home] and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56). Luke was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write here that these dedicated women kept the Sabbath “according to the commandment”! Even after Jesus’ death-even after EVERYTHING that was going to be “nailed to the cross” already had been-God’s Sabbath commandment still stood inviolate!

Were Christ’s disciples substituting Sunday for the Sabbath at this time? We just saw that they refrained from doing work on the Sabbath. But notice the very next verses: “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb” (24:1-2). Now, on Sunday, they had come to do work. Obviously, the Sabbath they had kept holy was the previous day-Saturday.

After His resurrection, did Jesus in some way indicate that His former teaching had been “done away” or “nailed to the cross”? No-not in ANY WAY! Rather, Jesus instructed His disciples to go out over the whole earth and teach these same things-even to the END of this age. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe ALL THINGS that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Was Jesus Resurrected on Sunday?

If you visit a mainstream Christian church and ask members why the day on which they and other people attend worship services is Sunday, a typical response might be that Jesus was resurrected on that day. But how well does this idea bear up under close scrutiny?

Notice what Christ told the Pharisees, who were looking for a sign of the Messiah: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and NO SIGN will be given to it EXCEPT the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:39-40).

The only sign Jesus gave to prove He was the Messiah was that the grave would only hold Him for a limited amount of time-exactly “three days and three nights” (or 72 hours). But the Easter Sunday tradition maintains that Christ was buried just before sunset on “Good Friday” afternoon and resurrected early Sunday morning-only two nights and one day (or 36 hours)!

Some will argue the definition of “day.” But Christ clearly stated that there are 12 hours in a day, not including the night (John 11:9-10). Therefore, when Easter Sunday proponents take His remark and conclude that Christ was in the grave three days x 12 hours = 36 hours, we can see that they are leaving out the “three nights.” There are approximately 12 hours of daytime and 12 hours of nighttime in one 24-hour day! So three days and three nights is definitely 72 hours. But was it exactly 72 hours? Jesus said He would rise “AFTER three days” (Mark 8:31)-i.e. no less than 72 hours. But He also said He would rise “IN three days” (John 2:19, 21)-i.e. no more than 72 hours. This is absolutely clear-72 hours exactly! And God is always right on schedule.

Also consider that, when the women came to His tomb Sunday morning, “it was still dark” (John 20:1) and He had already risen. How could this be? The Sunday-resurrection proponents contend that He had risen just moments before. If they are correct, then “three days and three nights” earlier would be just before sunrise on Thursday morning. Yet no one believes Christ was buried on Thursday morning-or any morning for that matter-and with good reason. When Joseph of Arimathea laid Christ’s body in the tomb, “the Sabbath drew near” (Luke 23:50-54). Biblical days, including Sabbaths, begin at sunset and end the following sunset (cf. Genesis 1:5-31; Leviticus 23:32)-a nighttime period followed by a daytime period.

Christ, then, was buried in late afternoon-before a particular Sabbath began at sunset. Three days and three nights later would be the same time of day-late afternoon! Now we have another problem. If we assume that Christ was buried on Friday afternoon, as the Good Friday tradition asserts, then His resurrection-72 hours later-would be Monday afternoon. Yet no one believes this either-again, with good reason. For remember that Christ had already risen before the women came to His tomb prior to daybreak Sunday morning! What, then, is the answer?

Why have so many thought that Christ was put in the grave on Friday afternoon? Mark 15:42 states that “it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath.” Since the weekly Sabbath always occurred on the seventh day of the week (now called Saturday), the “Preparation Day” was normally on Friday. However, we have already seen the problem with this. The answer to the apparent dilemma is that the weekly Sabbath is not the only Sabbath mentioned in the Bible. Leviticus 23 lists seven annual Holy Days that occur in God’s Festivals. Each of these days was considered a Sabbath (or a “rest” from normal labor). All annual Sabbaths or “High Days” (except Pentecost) fell on particular calendar dates rather than set days of the week.

Now the mystery can be solved by reading John 19:31. The Jews wanted to remove the crucifixion victims “because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a HIGH DAY).” Christ kept the Passover with His disciples the night before His death (Luke 22:15). He died on the cross the next afternoon, which was still Passover (the 14th of Abib or Nisan according to the Hebrew Calendar-Leviticus 23:5). Leviticus 23:6-7 reports that the next day, beginning the evening after His crucifixion, was not a weeklySabbath, but an annual Sabbath-the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Now put together the facts. It is clear from the Bible that Christ died and was buried on Passover afternoon-and that the following day was an annual Sabbath. It is also clear that he was resurrected at the same time of day-late afternoon. But whichafternoon? Since the women found Him already gone Sunday morning, it would be sensible to conclude that He had been resurrected the previous afternoon on Saturday! This would mean He had been buried three days and three nights earlier-Wednesday afternoon. It would also mean that Passover, Nisan 14, fell on a Wednesday that year. And, indeed, that is what happened in A.D. 31, a year that fits the time frame the Bible demands.

Scripture also provides further proof that there were TWO Sabbaths that week-an annual and a weekly one. In Mark 15:47, Mary Magdalene and her companion watched Joseph of Arimathea lay Jesus in the tomb near the end of the Passover. The next verse, Mark 16:1, tells us that after the “Sabbath,” Mary Magdalene and her companions bought spices with which to anoint Christ’s dead body. However, Luke 23:56 shows that they prepared the spices before the Sabbath. Naturally, they couldn’t have prepared spices before they were even bought! The only explanation that makes sense is that they bought the spices on Friday and prepared them the same day-after the annual Sabbath on Thursday and before the weekly Sabbath on Saturday! Then they rested on the weekly Sabbath-at the end of which Jesus was resurrected. The next morning, Sunday, they came to the tomb before sunrise and found him already gone.

But some will point out Mark 16:9, which says, “Now when He rose early on the first day of the week….” Yet how can this be? To understand, we should read the verse in the original King James Version and continue further in the sentence: “Now when Jesus was risen [the perfect tense is correct here-He was already risen] early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene.” He was not “rising” on Sunday morning. As we’ve seen, He rose Saturday afternoon. So early Sunday morning, He was already “risen.” Also realize that in the original Greek there was no punctuation. Had the King James translators simply put a comma after the word “risen” and not after “week,” this would make complete sense. The Centenary Translation renders it this way: “Now after his resurrection, early on the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene.”

To conclude, a Sunday morning resurrection could not be the reason for changing the weekly day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. But even if Christ wereresurrected on Sunday, why would His disciples-who had kept the seventh-day Sabbath with Him-have abandoned His example of keeping the Ten Commandments and switched to Sunday-keeping? And why would they have picked Sunday, a day already associated with pagan sun worship? But the Bible is very clear that Christ was NOT resurrected on Sunday morning. So this pitiful attempt to CHANGE God’s Law does not hold water!

Practice of the Original Apostles

Throughout the book of Acts, we find that the Apostles continued to observe the Sabbath regularly. They did this with Jews as well as with Gentiles, and-guided by the Holy Spirit-the entire early New Testament Church continued to meet on the seventh-day Sabbath for decades after Jesus’ death. Even mainline Protestant historians acknowledge this fact. In his book, The Story of the Christian Church,Jesse Lyman Hurlbut states, “As long as the church was mainly Jewish, the Hebrew sabbath was kept; but as it became increasingly Gentile the first day gradually took the place of the seventh day” (1970, p. 36).

Notice that Hurlbut says the first day “gradually” replaced the seventh-day Sabbath. Did God gradually do away with His law? Ridiculous! As we shall see later, conniving me “gradually” DECEIVED millions of professing Christians into doing away with not only the Sabbath, but the entire concept of obedience to God’s law!

However, no such change took place during the lifetime of Christ’s original Apostles. Even the Apostle Paul-the Apostle to the Gentiles-kept the Sabbath regularly. And he wasn’t even converted to Christianity until well after Christ’s resurrection. Notice the account of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:14: “But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.”

“But,” some might argue, “Paul was just meeting with the Jews on Saturday since that was their Sabbath!” However, the book of Acts tells us that “when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath” (13:42). Here was Paul’s grand opportunity to inform the Gentiles that they would now meet on Sunday! But did he? On the contrary! “The next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God” (v. 44).

The truth of the matter is that neither Paul nor ANY of the Apostles uttered one single word about changing God’s holy Sabbath or any part of the Ten Commandments. Rather, as they had been taught by Christ Himself, they kept, and always assembled on, the seventh day.

What about when Paul traveled through predominately Gentile areas? God’s Word tells us, “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his CUSTOM was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures” (17:1-2).

It was clearly Paul’s “custom” to meet on the Sabbath. Acts 18:4 tells us that “he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.” In example after example in the book of Acts, when Paul or the other Apostles met to worship, there is not a single, solitary hint that they ever regularly met on any other day of the week to worship except Saturday-the seventh-day Sabbath that they had always observed and that the Jewish community was still observing.

In fact, if they had started teaching some other weekly day of worship, it would have caused a literal RIOT among the Jewish Christians! The only major ministerial conference mentioned in the New Testament is described in Acts 15. It was occasioned by a bitter controversy over whether Gentile Christians should be compelled to be circumcised. The book of Acts notes the incident that sparked this conference: “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the Apostles and elders, about this question” (vv. 1-2).

At the conference in Jerusalem, after there had been “much dispute,” Peter rose up and carefully explained how God had called the Gentile Christians through him apart from any command to be physically circumcised. Afterward, Paul and Barnabas described the fruits of their Work among the Gentiles, without circumcision being involved. Then James, the presiding Apostle at Jerusalem, summarized the matter and stated, “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood”(vv.19-20). Finally, a letter was drafted, outlining this landmark decision and the reasons for it (vv. 22-29). Paul took a copy of this letter with its decrees and read it to all of the Churches under his jurisdiction (16:1-5).

Some will argue that the four prohibitions mentioned here are the only laws from the Old Testament still binding on Christians. But notice that murder is not listed. Are we, then, free to commit murder? Obviously not! So why are these points specifically mentioned? Because the four things Christians are to abstain from here are practices that were common to pagan religion. In sacrificing to their idols, many pagans would strangle animals rather than slitting their throats and letting the blood drain from them. Then they would eat these offerings and commit gross sexual immorality as religious ritual. The prohibitions in Acts 15 were originally part of God’s statutory law. But they were also listed later with the ceremonies and rituals of the Levitical worship system to keep the Israelites from adopting these wrong practices (cf. Leviticus 17:7, 10; Numbers 25:1-3). The Apostles wanted it understood that, although the ceremonial and ritual parts of the Old Testament law-including physical circumcision-were no longer necessary, these four points that were given in the ceremonial section of the law were still binding. And why were they still binding? Because they were part of God’s original law-which was still in force!

Bear in mind that this great controversy and subsequent apostolic conference took place over the ordinance of physical circumcision. How much MORE of a debate would have raged if the Apostles had tried to change or do away with one of the Ten Commandments-especially the one about God’s weekly Sabbath, the very identifying “sign” of God’s people?! There would have been an absolute UPROAR. But do we find even the slightest hint of a dispute over any such change?

We do NOT!

As the expression goes,” the silence on the subject is DEAFENING.” There was no such change until scores or even hundreds of years after the death of the original Apostles! So neither Jesus nor the apostolic Church EVER attempted to change the Sabbath. They never attempted to do away with obedience to ANY of the Ten Commandments!

Later Apostolic Teaching

Many Protestant theologians have been schooled in the theory of “progressive revelation.” But we will see that this theory is nothing less than a complete perversion of the truth. It conveys the idea that the ancient prophets were simply Hebrew philosophers trying to devise their own concept of a divine being. Then along comes Jesus, a Jewish carpenter-heavily influenced by the religion and morals of His time-living and teaching under the Old Covenant. Jesus’ original Apostles, according to this theory, were, likewise, unsophisticated, backward and didn’t really “understand.”

Then comes the Apostle Paul-the “liberator,” as the theory goes-and things begin to get better. For Paul is said to be willing to “break out” of the Jewish mold and introduce modern Christianity-Gentile Christianity-which would be more acceptable to the world at large.

The trouble with the above theory is that it is GROSSLY INACCURATE! For it attempts to completely negate Jesus’ own command, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD of God” (Luke 4:4). And we must remember that aside from the life and teaching of Jesus Himself, the only Word of God available to humanity when He made this pronouncement was the Old Testament. This fact poses a major problem for these progressive theologians. For both the Old Testament prophets and Jesus Christ very clearly taught OBEDIENCE to the Ten Commandments-including seventh-day Sabbath observance. Even many Protestant theologians acknowledge that Jesus taught and kept the Sabbath day.

And what the “progressive revelation” teachers also cannot explain is that the original apostolic writings very directly and very powerfully uphold the concept of obeying the Ten Commandments as the Christian way of life-once again, including keeping God’s Sabbath.

James, the brother of Jesus Christ, who became the presiding Apostle at Jerusalem, wrote, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:10-12). So true Christians are to keep the “whole law.” It is a law with “points”-including the commands against murder and adultery. Clearly, this law is the Ten Commandments. And James said that if we “stumble” in failing to keep even one point of this law-obviously including the Sabbath-we are “guilty of ALL”!

John, the Apostle “Jesus loved,” also wrote about God’s law-near the END of the apostolic age. If anyone were to give us a new “progressive” teaching, it would be him. So what “progressive revelation,” then, did John give us? He was inspired by God to write, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4).

A person may know about God by coming to understand only part of the Truth. But to genuinely and personally “know” Him, John says that we must experience God’s way of life by KEEPING His commandments! For God’s kind of love-His very natureand character-is revealed in the Ten Commandments. Again, as John wrote, God’s very LOVE is expressed in the Ten Commandments: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (5:3). And anyone who fails to literally keep the Ten Commandments-not perfectly, of course, but as a way of life-is DISOBEYING his Creator and in fact does not really “know” God!

What about Paul? Did he dismiss God’s law? By no means! In Romans 2:13, he wrote, “For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the DOERS of the law will be justified.” And in 1 Corinthians 7:19, he stated, “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.” Again, this certainly includes the fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath!

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul is traditionally understood to have written the book of Hebrews-and there is strong evidence to support that tradition. Because of his rabbinic training in the technical intricacies of the Mosaic law, he was undoubtedly the most qualified of all the Apostles to thoroughly explain the New Covenant that God is making with all humanity-the very theme of Hebrews. After this book describes how God spoke of the “seventh day” as the day of rest (4:4), it goes on to state, “There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (v. 9, NASB).

This is a very interesting passage. Chapters 3 and 4 of Hebrews talk about God’s people entering into “rest.” The Israelites in the wilderness wanted to enter God’s “rest”-meaning to finally cease from wandering and settle in the Promised Land. And that did happen in the days of Moses’ successor, Joshua. Yet also mentioned here is the fact that the Eternal God later inspired King David to write of entering God’s rest as something still future. Hebrews states, “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day” (4:8). This is obviously speaking of the coming Millennium, or 1,000-year period, of Christ’s rule on earth-since the future Kingdom of God is the “Promised Land” for true Christians.

It is in this context that Hebrews talks about a Sabbath rest remaining for God’s people. In almost every case in chapters 3 and 4, the Greek word for physical rest-katapausin-is used for God’s rest. But in verse 9, God inspired a different word to be used-sabbatismos. Many translations render it simply as “rest,” just like they do katapausin. But that is confusing, since it is, in fact, a different word. The New American Standard Bible, quoted above, uses “Sabbath rest.” But does this mean literal, weekly Sabbath-keeping? The Anchor Bible Dictionary says yes, assuring us that sabbatismos refers to “seventh day Sabbath celebration.” Thus, the New Testament states very clearly that seventh-day Sabbath-keeping is to continue for true Christians.

However, some argue that this means we should just rest from our sinful works in our new life in Jesus. But notice what is added in the next verse: “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” Did God “rest” from His work of SIN? Of course not. He rested from CREATING-His occupational work as the Creator. And on what day did God “rest”-setting us the example? “God rested on the seventh day from all His works” (v. 4). And so must we.

However, the context of these verses does show that the Sabbath is more than just a memorial of creation. It is indeed a physical TYPE of something else-and we should observe it as such. But that something is NOT primarily the Christian life in this age. It is, rather, our life in the future millennial rest of TOMORROW’S WORLD-when Jesus Christ sets up the Kingdom of God over the entire earth.

Notice what the Commentary on the Whole Bible by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown has to say about Hebrews 4:9: “This verse indirectly establishes the obligation of the Sabbath still; for the type continues until the antitype supersedes it.” As the coming millennial Sabbath “will not be till Christ… comes…, the typical earthly Sabbath must continue till then.” Yet, as we will later see, even in Tomorrow’s World human beings will continue to keep God’s weekly Sabbath holy.

How clear! Here in the book of Hebrews we find a direct New Testament commandfor Christians to “rest” on the seventh-day Sabbath! It was probably given, interestingly enough, through the Apostle to the Gentiles-the very Apostle whom so many Protestant theologians insist “did away” with God’s law!

This section in Hebrews 4 concludes thus: “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience” of those in ancient Israel (v. 11). The phrase, “the same example of disobedience,” should resonate deeply with students of the Bible. For, just as Sabbath-breaking and idolatry factored heavily in the Israelites’ national captivity and slavery, these two sins were also major reasons that most of their forefathers died during the 40 years of wandering before inheriting the Promised Land.

Text from Faith of Our Fathers by James Cardinal Gibbons, first published in 1876. This well-known American Catholic leader stated quite clearly that there is no Scriptural authority for changing the day of worship form Saturday to Sunday.

THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

Third—A rule of faith, or a competent guide to heaven, must be able to instruct in all the truths necessary for salvation. Now the Scriptures alone do not contain all the truths which a Christian is bound to believe, nor do they explicitly enjoin all the duties which he is obliged to practice. Not to mention other examples, is not, every Christian obliged to scantify Sunday and to abstain on that day from unnecessary servile work? Is not the observance of this law among the most prominent of our sacred duties? But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.

The Catholic Church correctly teaches that our Lord and His Apostles inculcated certain important duties of religion which are not recorded by the inspired writers.¹ For instance, most Christians pray to the Holy Ghost, a practice which is nowhere found in the Bible.

We must, therefore, conclude that the Scriptures alone cannot be a sufficient guide and rule of faith because they cannot, at any time, be within the reach of every inquirer; because they are not of themselves clear and intelligible even in matters of the highest importance, and because they do not contain all the truths necessary for salvation.

¹See John xxi.25; II.Thess.Ii.14.

You should read God’s indictment of ancient Israel in Ezekiel 20:10-24. Notice here verses 12-13: Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments, which, if a man does, he shall live by them; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

Therefore, repeating the inspired instruction from the book of Hebrews, let ALL true Christians be careful to NOT follow that “same example of disobedience” by failing to keep holy the only day of the week God made holy-the seventh-day Sabbath!

The Diabolical Transfer

The New Testament very clearly indicates that God’s true Church would be small and persecuted. Jesus instructed His disciples, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Jesus called His Church the “little flock” (Luke 12:32). And in His Olivet Prophecy, He warned, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9). Frankly, “mainstream” Christians are NOT the ones who are going to be “hated by all nations.” Why? Because they fit into the world pretty well, going along with its customs and traditions-and, all too often, with its SINS.

But was there an obedient Church such as Jesus described still in existence after apostolic times-which still faithfully kept God’s true Sabbath day? Yes indeed. In fact, virtually all church historians acknowledge that many thousands of early Christians continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath for many generations!

We have already seen Jesse Lyman Hurlbut’s statement: “As long as the church was mainly Jewish, the Hebrew sabbath was kept.” But was any biblical writer ever inspired to tell us that the Sabbath was later to be CHANGED?

Of course not.

For the active, living Head of God’s true Church is Jesus Christ. “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18; cf. Ephesians 1:22). The book of Hebrews tells us, “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday, today, and forever” (13:7-8).

Indeed, throughout the entire Bible, only one day is set apart as the Sabbath-the seventh day. And that day is Saturday! Here is a quote from James Cardinal Gibbons, who was Archbishop of Baltimore and probably the most well-known American Catholic leader of his time. Observe what this highest-ranking Catholic in America wrote about God’s Sabbath in his famous book, Faith of Our Fathers: “You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify” (1876).

And notice this from The Catholic Mirror-the official newspaper of Gibbons’ archdiocese, under his direction: “In the Old Testament reference is made one hundred and twenty-six times to the Sabbath, and all these texts conspire harmoniously in voicing the will of God, commanding the seventh day to be kept” (Sept. 9, 1893). It then states, “Nor can we imagine anyone foolhardy enough to question the identity of Saturday with the Sabbath or seventh day, seeing that the people of Israel have been keeping the Saturday from the giving of the Law.”

And look at this from a later article under Cardinal Gibbons’ direction: “God’s written word enjoins His worship to be observed on Saturday, absolutely, repeatedly, and most emphatically, with a most positive threat of death to him who disobeys” (Sept. 23, 1893).

How CLEAR can you get? Of course the commandment-keeping, true Church of God would have persisted in keeping His seventh-day Sabbath-from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset!

George Park Fisher, who during his life was a respected professor of ecclesiastical history at Yale University, concurs with Hurlbut in that the early Christians observed the seventh-day Sabbath. Professor Fisher writes, “The Jewish Christians at first frequented the synagogues. They continued to observe the festivals appointed in the law, and only by degrees connected with them Christian ideas and facts. They kept the Sabbath on Saturday, according to the Mosaic commandment”(History of the Christian Church, 1887, p. 40).

So if God’s Sabbath is so clearly established in His Word-and was certainly kept by His Bible-believing Church-then where did Sunday come in? Renowned modern historian Will Durant writes, “The serious temper of the Jewish Sabbath was transferred to the Christian Sunday that replaced it in the second century”(The Story of Civilization, vol. 3, 1972, p. 599).

How did this happen? A Roman Catholic study course tells us that “the [Catholic] Church transferred the obligation from Saturday to Sunday” (Father Smith Instructs Jackson). The Catholic Mirror agrees: “The Catholic Church… by virtue of her Divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday” (Sept. 23, 1893). In fact, the Catholic Church’s Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome PUBLISHES a book by Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, a non-Catholic scholar, which proves this very fact! Its preface is written by Vincenzo Monachino, chairman of the university’s Church History department. He writes:

We [the Roman Catholic Church] GLADLY MENTION the thesis that Bacchiocchi defends regarding the birth-place of Sunday worship: for him this arose most probably not in the primitive Church of Jerusalem,well-known for its profound attachment to Jewish religious traditions, but rather in the Church of Rome. The abandonment of the Sabbath and the adoption of Sunday as the Lord’s Day, are the result of an interplay of Christian, Jewish and PAGAN religious factors [From Sabbath to Sunday: A Historical Investigation of the Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity, 1977, pp. 7-8].

Esteeming One Day Above Another?

Some cite Romans 14:5-6 as proof that it doesn’t matter which day we keep as the Sabbath or whether we keep any day at all. In this passage, the Apostle Paul states, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.” But is this really talking about Sabbath-keeping?

Notice the rest of verse 6: “He who EATS, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who DOES NOT EAT, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.” What is this about? Romans 14 begins with Paul telling the Christians in Rome to receive those who are “weak in the faith, but not to [enter into] disputes over doubtful things” (v. 1)-i.e. things some we are not sure about. In verse 2, Paul mentions some who would eat only vegetables for various religious reasons-even though the Bible shows in many places that it is acceptable to eat clean meat. For instance, the parable of the prodigal son pictures a righteous father preparing a “fatted calf” to be eaten (Luke 15:23).

In another of Paul’s letters, he explains one particular reason that a number of Christians had become vegetarians. Most of the available meat in the marketplace had been offered to idols. Of this Paul says, “Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one…. However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled” (1 Corinthians 8:4, 7).

Some new converts thought that eating such meat was participating in idol worship, but went along with other Christians and did it anyway. That is the worst thing they could have done. For Paul states in Romans 14 that “he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin” (v. 23). Whether something is inherently wrong or not, if you think it might be and do it anyway, you are sinning!

So to those who thought it was all right to eat meat, Paul said, “Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat” (v. 3). But continuing in the same verse, he said, “And let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.” Yet Paul told those who thought it was okay not to flaunt that in front of those who did not (vv. 15-22).

So why did Paul break from his dissertation on eating or not eating meat by mentioning the esteeming of days? Because it involved the same principle! There were some weak new converts who thought certain days were better than others for fasting or eating or abstaining from particular foods. Others thought all days were the same in regard to what could be eaten.

Christ said that when we fast, it should be to God and without others knowing unnecessarily (Matthew 6:16-18). But Jews and Gentiles both practiced “semifasts” on particular days of the week or month. The Pharisees fasted, according to custom, “twice a week” (Luke 18:12). And the Jews as a people fasted during certain months (Zechariah 7:4-7). However, the Jewish religious authorities were divided on some of these matters. The Gentiles, too, were divided over when and if to abstain from certain foods (cf. Hasting’s Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics).

The only way the Sabbath could have been a factor here is if some thought it could be used as a fast day and others did not. However, that is not stated, and if Paul had been talking about the Sabbath, he probably would have mentioned it by name-just like he did in Colossians 2:16, where Gentile converts to Christianity were being criticized for how they were keeping God’s Sabbath and other Festivals. Whatever the case, the controversy in Romans 14 about esteeming particular days had practically NOTHING to do with God’s Sabbath or His other Holy Days!

No, whether or not to keep the days that GOD made holy was not even at issue. This was all about MAN-made traditions-some of which were okay to follow but notokay to impose on others. In God’s eyes, it doesn’t matter when we fast (except for the Day of Atonement, on which God commands us to fast). What matters to Him is that we do it with a right attitude-and that we do not judge each other according to our personal ideas.

The Right to Change the Day?

Little by little, gradually and stealthily, Satan was able to influence misguided Catholic theologians to begin introducing the ancient “venerable day of the Sun” in place of the weekly Sabbath. After all, millions of pagans had always observed that day-Sunday-as part of their worship of the sun itself and of other heavenly bodies. These deceived theologians thought that a change to Sunday worship would make it easier for the heathen to “convert” to Christianity!

But what kind of “Christianity” is it when you change God’s Ten Commandments and then go on to water down the entire way of life taught by Christ and the original apostolic Church? Is it still true Christianity? Again, we must listen to Jesus’ own words: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

Under Satan’s deceptive influence, the Protestant churches have followed “mother Rome” in rejecting God’s true Sabbath. Though they repudiated a number of Catholic teachings, the pagan practice of Sunday worship was not one of them. However, many of the early Protestant scholars of the Reformation era were better informed. They, in fact, knew what the Bible actually teaches! Notice what Martin Luther, the very father of the Reformation from whom the Lutheran Church is named, wrote: “Indeed, if Carlstadt [one of the few that argued against Sunday observance] were to write further about the Sabbath, Sunday would have to give way, and the Sabbath-that is to say, Saturday-must be kept holy” (Against the Celestial Prophets). But Luther wouldn’t change back to the right day. He wrote in his Larger Catechism that “to avoid the unnecessary disturbance which an innovation would occasion, [the worship day] should continue to be Sunday”(The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, “Sunday”).

This is why the Catholic Church will “gladly mention” that it changed the day! For it shows that the Protestants are not relying on the Bible as their only rule of faith-as they claim-but are instead acknowledging the “authority” of the Roman Church to change God’s law. Here’s how The Catholic Mirror explains it: “The Protestant world at its birth found the Christian Sabbath [Sunday] too strongly entrenched to run counter to its existence; it was therefore placed under the necessity of acquiescing in the arrangement, thus implying the Church’s right to change the day, for over 300 years. The Christian Sabbath [Sunday] is therefore to this day the acknowledged offspring of the Catholic Church… without a word of [protest] from the Protestant world” (Sept. 23, 1893).

Incredible? Yes! Of course, the Catholics had no such “right” to change the day. Nevertheless, that is just what they did. And the Protestant churches have followed suit. Meanwhile, the true Church has continued in keeping the true Sabbath-just as it did in apostolic times. Before concluding, take one more look at that period. Respected scholar W.D. Davies writes:

Everywhere, especially in the East of the Roman Empire, there would be Jewish Christians whose outward way of life would not be markedly different from that of the Jews. They took for granted that the gospel was continuous with [the religion of Moses]; for them the New Covenant, which Jesus had set up at the Last Supper with His disciples… did not mean that the covenant made between God and Israel was no longer in force. They still observed the feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles; they also continued to be circumcised, to keep the weekly Sabbath and the Mosaic regulations concerning food. According to some scholars, they must have been so strong that right up to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 they were the DOMINANT ELEMENT in the Christian movement [Judeo-christianisme,“Paul and Jewish Christianity,”1972, p. 72, quoted by Bacchiocchi, p. 151].

If the Sabbath-keepers were the “dominant element” of Christianity for some 40 years after the death of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit, shouldn’t that tell us something? Isn’t it obvious that if Jesus Himself, Peter, James, Paul and MOST of the Christian Church of that time observed the seventh-day Sabbath-then THAT is the day we ALL ought to be keeping? That is the day the original Apostles of Jesus Christ kept until they died. How DARE these later theologians of the Dark Ages place the name of Christ on a day He never kept-NEVER sanctified! How DARE they replace God’s holy Sabbath with the pagan “day of the Sun”-Sunday! How DARE they pervert the very “sign” that identifies the CREATOR and those who worship Him!

Saturday vs. Sunday

Statements from Other Churches

Jesus Christ said of the Pharisees, “‘In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…. All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (Mark 7:7-9). Yet notice what other churches admit regarding their observance of Sunday instead of Saturday.

ROMAN CATHOLIC

Stephen Keenan, A Doctinal Catechism, p. 174:

“Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?

“Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her—she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no scriptural authority….

“Question: When Protestants do profane work upon Saturday… do they follow the Scripture as their only rule of faith…?

“Answer: On the contrary, they have only the authority of tradition for this practice. In profaning Saturday, they violate one of God’s commandments, which He has never clearly abrogated, ‘Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath.'”

The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, 3rd ed., p. 50:

“Question: Which is the Sabbath day?

“Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.

“Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?

“Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea [c. 363] transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”

Catholic Press, Aug. 25, 1900

“Sunday is a Catholic institution, and… can be defended only on Catholic principles…. From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first.”

METHODIST

Charles Buck, A Theological Dictionary, “Sabbath”:

“Sabbath in the Hebrew language signifies rest, and is the seventh day of the week… and it must be confessed that there is no law in the New Testament concerning the first day.”

Clovis Chappell, Ten Rules for Living, p. 61:

“The reason we observe the first day instead of the seventh is based on no positive command. One will search the Scriptures in vain for authority for changing from the seventh day to the first.”

PRESBYTERIAN

The Christian at Work”, April 19, 1883, and Jan. 1884:

“Some have tried to build the observance of Sunday upon Apostolic command, whereas the Apostles gave no command on the matter at all…. The truth is, so soon as we appeal to the litera scripta [literal writing] of the Bible, the Sabbatarians have the best of the argument.”

ANGLICAN

Isaac William, D.D., Plain Sermons on the Catechism, vol. 1:

“Where are we told in Scripture that we are to keep the first day at all? We are commanded to keep the seventh; but we are nowhere commanded to keep the first day…. The reason why we keep the first day of the week holy instead of the seventh is for the same reason that we observe many other things, not because the Bible, but because the Church, has enjoined it.”

EPISCOPAL

Philip Carrington, Toronto Daily Star, Oct. 26, 1949:

“The Bible commandment says on the seventh day thou shalt rest. That is Saturday. Nowhere in the Bible is it laid down that worship should be done on Sunday.”

BAPTIST

Harold Lindsell (editor), Christianity Today, Nov. 5, 1976:

“There is nothing in Scripture that requires us to keep Sunday rather than Saturday as a holy day.”

But, under the powerful influence of Satan the Devil, “who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9), they have done it! (To learn more about the change from God’s holy Sabbath to the pagan Sunday, please write for our free booklet, The Beast of Revelation.)

Obviously, then, to really follow what the BIBLE teaches, you MUST observe the seventh-day Sabbath-from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. But if you are willing to COMPROMISE on the very commandment that points out the true God, then you might very well end up observing the “day of the Sun” right along with the vaunted majority-the countless millions that prophecy shows will soon be subjected to the greatest TRIBULATION in human history because of their rebellion against the true God! (cf. Matthew 24:21-22).

How to KEEP the Sabbath

Just how are we to keep the Sabbath? As we have seen, the scribes and Pharisees tried to legislate, in minute detail, all that was acceptable or unacceptable to do on the Sabbath. In doing so, they made the Sabbath a great BURDEN- something God never intended (cf. 1 John 5:3). He gave the Sabbath and magnified it in other places in His Word with some specifics, but mainly by expounding broad, spiritual principles.

What does God tell us? In the fourth commandment itself, God says, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (Exodus 20:9). Many would be surprised to know that this is actually part of the commandment. God ordained the first six days of the week for our business and work. Our Creator intended that we be busy and productive-earning our daily bread. In Proverbs 19:15, He tells us, “Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger” (NKJV, 1988). The person who shirks his responsibilities the first six days of the week is just as guilty of breaking God’s law as he who works on the seventh!

That brings us to the next injunction in this great law: “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates” (Exodus 20:10). So you are not to do any kind of real work on the Sabbath-be it your occupation, personal business, housework or any strenuous activity. And neither are those in the environment over which you have control. Of course, preparing-or cleaning up after-a light meal would not be wrong. For we find a number of occasions when Jesus enjoyed a Sabbath meal with others. And He never condemned the practice of hospitality on the Sabbath (cf. Luke 14:1-6).

But cessation of labor is not the only requirement God makes. He also gives positive instruction. In Moses’ recounting of the Ten Commandments, the fourth one begins by enjoining us to “OBSERVE the Sabbath day, to KEEP IT HOLY” (Deuteronomy 5:12). We must look to God to tell us how to do that. Leviticus 23 lists “the feasts of the Lord [not the Jews], which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations.” God says, “These are MY feasts” (v. 2). The first one mentioned is the weekly Sabbath: “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings” (v. 3). God then lists His seven other Feasts or Festivals, which contain seven annual Sabbaths. These days are also embraced by the spirit of the Sabbath commandment.

God’s Sabbaths-weekly and annual-are to be holy “convocations” and are, therefore, days commanded for worship services. When we fellowship with other people in whom God dwells, we are, in fact, also fellowshipping with Him (cf. 1 John 1:3, 7). The New Testament states that we must make sure we are “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as [we] see the [millennial Sabbath] Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). We must not forsake assembling on the days God has appointed for that purpose.

Finally, to really understand how God intended the Sabbath to be used, look at what He said in Isaiah 58: “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight… not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth” (vv. 13-14).

So we are not to be doing our own pleasure on God’s Holy Day. That means we aren’t to be pursuing our hobbies or leisure activities. That does not preclude doing any enjoyable things on the Sabbath whatsoever, for we are to find DELIGHT in it. The point is that, whatever we do, God must be an intrinsic part of it. A family walk through a natural setting, for example, is a wonderful way to get in touch with the great God who made the beautiful creation we see.

When the seventh day arrives, we must stop pursuing our “own ways” (the things we normally do), seeking our “own pleasure” (just trying to have fun) and speaking our “own words” (the everyday things we talk about that do not involve God). This last one is often VERY HARD to follow because “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). To truly keep the Sabbath in the spirit, we must focus our MINDS on God and those things He wants us to be concerned with during His holy time. Then, as God promises, we will be truly blessed.

Furthermore, in addition to worshiping with God’s Church on His weekly Holy Day, we should remember Christ’s approach that “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12). So this is a day we can use for making encouraging phone calls or writing letters to the sick, the “shut-ins” or fellow Christians who are lonely. It may also be possible to visit the sick or others in need on the Sabbath-or to have them over for a Friday evening meal (cf. Matthew 25:34-36; James 1:27).

So we should not think of the Sabbath as the day we “can’t do” this or that! Rather, we should approach this very special day as a period when we can and shouldreally TAKE TIME to deeply study and thoughtfully analyze the Bible. It is a time when we can sit quietly, meditating over and thinking through the truly big issues of life: Why were we born? What is the PURPOSE of life? What is the WAY to achieve that purpose? How are we personally doing in moving toward that objective? In addition, the Sabbath is the perfect time for unhurried, thoughtful, heartfelt PRAYER to our Father in heaven-to “commune” with our Creator, to worship Him, to get to know Him intimately. This, then, is how to KEEP God’s Sabbath holy.

Of the Ten Commandments, the fourth one-concerning the Sabbath day-is and always has been the real “test” commandment (cf. Exodus 16:4). Many can accept the other nine-don’t worship other gods, honor your parents, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, etc. But the fourth commandment is different. To keep it means visibly living quite differently from the society around you-perhaps even being looked upon as odd or weird. Yet Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, Today’s English Version).

Do you love the “praise of men” more than the praise of God? Or do you have the FAITH and the COURAGE to obey God’s commandments-even if you were to lose your job, your friends and perhaps some of your relatives?

True Christians OBEY The Fourth Commandment

Throughout the Bible, God shows that His true followers keep His commandments. In Revelation 12, God describes the true Church-the little flock-that had to escapethe bonds of the Roman Empire during the Dark Ages (v. 6). Then, He foretells how this will happen again-in our day (v. 14). Finally, God describes Satan’s RAGE against the Church: “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (v. 17).

In Revelation 14:12, God describes the character of His saints, saying, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Notice that the saints do not merely observe some “new” commandments of Jesus. They observe God’s commandments through the faith OF Jesus Christ-not merely their faith IN Him (cf. Galatians 2:20, KJV). For, through the Holy Spirit, they have Christ living His life in them and empowering them to overcome themselves, the world and Satan-and are therefore able to OBEY God’s spiritual law!

And Revelation 22:14 describes those who will live with God the Father and Christ throughout eternity in the New Jerusalem: “Blessed are those who DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”

In His famous Olivet Prophecy recorded in Matthew 24, Jesus describes the time when true Christians will, once again, have to FLEE for their lives. This time is just a few years ahead of us-for it is placed in this prophecy just BEFORE the Great Tribulation, in which ALL humanity would be exterminated, were it not for God’s supernatural intervention. Warning His true servants as to what we should do when that Tribulation approaches, Jesus said, “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the SABBATH” (v. 20). Obviously, Jesus knew that His true disciples at the time of the end would still be KEEPING the true Sabbath day!

In another inspired END-TIME prophecy, God’s Word shows that His true servants will be keeping the Sabbath day holy even during the 1,000-year reign of Christ here on this earth: “‘For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 66:22-23). So obedience to the fourth commandment is not “old fashioned.” It is instead the “wave of the future”! For ALL HUMANITY will learn to obey God’s commandments-and keep holy the days God made holy-in the soon-coming Tomorrow’s World, when the Kingdom of God is set up on this earth!

We who are willing to heed and OBEY our Creator now-through Jesus Christ living His life within us-will be given the awesome opportunity to serve under Him in ruling the cities and nations of the world at that time. For we are the true pioneerspreparing for Tomorrow’s World. We are overcoming-standing up against the prevailing forces and trends of this materialistic, Satan-influenced society. Jesus said, “He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations-‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the potter’s vessels shall be broken to pieces’-as I also have received from My Father” (Revelation 2:26-27).

Yet, even now, in this carnal society, you are not completely alone by any means. For when you include the Orthodox Jews, the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Seventh-Day Baptists and many from the various Churches of God, there are millions of people who observe the seventh-day Sabbath. They have found, and you will find, that it is possible to keep this “test” commandment and still be blessed and made prosperous in many ways. You may even find in our diverse society a number of people who will admire your courage and dedication, even though God may not be “calling” them to full spiritual understanding at this time.

Remember, there are millions of people who sincerely want to do the right thing. Yet Jesus said, “NO ONE can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). But, if God is calling you and is now opening your mind to His full Truth, then you have a RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT upon that Truth. For as James 4:17 states, “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

If you, then, are sincerely interested in truly obeying God and being one of the “firstfruits” of His salvation in this age, you may wish to contact Christ’s “little flock,” which He has preserved even in this mixed-up generation. A significant branch of this body of believers is doing the Work of God. It is the Church that sponsors the Tomorrow’s World program on radio and television and that publishes the Tomorrow’s World magazine, which goes into many nations. We are called the Living Church of God, and you will find our regional addresses and phone numbers at the end of this booklet. We have representatives in many major cities around the globe. So if you would like to ask questions about how to properly observe the Sabbath or about meeting with others in your area-or if you have other questions about true Christianity-just drop us a line or give us a call. No one will be sent to call on you unless you request it. Our representatives will simply talk to you on the phone or answer in writing. We will NOT use any “high-pressure” tactics to get you to join or support us. For we want to be sure that God is truly “calling” you.

Do you want the opportunity to observe the true Sabbath, to enjoy warm, loving fellowship with others of similar beliefs and to learn more fully the plan and PURPOSE of the Great GOD? Do you want to participate with others in this CRUSADE to prepare the way for the return of Jesus Christ to this earth? We hope so, because all of this is so enormously helpful in assisting your spiritual growth. Unless you meet with others of the true faith of Jesus Christ and are nourished with His Word rather than the traditions of men, you may easily “die” spiritually. The book of Hebrews, in a passage quoted elsewhere in this booklet, says, “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:24-25).

Will you, personally, exercise the faith and the COURAGE to obey the God who gives you life and breath? Or will you follow the deceptions of this world under Satan’s powerful influence? You now KNOW that the God of the Bible commands you to observe His holy Sabbath. And the ultimate penalty for disobeying God’s law is DEATH in the Lake of Fire. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23; cf. Revelation 21:8).

As God spoke to ancient Israel, so now-through His inspired Word-He speaks to you in Deuteronomy 30:19: “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.

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