The God Files

Q: Where in the Bible can you find this sentence: "Man is appointed to mortal sorrow; but the Blessed God shall come down teaching that His death shall bring strength and rest." ?

A: First of all, as the title implies, this log would talk about names. Particularly names from the Bible. Originally, all names have meanings. In the Bible, it refers to either an attribute or an expectation of the parent’s. Example, When Rebekah bore twins, one is red and hairy and the other caught his brother’s heel. So they called the first, Esau, which means red and hairy and the other one Yakov or heel catcher. Joshua is the transliteration of Yah Shua, God is salvation. The name Jesus is also transliterated from Yah Shua.

To answer the question directly, the sentence is the summary of Genesis 5, the genealogy of Adam to Noah. Knowing that names have meanings, we shall juxtapose the Hebrew name with English meanings:

1. Adam = Man
2. Seth = Appointed
3. Enosh = Mortal (incurable, as in mortal wound)
4. Qenan = Sorrow
5. Mahalal’el = The Blessed God
6. Yared = Shall come down
7. Enoch = Teaching
8. Methuselah = His death shall bring
9. Lamech = Strength/despairing
10. Noah = Rest/comfort

Man [is] appointed [to] mortal sorrow; [but] the Blessed God shall come down teaching [that] His death shall bring strength [and] rest.

This sentence is the foreshadowing of the gospel. Apart from God we are destined/appointed to sorrow; but God came down and he taught that His death would bring strength and rest. The sentence would still work if we used "despairing" for Lamech because Christians are subject to persecution yet our eternal rest is in Jesus Christ.

Genesis 5 is one of the early hidden prophecies.  Notice that the sentence is in the future tense. This is evidence of design. A group of rabbis would not conspire to incorporate this in the Torah. It is against the rabbi’s teachings to view the Messiah as one who is suffering let alone, die.

Now, if we think of the implications of this, why did Moses under the guidance of the Holy Spirit write this genealogy through Seth? Adam had sons and daughters (Gen 5:4) though Cain, Abel and Seth are the only ones named. After Cain’s exile; Cain named his sons with God fearing names. In Cain’s defense I believe that he had repented. Sure he started his downfall when he had offered the fruits of his handiwork, something the Lord did not prescribed. The atonement for sin has to involve the shedding of blood because that’s the model God has instructed Adam & Eve when God gave them the tunics of skin (Gen 3:21). The transference of sin and shedding of animal’s blood is the model God wants to convey to us. 2000 years ago, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world came. The question is are you availing God’s only provision for your sins? Have you decided to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? You are free to decide, God is long suffering but there is a definite limit. One day, in a twinkling of an eye, Jesus Christ will come back to take His church away from this earth. Choose which side you are on.

I received this rather disheartening email from a fellow student in my IT class. It breaks my heart because if this person represents the general population’s understanding of the Bible, then we’re in big trouble. However, I don’t put the blame on him per se, the problem is ignorance and the spirit that’s working behind him. Please pray that the one binding him be bound by the Holy Spirit of God.

Here’s a copy of that letter:

Hi Armel:

Are you saying that all morals come from the Bible?

Murder:

Exodus 2:11-12 - he [Moses] spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

Protecting our young:

Exodus 21:17 - And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Psalm 137:9 - Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

Slavery:

Exodus 21:20-21 - And if a man smite his servant, or his maid with a rod,and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

Now, looking at this and by the way he quoted the verses, he is implying that the Bible is immoral because it seems that it supports murder, killing children and slavery. However, these are verses taken out of its context. God’s explanation follows:

• Moses knew that killing the Egyptian was wrong as evidenced in the same verse. He looked this way and that way indicating that he did not want witnesses. Furthermore, two verse after that, verse 14; He was proven wrong. The two Hebrews knew the "secret" sin of Moses. More insights in this can be found in the address of Stephen, Acts 7.
• Disrespect for parents seen in physical and verbal abuse of them by their children was so serious that it was designated a capital punishment. Commandment 5 was a serious matter. By disrespecting the parents, the children were violating a higher law - The Ten Commandments. Further study of the Ten Commandments reveal that these laws transcends its face value to the spiritual, as Jesus Christ stated in Matthew 5.
• Ps 137 is a prophetic psalm of the Israelites defeating the Babylonians. The Israelites are happy because God is using them as a judgment tool. Sometimes, God commands the total annihilation of certain races. Most people don’t understand why. Back in the book of Joshua, he and the Israelites were commanded to destroy the Canaanites. Further study would reveal that the Canaanites were already in a path of destruction. They were burning their live babies into the arms of a burning metal idol. God casts judgment because it’s His prerogative. He judges the righteous and the unrighteous. Being used by God to destroy wicked people would make anyone glad.
• When we see the word slavery in the Bible, it’s not the same slavery as the Africans were to the Americas. The concept was on servant-hood. Some people who can not pay their debts sell themselves to slavery. The law states that the time of service would last for six years, on the seventh year, the slave earns his freedom but he has a choice whether to stay as a servant by choice or to start his own life. The master has the responsibility of taking care of his slave. The master would provide for his slave’s clothes, food, a place to sleep, sometimes even a wife, etc. The master have responsibility and power over his servant but the servant is not subject to violence from his master. From the verse itself, the master would be punished if he killed his slave. If the slave survives it means that what was done is a disciplinary action and not homicidal. If the slave begets a permanent injury from his master it means his immediate freedom and the master’s loss of investment.

Anyone can justify any false doctrine if the verses are taken out of context. If I used that principle, I can prove that "There is no God" eleven times. Eleven times in the Bible, the PHRASE "there is no God" is mentioned in the NKJV:

1. Deuteronomy 32:39
2. 1 Kings 8:23
3. 2 Kings 1:3
4. 2 Kings 1:6
5. 2 Kings 1:16
6. 2 Kings 5:15
7. 2 Chronicles 6:14
8. Psalm 14:1
9. Psalm 53:1
10. Isaiah 44:6
11. Isaiah 45:5

Please take note, this is a PHRASE taken out of its context, its meaning is distorted when we do this.

The principle of Acts 17:11 still stands; search the scriptures everyday to prove what you read/see/hear is true. Until then, May God richly bless you my beloved.

Q: What do Moses, Elijah and Jesus have in common?

There are three things they share in common:

• All are transfigured in the mount
• Their earthly bodies can never be found
• All are coming back in the last days

All Are Transfigured In The Mount

There are parallel accounts in Matthew 17, Mark 9, & Luke 9. The "inner circle" disciples, namely Peter, James and John saw Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus. I don’t know how they recognized Moses and Elijah but the gospels declare it to be so.

By tradition, The mount of transfiguration is Mt. Galilee. However, this is just conjecture but when we compare the parallel accounts of Mark and Matthew (specifically, Mt 17:20 & Mk 9:30) Right after the transfiguration is the helpless disciple who was unable to exorcise a demon. Jesus said (Mt 17:20) "…If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Which mountain was Jesus pointing to? the mountain they were just on. Now, According to the parallel account in Mark 9:30 "Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it." If the mount of transfiguration is in Galilee then how can they depart from here and pass through Galilee? Could it have been another mountain? Most likely. It could be Mt. Nebo because Moses and Elijah were last seen on the vicinity of that mount. Then again, this is just conjecture, Acts 17:11 still holds.

Their Earthly Bodies Can Never Be Found

The body of Jesus Christ can never be found here on earth because according to the gospels He ascended into Heaven. As a man, He died but after three days, He resurrected.

In 2 Kings 2; Elijah, much like Enoch, was taken up to Heaven. Elijah never died. However, he will die in Revelation 11. According to the scriptures, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal to Jericho and from there they crossed the Jordan river and they ended up in the valley of Mount Nebo where Elijah was seen last.

According to Deuteronomy 34, Moses went to the top of Pisgah at Mount Nebo. God showed Moses the promised land and then he died. God buried Moses opposite Beth Peor but no one knows Moses’ grave (Deut 34:6) thus his body can never be found.

All Are Coming Back In The Last Days

The book of Revelation centers around the second coming of Jesus Christ; there are no debates going on regarding that. However, there are debates regarding the identity of the two witnesses of Rev 11. Some people say it’s Enoch and Elijah while others say it’s Moses and Elijah. I think it’s the latter.

The reason some say that the witnesses are Enoch and Elijah because both people never died and in Hebrews 9:27 "…it is appointed for man to die once, but after this the judgment." However, Hebrews 9:27 is a rebuke for reincarnation. There are people in the Bible who died twice. The first one to come to mind is Lazarus, then the daughter of Jairus, Elisha raises the Shunammite’s son from the dead and so on. Furthermore, Enoch is not Jewish. The two witnesses had Jewish ministries. Always, the Jews would hear the words of two witnesses. The law states that a sentence can be passed from the mouth of two witnesses. Also, Joshua sent two spies to Jericho and saved Rahab. The book of Joshua is a model of the book of Revelation.

No one really questions Elijah’s return because it is prophesied that before the Messiah will come, Elijah will return. There is always an unoccupied seat during the celebration of passover. The Jews reserves this seat in case Elijah comes.

In Revelation 11:5-6, the powers of the two witnesses were described.

1. Fire devours their enemies.
2. They can shut Heaven, so that no rain falls in the time of their prophecy.
3. Can turn water to blood.
4. They can strike the earth with all plagues as often as they desire.

There were two  instances were Elijah’s enemies were devoured by fire, as seen in 2 Kings 1.

Through Elijah, the three and a half year drought was brought. According to Revelation 11:3, the time of their prophecy is 1,260 days. Divide 1,260 by 360 and we get 3.5 years. Now, How long was the drought in Ahab’s time? also 3.5 years. Isn’t it interesting?

Of course we all know that Moses was used to make the miracle of turning water to blood. We can read that in Exodus. Also, the plagues were associated with him.

Another "proof" I can think of is that the law and the prophets proclaimed the coming king. They were shadows while the substance is in Christ. Moses symbolizes the law and Elijah is the chief of the prophets. Isn’t it appropriate for the embodiment of the law and the prophets to herald the coming of the King?

My dear brethren, search the scriptures daily to find out whether these things are so. May God bless you and keep you.

John 14:13-14 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Arguably, this is one of the most taken out of context, most misinterpreted, & most misused Bible verse.

Some Christian groups misuse this verse as an excuse for turning God into a genie ready to fulfill their wish. They would ask for healing, new jobs, wealth and then "seal the deal" by asking it in His name; "Well, it is written, isn’t it? Whatever I ask in His name, He’s going to fulfill." This is a great fallacy.

A great pit where most Christians fall into is missing the context of a verse. A verse does not usually stand on its own. It is dangerous to selectively read parts of Bible verses; this is the origin of false doctrines.

The key to understanding the context is to realize, and when applicable, determine the following:

1. The books of the Bible are interconnected.
2. A book should be taken as a whole. Here’s an example: You can prove existentialism in the Bible. The first part of Ecclesiastes states that "Life is Vain, Life is useless." You have to read the last portion for the rebuttal and conclusion.
3. Some verses refer to other books. We see many examples in Paul’s letters where he quotes many Old Testament verses.
4. Determine who is speaking and who is spoken to.
5. Determine where the verse fits into the whole chapter to get the idea.

Now, Going back to the original verse, the sentence that came before that goes ike this:

John 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." The key phrase here is "he who believes in Me."

Now, we have to ask; When Jesus said this sentence, who was he talking to? Was Jesus talking to the multitudes? NO. He was talking to the disciples. The difference between the multitudes and the disciples is simplified in this verse:

Luke 9:23  Then He said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

So, If you have denied yourself to God’s will so that your will and is superceded by His will, when you pray whose will dominates? Naturally, His will be done. We pray NOT to change God’s will but in order for us to carry out God’s will on earth. So, when we pray and ask, the requests that we give to the Lord are IN ACCORDANCE TO HIS WILL and not ours.

If we treat the word of God as a salad bar (Ok, I like this part, I don’t like the judgement and condemnation bit, a sprinkling of grace towards others but a lot for me, etc.) then we’re not getting the whole truth. An incomplete truth is not truth at all.

As it is written, Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.