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Who Were The Samaritans?

Posted by Brother John Jones on October 25, 2020

Posted in: apostasy, Babylon, Bible Standards, pure religion, Religion, Uncategorized, Yahweh. Tagged: Jesus, lost tribes of Israel, Samaritan. Leave a comment

The northern ten-tribe kingdom of Israel (red)
The southern two-tribe kingdom of Judah (blue)

During the ministry of Jesus there was contact with a group of people known as the ‘Samaritans’.

Who were the Samaritans and what were their origins?

There are at least two conflicting theories as to the origin of the Samaritan people. The traditional view is that, when the Jews were captured by the Assyrians in 721 BC as part of the infamous Babylonian Captivity, the Assyrians then repopulated Israel with people from the land of Samaria to the east. Then, when the Jews finally returned from exile 200 years later, they found these Samaritans already living in their ancestral homeland.

However, other researchers argue that during the Babylonian Captivity, not all Jews were rounded up by the Assyrians. Some stayed behind, possibly marrying other Assyrian exiles who themselves had been relocated. This would make sense given that, even though Samaritans are not considered Jews, they share many of the same ancient Hebrew rituals. While these rituals have evolved for hundreds of years among most Jewish sects, they remain unchanged among the isolated Samaritans, even to this day. This also fits well with the historical animosity of Jews toward Samaritans because of their association with non-Jews. These researchers propose that the Samaritans were actually Hebrew descendants themselves.

The Samaritans were part Hebrew and part Gentile

The race came about after the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. Certain people from the nation of Israel stayed behind. These people intermarried with the Assyrians producing the Samaritans.

The foreigners brought with them their pagan idols, which the remaining Jews began to worship alongside the God of Israel. Intermarriages also took place. While many of the inhabitants of the city and the surrounding area of Samaria were led off into captivity, some farmers and others were left behind. They intermarried with new settlers from Mesopotamia and Syria. The kingdoms of Judah and Israel never reunited.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel was the first of the two kingdoms (Israel and Judah) to fall, when it was conquered by the Assyrian monarchs, Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul) and Shalmaneser V. The captivities began in approximately 734-732 BC.

The later Assyrian kings Sargon II and his son and successor, Sennacherib, finished the demise of Israel’s northern ten-tribe kingdom. In 724 BC, nearly ten years after the initial deportations, the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria, was finally taken by Sargon II.

The tribes exiled by Assyria later became known as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, as, unlike the Kingdom of Judah which was able to return from its Babylonian Captivity, the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom never had a foreign edict granting permission to return to Israel and rebuild their homeland. King Crus, who defeated the Babylonians in 537 B.C.E returned exiled Judeans to their homeland. However, many chose to remain in Babylon and intermarried as well.

Herod conquered Judah in 37 B.C.E. In 19 B.C.E. , under his rule, the Temple was again rebuilt. The First Revolt against Rome occurred in 66 C.E. ; however, Jerusalem fell to the Romans in 70 C.E. The Temple was destroyed, and the majority of the Jews were dispersed throughout the world.

Reference https://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Israel.html#ixzz6ZYEIf4DH

Recent genetic research affirms that the Samaritans were of Jewish origin. One such study by Peidong Shen and colleagues in the Journal Human Mutation has used both mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome DNA of modern-day Samaritans to discover their origins and genetic relationship to Near Eastern Jews.

The mitochondrial DNA results, which show maternal history (i.e. your mother’s mother’s mother, etc.), reveal no major difference between the Samaritans, Jews, or Palestinians in the Levant who were also sampled. These three groups have relatively similar maternal genetic histories. However, the story of the Y-chromosome, which shows paternal history (i.e. your father’s father’s father) is quite different. Indeed, not only are the Y-chromosomes of the Jews and Samaritans more similar to each other than either is to the Palestinians’, the Y-chromosomes of the Samaritans show striking similarities to a very specific Y-chromosome most often associated with Jewish men. Although the Samaritan type is slightly different from the Jewish type, it is clear that the two share a common ancestor, probably within the last few thousand years.

Reference: https://bioone.org/journals/Human-Biology/volume-85/issue-6/027.085.0601/Genetics-and-the-History-of-the-Samaritans–Y-Chromosomal/10.3378/027.085.0601.short

This genetic evidence suggest that the traditional hypothesis, that the Samaritans were transported into the Levant (Mediterranean lands east of Italy) by the Assyrians and have no Jewish heritage, is largely incorrect. Rather, these Samaritan lineages are remnants of those few Jews who did not go into exile when the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 BC. Those who remained in the Levant may have take non-Jewish wives, which would account for the genetic admixture on the female side. But according to the authors the Y-chromosome clearly shows that the Samaritans and the Jews share common ancestry dating to at least 2,500 years ago.

The question that begs to be answer is: How did these Herew descendant’s become mixed with non-Herews?

According to the ‘Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible’ by Louis F. Hartman, C.SS.R., feelings of ill will probably went back before the separation of the northern and southern Jewish kingdoms. Even then there was a lack of unity between the tribes of Jacob.

What Lead To The Dividing Of The Kingdom?

The once-united kingdom of Israel split into two. How did this happen?

It all started with Solomon. On the surface, his kingdom appeared to be very prosperous.

Unlike David, he did not engage in battle to enlarge his territory but used trade and marriages to wives from other nations to increase his power. His accumulated wealth contributed to his fame. Even the Queen of Sheba paid him a visit and was overwhelmed by his wealth and wisdom.

For tax purposes, Solomon divided his land into different administrative regions, each with its own governor. The people became embittered because of all the hard labor Solomon enforced and the heavy taxes he imposed on them to generate money for his building projects.

He even began worshipping the foreign gods that his wives worshiped. The Bible states that because of this, “The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice” .

1 Kings 11:1-13

1 Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides the daughter of the king of Egypt he married Hittite women and women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon.

2 He married them even though the Lord had commanded the Israelites not to intermarry with these people, because they would cause the Israelites to give their loyalty to other gods.

3 Solomon married seven hundred princesses and also had three hundred concubines. They made him turn away from God,

4 and by the time he was old they had led him into the worship of foreign gods. He was not faithful to the Lord his God, as his father David had been.

5 He worshiped Astarte, the goddess of Sidon, and Molech, the disgusting god of Ammon.

6 He sinned against the Lord and was not true to him as his father David had been.

7 On the mountain east of Jerusalem he built a place to worship Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, and a place to worship Molech, the disgusting god of Ammon.

8 He also built places of worship where all his foreign wives could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their own gods.

9 Even though the Lord, the God of Israel, had appeared to Solomon twice

10 and had commanded him not to worship foreign gods, Solomon did not obey the Lord but turned away from him. So the Lord was angry with Solomon

11 and said to him, “Because you have deliberately broken your covenant with me and disobeyed my commands, I promise that I will take the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your officials.

12 However, for the sake of your father David I will not do this in your lifetime, but during the reign of your son.

13 And I will not take the whole kingdom away from him; instead, I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have made my own.”

After Solomon’s death, a delegation from the people went to visit his son Rehoboam to ask him whether he was prepared to relieve their burden. After discussing it with his advisors, he told them that he would increase their burden even further.

1 Kings 12:14

¹⁴and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!”

The southern tribes, whom Solomon had treated better, remained loyal to Rehoboam. However, Rehoboam’s threats became too much for the northern tribes, and they broke away in 925 BC to form an independent kingdom under the reign of Jeroboam, an official in Solomon’s court.

The Northern Kingdom retained the name “Israel,” while the Southern Kingdom became known as “Judah.” Israel had more territory and wealth, but it was situated on an important trade route and was therefore exposed to attacks from other nations.

In short, Solomon’s disobedience caused the division of the kingdom. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) consisted of 10 tribes and had 19 kings before they were taken into exile by Assyria. All 19 kings committed evil. The Southern Kingdom (Judah) consisted of 2 tribes and had 20 kings before they were taken into exile by Babylon. Eight of the 20 kings were good, while 12 were bad.

After the separation of Judah and Israel in the ninth century, King Omri of the Northern Kingdom bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer. He built there the city of Samaria which became his capital. It was strong defensively and controlled the valley through which the main road ran between Jerusalem and Galilee.

1 Kings 16:24

²⁴And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill.

In 722 BCE. the city fell to the Assyrians and became the headquarters of the Assyrian province of Samarina. Assyria conquered Israel and took most of its people into captivity. The invaders then brought in Gentile colonists “from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim” (2 Kgs 17:24) to resettle the land.

2 Kings 17:24

24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities.

The Assyrians sent five eastern tribes to live in Northern Israel. These five tribes brought with them their own foreign religions and customs. The tribes were sent with the purpose of diminishing the Israelite identity and culture. The eastern foreigners intermarried with the remaining, much depleted Israelite population. This hybrid people group was the beginning of the Samaritans.

The foreigners brought with them their pagan idols, which the remaining Jews began to worship alongside the God of Israel.

2 Kgs 17:29-41

29 However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt.

30 The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

31 and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

32 So they feared the Lord, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places.

33 They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods–according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.

34 To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel,

35 with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying: “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them;

36 but the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice.

37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods.

38 And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.

39 But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

40 However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals.

41 So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.

Mixing by intermarriages began took place (Ezra 9:1-10:44; Neh 13:23-28).

Ezra 9:1, 2

9 When these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not aseparated themselves from the peoples of the lands, bwith respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

2 For they have ctaken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the dholy seed is emixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass.”

Nehemiah 13:23-28

23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

25 So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.

26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.

27 Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”

28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.

While many of the inhabitants of the city and the surrounding area of Samaria were led off into captivity, some farmers and others were left behind. They intermarried with new settlers from Mesopotamia and Syria.

Though the Samaritans were condemned by the Jews, Hartman says they probably had as much pure Jewish blood as the Jews who later returned from the Babylonian exile. Each group fell into an apostate form of worship, mixing worship of Yahweh and Hebrew traditions with the worship of pagan gods they learned through association with foreign nations. The kingdom of Judah was not exempt from false worship and committing abominations before God.

2 Chronicles Chapter 33 recounts the sins against Yahweh of Manasseh, a Judean king:

Wicked Judean King Mananasseh brought pagan idols into the Temple Courtyards

1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.

2 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.

4 He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.”

5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.

6 Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.

7 He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;

The story of both Israel’s and Samaria’s failures in keeping to the way of Yahweh is partly told in Chapter 17 of the Second Book of Kings. There, too, the sacred author tells how the king of Assyria sent a priest from among the exiles to teach the Samaritans how to worship God after an attack by lions was attributed to their failure to worship the God of the land. Second Kings recounts how worship of Yahweh was mixed with the worship of strange gods.

2 Kings Chapter 17

(Hoshea Reigns in Israel)

1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.

2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute money.

4 And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

(Israel Carried Captive to Assyria)

5 Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years.

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods,

8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.

10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree.

11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger,

12 for they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”

13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.”

14 Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God.

15 And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them.

16 So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

17 And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.

18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.

19 Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight.

21 For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord, and made them commit a great sin.

22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them,

23 until the Lord removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.

25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.”

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals of the God of the land.”

28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.

29 However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt.

30 The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

31 and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

32 So they feared the Lord, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places.

33 They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.

35 with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying: “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them;

36 but the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice.

37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods.

38 And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.

39 But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

40 However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals.

41 So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.

Yahweh yielded the Israelites over to their hearts desire; that is, to mix with other races. As verse 24 above states, the Assyrians brought in populations of other nations into the region:

All during this time, the animosity between Samaritan Jews and Judean continued. As mentioned earlier, though the Samaritans were condemned by the Jews, they probably had as much pure Jewish blood as the Jews who later returned from the Babylonian exile.

Both groups fell into an apostate form of worship, mixing worship of Jehovah and Hebrew traditions with the worship of pagan gods that they learned through association with foreign nations. The kingdom of Judah was not exempt from false worship and committing abominations before God; however, Judeans felt superior.

We are told that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. In a conversation that Jesus had with a Samaritan woman we are told that she said the following.

Therefore the Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans) (John 4:9).

Samaritans Had Their Own Temple And Religious System

Samaritans Had Their Own Temple And Religious System

The Samaritans had their own temple, their own copy of the Torah – the first five books of the Old Testament – and their own religious system. There was an issue among the Jews and Samaritans as to where the proper place of worship. The following exchange took place between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

John 4:19-23

¹⁹The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

²¹Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.

²²You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.

²³But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

They Rejected Jesus When He Passed Through Their Region

When Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to die for the sins of the world he passed through Samaria. The Samaritans did not receive him because he was on his way to Jerusalem.

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.

Luke 9:51-53

⁵¹Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,

⁵²and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.

⁵³But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.

Summary

The Samaritans were a group of people who lived in Samaria – an area north of Jerusalem. They were half-Jews and half-Gentiles. When Assyria captured the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. some were taken in captivity while others left behind. The ones left behind intermarried with the Assyrians. Thus these people were neither fully Hebrews nor fully Gentiles. The Samaritans had their own unique copy of the first five books of Scripture as well as their own unique system of worship. The Samaritans had developed their own version of Judaism.

At the time of Jesus the Jews and the Samaritans did not deal with one another. Most Jews regarded the Samaritans as ignorant, superstitious, and outside of God’s favour and mercy. Jesus, however, ministered to the people of Samaria preaching the good news to them.

The Samaritans were still very much part of God’s plans as shown in the fourth chapter of John’s gospel where Jesus brings the good news to Sychar, a Samaritan village. Moreover, Jesus specifically mentions Samaria in Acts 1:8 where he tells his disciples: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Christian churches were soon established there (Acts 9:31 cf. Acts 8:1, 4-5; 9:31; 15:3).

Christian Transformation…New Character And Changed Behavior

Posted by Brother John Jones on September 22, 2020

Posted in: Bible Standards, Christian behavior, faith, God and Christ, morality, Religion. Tagged: christian conduct, christian morals, christian thinking, repentance. Leave a comment

Ephesians 4:24
and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy. CEV

Being a disciple Of Christ requires a transformation. One cannot continue as the person they were when they did not know Christ.

Most so-called Christian religions no longer emphasize the need to repent from former courses of conduct that are displeasing to God. It appears to be more important to have large memberships rather than bring up the uncomfortable subject of immoral behavior. Many adulterers, fornicators, drunks, thieves, and other bad people regularly attend ‘church’. And pastors of those groups make them feel okay by telling them, “God loves you just the way you are!” That is a lie.

The apostle Paul dispelled this notion when he wrote the Corinthian congregation his first letter:

1 Corinthian 6:9,10

9 Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts

10 or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves—none of these will possess God’s Kingdom. 11 Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. GNT

He wrote the Christian congregation in Ephesis he wrote this reminder:

Ephesians 4:22-24

22 Regarding your former way of life, you were taught to strip off your old nature, which is being ruined by its deceptive desires,

23 to be renewed in your mental attitude,

24 and to clothe yourselves with the new nature, which was created according to God’s image in righteousness and true holiness.

One’s heart desire often leads them into misconduct

Your present lifestyle and behavior may be pleasing to you yourself and other people; but is it pleasing to God and Christ? Is it wise to base judgments on one’s own self-satisfaction?

One of the greatest threats to our growth as Christians is the notion that we have arrived at a pretty good place and no longer need to develop our Christian walk and become more like Jesus.

Being self-satisfied opens us to sins of pride and arrogance. It makes one see themselves as having no spiritual needs. Therefore, this person does not see a need to change for the better. There is no need for self-examination with this mentality.

One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is complacency. Webster’s definition of the word “complacency” is: “a feeling of being satisfied with how things are and not wanting to try to make them better: self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.”

When a disciple becomes complacent the treachery of the heart has had success. Christian complacency means that no matter what happens, you are fully self-satisfied with your current personal effort in pursuing Christ.

The Bible makes clear that Christians are never standing still. They are either growing or backsliding.

After listing some of the qualities every Christian should have, Peter then states, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8). In other words, if you are a Christian who is complacent with your growth in God, you are in danger.

Romans 13:13,14

13 Let’s behave decently, as people who live in the light of day. No wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarreling, or jealousy!

14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and do not obey your flesh and its desires.

It is difficult to imagine what life would be like as a slave and to live without freedom to make your own decisions. God didn’t create man to live that way. He had every right to and he could have had he chosen to create us that way. After all, his way is the right way.

It is your choice to do things God’s way and to take on the characteristics that please him, God doesn’t force himself on us. God and Jesus have given us instructions on how to live a rewarding and fulfilling life, they have told us what the best way is but we don’t have to live that way. We make our own decision.

It doesn’t matter who you are. We all have the same opportunity to make the choice to live to please him. We all get to decide whether Christ is the example we follow or if we are going to continue to live to please ourselves.

What Example Did Jesus Set?

Jesus didn’t only come to save from sin, but he also came so that he could show a godly lifestyle. Jesus was the perfect example , he showed us what it looks like to live with mercy, humility, gentleness, and patience. Jesus showed us how to suffer for the sake of righteousness.

When it comes to the subject of changing our lives, many disciples of Christ feel the same as they feel about going to heaven: They are all for it, but they would rather not go through what you have to go through to get there!

The idea of change sounds good, but when it gets right down to it, many think, “You mean I actually have to live differently? No way!”

But the real Christianity IS a fundamental a changed life. If you claim to believe in Christ, but are living just as you did before you believed in Him, you need to examine whether you truly believe in Him. Becoming a Christian requires turning from your sin to God (repentance). But repentance is not a one-time event. It defines the lifestyle of a believer. God changes us radically at the moment of salvation by imparting new life to us, but this is followed by a lifetime of changing into the image of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).

Repentance

What does the biblical term “repentance” mean? The New Testament term for repentance is from a Greek word that simply means to change one’s mind: μετάνοια, metánoia.

In this sense, repentance is necessary for salvation; we must believe we need saving (which is usually a change of the human mindset). But after baptism we must continue to repent of our former lives, or to change our mindset about our previous way of living. This changing of our minds will certainly lead to our living changed lives in terms of our behaviors.

We read at Acts 3:19-20 that repentance is a prerequisite to receive forgiveness from God.

¹⁹Repent, then, and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins. If you do,²⁰times of spiritual strength will come from the Lord, and he will send Jesus, who is the Messiah he has already chosen for you.

Repentance which definitely also includes changing one’s way of thinking, is an integral part of the process God uses to save us

In Ephesians 4:17-19, Paul paints a grim portrait of how unbelievers live. While not all unbelievers are as bad as they possibly could be, they all live “in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart” (4:17b-18). That bleak picture describes each of us before we met Jesus Christ.

That was our mindset and the way we lived our lives as unbelievers. It took a transformation that first started with a change of mind to change us into people who God approves of.

Building Christian Character In Order To Change Your Behavior

Character is etched in by repeated patterns of behavior

Behavior is a product of your character and your character depends on how you view life. In order to change your behavior, you must work on changing your character.

What’s one word you think someone would use describe your character? What word would you use?

In Bible days if an artist wanted to wear a groove into a metal plate, he would do so by repeatedly etching the same place with a sharp tool. After repeated strokes, an image would begin to take shape. The name for that tool in the Greek language is the word from which our word character is derived. (χαρακτήρ, ῆρος, ὁ, xaraktḗr, Transliteration: charaktér)

That word is used only once in the New Testament: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression [charaktér] of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).

Think about the picture the writer of Hebrews was painting. The glory of God is exactly etched into the character of the Son. Just as an image of God is seen in the Son, when the character of Christ is etched into us, we present to the world a clear picture of the glory of God.

Behavior and character are related, but they aren’t the same thing. Behavior is what you do. Character, on the other hand, is the person your behavior has built.

Character is the sum of our behaviors—public and private—consistently arranged across the spectrum of our life. Any behavior—duplicated and reduplicated—forms a part of our character.

Every time you make a decision, you cut a groove. Every time you react to a crisis, you cut a groove. When you hold your tongue and practice self-control or when you let your tongue run loose and speak your mind, you’re carving your character. When you say yes or no to a reckless temptation, you’re signing your name. When you stand up to peer pressure, hold the line on truth, or return kindness for cruelty, you’re cutting the pattern of your character.

To etch positive grooves in your Christian character, keep these words in mind:

Colossians 3:2-10

You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God.

²Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth.

³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

⁴Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory!

⁵You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry).

⁶Because of such things God’s anger will come upon those who do not obey him.

⁷At one time you yourselves used to live according to such desires, when your life was dominated by them.

⁸But now you must get rid of all these things: anger, passion, and hateful feelings. No insults or obscene talk must ever come from your lips.

⁹Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self with its habits

¹⁰and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself.

Persevere in prayer

Changing your character does not happen overnight. Changing your character requires patience, time, determination, and perseverance on your part. Do not give up.

Biblical Moral Code and Christian Ethics

Do You Live According The Christian Ethos?

Ethics are principles that govern a person’s actions. Ethics define right and wrong conduct. The words “ethics,” “morals” and “morality” may be applied in different contexts, but they have essentially the same meaning.

Biblical Ethics and Biblical Morality

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) was the standard of conduct in Old Testament times. Jesus did not abolish the moral and ethical laws that had been in effect from the time of Moses. He affirmed and expanded on those principles, but what matters most to God is our inner lives (attitudes and motives) rather than any outward show of holiness. Jesus taught that we should live by two great principles: 1) humble obedience to God above all else and 2) sincere respect and kindness for all people of the world (Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:25-28, John 13:34-35).

Not only must we not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14), we should avoid entertaining even the thought of it (Matthew 5:27-28). Not only must we not steal (Exodus 20:15) and not envy what others have (Exodus 20:17), we should focus our lives on God, not on earthly possessions (Matthew 6:19-21). Not only must we not give false testimony (Exodus 20:16), we should even avoid evil thoughts and speech (Matthew 12:35-37). Not only must we be considerate to the poor and outcasts of the world (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), we should treat them as we would treat Jesus Himself! (Matthew 25:31-46).

What Were The Ethical Teachings Of Jesus Christ?

Jesus gave many examples of how to apply His ethical teachings in His “Sermon of the Mount” (Matthew Chapters 5-7) and the shorter “Sermon on the Plain” (Luke 6:20-49). These are the highlights:

3 “Blessed are those who are spiritually needy. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

4 Blessed are those who are sad. They will be comforted.

5 Blessed are those who are free of pride. They will be given the earth.

6 Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for what is right. They will be filled.

7 Blessed are those who show mercy. They will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are those whose hearts are pure. They will see God.

9 Blessed are those who make peace. They will be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Jesus’ statements above describe the values of the kingdom of God. At the same time, they describe the “blessed” results of keeping God’s commandments and being part of that kingdom.

What Did Jesus Teach About Anger?

²¹“You have heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not commit murder; anyone who does will be brought to trial.’

²²But now I tell you: if you are angry with your brother you will be brought to trial, if you call your brother ‘You good-for-nothing!’ you will be brought before the Council, and if you call your brother a worthless fool you will be in danger of going to the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21, 22)

Anger is an emotion we all feel sometimes, but the anger here (Greek orgizo) implies extreme anger, perhaps a brooding anger that could lead to hostile words or acts of revenge. We cannot hold onto the anger that spoils our relationship with God and other people. We must forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15).

What Did Jesus Teach About Adultery?

²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’

²⁸But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹So if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell.

³⁰If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose one of your limbs than to have your whole body go off to hell. (Matthew 5:27-30)

Many believe that God’s moral laws have changed. But Jesus’ teaching affirmed the prohibitions in the Ten Commandments against adultery (Exodus 20:14), and covetousness (Exodus 20:17).

We must not commit adultery, but we must also avoid the evil desires (lust or covetousness) that may cloud judgment and lead to an actual act of adultery. “So if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away!”

What Did Jesus Teach About Divorce and Remarriage?

⁶But in the beginning, at the time of creation, ‘God made them male and female,’ as the scripture says.

⁷‘And for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife,

⁸and the two will become one.’ So they are no longer two, but one.

⁹No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together.”

¹⁰When they went back into the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter.

¹¹He said to them, “A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife.

¹²In the same way, a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man commits adultery.” (Mark 10:6–12)

Many people begin a marriage truly in love. But if love should fade, they often divorce and marry another. However, Jesus taught that marriage should be a sacred bond forever. Each spouse must love and honor the other and not give up on the marriage when troubles arise.

Jesus gave only one condition in which a person was morally permitted to divorce his/her spouse:

⁷The Pharisees asked him, “Why, then, did Moses give the law for a man to hand his wife a divorce notice and send her away?”

⁸Jesus answered, “Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you are so hard to teach. But it was not like that at the time of creation. ⁹I tell you, then, that any man who divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, commits adultery if he marries some other woman.” (Matthew 19:7,8)

A person has a moral right to divorce in the case of adultery; but there are those who choose to forgive and choose to remain in the marriage. It is purely a personal decision to make.

What Did Jesus Teach About Truthfulness and Honesty?

³³“You have also heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’

³⁴But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

³⁷Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’—anything else you say comes from the Evil One. (Matthew 5:33–34, 37)

People often made vows or swear oaths (even in God’s or Christ’ names) to convince someone of their sincerity. But instead of making vows, we must be known by our character that we are completely honest in word and deeds so that our simple “yes” or “no” will be believed as truth.

What Did Jesus Teach About Retaliation and Revenge?

³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’

³⁹But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too.

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your friends, hate your enemies.’

⁴⁴But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

⁴⁵so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.

⁴⁶Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that!

⁴⁷And if you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary? Even the pagans do that!

⁴⁸You must be perfect—just as your Father in heaven is perfect. ( Matthew 5:38–39, 43–48)

In the days that Abraham lived, unlimited revenge for a wrong done was considered normal and proper (Genesis 34:1-2, 25-29). But later, the Law of Moses limited revenge to an equal injury for any injury done, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Leviticus 24:18-20). But Jesus said we should not take any revenge at all.

It is an act of love to an enemy to refrain from attempting punish of them ourselves.

Hebrews 10:30 reminds us that vegeance is in God’s hands:

³⁰For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

What Did Jesus Teach About Forgiveness?

¹⁴“If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you.

¹⁵But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done. (Matthew 6:14–15)

The apostle Paul reminds us in his writings us that we are all sinners and that it is only through the grace of God we have an opportunity to be put right with Him.

²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

²⁴and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23,24)

Just as God is merciful and forgives us our sins, we too must be merciful and forgive those who do us harm. Holding a grudge separates us from God’s love and robs all joy from life.

This has been extremely difficult for many to do in practice.

On the one hand a person wants their sins forgiven and erased and on the other hand, many find power in withhold ing forgiveness to someone else (a form of emotional blackmail). We should not be like this. The consequences of such unforgiving ehavior is what Jesus is talking about above. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.”

What Did Jesus Teach About Money and Wealth?

¹⁹“Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal.

²⁰Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal.

²¹For your heart will always be where your riches are.

²⁴“You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:19–21, 24)

Lust for more wealth or possessions than we really need is the cause of all kinds of evils things as a result (1 Timothy 6:10). Greed is one of the most frequently mentioned sins in the Bible. Those of us who are blessed with more wealth than we need are obligated to share generously with those in need. They should not use their welath and means to lord themself over other people. Jesus gave a detailed parable of the result of such behavior. (Matthew 16:19-31)

What Did Jesus Teach About Condemning (Judging)?

The Bible’s moral and ethical teachings are intended to help us live according to God’s will. They are not intended to be used to criticize or condemn other people.

We are never to take upon ourselves the task of judgment that belongs to God alone. Jesus said that if we judge other people harshly, we will, in turn, be judged harshly:

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matthew 7:1-3)

God has appointed a Judge and he is the Judge of all creation. He is the One who can either approve or condemn a soul. Therefore we are actually overstepping when we as imperfect sinners ourselves condemn another person. Paul wrote this:

⁵Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Following The Golden Rule In Practice

12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. (NLT, Matthew 7:12)

The Golden Rule is a one-sentence summary of all of Jesus’ ethical teachings. In all aspects of life, we must treat others as we would like to be treated – never taking advantage or holding a grudge or doing harm; always being kind, compassionate and helpful when needed.

Ask youself: Do I Really have to Obey All of Jesus’ Ethical Teachings? Are there Exceptions?

Jesus sets a very high standard of conduct for both private and public life. Some people feel that that these high ethical standards are too difficult or even unrealistic, and there have been many attempts to soften His teachings or limit their scope.

Did Jesus Intend His Teachings only for His Disciples?

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount was directed primarily to His disciples (Matthew 5:1-2, Luke 6:20). But the crowds of people were also present and listening (Matthew 7:28-29, Luke 7:1), and the language of His teachings implies that they apply to all people (Matthew 5:19, 5:32, 6:24, 7:13-14, 7:24-27).

It was always Jesus’ plan for His disciples to spread His teachings to the rest of the world.

¹⁸And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

²⁰teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

¹⁴Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

¹⁵And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:14,15)

Do Christ Teachings Apply To All Of Our Relations with Other People?

There are those who have convinced themselves that Jesus’ teachings only apply to those we have a personal relationship with like people within the group they belong to and that they do not apply to relations with people of other religions, races, nationalities, ways of life, etc. However, Jesus never spoke of any such exceptions.

In His parable of the good Samaritan, he made it clear that we must extend our “Christian love” to people of all races, religions and nationalities. He also said,

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

⁴⁴But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

⁴⁷And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

⁴⁸Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43–48)

Ever since the nation split centuries before, Samaritans were despised by Judeans because of the ten tribe defection. Yet the Lord behaved differently.

Jesus actually approach a Samaritan and susequently gave her a witness concerning his identity. (John 4:5-26)

Do Jesus’ Teaching Apply to all Situations?

Some believe that Jesus’ teachings only apply in specific aspect of life. They feel that his teachings only apply to private life and not to public life like business dealings, etc. However, Jesus did not make any such exceptions.

“My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves”

When Jesus cleansed the temple, he threw out the corrupt money changers.

¹²Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

¹³And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” (Matthew 21:12,13)

Money changers would assess a foreign coin for its type, wear and tear, and validity, then accept it as deposit, recording its value in local currency. The merchant could then withdraw the money in local currency to conduct trade or, more likely, keep it deposited: the money changer would act as a clearing facility.

Do Jesus’ Teachings Apply Here and Now?

Some argue that Jesus’ ethical teachings are unrealistic ideals just intended to show us how sinful we are, not commandments we must obey. Others will say Jesus was describing the ethics of the kingdom of God of the future rather than a code to live life by in this world. Are those beliefs consistent with biblical teaching?

Jesus presented His ethical teachings as God’s commandments for here and now, and He never spoke of any exceptions. As people who aspire to belong to the kingdom of God, we must be “in the world, but not of the world”:

²¹“Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.

Jesus made this remark:

²²When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’

²³Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’ (Matthew 7:21–23)

11 And now I am coming to you; I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world. Holy Father! Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one just as you and I are one.

12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the man who was bound to be lost—so that the scripture might come true.

13 And now I am coming to you, and I say these things in the world so that they might have my joy in their hearts in all its fullness.

14 I gave them your message, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. (John 17:11-14).

Jesus also made this statement:

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?

47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.

48 That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.

49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.” (Luke 6:46–49)

13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. (NRSV, Matthew 7:13–14)

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” (NLT, Matthew 19:17)

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (NRSV, John 14:15)

It is clear thaat both God and Christ expect us to live according this moral/ethical code during this lifetime.

What if We Fail to Keep Jesus’ Commandments?

We are all imperfect humans, and we are all sinners in our own ways (Romans 3:21-24, 5:12, 1 John 1:8). We will never be able to completely comply with the high ethical standards Jesus set. But that is hardly an excuse for not trying our very best! (Matthew 25:24-30, Romans 2:1-4)

When we do fail, we can take comfort in knowing that God is merciful and is always willing to give us another chance when we sincerely repent.

The Importance Of Our Character And Conduct

When Paul left Timothy as a elder in the Ephesian church and as a young man he was forced to deal with some hard issues that had cropped up among the people of God. And even though Paul was planning on visiting soon, his heart was so heavy for the people of this church that he wrote everything down and sent it to Timothy as a letter.

In Ephesian chapter 4, Paul mentions some of the problem behaviors that had developed:

²⁵Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

²⁶“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

²⁷nor give place to the devil.

²⁸Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

²⁹Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

³¹Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

³²And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

A part of Paul’s concern was how these Christians were conducting themselves as the church. Christian character and conduct mattered to Paul. But have you ever wondered why it is so important? Is it really that big of a deal to follow a bunch of rules?

Whether we follow Jesus or the world, we are held to rules and a standard of living. Murder, stealing, lying, cheating, and abuse of various kinds are universally unacceptable. But for the world they are unacceptable because they cause chaos, disrupting the peaceful life that people long for. Much of the world’s reasoning is driven by self-love. This is not entirely a bad thing, but it is not the best thing.

As Christians we have a code of conduct that we are called to – not because of what we can get out of it – but because of who God is, and who we are as His people.

When God commands us to not steal but share generously, this is because He is a God of generosity who never takes what isn’t His. When God calls us to love sacrificially or forgive completely, it is because this is what He does. What God does stems from His very nature. And when God calls us to holy living, it is not only because He is holy, but because we are now His holy people, cleansed and declared to be righteous in God’s sight through the work of His Son, Jesus.

Once we too were a people who were driven by self-interest. Now we have been saved to be a people driven by love for God and others. The call to right living according to God’s standards is a call to godliness. Godliness is like God-like-ness. We are called to reflect the God who saved us, provides for us, hears us, loves us, and changes us.

Ultimately, true godliness is seen in Jesus. He is the “mystery of godliness” because once He had been hidden, but now He took on flesh and is godliness personified, and His godliness is credited to us. This is what gives us good standing before our God. And this standing gives us the freedom to obey our Lord.

As Christians and as the Church we are to conduct ourselves in a manner that shows our changed heart, our gratitude for our salvation, and our love for the One who died for us.

How can a Christian know what he may or may not do?

Here is where using having a truly Christian mindset is of great value. When answering the question above, a Christian would ask themselves these sort of questions and keep these sorts of questions in mind:

1. Does it have the ‘appearance’ of wickedness?

“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

2. Does it bring glory to God? In I Corinthians 10:31, we read this plain statement:

“Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Before you engage in the activity in question, can you honestly ask for God’s blessing upon it, believing that He will be honored through your participation?

3. Is it “of the world”? If it is, then it is not “of Christ.” He said concerning His disciples,

“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16).

He was not “of the world” at all. He was in it, but not of it.

¹⁵Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father.

¹⁶Everything that belongs to the world—what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of—none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world.

¹⁷The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.

(1 John 2:15-17)

4. Would the Lord have done it? He has left us an example that we should follow His steps:

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

5. Would you like to be found doing it when the Lord returns?

Someone has wisely remarked, “Don’t do anything, say anything, or go anywhere that would cause you shame if the Lord should come!”

These mindset is very similar to the thinking of the servant who had recieved the 1,000 talents in Jesus’ parable found in Matthew 25:14-30. Recall what the Master’s response was to that servant?

²⁴Then the servant who had received one thousand coins came in and said, ‘Sir, I know you are a hard man; you reap harvests where you did not plant, and you gather crops where you did not scatter seed.

²⁵I was afraid, so I went off and hid your money in the ground. Look! Here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶‘You bad and lazy servant!’ his master said. ‘You knew, did you, that I reap harvests where I did not plant, and gather crops where I did not scatter seed?

²⁷Well, then, you should have deposited my money in the bank, and I would have received it all back with interest when I returned.

²⁸Now, take the money away from him and give it to the one who has ten thousand coins.

²⁹For to every person who has something, even more will be given, and he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.

³⁰As for this useless servant—throw him outside in the darkness; there he will cry and gnash his teeth.’

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 1 John 2:28

6. Can you feel free to do it when you remember that God the Holy Spirit dwells within you?

“Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19). See also Ephesians 4:30:

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

7. Is it fitting conduct for a child of God? When a king’s son acts in an unworthy manner, he brings disgrace on his father’s name. So does the Christian who behaves in an unbecoming way.

“For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.” (Romans 2:24)

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10)

8. What effect will your conduct have on others? Will it be a good testimony to the unsaved, or from your conduct will they draw the conclusion that there is really no difference between a Christian and an unbeliever?

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Also, will it cause someone who is young in the faith to stumble? The Apostle Paul warned that no man should put “a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way” (Romans 14:13).

9. Finally, is there the least bit of doubt in your mind about it? If so, then don’t do it, for “he that doubteth is damned [condemned]…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).

In connection with this subject of what a Christian may or may not do, it is well to remember that “we are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14,15). This does not mean that we may do as we like, but rather it means we want to do what God likes because He has done so much for us. God’s principles that formed the bases for the Mosaic Law are eternal.

We do not avoid worldly pleasures and amusements because we have to, but because we want to. The reason we want to is because Christ died for us, and now our ambitions are to live in a manner that will please Him

(2 Corinthians 5:14,15).

Christ does not say, “If you keep away from sinful pleasures, you will be a Christian.” But He does say, in effect, to the believer, “You are a Christian! Now live in a way that is consistent with your high calling.”

And so Paul wrote:

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.”(Ephesians 4:1)

It is quite possible that a Christian may forget his dignified position, and go in for the things of the world. In such a case, one must keep in minds the words we read in the Book of Hebrews chapter 10:

²⁶For there is no longer any sacrifice that will take away sins if we purposely go on sinning after the truth has been made known to us.

²⁷Instead, all that is left is to wait in fear for the coming Judgment and the fierce fire which will destroy those who oppose God! (Hebrews 10:26-27)

It is important to recognize that these are not things we produce primarily through our own effort; rather they come from the Holy Spirit’s work of transformation in our lives (2 Corinthians 3:18; 5:17).

At the same time, we are told to obey God and to do our best to conform to His will. Philippians 2:12–13 says it this way: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Also recognize that the Spirit’s work in us is progressive. Christians will mess up; our behavior will not always adhere to God’s holy standards or be a very good demonstration of His work in us. But when we fail, we can trust that “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). We can confess our sin and move forward, trusting in God’s grace and faithfulness (1 John 1:9).

Walking out Christian behavior not only honors God in us to others; it also protects us from the war against the fleshly desires within ourselves: “abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11; see also Galatians 2:20; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:14).

Being a disciple Of Christ requires a transformation. We are not born servant of Christ. And during our lives we pick up many ungodly beliefs and traits from the corrupt world we have been born into. False teachers of Christianity lie to you when they tell you that there is no need to repent, reform, and quit leading a sinful life. And those sheperds mislead and stumble when they tell you, “God loves you just the way you are!”

Remember the apostle Paul’s warning:

9 Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts

been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthian 6:9,10)

We must conform our personality and behaviors to the example Jesus set for us to follow.

This article has examined both the character and the behaviors that are pleasing to God and those that are displeasing to to Him and Christ based upon what the Bile teaches concerning thinking and character that reflect true Christianity.

Who Are The Chief Princes In Dan. 10:13 And Who Are The 7 Stars In Rev 1:16?

Posted by Brother John Jones on September 7, 2020

Posted in: Bible Standards, ex-jehovah's witnesses, faith, false prophet, God and Christ, Heaven, logic, Religion. Tagged: divine nature of Christ, faithful servant, false prophet, honoring Christ, Jehovah's Witnesses, temple sanctuary. Leave a comment

Who Are The Chief Princes? Who Are The 7 Stars In The Lord’s Right Hand?

Daniel 10:13

Angels were serving before God prior to the new Temple arrangement

“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”

The ‘chief’ or ‘principal’ angels referred to in the Book of Daniel are the original angels who serve directly before God.

They are also mentioned in the Book of Revelation in chapter 8:

2″ And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.”

They include Gabriel and Michael who are both mentioned in the Bible. There were a total of seven of these princely servant to begin with.

The Bible writers mentions two Books which are not contained within the Books we have available in the recorded Bible today. They both tell about these seven powerful angels by name and much more.

One is the Book of Jasher:

“And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.” Joshua 10:13

They are also spoken about in a prophetic book written by the man Enoch. That book is quoted from in the Book of Jude :

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,” Jude 14

Available text from Enoch’s writings go into detail about the existence of these seven angels and what transpired as result of the fall.

Jude obviously had information we don’t have access to today. The Bible does not contain the following account that Jude writes about:

“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

One fellow disciple observed : “Despite his great power, Michael is still in total submission to the Lord. His dependence on the Lord’s power is seen in Jude 1:9:

“But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you.‘” (Some believe that Michael is another name for Jesus. But this is wrong. Jesus is not an angel. He helped his Father create the angels. Jesus is a unique creation).

Notice that Michael isn’t ‘lord’, but answers to the Lord.

The righteous angels have a rank and are submissive to authority, and for this reason they are used as a picture of a wife’s submission to her husband.

The Bible tells us, “That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels” (1 Corinthians 11:10). If you take into consideration the great strength of the angel named Michael; the submission he has toward God is all the more beautiful.”

Beyond these facts, the only begotten son of God was not a member of that group of seven angels. Satan however was an angel of that order at one time but fell. He was replaced.

That there were a group of angels that included Gabriel, Michael, and others is common knowledge and has been throughout human history.

The only begotten son of God, Christ, has always been set apart from all other beings and things. He is unlike any other since no other can claim to have been begotten by God. He has no peers or peer group.

As was mentioned previously, Satan was an angel of that order at one time but fell. He was replaced.

Where are those 7 angels now?

Let’s examine Revelation chapter 2 for the answer.

Jesus is standing in the Sanctuary already holding 7 stars

Jesus In The Sanctuary-John’s Vision

In the Revelation to John, he is sees Christ standing in the Holy compartment of the Temple of God in Heaven.

Before Him at a distance are seven golden lamp stands which He says represent the complete congregation of those to whom He is addressing.

They are out before Him because they are human beings made of flesh and as of yet are not where He is, which is in Heaven in the Sanctuary.

The lampstands represent humans in their human enviroment here on Earth. They are not in Heaven.

When John in the vision is instructed to measure the Temple, he is told not to measure the “outer courtyard”:

Revelation 11:1

“I was then given a stick that looked like a measuring-rod, and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who are worshiping in the temple. ²But do not measure the outer courts, because they have been given to the heathen,”

The lampstand exist in the corrupt enviroment here on Earth that Satan and the other fallen angels were thrown down to.

However, within the Temple sanctuary he is seen in holding “seven stars”.

Note that these stars are seen in His right hand. His right hand would have to be connected to His right arm. His right arm would then have to be connected to the right side of His body. And while He is addressing John His body is standing with His feet firmly planted in the Temple Sanctuary.

These therefore have to be already existing spirit creatures because they are with Christ at the time He is addressing the complete church represented by the lamp stands before Him.

He cannot be referring to earthling man as the Watchtower Organization has claimed these 7 stars to be.

Jesus gives the identity of the 7 stars clearly:

Revelation 1:20

20 Here is the secret meaning of the seven stars that you see in my right hand, and of the seven gold lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Yet many refuse to believe Him. Some have the teaching (‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’) that Jesus is calling human men ‘angels’. They say that these angels are symbolic of their elders.

Below is an excerpt from the Watchtower magazine identifying their human leaders as being the 7 stars in Jesus right hand.

It is also important to know the Watchtower doctrine has relegated the term ‘angel’ to be synonymous to ‘messenger’; as if delivering messages is the only task an angel is called upon to perform in service.

Many prominent post exit JW’s teach this erroneous conclusion as well. It is hard to fully escape Watchtower brainwashing.

Watchtower 07 4/21

. How were anointed overseers who served on bodies of elders depicted at Revelation 1:16, 20, and what can be said of appointed elders who are of the other sheep?

6 These “gifts in men” are overseers, or elders, appointed by Jehovah and his Son, through holy spirit, to shepherd the sheep with tenderness. (Acts 20:28, 29) To begin with, these overseers were all anointed Christian men. At Revelation 1:16, 20, those who served on bodies of elders within the anointed congregation were symbolized by “stars” or “angels” in Christ’s right hand, that is, under his control. In this time of the end, however, with the number of anointed overseers still on earth ever dwindling, the vast majority of Christian elders in the congregations are of the other sheep. Since these are appointed by representatives of the Governing Body under the leadings of the holy spirit, they too can be said to be under the right hand (or, under the direction) of the Fine Shepherd, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 61:5, 6) Since the elders in our congregations submit to Christ, the Head of the congregation, they deserve our full cooperation.
(end of Watchtower comments)

There is no biblical basis whatsoever for these extrapolations. The statement begins with declaration as if it were as proven fact in which there is no connection established:

“How were anointed overseers who served on bodies of elders depicted at Revelation 1:16, 20, and what can be said of appointed elders who are of the other sheep?”

How grandiose to replace the true identity of these seven loyal angels with self-appointed weak human beings! These are nothing more than lies designed to place earthling men in a role of unquestionable command and control.

Nowhere in the Bible are men referred to as ‘angels’.

While Acts 6:15 states about Stephen, “All those sitting in the Council fixed their eyes on Stephen and saw that his face looked like the face of an angel”; the passage doesn’t refer to him as an ‘angel’. The Bible doesn’t call men ‘angels’ anywhere.

And Jesus actually says they are angels!

These angels minister on behalf of the Lord where the lamp stands are (Earth). They as mortal beings are exposed to possible corruption or failure just the same as human beings are. They are not incorruptible. So Jesus warns them of the consequences of any deviation.

There have been Holy angels serving before God’s throne for eons of time. They now have a share in priestly service (as the seven in the Revelation to John). They have not been forgotten or discarded.

In the Revelation to John these angels are seen coming out of the Temple sanctuary and are also seen in the Heavenly temple courtyard:

Revelation 14:

14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was what looked like a human being, with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

15 Then another angel came out from the temple and cried out in a loud voice to the one who was sitting on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap the harvest, because the time has come; the earth is ripe for the harvest!”

16 Then the one who sat on the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth’s harvest was reaped.

17 Then I saw another angel come out of the temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

18 Then another angel, who is in charge of the fire, came from the altar. He shouted in a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sickle, and cut the grapes from the vineyard of the earth, because the grapes are ripe!”

The angelic ‘chief princes’ were given to Christ by God and are now subject to him. They now serve and answer to Christ as their Master.

This had always been part of God’s divine plan. Consider 1 Corinthians 15:27,28:

27 For the scripture says, “God put all things under his feet.” It is clear, of course, that the words “all things” do not include God himself, who puts all things under Christ.

28 But when all things have been placed under Christ’s rule, then he himself, the Son, will place himself under God, who placed all things under him; and God will rule completely over all.

Were all of the angels in Heaven were aware of this special son of God? Did all the angels know the Son of God? It appears not.

If it were so there would be no explanation for the scene recorded in the Book of Revelation in chapter 5 verses 1 through 4:

1″And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.”

John is not witnessing an earthly scene but one played out in Heaven right before the throne of God.
When this scene occurs all the angels are assembled before the throne of God in attendance.

When as verse two states the cry goes out to those in attendance, “Who is worthy to open the book and loose the seals thereof?”, there is silence for no one among them was worthy to approach the throne of God.

Ask yourself this: If all present during that vision scene were familiar with who the chosen one was (Christ), then why would there have been any uncertainty and silence from those in attendance when the strong angel ask his question? There could have only been one possible choice given all he had done. Also they would have all known that the ‘chosen one’ would of course have to be the heir of the Kingdom. After all, all creation was to become his inheritance.

And if you will notice, Christ does not approach the throne of God out of the midst of the assembled group of angels, but is lead in to appear before the throne of God.

This is when the angelic body is introduced to the son of God and his identity becomes known to them.

The chief princes mentioned in the Book of Daniel are the original angelic servant who served God.

The seven stars that Jesus holds in his right hand are those angels subjected to Christ.

Again, if Christ was well known, there would have been no question as to who was worthy. And if he was a member of an existing group, certainly they would have known he was the worthy one.

Jesus is the only begotten son of God. Michael is as the Bible describes an archangel, one of the principal angels who served before God’s throne. These were the chief angels referred to in the Book of Daniel.

Charles Taze Russell’s Racist Views Printed in Watchtower Publications

“It is generally believed that the curse which Noah pronounced upon Canaan was the origin of the black race. Certain it is that when Noah said, “Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren,” he pictured the future of the Colored race. They have been and are a race of servants, but now in the dawn of the twentieth century, we are all coming to see this matter of service in its true light and to find that the only real joy in life is in serving others; not bossing them. There is no servant in the world as good as a good Colored servant, and the joy that he gets from rendering faithful service is one of the purest joys there is in the world”.
(The Golden Age, July 24, 1929, p. 702)

The quote above is but one of many comments that can be found on the pages of Watchtower publications that reveal the racist beliefs of its founder and subsequent leaders.

Multi-cultural at its ase and middle, but exclusively anglo at the top.

While today boasting to have millions of adherents world-wide, the make up of its leadership at the top has alway been caucasian.

Its hard to believe that out of all these millions that either holy spirit or the Lord would not grace men of other races to serve in the capacity of leadership as the so-called governing body of ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses nor that of ‘President’

The information in this article can e easily verify by anyone who would care to investigate its factuality and validity.

Reprint of July\Aug 1988 Bethel Min. Newsletter

Blacks and the Watchtower

Randall Watters

By Randall Watters (exerpt)

(Randall Watters left the Jehovah’s Witnesses during the 1980 shake-up of the New York Watchtower Headquarters)

Few religious organizations have escaped being tainted by racial prejudice at one time or another. While the Watchtower has not been alone in its preferential treatment of the Caucasian, its history is perhaps a little more interesting and at times amusing in regards to the black man. It is all the more fascinating when you discover how few people really know what the Watchtower has taught regarding racial inferiority.

Taking a glimpse back in time to the beginnings of the Watchtower organization, we find more than just silent prejudice at work. Several statements were put in print regarding the alleged inferiority of the black man! Let’s examine a few of these statements from the past, and then we’ll examine their present view of blacks and even Hispanics in the Governing Body.

From the beginning, President C. T. Russell believed that the millennial kingdom was about to break upon mankind, accompanied by life in paradise and a restoration of the earth to the condition as found in the garden of Eden. Though in this present life the black man was found to be inferior, Russell argues, this will work to his advantage during the millennium. Humility, promoted by a position of inferiority, would breed strength of character to the “colored” if they are so rightly exercised by it (in other words, if they remain humble and not challenge the status quo). Note the following from the April 1, 1914 Watchtower:

“If nature favors the colored brethren and sisters in the exercise of humility it is that much to their advantage, if they are rightly exercised by it. A little while, and our humility will work out for our good. A little while, and those who have been faithful to their Covenant of Sacrifice will be granted new bodies, spiritual, beyond the veil, where color and sex distinctions will be no more. A little while, and the Millennial kingdom will be inaugurated, which will bring restitution to all mankind, restitution to the perfection of mind and body, feature and color, to the grand original standard, which God declared “very good,” and which was lost for a time through sin, but which is soon to be restored by the powerful kingdom of Messiah”.
(p. 105106)

All men privileged to live in that “new world” would return to man’s original state, including man’s original color and language. And what was that color and language? White and Hebrew, according to the Watchtower. Under the subheading, “CAN THE ETHIOPIAN CHANGE HIS SKIN?”, the Feb. 15, 1904 Watch Tower responds,

“We answer, No. But all will admit that what the Ethiopian cannot do for himself God could readily do for him. The difference between the races of men and the differences between their languages have long been arguments against the solidarity of the human family. The doctrine of restitution has also raised the question. How could all men be brought to perfection and which color of skin was the original? The answer is now provided. God can change the Ethiopian’s skin in his own due time”.

Prof. H. A. Edwards, Supt. of Schools in Slater, Mo., has written for the public press an elaborate description of how Julius Jackson, of New Frankfurt, Mo., a negro boy of nine years, began to grow white in September, 1901, and is now fully ninetenths white. He assures us that this is no whitish skin disease; but that the new white skin is as healthy as that of any white boy, and that the changed boy has never been sick and never has taken medicines”.
(p.5253)

The reason for printing such a story, of course, is to demonstrate that God can and will change the “Ethiopian” (black man) into a white man in the New World.

The obvious question to ask at this point is, Why does the black man need to change? The reason they gave revealed their true feelings, as we see from the following excerpts:

“…The negro race is supposed to be descended from Ham, whose special degradation is mentioned in Gen. 9:22, 25”.
(Zion’s Watch Tower, August 1, 1898, p. 230)

“Noah declared, prophetically, that Ham’s characteristics which had led him to unseemly conduct disrespectful to his father, would be found cropping out later, inherited by his son,and prophetically he foretold that this degeneracy would mark the posterity of Canaan, degrading him, making him servile. We are not able to determine to a certainty that the sons of Ham and Canaan are the negroes; but we consider that general view as probable as any other”.
(Zion’s Watch Tower, July 15, 1902, p. 216)

The change was needed as a sign of removal of the curse; black skin was a blemish, so to speak. Yet the skin color of the black man was not the only thing about him that was apparently cursed. In an article attempting to prove the bigots of the day to be in error, an article was written entitled, “The Negro Not A Beast.” The Negro was declared to be indeed human, yet with the following qualification:

“While it is true that the white race exhibits some qualities of superiority over any other, we are to remember that there are wide differences in the same Caucasian (Semitic and Aryan) family; and also we should remember that some of the qualities which have given this branch of the human family its preeminence in the world are not such as can be pointed to as in all respects admirable….The secret of the greater intelligence and aptitude of the Caucasian undoubtedly in great measure is to be attributed to the commingling of blood amongst its various branches; and this was evidently forced in large measure by circumstances under divine control”.
(Zion’s Watch Tower, July 15, 1902, p.215216)

In an effort to provide hope for the Negro, the following story was related in the Zion’s Watch Tower of October 1, 1900, p. 296297:

CAN RESTITUTION CHANGE?

THE ETHIOPIAN’S SKIN?

The following, from the New York World, is the third we have seen reported. These suggest and illustrate the process of restitution soon due. The item reads:

From Black to White He Slowly Turned

“Parkersburg, W. Va., Sept. 8.It has fallen to the lot of the Rev. William H. Draper, pastor of the Logan Memorial church, of Washington Conference, A.M.E. church, of this town, to give a living affirmative answer to the famous Biblical question, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?”

Though once as black as charcoal, the Rev. Mr. Draper is now white. His people say that his color was changed in answer to prayer. Many years ago Draper was employed by a fairskinned man, and he was often heard to remark that if he could only be white like his employer, he would be happy. While in the white man’s service Draper `experienced’ religion.

From that day forward he prayed constantly and fervently that he might become white. Thirty years ago his prayer began to be answered. He first experienced a prickling sensation on his face, and upon close investigation found a number of small white spots scarcely larger than the point of a pin. He became alarmed, thinking he had some peculiar disease but he did not suffer and aside from the prickling sensation felt nothing unusual. Gradually the white spots became larger and extended themselves, until now, after the change has been in progress for over thirty years, Draper has not a single dark spot on his body”.

(Did this kind of thinking lead Michael Jackson, the famous deceased entertainer who was a member of ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses to ‘whitenize’ his skin? Did he feel inferior by having dark skin?)

The advantage of being viewed as inferior supposedly made one a good servant, and The Golden Age magazine (now Awake!), comments:

Even as recent as 1952, the Watchtower extols the “teachableness” of the Negro:

“Really, our colored brothers have a great cause for rejoicing. Their race is meek and teachable, and from it comes a high percentage of the theocratic increase“.
(The Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1952, p. 95)

Segregation was practiced during the days of C. T. Russell and even into Rutherford’s term as president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. This excerpt is taken from The Watch Tower of April 1, 1914, p. 105:

“Recognizing that it meant either the success or the failure of the enterprise of the [Photo] Drama as respects the whites, we have been compelled to assign the colored friends to the gallery, which, however, is just as good for seeing and hearing as any other part of The Temple. Some were offended at this arrangement.

We have received numerous letters from the colored friends, some claiming that it is not right to make a difference, others indignantly and bitterly denouncing us as enemies of the colored people. Some, confident that Brother Russell had never sanctioned such a discrimination, told that they believe it would be duty to stand up for equal rights and always to help the oppressed, etc. We were obliged to explain the facts, assuring all of our loving interest in the colored people, and of our desire to do them good, and not injury. We again suggested that if a suitable place could be found in which the Drama could be presented for the benefit of the colored people alone, we would be glad to make such arrangements, or to cooperate with any others in doing so”.

Intellectual Ability

Even more fascinating is the Watchtower’s early view of the lesser interest and intelligence of the Black and Hispanic races concerning the deeper things of the Bible. The Watchtower of April 15, 1900 said the following regarding blacks not participating in the “pioneer” work:

“There are probably as many as a hundred colored brethren on the Watch Tower lists, some of them very clear in the truth, and very earnest in its service, financially and otherwise. We have received letters from several of these, who had intended engaging in the volunteer work, expressing surprise that in the call for volunteers in the March 1st issue we restricted the inquiry to white Protestant churches. They rightly realized that we have not the slightest of race prejudice, and that we love the colored brethren with just the same warmth of heart that we love the white, and they queried therefore why such a distinction should be made in the call. The reason is that so far as we are able to judge, colored people have less education than whites, many of them quite insufficient to permit them to profit by such reading as we have to give forth. Our conclusion therefore is based upon the supposition that reading matter distributed to a colored congregation would more than half of it be utterly wasted, and a very small percentage indeed likely to yield good results”. (p. 122)

The average Jehovah’s Witness today that is confronted with this information would probably excuse the organization of being in error because “the light was dim” back then but that now the “light has gotten brighter and brighter,” and those days are long gone. It is true that times and attitudes have changed. Yet we should not be too hasty in concluding that the Watchtower has fully abandoned their old mentality. It was made known to me in 1977 while I was in charge of the printing of the Watchtower’s large Bible encyclopedia, the Aid to Bible Understanding, that it was not translated and printed in Spanish partly due to the lack of interest of the Spanish brothers in the deeper things of the Word! The feeling was that all that work would only go to waste among Hispanics.

Typical of the “Watchtower amnesia” regarding their own past history, they act today as if they never taught any prejudicial views, and that only the churches of Christendom are guilty of such things. Yet even the Catholic Church surpasses them in this regard! The Watchtower of Oct. 8, 1977 states:

“Even up to a hundred years ago the Catholic Church held the view that blacks were cursed by God”.

Maxwell explains that this view “apparently survived until 1873 when Pope Pius IX attached an indulgence to a prayer for the `wretched Ethiopians in Central Africa that almighty God may at length remove the curse of Cham [Ham] from their hearts.”
(p. 29. See also the 2/8/82 WT, p.1415.)

According to what the Watchtower is saying, the Catholic Church dropped their official prejudice against the black man at least 40 years before they did! Of course, they are banking on the fact that few Witnesses really know the history of the Watchtower organization. As has been demonstrated earlier, they viewed the curse of Ham as applying to the Negro as late as 1929!

Have Old Things Really Passed Away?

The Watchtower of modern times prides itself on its supposed freedom from racial prejudice as an organization (it does acknowledge individuals who have problems from time to time). It takes great delight in quoting the news media as they observe and comment on the massive assemblies across the world each year, with peoples from all races attending in harmony.

One observer they repeatedly quoted was G. Norman Eddy, who comments on Jehovah’s Witnesses:

“I am struck with their genuine high regard for the people of all races. Unlike some who pay lip service to the doctrine of racial brotherhood, the Witnesses welcome all to their society, even to places of outstanding leadership without reference to color or feature”.
(Journal of Bible and Religion, as quoted in the Jan. 15, 1973 WT, p. 37)

It is true that the assemblies of Jehovah’s Witnesses are remarkable in this regard, but so are many modern church groups across the country, especially among the charismatic persuasions. Yet unlike the churches, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has never had a non Caucasian in its membership, Negro, Hispanic or otherwise. (Samuel F. Herd was appointed to the governing body October 2, 1999 USA)

One non caucasian member in its entire history

Further, there are likely more subtle reasons behind the reluctance of the Governing Body to take in minorities. The unspoken requirements of serving as a member of the Governing Body apparently include having the same eccentricities and Victorian attitudes as the men already serving in such capacities, which are somewhat peculiar to certain older Caucasians of English-American descent. Any aspiring soul brother must put on the same attitudes in order to be trusted. While the Watchtower does have a few blacks in high position, including Circuit Overseers and members of the Service Department at Bethel, such ones have been promoted no higher, in spite of their adopting “white” attitudes. Perhaps with increased public pressure and the passing away of the older diehards, a black may be appointed to the Governing Body; time will tell. One thing for sure, they will have to lose their “soul” in order to do so!

Why Was Jerusalem Likened To Sodom?

Posted by Brother John Jones on August 26, 2020

Posted in: Antichrist, apostasy, faith, God and Christ, Heaven, Jehovah, Jesus, operation of error, Religion, terrorism. Tagged: backward, Christ, injustice, Sodom. Leave a comment

“And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Revelation 11:8

Sodom was a city full of injustices written in their laws.

Sodomite laws were completely backward and rewarded wrongdoing.

Details can be found in the Book of Jasher, Hebrew: סֵפֶר הַיׇּשׇׁר‎.

The Book of Jasher is referenced In Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18; And 2 Timothy 3:8.

The following are some examples of the perverted sense of justice of the inhabitants of Sodom.

When Abraham sent his servant Eliezer to Sodom, this is what occurred:

Jasher 19:12-22

12. And Eliezer went to Sodom, and he met a man of Sodom fighting with a stranger, and the man of Sodom stripped the poor man of all his clothes and went away.

13. And this poor man cried to Eliezer and supplicated his favor on account of what the man of Sodom had done to him.

14. And he said to him, Why dost thou act thus to the poor man who came to thy land?

15. And the man of Sodom answered Eliezer, saying, Is this man thy brother, or have the people of Sodom made thee a judge this day, that thou speakest about this man?

16. And Eliezer strove with the man of Sodom on account of the poor man, and when Eliezer approached to recover the poor man’s clothes from the man of Sodom, he hastened and with a stone smote Eliezer in the forehead.

17. And the blood flowed copiously from Eliezer’s forehead, and when the man saw the blood he caught hold of Eliezer, saying, Give me my hire for having rid thee of this bad blood that was in thy forehead, for such is the custom and the law in our land.

18. And Eliezer said to him, Thou hast wounded me and requirest me to pay thee thy hire; and Eliezer would not hearken to the words of the man of Sodom.

19. And the man laid hold of Eliezer and brought him to Shakra the judge of Sodom for judgment.

20. And the man spoke to the judge, saying, I beseech thee my lord, thus has this man done, for I smote him with a stone that the blood flowed from his forehead, and he is unwilling to give me my hire.

21. And the judge said to Eliezer, This man speaketh truth to thee, give him his hire, for this is the custom in our land; and Eliezer heard the words of the judge, and he lifted up a stone and smote the judge, and the stone struck on his forehead, and the blood flowed copiously from the forehead of the judge, and Eliezer said, If this then is the custom in your land give thou unto this man what I should have given him, for this has been thy decision, thou didst decree it.

22. And Eliezer left the man of Sodom with the judge, and he went away.

Imagine being legally forced to pay someone for assaulting you as if they had done you a favor!

One of their laws for instance, forbade its residents to offer assistance to travelers who passed through the city. If one was caught even giving a traveler a drink of water or a morsel of bread, the punishment was death. This is what happened to a daughter of Lot:

Consider Jasher 19:12-24-35

24 At that time the wife of Lot bare him a daughter, and he called her name Paltith, saying, Because God had delivered him and his whole household from the kings of Elam; and Paltith daughter of Lot grew up, and one of the men of Sodom took her for a wife.

25 And a poor man came into the city to seek a maintenance, and he remained in the city some days, and all the people of Sodom caused a proclamation of their custom not to give this man a morsel of bread to eat, until he dropped dead upon the earth, and they did so.

26 And Paltith the daughter of Lot saw this man lying in the streets starved with hunger, and no one would give him any thing to keep him alive, and he was just upon the point of death.

27 And her soul was filled with pity on account of the man, and she fed him secretly with bread for many days, and the soul of this man was revived.

28 For when she went forth to fetch water she would put the bread in the water pitcher, and when she came to the place where the poor man was, she took the bread from the pitcher and gave it him to eat; so she did many days.

29 And all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah wondered how this man could bear starvation for so many days.

30 And they said to each other, This can only be that he eats and drinks, for no man can bear starvation for so many days or live as this man has, without even his countenance changing; and three men concealed themselves in a place where the poor man was stationed, to know who it was that brought him bread to eat.

31 And Paltith daughter of Lot went forth that day to fetch water, and she put bread into her pitcher of water, and she went to draw water by the poor man’s place, and she took out the bread from the pitcher and gave it to the poor man and he ate it.

32 And the three men saw what Paltith did to the poor man, and they said to her, It is thou then who hast supported him, and therefore has he not starved, nor changed in appearance nor died like the rest.

33 And the three men went out of the place in which they were concealed, and they seized Paltith and the bread which was in the poor man’s hand.

34 And they took Paltith and brought her before their judges, and they said to them, Thus did she do, and it is she who supplied the poor man with bread, therefore did he not die all this time; now therefore declare to us the punishment due to this woman for having transgressed our law.

35 And the people of Sodom and Gomorrah assembled and kindled a fire in the street of the city, and they took the woman and cast her into the fire and she was burned to ashes.

Sodomites were completely and demonically backward in their reasoning or more accurately, their lack of reasoning.

Most people think of Sodom in terms of gross sexual immorality; and it was. But their sins were even more extensive.

Remember that God had condemned the City to destruction prior to the two angels arrival after which the men of the city demanded they be brought out to them.

Sodom, according to the Book of Jasher, was a city where adultery (wife swapping) was also a custom. Orgies seemed to big a favorite pastime.

They also tortured strangers when they would happen through:

Jasher 19:3-10

And by desire of their four judges the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had beds erected in the streets of the cities, and if a man came to these places they laid hold of him and brought him to one of their beds, and by force made him to lie in them.

4 And as he lay down, three men would stand at his head and three at his feet, and measure him by the length of the bed, and if the man was less than the bed these six men would stretch him at each end, and when he cried out to them they would not answer him.

5 And if he was longer than the bed they would draw together the two sides of the bed at each end, until the man had reached the gates of death.

6 And if he continued to cry out to them, they would answer him, saying, Thus shall it be done to a man that cometh into our land.

7 And when men heard all these things that the people of the cities of Sodom did, they refrained from coming there.

God and Christ compared Jerusalem to Sodom.

Jerusalem was never known as a city of gross sexual immorality. So on what basis was the comparison made?

God stated the sin of Sodom and it can be read at Ezekiel 16:49:

49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
Now we have a basis for comparison.

God declared that the sins of Judah, whose capital was Jerusalem were worse than those of the break away ten tribe kingdom to its north whose capital was Samaria. And that they were even worse than those of Sodom.

And Jesus made a similar comment regarding Jerusalem two times. Once when alive on Earth and a second time after his resurrection to Heaven.

When sending out the 70 disciples to minister ahead of his coming to the towns and villages, this is what he said:

Luke 10:1-14

1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.

6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:

9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,

11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.

And Christ did so again at the time he gave his prophetic vision to John. He then likens Jerusalem to Sodom:

Revelation 11:8

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Many believe that the “great city” that is mentioned here is the same great city mentioned in Revelation 16:19, “Babylon the Great”. But it could not be. Why not?

He gives a clue that he is speaking of Jerusalem as he refers to it as the place “where our Lord was crucified”.

The crowd of Israelites who demanded the death of an innocent man in exchange for the release of a guilty murder is very reminiscent of the mindset and behavior of the Sodomites.

Matthew 27:15–18 records the events:

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

“‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas’”

Jesus had been accused of crimes that could not be proven and were in fact based on a false allegation.

Then there was Barabbas who was basically a terrorist.

The crowd chose a murderer over the one who brings the dead back to life.

They chose evil over the one who loves perfectly.

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but the crowds roared to free Barabbas and to crucify Jesus.

It is true that God used this travesty of justice to fulfill his will in that it provided an innocent, pure sacrificial offering to redeem mankind.

This did not relieve his murderers from guilt.

Consider for yourself in what ways the people of Israel (Jerusalem ) manifested a spirit and behaviors like those Sodom was condemned for and how its modern day counterpart is just as reprehensible.

They Bore False Witness Against The Lord

Posted by Brother John Jones on August 24, 2020

Posted in: Religion. Leave a comment

Jesus answered, “Tear down this Temple, and in three days I will build it again.”

An Innocent Man Was Murdered Under False Accusation

Did Jesus say as many claim he said that he would tear down the Temple and rebuild it in three days?

No he did not. Yet this statement was attributed to him by those who went to the High Priest asking the charges be brought against him and is still repeated today.

The gospel of Mark relates their false accusation against him:

Mark 14:57-61a

57 Some stood up, and gave false testimony against him, saying,

58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’”

59 Even so, their testimony did not agree.

60 The high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against you?”

61 But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing.

Their testimony was completely false.

In the gospel John wrote, it is revealed what Jesus’ actual comments were.

Just after running the money changers out of the Temple, John wrote what Jesus actually said:

John 2:16-21

16 To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here. Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace.”

17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 The Jewish leaders therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

20 The Jewish leaders therefore said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”

21 But he spoke of the temple of his body.

Jesus did not tell them that he would destroy the existng Temple at all.

His words were in effect saying if ‘they’ destroyed that Temple that he had the power to rebuild it in three days. Which he did by his ransom sacrifice.

Even though the physical Temple structure was still standing, they had already destroyed it by their godless deeds and made it unclean. God’s Spirit could no longer dwell there and would soon depart. And they had rejected God’s Messiah who was His chosen High Priest.

God was instituting a ‘new arrangement’ in Christ and that came into being 3 days after Jesus had been crucified. This is what he was speaking of; but they failed to grasp the meaning of his words.

At the very moment life left from Jesus as he hung on the cross the Bible tell us what happened in the Temple:

Matthew 27:51

51 And look, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.

The curtain mentioned was the curtain between the Santuary and the Most Holy compartment. This was God’s Spirit leaving the Temple.

Jesus had told them this would happen:

Matthew 23:37,38

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her. How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not.

38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Compare Luke 13:35,36

34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

These events were the fulfillment of Jesus words. He was indeed innocent of the charges that were brought against him and that day they murdered and innocent man.

They not only took his words literally, but attributed things to him that he did not say. This false testimony was the major factor that led to charges being brought against him fore they were very proud of the Temple structure.

The former Temple arrangement was destroyed at Jesus death and 3 days later the finer new Temple arrangement came into existence.

When Jesus returned to Heaven he was anointed and consecrated as High Priest in Heaven.

Are You Grateful?

Posted by Brother John Jones on August 19, 2020

Posted in: Religion. Leave a comment

Are You grateful?? Are you dealing with an ingrate or with ingrates?

Do you take for granted the things you receive from others and the people who provide them to you? If the answer is yes…then you are indeed a ingrate.

The following is an article on the subject of ingratitude. It was so well written, it seemed fitting to post the writing as is. The article delves into ingratitude in all aspects of daily living and speaks to the ungrateful spirit in the would-be servants of God from the devil’s fall to those who claim to be disciples of Christ.

The Sin of Ingratitude

Ingratitude is an integral part of society. If you ask most people if they are ungrateful, they will probably reply, “Of course not!” However, this attitude is so ingrained in their lives, they cannot openly admit—or even realize—that they are ungrateful.

But how can you tell if you are ungrateful? Are there things that identify ingratitude? And if so, what can you do about it?

Webster’s Dictionary defines “Ingratitude” as: “Forgetfulness of, or poor return for, kindness received.” It can also be defined as not appreciating or valuing what you have, or have been given. Unexpressed gratitude is also ingratitude!

In today’s fast-paced world, most people seem to not have time for thankfulness. Work, traffic, family, soccer practice, doctor appointments, and countless other things are their main priorities. They seem to have no time to thank others.

But consider the following.

Have you ever given someone a gift and not received thanks for it? Have you ever been in a grocery store or restaurant and were not thanked for your business? Have you ever felt unappreciated by family or friends or at your workplace? If so, how did it make you feel? Probably not very good.

Have you ever thought about where this mindset of ingratitude comes from? This is vital to understand before one can overcome this problem.

Past to Present: One Nation—Ungrateful

If you live in America or any other nation descended from ancient Israel, you live in one of the most abundantly blessed lands in the world. This country enjoys plentiful food, shelter, electricity, running water, wealth, air conditioning, heating, transportation, sanitation, and many other blessings. If you live in one of these countries, take a moment to look around and fully take in all of the many blessings.

However, these lands are filled with chronic grumblers and complainers. Although there are countless blessings, there seem to always be countless things to gripe about—be it traffic, the economy, food prices, problems at work, difficulties with family, desire for additional material possessions, ill health, etc. Never before in the history of man has the world shown this horrible characteristic as it does today!

The Bible records the experiences of another nation—the ancient nation of Israel—who also constantly complained and murmured. No matter what God did for them, it was never enough.

After 430 years of slavery to the Egyptians, the Israelites, through God’s miraculous intervention, were released from bondage. As they left Egypt, God allowed them to collect riches, cattle, food, gold, jewels and supplies. God performed many miracles as they traveled through the wilderness. He selected them as His people, promising to take them to a land “filled with milk and honey.”

Notice God’s plain words to the Israelites: “And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8).

But this was not enough for them!

Upon approaching the Promised Land, the Israelites were instructed by God to send spies to survey the land. It was located between other nations that were enemies of Israel.

After forty days of spying the land, they returned. And presented to Moses, Aaron and the congregation of Israel the fruit from the land, saying, “We came unto the land whether you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey…Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great” (Num. 13:27).

Caleb, one of the spies, asked Moses for permission to take the land. But the other spies—except for Joshua—lied to the people, claiming that it was infested with strong, powerful giants.

Notice the reaction of the crowd: “And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt!…

“And wherefore has the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt” (Num. 14:2-4).

Israel was so blatantly ungrateful that they wanted to go back to Egypt—where they had undergone many hundreds of years of brutal slavery. They did not appreciate the astounding blessings that God provided or the many powerful miracles He performed for them.

Notice God’s response to their attitude: “And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people PROVOKE Me? And how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them…” (Num. 14:11-12).

However, Moses reasoned with God, prompting Him to change His mind.

Numbers 14 continues, “And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to your word…Because all those men which have seen My glory, and My miracles…have not hearkened to My voice; surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked Me see it…

“How long shall I bear with this EVIL CONGREGATION, which murmur against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against Me.

“Say unto them, As truly as I live, says the LORD, as you have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you: your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness…you shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein…But your little ones, which you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised…and the people mourned greatly…saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD has promised: for we have sinned” (Num. 14:20, 22-23, 27, 29, 31, 39-40).

God called the Israelites an “evil congregation” for their sinful ingratitude. To God, an ungrateful attitude is sin—evil—which provokes Him to anger! Although God did not strike Israel with pestilence at that time or disinherit them, He did cause them to wander in the wilderness for 40 additional years, until those that demonstrated this attitude died! Their murmurings and unthankful attitude condemned them from ever seeing the Promised Land!

Most are familiar with the phrase, “Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This applies to the modern-day descendants of Israel—the United States, Britain, Australia and other democratic, primarily English-speaking people scattered throughout the world. These nations are foretold to relive history—and experience many soon-coming horrific events for much the same reasons as ancient Israel!

Reaping Curses

Deuteronomy 28 has been called the “Blessings and Curses” chapter. It records a sobering warning to those who will heed it. This prophecy, given almost 3,500 years ago, recounts what is foretold to happen to proud, arrogant and ungrateful nations!

The first 14 verses describe the many wonderful blessings that are to be poured upon the nations that obey and worship God. The remaining part of the chapter lists the countless curses that are reaped for disobeying God:

“Because you serve not the LORD your God with joyfulness, and with GLADNESS OF HEART, for the abundance of all things; therefore shall you serve your enemies which the LORD shall send against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon your neck, until he have destroyed you.

“The LORD shall bring a nation against you from far, a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor to the young: and he shall eat the fruit of your cattle, and the fruit of your land, until you be destroyed…

“And he shall besiege you in all your gates, until your high and fenced walls come down, wherein you trusted, throughout all your land: and he shall besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land, which the LORD your God has given you” (Deut. 28:47-52).

Ingratitude is just one of many sins that the people of this country have committed—and will be led into captivity for! This is the warning from the pages of your Bible! Under captivity, all the grumbling, murmuring and complaining that consume people’s lives will be of no importance.

Ingratitude is a DEADLY SIN! The consequence for this sin is grave—and not to be taken lightly!

Ingratitude in Christ’s Day

Most are familiar with the many Bible accounts of Christ’s miracles. He walked on water, turned water into wine, fed thousands of people from a small amount of food, cast out demons and healed many people. But, although He healed many, how many do you think actually came back to thank Him? You will be surprised.

Luke’s gospel records one such miraculous healing. In this account, Christ healed ten lepers. Verse 12 records, “And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
“And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And He said unto him, Arise, go your way: your faith has made you whole” (Luke 17:12-19).

Of the ten lepers, only one returned to thank Christ. Think of that statement. Only one of the ten thanked God for healing them of an awful disease!

Notice Christ’s rhetorical question. Understanding the characteristics of human nature, He perfectly understood why the others had not returned to thank Him.

But why is mankind so intrinsically ungrateful?

The Most Common Sin

From television commercials, programs, movies, shopping malls and homes, a widespread attitude of SELFISHNESS is sweeping the nations of this world. Adults, children and teens are becoming more ungrateful each day.

A main accelerator of this ingratitude is commercialism. Society has been caught up in the “you-work-hard-so-you-deserve-a-new-car-and-a-vacation-in-Barbados” mentality. This, in turn, has caused many to believe the ideology that, if they do not acquire these extravagant luxuries, life is somehow treating them unfairly.

Before calling for a national day of fasting, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln stated, “We have been the recipients of the choicest blessings of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation ever has grown; BUT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN GOD! We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.”

This is a tremendously powerful statement! Since the time President Lincoln gave this speech, the wealth, prosperity and peace experienced by the United States is far greater—along with the attitude of pride, selfishness and ingratitude.

But if this same speech were given today, there would be quite an uproar!

The apostle Paul wrote, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, UNTHANKFUL, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (II Tim. 3:1-4).

These attitudes are becoming increasingly evident in these “last days.” (By these verses, even an atheist can recognize that we are living in these days by simply turning on the television!)

In contrast to Lincoln’s day, or even to fifty years ago, today’s ungrateful attitude is worse by far. If that generation forgot God, and the many blessings He provided for America, then this de-generation doesn’t even know God exists!

In this world of being obsessed with what’s “in”—from the newest fashions, to the latest songs and to absurd political correctness—GRATITUDE HAS BEEN ALL BUT DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

To find the source of this attitude, one must look in the pages of the Bible to find the most selfish, proud, arrogant, self-centered and ungrateful being that ever existed—Satan the devil.

Before his rebellion against God, Satan (first named Lucifer) was a perfectly created archangel. The prophet Isaiah records, “How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isa. 14:12-14).

Lucifer’s heart was lifted up with arrogance—vanity. He was ungrateful to God for giving him life.

Neither was he grateful to God for creating him so perfectly. Instead, he rebelled against God, choosing to believe that he was better than his Creator—that his way was greater than God’s Way.

As the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), he broadcasts this same attitude into us.

How to Be Grateful

It has been said that ingratitude is the most common sin. Although it is a part of our nature, there are ways that you can avoid being one of the many that commit the sin of ingratitude.

Below are just a few simple ways to show your gratitude toward God and fellowman:

Thank God daily: God commands us to go to Him in prayer with praise and thanksgiving. Do you thank Him daily?

The Bible is filled with examples of God’s servants showing their gratitude towards Him.

I Chronicles 29 records King David being deeply moved at the people’s generosity in preparing God’s Temple. David was inspired and expressed his earnest and sincere gratitude in honor of the great God. He exclaimed: “Blessed be You, LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of You, and You reign over all; and in Your hand is power and might; and in Your hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of You, and of Your own have we given You” (vs. 10-14).

Paul writes, “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks” (I Thes. 5:16-18).

Psalm 92 records a special Sabbath psalm used to praise God: “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Your name, O most High: to show forth Your loving kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night…For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work: I will triumph in the works of Your hands. O LORD, how great are Your works! And Your thoughts are very deep…You, LORD, are most High forevermore. For, lo, Your enemies, O LORD, for, lo, Your enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered” (vs. 1-2, 4-5, 8-9).

You should never run out of things to thank God for! Go to Him in prayer and continually thank Him for all the blessings He has provided you!

The Bible records God’s faithful servants continuously doing so. We also find that the Bible commands us to always give thanks and praise to God.

Why? Why does God command that we praise Him with thanksgiving? Does He require this because He needs our praises? NO!

This command is repeated throughout the Bible because WE need it! In order for us, as Christians, to be more like God—the most thankful Being in the universe—WE need to learn to be thankful and give praises every day!

Another vital way to demonstrate gratitude towards the great God is through tithes and offerings. The prophet Malachi records God’s words: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:8-10).

Although God provides absolutely everything that we have, He promises to provide more—through pouring out blessings from heaven—if we merely do our part by paying tithes and offerings! Through our heartfelt dedication in supporting His end-time Work, He promises us much more than we can possibly desire!

Say “Thank you” often: Many people fear thanking others. They often fall into the mentality that, by thanking, they are somehow in debt or owe something to that person. But the truth is far from this!

Throughout history, great men have been known for specifically thanking others. It is not a sign of weakness—it is a sign of MEEKNESS!

Think of the things that people do for you—from opening a door for you, to giving you a ride to the store, or providing a kind and reassuring word. We live in an age when common courtesy and politeness are all but extinct!

Say “thank you” and “please” often. You should never run out of people to thank. You would be surprised how happy those little words can make others feel!

Count your blessings, not your worries: Look around you. When was the last time you lost a loved one to starvation or rampant disease? When was the last time you gave up eating to make sure your children had food? When was the last time you had to sell your children because you did not have the money to survive or even provide for them? Chances are you have never experienced these things.

Unfortunately, these are grim realities that many around the world face each day. Thank God each day for all the terrible things that you have not had to endure!

It is common to fall into the routine of constant “grumbling” and complaining about problems and worries. When you find yourself complaining about finances, traffic, problems at work, family issues, car troubles, or whatever other difficulty or trial you may be experiencing, remember that everything God does and allows is for a reason. Although difficult, it is for a greater good—if you overcome them!

Consider the following analogy: Each ingredient used in making a cake is not always sweet or good to the taste. By themselves, their tastes can range from bitter, to salty, to sweet, to chalky. But the end result—the cake—is delicious and sweet!

King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, recorded, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecc. 3:1).

Although it is difficult to do, when you are experiencing trials, look for the good that God wants you to learn from them. For example, if you are having car problems, and will need an expensive repair, perhaps you are mishandling, or wasting money on other things, and God wants you to re-examine your budget. Many of the difficulties that you encounter can help you realize whether or not you are living properly. You can learn from these experiences!

When people grumble, they are complaining about a situation that God has allowed—and sometimes even caused—them to be in!

Paul admonishes us to “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:14-15).

Finally, consider Paul’s example of dealing with trials and afflictions: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Notwithstanding you have well done, that you did communicate with my affliction” (4:11-14). We must learn from experiences—both good and bad!

Things to Be Grateful For

The following lists just a few things which we should show gratitude for. Upon reading them, picture how your life would be without them:

Loving family and friends: After creating man, God declared, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him” (Gen. 2:18).

God created humans with the need for family. If you are married, appreciate your husband or wife. If you have children, appreciate all the fond memories that you are building together. Problems and arguments will occur from time to time, but at those moments, imagine your life without your loved ones. Realize how different it would be.

Employment: Without employment, how would you earn a living? How would you eat or feed your family? How would your rent or mortgage be paid? Every day, it seems headlines report some type of corporation “laying off” hundreds, even thousands of employees. Be thankful to God for the job He has provided for you. Although you may experience hardships with co-workers or employers, acknowledge that without your job, you would not have a means to support your family or yourself.

Food, clothing, shelter: Although man has systematically pillaged, destroyed and raped the land that provides the materials needed for food, clothing and shelter, the United States and the other modern-day descendants of Israel have an abundance of these great blessings. Other nations, however, do not. Appreciate these things!

God understands that, as physical humans, we need physical substances for survival. Notice: “And why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, o you of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?…For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things” (Matt. 6:28-32).

If God cares for and clothes even the flowers, how much more will He provide for those that obey Him? This is what His Word declares.

Are you grateful for this promise? Or do you take it for granted?

God’s truth: How much do you appreciate God’s Word—the Holy Bible? God has provided a way for us to know and understand His laws through this great Book of Instruction. Notice President Lincoln’s statement concerning it:

“I believe the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated through this Book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”

The apostle Peter stated to Christ, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

Do you feel the same way?

Dealing With Ingratitude

One of the most awkward and difficult situations for a person is dealing with an ungrateful person. Someone once said, “The quickest way to earn someone’s contempt is to do too much for them.”

An example of this was when some who had received food stamps for years, then had their benefits revoked by the government. This caused quite a commotion—many claimed to be victims of injustice. When in reality, they had long received something they did not earn.

Many times, people find themselves in a position of having done things for others for such a long time, that the other party begins to feel that they deserve it. While there are many principles that can be applied in such situations, there are two basic rules that can be applied to better handle this problem.

“The Golden Rule”: Many millions of professing Christians claim to follow the Bible. But why don’t they follow the laws and principles from it? And why, if so many do enjoy being appreciated or treated with gratitude, are there so many ungrateful people?

Matthew records, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (7:12, NKJV).

Most know this as “the Golden Rule”—to treat others how you wish to be treated. Many quote this verse, but rarely practice it. Yet this principle is vital in combating the pulls and lusts of “the flesh” (Rom. 8). This includes ingratitude.

When someone does something for you, think to yourself, “If I did this for someone, wouldn’t I like to receive a ‘thank you’?” Chances are, you would. You must fight against your human nature and show gratitude.

Paul records, “For what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I” (Rom. 7:15). Paul, who was an apostle and had personal encounters with the glorified Christ, wrote that even he had difficulties combating the inner self. This evidences that it is DIFFICULT to wage a war against the wicked, evil and sinful self! But with humility towards God, and asking for His help, it is possible!

The Principle of Cause and Effect: The principle of cause and effect is all around us. If the floor is wet, someone may slip and fall. If a car runs over a nail, the tire will become flat. This is common sense.

This principle can be described another way: Every action has a reaction. In examining today’s society, many do not recognize that this principle applies in their lives—through more ways than just the physical.

After Lucifer’s rebellion, he became the “prince of the power of the air,” and the “god of this world.” Since then, Satan’s way of life—the GET way—has pummeled humanity with his selfish, proud, rebellious and ungrateful attitudes. This is the CAUSE!

The EFFECT is the attitude present in society at large. Tuned into “the prince of the power of the air,” humanity has had a materialistic, selfish, “me-first” existence. They are following their god.

This is CAUSE and EFFECT!

People always notice when others are rude to them—a purely selfish action. They often think, “Look at how rude people are towards me…I am not being appreciated…I did not receive a ‘thank you’ for kindness that I performed.”

This is the initial action that gets people to react in the same rude, ungrateful attitudes demonstrated to them. Although they did not appreciate it when they were on the receiving end, they “dish it out,” because they feel that they were treated unfairly.

This cycle has always been in effect throughout mankind’s history. After 6,000 years of injustice, misrule and destruction, ingratitude is merely one of the many “effects” mankind has brought upon itself!

The Choice is Yours

Always remember that ingratitude is a deadly sin. God directly calls it evil! An ungrateful attitude is something that most are unaware that they have, but everyone else sees! It is a deep character flaw. Although few will tell you about it, ingratitude sticks out like a sore thumb.

Often, it goes unchanged and untreated, because of people’s ignorance of it. It is something that, after many years of “perfecting,” needs to be completely removed!

Remember Israel’s example. They grumbled, complained and showed ingratitude because they were afraid of being unable to overcome the “giants” that might have kept them from the Promised Land.

But in reality, the only “giant” that held them back from enjoying this great blessing from God was their ingratitude! An entire generation—except for two men—died without seeing this land!

Learn from this example. An ungrateful attitude exists in our human nature. But simple steps can be taken to overcome it. By honestly analyzing yourself, and applying biblical rules and principles of etiquette, you can ENSURE that you are not committing this most common—and DEADLY—sin.

Remember Paul’s three commands for true Christians:

(1) “Rejoice evermore.”

(2) “Pray without ceasing.”

(3) “In everything give thanks.”

Do not let this sin keep you from God’s many promises! Do not let it steal your happiness. The choice is yours!
https://rcg.org/articles/tsoi.html

Pagan Origin Of The Names of the Days and Months and the Planets

Posted by Brother John Jones on August 19, 2020

Posted in: Religion. Leave a comment

We speak the names of the gods on a daily basis and most people do not even realize it. Every day of the week, religious and non-religious people alike follow the old pagan tradition of giving thanks to the gods of old. Many do so unknowingly.

While careful attention has been given over many centuries to make certain that the Hebrew God and names associated with the Bible are not used, evidence clearly shows that pagans have ‘tagged’ everything they can with the names of their false gods. This was not a coincidence.

In ancient Mesopotamia, astrologers assigned each day of the week the name of a god. In a culture where days were consumed by religion, it is unsurprising that the days of the week were made in homage to the gods believed to rule the lives of mortals.

Many centuries later, the Romans, upon beginning to use the seven day week, adopted the names of the week to fit their own gods. These were then adopted by Germanic people who also adjusted the names according to their gods. It is predominantly these Germanic and Norse gods that have lived on today in the days of the week, which are outlined below.

Pagan names of the weekdays

Sunday, as you may be able to guess, is the “Sun’s Day” – the name of a pagan Roman holiday. In many folklore traditions, Sunday was believed to be a lucky day for babies born. Many societies have worshiped the sun and sun-gods. Perhaps the most famous is the Egyptian Sun-god Ra, who was the lord of time.

Monday comes from the Anglo-Saxon ‘monandaeg’ which is the “Moon’s Day”. On this day people gave homage to the goddess of the moon. It was believed by ancients that there were three Mondays during the year that were considered to be unlucky: first Monday in April, second in August and last in December.

Tuesday is the first to be named after a Germanic god – Tiu (or Twia) – a god of war and the sky and associated with the Norse god Tyr, who was a defender god in Viking mythology. Tiu is associated with Mars. He is usually shown with only one hand. In the most famous myth about Týr he placed his hand between the jaws of the wolf Fenrir as a mark of good faith while the other gods, pretending to play, bound the wolf. When Fenrir realised he had been tricked he bit off Tyr’s hand.

Wednesday means “Woden’s Day” (in Norse, ‘Odin’), the Old Norse’s equivalent to Mercury, who was the messenger to the gods and the Roman god of commerce, travel and science. He was considered the chief god and leader of the wild hunt in Anglo-Saxon mythology, but the name directly translated means “violently insane headship” – not exactly the name of a loving and kind god! Woden was the ruler of Asgard, the hoe of the gods, and is able to shift and change into different forms.

Thursday was “Thor’s Day”, named after the Norse god of thunder and lightning and is the Old Norse equivalent to Jupiter. Thor is often depicted holding a giant hammer and during the 10 th and 11 th centuries when Christians tried to convert the Scandinavians, many wore emblems of Thor’s hammer as a symbol of defiance against the new religion.

Friday is associated with Freya, the wife of Woden and the Norse goddess of love, marriage and fertility, who is equivalent to Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

Lastly, Saturday derives from “Saturn’s Day”, a Roman god associated with wealth, plenty and time. It is the only English week-day still associated with a Roman god, Saturn. The Hebrews called Saturday the “Sabbath”, meaning, day of rest. The Bible identifies Saturday as the last day of the week.

The seven-day week originates with in ancient Babylon prior to 600 BC, when time was marked with the lunar cycle, which experienced different seven-day cycles. A millennium later, Emperor Constantine converted Rome to Christianity and standardised the seven-day week across the Empire. Rome may initially have acquired the seven-day week from the mystical beliefs of Babylonian astrologers. But it was the biblical story of creation, God making the Heavens and Earth and resting on the seventh day that will have led the first Christian emperor of Rome to make sure it endured to this day.

But how did this planetary week come to be so commonly used in the professing Christian world?
Hutton Webster, in his book Rest Days, provides the answer: “The early Christians had at first adopted the Jewish seven-day week with its numbered weekdays, but by the close of the third century AD this began to give way to the planetary week. . . . The use of planetary names by Christians attests the growing influence of astrological speculations introduced by converts from paganism. . . . Thus, gradually a pagan institution was engrafted on Christianity”.

This planetary week with its days named after pagan deities is not of God. God Almighty did create the week with seven days, but He merely numbered the days one through seven (Genesis 1:3—2:3). The only day He named was the seventh day, calling it the “Sabbath” (Exodus 16:22-26; 20:8-11).

Pagan origin of the names of the months

A few names of the month were derived from Roman deities( not human). Four came from the numbers of the months. In two cases in honor of Roman emperors who were regarded as deities ( Pontifus Maximus).

January
Named after the Roman god of beginnings and endings Janus (the month Januarius).

February
The name comes either from the old-Italian god Februus or else from februa, signifying the festivals of purification celebrated in Rome during this month.

March
This is the first month of the Roman year. It is named after the Roman god of war, Mars.

April
Called Aprilis, from aperire, “to open”. Possibly because it is the month in which the buds begin to open.

May
The third month of the Roman calendar. The name probably comes from Maiesta, the Roman goddess of honor and reverence.

June
The fourth month was named in honor of Juno. However, the name might also come from iuniores (young men; juniors) as opposed to maiores (grown men; majors) for May, the two months being dedicated to young and old men.

July
It was the month in which Julius Caesar was born, and named Julius in his honor in 44 BCE, the year of his assassination. Also called Quintilis (fifth month).

August
Originally this month was called Sextilis (from Sextus, “six”), but the name was later changed in honor of the first of the Roman emperors, Augustus (because several fortunate events of his life occurred during this month).

The remaining four month’s name are based on prefixes derived from latin numbers:

September
The name comes from septem, “seven”.

October
The name comes from octo, “eight”

November
The name comes from novem, “nine”.

December
The name comes from decem, “ten”.

The Hebrew months were originally numbered, but over time names were given to them. For instance, Abib, the first month of spring, means “green [ears of barley]” (this month is also called Nisan, meaning “their flight [out of Egypt]”). Later, the apostate Jews borrowed Babylonian names for many of their months, some of which (e.g., Tammuz) refer to pagan deities.

Pagan origin of the names of the planets (except Earth)

The official names of planets and their moons are governed by an organization called the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU was established in 1919. Its mission is “to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation”…..and obviously to promote false worship.

Most of the objects in our solar system received names long ago based on Greek or Roman mythology. The IAU has therefore adopted this tradition in its rules for naming certain types of objects in the solar system.

With the exception of Earth, all of the planets in our solar system have names from Greek or Roman mythology. This tradition was continued when Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were discovered in more modern times.

Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and thievery in Roman mythology. The planet probably received this name because it moves so quickly across the sky.

Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The planet is aptly named since it makes a beautiful sight in the sky, with only the Sun and the Moon being brighter.

Mars is the Roman god of War. The planet probably got this name due to its red color.

Jupiter was the King of the Gods in Roman mythology, making the name a good choice for what is by far the largest planet in our solar system.

Pluto is the Roman god of the underworld in Roman mythology. Perhaps the planet received this name because it’s so far from the Sun that it is in perpetual darkness.

Unknowingly everyday throughout the world, pagan gods are glorified when we use their names to identify the days of the week, the months of the years, and when we make reference to planetary bodies.

Flee To The City Of Refuge!

Posted by Brother John Jones on August 18, 2020

Posted in: Religion. Leave a comment

Flee to The City of Refuge!

Refuge Is In Jesus

The cities of refuge were a provision under the Law of Moses that provided safe haven for the unintentional man-slayer. There were six major cities designated; although recorded history indicates that there were a total of 48 cities that served as cities of refuge. The map below displays their locations:

Map Levitical Cities Refuge

The first mention of the establishment of such places was recorded in Scripture in the Book of Exodus in chapter 21 and verse 13. From the New International Translation (NIV) of the Holy Bible we read beginning with verse 12:

12 “Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death. 13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a “place” I will designate. 14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.”

That these “places” were to be cities, is clearly explained by Almighty God himself when he spoke to Joshua. Joshua 18:1-6 reads:

“The Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: that the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unwittingly, and hated him not before time. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.” (Josh. 20:1-6).” King James Version (KJV)

God Almighty had established laws or statues in order that the Israelites would maintain a righteous standing before Him. He gave Laws that governed how they were to respond to both deliberate murder and cases in which someone unintentionally caused the death of a fellow human being.

As we examine Scripture, we will look at the practical wisdom in the application of this provision of His justice system. This provision is a pattern of a more grand Heavenly provision that God has establish in order that we may escape bloodguilt in these all important “last days”. Today is the paramount time in human history in which to seek refuge as the fear inspiring Day of Jehovah approaches.

This provision was created with a specific circumstance in mind that would require a person to flee and seek asylum. Could the issue of unintentional manslaughter in a spiritual sense exist upon an individual or group of individuals today?

This article will highlight the parallels that should concern any Jehovah’s Witness who by ignorance and blindness have aided in teaching false and misleading doctrines. Though they have done this with no malice of forethought, a very similar situation still exist as it did with the unintentional man-slayer back in the days of Joshua. In order to escape Divine Judgement from God, they must seek the one and only City of Refuge available in these final days before Jehovah’s Day of accountability.

God’s Holy Avenger is in pursuit!!

“Clear the Way“

Since the city of refuge was the only safe haven for the unintentional manslayer, it was imperative that the roads to them be visible and unobstructed. The cities that served as these safe-havens would have been of no value if they were inaccessible or if their locations were unknown. Therefore, guidelines were created in order to ensure that the guilty party could indeed successfully reach them. According to Mishneh Torah, Laws Regarding Murder and the Preservation of Life 8:5, “The court is obligated to straighten the roads to the cities of refuge, to repair them and broaden them. They must remove all impediments and obstacles. . . . Bridges should be built (over all natural barriers) so as not to delay one who is fleeing to [the city of refuge]. The width of a road to a city of refuge should not be less than thirty-two cubits” (approximately 42 feet).

At each city served men who acted as a Court. The Court was to weigh the evidence in each case to determine whether or not it was a case of murder or manslaughter. It was also the Court’s responsibility to straighten the roads and broaden them where necessary. The Court of elders’ were obligated to post signs reading “Refuge, Refuge” along the way at all crossroads. However, it was the responsibility of the communities along the road to make sure there were no obstacles in the road that would be an impediment to travel. There are accounts that state that individual citizens would often shout out to the fleeing person, “City of refuge!” and point the way toward safe-haven as well.

Although Jehovah’s Witnesses were mentioned earlier in particular; all humans on Earth who seek to survive the coming Judgment need to get into the modern-day City of Refuge. Because of the sin of the first humans Adam and Eve, all their future children also came under condemnation to death from God as they did. Thus, all humanity after them fell into need of redemption.

The Messiah, Jesus Christ said of himself, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If YOU men had known me, YOU would have known my Father also; from this moment on YOU know him and have seen him.” John 14:6,7. (NWT) The only salvation held out before humankind is offered through Lord Jesus Christ. Only by accepting him and following his commands can we reach the safety of God’s Divine covering. He is the only mediator between God and humankind. He alone is the channel of God. His arrival on the earthly scene and his life was just as clearly marked as those ancient roads to refuge. And as Christ followers our teaching and preaching of the Good News of the Kingdom should be just as clear. We as Christians have a personal obligation before our Lord and our God to clear any obstructions that would prevent someone from reaching the refuge that Jehovah God has offered by means of His son Jesus Christ.

Sad to say that has not been the case anywhere in the world of organized religion. They have all failed, including Jehovah’s Witnesses. How have Jehovah’s Witnesses failed in this sense?It is by preaching and teaching a concoction that is a mixture of truth and lies in the name of Jehovah God. By doing so, they have not cleared the way but rather have obstructed it. By doing so, they have misdirected millions off the Way and led them away from the asylum that the true City of Refuge will provide. They have turned aside those who have come to them earnestly seeking God by misrepresenting Him and His name. They have also shut the ears of those of mankind they attempt to witness to because those people have enough Biblical understanding to know that much of what they teach is contrary to true Christian faith.

Stumbling blocks along the road

When the Watchtower teaches that its Governing Body is the exclusive source of Divine instruction they usurp Christ authority. They call the Watchtower Society; “God’s spirit directed organization”. Do you notice the complete omission of Jesus Christ in that statement? Reconsider Jesus’ words in John 14:6,7. They effectively stand at the “crossroads” and beckon would be seekers of refuge to take some course that is tangent to the correct course. Imagine unscrupulous people along the roads to the cities of refuge deliberately misguiding runners off the road! This is what the Watchtower and all false Christianity has done and is doing. How well Jesus’ word recorded in Matthew’s gospel applies to them. Matthew 23:13 states:

13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (NIV)

The Messiah warned of the grave consequences to all who set stumbling blocks before his sheep. These are his words from Matthew 18:6:

6 “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” English Standard Version (ESV)

There were no doubt consequences as a result of suchlike behavior meted out to anyone who misled and impeded the passage of those fleeing on the roads to the cities of refuge. Perhaps these inferences drawn from Scripture will help you see that teaching false and misleading doctrine is no light matter in Jesus Christ eyes. Some have convinced themselves that it will all be okay and God will overlook the matter. They may think to themselves, “Surely the Lord will forgive us! After all look at all the good we have done in his name!”

But, cannot that same claim be made by all the so-called Christian denominations? Many are involved in charitable works and the like. And most of their followers have found some benefit by being associated with them. Remember that Satan is very artful at deceiving by obscuring wicked intent with a little dose of truth or good works. William Shakespeare put it well when he said, “The devil can cite scripture for his own purpose! An evil soul producing holy witness is like a villain with a smiling cheek.” [Merchant Of Venice]. Apparently, Shakespeare had more spiritual awareness on this subject than current adherents to the Watchtower Society.

Lord Jesus said such “fake” Christians would be present in the last days.

Matthew 7:15-23

15 “Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. 16 You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs. 17 A healthy tree bears good fruit, but a poor tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a poor tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 And any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. 20 So then, you will know the false prophets by what they do.

“I Never Knew You”

21 “Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. 22 When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ 23 Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!”
Good News Translation (GNT)

Soon the Son of Man will return and completely reveal and destroy these workers of lawlessness. We for our part, must be involved in the work of exposing these “stumbling blocks” and these “jagged rocks” as Jude calls them.

Jude 1:12

12 “These people are like jagged rocks just below the surface of the water waiting to snag you when they join your love feasts. They feast with you without reverence. They care only for themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; fruitless autumn trees, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom the darkness of the underworld is reserved forever.”
Common English Bible (CEB)

Christian imposters inspired by the Devil seek to shipwreck the faith of those seeking the mercy Jehovah God has extended to mankind; true refuge in Jesus Christ. He is the ‘Road’ and the ‘City’ of salvation. And now we will consider his other role.

The Avenger Of Almighty God—–Run for your life!

Colossians 1:16-18 tells us:

16 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.…”
New English Translation (NET)

The verses cited above are so very, very true and are demonstrated by the lessons we glean from the ancient City of Refuge provision instituted at God’s command.

The following text from The Jewish Encyclopedia offers insight into the avenger of blood and who among the family served this role when needed: (Note: The name of the Divine One is shown accurately as the tetragrammaton was written-HWHY. For the purposes of languages that are read from left to right, such as English, the letters would appear as YHWH)

THE AVENGER OF BLOOD (Hebrew go’el)

1906 The Jewish Encyclopedia

(Hebrew “go’el”): The Hebrew name for the clansman, “next of kin,” upon whom devolved the duties: (1) of avenging, on the person of the murderer, the blood of a murdered kinsman—in this capacity the more specific term “go’el ha-dam” (blood-avenger) was generally used—and (2) of redeeming the property or the person of a relative that had fallen into debt.

Among Primitive Peoples

(1) Among primitive people of low political development—such as the ancient Greeks, Germans, and Slavs, some North American tribes, the modern Sicilians, Corsicans, and Arabs—the clan or family had to assume the right to protect itself. One of the most important clan duties then was plainly for the nearest of kin to hunt down and carry out the death-penalty on a person that had slain a member of the sept or family. That this idea of family retribution—which even today is by no means extinct in some comparatively civilized communities—was also current among the ancient Hebrews may be seen from Gen. xxvii. 45, where the existence of the custom is clearly taken for granted. It appears, furthermore, from Josh. vii. 24, and II Kings ix. 26, that, in the most primitive period, such a vendetta was extended to the entire family of the murderer, as is still the custom among the desert Bedouins. The Hebrew religious justification for the system of family blood-revenge was undoubtedly the firm belief that God, in order to insure the sacredness of human life, had Himself fixed the death penalty for murder (Gen. ix. 5 et seq.; Lev. xxiv. 17). In the earliest times blood-money was not accepted either for murder or for excusable homicide. Such a payment would have made the land “polluted by blood” (Num. xxxv. 31 et seq.). Unavenged blood “cried out” for vengeance to God (Gen. iv. 10; Isa. xxvi. 21; Ezek. xxiv. 7 et seq.; Job xvi. 18). The Avenger of Blood, then, was regarded as the representative, not only of the murdered man’s family, but of HWHY Himself, who was the highest avenger (Ps. ix. 13 [A. V. 12]).

The Family Executioner

In a case in which the verdict against the slayer was one of willful murder, the murderer incurred the blood-revenge without any restrictions. If he were already in a city of refuge, the elders of his own city were obliged to fetch him thence by force if necessary, and to deliver him formally to the Avenger of Blood, who thus became little more than a family executioner (Deut. xix. 11 et seq.).

Two very important restrictions should here be noticed: (a) Although the entire family or gens to which the murdered man belonged were theoretically entitled to demand the blood-revenge (II Sam. xiv. 7), still, in the practise of later times, only one member—for example, the next of kin, who was also legal heir—might assume the duty of carrying it out. According to the later Jewish tradition, when there was no heir, the court had the right to assume the position of the “go’el.” (b) The law expressly states that the blood-revenge was applicable only to the person of the guilty man and not to the members of his family as well (Deut. xxiv. 16; compare II Kings xiv. 6). This is a most significant advance on the primitive savage custom that involved two gentes in a ceaseless feud. Anent this advance, it is interesting to note that, in the time of the kings, the king himself, as the highest judicial authority, was entitled to control the course of the blood-revenge (II Sam. xiv. 8 et seq.).

Redeemer of His Kinsmen

(2) As indicated above, the term “go’el” had also a secondary meaning. From the idea of one carrying out the sentence of justice in the case of blood-shed, the word came to denote the kinsman whose duty it was to redeem the property and person of a relative who, having fallen into debt, was compelled to sell either his land or himself as a slave to satisfy his creditors (compare Lev. xxv. 25, 47-49). It would appear from Jer. xxxii. 8-12 that the “go’el” had the right to the refusal of such property before it was put up for public sale, and also the right to redeem it after it had been sold (see Ruth).

From the Book of Ruth (iv. 5) it would appear that the duty of the nearest of kin to marry the widow of his relative in case of the latter’s dying without issue was included in the obligations resting upon the “go’el”; but inasmuch as the term is not used in the passage in Deut. (xxv. 8-10) in which this institution is referred to—the obligation resting upon the brother to marry his deceased brother’s widow—the testimony of so late a production as Ruth cannot be pressed. The usage in the book may not be legally accurate.

From this idea of the human “go’el” as a redeemer of his kinsmen in their troubles, there are to be found many allusions to HWHY as the Divine Go’el, redeeming His people from their woes (compare Ex. vi. 6, xv. 13; Ps. lxxiv. 2), and of the people themselves becoming the “redeemed” ones of HWHY (Ps. cvii. 2; Isa. lxii. 12). The reference to God as the “go’el” and as the one who would “redeem” His people was applicable to the relationship between HWHY and Israel in the exilic period, when the people actually looked to their God to restore their land for them, as the impoverished individual looked to his kinsman to secure a restoration of his patrimony.

Hence, of thirty-three passages in which “go’el” (as a noun or verb) is applied to God, nineteen occur in the exilic (and post-exilic) sections of Isaiah—the preacher par excellence of “restoration”—for example, in xlviii. 20, xlix. 26, lii. 9, lxii. 12, etc. See Asylum; Cities of Refuge; Job; Murder.

Bibliography:
A. H. Post, Studien zur Entwicklungsgeschichte des Familienrechts, 1890, pp. 113-137;
W. R. Smith, Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabia, pp. 22 et seq., 38, 47, 52 et seq.;
idem, Religion of the Semites, 2d ed., pp. 32 et seq., 272 et seq., 420;
Nowack, Lehrbuch der Hebr. Archäologie, i., ch. ii., 1894;
Kohler, Zur Lehre von dèr Blutrache, 1885;
Bissell, The Law of Asylum in Israel, 1884;
Jastrow, Avenger, Kinsman, and Redeemer in the O. T., in The Independent, Aug. 27, 1896;
Benzinger, Hebräische Archäologie, p. 335.

end of comments

Jesus Christ as the Avenger of Blood

When the angel now known as the Devil and Satan rebelled against Almighty God and then proceeded to induce the first human couple into sinning against Jehovah God, he became a murderer. His actions were the result of no accident; they were intentional. Satan knew what Law God had given to Adam and Eve and what the result of disobedience would be. The question he posed to Eve is proof of that.

Scripture tells us in John 8:44:

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (KJV)

There was no refuge available to him any more than there was for the intentional man-slayer. Therefore, Jehovah God called upon the “next of kin” to perform the duties of the family executioner. Jesus is God’s only begotten son and the “firstborn of all creation”. So it is only fitting that he serve in this role. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the avenger of blood was in most cases the legal heir. This facet also applies aptly to Jesus Christ.

There are many Scriptures that portray God’s only begotten son as His appointed Avenger of Blood.

Below, we read from the Book of Revelation that the Great Justice, Jehovah God has judged what is described as the “great prostitute”, “Babylon the Great”, and “that woman Jezebel” for the spilling of the innocent blood of His servants.

Revelation 19:2

“For his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

2 Kings 9:7

“And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel (see Revelation 2:20) the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord.”

Revelation 6:10

“They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Revelation 18:21-24

21 And a strong angel lifted up a stone like a great millstone and hurled it into the sea, saying: “Thus with a swift pitch will Babylon the great city be hurled down, and she will never be found again. 22 And the sound of singers who accompany themselves on the harp and of musicians and of flutist and of trumpeters will never be heard in you again, and no craftsman of any trade will ever be found in you again, and no sound of a millstone will ever be heard in you again, 23 and no light of a lamp will ever shine in you again, and no voice of a bridegroom and of a bride will ever be heard in you again; because your traveling merchants were the top-ranking men of the earth, for by your spiritistic practice all the nations were misled. 24 Yes, in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (NWT)

Psalm 9:12

“For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.”

We see from the Scriptures above that Jehovah God has throughout human history called for an accounting from those shedding innocent blood and that prophecy reveals He will call for an accounting in these “last days”.

Redeemer of Mankind

The Apostle Paul’s words in his letter to the congregations in Ephesus, speak to Christ Jesus’ role as “Redeemer” of all humans.

Ephesians 1:6-7

6 “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
King James Version (KJV)

Once again we see the pattern God set long ago.

Identifying the City of Refuge

There are many that believe that the modern-day City of Refuge is found in application to human religious organizations. Is that accurate? Well, if we ponder on the specific duties performed in the ancient cities of refuge, we will have to admit that this conclusion could not be correct.

The Court of elders in these cities sat in judgement. They deliberated over the evidence in each particular case to come to a decision as to an individual’s guilt or innocence. They presided over a matter concerning life and death. That authority rest in the Heavenly Supreme Court and a Heavenly Judge has been appointed to this responsibility. Note what 2 Corinthians 5:10 states very clearly:

10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (NIV)

Now, we should really be able to appreciate the words of the Apostle Paul at Colossians 1:16-18:

16 “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” (NKJV)

Seek Refuge in Christ While There is Still Time

It should be clear that Jesus Christ himself is the City of Refuge. He is the Way or Road to refuge and salvation. Lord Jesus is Almighty God’s next of kin, rightful heir, and so justly is the pursuing AAvenger of Blood.

Let us take up our responsibility before Jehovah God and His son Lord Christ Jesus as citizens of the Christian Nation. Let us clear the path from the obstacles that the Devil and his minions have set as stumbling block by preaching the pure Gospel of the good news. Let us shout a warning to all seeker of salvation and point them in the only direction that they can find any salvation; to only Savior and Lord Christ Jesus.

If we do not, they will be caught by the Avenger outside the City of Refuge in these Final Days and face eternal destruction.

‘1914’ The Number That Became A False Image

Posted by Brother John Jones on August 14, 2020

Posted in: Religion. Leave a comment

This post is concerning an important number in the minds of all who have been taught as Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Why ‘1914’ Doesn’t Equal 1914 C.E./ Different Unit Of Measure

IMPORTANT FOR PRESENT AND FORMER JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

This brief article will not dispute the method used in determining the start date nor the time length of the prophetic period. For this discussion the period began 606/607 B C.E. when King Nebuchadnezzar took sovereignty away from Judah and was to last 7×360 or 2,520 years.

Nor is about varying arguments about interpreting the prophecy concerning the ‘gentile times’that is found in the Book of Daniel.

In correlation with other Scripture the end of this period would mark the end of the absence of Divine rulership and non intervention and it would mark the beginning of what Scripture referred to as “the last days”.

During these last days, the One with the right to rule (Lord Jesus Christ) would appear and re-establish the presence of Divine rulership near the end of the last days

It does NOT agree with the common assumption of when this prophetic period expired that is, 1914 A.D /C.E.

This can be easy proven.

IF YOU BELIEVE as Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in the significance of the number ‘1914’ in knowing when the Gentile Times (appointed times of the nations) came to its end, then please take note and consider:

Different Units Of Measurement

Yard to meters….gallons to liters….etc. When going from one standard of measure to another, naturally some mathematical conversion is necessary.

That is always important to keep in mind when solving math problems.

How The Number 1914 Was Derived

The number “1914″ is a number derived from subtracting 606/607 from the number 2,520. That number is: 1914 lunar calendar years that were remaining till expiration when the Common Era calendar came into use. That number is defined therefore as: 1914 lunar-years counting down.

The Biblical Year Length

The calendar referred to in the Bible is a 360 day per year calendar. We calculate the 2,520 year period using this 360 day per year calendar.

According to the calendar used in the Bible, that number of 1914 years is equal to 1914 times 360 days; which is equal to 689,040 days total.

The Common Era Year Length

Our current Common Era calendar is based on a 365 day year.

1914 common era years are therefore equal to 1914 times 365 days; which is equal to 698,610 days total.

You can easily see the two are not equals of one another.They do not equal and therefore are not the same.

There is a difference of 9,570 days between the two calendars . In Common Era years that equals 26.21 years.

Because of this difference, there is a 26.21 common era year deviation from the original “1914″ we started with.

1914 C.E. is therefore more than 26 years off from the actual end date

Since “1914″ in this math problem is a number in a sequence of numbers counting down, mathematically it is a negative number (-1914) . Since it is used to find the difference between the two calendars, that result is also a negative (-26.21 C.E.).

-26.21 C.E. is the conversion factor needed to solve for the correct common era end date

This all reduces to a simple addition of the two numbers.

-1914.00
– 26.21C.E.
_____________
1940.21 C.E.

The mathematics involved in solving this problem is not as simple and as straightforward as a person might intuitively think.

The plot attached is based on the equation written below it, which is this problem in math form.

This equation is the mathematical representation of the question: What C.E. date corresponds to the end of the Gentile Times?

In conclusion, the date 1914 C.E. is a false numerical positive that ultimately became to be worshipped. The number 1914 as it pertains to this biblical prophecy never has had any connection to the year 1914 CE.

This mistaken identification has altered many’s perception of where they actually stands in the stream of time by better than 26 years.

The Gentile Times came to its conclusion in 1940 C.E.

Is 607 B.C.E. a Valid or an Invalid Date?

Is 607B.C.E. worthy to be considered as a valid date or not?

For your consideration.

What event marked the beginning of the “gentile times”?

There are several factors that must be scrutinized before one can develop an accurately informed opinion as to whether or not the date 607 B.C.E. is a “valid” date.

The use of the word “valid” is critical of course, because it must first be understood:

Valid of or for what exactly?

What purportedly is supposed to have occurred at that time?

The answer is contained in the Holy Scriptures.

The period of the “gentile times” or “appointed times of the nations” is an issue of sovereignty, kingship, and dominion.

Note Ezekiel 21

English Standard Version

25 “And you, O profane and wicked one, prince of Israel, he whose day has come, it he time of your final punishment, 26 thus says the Lord God: Remove the turban and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted. 27 A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. This also shall not be, until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him.”

“Remove the turban and remove the crown” is the Scriptural demarcation for the start of this period of gentile domination.

This has nothing to do with the physical destruction of the city of Jerusalem.

The city and Temple both were reconstructed shortly after the exile.

What did not return was the nation’s sovereignty. From the fall of the last king in the Davidic line until the destruction in 70 C.E. by the Romans, Israel existed as a vassal state to a greater national power. (gentile power)

Logically if it were linked to Jerusalem’s actual destruction which was around 587 B.C.E. the numbers wouldn’t reconcile.

In 2 Chronicles 36:17-23, Almighty God himself through His prophet, stated that the captivity that would mark the beginning of the gentile time period was to last 70 years.

This event marked the withdrawal of God’s sanction of the kingship.

New International Version

17 “He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

23 ‘This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”

587 B.C.E., minus the 70 years of captivity period, would produce 517 B.C.E. as the year the release would have to had to occur. But we know for a fact that the captivity ended when King Cyrus conquered Babylon between 539 B.C.E. and 536 B.C.E. This would mean the captivity was only some 50 years long and not the 70 God had pronounced.

Therefore, it is impossible for the destruction of the city of Jerusalem to be the starting point of uninterrupted gentile domination of the Earth.

The gentile times was to be a period during which there would be an absence of a Divinely sanctioned representative of Sovereignty ruling in kingdom of man.

There are indicators that mark when this time period began.

King Josiah was the last faithful king who sat on the throne of his forefather David.

He died about 609 B.C.E. and was succeeded by his son Jehoiakim who reigned between 609 and 598 B.C.E.

Jehoiakim was an unfaithful despot who was overthrown.

The overthrowing of the anointed King of Judah has to be a marking point because “the turban was lifted and the crown removed” from Jehoiakim because of his rebellion against God.

2 Kings chapter 24:1-6 chronicles these events. Jehoiakim is there described as a “vassal” to the gentile King Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel reports that in third year of Jehoiakim’s reign, Jerusalem came under siege by King Nebuchadnezzar (606/607 B.C.E.)

Daniel 1:1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

1 “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it.”

His son Jehoiachin was also wicked. He reigned a brief 3 months and was led off into captivity in shackles to Babylon by the king of the gentiles; well before Jerusalem was destroyed.

As regards his successor Zedekiah, there is a notable sign too about his appointment.

Another apparent marker of Israel’s having been yielded over to continuing gentile domination was the installation of Zedekiah by the gentile King, Nebuchadnezzar.

Wiliam F. Albright dates the start of Zedekiah’s reign to 606 BCE, while E. R. Thiele gives the start in 597 BCE.[1] On that reckoning, Zedekiah was born in c. 627 BCE or 618 BCE, being twenty-one on becoming king. Zedekiah’s reign ended with the siege and fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar II, which both Albright and Thiele agree took place in 586 BCE, though more recent evidence dates the fall of Jerusalem to 587 BCE.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zedekiah

Any of these time frames, place the effects of gentile domination closer to the death of the last faithful King Josiah,the overthrowing and the carrying off into captivity of the last wicked of king to rule officially, Jehoiachin.

This was the period from 609 to 598 B.C.E.

Again, this is a prophecy about sovereignty and sovereignty has to do with kingship and dominion.

Any date suggested should be marked with signs that indicate a change from Divinely consecrated rulership to uninterrupted rulership by gentile nations.

Truthfully, I do not follow how C.T. Russell and the WTS arrived at the date 607 B.C.E. as a legitimate starting point of the gentile times, but the date itself is consistent with the relevant factors marking their begin.

What isn’t accurate is the teaching that Jerusalem was destroyed in 607 B.C.E. and that the beginning of the appointed times of the nations was linked to that event. (The destruction of the city)

This is an example of mixing ‘apples’ and ‘oranges’ and causing predictable confusion.

Most people refuse 607 B.C.E. simply because of the false connection to the destruction of Jerusalem. So they hear nothing beyond that error. Oral traditions and not the Holy Scriptures set Jerusalem’s destruction and the desolation as the beginning point the gentile times began. These were effects of that shift that had already been ongoing.

Absent of that, 607 B.C.E. is a year within reason, viable on its own merit. And, 537 B.CE. + 70 years if captivity equals 607 B.C.E.

Whereas if one claims that the fall of the city of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.E. was the starting point; that will not reconcile with the date Cyrus freed the captives nor did it mark the beginning of gentiles exercising continuing sovereignty over Israel.

The devil knows that all he need do is slightly distort a reality to succeed in misleading. This is a mixture of truth and falsehood that must be separated; which means it cannot be accepted in whole as valid, but neither should the interpretation in its entirety be rejected.

C.T. Russell was a mixed seed of good and evil personified. He drank from two different spiritual cups and became a brook babbling both sweet and bitter water. He in turn, produced an organization and a message of like kind.

This operation of error also involves the projected date 1914 C.E.

1914 lunar years (360 days per year) counting down, cannot equal 1914 common era years (365 days per year).

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‘1914’ The Number That Became A False Image

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1914=1940 C.E. Did YOU ever do the math?

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Read in your own language

Bible Translations

Cambridge Dictionaries

Encyclopedia Britannica Online

Nisan 14 begins sundown March 27, 2021

Who are the “locust” mentioned in Revelation 9?

What Is Faith?

The Value & Meaning of Circumcision

Godly Contrition

SEARCH

1914=1940 C.E. Did YOU ever do the math?

Prophecy—-The Ripple Effect

Identifying Those Branded By The Beast

A Non Biblical Qualification

Taking God and His Word Literally

Cast Into Insanity by God

Fulfillment of A Dream

Recent Posts

————“Man in a Box”? ———-

——-Cognitive Dissonance——-

Recent Comments