Olive Tree Image

Olive Tree Image
Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction,
upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB95)

Friday, June 25, 2010

The Earth is 4.5 billion years old ?

Q. I heard a Bible teacher say last week that the earth is 4.5 billion years old and if you didn’t believe that you were ignorant. What is your opinion on this?

A. There are some who still believe that the Earth is millions of years old. It is called the “Gap” theory. They say that between Gen 1.1 and 1.2 there was a “gap” and something happened and God had to recreate the earth. Basically, they believe in a pre-Adamic race and that can be the basis for some prejudicial views of the other races as being inferior to others. Some just have never studied it and just repeat what they have been told for years, but what does the Bible really say. First of all the theory is unscientific. The Gap Theory was a Christian attempt to reconcile the creation account with long periods of time in the Theory of Evolution. But, evolution itself is a theory and totally unscientific, defying the second law of Thermodynamics which basically says that things get worse as they get older, not better. Secondly it is unscriptural. The Gap Theory would describe Adam walking around on top of a giant, fossilized animal graveyard. Over 800 billion skeletons exist in the Karro formation in South Africa alone. However, Paul says in Romans 5.12 through 8.22 that man’s sin brought death into the world, even of animals. I Cor. 15.21 also says the same thing. Third, it is unnecessary. The most natural interpretation of Gen 1.1-2 is taking it at face value. One of the rules of Biblical interpretation is to take a verse literal unless the context tells you otherwise. Gen 1.1 becomes of summary statement of creation and the remaining verses tell you how He did it. Now. Here are some arguments in support of the gap theory and then arguments against it. In Gen 1.2 it says “without form and void” and that speaks of judgment. However, in other passages it simply means “space” (Job 26.7;Deut 32.10;Job 6.18, 12.24;Psa 107.40). Those “for” will say but the verb “was” in Gen 1.2 should be translated “became.” However, the Hebrew “ Hayeta” (was) is found 264 times in the Tanach and 258 times it is translated “was.” The Hebrew verb of being for “became” is ‘haphek.” They will say that there is a difference between “bara” (created) in Gen 1.1 and “asah” (made) in Gen 1.7. However, these verses are used synonymously. In Gen 1.21 “God created “(bara) and “God made” (asah) in Gen 1.25. In Gen 1.26 “Let us make man” (asah) with “So God created” (bara) in Gen 1.27. They then would point out that “darkness” indicates judgment in Gen 1.2. However darkness here is simply the absence of light and it is spoken of as “good” (Psa. 104.20,24). Lastly, some will say the Hebrew word “male” should be replenish indicating that the world was once filled. However, the Hebrew word “male” almost always means “to fill” (Exo 40.34;1Kings 18.33;Psa 107.9).

Creation science and even secular science have confirmed over and over again that the Earth is much younger than what was once thought. The current erosion rate of Niagara Falls, the dust that has accumulated on the surface of the Moon, the development of languages and archeological finds have all confirmed this. But the God Himself says that He created the heavens and the earth in six days (Ex. 21.12-17). Also, the creation narrative itself disproves long periods of time. For instance, how could God create the vegetation and plants on the third day and they survive for millions of years without the sun, which wasn’t created until the fourth day? The answer is God did it in six, literal 24 hour days and there is an eschatological reason why. In Psa. 90.4 it says that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day and that is Hebraic poetry but it is alluding to something, which is called “the
Seven Thousand Year Plan of God” but that is another subject for another time. Hopefully, this evidence will help you in understanding the Creation story and show you that far from being ignorant, you have solid, biblical ground to stand on when discussing this subject.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Q. What does it mean when 1Cor 12.22 says that tongues is for the unbeliever?

A. To understand what this means, we have to go up to v 21 and see that Paul is quoting Isa 28.11. In the context of the verse, Isaiah says that the Lord had spoken plainly to the people through the prophets, in their own language, so that even a child could understand, but they didn’t listen. So, He threatens them with another method. He would speak to them through the Babylonians and the Medes when they take the city. Later it would be the Greeks and Romans as history plays out up to the first century. Now, there was no reason for the Corinthians to be so desirous of “tongues” because they have been used by God in “punishment” form, not in a way of blessing. Let me give an example of this. In Acts 2. 1-4 we have the Holy Spirit given to believers who were gathered in the Temple on the Feast of Shavuot, or “Pentecost.” This was the day that God gave the Law at Mt Sinai (Exo 19.1-17). In v 5-11 the unbelievers in Yeshua were amazed because these disciples were speaking the known languages from wherever they were from. In v 12-15 they wondered what all of this was about and starting in v 16-36 they were told by Peter that it was a sign from God that the Spirit was being poured as another proof that Yeshua was the Messiah who was delivered up to them according to a predetermined plan and they murdered him, but God raised him from the dead. The tongues prompted their questions and Peter was able to preach to them in a language they all could understand. In v 37-41 the people are shocked and they ask what they should do. You see, the tongues got their attention. Peter tells them to repent of their sins and be immersed (baptized) and receive the Holy Spirit. So, being in the Temple, they go over to the mikva’ot (immersion baths) located at the southern end of the Temple mount and three thousand were saved/baptized. Now, what is interesting is that when the Law was given at Mt Sinai, three thousand people were killed (Exo 32.28). In Acts 2, they are gathered in the Temple on the day they celebrated the giving of that Law and three thousand people are saved. You see, the Law in and of itself cannot save anyone, it kills, but the Spirit of God gives life. In short, the people Isaiah was dealing with rejected the plain truth given by the prophets. Because they rejected it, God allowed strange tongues through the Babylonians to enter the city and take the people captive. They would believe the prophets now because of the strange tongues they were hearing in the streets. In Acts 2, the people were rejecting the plan truth given by the prophets again, and ultimately the Messiah Himself. As a result, they hear tongues in the city again as a sign of judgment. The people need to repent and accept Yeshua as the Messiah, corporately as a nation. But, we know they don’t and in 70 AD God sends a foreign nation with foreign tongues against them (Rome and all her auxiliaries), like the Babylonians, and destroys the city and the Temple. Not by coincidence. The Babylonians and the Romans take the city and destroy the Temple on the same day of the Jewish calendar, the 9th of Av. So, that is why Paul says that tongues are a sign for the unbeliever. There is much more to this but I hope this helps.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Hades / Sheol study continued, Pt. 2...

This week we are going to continue with the question about what Sheol is and why it is not the grave. Sheol is described as a shadowy, dark place (Job 10.21-22, Psa 143.3) and located under the earth (Job 11.8, Isa 44.23,57.9, Ezek 26.20, Amos 9.2). These are figures of speech that indicate it is not a part of “this world” and it has an existence of its own in another dimension. It is a place to reunite with people (Gen 15.15,25.8,35.29.37.35, 49.33, Num 20.24-28,31.2, Deut 32.50,34.5,2Sam 12.23). This cannot be referring to a mass grave. It had a high and a low section (Deut 32.22). The condition of man in sheol is a “rephaim” or a disembodied spirit (Job 26.5, Psa 88.10,Prov 2.18,9.18,21.16, Isa 14.9,26.14-19). People can converse and make moral judgments and are conscious (Isa 14.9-20,44.23,Ezek 32.21. What you can experience in physical life like marriage, business and a knowledge of the living is not possible (Psa 6.5, Ecc 9.10). They experience God’s anger (Deut 32.22) and are in distress (Psa 11.6.3). They also experience pain (Job 26.5). In the Tanach, or Old Testament, the righteous and the wicked went to sheol and God began to reveal to his people that they would be taken to God’s presence (Gen 5.24, Heb 11.5, 2 K 2.11, Psa 49.15,73.24). Sheol is open to God’s sight (Job 26.6, Psa 139.8).

The Greek word for Sheol is Hades and in the Septuagint (LXX) Sheol is referred to 71 times. 64 times it is Hades and the other 7 it uses a translation of other Hebrew words meant to shed light on what Hades is. Not once is Hades equal to the grave or unconsciousness but it is always understood as the abode, or realm, of the dead. It does not mean death in Greek (thanatos) or grave (mneema) and not hell (gehenna) or heaven (ouranos). Now, the New Testament picks right up with these concepts in the Tanach (OT). We come to the story in Lk 16.19-31 of Lazarus and the rich man. We see there are two compartments called torment, where the unrighteous went and Abraham’s Bosom where the righteous went (before the resurrection). This was a story built around historical characters which was a common rabbinical technique, using the dialogue method to get across the concept that there is no escape from torment, no second chance. We must believe the Scriptures in this life. As I stated before, before the resurrection, believers and unbelievers were sent there (Jn 3.13). After that the righteous went to heaven (2Cor 5. 6-8, Phil 1.23-24, Rev 6.9-11). Yeshua went there (Acts 2.31, Eph 4.8-10) and he met the thief there (Lk 23.43). He did not go to heaven until after he received his body in the resurrection (Jn 20.15-18). Then paradise was taken out of Hades and made a part of the third heaven (2 Cor 12.2-4). The wicked descend to Hades, in torment to await eternal punishment (2 Pet 2.9). When the Yom ha Din (day of judgment) comes, Hades will be emptied and its inhabitants stand before God (Rev 20.13-15). Now, there is a Catholic doctrine called Purgatory which says that when a believer dies his soul must be “purged” and punished for unresolved venial (not as serious as a mortal)sin before one can enter heaven. This erroneous concept is based on a misunderstanding of 1 Cor 3.15 but this concept is not biblical because the penalty for our sin has already been paid (Rom 5.8). The teaching of Purgatory is a man-made dogma and there is no such place and it has no connection with the concept of Sheol we have been discussing. So, currently, Hades is a temporary, intermediate state between death and the second resurrection where the wicked go. Hades is without paradise now. Hades will be “emptied” into the Lake of Fire at the second resurrection of unbelievers. Next week we will conclude Sheol and hades and discuss paradise and gehenna (hell).