Berean Voice

The Berean VoiceHope of Israel Ministries (Church of YEHOVAH) Volume 2, Number 3 May-June 2001 Inside....Inside.... Page 2 From the Editor Page 3 Just Who or What Is the "Antichrist"? Page 23 Hope of Israel Mail Bag Page 28 The Nature of PreExistence in the New Testament Page 40 The Idol Shepherd of Zechariah Page 48 Telltale Signs of a Cult Page 49 The House of Israel Page 53 Rejoice in YEHOVAH's Sabbath Day! Page 65 Hidden "Codes" in the Biblical Text? Just Who or What Is the "Antichrist"? Page 71 12 Proofs That Yeshua DID NOT Pre-Exist! Page 90 Archaeology and the Bible Page 94 The New School Prayer Page 95 Back Issues of The Berean Voice Magazine Beginning in the Flesh Most people in the Churches of God (and other worldly churches) do not seem to understand the importance of believing exactly what YEHOVAH says about His son Yeshua's beginning. As incredible as it may sound, the doctrine of a pre-existent savior was being promulgated even before Yeshua the Messiah was born -- before the days of the apostles. But, in fact, this doctrine was CONDEMNED by the apostles who called those who taught it Antichrists! Hope of Israel Ministries (Church of YEHOVAH) The Berean Voice Magazine P.O. Box 6772 Thousand Oaks, CA 91359-6772, U.S.A. Website (West Coast): http://hope-of-israel.org Website (East Coast): http://hope-of-isreal.net E-mail: [email protected] Editor and Director: John D. Keyser Contributing Writers: Anthony Buzzard David Maas Technical Advisor: Sean Keyser It is VITAL for us to understand how important it is to believe in the Savior sent by YEHOVAH -- the Savior who was BEGOTTEN by YEHOVAH, who was conceived in his mother's womb -- who was NOT pre-existent. Those who preach the doctrine of a pre-existent Savior are proclaiming another savior -- NOT the one proclaimed through the Holy Scriptures! They are, according to the apostle John, Antichrists: "And every spirit that does not confess that Yeshua Messiah STARTED IN THE FLESH is NOT of YEHOVAH. So this is the spirit of the Antichrist which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world" (I John 4:3). -- John D. Keyser Now everyone agrees that for any man to come into the world -- to be born -- that man has to begin in the flesh. He has to be conceived in his mother's womb and delivered 9 months later. This means that man has to be begotten, and then he has to be born. Our savior Yeshua was begotten by his Father, YEHOVAH, in the SAME way that every human being in this world is begotten by his father! He was conceived in his mother Mary's womb, and started life in the womb! Hope of Israel Ministries -Preparing the Way for the Return of YEHOVAH God and His Messiah! 2 Just Who or What Is the "Antichrist"? Some say the Bible plainly teaches that the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the rapture. Others say the Bible plainly teaches that the Antichrist will be revealed before the rapture takes place. Meanwhile, many spend their time speculating on whom the Antichrist will be! Is he Bill Clinton? England's Prince Charles? How about Juan Carlos of Spain? Saddam Hussein? Take your pick! With a careful study of the scriptures you can know the TRUTH about this important subject! Ralph Woodrow John D. Keyser Who hasn't heard of the term "Antichrist" these days -- it gets a lot of publicity on religious radio and TV programs, and in religious tracts and prophetic books. Some of these books are sensational and scary, as are numerous motion pictures dealing with this theme. The common conception is that the "Antichrist" will be an atheistic politician who will explode on to the world scene in the near future with vast control of air power -- including rockets, bombs, computers, spy satellites -- and cause all manner of hell to break out on this earth. As far back as World War I, many believed that the German Kaiser would be the dreaded man of sin -- the Antichrist. A few years later it was Joseph Stalin. When the New Deal was instituted in the Unites States, some thought that Franklin Roosevelt was at least the forerunner of Antichrist. Others believed Hitler or Mussolini were likely candidates. Herbert W. Armstrong, in his early writings, certainly believed that Mussolini was a more than likely the Antichrist. A book published in 1940 echoed Armstrong's theory by asking the question: "Is Mussolini the Antichrist?" and the author , John R. Rice, answered: "He may be. I know of no reason why he should not fit the description of this terrible man of sin...He is evidently an atheist" (World-wide War and the Bible, p. 212). Another writer even claimed that Mussolini had fulfilled forty-nine of the prophecies concerning the Antichrist! Others have thought the Antichrist will be Nimrod, Nero, or a Roman Emperor resurrected from the dead. Some believe it will be Judas Iscariot. After comparing John 17:12 with 2 Thessalonians 2:3, M.R. De Haan proclaimed: "Judas, then, will be the Antichrist" (Thirty-five Simple Studies on the Major Themes in Revelation, p. 184). Author Dan Gilbert put it this way: "Antichrist will be Judas come to earth again!" (Who Will be the Antichrist? p. 21). 3 There would come "a falling away first. Solid evidence shows that the Christians of the early centuries believed it was the ROMAN EMPIRE that was in the way -. his words show it was not something unknown or obscure to the people of the time. And then the lawless one will be revealed. with each passing year. Paul explained to them that certain events had to happen before that time. Notice: Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining that he may be revealed in his own time. Knox.to name a few. Candidates range from Prince Charles to King Carlos of Spain to William Clinton and Saddam Hussein! Take your pick! In contrast to the futurist position taken by many modern preachers is what we will call the FULFILLED interpretation -. Oral Roberts writes: "The Bible tells how." And before that man of sin could be revealed. To some this viewpoint will appear too ridiculous to even consider -. Justin Martyr spoke of Christians praying for the continuance of the restraining Roman Empire.something that would need to be taken out of the way.the fall of which would bring on the man of sin. Though often differing on details. expected to follow upon its fall. The Antichrist -His Portrait and History. 36).. and that man of sin be revealed. Right or wrong. many noted men through history all believed that the prophecies of the man of sin had found their fulfillment in the Roman Papacy. The Christians at Thessalonica also knew what it was. The devil will then make his big move. something else would need to happen. But before doing this. He knew what it was.(2 Thessalonians 2:5-8). Zwingli. as Bereans. When they were accused of holding this belief. Luther. promote this leader or that as the most likely candidate. at least inquire why these men believed this way? When all the evidence is in you will be surprised to find that the fulfilled interpretation will not seem as absurd as some have thought! Held Up By the Roman Empire When the Christians at Thessalonica supposed the day of Yeshua's coming was right at hand. futurists all believe the Antichrist is someone yet to appear on the world scene and. they did not deny it. lest the dreaded times of Antichrist. Though Paul does not identify this "restraining" by name. Antichrist will be assassinated. 49). For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. should overtake them in 4 . As Lactantius put it: "Beseech the God of heaven that the Roman State might be preserved. Calvin. Huss. Should we not. p.holding back -his appearance -.. He will raise Antichrist from the dead in an attempt to reproduce the Holy Trinity" (How to be Personally Prepared for the Second Coming of Christ. that hateful tyrant should come" (Baron Alfred Porcelli. surely the evidence for this position should be carefully weighed and investigated. for its fall would bring on the Antichrist. Foxe. p. lest. Men such as Wyclif.that the prophecies concerning the man of sin or Antichrist have found their fulfillment in the PAPACY -. more speedily than we suppose. Newton and Wesley -. Tyndale.the succession of popes that rose to power in Rome following the fall of the Roman Empire. only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. Their reply was that they did not wish the fall of the Empire.and it will be cast aside immediately. right in the middle of his rise to power.Some believe the Antichrist will be assassinated and that Satan will raise him from the dead. There was something restraining -. . Tertullian said: "What is the restraining power? What but the Roman State. Chrysostom stated: "One may naturally enquire. 49). researcher Froom says that the "restraining" power impeding the development of the "man of sin" was interpreted in the early church as the Roman Empire (op.among these the eleventh is Antichrist. p. 92). "We have the consenting testimony of the early fathers. p. Commentary on Thessalonians. op. according to the prophet Daniel.D. Vol. op. cit. ten kings will divide the Roman world among themselves. and taken out of the midst. cit. who. p. noted bishop and translator of the early church. Cyril of Jerusalem.. by being scattered into ten kingdoms. stated: "He [Paul] shows that that which restrains is the Roman Empire. Rome. 19). 6. he [the man of sin] would arise" (Romanism and the Reformation. after many pages of carefully documented proof for his statement. and endeavor to seize upon the government both of man and of God" (Chrysostom. Homilies.. John. And naturally. Also.. p. shall introduce Antichrist upon [its own ruins]?" (ibid. The Encyclopedia Britannica clearly says this was universally believed by Christians everywhere (1961 edition. p." writes Edward B. Dissertations on the Prophecies. down to Chrysostom (347-404) and Jerome (331-420) to the effect that it was understood to be the Imperial power ruling and residing at Rome" (Horae Apocalyticae. Elliott.Ten kings of the Romans shall arise together. shall seize the Roman power" (Thomas Newton. 463). p. and then will be revealed the man of sin" (Porcelli. the predicted Antichrist. Book 3 p. Antichrist will not come before that" (Jerome. speaking of this same prophecy said: "This. H. article: "Antichrist. "Let us therefore say what ALL ecclesiastical writers have delivered to us. no one will willingly exalt himself." Vol. "from Irenaeus (130-200 A. 5 . 463).. the breaking up of which. but when that is dissolved. 1.their day (LeRoy E.. What is that which withholdeth?" He answered that it was the Roman Empire and that "when the Roman Empire is taken out of the way. p. p. 150).. p. p. when the times of the Roman Empire shall be fulfilled.. 258). for unless it shall have been destroyed. by magical and wicked artifices. Book 5. would bring on the Antichrist who would persecute the saints (ibid. The Expositor's Bible Commentary states: "There is no reason to doubt that those fathers of the church are right who identified it with the Empire of Rome and its sovereign head" (Denny. For as long as the fear of this empire lasts.). the disciple of the disciple of St. 271). Hippolytus believed the breaking up of the fourth empire. Clarke's Commentary adds that the UNITED testimony of the church leaders of those first few centuries was that the restraint which was to be removed was the Roman Empire (Adam Clarke. Grattan Guinness remarks: "The early writings of the fathers tell us with remarkable unanimity that this "restraint" or hindrance was the Roman Empire as governed by the Caesar. Vol. 2. 60). in the fourth century. The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers.. Commentaria. chapter 25). Froom. and that on the fall of the Caesar. Antichrist would appear" (Newton. cit. Jerome. 388-389). p. then he [Antichrist] shall come. that when the Roman Empire is destroyed. Ambrose said the Roman Empire was that which was holding back the appearance of Antichrist and that "after the falling or decay of the Roman Empire.569).. he will attack the anarchy. will come. 325). pp. 119). For he did not wish to bring upon himself superfluous enmities.. then. As an illustration. I told you these things?" (2 Thessalonians 2:5).and needed to be taken out of the way -.Now we can clearly understand why the apostle Paul was careful -. 168). "he" is masculine.not the future! More of this in a moment. what power rose up in Rome following the fall of the Empire? All the evidence points to the PAPACY. and Chrysostom added: "Because he said this of the Roman Empire. and speaks covertly and darkly. it is strongly inferred that we should look for the rise of the man of sin in a HISTORICAL context -. Jerome understood exactly why Paul was so careful in this matter: "If he had chosen to say this openly.and also someone ("he). Records the historian Alexander Flick: "The removal of the capital of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople in 330. and useless dangers" (Homilies. The breaking up of the Roman Empire and the removal of the Caesar from power in Rome took place over a period of some time.. to develop its own form of organization. p. If we look again at Paul's prophecy (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7) we find that he mentions that something ("what") was restraining -.when I was yet with you. Paul plainly referred to the Roman Empire as "what. and the statement of the apostle Paul here" (Barnes' Commentary. And. we have a STRONG INDICATION of WHERE the man of sin would rule. in the seat of the Caesars. would this caution be in order.. left the Western Church practically free from Imperial power. we now know WHERE the Antichrist would rise to power and we know WHEN! Looking into history. The highly esteemed Biblical commentator. The Bishop of Rome. has well said: "To any acquainted with the decline and fall of the Roman Empire." and the Caesar as "he.we have a TIME FRAME for the prophecy! Since the fall of Rome is now long past. nothing can be more manifest than the correspondence of the facts in history respecting the rise of the Papacy. he would have foolishly aroused a frenzy of persecution against the Christians" (op.unless it was occupying the exact spot where the new house was to be built! Understood in the context of the prophecy we are examining. Obviously it could not be said that the old building was in the way -. Book 5. especially when writing to the Christians at Thessalonica. p. chapter 25). 1115). he naturally glanced at it.but another building was in the way. To teach that "eternal Rome" would fall and be broken up would have brought on unnecessary conflict with the leaders of the Empire within which they lived. Now that we understand it was the Roman Empire that would fall -. one Jesus" (Acts 17:7).not to mention the restraint by name. "What" is neuter in gender. was now the greatest man in the West and was soon forced to become political as well as spiritual head" (The Rise of the Medieval Church. 388-389). Albert Barnes. the man of sin would rise to power in the exact same location that the Caesar ruled -.the fall of which would bring on the man of sin -." Logically. if Caesar would have to be "taken out of the way" for the man of sin to come to power.when writing about it -.Rome! The man of sin would be a Roman power! Therefore. Wisdom dictated that Paul should simply write: "Remember. Cardinal Manning wrote: 6 . cit. It was at Thessalonica that the Christians had been accused of doing things "contrary to the decrees of Caesar" and believing in "another king. let's suppose we would like to build a home on a certain piece of property -. p. 61). The "restraint" was now fully ek mesou -. p. The Caesars were no more. we believe. Higher and higher rose the Papacy. to be 'taken out of the way'" (Scofield. Augustus. To then turn right around and say the 7 . Diocletian. were gone. 113). not only within the limits of the fallen empire. But as Oswald Smith has rightly pointed out in his book Tribulation or Rapture -.the rise to power of the man of sin. claiming dominion. cit. not alone over the bodies. H. even the Constantines and Julians had passed away. these same people conveniently ignore all the evidence about the Roman Empire being the "restraint" and promulgate nonsense such as the following -"The hindering influence in this passage is.met all the requirements of the prophecy.that the restrainer "can be no other than the Holy Spirit in the Church. Rice. and the End of the World. p. can preachers and evangelists of the futurist viewpoint project this prophecy into the future? Interestingly."The possession of the pontiffs. but throughout the entire world." According to what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. 11). "This One who hinders the man of sin must be the Holy Spirit.who was influenced by the propaganda of the Jesuits -. and Rome was an actual desolation. Augustulus. of course. Finally in 476. The seat of sovereignty had been removed from Rome to Constantinople. Hewitt in The Seer of Babylon. How. then. At the rapture of the saints. the stage was now cleared for the next scene in this immense prophetic drama -. Orr. Goths and Vandals had overthrown the western empire. but over the consciences and souls of men. the last Western Caesar. Scofield Reference Bible. p. commences with the abandonment of Rome by the emperors" (quoted by Clarence H.but this was not the restraint of which the apostle Paul wrote. the ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through the lives of Christians today" (William W. With the fulfillment of this prophecy the mighty Roman Empire of the Caesars had passed from the scene of human history.Which? regarding the verse under consideration: "There is no mention of the Holy Spirit at all. dominion. 125). That is a Scofield Bible assumption. Antichrist. p. Hadrian. it is clearly evident that the Papacy -. Grattan Guinness wrote -The mighty Caesars had fallen. Domitian.rising to power at the time and place indicated -. The Holy Spirit and the church remain to the end of the age" (page 8). Armageddon. the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way of the man of sin so that he may be revealed" (John R.see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3.. The Coming Kingdom of Christ. the once mighty political structure lay shivered into broken fragments. was forced out of office by the Goths."out of the way. The Holy Spirit Is Not the "Restraint" Most Christians recognize that Yehovah's holy spirit within the Church is a great force against evil -. p. The imperial government was slain by the Gothic sword. These writers merely echo the theory spread by Scofield -. till in the Dark Ages all Christendom was subjected to its sway (op. 1272). He clearly told the Thessalonians that the coming of Yeshua to gather the Church would NOT take place until after the man of sin would be revealed -.a monarchy of loftier aspirations and more resistless might. Once it is admitted that the Roman Empire under the rule of the Caesars was that which was holding back the appearance of the Antichrist. Then slowly on the ruins of old imperial Rome rose another power and another monarchy -. there is. We also know it was Paul's practice to PROVE what he taught from the scriptures. But if the restraint had been the holy spirit or the Church. There is absolutely no reason to believe that the restraint of which Paul wrote was the holy spirit or even the Church.the earth will never know a period of evangelism like this period. in the preceding pages. the reason WHY Paul was so careful not to mention the restraint by name when writing to the Thessalonians.. you will find them to be totally weak and unconvincing." What Chrysostom rejected was a theory about the restraint being the grace of the spirit in connection with spiritual gifts. to which we will now turn 8 . As a matter of fact. which convicts and converts. Yehovah will turn to the Jews -. would be a direct contradiction and totally unscriptural! We have seen.a believing remnant of which will preach the gospel of the kingdom into all the world..and we only know of this belief because Chrysostom REJECTED IT! Notice: "Some indeed say. but plainly." But he goes on to point out that the restraint was the Roman Empire and could NOT be the spirit: "Wherefore? Because if he [Paul] meant to say the Spirit. his teaching about the fall of the Roman Empire was based on Daniel 7. the fact is that this idea is total nonsense! Those of a discerning nature might ask HOW these Jews will be so empowered if the holy spirit. Antichrist and the Jews. apparently. "They are going to be 144.They are going to have the greatest number of converts in all history"! (The Late Great Planet Earth. They will be so empowered. incontestable evidence that the early Christians believed it was the Roman Empire that would be taken out of the way -. Paul mentions the Church and the holy spirit several times in his epistles to the Thessalonians -. 5:19. Comments Hogg and Vine. We have solid. p. no trace of it in early writings on the subject" (The Epistle to the Thessalonians). It had nothing to do with the dispensational idea of the spirit being taken out of the world in a secret rapture of the church. the teaching that the holy spirit will be taken out "seems to be of quite modern origin. some ask us to swallow. As much as Billy Graham might be gratified by this. It is also a fact that there is no record of anyone believing that the restraint mentioned by Paul was the holy spirit until the latter half of the fourth century -. The Proof of Daniel Those who adhere to this viewpoint face serious problems of interpretation. 5. is taken from this earth? If you look into the arguments given to explain away this glaring discrepancy. there would be absolutely no reason for this caution. They teach that after the Church is gone.. According to Hal Lindsey in his popular book on prophecy. the grace of the Spirit. 6. p.see 1 Thessalonians 1:1. etc. 4:8. 12).000 Jewish Billy Grahams turned loose on this earth -.and then the man of sin would be revealed. In this case. that they "will become the mightiest evangelists this world has ever seen" (Hyman Appleman.Church would be taken out of the way BEFORE the man of sin would be revealed. he would not have spoken obscurely. 111). 2:14. and (4) Ptolemy ruled over Egypt." It should be noted that in Daniel 7 the words "kings" and "kingdoms" are used interchangeably. and it stands out as quite diverse from the other empires of history. it is recorded. The first beast was like a lion with eagle's wings. The four heads on this leopard beast symbolized the four kings who ruled after the death of Alexander: (1) Cassander ruled over Greece and the surrounding country. (2) Lysimachus ruled over Asia Minor. and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces. terrible. and brilliance. was symbolized by the leopard which is noted for its quick movements and remarkable swiftness by which it springs upon its prey. In due time its "wings" were plucked off and mighty Babylon fell from its exalted position. It fell short of Babylon in wealth.their number being TEN: Heruli. The prophecy speaks of four kings (verse 17) and goes on to speak of these as four kingdoms (verse 23).between the teeth where a bear crushes its prey -. Huns. At the age of 32. "I considered the horns. behold. The third beast was like a leopard with four wings and four heads (Daniel 7:6). and it had ten horns" (Daniel 7:7). there came up among them another LITTLE HORN. There is no contradiction here -. In a similar fashion. described the Empire as being divided among the various Gothic tribes -. Franks. it was dreadful.is a reference to the fact that Medo-Persia crushed the three provinces that made up the Babylonian kingdom -Babylon. was less in glory.if there is a king. it did indeed tear down the whole earth. the second kingdom. 4/.The Little Horn In vision. but the wings were to be plucked off (Daniel 7:4). and strong exceedingly. the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great. The fourth world kingdom was the Roman Empire. MedoPersia. (3) Selecus ruled over Syria and Babylon. Ostrogoths. and a mouth speaking great things" 9 . "and. The fourth beast that Daniel saw was "dreadful and terrible. and stamped the residue with the feet of it. Even as a bear is less courageous (as well as less noble) than the lion. Vandals. there is of necessity a kingdom. and strong." continues Daniel. the Roman historian. the mention of "three ribs" in the mouth -. before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and. Burgundians. Suevi. Visigoths. behold. so the empire which held first position in the vision was Babylon. he had conquered the world and wept because there were no more worlds to conquer. The meaning of the ten horns on this beast is explained in verse 24: "These ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings [or kingdoms] that shall arise. and Anglo-Saxons. Lydia and Egypt. These have ever since been spoken of as the ten kingdoms that rose out of the Roman Empire. Even as the lion is king among the animals of the forest. in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man. Macchiavelli. 3/. Lombards. the conquests of Alexander were amazingly rapid. The second beast was like a bear and it had three ribs in its mouth (Daniel 7:5). 1/. 2/. The third kingdom. the prophet Daniel saw four great beasts which symbolized four kingdoms that were to rule the earth (Daniel 7). and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it. As the prophecy said. magnificence. and hell! Does he wield a scepter? Nay.even totally opposite to scripture.. the Heruli under Odacer. It is small in size. Grattan Guinness said it well: Is not the Papacy sufficiently diverse from all the rest of the kingdoms of western Europe to identify it as the little horn? What other ruling monarch of Christendom ever pretended to apostolic authority. It should be carefully noted that the prophecy tells what this little horn would do. He professes to speak the words of Yehovah. to define the doctrines of Yehovah. The little horn was to pluck up three of the other horns. The little horn was to be A ROMAN POWER.following the fall of Rome. but the Papacy claimed spiritual power as well. Its very name is Roman Catholic -.. p." Has the Papacy been a kingdom that has been different from other kingdoms that rose up out of the fourth beast? Yes -.. H. cit.an amazing point of identification even in our time! 2/. Do his subjects kiss his hand? Nay. 3/. earth. not what he would profess to do. 4/. Other kingdoms have claimed temporal power. Since we already know that the fourth beast was Roman. This suggests PRIDE AND ARROGANCE. The little horn was pictured with a MOUTH -. 10 . the Catholic Church has spoken AGAINST Yehovah. THE PAPACY IS THE ONLY GOVERNMENT RISING FROM THE RUINS OF ROME THAT MADE SUCH CLAIMS. to show that he is the good shepherd of the Church. Altogether there are EIGHT things that we should notice concerning the little horn: 1/. By teaching corrupt doctrines. but a triple tiara. viz. 28). gigantic in its pretensions (op. The little horn was to be revealed in power among the TEN KINGDOMS into which the Roman Empire was divided. This "little horn" would make war against the saints (verse 21) and would think to change times and laws (verse 25). p. to show that he reigns in heaven. both in great things and little. 3. so also must the horn be Roman! Does the Papacy fit this description? Without a doubt! The Papacy rose to power at the time and place indicated by Bible prophecy."a mouth that spoke very great things" and "great words against the most High" (Daniel 7:20. History records that the Heruli were overthrown in 493. but a crosier or crook. but in priestly garments. but his toe! Verily this power is 'diverse' from the rest. Its very seat is in Rome.without a doubt. the Vandals. 139). No one in their right mind can question the fact that the Papacy is Roman.in some cases -. 25). cit. but in reality he speaks things that are totally unscriptural and -. A horn on a beast is that which grows out of a beast. It has claimed its diversity is as the sun compared to the moon. but would be "diverse" or "different. We have seen that Rome was indeed divided into ten kingdoms. and the Ostrogoths" (op. and the Ostrogoths in 553.(verse 8). the interpretation being that "he shall subdue three kings [kingdoms]" (Daniel 7:24). 5/. the Vandals in 534. The little horn would rise up among the ten horns (kingdoms). Does he wear a crown? Nay. Vol. Did the Papacy subdue three of these ten kingdoms? Notice what Eliott says: "I might cite three that were eradicated from before the Pope out of the list first given. The Papacy did indeed rise to power among these ten kingdoms -. or ruled men in the name of God? Does the Pope dress in royal robes? Nay. Therefore we declare.Among the many claims made by the popes over the centuries. Christians who would not bow to Papal claims were horribly tortured. tested. an instrument made for disarticulating the fingers and "Spanish boots" which were used to crush the legs and feet.conservatively I believe -.and then thrown to hungry dogs and pigs. flayed alive. especially arrogant is the Unam Sanctam of Boniface VIII: "All the faithful of Christ by necessity of salvation are subject to the Roman pontiff." then what is? All other persecutions against Yehovah's people were brief and mild in comparison. we find that century after century of persecution fell upon the saints by a power that rose out of Rome. tormented with fires.in front of their own parents -. The early Christians were persecuted by the Jews. 25). melted lead was poured into their eyes.and none other. Does the Papacy fit this image? The Pope claims to be the overseer of the whole world-wide church! He claims to watch over. The war against the saints here described was to be carried out by a power that would rise out of Rome following the breaking up of the Empire. with later persecutions thrust upon them by the pagan Roman Empire.. their breasts cut off. they were scalped. therefore. Those who wouldn't bow to the Pope's system were shut up in caves and dungeons. With such eyes it would be a seer. His soldiers were promised property and remission of all their sins if they killed a "heretic"! Unfortunate victims of the Inquisition were stretched and torn apart on the "rack. babies were brutally beaten. 7/. Pinchers were used to tear out fingernails or were applied red-hot to the sensitive parts of the body. is not the "wearing out of the saints of the most High. Every imaginable method of torture was used by these fiendish men representing the Pope. heads were twisted off and eyes gouged out. Because a horn on a beast does not normally possess eyes. skinned. such symbolism stands out vividly. more people than any other leader -. assert. and tried during those terrible centuries. women were defiled. dashed against trees -.if such treatment as this. whipped.. The edicts of the Pope are considered final. scalded with oil or burning pitch. is a power with foresight. These were minimal and amounted to almost nothing compared to the massive persecutions inflicted upon Christians by the Roman Catholic Church.secular or religious! His look is more stout than others and is greatly feared. This horn. The little horn of Daniel's vision "had eyes" and his "look was more stout than his fellows" (Daniel 7:20). It has been estimated -. his decrees irreformable.that fifty million Christians were killed during those Satanic centuries of Papal persecution. This makes Adolf Hitler. Let me ask you this -.. were nailed to trees. ears. inflicted on generation after generation. and mouths. for he claims to be the possessor of the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The little horn was to "make war with" and "wear out the saints of the most High" (Daniel 7:21. that to be subject to the Roman pontiff is to every human creature altogether necessary for salvation"! The Papacy has had a mouth claiming things that no other bishop had claimed before. to shepherd or pastor. Stalin and Saddam Hussein seem like rank amateurs." Other devices used included the thumb-screw. Looking into history. intelligence. define. his utterances infallible. 11 . and pronounce. 6/. Pope Innocent IV issued an official document which clearly stated that these "heretics" were to be crushed like venomous snakes." Some were crushed and stabbed to death in "iron virgins. who judges all men. stabbed. That power was the PAPACY -. defined by Strong's Concordance as "defection from the truth. It all fits neatly together. would be a seer..H.it was specifically described as war against the saints! 8/. Understanding this prophecy. the Pope claims infallibility in pronouncing doctrine. It is." This was not to be a falling away from religion into atheism. "That day shall not come. Lenski wrote: "This is apostasy. R. this would not be too significant -.for obvious reasons! But the war of Daniel 7 was clearly NOT to be mass destruction of the people as a whole -. But for him to tamper with Divine laws demonstrates his blasphemous character. the early Christians knew that the Roman Empire -. The Man of Sin Continuing now in Paul's prophecy. the Papacy has annulled the decrees of kings and emperors. Will the Church Go Through the Tribulation?. would make great claims.and millions have fallen for this dogma -. p. He has done away with days and observances originated by Yehovah. De Haan. In the arena of human affairs. Now since the man of sin -. and that man of sin be revealed. except there come a falling away first. But this is not what the Bible is talking about here. that the little horn would be a Roman power. and has instituted the observance of days for which there is NO scriptural basis whatsoever. The dropping of bombs upon cities would not distinguish between saints or sinners. in the general moral decline. By exalting himself to such forbidden heights -. Antichrist will "plunge the nations into the last great atomic war" (M.Those who hold to the futurist interpretation. He has instituted rituals and rites that were borrowed directly from paganism. We see.would make war against the saints. As one such author says. therefore. As R. Paul correctly concluded that the man of sin would have to come to power BEFORE the saints would be gathered at the second coming of Yeshua! (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).would be broken up and its demise would bring on the man of sin. not in the pagan world.the fourth beast -. but this "little horn" in his arrogance dares to even meddle with Divine things! If he were to merely change civil laws. Finally the little horn would "think to change times and laws" (Daniel 7:25). would rise among the ten kingdoms into which the empire was divided.. in Mohammedanism.the little horn of Daniel 7 -.C. then. The Greek word that is here translated "falling away" is apostasia. but rather a falling away that would develop within the confines of Yehovah's Church.25). would be diverse. it has thrust its long arm into the affairs of this world's nations.politicians commonly do this. it has brought rulers to its feet in abject humility." (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). however. In fact. this kind of war would kill more sinners than saints -. Daniel said that Yehovah is the One that "changeth the times and the seasons" (Daniel 2:21). would wear out the saints." It is from this word we get our English word "apostasy. we see that he links the man of sin with a falling away. in the French 12 . In religious affairs. commonly think of the Antichrist as a super-politician who will drop highly destructive bombs from jet planes. would pluck up three of the other kingdoms. and would seek to change times and laws.it is evident that he has thought to change Divine things. to be sought in the church visible and not outside the church. and has set himself up as the final authority on matters of doctrine. cannot reasonably be doubted by anyone acquainted with the history of the church. 1 Timothy 4:1-3.or is it still in the future? Those who have studied church history know the answer. or in lesser phenomena" (The Interpretation of St. The original New Testament Church of Yehovah was filled with truth and spiritual power.never to a literal building. as the chief head and supporter of this apostasy. Paul NEVER applied this term to the physical Jewish Temple! Repeatedly he used this expression in reference to Yehovah's chosen people. Futurists suppose that Paul was speaking of a future Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. could the apostasy be yet future. even as the inspired apostles had warned (Acts 20:29-30. p. what the world recognized as the "Church" in the fourth and fifth centuries had actually become the FALLEN church.. 2 Peter 2:2-3). Paul's Epistles. Notice -"Don't you know that you people are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you? So if anyone destroys God's temple. but.and to ROME as the headquarters for the church. This has obviously not been the case. cit. The mystery of iniquity was at work. not meaning this or that pope in particular. 433). whom you received from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19). Compromises were made with paganism. God will destroy him. p. and you yourselves are that temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). But as time passed by.Revolution. as living stones. Only if Christianity had remained doctrinally pure through all the centuries until now. but the pope in general.). Has this "falling away" already happened -. is equally clear" (op..in the temple of God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Through the ensuing centuries this apostasy has continued with a "man. That he is the creation or result of that apostasy. are being built into a spiritual house [temple] to be cohanim [priests] set apart for God to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Yeshua the Messiah" (1 Peter 2:5). exalting himself above all others. "You yourselves. in the rise and spread of Masonry. 13 . As the falling away gathered steam.a continual reminder for those with the eyes to see that this falling away took place centuries ago.. it follows that the man of sin is the pope. there began to be subtle departures from the true faith. "Or don't you know that your body is a temple for the Ruach HaKodesh who lives inside you. unless this verse is the exception." at Rome. the man of sin was to "exalt himself above all. in Soviet Russia. the bishop of Rome rose to power claiming to be "Bishop of bishops" and insisted that the whole Christian world should look to him as head -. to the Church -. or departure from the purity of the simple gospel. claiming Divine honors and worship -. The apostasy produces him and he promotes the apostasy" (op. Finally. cit. Albert Barnes expressed it this way: "That his [the pope's] rise was preceded by a great apostasy. as revealed in the New Testament. 1112) The Temple of Yehovah As noted in Paul's prophecy. Thomas Newton wrote: "If the apostasy be rightly charged upon the church of Rome. For God's temple is holy. In union with him the whole building is held together.. in union with him. but the real antagonist. We understand from this description that the man of sin would exalt himself in great pride. The man of sin would "sit" in the temple of Yehovah "as God."What agreement can there be between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God -. and 14 . etc." exalting himself as head of the church -. 'I will house myself in them. "This expression would not imply that he actually claimed to be the true God. then. would magnify himself above all others.. as Barnes notes." he is speaking from his seat officially. and it is growing into a holy temple in union with the Lord. being like the most High. and magnify himself above every god. being lifted up with pride.. "You have built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets. in that exalted cathedral position. undermining His authority. the meaning clearly is that the man of sin would claim Divine attributes. sitting in the seat of Yehovah. with the cornerstone being Yeshua the Messiah himself. The king of Babylon. I will be their God. Expressions about leaders exalting themselves unto heaven. from which we derive the word "Cathedral" -. exalting themselves above every god.. he would exalt himself above all others -. "but only that he sits in the temple. of Christ. and they will be my people" (2 Corinthians 6:16).the bishop's seat.. When the Pope speaks "ex cathedra." writes Barnes. so that he will sit in the Temple of God and proclaim that he himself is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4). was represented as saying: "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God..The idea is that the Antichrist would present himself in the midst of the CHURCH as claiming the honors due to God alone. in which this man of sin would seek to position himself would be. meets the full force of the language used here by the apostle" (ibid.above all others IN THE CHURCH! That is. 57). p. In the case of the man of sin. such pronouncements being considered infallible. The man of sin is further described as he that "will oppose himself to everything that people call a god or make an object of worship. "Sit" (kathizo) implies a "seat" (kathedra). Guinness says: "There.The authority claimed by the Pope of Rome." -." There is no article before "God" here in the original Greek... would make great claims. cit. 1114).for he shall magnify himself above all" (Daniel 11:36-37).I will be like the most High" (Isaiah 14:4-15).and I will walk among you. The location. abolishing His laws.. The prince of Tyrus was represented as saying: "I am a God. and oppressing His people" (op. and claiming to represent God. I sit in the seat of God" (Ezekiel 28:2).NOT the Temple in Jerusalem! To this he adds: "It is by no means necessary to understand this of the temple at Jerusalem. The man of sin would claim to be "as God.he would actually claim to be "THE" leader in the church. Similar expressions are found throughout the Bible. you yourselves are being built together into a spiritual dwelling-place for God!" Ephesians 2:20-22). he would not only claim to be "a" leader in the church -. he will put himself above them all. p.... "the Christian church" -..a position that belongs only to the Lord himself -"showing that he is God. the man of sin was to act and abide as the pretended vicar..as God said. figuratively describe their pride and arrogance. Yes... Daniel spoke of one who "shall exalt himself.implying he would claim a place of rulership within the church. whom the angels in heaven revere. relic sales. 25). said: "The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ. he is Jesus Christ himself. etc. and have they attempted to show that they are Divine? You bet they have! They have claimed to be above all kings and emperors. now she is greater: Alexander VI reigns. the following words were addressed to him by a cardinal who knelt before him: "Most holy and blessed father! head of the Church. but heaven and hell." What blasphemous arrogance! On April 30. cit. requires. who fell on their knees before him. seeing the Pope is God and God is the Pope. when Archbishop of Venice." This same title was applied to Judas Iscariot in John 17:12. and the gates of hell fear. 15 . They have claimed not only the rule of earth.especially during the Dark Ages. Let me ask you this: Have the popes claimed to be above all that is called god.. Pope Pius XI in haughty tones said: "You know that I am the Holy Father. Judas was a bishop and apostle -. Nevertheless. op. complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff. priests. The former was a man: this is a god"! Pope Pius X. he said: "We hold the place of Almighty God on earth." Decius said: "The Pope can do all things God can do." Pope Leo XIII said of himself in 1890: "The supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. the Bible is showing that the man of sin would resemble Judas. he approached him in the garden with a kiss and the words." Incredible! The pagan Roman Caesar was called "our Lord and God. hidden under the veil of the flesh. also! They have claimed attributes and titles which can rightly pertain to Yehovah only. p. On the arch raised in honor of Pope Borgia were the words: "Rome was great under Caesar. Such graphic words could well describe papal practices -. together with a perfect accord in the one faith. the vicar of Christ. worship. and adore thee!" Moreri. the representative of God on earth." For centuries the popes accepted the same title. wrote: "To make war against the Pope is to make war against God. etc.1114). ruler of the world. we specially venerate. Does the Pope speak? It is Jesus Christ who speaks. and had the bag. 1922. and all the world adores.see Acts 1:20. payment for masses. By this repetition of the term. Union of minds. and bare what was put therein" (John 12:6)." In 1894. He claims such honors and such reverence as the true God would if he should appear in human form" (Barnes.manifests himself as if he were God. "Hail Master"! So also has the Papacy claimed to be Yeshua's apostle and friend. have they claimed to be as Yehovah in the temple of Yehovah. to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed.. which means that I am God on the earth. Though Judas had received thirty pieces of silver to betray Yeshua. offerings before idols." A False Apostle The man of sin is referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as "the son of perdition. he "was a thief.. in the Vatican throne room before a gathering of cardinals. therefore. prayers for the dead in purgatory. and nuns. etc. as to God himself. a noted Catholic historian.indulgence selling. To all outward appearances. but has betrayed him by promoting doctrines and practices that are contrary to what he taught -. bishops. At the coronation of Pope Innocent X. the statement that the little horn would "wear out the saints of the most High" for "a time and times and the dividing of time" (Daniel 7:25).the long line or succession of believers through the centuries -. Also. or faked -. Writes Paul: "Whose coming is after [according to] the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders" (2 Thessalonians 2:9). yet the meaning is not limited to individual kings. The early Christians. Some might object to this interpretation on the basis that Paul spoke of "THE man of sin" -meaning an individual man. a succession of similar individuals.though on a somewhat longer scale than might have been originally understood.in their lifetime -. etc.and that the Antichrist would be an individual who would rise to power and wear out the saints for a literal three and a half years. moved their eyes. Rome had indeed fallen.greatly increased the fallen church of Rome. not a succession of men. that a succession of men is meant. Even so. All of these "miracles" -. we read about "the high priest" (Hebrews 9:7) -. Consequently. opened their mouths. Grammatically.000 years. We see. the expression "the man of sin" could mean either an individual or a succession of similar individuals. as Yehovah. had no way of knowing that time would continue on for at least another 2. raised the dead.that these things did indeed find fulfillment in the Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. "The" is used in the expression "the man of God" (2 Timothy 3:16) -. for there is only one man at a time who occupies the papal office. "He that letteth [or restrains]" was a line or succession of Caesars.point by point -. many Christians and students of the Bible came to see that these prophecies had indeed been fulfilled -.a reference to a class of men of certain character.is spoken of as "one new man" (Ephesians 2:15). The four beasts of Daniel 7 are mentioned as four kings. A single beast in prophecy often represents a whole empire or kingdom in all its changes and revolutions from beginning to end. real. The rise of the Papacy was also gradual -. claiming to be above all others.whether supposed. his rise to power would be accompanied with lying signs and wonders. from their prospective. that the man of sin would appear in connection with the falling away or apostasy. he would rise to power within the very framework of Christianity. souls from purgatory have appeared on lonely roads and begged that masses be said in their behalf.The man of sin's rise to power was to be accompanied by claims of supernatural signs and wonders. The church -. healed sicknesses. but it was a decline and fall -. But this is not necessarily true. for each of these kingdoms included a succession of rulers. however. mended broken bones.taking place over a period of many years. not knowing the times and seasons (Acts 1:7). Centuries later. moved their hands. There is something else we should point out here -. A full account of all the miracles that have supposedly occurred within this system would literally fill volumes: crucifixes have spoken. when the Bible became an open book again during the Reformation. then.meaning a succession of high priests. There is a strong indication. images have come down and lit their own candles. many have claimed that the virgin Mary visited them. We have seen evidence -.many years passing before it met all the 16 . the idea of one man is not eliminated by this interpretation. they may have believed the fall of the Roman Empire would be sudden -. idols have sweat. so it would not be inconsistent to believe "he that sitteth" would also be a succession of men. Whosoever denieth the Son. doctrinally.WHY should we look for the Antichrist somewhere outside the realm of professing Christianity? Even Scofield. "the message that you heard from the beginning" (3:11).. These who had departed he termed "antichrists. and in the Father" (2:24). op. that is.you have heard that ANTICHRIST shall come.. 17 ." was understood by many expositors on the year-for-a-day principle. and dividing of time -. the same hath not the Father. The time.. the only Biblical writer who actually uses the term "Antichrist.during which over 50 million people were tortured and killed..declare we unto you.. 918).. the deniers of the Son still called themselves Christians" (Scofield. John speaks of the instruction they "had from the beginning" and the word which they had "heard from the beginning" (2:7).These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you" (1 John 2:22-26). He mentions "that which we had from the beginning" (2 John 5) and "as you have heard from the beginning." Writing at a time when many new doctrines were appearing and the "truth once delivered to the saints" was rapidly being watered down and corrupted...a type of the Antichrist that was to come -.ones who had departed into erroneous doctrines -. "Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning.. that denieth the Father and the Son. p.. In actual fact. 1322). which you have heard from the beginning.were not atheists! They were people who professed to be Christians. Doubtless then.Let that therefore abide in you. and declare unto you" (1 John 1:1-5). p.... Scofield was correct when he said: "'Went out from us.This then is the message which we have heard of him. The Antichrist in John's Prophecy Let's turn now to the books of the apostle John.three and a half years or 1260 days -." (1 John 2:18-19). cit.' that is. which we have heard [from Christ]. said: "The 'little horn' is an apostate.." was because many had departed from the original faith into false doctrines. not Judaism" (ibid. as now. then. The next "Antichrist" passage is 1 John 2:22-26 -Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is ANTICHRIST.. times. in at lest one note. even now are there many antichrists. The reason that John placed such strong emphasis on that which was taught "at the beginning. 1260 years. the burden of John's message was for Christians to hold fast to the original faith as taught in the beginning -"That which was from the beginning.. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you.. Logically.... you should walk in it" (verse 6).They went out from us. if the ones that John used as a type of the Antichrist to come were professing Christians -.. These "antichrists" -. you also shall continue in the Son and in the Father." "Little children.. the Papacy did wear out the saints century after century during the period of history known as the Dark Ages -. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you.during which the little horn would "wear out the saints.requirements of the prophecy.from Christianity. you also shall continue in the Son. for John mentions the seductive nature of these teachings.. 2/.or at least an infidel! We hear talk about the Antichrist being "the World's number one ATHEIST" (Howard C. then.they denied Him in other ways. "There shall be false teachers among you. those who taught things contrary to that which was from the beginning were termed "antichrist. blatant denial -. 'No. op. wrote: "When we teach that the Papacy (the dynasty of popes) is the Antichrist. 125). and why the old Reformers and Protestants thus taught" (Old Fashioned Prophecy Magazine. Estep. in the most superficial way. that shook the Papacy to its foundation. upon reading the word "denied.. for that would not deceive those Christians to whom Peter wrote.. unless he has a firm resolve to know all the truth. an atheist...and that ends the subject. which the Pope is not Thus with a wave of the hand is the mighty prophetic teaching. yet adhering to false doctrines which were not the original teachings of the church founded by Yeshua. p. If they had come in among the Christians denying the existence of Yehovah. and DENYING the only Lord God. However.Often an earnest seeker asks of some futurist preacher if the Pope is the Antichrist of the Bible. but professing Christians.. 29). This point becomes clear when we see how this word "deny" was used in the scriptures." assume the Antichrist will be an atheist -.. and the matter is settled in a minute. Notice that these false teachers were so deceptive with their novel doctrines that they "crept in unawares. What. Fred Peters. But it was not a barefaced. Clearly these false teachers were not denying the existence of Yehovah. cit. is meant by the statement that they denied the Father and the Son? It was not that they denied the existence of Yehovah -. like John. The way they denied Him was by 18 . for he does not deny the Father and the Son'. Jude. they denied the Lord! Nothing is said that would indicate these apostates denied the existence of Yehovah.Again. reprint of 1942 edition. for the seeker does not seek further along that line. p.. by saying. in his article The Mystery of Antichrist.and many shall follow their pernicious ways" (2 Peter 2:1-2). in NO WAY could they have come in unawares. in a hidden way] shall bring in damnable heresies. Peter likewise wrote of apostasy that would develop within the Church. and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. Apparently this idea was first taught in a ninth century commentary by Berengaud (Guinness.K.that the Antichrist has to be an unbeliever. 24)... Some Errors of Futurism. p.turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness. 4).. for it does not even pretend to be a Christian doctrine.one who denies the very existence of Yehovah -.. Those "antichrists" that the apostle John mentioned were not atheists. an infidel. the early Christians had never heard of an infidel Antichrist.to be downright. Their teachings were "seducing" Christians into counterfeit doctrines." By teaching such doctrines they denied the Father and the Son. who privily [secretly." By their erroneous and counterfeit doctrines. or that "the blasphemy of the little horn seems. 8). wrote of the apostasy that was creeping into the Church: "It was needful for me to write unto you. p." Why? "For there are certain men crept in unawares. in common with all the great Reformers and Protestants for 1000 years past. and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 3. Teaching atheism would not have this seductive effect. They denied Him by claiming to be Christians... even DENYING the Lord that bought them. we are often told. Some. 1/. Antichrist's Kingdom. barefaced INFIDELITY" (V. dismissed. Van De Venter. and even now already is it in the world.they DENIED the Holy One and the Just. Peter said that the Jews delivered up Yeshua "and DENIED him in the presence of Pilate. hath not God.. John was not dealing here with such things as political corruption. whereof you have heard that it should come. brutality. The ones who denied Yeshua did not deny his existence. but the antichrist spirit. True Christians could easily recognize these for what they were.every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of ANTICHRIST. 3/.. he could say that those who believed their message were of Yehovah. 19 . teaching things which they ought not. he hath both the Father and the Son" (2 John 7-9). Those who did not stand for the apostolic faith were "false prophets. This is a deceiver and an ANTICHRIST. alcoholism. Instead.who subvert whole houses.They profess that they know God. They are mentioned as "deceivers. whom God hath raised from the dead" (Acts 3:13-15).. it was an erroneous and counterfeit view regarding the very nature of Yeshua. but in works they DENY him... Paul used the word "deny" in connection with those who taught false doctrines among the Christians. What John dealt with here was the deception of counterfeit doctrines..and killed the Prince of life.whosoever abideth not in the doctrine of Christ. but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. he that is not of God heareth not us. prostitution. but gave heed to doctrines that cause men to "turn from the truth.. Hereby know we the spirit of truth." Such were not "sound in the faith".teaching erroneous and deceptive doctrines."for many deceivers are entered into the world." their inspiration not coming from the spirit of Yehovah. Paul and John. it is clear that atheism is NOT meant. Those who denied the Lord did so by not fully following the original Christian in word and deed.. These were called "antichrists. Since John and the other apostles had received their instruction directly from Yeshua himself. being abominable.. Now that we have considered the word "denied" as used by Jude. and the spirit of error. or crime in the streets.... Peter. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ. who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. John warned the people to continue in the truth "as you have heard from the beginning" -the apostolic doctrine -.." but this was not a denial of the existence of Yeshua -. In this particular case John was pointing out that deceivers were saying that Yeshua preexisted and did not "begin (come) in the flesh. They denied him by rejecting his claims and having him crucified.this certainly would not have deceived the Christians of the time.We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us [the apostles]..." The next passage that mentions "antichrist" is 1 John 4:1-6: Beloved.. On an earlier occasion. believe not every spirit... and disobedient" (Titus 1:10-16).They are of the world.. that is.we have a very specific point of identification! Since these "antichrists" were a type of the Antichrist to come. and members of non-Christian religions in varying degrees have all been against Yeshua. pps. but was. or Antichrist! Therefore. there is a very strong inference indeed that Antichrist would profess to be a Christian.or ANTICHRIST? The very reason for this is quite simple: In Ephesians 1:22. At times in Catholic history two men at one time have claimed to be pope."Vicar of Christ" -. the Vice-christ. But millions of people have been against Christ.thus an "antipope." For a man. the popes have claimed to themselves a title which is the equivalent of the word coined by the apostle John! Just like the "antichrists" of whom John wrote. or sometimes both" (Vol. and Colossians 1:18 CHRIST (Yeshua) alone is the head of the Church! In an interesting aside to this. the compound word either signifies a vice-functionary. against Christ -. (2) instead of (in the place of) Christ.does not infer that Antichrist would be limited in his denial to the same doctrines that those apostates held. was against Christ or Yeshua. the very title which the Pope of Rome bears -. pagans. what is this but to be. 5:23. Jews. or (3) both meanings. 67. 1. or functionary. 4:15. yet actually against him because of false doctrine. They have even dared to oppose Yeshua by teaching things that are the exact opposite of what Yeshua and the apostles taught! The Counter Interpretation Hundreds of books have been written in the contest between Catholics and Protestants. The Meaning of "Antichrist" Some suppose John's use of the word "antichrist" simply means a person against Christ. supposedly for Yeshua. was called an "antipope. to claim to be the head of the Church. then. as such. limit the errors of Antichrist to this one point of doctrine. in reality. usurping pope. The one who was considered to be a hostile. However.but who were against Yeshua because of their false doctrines -. before his conversion. as the pope. It is a well-established fact that the word "antichrist" can mean one of the following: (1) Against (in opposition) to Christ. 68). States Edward Elliot in Horae Apocalyticae: "When anti is compounded with the noun signifying an agent of any kind. So great was the uproar that in 1516 the Fifth Lateran Council rose up FORBIDDING anyone to write 20 . so also have the Popes DENIED YESHUA by promoting false doctrines that cause men to stray from the faith once delivered." Such a "pope" positioned himself in place of the Pope. self-substituted. A good example of the word having both meanings can be found within the terminology of the Roman Catholic Church itself. Paul. substitute Christ.can only be turned into Greek as "Antichristos" -. or a functionary of the same kind opposing.the teaching that Yeshua had pre-existed before his birth -. in place of Christ. if John used the word "antichrists" concerning people who professed to be Christians -. against the Pope -. Neither those who hold the futurist view or those who hold the fulfilled view.The fact that John especially mentioned a prominent false doctrine of that time -. that the Papacy was indeed the Antichrist -. The Roman Catholic Church quickly came to realize that it must produce a counter interpretation or lose the battle. Denmark and Sweden. Then.R. The scriptures. after a long hiatus. Vol. until it became the common Catholic position. librarian to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Scathingly he proclaimed: "Once they would not suffer any man to scarce touch a Bible. When Thomas Brightman (1562-1607). there is much speculation regarding which world leader will soon emerge as the Antichrist of Bible prophecy. Thousands came to see. Ribera assigned the first chapters of Revelation to the first century. were getting into the hands of the common people. France. in 1826. England. Protestant (and Church of God) interpretation of the Reformers.or preach on the subject of the Antichrist. the truth about the Antichrist continued to be preached with power and conviction by ministers of various Protestant churches. "Under the stress of the Protestant attack there arose new methods on the papal side" -. p. that the MAN OF SIN rose to power following the breakup of the Roman Empire. now they produce a commentary to explain it -to point men away from the Papal Antichrist"! For the next few centuries the Jesuit futurist view of the Antichrist was summarily rejected by the Protestant churches. a Protestant scholar and reformer. 38). Many in the Churches of God are totally unaware of the old. Nonetheless. that he seated himself above all others (including YEHOVAH) in the church of the falling away. Switzerland. standard.a teaching which dealt havoc to the church of Rome. the object being to set aside the Protestant teaching that the Papacy is the Antichrist. until today Futurism. amplified and adorned with the rapture theory...special mention being made of the Jesuits Ribera and Lacunza. In his commentary. wonder of wonders. he was aroused to indignation and fury. within the pages of the Bible. became the first Protestant to accept Ribera's and Lacunza's futurist interpretations. has become the generally accepted belief of the Fundamentalist wing of popular Protestantism! (op cit. p. Because of the flood of books promoting the futurist point of view that are widely circulated today. built upon and enlarged by those who followed. Samuel R. and conquer the world. LeRoy Froom sums it up in these words -In Ribera's Commentary was laid the foundation for that great structure of Futurism. 493). individual Antichrist who would abolish the Christian religion. Records the Encyclopedia Britannica. Maitland" (The Blessed Hope. States George Ladd: "This futurist interpretation with its personal Antichrist and three and a half year tribulation did not take root in the Protestant church until the early nineteenth century. first saw a copy of Ribera's futurist commentary. Francisco Ribera (1537-1591) published a 500 page commentary on the grand points of Babylon and Antichrist. in the nineteenth century this Jesuit scheme of interpretation came to be adopted by a growing number of Protestants. 21 . pretend to be YEHOVAH. 2. And then. He also taught that the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem would be rebuilt by a single. in Germany. who founded the futurist school of interpretation. that these things have all found fulfillment in the Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. The rest he restricted to a literal three and a half years at the end of time. Maitland (1792-1866). The first Protestant to adopt it was S. deny Yeshua. 22 . For this position there are strong scriptural and historical proofs. then we would be more than happy to send them a free one-year trial subscription. he is a man of peace and good will. If you have friends or relatives who you think might enjoy reading The Berean Voice.org (West Coast) and http://hope-of-isreal. His travels and activities are given far-reaching news coverage.Today the Pope has world-wide fame. If the Pope is the head of the Church. Will you ignore these facts? Hope of Israel Ministries is on the INTERNET! THE HOPE OF ISRAEL WEBSITES ON THE INTERNET now have hundreds of articles for download. Thousands attend masses he performs. CA 91359-6772 U. Our E-Mail address is: kiwihope@netscape. what can be said about a system that makes such a claim? The BIBLE clearly teaches that the head of the Church is Yeshua the Messiah -. Be sure to visit the Hope of Israel home pages at: http://hope-of-israel. as we have seen in this article.O.net (East Coast). Box 6772 Thousands Oaks. then Protestants and Church of God adherents surely err by not acknowledging him as such.and that the Papacy is the Antichrist.S.A. In the eyes of many. He is visited by presidents and kings. as well as books and many other features for the discerning Christian who is seeking answers to the mysteries of life and the hereafter. But if he is not.net How YOU or a Friend Can Receive FREE a Subscription to "THE BEREAN VOICE" Magazine! We send out The Berean Voice to all who wish to receive it absolutely FREE of charge. Million upon millions of Roman Catholics look to the Pope as the head of the church. a belief that is foundational to the entire structure of Roman Catholicism. Name:_________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________ City:____________________________State:_____Zip:_______ Mail to: Hope of Israel Ministries (Church of YEHOVAH) P. .logon. Cox also has articles about the role of the Angel of Yahovah as also being the Elohim of Israel. Since I am feeling much better. I have declined a retrograde pylography (an internal camera scope of the urethra up to the kidney). and was troubled deeply by this individuals very presence. Regarding tithes and offerings. I could not put my finger on the "why" of it. the instance we met. Yours faithfully.your site is wonderfully informative.S. Thanks.. COMMENT: A person cannot help what they have been named by their parents.C. Enclosed please find my check for $. Would you also send me bank details so that we can deposit our offerings and donations for the books. A query.HOPE OF ISRAEL M Thanks for your insight and information regarding Baal Shemen and other ancient mysteries that have been perplexing me. John Keyser: Please would you be so kind as to send me back dated issues No. Mr.S." I have met a person with such a name. A one centimeter cyst was found in the left kidney by CT and Ultrasound scans. feeling the pain in my left side less often.O. Thanking you.. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf. although at the time.. Your article in your last magazine about Gentiles again made me take another look in the New Testament as did your article about the God they were worshipping. it looks like our nations of Israel are suffering some of the same kind of plagues: hoof and mouth disease in the cattle and sheep. R. and shutting off of electricity in California causing a kind of A I L What would one think of a person naming their offspring Shemen. for an offering before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. and revels in it. you can deposit them to the following account: Bank One Bank by Mail (OH1-1045) P. Wade Cox's articles at www. 23 . And it is not certain whether the cyst is the cause of the pain. the Father. OH 43218 U. Keyser. Does the first day of the new week start with the day of the first crescent? Would this day then be called New Moon day and should it be kept as a sabbath? Or is the period before the first crescent (which is the conjunction) the New Moon day observance? Which day would be the first day of the week to begin our count to the first sabbath? Or is the new moon renewal period of darkness all counted as the seventh day sabbath? At this period before the Passover.# 623580206 Dear Mr. COMMENT: The back issues have been mailed to you. then their might be reason for uneasiness and concern in this particular case. It is clear our prayer and worship should be directed to the Most High. B A G Dear Mr. Your comments would be greatly appreciated.org about the Elohim being an extended order. M. 1. A cyst cannot be removed in this procedure.. but would require a surgical operation to drain. 5 as well as the new calendar for year 2001.A. No. if someone understands the meaning of the name they have been given. I have also been studying Mr. Box 182796 Columbus. since it too requires anesthesia and may cause bladder and kidney infections. He also has articles about the New Moon. if I may? Hope of Israel Ministries Acct. However. depart from me. I know you not whence ye are: 26. and thou hast taught in our streets. the Catholic Church has always insisted that it was founded upon the apostle Peter who became the first "Pope" of a long series of popes -down to our day (the Holy See). and from so many angles.D.depending on the length of the month. with the following day being "day 1" of the new seven day week. The Catholic Church is an apostate. In it was a statement that Peter is seen as the founder of the Church. Basically. and since the New Moon day(s) are always directly preceded by the weekly Sabbath we can have up to three days in a row that are treated as one "long" Sabbath day! The article.B. Blessings. our article God's Sacred Calendar covers this in some detail. Sincerely. rendered Petros in Greek and Peter in English. Well. showing them for the false prophets that they are. and ye begin to stand without. Even then with contracts etc. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. saying. Our Father continue to set apart His firstfruits by the truth for His purpose and keep those who belong to Him through His son. The fact is. Just got through reading the March-April Berean Voice and wanted to let you know how thankful I am. Peter was the Prince of the Apostles. all ye workers of iniquity. In accepting that you are right about the calendar and the sabbath. the first Pope of the Catholic Church was none other than Simon the Magician found mentioned in Acts 8:9.this is sheer nonsense. as well as our articles Have We Been Observing the Sabbath At the Wrong Time All These Years and The New Moon and the Weekly Sabbath -. it will be difficult to keep work. provocative manner. Sincerely in Christ. when ye shall see Abraham. We can come out of our deceptions and begin to perceive our role in the real Kingdom. this will make it impossible for any of us to keep a job in this world unless we are selfemployed. in the kingdom of God. and to knock at the door. As for Yeshua founding the Catholic Church -. I tell you. When once the master of the house is risen up. We have eaten and drunk in thy presence. He did so on the kepha of Kephas. E. I could go on and on. not ending up as those found in Luke 13: 25.darkness. P. and you yourselves thrust out. and all the prophets. J. pagan.Side-By-Side explain this fully. I thought you would like to know so that you can correct your site. There is no other publication I know of which slices through their fog in such a thorough. the New Moon day is determined by the crescent. 27. and he shall answer and say unto you. There can be two New Moon days -. corrupted church that the apostle John calls "the great harlot" in Revelation 17:1. and "Babylon the Great" in revelation 18:2 Hi John: I am finding your writings very interesting and informative. This is inaccurate. Lord. We are to step out in faith and even now I am finding that kind of faith hard. and hath shut the door. open unto us. The New Moon day(s) should be kept as a sabbath. COMMENT: Due to an inaccurate understanding of Matthew 16:18.L. and Isaac. when history and tradition is consulted. Then shall ye begin to say. Regarding the weekly Sabbath. I know you not whence ye are. Lord. This has always been the true position of the Catholic Church. I began reading your story about whether Peter had been in Rome and had been the first Pope of the Christian Church. Although I may not agree with every point. the articles which you are providing greatly surpass the vain babblings of the seminaries. 24 . God never said it would be easy to keep His commandments and do His will. but it was Jesus Christ himself that founded the Church. COMMENT: We are glad to hear there has been some improvement in your health. Brother John. But he shall say. 28.A. and Jacob. at this time when we acknowledge and reaffirm our acceptance of His son's offering for us and to the end of this age. but I'll end by saying that it now appears that the scales may be lifting from off of True Israel's eyes. this is true. Since the Bible states that the Ark had YEHOVAH's mercy seat on top of it (Exodus 25:21) and this was YEHOVAH's throne (verse 22). It's amazing how easy anything can be if you decide to do it instead of finding all sorts of excuses. I guess my question is. I was reading your article (I think by Grant Jefferies) and have a couple of questions. The Ark purported to be in Ethiopia and /or any others than may be hidden under the Temple Mount or in Mt. or the real ark may have been spirited back to Israel some years ago. A. when they killed His son? Thanks.). there was no significance. Thank you for the hard work and writing you are doing to make it easy for us to make decisions and get closer to God. wonderful. that would pass carbon 14 tests. and that therefore. When YEHOVAH's Shekinah Glory vacated the Temple just before the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem. When Y EHOVAH's Shekinah Glory returns to this earth (Revelation 19:11) and resides in the new Temple built by Yeshua after his return in Revelation 14:14. why doubt the tremendous. later in Revelation shown to be in Heaven.. just because of the cover up. Gentlemen/Ladies: Shalom in the name of Yahweh the Righteous! May Yahshua forgive all the sins of the faithful! I have recently become introduced to the Messianic faith. N. additional articles can be obtained. in my opinion. and are an attempt to keep alive the pre-Yeshua Old Testament religion that has come down to us in the corrupted form of Judaism. and that Jesus had come. it would be illogical to think that YEHOVAH resided in the Temple during the time of Yeshua without the Ark and its attached mercy seat. Now I am working as an independent contractor to Kiwi Dairies and it allows me the freedom to keep the sabbath as you have explained if I want to. was killed). COMMENT: You may have a point here. That would be touted as proof God is still with the old religion. and eventually went back to Heaven after hovering over the Mount of Olives for a while. it is conceivable (as you say) that YEHOVAH took the Ark with Him as it was no longer needed after Yeshua became our High Priest and access to the Father. In the back cover. so please expect an institutional check (I am currently in prison) in the mail very soon (in the amount of $. and access to Him) being taken by the Father. (since it's also very old). etc. but would. the Lamb. Why would the Bible point out that the Holy of Holies' curtain was cut by a Heavenly sword (showing God was no longer there. Regards. and centuries old false claims that the Ark really wasn't there. The articles that I would like you to send me are: 1) "Have We Been Observing the Sabbath At the Wrong Time All These Years?" 2) "The New Moon and the Weekly Sabbath -Side-By-Side" 3) "God's Sacred Calendar" 4) "A Unique Lunar-Based Calendar" 5) "Mysteries of Babylon and Pagan Sabbaths" I also request that you put me on your mailing list for 25 .In a couple of years I will be able to retire and in New Zealand be on a pension.. strike at the very heart of Christian faith (because the Ark was taken the moment the Messiah. and I wanted to tithe to your ministry anyway. as indicated. and is the way to get to God). I am inclined to feel there well may be a replica of the Ark. amazing reality of the Ark being taken safely to Heaven. it is quite possible that the real Ark and mercy seat will return with Him. to the Holy Ark (representing God Himself. Hi. Pisgah are all more than likely replicas that have no significance to YEHOVAH. A nominal donation is suggested. There is overwhelming evidence that YEHOVAH God's Shekinah Glory was residing in the Temple in Jerusalem during the time of Yeshua.M. and I have also read a few articles in your magazine. It was said that either a replica. May Almighty Yahweh bless and prosper the work of your hands. Dear Israel. I find myself reading and studying them over and over. I have been looking forward to your Bible to start my study with your help.The Berean Voice -. Please forward to us." as some have ignorantly charged. I am interested in obtaining the address of the Assemblies of Yahweh in Bethel. Respectfully yours. and that Yehovah or Yehowah was a hybrid word. it is simply NOT TRUE that YEHOVAH is a corrupt and mistaken form of the Massoretic vowel pointing taken from "adonai.which can also mean to "happen.S. In other words. Quite 26 ." It has no grammatical connection to the Divine Name.M. N. for a whole year. I better let you go."The Berean Voice" magazine. I thank you so very much for your [bi]monthly magazine.especially the article Should There Be "Government" In the Church of God? You explained the real plain truth of the truth -. But what is important is your article -. I truly thank God for handing me a great gift to help me to understand God's word and Israel. The combination YE-HO-AH makes much better grammatical sense. Dear Mr.the real bread -the only hope of today's confusion. Keyser: I am thankful very much to God and to you since I read your magazine issued Nov. Yours in Christ. the magazine -. I am certain that the reading materials you send me will provide me with excellent guidance.but this is not important. COMMENT: I assume that you are referring here to the Hope of Israel Bible Correspondence Course. J. based on the Hebrew term hovah. I appreciate historical and archaeological information that verifies the facts of the Christian faith. Please send. I am a poor man only and we are now experiencing economic crisis here in the Philippines -. I have a lot of Bible studies come my way. I will tithe again to your ministry at my earliest opportunity. I read in a history book of Israel that Yahweh was the only accepted name accepted by the Hebrews as the Heavenly Father's name. Dear Mr. Also.N.The Berean Voice. Please remember me in your prayers as I study God's word. while "AH" represents the past. and December -. Sincerely yours." Nor is it an "evil name. Well. I don't have a concordance to help me and I have been hoping that your study Bible would get to me. Will you please send any information to the above address. In Hebrew "YE" represents the future or imperfect of the verb "to be. a name made by merging the consonants of Yahweh (YHWH) and the vowels of the Hebrew name for Lord (Adonai).J. PA so I can write to it and receive information on its church. 2000 issue of The Berean Voice magazine you stated that God's name is "Yehovah" instead of Yahweh. Yehovah or Jehovah is a name that doesn't appear in any language.D. In the Nov. COMMENT: Regardless of what you read in other publications. Goodbye and our Almighty Father and Jesus Christ bless you so much. which means "ruin" or "disaster.you knocked me down on my knees. I only wish that there was more that I could receive to understand the Greek and Hebrew prophets which deal with the end of the age.-Dec. The course is up for review to incorporate all the new truth that has been revealed during the last year or so. Keyser. Shalom! Sincerely. this form of God's Name would have specific meaning and not be merely a repetition of vowel sounds. it just don't end. C." This Hebrew word hovah is from hayah -. T. but I enjoy The Berean Voice magazine the most. I love to study the end times and prophecy. F." "HO" represents the present. Please be patient since there are not enough hours in the day to do all the things I would like. I really enjoyed the articles in last December's issue about Simon the Zealot and the catacomb identified as the burial site of the Barsabbas family members. and commentaries such as Clarke's. I use many different Bibles in my research. It seems like no matter what I say about "Jews" it suddenly is "antisemitic. the Eternal. I was not sure if you meant that these Bibles were not ones we should read. Some preach the Rapture. People just don't seem to see the difference between condemning a group's religious practices and condemning the people themselves. I can understand your paranoia regarding what you say about the Jewish people -. Was Yeshua antiSemitic? By today's standards. I have also listened to studies with Arnold Murray. I just received The Berean Voice and I wanted you to clear something up for me. Sometimes you have to go back to the original Greek and Hebrew to get the true meaning of a verse. I have seen how the Worldwide Church of God has changed under Joseph Tkach and this has confused me. the Ever-living One who will be. since it clearly reflects this profound meaning. I guess so! 27 . P." Just want to let you know that's not my intent. Most of the so-called study Bibles have a theological bias of one form or another. comparing the way they rend the scriptures I'm interested in.literally YEHOAH means "shall/is/was" -.or even the more popular form. Stern. YEHOVAH. By the way. When I am speaking of the "Jews" in Jesus' day. Herodians. some don't. But whoever those "Jews" were who kept looking for an "occasion to stone Him.that is. and as well have studies from Garner Ted Armstrong. COMMENT: Me too! As long as we remain willing to be corrected by the word of God. I know that most of the people on the list preach the Rapture but some of them I didn't think they did." (i. that whatever I may write with regard to your works is okay to be taken with a "grain of salt" if necessary. I'm speaking primarily of the "authorities. I'm a little paranoid about making any such statements these days. it is up for review and will be vastly changed in certain areas as a result of what we have learned is recent years. I have been using the Companion Bible and have a lot of information from the Worldwide Church of God that was under Herbert Armstrong. I don't agree with everything that everyone says and check things out for myself.J. Thank you for your help. etc. (John 10:22-38). One Bible and commentary that I use frequently is the Jewish New Testament and the Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H. is and always was. This doesn't necessarily mean we shouldn't use the Bibles they promote. but we should be careful. I want to keep myself straight and don't want to get off track. some of the older Bibles mentioned in your article about The Story of the Pagan Christian Logos are they available since they are outdated. This is WHY the pronunciation YEHOAH is preferable -. Hi John. J. Obviously many "Jews" (of Judah and Benjamin) were His sheep. taking the first and last sounds together. AND. Can you recommend a good study Bible. there's hope for us! I appreciate your input and consider what you have written me. as I was deleting my sent files. Pharisees. I will comment on that more in the next issue of the BV. Some of them were off-line and I could not download. so I was not sure what the list meant. Sorry I can't be more specific.or more specifically. Can you please help to recommend a good study Bible." were not. COMMENT: The list you mention in the March-April issue of The Berean Voice refers primarily to those preaching about the Futurist viewpoint of prophecy -not necessarily the Secret Rapture. On page 18 you gave a list of Jesuit-inspired Futurist deception spreads to America's Protestant churches and seminaries.). I have downloaded the Bible Study Courses on your website but have not started them yet.e. Will they be available soon? Please recommend a good study Bible or will you offer one? Also. YAH would then be the contracted or shortened form of this full Name. I re-read what I had written you the other day and wanted to clarify something. Others I use are the Septuagint and Tanakh for the Old Testament. their beliefs. I'm correctable! Blessings. Regarding the Hope of Israel Bible Correspondence Course. . These questions are very unsettling. 1973. London: SCM Press. the Bible (including the New Testament) nowhere promotes this pagan concept. rather than pre-existence of a fully personal kind" (Maurice Wiles. appeared to reject the "cult of the gods" and the "cult of the Emperor. The Remaking of Christian Doctrine. p. p. he spoke of it as already 'existing' in heaven" (E. Yet evangelicalism insists on that equation if one is to be considered a Christian! "When the Jew wished to designate something as predestined. Selwyn. Anthony Buzzard "Within the Christian tradition. 1974). cases to be understood on the analogy of the pre-existence of the Torah. The Hulsean Lectures. 1979. "The mainstream churches are committed to a certain doctrine about Jesus. but specialists in early Christian thought are questioning the arguments by which that doctrine was reached.. This included the concept that their God (Christ) was preexistent. It is perhaps not a basically sound structure that needs only to be modernized.The Nature of Pre-Existence in the New Testament Jesus Christ came into the Mediterranean world at a time of deep religious ferment. London: SCM Press. 28 .Speaking of Jesus as the Son of God had a very different connotation in the first century from that which it has had ever since the Council of Nicea (325 AD).. the New Testament has long been read through the prism of the later conciliar creeds.The New Testament never suggests that the phrase 'Son of God' just means 'God'" (Don Cupitt. New Testament scholars ask if the New Testament teaches it at all. Many faiths and philosophies were competing for the allegiance of that world -. and historians wonder at the gulf between Jesus himself and fully-developed Christianity. First Epistle of Peter. vii.. The Debate About Christ. which became established as the official religion of the Roman Empire during the time of Constantine. 4).). The religion now known as Christianity. yet it embraced all the KEY doctrines of the pagan Mystery Religions. Talk of his preexistence ought probably in most.G. perhaps in all. 124.and all of them were more congenial to that pagan Roman world than were the teachings of Christ. to indicate the eternal divine purpose being achieved through him. for they imply that Christianity may be in worse condition that was thought. However. but may be in need of radical reconstruction." "Christianity" appeared to differ from the Mystery Cults. 167." I would ask the reader to consider the disastrous effects of not paying attention to the Jewish ways of thinking found in the Bible. mystical ideas invaded the church from the second century onwards via the "Church Fathers.. 1889.. It was the Greeks who misunderstood Jewish ways of thinking and turned Jesus into a cosmic figure who entered the earth from outer space. Discernment means learning the difference between revealed truth and pagan..). Modern readers of 29 . There is an anti-Semitic tendency in traditional." the one Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). There is a huge difference between being predestined or foreordained and actually pre-existing. This they have inherited from the churches and early post-biblical creeds which overlooked the fact that Jesus was a Jew who thought and taught in Jewish categories. New York: Randolph and Co. p. Clearly if Jews do not mean what we mean by "pre-existence" we are liable to misunderstand them on basic issues about who Jesus is. and one Lord Messiah" (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). The idea that the soul separates from the body and survives consciousness apart from the body is a thoroughly unJewish idea (this is well established in the Old Testament perspective -and the New Testament teaching about the nature of man is based on the Old). "To us Christians there is one God. The true Jesus. Greek philosophy believed in a "second God. the Father. D.T. the second century Christian apologist who "found in Platonism the nearest approach to Christianity and felt that no break was required with its spirit and principles to pass into the greater light of Christian revelation. The New Testament is a thoroughly Jewish book.Thus "pre-existence" statements in the New Testament really have to do with foreordination and predestination. however.The habits of thought which the Gentiles brought into the church are sufficient to explain the corruptions of apostolic doctrine which began in the post-apostolic age" (G. however." a non-human intermediary between the creator and the world.. philosophical teachings which originated outside the Bible yet affected what is now called "orthodoxy. which was written (with the exception of Luke) by Jews." "The forces which operated to change apostolic doctrine were derived from paganism. Modern Bible readers approach basic biblical issues with an entrenched Greek outlook on life. But many are unaware that philosophical.. The Testimony of Justin Martyr to Early Christianity.D. creedal Christianity which must be recognized and forsaken. Note carefully Paul's definition of the One God. Intelligent Christians need to be informed of these corruptions and how they are currently "canonized" as Scripture by many." The seed of Trinitarian doctrine was planted in the thinking of Justin Martyr. It has affected the way we define the person of Jesus. Its writers were all Jews except probably Luke (who. But is such a Jesus a human being? Is he the true Messiah of Israel? Many dedicated Christians are currently exercised about the Gnostic and mystical tendencies affecting the church. Purves. It has dramatically affected Christian doctrine. the Messiah." who were steeped in pagan philosophy and laid the foundation of the creeds now called "orthodox. is the "man Messiah. is as Jewish as any of the writers in terms of his obvious delight in the Jewish salvation [John 4:22] offered in Jesus to both Jew and Gentile). and mystically-minded Origen). Our Scholar goes on to tell us that this typical mode of Jewish thought is clearly illustrated in 1 Peter. pp. 2). One most important fact we need to know before we attempt to understand who Jesus was is this: "When the Jew said something was 'predestined. Cambridge University Press. The pre-existence of souls belongs to the world of Greek philosophy and was held by some church fathers (notably the philosophically. Peter's letter is addressed to "the elect according to the foreknowledge ( prognosis) of God the Father" (1 Peter 1:1. not just his death for our sins but the person Messiah himself (1 Peter 1:20). as was Jeremiah the prophet before his birth.C. This reminds us immediately that Peter did not abandon his Jewish ways of thinking (based on the Hebrew Bible) when he became a Christian. 802. Those who have the gift of the spirit will share God's outlook and in faith recognize that the realities of God's plan will in the future become realities on earth.' he thought of it as already 'existing' in a higher sphere of life.). he was manifested by being brought into actual existence at 30 . Traditional Christianity persists with the mistaken notion that man has an "immortal soul" which survives death. But they did not derive this idea from the Bible. God sees everything laid out before Him. p. The world's history is thus predestined because it is already. Dewick. in a sense. The Hulsean Prize Essay for 1908. Jeremiah 1:5).). According to Peter the Messiah himself was foreknown.the Bible are shocked to discover that in the Bible the whole man dies and goes into unconsciousness ("sleep") and is returned to life only by the future resurrection of the whole person. Though the Messiah was foreknown (not known. Many Bible readers have not paid attention to the statement of the Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible: "No biblical text authorizes the statement that the soul is separated from the body at the moment of death" (Vol. This typically Jewish conception of predestination may be distinguished from the Greek idea of pre-existence by the predominance of the thought of 'pre-existence' in the Divine purpose" (E. but foreknown. pre-existing and consequently fixed. 254. Part of repentance is the willingness to admit we have been deceived. that we have not had sufficient information to make good decisions on Bible issues. Human beings in Hebrew thought do not exist consciously before they are born. 1912. 253. Peter uses the same word to describe the "existence" of the Son of God in God's plan as he did to describe the "existence" of the Christian church (verse 2). Primitive Christian Eschatology. 1. but that did not mean that we all preexisted! Peter's doctrine of future things is permeated by the same thought that all is foreordained in God's great Plan. The notion that Jesus was really alive and conscious before his birth in Bethlehem is also a very unJewish idea. Peter believed that all Christians were foreknown. It confers immortality and thus lasts forever. The Second Coming is thus to be an "apocalypse" or unveiling of what is now "existing" but hidden from our sight. modern Jehovah's Witnesses) view of Jesus. is likewise waiting in heaven "ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:10. 250).. In that sense we "have" it. Our future resurrection body already "exists" in God's intention and may be thought of as real because it is certain to be manifested in the future. For this idea is not necessarily implied in his description of Christ as 'foreknown before the foundation of the world.his birth (Luke 1:35). Selwyn in First Epistle of St. a house fit for the coming age" (2 Corinthians 5:1). NOT the Greek atmosphere of later. the Kingdom they are to inherit at the return of Christ.. The acquisition of that body is nevertheless the great event of the coming age introduced by the resurrection. The same is true of the treasure we have in heaven.Matthew 10:1) would have had no sympathy with either a Trinitarian or Arian (cp. Peter -"We are not entitled to say that Peter was familiar with the idea of Christ's preexistence with the Father before the incarnation [we are therefore not entitled to claim that Peter was a Trinitarian!]." and waiting to be revealed in God's good time (1 Peter 1:20). we can see that Peter (as the leading apostle -.Peter has not extended his belief in Christ's divinity to an affirmation of his pre-existence: his Christology is more like that of the early chapters of Acts than of John and Paul" (Baker Book House. pp. i. Paul uses the same concept and language about the future resurrection and immortality of the saints.. All that we can say is that the phrase pro kataboles kosmou [before the foundation of the world] affirms for Christ's office and work a supramundane range and importance. Neither the Kingdom nor Jesus actually existed in advance. They were planned from before the foundation of the world. 11). not "eternal.e. While we disagree that Peter's idea of Jesus is different from that of Paul and John. He executes the Plan at the appropriate time. post-biblical Christianity. it will not be difficult to adjust our understanding of other passages where the same principle of "existence" followed by actual manifestation is found. We note also that for Peter the future salvation of the Christians. Thus Jesus says in John 17:5: "Glorify me [now] with the glory which I had with you before the foundation of the world. States E. after the resurrection at Christ's return. belonging to the coming age of the Kingdom.' since Christians are also the objects of God's foreknowledge. 1983. This is the proper translation of aionios.. mean that the body of the future is temporary. So it is said of Jesus that he was "foreknown. It is promised for our future. The sort of "preexistence" Peter has in mind is the sort that fits the Jewish environment." This does not. We will receive the reward of the inheritance (Colossians 3:24) when Christ brings it from heaven to the earth at his future coming.G. He says that we already "have" a building from God. though we obviously do not yet have it literally. 248. Foreordination Rather than Literal Preexistence Having grasped this elementary fact of Jewish (and biblical) theology and thinking. will be able to say that 31 . of course." On the basis of 2 Corinthians 5:1 a Christian in the future. This is a typically Jewish way of understanding God's purpose for mankind. to read Gentile ideas into the text of Scripture when we can make good sense of them as they stand in their Jewish environment. The Son of Man is found in the book of Daniel. that is. The onus is on those who believe in literal preexistence to demonstrate that the texts cannot be explained within their own Jewish context. belongs. Thus what John wants us to understand is that the human Messiah was in heaven before his birth (in God's Plan) and was seen in Daniel's vision of the future (Daniel 7.that is what the words mean. Preexistence in the Bible does not mean what it meant in later creeds: the actual conscious existence of the Son of Man before his birth at which time he entered the earth and the human condition by passing through the womb of his mother. These Greek commentators on Scripture failed to understand the Hebrew categories of thought in which the New Testament is written.with good reason Jesus' favorite self-title). in his origin. The church has been plagued by the introduction of non-biblical language.e. It is very significant that it appears nowhere in Scripture -. to the human race -- 32 ." The Messiah. and in that sense Jesus already "had" it. Christians are said to have treasure in heaven (Mark 10:21). To call the Messiah an angel would be a muddling of categories. He "preexists" only in the sense that God grants us a vision of him in His Plan for the future. A Jewish and biblical conception of preexistence is most significant for Jesus' understanding of himself as the Son of Man. The translation of the Bible has been corrupted to mirror traditional. There is a perfectly good word for "real" preexistence in the Greek language (pro-uparchon). That glory existed in God's plan. It is quite unnecessary -." i. The synoptic way of expressing the same idea is to talk of the Kingdom "prepared before the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). No angel was ever called a "Son of Man" (= member of the human race -. No text says that Jesus WENT BACK (upostrepho) to God." Such mistranslation of the Greek "go to the Father" as "go back to the Father" tells its own story." This notion would have been completely foreign to Judaism. though this idea has been wrongly imported into some modern English translations of the Bible to support "orthodoxy. The so-called "preexistence" of Jesus in John refers to his "existence" in the Plan of God. The Son of Man is A HUMAN BEING -. The Son of Man is not an angel. Hence scholars rightly report that the idea of preexistence for the Messiah "antecedent to his birth in Bethlehem is unknown in Judaism. post-biblical ideas of who Jesus is.he has now received what he already "had.and indeed wrong -. a reward stored up with God now and destined to be conferred in the future. according to all that is predicted of him in the Old Testament.but it does in the writings of Greek church fathers of the second century. The so-called "pre-human existence" of Christ in the Bible refers to the prior existence of Jesus in God's Plan and vision. We note that Jesus did NOT say "Give me back the glory which I had when I was alive with you before my birth. he is merely asking for the glory which he knew was prepared for him by God from the beginning. Jesus at his ascension went up to the position which had been previously prepared for him in God's Plan. When Jesus says that he "had" the glory for which he now prays (John 17:5). John 6:62). laid up for him in God's plan. This is only to say that they will one day in the future "inherit the Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). a shift that provided the seed of the later Trinitarian formulation. 128-32. In the Hebrew thought of the New Testament one can "exist" as part of God's Plan as did also the tabernacle.the Messiah -.is a supernaturally created person. they contradict the idea by talking of the origin (genesis) of Jesus (Matthew 1:18) and his begetting as Son (Matthew 1:20) in Mary's womb. 252). Mark. Bible readers disregard this very Jewish way of thinking when they leap to the conclusion that when Jesus said he "had" glory with the Father from the foundation of the world (John 17:5). Luke. 248. Certainly in a western frame of reference the traditional understanding is reasonable. Matthew holds that he came from Mary. Justin differs from Matthew by saying that the Son came "through" Mary. This points to the shift of thinking that has taken place by 150 A. the temple. p. But he provides no scriptural support for such an ante-mundane begetting of the Son. repentance and other major elements of the Divine purpose. They are "past" because they describe events fixed in God's counsels and therefore certain to be realized. Even Moses preexisted in that sense. This gives us an enormously valuable clue as to the way the New Testament writers understood "preexistence.e. 31). Verse 34 mentions his subsequent resurrection. But can we not do the Messiah the honor of trying to understand his words in their own Hebrew environment? Should not the Bible be interpreted in the light of its own context and not in our later creeds? No Preexistence for Jesus in Matthew. The Son of God -. 1923. Also note that for Arians and Trinitarians. This verse is mistranslated in our versions of the Bible: The text does not refer to conception. who think that Jesus was begotten in eternity long before his conception/begetting in Mary. prior to Creation). Belief in Christ. Words of Jesus.at the time of his conception in his mother's womb.as are all human beings -. That is to think like a Greek who believes in the preexistence of souls.D."'Judaism has never known anything of a preexistence peculiar to the Messiah antecedent to his birth as a human being' (Dalman. Acts and Peter. Judaism knew nothing of the [literally] preexistent ideal man" (Charles Gore. he meant that he was alive at that time. To claim to "be before Abraham" (John 8:58) does not mean that you remember being alive before your birth." There are multiple examples of past tenses in the Hebrew Bible which actually refer to future events. Justin Martyr is perhaps the first church Father to speak of a begetting of the Son prior to Genesis (i. John the apostle could also say that Christ was "crucified before the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). pp. -. according to a quotation we will introduce later. 33 . the Second Adam. Note also in Acts 13:33 the reference to the "raising up" of Jesus which refers to God's bringing him into being. Not only do they not hint at a pre-human Son of God. this would be a second begetting. and the WHOLE of the Old Testament. but to "begetting" by the Father through the holy spirit. The dominance of the idea in any Jewish circle whatever cannot seriously be upheld. It is the action of the Father which brings the Son into existence. Mark and Luke There is a deafening silence about any real preexistence of Christ in Matthew. According to the Bible the Son of God was begotten -. It is a serious imposition on the Gospel of John to understand him to teach a different sort of Jesus than Matthew. WHY does he have no memory of this? WHY does he expressly say that God was the creator? The answer is that Jesus worked within the Jewish and biblical framework of the scriptural heritage he had received and which he "came not to destroy. A "pre-human" Messiah. however.one who is really an angel or God appearing as a man. He was tempted. The Christ of biblical expectation is a HUMAN PERSON. The "Rock" apostle (Peter) whom Jesus appointed to "feed my sheep" has given us a marvelous lesson in how to understand the meaning of preexistence as foreknowledge and predestination.much less God Himself! Though the Jews had not understood that the Messiah was to be born supernaturally. Matthew 1:23). The Gospel According to John. is nowhere suggested. Such a non-human Messiah is FOREIGN not only to the rest of the New Testament. HE HAS NOT PREEXISTED! Matthew even speaks of the "genesis" of Jesus in Matthew 1:18. Jesus in the Gospels attributes the creation to the Father (Mark 10:6. Mark. Luke. and also on his followers (John 17:22). According to Isaiah 44:24 God was unaccompanied at the original creation. Deuteronomy 18:15-18 expressly says that the Messiah is to rise from a family in Israel. It is a mistake to confuse "existence" in the Plan of God with actual preexistence. The supreme glory of his achievement for us lies in the fact that he really was a human being. Matthew 6:30. supernaturally conceived. As they learn to think as God does. 1970. Peter and John understood that the glory which Jesus already "had" is the same glory believers subsequent to the time of Jesus (and therefore not yet born when Jesus spoke) also "had been given" (John 17:22). This means only that things which are fixed in God's counsels "exist" in a sense other than actual existence. "They were and were created" (Revelation 4:11). (See Raymond Brown. Mark and Luke -. even this miraculous begetting was in fact predicted (Isaiah 7:14.Luke knows nothing of such an idea. The use of the verb "were" is interesting in light of an alternative reading in John 17:5 which speaks of "the glory which was with you. It was Peter whose recognition of Jesus as the Messiah was greeted by the excited approval of Jesus (Matthew 16:16-18).James 1:13. We must choose whether to understand the language of the New Testament as Americans or Europeans or as sympathetic to Jesus and his Jewish culture.not an angel -. p. A verse in Revelation speaks of things "being" before they were created. The Messiah is expressly said in this important Christological text not to be God but God's agent born to the family of Israel. Unprejudiced readers will see (as acknowledged by a host of biblical experts) that the Jesus of Matthew. But God cannot be tempted -. but to the whole revelation of God in the Old Testament in regard to his definition of the coming Messiah. they will share the concept that "God speaks of things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:17). Acts and Peter is A HUMAN BEING originating at his "begettal" and birth as do all other human persons. All Jews who looked forward to the Messiah fully expected him to be a human person -. 34 . Their creation followed from God's original Plan to bring them into being. If Jesus had really been the creator of the Genesis heaven and earth." The spirit of God is available to all believers. Luke 12:28) and has no memory of being the agent in the Genesis creation. thus creating a non-fully human Jesus." This would be a statement about the preexisting glory (not the pre-human Jesus) which Jesus prayed to have bestowed on him (John 17:5). or His 'Word. The same is also true of the Messiah. 1:13. for he came up in the thought of God before the world was created. Mowinckel. If Moses was decreed in the Plan of God. This does not mean that either the nation Israel or its ancestor existed long ago in heaven.... it makes perfect sense that the Messiah himself was the purpose for which God created everything.This is true of references to the pre-existence of the Messiah. "But the reference here is not to genuine pre-existence in the strict and literal sense. that it was created before the world. in his famous He Who Cometh -"That any expression or vehicle of God's will for the world. in modern times..but not actually as a conscious person: "For this is what the Lord of the world has decreed: He created the world on behalf of his people. Out of respect for God's revealed Plan and in honor of the human Savior. It is his 'name. 14).' This means that from all eternity it was the will of God that the Messiah should come into existence.that is said to have been present with God before creation. This attribution of pre-existence indicates religious importance of the highest order.. and should do his work in the world to fulfill God's eternal saving purpose" (p.' -. but that the community Israel. A knowledge of the background to the New Testament reveals that Jews believed that even Moses "preexisted" in the counsels of God -. the people of God.and many other early commentators -. had been from all eternity in the mind of God.But he did design and devise me [Moses]. who was prepared from the beginning of the world to be the mediator of the covenant" (Testa ment of Moses. It is said that his name was present with God in heaven beforehand. 334). Also note that Augustine -. of God's throne of glory. The proposition introduced by Gentile. His saving counsel and purpose. Rabbinic theology speaks of the Law.743). and were already present with Him. In Pesikta Rabbati 152b is said that 'from the beginning of the creation of the world the King Messiah was born. A fine statement of the Jewish understanding of "preexistence" is given by the Norwegian scholar. of Israel and of other important objects of faith. John: "the Word was with God and was God"]. before the creation of the world. was present in His mind.not the Messiah himself -. but he did not make this purpose of creation known from the beginning of the world so that the nations might be found guilty. but the due unfolding and expression of God's own being [cp. we should seek to understand his identity in the context of his own Hebrew setting. as things which had been created by God. as a factor in His purpose.find NO EVIDENCE for literal preexistence in John 17:5. philosophically-minded "Church Fathers" that Jesus was either a second "member" of the Godhead (later orthodoxy) or a created angel (Arians and.' from the beginning is a natural way of saying that it is not fortuitous. All things may then be said to have been created on behalf of the Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses) launched the whole vexed problem of the nature of Christ in relation to the Godhead and put under a fog the true Messiahship of Jesus and his Messianic 35 . and that it is eternal. This is clear from the fact that Israel is included among these pre-existent entities. It was the Wisdom of God which existed from the beginning. Titus 1:2." Such a Jesus sounds like a pagan savior figure. preexisting. Note Deuteronomy 6:4. 2 Timothy 1:9. The creed of Jesus is the right creed for Christians (Mark 12:28ff).just as Peter and Paul warned in 2 Peter 2 and Acts 20:29-31. 17). John 5:44. This is close to the idea of "the gods coming down in the likeness of men. He did not say they had been created "by him. He is the unique expression. Paul believed that "all things have been created in Jesus" (Colossians 1:15).not the Lord God. A Messiah who is not a human being approximates much more closely to the pagan idea of preexisting souls and Gnostic "aions. 1 Peter 1:20 and Revelation 13:8. but His spokesman (Deuteronomy 18:16. To worship a Savior with wrong ideas about him runs the risk of worshipping another Savior. whose identity was given long in advance of his birth." (Proverbs 8:12). That important text in Deuteronomy actually states that the promised agent of God would not be the Lord God. as a human being.not a person. This explanation leaves intact the great cardinal doctrine that the One God is the Father and that Jesus is the Lord Messiah -. Christians should be careful to claim allegiance to that Savior. 1 Timothy 2:5. There were many such cosmic saviors in the GraecoRoman world. The One God of Israel and of Jesus was and is the Father (John 17:3. then who is Prudence? Preexisting purposes and personifications are all part of the literature of Judaism.Gospel about the Kingdom." It was that early invasion of paganism which unfortunately began to corrupt the faith -. Acts 3:22. dwell with Prudence. Colossians 1:26. If Wisdom is really a (male) Son of God. non-human Messiah is not. His "prehuman existence" signals the fact that he is really not a human being. cp. He was foreknown (1 Peter 1:20) and would arise from the House of Israel as an Israelite of the tribe of Judah (Deuteronomy 18:15-18. 1 Timothy 2:5." Finally.e. It was the early Greek Church Fathers who confused the issue of Jewish/Christian monotheism by introducing the idea of a "numerically second God." It is most significant that Paul often speaks of the gospel as having been hidden in the counsels of God from "ages past. John 17:3 and 5:44. 7:37). As so many scholars know. and that Wisdom became a person at the conception of Jesus. Mark 12:29ff. if in fact he had always existed. Galatians 4:4). 1 Corinthians 8:4-6.. "Lady Wisdom") was in fact Jesus. He has existed as an angel before being born. of the Wisdom of God. "I. Wisdom.. "the One and only God" (John 5:44). But there was only one Messiah. that creed is not a Trinitarian creed. it is most unreasonable to claim that "Wisdom" in Proverbs (i. It would be untrue to say that the Son came into existence at his birth. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6). He also says that the Son of God "came into existence" from a woman and from the seed of David (Romans 1:4. The proof of this is found not only in all major commentaries but very clearly in the text itself. It is unimaginable that Paul could have believed in the preexistence of the Son." See Ephesians 3:9. It is far more reasonable to suppose that Paul agreed with Peter that the Messiah was hidden in the divine counsels and then revealed in the fullness of time. It should not be difficult to discern that "Wisdom" here is a personification of a divine quality -.. That intrusion of paganism resulted in some very strange language about Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth is what the Word (God's Wisdom) of John 1:1 became. "the only true God" (John 17:3).. A preexistent. 36 . the Son. ." It has been held by some that John presents Jesus in metaphysical terms which would appeal to people in the Greek world who thought in terms of abstract ideas familiar to Hellenistic thought. 677). "Orthodoxy" claims John as its bridge to the world of Greek metaphysics -." This. unless we have some rapport with his mind... the Thought. Why should we attempt to read John as though he were a student of the Jew Philo or of Gentile mystery religion? Why should John be claimed as a supporter of the dogmatic conclusions of the much later Church Councils? Should we not make sense of him from the Old Testament world of ideas? "What we do know. When John is read in the light of his Hebrew background he provides no support for the doctrine of a Jesus who is "God the Son.. p.. and his mind is his essential 37 .. does not define it." in The Mission and Message of Jesus: An Exposition of the Gospels in the Light of Modern Research.The idea belonged to the Old Testament.We must not read John in the light of the dogmatic history of the three centuries subsequent to the Evangelist's writing" (C.in the light of a philosophy which was not his.. 707). He has always been alive and is Himself God. we have to go back to those Scriptures" (C. 1953." He decided on "deed. What the evangelist wanted to say was: "The Creative Thought of God has been operating from all eternity.the metaphysics which helped to mold the Jesus of the Church Councils. To understand John (and the rest of the New Testament) we must pay close attention to John's cultural heritage which was not the world of Greek philosophy in which the dogmatic creeds were formed some three hundred years later.. It is a considerable mistake to read John 1:1 as though it means "In the beginning was the Son of God and the Son was with the Father and the Son was God. does not mean that they thought Jesus "was God." an eternal uncreated Person in a triune godhead: "An author's language will confuse us. Wright." says a leading Bible scholar. Wright.J. THIS IS NOT WHAT JOHN WROTE! The German poet Goethe wrestled with a correction in translation: "In the beginning was the Word.. the study of who Jesus is. It is the most fitting term to express his message. has to do with a reasoned statement about the relation of Jesus to the One God of Israel. "When John presents the eternal Word he was not thinking of a Being in any way separate from God. the Power or the Deed. but unfolds what he himself means by it.' The later dogmatic Trinitarian distinctions should not be read into John's mind.nothing exists that He did not make" (John 1:1-2). If we wish to understand the historical ancestry of John's Logos [word] concept as he himself understood it. and is involved in the whole religious belief and experience of the Hebrew Scriptures." He comes very close to John's intention. For a man's 'word' is the expression of his 'mind'. Jesus the Revelation of God.J. p." A similar very misleading paraphrase in the Living Bible reads: "Before anything else existed. there was Christ." As a leading British Bible scholar wrote. We suggest that we should first see if John can be readily understood in terms of his otherwise very Jewish approach. There is no doubt that for the early Christians Jesus "had the value and reality of God. with God. "is that John was steeped in the Old Testament Scriptures.John 1:1 Christology. He created everything there is -. or some 'Hypostasis.. however. "Jesus the Revelation of God..The evangelist John takes a well-known term logos.. The creeds were speaking in Greek philosophical terms: the gospels were speaking in Second Temple Judaism terms.. John has a 'concrete' and 'pictorial' mind. When a different meaning for a title is substituted for the original a new faith is created. the Jewish Christians' argument tended to be that they had known Jesus and his family and that he was a human being. for activity is the very nature of mind. this Alexandrian perspective of high Christology was dominant but not uncontested by the Antiochian perspective of low Christology. what the theologians of the great ecumenical councils meant by such creedal titles as Son of God was remote from what those same titles meant in the Gospels. Every mind must express itself..' and therefore responsible for the later ecclesiastical obscuration of the ethical and spiritual emphasis of Jesus.e. 'My Father works up till now' he is saying what the Evangelist says in the first verse of the Prologue.personality. cannot sit in heaven and do nothing. The Church Councils under the influence of Greek speculative neo-Platonism replaced the New Testament Son of God with a God the Son fashioned by philosophy. The failure to understand John [in his prologue] has led many to the conclusion that he is 'father of metaphysical [i. The arguments persisted in one form or another until Cyril of Alexandria's faction finally won the day for a highly mythologized Jesus of divine ontological being. on pain of excommunication and damnation (the Athanasian Creed).. a great teacher. In an illuminating article in Biblical Review J... to express his conviction that God has ever been Active and Revealing Mind.a category which was so congenial to the Greek mind" (ibid. pp. God. Unfortunately.. Trinitarian] Christology. Harold Ellens points out that titles such as Son of God. Thus the early theological debates from the middle of the second century on were largely between Antioch.. From Nicea to Chalcedon the speculative and neo-Platonist perspective gained in creasing ground and became orthodox Christian dogma in 451 CE. 711). The titles referred to their function and character as men of God. not to their being God. or the Logos...The Bishops of the councils should have realized that they had shifted ground from Hebrew metaphor to Greek ontology and in effect betrayed the real Jesus Christ. For the most part. as used at the time when the New Testament was written -"were never meant to designate the figures to whom they were applied as divine beings. a center of Jewish Christianity. "By the time of the Council of Nicea in 325 CE. heavily colored by neo-Plationic speculation. and was Divine. one filled with the divine Logos. "John's language is not the language of philosophical definition. Thinking of a human as being God was strictly a Greek or Hellenistic notion. on the other. Nicean dogmatic "orthodoxy" lifted Jesus out of his Hebrew environment." It is not difficult to understand that the Bible is abandoned when fundamental terms like Son of God are given new and unbiblical meanings. Cyril was capable of murdering his fellow bishops to get his way. as the Alexandrians insisted.Thus John speaks of the 'Word' that was with God.but that he was not divine in the ontological sense. When later in the Gospel Jesus says. 707. They meant rather that these figures were imbued with divine spirit.." It insisted on its dogmas... That new faith became "orthodoxy.The evangelist did not think in terms of the category of 'substance' -. by His very nature.. twisted John's Gospel in an effort to make John fit into "orthodoxy's" 38 . on the one hand. and Alexandrian Christianity. the Father" (1 Corinthians 8:4. divine oracle quoted in the NT more than any other verse from the Hebrew Bible -. 180... One commentator asks: "How is it that the religion of love has been responsible for some of the worst cruelties and injustices that have ever disgraced humanity?.is totally foreign to the Bible. For an illuminating example of misguided religious zeal and cruelty. It refers always to a human (or occasionally) angelic superior. Psalm 110:1). And so it has remained to this day.. and has sanctioned heinous crimes. Jesus is another Lord. The two major players in the Bible are described in a precious. but the creed knows of only one Lord who is God (Deut. 1939. 6:4. the Lord our God is one Lord.The church has persecuted more cruelly than any other religion. Monotheism Neither Paul or any writer of the Bible ever stated that "there is One God: Father. The history of orthodoxy shows signs of a spirit which is far removed from the spirit of Jesus. Mark 12:28ff. Those who have questioned "orthodoxy" have often been roughly handled. 6).R. Inge. Out of respect and honor for Jesus the Messiah. in Marian Hillar. That is the creed of Jesus and therefore the original and authentic Christian creed." God is one Lord. who is addressed as Adoni ("my Lord"). It is also the creed of Paul. That makes two Lords.. The Case of Michael Servetus (1511-1553): The Turning Point in the Struggle for Freedom of Conscience.To us there is One God. His Father. Christians should adopt his Jewish creed in Mark 12:28ff. Jesus (1 Corinthians 8:6). Son and Holy Spirit. Adoni in its 167 occurrences never means the One God.appointed by God. 181). see the account of Calvin's savage persecution and execution of the Spanish doctor and scholar who questioned the doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus is the Lord of David of whom Psalm 110:1 speaks. The hidden paganism in Christianity needs to be exposed.. and many of us are intensely annoyed if the stability of this scaffolding is called into question. It will come when Christians take personal responsibility for getting in touch with the Bible and investigating it with all the tools now at our disposal. which he has usually accepted without investigation. The average Catholic [and the same applies to many Protestants] relies on the infallibility of his Church. is almost impossible for him" (Dean W. his Father (Acts 2:34-36).. A Pacifist in Trouble.Our religious beliefs are propped up on the traditional scaffolding.Psalm 110:1. O Israel.. He was appointed Lord and Messiah -. 39 .: "Hear. There the One God "YEHOVAH" speaks to David's Lord.. the Son of the One God. other than God.). 1997.." The Triune God -. A key to proper biblical understanding is to recognize that the Bible is a Jewish library of books and that Jesus was a Jew steeped in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). To own that his church has been wrong. pp.and the Biune God before the birth of Christ -. There is also one Lord Messiah. A revolution is needed to reverse this tragic process.philosophical mold. May we all joyfully embrace that creed and align ourselves with the Jesus the Messiah of history. The words of Paul need careful consideration: "There is no God but one." No example out of thousands of occurrences of YEHOVAH (OT) and God (NT) can be shown to mean "God in two or three Persons. but He is the Lord Christ (Luke 2:11. for the vain shepherds that have forsaken the sheep! the sword shall be upon the arms of such a one. or dynasty of men. which shall not visit those that be cut off.and no man can pluck them out of his hand. behold. Alas. and he shall not heal that which is bruised. in the Book of Zechariah we find a little known. The Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament renders these verses as follows: And YEHOVAH said to me. only one personality.THE POPES OF ROME. in the Jewish Tanakh. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm. and upon his right eye: his arm shall be completely withered. The sheep know his voice and they follow Yeshua as he leads them to eternal life -. and shall dislocate the joints of their necks. and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up. For. However. and his right eye shall be utterly darkened." This man is clearly the chief shepherd of an idolatrous and apostate church system. and he shall not seek that which is scattered. nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat. In all the centuries since Zechariah. lo. and he himself is an idol or object of worship within this system. Keyser Most people are acquainted with the concept of Yeshua as the Good Shepherd who gave up his life for the redemption of his Father's sheep. John D. nor guide that which is whole: but he shall devour the flesh of the choice ones. For. This article uncovers the truth about the "idol shepherd" and the blasphemous doctrines he promotes. fulfills this prophecy -. prophecy about one who is described as being the "idol shepherd. I will raise up a shepherd in the land. neither shall seek the young one. Then. Take yet to thee shepherd's implements belonging to an unskillful shepherd. Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. and even less understood. we read -40 ." one whose entire description is the direct opposite of all that the Bible teaches us in relation to the Good Shepherd -And YEHOVAH said unto me.The Idol Shepherd of Zechariah In the Book of Zechariah there is a little known prophecy about one who is called the "idol shepherd. I will raise up a shepherd against the land: he shall not visit that which is perishing. and his right eye shall be utterly darkened (Zechariah 11:15-17). and tear their claws in pieces. nor heal that which is broken. but he himself is actually set up as an IDOL -. Feeding himself at the expense of the flock."not My people. 4.YEHOVAH said to me further: Get yourself the gear of a foolish shepherd. Devouring the flock. dispersed people of YEHOVAH.one who by his total inability to perform the duty of a spiritual shepherd. but will feast on the flesh of the fat ones and tear off their hoofs.obviously a reference to the House of Israel. Feeding Himself at the Expense of the Flock Roman Catholicism is not merely a monolithic religious system. but who are not perfect (pretty much most of us!) must suffer purification in a mythical intermediate state. only one person -. cruel and deceptive shepherd in particular -. shows that he is in fact a stranger to. nor sustain the frail." Instead. this false shepherd has taken care of his own needs and desires. hirelings who seek to deceive and destroy the very elect of YEHOVAH. divorced. the cast off. nor seek the strayed. while at the same time discarding YEHOVAH's true flock and actually turning upon the flock and devouring them.the Church of Rome teaches that all who die at peace with the church. nor heal the injured.which came by such prophets as Isaiah. sustain the flock or minister to the very needs of those who are "lost sheep" -. The Word of YEHOVAH -.the very thing Yeshua said was the root of every evil. Jeremiah and Ezekiel -. In all the centuries since the time of Zechariah until now.or object of worship within that system. In these few verses Zechariah warns us against one false. and an enemy of. Following this. By this heinous teaching -. it is also a system based upon greed and the love of money -.first proclaimed an Article of Faith in 1439 by the Council of Florence and subsequently confirmed in 1548 by the Council of Trent -. He himself as an idol. put away for their sins and described by the prophet Hosea as Lo Ammi -.or to be more accurate. His system of idolatry. Oh. feeding himself and those loyal to him.fits the description given: THE POPES OF ROME. or place for departed spirits. He is not merely the chief shepherd of an idolatrous and apostate church system. the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! Let a sword descend upon his arm and upon his right eye! His arm shall shrivel up. This personality is. his right eye shall go blind. then. one dynasty of men -. 2. In order to demonstrate this more clearly. This false shepherd is indicted first of all for the tasks he has failed to do: He has failed to heal the injured. we must now look at the IDOL SHEPHERD -1. 41 . we will go on to examine YEHOVAH's judgment pronounced upon the idol shepherd. the good news of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH. 3. or a world-wide political conspiracy.frequently warns us against such false shepherds who are nothing but wolves in sheep's clothing. Truly it can be said that the popes of Rome have "feasted on the flesh of the fat"! One of the chief means by which the Papacy has enriched itself at the expense of the people is by means of the pagan doctrine of Purgatory. For I am going to raise up in the land a shepherd who will neither miss the lost [sheep]. more clearly described by the use of the all-important expression: the IDOL shepherd. that impelled Martin Luther to nail his famous Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenburg and thus launch the Reformation in Europe. In times past Indulgences were even given to those who murdered Protestants and Church of God brethren in the name of the Catholic Church -"a plenary Indulgence was offered to all who took up arms against the Hussites. in order to release their unfortunate loved ones whom they believe to be in this place of torment.pardons for sin that can be earned or purchased in this life. or the Society of the Perpetual Novena. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. by this cruel deceit. deceived Roman Catholics will pay the priest to say special masses to release the souls from Purgatory. advocated throughout Germany by the monk Tetzel in order to raise money for the building of St.the IDOL SHEPHERD of Zechariah -." Thomas Aquinas claimed that -"It is the same fire that torments the reprobate in Hell and the just in Purgatory.is set aside by faithful Catholics when alive. It was this horribly corrupt practice.. Albigenses and Waldenses" (Catholic Dictionary. 42 . Closely linked with the doctrine of Purgatory is the belief in INDULGENCES -. let us read what the authoritative Twentieth Century Roman Catholic book The Question Box has to say -"An Indulgence. or part of the temporal punishment due to forgiven sin. in order to obtain their quick release from the prison house of souls." Indulgences can be bought for saying the Rosary. granted by the Pope and the Bishops out of the Church's spiritual treasure. the Papacy -. devout Catholics will go on pilgrimages to IDOL-SHRINES and supposed holy places. 442). or you can share in the storehouse of merit by joining the Confraternity of the Miraculous Medal." This very Satanic doctrine has often been referred to as "pick-pocket purgatory" and the "gold mine of the Papacy" because. Money -.often large amounts -. and that the souls detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful.endure for entire centuries.. AND. of course." Bellarmine taught that -"There is absolutely no doubt that the pains of purgatory.The Creed of Pope Pius IV states -"I constantly hold that there is a Purgatory. which is made up of the infinite redemptive merits of Jesus Christ.. In case anyone thinks this rotten practice of indulgences ended with the Middle Ages. the superabundant merits of the saints.is a remission of the whole. Frequently during their lifetime. or the Scapular of the Blessed Simon Stock. all of these things can be obtained at a price! Salvation is for sale in the Roman Church and.has amassed a fortune running into the billions. wearing the Agnus Dei. p. hoping to earn merit which will reduce the time spent in purgatory. And.. This Inquisition was responsible for burning and torturing MILLIONS of Protestant and Church of God martyrs. and the mangled frame then beaten to death with lighted brands. Fatima and even places like Knock in Ireland. Devouring the Flock Not only is the Papacy of Rome a system which is characterized by inordinate greed. wars and civil wars which resulted in the cruel slaughter of more tens of thousands of Protestants and Church of God people. fits perfectly into Zechariah's description of he "shall dislocate the joints of their necks" -. was stripped naked. his body shredded with iron whips.. and burned alive in the market place of Consenza.. Torture of the most horrific kind -. I wonder what sort of "spiritual court" they are talking about here? Certainly NOT YEHOVAH's court! In addition to such "legalized" persecution. One of the latter named Samson.including stretching people on the rack and "dislocating their necks" -. was a young man of prodigious strength. And -"There is nothing exceptionally cruel or intolerant about the statute. In the book The Israel of the Alps we read in detail of the fierce persecution of the Vaudois or Waldensians by the forces of the IDOL SHEPHERD. V 441). as we shall see. spiritually deluded flock. VIII 31).. but it is a system infamous for its cruelty and persecuting zeal.In addition to this.. and some flung from a tower summit. These have become big financial tourist businesses. they (the Inquisitors) were as a rule. men of spotless character and. Lourdes. twentieth century Roman Catholic spokesmen have defended them. lay on the 43 . still breathing.which provided that heretics convicted before a spiritual court and refusing to recant. The burning of heretics was first decreed in the Seventh Century and the bloodthirsty Inquisition was established by the Pope of Rome to stamp out all opposition to his dictatorial rule and his false doctrines.. Far from repenting of these disgusting crimes.admirable sanctity. corruption and vast wealth. Here are a few extracts to illustrate our point: One Bernadino Cento was covered with pitch. were to be handed over to the secular arm and burnt" (ibid. the accused were denied all legal representation and they never knew the identity of their accusers.. This.. the Roman Catholic Church has reaped rich financial rewards from such events as the "Holy Year" and pilgrimages to shrines. Some victims were flayed alive. Mazzone. Another martyr.was used for days on end to obtain confessions -.g. saying -"Far from being inhuman. e. the Catholic Church was responsible for inciting crusades. At its tribunals.and those convicted were usually tortured again after their trials in order to obtain evidence against their family and friends.tearing in pieces those who fall under his control.not a few have been canonized by the Church" (Catholic Encyclopedia. There can be little doubt that the IDOL SHEPHERD in the Vatican has fed and enriched himself and his hierarchy at the expense of his poor. As his mangled body. killing the heads of Protestant households. cut out his tongue and chopped off the fingers and thumb of his right hand. hence the inspired Zechariah calls the Papacy the IDOL SHEPHERD. which had originated in the city of Babylon and spread to pagan Rome as the cult of Cybele. the early Christians chose martyrdom rather than participate in idolatry. they received official legality in 788 A. The heathen temples became "Christian" churches. it was in this very area that Catholics slew several Protestant families in one night in 1922 in the infamous "Slaughter of Altnaveigh" and it is in this same district of South Armagh that the Roman Catholic terrorists of the I. But when Christianity became the state religion under Constantine. a fiendish attack by Catholics on the home of Alexander Barclay -." The historian Sibbett records that -civilians were mistreated.A. For some three centuries after Yeshua. It was in the city of Ephesus -. The worship of images.that a Church Council. The pagan worship of the mother goddess. "Let the pigs come and eat him. Not improving with time.infamous for its worship of the goddess Diana -.D. One such time of murder and mayhem occurred during the 1790s when the Irish Protestants suffered cruelly at the hands of the Roman Catholic persecutors called the "Defenders.the most shocking barbarities were perpetrated in the County of Louth and neighbouring counties." was the answer.." As the idolatrous practices spread and increased throughout so-called Christendom. declared Mary to be the "Mother of God. all this began to change. at the Second Council of Nicea.an injury from which she died. 1791. 44 .." Soon the barbarous order was executed.. the pagan idols were given the names of Saints and were soon being venerated. and also hacked off her breasts -.the Protestant schoolmaster in the village of Forkhill in South Armagh. and participating in such bloody atrocities as the massacres of Whitecross.. cattle maimed and crops destroyed. "What carrion is this?" "It is a heretic who will not die. Since the days of the 1641 massacre the land of Ireland has witnessed many wars of genocide designed to drive the Protestant population into the sea. in 431 A. and the poor creature had to suffer the pain of his flesh being torn from his body by the unclean beasts.L.D. In one year the Defenders plundered the homes of 180 Protestant families. On the night of February 1.N. Tullyvallen and Mountain Lodge Pentecostal Church. and the "Catholic Reaction Force" have waged a war of genocide over the past many years. the Viceroy passed and inquired.Rome never changes. Without a doubt -. the Viceroy said. now evolved into the worship of the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven. Her brother also had his tongue cut out and the calves of his legs hacked away. I. set on him by a beast more unclean and foul than they. but the chief characteristic of the whole Papal organization is BASE IDOLATRY.R. His System of Idolatry Not only is Catholicism a system of cruelty and greed. These attacks culminated in what is called the Forkhill Massacre. a gang of armed Roman Catholics burst into his home. idols and religious relics is a heathen practice clearly forbidden in the Word of YEHOVAH. With a kick at the dying man's head. where Protestants were slain as they worshipped. They did the same to his wife.ground.A. And further -"The Saints reigning together with Christ are to be honoured and invocated that they offer up prayers to God for us. "The Commandment does not forbid the making of images" (The Catechism. we also honour them indirectly in their relics and images... the Vatican seeks to conceal and deny idol worship within its church.. DULIA -... but the decrees of the church make its position crystal clear -"I most firmly assert that the images of Christ and the Mother of God. we read -"Behold the wood of the Cross -. Also -"It is also right to honour the sacred images of Jesus Christ.. and that due honour and veneration are to be given to them" (Creed of Pope Pius IV).To be given to God. Catholic handbooks and manuals of worship clearly expose the facts. In spite of all denials to the contrary..To be given to the Saints.We adore thy Cross. 2.We also honour the relics of the Saints" (Compendium of Pope Pius X). Canon Cafferata).. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral of New York can be found the following prayer to Saint Theresa -45 . and seek to conceal this by splitting the Tenth into two parts..Come let us adore. In the Good Friday Service of Adoration of the Cross..the Church requires the relics of the Saints to be inserted in all altars where Holy Mass is offered" (Students Catholic Doctrine by C. are to be had and retained. 3.).together with Christ are to be honoured and invoked because they offer prayers to God for us" (ibid..To be given to the Virgin Mary. their relics are to be venerated" (Creed of Pope Pius IV). Not to be outdone by the Papacy we find the following -"Besides honouring the Saints directly in themselves.In these Ecumenical times. O Cross!" In St. LATRIA -. HYPERDULIA -. Hert)....Hail then. Rome even seeks to divide worship into three distinct types: 1. "The Saints.Sweet wood. sweet nails.and also of the other saints. and of the Saints. Many Roman Catholic Catechisms purposely omit the Second Commandment forbidding image worship. Roman Catholics are encouraged to participate in the Rosary devotions in which ten times as many prayers are given to Mary as to YEHOVAH. Special groups are set up within Roman Catholicism to encourage Marian devotion.beg her as Queen. he held a special ceremony in Rome to consecrate the entire world to Mary. On the 11th time. adorned with three crowns. Peter's Basilica. These include The Legion of Mary..but this article would get out of hand if we did! The Pope Himself As an Idol! Probably the very depths of idolatry are reached in the iniquity of Romanism with the worship of a sinful man.. hands and face -- 46 . The Cardinals in their Scarlet and Purple Vestments. remember your promise to make good things on earth.cast a glance of pity on us as we leave all things in thy hands. speak a word for us to our Lady Immaculate."Saint Theresa who. the Pope. 1984. The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal." At the enthronement of this so-called Vicar of Yeshua. we are told -"The person who finds this prayer should copy it 20 times. than on Jesus. to obtain for us the graces we yearn for.. on March 25." To add to this blasphemy. by the Roman Catholic "Saint" Alphonsus Liguari..became a mirror of angelic purity. your prayers will be answered.." What blasphemy! We could go on and on to give many more examples of blasphemous and idolatrous worship of the Virgin.. the Pope is lifted up by the Cardinals and made to sit upon the High Altar in St. Drop your shower of roses over all in need. kneel before the newly elected Pontiff and kiss his feet.. In May 1982 he visited the Fatima Shrine in Portugal to show his gratitude to Our Lady of Fatima for supposedly saving his life from assassins the previous year. the Saints and their images and relics -. And." The devotion goes on: "Little Theresa of the Child Jesus. goes as far as to state: "We often obtain more promptly what we ask by calling on Mary. The book The Glories of Mary.. The present Pope John Paul II has made a point of visiting idolatrous Marian shrines around the world to show his devotion to this pagan tradition.by her powerful intercession. Make our troubles your own. and know that Thou art Father of Kings and Princes. The Archconfraternity of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. and bring it to a church each time." Catholic idolatry reaches new heights in the worship of the Virgin Mary. Ruler of the World and Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth. When the Pope is crowned the following words are addressed to him -"Receive this Tiara. and the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima. Peter's Basilica is the very place where the Reserved Sacrament. The prophet writes that -"The sword shall be upon his arm and upon his right eye. to whom the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are committed. veneration and worship that can be given to a mortal man. It is also interesting to note that while sitting as a god above the High Altar. and every mouth which hath not kissed him" (1 Kings 19).where Job declares that he has not been guilty of joining in the pagan practice of kissing his hand to the sun. and the gates of hell fear. Listen to what YEHOVAH actually told the prophet -"I have left me seven thousand in Israel. Kissing as a religious exercise is one of the oldest known forms of idolatry. accepting the highest place of honor. his arm shall be clean dried up. hands and face are kissed. we especially venerate. At the coronation of Pope Innocent X." There can be no doubt that the whole dynasty of popes fulfills the prophecy of the IDOL SHEPHERD. It should therefore be obvious that the kissing of the Pope is nothing but a continuation of the ancient idolatrous worship associated with the heathen god Baal. ruler of the world. all the knees which have not bowed to Baal. It is important to realize that the High Altar in St. is kept and adored. and his eye shall be utterly darkened." There was a time when the popes of Rome ruled over Western Europe. holding undisputed sway and excommunicating and overthrowing kings and emperors at will. and all the world adores. his feet. which is called the Adoration. head of the church. and it can be found mentioned in Job 31:27 -. Rome's Wafer God of flour and water which they inform us has been changed into the body and blood of Yeshua.assuring us that the IDOL SHEPHERD is destined to doom and destruction." 47 . This takes place at least five times during the ceremony. When the Pope is enthroned ABOVE the High Altar and its Wafer God. We should also note that the kissing of idols and images was practiced by the worshippers of Baal in the days of Elijah. he ceases to be merely a false shepherd and becomes the IDOL SHEPHERD OF ZECHARIAH'S PROPHECY. the following words were addressed to him: "Most Holy and blessed father. whom the angels in Heaven adore. Such was the power of the Papacy that one particular pope boasted: "I can do almost all that God can do.worshipping him as a god. worship and adore thee. The Doom of the Idol Shepherd Zechariah leaves us on a note of encouragement -. Emphasis on authority. the Bible.Spain. 9. It discourages dissent or any questioning of the leaders teachings or directives. 8. idol. 48 . the modern Papacy faces revolt and dissent at every turn within the ranks of both clergy and laity. or maintains a critical stance regarding established Christianity while consistently praising and exalting its own leaders and ministry. YEHOVAH's Word. 6.The arm and the eye of the IDOL SHEPHERD symbolize the spiritual and political power of the Papacy. Dankenbring's Prophecy Flash magazine.Taken from William F. 7. consumed and dried up since the time of the Reformation. "For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which [or through which] we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Emphasis is on loyalty to the church. Telltale Signs of A Cult 1.are now democratic countries within the framework of modern Europe. saint or miraculous medal. 5. is redefined as rebellion. Internally. and both of these have indeed been darkened. exclusive ministry. resulting in almost total absorption on one's life into its activities. Use of intimidation by warning that members who leave the group will go to hell or suffer some other calamity. It requires that members give substantial portions of their income to the group or leaders. not in any image. many of the special privileges granted to the Vatican by Mussolini under the Lateran Treaty of 1929 were stripped away. revelation or position of authority from YEHOVAH. Demonstrations of loyalty to the leader and to the group are expected. Soon Yeshua will return to gather up the lost sheep of the House of Israel and his Father YEHOVAH will return shortly thereafter in His Shekinah Glory to finally destroy what remains of the Papal IDOL SHEPHERD by the "brightness of His coming. Portugal." Until that day we must continue our witness to all people that salvation is to be found in YEHOVAH God alone through His High Priest Yeshua the Messiah. France and Italy -. -. 4. Salvation cannot be found in any pope. 2. Attempts to leave the group or reveal embarrassing facts about the group or its leaders are met with threats. In February 1984. obedience and submission is vigilantly maintained.both intellectual and social. has been freely distributed leading multitudes of Roman Catholics out of the cage of the IDOL SHEPHERD and into the fold of YEHOVAH's true church. even if constructive. We are living in the prophetic era which will see the "stripping and burning" of the harlot church system spoken of in Revelation 17 and 18. Refugees of the group are faced with confrontations by cult adherents who encourage or coerce them back into the group's control. It promotes leaders who claim a special. 10. 3. It exercises control by the leadership of the private lives of group members. It teaches that the group is the only true church. It encourages isolation -. The nations that once wielded the sword on behalf of the Vatican -. priest or pastor. Criticism. Could anything be more positive? In Scotland. and consisting of kinsfolk who are united by blood relationship in a common lineage. the ancient tongue of the Highlander still thrives. but aristocratic. "Am Fear Braitaich" -. The inauguration of a new chief was a richly traditional service. In the Ezekiel prophecy and the Revelation vision.priests. each with its territory. Gaelic. like Homer's Achaeans and Danaans. clan societies still keep the ancient loyalties and traditions alive. A religious service was held with an address suited to the occasion.the genealogist of the Chief's house. Although scattered throughout the world. A dying chief would call for his successor and bestow his blessing upon him. the clan system is shown as being intact at the end of the age with the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem named after the clans of Israel. recited the genealogy in Gaelic. faithful successors of Israel's Levites. The chief." This is Moffatt's rendering of the relevant passage in the 47th chapter of Ezekiel. God's people of Israel. It is mysteriously exemplified in the Nature of God in the Person of the Father and the son. "An Clarsair" -.the piper. Then the bard gave an oration.the jester.were an order of hierarchy organised in a college under a chief Druid. "Am Piobaire" -. "Clan" simply means "children" as being the natural extension of the family. as the yearly mod testifies. dramatically describing in verse the exploits of the chief's ancestors and the history of the clan. It relates easily to ancient Scottish usage. The ancient office of RiSeannachie with supreme jurisdiction in genealogy and preserving the royal pedigree evolved into the present Lord Lyon King of Arms. of the first eleven abbots. The family is. the rod and sword to the new chief and. The destiny of His Israelites in the present Latter Days is foretold according to their clans. Community life is organised under the rule of hereditary chiefs descended from the original founder. Tribal bards were still in existence in many clans as late as the 18th century. but the changes which they have undergone through the centuries cannot conceal them from the Omniscient Creator. The Druids -. generally consisting of "A Seanachaidh" -. "An Cupair" -the cup-bearer. nine were of the same family as Columba who was. this Divinely ordained system has continues through the ages and still survives. It is difficult for these to be recognized after the millennia of transition. The ancient Highland Games are still popular. The Scriptures make it clear that the clan is Divinely ordained. In pre-Christian times. were not democratic. dressed in white." The clansmen shouted: "God bless him!" Then the chief gave an oath to be a loving father to the people. was led to the stone and presented to the assembled clan. of course. The Scottish clans. This ordered development of the family has never been superseded by God. of royal blood. Then he proclaimed: "The blessing of God on thee. "An Cleasaiche" -. are divided into clans descended from the sons of Jacob.the district king. and must ever be. "Am Bard" -. "An Gille More" -.the bard. to be his successor.the sword or armour-bearer. Head of the Clan A clan chief had his "Ard Chillean an Tighe" (gentleman of the household). 49 . Columba chose his cousin Baithene. It took place at a sacred stone (a true Israelite custom indeed) on which was carved the clan's heraldic emblem. The chiefs came under the provincial righ -.the harper. chief and Druid. At Iona. the Divinely ordained nucleus of human society.the standard-bearer. There was no democratic election of chiefs: the chief himself appointed his successor. the clans of Israel.The House of Israel Scotland's Clans Parallels with Patriarchal Practice in Israel "This land you must divide among yourselves. The Celtic Church followed the same Israelite custom. bards and lawgivers -. at least. falling on bended knee. "Am Fear Sporain" the treasurer. Scotland was inhabited by a multitude of clans. whether they approve or not. Then the Seannachie delivered the insignia. The Hebrew word Moed means an assembly. just as Jacob did to his sons. encouraged a personal relationship between its members which was very different from the modern development of the State with its impersonal bureaucratic control. The original use of tartan in this manner perhaps throws light on the seemingly unaccountable jealousy aroused by the "coat of many colours" bestowed -. the serpent. In their ministry. Druids -. The heraldry of the Scottish clans is considered by many to be the purest in Europe.three. Under Celtic law women could own land and a woman could be a chief. Athenian shepherds played bagpipes and ancient historians claim that they were invented in Arcadia. In the Communion.five. The ancient Celtic Church continued the tradition and the clergy wore a quiet tartan. dressed like a Scottish Highlander. Historians have compared the Druids and Celtic clergy with the Levitical priesthood. arrows. as the sculptured stones testify. Chieftainship of a clan was transmissible through a female. the bull. and he shall yield royal dainties. The Celtic Church was a clan church: hereditary and monarchistic rather than episcopal. stars. farmers -. a word of ancient Greek origin.The clan. A similar portrayal is found on Greek coins. thistles and battle-axes are undoubtedly Scriptural emblems used by Israel." Just what is meant by "royal dainties" is uncertain. to the clans of Jacob -his tribe of Israel. chieftain -. were unable to discern between Roman and Celtic traditions. mountains. the wolf. Some historians believe that they were used in the Temple at Jerusalem.six. Servants wore one colour. as we read in Genesis 49:20. The traditions of both the Druids and the Celtic Church were deeply rooted in their past and many of them go back. surely. Every clan chieftain had his An Brataich -. the clergy of the Scottish Church wore a tartan robe consisting of eight colours to signify that when engaged in spiritual matters their power was above that of the king." Tartan. as with the Zelophehal law in ancient Israel. "Out of Asher his bread shall be fat. One possible reason for this high standard of the Celtic clergy is that many of them had been Druids from noble families. The wearing of tartan by the clergy was banned by the Reformers who. The bagpipes have been a favourite instrument with the Scots from earliest times. Another was discovered in ancient Nineveh. the king -.. An old tradition relates that the shepherds who were present at the Nativity expressed their joy on the bagpipes. the eagle. the unicorn. Their religion was closer to Christianity than was any other. The coming of Christianity did not greatly affect clan customs." Many references to such standards are found in ancient Celtic poetry and history. Experts agree that armory began on tribal standards and was reproduced on shields. unfortunately. Eventually the chieftain's tartan became that of the clan and was worn by all its members.F. was found at Tarsus. many Celts served in the Roman armies. the hart. characterised by respect and dignity without servility. Virgil describes the tartan garments worn by the Celts: "Their cloaks are striped and shining. We know from Scripture that the tribes of Israel had standards with emblems appropriate to "their father's house. A stone found near Boness in 1870 showed a party of Roman soldiers dressed in kilts being led by a piper. Many of the emblems found in clan heraldry -the lion. The law of succession amongst the clans was closely related to the Divine law of succession given to Israel and recorded in the 27th chapter of Numbers. It is obvious that there was little opposition by the Druids to Christianity. a man's status within the clan was shown by the number of colours he wore. The snobbery which has so bedevilled modern society had no place in the patriarchal benevolence of the clan. with centuries of hereditary religious tradition behind them. Joseph.C. the sacred vessels were covered with two tartan veils which related the sacrament to the clan. Of course. The aristocracy of the clans was similar to that of Homer's ancient Greeks with their intimate relationship between nobles and people.by Jacob on his favourite son.perhaps prematurely -. A terracotta dated 200 B. being a family with the chief as its father. The distinctive Highland dress did not originate in Scotland but was brought by early colonisers. It is significant that the Celtic word is piob-mhala.seven. A Greek sculpture shows a piper. Any attempt to introduce the Euro-Babylonian Salic Law in Scotland has inevitably been repudiated as alien to her traditions.two. on which was portrayed a piper. the blessing of Asher does promise him some pleasant things. -. officers -.W. Finlayson The Tribal Emblems of Israel Though short.hereditary standardbearer. The ancient name for the instrument was pythaula. but in that day it seems that they would 50 . galleys. Strangely enough.include wine. and the Olive Branch and a Bundle of Arrows the emblems of the Tribe of Manasseh. We should also note the repetition of. 51 . From this came Asher's emblem. Moses said: "His glory is like the firstling of his bullock. Consequently. As it would be difficult to picture either a harbour or ship traffic on an ensign or banner. that this blessing was prophetic of some future time. where we read: "Joseph is a faithful bough. The part of the blessing which concerns our study is recorded in verses 22-24. we see that Joseph is likened or related to an Ox." Here we see that the animal to which he is likened. which. even a fruitful bough by a well. Jacob said. In blessing Benjamin. they were adopted to commemorate some historic event. in his blessing of the descendants of Joseph. an Ox. some Arrows. and which became the emblem of the tribe descended from him. we see that Joseph is likened or related to: an Olive Branch. or to some personal characteristic. The blessing given to Zebulun is recorded in verse 13." Those listed under the heading "Secondary Emblems" are the additional likenesses mentioned in connection with some of the tribes in the blessings given by Jacob and later by Moses or. a covered Cup or Goblet. was a Laden Ass.. It says: "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea. and so a Ship became the emblem of the Tribe of Zebulun. the alternate was to represent Zebulun as a Ship. some of them were likened or related to more than one." Although this does not actually liken him to any animal or object. the territory allotted to the Tribe of Zebulun in ancient Israel was inland. Ephraim and Manasseh. and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh" (Deut. and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. however. as recorded in verse 27: "Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey." In this blessing Benjamin is definitely likened to a wolf. and at night he shall divide the spoil. Consequently. with the Ox. the youngest of his sons. and this would require a cup or some similar vessel to put it in. some of the tribes had only one emblem while others had two or more. It had no harbour and apparently did not touch the sea at any point. Of him it states: "Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens. in view of other statements in the Bible referring to Israel as an Olive Tree (Romans 11:24). 33:17). a Unicorn and a Horn. Here Joseph is likened to an Ox and to a Unicorn. under the heading "Primary Emblems. bearing the names of his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh." we see the official emblems of the Twelve Tribes as displayed on their ensigns in accordance with the command: "Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch. it certainly relates him to a haven or harbour and to ship traffic.with the ensign of their father's house. In the next verse enemy archers are said to shoot at Joseph and. while each of them was likened or related to some one animal or object. and his border shall be unto Zidon. These were then inherited by and divided between Joseph's two sons. it follows that there is an implied relationship between him and some Arrows. as in the case of Simeon. a Unicorn and a Horn. In the list. Later. and thus to ships. and emphasis on. It would seem. When these are added to the things to which he is likened in the blessing given him by his father Jacob.. it is important to note that. In considering the various animals. therefore. the Unicorn and the Horn becoming the emblems of the Tribe of Ephraim. and so a wolf became the emblem of Benjamin and of the tribe descended from him. These were not the official emblems of the tribes and. as the archers shoot arrows. which then became his official emblem. has always been understood to be an Olive Branch. These are listed on the next page." In the blessing given by Moses. the blessing given to Joseph was in part inherited by both of these tribes." Joseph is here likened to a Bough or Branch. whose branches run over the wall: the archers have sorely grieved him. In considering the blessing given to Joseph we must remember that his descendants were divided into two tribes. and shot at him. after Zebulun had left Palestine. The blessing given to Issachar is recorded in verse 14. objects and other things mentioned in Jacob's prophetic blessings of his sons. and in part divided between them. therefore. the word "horns. and hated him: but his bow abode in strength. and he shall be for an haven of ships. at least in part. The Royal Lion of Judah was the emblem of emblems. then their Israelitish origin is no longer a possibility or even a probability. tribe or people willfully adopting the emblem of Secondary REUBEN SIMEON JUDAH A Body of Water A Castle Gate Three Lions. if any. in some cases. Bennett The Emblem of Royal Judah Judah was the leading tribe of the "brigade" which included Issachar and Zebulon. separation and migration is very unlikely. the later downfall and deportation of the Israel nation and nearly three thousand years of war. and a Lion anyone else as their own.it stands supreme as the chief heraldic symbol of the surviving House of Judah in Britain and the Commonwealth." It appeared. Today -. the lions listed as secondary emblems of Dan and Gad. being indistinguishable from Judah's primary emblem." as prophesied by Daniel -. however. at least nineteen are. They marched. It moved westwards with the migrations through the territories known to antiquity as "Scythia. a Sceptre. -. it follows that if we find people using one of Israel's tribal emblems today it is certainly possible that they are. instances of a family. and a Grape Vine DAN A Horse. As history records few. 52 . through intermarriage. But if we find a people. we find a people using two or three of these emblems. they were used by a section of a tribe to distinguish it from the rest and.W. Yet the amazing thing is that of these twenty-two tribal emblems of ancient Israel.H. emblems of one or another section of the Celto-Saxon people.most of their thrones having been "cast down. and camped together on the east side of Israel's foursquare Wilderness complex. If. or until very recently have been. were not ordinarily used. descendants of "lost" Israel. That all of these would survive the early emigration from Israel. in one or two cases. Later. their Israelitish origin becomes something more than a possibility. secondary emblems of one tribe became the recognized emblem of a group of tribes. using nearly all of these emblems and that they have done so as far back as their historical records and legends go. were not used during the early years of Israel's history. these secondary emblems would not be forgotten.THE EMBLEMS OF THE TWELVE TRIBES Primary REUBEN SIMEON JUDAH DAN NAPHTALI GAD A Man A Sword A Lion A Serpent A Hind or Stag The Leader of a Troop (sometimes a number of Tents) ASHER A Covered Goblet ISSACHAR An Ass under a Burden ZEBULUN A Ship MANASSEH An Olive Branch EPHRAIM An Ox BENJAMIN A Wolf so far as we have been able to discover. and a Lion GAD A Lion MANASSEH A Bundle of Arrows. A count of the emblems as listed above shows twelve official or primary emblems and twelve secondary ones. it is a certainty. Thus the total number of tribal emblems actually used was twenty-two. Nevertheless. Actually. or group of related peoples. and the Number 13 EPHRAIM A Unicorn. with the leaders of those nations. and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). It is a memorial of creation -. He didn't say it was made for the Jew. and was refreshed. and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." In Exodus 20:8-11. to keep it holy. and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. nor thy cattle. and on the seventh day he rested. Notice Exodus 31:14-17: "Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore." 53 . we read YEHOVAH's instruction about the Sabbath -.for all human beings everywhere on earth. thy manservant.Rejoice in YEHOVAH's Sabbath Day! Many ask. and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day. "It is a SIGN between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth...the fourth of YEHOVAH's Ten Commandments or Words: "Remember the sabbath day. Yeshua the Messiah said. for it is holy unto you.Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath. for a perpetual covenant. the sea and all that in them is. Six days shalt thou labour. And God blessed the seventh day." Sabbath a Special Sign The Sabbath is very special to YEHOVAH. "How should I keep YEHOVAH's Sabbath day?" This article gives you the principles that will enable you to observe YEHOVAH's Sabbath day as He intended. but for man -. nor thy maidservant. nor thy daughter. nor thy son. nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth.a special sign -identifying YEHOVAH as Creator and those who keep it as His people. to observe the sabbath throughout their generations. it was made when man was made -. Since the Sabbath was made for man. "The sabbath was made for man.. thou.during creation week. and he RESTED on the SEVENTH DAY from all his wok which he had made. and hallowed it. Read the account in Genesis 2:2-3: "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made. many began to break the Sabbath. The result was the sacking and destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans.. could be achieved.But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. After a number of years YEHOVAH brought some of the House of Judah back to Jerusalem. He would destroy the city. The people rebuilt the city and acknowledged the Sabbath.and my sabbaths they greatly polluted. and did not our God bring all this evil upon us. We must tell the people what they may do and what they may not do. After the death of Nehemiah.Throughout much of their history. What evil thing is this that ye do. By contrast. the ten tribes of the House of Israel went into captivity and lost their identity. Because of this sin. and said unto them.. human nature has a tendency of going to extremes. and profane the sabbath day? "Did not your fathers thus.. They ignored it and trampled all over it. and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath" (Nehemiah 13:17-18). Rabbi Solomon Goldman. even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day.ancient Israel -. they believed. But even then. "But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day.." And the Pharisees did just that. Men Make Sabbath a Burden Upon receiving Nehemiah's correction most of the people repented and began observing YEHOVAH's Sabbath. says on page 28: "Uniformity. and it shall not be quenched" (Jeremiah 17:27). They established thirty-nine (39) main categories of prohibited work alone." said the Pharisees. This was done to effect a norm for Sabbath observance that would be universal. Nehemiah "contended with the nobles of Judah. They became known as Gentiles. and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.. and the capture of its citizens (Jeremiah 52:12-30). and failed to observe the Sabbath. the leading religious party. because they forgot YEHOVAH's Sabbath! People Punished for Sabbath-Breaking YEHOVAH warned the people of Jerusalem that if they did not keep His Sabbath holy. "The people don't have the knowledge. understanding and wisdom to do that. Speaking of the rabbis who enacted these rules." (Ezekiel 20:12-13).. and not to bear a burden. However. not by the enunciation of general principles. then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof.. Notice: "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths. religionists in their zeal to keep the Sabbath holy began to legislate in minute detail what a person could and could not do on the Sabbath day. YEHOVAH's people -. YEHOVAH had given the people basic spiritual principles and expected them to apply those principles accordingly. in his book A Guide to the Sabbath. but by sharp and detailed demarcation of the areas of what is 54 . "Not good enough. They continued to break the Sabbath. The people did not listen.rebelled against YEHOVAH. You were not made for the Sabbath. That is why this article is not an encyclopedic compilation of do's and don'ts for every possible situation which might arise on a Sabbath day.forbidden and what is permitted. to help you. He set aside the Sabbath day as a time when we can completely forget our routine work. cleaning house. YEHOVAH foresaw this. to get your mind and thoughts on YEHOVAH's purpose and YEHOVAH's ways. But the main emphasis is to "rest" from your normal toil and activities on this day.a special day of blessing and happiness! What Does It Mean to "Rest"? YEHOVAH is concerned with two overall aspects of your life on the Sabbath. extra prayer and extra meditation! This is the one day of the week when you don't have to worry about getting to the job. making payments. You should serve YEHOVAH with your mind on the Sabbath. they felt. It was not made to be a burden. Then we can spend more time on those activities which help us better understand our relationship with YEHOVAH. you will find out what a real delight and joy the Sabbath is! "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord" (Isaiah 58:14). not a blessing for man as YEHOVAH designed it. Secondly. building fences. Sabbath Made to Serve Man Yeshua said the Sabbath was made for you (Mark 2:27). caused the Sabbath day to become an institution of itself. How do you accomplish this? Devote the additional free Sabbath time you have to extra Bible study. by prescribing even for the remote contingency." They eagerly wait for the end of the Sabbath to be about their ways and pleasures which they have been thinking about all day long anyway! Once you are able.'" However pure their motives (and there is some doubt about that) and desirable their objectives the rabbis. YEHOVAH intended His Sabbath to be a day of joy and supreme delight -. he wants your mind free from thinking about those daily responsibilities and activities. working out schedules. YEHOVAH did not intend for a human being to so fret and worry about breaking the Sabbath that he would fear to do anything on that day. to enable you to live a happier and more abundant life. 55 . by governing the apparent trivial circumstances of daily life and by strict definition of terms. Our Creator knew that we would need a period of rest from our normal duties every seventh day. on the Sabbath. Remember. Each of us tends to become overly absorbed in our daily cares during the week. 'consists of a multitude of minimals. This makes you FREE to properly worship YEHOVAH God on this day. They made the Sabbath a BURDEN. It was made for you. we are to take care of ALL our responsibilities during the rest of the week. Certainly we can physically rest more on the Sabbath. Life itself. From the very beginning. Those who can't or don't control their minds call the Sabbath "bondage. he wants your time to be free from responsibilities and activities. by their strict legislation. First. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). mode of action -. Forsaking one's pleasure does not mean that the Sabbath is to be a rigorous day of abstinence. YEHOVAH God commands us to celebrate His holy time from "even to even" (Leviticus 23:32. YEHOVAH's Instruction Notice YEHOVAH's positive instruction on the Sabbath: "If thou turn away thy foot [that is. wood-working shop. and energy taken up in hobbies. Your ways. etc." "your words" mean? 1/. don't trample on it] from the sabbath.that is. the serious business of making a livelihood. We talk about what we are thinking. 8.those things which take up the majority of our "leisure" time. Our words show what is going on in our minds and hearts. Your words.But the Sabbath day is free time -. 3/. You should not involve yourself in working at what you normally do during the week -. 19. nor finding thine own pleasure. This includes working around the house. from doing thy pleasure on my holy day. In every case the evening precedes the morning. 13. cleaning. That is. This is obviously the most difficult of all! We may cease doing our ways and our pleasures." "your pleasure. This means course of life. but YEHOVAH's days begin and end at sunset. Unfortunately. Man begins his days at midnight. The Sabbath was not designed for activities such as hunting. fishing. but it is much more difficult to cease thinking or talking about them. stamp collecting. clothe and care for yourself physically. we need to know when it occurs. and shalt honour him. from sunset to sunset. sports and pleasure-seeking. The principle is that we should avoid having our mind. time. swimming. Notice Genesis 1:5. Your pleasure. nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord" (Isaiah 58:13-14). There is no such regulation as: "You may not spend more than 30 seconds talking about cars on the Sabbath. your employment. the holy of the Lord. What does "your ways. Sabbath Begins at Sunset In order to keep the Sabbath holy. 31. television. 2/. again. It doesn't mean you can't mention or discuss "physical" things. enterprises. Furthermore. movies." You simply apply the principle by putting your mind on the positive purposes for which the Sabbath was made.those things by which you feed.free from all your daily cares and worries -. card playing. The calendar of today has lost contact with the original 56 . Let's understand the principle of Isaiah 58:13-14. sewing. boating -. finances. Here. not doing thine own ways. This would also include the many time-consuming hobbies such as "ham" radio.free to be completely absorbed in YEHOVAH and His Word. washing the car -. golfing. we shouldn't become "Pharisaical" about this. honourable. 23.all the things that pertain to your physical maintenance during the normal course of the week. determining which day of the week in our Gregorian calendar of today the Sabbath falls on is not quite so simple. and call the sabbath a delight. This is the spiritual application of the first two principles. from the phases of the moon] has been one of the most significant contributions of Judaism to civilization" (p. states that "a continuous seven-day cycle that runs throughout history paying no attention whatsoever to the moon and its phases is a distinctly Jewish invention.to civilization. YEHOVAH's true weekly cycle and Sabbath day obviously preceded both the making of the calendrical association between "the day of Saturn" (Saturday) and the Sabbath and the naming of the planet after the latter. According to all authorities the present seven day cycle is artificial -having NO relationship to any natural phenomena. occasionally. Moreover. Zerubavel goes on to say that "the Jewish and astrological weeks evolved quite independently of one another.. and an old Jewish legend even links the choice of "the day of Saturn" as the official Jewish rest day with the superstition that it would be an inauspicious day for doing any work anyway!" (p.e. their conception of their holy day was evidently affected by the astrological conception of Saturn as a planet that has an overwhelming negative influence." this quote shows that the present weekly cycle was changed by the Jewish authorities from a cycle anchored to the moon's phases to one that is completely dissociated from the moon and its phases. and Jews even came to name the planet Saturn Shabtai. While we disagree with this being a "most significant contribution. as they came into closer contact with Hellenism. Judaism did that the other way around! 57 . after the original Hebrew name of the Sabbath. Saturday.. given the coincidence of their identical length. Yet. Sabbath observance had been established by YEHOVAH long before at Creation -. Whereas astrology named the day of Saturn after the planet. However. the Babylonians and the Hebrews had rest days or Sabbaths that coincided with the phases of the moon. Shabbath. Author Eviatar Zerubavel. A permanent correspondence between the Sabbath and "the day of Saturn" [Saturday] was thus established no later than the first century of the common era. Moreover. the DISSOCIATION of the seven-day week from nature [i. and the Sabbath day can fall on any day of the week -.week that YEHOVAH implemented.including. 17)..There are traditional Jewish superstitious beliefs about demons and evil spirits that hold full sway on the Sabbath.and long before the astrological week even came into existence. 11). back in early times. and appear to have derived this understanding from a common Semitic antiquity. it was only a matter of time before some permanent correspondence between particular Jewish days and particular planetary days would be made. While the Jewish sabbath day was indeed influenced by pagan astrological lore.. in his book The Seven Day Circle. From Sabbath to Saturday: The Story of the Jewish Rest Day. if you can see the sun. The same holds true for any kind of baking. roasting. The approximate time of the sunset may be found in most newspapers in the weather forecast section. Elaborate salads and dressings should be prepared separately ahead of time. Baked goods can be prepared ahead of time. on the Sabbath.such as housecleaning. etc. The New Moon and the Weekly Sabbath -. and saved until the Sabbath. There are some things which cannot or need not be done before the Sabbath. If this information is not available. not a day to catch up on what we should have been doing all week. Cook it on the preparation day (the day before the Sabbath) until it is almost but not completely done. write for the following articles: Have We Been Observing the Sabbath at the Wrong Time All These Years?. YEHOVAH's Sabbath is the seventh day on His true calendar and. It is only one day. Then." In this way the time involved will be kept down to a minimum on the Sabbath. But this may require cooking it for two or three hours. YEHOVAH has commanded that we prepare for it the day before -. Prepare for the Sabbath In order that we may have our minds free from last-minute duties on the Sabbath. and brought out to be eaten on the Sabbath. the sunset may be determined by observing the light as it diminishes before the twilight approaches. house repairs. baking. What should we do? Here is one way to handle the situation. But it does mean that we should plan ahead. and the roast will not be dry. kept in the refrigerator. One word of caution though. you would begin to observe the Sabbath when the sun is ready to fade away over the horizon.known as the "Preparation Day. Or. store it in the deep freeze and then thaw it out and eat it Sabbath morning.until the preparation day before the Sabbath! Do this and you will find the Sabbath may be a day of total collapse rather than a peaceful day of rest and relaxation with enough energy to communicate with YEHOVAH! The day before the Sabbath is a day that prepares us for the Sabbath. and YEHOVAH's Sacred Calendar for 2001. since YEHOVAH's days begin at sunset. -. you should keep YEHOVAH's Sabbath beginning at sunset the previous evening and ending Sabbath evening at sunset. boiling.For more information about YEHOVAH's Sabbath day and how to determine when it falls. 58 ." Exodus 16:23-25 shows that we should do our heavy cooking. etc. cooking. Don't make the mistake of leaving daily duties -. concerning the preparation day. Does that mean we cannot eat a fine. you can simply "warm it up. YEHOVAH does not want us to clutter up His Sabbath with long hours of cooking. sumptuous meal on the Sabbath? Not at all! The Sabbath is a feast day. Obviously we would not normally fry or scramble an egg on the preparation day. car washing. grocery shopping.. on the preparation day prior to the Sabbath.Side-By-Side. Let's say we want to prepare a nice roast for the Sabbath. Fire on the Sabbath Many wonder about Exodus 35:3." Here is a sacrificial fire (from which the priests in the wilderness cooked their meat) remained burning on the Sabbath. And YEHOVAH knew that if He did not stop them. Notice Leviticus 6:13: "The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar. It was an industrial fire. The Israelites were so zealous for building the tabernacle. a fire! The question is. In Exodus 35:3 YEHOVAH God was not referring to a cooking.with turning on your kitchen stove. It is certainly permissible to light a fire for heat in wintry weather or to warm up food. The Israelites were building the tabernacle and needed a fire large enough to work metal. The rabbis tried to legislate exactly how far a person could legally walk on the Sabbath." The original Hebrew word for "kindle" means to prepare a consuming flame. On the other hand. a fire which is used for work that should be done only on the other six days of the week. it shall never go out. This was a custom and tradition of the Jews. 59 . how can one prepare a simple meal? What about people in very cold climates? Can't they build a fire to keep warm? Let's notice Exodus 35:3 and its context.By using the preparation day properly we will be able to enter the Sabbath in a spirit of rejoicing and worship toward YEHOVAH. a flame that would devour -. sacrificial or personal heating fire -. Should a fire be kindled on the Sabbath day? If not. why mention such a fire in connection with the Sabbath? Read the context of chapter 35 and you will see. fires of the proper type were commanded by YEHOVAH to be kept burning. This scripture says: "Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Sabbath day. The distance they arrived at was 2. that Moses had to tell them to stop bringing unneeded materials for its construction. Now let us briefly discuss some specific questions which arise in regard to the Sabbath. This was not a cooking or household heating fire. Anyone who traveled more than this distance on the Sabbath became guilty of breaking the Sabbath in their eyes. This had nothing to do with personal cooking -. It is not a Biblical command of any sort. Sabbath Travel What about traveling on the Sabbath? Some people are confused about the meaning of "a Sabbath day's journey" found in Acts 1:12.000 cubits -.which is about three quarters of a mile.but rather.that is. the Israelites would work right through the Sabbath on the tabernacle. Of course. With this principle in mind. if you are living a Christian life. 60 . This could be a beneficial diversion and a relaxation. Sabbath Visitors From time to time unconverted friends and relatives may come to visit on the Sabbath. The questions you need to ask yourself are these: "Why do I want to travel on the Sabbath? Do I need to travel on the Sabbath? Is it to worship and glorify YEHOVAH? Will this traveling help me to keep YEHOVAH's Sabbath holy? Or is it merely for such pleasure-seeking which will deprive me of the ability to properly worship YEHOVAH? You will have to ask and answer these questions for yourself. There is no special command anywhere in the Bible defining travel on the Sabbath. he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).But YEHOVAH never legislated on this point. However. and ask if you could get together with them some other time. one shouldn't walk or drive so far on the Sabbath as to become unduly tired or have his worship of YEHOVAH interfered with. However. every set of circumstances is different.on this day. His purpose. taking a refreshing walk is fine so long as it doesn't turn into a "hike. However. Every situation requires a different answer. it might be best to tactfully tell the people involved that you believe this day to be YEHOVAH's Sabbath. then be as hospitable as possible. They understandably lack the comprehension to keep YEHOVAH's Law like an adult can. be hospitable and friendly.His ways. Invite them in. This command would certainly apply to teaching your child to keep the Sabbath. If visitors are neighbors or in-town relatives. YEHOVAH inspired Solomon to write: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old. You simply have to act with wisdom as the problem arises. We must learn to use wisdom in each and every case. Instruct Your Children The Sabbath affords a wonderful opportunity for you to train and teach your children. However. if certain individuals make it a practice of visiting you on the Sabbath. the chances are close friends. Again. His creation -. neighbors and relatives already know you keep the Sabbath. Let your light shine." Driving to a nearby park to enjoy a relaxing family picnic is fine so long as it doesn't turn into a long trip. our thoughts should always be centered on YEHOVAH -. As far as YEHOVAH is concerned. What should be done? There are no hard and fast rules regarding this. you should remember that even sweet little children are self-centered. and act accordingly. It is not wrong to have a picnic lunch with the family or friends on the Sabbath. If visitors are old friends or relatives from out of town who have traveled some distance to visit you. one of the biggest problems to be wary of is trying to cram that knowledge down the throats of others. keeping the Sabbath may seem strange to your children. At first. 61 . That is what we should do. Walk with them. a walk in the woods. But they should. You should keep the Sabbath. a ten. it won't be long before your children begin to associate the Sabbath with family togetherness. park or merely around the block. They should be instructed in a kind and straightforward manner that the seventh day is holy to their heavenly Father. he has a personality and a mind of his own. however.or twelve-year-old child should have enough respect for YEHOVAH's Sabbath that he (or she) does not spend his or her time reading "funny books" or watching TV programs on that day. and they may be annoyed at not being able to do the things they used to do on that day. be taught to rest from their routine work. If you do. He is liable to feel that you are unreasonably curtailing his freedom and lowering his image amongst his peers -. but don't preach to other members of the family. By the time a youngster reaches his teens. If you really follow through with this principle. can do a lot to offset any such resentment. But you. You should certainly tell them. 65). Encourage them to ask questions about YEHOVAH or the Sabbath. Set the right example.especially teen-agers. subdued and educational games. But let it go at that. don't force YEHOVAH's truth upon him or her. Only YEHOVAH can open a person's mind and lead him or her to understand the importance of the true Sabbath day (John 6:44. why you don't do certain things on the Sabbath. If your husband or wife is uninterested. if they ask. as a parent. Don't Push Your Family When YEHOVAH begins to open a person's mind to His truth. There are many things you can do on the Sabbath that will appeal to your children if you will only think about it: A family picnic. Your children should be taught these things gradually and only as their age makes it possible for them to understand. or to play quiet. Don't suddenly inform him that he can't go to school on the Sabbath day.and he may resent it. Make sure you spend time with your children -. If trained properly from infancy. homework or boisterous play on the Sabbath.especially if they are young. you will soon find relations between you and your mate strained. It is all right for young children to play quietly on the Sabbath.encourage older children to study some profitable books. Have a family Bible study. when it falls during the week. Be very careful when dealing with your children -. and that they can show their love for Him by refraining from their usual play on that day. Read them stories from the Bible. Talk with them. DON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE! Yeshua tells us to let our light shine (Matthew 5:16). is it all right to care for livestock on the Sabbath? Yeshua showed very clearly that feeding and watering stock is necessary on the Sabbath and permissible (Luke 13:15). and there is no problem. Any decisions about their Sabbath conduct and activities should be made very carefully and with wise counsel. To avoid this problem. Farm Problems Farmers have special questions concerning the Sabbath. understanding. You need to really love and work with your children. Put the accent on building this confidence. Of course. YEHOVAH does not want us to be slaves to our occupation. Other teens rebel. On the other extreme. Make YEHOVAH's way the fun way of life -. What about the sale of farm produce on the Sabbath? Amos 8:5 and Nehemiah 13:15-19 show that we should not transact any business on the Sabbath.Some teen-agers go right along with their parents. You need to size up your teen-agers. you should make this fact known tactfully.the kind of fun that's fun today and next year -. you could tactfully tell him the Sabbath is holy to you. Show real concern for your children.with NO kickbacks. with the Sabbath falling on different days of the week. and woe be it to the one who dares to disobey. This brings up another problem. But if your neighbor is in real need of food. and that you don't normally loan out your tools on that day. You need to understand them: how they think. Don't be an iron-fisted autocrat who lays down the law. then you should either learn to better organize your work or cut down the number. what they like and dislike. if you are spending an excessive amount of time caring for dairy cattle or livestock on the Sabbath. what their needs are and what is really precious to them. he certainly should be aware of your convictions. Children and teen-agers must have confidence in their parents. For example. What if a neighbor has an emergency and asks to borrow one of your tools on the Sabbath? In this case it is an "ox in the ditch" situation and it would be all right to lend it to him. If not. it wouldn't be wrong to give it to him. Then you need to ask YEHOVAH for wisdom. In other words make YEHOVAH's way so attractive to your teen-agers that this world's way will lose a lot of its appeal to them. it may not be too much of a problem. insight. Also show them the positive side of YEHOVAH's way. 62 . be a loving parent. The same principle holds true for milking cows. suppose a neighbor habitually wants to borrow some item from you on the Sabbath? If he is that close a neigh. to know how to approach your teen-agers with the subject of the Sabbath. However. Rather. There are, of course, any number of situations between these two extremes. They should be handled with love, concern, wisdom and with the overall purpose of the Sabbath in mind. Handling Emergencies What do you do when an emergency arises on the Sabbath? Yeshua said: "Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?" (Luke 14:5). Many misunderstand this statement. Some may wonder if their job is an ox in the ditch situation when they are required to work on the Sabbath day -- as will frequently happen when the Sabbath falls during the week. The principle of the ox in the ditch applies to genuine emergencies like personal injuries, burning houses, power failures, accidents and other occurrences (natural disasters -- tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.) which would entail injury or loss of life or of personal property. It is not an ox in the ditch situation when your job requires you to work on the Sabbath. Neither does the principle apply to those who "push their own ox into the ditch" by acquiring or keeping a job where they can't negotiate to have the Sabbath day off, or by "putting off" work which should have been done during the other days of the week. Nor does it include harvesting or plowing on the Sabbath -- even if there has been bad weather or machinery breakdowns during the other week days. YEHOVAH says, "Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing [better translated, "plowing"] time and in harvest thou shalt rest" (Exodus 34:21). Procuring Food on the Sabbath In Matthew 12:1-5 Yeshua clearly showed that it is not wrong to procure food on the Sabbath if one is without food and is hungry. If, for some reason, you are caught away from home on the Sabbath, it is not wrong to eat a meal in a restaurant or cafeteria. Some people living in today's gigantic metropolises do not have cooking facilities. There would be nothing wrong for such people to buy a meal on the Sabbath. Perhaps one should also consider moving to an apartment which does have cooking facilities. Dishes on the Sabbath Some women have wondered if it is all right to wash dishes on the Sabbath. YEHOVAH does not specifically state how many dishes we may wash on the Sabbath. Washing dishes is an everyday physical act that could detract from the Sabbath. Some women simply rinse, neatly stack and cover soiled dishes and utensils, waiting until after the Sabbath to give them a final washing. Others use paper plates, and thus avoid some of the problem. Still, if necessary, it is not wrong to wash dishes or utensils on the Sabbath. Time spent at this task should be kept to a minimum. YEHOVAH does not want us to clutter up His Sabbath by spending a lot of time washing dishes or doing other household chores. 63 But that doesn't mean that you should leave the house in shambles! Again, use wisdom. Do what is necessary. But don't get involved in housework. Television and Radio Often a person will ask if he can watch television or listen to the radio on the Sabbath. This is another area where YEHOVAH does not specifically legislate. But the principle is clear. YEHOVAH's Sabbath is holy. Most television programs consist of sports events, movies, variety shows or other such programs. They do not help you to keep YEHOVAH's Sabbath day holy. Therefore, you should not be spending valuable time on YEHOVAH's Sabbath watching television. The same holds true for radio programs. There can be exceptions, however. It is not wrong to listen to a particularly good news program on the Sabbath. Also, from time to time, some special documentaries showing prophecy being fulfilled are broadcast on the Sabbath. But be sure you do not use such liberty as license to keep the television or radio on for an excessive amount of time -- thus breaking the Sabbath. A certain amount of relaxing, subdued, enjoyable background music can add to the Sabbath atmosphere, and help make it a delight. But listening to secular music for sheer entertainment to while away the Sabbath is a sin. What pleases YEHOVAH is our participating in singing songs and psalms of praise to Him -- especially on the Sabbath. Enjoy YEHOVAH's Sabbath As you can readily see, multitudes of questions could arise about keeping the Sabbath. However, most of those questions can be easily answered if we keep in mind the basic purpose of the Sabbath day. Remember! The Sabbath is YEHOVAH's day -- the day He made holy. It is not only a day of physical rest and relaxation from the toil of the week, but it is also a spiritual BLESSING. It is a day that renews our bond with YEHOVAH. Use YEHOVAH's Sabbath! Use wisdom in observing it! Be BALANCED in your approach to the Sabbath. Be neither hypocritical, self-righteous, Pharisaical; nor haphazard, sloppy, unmindful. So KEEP HOLY the day YEHOVAH made holy! REJOICE in the blessings and opportunities that the Sabbath affords, and remember that it is an identifying sign of direct relationship between you and your Creator. Make Way He comes to judge the nations and to reign -- on the throne of ancient Israel -In David's city -- New Jerusalem -reclaimed by Britain from the infidel As foretold in Daniel's prophecy; the power of Evil curbed, the power of Love set free. Make way through the turmoil of the times. Make a highway for the Prince of Peace... Clear a path through trial and turbulence. Bid violence subside and anger cease. Make way through the chaos of the world. A royal route prepare for Yeshua the king... Make way for the lord of all to ride -the road of glory, truth and light to bring. -- Patience Strong 64 Hidden "Codes" in the Biblical Text? David Maas During the last decade the notion that hidden codes are "embedded" in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament (OT) has become of great interest to evangelical and some Jewish circles. The idea has grown sufficiently in popularity to spawn over two dozen books (including at least one New York Times bestseller), several commercially available software packages (for "decoding" the codes), a number of television interviews and program episodes about the code, and at least one commercially viable Hollywood movie. The classic example used to demonstrate ELS occurs in Genesis 1:1-5a. Starting with the last letter of the first word of the Bible, the tau roughly corresponding to our "t," and counting forward in intervals of forty-nine characters, one discovers that the Hebrew word for "instruction" or "law" ( torah) is spelled out every fiftieth letter. (Chuck Missler, The Cosmic Codes, pp. 126-129). We will return to this example in a moment. The relatively recent awareness of the Code is due to technological advances. Prior There are different nuances and complexi- to the advent of the modern computer it was ties to this Code depending on which propo- extremely tedious to find such "codes" by nent one listens to, but the underlying counting Hebrew characters manually (the bamethodology is quite simple. The Code is re- sic thought that "hidden codes" of various ferred to as "Equidistant Letter Sequences," or types exist in the Hebrew text goes back at ELS. The theory is that hidden words and sen- least to the Kabbalah of medieval Jewish tences can be found "embedded" in the He- mysticism (Gershom Scholem, Kabbalah, pp. brew text of the OT by counting Hebrew 337-343)). Yet today computers running apletters at equally spaced intervals. That is, a propriate software can quickly scan the Heperson can locate certain meaningful words or brew text and detect a variety of "embedded phrases, such as "hammer" and "anvil," if he messages" (several such programs can be examines the letters at sequences that were downloaded from the Internet). By using comequally spaced in the Hebrew text. Thus, "if he puters Code proponents claim to have discovfound the first letter of a significant word such ered thousands of words and sentences as Torah, and then, by skipping forward seven "embedded" in most or all sections of the O.T. letters he found the second letter of the word Torah, he would continue to skip forward the The import assigned to the ELS codes is same number of letters to see whether or not that their existence "proves" that the Bible, at the complete word Torah was spelled out in least the OT, is "divine rather than human in the text at equally spaced intervals" (Grant origin" (some Code proponents also claim to Jeffrey, The Signature of God, pp. 255-256). have discovered messages "embedded" in the Greek text of the NT (Grant Jeffrey, The 65 whether or not they change the substantive meaning of a passage. In many cases which vowels are supplied affects not only pronunciation but also the meaning of a word. Hebrew grammarians point out the liberties that Code proponents take with the consonantal Hebrew text.the Ashkenazi. 94). in order for the Code to work. Thus they either state or infer that the Hebrew text we have today has been preserved without change or error since its inception.805 letters of the text!" (Chuck Missler.have only nine letter-level variations total in the entire 304. In biblical Hebrew vowels were not written. Yet the same three consonants supplied instead with the vowels -e-e. In the character string "sdwdClko wOqwo dDpo kjEmnx" the word "code" is found by using every fifth letter. 123). Mathematicians argue that statistically such "codes" or patterns will occur by chance in any text of similar length to the OT. Therefore. However. Scholars of various disciplines have offered a variety of criticisms of the Code. it is for all practical purposes impossible for thousands of coded messages based on ELS to have been "encoded" in the OT text by human design. by simply inserting the single character "e" after the " C" ("sdwdCelko Woqwo Ddpo k Jemnx")my "code" now produces the nonsensical word "cwdj. "Details of today's world are encoded in a text that has been set in stone for hundreds of years.Mysterious Bible Codes. Because numerous authors wrote the OT over a period of about one thousand years. particularly one that includes no vowels as in the Hebrew text (John Weldon. Others point to the failure of Code proponents to consider the thousands of textual variants that exist among the various manuscripts of the OT. p. the Sephardi. The thesis that today we have a pristine copy of the original Hebrew text is the issue upon which the validity of the Code stands or falls. 169-179)). and the Yemenite -. only consonants. the common Hebrew noun for "word" (dabar) is written with the consonants d-b-r. The Cosmic Codes. the argument goes. p. The Bible Code: Fact or Fake? pp. Vowels were supplied when someone read the text. 35038). namely that the Hebrew text we have today is letter-for-letter precisely the same as the text originally penned by the various authors of the OT. First we must ask the question: do we today have a version of the Hebrew text that is letter-for-letter the same as the text as originally written? A Basic Premise By its very nature the ELS Code demands the acceptance of an essential presupposition. But there is one problem with the Code that completely invalidates it. p. the only reasonable conclusion is that the Code (and thus the OT) is divine or supra-human in origin. This necessity is easily demonstrated with a simple example.( deber) form a word meaning "pestilence. will certainly affect any "Code" based on counting character intervals between letters. Note the following comments: "The three Torahs in use worldwide among the Jews -. 66 . For example." This and other characteristics of the Hebrew language make it fairly easy to find or force specific meanings into a given string of consonants (Phil Stanton. Variant readings that add to or delete letters from the Hebrew text. Code proponents instinctively understand the necessity of accepting this premise in order for the Code to work. Decoding the Bible Code. and has existed for thousands of years. not only must our present Hebrew text preserve the same number of characters as contained in the original.) Hence my Code is invalidated by a change of one or more characters. That is. but the letters also must be in the same order as first written. the two vowels (-a-a-) being supplied by the reader. affect the number and order of characters. "All Bibles in the original Hebrew language As to the claim that the Isaiah scroll found that now exist are the same letter for letter" at Qumran contained "only a handful of single(Michael Drosnin. and text are in agreement. Mynatt and Crawford. Codex Leningradensis an elaborate system of regulations governing is still the oldest complete manuscript of the the copying of OT manuscripts.950 AD (Kelley. the ing variants exist between the Isaiah scroll and most remarkable aspect was the absence of the Masoretic Text (Ernst Wurthwen. Only a handful of single.except Esther. 67 There is a complete version from 1008 AD that is nearly the same. The Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. and fragments of all but one book of the entire Old Testament have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Bible Code.Codex Lenengradensis was this rigor that has preserved the remark. Due to the work of a group of found at Qumran were from extra-biblical Jewish scribes known as Masoretes (from Jewish writings. fixed the meaning of words by inserting vowels amongst the consonants. completely misleading. The question is not ered at Qumran were one complete Isaiah whether all present versions of the Hebrew scroll. However. letter or punctuation differences. The Masoretes established of the Hebrew Bible.OT were written over a one thousand year pecurred between approximately 600 AD and riod from approximately 1400 BC to 400 BC. one almost complete Isaiah scroll. the data upon which to claim that the Dead Sea Masoretic Text. The Signature of God. p. 15-22). The Cosmic Codes. at (Chuck Missler.differences of spelling and the like that would. Their efforts were The Key Issue so successful that textual variants between medieval manuscripts and those printed today are It is to be remembered that the books of the rare. each with its own set of variant "Jesus Christ. p." the statement "When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. 32). 38). p. is derived) the Hebrew text Scrolls demonstrate that we have in the Mawe use today was indeed "set in stone" hun. The majority of the manuscripts nally written. What of the centuries prior to that period? A fundamental goal of the Masoretes was to establish a standard Hebrew text from among at least three competing older textual traditions.soretic Text a pristine copy of the original text dreds of years ago. As priceless as the scrolls of Qumran are. p. 194). The Bible Code. the work of the Masoretes oc. There is simply insufficient which the name of the present Hebrew text. 258). Few of these textual variants afinspired by God and were preserved in their fected the substance of the OT. best. which are more than 2000 years old" (Michael Drosnin. however. Himself. Over forty-five hundred spellincluding the complete scroll of Isaiah. The discrepancies when compared with our current Text of the Old Testament. is totally false. 35)) is "nearly the same" as the OT able encodings that are still with us today" books found among the Dead Sea Scrolls is.claim that the oldest complete manuscript of letter or punctuation differences were found! It the OT (1008 AD -. Discovkey point is missed.(ibid. 123). And the copies of Isaiah. frey. Most involved precise order throughout eternity" (Grant Jef. but whether or not they fragments from all the rest of the OT books preserve the character arrangement as origi. They also entire Hebrew OT in existence. .. a complete copy of In several of the preceding quotations the the OT HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND. affirmed that the actual readings numbering in the thousands if not tens letters composing the Scriptures were directly of thousands. p. p. pp. p. the name David. This is no different than "modernizing" the spelling of Old English words from documents authored hundreds of years ago (e. However. 40). As one preeminent authority on the text of the OT wrote: "Text transmission prior to 300 BC was also based on a predominant consonantal spelling. p. We know the use of matres long vowel was present. As with all living languages Hebrew underwent orthographic or spelling changes (as well as changes in syntax). In both cases it is pronounced dawi d and both forms occur in the Hebrew Bible. This "helper" letter cal author writing his original text during the was not pronounced and did not affect the ninth century initially use matres lectionis or original pronunciation or meaning of a word. changing the second person plural form of the pronoun "ye" to "you"). Regardless of how careful a scribe was errors occurred due to the nature of manual copying. 56). Old Testament Textual Criticism. Hebrew grammarians refer to the use of a consonant to mark a long vowel as matres lectionis (Latin for "mothers of reading"). Matres lectionis were subsequently added to the Old Testament text [emphasis added]. Cross. Scribes were merely keeping the language of the Bible in harmony with current usage. Early Hebrew Orthography. written and read by the Israelites. No characters Complicating the matter is that the dates for existed for representing vowels.. All of the the first usage of matres lectionis are approxiearliest books of the OT were written with this mations. 37). literally 'mothers of reading. p. and David Noel Freedman. certain consonants came to be used to indicate vowels.' They were first used to indicate final long vowels (beginning in the ninth century BC) and later (beginning in the eighth century BC) they were also used to indicate medial long vowels. In older or archaic Hebrew the name is spelled with the three consonants d-w-d while in later Hebrew the spelling is dw-y-d. but not in a completely Hebrew was originally written with a systematic way" (Ellis Brotzman.g. Ancient Hebrew scribes incorporated matres lectionis into the biblical text to indicate long vowels. As initially written. The relevancy to the Code is that Hebrew scribes incorporated many such modifications to Hebrew spelling practices into the text of the OT. From about the ninth century on.transition period to the new spelling method in lable to indicate that a specific long vowel such a non-technological society? Did a bibliwas to be pronounced. It not? We have no way of knowing the answers served to communicate to the reader that a to such questions. most early Old Testament books would have been written in an exclusively consonantal text. in the latter case y (or yod) has been added to indicate a long vowel. an everyday language spoken. A good example is lectionis began around the ninth century from 68 . a problem more fundamental to the Code than scribal error exists. This was not due to carelessness or a lack of reverence for the biblical books. Did the practice begin in the early or exclusively consonantal text. These 'helping' consonants are called matres lectionis. Old Testapurely consonantal alphabet (Frank Moore ment Textual Criticism. grow gradually by region? Was there a long That is. a consonant was inserted within a syl. Many (but not all) of the textual variants in both OT and NT manuscripts can be explained as scribal errors. Jr. However. Beginning in the late ninth century? Was the practice impleninth century BC certain consonants began to mented consistently throughout Israel or did it be used as "helpers" to mark long vowels.Prior to the advent of the printing press all copies of OT books were copied by hand (Ellis Brotzman. During the period in which the OT was written Hebrew was a living language. Third. p. the portion of the Bible in which most of the Bible codes occur.and thousands of textual variants do exist. matres lectionis and other or. None of them were original. p. Jr. But did biblical scribes adopt these improvements into the text of the OT as quickly as they came into use in popular literature or at a later date? Such unknowns make any effort to restore the original character sequence of the OT text by removing matres lectionis (and other orthographic changes) from the Hebrew text essentially impossible. In Summary The adoption of matres lectionis into the Hebrew text of the OT by early Israelite scribes is only one of many problems with the popular ELS Code and represents only one of many such changes in Hebrew spelling habits incorporated by scribes into the OT text. Remove them and the "hidden code" torah ceases to exist though the meaning and pronunciation of the passage remain unchanged.. but later the letter vav ( w) was used as in the Masoretic Text (ibid. Yet the thousands of orthographic changes For example. a practice not used in the Masoretic Text. Nevertheless. which Hebrew consonants were brew text that is generally faithful to the origiused to mark which vowels changed over time. 58). nal. However. some of the Dead Sea Scrolls even use two consonants in places to mark a single long vowel such as alef AND vav for a single long o. The good OT text inconsistently. A History of the Hebrew Language. yet they occur thousands of times just in the five books of the Pentateuch. such efforts were implemented inconsistently and only partially (which is another reason the Masoretic Text displays such a mixture of Hebrew spelling practices throughout).non-biblical inscriptions." Hence Code proponents are using a spelling form of to rah ( t-w-r-h) which postdates the Mosaic writings rather than the more archaic form (t-rh) to find "codes" in the very oldest section of the Bible. Early Hebrew Orthography. (Frank Moore Cross. but rather to show one of the KEY reasons why the ELS Code is invalid. My purpose has not been to study exhaustively all aspects of the Code or to present a complete description of the history of the biblical text's transmission. orthographic changes to the Three additional issues further complicate text of the Hebrew Old Testament did occur the matter. First. The Masoretic Text is news is that most of these anomalies affect "itself a mixture of orthographic forms from only spelling (and other minor issues) and every stage in the history of Hebrew spelling" have little impact on the meaning of passages. To return to our earlier example. 66). Ironically the spelling form used for torah in Genesis 1:1-5a by Code proponents is a later form of to rah which uses the letter vav (corresponding to our "w") as a mater lectionis ( mater is singular. when matres lectionis first came that affect the number and order of characters into use the letter he ( h) marked the long "o" make any "Code" based on exact sequences of 69 . confident that we have a version of the He59). In fact. and David Noel Due to the efforts of textual critics we can be Freedman. When the earliest books of the OT were originated matres lectionis were not used (Angel Saenz-Badillos. I believe that the spirit of God inspired the books of the Old Testament as originally written. during the rabbinic and Masoretic periods as the Hebrew text was being "set in stone" there were some attempts by scribes out of due reverence to the original text to remove some of the later spelling forms in order to restore the older spelling patterns. matres plural) to mark the long "o. Second. We thographic changes were incorporated into the ignore such facts at our own peril. p. in Genesis 1:1-5a at least twenty-one matres lectionis occur within this string of text. And one does not need to dig too deeply to find the relevant information. Adoni is never 70 . in Psalm 110:1? I read that this is so in the NASV marginal note to Acts 2:36. Byington). So Psalm 110:1 is a most precious testimony to the truth that the Messiah is not YEHOVAH Himself but the son of YEHOVAH. This latter possibility is extremely doubtful. owner.letters completely void. I am sorry to have to point out that there is a serious factual mistake in what you read in that source. etc. NRSV and the 1973 version of the NASV read correctly. used as a title for YEHOVAH. hidden messages" buried behind the plain text of Scripture. Steven F." The Knox translation reads "the Lord said to my Master. It designates human superiors of all types (father. the desire to "search Scriptures daily to see if these things be so" scarcely exists in the Body of Christ. how is he to be his son?'" (The Bible in Living English. As Allon Maxwell has so aptly put it. "The Lord said to my lord. but the son of God. You may have to ask someone who knows Hebrew. at least in North America. Adonai. in the words. "the Lord said to my lord. as there is no evidence from any of the Jewish writings of the period to indicate such as effort was undertaken and it would go against everything for which the Masoretes stood. spiritual catchphrases.but never YEHOVAH. but when it comes to the study of Scripture there is no substitute for serious individual research. Perhaps this Christian tendency stems from the subtle evangelical attitude that views Scripture. The human desire to find easy answers and short cuts is as understandable as the appeal of the sensational. Many believers hop on such bandwagons because they seem to offer spectacular evidence for the divine authorship of the Bible. a number of non-believing critics of Christianity have taken the small amount of time necessary to research this very same data and have posted papers on the Internet ridiculing the Code. RSV. Sadly. Unfortunately. king. 'How is it that David in the spirit calls him lord. February 1999). many believers are using their computers "for a form of divination" (Allon Maxwell. sacraments and church traditions almost as if they were magical talismans rather than tools to help lead us to truth. 92. But the only possible conclusions are that they exist either due to pure chance or possibly the Masoretes deliberately rearranged the letter sequences of the Hebrew text to produce the Code." One modern paraphrase version helpfully writes in Matthew 22:43-45 (note the small "l's"): "He said to them. Q & A: If it is true that the Messiah is not God. That Code proponents can find "hidden messages embedded" in the Hebrew text is not disputed. lord. That the Code was not original to the OT text is clear to anyone familiar with the history of the transmission of the Hebrew text. To these critics such "Christian" fads only substantiate their view that believers are gullible fools easily taken in by fantasies and myths.. Bible Digest. The problem with Christian "fads" like the Code is that they only serve to further discredit the cause of Christ and Scripture in the eyes of a lost world. p.. Strong's Concordance unfortunately does not let you see the important difference between Adonai and adoni. The RV. 'Sit at my right hand till I put your enemies under your feet'"? If then David calls him lord.) and sometimes angels -. why is it that the Messiah is given the divine title for God. Yet the Code should warn us of the danger of accepting every new fad and idea uncritically. but the word for the Messiah in Psalm 110:1 is not in fact Adonai (the Lord God in all of its 449 occurrences) but the different word adoni which always means a superior who is not YEHOVAH." using the lower case "l.. The sensational always makes for an effective sales tool. David's son and David's superior. Rather than pursuing serious study and unbiased inquiry of Scripture we have many Christians using their computers today to find the "deeper. which are readily available and free. This pagan doctrine was contrived for the purpose of BLINDING people's minds to the TRUE Savior sent by YEHOVAH.ONLY the heavenly Father knows. no. because He could swear by NO ONE GREATER. 2/.which has been taught to them by the SERVANTS OF SATAN. However. and to YEHOVAH's true plan of bringing His sons to perfection. 16. but (2) we find that YEHOVAH the Father is greater than the Son. 71 .YEHOVAH (or God) of the Old Testament. This emphatically disproves the pagan Christian doctrines of the Trinity and of the pre-existent Savior. Now. if Yeshua was -. John D. He swore by Himself. this goes against the doctrines of the Trinity and of the PRE-EXISTENCE -. but my Father ONLY. But. Hebrews 6:13. Note carefully this statement which Yeshua made -. then he would be "The Father" and he would know the day and hour of his Second Coming! But he clearly shows here that he does NOT know that day and hour -. and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute." In the these inspired verses we find that there was NO GREATER BEING by Whom to confirm this promise to Abraham.for if Yeshua pre-existed as an equal to the Father as many believe. this promise would have been ratified by BOTH the Father AND the Son. Keyser 1/. In Hebrews 6:13 and 15 we read -"For when YEHOVAH made a promise to Abraham. not even the angels of heaven.which also proves there is no one greater than YEHOVAH -"But of that day and hour NO ONE KNOWS. This is because neither one would be greater than the other. "For men indeed swear by the GREATER. Matthew 24:36. The following proofs show that Yeshua NEVER EXISTED prior to his human birth in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.as some teach today -.12 Proofs That Yeshua DID NOT Pre-exist! The plan of YEHOVAH has been overlooked by the people in this world because they have accepted the PAGAN DOCTRINE of a pre-existent savior who did it all for them -. we are clearly shown in these scriptures that (1): Not only was Yeshua NON-EXISTENT at the time the promise was made to Abraham. the world. even when the subject upon which they treat would naturally have led them to appeal to its authority. in the latter end of the fifth century." then he would have been a being who possessed ALL KNOWLEDGE.and NOT the every word of YEHOVAH! The Emphatic Diaglott. Adam Clarke.nor would it have ever entered his mind! The later translators knew this verse was ADDED and bogus. is of no great moment. who bears testimony to the Father. the Word. -. that Jesus came to die for. if Yeshua had pre-existed ALONGSIDE the Father from at least the Creation as an equal or "second God.! The apostle John NEVER wrote this -. in itself. the Word. the Father. yet they failed to italicize it. as its design must be obvious to all. and the Holy Spirit. and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth. goes on to tell us: Verse 7. 3/. just as the Father does. and was first cited (though not as it now reads) by Vigilius Tapsensis. the Word or Logos. and give life to.D." This text concerning the heavenly witnesses is not contained in any Greek manuscript which was written earlier than the 15th century. shows this verse MISSING in their translation -. and he still would have known the day and the hour of his return.Improved Version. which is a standard practice to show the reader that those particular words and phrases were added. It is therefore evidently spurious.and also explains WHY -7. I John 5:7. but by whom forged. anxious to incorporate this doctrine (which was one of THEIR oldest and most honored) into their "Christian" religion. There are three that bear record] The Father. "For there are three that bear witness in heaven. went so far as to ADD verses to the Bible to prove their doctrine of pre-existence and the Trinity. This. Here is a verse that was ADDED for this very reason -"For there are three that bear record in heaven. proves that those in control of translating the scriptures were those who embraced the doctrines of paganism -. and the Holy Ghost. in his Clarke's Commentary. It is not cited by any of the Greek ecclesiastical writers. The Old Testament prophets nowhere promulgated a doctrine about a "pre-existent savior" -. a Latin writer of no credit. who bears testimony to his Son. 72 . But the pagans. the Father. And these three are one in essence. nor by any of the early Latin fathers. The received text reads.Similarly.and neither did Yeshua or the apostles in the New Testament. and agree in the one testimony. which bears testimony to the Father and the Son. and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" (I John 5:7). What is wrong with this scripture? Simply this: This entire verse is NOT even found in the Greek writings before the year 400 A. page 803. This is something the scriptures adamantly condemn. Armenian.] However. and with out the forged "Three Heavenly Witnesses. 7) was subjected to interpolation of a later date. the Father. they would be an affirmation of the doctrine of the Trinity. Ethiopic. to explain why this was not deleted by some of the later Bible versions -Erasmus first detected the fraud and omitted the forged verse in his edition of the Greek Testament in 1516.) But His Church does. The Roman Church refused to bow to the evidence.If these two verses were authentic. the Word. and even of this version many of the most ancient and correct MSS. 718-19. Slavonian.. The Holy Trinity is an unholy Forgery! 73 . we will allow the book Forgery in Christianity. It is wanting in both the Syriac. 1897. it has been entirely omitted by the Revisers of the New Testament. xxvii.. It is wanting also in all the ancient Greek fathers. are these:[In heaven. for they do not appear in the best manuscripts down to the fifteenth century.. It is wanting in every MS. the Vulgate excepted. &c. Reinach says: "One of these forgeries (I John v. p.'" (Orpheus. p. the Coptic. by Joseph Wheless. in a word. Companion to the Revised Version. and Acts and St. p. and these three are one and there are three which bear witness in earth. If we receive the witness of man. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness. III.. on January 13. with the exception of the Codex Montfortii. p. Pt. and these three agree in one." says Gibbon. 72) "This memorable text. Gregory's rebuke is specially applicable: 'God does not need our lies." (Ch. Sahidic.. It was first pointed out in 1516 that these verses were an interpolation. and the Holy Spirit.." The words that are omitted by all the MSS. one excepted. but by water and blood. Jesus Christ. is a forgery: "It had been willfully and wickedly interpolated. 598. (New Comm. 7.) This verse 7. the above excepted. and the blood. the water." there would be not a word in the entire New Testament hinting the existence of the Three-in-One God of Christianity. Paul ignore it. not by water alone. etc. 239. and authentic manuscripts. and in most even of the Latin. the witness of God is greater. 9.The Congregation of the Index." (Roberts. bluntly speaking. all the Arabic. above four score in number. the Codex Montfortii. For there are three that bear witness. and all the versions.But it is likely this verse is not genuine. in all the ancient versions but the Vulgate. for without them it would not be. of all the manuscripts now extant. some of which are more than 1200 years old. ancient versions. have it not. The words.) Speaking of this and another. in Trinity College. of this epistle written before the invention of printing. to sustain the Trinitarian doctrine. at a time when the gospels. forbade any question of the authenticity of the text relating to the "Three Heavenly Witnesses. are the following:"6. This is he that came by water and blood." It showed in this instance a willful ignorance to which St. as they exist in all the Greek MSS. with the approbation of Leo XIII. the Spirit. Dublin: the others which omit this verse amount to one hundred and twelve. because the Spirit is truth. "is condemned by the silence of the Fathers. and let thine enemies be scattered. in this particular case." and it was YEHOVAH's manifestation (Greek possessive form). It is interesting to note that in the Chaldee Targums (paraphrases of parts of the Old Testament written in the Chaldee language) we find that YEHOVAH is called "the Word of the Lord" and equated with the Shekinah Glory! It is.notice: KING JAMES VERSION. Numbers 11:20: "Because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you." the perpetrators of I John 5:7 were also promulgating the FALSEHOOD of the pagan concept found in John 1:1 (KJV) -. 36: "And it came to pass. should properly have been translated "MANIFESTATION" or "SHEKINAH GLORY" in this case -. Numbers 11:20: "Because ye have contemptuously rejected THE WORD OF THE LORD whose SHEKINAH dwelleth among you. the translators of the King James Version did want you to believe that the "Word" was God.in order to make it appear as though this were speaking about a being or a person.and certainly not confused with Yeshua the Messiah! The MANIFESTATION OF YEHOVAH was with YEHOVAH "in the beginning. and let them that hate thee flee before thee. Rise up. And when it rested. in the Targums: CHALDEE TARGUMS." CHALDEE TARGUMS." The Greek word "Logos" was very dear to pagan minds. he said. However. to Thy people Israel. O WORD OF THE LORD. unto the many thousands of Israel. the "Word" (Yeshua. the other perpetrators of this false doctrine are just as guilty of deception since they DID NOT remove this verse from subsequent versions of the Bible when they uncovered the truth about it! In naming the second person of this Trinity the "Word. nevertheless. and the Word was with God. YEHOVAH's manifestation (or 74 . And. and that "He" was "in the beginning WITH God" -.which says: "In the beginning was the Word.The first perpetrator of this FRAUD added the pagan doctrine of the Trinity to the Bible -that there are three gods in one: the Father (one). Numbers 10:35. and the Word was God. O LORD [YEHOVAH]. Numbers 10:36: "Return now. in fact. when the ark set forward. that Moses said. make the glory of Thy SHEKINAH to dwell among them." This latter part becomes. Return. common practice in the Targums to find the word LORD (YEHOVAH) translated "the Word of the Lord" -." Take note that the word "Word" is CAPITALIZED in this verse -. and have mercy on the thousands of Israel.that "He" was pre-existent and equal with YEHOVAH." Now look at Numbers 11:20: KING JAMES VERSION. a personified third god (three). LORD [YEHOVAH]. two) and the Holy Spirit. but. for we should all obey in the same way that Yeshua did.full of honor and truth. 75 . and dwelt among us. It should be apparent to any honest person by now that in the BEGINNING WAS THE MANIFESTATION OF YEHOVAH. he was the walking. speaking manifestation (dabar-logos) of YEHOVAH. to cause to be ("gen"-erate). is word #1096 in Strong's Greek Dictionary -. a prol. Of course -. he had to LEARN YEHOVAH's laws and commandments and way of life as he grew. and we beheld the glory of him. and there was light. in the same way. he obeyed the truth of YEHOVAH. Yeshua the Messiah was YEHOVAH's manifestation in the flesh -. (and we beheld his glory. as we see in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis. His Son was created IN THE FLESH and dwelt among us. form of a prim.. verb. according (or by) YEHOVAH's manifestation." Indeed. from The New International Version Interlinear Greek-English New Testament.YEHOVAH's Shekinah Glory was not with Yeshua at his birth. John 1:14.like any other baby -.Shekinah Glory) was with him in the beginning. (reflex. And.e. ginomai. each saint or true Christian should also be the "manifestation of YEHOVAH created in the flesh. glory as of an only begotten from a father. where YEHOVAH said: "Let there be light. But when he reached the age of about 30 years old and had entered into YEHOVAH's ministry. and he proclaimed the truth of YEHOVAH! And what is YEHOVAH's "truth"? Psalm 119:142 and Psalm 119:151 show that YEHOVAH's LAW and COMMANDMENTS are "the truth. i. and His manifestation was His very own. is a scriptural FACT. because he knew the truth of YEHOVAH. ghin'-om-ahee. is as follows -"And the Word flesh became and tabernacled among us. and we beheld his glory.) full of grace and truth. The word which has been translated "MADE" in the above verse." -. the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.CREATED IN THE FLESH ACCORDING TO (OR BY) THE SHEKINAH GLORY of YEHOVAH. full of grace and of truth. the GLORY of the only begotten of the Father -. and mid. In John 1:14 we find that according to (or by) YEHOVAH's manifestation (Shekinah Glory) flesh was CREATED. The same manifestation (Shekinah Glory) was in the beginning with YEHOVAH and.) to become (come into being).and means: 1096." 4/. The word for word Greek translation of John 1:14. That Yeshua was born after being BEGOTTEN by YEHOVAH and being CONCEIVED by his mother Mary." This same deception is continued by the translators in John 1:14 (KJV) which says: And the Word was made flesh. and this MANIFESTATION was the power of YEHOVAH. . from 3306. which means: TO CAUSE TO BE. and word #1096. monogenes. and we beholding his glory. Gal. i. Mt. a prol. Yeshua clearly had a beginning -. mon'-os. mere:alone. . only.. 3.) to become (come into being)... i. TO EXIST -3441. the correct translation of John 1:14 is as follows: According to (or by) the manifestation [Shekinah Glory] flesh was created... The words that have been translated "only begotten" in this scripture are actually only one word in the Greek -. xxi. Galatians 4:4. Thayer. form of prim. of the origin of all things. which means: ONLY.. ginomai.. prob. 37 (..only (begotten... in other words. i. As you can see. by impl. verb. full of honor and truth.e.. Jn.e... sole or single. to come into existence.). verb. (reflex. to become. ghin'-om-ahee. God sent forth his Son.). i. the word translated "MADE" in this scripture is word #1096 in Strong's Greek Dictionary. i. remaining.#3439 in Strong's Greek Dictionary and means -3439. 19 (. Ro. come from). a prol.and the apostle Paul tells us what that beginning was -But when the fullness of the time was come.which means he was caused to be. ginomai..e.. . from 3441 and 1096. just as you and I "came from" our fleshly fathers.... i.. Therefore. by Joseph H. to cause to be ("gen"-erate)... ek tivos. made under the law.). i. 1096. and dwelling among us. 30 (. xi.) to become (come into being).. . BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE.e. form of a prim. who are flesh.. Yeshua "CAME FROM" the Father.)... COME INTO BEING. sole:. mon-og-enace'. xv. . Thayer's Greek Lexicon again shows us word #1096 to mean -- 76 . ghin'-om-ahee. (reflex. 3. Jn. Jn.. word #3439 comes from the word #3441. monos. to cause to be ("gen"-erate). iv. receive being: absol. and means -1096.). 58 (. i 15... was the glory of the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the Father. viii... 1 Cor.. 4 (. child).Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament. shows that the word means -1.. Heb. only-born. and mid. Again. 5/. to be born.. by themselves. 3 (.e.. begin to be. and mid.. made of a woman. The correct translation in the Greek confirms even more that Yeshua the Messiah was BEGOTTEN -. 10. .. by comparing the Greek text to the English translation and then letting OTHER SCRIPTURES interpret this scripture for us..with the glory which I had before the the world to be with thee. and means: PREVIOUSLY. 3.1.. 37 (. to have a thing in readiness. fulfilling His plan for a Savior -. 1. have in store: Therefore..is word #4253 in Strong's.... due to the corruptions of the translators.SENT for you and me. Father. i. 30 (. and now glorify me thou. Yeshua the Messiah came into existence from a woman -.have been translated "I AM TO HAVE. of the origin of all things.). Jn. All the scriptures agree that Yeshua came into EXISTENCE in the FLESH -. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament shows this word to mean: TO HAVE IN STORE! Notice -. KEY verses in the Bible were changed by ADDING words or by DECEPTIVE renderings. Heb.and not one second before! However.to thank for helping to establish a corrupted and pagan Christianity that features the doctrines of a PRE-EXISTENT SAVIOR within a Trinity.. Jn. History shows that we have Constantine the "Great" -. However.translated "BEFORE" -. to become.). O Father.. coming into existence under the subjection of the Law.e... John 17:5. 3. x1. shows the Greek word for word translation of this verse: 5. the word translated "I HAD" can -. to come into existence. coming into existence from a woman. is to be BEFORE the world TO COME. Jn.. The next word underlined -...the so-called "savior" of Christianity -.and should -. to be born. i. it becomes very obvious that this scripture was also TAMPERED WITH -. with thyself. 10. All this was done by the manifestation or Shekinah Glory of YEHOVAH. This word means: to have to hold.. glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.TWISTED to fit prevailing pagan concepts! The New International Version Greek-English New Testament by Alfred Marshall.. come from). the CORRECT translation of Galatians 4:4 should be: But when the appointed time had fully come... To the untrained mind it sounds as though this verse is upholding the teaching that Yeshua pre-existed before his fleshly birth.).. 1 Cor. 6/. xv. YEHOVAH set forth His son. viii.. In John 17:5 we read the following -And now. But. 58 (. ." This glory that Yeshua is said to have. i. As a result.. The first word underlined and translated "I HAD" is the IMPERFECT FORM of the Greek word "echo" -. 15. begin to be... 3 (. have at hand.. Ro. receive being: absol.... "PREVIOUS" to the world TO COME -77 .and came into existence under the Law. that is.word #2192 in Strong's Greek Dictionary. Who BEGOT HIM. Now this one (Yeshua) was counted worthy of more GLORY than Moses. that. 12. Now let's read this verse in the way that it should have been translated -And now. with the glory which I AM TO HAVE with You BEFORE the world to come.. prior (fig. in front of.and this glory was only to BEGIN to take place in a certain time period.. This GLORY was in fulfillment of Biblical prophecy -. have been.. Yeshua knew full well that he was to die and be resurrected by YEHOVAH.am (art. 1.or at the right hand of YEHOVAH's throne -. Notice Hebrews 1:1-3 -Therefore. should) be. 27.. until I make your enemies your footstool. . that. and a witness of the sufferings of the Messiah.translated "TO BE" -. The third word underlined -. prep.. superior) to:. come. infinit.. pro.. to have been.is shown by A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament (by Ethelbert W. is. Yeshua was only asking YEHOVAH to glorify him beside the Father -. and the GLORY THAT WOULD FOLLOW. it retains the same significations. 1.BEFORE the Kingdom of God (YEHOVAH) and BEFORE the NEW WORLD that is to come. You glorify me beside Your own self. to be made. Yeshua the Messiah.above. 1.. had been. are. who am also an elder.) to be." i.with the glory that he HE HAD IN STORE with the Father -. which the spirit that was in them made clear to them.was (were). who was faithful to Him: YEHOVAH. be). and ALSO A PARTAKER of the GLORY THAT WILL BE REVEALED: 78 .may (might. 1. just as Moses was faithful in all his house.4253. that. In comp. 1 Peter 1:11: Examining closely to what things.e. partakers of the heavenly calling. 1. Bullinger) to mean "COME": elvai (pres. a prim. 1 Peter 5:1: The elders who are among you I exhort. and that is exactly what we find in the other scriptures that interpret this scripture. ago. 10. pro. be. before. or ever. 6. "fore.. since he who has built the House of YEHOVAH has more honor than the House of YEHOVAH. O Father. He also knew that he was to be allowed to take his rightful place at the right side of YEHOVAH.. when it testified BEFOREHAND to the sufferings of Messiah. 33. In the following verses we find written: Hebrews 1:13: But to which of the angels has He (YEHOVAH) ever said: sit at my right hand -until I make your enemies your footstool? Psalm 110:1: YEHOVAH said to my ruler and king: sit at my right hand. consider the apostle (the one sent) and High Priest of our profession. or what manner of season. holy brothers. Who put everything under Yeshua. xxai.but we also can see that YEHOVAH will always be exalted as THE SUPREME HEAD over ALL.he did not have this glory before his human birth! Yeshua the Messiah. as the only BEGOTTEN son of YEHOVAH. For YEHOVAH has put all things under his feet.acknowledging that YEHOVAH is the SUPREME HEAD over ALL. when he (Yeshua) will have handed over the Kingdom to YEHOVAH. Yeshua will then become our High Priest. full of mercy and truth! 79 . xvii. to our Father. so that YEHOVAH may be acknowledged as THE SUPREME HEAD OVER ALL. Unfortunately. magnificence. Yeshua will hand all power over to Him and become subject to Him -. people are deceived because of the pagan lies that the translators have inserted into the scriptures! Yeshua was speaking of the glory he WAS to RECEIVE after he was resurrected. Just as the apostles looked forward to this glory.glory he knew he would receive because it was written in the prophets! He knew he would RECEIVE this glory AFTER HIS RESURRECTION -. when he (Yeshua) will have destroyed every other rule. In 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 we clearly see that the last enemy that will be destroyed is DEATH -. so should we. a. will always have the honor of being at his Father's right hand -but he did not receive this honor (glory) until AFTER his resurrection! The word translated "glory" is word #1391 in Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon. But when it says that everything has been put under him. through the full knowledge of Him Who called US to GLORY and virtue. 26. most exalted state. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. when YEHOVAH's Shekinah Glory returns to this earth (Revelation 19:11) to reside in the Temple built by Yeshua. 5 As the Bible says. it is clear that THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE YEHOVAH HIMSELF. who sits at YEHOVAH's right hand -Then the end. authorities and powers. ministering to YEHOVAH his Father in the Temple of YEHOVAH! Yeshua was NOT speaking of "past glory". the glory of the only BEGOTTEN son of the Father. For he (Yeshua) MUST REIGN until he has put all enemies under his feet.We must realize that we too can look forward to this SAME glory that Yeshua will receive. When He has done this. even by Yeshua himself. dignity.as countless deceived people have believed. a most glorious condition. Notice 2 Peter 1:3: As His holy power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and holiness. and every authority and power. excellence. Jn. and means: 2. preeminence. of that condition with God the Father in heaven to which Christ was raised after he had achieved his work on earth: Lk. then the son himself WILL BE SUBJECT TO HIM Who put all things under him. This was the very glory that Yeshua was talking about -. when Yeshua returns to this earth (as pictured in Revelation 14:14) he will have all authority to destroy all other rules. Yeshua will receive his glory and then his enemies will be made his footstool. nor of a "past life" -. He will reign on earth until he has put all enemies under his feet and then. Clearly. who through him we do believe in YEHOVAH. The Emphatic Diaglott shows us that the word "God" was NOT in the Alexandrian Manuscript -nor was it in almost all of the other ancient manuscripts. and GAVE HIM GLORY. vindicated in the Spirit. taken up in glory. the book Forgery in Christianity (by Wheless) informs us -In the King James or "Authorized" Version we read: "Great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. who raised him up from the dead. believed on in the world. and the fraudulent insertion into the text by some overzealous Christian forger. is no longer a mystery. Notice -Nearly all the ancient MSS. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible has corrected this verse." premised in the text. 7/. preached among the nations. is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh. and all the versions have "He who. this "translation" is simply NOT FOUND in most of the other modern versions! In the King James Version this reads -And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. However.Yeshua DID NOT have this glory previously. justified in the Spirit.written in the ancient Greek form -reveals that the word "WHO" -. because he simply DID NOT EXIST before he was begotten by YEHOVAH and born as a flesh and blood human being! Read 1 Peter 1:19-20: But with the precious blood of Messiah.. Another verse which is used by those who have been deceived by the pagan ideas of the translators is found in I Timothy 3:16 in the King James Version.was originally in the text! Furthermore.The glory of being the ONLY begotten son of YEHOVAH -. we confess." instead of "God. as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who truly was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Taking this theme further. 16. received up into glory. Thus the great "mystery of godliness. seeking to bolster up an "apostolic" pedigree for the later "tradition" of the divinity of the Christ. that your faith and hope might be in YEHOVAH. saying -Great indeed. seen of angels. The Concordant Version of the Sacred Scriptures -." in this passage.the FIRSTBORN from the dead.NOT the word "God" -. and will forevermore have! But -. The CORRECT translation of this verse should read as follows -- 80 ." etc. seen by angels.and let this sink in -. believed on in the world. (1 Tim." etc. is the glory Yeshua has NOW. is confessed. I Timothy 3:16. preached unto the Gentiles. iii. but was MANIFEST in these last times for you. which there honestly reads: "He who was manifested in the flesh.) In the "Revised Version" this "God Manifest" forged interpolation is shamed out of the text. Thy throne. a denominative piel from kisse'. The Name of "YEHOVAH" was replaced by the PAGAN title "Elohim" in Psalm 45:6-7. The way these verses have been translated in the King James Version would have those with a shallow knowledge of the Bible believe that Yeshua is here called "God"! However. was received up into HIS GLORY. while others use it to claim Yeshua was God. the unsatisfactory nature of the numberless solutions which have been proffered on behalf of this crux interpretum. O Elohim. The Lexicon In Veteris Testamenti Libros. whereby the people fall under Thee. Unfortunately. 51). Notice what the King James Version says -But unto the Son he saith. Notice the author's comments in The Anchor Bible. negatively. You must love justice and hate iniquity. and hatest wickedness: therefore Elohim. Thou lovest righteousness. was believed on in the world. Driver and Briggs. and hated iniquity. This is corroborated in A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Brown. Some use these verses to claim Yeshua was an angel. even thy God. because God. Notice how it is rendered in The Holy Name Bible: Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies. Vocalizing kisse' ka. was seen by angels.And without controversy. was justified in spirit. this is not the only translation problem encountered in these verses.deception perpetrated in order to promulgate the LIE of a "pre-existent" savior who was God manifested in the flesh! Don't fall for it! 8/. As you can see for yourself there has been blatant forgery and deception carried out by the translators of YEHOVAH's Word -. Thy Elohim. your God. has anointed you. 44). a little research into the Bible will reveal that Hebrews 1:8-9 is a DIRECT QUOTE from Psalm 45:6-7 in the Old Testament. has enthroned you. Psalms I -The eternal and everlasting God has enthroned you! The scepter of your kingdom must be a scepter of equity. 204f. hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. therefore God." The only evidence for this proposal is its manifest good sense. Thou hast loved righteousness. was preached to the Gentiles. is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. O God. is that of Hebrews 1:8-9. great is the secret of holiness: HE WHO WAS MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH. Thy throne. 81 . which says that Elohim was inserted "often by editorial change for an original YHVH" p.) and. Another scripture that has deceived many in the Churches of God who quite often use these verses to "prove" that Yeshua was pre-existing being. hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. its concordance with the Ugaritic-Hebrew proclivity for coining such verbs (Biblica 44 [1963]. is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre. by Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner. shows that the word "Elohim" was used to REPLACE the Name of YEHOVAH (p. "throne. Hebrew 1:8-9. because he did not yet exist! And Yeshua does not "have" this throne even at THIS TIME because all things have not YET been out under Yeshua. or the son of man. Notice! Your throne. Second Part. of your kingdom is a scepter. the Name of "YEHOVAH" was replaced with the word "Elohim. 3. and did set him over the works of Your hands. King. therefore YEHOVAH your FATHER has anointed you with the oil of gladness over your fellow men. but they will be one day soon -. Notice the last part of verse 8 closely: These things are NOT under Yeshua yet. given of YEHOVAH.because this was in YEHOVAH's plan from the very beginning! Therefore. There have been many different solutions offered in solving the problem of correctly interpreting this verse. 8. is for ever and ever. because he was quoting from it. concerning the only begotten son of YEHOVAH -." Some commentators (as early as 1790) have felt that a verb is needed here and have accordingly supplied hekin or something similar. As we just saw. referring to the world to come -. have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Yeshua did NOT "have" this throne when the Psalms were written -. "God has anointed you. In putting everything in subjection under him. m sah ka lohim. You. berak ka lohim. 79. You crowned him with glory and honor. Psalm 45:6-7 and Hebrews 1:8-9 are the SAME prophecy which will take place in the near future.as pointed out in Hebrews 2:5-8: For it is NOT to the angels that He has subjected the world to come. saying: What is man. But see how this verse is translated from the Hebrew in The Holy Bible. Psalm 45:6-7 is a prophecy that will take place when Yeshua is crowned king under his Father YEHOVAH. cf. too.we get the TRUE TRANSLATION of Psalm 45:6-7. for one brings testimony in a certain place." Therefore. the scepter. GIVEN OF GOD.In other words.but at this time we do NOT YET see all things put under him. by putting the name of "YEHOVAH" BACK into this verse -. kisse' ka lohim is stylistically parallel to vs. p. A study of Psalm 45 (44). "God has blessed you. ruling rod. And this is EXACTLY how Hebrews 1:8-9 should have been translated -. ruling staff.but they do NOT teach of any pre-existent god-savior! 82 . of righteousness. that You visit him? You made him a little lower than the angels.along with the true translation of the Hebrew text -. You have put all things in subjection under his feet." and stylistically and semantically parallel to vs.because it is a DIRECT quotation! We know that the author of the Book of Hebrews (Paul) was not saying anything that was not already in the Book of Psalms. endureth for ever and ever: the sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom. about which we are speaking. YEHOVAH left nothing that is not subject to him -. Division 2 -Thy throne. that You are mindful of him. Neither did he say: ".I see Yeshua. are trying to deceive you into thinking that Yeshua was alive at the time.. and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.] A most improper translation. that this pagan king who was trying to kill the servants of YEHOVAH. The first thing you should realize is the fact that there are many sources out there that know this verse has been mistranslated -.. let us notice WHAT was said -.the fourth looks like Yeshua.. He then cast Shadrach.". and they have no hurt. He did NOT say: ".the fourth looks like the son of the gods. bar elahin signifies a son of the gods. This verse -.. Do not allow anyone to deceive you about this!! 10/.just as Daniel 3:24 clearly states. It was this same Nebuchadnezzar who made this statement in Daniel 3:25: ". of course. . as that which stopped the mouths of the lions when Daniel was cast into their den.. yet the Babylonish king knew just as much of the one as he did of the other.they would worship YEHOVAH only.. that is." Are we to suppose. What notion could this idolatrous king have of the Lord Jesus Christ? for so the place [verse] understood by thousands. Meshach and Abed-nego into the furnace because they refused to worship this image -.. Daniel 3:25.. then. Proverbs 30:4. and so the king calls him in verse 28: "God hath sent his ANGEL. Don't fall for it! This scripture.. and delivered his servants.. No other ministration was necessary.. a Divine person or angel. a single angel from heaven was quite sufficient to answer this purpose. and he does send them to help us at times -.9/..and by WHOM. Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan who had just made an image of himself and had commanded all in his kingdom to worship it.Clarke's Commentary is one of them -Verse 25.reads: 83 .. Those who try to deceive you will more than likely use Daniel 3:25 to "prove" that the son of God was pre-existent.like the ones YEHOVAH sent to help Lot and Abraham.in the King James Version -. said: ". reads as follows -He answered and said.. It is quite amazing that there are people who say this fourth person was Yeshua. Lo. Is like the Son of God. the king of Babylon -.". the Son of YEHOVAH"? This is EXACTLY what the deceivers would like you to believe! YEHOVAH has many angels. The statement made in Daniel 3:25 was spoken by Nebuchadnezzar. The Bible also shows that many times these angels have the appearance of HUMAN BEINGS -. in the King James Version." And though even from this some still contend that it was the Angel of the covenant. But even a cursory examination of this verse indicates that there is absolutely NOTHING here that names Yeshua or says that he pre-existed! Now.I see the Son of YEHOVAH. They. walking in the midst of the fire. I see four men loose..and this is exactly how King Nebuchadnezzar described the fourth man in Daniel 3:25. the ANGELS! Notice what it says -4.. He does not take hold of angels. Isa lii 6. if thou canst tell? Once again. his sons'. Cf.the angels! Yeshua was not an angel. and what is his son's name. and that there was NONE BESIDE HIM! 84 . Unless his name is known. this particular scripture is TWISTED by the false ministers in the world who claim that it teaches that Yeshua was already in existence at that time. Job xxxviii 5. Isa xl 12ff. they do.in other words. Job xxxviii 7. cf. but He takes hold of the seed of Abraham. as the Bible clearly states -Hebrews 1:13 -. neither god nor man can be known as real' cf. or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound up the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is HIS NAME? What is THE NAME of His sons? Tell me if you know! Here is a copy of Proverbs 30:4 from the Greek Septuagint Version.For truly. until I make your enemies your footstool? Hebrews 2:5 -. on page 176. Exod iii 13.But to which of the angels has He ever said: Sit at My right hand. But. Surely you know. Ps lxxxii 6. There are absolutely NO direct statements to the effect that any beings existed beside YEHOVAH before He created the angels. But. The divine beings of the heavenly host. sadly. Proverbs. about which we are speaking. there are MANY direct scriptures which say emphatically that YEHOVAH was ALONE at creation. Job xxxviii 3-38.Who hath ascended up into heaven. Correctly translated. or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name. this verse reads: Who has ascended into heaven. But this verse in NO WAY refers to Yeshua -.For it is not to the angels that He has subjected the world to come. Gen xxxii 29. Who has ascended the sky.and it is hard to believe that any serious student of the Bible could use this verse to justify such an understanding. corroborates this translation and plainly says that the sons who are being spoken of refer to the HEAVENLY HOST -. this was speaking of YEHOVAH's MESSENGERS -. Cf. from which this verse was translated -Who hath ascended up to heaven and come down? Who hath collected the winds in his bosom? Who hath infolded the water in a mantle? Who hath a dominion over all the ends of the earth? What is his name? or what the name of his sons? The Anchor Bible. This was NOT speaking of Yeshua going back and forth from heaven to earth. Hebrews 2:16 -. It is generally known in scholarly circles that the King James Version of the Bible contains literally THOUSANDS of mistakes and deliberate fraud.which The Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (p. 419) clearly and emphatically shows. The King James translation of Isaiah 9:6 is just one of these cases of deliberate fraud foisted off onto deceived people.which has been translated "Wonderful" -. as the Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament shows.." 85 . The words "MIGHTY" and "GOD" in the King James Version -. that he was the "everlasting Father" -. and beside ME there is NO GOD.Isaiah 43:11 (King James Version) -. there is NO GOD beside ME: I girded thee. but the NOUN "wonder" -. peh'-leh. The first word underlined -. The everlasting Father. I am the first.. In its original form this word was not the adjective "Wonderful" in Isaiah 9:6. even I. though thou has not known ME. even though the scholars admit this fact no one wants to buck the system and correct these mistakes! No one. The trouble is. Isaiah 45:5 (King James Version) -. and there is NONE ELSE. The word "Counsellor" -. . wants to suffer the persecution this entails.as well as other mistranslated versions -. there is NO GOD. According to the Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (p. but the word "yaotz" is clearly shown from the previous reference to be part of a PHRASE -.. unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful. that he was PRE-EXISTENT! Let us set the record straight and present the TRUTH about that lie. neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time.marvellous thing.although relatively accurately translated -. This translation infers that the SON (Yeshua) was the "mighty God"." of Whom this child who is to be BORN is to be a "WONDER" or an Ideal Ruler? In the next words mistranslated in the King James Version we find the answer to this question. Isaiah 44:6.in other words.were translated from the Hebrew words "GABUR" AND "EL. the word "GABUR" is a word that means "mighty.not words with separate meanings! If you check it out for yourself you will see that this phrase actually means: "WONDER of a Counselor"! See how deceptive the translators have been? The "WONDER" of the Counselor is the Ideal Ruler foretold to come -. a miracle:." word #3289 in Strong's Hebrew Dictionary. and I am the last. Isaiah 9:6 in the King James Version has KEY words that are mistranslated -For unto us a child is born. 11/. and beside me there is no saviour. Fear ye not. The Prince of Peace. it seems. am the LORD. from 6381.is word #6382. 8 (King James Version) -. Now.and it is also part of the phrase pele-yaotz. Counsellor. Is there a GOD beside ME? yea. I know not any. -fully).Thus saith [YEHOVAH] the King of Israyl. and his redeemer [YEHOVAH] of hosts." words #1386 and #410 in Strong's Hebrew Dictionary. WHO is this "Counselor. 149). and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.I. from word #6381 in Strong's Hebrew Dictionary -6382. The mighty God.I am [YEHOVAH].is translated from the Hebrew word "yaotz. Isaiah 9:6. pele'. wonder (-ful. The Soncino Talmud, The Babylonian Talmud, Seder Nezikin, Sanhedrin, 94a, translated by Dr. I. Epstein, shows the word "EL" to mean "judge" in this particular place! For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called [i] Wonderful, [ii] Counsellor, [iii] Mighty, [iv] Judge.* * For this meaning of el, cf. Ex. XXI, 6; XXII, 8. Yes, judgment has been given into the hands of Yeshua the Messiah -- just as Acts 10:38-42 emphatically tells us -How God [YEHOVAH] anointed Jesus [Yeshua] of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God [YEHOVAH] was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God [YEHOVAH] raised up on the third day, and showed him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God [YEHOVAH], even to us who ate and drank with him after he arose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God [YEHOVAH] to be JUDGE of the living and the dead. Yeshua will be the JUDGE appointed by YEHOVAH, whose JUDGMENT -- according to YEHOVAH's judgments -- will bring peace to this earth. And because Yeshua the Messiah will command that each and every word YEHOVAH has spoken is to be obeyed -- completely -- Yeshua will BE "The Prince of Peace." The Hebrew words "el" and "gabur" -- when properly translated -- would be written in this fashion: "JUDGE OF THE MIGHTY." Therefore, Isaiah 9:6 is translated word for word as: For a child is born to us, a son is given to us, and is called His Name, Wonder of the Counselor, the Judge of the Mighty Father Everlasting, Prince of Peace. As a result, Isaiah 9:6, when properly translated into modern English, will read as follows: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulders. And his name will be called the WONDER of the Counselor, the JUDGE of the Mighty Everlasting Father -- the PRINCE of peace. As pointed out, the COUNSELOR is "The Mighty, Everlasting Father -- YEHOVAH Himself! As the Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (p. 810) points out, Isaiah 9:6 is showing that this "WONDER" (Yeshua the Judge) of the "COUNSELOR" (YEHOVAH the Father) -- Yeshua Messiah who is the Ideal Ruler -- was YET TO COME when this prophecy was spoken! Yeshua DID NOT exist in the time of Isaiah the prophet, but he was prophesied to come later. 86 And -- and please take careful note of this -- Yeshua WAS NOT "The Mighty God, the Father" -- as the fraudulent translators of the King James Version of the Bible, as well as the rest of the deceived world, would like for YOU to believe! When this scripture is properly translated it agrees totally with all the other inspired scriptures of YEHOVAH. It was not the inspired prophets of YEHOVAH who were trying to teach of a "pre-existent god-savior." It was the PAGAN TRANSLATORS -- adding to or deleting from the original inspired word of YEHOVAH, who caused this grave error to be taught to this whole deceived "Christian" world as "doctrine." 12/. Ephesians 3:9. Here is a scripture that fools the unlearned into believing that it was Yeshua who was "the Creator." In fact, many of the Churches of God teach that "in the beginning there were TWO GODS," and that "one god decided to become the father god and the other decided he would be god the son." This is totally ridiculous! Let us try and understand WHY some have become CONFUSED -- and also WHAT the real meaning of this verse is. Ephesians 3:9, in the King James Version, reads -And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: By just reading this verse it is easy to think that YEHOVAH the Father gave orders to create all things, and that these orders were carried out by Yeshua the Messiah. Once again, this world has been DECEIVED into believing this LIE because the LAST THREE WORDS in the King James Version were ADDED to this scripture by the translators! These last three words were NOT in the original manuscripts! The Emphatic Diaglott, as well as The Interlinear GreekEnglish New Testament clearly show that these words were added. By adding these last three words to the King James Version, the whole meaning of Ephesians 3:9 has been ALTERED! Clarke's Commentary (p. 445) shows these words to be missing in many manuscripts! Notice -But the words ...., by Jesus Christ, are wanting in ABCD*FG, and several others; also in the Syriac, Arabic of Erpen, Coptic, Ethiopic, Vulgate, and Itala; as also in several of the fathers. Griesbach has thrown the words out of the text; and Professor White says, "certissime delenda," they are indisputably spurious. The text, therefore, should be read: which from the beginning of the world had been hidden in God who created all things. No inferiority of Christ can be argued from a clause of whose spuriousness there is the strongest evidence. This verse, from The Ryrie Study Bible, New American Standard Version, reads -and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; The Revised Standard Version shows these words are NOT in this translation: and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 87 Correctly translated, therefore, this verse should read -And to make all men plainly see how this secret is administered; which has been hidden in YEHOVAH from the beginning of the ages, Who created all things. Merely by leaving out the fraudulent words ADDED by uninspired men, we see that the apostle Paul was saying that great secret was hidden in YEHOVAH Who created all things -- NOT in Yeshua who came into existence later! That Yeshua created everything was totally unknown to the Apostolic Fathers. One of the earliest non-Biblical statements of Christian faith is found in a book of 16 short chapters known as The Didache, or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. The author of this book is unknown, but historians have dated it to before or about the year 100 A.D. The Didache deals with concepts people would need to know to become Christians. In chapter 7, it prescribes baptism "in the name of the Father and of the son and of the holy spirit," the same words Yeshua used in Matthew 28:19. But it says absolutely nothing about the three being equal in eternity, power, position and wisdom, or that Yeshua created everything at his Father's command. In its 10th chapter, The Didache includes the following confession of faith in the form of a prayer: We thank you, Holy Father, for your holy Name which you have made to dwell in our hearts; and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you have made known to us through JESUS YOUR SERVANT. Glory to you forever! YOU, Almighty Master, CREATED EVERYTHING for your Name's sake...And to us you have graciously given spiritual food and drink, and life eternal through Jesus your servant (The Apostolic Fathers, Vol. 3, pps. 166-7). Clearly, there is no sign of Yeshua having created everything is this passage! In fact, it emphatically states that YEHOVAH created everything! In The Influence of Greek Ideas on Christianity, Edwin Hatch quotes the foregoing passage and then says -In the original sphere of Christianity there does not appear to have been any great advance upon these simple conceptions. The doctrine upon which stress was laid was, that God [YEHOVAH] is, that He is one, that He is almighty and everlasting, that HE MADE THE WORLD, that His mercy is over all His works. There was no taste for metaphysical discussion (p. 252). It should be CLEAR to any honest-minded person that deliberate deception, by deceived men, has taken place in the King James Version of the Bible -- deceitful men whose sole ambition was to deceive you and lead you astray! And because these deceitful men have led thousands away from the every Word of YEHOVAH, they have successfully led them away from the TRUE SAVIOR sent by YEHOVAH! 88 yes. in PROVING that flesh and blood COULD OVERCOME. and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. even though he suffered and was tempted. he also proved that YEHOVAH's plan from the beginning -. "Sure. And. as the apostle Peter said in Acts 2:40 -. Satan the Devil. of course.he was a FLESHLY HUMAN BEING who overcame! Hebrews 2:17 plainly tells us the following -For this reason he had to be MADE LIKE his brothers in EVERY WAY. it is difficult to grasp the extremes to which these deceivers went to in order to bring forth a "pre-existent god-savior" who "did it all for you.in order that he could."SAVE YOURSELF FROM THIS PERVERSE GENERATION!" Why Yeshua Could NOT Have Pre-Existed One could easily say. to be born flesh and blood -. but we are only human beings. The FACT of the matter is. They are BLIND LEADERS of the blind. he overcame. whose sole purpose is to destroy mankind. being flesh and blood. However. being tempted. he was a God. he overcame. in order to PROVE that YEHOVAH's created mankind CAN OVERCOME! Yeshua the Messiah HAD to PROVE that. It was absolutely necessary for our Messiah." so all you have to do now is simply "believe. In Matthew 15:14 we read -Let them alone. can OVERCOME." Or one could say. "Sure. Yeshua suffered ALL the temptations which all other human beings suffer. he is able to help those who are being tempted. Yeshua was neither "god" nor "angel" -. in his OWN HUMAN SELF. he was an angel." But the fact is. BOTH will fall into the ditch. OVERCAME. PROVE that totally righteous beings COULD be developed from flesh and blood beings.with the help of YEHOVAH's holy spirit -. we too. Yeshua HAD to be human. being flesh and blood. The religious impostors who altered the Holy Scriptures of YEHOVAH and those who believe these same lies." The REAL PERSON behind these deceptions is.the building of the perfect God (YEHOVAH) family from flesh and blood mankind does work! Since Yeshua himself. even though we suffer and are tempted. our High Priest. as Hebrews 2:18 most emphatically records -For in that he himself has suffered. it is possible -. It is high time for US to remove the blinders and shake off the DECEPTIONS of this generation and come to the realization of the TRUTH of YEHOVAH! Or. whose purpose was to deceive and be deceived. 89 .Yeshua warned us of false messiahs and religious impostors.to RESIST SATAN! Yeshua was BORN flesh and blood. And if the blind lead the blind. and our Savior sent by YEHOVAH. in order that he might BECOME a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to YEHOVAH. are all headed for the same destruction. Three major expeditions to the site over the past 90 years uncovered abundant evidence to support the Biblical account. Bryant Wood. It is a sad commentary on the state of archaeology in the Holy Land. "But even more exciting is the fact that all the evidence from the earlier digs has disappeared over time. Rohl proposed a realignment of ancient Near Eastern chronologies. Pray for the removal of all obstacles blocking the publication of Dr." he said. Lorenzo Nigro and Nicolo Marchetti. it can be summarized as follows. the Palestinian Authorities. when the purpose of an excavation at a Biblical site is to disprove the Bible and disassociate the site with any historical Jewish connection. shifting dates up to 350 years. two Italian archaeologists conducted a limited excavation on the ancient tell of Jericho. Assyrian and Israelite history. His work attempts to fill the gaps we presently have in ancient chronologies. His purpose is to tie together Biblical personages and events to similar sounding references in ancient historical records. All found abundant evidence of the city's destruction by fire in a layer related to the Biblical date of 1400 BC. "It matters little what the Italian archaeologists did not find in their month-long dig. A Wood went on to point out. Pharaohs and Kings Confused Over the past several years. Not only did the Italians find the same evidence uncovered in the earlier excavations.ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE Jericho -. Mesopotamian. Through his book Pharaohs and Kings: A Biblical Quest (Crown. 1995) and a video by the same name. Nigro and Marchetti announced they found no evidence for a destruction from the time of Joshua. it fits the Biblical story perfectly! "The Italian excavation actually uncovered most of the critical evidence relating to the Biblical story. But that's why the Associates for Biblical Research is in business. the Italian archaeologists. Dr. Unfortunately. Wood's technical study of the pottery of Jericho. Is it further possible that the Palestinian Authority supported this dig for the express purpose of denouncing any Jewish connection to the site? As to their evidence. allowing the identification of 90 . excavated for one month on the fringes of Kathleen Kenyon's west and south trenches. Director of the Associates for Biblical Research and one of the leading experts on the archaeology of Jericho. Rohl has attempted to completely overhaul ancient Near Eastern chronology. Dr. Please pray for our efforts. In September 1997. After their excavation. drawings and photos." said Wood. To bolster his case. at the outer base of the revetment wall. working under the auspices of the new Palestinian Department of Archaeology. Their dig was the first foreign expedition in the Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank since self-rule began in 1994. the Associated Press and most of the world doesn't realize any of this. British historian David Rohl has captured the imagination of many Bible students and at the same time created quite a stir among scholars. he found the Italians had uncovered the stone outer revetment wall at the base of the tell with part of the mudbrick wall built on top of it still intact. Wood noticed the remains of the collapsed mudbrick city walls which had tumbled. The evidence is already in. John Garstang (1930-1936) and Kathleen Kenyon (1952-1958) both dug at Jericho for six seasons and a German excavation directed by Ernst Sellin and Carl Watzinger dug for three. While it is too soon for the academic community to see details of their discoveries. Incredibly. recently responded. Wood visited Jericho and examined the results of the Italian excavation first hand. their announcement suggests their excavation was conducted to disprove the Biblical account of Joshua's capture of the city. he quotes a number of experts in their respective fields of Egyptian. I had my photograph taken standing next to the wall where the mudbrick collapse had just been excavated. In the balk of the Italian excavation. But the Italians uncovered a completely new section of the wall which we did not know still existed. We only have records.The Walls DID Come Tumbling Down! In the spring of 1997. While the scope of his work is vast and hinges on a number of technical issues. they do not invalidate the known facts. 'You are 90% rubbish -.go away' which would be academically justified" (personal communication). it must be understood that these gaps are not unaccounted periods in the history of those civilizations. despite the supposed connections Rohl makes by doing so. Admittedly. Kitchen said he later realized that Rohl was only looking for sound bites. It precisely dated the Nile inundation at a specific time. Kitchen provided parallels in the Assyrian King List. Additional links to New Kingdom Egypt and Hatti.the cache of royal reburial near Deir el-Bahri and the lack of Apis bull burials for the 21st Dynasty. While Rohl's books and videos appear to make a convincing case for his side. he presented continuous lines of high priests for Amun (in Thebes) and Ptah (in Memphis) going through both dynasties. is often at odds with conventional chronologies. It is not possible to simply drop or add 350 years to these chronologies. Angry that he did not get more air time? I doubt it. In particular. Consequently. now. Kitchen answered Rohl's two great anomalies in Egyptian chronology -. In addition. This allows him to connect names and events from ancient history with similar sounding Biblical events and people.Biblical personages with ancient representations known from other sources. So Kitchen agreed to the interview. a conservative evangelical scholar. he provided Rohl with primary evidence from several vital genealogies of the 21st and 22nd Egyptian dynasties. Kitchen says he was interviewed in his Liverpool. for seven hours. Rohl's efforts focused on eliminating the gaps in ancient Near Eastern chronologies. and the connections he makes sound reasonably and offer some interesting possibilities. however. Kitchen brought out what he called "one totally damning little text" (personal communication) from Deir el-Medina in west Thebes. plus markers showing which kings of Assyria successively built in the national shrine at Assur. In retrospect. Conservatives want to tie Biblical events to ancient history. an occurrence which takes place only once every 1460 years. not new information. he unfortunately chose to ignore contradictory evidence from Kitchen and other scholars. while Rohl's work sounds good. But for all experts to respond that way would allow Rohl to go forward with no detractors. Professor of Egyptology at the University of Liverpool. Sour grapes? Probably not. the Assyrian Eponym List and the Babylonian King List. His case centers on dropping the 21st Egyptian Dynasty (1069-945 BC) into being contemporary with Egypt's 22nd Dynasty (945-715 BC). They only represent our incomplete and uneven knowledge of these histories. "It is clear. Kitchen later said he had great reservations about giving the interview because he understood Rohl's arguments all too well. Kitchen said Rohl communicated he was unaware of this material. England home by Rohl on May 17. Consequently. even though they were separated by as many as 350 years. that he had most of his filming already in the can by May 17th. it simply does not work with the known facts of Egyptian. Kitchen only appears in Rohl's three-video series for a total of about three minutes. According to Kitchen. and his book virtually ready for press" (personal communication). Kenneth Kitchen. with crosslinks illustrated by the synchronous history and Chronicle P. too. few are capable of responding authoritatively. "The easy way out. also bolstered Kitchen's case. Yet. "was simply to say. Assyrian. it is all right for us to have gaps. most of the interview was spent with Kitchen demonstrating to Rohl why his theories are wrong and do not work." he said. Due to the technical nature of his work. Finally. it is important to be honest with the known facts and deal 91 . Kitchen was not at all happy with Rohl's finished product. With Rohl's main focus on Egyptian chronology. Rohl's proposed "corrections" of ancient Near Eastern chronologies was dead in the water (Kitchen 1995: xlii-xlvi). his work has received widespread media attention and has become popular among conservatives. Rohl's idea is quite appealing to those frustrated by the lack of connection between Biblical and secular history. The material Rohl focuses on is quite technical. Thus. But all is not well in Rohl-land! One of the experts who appeared in Rohl's videos is Egyptologist Dr. Furthermore. 1995. As a coup de grace. Kitchen said he demonstrated evidence which directly contradicted Rohl's views. As far as Kitchen is concerned. Kitchen's specialty. Babylonian and Palestinian chronologies. While the Associates for Biblical Research staff. The oldest mummies come from Loulan in the Taklamakan Desert. ill-founded efforts like Rohl's actually hurt other scholars who are honestly trying to make the same type of connections between the Bible and secular history. Frescoes that the later Tokharians painted of themselves making gifts to Buddhist monasteries show the donors with light brown or even red hair. but is not good scholarship.C.E.tall.C. large-nosed. they were disrobed so that grave dirt and any mold or fungus could be cleaned off the corpses. high-bridged noses -. linguistically. Four thousand years after her death. They are Caucasian -. pieces together the history of these mysterious people. Two of the corpses were not very well preserved. This may sell books and videos. But these prehistoric people are not Oriental. Archaeological evidence shows us that the Celts have been weaving plaid twills. they do not stand up with the corpus of known evidence.. while the modern tartans are generally The Mummies of Urumchi In the museums of Urumchi. In the grave with Cherchen Man were three adult women. Like a supermodel. but gave no other specifics. and their connections to the West. In fact. but the third remained in excellent condition. and blond with round eyes (that may have been blue). the Loulan mummies date from about 2000 B. the era of Abraham and the patriarchs.a collection of ancient mummies lay at the center of an enormous mystery. It's interesting to note that mummies 92 . pale-eyed Celtic warriors the Greeks and Romans went up against in ancient times. her face is serene and lovely. Laboratory tests disclosed that the dust was an animal protein. yellow and blue wool wrapped around his feet and legs like stockings. but bad for a better understanding of the Bible and the ancient world.what we know as Chinese Turkistan -. about 1000 B.E. her face appears on wall posters and CD covers of recordings by local musicians. What were these blondes doing in the foothills of the Himalayas? Where did they come from? Were they Celts as their plaid clothing suggests? In The Mummies of Urumchi. the world to which they belonged. The curators found that the better preserved mummies had been painted with some substance that left a fine yellow dust or fuzz on their bodies. he stood six foot six inches tall. The Beauty of Loulan is the premier mummy of the region. Elizabeth Wayland Barber. author of Women's Work. and Bretons than with any other Indo-European language. The chief difference is that the ancient plaids contain no more than two or three colors. handlebar mustaches and occasionally full beards. The Cherchen spirals are very similar to those found in the Aegean and also on tombs in Ireland. but goes ahead anyway. (around the time when Saul and David ruled in Israel). found in the Andes of Peru are found to have been covered with a thin layer of fish paste. the Bronze and Iron Age ancestors of the historic Celts wove woolen plaid cloth that is almost identical to modern examples from Scotland.C.. Rohl's efforts are creative and not bad in themselves. This similarity of Tokharians and Celts extends into textile technology. Welsh. Furthermore. or tartans. Unfortunately. the windswept regional capital of the Uyghur Autonomous Region in Western China -.E. While the Cherchen mummies date from about 1000 B. the Tokharians share more features with the Celtic languages of the Scots.clearly not Mongolian or Chinese. The spiral pattern is interesting because it offers some clues to the origins of the Cherchen people. Irish. for 3000 years at least. The oldest is 4000 years old -contemporaneous with the much more famous Egyptian mummies. blonde. Rohl has only used selective facts which fit his views. Who were the mummies? The best evidence suggests that they were Tokharians. and gaudy strips of red. In life. soft white deerskin boots. In fact. the Tokharians resemble the huge. One of the oldest mummies is Cherchen Man. Cherchen Woman was over six feet tall and was buried wearing a dark red robe onto which had been painted a pattern of swirls and spirals. When the mummies were first brought to the museum. It is good for business. an Indo-European nation that must have emigrated to the Tarim Basin from much farther west. but their bodies are just as well preserved. He was buried wearing a two-piece suit of purplishred-brown wool. which apparently promotes preservation. Their clothing is not as colorful as the Cherchen mummies. too.with them. The real problem is that Rohl is aware of this. Physically. And they are wearing beautifully preserved woolen clothes woven in a pattern we would recognize as tartan plaid. he would not break his oath to her. He thereupon accepted the offer. Again. Step-by-step. He was very successful in this position. and conquered them. 10:2). at least temporarily. in Asia Minor. and when Moses had cut of the Ethiopians. and admiring the subtlety of his undertakings. What they did not like about this Ethiopian woman is not explained in the Bible. 10:2). believed to date from the 6-7th century B. "He came upon the Ethiopians before they expected him. which explains how he was mighty in deeds. Finally Moses and the Egyptian armies besieged the royal city of Ethiopia called Saba. descended from both of the ten northern and two southern tribes of Israel -.she fell deeply in love with him. Irenaeus.and that when he had once taken possession of the city. fills in the details about the deeds of Moses and also the Ethiopian woman! Egypt had become involved in a war with the Ethiopians. her name was Tharbis. It is accepted that there were large colonies.. was well-educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in deeds (Acts 7:22).who had been carried captive by the Assyrians into exile in Media. on condition she would procure the delivering up of the city. in the regions of Asia Minor and the Aegean." Moses and the Ethiopian Woman Moses. At the end she presents us with the most conclusive evidence yet that the mummies of Urumchi are related to the modern Scots and Irish and are. This is where "the Ethiopian woman" comes into the picture. he beat them. but it took effect immediately. Elizabeth Wayland Barber leads her readers through the evidence.the sister and brother of Moses -. When Israeli archaeologists uncovered bodies on the fortress of Masada near the Dead Sea they found traces of a similar plaid cloth.C. descended from the tribes of Israel. and fought with great courage. we need always to remember the pre-Exodus "breakaway" of an enterprising section of the tribe of Dan who moved to Greece well in advance of the westward trekking main body of Israel. was married to an Ethiopian woman. when he married that king's daughter.multicolored. and had subsequently moved westwards under pressure from further east. and upon the prevalency of that passion. she delivered the city up to him.Wake Up! October. We recall that Miriam and Aaron -. and attributed to Lydia. and deprived them of the hopes they had of success against the Egyptians. This is a ceremonial siren vessel. he gave thanks to God.had some differences with him "because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman" (Numbers 12:1).. "She happened to see Moses as he led the army near An Etruscan Link with Israel of Old The British Museum conservation department has reassembled -. The details of this dispute are not given. Steven tells us that Moses. he was appointed general of the army against the Ethiopians. idolatrous and gentilized though they had undoubtedly become. and led the Egyptians back to their own land" (Antiquities of the Jews. the Bible does not explain what these deeds were. an early church father. therefore. It is hard to escape the claim that the mysterious Etruscans. Book 2. the walls. joining battle with them. According to Josephus. the daughter of the king. out of her affection for him. and believing him to be the author of the Egyptian's success. and went on in overthrowing their cities. It was well fortified and difficult to take. summed it up in these words: "When Moses was nourished in the king's palace.. drawing upon her expertise in textile history and her discoveries in the museums of western China.from a handful of fragments -. sent to him the most faithful of all her servants to discourse with him about their marriage. 1980 93 . Moses was appointed general of the Egyptian army. No sooner was the agreement made. being raised in Pharaoh's household.and put on display a rare specimen of "Etruscan" culture. They settled. contained a substantial proportion of "Israelites of the Dispersion. But Josephus.. and indeed made a great slaughter of these Ethiopians" (Antiquities of the Jews. Many have been puzzled about this. the noted Jewish historian of the first century of our era. who was used of YEHOVAH to bring the Israelites forth from Egypt. Book 2. It was to Christian communities among these that the apostles (particularly Paul) preached and wrote." In this connection. and. and consummated his marriage. -. because. but first the Bible. That's no offence. When chaos reigns. or green. If Scripture now the class recites. was written by a teenager in Bagdad. the school's a mess. The law is specific. It's scary here I must confess. which is a sad commentary on American society today.The New School Prayer This prayer. But the Ten Commandments are not allowed. it'a a freedom scene. Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice. orange. And anytime my head I bow Becomes a Federal matter now. vampires and totem poles. tongues and cheeks. This is incredible! May YEHOVAH have mercy on His people Israel! Now I sit me down in school Where prayer is against the rule For this great nation under God Finds mention of Him very odd. It violates the Bill of Rights. Study witchcraft. 94 . this silent plea I make: Should I be shot." our Senior King. Our hair can be purple. We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks. We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen. It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong. No word of God must reach this crowd. Lord. And pierce our noses. For praying in a public hall Might offend someone with no faith at all. To quote the Good Book makes me liable. We can get our condoms and birth controls. We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong. the law is precise. Arizona. my soul please take! Amen. God's name is prohibited by the State. In silence alone we must meditate. And the "unwed daddy. So. They've outlawed guns.