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The Virgin Birth of Christ   We know that Jesus Christ is Deity - He is the Son of God ( Luke 1:35 , John 3:16 , 1 John 5:20 ).   We know that Jesus became a man, took upon Himself the form and likeness of man ( Philippians 2:5-8 ).   We believe that since Adam sinned, all born thereafter inherit a sin nature from their parents ( Romans 5:12 ). How then was Jesus born without a sin nature?   Psalms 51:5 , “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”   Psalms 58:3 , “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”   If Christ inherited a sin nature, then He was a sinner and died for His own sin.   Even though Christ lived a sinless life. He would be unable to save one soul.   If Christ were born without a sin nature, how was this accomplished?   The Father God solved this difficult problem by what is called the “Virgin Birth”.   The mystery of the virgin birth is to be believed, adored and accepted by Christians.   The only logical answer in the dilemma is that the sin nature passed from the father to the child ( Exodus 34:7 , Isaiah 65:7 ) and not from the mother to the child.   Jesus did not have a human father, for the Holy Ghost was His Father. Mary was the mother but did not pass on a sin nature to the baby Jesus.   Oh how wonderful our God to solve this difficult problem so that we might have a Saviour who could truly redeem us from sin on the cross of Calvary.   I. THE VIRGIN BIRTH FORETOLD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT   Genesis 3:15  was the first promise of the Redeemer, given to man after the fall into sin.   Genesis 12:1-3 God calls Abraham to be the father of the chosen nation of Israel.   Genesis 49:10 this blessing was to be given through the Tribe of Judah.   2 Samuel 7:8-16 the Saviour to be born of the family of David to be a “son of David”.   Isaiah 7:14  the actual prophecy. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This is repeated in Matthew 1:23   Isaiah 9:6  the prophecy that Jesus the human, one was to be “born” but Jesus the Divine God was to be “given” for Jesus as God was eternal and could not be born.   II. THE HISTORIC FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHECY   Matthew 1:18-25 records the story as does Luke 2:4-7 .   Mary was engaged to Joseph but they were not married yet. Christ was born of a virgin but a betrothed virgin so that she could be married to protect her good name.   Mary’s conception was definitely from the Holy Ghost and not from her fiancé Joseph or any other man whatsoever. God guarantees this to give us a perfect Saviour.   The Lord encouraged Joseph to marry Mary to be a companion and guide to her in order to protect her from extremity of the law ( Leviticus 20:10 ).   Matthew 1:25  tells us that though Joseph and Mary were married they never lived together as husband and wife until after the birth of the Saviour.   God takes special care to insert this verse with this intimate detail to show us that the unborn child could not possibly be contaminated by a human father.   III. THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS TAUGHT IN SCRIPTURE   Some try to maintain that Paul did not teach the virgin birth of Christ. It is true that Paul does not use that exact expression but Paul knew the risen Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:8 and recognized Him as the One fulfilling Isaiah 7:14 .   Paul, writing in Colossians 1:15-17 , gives a picture of the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ.   Isaiah prophesied of the Saviour’s birth 740 years before it actually happened.   Matthew explicitly states that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a virgin ( Matthew 1:18 , 20 , 23 ).   Luke, a medical doctor, would be most interested in this medical phenomenon. Every child must have a father. Who was the Father of the baby Jesus? If the father were human, the he had a sin nature and we are yet in our sins.   Luke carefully explains the unusual conception in Luke 1:27 , 31 , 34-35 .   Luke 1:34 , Mary asks the sensible question of the angel: “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” – How can I have a child when I am not married and inferred that she was a pure virgin abhorring immorality.   Luke 1:35 , the angel carefully explained that the Holy Ghost would be the father.   IV. THE PURPOSE OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH   (1) To reveal God. John 1:18 , Jesus came to declare and reveal the Father to humanity.   (2) To bridge the chasm between God and man. 1 Timothy 2:5 , “For  there is  one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”   (3) To save men. Hebrews 2:14 , 16 , this was the basic purpose that brought Christ to earth.   (4) To rescue the whole creation. Romans 8:19-22 , “…For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now”, “…waiting for…redemption” ( Romans 8:23 )   V. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH   Modernists and liberals attack this doctrine today as they attack the doctrines of the total depravity of man, the Deity of Christ and the inspiration of the Scriptures.   If man is totally depraved then he needs a Saviour to redeem him. This Saviour must be pure and capable. Jesus Christ is the only possible Saviour of the world.   The only way that Jesus could become man without a sin nature is by the virgin birth.   A virgin is a lady who has not known a man in marriage. Mary remained a virgin until after the birth of Jesus, until she and Joseph lived together as husband and wife.   Salvation is closely linked with this doctrine. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, then then I am a lost sinner still and so are you.   1. It is undeniable truth. It is definitely taught in the Bible. We accept the inspiration of the Scriptures ( 2 Timothy 3:16 ) and believe this teaching is absolutely true.   2. It is unchangeable truth. This doctrine stands with the Scriptures and does not change with the changing times, thoughts and theories of mankind ( Hebrews 1:3 )   3. It is urgent truth. This doctrine is essential to the plan of salvation (fulfilled prophecies in Isaiah 7:14 , Isaiah 53 . Without a virgin-born Saviour, the salvation of one soul is utterly impossible.   4. It is undiscernible truth. It is a mystery hidden in God. There is a sense in which all life and birth is a mystery. How can a tree put life into its seed? ( Genesis 1:11-12 , John 1:3-4 ). 1 Corinthians 4:1  we Christians are to be good stewards of “the mysteries of God”.   5. It is unconditional truth. I believe that this truth must be accepted as supreme. Romans 10:9 , we are to confess Jesus as Lord and if He were not virgin-born, then He cannot be the Saviour for He has broken the prophecies of Holy Scripture.   6. It is useful truth for the Almighty God has now entered the world as a man – but a sinless man, a man without a sin nature, a man who can save others ( 2 Corinthians 5:21 ). “Emmanuel” means “God with us”. This is now true, for God has come to live on earth.   7. Its is unavoidable truth for we face it at least once a year during Christmas. Let us ceaselessly in our teaching present the virgin-born Saviour to the world.   VI. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH   Jesus Christ was not a phantom. He was a real human being, truly man, bone of our bone and flesh of out flesh. Philippians 2:7 , He has become our “elder brother”.   Jesus Christ was also God and remained God because of the Holy Ghost conception.   Jesus Christ was sinless because He was virgin-born without inheriting a fallen sinful, corrupt human nature. He was without original sin.   VII. OBJECTIONS TO THIS DOCTRINE   1. It is only found in a few places in Scripture. One Scripture is sufficient but it is confirmed by Isaiah, Matthew and Luke, three inspired writers.   2. Jesus did not personally claim to be virgin-born. He infers it in John 6:51   3. Scientists do not accept it for it is not biologically true. Jesus did not come by natural conception but by a miracle conception.   4. Others reject it because it is miraculous. All life is a miracle, wonderful, mysterious   5. Modern theologians do not accept the doctrine. That does not alter the fact that it is true, for it is taught in the Holy Scriptures in prophecy and history.   CONCLUSION   Make much of Christmas to teach this wonderful truth to our children and students. Let us thank God that He found a way to bring the Saviour into the world without the taint of original sin. Source: GOD's Answers to Man's Questions - 100 Bible Lessons by Dr. Alban Douglas   How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

Proverbs 22:6 King James Version “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” There are 2 developing news regarding the Bible recently in the US, one good and one bad, here’s the good news.   Excerpt from the Article: Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters orders schools to teach the Bible Oklahoma will require schools to teach the Bible and have a copy in every classroom, the state’s top education official announced Thursday.   Effective immediately, Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible as part of the curricula in grades five through 12, according to a memo Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters sent to all school districts. Schools are instructed to refer to the Bible and the Ten Commandments for their “substantial influence on our nation’s founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution.”   “Immediate and strict compliance is expected,” the memo noted.   Walters said at a state Board of Education meeting Thursday, “We’ll be teaching from the Bible in the classroom to ensure that this historical understanding is there for every student in the state of Oklahoma.”   Walters, a former high school history teacher, has built a national profile over his first year and a half in office as a staunch proponent of incorporating Christian beliefs and teachings into state education policy.   Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, recently approved a package of regulations put forward by Walters that included time for prayer in schools and expanded the state Education Department’s “foundational values” to acknowledge a “Creator” and the existence of good and evil.   Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oklahoma-ryan-walters-bible-taught-in-school-rcna159307   When most children go to a public or non-religious school, what do they usually learn? They learn things in a humanistic and worldly view. These children were taught that from nothing it suddenly exploded, and from that explosion every matter in the universe was created, the world is billions of years old, and we are descendants from apes through evolution, also US colleges now offer radical courses on witchcraft and divination . Do parents even know that their children are being taught by these kinds of people below? Source: https://kansasfamilyvoice.com/help-protect-kids-drag-queen-storytime-albuquerque/ The educational system are turning children into atheists and morally fluid people (where their sense of morality is based solely on their own feelings / opinions / “might is right” or “herd mentality”). Is it any wonder why violence and mass shooting at school are at all time high when they focus more on man’s worldly view rather than God’s word, the Holy Bible - AV1611 KJV. Source: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/figures/A01/Figure_1.2_flat.svg Source: https://e3.365dm.com/22/05/768x432/skynews-school-shooting-chart_5783845.png This coincides with the decline in Church attendance Source: https://notforitchingears.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/the-great-decline-in-church-attendance.png   You would notice the decline in Church attendance started in the 60s-70s, which eventually caused the spike in mass school shooting starting in the 80s, and another decline in 90s and continuing to drop until today., which caused a steep rise in school shooting incidents Both the mass school shootings and Church attendance charts have an inverse relationship with each other. Makes you wonder if children go to Church more often we could probably see a decline in school violence. Source: https://religionnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/webRNS-FACT-Graph1.jpg This is where the secular educational system fails and had led many children go astray, where they believe man’s fallible words rather than God’s infallible words. No matter how many gun ban laws they passed, they will never fix the issue, because the educational foundation in built on faulty, secular, atheistic world view and not God’s infallible words. In God’s eyes, no matter how much these students study about man’s secular world view they are still regarded as fools.   Romans 1:22-25 King James Version 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. All these senseless violence and hatred could have been prevented if they could have gone to a Bible school or at least read and study the Bible, not only will they learn the word of God and create their life’s foundation around it, but also give their life meaning and purpose. All worldly knowledge are vanity and only causes grief and sorrow says King Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest king that ever lived. Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 King James Version 12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. A great example to go by is Timothy where Paul is commending him, his mother and grandmother that kept the faith and had taught Timothy in his childhood the Holy Scriptures and Timothy kept the things he was taught unto his adulthood, serving the Lord and bearing good fruits for Him. 2 Timothy 1:1-6 King James Version 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.   Continuing Paul’s letter to Timothy in chapter 3   2 Timothy 3:14-17 King James Version 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. To be a good Christian, be like Timothy, grounded in Faith ( Colossians 1:23 ), studying the Bible using sound doctrine ( 2 Timothy 2:15 ), be a good example to people and not be a burden to society ( Titus 2:7 ) and spread the saving Gospel, leading souls to Christ ( 2 Timothy 4:2 ).   Since we are now living in a period of apostasy here’s the bad news. Excerpt from the Article: Republicans Voting for Bill That Could Make 'Bible Illegal' Outrages MAGA   Congress on Wednesday passed the bill (HR 6090), which would require the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing anti-discrimination laws. It comes as colleges across the United States have seen pro-Palestinian protests that critics say at times have allegedly veered into antisemitism.   "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities," the definition reads.   The bill drew bipartisan criticism, with both Democrats and Republicans voting against it. Critics argue the bill, if signed into law, stifles free speech that is protected by the U.S. Constitution and is overly broad in its definition of antisemitism, pointing to the definition including "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor."   Ultimately, 91 members of Congress voted against it.   Some conservatives are taking issue with the bill over the IHRA definition of antisemitism including "claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel," arguing that it could mean that parts of the Bible would now become "illegal."   Source: https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-voting-antisemitism-bill-bible-illegal-1896543   Source: https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism These are some of the verses in the Bible that pertains Jews killing Jesus or blood libel:   Matthew 27:22-25 King James Version 22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.   Acts 4:8-10 King James Version 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.   1 Thessalonians 2:14-15 King James Version 14For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: 15Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Unfortunately as time moves on, more people in this world world would fall into apostacy.   2 Timothy 4:3-4 King James Version 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. ═══════ ༺ ♰ ༻ ═══════ 2 Peter 3:17-18 King James Version 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. ══════════════════ Hope this may be a blessing to the readers. How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

This is the 114th sermon preached in English on www.thecloudchurch.org . It was preached by Pastor/Missionary Evangelist Robert Breaker, who shows what many call "the FUNDAMENTALS of the Christian Faith." He further explains how there are many who claim to believe in these fundamentals, yet they themselves are not even saved! They are apostates! He finishes by showing the MOST IMPORTANT Fundamentals of the Christian Faith and what one should believe, for believing such shows a person as a TRUE BELIEVER. How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

Genesis 1:26 King James Version "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Now we come to one of the most important truths in the word of God: the truth that deals with man as a tripartite being. By “tripartite” we mean a “trichotomy”; that man has three parts: body, soul, and spirit. This constitutes the trinity of man, which is patterned after the Trinity of God. There are two passages that clearly teach that man has three parts to him. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 King James Version “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He is a spirit, a soul, and a body. That verse clearly states that man has three separate, distinct parts. Hebrews 4:12 King James Version “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Soul, spirit and the joints and marrow which is the body. Man has a body. He has a soul. He has a spirit (dead spirit if unsaved, and alive if saved). We know he does because the revelation of God, given by the God (Who made man), says he does. For example, God has a body: the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father,” (John 14:9). God has a soul: God the Father. “No man hath seen God at any time,” (John 1:18). God has a spirit: the Holy Spirit. The Trinity has nothing to do with religious tradition. The Trinity is the fundamental, basic fact of the Bible There is nothing in this universe that has reality that doesn’t have three basic component parts. If you have an Old Testament and a New Testament, there is one part of the word of God that is missing. If you want to know what part is missing, it is the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1) who is seated at the right hand of the Father. Therefore, to say that man does not have a body, soul, and spirit is to deny the basic fundamental of reality. A “family” is a man, a woman, and a child. In action there is the motive, the act, and the consequences. The mind thinks, wills, and judges. If a man does not believe in the Trinity, he denies the first basic, fundamental fact of reality, that God is a Trinity and therefore everything that is real (that God has to do with) is composed of three parts. That’s all there is to it. Every color has a chroma, a value, and a hue. Music has rhythm, melody, and harmony, and without all three elements you don’t have music. You will find nothing in the world that doesn’t bear the mark of the Trinity. You cannot be an atheist with your eyes open. There is nothing you see in the realms of biology, zoology, ethnology (three races: Shem, Ham, and Japheth), or linguistics (lingual, dental, and palatal consonants); there is nothing you can find under God’s heaven that doesn’t have three parts to it. The Almighty Divine Creator, the Alpha and Omega, has stamped indelibly the attributes of His character and His person upon the animate and inanimate creation. Or, as Paul says it, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse:” (Rom. 1:20). If you are not a Trinitarian, you have no alibi for your ignorance. It is willful and deliberate. In the origin of the universe in Genesis 1:1, the Bible tells us that God existed in the beginning. He has always existed. He is eternal. Soul In Genesis 1:26 we find the fact recorded (chronologically) that man was created on the sixth day. The details are given in Genesis 2:7, “and man became a living soul.” This is the bodily shapeinside the man that gives man his person and personality. It is the part of man between his spirit and his body which acts as a medium between the two. The SOUL, contrary to the teachings of Thieme, Pember, Larkin, Scofield, Pettingill, Gaebelein, Custer, Neal, Bullinger, and the next four hundred scholars, is a bodily shape. Body The BODY of man is apparent. This is the part of man which is most familiar, the physical part of man. In Genesis 3:19 the Lord pronounced the curse on man after the fall and said, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” and that is exactly what happened to Stalin, Lenin, Trotsky, and every Bible-denying atheist who ever lived. They went back to the dirt. Isn’t it remarkable how the power and authority of the Bible extends over those who don’t believe it? Spirit Concerning the spirit, we are born in this world with a dead spirit because of sin. Genesis 2:17 King James Version “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Romans 5:12 King James Version "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" When we were dead in spirit (before we received Salvation) we were two-thirds of what we should have been, and 2 divided by 3 is 0.666666.... which has the number of the devil, that's why when we were unsaved we are called the child of the devil ( Acts 13:10 ), children of disobedience ( Ephesians 2:2 ) It is only when we receive Salvation that our spirit become born again, and the Spirit of Christ dwells in us. Romans 8:9-11 King James Version 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Ephesians 2:1 King James Version "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;" Ephesians 2:5 King James Version "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" And when we die, whether we’re saved or unsaved, the spirit goes back to God, either a living spirit or a dead spirit. Ecclesiastes 12:7 King James Version “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Ever since Eden, man was born with an appointment with death. What will you do about it? You will do absolutely NOTHING about it, nor will any of your friends. Nor is there any scientist who could ever keep you alive forever, nor will there ever be. Nor will any scientific achievement or scientific advancement of any kind by fallen man ever reduce the ratio from 100 percent to 99.999 percent. There isn’t one case in the history of the universe where science could keep anybody alive indefinitely. “The wages of sin is death,” (Rom. 6:23). You die because you are a sinner, and if you come back from the dead fifty times in fifty days, you will eventually kick the bucket, and they will put you to bed with a shovel. Once God takes your soul for good, brother, you are gone. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment,” (Heb. 9:27). By trying to get rid of death, man is trying to cover up the obvious fact that he is a sinner, for “the wages of sin is death.” Until a man is born again he only has five senses, and beyond those five senses he can understand nothing. The unsaved man, being dead in trespasses and sins, lives like an animal; breathes, smells, tastes, hears, and sees like an animal; and feels like an animal. In his most highly cultured moments man is nothing but a highly trained animal, which is why he thinks he came from animals. All animals have three basic drives: self-preservation, self-propagation, and self-gratification. And although from animal to animal these drives may vary in their fulfillment, they are the only three goals an animal has in mind. Therefore, every unsaved man, at this moment, has three goals, and whether they’ve been disguised as religious goals, humanitarian goals, “do-goody” goals, or “make the world a better place to live in” (that’s the old buffer), they still come under the heading of SELF-GRATIFICATION for the altruistic reasons, SELF-PROPAGATION for the sex instinct, or SELF-PRESERVATION for staying alive. No unsaved man has any higher goal or basic drive than any dog or skunk or ape that ever lived. That is why Darwin capitalized on the unsaved condition of the lost man, dead in trespasses and sins, and taught him that he was kin to an orangutan. As the Bible says, “Ye must be born again,” and “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Or as someone so aptly put it, “Born once, die twice. Born twice, die once.” The body of man is a doomed machine headed for the grave. Unless you are born again, you cannot have everlasting life, for “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Excerpts from Theological Studies Vol II – Man, A Tripartite Being by Peter Ruckman How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

In these next few words let us look in the Bible and see what the Bible says about using synonyms.   How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

1 John 2:18 King James Version “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”   The verse said that before the coming of the real antichrist or the son of perdition (2 Th. 2:3), there would have been many antichrists that have appeared before him.   Before we discuss who these antichrists are, we must know what makes an antichrist? Let’s read couple of verses from 1 & 2 John   1 John 2:22 King James Version “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”   Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ or the prophesied Saviour and Messiah is an antichrist   1 John 4:3 King James Version “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit  of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”   2 John 1:7 King James Version For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.   Anyone who denies that Jesus Christ was manifested in the flesh   1 Timothy 3:16 King James Version 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.   By extension, anyone who denies the virgin birth of Jesus Christ which is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Faith, this event was prophesied in the Old Testament   (Prophecy) Isaiah 7:14 King James Version “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”   (Fulfilment) Luke 1:26-33 King James Version 26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.   With those requirements it would mean that all lost, unsaved person that denied Jesus is the Christ and God manifested in the flesh through the virgin birth then based on those alone they are called “antichrist”, which is the reason why in 1 John 2:18 the verse said: “even now are there many antichrists”, these are referring to those people.   If we were to add another requirement in order to categorize a person as an antichrist what would that requirement be? Similar to HR recruiting the best candidate to fill a specific role they would add another requirement that shows proof that the candidate is best suited for the job, one of such example would be if the candidate has any background and experience similar to a Biblical antichrist.   From Dr. Peter Ruckman’s book: The Mark of the Beast In the light of Scripture, therefore, let us analyze this fake “Christ” who will show up after the mystery of which Paul spoke—the catching away of the body of believers before Daniel’s Seventieth Week.   I. Cain. In type, the “seed of the serpent,” born “of that wicked one” (1 John 3:12), who had a MARK which signified a murderer.   II. Nimrod. His name means “the rebel,” the thirteenth from Adam and a builder of an integrated United Nations to glorify man. He is a Hamite, whose seed had a divine curse on it, as Cain. “Nimrod” also has a root derivation of “LEOPARD” (Gen. 10–11).   III. Pharaoh. The one who persecuted Israel (cf. Rev. 12:1–17) and is called a “DRAGON” (Ezek. 29:3), as Revelation 12:1–4. Plagues come on him, as Revelation 11:4–6; and his catechism is, “I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.”   IV. Balak. The man who tries to eliminate Israel, winds up corrupting Israel with BAAL worship (Num. 22–25). His prophet is BALAAM, thus making a trinity: Father-Baal, Son-Balak, Unclean Spirit-Balaam (see Rev. 16:13). Baal is our word “bull” or “OX.” Did you ever study words that end in “X’’? Lax? Paradox? Balak is a king, as the Antichrist. He is a half-breed of Moabite extraction, the Moabites coming from the mulattoes of Lot’s Hamitic wife (see Gen. 10:6, 19; 13:12; 19:15, 30–38).   V. Sisera. A Gentile King who is defeated at Megiddo (Rev. 16:16), which is the Armageddon of Revelation. “The stars in their courses” fight from heaven against him (Judg. 5:19–20; Rev. 19), and the man who fights him is said to be a type of Jesus Christ (see Judg. 5:12; Eph. 4:4–10). (The way the Liberal knocks out Judges 5 is by calling it “poetry,” and then insisting that all poetry is figurative! The Charge of the Light Brigade is not figurative. Some people never do learn how to read sixth-grade English!) Sisera is killed by a blow on the head (Gen. 3:15; Judg. 5:26).   VI. Abimelech. The man is a rebel (Judg. 9) who is killed by a blow on the head (Rom. 16:20; Hab. 3:13).   VII. Absalom. This “father of peace” obtains the kingdom peaceably, by flatteries (see 2 Sam. 15:2–6; Dan. 8:25, 11:24). He rebels against David, a type of Christ. He is perfect in beauty (2 Sam. 14:25–26; Ezek. 28:15) and is hairy (cf. Esau) and hangs (Gal. 3:13; Matt. 27:5) and has a memorial built to himself (2 Sam. 18:18; Rev. 13:14–15).   VIII. Saul. He is demon-possessed, a rebel against God, a usurper of the priest’s office, a popular idol, a hater of David (type of Christ), and a tall man (2 Thess. 2:2–6; Rev. 13:3–6).   IX. Goliath. A tall man. He is killed by a wound in the head. Goliath comes from Hamitic background, exactly as Nimrod, Balak, and Pharaoh (note Gen. 10:6, 14). He has SIX pieces of armor (1 Sam. 17:4 7), and he is killed by David (a type of Christ).   X. Ahab. He is a wicked prince of Israel (Ezek. 21:25–27) and marries a Phoenician Baal-worshipper (1 Kings 16:31). He is opposed by the herald of the Second Advent, Elijah! Ahab has priests who wear vestments and come from the apostate tribe of Dan, who called the priest, “Father”!! (See Judg. 17:1–3, 5, 7–13; 18:1, 6, 14–25, 28–31; and 2 Kings 10:22.) These priests hold services at 11-12 on the day of the sun-god, “Sunday,” and worship Baal by penitential acts of self-mutilation (1 Kings 18:17, 27–28). Hello, Rome, how did YOU get in here? Further, they honor the “Queen of Heaven” with wafers (Jer. 44:14, 19, 25), and as Phoenicians, they come from HAM (see Gen. 10:19— Sidon, Zidon in 1 Kings 16).   XI. Jeroboam. He is a wicked prince of Israel (Ezek. 21:25– 27), who worships Baal with the golden calves which men are to KISS (1 Kings 12:25–33; Hosea 13:2; 1 Kings 19:18). Do you not sign “love and kisses” with XXX? Have you ever studied words that end in “X”? Jeroboam, as the Antichrist, had a bad arm (Zech. 11:16–17—note the “IDOL”; 1 Kings 13:4); and Kaiser Bill, Hitler, and Napoleon seemed to have picked up the thing accidentally.   XII. Nabal. He is an enemy of David and, as was Herod, is killed by God (1 Sam. 25:36–38). His answer is identical to Pharaoh’s except the word “David” is inserted for “Lord” (see 1 Sam. 25:10; Exod. 5:2).   XIII. Sennacherib. An enemy of Israel who is struck by the angel of the Lord, as was Herod (see Acts 12:22–23; 2 Kings 19:16, 35). He attacks Jerusalem, goes away and returns, exactly as Titus in A.D. 70, exactly as Saul chased David in 1 Samuel 24, 26, and as the Antichrist will do in Matthew 24, thus giving those in Judea opportunity to “flee to the mountains” (Matt. 24:16; Psa. 11:1).   XIV. Nebuchadnezzar. He builds an image (Rev. 13; Dan. 3). The image is 60 by 6 by 6 (Dan. 3:1; Rev. 13:18). He persecutes the Jewish remnant (Dan. 3:16–18) using SEVEN as the ratio (Dan. 3:19). There are six instruments of music involved in idol worship, and it says six times that “he set it up” (Dan. 3:1–3, 5, 7). He is king of Babylon, and this is the last form of government on the earth at the second coming—Revelation 17, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT.” Nebuchadnezzar, as Pharaoh, is called a “dragon” (Jer 51:34; Rev. 12:1–4).   XV. Haman. He is called an “adversary,” which is the meaning of the word “Satan” (Esther 7:6). He persecutes the Jew, as Pharaoh and the Antichrist (Rev. 12:17), and hangs, as Judas and Absalom (Esther 7:10; Deut. 21:23; Gal. 3:13).   XVI. Solomon. His number is 666 (2 Chron. 9:13), and six lions are on six steps on one side and six on the other (2 Chron. 9:18–19). He is a king over Israel and a type of Christ up to the paragraph mark in 2 Chronicles 9:13, but from here on, he changes exactly as the Antichrist changes in the middle of the tribulation to the “Son of Perdition” and breaks his covenant with the Jews (Dan. 9:27).   XVII. Herod. He usurps God’s voice (“VOX” in Latin) and is slain for not giving God the glory (Acts 12:22–23; Rev. 19:20).   XVIII. Judas. He hangs, as Haman and Absalom. He is against the Lord Jesus. He is a devil (John 6:70, 71). He goes “to his own place,” as Absalom (2 Sam. 18:18; Acts 1:25). He comes in the name of Christ, as a Bible-believer, and follows in Christ’s steps, as Mr. Sheldon, for forty-two months. His name means “Judah—A man of Kerioth.” Kerioth is in Moab (Jer. 48:2, 10, 15, 24, 41). Judas is a half-breed, Hamitic Jew (Nimrod, Balak) from the Moabite line! (See comments under Balak, No. IV.)   If we’re looking at the modern day which person can we categorize as an antichrist? If we took on a role as an HR what requirement can we add to narrow down our pool of candidates? One such requirement is if the candidate has any certifications in their resume. So if an HR is looking to fill the position of an accountant then they would hire someone that has a CPA license, if they’re looking for an attorney then they would hire someone who passed the bar exam and so on. Likewise if we want to narrow down and refine our search for the best candidate to be an antichrist then we need some proof that person can be called as an antichrist.   In the Bible there is a number that determines who the antichrist is.   Revelation 13:18 King James Version “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”   The number is 600 + (3 x 20) + 6 = 666   Etymology: score (n.) late Old English scoru "twenty," from Old Norse skor "mark, notch, incision; a rift in rock," also, in Icelandic, "twenty"   You also noticed that 1 John 2:18 and Revelation 13:18 both used the number 18 as its verse when describing the antichrist. 18 = 6 + 6 + 6   There are methods of assigning a numerical number to each name which when added will determine the number of that man.   Jewish Gematria Decimal Hebrew Glyph Decimal Hebrew Glyph Decimal Hebrew Glyph 1 Aleph א 10 Yod י 100 Kof ק 2 Bet ב 20 Kaf כ 200 Resh ר 3 Gimel ג 30 Lamed ל 300 Shin ש 4 Dalet ד 40 Mem מ 400 Tav ת 5 He ה 50 Nun נ 500 Kaf (final) ך 6 Vav ו 60 Samekh ס 600 Mem (final) ם 7 Zayin ז 70 Ayin ע 700 Nun (final) ן 8 Het ח 80 Pe פ 800 Pe (final) ף 9 Tet ט 90 Tsadi צ 900 Tsadi (final) ץ     To a Jew, the great paranoid NERO was known only as “Neron Kesar” (the last word immediately recognizable as KAISER in German). “Neron Kesar” (NRWN QSR) in the Jewish Gematria will come out. https://ecclesia.org/truth/beast.html N = נ = 50 R = ר = 200 W = ו = 6 N = נ = 50 Q = ק = 100 S = ס = 60 R = ר = 200 ______ 666 Romiith for Rome, in ancient Hebrew, will come out   R = ר = 200 O = ו = 6 M = מ = 40 I = י = 10 I = י = 10 TH = ת = 400 _______ 666   Since we’re talking about Rome, did you know that Rome is widely known as the City on Seven hills  this is in line with same description in the book of Revelation where the whore of Babylon is sitting   Revelation 17:9 King James Version “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” Those are not Mary and baby Jesus, they are originally Semiramis and Tammuz of Babylon For more on this topic go to: Babylon Religion   “All roads lead to Rome”. While we’re still on the topic of Rome, in Vatican City there was an inscription made on the crown of Pope Gregory XVI that cause a lot of uproar from both the reformist and some Catholics alike such that the one who saw it namely Balthasar Hoffman converted from Catholicism to Presbyterianism (Reformed Protestant) upon his discovery. This is what he wrote.   https://web.archive.org/web/20221204174144/http://www.biblelightinfo.com/Sources/1908%20Letter-Hoffmann.gif In Latin, we can use the Roman Letters as numbers like what we did in Hebrew, the “I’s” stands for 1, the “V’s” (U in Latin in  also V) stand for 5’s, the “L” for fifty, the “C” for 100, the “D” for 500   Catholic apologists try to deny the existence of this inscription and downplay the use of Roman Numerals to expose that the title used by the Pope had the same number of the Antichrist in Revelation 13:18. They would also say that such method of counting is not reliable and will give absurd results citing an example of using Seventh-Day Adventist co-founder Ellen Gould White  can also be similarly manipulated to get the same number (E LL en Go VLD   VV h I te 50+50+5+50+500+5+5+1=666). But to the credit of the Catholic apologists, they unwittingly exposed another cult besides their own.   From Dr. Peter Ruckman’s book: Five Heresies Examined   Seventh-day Adventist      This cult began in the early nineteenth century under a man named William Miller (1782–1849), and later it was propagated by Ellen White. They were often called “Millerites” back in the 1800’s. The people have changed their theological beliefs several times since then (as do all of the cults) in order to adjust to various environments they have found themselves in. The original position taught was that no man could be saved unless he kept all ten of the Ten Commandments, including the Jewish Old Testament Sabbath (Friday 6 PM to Saturday 6 PM). This was modified—due to the cult being constantly confronted with Bible students who knew a liar when they saw one—to the teaching that a man was saved by grace through faith in Christ, BUT he must keep the Old Testament Jewish Sabbath or he would lose his salvation. Down South this was altered again—due to the cult being constantly confronted with saved people who knew a liar when they saw one—to the teaching that a man was saved by grace through faith, but he would keep the Old Testament Jewish Sabbath if he really LOVED Jesus Christ (John 15:10–14). One might say that the Adventists have backslidden continually since the days of Ellen White and Miller.   The main publications of the cult come from the Review and Herald Publishing Co. in Washington, D.C., the Southern Publishing Co. in Nashville, and the Pacific Publishing Co. in Los Angeles. These books are lavishly illustrated by an airbrush artist who does all of the commercial work for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company. The most popular book is called BIBLE READINGS FOR THE HOME. It will be found in 50 percent of the Southern homes in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas and the Carolinas.   In this book we are told that the Second Advent has already occurred; you just missed it! The White Throne Judgment is now taking place; you are just not aware of it! And Christ’s Millennial reign (Rev. 20:1–5) will actually BE SATAN REIGNING ON THIS EARTH FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.   Among many other blasphemous and foolish teachings, the Adventists teach soul sleep (as do the Jehovah’s Witnesses) and salvation by faith and works with no one sure of eternal life until they are dead. The main body of Seventh-day Adventists (as well as Campbellites and Jehovah’s Witnesses) come from Southern Baptist churches whose members were led off into the cults due to their lack of Biblical knowledge (Gal. 4:17, 5:7–12). Bible believers have a knowledge of the Old Testament Jewish Sabbath far beyond that of any ordained minister in the Seventh-day Adventist church.   1. The Sabbath was a “SIGN” (Ezek. 20:20) given to the Jews because the Jews require a SIGN (1 Cor. 1 :22). 2. The Jews require a SIGN (1 Cor. 1:22) because their NATION began with SIGNS (Exod. 4). 3. The sign of the Sabbath was unknown to every man, woman and child in the book of Genesis for more than 2,000 years, for it was first revealed to Moses on MOUNT SINAI in 1500 B.C. (see Neh. 9:14). This explains why no one in Genesis ever kept or observed the Sabbath: Adam, Enoch, Seth, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, et al. 4. The heresy taught by the Adventists is based on the fact that since Genesis 2:1–3 speaks of the Sabbath as blessed and sanctified, everyone from that TIME (4000 B.C.) on kept it. This conveniently overlooks the Biblical FACT that Moses wrote Genesis 2:1–2 and did not write it until 400 years after Abraham was DEAD. (See the article on Campbellites and note the remarks made on the refusal of these people to follow PROGRESSIVE REVELATION.) 5. The first day was actually set apart as a sanctified day of rest BEFORE the Sabbath, according to Exodus 12:16, and these instructions were given to Moses and Israel BEFORE any law was revealed on Mt. Sinai. 6. Christians in the New Testament do not meet on the Jewish Sabbath. They meet on the FIRST day of the week (Acts 20) and take up collection on the FIRST day of the week (1 Cor. 16:1–4) and preach the FIRST day of the week (Acts 20:7) because their Saviour rose the FIRST day of the week (Luke 24; Matt. 28) and the Holy Spirit came down the FIRST day of the week (Acts 2:1–6).   Now, the way the Adventists throw out this barrage of New Testament truth is by pretending that there are two laws in the Old Testament which they call the “CEREMONIAL LAW” and the “MORAL LAW.” They classify the Jewish Sabbath as a MORAL LAW instead of a ceremonial law because it is found in the ten “moral” commandments given at Sinai. This overlooks five Biblical facts that deal with sound doctrine, and it marks the Adventist cult as one of the great Bible-perverting, Bible-rejecting groups of this century.   1. There are MORAL LAWS given right in the same list with CEREMONIAL LAWS (see Lev. 19:5–9, 11–12). 2. There are CEREMONIAL LAWS given right in the same list with MORAL LAWS (see Lev. 19:17–20, 22–23, and 30). Notice that the SABBATHS are ceremonial observances to be kept (Lev. 19:30). 3. The New Testament clearly forbids anyone judging you in respect to the ceremonial observances of ANY day (Col. 2:16). When giving the “ten MORAL COMMANDMENTS” in the “MORAL LAW” (to quote the Adventists), Paul purposely omits the SABBATH or the observing of the SABBATH as a MORAL LAW OR A CEREMONIAL LAW (Rom. 13:8–10). According to Paul, the Old Testament Sabbath is not a moral commandment for ANY Christian. 4. Observe that the Old Testament laws on STONE (the “moral law” of the Ten Commandments) were done away with in Christ (2 Cor. 3), and the Christian’s reason for observing the real moral commandment in that Ten (Paul omits the Sabbath from them: Rom. 13:8–10) has nothing to do with SALVATION. It has to do with good health, testimony, spiritual success, answered prayer, and peace of mind (see Gal. 5; Rom. 6–7; and Eph. 4–5). No Christian was ever saved or was ever kept saved by keeping ANY of the commandments-moral, ceremonial or otherwise (Gal. 2:16). 5. Finally, observe that if any sinner is counting on the law to justify him (moral or ceremonial, in part, or in whole) he is an unsaved man who has “FALLEN FROM GRACE” (Gal. 5:4) and Christ is of “no effect” to him at all.   This then is why no Bible believer is a “Seventh-day Adventist.”   Going back to the Pope topic, these Catholic apologists claimed that the correct title for the Pope is Vicarius Christi or in English: Vicar of Christ .   Source: https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/vicar-of-christ   They proudly say that those Roman Numerals used in the title will never add up to 666, but they unknowingly admitted that the Pope is an “antichrist” because of that title alone!   The Greek word antichristos (ἀντίχριστος) in the Bible has the same basic meaning as does the Latin Vicarius Christi (Vicar of Christ). Most people assume that the word antichrist means ‘one who is opposed to Christ.’ Although is true that the Greek preposition anti can mean ‘against’ when it is used with a verb, it is equally true that when the word is used as a prefix to a noun it can frequently mean ‘instead of,’ or ‘in place of.’ For example, in classical Greek the word antibasileus means ‘one who occupies the place of the king’ and in the New Testament, the name Antipas means ‘one who reigned in place of his father.’ (Revelation 2:13) The word antitype means ‘that which takes the place of the type.’ Christ is spoken of as having given His life ‘a ransom in place of [ἀντίλυτρον  - antilytron] all (1 Timothy 2:6). Vicar bears the same meaning  as anti- as it also means “in place of”. Thus the word antichristos in Greek and Vicarius Christi in Latin bear a virtually identical meaning!   We should look no further and see what the Catholics had been doing recently to say that their religion supports the Antichrist. Their stances ranging from homosexuality to salvation while brushing aside innumerable scandals , and now recently the news below which promotes One World Religion.   Source: https://www.christianpost.com/news/pope-francis-claims-all-religions-are-a-path-to-god.html   Pope Francis' claim ‘all religions are a path to God’ rebuked by clergy   By  Anugrah Kumar , Christian Post Contributor | Sunday, September 15, 2024   During a three-day visit to Singapore, Pope Francis declared that “all religions are a path to God,” sparking backlash among religious leaders in the U.S.    The statement was made at an interreligious meeting with young people at a Catholic junior college shortly before his departure back to Rome.   Departing from his prepared remarks, Francis spoke off the cuff, stating that different religions are like “different languages” to reach God.   “If you start to fight, ‘my religion is more important than yours, mine is true and yours isn’t,’ where will that lead us?” he asked,”  according to  Crux Now. “There’s only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Some are Sheik, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and they are different paths [to God].”   Reacting to the pontiff's comments, Bishop Joseph Strickland, who oversaw the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler, Texas, until his  dismissal  by the Vatican last year, said in a  post on X , "Please pray for Pope Francis to clearly state that Jesus Christ is the only Way. To deny this is to deny Him. If we deny Christ, He will deny us, He cannot deny Himself."   Strickland was ousted for disagreeing with Francis on the issue of banning pro-abortion Catholic politicians from receiving communion and over the degree to which outreach to the LGBT community is acceptable in the Catholic Church. A  petition  created in defense of Strickland last year said he was ousted because he "publicly corrected several heterodox statements from Pope Francis.”   Francis, referring to the universal nature of God, claimed, “Since God is God for all, then we are all children of God.”   In Singapore, Catholics constitute about 3.5% of the population, with Christians at 19%, Buddhists at 31%, Muslims at 15% and significant Hindu and Sikh minorities.   Francis also encouraged young people to engage in and sustain interfaith dialogue. “For interreligious dialogue among young people, it takes courage, because youth is the time of courage in our lives,” he said.   Priest Calvin Robinson, who recently moved from England to lead a church in western Michigan, also rebuked the pope's statement in a  post on X : "This is a counter-scriptural statement from Pope Francis. The Scriptures teach us the opposite. The gate to [H]eaven is narrow.   Robinson added, "In Christ’s own words: 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"   The pope’s remarks come amid reactions from conservative Catholic quarters, reminiscent of past controversies.   Francis previously faced criticism and accusations of heresy on social media back in May for claiming the human heart is “fundamentally good” during a “60 Minutes” interview. When asked by interviewer Norah O’Donnell what gives him hope about the world, the pope responded with “everything,” citing acts of goodness by people as proof of humanity’s inherent goodness.   “You see tragedies, but you also see so many beautiful things,” he said. “You see heroic mothers, heroic men, men who have hopes and dreams, women who look to the future. That gives me a lot of hope. People want to live. People forge ahead. And people are fundamentally good. We are all fundamentally good. Yes, there are some rogues and sinners, but the heart itself is good.”   At the time, many commenters on X criticized Francis for his remarks, with some accusing him of failing to grasp the basic teaching of the Gospel. Others  quoted portions  of Scripture that teach God alone is good and that humanity has a sinful nature.   Some X users   noted  that Francis’ comment appeared to be an example of Pelagianism, a fifth century heresy that denied original sin and taught the essential goodness of humanity. During his 2022 trip to Kazakhstan, he made similar statements. Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, a frequent critic, had then commented on the risk of creating a “supermarket of religions.”   Related: The Abraham Accord   I guess the Pope didn’t read this part of the Bible   John 14:6 King James Version “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” There is only one path to God and one way to attain Salvation, and it’s not religion nor good works, it is only through Jesus Christ alone, nevertheless I hope those members of that cult would realized that they're not in the strait and narrow gate that leads to eternal life but in the broad and wide gate that leads to hell and destruction, the sooner they realized that, then the sooner they can get out of there and get saved. Matthew 7:13-14 King James Version 13   Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14   Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Am I pointing out that the Pope is "The Antichrist" of the book of Revelation? No, but they are one of the many antichrists that 1 John 2:18 warns us about. These antichrists are paving the way for the real one to be revealed soon. ═══════ ༺ ♰ ༻ ═══════ 2 Thessalonians 2:3 King James Version “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” ══════════════════   How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

Missionary Evangelist Robert Breaker talks about the importance of preaching faith in the blood of Jesus as stated in Romans 3:25. How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4.14 An in-depth examination of how many times Father and Son are mentioned throughout the King James Bible. The end results are astonishing. Playlist Videos How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

The Preserved Bible is a documentary explaining the doctrine of preservation and why the Bible has been preserved. Additionally, the film explains through history, scripture, and interviews why the King James Bible is the preserved Bible in English today. God has providentially preserved the Hebrew, Greek and English Bible for us today. Christians need to understand why the King James Bible is different than the other versions. How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

A video walkthrough of the "At the Name of Jesus" presentation (Free PDF), which shows the miraculous nature in which "Jesus" shows up in the most printed Bible in history (KJB). You are freely welcome to present this PDF/information anywhere, anytime, for any cause of Christ. Download the PDF: https://kjvco.de/JesusNamePDF View the Patterns: https://kjvco.de/JesusName How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

Did God really meant people will not live beyond 120 years old?   Genesis 6:1-3 King James Version 1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.   It cannot mean that the average man would live 120 years at this time, for the average life span in these days before the flood is closer to 800 years. Related Post: How Did People Live to Be Over 900 Years Old Before the Flood? The word “strive” in the Hebrew is “dun,” explained by Gesenius to mean “my spirit shall not always rule in man.” There is little indication, however, that God’s spirit ever “ruled” in any man until after Pentecost, and sad to say, there are very few born-again Christians today who follow the “rule and reign” instructions for the Spirit in Romans 6. A further suggestion by Gesenius, which he dismisses with “What can any one make of this theology?” (Lexicon, p. 193), sheds more light than the theology to which Gesenius ascribed. His reading from the Hebrew would be, “My divine nature shall not be always humbled in men because they are flesh also.” This would mean that the nature which God imparted to angels at their creation was part of His own nature (Heb. 1:7, 14), and He will draw the line on how long this nature is going to be abased in integration and “race mixing” with man’s nature (Psa. 78:39; Ecc. 3:20; Lev. 17:13).   Putting all of this together, one is left with the impression that:   1. The angels have become fleshy creatures through women (1 Cor. 11:10). 2. Man also is flesh. 3. God cannot continue to have fellowship with such a situation (Gen. 6:5). 4. He is going to give them 120 years notice of a change in weather and then a forecast of “100 percent possibility of precipitation.”   Whether or not this fully explains the verse will have to be left to that great Bible expositor and teacher who can fully explain every verse in the Bible—the Holy Spirit (John 16:13, 14:26).   Why did God allowed incest?   Genesis 20:11-12 King James Version 11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. 12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.   Adam and Eve were genetically perfect and the closer the generations are to Adam and Eve the better their genetic makeup are and it would take several generations of inbreeding to start to taint that perfection to the point of mutations.   God told them to be fruitful and multiply. The consequence of incest due to genetic mutations was not an issue until several generations into the future which was also hasten because of the genetic bottleneck that occurred post-Noah's Flood where the entire population was reduced to just eight people Biblical Lifespan & Genetic Bottleneck - Genesis Apologetics Related Video:   One Blood, One Race, One Saviour   Then God gave the Law through Moses in Leviticus 18:6-18 which forbids the incestuous relationship from continuing.   Leviticus 18:6-18 King James Version 6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. 7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 8 The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness. 9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover. 10 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness. 11 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 12 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman. 13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman. 14 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt. 15 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness. 17 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness. 18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. This also answers who was Cain's wife in Genesis 4:17, it's none other than his own sister born from Adam and Eve when they are populating the world. Why did God commanded Abraham to kill his son Isaac?   Genesis 22:10-12 King James Version 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” No “friend of God” has been really “tried” until he has been tried on the things that he loves. Men are what they love—and fear; profession or training have very little to do with it, as any “twenty-year man” in the army knows. “Show me what a man loves and what scares him, and I’ve got the man’s number.” The Devil looks at it the same way. Affections determine decisions and decisions determine destinations (see Demas, Ruth, Peter, Paul, and anyone else, in or out of the Bible). If a man has never been tested on the point of what he loves most, he has never been tested at all. (See First Commandment as it is given in Deut. 6:5.) By such a standard, the average liberal has never had his “hat in the ring” when it comes to Bible Christianity, for Jesus said that if a man loved Him, he would “keep His words” (John 15:7, 14:23). 1. Test of Abraham's Love towards GOD Matthew 22:37 KJV: "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Abraham's Love towards GOD must be greater than his Love towards his son Isaac 2. Test of Abraham's Trust towards GOD's promise Proverbs 3:5 KJV: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." Abraham must Trust GOD that He will fulfill His promise in Genesis 15:5 despite what he understand what he will do to his son is contradicting that promise. 3. Test of Abraham's Faith towards GOD despite the ordeal Hebrews 11:17-19 KJV: 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. Abraham by Faith knew that GOD will be able to raise Isaac from the dead without prior knowledge of the Resurrection. Related Bible Study: God Is Evil for Condoning Human Sacrifices with Isaac? Why did God suddenly sought to kill Moses?   Exodus 4:20-26 King James Version 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him . 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.   The passage is one of the most difficult in the book of Exodus. Most of the commentators seem to think that God suddenly met Moses and would have killed him (Moses) if Zipporah had not circumcised her child. But there were TWO, remember?! (Gershom and Eliezer)   Moses and Zipporah and his two sons go to the inn. They step through the door, and the Lord suddenly shows up. Before all four of them, He hauls out a sword (Num. 22:23) to kill Moses— after just telling him: “all the men are dead which sought thy life” (vs. 19). Then Zipporah, by instinct, sees the necessary steps to take; instead of screaming, praying, stepping in front of Moses, running out the back door, or assuming a karate stance before the Lord, she picks up a flint knife (cf. Josh. 5:2) and cuts off the foreskin of ONE child.   Driver has a much better explanation, which matches Deuteronomy 1:3; Exodus 5:1–3; Psalm 80:2, 7; and Genesis 17:10, 23. The Lord has showed up to kill one of the boys who has not yet been circumcised. Moses has evidently refused to circumcise his “firstborn” on the grounds that he is no longer a “Hebrew.” Upon leaving Egypt in chapter 2, Moses renounced his nationality and refused to circumcise Gershom (see the remarks under 3:1, 11). Still, it is hard to explain how Eliezer got circumcised later; if both boys were uncircumcised, both of them would have been in danger according to Genesis 17:14.   Genesis 17:11-14 King James Version 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.   However, the “tie-in” between verses 23 and 24 indicates clearly that it is the firstborn of Moses who is in danger. Gershom is the one who is not circumcised; at this time, he could not have been much under 38 years old and would have had no more need to ride an ass, Zipporah seems to know exactly what to do without anyone telling her (vs. 25). The correct scene, then, must be projected on the screen as follows:   Aaron meets Moses, Gershom, Zipporah, and Eliezer at the inn.   The last thing Moses was told before leaving for the inn was: “Tell Pharaoh that if he doesn’t let my firstborn go, I’ll kill his.”   About midnight, Gershom is moaning and tossing on his pallet. Mamma goes to see what is wrong. Gershom is running a temperature of 105, and he is bathed in perspiration.   Zipporah ransacks her first aid kit (and her brains) and can find nothing to stop the fever. Then Zipporah remembers! In forty years of living with Moses, she has heard Genesis chapter 17 so many times she could repeat it by memory. Now with Moses’ official commission to be the leader of Abraham’s physical descendants, he will have to conform to Genesis chapter 17 to the letter. She gets the knife, performs the painful operation, and then goes back into the bedroom, wakes up the mighty Moses, and slaps the foreskin down at his feet—he is sleeping on the floor—and says, “You’re some husband! If I hadn’t done the job you should have done, we would have had to bury Gershom in the morning! You nearly caused the death of your own firstborn with your carelessness.   Did God promoted slavery?   Biblical Indentured Service   A mistake critics make is associating servanthood in the Old Testament with antebellum (prewar) slavery in the South—like the kind of scenario Douglass described. By contrast, Hebrew (debt) servanthood could be compared to similar conditions in colonial America. Paying fares for passage to America was too costly for many individuals to afford. So they’d contract themselves out, working in the households—often in apprentice-like positions—until they paid back their debts. One-half to two-thirds of white immigrants to Britain’s colonies were indentured servants.   Likewise, an Israelite strapped for shekels might become an indentured servant to pay off his debt to a “boss” or “employer” (’adon). Calling him a “master” is often way too strong a term, just as the term ‘ebed (“servant, employee”) typically shouldn’t be translated “slave.” John Goldingay comments that “there is nothing inherently lowly or undignified about being an ‘ebed.” Indeed, it is an honorable, dignified term. Even when the terms buy, sell, or acquire are used of servants/employees, they don’t mean the person in question is “just property.” Think of a sports player today who gets “traded” to another team, to which he “belongs.” Yes, teams have “owners,” but we’re hardly talking about slavery here! Rather, these are formal contractual agreements, which is what we find in Old Testament servanthood/employee arrangements. One example of this contracted employer/employee relationship was Jacob’s working for Laban for seven years so that he might marry his daughter Rachel. In Israel, becoming a voluntary servant was commonly a starvation-prevention measure; a person had no collateral other than himself, which meant either service or death. While most people worked in the family business, servants would contribute to it as domestic workers. Contrary to the critics, this servanthood wasn’t much different experientially from paid employment in a cash economy like ours.   Now, debt tended to come to families, not just individuals. Whether because of failed crops  or serious indebtedness, a father could voluntarily enter into a contractual agreement (“sell” himself) to work in the household of another: “one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells himself” (Lev. 25:47). Perhaps his wife or children might “be sold” to help sustain the family through economically unbearable times. If his kinfolk didn’t “redeem” him (pay off his debt), then he would work as a debt-servant until he was released after six years.7 Family land would have to be mortgaged until the year of Jubilee every fifty years (see Leviticus 25, which actually spells out successive stages of destitution in Israel in vv. 25–54).8 In other words, this servanthood wasn’t imposed by an outsider, as it was by slave traders and plantation owners in the antebellum South.9 What’s more, this indentured service wasn’t unusual in other parts of the ancient Near East either (though conditions were often worse). And later on, when inhabitants of Judah took back Hebrew servants they had released, God condemned them for violating the law of Moses and for forgetting that they were once slaves in Egypt whom God had delivered. God told the Judahites that because of their actions they were going to be exiled in the land of their enemies (Jer. 34:12–22).   Once a servant was released, he was free to pursue his own livelihood without any further obligations within that household. He returned to being a full participant in Israelite society. Becoming an indentured servant meant a slight step down the social ladder, but a person could step back up as a full citizen once the debt was paid or he was released in the seventh year (or in the fiftieth year). Nevertheless, the law was concerned that indentured servants were to be treated as a man “hired from year to year” and were not to be “rule[d] over . . . ruthlessly” (Lev. 25:53–54). In fact, servants in Israel weren’t cut off from society during their servitude but were thoroughly embedded within it. As I mentioned earlier, Israel’s forgiveness of debts every seven years was fixed and thus intended to be far more consistent than that of Israel’s ancient Near Eastern counterparts, for whom debt-release (if it occurred) was typically much more sporadic.   So unavoidable lifelong servanthood was prohibited, unless someone loved the head of the household and wanted to attach himself to him (Exod. 21:5). Servants—even if they hadn’t paid off their debts—were granted release every seventh year with all debts forgiven (Deut. 15). As we’ll see, their legal status was unique and a dramatic improvement over law codes in the ancient Near East. One scholar writes that “Hebrew has no vocabulary of slavery, only of servanthood.”   An Israelite servant’s guaranteed release within seven years was a control or regulation to prevent the abuse and institutionalizing of such positions. The release year reminded the Israelites that poverty-induced servanthood wasn’t an ideal social arrangement. On the other hand, servanthood existed in Israel precisely because poverty existed: no poverty, no servants in Israel. And if servants lived in Israel, it was a voluntary (poverty-induced) arrangement and not forced.   Means to Help the Poor   In the ancient world (and beyond), chattel (or property) slavery had three characteristics:   1. A slave was property. 2. The slave owner’s rights over the slave’s person and work were total and absolute. 3. The slave was stripped of his identity—racial, familial, social, marital.11   From what we’ve seen, this doesn’t describe the Hebrew servant at all, nor does it (as we’ll see in the next chapter) fit the non-Israelite “slave” in Israel.   Israel’s servant laws were concerned about controlling or regulating—not idealizing—an inferior work arrangement. Israelite servitude was induced by poverty, was entered into voluntarily, and was far from optimal. The intent of these laws was to combat potential abuses, not to institutionalize servitude.   When we compare Israel’s servant system with the ancient Near East in general, what we have is a fairly tame and, in many ways, very attractive arrangement for impoverished Israelites. The servant laws aimed to benefit and protect the poor—that is, those most likely to enter indentured service. Servanthood was voluntary: a person who (for whatever reason) doesn’t have any land “sells himself” (Lev. 25:39, 47; compare Deut. 15:12). Someone might also sell a family member as an indentured servant in another’s household to work until a debt is paid off. Once a person was freed from his servant obligations, he had the “status of full and unencumbered citizenship.”   Old Testament legislation sought to prevent voluntary debt-servitude. A good deal of Mosaic legislation was given to protect the poor from even temporary indentured service. The poor were given opportunities to glean the edges of fields or pick lingering fruit on trees after their fellow Israelites harvested the land (Lev. 19:9–10; 23:22; Deut. 24:20–21). Also, fellow Israelites were commanded to lend freely to the poor (Deut. 15:7–8), who weren’t to be charged interest (Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:36–37). And if the poor couldn’t afford high-end sacrificial animals, they could sacrifice smaller, less-expensive ones (Lev. 5:7, 11). Also, debts were to be automatically canceled every seven years. In fact, when debt-servants were released, they were to be generously provided for without a “grudging heart” (Deut. 15:10). The bottom line: God didn’t want there to be any poverty in Israel (Deut. 15:4). Therefore, servant laws existed to help the poor, not harm them or keep them down.   Why did God wants certain nations in the Old Testament completely destroyed including its women and children?   Deuteronomy 7:1-4 King James Version 1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: 3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. 5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. Is GOD Immoral for killing the Caananites? Apologetics by Dr. Frank Turek   According to the biblical text, Yahweh was willing to wait about 430 years because “the sin of the Amorite [a Canaanite people group] has not yet reached its limit” (Gen. 15:16). In other words, in Abraham’s day, the time wasn’t ripe for judgment on the Canaanites; the moment wasn’t right for them to be driven out and for the land to “vomit them out” (Lev. 18:25). Sodom and Gomorrah, on the other hand, were ready; not even ten righteous people could be found there (Gen. 18–19). Even earlier, at the time of Noah, humans had similarly hit moral rock bottom (Gen. 6:11–13). Despite 120 years of Noah’s preaching (Gen. 6:3; cf. 5:32; 7:6; 2 Peter 2:5), no one outside his family listened; his contemporaries were also ripe for judgment. But it was only after Israel’s lengthy enslavement in Egypt that the time was finally ripe for the Israelites to enter Canaan—“because of the wickedness of these nations” (Deut. 9:4–5). Sometimes God simply gives up on nations, cities, or individuals when they’ve gone past a point of no return. Judgment—whether directly or indirectly—is the last resort.   What kind of wickedness are we talking about? We’re familiar with the line, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” In the case of the Canaanites, the Canaanites’ moral apples didn’t fall far from the tree of their pantheon of immoral gods and goddesses. As we’ve seen, adultery (temple sex), bestiality, homosexual acts (also temple sex), and child sacrifice were also permitted (cf. Lev. 18:20–30).   Humans are “imaging” beings, designed to reflect the likeness and glory of their Creator. If we worship the creaturely rather than the Creator, we’ll come to resemble or image the idols of our own devising and that in which we place our security.3 The sexual acts of the gods and goddesses were imitated by the Canaanites as a kind of magical act: the more sex on the Canaanite high places, the more this would stimulate the fertility god Baal to have sex with his consort, Anath, which meant more semen (rain) produced to water the earth.   Let’s add to this the bloodlust and violence of the Canaanite deities. Anath, the patroness of both sex and war, reminds us of the bloodthirsty goddess Kali of Hinduism, who drank her victims’ blood and sat surrounded by corpses; she is commonly depicted with a garland of skulls around her neck. The late archaeologist William Albright describes the Canaanite deity  Anath’s massacre in the following gory scene:   The blood was so deep that she waded in it up to her knees—nay, up to her neck. Under her feet were human heads, above her human hands flew like locusts. In her sensuous delight she decorated herself with suspended heads while she attached hands to her girdle. Her joy at the butchery is described in even more sadistic language: “Her liver swelled with laughter, her heart was full of joy, the liver of Anath (was full of) exultation (?).” Afterwards Anath “was satisfied” and washed her hands in human gore before proceeding to other occupations.4   Canaanite idolatry wasn’t simply an abstract theology or personal interest carried out in the privacy of one’s home. It was a worldview that profoundly influenced Canaanite society. Given this setting, it’s no wonder God didn’t want the Israelites to associate with the Canaanites and be led astray from obedience to the one true God. He wanted to have Israel morally and theologically separate from the peoples around them.   In other words, the land of Canaan was no paradise before the Israelites got there. Israel had no inherent right to inhabit the land (as an undeserved gift from God), and neither did the Canaanites have a right to remain in it. In fact, both the Canaanites and the Israelites would experience (partial) removal from the land because of their wickedness.   I’m not arguing that the Canaanites were the worst specimens of humanity that ever existed, nor am I arguing that the Canaanites won the immorality contest for worst-behaved peoples in all the ancient Near East. That said, the evidence for profound moral corruption was abundant. God considered them ripe for divine judgment, which would be carried out in keeping with God’s saving purposes in history.   Some argue that God is intolerant, commanding people to have “no other gods before Me” (Exod. 20:3). They state that Israel’s laws illustrate the denial of religious freedom at the heart of Israelite religion. And didn’t other ancient Near Eastern religions value religious diversity? Couldn’t non-Israelites worship whatever god they wanted? Israel had committed itself to be faithful to Yahweh; as in any good marriage, spouses shouldn’t play the field in the name of marital freedom. As for the Canaanites, God judged them not only because they happened to worship idols but also because of the corrupting moral practices and influences bound up with this idolatry. Notice that God judges the nations listed in Amos 1–2 not because they don’t worship Yahweh but because of outrageous moral acts. I’ve already addressed the topic of divine jealousy, but I’ll come back to some of these themes later.   So was God just picking on the Canaanites but not other peoples? No, Yahweh frequently threatened many nations with judgment when they crossed a certain moral threshold. For example, in Amos 1–2, God promised to “send fire” on nations surrounding Israel for their treacheries and barbarities. And he promised the same to Israel and Judah. Later, Jesus himself pronounced final judgment on nationalistic Israel, which would face its doom in AD 70 at the hands of the Romans (Matt. 24).   What’s more, we moderns shouldn’t think that severe divine judgment was only for biblical times, as though God no longer judges nations today. Despite many gains over the centuries in the areas of human rights and religious liberty, due to the positive influence of biblical ideals in America and other Western nations, Westerners have their own share of decadence, and we may resemble the Canaanites more than we realize. We should proceed cautiously about what counts for direct divine judgment, as we may not be able to determine this precisely.5 These sorts of acts serve as illustrations of a cosmic final judgment yet to come. Ultimately, God’s judgment will come to all who refuse to submit to God’s kingdom agenda and instead seek to set up their own little fiefdoms. God grants humans freedom to separate themselves from God. In the end, humans can have their final divorce from God both as a just judgment as well as the natural fruit borne out of a life lived without God. As a last resort, God says to them, “Thy will be done.”   Earlier in Deuteronomy 7:2–5, we find a similar tension. On the one hand, God tells Israel that they should “defeat” and “utterly destroy [haram]” the Canaanites (v. 2)—a holy consecration to destruction. On the other hand, he immediately goes on to say in the very next verses:   Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim [figures of Asherah, who was the Canaanite goddess of sexuality/sensuality], and burn their graven images with fire. (vv. 3–5)   If the Canaanites were to be completely obliterated, why this discussion about intermarriage or treaties? The final verse emphasizes that the ultimate issue was religious: Israel was to destroy altars, images, and sacred pillars. In other words, destroying Canaanite religion was more important than destroying Canaanite people.6 This point was made earlier in Exodus 34:12–13: “Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim.” In Deuteronomy 12:2–3, we read the same emphasis on destroying Canaanite religion:   You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place.   As Gary Millar writes, the concern of this destruction (herem) was “to see Israel established in a land purged of Canaanite idolatry as painlessly as possible.” The goal was to “remove what is subject to [herem] laws (the idols).” The root of the dilemma Israel faced wasn’t “the people themselves, but their idolatrous way of life.” Failure to remove the idolatry would put Israel in the position of the Canaanites and their idols before God. Israel would risk being consecrated to destruction.   Even so, the Israelites didn’t do an effective job removing the snare of idolatry from the land (Ps. 106:34–43).   Psalm 106:34-43 King James Version 34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them: 35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. 36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. 37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, 38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. 40 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. 41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. 42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand. 43 Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. Baby sacrificed to the idol god Moloch with fire kindled underneath while playing drums and trumpets so the parents will not hear the cries of their baby as it slowly cook in the searing hot hands of the idol. 1 Samuel 15:1-2 King James Version 1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.   We’ve given abundant evidence for claiming that approved Yahweh wars in the Old Testament were limited to a certain window of time in Israel’s history, to a certain smallish geographical location, and to a specific grouping of people. (Indeed, these specific divinely given parameters and controls were in marked contrast to other ancient Near Eastern nations, which had no such limits.) This act of judgment was a corporate capital punishment that could be carried out only with the guidance of special, divine revelation.   Some people might argue that this scenario is a stretch. It may require too many qualifications. For example, what if Canaanite and Amalekite women, children, and the elderly really were targeted? What if the “all” doesn’t apply only to combatants in Canaanite fortresses (cities) but is much more sweeping than this? Don’t too many contingencies have to be just right to arrive at a palatable moral conclusion regarding the Canaanite question? If this were the case, then we could imagine how critics might exclaim, “I can’t trust that God’s character is the standard of goodness if he commands the killing of innocent children!” or “If that’s the kind of God you worship, I want nothing to do with him!”   For anyone who takes the Bible seriously, these Yahweh-war texts will certainly prove troubling. This issue is certainly the most weighty of all Old Testament ethical considerations. We shouldn’t glibly dismiss or ignore such questions. On the other hand, we hope that critics won’t do a surface reading of these Old Testament texts.   If our scenario doesn’t cover all the bases, it still goes a long way in providing perspective on what happened and didn’t happen in Canaan. Simply put, the damage to and death of noncombatants would have been far less serious and extensive than what critics and believers alike have maintained based on a traditional surface reading of the text. Just review the previous chapter for a summary of all the qualifications and exceptions (e.g., exaggerated ancient Near Eastern language, the meaning of “driving out,” destruction of idolatry over people, and so on).   Second, let’s assume that women weren’t combatants, like Joan of Arc against the English (1412–31) or Budicca (d. AD 60) against the Romans. Even so, Canaanite women would have participated in immoral, degrading activities (which we’ve reviewed). Deviant morality wasn’t just the domain of men. We’ve seen how temple prostitution was religiously justified adultery, and how Canaanite gods themselves modeled adultery, bestiality, incest, and a host of other activities that their devotees practiced. Even before we get to Canaan, notice how readily the Midianite women sought to seduce Israelite men (Num. 25). Women may not have been combatants, but they were hardly innocent. And we could add that elderly Canaanites clearly shared blame in the moral corruption of their culture.   Third, if the evidence doesn’t offer a complete answer, the lingering crucial question is, Why kill Canaanite infants and children? Surely they were innocent. From a theological side, we can say a couple of things. 1.      God is the author of life and has a rightful claim on it as Creator. Therefore, humans can make no demands on how long a person ought to live on earth (Job 1:21). If God is God and we aren’t, then our rights will necessarily be limited to some degree. 2.      If any infants and children were killed, they would have entered the presence of God. Though deprived of earthly life, these young ones wouldn’t have been deprived of the greatest good—enjoying everlasting friendship with God.   Again, the 1 Samuel 15 story appears to be a clear-cut case of complete obliteration. No Amalekites remaining, right? Wrong! In 1 Samuel 27:8, “David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites”—and the “utterly destroyed” Amalekites! But was that the end of them? No, they appear again in 1 Samuel 30: the Amalekites made one of their infamous raids (v. 1); David pursued them to get back the Israelites and the booty the Amalekites had taken (v. 18); and four hundred of them escaped (v. 17). So contrary to the common impression, Saul didn’t wipe out all the Amalekites, something 1 Samuel itself makes clear. And even David didn’t complete the job. The Amalekites were still around during King Hezekiah’s time 250 years later (1 Chron. 4:43).   Then we get to the time of Esther, when the Jews were under the rule of the Persian king Ahasuerus/Xerxes (486–465 BC). Here we encounter “Haman . . . the Agagite” (Esther 3:1). Remember King Agag the Amalekite from 1 Samuel 15:8? Yes, Haman was an Amalekite who continued the Amalekite tradition of aggression against God’s people. An “enemy of the Jews” (Esther 3:10), Haman mounted a campaign to destroy the Jews as a people (3:13). Related Video : Story of Esther   Knowing that callous Amalekite hostility would continue for nearly a millennium of Israel’s history, God reminded his people not to let up in their opposition to the Amalekites (Deut. 25:15–17). Otherwise, the hardened Amalekites would seek to destroy Israel. If the Amalekites had their way, Israel would have been wiped off the map (if God will not intervene on Israel's behalf). Did God condone rape? Deuteronomy 22:28-29 New International Version 28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[a] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. The answer is NO . This is the fault of the Modern Translations. In the King James Version it has a different context. Deuteronomy 22:28-29 King James Version 28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her , and they be found; 29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days. Betrothed from 1828 Webster's Dictionary means: 1. To contract to any one, in order to a future marriage; to promise or pledge one to be the future spouse of another; to affiance; used of either sex. 'The father betroths his daughter.' 2. To contract with one for a future spouse; to espouse; as, a man betroths a lady. The difference between the 2 Bible Versions is that in King James Version it's implied that the virgin consented while in the New International Version doesn't. If a man lie with a virgin that was not betrothed to that man but consented in doing the sexual act, then that man is fined by the daughter's father of about fifty shekels of silver as dowry and is forced to marry her. God forbids rape, the consequence of this sin is death in the Old Testament as stated in Deuteronomy 22:25. Why did Prophet Elisha cursed the children of Bethel? 2 Kings 2:22-24 King James Version 22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. 23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.   Here is a curse upon the children of Bethel, which was effectual to destroy them; for it was not a curse causeless. At Bethel there was another school of prophets. Thither Elisha went next, in this his primary visitation, and the scholars there no doubt welcomed him with all possible respect, but the townsmen were abusive to him. One of Jeroboam's calves was at Bethel; this they were proud of, and fond of, and hated those that reproved them. The law did not empower them to suppress this pious academy, but we may suppose it was their usual practice to jeer the prophets as they went along the streets, to call them by some nickname or other, that they might expose them to contempt, prejudice their youth against them, and, if possible, drive them out of their town. Had the abuse done to Elisha been the first offence of that kind, it is probable that it would not have been so severely punished. But mocking the messengers of the Lord, and misusing the prophets, was one of the crying sins of Israel (refer to Psalms 105:15), as we find, 2 Chron. 36:16. Now here we have, 1. An instance of that sin. The little children of Bethel, the boys and girls that were playing in the streets (notice, it is likely, having come to the town of his approach), went out to meet him, not with their hosannas, as they ought to have done, but with their scoffs; they gathered about him and mocked him, as if he had been a fool, or one fit to make sport with. Among other things that they used to jeer the prophets with, they had this particular taunt for him, Go up, thou bald head, go up, thou bald head. It is a wicked thing to reproach persons for their natural infirmities or deformities; it is adding affliction to the afflicted; and, if they are as God made them, the reproach reflects upon him. But this was such a thing as scarcely deserved to be called a blemish, and would never have been turned to his reproach if they had had any thing else to reproach him with. It was his character as a prophet that they designed to abuse. The honour God had crowned him with should have been sufficient to cover his bald head and protect him from their scoffs. They bade him go up, perhaps reflecting on the assumption of Elijah: "Thy master," they say, "has gone up; why dost not thou go up after him? Where is the fiery chariot? When shall we be rid of thee too?" These children said as they were taught; they had learned of their idolatrous parents to call foul names and give bad language, especially to prophets. These young cocks, as we say, crowed after the old ones. Perhaps their parents did at this time send them out and set them on, that, if possible, they might keep the prophet out of their town.   2. A specimen of that ruin which came down upon Israel at last, for misusing God's prophets, and of which this was intended to give them fair warning. Elisha heard their taunts, a good while, with patience; but at length the fire of holy zeal for God was kindled in his breast by the continued provocation, and he turned and looked upon them, to try if a grave and severe look would put them out of countenance and oblige them to retire, to see if he could discern in their faces any marks of ingenuousness; but they were not ashamed, neither could they blush; and therefore he cursed them in the name of the Lord, both imprecated and denounced the following judgment, not in personal revenge for the indignity done to himself, but as the mouth of divine justice to punish the dishonour done to God. His summons was immediately obeyed. Two she-bears (bears perhaps robbed of their whelps) came out of an adjacent wood, and presently killed forty-two children, v. 24. Now in this, (1.) The prophet must be justified, for he did it by divine impulse. Had the curse come from any bad principle God would not have said Amen to it. We may think it would have been better to have called for two rods for the correction of these children than two bears for the destruction of them. But Elisha knew, by the Spirit, the bad character of these children. He knew what a generation of vipers those were, and what mischievous enemies they would be to God's prophets if they should live to be men, who began so early to be abusive to them. He intended hereby to punish the parents and to make them afraid of God's judgments. (2.) God must be glorified as a righteous God, that hates sin, and will reckon for it, even in little children. Let the wicked wretched brood make our flesh tremble for fear of God. Let little children be afraid of speaking wicked words, for God notices what they say. Let them not mock any for their defects in mind or body, but pity them rather; especially let them know that it is at their peril if they jeer God's people or ministers, and scoff at any for well-doing. Let parents, that would have comfort in their children, train them up well, and do their utmost betimes to drive out the foolishness that is bound up in their hearts; for, as bishop Hall says, "In vain do we look for good from those children whose education we have neglected; and in vain do we grieve for those miscarriages which our care might have prevented." Elisha comes to Bethel and fears not the revenges of the bereaved parents; God, who bade him do what he did, he knew would bear him out. Thence he goes to Mount Carmel (v. 25), where it is probable there was a religious house fit for retirement and contemplation. Thence he returned to Samaria, where, being a public place, this father of the prophets might be most serviceable. Bishop Hall observes here, "That he can never be a profitable seer who is either always or never alone." Did God really meant to beat up your own children? Proverbs 23:13-14 King James Version 13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. A parent correcting his child. A tender parent can scarcely find in his heart to do this; it goes much against the grain. But he finds it is necessary; it is his duty, and therefore he dares not withhold correction when there is occasion for it (spare the rod and spoil the child); he beats him with the rod, gives him a gentle correction, the stripes of the sons of men, not such as we give to beasts. Beat him with the rod and he shall not die. The rod will not kill him; nay, it will prevent him from killing himself by those vicious courses which the rod will be necessary to restrain him from. For the present it is not joyous, but grievous, both to the parent and to the child; but when it is given with wisdom, designed for good, accompanied with prayer, and blessed of God, it may prove a happy means of preventing his utter destruction and delivering his soul from hell. Our great care must be about our children's souls; we must not see them in danger of hell without using all possible means, with the utmost care and concern, to snatch them as brands out of everlasting burnings. Let the body smart, so that the spirit be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Related Post: Growing Up in GOD's Education vs Secular Education   If people say God is all good then why did He create evil?   Isaiah 45:5-7 King James Version 5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.   God here asserts his sole and sovereign dominion, as that which he designed to prove and manifest to the world in all the great things he did for Cyrus and by him. Observe, How this doctrine is here laid down concerning the sovereignty of the great Jehovah, in two things:   1. That he is God alone, and there is no God besides him. This is here inculcated as a fundamental truth, which, if it were firmly believed, would abolish idolatry out of the world. With what an awful, commanding, air of majesty and authority, bidding defiance, as it were, to all pretenders, does the great God here proclaim it to the world: I am the Lord, I the Lord, Jehovah, and there is none else, there is no God besides me, no other self-existent, self-sufficient, being, none infinite and eternal. And again (v. 6), There is none besides me; all that are set up in competition with me are counterfeits; they are all vanity and a lie, for I am the Lord, and there is none else. This is here said to Cyrus, not only to cure him of the sin of his ancestors, which was the worshipping of idols, but to prevent his falling into the sin of some of his predecessors in victory and universal monarchy, which was the setting up of themselves for gods and being idolized, to which some attribute much of the origin of idolatry. Let Cyrus, when he becomes thus rich and great, remember that still he is but a man, and there is no God but one.   2. That he is Lord of all, and there is nothing done without him (v. 7): I form the light, which is grateful and pleasing, and I create darkness, which is grievous and unpleasing. I make peace (put here for all good) and I create evil, not the evil of sin (God is not the author of that), but the evil of punishment. I the Lord order, and direct, and do all these things. Observe, (1.) The very different events that befal the children of men. Light and darkness are opposite to each other, and yet, in the course of providence, they are sometimes intermixed, like the morning and evening twilights, neither day nor night, Zech. 14:6. There is a mixture of joys and sorrows in the same cup, allays to each other. Sometimes they are counterchanged, as noonday light and midnight darkness. In the revolution of every day each takes its turn, and there are short transitions from the one to the other, witness Job's case. (2.) The self-same cause of both, and that is he that is the first Cause of all: I the Lord, the fountain of all being, am the fountain of all power. He who formed the natural light (Gen. 1:3) still forms the providential light. He who at first made peace among the jarring seeds and principles of nature makes peace in the affairs of men. He who allowed the natural darkness, which was a mere privation, creates the providential darkness; for concerning troubles and afflictions he gives positive orders. Note, The wise God has the ordering and disposing of all our comforts, and all our crosses, in this world. Isaiah 45:7 commentary by Bob Militello Did Jesus Christ admits He’s a sinner?   Mark 10:17-18 King James Version 17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.   Now this fellow who comes to Jesus asking what to do to “inherit eternal life” is known as the “rich, young ruler.” He is called that because you are told in Luke 18:23 that he was “very rich,” Matthew 19:20 calls him a “young man,” and Luke 18:18 says he was “a certain ruler.” In politeness and respect to Christ, this young man calls Him, “Good Master” (vs. 17). Notice that he doesn’t acknowledge Jesus as God but only a wise teacher, a fellow “man”.   But Christ turns the compliment right back on the fellow: “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God” (vs. 18). Jesus uses the word “good” in the Pauline doctrinal sense (Rom. 3:12). It’s good in the sense of being sinless. According to the Son of God, there hasn’t been one human being since Adam, outside of Jesus Christ, who has been “good.” People don’t like that Book because it has nothing good to say about human nature.   The application of Christ’s words to Himself should be obvious. If He were not God, then He was not good. People, if Jesus Christ were just a “good teacher,” then He was no better than Moses, Zoroaster, Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, the Dalai Lama, the Pope, Spinoza, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche, or any professor at any State College or “Ivy League” University; i.e., He was a sinner just like everyone else. If Jesus Christ were not God, then He was not a “good teacher.” He would be a blaspheming liar or a deranged, deluded lunatic, but a “good teacher” He would not be. But if He were who He said He was, then He was more than merely a “good teacher”; He was God Almighty “in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16; John 1:14). That is where all the evidence points   Did Jesus Christ admits He is not God?   John 14:23-28 King James Version 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I .   So in the book of Hebrews, up pops the statement that shows WHY “the Father is greater” than His Son.   Hebrews 2:7-9 King James Version 7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.   It all has to do with His EARTHLY life as a man. The Father does not get tired; His Son did. The Father never gets thirsty; His Son did.   Should we worship Mary because Jesus proclaims Mary as their “Mother” to His disciples?   John 19:25-27 King James Version 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.   Jesus refuses to call Mary His “mother.” He calls her what He called the adulteress in John 4:21—“woman.” He never refers to her in the New Testament as His “mother.” (See John 2:4; Luke 11:27–28; Luke 11:27–28; Matt. 13:47–49). The Catholic “Mary” is a fictitious non-biblical spook invented by “tradition.”   By turning Mary over to John, it would appear that she is a widow now; her other six children (see Mark 6:3) are “grown” (over twenty), or at least four of them are. Six children coming three years apart would only come to eighteen years; thirty-three years have passed since the birth of the “firstborn” (Matt. 1). Four of them would be adults over twenty (see Num. 1–2), and the other two would have been eighteen and fifteen. Hope this may be a blessing to the readers. References: Genesis Commentary (The Bible Believer's Commentary Series) by Dr. Peter S. Ruckman Gospel of Mark Commentary (The Bible Believer's Commentary Series) by Dr. Peter S. Ruckman Gospel of John Commentary (The Bible Believer's Commentary Series) by Dr. Peter S. Ruckman Is God a Moral Monster?: Making Sense of the Old Testament God by Paul Copan Traced: Human DNA's Big Surprise by Nathaniel T. Jeanson One Race One Blood: The Biblical Answer to Racism by Ken Ham & A. Charles Ware Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1-Volume Edition: Complete and Unabridged How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)

Skeptical critics love to try to poke holes in the Gospel narratives, claiming they’re full of historical blunders. But in recent times, many of these so-called holes have been filled by the shovel of archaeology. In this video, we’re going to run through the top 5 examples of critics looking bad in the light of new archaeological discoveries. How to go to Heaven? Find out in the short video below. GOD's Simple Plan of Salvation If you were to die today for any reason, are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? This video explains the SIMPLE TRUTH according to the Scriptures. The only way to go to heaven is by: (1) Admitting that you are a sinner (2) Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior and Lord (3) Repenting (meaning you are willing to turn away from your sins) of your sins then confessing your sins to God Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself and shed His precious blood on the cross as a substitute for you, so that you don't have to burn in hell for all eternity because of your sins, and have eternal life in heaven instead. Watch the video to learn what Scripture says of God's great plan of salvation for you and how to receive His free gift. This is wonderful news. We pray you surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to know 100% for sure you will go to heaven when you die! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/REALBibleBelievers Website: https://realbiblebelievers.com/resources If you want to attend our local Church please see our address, phone numbers and social media below Bible Believers Baptist Church International 2F Lakeview Manors Arcade, 11 Bagong Calzada St., Taguig City, 1634 Metro Manila Globe: 09171926870 / Smart: 09201205400 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KJBTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJBTV1611 “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4)