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by Joe Crewa
Copyright © 1988, 1995 by Amazing Facts, Inc.
Cover Design: Dennis Crews
ISBN 1-58019-008-1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
[Page numbers (on far right of references) are irrelevant
in HTML]
Genesis 9:31 1
Genesis 35:18 1
Exodus 4:21 2
Exodus 16:29 3
Exodus 20:4 3
Exodus 34:28 4
Leviticus 3:17 4
Numbers 15:32,35 5
Deuteronomy 4:13 6
Deuteronomy 5:2,3 7
Deuteronomy 5:3,4 7
Deuteronomy 5:14,15 9
Deuteronomy 14:21 10
Deuteronomy 14:26 10
Deuteronomy 23:18 11
l Samuel 28:14 12
2 Samuel 7:15,16 13
1 Kings 17:21,22 14
Nehemiah 9:14 15
Job 14:21,22 15
Job 34:14,15 16
Proverbs 31:6 17
Isaiah 35:9 17
Isaiah 65:20 18
Isaiah 66:24 19
Jeremiah 10:1-6 19
Jeremiah 17:27 20
Jeremiah 31:15-17 21
Ezekiel 16:11-13 22
Ezekiel 36:25,26 23
Amos 5:23 24
Amos 8:5 24
Malachi 4:5,6 25
Matthew 3:10-12 26
Matthew 5:17 27
Matthew 5:19 28
Matthew 10:28 28
Matthew 15:11 29
Matthew 16:18 30
Matthew 16:19 31
Matthew 16:28 31
Matthew 18:18 32
Matthew 22:31,32 33
Matthew 25:46 33
Matthew 28:1 34
Mark 4:11,12 35
Mark 9:43,44 36
Luke 9:60 37
Luke 15:22 38
Luke 16:16 38
Luke 16:22,23 39
Luke 17:34-36 41
Luke 23:43 42
John 1:17 43
John 2:3-6 43
John 3:13 44
John 5:24 45
John 7:39 46
John 8:51 47
John 9:31 47
John 10:28 47
John 11:26 48
John 20:23 48
Acts 10:13 49
Acts 12:15 50
Romans 5:13 51
Romans7:4 52
Romans 10:4 53
Romans 11:26 53
Romans 14:14 54
Romans 14:21 55
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 56
1 Corinthians 5:5 56
1 Corinthians 7:14 57
1 Corinthians 11:29,30 58
1 Corinthians 14:34,35 59
1 Corinthians 15:29 60
2 Corinthians 3:7,8 61
2 Corinthians 4:16 62
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 62
2 Corinthians 12:2,3 63
Galatians 2:19 64
Galatians 3:19 65
Galatians 3:23-25 66
Galatians 4:8-10 66
Galatians 4:22-24 67
Ephesians 2:15 68
Philippians 1:23 68
Colossians 2:14-17 69
1 Thessalonians 3:13 70
1 Thessalonians 4:14 71
2 Thessalonians 2:6 72
2 Thessalonians 2:15 72
l Timothy 2:11-15 73
1 Timothy 4:1-4 74
1 Timothy 5:23 75
Titus l:15 76
Hebrews 8:7,8 76
Hebrews 10:8,9 77
Hebrews 12:22-24 79
l Peter 3:18-20 80
1 Peter 4:6 81
2 Peter 2:4 82
2 Peter 3:8 82
1 John 3:9 83
l John 5:12 84
l John 5:16 84
Revelation 1:5 85
Revelation 3:14 85
Revelation 6:9-1 1 86
Revelation 14:10,11 87
INDEX
[Page numbering is orrelevant in HTML]
Angels 50, 51, 70, 71, 82
Antichrist 72
Baptism
for the dead 60, 61
sprinkling 23
Blood transfusions 4, 5
Covenant(s)
before Sinai 7, 8
new 67, 68, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80
old 6, 67, 68, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80
ordinances nailed to the cross 69, 70
spirits of just men made perfect 79
Ten Commandments 4, 6, 7, 67, 68, 76,
77, 78
two 6, 7, 61, 62, 67, 68, 76, 77, 79,
80
Death
body sensations, spirit cease at 15,
16, 17
let the dead bury their dead 37, 38
of our sinful natures at conversion 47,
48, 52
of the thief on the cross 42, 43
of the wicked 19, 36, 37, 41, 45,46
persons raised from 14, 15, 32, 34, 35,
85
second 33, 34, 45, 46, 48
Diet
affects our health 58, 59
clean and unclean foods 1, 49, 50,
54, 55, 74, 75
doctrines of devils 74
eating blood 4, 5
man's original 1
strong drink 10, 17, 43, 44, 75, 76
what defiles a man 29, 76
Dogs, symbolizing Sodomites 11, 12
Grace
makes obedience possible 68
Old Testament references to 43
Heaven (see also New earth)
a real place 44, 45
least in the kingdom of 28
saints will go to 44, 45
third 63, 64
Hell
angels cast into 82
destruction of wicked in 19, 26, 27, 36,
37
everlasting punishment in 33, 34, 36,
87
place of torment 39, 40, 87
soul and body destroyed in 28, 29
unquenchable fire of 20, 26, 27, 36, 37
worm that dies not 36, 37
Holy Spirit before Pentecost 46, 47
Idols/Images
Christmas trees 19, 20
food offered to 54, 55
religious idols vs. religious artwork
3
Israel
a kingdom forever 12, 13
salvation of 53, 54
Jesus as Creator 85
Jewelry 22, 38
Law (see also Ten Commandments)
and the prophets 38, 39
can be kept because of grace 43, 67
ceremonial 10, 23, 29, 30, 66, 67, 77,
78
dead to the 52, 64, 65
end of the 27,28,53,77,78
origin of the 51
ministration of death 61, 62
ordinances nailed to the cross 69, 70
points out sin 52, 65, 66
unchangeable 38, 39
Musical instruments in worship 24
New earth
aging and death in 17, 18
animals in 17, 18
Parable(s)
of the prodigal son 38
of the rich man and Lazarus 39, 40
of unwashed hands 29, 30
purpose of 35, 36
Pharaoh's heart hardened 2
Predestination 56
Promises, conditional 13
Reincarnation of Elijah 25, 26
Resurrection
baptism symbolizes 60, 61
of Jesus 34, 35, 85
of Moses 32
of the dead at the second coming 31, 32,
71, 72
Rock of church's foundation 30
Sabbath
Christ in tomb on the 34, 35
end of 24, 25, 34
existed before Sinai 15
memorial of Creation 9
Old Testament penalty for breaking 5
traveling on 3
yearly sabbaths vs. weekly 69, 70
Salvation of infants 21
Second coming of Christ
symbolized by the Transfiguration 31,
32
for the righteous 41, 56, 57
with the saints 70, 71, 72
Secret rapture 41
Second death 33, 34, 45, 46, 48
Sins
deliberate 83, 84
forgiveness of 47, 48, 49
Soul
absent from the body 36, 37, 62, 63
existence outside of the body 1, 14, 15,
63, 64, 86
immortality of the 28, 29, 36, 37, 62,
63, 64, 81, 86
Spiritualism 12, 13
Spouses, unbelieving 57, 58
State of the dead
absent from the body 62, 63, 64
Christ's promise to the thief on the cross 42, 43
departing to be with Christ 68, 69
gospel preached to the dead 81
rich man and Lazarus 39, 40
sleeping in Jesus 68, 69, 71
spirits in prison 80, 81
Ten Commandments (see also Covenant)
as a covenant 4, 6, 7, 8, 61, 62, 76,
77
existed before Sinai 7, 8, 15, 51
punishment for those who break 28
written with God's finger 4
Traditions 72, 73
Wine
as an offering 10,11
Jesus turned water into 43, 44
drinking of 17, 43, 44, 75, 76
Women to be silent in churches 59, 60, 73, 74
Genesis 9:3
"Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you;
even as the green herb have I given you all things."
Before the Flood, God gave no permission for man to eat the
flesh of animals. The original diet laid down in Genesis 1:29
and 3:18 consisted of nuts, fruits, grains, and vegetables.
This order of things prevailed until after the Flood. Then,
because vegetation had been destroyed by the Flood, God allowed
the use of flesh food for the first time. It was for this
purpose that the clean animals had been taken into the ark
by sevens and the unclean by twos (Genesis 7:1, 2).
Even though Genesis 9:3 seems to be an unrestricted permit
to eat any kind of animal, please note that it was not without
limits. God said, "Even as the green herb have I given you
all things." In the same way that God had given vegetation,
so now He gave flesh. But all vegetation was not good to eat.
There were weeds and poisonous plants that could not be eaten.
In the same way, God proceeded soon afterward (Leviticus chapter
11) to show that certain animals were not good for food and
should definitely not be eaten.
It is also interesting to note that this instruction was
given to Noah immediately after leaving the ark. Since it
takes two (both male and female) to propagate a species and
only two of each unclean animal were saved in the ark, it
is certain that God did not give license to eat the unclean
animals. If He had, the unclean species would have been exterminated,
and none would exist today.
Genesis
35:18
"And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for
she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father
called him Benjamin."
Since it is not possible for souls to exist outside of bodies,
how do we explain this apparent contradiction? The word "soul"
is translated from the Hebrew word "nephesh" which has been
translated 118 times in the Old Testament as "life." The same
word is used in Genesis 1:30 in reference to animals. It is
never used in one single instance to denote an immortal or
undying part of man.
Exodus
4:21
"And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return
into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh,
which I have put in thine hand: but! will harden his heart,
that he shall not let the people go."
It is a fascinating fact that the Hebrew word "chazaq" is
translated as "hardened" in almost every account of God's
dealing with Pharaoh. But when Pharaoh "hardened" his own
heart, the Hebrew word "kabed" is used. Why this difference?
Actually the word "chazaq" has a literal meaning of "strengthen,
courage." For example, we read in I Samuel 30:6 that "David
encouraged himself in the Lord," but the word translated "encouraged"
is "chazaq"--the same word which is translated as "hardened"
in this passage. "Chazaq" is also translated as "encouraged"
in the following verses:
1 Samuel 30:6; Deuteronomy 1:38; 2 Samuel 11:25; 2 Chronicles
35:2; Psalm 64:5; Isaiah 41:7; Deuteronomy 3:28; Judges 20:22;
2 Chronicles 3 1:4.
When we take the true meaning of the word, we find that God
actually encouraged Pharaoh's heart to let Israel go. But
when Pharaoh hardened his own heart, the Bible uses a different
word--"kabed"--which means "to make heavy, harden" (Exodus
8:15).
But why did the "encouragement" of the Lord have the effect
of hardening Pharaoh's heart? We might just as well ask why
the same encouraging, inspiring ministry of Jesus could produce
a loving John and a traitorous Judas. One was softened, and
the other was hardened. The same sun that softens the wax
will harden the clay. Every man is exposed in some degree
to the grace of Christ (John 1:9). The Lord is spoken of as
a sun (Psalm 84:11) who lightens every man.
Some reject the light and grow hard (Zechariah 7:12). Some
accept and are softened. The end result depends on the response
of each individual.
Exodus
16:29
"See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore
he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide
ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place
on the seventh day."
Many overlook the fact that this command applied only to
gathering manna. "Let no man go out of his place on the seventh
day" must be linked with God's words in verse 25:
"Today is a sabbath unto the Lord: today ye shall not find
it in the field." When some did go out to gather on the seventh
day, God met them with a rebuke for breaking His law (verses
27, 28).
This text does not forbid all travel on the Sabbath, as some
seek to establish. Bible examples demonstrate that proper
travel was considered lawful on the day (2 Kings 4:23). Even
Christ traveled to church on the Sabbath without breaking
it (Luke 4:16).
Exodus
20:4
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any
likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth."
After the first commandment designates the true God, the
second teaches how He is to be worshipped. This commandment
specifically forbids the veneration of objects representing
God. "Thou shalt not bow down theyseif to them, nor serve
them. "Exodus 20:5. Please take note that it
is the veneration or worship of the graven form which constitutes
sin.
This text does not forbid religious illustration, photography,
or the fine arts. God Himself gave command for carved angels
in the most holy place (Exodus 25:18), embroidered angels
in the tabernacle hangings (1 Kings 6:29) and cast bronze
oxen in the courtyard (1 Kings 7:25).
The Lord also instructed Moses to fashion a brazen serpent
in the wilderness (Numbers 21:8, 9). There was nothing wrong
with it as an illustrative device pointing the people to faith
in their healing God. Yet the same bronze serpent was ordered
destroyed when it became an object of worship and veneration
by the backslidden nation (2 Kings 18:4). This proves that
a carved form is not sin in itself. It only becomes evil when
used as an object of adoration.
Exodus
34:28
"And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty
nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he
wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments."
The grammatical structure of this verse makes it seem that
Moses might have written the Ten Commandments on the second
set of stone tablets. "And he was there with the Lord ...
and he wrote upon the tables." The important thing to note
here is that the second "he" does not refer to Moses, but
to the Lord. In verse 1, God said plainly to Moses, "Hew thee
two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will
write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables,
which thou brakest."
In Deuteronomy 10:1-4, the record is even more specific.
The Lord said, "I will write on the tables the words that
were in the first tables ... And he wrote on the tables, according
to the first writing, the ten commandments."
Moses did not do any writing on tables of stone. He wrote
the ordinances and ceremonial law in a book, but that was
entirely different from the moral law in the stone tablets.
Even though the Ten Commandment law is called a "covenant,"
it was not the old covenant which vanished away at the death
of Jesus. (For further explanation of the Ten Commandments
as a covenant, see my comments on Deuteronomy 4:13 and Hebrews
8:7, 8.)
Leviticus
3:17
"It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations
throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor
blood."
On the basis of this text, some have taken a position against
blood transfusions. But the position is entirely untenable
in the light of these considerations:
1. The prohibition applied only to animal blood and fowls
(Leviticus 7:25-27). It does not apply to humans because we
don't eat humans.
2. God gave proper instruction for slaughtering an animal
or fowl so as not to eat any blood (Leviticus 17: 13, 14).
3. God's prohibition against eating blood also applies to
Christians (Acts 15:20).
4. That which is eaten goes through the digestion into the
stomach (Matthew 15:17). Blood transfusions go directly to
the veins and thence to the cells.
1. If we love our neighbor as ourselves, can we watch him
die for lack of life-giving blood (Matthew 22:39)?
2. Jesus came to save men's lives (Luke 9:56); why shouldn't
we?
3. Since the life is in the blood (Deuteronomy 12:23), Christ
condoned the giving of blood to save a life (John 15:13).
Numbers
15:32, 35
"And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness,
they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
... And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be
surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him
with stones without the camp."
Some have made a big point that Sabbathbreakers were stoned
to death in the Old Testament, therefore the Sabbath must
not be in force today since stoning is not in force. But take
note that not only Sabbathbreakers were stoned to death, but
adulterers as well (Leviticus 20:10). Those also who broke
the second commandment were put to death (Leviticus 24:16).
Surely no one feels that adultery and blasphemy are any less
wrong today just because God prescribed death for such sins
in the Old Testament.
The fact is that under the theocracy of Israel, God ruled
the people directly. He commanded punishment immediately for
certain flagrant acts of disobedience. Today the same sins
are equally abhorrent to God, but punishment is delayed until
the day of judgment.
Deuteronomy
4:13
"And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded
you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon
two tables of stone."
The dispensationalist doctrine makes the Ten Commandment
law the old covenant that was abolished. Even though the Ten
Commandments were indeed a commanded covenant, they did not
constitute the old covenant which vanished away (Hebrews 8:13).
Here are the reasons:
1. The old covenant was faulty, had poor promises, and vanished
away (Hebrews 8:7, 8, 13). None of those points apply to the
perfect law of God (Psalm 19:7).
2. The old covenant was made "concerning all these words"
of the written law (Exodus 24:7, 8). It was not the law itself.
3. Referring to the Ten Commandments, God said to Moses,
"After the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with
thee and with Israel." Exodus 34:27, 28. It was not the law
itself but over the keeping of the law--"the tenor of the
words"--that the old covenant was made.
4. Moses referred to the golden calf as "your sin, the calf
which ye had made." Deuteronomy 9:21. (Please note: The calf
was not the sin, but the sin took place concerning the calf.)
In the same way, the old covenant was not the law, but it
was concerning the law. Thus it is called the covenant.
5. Romans 9:4 proves that the old and new covenants were
different from the law itself. "Who are Israelites; to whom
pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants,
and the giving of the law." Here the law is mentioned, as
well as the covenants (plural). This would include both old
and new covenants, plus the "giving of the law," which is
the Ten Commandment law.
6. To prove positively that the law is not the old covenant,
let's try to make the words interchangeable in Romans 3:3
1: "Do we then make void the [old covenant] law through faith?
God forbid: yea, we establish the [old covenant] law." Clearly
the old covenant and the law are not the same.
Deuteronomy
5:2, 3
"The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The
Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us,
even us, who are all of us here alive this day."
Since the basis of this covenant was the Ten Commandments,
as revealed in verses 6-2 1, some people contend that the
decalogue was never applied to anyone before the law was written
at Sinai. But such a conclusion is not valid on the basis
of the words of Moses to the people of Israel. He was not
telling them that there had been no previous agreement about
obeying the law. There had been covenants with individuals
who indeed had been their forefathers, but only on a personal
basis.
At Sinai, for the very first time, God entered into a covenant
relationship with an entire nation. And it was that
specific covenant which had never existed before. Moses could
truthfully say that "this covenant" was not made "with our
fathers," but only with those leaders who accepted God's offer
at Horeb--those who were still alive at that very time.
Deuteronomy
5:3, 4
"The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but
with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. The
Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the
midst of the fire."
Some conclude from this text that the Ten Commandments were
not known before the written law at Mount Sinai. However,
the evidence is all to the contrary. Cain knew it was a sin
to murder. Joseph called adultery a sin, and God said, "Abraham
obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes
and my laws." Genesis 26:5.
In these verses, Moses is impressing upon them the solemn
fact of God's visit with them on Sinai, and the covenant law
He delivered to them. Moses said, "The Lord talked with you
face to face"--something He had not done with their fathers.
The fathers were dead; they had not seen the mountain smoke;
they had not heard the majestic voice of God speak the law.
"The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with
us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day."
This does not mean that their fathers had not been acquainted
with the provisions of the covenant. They simply had not had
the covenant terms spelled out in written form before them.
Many years later, Jeremiah reminded the leaders of Israel
about the law covenant at Sinai. He reminded them that God
said this is the covenant "Which I commanded your fathers
in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt,
... saying, Obey my voice, ... That I may perform the oath
which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land
flowing with milk and honey." Jeremiah 11:4, 5. So obviously
their fathers had received the promise in the everlasting
covenant, but not face to face, as at Sinai.
Proof positive that the covenant had been made known to the
fathers of those who left Egypt is found in 1 Chronicles 16:15-17:
"Be ye mindful always of his covenant ... Even of the covenant
which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; And
hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel
for an everlasting covenant." Please notice that the covenant
had been revealed to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob "for a law"
long before it was written on stone at Sinai.
In Deuteronomy 29 the covenant is repeated again with the
reminder that it had been sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Then follow these words: "Neither with you only do I make
this covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth here
with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him
that is not here with us this day." Verses 14, 15.
Deuteronomy
5:14, 15
"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God:
in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine
ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger
that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant
may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant
in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee
out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm:
therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath
day."
Some people draw from this text that God gave the Sabbath
as a memorial of the exodus from Egypt. But the Genesis story
of the making of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3) and the wording
of the fourth commandment by God Himself (Exodus 20:11) reveals
the Sabbath as a memorial of creation.
The key to understanding these two verses rests in the word
"servant." God said, "Remember that thou wast a servant in
the land of Egypt." And in the sentence before this one, He
reminded them "that thy manservant and thy maidservant may
rest as well as thou." In other words, their experience in
Egypt as servants would remind them to deal justly with their
servants by giving them Sabbath rest.
In a similar vein, God had commanded, "And if a stranger
sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him for ye
were strangers in the land of Egypt." Leviticus 19:33, 34.
It was not unusual for God to hark back to the Egyptian deliverance
as an incentive to obey other commandments. In Deuteronomy
24:17, 18, God said, "Thou shalt not pervert the judgment
of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's
raiment to pledge ... thou wast a bondman in Egypt and the
Lord thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee
to do this thing."
Neither the command to be just nor the command to keep the
Sabbath was given to memorialize the exodus, but God told
them that His goodness in bringing them out of captivity constituted
a strong additional reason for their dealing kindly
with their servants on the Sabbath and treating justly the
strangers and widows.
In the same vein, God spoke to them in Leviticus 11:45: "For
I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt,
... ye shall therefore be holy." Surely no one would insist
that holiness did not exist before the exodus, or that it
would be ever afterwards limited only to the Jews, to memorialize
their deliverance.
Deuteronomy
14:21
"Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself.
thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates,
that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien:
for thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God. Thou shalt
not seethe a kid in his mother's milk."
God's people were not to touch any clean beast which died
of itself, or to eat its flesh, else they would be "unclean"
until sundown (Leviticus 11:39, 40). These laws did not apply
to the non-Jews, so the dead animals could be sold to them
with no ceremonial uncleanness involved. Even the Jews were
considered clean again after sunset.
Deuteronomy
14:26
"And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy
soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or
for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and
thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt
rejoice, thou, and thine household."
The context of this verse is needed to clarify the thought
of the writer. It is apparent from verse 22 that he is talking
about the use of the second tithe. "Thou shalt truly tithe
all the increase." The first tithe had already been specifically
allotted to the Levites (Numbers 18:21, 24). Some of this
second tithe was to be given to the strangers and the widows
(Deuteronomy 14:29; 26:12-15).
In verse 23, God told the Israelites to journey to the place
He would designate and present the tithe to Him there--no
doubt, at the tabernacle. In verses 24 and 25, they were permitted
to change the corn, cattle, etc., into the equivalent cash
if the way was too long to travel with produce and herds.
In verse 26, God gave instruction for the money to be turned
back into an offering for Him after reaching the holy place.
But instead of prescribing the exact offering, He told them
they could present whatever they desired. Some have been confused
by God's listing strong drink among the other offerings that
they were permitted. But please notice that this wine was
not to be drunk--it was to be poured out as an offering before
the Lord. God described the act in Numbers 28:7: "In the holy
place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the
Lord for a drink offering."
Take note that all the items suggested by God for the money
to be invested in were offerings for Him. Some have stumbled
over the wording, "whatsoever thy soul lusteth after" and
"whatsoever thy soul desireth." Remember that God is talking
to His faithful people who are tithing. He assumes that they
are not going to desire evil things as an offering to Him.
The Psalmist said, "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and
he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4.
For God's people, those desires would be their own choice
of acceptable offerings and gifts to present to their Lord.
Deuteronomy
23:18
"Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price
of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow:
for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God."
The term "dog" is used in the Hebrew idiom for a male prostitute.
It refers back to the "sodomite" of verse 17. It is the male
equivalent of the female whore or harlot. In Eastern countries,
the dog has ever been a half-wild, mangy, disagreeable animal
which symbolizes uncleanness. The "hire" or "price" gained
from such illicit practice was not to be dedicated to God's
work.
The New Testament also uses the term in the same sense as
representing the outcasts and sinners. Revelation 22:15 speaks
of those outside the New Jerusalem as "dogs, and sorcerers,
and whoremongers," etc. Paul admonishes the Philippians to
"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers." Philippians 3:2.
1
Samuel 28:14
"And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said,
An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And
Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his
face to the ground, and bowed himself"
This spiritual séance has been cited as evidence for
life after death. But here are points to the contrary:
1. Wizards had been sentenced to death and banned from the
land (1 Samuel 28:3; Leviticus 20:27).
2. God had departed from Saul and would not communicate with
him (1 Samuel 28:15).
3. Samuel was supposedly "brought up." Other expressions
used in this passage include: "ascending out of the earth,"
"cometh up," and "bring ... up." (verses 13-15). Is this where
the righteous dead are--down in the earth? Not according to
those who believe in the immortal soul.
4. Samuel is described as an old man covered with a mantle.
Is this the way immortal souls appear? And where did the soul
get the body? They're supposed to be disembodied. Was there
a resurrection? Did God obey the beck and call of the witch
and raise up Samuel? If not, can Satan raise the dead?
5. The apparition of Samuel told Saul, "Tomorrow shalt thou
and thy sons be with me." 1 Samuel 28:19. Saul committed suicide
on the battlefield the next day. Where did Samuel dwell, if
the wicked Saul was to go to the same place?
6. The Bible never says that Saul saw Samuel. He received
his information secondhand from the witch, and only concluded
it was Samuel from her description. The truth is that the
devil deceived the dissolute old woman, and she deceived Saul.
It was nothing more than a devil-generated séance.
7. The enormity of Saul's sin is revealed in these words:
"So Saul died for his transgression ... and also for asking
counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
and enquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him." 1 Chronicles
10:13, 14.
2
Samuel 7:15, 16
"But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took
it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house
and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee:
thy throne shall be established for ever."
The British Israel theory advocates use these verses to support
their contention that God made an unconditional promise to
David that his throne, his house, and his kingdom would never
fail, regardless of their faithfulness or unfaithfulness.
The theory is unsound and false in the light of these texts,
which declare the promise to be conditional:
1. 1 Kings 9:4-7: "If thou wilt walk before me ... in uprightness
... and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: Then I will
establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever,
as I promised to David. ... But if ye shall at all turn from
following me, ... Then will I cut off Israel ... and this
house will I cast out."
2. 1 Kings 2:4: "If thy children ... walk before me in truth
... there shall not fail thee ... a man on the throne of Israel."
3. I Kings 6:12: "If thou wilt walk in my statutes then will
I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy
father."
4. 1 Chronicles 28:7: "Moreover I will establish his kingdom
for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments."
5. 2 Chronicles 7:17, 18: "If thou wilt walk before me, as
David thy father walked, ... Then will I stablish the throne
6. Psalm 132:11, 12: "The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David;
he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I
set upon thy throne. If thy children will keep my covenant
... their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore."
The theory is further proven unsound by these undeniable
facts:
1. The word "for ever" does not always mean "without end."
(See my comments on Revelation 14:10, 11.)
2. The fleshly Israel was completely disqualified because
of their disobedience (Romans 4:13; 9:7, 8; 11:20).
3. Christ's spiritual rule fulfilled the promise concerning
David's throne (Acts 2:29, 30; Isaiah 9:6, 7).
4. The kingdom was taken from the nation of Israel (Matthew
21:43) and given to another nation (1 Peter 2:9, 10).
5. Israel's house was left desolate (Matthew 23:38).
6. All who are Christ's may now claim the promises of God's
spiritual Israel (Galatians 3:29; Romans 11:17).
1
Kings 17:21, 22
"And he stretched himself upon the child three times,
and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee,
let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard
the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him
again, and he revived."
Since it is not possible for souls to exist outside of bodies,
how do we explain this apparent contradiction? The word "soul"
is translated from the Hebrew word "nephesh" which has been
translated 118 times in the Old Testament as "life." The same
word is used in Genesis 1:30 in reference to animals. It is
never used in one single instance to denote an immortal or
undying part of man.
Every conflict is harmonized if the more proper word "life"
is used in reference to the child, instead of "soul." His
life slipped away, or left the body. Then the life returned
to the boy when the prophet prayed.
Don't overlook the fact that the lifeless body was called
"him" as well as the restored boy. This proves that the "person"
did not depart to be with the Lord. The whole person was represented
by the body, whether dead or alive.
Nehemiah
9:14
"And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst
them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy
servant."
Does this text imply that the Sabbath was not in existence
before it was revealed at Mount Sinai? Definitely not! It
had only been forgotten, and needed to be made known to those
who no longer knew it.
Compare Ezekiel 20:5 and the meaning becomes crystal clear.
God said, "In the day when I chose Israel ... and made myself
known unto them in the land of Egypt." This certainly doesn't
mean that God did not exist before. They had forgotten His
existence, just as they had forgotten the Sabbath, and both
had to be made known to them in Egypt and at Sinai.
Job
14:21, 22
"His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and
they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. But
his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him
shall mourn."
Verse 22 appears to be saying that a dead man's fleshly body
can continue to give him pain and that his soul can be grieved.
Although it is obvious to all that the bodily sensations cease
at death, a closer look at these poetic words reveal their
true meaning. It must be remembered that in Hebrew poetry
intelligence, personality, and feelings are often ascribed
to objects or concepts that do not normally have these attributes
(Judges 9:8-15). Job is actually describing, in a very graphic
way, the ravages that take place at death. As a body decays,
its horrible state of decomposition contorts all the physical
features into the expression of grimacing pain.
The New English Bible transposes verses 21 and 22 and correctly
translates the passage this way: "His flesh upon him becomes
black, and his life-blood dries up within him. His sons rise
to honour, and he sees nothing of it; they sink into obscurity,
and he knows it not."
In verse 12, the state of man in death is fully clarified:
"So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no
more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep."
Thus the writer of Job agrees perfectly with the words of
Christ, who later described death as an unconscious sleep
(John 11:11).
Job
34:14, 15
"If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself
his spirit and his breath; All flesh shall perish together,
and man shall turn again unto dust."
This text points back to Creation, when God "breathed into
his [man's] nostrils the breath of life; and man became a
living soul." Genesis 2:7. In many other texts of Scripture,
the breath which entered man's nostrils is identified as the
"spirit." In Job 27:3 we read, "All the while my breath is
in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils." Genesis,
of course, describes breath going into the nostrils at the
time of creation, not the spirit; but the Hebrew parallelism
of Job 27:3 repeats the same thought in a secondary phrase,
calling the breath in the nostrils the "spirit of God in my
nostrils."
The Psalmist, on the other hand, describes the same process
in these words, "Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created."
"Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their
dust." Psalm 104:30, 29. These texts show how the words "breath"
and "spirit" are used interchangeably in the Bible. Sometimes
it says that God created by putting His breath into the body,
but again it will say He created by putting the spirit into
the body. Incidentally, death is described not only as "breath"
returning to God (Psalm 104:29), but also as the "spirit"
returning to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7).
Our text in Job 34:14, 15 now begins to come into focus,
as it describes the process by which man dies and "shall turn
again unto dust." In this case, since the reference is not
to an individual dying, but rather to the death of "all flesh,"
the Psalmist employs a parallel use of both words, "breath"
and "spirit," to describe the removal of the life principle.
Proverbs
31:6
"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts."
This text and its preceding verses plainly reveal that no
intelligent individual with a good mind will use intoxicating
beverages. With no drugs to deaden the pain of a fatal illness,
the ancients used strong drink as a pain-killing agent along
with certain narcotic herbs (Matthew 27:34). The Amplified
Old Testament reads, "Give strong drink [as medicine] to him."
In the same sense, wine was allowed for the manic depressive,
just as tranquilizing agents are used today. The Amplified
Bible reads, "wine to those in bitter distress of heart"--a
clear description of severe emotional sickness. But the same
writer strongly urges that responsible people not be given
any wine (verses 4, 5).
Isaiah
35:9
"No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall
go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed
shall walk there."
The thought of this text is that "no ravenous beast" will
be in the new earth to hurt or destroy (Isaiah 65:25). The
lions will be as gentle as lambs (Isaiah 11:6-9). The prophet
Ezekiel clarifies the picture with these words: "The Lord
will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land." Ezekiel
34:24, 25. Lions there will be tame enough for a child to
lead (Isaiah 11:6).
Isaiah
65:20
"There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor
an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall
die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred
years old shall be accursed."
This text has perplexed Bible students for generations. The
awkward wording seems to imply that even death might still
plague the saints in God's new world of tomorrow. Some have
taken the context to indicate a subjunctive form of speech
in the translation. This would indicate that the prophet was
using a human terminology to describe heavenly conditions.
In other words, Isaiah was saying, "Should (or if) certain
conditions prevail, then such and such would result." This
translation seems to give the closest to the original meaning
if the subjunctive sense is accepted: "There shall be no child
to arise or come into being who shall live only a certain
number of days. If it were possible that there be still sinners
in Jerusalem [there won't be] and if one of them should be
punished with death when 100 years old, he would be regarded
as cursed by God and forever cut off from mercy. And if one
should die a natural death at 100 [which he won't] he would
still be a boy."
Isaiah was seeking to illustrate the facts of eternal life
in heaven by earthly comparisons. Therefore he had to call
on his readers to imagine certain mortal conditions as being
in the new earth, so that they could grasp the truths of immortality.
Isaiah
66:24
"And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases
of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm
shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they
shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."
This description of the final destruction of the wicked assures
us that they finally are lifeless "carcases" (dead bodies).
Their bodies burn in the lake of fire. (See my comments on
Mark 9:43, 44 for an explanation of the undying worm and unquenchable
fire.)
Since the walls of the holy city will be "clear as crystal"
(Revelation 21:11, 18), the redeemed might easily go forth
from their heavenly homes, look through the crystal-clear
walls, and "see the reward of the wicked" (Psalm 91:8). This
certainly will not be a very pleasant spectacle. Zechariah
14:12 says: "Their flesh shall consume away." But the wicked
soon are burned up (Malachi 4:1, 3) and shall be as though
they had not been (Obadiah 16). Then the earth is recreated
as the eternal home of the righteous, all tears are wiped
away, and there shall be no more pain (Revelation 21:1, 4).
Jeremiah
10:1-6
"Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O
house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of
the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for
the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people
are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work
of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with
silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers,
that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak
not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be
not afraid of them;for they cannot do evil, neither also is
it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto
thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might."
This text has been used as condemnation of Christmas trees,
and a casual reading sounds as though the writer had the modem
Christmas decorations in mind. But the context of the chapter
places a different meaning upon the words.
Jeremiah is describing the ways of the heathen in cutting
a tree from the forest and carving an idol which is worshipped
as a god. In verse 14, he speaks of the "graven image" as
a false god: "there is no breath in them." Inverses 10-12,
"The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth" are
contrasted with the creative power of the true God.
After the tree is cut and shaped with the axe, Jeremiah says
that it is decorated and fastened with nails (verses 3, 4).
There it remains, dumb and unheeding. It cannot speak or walk
(verse 5). To worship the "stock" of a tree is "brutish
and foolish" (verse 8). Even though it is covered with silver
plate and delicate clothing, it remains a "doctrine of vanities"
(verses 8, 9).
Jeremiah
17:27
"But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath
day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates
of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle afire
in the gates thereof and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem,
and it shall not be quenched."
The fire which "devoured the palaces of Jerusalem" is spoken
of in this text as fire which "shall not be quenched." This
does not mean that the fire could never go out, but that it
could never be "quenched" or "put out" before it had accomplished
its purpose. It was a strange fire which God kindled and man
could not control or extinguish. The same fire is described
in 2 Chronicles 36:19 and the results recorded: "And they
burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem,
and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed
all the goodly vessels thereof."
That fire is not still burning. It burned itself out, even
though it could not be quenched by man. The same kind of fire
will destroy the wicked in the lake of fire and brimstone,
according to Mark 9:44,45. If the wicked could quench the
fire, they could escape from it. But Isaiah wrote, "They shall
not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there
shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it"
Isaiah 47:14. Notice that the last part of this verse provides
further evidence that it will go out completely after consuming
the bodies of the wicked.
Jeremiah
31:15-17
"Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation,
and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused
to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Thus
saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine
eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the
Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.
And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children
shall come again to their own border."
Matthew applies this prophecy to the slaying of the children
by Herod in his attempt to destroy Jesus (Matthew 2:17, 18).
This is one of the verses of the Bible which gives assurance
that babes will be saved in God's kingdom. "They shall come
again from the land of the enemy." Those children slain by
Herod were two years of age or under, and not yet accountable
for sin.
Sometimes a mistaken application is made of Obadiah 16 to
infants and children--that they will be as though they had
not been. There is no such meaning in the context. It has
reference to the nations of the wicked who will be eternally
destroyed, and possibly to certain groups of unlearned heathen
who will not be punished for their state of sinful ignorance.
Children are definitely not specified in that text.
Deuteronomy 1:39 indicates that God accepts the children
who are not old enough to understand about sin. "Moreover
your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your
children, which in that day had no knowledge between good
and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give
it, and they shall possess it." The children were allowed
to go into the promised land with faithful Caleb and Joshua.
This
is a type of entrance into the heavenly Canaan (1 Corinthians
10:11). Jesus used little children as an example of the experience
all must attain in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew
18:3).
Ezekiel
16:11-13
"I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets
upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel
on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful
crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and
silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered
work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou
wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom."
This text seems to conflict with scores of other verses which
condemn the use of colorful cosmetics and jewelry. Yet there
is no real conflict if the context is considered. This is
not a literal experience, but a symbolism. In verse 3, God
begins the recital of a moving allegory concerning His people
Israel. He depicts Israel being born illegitimately and cast
into a field to die. No one washed the baby or cared for it.
Then God passed by and loved the baby. He covered its nakedness
and washed away its filth. He bestowed upon it love and every
possible blessing.
In allegorizing the material and spiritual blessings that
He bestowed on Israel, God used a number of symbols which
are clearly interpreted by other Bible writers. The "fine
linen" of verse 10 is defined in Revelation 19:8: "The fine
linen is the righteousness of saints." The ornaments and chain
of verse 11 are interpreted in Proverbs 1:9 as the "ornament
of grace." The jewel and crown of verse 12 are symbolic of
"lips of knowledge" (Proverbs 20:15), and a "crown of rejoicing"
(1 Thessalonians 2:19), respectively. All the representations
of highest honor, recognition, wealth, and beauty were incorporated
in the allegory to show the unparalleled blessings which Israel
had received as a nation.
The symbolic ornaments of this allegory in no way mitigate
the force of those texts forbidding the actual display of
such vanity on the physical body.
Ezekiel
36:25, 26
"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall
be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols,
will 1 cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and
a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the
stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart
of flesh."
There is a popular contention that these verses prefigure
the introduction of sprinkling for baptism. A few facts reveal
that it had no connection with the later Christian ordinance:
1. Moses was instructed to set the Levites apart for the
priesthood. God said, "Sprinkle water of purifying upon them"
Numbers 8:7.
2. Certain unclean people--such as those who touched a dead
body (Numbers 19:16-18), or a menstruating woman (Leviticus
15:1 9)--were isolated until they had been sprinkled with
water of purification (Numbers 19:13). Ashes of a heifer were
also used in connection with the sprinkled water (Numbers
19: 17-19).
3. In Ezekiel 36:25, 26, God does the sprinkling, and not
man to another man. He compares His people to the defiled
or unclean of Israel and uses a term of cleansing they could
understand.
4. Sprinkling was done away with under the new covenant
along with ashes of a heifer, etc. "Neither by the blood of
goats and calves, but by his own blood he ... obtained eternal
redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats,
and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth
to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood
of Christ... purge your conscience." Hebrews 9: 12-14.
5. There is no scriptural connection whatsoever between
the ceremonial sprinkling of the Old Testament and the New
Testament ordinance of baptism, an act of complete immersion
(Romans 6:4-6).
Amos
5:23
"Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I
will not hear the melody of thy viols."
Those who believe it wrong to use musical instruments in
worship base some of their doctrine on this text. Yet the
same condemnation is made of "solemn assemblies" in verse
21. Would they ban the "solemn assemblies" as they do the
"melody of thy viols"?
God is here showing His disgust for the hypocritical practice
of religious forms while dividing their service with heathen
gods (verse 26).
Several texts of the Bible indicate that musical instruments
may be a glory to God, on earth as well as in heaven. "As
well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there."
Psalm 87:7. This refers to Zion, the church--the place of
the people of God (verse 5). The faithful are called upon
to praise the Lord "upon an instrument of ten strings, and
upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound." Psalm
92:3.
Instrumental music was a prominent part of the God-ordained
dedication of Solomon's temple (2 Chronicles 5:13, 14). David
regarded singing with instruments as a law of God. "Take a
psalm," he said, "and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant
harp with the psaltery. ... For this was a statute for Israel,
and a law of the God of Jacob." Psalm 81:2,4.
Amos
8:5
"Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may
sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making
the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the
balances by deceit?"
Strange as it may seem, this text has been quoted to "prove"
that the Sabbath was to come to an end. But the context makes
clear that Amos was condemning the hypocritical Israelites,
who wished for the Sabbath hours to quickly end so that they
could return to their dishonest business dealings. It was
a classic example of formal apostates begrudging the time
claimed by God in worship and longing for the sun to set,
that they might be released from the yoke of a Sabbath they
did not spiritually regard.
The new moon refers to the first day of the month when business
was suspended and sacrifice offered (1 Samuel 20:5, 24; Numbers
28:11; 2 Kings 4:23). They were always glad to see that day
end also, because they had no relish for the spiritual worship
prescribed.
Some have made it seem that God is asking the question, "When
will the new moon be gone ... and the sabbath?" Please notice
that it is not God, but the unscrupulous cheaters who longingly
ask the question. Those who make this false application claim
that God answers His own question in verse 9 where He tells
when the Sabbath will come to an end. They apply verse 9 to
the darkness over the earth at the crucifixion of Jesus, and
mistakenly claim that the Ten Commandments were finished at
that time.
Actually, verse 9 has reference to the signs of a final judgment
that will be visited on the earth, when the sun will be darkened
and the moon not give her light. Isaiah spoke of the same
event (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:31) as did Jesus (Matthew 24:29)
and John the Revelator (Revelation 6:12). It is nowhere connected
to the death of Christ or the abolishing of the law of God.
Malachi
4:5, 6
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the
coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall
turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart
of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the
earth with a curse."
Will Elijah be reincarnated before Jesus returns to the earth?
Some think so on the basis of this verse. But notice that
Jesus in His day commented "That Elias is come already, and
they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they
listed. ... Then the disciples understood that he spake unto
them of John the Baptist." Matthew 17:12, 13.
You may remember that even though Jesus said that John was
Elijah, John vehemently denied it. "And they asked him, what
then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not." John 1:21.
This sounds most perplexing, doesn't it? But now let us read
two texts that will explain the riddle. Even before his birth,
it was prophesied of John that "Many of the children of Israel
shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before
him in the spirit and power of Elias ... to make ready a people
for the Lord." Luke 1:16, 17.
Instead of actually being Elijah, John's work was to be in
the "spirit and power" of Elijah. Jesus completed the clarification
when he said concerning John's ministry: "And if ye will receive
it, this is Elias, which was for to come." Matthew 11:14.
This makes it abundantly clear that John's message was the
Elijah message for his day. It was given in the spirit, power,
and boldness of Elijah's call to repentance. Just before Jesus
comes, another message of equal power and boldness is to be
given to prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus.
Matthew
3:10-12
"And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees:
therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is
hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with
water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier
than L whose shoes lam not worthy to bear: he shall baptize
you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his
hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his
wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire."
Please notice that "fire" is mentioned in all three verses.
In verse 10, the reference is unmistakably to the punishment
of the wicked in the fires of destruction. In verse 12 there
is even less question: the fire refers to the "unquenchable"
fire of hell. Then what about verse 11, the verse in between?
It certainly would not switch the line of thought. Christ
is pictured as One who will reward the righteous with the
mighty power of the Spirit, and punish the wicked with the
consuming fire described in the verses before and after. Both
the Old and New Testaments speak of God as a "consuming fire"
(Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29).
Just as convincing also is the fact that all three of the
verses clearly portray two classes--the good and the bad,
the saved and the lost. In verse 10 it's the good tree and
the bad, with the bad being "cast into the fire." In verse
12 it is the wheat and the chaff, and the chaff "will burn
up." The verse in between--verse 11--describes the two groups
as those who are baptized with the Holy Ghost and those who
are baptized with fire. Sin will either be burned out now
by the Holy Spirit or burned up then by His consuming presence.
"He is like a refiner's fire ... and he shall purify the sons
of Levi." Malachi 3:2, 3. Those who refuse to be purified
from sin now will be burned up, with the sin, in the unquenchable
fire.
Matthew
5:17
"Think not that lam come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
Jam not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
It is quite evident from the opening words of this text that
Christ was reading the minds of His critics who were accusing
Him of doing away with the law. He said, "Think not that
I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come
to destroy, but to fulfil." Instead of abolishing it, He was
actually doing the opposite. The word "fulfil" means literally
"to fill; to make full." The same word is used in Matthew
3:15 where Jesus spoke concerning His baptism: "Suffer it
to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."
There is nothing in the word which signifies "to bring an
end to" or "abolish." The law and prophets included not just
the Ten Commandments, but all the Old Testament writings.
Christ fulfilled those Scriptures, just as He fulfilled all
righteousness at His baptism, by obedience to them. Paul used
the word in Colossians 1:25: "Whereof I am made a minister
... to fulfil the word of God." This does not mean to bring
the word of God to an end, but rather to fully carry it out
in obedience. In Romans 8:4, the sense is clearly revealed
by the same word used in this sentence: "That the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit." Even those who seek to abolish
the law must admit that the righteousness of those who walk
after the Spirit is not "fulfilled" by being abolished. Yet
this is the same word used in Matthew 5:17 to "fulfil" the
law.
Finally, Paul gives a classic example of the word "fulfil"
in Galatians 6:2: "Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfil
the law of Christ." Not one Christian believes that the law
of Christ has been abolished. Neither should any Christian
feel that the "law and the prophets" have been abolished.
Romans 13:8-10 tells how to fulfil the law of the Ten Commandments
by obedience to it.
Matthew
5:19
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,
and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the
kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them,
the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
This text does not mean that men who break God's commandments
will get to heaven, even though in a minor position. Jesus
was clearly stating the attitude that the kingdom will take
toward those who break the least commandment, or teach others
to do so. They will be counted totally unworthy of salvation.
They are considered the very lowest of the low by heavenly
beings. Verse 20 enlarges on the fate of such people in the
most emphatic terms: They "shall in no case enter into the
kingdom of heaven."
Matthew
10:28
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able
to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell."
Jesus clearly teaches in this text that the soul is not naturally
immortal. It can and will be destroyed in hell. But what does
He mean about killing the body, but not the soul? Is it possible
for the soul to exist apart from the body? Some say it is,
but the Bible indicates otherwise.
The Greek word "psuche" has been translated "soul" in this
text, but in 40 other texts it has been translated "life."
For example, Jesus said, "Whosoever will lose his life [psuche]
for my sake shall find it." Matthew 16:25.
But what of Matthew 10:28? Put in the word "life" instead
of "soul" and the text makes perfect sense in its consistency
with the rest of the Bible. The contrast is between one who
can take the physical life and Him who can take away eternal
life. Proof lies in the words of Jesus: "And I say unto you
my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and
after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn
you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed
hath power to cast into hell." Luke 12:4, 5.
In other words, the word "soul" here means not only life,
but eternal life. Notice that Luke says everything just like
Matthew except that he does not say "kills the soul." Instead
he says "cast into hell." They mean the same thing. Men can
only kill the body and take away the physical life. God will
cast into hell and take away eternal life. Not only will their
bodies be destroyed in that fire, but their lives will be
snuffed out for all eternity.
Matthew
15:11
"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man;
but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
As a setting for this text, begin reading from verse 2. The
Jews had a tradition requiring that the hands should be ceremonially
washed after each contact with a Gentile. They chided Jesus
and His disciples for not following the custom. Christ responded
with the words of verse 11: "Not that which goeth into the
mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth,
this defileth a man."
In verse 15, Peter said to Jesus, "Declare unto us this parable."
Please notice that this is a parable and should not be literally
applied. In fact, Jesus explained the parable so that we need
not speculate about the meaning. He concluded His explanation
with these words, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but
to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." Verses 19,
20.
Get the picture. The Jewish leaders were upset about the
custom of ceremonial washing of hands, while at the same time,
they had murder in their hearts toward Christ. Jesus was exposing
the absurdity of their posture. The ceremonial uncleanness
was only an imagined defilement. The evil thoughts were true
defilement. The question of diet was not involved at all.
There was no eating or drinking at the heart of the issue.
It was ceremonial washing of the hands versus murder in the
heart. One defiled, and the other did not.
Matthew
16:18
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it."
Immediately after Peter's great confession of Christ as the
Son of God, Jesus spoke the words of this text, "Thou art
Peter" and Jesus used the same Greek word that is used 161
times in the New Testament for Simon Peter -- "Petros." In
fact, the word "Petros" is never used for any other purpose
in the New Testament than to designate Peter. The name means
"pebble" or "rolling stone."
But then after Jesus called Peter by his name Petros, He
said, "Upon this rock I will build my church." And this time
Christ used the word "petra" for "rock." The word "petra"
denotes a huge, unmoving boulder--a veritable Gibraltar. This
word is never used to designate Peter. Instead it is used
repeatedly to describe Jesus Himself, as in 1 Corinthians
10:4. In other words, the church was not built upon the unstable
Peter (Petros), who had to be rebuked by Christ as Satan's
agent in verse 23, but upon Christ (petra), the Rock of Salvation.
Peter's confession of Jesus as the Son of God constituted
a firm rock of truth also, but the shifting character of the
unconverted Peter was not designated by Jesus as the church's
foundation.
Please notice that, after Peter's confession, "Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus assured Peter, "You're
right, and this was revealed to you from above. And I'm telling
you, Peter, that on this foundation (or rock) I will found
my church." It was that confessed truth of Christ's divinity
which has been the Gibraltar base for the church through the
ages.
Matthew
16:19
(See my comments on John 20:23)
Matthew
16:28
"Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here,
which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man
coming in his kingdom."
This verse can be understood only in the light of what immediately
followed--the transfiguration. The very next verse describes
that experience and how God spoke out of the cloud saying,
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew
17:5.
How did the appearance of Moses and Elijah relate to the
coming of Jesus? And how can we know that Christ's words in
Matthew 16:28 were referring to that event? The answer is
in 2 Peter 1:16-18: "For we have not followed cunningly devised
fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he received from God the
Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we
heard, when we were with him in the holy mount."
Please take note that this transfiguration experience, recorded
by Peter, is described as the "coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Why? Because Moses and Elijah appeared with Him on the mount.
One of them was translated without seeing death, and the other
experienced a special resurrection. Thus they represent all
who will be saved at the second coming of Christ. Moses symbolized
the saints who will be raised to eternal life at that time,
and Elijah represented those who will be translated without
seeing death.
Moses' resurrection is described in Jude 9, where Michael
the archangel is pictured as contending with Satan over the
body of Moses. Some have questioned if this experience really
establishes the resurrection of Moses. But why else would
the angel of the resurrection be by the graveside disputing
over a body? Please note 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where the "voice
of the archangel" will open the graves of the dead. Clearly
the archangel was by Moses' grave for only one purpose--to
raise him to life despite Satan's efforts to prevent it.
Matthew
18:18
"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Prior to this text about binding and loosing, Jesus had been
talking about the church taking action to disfellowship a
member. In verse 15, Christ advised going alone to the one
who has transgressed. If that doesn't work, He said, "Go again
and take two or three witnesses." If they won't be reconciled
after that, Jesus said take it to the church and "let him
be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."
When the church takes such an action to disfellowship an
unworthy member from the body of Christ, Jesus assured that
it would be confirmed in heaven. "Whatsoever ye shall bind
on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall
loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Verse 18. This
was no bestowal of individual power on men, but an assurance
of support for His church as it moved in harmony with His
word to accept members into His body, and to uphold the highest
standards for those members.
Matthew
22:31, 32
"Have ye not read that ... I am the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the
God of the dead, but of the living."
It is often overlooked that Jesus was talking about the resurrection
when He spoke these words. He did not mean that Abraham, Isaac,
or Jacob were alive then, but they would be alive in the resurrection
because He was the God who could give life to the dead.
Here's the full text which clarifies the matter: "But as
touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that
which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is
not the God of the dead, but of the living." Verses 31, 32.
The topic under discussion was the resurrection, not the
state of the dead. He alluded to those patriarchs only in
their relation to the resurrection--an assurance that they
would have a part in it. Romans 4:17 makes it clear that God
"quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not
as though they were." Don't miss the point that, concerning
the raising of the dead, God speaks of their resurrected life
as though it were already accomplished.
Matthew
25:46
"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but the righteous into life eternal."
It is well to notice that Jesus did not say that the wicked
would suffer "everlasting punishing." He said "everlasting
punishment." What is the punishment for sin? "Them that know
not God ... shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord." 2 Thessalonians 1:9. There
it is--plainly spelled out. The punishment is destruction,
and it is of eternal duration. In other words, it is a destruction
which never ends because there will be no resurrection from
that destruction.
Paul says, "The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23. John
describes that death as "the second death" in Revelation 21:8.
That death, or destruction, will be eternal.
Matthew
28:1
"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward
the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary to see the sepulchre."
Some modern religionists contend, on the basis of this text,
that the resurrection took place late Sabbath afternoon. They
interpret the "end of the Sabbath" as drawing near its close,
and "dawning toward the first day of the week" as approaching
sunset on Saturday night.
This interpretation falls completely apart when we consider
the account of Mark in the next gospel. He also describes
the same women as they come to the tomb on Sunday morning.
No one can deny that it was "very early in the morning the
first day of the week ... at the rising of the sun." Mark
16:2.
Some have argued that these same women had been there late
Sabbath afternoon and had found the tomb empty and Jesus'
body gone. But this could not be. Why? Because Mark records
their conversation as they approached the tomb on Sunday morning:
"And they said among themselves, who shall roll us away the
stone from the door of the sepulchre?" Mark 16:3.
If they had been there Sabbath afternoon and found the tomb
empty, why would they ask for help to roll away the stone
12 hours later? The fact is that Matthew 28:1 is referring
to the Sunday morning visit also. The word "dawn," as used
in the Bible, invariably refers to the early morning as day
breaks. It doesn't "dawn" toward sunset or darkness.
In the light of these facts, we can easily see that the words
"in the end of the Sabbath" actually belong to the preceding
verse. The translators had to separate the words, sentences,
chapters, and verses as well as supply all the punctuation
marks. The original inspired manuscript was just one solid
line of letters, with no separation between words.
We have seen that the women came on Sunday morning to learn,
for the first time, about the empty tomb. But something was
done late Sabbath afternoon, in the end of the Sabbath. It
is described in the preceding verse, Matthew 27:66: "So they
went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and
setting a watch." How do we know when this sealing took place?
Verses 62-64 tell us clearly: "Now the next day, that followed
the day of preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came
together unto Pilate, Saying
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the
third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him
away."
This proves that the sealing took place on the Sabbath, following
Friday, the preparation day. It also took place just before
dark because the expressed fear was that the disciples might
"come by night" and steal the body. So they hastened to set
up their watch to guard the tomb as night approached.
Now we can perfectly understand the two verses with the proper
division of the sentences: "So they went, and made the sepulchre
sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch in the end of
the sabbath. As it began to dawn toward the first day of the
week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre."
Mark
4:11, 12
"And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know
the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are
without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing
they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear,
and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted,
and their sins should be forgiven them."
The question raised here is whether Christ used parables
to deliberately frustrate a certain class in their desire
to be converted. Revelation 22:17 makes it plain that "whosoever
will" may come and be accepted into the kingdom. "The Lord
is ... longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.
Obviously there is no intention of Christ to hide any truth
that would lead a soul to repentance and conversion.
The meaning is clarified completely when we read the parallel
account in Matthew's gospel. He gives the reason why they
hear not and see not. "For this people's heart is waxed gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have
closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and should understand with their
heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." Matthew
13:15. Thus the arbitrary act of seeing is not on God's part,
but theirs. Zechariah declared, "Yea, they made their hearts
as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law." Zechariah
7:12.
Mark
9:43, 44
"And if thy hand offend thee, cut if off: it is better
for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands
to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
In this verse the word "hell" is translated from the Greek
word "gehenna," which is another name for the valley of Hinnom
located just outside the walls of Jerusalem. There the refuse
and bodies of animals were cast into an ever-smoldering fire
to be consumed. What might escape the flames was constantly
being destroyed by maggots which fed on the dead bodies. Gehenna
symbolized a place of total destruction.
Jesus taught in this verse that the fires of hell could not
be quenched or put out by anyone. Isaiah said, "They shall
not deliver themselves from the power of the flame." Isaiah
47:14. Yet he hastened to say in the same verse that "there
shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it."
So the unquenchable fire will go out after it has consumed
the wicked as stubble. Jerusalem burned with unquenchable
fire according to Jeremiah 17:27 when it was totally destroyed
(2 Chronicles 36:19-21).
The flames and worms of "gehenna" represented the total annihilation
and obliteration of sin and sinners. Earlier apostasy and
idol worship in the valley of Hinnom (Jeremiah 32:35),
and God's judgments on Israel as a consequence, marked
it as a symbol of punishment and judgment. God warned in Jeremiah
7:31-33 that it would become the "valley of slaughter" where
the "carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of
the heaven." With the fires of "gehenna" burning before their
eyes, Jesus could not have spoken a more graphic word to the
Pharisees to describe the final, total destruction of sinners.
Those who cite this text to support their doctrine of the
natural immortality of the soul are thrown into a real dilemma.
Why? Because the fire and worms are working not upon disembodied
souls, but bodies! According to Jesus, those who
are cast into the lake of fire will go in bodily form, and
this text confirms that truth. The verses before and after
this text speak of the hands, feet, and bodies of those who
suffer the Gehenna fire. In Matthew 5:30 Christ said, "the
whole body" would be cast into hell.
In Isaiah 66:24, the same "gehenna" picture of hell is presented
with the unquenchable flame and the destroying worms. But
in this case the word "carcases" is used, revealing the fact
that the fire consumes dead bodies, not disembodied souls.
Speaking of the enemies of the Lord, Isaiah 51:8 says that
"the worm shall eat them like wool"--a picture of being put
out of existence.
Luke
9:60
"Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but
go thou and preach the kingdom of God."
This verse reveals one man's response to Christ's call of
discipleship. From the context of this passage, it seems quite
apparent that the man's father was not yet dead. If the father
had been dead, the son would have had no opportunity to accompany
Christ and the disciples. In that hot country, with no embalming,
bodies had to be buried immediately. The man was asking to
postpone following the Lord until his father had passed away
and been buried.
Christ's answer exposed the procrastinator. It indicated
the high priority of obedience. Nothing must stand in the
way of instant response to the call of Jesus. The Bible speaks
of a certain sinner being "dead while she liveth." 1 Timothy
5:6.
In Luke 9:60, Jesus was rebuking the man with these words:
"Let the [spiritually dead bury their [physically] dead: but
go thou and preach the kingdom of God." In other words, make
your decision while the call is strong and the conviction
of truth is urgent. Delay could result in discouragement and
loss of interest.
Luke
15:22
"But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the
best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand,
and shoes on his feet."
Some have used this Scripture to justify the wearing of jewelry,
but remember that this story is a parable and all the characters
and events are symbolic of spiritual realities. God is represented
by the father in the story, and the children could be any
of us who profess to be in His family.
Primarily the love and compassion of God is portrayed in
dealing with the backslider. His willingness to forgive and
accept the repentant prodigal stands out as the major theme.
All the actions of the father toward the returning son represent
specific attitudes of God in restoring those who seek forgiveness.
The placing of the father's coat around his son's rags symbolizes
the imputed righteousness of God, which must cover our miserable
sins and failures. The sign of servitude was removed when
the father commanded that shoes be placed on his feet--an
act signifying acceptance into the rights of sonship. Then,
finally, the signet ring was placed on the prodigal's finger
to represent the restoration to full authority in conducting
the family business interests. Such rings were not worn as
ornaments, but for the practical necessities of signing official
documents and discharging legal obligations (Esther 3:10;
8:2). To use this parabolic incident to defend modern ornamentation
is totally unreasonable and unbiblical.
Luke
16:16
"The law and the prophets were until John: since that time
the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into
it."
The "law and the prophets" refers to all the writings of
the Old Testament. Some who take a superficial view of this
text conclude that the whole body of Old Testament Scriptures
lost their authority when John began to preach. Nothing could
be farther from the truth. Jesus was merely stating that before
John's ministry, the "law and the prophets" were all that
men had. They constituted man's primary guide to salvation.
Was Jesus implying that those ancient Scriptures would end
when the gospel began to be proclaimed? Not at all. The word
"until" is used in other passages to show continuing force
and application. Refer to Matthew 28:15 and Romans 5:14, where
the same Greek word "mechri" is used.
Jesus emphatically affirmed the authority of the Old Testament
scriptures, declaring that not a "jot" or "tittle" would be
removed. In truth the only Bible available to the first generation
New Testament church was the writings of the Old Testament.
Believers found their strongest confirmation of faith in it.
On one occasion Jesus set forth those writings as sufficient
to guide men to heaven (Luke 16:29-31) Paul repeatedly appealed
to the law and the prophets in support of his message (Acts
26:22; 28:23).
"Since that time" refers to the time since John began to
preach, when additional light had been shining on the pathway
of salvation. That new revelation of truth, especially through
Christ and His teachings, had brought huge crowds into the
way of light and truth. Jesus described it as "every man presseth
into it."
Luke
16:22, 23
"And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried
by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died,
and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in
torments, and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom."
Either this story about the rich man and Lazarus is literally
true or it is a parable. Here are four reasons why it could
not possibly be literalistic:
1. The beggar
died and was taken by the angels to Abraham's bosom. No one
believes that Abraham's literal bosom is the abode of the
righteous dead. It is a figurative or parabolic expression.
Incidentally, the angels will gather the saints, but according
to Matthew 24:31, this will take place at the coming of Jesus,
not at a person's death.
2. Heaven and hell were separated by a gulf, and yet the
persons in each could converse with each other. There are
probably few individuals in the world who believe that this
will be literally true of the saved and the lost (Luke 16:26).
3. The rich man was in hell with a body. He had eyes, a
tongue, etc. (Luke 16:24). How did his body get into hellfire
instead of into the grave? I know of no one who teaches that
the bodies of the wicked go into hell as soon as they die.
This story could not be literal.
4. The request for Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger
in water and come through the flames to cool the rich man's
tongue is obviously not literal. How much moisture would be
left and how much relief would it give? The whole story is
unrealistic and parabolic.
The rich man undoubtedly represented the Jews in the parable
because only a Jew would pray to "father Abraham." The beggar
symbolized the Gentiles, who were counted unworthy to receive
the truth. In Matthew 15:27, the Canaanite woman acknowledged
that her people were beggars at the table of the Jews.
Christ probably chose the name of Lazarus to use in the parable
because later he would actually raise Lazarus from the dead.
And the climactic point of the entire parable is found in
verse 31: "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Sure
enough, they didn't believe even when one named Lazarus was
raised before them.
Luke
17:34-36
"I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in
one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,
and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one
shall be taken, and the other left."
Secret rapture advocates take this text as evidence of secret
coming of Christ to snatch away His saints. But to get the
whole picture, begin reading in verse 26. Jesus describe Noah's
day and Lot's day and said: "Even th |