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SONS OF GODS, NEPHILIM, ANAK, FALLEN ANGELS?

1. SONS OF GOD:

Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

The Sons of God can be used to refer to angels who were present when God laid the foundation of the Earth. In the New testament, it refers to Christians.

However, many will say that the “Sons of God “ refers to Sons of Seth, while “daughters of men” refers to the evil lineage of Cain.

So if you assume that “daughters of men” was a title to the women in Cain’s sinful lineage then the same should be true for the males as they should assume the title “sons of men”. However, it’s strange to think that because Jesus himself is called “son of man”.

If sons of God refers to Sons of Seth because they were holy, then why did God only keep 8 survivors? They couldn’t have been that holy because this is what God says about the people inhabiting the Earth-

Genesis

The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. ⁶ The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. ¹² God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

Gal. 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Sons of God doesn’t necessarily mean sons of Seth.

Here posits another problem:

“Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them” Genesis 6:1

It’s obvious that the word “men” was referring to man in general. It’s very difficult to believe that the “daughters of these men” were restricted to just Canaanite women. That interpretation is deficient.

Also where are the daughters of God and how come they are not mentioned?

Another fact is that the Book of Job was one of the oldest writings in the Bible ever, as old as Genesis. Some say that it was written by Moses.  We know that “sons of gods” in Job were clearly referring to angels as in the old testament such as Genesis as a whole. ”Sons of God” could also be in reference to kings or Christians but we know that based on the context in Genesis were referring to angels.

Furthermore, men in the Bible were referred to as “men” throughout Genesis. “Sons of God” was only referred to twice in Genesis. Now why would the narrator go from “men”, and refer them to “sons of god” twice, and then refer them back to as “men”? That doesn’t make any sense. Sons of God was never used to refer to believers in the Old Testament.

2. Nephilim- translated to “giants” in Hebrew and derive from the word “nephal” meaning “fallen”

Genesis 6

1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with [a] man forever, for he is mortal [b] ; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

When the daughters of men and sons of gods had children, the Nephilim were present before and after and considered heroes. Before and after “what” is the question.

Numbers 13:33

33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

The Nephilim and the Anakites were described as being huge. Let’s see what else the Bible says about Anakites

Numbers 13:28

But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.

Deuteronomy 1:28

Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’

Deuteronomy 2:21

They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. The LORD destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place.

Deuteronomy 9:2

The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the Anakites?”

The Anakites were described as being tall and powerful.

Deuteronomy 2:10

10 (The Emites used to live there—a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. 11 Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites.

Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.[18]

The Rephaites (Emites) were also tall as the Anakites, Their King, Og of Bashan had a bed that was 13 feet tall!!

According to ancient Sumerian legend, Anunnaki, were high councilmen of God that was dispersed to the Heavens and Earth. Their name translates to “princely ones”, or “of royal blood”, or “heaven and earth”.

In 2 Samuel 21:16 and I Chronicles, King David and his men fought the Philistines in Gath who were descendents of Rephaites, who were strong and tall as the Anakites, descendents of the Nephilim. Ishbi Benob, Saph, Goliath, the Gittie, Sippai, Lahmi, brother of Goliath of Gittie were all tall (at least 9 feet tall) with 6 fingers in each hand and 6 toes in each feet.

Now some would probably say how could these giant Nephilims be considered heroes? It depends who it’s according to. Goliath, the 9 feet Philistine warrior, was called a champion and hero to the Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:51, 4)

Some will say that we have sports figures tall today. However, they were not 9 feet to 13 feet tall! Also, sports figures are not related to each other as a race. These nephilim giants were all related, average 9 feet and taller, and descendents of a race.

3. WERE NEPHILIM GIANT CROSS BREEDS FROM FALLEN ANGELS?

BOOK OF ENOCH. According to the Bible, Enoch was Noah’s great, great grandfather, not to be confused with Cain’s son, whom he built a city for. Enoch never met death and was carried away by God. (Hebrews 11:5, Genesis 5:24) The Book of Jude also alludes to the Book of Enoch.

The book is referred to, and quoted, in Jude 14-15:

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these [men], saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Compare this with Enoch 1:9, translated from the Ethiopic:

“And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgement upon all, And to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

It is considered canonical to the Ethiopian Orthodox. The New Testament writers were aware of that book. The Book of Enoch has some fragments found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. One of first parts, The Book of Watchers” was written as early as 300 BC. So what does the Book of Enoch say about what happened? On a parchment fragment 4Q201(En ara) copied ca. 200-150 B.C.E. found at Qumrum:

13. [They (the leaders) and all ... of them took for themselves] wives from all that they chose and [they began to cohabit with them and to defile themselves with them]; and to teach them sorcery and [spells and the cutting of roots; and to acquaint them with herbs.] And they become pregnant by them and bo[re (great) giants three thousand cubits high ...]
- Book of Enoch (from Translation by J. C. Greenfield

READ MORE ON THE BOOK OF ENOCH

[Chapter 6]

1 And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto 2 them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: ‘Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men 3 and beget us children.’ And Semjaza, who was their leader, said unto them: ‘I fear ye will not 4 indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.’ And they all answered him and said: ‘Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations 5 not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.’ Then sware they all together and bound themselves 6 by mutual imprecations upon it. And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn 7 and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And these are the names of their leaders: Samlazaz, their leader, Araklba, Rameel, Kokablel, Tamlel, Ramlel, Danel, Ezeqeel, Baraqijal, 8 Asael, Armaros, Batarel, Ananel, Zaqiel, Samsapeel, Satarel, Turel, Jomjael, Sariel. These are their chiefs of tens.

[Chapter 7]

1 And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms 2 and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. And they 3 became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: Who consumed 4 all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against 5 them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and 6 fish, and to devour one another’s flesh, and drink the blood. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.

[Chapter 8]

1 And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all 2 colouring tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they 3 were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjaza taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, ‘Armaros the resolving of enchantments, Baraqijal (taught) astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven . . .

[Chapter 9]

1 And then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw much blood being 2 shed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth. And they said one to another: ‘The earth made without inhabitant cries the voice of their cryingst up to the gates of heaven. 3 And now to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men make their suit, saying, “Bring our cause 4 before the Most High.”‘ And they said to the Lord of the ages: ‘Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings, and God of the ages, the throne of Thy glory (standeth) unto all the generations of the 5 ages, and Thy name holy and glorious and blessed unto all the ages! Thou hast made all things, and power over all things hast Thou: and all things are naked and open in Thy sight, and Thou seest all 6 things, and nothing can hide itself from Thee. Thou seest what Azazel hath done, who hath taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven, which 7 men were striving to learn: And Semjaza, to whom Thou hast given authority to bear rule over his associates. And they have gone to the daughters of men upon the earth, and have slept with the 9 women, and have defiled themselves, and revealed to them all kinds of sins. And the women have 10 borne giants, and the whole earth has thereby been filled with blood and unrighteousness. And now, behold, the souls of those who have died are crying and making their suit to the gates of heaven, and their lamentations have ascended: and cannot cease because of the lawless deeds which are 11 wrought on the earth. And Thou knowest all things before they come to pass, and Thou seest these things and Thou dost suffer them, and Thou dost not say to us what we are to do to them in regard to these.’

[Chapter 10]

1 Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, 2 and said to him: ‘Go to Noah and tell him in my name “Hide thyself!” and reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come 3 upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it. And now instruct him that he may escape 4 and his seed may be preserved for all the generations of the world.’ And again the Lord said to Raphael: ‘Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening 5 in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may 6,7 not see light. And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire. And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that the 8 Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons. And the whole earth has been corrupted 9 through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin.’ And to Gabriel said the Lord: ‘Proceed against the bastards and the reprobates, and against the children of fornication: and destroy [the children of fornication and] the children of the Watchers from amongst men [and cause them to go forth]: send them one against the other that they may destroy each other in 10 battle: for length of days shall they not have. And no request that they (i.e. their fathers) make of thee shall be granted unto their fathers on their behalf; for they hope to live an eternal life, and 11 that each one of them will live five hundred years.’ And the Lord said unto Michael: ‘Go, bind Semjaza and his associates who have united themselves with women so as to have defiled themselves 12 with them in all their uncleanness. And when their sons have slain one another, and they have seen the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the day of their judgement and of their consummation, till the judgement that is 13 for ever and ever is consummated. In those days they shall be led off to the abyss of fire: and 14 to the torment and the prison in which they shall be confined for ever. And whosoever shall be condemned and destroyed will from thenceforth be bound together with them to the end of all 15 generations. And destroy all the spirits of the reprobate and the children of the Watchers, because 16 they have wronged mankind. Destroy all wrong from the face of the earth and let every evil work come to an end: and let the plant of righteousness and truth appear: and it shall prove a blessing; the works of righteousness and truth’ shall be planted in truth and joy for evermore.

17 And then shall all the righteous escape,

And shall live till they beget thousands of children

And all the days of their youth and their old age

Shall they complete in peace.

18 And then shall the whole earth be tilled in righteousness, and shall all be planted with trees and 19 be full of blessing. And all desirable trees shall be planted on it, and they shall plant vines on it: and the vine which they plant thereon shall yield wine in abundance, and as for all the seed which is sown thereon each measure (of it) shall bear a thousand, and each measure of olives shall yield 20 ten presses of oil. And cleanse thou the earth from all oppression, and from all unrighteousness, and from all sin, and from all godlessness: and all the uncleanness that is wrought upon the earth 21 destroy from off the earth. And all the children of men shall become righteous, and all nations 22 shall offer adoration and shall praise Me, and all shall worship Me. And the earth shall be cleansed from all defilement, and from all sin, and from all punishment, and from all torment, and I will never again send (them) upon it from generation to generation and for ever.

The Book of Enoch may contain some fantastic ideas about giants being over 400 feet tall and demons leading man astray and teaching them weapons and hidden secrets but the underlying theme is that “fallen angels came down to mate with human women and producing giants”. Even though the Church dismissed apocrypha writings as non-biblical, we know that there are certain truths contained in them and very hard to ignore. Also it mentions an angel by the name of Azazel, who leads men astray. Who is Azazel?

Azazel in Leviticus 16
Leviticus 16:8 tells that the Lord ordered his high priest, Aaron, to ‘place lots upon the two goats, one marked for the Lord and the other marked for Azazel’ on the Jewish Day of Atonement. The goat designated by lot for the Lord is to be used as a sin offering, while the goat designated for Azazel “shall be left standing alive before the Lord, to make expiation with it and to send it off to the wilderness for Azazel.” (Lev 16:10) Aaron was to “lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins, putting them on the head of the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness through a designated an. Thus the goat shall carry on it all their iniquities to an inaccessible region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness.” (Lev 16:21-22) Leviticus also says that “He who set the Azazel-goat free shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may reenter the camp.” (16:26)

From this passage in Leviticus, it would seem that Azazel is conceived of as a personal being, as lots were drawn for the Lord and for him. Also, Leviticus mentions that Azazel lives in the wilderness, as do the Se’irim. Because of this ritual, Azazel is known as the “scapegoat.” The goat that is sent to Azazel is not as a sacrifice, but as a symbol that there is no longer any unexpiated guilt. Both the goat and the man who leads away the goat are unclean, and the only way the man can reenter the camp is by washing his clothes and bathing.

Now let’s look at the Book of Jubilees. This book was written around 200 BC and considered canonical to the Ethiopian Orthodox. More copies were found when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.

“For due to these three things came the flood upon the Earth, namely, due to the fornication wherein the Watchers against the law of their ordinances went a whoring after the daughters of men, and took them- selves wives of all which they chose: and they made the beginning of uncleanness. And they begat sons the Naphidim, and they were all different, and they devoured one another: and the Giants slew the Naphil, and the Naphil slew the Eljo, and the Eljo mankind, and one man another. And every one sold him to work crime and to shed much blood, and the Earth was filled with crime. And after this they sinned against the beasts and birds, and all that moves and walks on the Earth: and much blood was shed on the Earth, and every imagination and desire of men imagined pride and immorality continually. And the Lord destroyed everything from off the face of the Earth; because of the wickedness of their deeds, and because of the blood which they had shed in the middle of the Earth.” (Jubilees 7:21-25)

Once again, it talks about Angels intermarrying with women and producing giants called Nephilim.

Interestingly enough Jude 1:6 says more about these angels.

6And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, 7just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.8Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.

This translates to angels left their proper home (Heaven), like Sodom and Gomorrah, fornicated with strange flesh (human women is respect) and now are eternally bounded by darkness until the great day.

Here is another interesting verse from 1 Peter 3:18

18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom[d] also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

II Peter 2:4-5, 9
“For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;  and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;…..

What spirits in prison before Noah is this referring to? We know that according to the Bible  (Hebrews 4:12, and Thessalonians 5:23) spirit and souls are not synonymous and very distinct from one another. Man has a soul, has the spirit (Breathe of God) but is not a spirit. The only things that come in a form of a spirit are God, angels, and demons. Angels are certainly ministering spirits according to Hebrews 1:14. Man is never ever denoted as a spirit.

Flavius Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews [93 or 94 AD], 1.72-25 recounts how the angels procreated with earthly women to produce giants.

For many angels of God accompanied with women, and begat sons that proved unjust, and despisers of all that was good, on account of the confidence they had in their own strength; for the tradition is, that these men did what resembled the acts of those whom the Grecians call giants. But Noah was very uneasy at what they did; and being displeased at their conduct, persuaded them to change their dispositions and their acts for the better: but seeing they did not yield to him, but were slaves to their wicked pleasures, he was afraid they would kill him, together with his wife and children, and those they had married; so he departed out of that land. – 1.72-75

4. CAN ANGELS PROCREATE?

Mark 12:25

When people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.

Matthew 22:29-30 “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures, or the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven”.

Now some may say that angels can’t have sex because that passage says they can’t marry. However, just because you can’t marry does not mean that you can’t have sex or you’re not capable of having sex. The Bible never mentions anything about the sexual origin of angels.

Also, Jesus is talking about what we will be like IN Heaven. But does that necessarily restrict what angels can do on Earth? – Not at all. Just because angels don’t marry in heaven, does not mean that they don’t marry on Earth and it that does not mean that they are incapable.

5. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT SPIRITUAL BEINGS LIKE ANGELS AND DEMONS

Angels can take on the form of men and were called “men” numerous times in the Bible:

Angels can physically appear as men so well that we wouldn’t realize that. (Heb 13:2)

Angels can eat our food like men and communicate in our language. (Genesis 18:6-8; 19:3, Psalm 78:24-25)

Angels who appeared as men in were able to physically reach out, pull Lot inside, shut the door, grasp the hands of Lot, his wife, and his daughters, and then lead them to safety outside of Sodom. (Genesis 19:10, 16)

Matthew 28:2, an angel physically rolled the stone and physically sat on it.

Also, when the two angels appearing as men came to visit Lot in Sodom and Gomorrha (Genesis 19:1-5), the sinful men of the city surrounded Lot’s house and demanded Lot to bring them out to “know” them, not realizing they were angels. Strong’s definition for “know” can translate to fornication or rape. Based on the context of that entire scripture, it’s very clear of what was happening. Now a question arises here:

Why on earth would those people try to fornicate with those angelic beings if they didn’t think it was possible in the first place to do so????

Angels and demons are spiritual beings that can strike physical ailments, cause damage to people and manipulate animals such as:

death (2 Kings 19:35, Psalm 78:49-51)
dumbness (Matthew 9:32, 33)
muteness (Mark 9:17-27)
blindness (Genesis 19:11)
boils (Job 2:7)

possess men

posses animals [pigs] (Matthew 8:32)

take shape as animals [serpent] (Genesis 3:1)

cause animals to talk such as a donkey (numbers 22:28)

Satan, a fallen angel, with God’s permission, had the power to kill Job’s sheep, daughters, sons, and servants as well as roam freely in Earth while having access to Heaven (Job 1:7)

God is a spiritual being just like angels

God is a spiritual being who came down with his angelic messenger to Abraham and Sarah in a form of a man.

God in a form or a “man” came down to wrestle with Jacob (Genesis 31: 21-32)

God came down to physically sit under an oak tree, talk to Gideon “face to face” (Judges 6:11)

God appeared to Samson’s father, Manoah and his mother and talked face to face with God who appeared as a man. Manoah, before realizing it was God, talked to him, offered him something to eat, and ask what his name was.

God came in form of Melchizedek, who was the King of Salem (King of Peace). His name is translated to King of Righteousness. He blessed Abram , was a King and Priest of the Most High at the same time, was given tithes from Abram, broke bread and wine. (Gensis 18:20) The only other person to do that was Jesus/God.

Now, we know that God and angels are spiritual beings and can come down in the appearance of Men. Now, if God can impregnate Mary without physical contact, then why couldn’t angels do the same thing? If angels could appear as men and perform physical functions like man, then why couldn’t they physically have sex with women? We shouldn’t limit to what angels and demons can or can’t do because even though they are limited creatures, we don’t exactly know what their limits are.

6. SEEDS OF SATAN

Genesis 3:15

I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring [a] and hers;
he will crush [b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

This is very interesting here. God was talking about how Eve’s offspring were to have enmities with the serpent’s (Satan) offspring. We know that this was not symbolic because Eve physically had offspring such as Abel, Cain, and Seth. Based on the syntax of this verse, how would Satan have offspring?

7. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE NEPHILIM?

Why aren’t there any giants now or where are they?

Genesis 6:4-
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

This verse is followed by God’s plan to flood the Earth so based on the context, we know that the Nephilim Giants lived before and after the great flood. We also know that the angels that mated with human women were also punished and held captive until Judgment Day. Not all fallen angels were held captive because there were still demons even until today. Remember when the flood happened, physical beings were eradicated. Demons and angels aren’t physical beings. So it is possible that fallen angels could of mated with human beings after the Flood as well due to increasing evils and the Anakites, Nephilims, and Rephaites that appeared after which Israelites with the leadership of Moses, Aaron, and Joshua fought.

According to the Bible, Joshua led his men to slaughter every living being, son, daughter, young and old. Complete annihilation! So there would be no traces of them.

CONCLUSION:

So in conclusion, we don’t know for sure if Nephilims were giant offspring from Fallen angels that mated with human women because the Bible doesn’t directly say it. But studying ancient history, ancient manuscripts, and the Bible we do have a theory that makes it reasonable to believe so.

More related Blogs:
Historical Jesus and what the early Church Christians believe he was
Did Jesus die on the Cross and Resurrect?
Was Jesus a copy of the other gods like Horus?
Why does God allow Evil and Suffering?
Where did Morals come from?
What the Bible says about Reincarnation
What the Bible says about Astrology
Did Mary assume into Heaven?
Nephilim, Fallen Angels, Giants, and sons of God
Book of Mormon VS The Bible
Why Won’t God Answer my Prayers?
Why I CAN’T be an Athiest. Athiesm is illogical
Why did God order Genocide and murders in the Bible

2 Kings 2:23-25 (English Standard Version)

23He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24And he turned around, and when he saw them,(A) he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 25From there he went on to(B) Mount Carmel, and from there he returned(C) to Samaria.

At a first glance, this passage can be very disturbing for both believers and non-believers.  How can this God of Love send off 2 bears to kill innocent children because they were poking fun at Elisha’s bald head? Needless to say, one must the entire passage to get a better understanding.

1.First of all, they weren’t “little kids”!

“‘Little children’ is an unfortunate translation by the King James version. The Hebrew expression neurim qetannim is best rendered ‘young lads’ or ‘young men.’ From numerous examples where ages are specified in the Old Testament, we know that these were boys from twelve to thirty years old. One of these words described Isaac at his sacrifice in Genesis 22:12, when he was easily in his early twenties. It described Joseph in Genesis 37:2 when he was seventeen years old. In fact, the same word described army men in 1 Kings 20:14-15…these are young men ages between twelve and thirty.”

2. Bald or not bald?

In 1 Kings 19:19, Elisha was the same age as those young adults. When he was called upon he was still living with his parents and plowing the fields with the oxen. When Elijah anointed him to be his successor, he kissed his parents goodbye. That’s pretty unusual if he was an old man that was balding. He was certainly a young adult. The epithet baldhead may allude to lepers who had to shave their heads and were considered detestable outcasts. Also in that culture, it was custom for men to cover their heads so it would be hard to tell if Elisha was bald or not. Even is Elisha was bald, there are 2 words in Hebrew that mean bald: bald in the front or bald in the back and they were using the word for bald in the back. This meant that at least 42 of them were surrounding him.

3. The Warning                                                                                                                                          In Leviticus 26:21-22, God warned anyone that was hostile to Him, infliction would be done to them 7 times more and wild animals would take their children. So that would imply that those young adults weren’t simply just teasing as you think they were but were meaning hostility towards God! There has been many accounts of prophets being ridiculed or threatened but nothing happened so it was definitely more than just poking fun of. Also, just because they were young, does NOT mean that they were innocent.

4. Looking at 1 Kings 19, Elijah was weary, scared for his life, and so hopeless that he started crying and wanted to die because some of the evil Israelites wouldn’t listen and were trying to kill him. So God knew it was too much for Elijah to take on so he sent him to Elisha to be his successor to fulfill the rest of the job. Now when the responsibility was shifted to Elisha, do you think that the Israelites and Baal worshippers were going to forget and just be nice and respectful to Elisha instead? Of course not!! If they were trying to kill Elijah for being a prophet, what makes you think they were going to let Elisha off the hook? History has shown that there weren’t too fond of prophets and Elisha could’ve been endangered! Remember how the prophets were being treated. Prophets didn’t have an easy job as some of them were being killed off, stoned, sawed in half, ( Hebrews 11: 35-40)

3. Look at the Setting:

The setting took place around Bethel. Bethel at that time was the most anti-Jehovah place out there was the a major Baal worship site at one point. Baal worshippers would sacrifice their own children by throwing them into the fire while having orgies. Those were detestable in God’s eyes. In 1 Kings, Jeroboam attempted to make Bethel the capital of idolatry worship and blasphemed God. He even instituted an idolatrous feast in correspondence to the Feast of the Tabernacles and set up idol images. Bethel thereafter became increasingly associated with heathen worship—hence the denunciations by Amos and by Hosea, who called it “Beth-aven” [house of wickedness]. So that pretty much tells you the nature of the people that lived there.

Also, Elisha just finished performing a miracle by restoring the water supply there since the land was under an age old curse and was unproductive!

Elijah was just seen being carried way from God. An awesome event took place in front of the eyes of the people, showing the Baal worshippers the true God and His powers. The insults were obviously made towards God and his prophets, not just some petty insult. Think about it: WHY WOULD SOMEONE PLACE AN INSULT OR RIDICULE SOMEONE AFTER THEY JUST WITNESS GOD’S POWER AND HAVING THEIR WATER SUPPLY FINALLY RESTORED AFTER MANY YEARS? In my opinion, if that event took place in front of me, I would be thankful and then convert!

That itself only reveals 2 things:

1. They didn’t worship God nor wanted to

2. They purposely wanted to blaspheme God.

4. It did not say that the bears killed 42 of them, it said that the bears mauled (to injure with claws) 42 of them. What were the 42 young men doing when the bears killed 1 of them: stand in line for their turn??? The bears probably came out and started mauling a few of them while the others were mauled in the process of fighting them off. Also, it never mentioned how many were mocking Elisha, it just said that 42 were mauled after he curse them. Now keep in mind, Elisha the young prophet, was traveling by himself in a city filled with ungodly men that wanted to kill his predecessor which is a scary situation to be in. Now according to that passage, if 42 were mauled, then that would mean that there were more than 42 involved making it a gang.

In conclusion, this was not just simply an account of some children hanging out and pointing out the baldness of a man in which God responded by having 2 bears kill all of them but a demonstration on judgment that happens when godless people blaspheme God and his prophets.

Just picture yourself in that place. What would you do if there was a band of a minimum of 42 teenagers poking fun of you in a town of ungodly men that wanted to murder prophets like you and you were by yourself in the middle of the road? I wonder what you would do.

Its very impossible to look at a verse and say, “aha, here is where God messed up”, accept it and not find a reason behind it. It only take a will and a few minutes to investigate for the answer. That technique is called cherry picking. Its like reading a random paragraph off a 500 page book thinking you know everything about a character, plot, and theme of the entire book. Its easy to find something that feeds their satisfaction but no one likes to spend a little time actually looking for the answer.

More related Blogs:
Historical Jesus and what the early Church Christians believe he was
Did Jesus die on the Cross and Resurrect?
Was Jesus a copy of the other gods like Horus?
Why does God allow Evil and Suffering?
Where did Morals come from?
What the Bible says about Reincarnation
What the Bible says about Astrology
Did Mary assume into Heaven?
Nephilim, Fallen Angels, Giants, and sons of God
Book of Mormon VS The Bible
Why Won’t God Answer my Prayers?
Why I CAN’T be an Athiest. Athiesm is illogical
Why did God order Genocide and murders in the Bible

WHO WAS THE SNAKE IN THE GARDEN AND WAS THE SERPENT AN ACTUAL SNAKE OR AN UPRIGHT CREATURE??

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Genesis 3:14

So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;

he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

1. Arguments for a snake:

A. The word serpent is almost used every time when describing a snake and its characteristics (adder, cobra, slithering, coiling)

Job 26:13

By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent.

Psalm 91:13

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

Psalm 140:3

They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Selah

Isaiah 14:29

Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.

Isaiah 27:1

[ Deliverance of Israel ] In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.

Jeremiah 46:22

Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent as the enemy advances in force; they will come against her with axes, like men who cut down trees.

2. Arguments that it was an upright creature

A. will crawl on its belly implying that it was upright before the curse

B. Will eat dusts all its days. Snakes today do not eat dust

C. The serpent could be used interchangeably for the word dragon and sea monster (Isaiah 27:1)

D. Is intelligent, cunning, could talk unlike any other snake

If God was speaking metaphorically that “crawling on its belly and eating dust” meant being disgustingly low on Earth, then how is a snake today suffering the consequence? Snakes are not looked down upon more than any other creature like a scorpion, crocodile, and spider. Also, to this day, is there enmity between snakes and humans as being archenemies? Not at all. Do snakes have seeds? No they don’t. So if seeds are metaphorical then so should the rest of the verse.

NOW HERE IS SOME MORE REVEALING CLUES ABOUT THIS SERPANT

Isaiah 65:25

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.

Now according to Isaiah’s new Heaven and Earth yet to come, serpents will then eat dust (as opposed to not eating dust at all) But is there a contradiction since God cursed the serpent to eat dust, remember? How does this all make sense? Let’s find out more.

Ezekiel 28:11-19 “`You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. [13] You were in Eden, the garden of God;

In reference to The King of Tyre, how could this King be in the Garden of Eden when no other human were there but Adam and Eve and humans were banished from it? That’s only possible if this King was in another form such as a serpent. We know that angels could disguise themselves as men so good that we wouldn’t even realize it with our own senses.

Hebrews 13:2 Stop neglecting to show hospitality to strangers, for by showing hospitality some have had angels as their guests without being aware of it.

Matthew 28:3. “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like Chrysolite, his face like lightening, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of multitude”

Genesis 19:1 speaks of angels that visited Lot and were thought to be men among the city’s people.

If that is possible, then why couldn’t angels and demons take form of animals?

Revelation 12:9-10 The great dragon was hurled down — that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.

This is indicating that this ancient serpent was in fact the Devil/Satan who was cunning, the same person as King Tyre!

Numbers 22:28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!” 30 So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

2 Peter 2:16 a donkey was once made to speak and reason with a man (Balaam): 6But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—a beast without speech—who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

We know that animals could talk and reason when they have a spiritual influence. Satan can definitely have influence over us.

Matthew 8:3:

The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.

Based on this, we know that demons could enter animals as well as possibly take form of them. If demons could enter humans and used them as a vehicle for speech, behavior, and reasoning, then it may be possible demons to control animals to function the same way. This concludes that Satan was using that serpent as an instrument for his own agenda. We know that the serpent was in fact a snake. Either Satan took form as a snake or entered a snake. When God cursed the snake, he was actually cursing Satan and metaphorically speaking about Satan’s lowliness.

Satan’s deceit for man most likely happened after he was casted out to Earth from God’s heavenly domain because of his Pride. Jesus states that he saw Satan fall from Heaven like a flash of lightning (Luke 10:18) so he probably ended up on Earth. Spiritual things such as Demons/angels materialize when entering Earth’s dimension. So Satan transformed as a snake or entered a snake in revenge to God for the purpose of trying to ruin His plans for humanity by deceiving us into sin. Satan’s seeds, the people that become part of Satan’s family through evil, will be against God’s seeds, believers in Christ so we must prepare by putting on the armor of Christ!

Ephesians 6:10-17

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  ¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone…” (Mk 10.17-18)

This has probably been the pinnacle for most Muslims that believe that Jesus’ quote insinuates his humanity and that he is not God. But let’s discover what the Scriptures say to guide us to the Truth.

Romans 3:10

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”

Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Psalm 14:3

“There is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

James 2:10

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

1 John 3:4

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

Psalm 58:3-4

Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.

1 John 1:8

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Now the Bible makes it crystal clear that we are all sinners from birth and it is impossible not to sin. Even breaking one single laws makes us a sinner. Once a sinner you are always a sinner.

A person that is considered truly “good” mean that they have never sinned. But let us examine what the Scriptures say about the Nature of Jesus

1 John 3:5

But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.

John 8:46

Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? -Jesus

Luke 23:47

The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”

Matthew 27:4

“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

1 Peter 2:22

“He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

Luke 23:39-42

39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Luke 23:39-42

John 18:38

“What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

Isaiah 53:9

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

2 Corinthians 5:21

God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Mark 7:21-23

21For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ “

Heb. 1:8

8But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever,

and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.

Based on Jesus’ testimony about himself, Pontus Pilate, the centurion, Isaiah, we know that Jesus was without sin, righteous, and was innocent from accused charges!

So If GOD IS ONLY GOOD, AND JESUS WAS GOOD, THEN JESUS WAS GOD

Is reincarnation Biblical?

What exactly does the Bible say about reincarnation? Reincarnation by definition is “physical rebirth after death”

Some may say that the Bible may offer some verses indicating that reincarnation is scriptural by is there actual proof supporting that. Some suggest that John the Baptist is Elijah reincarnated with the following versus

Remarkable as it sounds we cannot build a doctrine upon one single verse so lets further investigate what the Bible actually says.

Yes, he was Elijah (Matthew 11:13-14) – “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴“And if you care to accept it, he himself is Elijah, who was to come.”

No, he was not Elijah (John 1:19-21) – “And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰And he confessed, and did not deny, and he confessed, “I am not the Christ.” ²¹And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

New Testament.
Matt 3: 4
And the same John (the Baptist) had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

The Old Testament description of Elijah was:
2 Kings 1:8
And they answered him, He (Elijah) was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

1. PEOPLE WERE AWARE OF THE CONCEPT OF REINCARNATION:

Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? (John 9:2).It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him (John 9:3).

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; and before you were born I consecrated you, and I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:45).

They thought John the Baptist or Jesus was Elijah

Matthew 16:13-15

13(A)Now when Jesus came into the district of (B) Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that (C) the Son of Man is?”

14And they said, “Some say (D) John the Baptist; and others, (E) Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Mark 6:15; Luke 9:19, Matthew 16:14; Mark 8:28;

2. PEOPLE WERE EXPECTING ELIJAH TO COME BACK THROUGH PROPHECY

Malachi 4:5-6 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Note (1) People didn’t know how Elijah would appear; as the literal physical sense OR reincarnated because they wouldn’t have asked Jesus or John if they were Elijah since they already recognized what Elijah physically looked like especially during the transfiguration.

3. Jesus says that He has already come and the disciples understood that he was referring to John the Baptist.

10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Matt 11:13-15 “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear.”

4. John was prophesied to come and declared it. Isa.40:3-4 as “The voice crying out in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

5. John denies he is Elisha, the Messiah, a prophet, and states that he is the one that Isaiah prophesied about to make way for the Lord. He is also other forerunner un named in Mal.3:1

19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.24And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM

Luke 1:17

17″It is he who will (A) go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, (C)TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to (D) make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (a reference of Malicah concerning John the Baptist )

Now “in spirit and power” could be very misleading and some take it as a reference to reincarnation. But that is not the case.

2 Kings 2:15

Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

Elisha was not literally Elijah but has his powers and spirit just as John the Baptist did.

A reader has also made this interesting observation, concerning these verses:

Hosea 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

Ezekiel 34:23-24 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

In these passages the Messianic king is called “David” — and this is the same sense in which John is properly called “Elijah” by Malachi 4.

Hosea 3:5 and Ezekiel 34:23-24, the Messianic king is called “David.” But this does not mean that Christ is a reincarnation of David, or that David was prophesied to return to earth to reign

In other words John the Baptist was Elijah, not THE PHYSICAL ELIJAH that everyone was expecting so they denied him just like they denied Jesus as the Messiah.

As far as reincarnation some can agree that reincarnation was nothing new in the Old testament but that doesn’t mean that its necessarily true.

There is even a bigger problem with this view. For reincarnation to be held true in this case, one must die, before being reincarnated. However according to the Bible, Elijah never experience a physical death.

II Kings 2:11

As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.

Indeed, just as people are destined to die once and after that to be judged, Hebrews 9:27

Let’s say for the sake of the argument that Elijah did in fact die and reincarnated to John the Baptist.

How could Elijah revert back into himself during the transfiguration shortly after John the Baptist was beheaded? That makes the reincarnation concept even more confusing than ever. Elijah came as John and transformed back to himself right after? Also, how could Elijah appear as a full grown man shortly after John’s death?

So what does the Bible say where we go when die? According to the Bible there are only two place where we go

2 Corinthians 5:8 According to Paul we would return home to God

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it…. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened….and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds….And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

Jesus told the criminal on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), not “You will have another chance to live a life on this earth.” Matthew 25:46 specifically tells us that believers go on to eternal life while unbelievers go onto eternal punishment

For believers, after death is to be “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). For unbelievers, after death means everlasting punishment in Hell (Luke 16:22-23).

In conclusion and based on the Scriptures, we understand that John the Baptist is not the reincarnation of Elijah the Prophet but his forerunner.

Here is some information that I found which may add some insights about what the Bible truly says about Astrology.

** note** An element of Astrology uses the positions of the stars to predict the future which falls under the category of “fortune telling”

Stars created are for “signs”

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:”
- Genesis 1:14

Stars were NOT created for “signs” and the use is condemned!!

Deuteronomy 18:10-12
10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. 11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.  12For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Don’t sacrifice your children in the fires on your alters> and don’t let your people practice divination or look for omens or use spells or charms. and don’t let them consult the spirits of the dead. The Lord your God hates people who these disgusting things. Be completely faithful to the Lord (18.10-13)

He practiced divination and magic and consulted fortune-tellers and mediums. He sinned greatly against the Lord and stirred up his anger. 2 Kings 21.6 and 2 Chronicles 33.6.

Disaster will come upon you, and none of your magician stop it… Keep all your magic spells. and charms you have used them since you were-young……. You are powerless in spite of the advice you get. Let your astrologers come forward and save you those people who study the stars, who man out the zones of the heavens and tell you month to month what is going to happen to you….. They will not even be able to save themselves… those astrologers, you consulted all your life.(47.10-15)

Jeremiah
Do not listen to your prophets or anyone who claims he can predict the future, either by dreams or by calling up the spirits of the dead or by magic (27.9)
I the Lord, the God of Israel, warn you not to let yourselves he deceived by the prophets who live among you or by any others who claim they can predict the future (29.8).

Leviticus 19:26 “Ye shall not eat anything with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

IS THERE A CONTRADICTION? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE, THE WORD “SIGNS” DID NOT SIGNIFY OR ENCOURAGE ASTROLOGY BUT ACTUALLY REFERRED TO SEASONAL CHANGES OR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSE SINCE GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF CREATION. ITS SOMETIMES USED TO REPRESENT A COVENANT AS IN THE FOLLOWING BUT NEVER FOR PREDICTING THE FUTURE:

Genesis 9:12-13, God put a special sign in the sky.

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

ASTROLOGY MAY BE EVIDENT IN THE BIBLE BUT THE USE OF IT IS CONDEMNED. SO WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF STARS THEN? HERE IS THE ANSWER

Purpose of stars

Psalm 19: 1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; The skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; Night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, Their words to the ends of the world.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” (Gen 1:14-15).

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Isaiah 40:26).

Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? (Song of Solomon 6:10).

The purpose of the stars are to signify Gods magnificence in creation and to provide light, so what about the following?

Luke 21:25-27 25″There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

This verse is not encouraging the use of astrology but alluding to the actual conditions and physical “signs” in the rapture/tribulation/Jesus second coming in the future and the evidence for this is in the following:

Revelation
6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

(There is even no point of using astrology for this because even Jesus says that only the Father knows the time and day and that he will come like “a thief in the night”)

SO WHAT ELSE DOES THE BIBLE SAY? IT SAYS THAT MAN IS CONTROLLED BY GOD NOT THINGS SUCH AS STARS AND THAT WE SHOULD ONLY TRUST IN GOD!!

Lord I know that no one is the master of his own destiny; no person has control over his own life. Jeremiah 10.23.

“God sends both happiness and trouble; you never know what is going to happen next ” Ecc 7.14.

I’m not saying that astrology can’t predict the future because it is based on the trends from the emotional affects of planetary and star alignment. I’m just saying that using them to predict the future is forbidden because when someone relies on stars, God becomes obsolete from the picture. We now become dependent on stars instead of seeking God first. Some may justify that since God created them, it should be OK to interpret them. But remember, God also created spiritual beings that became demons but its not OK to contact or channel them. Just because they exists does not give us the privileged to make use of it especially when the Bible instructs us otherwise. Furthermore psychics were also present such as in ACTS 16: 16-19 when Paul removed the “divine spirit” from the slave girl. Just because the ability and accessibility to use these tools are there does not give us the right to use them, according to the Bible.

Even though the Bible may contain verses regarding stars, their movements,  constellations, or acknowledge that astrologers were present, NOT once does it say that its OK to go beyond that as to interpret them as an instrument and predict the future such as Astrology.

 

The Truth about His Crucifixion and Death

Many are familiar with the movie Da Vince Code, which is a movie based on the concepts of the “swoon theory”. According to that theory, it basically claims that Jesus escaped death by using a substance that had him knocked out unconciously which made him appear to be dead, healed by the ointments in the tomb, and escaped with Mary Magdeline eastward to later have kids and die a natural death. Some say that he died as the mysterious Yuz Asaf in Kashmir. But either way, I believe that theory fails with major flaws under logic and medical tests!Let’s include some statements from unbelievers such as Richard Walters that state that it was highly improbable that Jesus died on the cross under 12 hours (approx. 3 hours) since the process took longer than that. The evidence they have to support this idea was Pontious Pilate’s amazement at Jesus’ sudden death, the blood that was drawn after his piercing, and the shroud of Tourin. Also, it was recorded by the Jewish historian Josepheus that some including his own friend had survived the crucifixion indicating that it was possible.Now lets use logic, history and science to indicate otherwise:1. You must take an account of these biblical and historical facts in order that precede Jesus early death on the cross and NOT just isolate the crucifixion itself which is included in the following:a. Jesus was under extreme stress! According to Luke 22:44, Jesus began to sweat blood. This is medical condition “hematohidrosis.” Around the sweat glands, there are multiple blood vessels in a net-like form.” Under the pressure of great stress the vessels constrict. Then as the anxiety passes “the blood vessels dilate to the point of rupture. The blood goes into the sweat glands.As the sweat glands are producing a lot of sweat, it pushes the blood to the surface – coming out as droplets of blood mixed with sweat. b. Jesus gets beaten by members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Council. c. Jesus gets flogged (“scourged”) with a Roman flagrum, similar to a “cat-o-nine nails”. It had three “tails”, each with a little metal dumbbell-shaped attachment that digs into the flesh. It was considered so cruel that it was illegal to flog a Roman citizen. d. Jesus is beaten with wooden reeds (like “caning”). e. Jesus gets slapped and punched by a group of Roman soldiers. f. Jesus has a cap or thorns pressed onto His head. Middle Eastern crowns of the period were not little circles like a British or French crown. The were like the mitre worn by Roman Catholic bishops. g. Jesus is tied to the crossbeam that will be attached to the vertical post. Crossbeams typically weighed about 40 pounds (20 kg). h. Jesus has to walk up a hill to the crucifixion site. He falls several times and the soldiers have to force a bypasser, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the beam. i. At the hilltop Jesus is untied. He is then nailed to the Cross. The nails are put through His wrists not His palms, as commonly depicted by artists. One foot is put on top of the other and a nail is driven through both of them. j. Jesus is left on the Cross.k. The body of Jesus is stabbed in the side with a Roman lancia. 2. Here are problems associated with Jesus “just passing out from exhaustion” or even “being drugged” from a Forensic stand point:a. Once Jesus passed out, He would have hung in a “Y” position, with knees bent. Experiments with volunteers have proved that in that position lung muscles become paralyzed from strain in just a few minutes. Within 6-12 minutes a person stops breathing and will die of asphyxiation if the strain is not removed. This isn’t speculation, it’s scientific fact established by direct observation. b. With the blood loss from the flogging and the further loss from the stab wound, Jesus would have gone into hypovolemic shock (shock from extremely low blood pressure caused by bleeding). Without a transfusion and with nothing to stop the internal hemorrhaging He would have died, probably within hours.c. With the internal bleeding and build-up of fluids Jesus would have died from congestive heart failure. Pathologists generally agree that this was a contributing cause of Jesus’ death. d. The Gospel of John says that when Jesus was stabbed blood and water came out of His side. A number of forensic pathologists have examined the descriptions (and, in some cases, information on the Shroud of Turin). They all agree that there is no way water could have come out. But, they agree that the heart is surrounded by the pericardium, which contains a watery fluid and a lance thrust would have extracted this fluid, which would look like water. The thrust would also have pierced the heart, drawing accumulated blood. e. Even if Jesus didn’t die of asphyxiation and even if He didn’t die of congestive heart failure and even if He didn’t die of hypovolemic shock and even if He didn’t die from the internal hemorrhaging itself, He had a large, deep, open chest wound through at least one lung and probably the heart, with internal bleeding. This would have caused internal infection and in a few days He would have died of sepsis, i.e., infection. The Bible says Jesus appeared to hundreds over a period of forty days after the Crucifixion. 3. Some such as the Muslims may argue that Jesus was actually hung on a tree according to 1Peter2, Acts 5, 10, and 13 as opposed to being crucified on a cross according to Matt 13, Mark 15, and Luke 23. Well this is up for debate and interpretation. The cross is made of wood and when you are crucified, you are technically hung. The point is that Jesus was crucified and died!! Even after his death, Jesus showed his disciples his piercings on his hands to show that he was crucified. Also, Jesus died a Roman crucifixion, in which they used 7-inch iron nails driven to the wrists. This could be confirmed by an archaeological find in Jerusalem in 1968 when bodies of crucified victims having 7-inch nails driven through their feet with small pieces of olive wood still attached. When you read the new testament scriptures such as Luke, it clearly states that Jesus carried his cross and was crucified by it. In fact he even needed assistance because he was so badly beaten, he couldn’t have carried it all the way. Now I could hardly imagine Jesus carrying a tree on his shoulder.They also make claim that according to the Qur’an that Jesus was not hung but someone else instead took his place. I’m sure that his own mother, Mary and his close friend, Mary Magdalene would’ve not easily mistaken their own Jesus’ identity. It’s also very difficult to believe that all the Romans, Jewish officials, and the massive crowd during and after the crucifixion, at the same time could all been fooled and mistaken his identity for someone else. Besides, who in the world would want to take Jesus’ agonizing place of extreme torture and punishment and for what reason? Peter himself, one of the closest to Jesus even denied Him out of fear!!! Furthermore, Jesus even predicted his own death and resurrection through the following: Matthew 16:21 – From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.Luke 18:31,32 – Jesus took the twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles, they will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.’Now here is both reliable non-Biblical sources from Romans and Jews, who weren’t even Christians that wrote about His death:
a. Cornelius Tacitus in his Annals, xv. 44: Christus … was executed at the hands of the procurator Pontious Pilate.
b. Lucian of Samosata: (Christ was) the man who was crucified in Palestine
c. Talmud, b. Sanhedrin 43a: On the eve of the Passover Yeshu [Jesus] was hanged [or crucified]. … Since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of the Passover.
d. Amoa “Ulla” (Ulla was a disciple of Youchanan and lived in Palestine at the end of the third century) adds: “And do you suppose that for (Yeshu of Nazareth- Jesus) there was any right of appeal? He was a beguiler, and the Merciful One hath said: “Thou shalt not spare neither shalt thou conceal him.”It is otherwise with Yeshu, for He was near to the civil authority.There iss no evidence supporting the Qur’an and it was written 600 years after the lifetime of Jesus. It contradicts every historical document and questions the claims of eye witnesses in the Bible.
4. Here is the problems associated with Jesus being sedating with vinegar: THERE ARE NO EVIDENCE!! When you read the actual verses you notice that Jesus was offered the vinegar which doesn’t explicitly say that he drank it (Mark 15:35-37, Matt 27:47-50) or he strictly refused the drink (Mark 15:13) and finally sipped it with his lips but refused to drink the rest (Matt 27:24). Even if he was sedated, can one actually think that he would sleep and not endure the rest of the pain that came after such as the piercing through his heart by the lance??5. Also take an account that the Roman soliders were disciplined EXPERTS in killing and torchering their victims. There would of been no way every single Roman guard present, including Pontious Pilate, the centurion that pierced Him, or the crowd would’ve mistaken Jesus not dying. They did not bother to break Jesus’ legs like the thieves next to him because they realized he was already dead. Those guards, if accessory to a hoax or not completing the act, would of risk their jobs or lives for the sake of a conspiracy!! Even in ACTS 12, when the Angel let Peter escape, King Herod had all the guards on duty executed. Also in ACTS 16, the Roman solider took his own life after Paul escaped prison because he would rather die by his own sword then get executed by his own fellow Romans!!6. Now lets say that Jesus, under all the circumstances of logic and medical science noted above, still managed to survive against all odds. He then was placed in a cold, dark, isolated cave, guarded by the elite Roman guards and Jews. But yet, others say that His beaten, stabbed, hungry, crucified, corpse-like body, managed to get up after nails had been ran through his foot and had enough energy after 3 days without medical attention, to walk upright and push this huge stone slab at a decline sideways from the inside without any assistance and sneak pass the guards who took no notice to it the whole entire time!!! He then walked several miles, evading the entire Romans and Jews in a dangerous territory covering thousands of miles as a convict, in which everyone would’ve recognized Him by that point. He soon appeared to his scared and despaired disciples while He convinced and inspired them ( in the horrid state of condition he was in) that he was the way, truth and life to salvation. Now how does that make any sense??? Seriously???7. Finally, despite all the facts and circumstances I just mentioned, Jesus still managed to survive and flee to Kashmir or Palestine. He would’ve pulled the greatest Houdini escape act ever in the history of mankind. Another theory is that His own disciples stole the body. This is very unreasonable because it would make all the New testament writers liars and crazy by risking their own lives and embarking on a self-defeating conspiracy by getting beaten and torchered in the name of a lie! How would they even get passed the guards wihout being notcied. Some Jews offer their explanation that the Roman guards were asleep. (a) If the Roman guards were asleep, how did they know that it was the disciples that stole the body and (b) why would they admit to death from the capital crime that they were asleep on duty? So, would He ever be worthy of veneration, dignity, respect and honor after decieving humanity of His life, death, and resurrection?? What kind of man, prophet, or angel, would lead his own people to die for Him by claiming to be Christ and fake his entire ministry and death, thus condemning all nations??? What would be His motive to commit such an horrid lie? Well, the final verdict? Under the careful examination using logic, history, science and credibility of the Bible, eye witness testimonies, my conclusion is that Jesus was crucified and died on the cross. The “Swoon theory” clearly fails in every way possible. Terrible attempt for those that postulated that because its nothing more than a fantastic imagination that is hopelessly flawed! It’s very difficult for anyone to believe that he was physically alive and manged to escape after all that would be absurd. I would love to know how and why they would think its possible!! Please enlighten me.1. christiananswers.net

The Morality of Evolution VS the Evolution of Morality

According to Webster dictionary, “morals” is defined as: of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong. To simplify, Morals is what dictates “wrong” or “right”. We live by this permeable force found in individuals and society as a whole everyday and its undeniable but have you ever wondered where they came from and are they a universal absolute, meaning that it is an intrinsic fundamental truth in which we all abide by? Or are morals relative; dependent on time and culture? I would like to shed light on this topic through my discoveries to open new possibilities of thought. First and foremost, I would like to elaborate about what morals entails and I assume that everyone has some sort of understanding of it. We know morals exists because our reactions. We would never say “that’s not fair”, “that’s not right”, or “that’s not just”. Our reactions help us identify what justice is. We would never believe that the attacks on 9/11 were “wrong” and the holocaust was “evil”. “Good”, “bad”, “right”, wrong” and “fair” are descriptive words relating to morals. Without morals there would be no basis for human rights. Also without morals there would be no way to measure the difference.When we evaluate the the behavior of Hitler and Gandhi, we are using morals. Without it, statements like “racism is wrong”, “murder is evil”, “child abuse is bad”would have no objective meaning and it would be a matter of opinion like “chocolate taste better than vanilla”. A matter of fact, Thomas Jefferson, one of our founding fathers even thought that morals existed by stating in the US Declaration of Independence, “we hold these truths to be self evident”. If morals didn’t exists then we wouldn’t make excuses for violating it. So from these arguments, we can see that morals do in fact exists.

With that established, I would like to continue next by discussing the first topic on where morals derived from. Some evolutionists claim that that morals are a product due to evolution. To review, evolution is the process of change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms from one generation to the next through mutation, migration, or horizontal gene transfer. Morals, which determines what’s right or wrong, as I previously discussed, is needed in order to benefit the species. Without morals, the species wouldn’t survive because detrimental and destructive activities would put an end to it. In other words, as humans, we must develope morals to be good to one another for the mere reason of survival. This seems to be a rather legitimate stance to others right? I disagree somewhat so let’s take a look more into this. First of all, evolutionist are materialist meaning that everything consist of material such as atoms and molecules. If that is the case, then there should be a way to physically measure morals. How much does the “hate molecule” weigh? What’s the chemical composition of love? That is absurd on how materials are responsible for a non-material thing such as morals. If materialist and evolutionist are correct then we shouldn’t blame Hitler, Sadam Hussein, or Osama bin Laden for their actions because they just has a few bad molecules in them and it was inevitable due to their genes. Obviously, Hitler himself supported the Darwinist view by eliminating the Jews, in which he though was an inferior race. But we all can agree that he was wrong, right? Should we blame evolution? Of course not! Furthermore, one can say that morals are needed for the “good” of the species. Well that statement itself is self defeating because how can the word “good” be used if it regards morals in itself. By who’s definition are we using when we define something to be “good” or “bad” anyways? Who is to say what is “good” for the species and assume that survival is “good” to begin with? And, to whom is it good for? Is this moral reciprocity for the individual species or for the group? Who has the right to be right? How could such a process determine what “right” or “wrong” is initially and at what point did evolution know what “right” or wrong” was? In other words, how could something have the impulse to take the “right” course of action if there was no “right” or wrong” to begin with? Morals could not have been the source of itself. If morals were the product of evolution then why should the strong cooperate with the weak when its all about “survival of the fittest”? Why should we feel compassion for the weak, unable, and retarded people? If evolution strives to ultimately aim for survival then how can it explain why people commit suicide, engaged in destructive behavior with substance abuse, or take noble risk of their lives for others? If one group of species were in direct competition to their equal counter parts but were more moral, does that mean that they would out do their competition? But that wouldn’t be considered good would it?C.S. Lewis adds another perspective in this topic:

When you see someone being mugged and calling for help, our stronger instinct tells us to be safe by running away as oppose to our weaker instinct telling us to help. However, there is a third thing that suppress the stronger one and encourages the weaker one that we ought to help and that itself can not be instinct.

And if everything can be explained in terms of evolution then our curiosity to seek truth and understand morals is due to hard wiring in itself in which we have no control of. All in all, I must say that evolution fails to provide a biological explanation to man’s moral faculties and stating that evolution is responsible for morals faces grave difficulties. It faces what I call a 2 point dilemma:

1. If morals had a natural source through genetics, then it is not objective or absolute, there is no right or wrong, and our values are equivalent to that in which we came from, slime, since we have no grounds to say we are morally better; The only reason why you are understanding about morals is because you are genetically engineered to do so.

2. Even if morals were genetically subjective, then we shouldn’t blame people for murder, rape, and stealing because they were hard wired like that. Its permissable. It would just be one’s opinion over the other so get over it and stop whining and complaining!!

To me, evolution serves no justice when answering where morality came from.If morals did not come from evolution then where did it come from? We must then seek other avenues to possibly answer that question. But what about society and culture? Could society play an important role in the development of morals? I believe so, however I don’t agree that it was the cause of morals. But that too faces another challenge. Where did that society get their morals from? From the generation before them? And where did that society get their morals from? It would be a neverending question without a satisfying answer. Some can distinguish the difference between morals in different countries but fail to look at the similarities. For example, Hindus revere their cows but Americans eat their cows so morals must be different. But the reasoning behind why Hindus don’t eat their cows is because they believe that their ancestors live in them but Americans don’t. If Americans shared the same beliefs then they too would probably not eat their grandmother. The underlying truth is that murder is wrong. The belief might be different but the morals are still the same. Well what about the abortion issue? Some say that people have different morals when pertaining to that. The reason why its up for debate is because no one can determine at what point its actually a human. No mother would murder their own child for the sake of murdering or the knowledge of it being wrong. If everyone knew at what point it was then there wouldn’t be such a huge disagreement. Even Ronald Regan pointed out that if everyone had to go back to their mothers womb, they would be anti abortionist. When regarding abortion, there is a huge controversy and divisions between pro choice and pro life, which some address that it demonstrates that morals are relative. The belief of when its actually a human may be different the the morals that murder is wrong is still shared. While morals indicate what “ought” to be done, different cultures have values and beliefs of “how” it should be done. For example, we all know that when we meet someone we “ought” to express some sort of hello and acknowledge the individual. However different cultures express them in different ways from a kiss, waving a hand, shaking hands, hug, etc. Also, some may see the differences but what about the similarities? Do you think any country or civilization,no matter what time period, would honor a coward? Would praise a man that killed his own parents and raped his kids? Of course not!! That is ridiculous to believe that. If anyone, regardless of age, race, background, sex, culture, (including notorious murderers) saw a baby on the edge of a well, potentially endagered by plundging down to its death, I can guarantee that compassion and concern would be expressed to its highest degree. That implies a universal moral we all share. Well , what about tribes that eat others and sacrifice their own people? Isn’t that sufficient reasoning that morals are based on time era and culture? Not necessarily, because the only reason why they practice cannibalism is because they don’t think that they are humans. They still know that murder is wrong or else they wouldn’t perform cermonial, spiritual rituals before a sacrifice to relive themselves before the act because they know its wrong. Even Hitler knew murder was wrong or else he wouldn’t have dehumanized the Jews in order to rationalize killing them. Murderers know that killing is wrong its just that they don’t have remorse. There is also another confusion about one’s position on morality. I often hear the statement, ” Morals did not come from God because I’m atheist/agnostic and I have morals/ or understand them”. That doesn’t necessarily prove that God doesn’t exists and that morals didn’t come from God just because atheist have morals. Christians believe that God was the source of morals but why do they sometimes do immoral things? Some Christians claim that since atheist do not believe in God, therefore they do not have morals. That itself is not true. Atheist or Christians have innate knowledge of what right or wrong is. Everyone has. Religion may play an influence but is not the source of morals. Religion is not necessary for people to live a moral and ethical life. It could be stated that even that the animal kingdom exhibits some set of morals. I believe that there is confusion between instinct and morals. Animals don’t have morals in a sense that they can think over the result before acting on it and judging whether its right or wrong. Animals do kill each other but its always for the mere reason of territorial gains, defense, power, or food. I can hardly imagine an animal killing for the sake of killing, committing rape, and plotting wars. It would be hard to imagine conditioning a monkey to express compassion when another steals from its friend.

To summarize, evolution and nurture leaves inconclusive answers to where the source of morals came from. My indications show that absolute moral laws do in fact exists. We don’t invent it but only discover it.But, if the morals laws were embedded in us, then it would require a law giver…hmmmmmm..i Wonder.Feedback anyone???*Inspired by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek

Mysteries of the Ancient Imposters debunked

Too often do I come across websites, blogs, word of mouth circulating while depicting how Christianity borrowed themes from earlier religions making it a copycat. I always seem to hear that Christianity is not unique because that it stole the ideas of other gods. Everyone familiar with the religion can understand that the centralized theme of “good vs. evil” and “light vs. dark” are as old as humanity itself. But specifically , there is attributes given to the gods of contesting religions of the following:

Born on Dec 25th
Was God in the Flesh
Born of a virgin
Died for our sins
Titled the redeemer, Son of God, Lamb of God,Resurrected

With the exception of his birth on December 25th, one could reasonably claim that it was stolen from pagan ideas. I believe that is true but it is more based on ideology than theology. It doesn’t make a difference. One shouldn’t assume that just because that date was fused in with Christianity that all elements such as his birth, death, and resurrection was too. I know there is a lot of information out there on the internet and he said, she said sources so I decided to investigate the actual history itself to come up with my own educated conclusion. I was quite surprised. I crossed studied each of the mythical gods in ancient history and did a break down analysis and comparison with Jesus. Anyone can make a claim but to actually be credited and backed up with history itself is quite often never used. I wanted to deflate these false information. Hopefully this might shed some more light for you to the pass the real TRUTH and the GOOD NEWS!

1. ADONIS- Associated with life/death cycle of vegetation
Death and resurrection- Apollodorus, who was a Greek writer born about 180 BC, about 2200 years ago who wrote the Library mentions his death but no resurrection

“And Adonis, while still a boy, was wounded and killed in hunting by a boar through the anger of Artemis.” – Apollodorus, The Library, Book III.

The earliest known record of a tradition involving a revived Adonis comes from Lucian of Samosata, the author of De Dea Syria.

“They say, at any rate, that the deed that was done to Adon by the boar occurred in their land, and in memory of that misfortune every year they beat their breasts and mourn and perform the ceremonies, making solemn lamentations throughout the country. And when the breast-beating and weeping is at end, first they make offerings to Adon as if to a dead person; and then, on the next day, they proclaim that he is alive and fetch him forth into the air, and shave their heads as the Egyptians do when Apis dies.”

The problem with this is that it was written a century after Christ, too late to influence Christianity.
Resurrection Theocritus, a Greek poet during the third century AD, after the time of Jesus, indicates in his Psalm of Adonis that Adonis is revived for a single day each year and then is carried out to the sea. There is a huge difference here. Jesus dies was resurrected and defeated death. On the contrary, Adonis dies, returns back to death and gets revived. Resurrection is not the same as revivication. Another problem with this is that it was written 2 centuries after Christ. So you tell me who borrowed what from whom?

Virgin Birth- according to the book, the Library:
“…this Smyrna conceived a passion for her father, and with the complicity of her nurse she shared her father’s bed without his knowledge for twelve nights. But when he was aware of it, he drew his sword and pursued her, and being overtaken she prayed to the gods that she might be invisible; so the gods in compassion turned her into the tree which they call smyrna (myrrh). Ten months afterwards the tree burst and Adonis, as he is called, was born…”
This indicates that he was born through incest than through a virgin birth.

2. DIONYSUS (BACCHUS) is the god of wine, the inpirer of ritual madness and ecstasy. He represents the intoxicating power of wine.(Doesn’t sound like a Jesus to me)
Virgin Birth- When discussing the virgin the birth, there is many version of Dionysus’ real mother. The Golden Bough, some traditions say that he was born of a deity, such as Persephone, the Greek mythical queen of the underworld, or Demeter, a Greek goddess of agriculture who is sometimes revered as the Mother Goddess. Jesus’ mother on the other hand was a mortal woman, a human. Other traditions have Dionysus born from a mortal woman named Semele. And there also was a tradition that Semele never actually gives birth to Dionysus, as we learn from Ovid, a first century Roman poet who wrote Metamorphoses. Ovid informs us that Semele asks to see the god who impregnated her. The god presents himself as a storm. Although the god tries to restrain himself, he inadvertently kills Semele: “But still Semele’s mortal body could not endure the storm, and she was consumed, by the fire of her nuptial gift. The infant Bacchus, still unfinished, is torn from the mother’s womb, and (if it can be believed) is sewn into his father’s thigh to complete his full term.” – Metamorphoses, book III, section 273-315.
Many ancient sources of literature, including The Bacchae, relay the mythical tradition that Semele was the daughter of Cadmus, who was the son of Agenor. Agenor, as we are told by ancient Greek writers, including Apollodorus, was the son of Poseidon, the legendary god of the sea, who also was known as Neptune. Semele’s great-grandfather Poseidon/Neptune was one of the very greatest gods of Greek mythology. He was also a brother to Zeus. And to complicate matters even more in terms of trying to suggest that there are similarities between Semele and Mary, Semele’s mother, Harmonia, was an immortal goddess who was the daughter of Aphrodite (also known as Venus). In other words, Semele was not a virgin or a mortal woman as opposed to Jesus’ mother Mary.
Turning water into wine. The earliest source of this was from Achilles Tatius, in his romance novel, Leucippe and Cleitophon, which is most commonly said to have been written during the second century AD, after the New Testament.
Resurrcetion and crucifixion- according to myth, Dionysus is born to a female deity, torn to pieces by Titans, re-gestated by Semele who is accidentally incinerated, and then sewn into the thigh of Zeus/Jupiter, until he reaches full term for the second time, and is born for the second time, from the thigh of Zeus/Jupiter. This is however a different view from the New Testament writers about Jesus.

3. KRISHNA Although the words Krishna and Christ might sound phonetically similar, they have different meanings. “Krishna” means “the black one,” or “dark one,” whereas the “Christ” means “anointed one” or “messiah.”
Virgin birth The Mahabharata, a Hindu religious text with details about the life and teachings of Krishna, says that Krishna was born in a prison, not a manger, and that his father was a nobleman, not a carpenter.As for a virgin birth, the Mahabharata says that Krishna’s parents were Princess Devaki and Vasudeva, (Mahabharata Book 12, Section 48), who had several children before he was born.
Death and crucifixion- As for the crucifixion and resurrection, it is true that the Mahabharata says that Krishna, who is alternately referred to as Keshava, is killed and that he returns to life, but he was not crucified. Instead, he receives a mortal injury to the heel while meditating in the forest:”A fierce hunter of the name of Jara then came there, desirous of deer. The hunter, mistaking Keshava, who was stretched on the earth in high Yoga, for a deer, pierced him at the heel with a shaft and quickly came to that spot for capturing his prey.” – Mahabharata, Book 16, Section 4

4. HORUS son of Osiris and Isis, the war god, lord of the sky, often depicted as a falcon, hawk, or a lion’s body with a head of a hawk ( but never as the “Lamb of God” such as Jesus)
If you study the history of Horus, such as his losing his eye, avenging his father’s death by battling his uncle Set, and losing his testicle which explains why the desert is infertile, there is nothing similar to Jesus.
Virgin Birth- according to Plutarch, Isis lost her virginity before she was born:”… but Isis and Osiris were enamored of each other and consorted together in the darkness of the womb before their birth. Some say that Arueris came from this union and was called the elder Horus by the Egyptians, but Apollo by the Greeks.” – Plutarch, Osiris and Isis.Isis and Osiris were not only husband and wife, they were brother and sister. In fact they were twins. And in accordance to their mythology, they had consummated their love for one another before they were born. There is also a tradition that Isis later marries her son Horus, further complicating any reasonable comparisons to Christianity. There are no reasons to believe a virgin birth from a mortal woman as the New Testament writers write. Its also very difficult to believe that a mortal virgin woman would produce a half lion/half hawk god.
Baptismal- According to the Egyptian book, the Book of Going Forth by Day, baptism was used to purify the newborn from the mothers womb. Also, water, especially the Nile’s cold water, which was believed to have regenerative powers, is ONLY used to baptize the dead in a ritual, unlike how the way the living Jesus was baptized.
Crucifixion and resurrection- There are two passages within the writing of Plutarch that might lead one to assume that the reconstruction of Osiris leads to a resurrection:• “Later, as they relate, Osiris came to Horus from the other world and exercised and trained him for the battle.” – Plutarch, Osiris and Isis.• “In this way we shall undertake to deal with the numerous and tiresome people, whether they be such as take pleasure in associating theological problems with the seasonal changes in the surrounding atmosphere, or with the growth of the crops and seed-times and ploughing; and also those who say that Osiris is being buried at the time when the grain is sown and covered in the earth and that he comes to life and reappears when plants begin to sprout.” – Plutarch, Osiris and Isis.
This is too ambiguous to assume a bodily resurrection like Christ. It just indicates of a spiritual resurrection. He then became the ruler of the underworld, a story unlike Jesus. Another problem with crucifixion is that it wasn’t practiced 4 thousand years ago at the time of Horus so how is that possible? The earliest that we can actually date crucifixion is to the act of Darius the Persian, conqueror of Babylon in 519 BCE, when he had 3000 Babylonian prisoners crucified
Other- There are no mentions that Horus had 12 disciples like Jesus, but a mention of 4 demi-gods and 16 nobles accomanying him. There are no mentions of Horus being born in a manger, no mentions of Horus raising anyone from the dead like how Jesus rais ed Lazarus from the dead. Horus did however avenge Osiris’ death. If that these are true where are these facts at? Someone please tell me!

6. MITHRA- Mirthra was born out of a rock, not a virgin; was known for killing a bull; there are no textual evidence suggesting Mithras die, therefor no sacrifice or resurrection could be possible. Myths about Mithras parallel accounts to Jesus wasn’t invented till 2 to 5 centuries after the Gospels were well known and circulated. Must I say more?

CONCLUSION: Truth is revealed when you actually take time to study history. People see parallels and then jump into conclusions without examing history, dates, and sources. While other religions are constantly adapted and changing, the story of Jesus doesn’t. When you look closely, you see that some of the stories were written after the New Testament writers. Also those myths were created off pure imagination. The writers of Jesus did not take amusement because they were actually being killed, fed to lions, crucified, shot with arrows, burnt, beaten and exiled. Why do you think they would suffer and risk their lives for just writing a story with no monetary value? For fun? Furthermore, Christ may have been born over 2 thousand years ago, after those gods were known, but his prophecy and fulfillment as the Messiah predated up to 2000BC, longer than Adonis and Dionysus. A major difference was that stories were created using these Gods to explain seasonal, vegetational changes and cycles whereas Jesus actually had eyewitnesses, was historically documented, and was not related to cycles and changes. Even more, the gods depicted in other religions and myths had different forms and shapes, and some would come down to mate with humans giving birth to demi god offsprings. These concepts were alien to Christians and Jews. Their God had no form or shape just expressed in 2 different concepts until Jesus. Last but not least, just because there could be slight similarities, its details that make the difference. So read history and stop believing that crap and even worse, stop spreading it!! You must equip yourself with the armor of Truth so that the injection of lies can not penetrate you. The Truth will be revealed to you if you search for it!!
Inspired by George Konig and About-Jesus.org, Lee Strobel Case for the Real Jesus

The Gospels of according to the Bible: Was Jesus God?

Was Jesus God? This question has caused many tribulations, controversy, and divisions of faith when we read history. Many, such as the Muslims, attribute Jesus as an angel from God, a saint, a great moral teacher, or a wonderous prophet. Some dignifiy Jesus as a perfect example of how to live life in which we too could achieve God status. God-like, one of the gods, or God incarnate, nowhere in the Bible did Jesus ever say the exact words “I AM GOD”. However, he did proclaim to be God, insinsuated it, did not reject the worship of God, and never corrected anyone that gave Him that Title. According to the following scriptures, I have good reasons to believe he is God.

1. In John 10:30, Jesus states, “I and the Father are one.” This might not seem to be a claim to be God. However, look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement, “We are not stoning you for any of these, replied the Jews, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God“ (John 10:33). The Jews understood Jesus’ statement to be a claim to be God. In the following verses, Jesus never corrects the Jews by saying, “I did not claim to be God.”

2. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:6-9)
I think if we apply a little bit of common sense we know exactly what’s going on.

3. Martha therefore said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother shall rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” (John 11:21-27)

4. Thomas the disciple declared concerning Jesus, “Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus does not correct him.

5. Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

6. 2 Peter 1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

7. Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (This is the Father God speaking about his Son Jesus)

8. In Revelation, an angel instructed the Apostle John to only worship God (Revelation 19:10). Several times in Scripture Jesus receives worship (Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9,17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38). He never rebukes people for worshiping Him. If Jesus were not God, He would have told people to not worship Him, just as the angel in Revelation had.

9. First, turn to Exodus 3, where Moses encounters God in the burning bush. God tells Moses that he is the one He has chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses says to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me ‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God replies to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God has said that His own name, His personal name, is “I AM.”

9A. Turn to John 8:56-58. Jesus is talking to the unbelieving Jews. “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing My day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet 50 years old,” they said to Him, “and you have seen Abraham?” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus announced, “before Abraham was, I AM!” Jesus was the great I AM from before the beginning of time; He existed before Abraham ever was. He is claiming here to be the I AM of the Old Testament. Verse 59 says the Jews picked up stones to stone Him, but the Lord Jesus slipped away. The reason they wanted to stone Him was because stoning was the death penalty for blasphemy. He was claiming to be Yahweh–Jehovah–Almighty God–I AM. (Of course, it wasn’t blasphemy when Christ claimed to be who He truly was!)

9B. John 18:4. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas and some priests and soldiers are about to take Jesus prisoner. “Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it that you want?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I AM,’ Jesus said. When He said, ‘I AM,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.”

10. Isaiah 9: 6-7For 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 Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Think about a child could be born and be called God and the Father??

11. Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.I wonder who they are referring too? hmmmm12.

John 5:17-18 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.13.

Revelation 22:12-13, 16 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End…. [16] “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

14. Hebrews 3:3-4 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

15. Isaiah 43:12b, 14-15 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God…. [14] This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.”
Hosea 11:9b For I am God, and not man — the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.
Mark 1:24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!”
Even the demons recognized Jesus as God and only God can “destroy” the soul

16.
“‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.’ Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ ‘We are not stoning you for any of these,’ replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’”

John 10:27-33
Christ ascribes to himself the very exclusive prerogatives of Deity:
“See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.”Deuteronomy 32:39
“Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” Isaiah 43:13

CROSS COMPARISONS BETWEEN GOD THE FATHER AND JESUS THE SON
God Never Changes
Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Jesus Never Changes
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

God is the only Saviour
“I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” Isaiah 43:11
To the only wise God our Saviour… Jude 1:12
God our Saviour. Titus 2:10
…we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour. I Timothy 4:10
God my Saviour. Luke 1:47

Jesus is our Saviour…the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4:14
…our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. II Peter 3:18
…God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. II Peter 1:1
…the Christ, the Saviour of the world. John 4:42
…the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. Titus 1:4
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11
Neither is there salvation in any other (than Jesus): for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.–Acts 4:12

God Created the Universe, Heavens and Earth
I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself. Isaiah 44:24
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Jesus Created the Universe, Heavens and Earth
[U]nto the Son he saith…Thou, LORD, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. Hebrews 1:10
[B]y him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth…all things were created by him, and for him. Colossians 1:16
All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. John 1:3

God is the first and last
I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. Isaiah 41:4

Jesus is the first and last
Jesus said, “Fear not; I am the first and the last:” Revelation 1:17

God is our Redeemer
[T]hou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer.. Isaiah 63:16

Jesus is our Redeemer
[T]the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ…gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity.. Titus 2:13-14

God is the Holy One
Psalms 71:22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth,O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
Psalms 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
Psalms 89:18 For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
Isaiah 10:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
Psalms 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Messianic Psalm)

Jesus is the Holy One
Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
3:13-14 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

God is the Judge of the World
O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself. Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. Psalms 94:1-2
[Abraham to God]…Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Genesis 18:25

Jesus is the Judge of the World
[T]he Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: John 5:22

MORE SIMILARITIES

“see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ” 2 Corinthians 4:4

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. “Colossians 1:15

“Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was… Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:5, 24

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…All things were made by him…He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us John 1:1, 3, 10, 14

Philip saith unto him, ‘Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.’ Jesus saith unto him, ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me Philip? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; and how sayest thou then, ‘Shew us the Father? John 14: 8-9

“…CHRIST, who is the IMAGE OF GOD…”– II Corinthians 4:4

“…glory of GOD in the FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.”–II Corinthians 4:6

Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,

GOD…hath in these last days spoken unto us by his SON…who being the brightness of his glory, and the EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON…” –Hebrews 1:1-3

Heb. 1:88But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.(That’s God the Father addressing his own son as God!)

Who’s Blood Redeemed Us?

28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Acts 20:28

3Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Rev 1:3-5

Who is the Lord?

1The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Psalm 110:1 41

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. 43He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. Matt 22:41-46

32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:32-36

Who’s on the Throne? 1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Is 6:1-8 37

But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. John 12:37-41

Who’s gets the Glory?
8I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images Is 42:8 11

For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another. Is 48:11 1

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. John 17:1-5

Who shall we Bow Down to?
23I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Is 45:23

10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:10-11

Who shall we Worship?

5And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Luke 4:5-81

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: 4Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Heb 1:1-8

Who is Your Shepherd?

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1 7

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. John 10:7-11

How can anyone redeem the sins of the world besides God Himself? How can an ordinary man or prophet cure the sick, heal the blind, leper, deaf, mute, work on the Sabbath, raise the dead, walk on water, feed the thousands, and most importantly raise Himself with a bodily resurrection from the dead? Only God can do these things!!