History of "Secret Rapture" Teaching

Does "old" mean it is Correct?

RAPTURE TEACHING HISTORY I ANSWER THE PROOF OF HISTORY ARGUMENT - Keith Hunt CRITICS OF THE PRETRIBULATIONAL rapture view often refer to its lack of historical support. For several years, opponents of the pretribulational rapture position have argued that it was invented by John Darby in the mid-1800s and was never mentioned before that. These arguments generally reason that because this teaching is less than 200 years old, it cannot be biblical, or Christians would have held to this view many years earlier. Ultimately, biblical truth must be determined by the clear teaching of Scripture, not how that teaching has been perceived throughout history. However, a substantial amount of evidence reveals a belief in a pretribulational rapture long before John Darby. ....... ANSWER: As Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun, it is to be excepted SOME down through time held the "rapture" of the church from earth to heaven to escape the tribulation of the man of sin. ...... EARLY CHURCH FATHERS The earliest documents of the ancient church (including the New Testament canon) reflect a clear premillennialism. However, minor controversy surrounds the relation of the rapture to the Tribulation. Pretribulationists point to the early church's clear belief in immanency as evidence that pretribulationism was held by at least a few from the earliest times. ...... ANSWER: Yes of course some in the later end of the first century, would no doubt hold a view that Jesus could come any second, without any signs needing to be fulfilled as He and Paul gave. But some have always had it WRONG on many things throughout all ages. Why some even taught the earth was flat, and if you went far enough you'd fall off the edge. ...... As was typical of every area of the early church's theology, initial views of prophecy were undeveloped and sometimes contradictory, containing a seedbed out of which would develop various and diverse theological viewpoints. Finding clear pretribulationism spelled out in the early church fathers is difficult, but some pretribulational elements are clear. When systematized with their other prophetic views, these elements contradict posttribulationism and support pretribulationism. For example, the apostolic fathers clearly taught the pretribulational feature of imminence. ...... ANSWER: And who were the apostolic fathers? Why they were the ones who founded the Roman Catholic church, they were the founding fathers, that became the Church of Rome, that has some truth but also MUCH error of teachings and customs and practices. ...... A cursory examination of the early church fathers reveals that they were predominantly premillennialists or chiliasts. Clear examples exist in the writings of Barnabas (ca. 100-105), Papias (ca. 60-130), Justin Martyr (110-165), Irenaeus (120-202), Tertullian (145-220), Hippolytus (ca. 185-236), Cyprian (200-250), and Lactantius (260-330). The early church fathers largely expected the church to be suffering and persecuted when the Lord returns. However, they also believed in the imminent return of Christ, which is a central feature of pretribulational thought. This lack of precision has led to debate among scholars as to how to interpret the early church fathers' writings. Expressions of imminence abound in the apostolic fathers. Clement of Rome (90-100), Ignatius of Antioch (98-117), The Didache 100-160), The Epistle of Barnabas (117-138), and The Shepherd of Hernias (96-150) all speak of immanency. Their statements abound with exhortations to "watch," "wait," and "be ready" for the Lord's soon coming. Furthermore, The Shepherd of Hernias (1.4.2) speaks of escaping the Tribulation: You have escaped from great tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly. ...... ANSWER: You will note none of the above men are from the apostles of the New Testament. You will notice the apostle John is not named and he lived to near the end of the first century A.D. What these named people wrote or preached is basically useless IF it does not square with the Bible. God's Word is truth, not the ideas of men (John 17:17). The quote above talks about "escape" but it does not say escaping via some "secret rapture" invisible to the world, and being taken off to heaven. The "imminence" of Christ may have meant a different thing back then. We know what the present fundamentalists say it is, they say it means Jesus can come any second, without any of the signs given by Christ and Paul needing to be fulfilled. This idea is nowhere taught in the NT. If you have not done so, you need to study my study called "The IMMINENT" return of Christ" on this Website. ...... In the end, no one can produce a clear statement of patristic eschatology regarding the rapture. But we can conclude the following: * They expected a literal coming of Christ followed by a literal 1000-year kingdom. ANSWER: They had that correct! ...... * They believed in the imminent coming of Christ with occasional pretribulational inferences. ANSWER: They got that one wrong! ...... * They were being persecuted by the Roman government but did not equate this with the future Tribulational wrath. ANSWER: Wow, they got that one correct also! ...... Larry Crutchfield (p.7) rightly concludes: This view of the fathers on immanency, and, in some, references to escaping the time of the Tribulation, constitute what may be termed, to quote Erickson, "seeds from which the doctrine of the pretribulational rapture could be developed...." Had it not been for the drought in sound exegesis, brought on by Alexandrian allegorism and later by Augustine, one wonders what kind of crop those seeds might have yielded long before J.N.Darby and the nineteenth century. ANSWER: Well if the rain from the reformation is meant by ending the drought of sound exegesis, we would have had false doctrines being taught much earlier than they finally arrived. ...... THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH The period between Augustine and the Renaissance was largely dominated by "Augustine's understanding of the church, and his spiritualization of the Millennium as the reign of Christ in the saints." There were only "sporadic discussions here and there of a literal, future Millennium" (Hannah, pp.315-16), making examples of pretribulationalism very rare. However, careful historical research has brought many long-neglected pretribulational statements to light. ANSWER: WOOPEE - they've found some who were already going off the track. I guess so when you consider some of the verses in the NT about there already being many anti-christs in the world, and Jude having to exhort his readers to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. ...... Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373) Ephraem was an extremely important and prolific writer. Also known as Pseudo-Ephraem, he was a major theologian of the early Eastern (Byzantine) church. His important sermon "On the Last Times, the Antichrist and the End of the World" (ca. 373) declares, "All the saints and elect of God are gathered together before the tribulation, which is to come, and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins." ANSWER: Words are cheap, anyone can say anything, and get thousands to believe them. But truth is established by the word of the Lord, not the ideas of men. ...... In this sermon, Pseudo-Ephraem develops an elaborate biblical eschatology, including a distinction between the rapture and the second coming of Christ. It describes the imminent rapture, followed by a three-and-one-half-year-long Great Tribulation under the rule of Antichrist, followed by the coming of Christ, the defeat of Antichrist, and the eternal state. His view includes a parenthesis between the fulfilment of Daniel's sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks (Daniel 9:24-27). Pseudo-Ephraem describes the rapture as preceding the Tribulation and "imminent or overhanging." ANSWER: Well truly Satan was putting the strange idea of a two-phased coming of Christ in some minds of some. Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun. ...... Codex Amiatinus (ca. 690-716) This significant Latin manuscript from England was commissioned by Abbot Ceolfrid of the monasteries of Jarrow and Wearmouth in Northumberland. In the title to Psalm 22 (Psalm 23 in the Vulgate), the following appears: "Psalm of David, the voice of the Church after being raptured." The Latin phrase "post raptismum" contains a verb from the root "rapio," meaning "to snatch, or hurry away." This title is not carried over from Jerome's Vulgate and thus is likely the product of the Jarrow monastery. Though not conclusive and still in need of further study, it appears that Codex Amiatinus presents another example of pretribulational thought in the Middle Ages. ANSWER: Even if it does, it is the writings of men, and proves nothing as to the truth of the matter from God's word. ...... Brother Dolcino (d. 1307) A recent study of the fourteenth-century text "The History of Brother Dolcino," composed in 1316 by an anonymous source, reveals another important pretribulational passage. As leader of the Apostolic Brethren in northern Italy, Brother Dolcino led his people through times of tremendous papal persecution. One of the group wrote the following astonishing words: The Antichrist was coming into this world within the bounds of the said three and a half years; and after he had come, then he [Dolcino) and his followers would be transferred into Paradise, in which are Enoch and Elijah. And in this way they will be preserved unharmed from the persecution of Antichrist. Thus, the writer of this History believed that Dolcino and his followers would be transferred to paradise, expressing this belief with the Latin word "transferrentur," or "translation," a synonym for rapture. Dolcino and his followers retreated into the mountains of northern Italy to await their removal at the appearance of Antichrist. ANSWER: They like many other groups down through the centuries, have either set dates for the Tribulation, or for the "rapture" or for the day of the coming of Christ in the clouds. All of them, did not understand the prophetic events of the Bible. All were very badly mistaken, just as many were in 1844 under the fundamental prophet William Miller, and just as the 1980 fundamental prophets, who were busy predicting Jesus would come by 1988. ...... It is believed that sects like the Albigenses, Lombards, and the Waldenses were attracted to premillennialism, but little is known of the details of their beliefs since the Catholics destroyed their works when they were found. ANSWER: So leave it alone, do not go where there is no road-map of recorded history. ...... Francis Gumerlock is the individual who advocates the Brother Dolcino rapture find. Gumerlock (p.80) wrote, "The Dolicinites held to a pre-tribulation rapture theory similar to that in modern dispensationalism." The significance of these early statements is The Antichrist was coming into this world within the bounds of the said three and a half years; and after he had come, then he [Dolcino) and his followers would be transferred into Paradise, in which are Enoch and Elijah. And in this way they will be preserved unharmed from the persecution of Antichrist. ANSWER: Well well, some guy and his followers held some "secret rapture" teaching, which is just as wrong as believing Enoch and Elijah are up in heaven, and oh, with Moses. Better see my study called "Enoch, Moses and Elijah - in Heaven?" Nope they ain't there and neither will those who look to the secret rapture to take them there. ...... That they clearly contradict those who have attempted to say that rapture statements did not exist before 1830. Gumerlock (p.361) believes that this is a pretribulational rapture statement, and he concludes: This paragraph from "The History of Brother Dolcino" indicates that in northern Italy in the early fourteenth century a teaching very similar to modern pretribulationalism was being preached. Responding to distressing political and ecclesiastical conditions, Dolcino engaged in detailed speculations about eschatology and believed that the coming of the Antichrist was imminent. He also believed that the means by which God would protect His people from the persecution of the Antichrist would be through a translation of the saints to paradise. ANSWER: He got it drastically wrong about the coming of THE anti-christ as Paul said would come before Christ returned, to be destroyed by the brightness of the coming of Christ - (2 Thes.2). The guy did not understand the signs of his times. He obviously could not see or understand the prophecies leading up to THE final anti- christ or many other parts of the prophetic books of the Bible. But he has not been alone, many other would come who were also just as blind to correctly seeing the signs Jesus gave before the last 42 months of this age would come. THE REFORMATION ERA After over 1000 years of suppression, premillennialism began to be revived as a result of at least four factors. First, the Reformers went back to the Bible and apostolic fathers. This exposed them to an orthodox premillennialism. Especially significant was the reappearance of the full text of Irenaeus' "Against Heresies," including the last five chapters, which espouse a consistent futurism and cast the seventieth week of Daniel into the future. ANSWER: THEY WENT BACK TO WHO? THE WORD OF GOD? NO, TO SOME FOUNDER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND HIS SILLY MIND-SET OVER THE 70TH WEEK OF DANIEL 9 YET BEING AT THE END OF THIS AGE. Truly there is nothing new under the sun. ...... Second, they repudiated much of the allegorization that dominated medieval hermeneutics by adopting a more literal approach, especially in the area of the grammatical and historical exegesis. ANSWER: Okay to be literal in understanding that much, most of prophecy is literal, just the prophecies on Christ's first coming were literally fulfilled. But putting verse with verse is the major key to correct understanding of Bible prophecy, and the fundamental guys just have one serious heck of a time doing that. ...... Third, many of the Protestants came into contact with Jews and learned Hebrew. This led them to ask whether passages that speak of national Israel were to be taken historically or allegorized in the tradition of the Middle Ages. ANSWER: And what did the Jews say? Really makes no difference what they said. Truth is not interpreted by the Jews. I have a study on that question somewhere on this Website. I believe it is called "Do we Look to the Jews for Interpretation?" ...... Fourth, beginning in the late fifteenth century, the translation of the Bible into the native tongues of the people for the first time since the days of the early church produced an explosion of Bible reading by the general public. This resulted in a general knowledge of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, for the first time in church history. Since the Old Testament speaks primarily of Israel, it took just a few decades for people to start thinking about Israel and its future. This also contributed to a revival of premillennialism. Joseph Mede (1586-1638) is considered the father of English premillennialism, having written "Clavis Apocalyptica" (Key of the Revelation) in 1627 in which "He attempted to construct an outline of the Apocalypse based solely upon internal considerations. In this interpretation he advocated premillennialism in such a scholarly way that this work continued to influence eschatological interpretation for centuries" (Clouse, p.646). Increase Mather (1639-1723), president of Harvard College (1685), was a significant American Puritan. Concerning the future coming of Christ, he wrote that the saints would "be caught up into the air" beforehand, thereby escaping the final conflagration. ANSWER: Christ coming and then the Kingdom of God on earth was known and taught by all the true saints of God from the first apostles. It is clear to see that in the Bible. The Bible was not lost except under the nations of the Holy Roman Empire. What Mather considered "the final conflagration" is not given to us here. So hence what he taught I cannot comment on. But if he did teach the popular "secret rapture" doctrine, he was in error. ...... Others began to speak of the rapture. Paul Benware (pp.197-98) notes: French Reformer Peter Jurieu in his book "Approaching Deliverance of the Church" (1687) taught that Christ would come in the air to rapture the saints and return to heaven before the battle of Armageddon. He spoke of a secret rapture prior to His coming in glory and judgment at Armageddon. Philip Doddridge's commentary on the New Testament (1738) and John Gill's commentary on the New Testament (1748) both use the term rapture and speak of it as imminent. It is clear that these men believed that this coming will precede Christ's descent to the earth and the time of judgment. The purpose was to preserve believers from the time of judgment. James Macknight (1763) and Thomas Scott (1792) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over. ANSWER: It does not matter how many fellows you can find from history who taught this "secret rapture" stuff, it still does not make it correct. The word of God is truth not the ideas of men. And besides, I could probably come up with more guys from history who did not teach such an idea. ...... The clearest pre-Darby reference to a pretribulational rapture, if not the most developed, comes from Morgan Edwards (1722-1795), who saw a distinct rapture three and a half years before the start of the millennium. Edwards was a Baptist preacher, evangelist, historian, and educator who founded Rhode Island College (Brown University). During his student days at Bristol Baptist Seminary in England (1742-1744), he wrote an essay on Bible prophecy. The essay was published in Philadelphia in 1788 as "Two Academical Exercises on Subjects Bearing the Following Titles; Millennium, Last-Novelties." Edwards wrote, "The distance between the first and second resurrection will be somewhat more than a thousand years... because the dead saints will be raised, and the living changed at Christ's 'appearing in the air' (1 Thessalonians 4:17)." ANSWER: We are not given the full writing of this man Edwards. We are only given what this author states as to what he wrote and believed. I will refrain from passing judgment on Edwards. ...... * He believes that more than 1000 years will transpire between resurrections. * He associates the first resurrection with the rapture of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. * He associates the meeting of believers with Christ in the air with John 14:2. * He sees believers disappearing into heaven during the time of the Tribulation. ANSWER: I see no problem with the first three points we are told that Edwards taught. All the first three points are quite correct, that is what the Bible teaches. there is a 1000 years between the first and second resurrections. The first resurrection is 1 Thes.4:13-18. We do meet Christ in the and we are with Him as John 14:2 and 1 Thes.4:13-18 tells us. What those verses do not tell us is where Christ goes with us from the clouds. It is Zechariah 14 that tells us that in the same day His feet touch the Mount of Olives. The last point we are told that Edwards believed (I have no proof he did for we are not given his writing) that believers disappear into heaven during the time of the Tribulation. If Edwards did in fact believe this, then he was totally wrong. ...... There is no doubt Morgan Edwards was a pretribulationalist nearly 100 years before Darby. ANSWER: So what! What Edwards and others before Darby taught makes no difference as to actual truth of the Bible. Many have been wrong on many subjects about the Bible. Many have been wrong yesterday, many are wrong today, and many will be wrong tomorrow. ...... THE MODERN CHURCH As futurism began to replace historicism within premillennial circles in the 1820S, the modern proponents of dispensational pretribulationism arrived on the scene. As early as 1818, William Witherby produced a work that had virtually all of the features of modern futurism. John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) claims to have first understood his view of the rapture as the result of personal Bible study during a convalescence stay at his sister's house from December 1826 until January 1827. He is the popularizer of the modern version of the doctrine of a pretribulational rapture. ANSWER: And Tara Chapman (whom I mention on the first page of this Website) tells me that she came to see the FALSEHOOD of the "secret rapture" all by herself from just reading the Bible. ...... The doctrine of the rapture spread around the world through the Brethren movement, with which Darby was associated. It appears that either through their writings or personal visits to North America, this version of pretribulationism spread throughout American evangelicals. Two early proponents of the view include Presbyterian James H. Brookes (1830-1897) and Baptist J.R. Graves (1820-1889). ANSWER: So what! Many false doctrines have been spread around the world from all ages of the past 2,000 years. We have a veritable Babylon of confusion of so-called "Christian teachings" - some by this group, some by that group, some by another group. Who taught what and when makes no difference in finding the truth of the matter from the Word of God. The true teachings of the Lord are in His WORD and not from the pen of mortals. You need to search the Scriptures to see who teaches the truth of God. ...... The pretribulational position spread through influence of the Niagara Bible Conference era (New York, 1878-1909) and received wide exposure in the popular prophetic publications The Truth, Our Hope, The Watchword, and Maranatha. It was also carried forward in William Backstone's book "Jesus is Coming" (1909), C.I. Scofield's popular Scofield Reference Bible (1909), and other works. ANSWER: So what! It makes no difference how many people write about this or that, in whatever publications, endorsed by how-many-men, with how-many-followers. Truth is ONLY in the Word of God. Everything that men say or write you still need to search the Scriptures. Isaiah 8:20 still applies today as it did always. ...... Prominent pretribulational Bible teachers articulated the position on the Bible conference circuit in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including Arno C. Gaebelein (1861-1945), A.J. Gordon (1836-1895), James M. Gray (1851-1935), R.A. Torrey (1856-1928), Harry Ironside (1876-1951), John E Strombeck (1881-1959), Lewis Sperry Chafer (1871-1952), Alva J. McClain (1888-1968), Charles Lee Feinberg (1909-1995), J. Dwight Pentecost, John E Walvoord (1910-2002), Charles Ryrie, and Tim LaHaye. ANSWER: So what! You can name 1,000 guys or gals claiming to come in the name of Christ, and claiming this or that is truth, BUT you have to search the Scriptures as the Bereans did (Acts 17) when Paul and Silas came teaching and preaching. Do it with me, do it with everyone. Only the Word of God is truth (John 17:17). ...... During the past 120 years, numerous schools, colleges, and seminaries were established expounding dispensational pretribulationalism. These include Moody Bible Institute, Biola University, Philadelphia Biblical University, Dallas Theological Seminary, Grace Theological Seminary, Liberty University, Bob Jones University, the Master's College and Seminary, and others. Pretribulationalism is also a major doctrinal position in many Baptist, Brethren, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and independent Bible churches. ANSWER: Do you see what the authors are doing here? It is "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" hype. It is "We have all kinds of popular theology teachers and theology Schools" that have all kinds of followers, so this "secret rapture" teaching must be correct. They do not mention all the other teachers and "theology schools" in other parts of everything that goes under the name of "Christian" who do not agree with the "secret rapture" idea. They are doing the "Look to popular men" ideology. What you need to look to is the WORD of the Lord. What you need to do is SEARCH the Scriptures, to prove all things, then you can hold fast to that which is good and correct. ...... On the popular front, nothing has done more to promote the pretribulational rapture position than Hal Lindsay's Late Great Planet Earth (1970) and Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins' 12-volume Left Behind series (1995-2004). THOMAS ICE AND JAMES STITZINGER ANSWER: Many of the popular "fundamental" teachers in the early 1980s were proclaiming and teaching Jesus was going to return before the end of that decade. you've had fundamental teachers writing books on "oil" and "finances" of the world and telling you it was the lead up to Armageddon. Which is simply just not so. they write their books, tens of thousands buy them; they make their money; ten years or so later the books are forgotten. Then a new generation of fundamental prophets come along, preaching to a new generation of listeners, and around it goes again. The guys writing the books are the ones laughing all the way to the bank. It matters not HOW many books are written on this idea of a "secret rapture" or "two-phased" coming of Christ. It matters not if it is one book or a 100-volume set, I tell you VERY BLUNTLY, VERY IN YOUR FACE, IN THEIR FACE, THE WHOLE TEACHING IS A HERESY AND FALSE DOCTRINE. TIME WILL TELL THAT I AM CORRECT, AND THEY ARE WRONG!! IT WILL EVENTUALLY BE RECORDED IN HISTORY THAT THEIR HISTORY, AND ALL WHO TAUGHT THIS SECRET COMING OF CHRIST, WILL HAVE BEEN VERY WRONG INDEED! BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL CHRIST COMES TO LEARN THIS TRUTH, YOU CAN SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES AND FIND THE TRUTH NOW. DESIRE THE TRUTH, LIKE YOU WOULD DESIRE WATER AFTER BEING IN THE DRY DESERT FOR THREE DAYS WITHOUT WATER. JESUS HAS PROMISED IF YOU HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH, YOU WILL BE FILLED, YOU WILL FIND IT. Keith Hunt May 2009

FEAST OF TRUMPETS-- IS TODAY

 

THE LAST Trump of God!

The Fundamentalists Folly

FUNDAMENTALIST'S TEACHING ON "LAST TRUMP" A CHILD CAN GET A CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE AND LOOK UP "TRUMP" AND "TRUMPET" IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. AND PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER AND HAVE NO TROUBLE. BUT THE "SCHOLASTIC" FUNDAMENTALISTS, BECAUSE OF THEIR TEACHING OF 7 YEAR TRIBULATION, A RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE, FLYING OFF TO HEAVEN, THEN COMING AGAIN WITH CHRIST IN GLORY AT THE END OF THE LAST 3 AND 1/2 YEARS ..... WELL OF COURSE THEY HAVE TO DIVIDE UP THE "LAST TRUMP." IT'S TIME FOR ME TO ANSWER THEIR ARGUMENTS - Keith Hunt From the book "The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy" by Tim Lahaye and Ed Hindson, we read: LAST TRUMPET! IN I CORINTHIANS 15:52 the apostle Paul teaches that the rapture will take place at the last trumpet. Opponents of pretribulationism say the "last trumpet" statement in this passage indicates that the rapture cannot take place before the Tribulation. They argue that this mention of the last trumpet relates to events at the end of the Tribulation. However, we will see that Paul's "last trumpet" statement harmonizes perfectly with pretribulationism. ("Pre-tribulationism" is the teaching that the "rapture" of the church is BEFORE the great tribulation at the end time - Keith Hunt) Quote: TRUMPETS IN REVELATION Some midtribulationists and posttribulationists attempt to equate the "last trumpet" in I Corinthians 15:52 with the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15-19. Revelation 11:15, however, does not say specifically "last trumpet." It says "the seventh angel sounded." The seventh trumpet is the seventh in a series of judgments. The seventh trumpet is the last in a series of trumpet judgments, but it is not the last judgment in the larger series; seven bowl judgments follow. ANSWER: Very clever move they do. They take your mind off the "trumpet" and want you to focus on "judgment." Now Paul in 1 Cor.15 does not talk about "judgment" - he talks about "the last trump" and the church putting on immortality at that time. See it friends in 1 Cor.15:51-54. The context of Paul has nothing to do with "judgment" - he is not speaking about any "judgments" of God on the world. But the fundamentalists here want to get your mind off "resurrection" and "last trumpet" and on the judgments. You need to keep your mind focussed - Keith Hunt Quote: The "last trumpet" of I Corinthians 15:52 is singular, referring to one judgment, not a sequence of seven. Ellicott notes, "There are no sufficient grounds for supposing that there is here any reference to the seventh Apocalyptic trumpet (Rev. xi. 15), or to the seventh and last trumpet" (Ellicott, p.325). ANSWER Again, they want you to focus on "judgments" where Paul does not focus at all. Judgment is not the topic - resurrection is the topic period. What the book of Revelation may add in amplifying the "last trumpet" mentioned in that book is for that book of prophecy. Here Paul is only discussing "resurrection" - Keith Hunt Quote: Henry Thiessen agrees: "If he had thought of this trumpet as one of seven, he would undoubtedly have said something like the following: "For when the trumpets will be sounded and the time comes for the last one to sound, the dead in Christ shall be raised." At any rate, there is no ground for identifying the "trump" in I Cor. 15:52 with the seventh trumpet in Rev. 11:15 (Thiessen, p.56). ANSWER First, what a man says has nothing to do with truth. The Bible is truth, and the Bible "interprets" itself. If you do not let the Bible interpret itself you can come up with as many ideas as there are people on earth. Second, the sentence given that Paul should have said, or could have said, is in fact the sentence given. What could be clearer than "in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMP, FOR THE TRUMP SHALL SOUND..." Paul is saying exactly what the guy above think he should have said. The guy is just playing with words, you may say a sentence a little different than I may put it, but at the end of the day, BOTH sentences are saying the same thing. this is the game of "semantics of words" the funny-mentals are playing, just to confuse you again, and get your mind off the plain truth that Paul is talking about "the last trump" - pure and simple. So Paul KNEW there was going to be MORE than ONE trumpet sound at the last days. He does not tell us anywhere in all of his writings HOW he came to know that fact, but obviously he KNEW IT! Maybe when he was being taught directly by Christ (Galatians 2) of through the Spirit, he was told. He was NOT inspired to write down for us anything to do with the OTHER trumpet sounds, that was for the apostle John to do in the book of Revelation. Paul was only inspired to talk about the LAST trump and the resurrection of the saints at THAT time. But the last trump, the very phrase, must mean there are other trumpet sound before the last ONE. If clear English does not mean that then words and sentences have no meaning and you may as well throw the Bible out the window, and everything is for grabs. But the Bible does mean what it says in such clear phrases as "the last trump" - it is the last, not the first, not .... the whatever, but it is the LAST! Notice Thiessen is not even sure about the argument he has just put forth, for he says, "At any rate....." and then gives you a blank statement that you do not have to acquaint the "last trump" of Paul with Revelation 11:15. Such is the fancy arguments of men. What men tell you has nothing to do with the truth of the Bible. The truth of the Bible stands on its own, the Bible INTERPRETS itself. You do not need a great PhD from some "theological" school to understand the Bible. Jesus said, "I thank you Father that you have hid these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them unto babes." If you have the mind of a child and you let the Bible interpret itself, you can understand more of what the Bible teaches than ten thousand fellows with their PhD's in theology, who are not being a child in understanding. Quote: In addition, if the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15 and the last trumpet in I Corinthians 15:52 are supposed to reference the same thing, why do many more months of judgment follow the supposed last trumpet in Revelation 11? ANSWER Such a statement is putting ideas into your mind, as IF they are a fact. They want to get you to agree with them, just off the cuff, just from a statement they say, hoping of course you already have smooched up to them in certain "theology" ideas, looking to the "respect of men" that give these guys "honor" within the large Christian "fundamental" world already. The truth of the matter is that if you read the story flow of Revelation you will see that the "judgments" to come at the sound of the last trumpet CAN ALL TAKE PLACE IN ONE LITERAL DAY. IT ONLY TAKES SECONDS FOR GOD TO POUR OUT PLAGUES AND THE SEVEN LAST VIALS FULL OF THE ANGER OF THE LORD. THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON IN MODERN WARFARE CAN ALL HAPPEN IN ONE DAY. THE ARMIES OF THE BEAST AND THE ARMIES OF THE EAST ARE ALREADY IN THAT AREA OF THE WORLD, AT THE LAST DAYS. SEE MY FULL STUDY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION IN "THE NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE STORY." The fundamentalists have here argued from a wrong understanding of the events to take place at the LAST trump. Quote: TRUMPETS IN CORINTHIANS AND THESSALONIANS In looking at 1 Corinthians 15:52, it is clear the context of this passage is the church age, while the context of Revelation 11 is judgment during the Tribulation. ANSWER That is what they want you to believe, to hold their "7 year tribulation and rapture in the middle" teaching. The truth is BOTH passages are to do with the "church." If you read the context of 1 Cor.15:52 it is certainly to do with the dead and living saints being made immortal. Now, look at the context of Revelation 11:15, read it friends, move on to verse 18. It is talking about the rise of the dead and rewards given to God's prophets and saints. It is ALSO to do with the "church." It is the SEVENTH trumpet, and the other SIX trumpets have ALREADY been mentioned as having taken place BEFORE we get to chapter 11 and verse 15. How simple it is, a child can see it. Both the trump of Paul in 1 Cor.15 and the LAST or seventh trumpet her in Revelation 11 concerns the CHURCH - the SAINTS! Quote: First Corinthians 15:52 better harmonizes with 1 Thessalonians 4:16 NASB, which says, "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." Both passages speak of the rapture, and judgment is absent from both. The trumpets in both are the last or final command that the Lord gives to the church, resulting in the translation of all believers. J. Dwight Pentecost cites the following reasons as to why the "last trumpet" in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and the "trumpet" of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 are different from any of the trumpet judgments in Revelation. ANSWER I'll tackle Dwight Pentecost guy in a moment. Yes, the passages in 1 Cor.15 and 1 Thes.4 are talking about the SAME TIME, the LAST trumpet when the dead and living saints will be made immortal, resurrected or changed in the split-second of the twinkling of an eye. So "judgment" is not found in 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thes. 4 - judgment on the world and nations. Does it have to be? Does EVERYTHING regarding the whole truth of the whole scene of the last trump, have to be IN EVERY passage regarding the last trumpet sound? Who says God must follow what man thinks how He should put it! Who is man to tell the Lord what to say and when to say it and how often He must say it. Who is man to tell God to follow man's rules. The Eternal does not bow to the dictates of man. God will write other things to add to the same event He wrote about in another book, AS HE SEES FIT! The book of Revelation is a JUDGMENT book as any child can see. The passages in 1 Cor,15:52 and 1 Thes.4:16 are passages of HOPE and ENCOURAGEMENT and PROMISE, for the saints, for the Church of God. Those passages have nothing to do with "judgment" but with promise for the saints of God. Revelation 11:15-19 is not ONLY promise for the saints BUT ALSO the truth that at this same time of the seventh and last trumpet, is also the JUDGMENT of the world and the nations upon it. God often in His word does NOT put ALL truth regarding an event to come in all passages on that event. That is why we have THREE Gospels that are similar in many ways, but also DIFFERENT, with one adding this or putting the same event or discourse in a slightly different way. Hence only by putting all three Gospels TOGETHER is the FULL truth knowable. It is the principle that God uses over and over again in the Holy Bible - here a little, there a little. God has deliberately written His word so, that those who will not search the Scriptures for all that is written on a subject, will FALL and be SNARED, taken in the net of DECEPTION. Okay now for Dwight Pentecost Quote: (1) The trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:52... sounds before the wrath of God descends, while... the chronology of Revelation indicates that the trumpet in Revelation 11:15 sounds at the end of the time of wrath.... ANSWER Wow what a HUGE mistake Pentecost makes here. I wonder sometimes if these fellows read the whole Bible, or if their memory was so short it could not remember one verses from the next verse. First, there is no "wrath" of God mentioned in 1 Cor.15. We have seen 1 Cor. 15 is not about "wrath" of anything. It is clearly the facts, the hope, the encouragement, the promise, of the RESURRECTION period! See if you can find the word "wrath" in 1 Cor.15. If you do make sure you email me and tell me where it is. Pentecost tells you this trumpet sounds BEFORE the WRATH of God descends! Now once more you go and read 1 Cor.15 and email me where it is written there that this trump sounds BEFORE the WRATH of God descends. Have fun, finding it. Oh, no good trying to tell Pentecost he was wrong, the guy is dead and does not have to worry about me or you showing him his mistake. He's putting ideas into your head that are NOT THERE!! How's that for honest Bible research? It's why I've told you a number of times on this Website, you do not have to be scared of guys with PhD's in theology, or ones held up by millions as some "great theologian." Now, let's move to Revelation 11:15. Pentecost man tells you the trumpet here sounds at the end of the time of wrath. Really now. I think Pentecost guy stopped reading the book at chapter 11:15. If he had not he would have found chapter 14:14-20 "great winepress of the WRATH of God." Then we have chapter 19:15 "he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the WRATH of the Almighty God." BOTH passages are to do with the very VISIBLE return of Christ. So at the sound of this seventh trumpet, the saints are rewarded, the dead are judged (chap.11:15) and the WRATH of God WILL CONTINUE upon the nations of this earth as Christ comes. The coming of Christ in glory, with a shout of the angel, with the trump of God, when the dead are raised and the living changed, takes place at the very NOISY and LOUD coming of Christ (1 Thes. 4:13-18) and at that time God's WRATH CONTINUES as we have seen in Revelation 14:14-20 and 19:11-16. Is it not possible that God can pour out WRATH before Christ returns visibly and noisily, as in the 6 previous trumpets of Revelation, and then STILL CONTINUE to pour out WRATH as and after Christ, with the saints, returns to earth? YES OF COURSE GOD CAN DO THIS. HE IS GOD! Dwight Pentecost was not God, and Pentecost HAD IT WRONG as to the duration of the WRATH of God. Quote: (2) The trumpet that summons the church is called the trump of God, while the seventh trump is an angel's trumpet.... ANSWER Big deal! The last seven vials are done by angels (see Revelation 16:1) BUT they are STILL called "the WRATH of God upon the earth" (verse 1 also). The silly arguments men come up with BLOWS me away! The trumpets of God are HIS trumpets, even if angels blow them! Why do you think God created angels, just to stand around His throne and praise His name, while plucking on harps? That's what a billion or more people have been told the saints will do for eternity. The truth of the Bible is vastly different. Quote: (3) The trumpet for the church is singular.... ANSWER Another big deal .... well old Pentecost guy thought so. The "singular" of words does not prove truth. Even the plural of words proves not truth. The word Sabbath in Mat.28:1 (translated "week" in the KJV) is in the plural - weeks or sabbaths. Some have tries to use this verse to prove there were TWO Sabbaths in that week of the last Passover when Christ died. But the Greek word "sabbaths" is often plural in other places, where it is obvious one sabbath was meant. The Greek often contains the definite article "the" in places where it makes no sense and is actually a horrible word structure of the sentence if used. New Testament Greek was the "common Greek" of the everyday people, and like much English in the use of everyday people in Britain, it is not the "Queen's English" by any means. So the "singular" argument is grabbing at straws, for a desperation to hold a teaching of fundamentalists folly. Quote: (4) In 1 Thessalonians 4 the voice associated with the sounding of the trumpet summons the dead and the living and consequently is heard before the resurrection. In the Revelation, while a resurrection is mentioned (11:12), the trumpet does not sound until after the resurrection, showing us that two different events must be in view. ANSWER Wwwhhhaaattt!! Now Pentecost shows a classic example of making the Bible say anything you want it to say. The resurrection of 11:12 is about the resurrection of ONLY the two witnesses. See it for yourself, just read verses 1 to 13. This is the resurrection of the CONTEXT, and the context is the two witnesses that have been killed and their bodies lie in the streets of Jerusalem. To put this specific resurrection (which does not say it is to immortality, it could well be a resurrection to physical life and God moves them in a cloud to the first heaven, from their enemies who behold it all happening) into the context of the resurrection of 1 Cor.15 and 1 Thes.4 is playing with the Bible in ways that the Bible itself does not play with. Nothing in this context supports the two witnesses' resurrection with the general resurrection of the saints which is to happen at the sound of the LAST TRUMP, which in the book of Revelation is to take place in verse 15, AFTER the two witnesses have been resurrected. Yes indeed, TWO resurrections are mentioned here in Revelation 11, but NOT as Pentecost fellow wants you to believe. The TRUMPET sounds for the "dead, that they should be judged and rewards of thy servants the prophets and to the saints" at the sound of the SEVENTH angel TRUMPET sound, which is the LAST trumpet sound in the book of Revelation, which then IS the last trump of Paul in 1 Cor.15, and the same trump as Paul again in 1 Thes.4. It is just that simple to put all these verses together, a young child can do it. Quote: (5) The trumpet in 1 Thessalonians issues in blessing, in life. in glory, while the trumpet in Revelation issues in judgment upon the enemies of God. ANSWER Once more let me say, I have to say for the arguments of fundamentalists like Dwight Pentecost, are so weak and silly, they are amazing for their dumbness! God does not have to list ALL that takes place at the LAST trump in EVERY passage of Scripture. We would not three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, nay include John also, we would have had God just inspire ONE large Gospel, containing all that was done and said, that takes FOUR Gospels to relate to us. God writes it in bits and pieces so we have to put it together like a jigsaw puzzle; try to force the pieces into the wrong place and you get a wrong picture, and in this case, wrong ideas of prophecy; in other cases even more important, wrong ideas, hence false ideas, of SALVATION! Even then Revelation is not JUST about "judgment" but it also contains BLESSINGS for the prophets and saints of God. But it seems people read over this, as Pentecost did, to uphold their teaching of a secret rapture in the middle of a 7 year tribulation, that nowhere is supported by the truth of the passages of the Bible. Quote: (6) In the Thessalonian passage the trumpet sounds "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." In Revelation 10:7 the indication is that the seventh trumpet shall sound over a continued period of time, probably for the duration of the judgments that fall under it, for John speaks of the angel that shall "begin to sound".... ANSWER Once more one passage tells you that AN EVENT at the sound of the LAST trump will (1 Cor.15; 1 Thes.4) take ONLY A SPLIT SECOND to fulfil. The RESURRECTION is that quick, it is immediately as the sound of the trumpet goes out. It is the FIRST thing to happen. John saying "in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall sound, the mystery of God should be finished..." is not telling us SPECIFICALLY HOW LONG the trumpet will sound. Some get the idea the trumpet will be as like a man blows a trumpet, who can only blow a trumpet as long as his breath hold out, which is not very long at all, try blowing into straw and see how long you can blow for. The angels of God can blow the LAST (or any) trump for as long as they or God tells them to blow; the angels are not dependant on physical air to blow a trumpet; many forget that. We know from Paul that when that trump sounds, it is in the twinkling of the eye that the resurrection of the saints takes place. The angels will go forth to one end of heaven to the other and lead them to where Jesus is in the clouds of heaven (see Mat.24:30-31 and 1 Thes.4:13-18). And notice Mat.24:29, all this is AFTER the tribulation of those days. The trumpet may well blow for as long as God desires it, to bring to pass all that this trumpet signifies - the last plagues, the winepress of the wrath of God, the battle of Armageddon, and the Lord Jesus becoming King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev.19"11-16). Quote: (7) The trumpet in 1 Thessalonians is distinctly for the church. Since God is dealing with Israel in particular, and Gentiles in general, in the tribulation, this seventh trumpet, which falls in the period of the tribulation, could not have reference to the church without losing the distinctions between the church and Israel. ANSWER All a bunch of garbage, from people who do not understand God is dealing with not only Israel and the Gentiles BUT ALSO the church, during the great tribulation. Jesus made it clear in Matthew 24 (29-31) that the saints are NOT taken to meet Christ in the clouds UNTIL AFTER the tribulation of those days, (now add 1 Thes.4:13-18) and the previous verses tell you many Christians will be persecuted and even killed during that great tribulation of the last days. The saints do not meet with Christ until after the tribulation of those days - Mat.24:29-31. Pentecost's argument is based upon a false "premise" - you get a wrong foundation and the next step is to build another false teaching from the premise of a false teaching to begin with. You end up going in circles, all built upon a false premise to start with. Quote: (8) The passage in Revelation depicts a great earthquake in which thousands are slain, and the believing remnant that worships God is stricken with fear. In the Thessalonian passage there is no earthquake mentioned.... ANSWER Once more, again and again we see it in the fundamentalists folly, just because all truth and facts are not given in any one passage concerning the same event, they say it is not the same event, so they can hold to their false doctrine of a 7 year tribulation (which is taken from a false understanding of Daniel's 70 week prophecy in Daniel 9) - a false premise, and so a false middle of this last week of 7 years, rapture of the church to heaven. Which then leads to another false doctrine that the second coming of Christ will be in TWO phases, one invisible and the other visible. God often gives a little here and a little there, hence He does not have to tell you a "great earthquake" will take place in every passage dealing with the same time event. It is a way of explaining events that the Lord uses to deliberately keep people blinded to truth, for as shocking as it is to fundamentalists, God is NOT trying to save the whole world in this present age. If He was, then common logic would tell you that Satan is winning the battle, hands down. Such is not the case. God has a plan of salvation as I've expounded to you in depth on this Website. Quote: (9) While the church will be rewarded at the time of the rapture, yet the reward given to "thy servants the prophets, and to the saints" cannot be that event. The rewarding mentioned in Revelation 11:18 is seen to take place on the earth after the second advent of Christ, following the judgment on His enemies. Since the church is rewarded in the air, following the rapture, these must be two distinct events (Pentecost, pp.189-91). ANSWER A false premise, giving Pentecost and his kind, more false doctrines. There is no "rapture" of the saints during the middle of a 7 year tribulation at the end time (the last 7 years of this age they would tell you). So now with a false premise they cannot accept Revelation 11:18 and its context is talking about the same thing as 1 Cor.15 and 1 Thes.4 and Mat.24:30-31). Did you notice Pentecost saying "The rewarding mentioned in Revelation 11:18 is seen to take PLACE ON THE EARTH after the second advent of Christ, following the judgment on His enemies...." Most will read right over Pentecost's words, most will NEVER look up the passage in Revelation. Hence they like Pentecost will continue in blinded deceived folly. Now, you will not do that will you? Take out your Bible and read Revelation 11:15-19. Now, if you can find the words where it says "the saints to be rewarded are ON THE EARTH" or anything to uphold that the saints are rewarded on the earth, then email me and tell me where it is. This is all just the words of Dwight Pentecost putting ideas in your mind, knowing most people will not take the time to read the passage for themselves. If you take the time to read the rest of the book of Revelation you will see the saints are rewarded on the SEA OF GLASS (try chap.15:1-2 for starters) and well add chapt.19:6-9 with 1 Thes.4:13-18 and Mat.24:29-31. There is nothing in rev.11:15-19 to contradict that the saints will be rewarded in the clouds on the sea of glass, as they meet Jesus in the air, at His coming at the last trump, which is after the great tribulation of those days. Quote: THE SIGNAL TO GATHER The last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the final command that Christ provides for His church when He sends the signal to gather us together for the meeting in the sky that we know as the rapture. The view that equates the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 with the seventh trumpet of Revelation does not harmonize in any way. THOMAS ICE ANSWER INDEED THE LAST TRUMP IS THE SOUND THAT WILL RAISE THE DEAD SAINTS TO IMMORTALITY, THAT WILL CHANGE THE LIVING SAINTS TO IMMORTALITY. IT IS THE TRUMPET SOUND THAT WILL SEND THE ANGELS TO GATHER THE ELECT FROM ONE END OF HEAVEN TO THE OTHER AND TO BRING THEM TO CHRIST IN THE AIR, IN THE CLOUDS, TO GIVE THEM THEIR REWARDS, AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS, AND THEN TO DESCEND WITH CHRIST TO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, AS THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON DEFEATS THE ARMIES OF THIS WORLD (Mat.24:29-31; 1 Cor.15; 1 Thes.4:13-18; Rev. 11:15-19; 15:1-2; 19:1-16; 14:14-20; 16:1-21). NOW THAT IS HARMONY AND A CHILD CAN UNDERSTAND IT!! "That you Father, that you have hid these things from the wise and the prudent and have revealed them unto babes" - Jesus Christ .......................... Keith Hunt - April 2009

AWAY TILL FRIDAY

 AWAY TILL FRIDAY

EZEKIEL FOR TOMORROW CHAPT. 9 - 18

 

Ezekiel For Tomorrow!

Chapters 9 to 18

FOR WHY WILL YOU DIE, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? Part 4 by Keith Hunt Over and over again in the pages of the Prophets of old, God has stated WHY He must punish the whole peoples of the House of Israel and the House of Judah, with a punishment like no other in all recorded history - Jeremiah called it "Jacob's trouble" (chap.30:7). Daniel talked about the same time of trouble, like no other before or after. And it was at this time that the people of God would be delivered (Dan.12). Dozens of passages teach that the peoples of the 13 tribes of Israel are in a captivity to their enemies at the time of the end. Jesus comes again, and one thing He immediately does is bring forth the remnant of Israelite people out from the lands they have been scattered in, to restore them to the land of Promise - the land of Palestine. The punishment was needed to bring them to deep and true REPENTANCE. One passage in the writings of Jeremiah gives the clear reason why the Eternal will have to lower the rod of correction upon the Jewish people, and the people of the British Commonwealth, USA, and nations of Northwest Europe. "For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, says the Enteral....Because of the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And they have turned unto me their BACK, and not their face: though I TAUGHT THEM, RISING UP EARLY AND TEACHING THEM( yes, God has always had His faithful true ministers proclaiming His truths to the nations of Israel, especially in the last days - Keith Hunt), YET THEY HAVE NOT HARKENED TO RECEIVE INSTRUCTION...." (Jeremiah 32:30-33). We have come to chapter 9 in the book of Ezekiel, and the Lord is now ready to start to act upon what He has promised, punishment and death, if the nations of Israel will not turn to Him in repentance. But the Lord is merciful to those that are after His own heart. Remember when the Almighty with two angels came to destroy Sodom and Gomorah(Gen.18) and Abraham asked Him about the innocent? The Eternal would have mercy for the innocent. You will remember Lot and some of his family were spared death. This situation to befall Israel is not quite the same, for they will be punished regardless of how many righteous are within. But we now see in Ezekiel nine, that the Lord is still looking out for the righteous who dwell in the nations of Israel. These righteous "sigh and cry for all the ABOMINATIONS" being committed (verse 4). Please keep in mind that "the city" (Jerusalem) and all that is to take place in her, is a TYPE of all to come upon the whole 13 tribes of Israel and Judah. This we have seen in previous studies. These righteous have a mark set upon them. They are marked as God's people. The indications are that they will be protected from the death when it starts, as those under the blood were protected from death when God brought Israel out of Egypt under Moses (Ex.12). This would seem to be the logical conclusion from the context of chapter nine. It could be that the righteous are noted, God has them in His book of life, and that they will be a part of the first resurrection, those who will rise to meet Christ in the air, the clouds, and so ever be with Him. The righteous marked here are so marked at the beginning, or just before the start of the announcement to slay the young and the old. They are spared from death as Jacob's trouble begins. These marked here are not to be confused with the 144 thousand of Revelation 7. Those in Rev.7 are brought to conversion just before the great day of the wrath of God, after the heavenly signs and killing of true saints during the great tribulation(see the 5th and 6th seals of Rev.6 with Mat.24). Revelation 7 is a later time frame from this prophecy of Ezekiel 9. We certainly do have very plain words about the death to come for a great many of the inhabitants of the nations of Israel, immediately after the marking of those who cry and sigh for the abominations being committed. "...Go you after him through the city, and SMITE: let not your eye spare, neither have you pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and women....and BEGIN at my SANCTUARY....and they went forth and slew in the city. And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! will you destroy ALL THE RESIDUE OF ISRAEL in your pouring out of your fury upon Jerusalem? Then said He unto me, The iniquity of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL and JUDAH is EXCEEDING GREAT, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness....And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have PITY, BUT I WILL RECOMPENSE THEIR WAY UPON THEIR HEAD...." Ezekiel is again lifted up by the Spirit and brought to the Temple in Jerusalem, chapter 10:1. God here speaks to the princes of Israel. To the men who give you advice and leadership. You receive BAD and self-deceptive advice O nations and people of Israel. They tell you to plan for the next century, way down the road, for they tell you no evil will befall the might Western nations. You increase in crime overall (USA has declined in crime recently, during the 90's, but Britain has greatly increased, especially in violent crime. By the time God is going to punish, crime will be out of sight in the nations of Israel). The Eternal says you have feared the sword of war, and indeed the sword will come upon you. God will deliver you over to your enemies and so execute judgment upon you. You shall fall by the weapons of war, and when it happens the Almighty says you will finally KNOW that He is the Eternal. He will so bring you to humble repentance, for He says you have not walked after His statutes, and His judgments, but have done the manner of the heathen around you. After all this has taken place, yet the Lord will not cast you away. He will see your repentance. He will hear your cries for mercy, and He will forgive, and love you. He will answer you. Oh, how wonderful and longsuffering is the Eternal. The day is coming when you will be given a new heart and a new life. Will you listen people of Israel and Judah to the good that your God will yet perform towards you. "....Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come....I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will GIVE YOU THE LAND OF ISRAEL. And they shall come hither, and they shall take away....all the abominations...And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they SHALL BE MY PEOPLE AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD...." (Ezek.11:16-21). The Eternal had Ezekiel act out a literal removal of himself and his "stuff" of captivity in chapter 12, to teach the lesson to Israel that they would indeed be removed. Again the emphasis is placed on Israel that they are a REBELLIOUS household of people, with eyes to see but will not see, with ears to hear but will not hear. God says He will leave A FEW IN NUMBER who shall escape the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, to declare all the abominations that they will then fully recognize, among the nations where they shall come (verse16). There will be among you people and leaders who will laugh at this warning, they will say the day of destruction for such great and powerful nations as the British Commonwealth and the USA is many many years away. But the Eternal says He is the Almighty, and it WILL NOT BE PROLONGED, for He will say the word and it shall come to pass (verse 25-28). Listen O nations of Israel, you have famous religious preachers and prophets in your lands. But they teach and prophesy "out of their own hearts." They talk out of their own spirit, and God says they have SEEN NOTHING! (chapter 13:1-3). They come to you in the name of the Lord, but the Lord says He has NOT SENT THEM! They have lulled you to sleep with a false grace and false hope. They have built up a false wall that looks strong and right but there is no true cement to hold the bricks, and the Eternal will blow with His stormy wind upon it, until it and its builders are smashed (verses 6-16). Ah, the Lord also speaks to the women that now lead in your nations in various influential positions of power and leadership - spiritually(many are now ordained ministers of religion) and physically(positions of power and influence in governments from local to federal). Because in the main they have strengthened the hands of the wicked and have not led the people to turn from their evil ways, God will in the coming punishment return to them their reward of sin and evil, and will deliver the people from their clutches of corruption (verses 17-23). We see in chapter 14 and verses one to eleven, a very interesting principle of teaching. If the attitude of the bulk of the people is that they do not really want truth or righteousness, that they have closed their hearts and minds to hungering after righteousness, if they have turned their minds over to being deceived, and put whatever idols before their minds(i.e. comfort, wealth, biblical laziness, overlooking sins, corruptions, lies, making the "church" into a social club) and still come in an outward form to the religious leaders to supposedly ask about the things of God, then we learn one BIG principle of truth here. Under those circumstances, with that attitude prevailing, GOD WILL DECEIVE THE VERY RELIGIOUS LEADERS THE PEOPLE COME TO SEEK AFTER FOR GOD'S WAY. This shows that the grass roots PEOPLE of the churches are just as MUCH RESPONSIBLE FOR DECEPTION AND WILL BE PUNISHED AS MUCH AS THOSE THAT DECEIVE! The whole NT shows that religious deceivers WOULD COME, some would be FROM WITHIN THE VERY CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST(i.e. Acts 20). The whole NT declares every Christian is personally responsible for searching the Scriptures, proving all things, loving the truth, and trying the spirits to see they are from God. This must always be the case throughout any Christian's life. Never going to sleep on this job. If they do, then they are in the above attitude of mind, and what goes around will come around, deception leads to deception. Those that are deceivable will be deceived by those who are deceptive. AND GOD SAYS BOTH ARE JUST AS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DECEPTION - THEY SHALL BOTH BEAR THE PUNISHMENT OF THEIR INIQUITY. YES, THE ETERNAL PULLS NO PUNCHES, HE CALLS THIS MIND-SET - INIQUITY (verse 10). We notice also here that the Lord will GIVE YOU YOUR DESIRE. The one who WANTS to deceive, will be granted his wish, God will allow him to do so. The one who has turned from seeking truth and righteousness will also be led by God (for God will not step in and prevent it) into the deception of the deceiver (verse 9). Yet, the ultimate free will to deceive or be deceived, is still the responsibility of each individual. And they will personally bear their punishment. The Lord goes on to show HOW PERSONAL this really is, in verses 12 to 23. When God does bring the promised destruction upon your nations, only those who will see, acknowledge, and who will be practicing righteousness will be spared from death. No one will be able to deliver anyone else, no one will be able to save anyone who is not in the righteous mind-set. Some will already be in a state of righteousness as we have seen in chapter 9. Some will come to deep repentance as all these four evils come upon the lands of Israel (the sword, the famine, the beats, the pestilence, verse 21). A REMNANT will be spared. The first part of chapter 16 tells us in an analogy, how the Almighty found and chose you peoples of Israel. You mighty nations of Britain, USA, and Northwest Europe, were not always powerful and great. Your beginnings as a people goes back a very long way, and the Eternal says you were like a helpless un-cared-for baby cast away in the field to die. God rescued you, washed, clothed, and fed you, until you increased and became great in the world. The Lord goes on to tell you how He was the one who built you up, made you into a fine lady, even a beauty queen dressed in the best clothes and jewelry and ointments available. He says you then became "exceeding beautiful, and you did prosper into a kingdom" (verse 13). Your fame throughout the world for your beauty and wealth and perfectness was known by all (verse 14). BUT, the Eternal goes on to say, starting in verse 15, that all this fame, fortune, wealth, beauty, greatness, was your downfall, were the things that led you to play the HARLOT! You have let your material wealth lead you to commit idolatry - you are a people engrossed in pleasures and materialism, with the rich ever getting richer and the poor ever getting poorer (verses 16-19). In turning your back on your God, in rejecting His ways, in casting Him out of your schools and places of business, in turning to the ways that seem right for man but which end in death, you are destroying your children. You are raising a generation that does not know, has never opened the pages of the Bible, have never read one single word within its pages. You have broken homes, children with one parent, or no parents, or children with two mothers and no father, or two father and no mother, as you accept the life style of the homosexuals and grant them family status. You have children being raised on crime and violence as they watch all your violent TV shows. You have children being raised on your "sick-cons" during prime time hours, which portray sexual immorality, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, as the normal thing, and that which is clean and straight and moral as something to be laughed at. You have not solved the "ghetto" problem, and with it today the problem of hard drug use by an ever younger population of your children. You have an increase of children killing children. The violence among teenage girls is shooting off the charts. There is an epidemic is teen cigarette smoking. Surely you are, with your children, sacrificing them to be devoured (verse 20). And the Lord asks you if you think this is a small matter. You are reaping what you are sowing. Through the prophet Amos God speaks to you: "Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel: for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is NO TRUTH, NOR MERCY, NOR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and BLOOD TOUCHES BLOOD....My people are DESTROYED for LACK of KNOWLEDGE: because you have REJECTED knowledge, I will also reject you....seeing you have FORGOTTEN THE LAW OF YOUR GOD, I WILL ALSO FORGET YOUR CHILDREN....(Amos 4:1-6). The Eternal in this age, does not force anyone to learn and to love His knowledge contained in His word. He does not at this time force anyone to love and obey His laws, commandments, statutes, and judgements. You people of Israel, in the main, have chosen to REJECT the word and laws of the Almighty God, and as He allows you this freedom, and as you then produce a generation of children who do not know Him, who do not seek Him, who do not want him in their lives, He then, not forcing them to do differently, in human terms says to you, "I will forget your children." God will keep hands off and allow you and your children to reap the results of doing your own thing. So today we have an epidemic of children bashing and killing children, children killing themselves, children and youths on an ever increasing drug binge, more and more children running away from home and living on the streets, and as Isaiah wrote, "And my people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor: the CHILD shall behave himself proudly against the ancient...As for my people, CHILDREN are their oppressors...they which LEAD you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths" (Isa.3:5,12). Among all this whoredom, you have your "religion" - your "churches" on every street corner. You have a form of religion, an outward show of religion. You, the USA still print on your dollar bills, "In God We Trust." You claim you are Christian nations, yet as a prostitute you have sex with those who come to you (verses 24-26) like the Egyptians. You have gone to the Assyrian - the German nation - and the rising mighty power of Europe, and played the harlot with them, but still you could not be satisfied (verse 28). Then the Eternal says, you have not acted as a prostitute as a prostitute acts and works. You have not taken gifts from your lovers, but you have been like an adulterous wife, you have given gifts to your lovers and you hire them to love you. In this you are truly unlike any whore of prostitution. You defeated Germany and Europe in the Second great World War of 1939 to 1945, and then immediately started to re-build her and re-store her to former glory and power. You have made your enemies into your lovers, and you have given them presents for loving you. Those very lovers will come against you to execute God's judgement upon you. Your lovers will form A COMPANY of nations to fight and destroy you. Listen to what your God tells you will come to pass(if you will not repent): "Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Eternal God; Because your filthiness was poured out, and your nakedness discovered through your whoredoms with your lovers, and with all the idols of your abominations, and by THE BLOOD OF YOUR CHILDREN, which you did give unto them; Behold, therefore I will gather all your LOVERS, with whom you have taken pleasure, and all THEM THAT YOU HAVE LOVED, WITH all them that you HAVE HATED; I will even GATHER THEM ABOUT AGAINST YOU, and will discover your nakedness unto them, that they may see all your nakedness. And I will judge you as a woman that breaks wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will GIVE YOU BLOOD IN FURY AND JEALOUSY. And I will also give you into their hand....they shall strip you of your clothes, and shall take your fair jewels, and leave you naked and bear. They shall also bring up a COMPANY against you, and they shall stone you with stones, and thrust you through with their swords.....and execute JUDGMENT upon you....and I will cause you to cease from playing the harlot...." (verses 35-41). In Ezekiel chapter 18 the Eternal shows that those who sin and practice evil shall personally bear their punishment. Everyone will have to personally give account for their own actions. The son will not be punished because his father did wrong. The Mother will not be punished because her daughter did evil. The soul that sins shall die, for his or her sins (verse 20). Once more the Lord cries out to you the people of the House of Israel. He cries out for your people to REPENT! He shows you that His way is JUST and EQUAL. He does not want to have to bring all these prophecies upon your lands and your people. They do not have to come to pass. Will you not listen to what your God proclaims to you? "But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he SHALL NOT DIE. All his transgressions that he has committed, shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he has done he SHALL LIVE. HAVE I ANY PLEASURE AT ALL THAT THE WICKED SHOULD DIE? SAYS THE LORD GOD: AND NOT THAT HE SHOULD RETURN FROM HIS WAYS, AND LIVE? ....When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in them; for his iniquity that he has done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he CONSIDERS, and TURNS AWAY from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely LIVE, he shall not die. Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways un-equal? Therefore I will JUDGE you, O house of Israel, EVERY ONE ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS, says the Lord God, REPENT and TURN yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and MAKE YOU A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT: FOR WHY WILL YOU DIE O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies, says the Eternal God: WHEREFORE TURN YOURSELVES, AND LIVE YOU" (Ezekiel 18:21-32). May there be some of you out there in the lands of Israel who will not only listen to the words coming from your merciful Everliving God, but may there be some of you who will act upon those words. It is never too late to REPENT, TURN around, depart from wickedness and do that which is righteousness, and to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. .................................................  To be continued

DETAILS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

Holy Spirit - Trinity?

Is the Holy Spirit a seperate person from the Father and the Son?

DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT HAVE ARMS, A HEAD, EYES, EARS, MOUTH AND OTHER BODILY PARTS? by Keith Hunt The main proof given to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is a PERSON (much like Christ) is that the words 'he' and 'him' are used in the New Testament when referring to (i.e. John 16:7- 15). Is this proof? Let's not assume, but investigate. The Greek word used for 'he' and 'him' is "owtos" (autos). Here is what STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE has to say on this Greek word: ".....from the particle au [perh. akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind] [backward]; the reflex pron. self, used ..... of the third person; and .....of the other persons her, it [self] one, the other, [mine] own, said .....same [him, my, thy] self, ...... that......them ......at, by, in, into, of, on, with, they ...... things..... this......" Notice that this Greek word can be, and is, rendered 'IT' in dozens of verses (see the Appendix p.1270 in Strong's Concordance of the Bible) The Holy Spirit is referred to as 'it' in Acts 2: 2-3, 16, 17. Now notice Act 12:10. Peter is being released from jail by God's angel, they pass the second ward and come to the iron gate which opened of "HIS own accord." A gate made of iron (certainly not a living person) is referred to as "his." The Greek word used in this verse is "howtoo" [aautou] akin to "owtos" (see Strong's Con.). Translating "he" or "him" for the Holy Spirit is purely a human grammar tool (we shall discuss in detail later). "It" could be just as correct, if not using a grammar tool. The PROOF that the Holy Spirit is NOT a personal being is found in Mat. 1:20. If the Holy Spirit is a living bodily being, then Christ talked and prayed to the WRONG FATHER! The HOLY SPIRIT is: Power (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 8:17-19). Guidance (Mat.4:1; 10:20; Luke 12:12; Acts 10:19-20). Miracle Worker (Mat.12:28; Acts 2:4; 19:6). Revealer (Luke 2:25-27; John 14:26; 16:13-14). Eternal Life (John 4:14,63; 7:38-39; Rom.8:11). Truth (John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13). Comforter (John 14:26; 15:26; Acts 19:31). Reprover (John 16:7-11). Holiness (Rom.1:4). Love of God (Rom.5:5; 15:30). Sonship (Rom.8:15). **Intercessor** (Rom.8:26-27). Gift Giver (1 Cor.12:4-11). **The Lord** (2 Cor.3:6-8, 17; Gal.4:6) The Holy Spirit is INTERCESSOR !! So is Christ !!(see Heb. 7: 22-25). Can there be TWO intercessors? Was the Holy Spirit made into flesh to dwell among us? Was the Holy Spirit tempted as we are? Did the Holy Spirit have to overcome sin and die for us? Did the Holy Spirit become our high priest? Was it not Christ? (see Heb. 4:14-16). There is only ONE mediator between man and God - Christ ! (I Tim. 2:5) The Holy Spirit is CHRIST (The Lord). If the Holy Spirit is a third bodily being, separate from Christ and the Father, how can he be the Lord or Christ at the same time? (see 2 Cor. 3:6-8, 17). THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE INVISIBLE POWER ESSENCE THAT COMES FROM GOD THE FATHER AND THE SON - CHRIST. IT CAN BE LIKENED TO ELECTRICITY, FLOWING FROM THE GENERATOR (GOD THE FATHER) TO THE LIGHT BULB (CHRIST) AND OUT INTO ALL WHO COME WITHIN ITS LIGHT. THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD CAN BE IN EVERYONE AT THE SAME TIME...... (see Act 2:2-4, 33; 4:31; 5:32; 8:15-19; 11:15). If the Holy Spirit is a third literal being, how can he be EVERYWHERE at the SAME time? If the Holy Spirit is a person and is IN us (Rom. 8:11), then he (this third person) is then in us, and NOT Christ. But it is Christ IN US that is the HOPE of glory (Col. 1:27). It is Christ's MIND that must be in us (Phil.2:5), not some other mind of another individual. The disciples asked Christ to shew them the FATHER. The Israelites knew from their history and the Old Testament that there was a Father (John 14:7-9); but you try to find where they asked to be shown this other supposedly THIRD individual. Why, Christ even had to tell them about the Spirit He would send them! (see John 16:15-26). If this third person of the Godhead had always been around and was an established doctrine of the Old Testament, those disciples would have known all about him. The truth is that there is no such doctrine of God in the Old Testament text: the Jews did not believe in a TRINITY. The doctrine of "the trinity" is a PAGAN IDEA, derived from Babylon under the worship of father, mother and child Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz. (see "The Two Babylons" by Hislop). The disciples that Paul encountered at Ephesus in Act 19: 1, had not only NOT been taught any "trinity doctrine" but had not even had it mentioned to them that there was even a Holy Spirit, let alone that it was a third person to believe in. But they had been told about Christ (v.4). John the Baptist did not preach any "trinity" doctrine to them. The "trinity doctrine" was not adopted into the professing Christian church until 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicene, and that after many years of confused debates; as we shall can see from Church History and the Catholic Encyclopedia. TRINITY IN THE BIBLE? Those who teach the doctrine of the trinity say that it is taught in the Bible. They say that such verses as Matt. 28:19 teach the idea that the Godhead is made up of three separate literal beings. Let's prove all things (I Thes. 5:21), let us not assume anything. Matt. 28:19 does not use the word trinity. In fact, nowhere in the Bible is it used. We can show from dozens of scriptures that God the Father is a literal being. He has a body, eyes, face, feet, etc. Christ in His glorified form today has a body, face, feet. He is a literal being (Rev. l:13-18; 21:3: 22:3,4). BUT, you try to find the scripture that talks about the face, hands, eyes, legs, feet of the Holy Spirit. If he is a bodily person then surely somewhere in all those verses in the Bible you'll be able to find ONE verse that shows the Holy Spirit has a face or legs or hands. See if you can find it. Matt. 28:19 and other similar verses DO NOT prove the Holy Spirit has a body, head, chest or any other parts. This verse, or ones like it, do not even prove that Christ or the Father have bodies. You must prove THAT from other scriptures. GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT? There are many verses in which "Grieve not the Holy Spirit" is used, such as in Eph. 4:30, where people say it must mean a person because it can be grieved. The Holy Spirit teaches (John. 14:26), reproves (John. 16:8), can be lied to (Act 5:3), and can be tempted (Act 5:9). Yes, all that is true? If only people would put scripture with scripture they could come to the truth. Now, compare I Tim. 4:1 and Rom 8:26, 27, WITH I Tim 2:5 and II Cor 3:6,17. Christ is that spirit? The power essence of the Holy Spirit emanates from Christ and the Father. COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT? The verse in 2 Cor. 13:14 is used to say we may have communion with him. I presume by this that these people mean we may talk to him. But Christ Himself said no such thing. He taught His followers to pray to the FATHER (Luke 11:2). Christ never once prayed to or had communion with the Holy Spirit - and He set us an example to follow Him (I Pet 2:21). Notice! This verse in 2 Cor. 13 says "communion OF the holy spirit" - not WITH the Holy Spirit; and there is a vast difference between the two. So what DOES this verse mean? The Greek word used here for 'communion' is koinonia, which is from koinonos and means: partnership, a sharer, associate, partaker (see Strong's Con. of the Bible). Paul is saying to all Christians to let the partnership (all God's children have the Holy Spirit in them, Rom. 8:9-11, being partakers of God's Spirit) be (remain) with all of us. This verse has nothing to do with praying to, or trying to talk or communicate with the Holy Spirit. The "Interlinear Greek - English New Testament" by Berry, translates this as: " ....and the fellowship of the holy spirit [be] with all of you. Amen." The writers of the Amplified Bible put it this way: "The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the PRESENCE and FELLOWSHIP (the communion and sharing together, and participation) IN the holy spirit be with you all. Amen - So be it." THE HOLY SPIRIT TALKS? In Matt 3:16, 17 we read, ".....the spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. And lo, a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." Some say that it was the Spirit - the third person of the Godhead that actually spoke, proving the Spirit is a literal being. Let us assume that view is correct. Do you see what it would mean? The Holy Spirit would then be the literal FATHER of Christ (see also ch. 1:20), and all through His ministry He then talked and prayed to the WRONG Father! Read verse 17 again. It says, "A voice," not "THE voice of the spirit" or "THE voice of the Father." It was "A voice from heaven" that spoke. To say it was the voice of the Holy Spirit is just an assumption by men; this verse cannot prove such a claim. You try to find the verse that says the Holy Spirit has a mouth or literally talks. Was it the Father speaking these words? No! Not even the Father, because Christ Himself said, ".....You have neither heard His voice at ANY time, nor seen His shape" (John 5:37). There is not one verse in the entire Bible that shows God the Father has ever spoken or showed Himself to mankind. Someone will say, but this voice spoke in the first-person tense. It must have been the Father or Spirit. Not necessarily! In John 12:28 we read: "Father, glorify your name (Christ talking to the Father). Then came there A voice from heaven (notice, A voice, not THE voice of God) saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." This voice spoke in the first-person tense. Now, did the people say, "That was God speaking" or "That was the voice of the Holy Spirit"? No! Read verse 29. "The people, therefore, that stood by and heard it said that it thundered. Others said, an angel spoke to him." It is possible to speak on behalf of someone else and speak in the first-person tense. Someone representing a higher authority can speak on behalf of that authority in the first-person tense. In passing, notice in Matt. 3:16 the shape of the spirit of God was like a dove. The shape of a dove is a long, long way from being the shape of a man. THREE THAT BEAR RECORD? I John. 5:7 is a favourite text that is often quoted by Trinitarians. It reads, "For there are three that bear record in heaven - the Father, the word, and the holy spirit: and these three are one." That's it, shout the Trinitarians, we got it. Proof that the Godhead is three persons. The Amplified Bible renders verses 6-8 like this: "This is he who came by (with) water and blood (his baptism and his death), Jesus Christ, the Messiah; not by (in) the water only but by (in) the water and the blood.And it is the (holy) spirit who bears witness, because the (holy) spirit is the truth. So there are three witnesses in heaven - the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One; and there are three witnesses on the earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree (are in unison; their testimony coincides)." Part of these verses is put in ITALICS in the Amplified Bible. What do italics mean? Let the compilers of the Amplified Bible tell you. Under "explanation of arbitrary punctuation" at the beginning of their translation, we read: Italics point out certain familiar passages now recognized as not adequately supported by the original manuscripts. Verse 7 of the King James version was not in the original Greek manuscripts. It was ADDED later to deliberately give proof to the pagan Trinity idea of God, that cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. Commenting on this verse, The Interpreter's Bible says: "This verse in the KJV is to be rejected (with RSV). It appears in no ancient Greek manuscript, nor is it cited by any Greek father; of all the versions, only the Latin contained it, and even this in none of its most ancient sources. The most earliest of the Vulg. do not have it. As Dodd (Johannine Epistles p.127n) remind us 'it is first quoted as a part of I John by Priscillian, the Spanish heretic, who died in 385, and it gradually made its way into manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate until it was accepted as part of the authorized Latin text.' ...... The mention in the true text (vs.8) of the three witnesses which agree naturally led to an interpretation along trinitarian lines, and this occasioned the present transcriptions which appear in various forms in manuscripts and quotations from the fifth century on." A deliberate insertion into the original, to try to substantiate the trinity doctrine that had become accepted by the Catholic church in 325 AD. THE APOSTLES REJECT THE TRINITY! If the "trinity of God" has always been and if the Old Testament church was taught it and believed it - if it was a New Testament doctrine and truth - if the apostles believed and taught it - if they knew that God was composed of three equal and united beings, bodily beings, then they surely didn't respect the third one. Look at the way Paul introduced his epistles: "To all that be in Rome ..... grace to you and peace FROM God our father, and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 1:7). Paul does not even MENTION the supposed THIRD PERSON of the Godhead. In fact, Paul never once in the introductions of ANY of his letters uses the trinity idea of God. Notice how James introduces his letter: "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ....." He forgot to mention the third individual of whom he was a servant. Peter, in his epistles, acknowledges God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, but did not acknowledge the third person. John talks about Christ and God, that they are literal beings; but never as much as once did he mention the Holy Spirit is a bodily person. His salutation in his second letter is void of any other beings except God the Father and Christ. Jude's salutation is from God the Father and Jesus Christ. The third person was again left out. Surely, John in Revelation, could have found room to mention this person that was left out by all others. John mentions Christ, the Father, and the seven spirits before His throne (Rev. 1:4-5), but does not even acknowledge the one who is doing so much work today - the third person of the trinity. Why all this lack of acknowledging the trinity? Why? Because the apostles and New Testament church DID NOT TEACH IT! The Trinity doctrine is PAGAN. It is another one of Satan's deceptions to deceive the whole world about why God created man. It is a doctrine that came by way of Satan's greatest false church. This is what history has to say (see "The Two Babylons" by Hislop). The history of Babylon, Egypt, Rome and other nations demonstrates that the doctrine of a TRINITY was a very important part of PAGAN worship. The history of Christianity shows clearly that the professing popular church for many years was in confusion and there was argument concerning it. As the church compromised more and more with the pagan religions round about to win converts and favour, so it looked for ways to MIX what the heathen believed with the Christianity it taught. The heathen believed in a NIMROD GOD, a SECOND GOD - Semiramis (mother wife to Nimrod) and a THIRD GOD - Tammuz, son of Nimrod and Semiramis. It was just a matter of time before the church claimed it, too, had a trinity. The pagan's Nimrod became God the Father. Semiramis, the queen of heaven, became the Holy Spirit. And Tammuz, the boy child god, became Christ. And so another pagan, false Satanic idea was added to a so-called Christianity. Just another one of Satan's false doctrines added officially to his instrument of deception in 325 A.D. God says this instrument of Satan has deceived the whole world. The whole world has been made drunk by her false ways and teachings. She is called in Rev. 17, Mystery, Babylon the Great. So drunk have people become by this church's teachings that FEW Christians really understand WHY God made mankind. You need to study my article called A CHRISTIAN'S DESTINY. HERE ARE MORE STUDIES ON THE HOLY SPIRIT: THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS, SO IS IT A PERSON? Those who teach the Holy Spirit is a PERSON, separate from the Father and Son, say this is shown to be so because the Spirit WORKS, does things. Indeed the Holy Spirit works according to its will (1 Cor.12:11) . The Spirit raised Christ from the dead (Acts 2:24; 1 Pet.3:18; Heb. 13:20; Rom.1:4). The Spirit was used in creation (Gen.1:2, 26, 27 with Job 33:4). But does stating that something WORKS automatically mean that it is a PERSON ? If it does then WISDOM is also a person, for in Proverbs 8:12, 15, 16 and 9:1-3, we read: "I WISDOM.......By me kings reign.......By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.......Wisdom has built her house.......She has killed her beasts, she has mingled her wine, she has also furnished her table. She has sent forth her maidens......." Nobody really believes wisdom is a person, separate from the Lord, even if it is given human like qualities. The Holy Spirit, like wisdom, does indeed perform "works" - but teaching that it is a PERSON BECAUSE OF THIS is as fragile as believing that wisdom from the Lord is a person because it "works" also. WHAT THE NEW CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA ADMITS "The OT (Old Testament) clearly does not envisage God's spirit as a person, neither in the strictly philosophical sense, nor in the Semitic sense. God's spirit is simply God's Power. If it is sometimes represented as being distinct from God, it is because the breath of Yahweh acts exteriorly (Isa. 48:16; 63:11; 32:15).......Very rarely do the OT writers attribute to God's spirit emotions or intellectual activity (Isa. 63:10; Wis.1:3-7). When such expressions are used, THEY ARE MERE FIGURES OF SPEECH that are explained by the fact that the RUAH was regarded also as the seat of intellectual acts and feeling (Gen. 41:8). Neither is there found in the OT or in rabbinical literature the notion that God's spirit is an intermediary being between God and the world. This activity is proper to the angels, although to them is ascribed some of the activity that elsewhere is ascribed to the spirit of God" (New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 13, p. 574, emphasis theirs). THIS ENCYCLOPEDIA FURTHER STATES: ".......the NT (New Testament) concepts of the Spirit of God are largely a continuation of those of the OT.......The majority of NT texts reveal God s spirit as something, not someone; this is especially seen in the parallelism between the spirit and the power of God. When a quasi-personal activity is ascribed to God s spirit, e.g., speaking, hindering, desiring, dwelling (Acts 8:29; 16:7; Rom.8:9), one is NOT JUSTIFIED IN CONCLUDING immediately that in these passages God s spirit is regarded as a Person; the same expressions are used in regard to rhetorically personified things or abstract ideas (see Rom.6:6; 7:17). Thus the context of the phrase 'blasphemy against the spirit' (Mat.12:31; cf. Mat.12:28; Luke 11:20)shows that reference is being made to the power of God" (Vol.13, page 575). THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS PERSONALITY, IS IT A PERSON? We are told by those who teach that the Holy Spirit of God is a PERSON with a body and shape as of a man (although they have yet to find one single verse in the Bible that talks about the mouth, ears, head, hands, feet etc. of this so called third person of the Godhead) that the proof for such a belief is in the fact that the Holy Spirit is given a personality by the New Testament. One writer has listed many scriptures to show the personality of the Spirit. We should indeed be willing to read them as they are a part of the inspired word of God. "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them " (Acts 13:2). "Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near and join yourself to this chariot" (Acts 8:29). "While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold three men seek you....." (Acts 10: 19). ".......and were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they were come to Mysia, they determined to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered them not" (Acts 16:6,7). This man continues to list other verses that he says show the personality of the Spirit and so make him a PERSON. He testifies of Christ and glorifies Him (John 15:26; 16:14). He has power of His own (Rom.15:13). He searches all things (Rom.11:33,34, with 1 Cor.2:10,11). He works according to His will (1 Cor.12:11). He dwells with real Christians (John 14:17). He spoke in and by the prophets (Acts 1:16; 1 Peter 1:11,12: 2 Peter 1:21). He strives with sinners (Gen.6:3). He reproves and guides (John 16:8,13). He comforts (Acts 9:31) and helps our infirmities (Rom.8:26). He teaches (John 14:26; 1 Cor.12:3). He sanctifies (Rom.15:16; 1 Cor.6:11). Some of the favourite scriptures used by those who teach the Holy Spirit must be a person because human like qualities are given it are these: "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God......" (Eph.4:30). Ahhh, see the Spirit can be grieved, so it must be a PERSON, many will insist. "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers did so do you " (Acts 7:51).. "Then Peter said unto her, How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord....... " (Acts 5:9). The Spirit can be resisted and tempted and so, claim our Trinitarians, he must be a PERSON! DOES GIVING HUMAN LIKE QUALITIES TO SOMETHING AUTOMATICALLY PROVE THAT THAT SOMETHING IS A PERSON ? Stop and think now. Have you ever called your CAR, your BOAT, your AIRPLANE by the word "she" ? Have you ever given your boat a NAME of a person and ever said something like this about it: "You have to be very careful when starting Molly, she is fussy about not having too much gas." Now, neither you or any of your friends actually believe or teach that your boat Molly is a human woman - a PERSON ! It has been customary for mankind to give PERSONAL QUALITIES to inanimate objects for centuries. Even God Himself inspired Moses (who wrote the first five books of the Bible) to record that He (God) uses this type of language. This is found in the account of Cain killing Abel. "And Cain talked with Abel his brother.......when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know....... And He (God) said, What have you done? The VOICE of your brother s BLOOD CRIES unto me from the ground" (Gen.4:8-10). Notice how God Himself said Abel's BLOOD (an inanimate object) cried out with a voice to Him from the ground ! The Lord used PERSONAL QUALITIES for Abel's blood. But does anyone believe that Abel's blood was a separate PERSON with arms, hands, legs, head and body APART from Abel ? I think not ! In the time of David this common terminology of attributing human qualities to things that were not persons was still in use, as we see from Psalm 98: 8, "Let the FLOODS clap their hands : Let the HILLS be joyful together." Do floods of water have HANDS? Can hills be JOYFUL as humans can be joyful? Of course not! Now see how Solomon was inspired by God to talk about WISDOM. "Wisdom CRIES outside. SHE (wisdom is a woman?) utters her VOICE in the streets.......Because I have called, and you refused, I have STRETCHED OUT MY HAND, and no man regarded" (Prov.1:20,24). Here we see verses about wisdom having as it were BODILY PARTS and said to be a WOMAN. That's more like a PERSON to me than any of the scriptures that are used try and prove the Holy Spirit is a person. If only those Trinitarians could find such verses about the Spirit then maybe I'd take their teaching a little more serious. We are told more about this person, this woman called wisdom, "Does not wisdom CRY? and UNDERSTANDING put forth her VOICE?" Now we have another person, another woman, 'understanding' must be a person because she has a voice, "She stands in the top of the high places...." she must have legs then. ".......Hear.......the opening of my LIPS shall be right things. For my MOUTH shall speak truth....... I wisdom dwell with prudence......." We have a house full of gals here, wisdom, understanding, and now prudence. "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way....... When He prepared the heavens I was there......Then I was by Him.....and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him......." (Prov.8:1,2,6,12,22,27,30). It would seem that the Lord not only had the woman 'wisdom' with Him in heaven, but a few other women as well - 'understanding' and 'prudence.' Maybe the practice of Polygamy on earth was borrowed from heaven. Well as Paul said, I speak as a fool so some may come to the truth. Of course wisdom and the other two women are not REAL PERSONS, but qualities and attributes that come from the Lord (see Prov.2:6). YET THE LORD GIVES WISDOM THE PERSONALITY OF A WOMAN. GIVING SOMETHING A PERSONALITY DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MAKE IT A PERSON ! This use in language, of applying personality to inanimate things, was not confined just to the Old Testament period. We see the great apostle Paul using this idiom and figure of speech, in the book of Romans, when explaining what sin did to him after a full knowledge of the commandments came to his attention: "But SIN, finding opportunity in the commandment (to express itself) got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden desires.......For SIN, seizing the opportunity and getting a hold on me (by taking its incentive) from the commandment, beguiled and entrapped and cheated me, and using it (as a weapon) killed me" (Rom.7:8,11 Amplified Bible, emphasis mine). Here, Paul gives personality to SIN - talks about sin as if it was a PERSON. He says sin got a hold of him, took the commandments of God as a weapon in its hands and using this weapon as a knife or sword, killed Paul. Now no one believes that SIN is a PERSON, yet Paul speaks of sin as if it was indeed a person! Giving inanimate things qualities of personality is known commonly as PERSONIFICATION. Take a few minutes and look that word up in your dictionary. I can show you verses in the Bible that plainly reveal God the Father and God the Son have a body, head, face, arms, hands, feet, etc. THEY are PERSONS. Unless you can show the same for the Holy Spirit, I submit you have no basis in fact for believing that the Spirit of God is a person. GIVING PERSONALITY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT ONLY PROVES THE USE OF PERSONIFICATION IN THE BIBLE. NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS! THE HOLY SPIRIT, IS IT A MAN OR A WOMAN? For centuries now (from about the 4th century.A. D.) nearly all Christendom has accepted and taught that the Holy Spirit is a PERSON, a masculine person, that is a MALE. The basic proof for this teaching has been, as one man says, "Language has no meaning if the Spirit is not a Person, seeing that Jesus repeatedly employed the masculine pronoun when speaking of him. Thirteen times over, in John 16 for example, He refers to the Spirit as HE, HIM, HIMSELF" (Dr. Herbert Lockyer, ALL THE DOCTRINES OF THE BIBLE, page 76). It is true, that in the Greek NT the masculine pronoun is used. But did Jesus actually say these words in Greek? It was probably in the common tongue of the people that Jesus spoke to His disciples and the multitudes, and that tongue was ARAMAIC not Greek. I bring this to the attention of the reader for a very important reason. There has risen in recent years a group of Christians who claim that the Holy Spirit is FEMALE, a WOMAN! They too use the basic language GENDER as a proof of their belief. And their proof is not without some validity if language gender is the criteria to use to support the teaching that the Spirit is a PERSON. In the Hebrew OT the word for Spirit is nearly always in the feminine gender, these individuals correctly point out to us. They also tell us, as does the Eastern Catholic Church (see the Holy Bible by Lamsa) that the NT was originally written in ARAMAIC and later translated into Greek (their arguments are really founded on very thin ice) and so again the word for Spirit would be in the feminine gender. The Greek itself is very interesting, for though the word Comforter is masculine gender in John 16, the word Spirit throughout the NT is in the neuter gender. Now, if we use language gender to try to prove our point that the Holy Spirit is a PERSON,it would truly leave us in a quandary and contradiction. Is the Spirit a WOMAN, a MAN or NEUTER? The truth is, the writers of the Bible never intended us to use language gender to prove whether the Holy Spirit was a man or a woman. A lesson in Greek grammar will explain: In the Greek language, like some others (Spanish, Italian, French, etc.) every noun has what is called gender; that is, it is either masculine, feminine or neuter. Grammatically, all pronouns in Greek must agree in gender with the word they refer to, or in other words, with the term that the pronoun replaces. The Greek word PARAKLETOS (comforter) has masculine gender, hence the translators use of the personal pronoun "he." For the pronouns EKEINOS and AUTOS "it" would have been a far better rendering into the English language, as in John 1:32 and 6:63; Romans 8:16. Let us further explain from the gender of the Spanish language. EL VASO is the Spanish for "the glass." The article "EL" and the "O" ending of the word VASO give the word "glass" a MASCULINE gender. But by no means could a glass be considered a MALE PERSON in the human sense. LA MESA in Spanish means "the table." It is feminine in gender. Yet it would be silly to consider a table as a FEMALE PERSON. The gender of a word has nothing whatever to do with whether the thing designated is REALLY masculine or feminine in the human sense. Gender in language is nothing more than a convenient grammatical tool. Personal note: I had been attending a Church school and Sunday school from the age of six, I also had been faithfully reading my Bible from that early age. No one had ever taught me that the Holy Spirit was to be thought of as a literal personal bodily being, as the Father and Christ are. From the age of 7 until I was 19, I only thought of the Spirit of the Father and Christ as a part of their very NATURE, something that radiated out from their glorified bodies. It was not until I was 19 and attending a Baptist church that I encountered the teaching of the Trinity doctrine, and was told that the Holy Spirit was a personal being just like the Father and Son were personal beings. Then later I discovered that others teach the Godhead is ONE being manifested in THREE forms. And still later, found that some teach God is three in ONE but with no form or body...just a something who is a nothing. I laughed at all such ideas of men. ....................................... Written in 1985