2 Corinthians 5:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
The new creature is our spirit, and is a result of our being born again. Upon our new birth, our old sinful spirit, which previously prompted us to unrighteous living, “passes away.” The Spirit of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) “takes up residence” within our new-born spirit and begins prompting us to righteous living.
February 3, 1980 is the day that Del Way came to know Christ as his Lord and Savior. On that day Del was faithful to the Word of God in John 3:3.
John 3:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
To be born again is a spiritual event that comes as a result of our belief in Christ as Lord and Savior.
John 3:8 New King James Version (NKJV)
“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
It is through the work of God’s Holy Spirit that anyone is born again.
John 3:16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
At the end of anyone’s life, there are two destinies. If a person has a belief in Christ as Lord and Savior, “eternal life” with Christ is one destiny. It is through a belief in Christ as Lord and Savior that anyone can have eternal life with Christ. “Perish” contrasts with “eternal life” and involves an eternal conscious punishment (Mark 9:42-48; Revelation 14:9-11). Those who believe in Christ “have” (present tense) “eternal life” now, even while on earth. (Moody Bible Commentary note).
John 3:18 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
One’s eternal destiny is determined on earth, not in heaven. Anyone who believes in Christ is “not judged” or condemned in a future judgment. Anyone “who does not believe has been judged already,” here and now. The future judgment confirms, but does not determine one’s eternal destiny. (Moody Bible Commentary note).
Those whom have not come to belief in Christ have not been born again; they have already been judged based on their unbelief. However, salvation through a belief in Christ can happen at any time, in anyone’s life, prior to their death; they will not face a future judgment. Unbelievers will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of the Kingdom Age (millennium) where:
Revelation 20:15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“…if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Romans 8:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Those whom have been born again, through a belief in Christ, will never experience Godly condemnation.
2 Corinthians 5:21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
When Christ was crucified on the cross at Calvary, He took on Him the judgment for sin for everyone whom has ever been born again, and whom will ever be born again. As a result of the sacrificial death of Christ, the spirit of each born again believer in Christ became as pure as the Spirit of Christ. Notice that Christ, “became sin,” and did not become a sinner. He became sin so that He could pay the price of sin’s judgment. Without Christ paying the penalty for sin, none of us would escape an eternity of perishing.
John 19:28-30 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
Colossians 1:27 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“…Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
It is only through the born again experience, by which the Spirit of Christ takes up residence within the spirit of “the believer in Christ,” that there will be an eternal presence with God for anyone.
Consider eternity for those whom have been born again.
Revelation 21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The New Heaven and Earth
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 22 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The River and the Tree of Life
1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
Del Way – Calvary’s the Reason why
On February 3, 1980, Del Way believed in Christ as His Lord and Savior, was born again, and experienced the Spirit of God taking up residence within his spirit. On that day, Del Way began experiencing eternal life, with his spirit dwelling with the Spirit of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). How about you? Through belief, do you know Christ as your Lord and Savior?
Slavic Center Tacoma, Published on Nov 19, 2008, Music from Slavic Christian Center.
Please pray for the people who live in the Slavic nations of our world.
There is a non-stop attack on Jews and Christians around the world. The attacks are physical and verbal. As Jews and Christians, we must be equipped with the knowledge that is necessary to combat the errors and lies that are launched at us. The purpose of this article is to provide information about the scriptural names of God, and Christ (whom is “God with us,” Matthew 1:23). For brevity purposes, the main focus of this article is on the word, “Jehovah.” As you will see, this article is lengthy, but could not be presented in a shorter fashion. Please use this blog as a reference source. Check out the blog pages, “Sources Of Information” and “Library.”
Notice in the song that the word, “Jehovah,” is not spoken by the choir. “Yehovah” is their pronunciation, and is correct. There is no letter “J” in Hebrew, to create the word “Jehovah, or in the Greek alphabet to create the word “Jesus.” No one that ever saw Christ ever addressed Him as “Jesus”). Check the following link. From the link a lot of information is provided that relates to the improper usage of the letter “J.”
Encyclopedia Americana contains the following on the J:
“The form of J was unknown in any alphabet until the 14th century. Either symbol (J,I) used initially generally had the consonantal sound of Y as in year. Gradually, the two symbols (J,l) were differentiated, the J usually acquiring consonantal force and thus becoming regarded as a consonant, and the I becoming a vowel. It was not until 1630 that the differentiation became general in England.”
Consider the following information.
The word Jehovah has been said to be the true name of God. But, from the following search of that name, it was found to be included in only the King James Bible and American Standard Bible translations. Check out the following data of research and see the list of well-know translations, to include the liberal RSV and NRSV, that do not use the word Jehovah. Notice that the Complete Jewish Bible does not use the word Jehovah. As was said in one of my recent articles, the word “Jehovah” is not the first word for God in the Bible, but is “Elohim.” Outside of the KJV and liberal ASV, the word Jehovah is not used in scripture. The purpose for the information on the ASV, RSV, and NRSV is to show their liberal writing bias. Still, only of those three liberal translations, only the ASV uses the word “Jehovah” for “God.” Consider the way that Isaiah 7:14 is translated in the RSV and NSRV. Amazingly, the ASV uses the word “virgin” instead of young woman. This may be because of the closeness in date of the ASV to the KJV and the fact that the liberal attempt to overthrown sound doctrine of the Bible had not yet infected the ASV, which may have also been due to the time in history of the ASV writing. There were also conflicts between the British and American members of the translation team. Still, many people use the word Jehovah for God. So, in the spirit of love, the video for this post matches that name.
In the spirit of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), the accompanying video is that of Ukrainian Christians, who are singing “He Is Jehovah.” The choir is singing in their native language, but certain words of the song are easily understood. The people of Ukraine (not “The” Ukraine) are believers in Christ Jesus largely due to the spread of the Gospel by Titus (2 Timothy 4:10). Titus was a companion of the Apostle Paul while he was in jail in Rome awaiting execution. Titus was not even an Apostle but, Paul sent him to Dalmatia, which became Yugoslavia, and is now Croatia, which is a close neighbor of Ukraine which borders Russia. This post will go to some of my internet friends who reside in Ukraine. My soul is deeply stirred when I listen to the Ukrainian choir. I think about the danger that faces them everyday of their life. Let us pray for the people of Ukraine, some of whom are Christian missionaries.
Isaiah 7:14
RSV – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman′u-el.”
NRSV – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.”
“Jehovah” used in popular Bible translations.
Jehovah Used In KJV
Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
Genesis 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah-God made earth and heaven.
Genesis 2:5 And no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth: and there was not a man to till the ground;
Genesis 2:7 And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:8 And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:15 And Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Genesis 2:16 And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Genesis 2:18 And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.
Genesis 2:19 And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Genesis 2:21 And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof:
Genesis 2:22 and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Consider the following details of Bible translation as they relate to the ASV, RSV, and NRSV
Notice the reason for Jehovah’s Witnesses using the ASV.
Please notice that not all Baptist groups are conservative.
From Bible Study Tools (ASV). The Revised Version, Standard American Edition of the Bible, more commonly known as the American Standard Version (ASV), is a revision of the King James Version and was released in 1901. It was originally best known by its full name, but soon came to have other names, such as the American Revised Version, the American Standard Revision, the American Standard Revised Bible, and the American Standard Edition. By the time its copyright was renewed in 1929, it had finally come to be known by its present name, the American Standard Version. Because of its prominence in seminaries, however, it was sometimes simply called the “Standard Bible”.
From Bible Study Tools (RSV) The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is a comprehensive revision of the King James Version, the Revised Version of 1881-1885, and the American Standard Version of 1901, published in stages around the middle of the 20th century. It aims to present a literally accurate translation of the Bible in modern English. The panel of scholars who worked on the translation used the 17th edition of the Nestle-Aland Greek text for the New Testament, and the traditional Hebrew Masoretic Text for the Old Testament. However, they amended the Hebrew in a number of places. In the Book of Isaiah, they sometimes followed readings found in the then newly discovered Dead Sea Scrolls.
The RSV New Testament was published on February 11, 1946. In his presentation speech to the International Council of Religious Education, Luther Weigle, dean of the translation committee, explained that he wanted the RSV to supplement and not supplant the King James and American Standard Versions.
In 1950, the Council merged with the Federal Council of Churches to form the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. The RSV copyright was assigned to the new Council’s Division of Christian Education.
From Bible Study Bible Tools (NRSV). The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) first appeared in 1989, and has received wide acclaim and broad support from academics and church leaders as a Bible for all Christians.
The NRSV Bible Translation Committee consists of thirty men and women who are among the top scholars in America today. They come from Protestant denominations, the Roman Catholic church, and the Greek Orthodox Church. The committee also includes a Jewish scholar.
Standing in the tradition of the RSV, which was the only major English translation that included both the standard Protestant canon and the books that are traditionally used by Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians (the so-called “Apocryphal” or “Deuterocanonical” books), the NRSV is available in three formats: a standard edition with or without the Apocrypha, a Roman Catholic Edition, which has the so-called “Apocryphal” or “Deuterocanonical” books in the Roman Catholic canonical order, and The Common Bible, which includes all books that belong to the Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox canons.
From Wikipedia: The American Standard Version (ASV) is rooted in the work that was done with the Revised Version (RV) (a late 19th century British revision of the King James Version of 1611). In 1870, an invitation was extended to American religious leaders for scholars to work on the RV project. A year later, Protestant theologian Philip Schaff chose 30 scholars representing the denominations of Baptist, Congregationalist, Dutch Reformed, Friends, Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Protestant Episcopal, and Unitarian. These scholars began work in 1872.
The RV New Testament was released In 1881; the Old Testament was published in 1885. The ASV was published in 1901 by Thomas Nelson & Sons. In 1928, the International Council of Religious Education (the body that later merged with the Federal Council of Churches to form the National Council of Churches) acquired the copyright from Nelson and renewed it the following year.
From Wikipedia. The New Revised Standard Version was translated by the Division of Christian Education (now Bible Translation and Utilization) of the National Council of Churches. The group included scholars representing Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christian groups as well as Jewish representation in the group responsible for the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament. The mandate given the committee was summarized in a dictum: “As literal as possible, as free as necessary.”
From Wikipedia. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Christian Bible is an English translation released in 1989. It is an updated revision of the Revised Standard Version, which was itself an update of the American Standard Version.
Usage by Jehovah’s Witnesses
The ASV has been used for many years by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The reasons for their choosing of the ASV were twofold: its usage of “Jehovah” as the Divine Name, which was congruent with their Joseph Franklin Rutherford doctrine, and they derived their name from Isaiah 43.10, 12, both of which contain the phrase, “Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah.” Also, there was a perception that the ASV had improved the translation of some verses in the King James Version, and in other places it reduced the verses that they found to be erroneously translated in the KJV to mere footnotes, removed from the main text altogether.
Jehovah’s Witnesses’ publishing organization, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, had printed its own edition of the King James Version since 1926, but did not obtain the rights to print ASV until 1944. From 1944 to 1992, they printed and distributed over a million copies of the ASV. By the 1960s, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, made by members of their group and the rights to which they controlled, had largely replaced ASV as the Bible used most by Witnesses. Though now preferring the NWT, Jehovah’s Witnesses’ publications frequently quote from other translations, including ASV.
King James Bible Thoughts – King James Only
The KJV was directed to be written by King James, who was the King of England, during times which were brutal for Christians who disagreed with him. He chose the writers of the KJV, and he excluded writers. Imagine if we were to have a President Obama Bible, or a President Clinton Bible, or a President Bush Bible. Who would possibly stand for such disrespect of the Word of God? So, why do we not provide the same scrutiny for a Bible that bears the name of a King of a nation.
Before someone can say that the KJV is the only Bible to use, and that all others are wrong, there must be a stated reason of fact, which is something that I never hear from KJV only people. The purpose of the KJV was to put the Word of God in the common language of the people of England, which the writers did, in spite of the political pressure that King James placed on them.
The first update of the KJV had more than 70,000 corrections in it, due to changes in the spoken language. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is the most correct word for word translation of the Greek and Hebrew scriptures to our current languages, than are the other translations. The NASB translation committee meets more frequently than do the others. But, there is value in the other translations, as well as in the KJV. In today’s world, we don’t use “Elizabethan English.” We don’t say, “betwixt me and thee.” as we find in the KJV. I use the KJV daily, but I also understand its limitations.
King James wanted a Bible that showed a “religious superstructure,” as opposed to individual bodies of believers (churches) who were autonomous in control and operation, per scripture references (Acts 14:23; 20:17,28). The KJV used “Bishop” (which is not found in the Greek scriptures) instead of pastor or elder.
If anyone says that Christians should use only the King James version of the Bible, facts should also accompany such a demand.
The KJV was not the first Bible translation to be written in the English language. The following link will provide a good understanding of the different translations of the Bible, from the first English translation, the Wycliffe Translation, to the current day translations. As stated, the KJV was not the first English translation of the Bible, but may actually have been the fifteenth or sixteenth translation.
“..Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.” (Revelation 4:8, Darby Translation)
It is important for all believers in Christ to have as great an understanding of God’s Word, as is possible. There have been many times that while listening to a person who was described as being a Christian, that I was terribly embarrassed at the ignorance of Scripture that came from that person. In order for those of us, who present ourselves as being believers in Christ, to be seen as being credible in our witness of Christ, we must have a dedicated time of reading God’s Word, as well as a time of critical Bible study. Casual scripture reading is good, but a critical study of those scriptures must not be neglected.
This article focuses on the translation of God’s Word into the English language.
Consider the video that follows. The speaker is a Bible translator. His discussion closely follows the following chart that shows the sequence of translations of the Bible into the English language.
Please let me discuss the situation of a person who has not been born again, but is a member of a Bible translation team. Let’s state the obvious. That person has not accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, and does not have the indelling of God’s Holy Spirit within their spirit. Such a person does not have Godly wisdom, and will only be “moving words around,” as he or she attempts to choose words that will explain God’s inspired word.
Consider the following verses that relate to the importance of Holy Scripture. They are important in our daily lives, and need to be properly taught. It is important to remember that from the time of the Wycliffe Translation of the 1380s, until today’s date, the day-to-day word usage of the English language has undergone many changes. Therefore, translators must keep those changes in mind as they try to make the Bible understandable to the masses of people who may read it today.
Psalm 119:105 King James Version (KJV)
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 New Living Translation (NLT)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Acts 17:11 New Living Translation (NLT)
11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
Video discussion on Bible translation:
History of Bible Translation
Dr. Donald Brake – Jul 14, 2014 You Tube Published
Dr. Donald Brake is an authority on the history of the Bible and has been an avid collector of rare Bibles and manuscripts for more than thirty years. His is one of the most complete private collections of rare English Bibles and Greek New Testaments in North America, and he is a co-founder of The Living Word National Bible Museum.
Dr. Brake taught theology for more than 30 years in colleges, seminaries, churches, and conferences, covering subjects of the biblical canon, history of the English Bible, and New Testament textual criticism. He served as President of Jerusalem University College and Vice President and Dean of Multnomah Biblical Seminary.
hourglass
The fascinating story of how we got the Bible in its present form actually starts thousands of years ago, as briefly outlined in our Timeline of Bible Translation History. As a background study, we recommend that you first review our discussion of the Pre-Reformation History of the Bible from 1,400 B.C. to 1,400 A.D., which covers the transmission of the scripture through the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, and the 1,000 years of the Dark & Middle Ages when the Word was trapped in only Latin. Our starting point in this discussion of Bible history, however, is the advent of the scripture in the English language with the “Morning Star of the Reformation”, John Wycliffe.
John Wycliffe
The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts were produced in the 1380’s AD by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian. Wycliffe, (also spelled “Wycliff” & “Wyclif”), was well-known throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers, called the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes, Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his teachings and his translation of the Bible into English, that 44 years after Wycliffe had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river!
John Hus
One of Wycliffe’s followers, John Hus, actively promoted Wycliffe’s ideas: that people should be permitted to read the Bible in their own language, and they should oppose the tyranny of the Roman church that threatened anyone possessing a non-Latin Bible with execution. Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, with Wycliffe’s manuscript Bibles used as kindling for the fire. The last words of John Hus were that, “in 100 years, God will raise up a man whose calls for reform cannot be suppressed.” Almost exactly 100 years later, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses of Contention (a list of 95 issues of heretical theology and crimes of the Roman Catholic Church) into the church door at Wittenberg. The prophecy of Hus had come true! Martin Luther went on to be the first person to translate and publish the Bible in the commonly spoken dialect of the German people; a translation more appealing than previous German Biblical translations. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs records that in that same year, 1517, seven people were burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church for the crime of teaching their children to say the Lord’s Prayer in English rather than Latin.
Johann Gutenberg
Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1450’s, and the first book to ever be printed was a Latin language Bible, printed in Mainz, Germany. Gutenberg’s Bibles were surprisingly beautiful, as each leaf Gutenberg printed was later colorfully hand-illuminated. Born as “Johann Gensfleisch” (John Gooseflesh), he preferred to be known as “Johann Gutenberg” (John Beautiful Mountain). Ironically, though he had created what many believe to be the most important invention in history, Gutenberg was a victim of unscrupulous business associates who took control of his business and left him in poverty. Nevertheless, the invention of the movable-type printing press meant that Bibles and books could finally be effectively produced in large quantities in a short period of time. This was essential to the success of the Reformation.
Thomas Linacre
In the 1490’s another Oxford professor, and the personal physician to King Henry the 7th and 8th, Thomas Linacre, decided to learn Greek. After reading the Gospels in Greek, and comparing it to the Latin Vulgate, he wrote in his diary, “Either this (the original Greek) is not the Gospel… or we are not Christians.” The Latin had become so corrupt that it no longer even preserved the message of the Gospel… yet the Church still threatened to kill anyone who read the scripture in any language other than Latin… though Latin was not an original language of the scriptures.
John Colet
In 1496, John Colet, another Oxford professor and the son of the Mayor of London, started reading the New Testament in Greek and translating it into English for his students at Oxford, and later for the public at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. The people were so hungry to hear the Word of God in a language they could understand, that within six months there were 20,000 people packed in the church and at least that many outside trying to get in! (Sadly, while the enormous and beautiful Saint Paul’s Cathedral remains the main church in London today, as of 2003, typical Sunday morning worship attendance is only around 200 people… and most of them are tourists). Fortunately for Colet, he was a powerful man with friends in high places, so he amazingly managed to avoid execution.
Erasmus
In considering the experiences of Linacre and Colet, the great scholar Erasmus was so moved to correct the corrupt Latin Vulgate, that in 1516, with the help of printer John Froben, he published a Greek-Latin Parallel New Testament. The Latin part was not the corrupt Vulgate, but his own fresh rendering of the text from the more accurate and reliable Greek, which he had managed to collate from a half-dozen partial old Greek New Testament manuscripts he had acquired. This milestone was the first non-Latin Vulgate text of the scripture to be produced in a millennium… and the first ever to come off a printing press. The 1516 Greek-Latin New Testament of Erasmus further focused attention on just how corrupt and inaccurate the Latin Vulgate had become, and how important it was to go back and use the original Greek (New Testament) and original Hebrew (Old Testament) languages to maintain accuracy… and to translate them faithfully into the languages of the common people, whether that be English, German, or any other tongue. No sympathy for this “illegal activity” was to be found from Rome, with the curious exception of the famous 1522 Complutensian Polyglot Bible, even as the words of Pope Leo X’s declaration that “the fable of Christ was quite profitable to him” continued through the years to infuriate the people of God.
William Tyndale
William Tyndale was the Captain of the Army of Reformers, and was their spiritual leader. Tyndale holds the distinction of being the first man to ever print the New Testament in the English language. Tyndale was a true scholar and a genius, so fluent in eight languages that it was said one would think any one of them to be his native tongue. He is frequently referred to as the “Architect of the English Language”, (even more so than William Shakespeare) as so many of the phrases Tyndale coined are still in our language today.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther had a small head-start on Tyndale, as Luther declared his intolerance for the Roman Church’s corruption on Halloween in 1517, by nailing his 95 Theses of Contention to the Wittenberg Church door. Luther, who would be exiled in the months following the Diet of Worms Council in 1521 that was designed to martyr him, would translate the New Testament into German for the first time from the 1516 Greek-Latin New Testament of Erasmus, and publish it in September of 1522. Luther also published a German Pentateuch in 1523, and another edition of the German New Testament in 1529. In the 1530’s he would go on to publish the entire Bible in German.
William Tyndale wanted to use the same 1516 Erasmus text as a source to translate and print the New Testament in English for the first time in history. Tyndale showed up on Luther’s doorstep in Germany in 1525, and by year’s end had translated the New Testament into English. Tyndale had been forced to flee England, because of the wide-spread rumor that his English New Testament project was underway, causing inquisitors and bounty hunters to be constantly on Tyndale’s trail to arrest him and prevent his project. God foiled their plans, and in 1525-1526 the Tyndale New Testament became the first printed edition of the scripture in the English language. Subsequent printings of the Tyndale New Testament in the 1530’s were often elaborately illustrated.
They were burned as soon as the Bishop could confiscate them, but copies trickled through and actually ended up in the bedroom of King Henry VIII. The more the King and Bishop resisted its distribution, the more fascinated the public at large became. The church declared it contained thousands of errors as they torched hundreds of New Testaments confiscated by the clergy, while in fact, they burned them because they could find no errors at all. One risked death by burning if caught in mere possession of Tyndale’s forbidden books.
Having God’s Word available to the public in the language of the common man, English, would have meant disaster to the church. No longer would they control access to the scriptures. If people were able to read the Bible in their own tongue, the church’s income and power would crumble. They could not possibly continue to get away with selling indulgences (the forgiveness of sins) or selling the release of loved ones from a church-manufactured “Purgatory”. People would begin to challenge the church’s authority if the church were exposed as frauds and thieves. The contradictions between what God’s Word said, and what the priests taught, would open the public’s eyes and the truth would set them free from the grip of fear that the institutional church held. Salvation through faith, not works or donations, would be understood. The need for priests would vanish through the priesthood of all believers. The veneration of church-canonized Saints and Mary would be called into question. The availability of the scriptures in English was the biggest threat imaginable to the wicked church. Neither side would give up without a fight.
Today, there are only two known copies left of Tyndale’s 1525-26 First Edition. Any copies printed prior to 1570 are extremely valuable. Tyndale’s flight was an inspiration to freedom-loving Englishmen who drew courage from the 11 years that he was hunted. Books and Bibles flowed into England in bales of cotton and sacks of flour. Ironically, Tyndale’s biggest customer was the King’s men, who would buy up every copy available to burn them… and Tyndale used their money to print even more! In the end, Tyndale was caught: betrayed by an Englishman that he had befriended. Tyndale was incarcerated for 500 days before he was strangled and burned at the stake in 1536. Tyndale’s last words were, “Oh Lord, open the King of England’s eyes”. This prayer would be answered just three years later in 1539, when King Henry VIII finally allowed, and even funded, the printing of an English Bible known as the “Great Bible”. But before that could happen…
Myles Coverdale
Myles Coverdale and John “Thomas Matthew” Rogers had remained loyal disciples the last six years of Tyndale’s life, and they carried the English Bible project forward and even accelerated it. Coverdale finished translating the Old Testament, and in 1535 he printed the first complete Bible in the English language, making use of Luther’s German text and the Latin as sources. Thus, the first complete English Bible was printed on October 4, 1535, and is known as the Coverdale Bible.
John Rogers
John Rogers went on to print the second complete English Bible in 1537. It was, however, the first English Bible translated from the original Biblical languages of Hebrew & Greek. He printed it under the pseudonym “Thomas Matthew”, (an assumed name that had actually been used by Tyndale at one time) as a considerable part of this Bible was the translation of Tyndale, whose writings had been condemned by the English authorities. It is a composite made up of Tyndale’s Pentateuch and New Testament (1534-1535 edition) and Coverdale’s Bible and some of Roger’s own translation of the text. It remains known most commonly as the Matthew-Tyndale Bible. It went through a nearly identical second-edition printing in 1549.
Thomas Cranmer
In 1539, Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, hired Myles Coverdale at the bequest of King Henry VIII to publish the “Great Bible”. It became the first English Bible authorized for public use, as it was distributed to every church, chained to the pulpit, and a reader was even provided so that the illiterate could hear the Word of God in plain English. It would seem that William Tyndale’s last wish had been granted…just three years after his martyrdom. Cranmer’s Bible, published by Coverdale, was known as the Great Bible due to its great size: a large pulpit folio measuring over 14 inches tall. Seven editions of this version were printed between April of 1539 and December of 1541.
King Henry VIII
It was not that King Henry VIII had a change of conscience regarding publishing the Bible in English. His motives were more sinister… but the Lord sometimes uses the evil intentions of men to bring about His glory. King Henry VIII had in fact, requested that the Pope permit him to divorce his wife and marry his mistress. The Pope refused. King Henry responded by marrying his mistress anyway, (later having two of his many wives executed), and thumbing his nose at the Pope by renouncing Roman Catholicism, taking England out from under Rome’s religious control, and declaring himself as the reigning head of State to also be the new head of the Church. This new branch of the Christian Church, neither Roman Catholic nor truly Protestant, became known as the Anglican Church or the Church of England. King Henry acted essentially as its “Pope”. His first act was to further defy the wishes of Rome by funding the printing of the scriptures in English… the first legal English Bible… just for spite.
Queen Mary
The ebb and flow of freedom continued through the 1540’s…and into the 1550’s. After King Henry VIII, King Edward VI took the throne, and after his death, the reign of Queen “Bloody” Mary was the next obstacle to the printing of the Bible in English. She was possessed in her quest to return England to the Roman Church. In 1555, John “Thomas Matthew” Rogers and Thomas Cranmer were both burned at the stake. Mary went on to burn reformers at the stake by the hundreds for the “crime” of being a Protestant. This era was known as the Marian Exile, and the refugees fled from England with little hope of ever seeing their home or friends again.
John Foxe
In the 1550’s, the Church at Geneva, Switzerland, was very sympathetic to the reformer refugees and was one of only a few safe havens for a desperate people. Many of them met in Geneva, led by Myles Coverdale and John Foxe (publisher of the famous Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, which is to this day the only exhaustive reference work on the persecution and martyrdom of Early Christians and Protestants from the first century up to the mid-16th century), as well as Thomas Sampson and William Whittingham. There, with the protection of the great theologian John Calvin (author of the most famous theological book ever published, Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion)and John Knox, the great Reformer of the Scottish Church, the Church of Geneva determined to produce a Bible that would educate their families while they continued in exile.
John Calvin
The New Testament was completed in 1557, and the complete Bible was first published in 1560. It became known as the Geneva Bible. Due to a passage in Genesis describing the clothing that God fashioned for Adam and Eve upon expulsion from the Garden of Eden as “Breeches” (an antiquated form of “Britches”), some people referred to the Geneva Bible as the Breeches Bible.
John Knox
The Geneva Bible was the first Bible to add numbered verses to the chapters, so that referencing specific passages would be easier. Every chapter was also accompanied by extensive marginal notes and references so thorough and complete that the Geneva Bible is also considered the first English “Study Bible”. William Shakespeare quotes hundreds of times in his plays from the Geneva translation of the Bible. The Geneva Bible became the Bible of choice for over 100 years of English-speaking Christians. Between 1560 and 1644 at least 144 editions of this Bible were published. Examination of the 1611 King James Bible shows clearly that its translators were influenced much more by the Geneva Bible, than by any other source. The Geneva Bible itself retains over 90% of William Tyndale’s original English translation. The Geneva in fact, remained more popular than the King James Version until decades after its original release in 1611! The Geneva holds the honor of being the first Bible taken to America, and the Bible of the Puritans and Pilgrims. It is truly the “Bible of the Protestant Reformation.” Strangely, the famous Geneva Bible has been out-of-print since 1644, so the only way to obtain one is to either purchase an original printing of the Geneva Bible, or a less costly facsimile reproduction of the original 1560 Geneva Bible.
With the end of Queen Mary’s bloody reign, the reformers could safely return to England. The Anglican Church, now under Queen Elizabeth I, reluctantly tolerated the printing and distribution of Geneva version Bibles in England. The marginal notes, which were vehemently against the institutional Church of the day, did not rest well with the rulers of the day. Another version, one with a less inflammatory tone was desired, and the copies of the Great Bible were getting to be decades old. In 1568, a revision of the Great Bible known as the Bishop’s Bible was introduced. Despite 19 editions being printed between 1568 and 1606, this Bible, referred to as the “rough draft of the King James Version”, never gained much of a foothold of popularity among the people. The Geneva may have simply been too much to compete with.
By the 1580’s, the Roman Catholic Church saw that it had lost the battle to suppress the will of God: that His Holy Word be available in the English language. In 1582, the Church of Rome surrendered their fight for “Latin only” and decided that if the Bible was to be available in English, they would at least have an official Roman Catholic English translation. And so, using the corrupt and inaccurate Latin Vulgate as the only source text, they went on to publish an English Bible with all the distortions and corruptions that Erasmus had revealed and warned of 75 years earlier. Because it was translated at the Roman Catholic College in the city of Rheims, it was known as the Rheims New Testament (also spelled Rhemes). The Douay Old Testament was translated by the Church of Rome in 1609 at the College in the city of Douay (also spelled Doway & Douai). The combined product is commonly referred to as the “Doway/Rheims” Version. In 1589, Dr. William Fulke of Cambridge published the “Fulke’s Refutation”, in which he printed in parallel columns the Bishops Version alongside the Rheims Version, attempting to show the error and distortion of the Roman Church’s corrupt compromise of an English version of the Bible.
King James I
With the death of Queen Elizabeth I, Prince James VI of Scotland became King James I of England. The Protestant clergy approached the new King in 1604 and announced their desire for a new translation to replace the Bishop’s Bible first printed in 1568. They knew that the Geneva Version had won the hearts of the people because of its excellent scholarship, accuracy, and exhaustive commentary. However, they did not want the controversial marginal notes (proclaiming the Pope an Anti-Christ, etc.) Essentially, the leaders of the church desired a Bible for the people, with scriptural references only for word clarification or cross-references.
This “translation to end all translations” (for a while at least) was the result of the combined effort of about fifty scholars. They took into consideration: The Tyndale New Testament, The Coverdale Bible, The Matthews Bible, The Great Bible, The Geneva Bible, and even the Rheims New Testament. The great revision of the Bishop’s Bible had begun. From 1605 to 1606 the scholars engaged in private research. From 1607 to 1609 the work was assembled. In 1610 the work went to press, and in 1611 the first of the huge (16 inch tall) pulpit folios known today as “The 1611 King James Bible” came off the printing press. A typographical discrepancy in Ruth 3:15 rendered a pronoun “He” instead of “She” in that verse in some printings. This caused some of the 1611 First Editions to be known by collectors as “He” Bibles, and others as “She” Bibles. Starting just one year after the huge 1611 pulpit-size King James Bibles were printed and chained to every church pulpit in England; printing then began on the earliest normal-size printings of the King James Bible. These were produced so individuals could have their own personal copy of the Bible.
John Bunyan
The Anglican Church’s King James Bible took decades to overcome the more popular Protestant Church’s Geneva Bible. One of the greatest ironies of history, is that many Protestant Christian churches today embrace the King James Bible exclusively as the “only” legitimate English language translation… yet it is not even a Protestant translation! It was printed to compete with the Protestant Geneva Bible, by authorities who throughout most of history were hostile to Protestants… and killed them. While many Protestants are quick to assign the full blame of persecution to the Roman Catholic Church, it should be noted that even after England broke from Roman Catholicism in the 1500’s, the Church of England (The Anglican Church) continued to persecute Protestants throughout the 1600’s. One famous example of this is John Bunyan, who while in prison for the crime of preaching the Gospel, wrote one of Christian history’s greatest books, Pilgrim’s Progress. Throughout the 1600’s, as the Puritans and the Pilgrims fled the religious persecution of England to cross the Atlantic and start a new free nation in America, they took with them their precious Geneva Bible, and rejected the King’s Bible. America was founded upon the Geneva Bible, not the King James Bible.
Protestants today are largely unaware of their own history, and unaware of the Geneva Bible (which is textually 95% the same as the King James Version, but 50 years older than the King James Version, and not influenced by the Roman Catholic Rheims New Testament that the King James translators admittedly took into consideration). Nevertheless, the King James Bible turned out to be an excellent and accurate translation, and it became the most printed book in the history of the world, and the only book with one billion copies in print. In fact, for over 250 years…until the appearance of the English Revised Version of 1881-1885…the King James Version reigned without much of a rival. One little-known fact, is that for the past 250 years, all “King James Version” Bibles published anywhere by any publisher are actually Blaney’s 1769 Revised Oxford Edition of the 1611 King James Bible.
The original “1611” preface is almost always deceivingly included by modern Bible publishing companies, and no mention of the fact that it is really the 1769 version is to be found, because that might hurt sales among those imagining that they are reading the original 1611 version.
The only way to obtain a true, unaltered, 1611 version is to either purchase an original pre-1769 printing of the King James Bible, or a less costly facsimile reproduction of the original 1611 King James Bible. A first edition facsimile reproduction of Blaney’s 1769 Revised Oxford Edition of the 1611 King James Bible is also available, which exemplifies the 20,000 spelling and punctuation changes and over 400 wording changes made to the original 1611 to 1768 King James Bible, when compared to King James Bibles published between 1769 and today.
John Eliot
Although the first Bible printed in America was done in the native Algonquin Indian Language by John Eliot in 1663; the first English language Bible to be printed in America by Robert Aitken in 1782 was a King James Version. Robert Aitken’s 1782 Bible was also the only Bible ever authorized by the United States Congress. He was commended by President George Washington for providing Americans with Bibles during the embargo of imported English goods due to the Revolutionary War. In 1808, Robert’s daughter, Jane Aitken, would become the first woman to ever print a Bible… and to do so in America, of course. In 1791, Isaac Collins vastly improved upon the quality and size of the typesetting of American Bibles and produced the first “Family Bible” printed in America… also a King James Version. Also in 1791, Isaiah Thomas published the first Illustrated Bible printed in America…in the King James Version. For more information on the earliest Bibles printed in America from the 1600’s through the early 1800’s, you may wish to review our more detailed discussion of The Bibles of Colonial America.
Noah Webster
While Noah Webster, just a few years after producing his famous Dictionary of the English Language, would produce his own modern translation of the English Bible in 1833; the public remained too loyal to the King James Version for Webster’s version to have much impact. It was not really until the 1880’s that England’s own planned replacement for their King James Bible, the English Revised Version(E.R.V.) would become the first English language Bible to gain popular acceptance as a post-King James Version modern-English Bible. The widespread popularity of this modern-English translation brought with it another curious characteristic: the absence of the 14 Apocryphal books.
Up until the 1880’s every Protestant Bible (not just Catholic Bibles) had 80 books, not 66! The inter-testamental books written hundreds of years before Christ called “The Apocrypha” were part of virtually every printing of the Tyndale-Matthews Bible, the Great Bible, the Bishops Bible, the Protestant Geneva Bible, and the King James Bible until their removal in the 1880’s! The original 1611 King James contained the Apocrypha, and King James threatened anyone who dared to print the Bible without the Apocrypha with heavy fines and a year in jail. Only for the last 120 years has the Protestant Church rejected these books, and removed them from their Bibles. This has left most modern-day Christians believing the popular myth that there is something “Roman Catholic” about the Apocrypha. There is, however, no truth in that myth, and no widely accepted reason for the removal of the Apocrypha in the 1880’s has ever been officially issued by a mainline Protestant denomination.
The Americans responded to England’s E.R.V. Bible by publishing the nearly identical American Standard Version (A.S.V.) in 1901. It was also widely accepted and embraced by churches throughout America for many decades as the leading modern-English version of the Bible. In the 1971, it was again revised and called New American Standard Version Bible (often referred to as the N.A.S.V. or N.A.S.B. or N.A.S.). This New American Standard Bible is considered by nearly all evangelical Christian scholars and translators today, to be the most accurate, word-for-word translation of the original Greek and Hebrew scriptures into the modern English language that has ever been produced. It remains the most popular version among theologians, professors, scholars, and seminary students today. Some, however, have taken issue with it because it is so direct and literal a translation (focused on accuracy), that it does not flow as easily in conversational English.
For this reason, in 1973, the New International Version (N.I.V.) was produced, which was offered as a “dynamic equivalent” translation into modern English. The N.I.V. was designed not for “word-for-word” accuracy, but rather, for “phrase-for-phrase” accuracy, and ease of reading even at a Junior High-School reading level. It was meant to appeal to a broader (and in some instances less-educated) cross-section of the general public. Critics of the N.I.V. often jokingly refer to it as the “Nearly Inspired Version”, but that has not stopped it from becoming the best-selling modern-English translation of the Bible ever published.
In 1982, Thomas Nelson Publishers produced what they called the “New King James Version”. Their original intent was to keep the basic wording of the King James to appeal to King James Version loyalists, while only changing the most obscure words and the Elizabethan “thee, thy, thou” pronouns. This was an interesting marketing ploy, however, upon discovering that this was not enough of a change for them to be able to legally copyright the result, they had to make more significant revisions, which defeated their purpose in the first place. It was never taken seriously by scholars, but it has enjoyed some degree of public acceptance, simply because of its clever “New King James Version” marketing name.
In 2002, a major attempt was made to bridge the gap between the simple readability of the N.I.V., and the extremely precise accuracy of the N.A.S.B. This translation is called the English Standard Version (E.S.V.) and is rapidly gaining popularity for its readability and accuracy. The 21st Century will certainly continue to bring new translations of God’s Word in the modern English language.
As Christians, we must be very careful to make intelligent and informed decisions about what translations of the Bible we choose to read. On the liberal extreme, we have people who would give us heretical new translations that attempt to change God’s Word to make it politically correct. One example of this, which has made headlines recently is the Today’s New International Version (T.N.I.V.) which seeks to remove all gender-specific references in the Bible whenever possible! Not all new translations are good… and some are very bad.
But equally dangerous, is the other extreme… of blindly rejecting ANY English translation that was produced in the four centuries that have come after the 1611 King James. We must remember that the main purpose of the Protestant Reformation was to get the Bible out of the chains of being trapped in an ancient language that few could understand, and into the modern, spoken, conversational language of the present day. William Tyndale fought and died for the right to print the Bible in the common, spoken, modern English tongue of his day… as he boldly told one official who criticized his efforts, “If God spare my life, I will see to it that the boy who drives the plowshare knows more of the scripture than you, Sir!”
Will we now go backwards, and seek to imprison God’s Word once again exclusively in ancient translations? Clearly it is not God’s will that we over-react to SOME of the bad modern translations, by rejecting ALL new translations and “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”. The Word of God is unchanging from generation to generation, but language is a dynamic and ever-changing form of communication. We therefore have a responsibility before God as Christians to make sure that each generation has a modern translation that they can easily understand, yet that does not sacrifice accuracy in any way. Let’s be ever mindful that we are not called to worship the Bible. That is called idolatry. We are called to worship the God who gave us the Bible, and who preserved it through the centuries of people who sought to destroy it.
We are also called to preserve the ancient, original English translations of the Bible… and that is what we do here at WWW.GREATSITE.COM
Consider the following textual comparison of the earliest English translations of John 3:16, as shown in the English Hexapla Parallel New Testament:
1st Ed. King James (1611): “For God so loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne: that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life.”
Rheims (1582): “For so God loued the vvorld, that he gaue his only-begotten sonne: that euery one that beleeueth in him, perish not, but may haue life euerlasting”
Geneva (1560): “For God so loueth the world, that he hath geuen his only begotten Sonne: that none that beleue in him, should peryshe, but haue euerlasting lyfe.”
Great Bible (1539): “For God so loued the worlde, that he gaue his only begotten sonne, that whosoeuer beleueth in him, shulde not perisshe, but haue euerlasting lyfe.”
Tyndale (1534): “For God so loveth the worlde, that he hath geven his only sonne, that none that beleve in him, shuld perisshe: but shuld have everlastinge lyfe.”
Wycliff (1380): “for god loued so the world; that he gaf his oon bigetun sone, that eche man that bileueth in him perisch not: but haue euerlastynge liif,”
Anglo-Saxon Proto-English Manuscripts (995 AD): “God lufode middan-eard swa, dat he seade his an-cennedan sunu, dat nan ne forweorde de on hine gely ac habbe dat ece lif.”
Timeline of Bible Translation History
1,400 BC: The first written Word of God: The Ten Commandments delivered to Moses.
500 BC: Completion of All Original Hebrew Manuscripts which make up The 39 Books of the Old Testament.
200 BC: Completion of the Septuagint Greek Manuscripts which contain The 39 Old Testament Books AND 14 Apocrypha Books.
1st Century AD: Completion of All Original Greek Manuscripts which make up The 27 Books of the New Testament.
315 AD: Athenasius, the Bishop of Alexandria, identifies the 27 books of the New Testament which are today recognized as the canon of scripture.
382 AD: Jerome’s Latin Vulgate Manuscripts Produced which contain All 80 Books (39 Old Test. + 14 Apocrypha + 27 New Test).
500 AD: Scriptures have been Translated into Over 500 Languages.
600 AD: LATIN was the Only Language Allowed for Scripture.
995 AD: Anglo-Saxon (Early Roots of English Language) Translations of The New Testament Produced.
1384 AD: Wycliffe is the First Person to Produce a (Hand-Written) manuscript Copy of the Complete Bible
1455 AD: Gutenberg Invents the Printing Press; Books May Now be mass-Produced Instead of Individually Hand-Written. The First Book Ever Printed is Gutenberg’s Bible in Latin.
1516 AD: Erasmus Produces a Greek/Latin Parallel New Testament.
1522 AD: Martin Luther’s German New Testament.
1526 AD: William Tyndale’s New Testament; The First New Testament printed in the English Language.
1535 AD: Myles Coverdale’s Bible; The First Complete Bible printed in the English Language (80 Books: O.T. & N.T. & Apocrypha).
1537 AD: Tyndale-Matthews Bible; The Second Complete Bible printed in English. Done by John “Thomas Matthew” Rogers (80 Books).
1539 AD: The “Great Bible” Printed; The First English Language Bible Authorized for Public Use (80 Books).
1560 AD: The Geneva Bible Printed; The First English Language Bible to add Numbered Verses to Each Chapter (80 Books).
1568 AD: The Bishops Bible Printed; The Bible of which the King James was a Revision (80 Books).
1609 AD: The Douay Old Testament is added to the Rheims New Testament (of 1582) Making the First Complete English Catholic Bible; Translated from the Latin Vulgate (80 Books).
1611 AD: The King James Bible Printed; Originally with All 80 Books. The Apocrypha was Officially Removed in 1885 Leaving Only 66 Books.
1782 AD: Robert Aitken’s Bible; The First English Language Bible (KJV) Printed in America.
1791 AD: Isaac Collins and Isaiah Thomas Respectively Produce the First Family Bible and First Illustrated Bible Printed in America. Both were King James Versions, with All 80 Books.
1808 AD: Jane Aitken’s Bible (Daughter of Robert Aitken); The First Bible to be Printed by a Woman.
1833 AD: Noah Webster’s Bible; After Producing his Famous Dictionary, Webster Printed his Own Revision of the King James Bible.
1841 AD: English Hexapla New Testament; an Early Textual Comparison showing the Greek and 6 Famous English Translations in Parallel Columns.
1846 AD: The Illuminated Bible; The Most Lavishly Illustrated Bible printed in America. A King James Version, with All 80 Books.
1863 AD: Robert Young’s “Literal” Translation; often criticized for being so literal that it sometimes obscures the contextual English meaning.
1885 AD: The “English Revised Version” Bible; The First Major English Revision of the KJV.
1901 AD: The “American Standard Version”; The First Major American Revision of the KJV.
1952 AD: The “Revised Standard Version” (RSV); said to be a Revision of the 1901 American Standard Version, though more highly criticized.
1971 AD: The “New American Standard Bible” (NASB) is Published as a “Modern and Accurate Word for Word English Translation” of the Bible.
1973 AD: The “New International Version” (NIV) is Published as a “Modern and Accurate Phrase for Phrase English Translation” of the Bible.
1982 AD: The “New King James Version” (NKJV) is Published as a “Modern English Version Maintaining the Original Style of the King James.”
1990 AD: The “New Revised Standard Version” (NRSV); further revision of 1952 RSV, (itself a revision of 1901 ASV), criticized for “gender inclusiveness”.
2002 AD: The English Standard Version (ESV) is Published as a translation to bridge the gap between the accuracy of the NASB and the readability of the NIV.
We Have This Moment Today – Bill And Gloria Gaither
In the video, Gloria Gaither tells about a lot of life’s experience that she and Bill have faced. Many of us have faced similar experiences. Consider life and love, as you look back and see those things that have meant so much to you, and have left a life-long memory that never will leave.
Life and love, both coming from our parents. Growing up. Dating. Falling in love. Getting married. Having our own children; watching them grow up. Their first day of school. The day for getting their driver’s license. Their first date. Their graduation. Their getting married; their having their own children. Death. Other things. A cup of coffee. From the most simple, to the most complex, life’s issues don’t fail to come upon us.
All of the above of life’s experiences happen in our lives. Some are very difficult for us to handle. We may never be able to accept certain things of life. But, God is in the people business, and “God is love” (1 John 5:4). God even gives us the grace to look back, and share life’s experiences, over a cup of coffee (whether good, or not so good a cup, lol).
We have listened to the video about life and love. Now, let’s read a passage of scripture that tells us about life and love.
1 Corinthians 13 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Greatest Gift
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
God has given us a passage of scripture that many people view as relating to death, but the words clearly show that it is about life; our life, and God’s Sovereignty.
Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV)
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Today is the day after Thanksgiving. Earlier this evening I was driving through the center of my city. It looked very much like that which most people would expect a Christmas Eve to look like. The sky was dark, due to the time of day. Fog was beginning to settle over town. A light mist that was falling on my windshield was causing a light squeaking sound to be heard from the wipers, due to the lightness of the mist. Very few people were seen on the streets. Most of the businesses were closed. In one word, my city looked to be “dead,” or in two words, “without life.” Because it was “Black Friday,” shoppers were still taking advantage of buying the latest electronic gizmos for the people in their families. Even though many of those same families are spiritually dead, and are being held together by a thread, hundreds and thousands of hard-earned dollars were being spent in hopes that those purchases would, some how, give life to those families that appear to be DNR tagged (do not resuscitate).
This is the fourth year that I have published this article, with minor changes being made each year. Each time, I have listened to the videos without interruption, and each time they have pulled strong emotions from within me. This evening, as usual, my throat and jaw tightened. Tears would not stop finding their way onto my cheeks. The story of Jacob and Marlee is that, just a story. But, I know that their situation is one that many married couples, “are facing, have faced, or will face.” I have published this article on the 16th, 17th, and 24th of past Decembers. But, the conditions of this evening made me understand that this post needs to be distributed much sooner than in the past years.
Not all marriages are dying, or are dead, due to infidelity, but there is a high percentage of families that are dying because of affairs. A thought come into my mind while I was driving this evening, and is with me now, and relates to infidelity. That thought is very strong, and is this: “If you are in an affair, “GET OUT OF IT!” Just get out! Don’t wait! Just get out! Get your life right with God! Please understand that which I am saying, and that which I am not saying. I am saying that if you are in an affair, “GET OUT” of the affair; “JUST GET OUT!” “DON’T WAIT!” “JUST GET OUT!” “GET YOUR LIFE RIGHT WITH GOD!”
Consider a memorable story of another couple, whose initials are also “M and J.”
Luke 2:1-7 New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ Born of Mary
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Mary and Joseph were on their way to Bethlehem, where Mary would give birth to Jesus, the Savior of the world. Consider the story of Marlee and Jacob, and their “Christmas Eve” journey; it was being made for quite a different reason. The recording of Marlee and Jacob may be difficult for some of you; I understand that. I moderate all comments to this blog. If anybody comments on this post, I will not publish that comment without gaining permission to do so.
If you are considering a Christmas Eve “divorce papers appointment” please, let me ask you to listen to the following audio recording of Marlee and Jacob, as they are on their way to sign their papers…”on Christmas Eve.” Listen very attentively. The time of the recording is fifty-four minutes. Let me ask you to set aside an uninterrupted period of time, “for fifty-four minutes.” Think about your wedding vows. Think about your marriage. Think about your children. Please! Set aside fifty-four minutes and consider what you are about to do.
After you have read, listened to, and watched everything that is in this post, please ask yourself a very personal question; you can answer to yourself. So, here it is. When you read a post on social media from a “friend” of the opposite sex, “do you get a rush, or a spark?” If your answer is “yes,” maybe social media is not something that you should have as a part of your life.
As you have learned from the video of Marlee and Jacob, they were married on Christmas Eve, “twenty years ago.” On this Christmas Eve, the couple are headed to an attorney’s office…to sign divorce papers. Think about Marlee, Jacob, and your marriage situation. Do you remember the words that you and your mate said to each other as you stood before God, the minister, family and friends, and the rest of the people who were watching and listening as you professed your love for one another? If you have forgotten those special words, I have written a traditional wedding vow for you to consider. Please read it now.
“To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish…’til death do us part.”
Please understand that I have no room for spousal abuse in a marriage.
“Tender Memories” Chonda Pierce – Jesus Is All The World to Me [Live]
I can remember, as a young boy, the special times of Sunday night church, when I would also sit on, “the second row, piano side.” Those special memories flood my soul, as I think about the people that were there, with many of them being older, and now in the Presence of Christ, “our Lord and Savior.”
A shofar is an instrument made from the horn of a ram or other kosher animal. It was used in ancient Israel to announce the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) and call people together. It was also blown on Rosh Hashanah, marking the beginning of the New Year, signifying both need to wake up to the call to repentance, and in connection with the portion read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Binding of Isaac (Genesis, chapter 22) in which Abraham sacrifices a ram in place of his son, Isaac. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-shofar
The sound of the trumpet will also be heard in future times, such as:
“The rapture of the church.”
This will be when born again believers in Christ will be removed from the earth, to protect them from the judgments of God which will take place during the following seven years of tribulation. When the rapture takes place, deceased believers in Christ will be resurrected/raised up from their bodily places of death. The dead and living will be taken immediately to the third heaven to the Judgment Seat of Christ for rewards (2 Cor 5:10), and for the marriage of the Lamb (Rev 19:7-8). It will be from the marriage of the lamb that Christ and His bride will return to earth for the battle of Armageddon, at the second coming of Christ to earth (Revelation 19:11-21; Zechariah 14:1-15).
Trumpet Sounded At The Rapture
Consider the following verses that tell of the sound of the trumpet that will be heard during the times above.
The trumpet will be sounded at the catching up/snatching away of the born again believers in Christ, whether dead or alive. These people have been born again due to their belief in Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is not the second coming of Christ, where He will stand on the earth at the end of the tribulation. In these verses, Christ comes in the air and takes His born again saints to the Presence of God the Father, in the third heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
50 For I assure you, my brothers, it is utterly impossible for flesh and blood to possess the kingdom of God. The transitory could never possess the everlasting.
The dead and the living will be fitted for immortality
51-53 Listen, and I will tell you a secret. We shall not all die, but suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, every one of us will be changed as the trumpet sounds! The trumpet will sound and the dead shall be raised beyond the reach of corruption, and we who are still alive shall suddenly be utterly changed. For this perishable nature of ours must be wrapped in imperishability, these bodies which are mortal must be wrapped in immortality.
54 So when the perishable is lost in the imperishable, the mortal lost in the immortal, this saying will come true: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ ‘O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
God’s message regarding those who have died
13-18 Now we don’t want you, my brothers, to be in any doubt about those who “fall asleep” in death, or to grieve over them like men who have no hope. After all, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again from death, then we can believe that God will just as surely bring with Jesus all who are “asleep” in him. Here we have a definite message from the Lord. It is that those who are still living when he comes will not in any way precede those who have previously fallen asleep. One word of command, one shout from the archangel, one blast from the trumpet of God and the Lord himself will come down from Heaven! Those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then we who are still living on the earth will be swept up with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And after that we shall be with him for ever. 18 God has given me this message on the matter, so by all means use it to encourage one another.
“The trumpet will be sounded during the tribulation.”
This will happen as God pours out his judgments on the earth.
God’s judgments on the world during the time of tribulation.
Revelation 8:1-13 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
The seventh seal: complete silence
1 Then, when he had broken the seventh seal, there was utter silence in Heaven for what seemed to me half-an-hour.
The vision of the seven trumpeters
2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand in the presence of God, and seven trumpets were put into their hands.
3-6 Then another angel came and stood by the altar holding a golden censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to add to the prayers of all the saints, to be laid upon the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense rose up before God from the angel’s hand, mingled with the prayers of the saints. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it upon the earth. And at that there were thunderings and noises, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Then the seven angels who were holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
The first trumpet: hail and fire
7 The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire mingled with blood appeared, and were hurled upon the earth. One-third of the earth was burnt up, one-third of all the trees was burnt up, and every blade of green grass was burnt up.
The second trumpet: The blazing mountain
8-9 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a vast mountain blazing with fire was thrown into the sea. A third-part of the sea turned into blood, a third of all live creatures in the sea died, and a third-part of all shipping was destroyed.
The third trumpet: The poisonous star
10-11 Then the third angel blew his trumpet and there fell from the sky a huge star blazing like a torch. It fell upon a third of the rivers and springs of water. The name of the star is said to be Apsinthus. A third of all the waters turned into wormwood, and many people died because the waters had become so bitter.
The fourth trumpet: Light from the sky diminishes
12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third-part of the sun, a third-part of the moon and a third of the stars were struck. A third-part of the light of each of them was darkened, so that light by day and light by night were both diminished by a third-part.
The cry of pity from mid-heaven
13 Then in my vision I saw a solitary eagle flying in mid-heaven, crying in a loud voice, “Alas, alas, alas for the inhabitants of the earth for there are three more trumpet blasts which the three angels shall sound!”
Revelation 9:1-21 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
The fifth trumpet: The fathomless pit
1 The fifth angel blew his trumpet. I saw a star, that had fallen down from Heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the fathomless pit.
2 Then he opened the pit and smoke like the smoke of a vast furnace rose out of it, so that the light of the sun and the air itself grew dark from the smoke of the pit.
3-5 Then out of the smoke emerged locusts to descend upon the earth. They were given powers like those of earthly scorpions. They had orders to do no harm to any grass, green thing or tree upon the earth, but to injure only those human beings who did not bear the seal of God upon their foreheads. They were given no power to kill men, but only to torture them for five months. The torture they could inflict was like the pain of a scorpion’s sting.
6 In those days men will seek death but they will never find it; they will long to die but death will elude them.
7-11 These locusts looked to me in my vision like horses prepared for battle, On their heads were what appeared to be crowns like gold; their faces were like human faces, and they had long hair like women. Their teeth were like lion’s teeth, their breasts were like iron-breastplates, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of a host of chariots and horses charging into battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions, and it is in their tails that they possess the power to injure men for five months. They have as their king the angel of the pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon, (meaning the destroyer).
12 The first disaster is now past, but I see two more approaching.
The sixth trumpet: the destroying angels
13-14 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a solitary voice speaking from the four corners of the golden altar that stands in the presence of God. And it said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!”
15 Then these four angels who had been held ready for the hour, the day, the month and the year, were set free to kill a third-part of all mankind.
16-19 The number of their horsemen was two hundred million—I heard what their number was. In my vision I saw these horses and their riders, and their breastplates were fiery-red, blue and yellow. The horses’ heads looked to me like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths poured fire and smoke and sulphur. A third of all mankind died from the fearful effects of these three, the fire, the smoke and the sulphur which pours out of their mouths. For the power of these horses lies in their mouths and in their tails. Indeed their tails are like serpents with heads, and with these they inflict injury.
20-21 The rest of mankind, who did not die in this fearful destruction, neither repented of the works of their own hands nor ceased to worship evil powers and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone or wood, which can neither see nor hear nor move. Neither did they repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual sins, nor of their thieving.
“The trumpet will be sounded at the end of the tribulation.”
This will happen as Christ returns to earth to gather the Jews from all corners of the world, whether dead or alive. The following are the living Jews which did not know Christ as their Lord and Savior at the time of the rapture. They have spent the last seven years in the tribulation, where some were born again, due to their coming to saving faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior. Other Jews, during that same seven-year period, were not born again and had not come to saving faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. The deceased Jews, living and deceased, are discussed below in Daniel 12:1-2. As you read the following verses, consider their separate destinies in eternity.
Matthew 24:29-31 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
The following verses describe the events of the second coming of Christ to earth, accompanied by His born again believers, which were caught up to the third heaven in the rapture. In the rapture, the saints are caught up with Christ to Heaven. In the second coming, the saints return to earth with Christ from the marriage of the lamb in the third heaven (Rev 19:7-8).
At the end of time the Son of Man will return (This relates to the end of the time that people will live on the earth before the kingdom age begins.)
29-31 “Immediately after the misery of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will fail to give her light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken’. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will wring their hands as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky in power and great splendour. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet-call and they will gather his chosen from the four winds—from one end of the heavens to the other. (vs 31, the chosen people are Jews).
Matthew 24:40-41 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
Two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left behind. Two women will be grinding at the hand-mill; one is taken and one is left behind. (The ones that are taken, are taken to immediate death and future judgment for eternity (Rev 20:10-15). The ones that are left behind are left behind to enter the Kingdom Age, which also is known as the thousand-year reign of Christ, the millennium. This is not the rapture of the church. The eternal destiny of the ones that are left behind is the new heaven, new earth and new Jerusalem (Rev 21:1-2).
The plight of the deceased Jews, whether they are born again, or not born again, is mentioned in the following verses. Please remember that this occurrence also takes place at the end of the tribulation when Christ returns to earth from the third heaven with his caught up saints, whether resurrected or raptured.
Daniel 12:1-2 The Message (MSG)
The Worst Trouble the World Has Ever Seen
12 1-2 “‘That’s when Michael, the great angel-prince, champion of your people, will step in. It will be a time of trouble, the worst trouble the world has ever seen. But your people will be saved from the trouble, every last one found written in the Book. Many who have been long dead and buried will wake up, some to eternal life, others to eternal shame. (Notice that the context of this passage relates to Israel “your people.” The time trouble is the tribulation. Those saved from the trouble are those which have been born again and caught up (1 Thes 4:13-18). The book of life is the Lamb’s book of life which has written in it all of the saved from all times (Rev 17:8). The deceased born again Jews will be raised to eternal life. The deceased Jews whom have not been born again will be raised to eternal torment, Luke 16:22-24; Rev 20:15.)
Jews or Gentiles who missed the rapture but came to saving faith in Christ during the tribulation and were martyred will be raised from death for an eternity of blessings and presence with God (Rev 20:4).
Revelation 20:4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
We have learned about Christ, our Lord and Savior. Now, let’s worship Him.
Philippians 2:9-11 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
God will protect His chosen people at the Battle of Armageddon.
Zechariah 14:1-14 New Living Translation (NLT)
The Lord Will Rule the Earth
1 Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! 2 I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city.
3 Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. 5 You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones with him.
6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, 7 yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how this could happen. There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light.
8 On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter.
9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped.
10 All the land from Geba, north of Judah, to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become one vast plain. But Jerusalem will be raised up in its original place and will be inhabited all the way from the Benjamin Gate over to the site of the old gate, then to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. 11 And Jerusalem will be filled, safe at last, never again to be cursed and destroyed.
12 And the Lord will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day they will be terrified, stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will fight their neighbors hand to hand. 14 Judah, too, will be fighting at Jerusalem…”
Corresponding to this passage of scripture is Revelation 19:11-20:4
Revelation 19:11-21 New Living Translation (NLT)
The Rider on the White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. 18 Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.
Revelation 20:1-4
The Thousand Years
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
RAPTURE part 3 : Scene of RAPTURE in a Church ! Millions of people are suddenly missing, even from churches. Consider that just because someone attends a church, they are not necessarily born again. Consider the horrible things that will soon follow the rapture. Consider the following scripture.
1 Corinthians 15:50-53 New Living Translation (NLT)
50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
At the time that Christ comes in the air for the catching up of the born again believers/saints in Christ (Rapture), those born again deceased saints will be brought up out of their places of death; and those saints whom are still alive, will suddenly be lifted up from the earth, and will be given bodies and souls that will be eternally perfect. Their spirits will have already been made eternally perfect from the time that these saints were born again. All of us, whom are born again, will be caught up by Christ, God the Son, and taken to the Presence of God, the Father, in the third heaven. At that point in time, there will never, ever, be any separation between God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and His caught up and resurrected saints, whom will never suffer from sickness and will never die. As for those whom are deceased at the time of the rapture, and were not born again at the time of their deaths, their decayed bodies will remain in their graves, or other places, until the time of the great white throne judgment (Rev 20:10-15), where they will be raised to be cast into the lake of fire, which burns forever and ever. As for those whom are alive at the time of the rapture, and have not been born again, they will remain on earth and enter the tribulation; small children will not be left behind. They will die natural deaths or be killed during the tribulation. These two groups of unsaved people will have eternal torment, and separation from God. Both will face the great white throne judgment and be cast into the lake of fire. Bodies, souls and spirits that have not been born again, can not enter the Holy places of God (heaven, kingdom age, new earth). John 3:3 makes the case for the need of being born again:
John 3:3 New Living Translation (NLT) 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Consider the things that will confront those whom will be left behind on earth after the rapture takes place. The video shows a world that no one would ever want to occupy. After the rapture of millions of saints, soon after will follow utter chaos, natural and physical, such as was spoken by Christ:
Matthew 24:21 New Living Translation (NLT) 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.
The Rapture Of The Church. The coming of Christ in the air to remove his born again believers. Only “earth dwellers” (unbelievers) will remain on Earth. The raptured believers in Christ will return with Him on white horses, with Him leading the way to the Battle of Armageddon (Rev 16:12-16; 19:11-14; 19:15-21).
Revelation 3:10 New Living Translation (NLT) 10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. The perseverance is provided by God to those whom are born again. (1 John 5:4)
1 John 5:4 New Living Translation (NLT)
4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
Consider the news reports that will come from all around the world.
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE MISSING ! WHERE ARE THEY?
Airplanes crashing – flight crews missing! Cars and trucks colliding – drivers missing! Hospitals report, “No babies anywhere!” Unborn babies missing from their mothers’ wombs!
School teachers frantically looking for children! Clothing seen in restaurants and businesses where people had been seated!
Chaos everywhere! Network news anchors and theologians attribute the situation to global warming and alien abductions!
Many pastors can’t be found – many others are being interviewed by radio and tv news crews!
Left behind heads of states call for states of emergency!
Atmospheric and earthly disturbances preceding the earthly second coming of Christ to Earth to judge sin, “humanly and natural.” The Great White Throne Judgment occurs one thousand years later (Rev 20:7-15).
The earth will be destroyed, by God, not by global warming (2 Peter 3:13).
2 Peter 3:11-13 New Living Translation (NLT)
11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
A new heaven, new earth and new Jerusalem will be created for all of God’s born again saints to inhabit for all of eternity. This creation is known as the eternal state.
Revelation 21:1-2 New Living Translation (NLT)
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
WHERE WILL YOU BE FOUND?
Consider a day like the one that is described above in the rapture video. Some people who are reading this post have no understanding of the event that is being described. That is sad because most readers of my posts consider themselves to be believers in Christ. Far too many Christians can not explain the essential elements of the Rapture of The Church, the Tribulation or of the Second Coming Of Christ. Many Christian parents don’t know enough about this subject to teach their children about it. Far too many pastors are not teaching the things of the end times to their congregations. It is important for all believers in Christ to know that they are secure in Christ for salvation, and that they will be kept “from the tribulation,” and will not have to “go through it” (Rev 3:10). It is also important for believers in Christ to be able to know and explain how and why they have been saved, and how and why they will escape the tribulation.
The main-line reform denominations have lost their way. The African church has lost its way. Check out the following links to see the denominations that are suspect, as it relates to which church bodies have placed politics over the gospel.
No one should walk into the sanctuary of a church and see a large picture of our former president posted there. No denomination should teach that it is okay to kill unborn babies. No denomination should teach that same-sex marriage is okay. No denomination should show anything less than Godly respect for the nation of Israel. No denomination should remain silent as the democrat party is trying to steal elections. No denomination should remain silent as the democrat party encourages people to take to the streets, restaurants and other businesses to confront conservative members of our nation. Since our churches are reluctant to speak out against the sins that are attacking our nation, parents must take the offensive and speak out against the sinful moral fabric of the democrat party, and ensure that their children understand the truth of the following verse of scripture.
Genesis 4:7 New Living Translation (NLT)
7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
Church’s Sign: “Don’t Vote for Democrats on Tuesday and Sing ‘Oh How I Love Jesus’ on Sunday”
Here are the hard cold facts of this matter. It is no secret that the democrat party supports abortion on demand, same-sex marriage, opposition to Israel, and the use of violence to achieve its ungodly goals. If you believe in, or support, abortion on demand, same-sex marriage, or the overthrow of our nation by the democrat party, you show no evidence that you been born again. When the rapture of the church takes place, you will be left behind on earth to suffer from the persecution of the anti-Christ and the judgments of God on a sinful world. You will die, or be killed, during the tribulation. You will be raised to stand before God at the great white throne judgment, and will be throne into the lake of fire, where you will suffer from eternal punishment. Parents! If you don’t get a grip on sin in your life, and in the lives of your children, all of you will stand before the great white throne judgment. You will be cast into the lake of fire, “you and your children.” It will not be a place of family reunions; it will be a place of torment. Animals give their lives trying to save their young; far too many human mothers boast about having made decisions to kill their unborn babies. Even the liberal cities of our nation’s northwest states are coming under the attacks of democrats who want to overthrow our nation. How would you like such violence to be taking place in front of your place of business?
Molotov Cocktails & Flash Bang Grenades at Seattle May Day
Do you think this article is a joke? Well, don’t! It is the eternity of you and your family that will suffer from your ignorance of God’s Word, and from your defiance to it!
Go back to the title of this article, “Millions Mission! Where Are They?” Answer this question: Where will you and your children find themselves after the rapture of the church takes place?
The subjects of the rapture of the church and of the second coming of Christ have been discussed many times, and by many people, but it has been my experience that a lot of bad information has been passed around during those studies and times of discussion. Through a lot of personal observation and study, I have found that many people use the two terms, rapture and 2nd coming, interchangeably, without providing sound documentation for having come to their conclusions. It is easy for any student of scripture to observe that Christ discussed “Jewish things” with Jews. Data on the speaker in the video is shown at the bottom of this page.
In the context of this 24th Chapter of Matthew the term “elect” refers to Jews (Deuteronomy 7:6). In Paul’s letters, he relates to the elect as being “the called” of the born again Body of Christ, which is the spiritual church of Christ. In relation to the rapture/catching up of the church, the event deals with Christ coming down from heaven, not landing on Earth, but calling His born-again body of Christ, the spiritual church, up to heaven where it will receive rewards at the judgment seat of Christ, and take place in the marriage of the Lamb. During the time of “rapture, rewards, and marriage of the Lamb,” the tribulation is taking place on Earth. The second coming of Christ relates to Christ coming from Heaven to Earth, (with His saints who were raptured, and have been in the third Heaven with Him during the time of tribulation on earth) where He will stand on the Mount of Olives. On His descent to Earth, Christ will win a spiritual battle at the Battle of Armageddon and set up his Millennial reign (1,000 years). The Kingdom Age (John 3:3) is the same as the Millennium. In this 24th Chapter of Matthew, Christ uses Jewish terms to explain His second coming to Jews.
A discussion of the “lead up” to the second coming of Christ is shown in the following verses of scripture. Christ will be shown to physically return to earth, and to stand on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. From there He will judge sin and will set up His earthly Kingdom, which is also known at the thousand-year reign of Christ (the millennium).
Matthew 24:1-31 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Signs of Christ’s Return (which occurs after the rapture of the church)
1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Perilous Times
15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.17 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18 Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
The Glorious Return
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
The “elect,” the Jews, are the objects of this passage. Christ is seen by everyone on earth as He returns to earth. The elect of verse 31 are Jews (dead and alive), and are gathered together from all areas of the earth (the regathering of Israel). These conditions of atmospheric rebellion will not be discussed with the future Christians by the Apostle Paul as something that they will have to endure, which is because born again believers in Christ will not have to undergo the judgments that relate to the tribulation.
The following passages of scripture also tell of the second coming of Christ, to stand on the earth.
Zechariah 14:1-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
God Will Battle Jerusalem’s Foes
1 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4 In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south
Christ returns to earth and stands on the Mount of Olives; he was seated on the Mount of Olives while he was speaking with His disciples in Matthew Chapter 24:3.
Revelation 19:14-21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid heaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
Rev 19 is the same occurrence as that of Zechariah 14:1-4. In this passage, it shows that the armies of heaven (the saints which had been raptured) will be with Christ during His descent to Earth.
In conclusion, it is easy to understand that Christ uses Matthew Chapter 24 to explain the events of His return to earth, in that which we call “The Second Coming Of Christ.” In John 14:1-6, Jesus discusses the rapture of the church with His disciples, who will soon become his apostles, and who will convey the same message to the gentiles and unbelieving Jews, as they carry out their ministry as apostles.
For those whom are alive now, and have not come to saving faith in Christ, if the rapture of the church were to occur,”RIGHT NOW,” a bleak future is staring them, “straight in their faces!”
Consider those which show no evidence in their lives that they have been born again. Prayer and evangelism are needed to reach those whom do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior. But, we must understand that in their present state of life these people demonstrate open hostility to the gospel of Christ, by not only believing that it is okay to kill unborn babies, but are also by promoting the idea of using the force of law to accomplish such murders and by using tax payer dollars to finance those murders. Consider the following proponents of killing unborn babies.
The Timing of the Rapture and the Second Coming. Vimeo comment: In this program, Dr. John Ankerberg and his guests, Dr. Renald Showers and Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, discuss the differences between the times when the Rapture and Second Coming will occur. We hope you’ll be encouraged by this program to live each day with a life devoted to the Lord and committed to sharing Him with others.
This teaching is serious! Parents! You must ensure that you and your children will be caught up in the rapture, and will not be left behind to endure the oppression of the anti-Christ, or the judgments of God.
If you, or your children, see nothing wrong with the killing of unborn babies, “you do not have” been born again,” having the Spirit of God dwelling within your spirit, prompting you to righteous living.
If you, or your children, see nothing wrong with homosexuality and same-sex marriage, “you have not” been born again,” having the Spirit of God dwelling within your spirit, prompting you to righteous living.
The only people that will be caught up in the rapture are those whom have been born again. To be born again is to have the Spirit of God the Father/Son/Holy Spirit dwelling within our spirit, prompting us to righteous living.
Consider the truth of those whom will not be caught up in the rapture.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.
Revelation 21:8 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 But the cowards, unbelievers, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Consider the truth of the eternal destiny of those whom have not been born again.
Revelation 20:10-15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Great White Throne Judgment
11 Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
13 Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Consider that which is necessary for those whom support abortion on demand, and homosexuality, to not be left behind at the time of the rapture, to endure the oppression of the anti-Christ and to suffer the judgments of God.
1 Corinthians 6:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
There is no negotiation on this verse.
John 3:3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The result of the new birth is:
John 14:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.
John 15:26-27 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Coming Testimony and Rejection
26 “When the Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
John 16:7-8 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. 8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:
Don’t let this woman lead you and your children to the lake of fire:
Does this passage remind you of a particular political party? In today’s vernacular, it is called “selective reduction.”
Exodus 1:15-16 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.”
Can you imagine how many “church goers” find nothing wrong with that which happens when this story occurs today? The number of those people is astronomical; they have not been born again; they are going to hell!
To believe that abortion on demand is okay, and that homosexuality is okay, is to not have a belief in Christ as Lord and Savior. The result of such unbelief is the condemnation to the lake of fire (Rev 20:10-15).
John 3:16-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.
Parents! The eternities of you and your children are at stake!
John Ankerberg Show Published on Feb 27, 2014. In this program, Dr. John Ankerberg and his guests, Dr. Renald Showers and Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, discuss the differences between the times when the Rapture and Second Coming of Christ will occur.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ (NASB)
Revelation 1:1
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicate by His angel to His bond-servant John,
My note: Notice that this is “the Revelation,” singular, and not “revelations,” plural.
Revelation 1:3
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it for the time is near.
My note: Notice the encouragement that is given in this verse. Blessings come from reading, hearing, and heeding the things that written in the Book of Revelation. The participants in the video are identified at the bottom of this page, along with their biographical information.
The catching up of the church (rapture, harpazo, rapio)
Christ, through the rapture, will suddenly take away the saints of God away from earth, so that they will not have to endure the “soon to follow” judgments of God on a sinful world in a seven-year period of time that is known as the tribulation.
(Rapture: English; Harpazo: Greek; Rapio: Latin). The rapture can be explained as being, “the catching up,” or “the snatching away.” The “catching up” of God’s people has been used by God in the past for His purposes, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. It will happen again in the future.
Rapture verses.
Christ, God the Son, comes in the air (not to stand on earth) and catches born again believers away to the third heaven, to the Presence of God, the Father.
John 14:1-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 New King James Version (NKJV)
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The Second Coming Of Christ
Christ returns to earth, and stands on the earth, for the purpose of judging sin and for establishing his earthly kingdom, which is also known as the millennium and the thousand-year reign of Christ.
We will address the second coming of Christ in the next article that I publish.
Video participants.
John Ankerberg, Dr. Jimmy DeYoung and Dr. Renald Showers.
“Psalm Enchanted Evening.” Marty Goetz in concert with special guests Jennifer and Misha Goetz.
Some years later.
Aaronic Benediction blessing HEBREW and English – Misha Goetz (featuring Marty Goetz)
For the USA, it has been a week of unending stress. Now, “let’s consider God.”
Psalm 46:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
Psalm 103:19 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 New King James Version (NKJV)
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Democrats, Media Figures Glorify Violence Against Trump Supporters. Published on Jun 27, 2018. You Tube note. Who is really glorifying violence against people with other political views? Many in the entertainment and news media, as well as many other Democrats, have tragically been destroying fair political discourse by glorifying violence against Trump supporters.
My note. Look at the little boy who is applauding Democrat calls to violence. Democrat violence comes from their accomplices in the industries of: “entertainment (big screen, and tv), academia, news, information, new world order corporations,” with the Democrat party being the entity that attempts to bring to law the legislation that supports the liberal causes of its demonic cohorts. The liberal causes that all of those “pegs of the ungodly circle of Satan’s mercenaries” are openly expressed by them: “abortion on demand, same-sex marriage, globalism vs national interests, open borders, climate change legislation (even though in the late seventies the concern of the same people was an impending ice age), attacks on Christians and Jews, attacks on Israel, rights of children over parents… and other connected liberal and ungodly causes.
Consider the responsibility of parents, to TEACH THEIR CHILDREN.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21 New Living Translation (NLT)
18 “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 19 TEACH them to YOUR CHILDREN. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
Consider the demands that God has placed on Christians.
Romans 12:18 New Living Translation (NLT)
18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
Consider why parents should control the content of information that comes into the minds of their children at home, and away.
Parents, after all, “they’re your children.” The lake of fire is real! (Rev 20:10-15). Not a single person in the video shows any evidence that they have been born again (John 3:3). Don’t let “such people” lead your children away from the path that God has for your children. Don’t let your children be led by such Democrats to “the lake of fire and brimstone, where they will be tormented day and night, for ever and ever.
Parents, lead your children in paths of Godly righteousness. Consider the Aaronic Priestly Blessing. Consider the example of responsible parenting, in the video of Marty Goetz, and his daughter, Misha.
Numbers 6:22-27 King James Version (KJV)
22 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,
24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.
WOW! Amazing Aaronic Benediction blessing HEBREW and English – Misha Goetz (featuring Marty Goetz)
Parents! Do not let your children be tied to such ungodly tv viewing, as is so often shown on fake news tv.
Koolulam | Al Kol Eleh | Israel’s 70th Independence Day | 4.9.18 The video shows Jews celebrating the 70th anniversary of the United Nations recognized Israeli statehood. Quoted at the bottom of this article, is the truth of an attitude that remains today, and seriously affects individual Jews and the nation of Israel.
As you view the video of this article please take a serious look at the Jews who are present. Do they look like the murderous monsters that the majority of United Nations countries portray Jews as being, or as our nation’s fake media maliciously broadcasts? Jews are wonderful people! I have first-hand knowledge of Jews, having grown up with many of them in my city. And, yes! Jews defend themselves if they are attacked, either as a nation, or as individuals. In the video you will notice that the Jews are seeking God’s blessings on their nation, which apparently has exited the vernacular of America’s Congressional Democrats.
The designation of “Pharisee” fits many Jews serving in the US Congress. Consider the celebration of the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem: “No congressional Jews; no congressional Democrats,” were present. Never has indifference, lack of respect, or hatred toward Jews and Israel, been so obvious in much of the United States, and throughout much of the world, as is the case now.
Jerusalem has been the Jewish Capital of Israel ever since the Jews entered that land under the leadership of Joshua in 1451 B.C. When the U.S. Embassy in Israel was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the Democrat party voiced loud opposition to that move. U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all said that the U.S. Embassy should be located in Jerusalem, but only President Trump followed through and moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Only Republicans went to Jerusalem to show support for Israel when the embassy move took place. The Obama administration went all the way to the Supreme Court to block a law passed by Congress allowing American parents of children born in Jerusalem to list Israel as their birthplace on their passports https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/world/middleeast/jerusalem-us-embassy-trump.html There are a number of Jews in the U.S. Congress, but none of them went to Jerusalem to show support for Israel (https://www.jns.org/republicans-bemoan-lack-of-democrats-at-us-embassy-opening-in-jerusalem/). Across the Atlantic, several hours after the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Jerusalem, the Israeli embassy in Washington hosted its annual event marking the anniversary of the nation’s founding. It’s usually a festive occasion featuring lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who go to see the ambassador and be seen. But this year, not a single currently serving Democrat was spotted in attendance (https://www.timesofisrael.com/democrats-conspicuously-absent-from-israeli-embassys-dc-party/).
On May 3, 2015, President Obama, Vice President Biden, and 58 Democrat members of the U.S. Congress did not attend a speech that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made to a joint session of Congress. Of key interest is that Vice President Biden was the President of the U.S. Senate at the time of the speech (https://www.cnn.com/2015/02/26/politics/democrats-missing-netanyahu-whip-list/).
Consider the words of Christ as he unleashes words of truth on the Jewish hypocrites of His day.
Matthew 23:23-33 New International Version (NIV) (The law in this context is the Mosaic law, which was given by God to Moses. The totality of the law can be found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.)
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
REVELATION 4,333,246 views This article is a continuation of one that I posted that used the same video. That post title is “You Must Be Born Again,” and is dated October 13, 2018. The opening video shows different events that will take place during the time of the seven-year tribulation, which is “future” to us.
Consider the “What” of this article.
The Tribulation
Matthew 24:21 New King James Version (NKJV)
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Consider the words of the above verse. The devastation of the worldwide flood of Noah’s time can not even be compared to the severity of God’s wrath that will be unleashed on the entire world during the time of the tribulation.
Revelation 16 gives a good description of the horrible things that will happen to the earth, and to those people whom are left on earth following the catching up of his believers (John 14:1-6, 1 Thessalonians 14:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58). In Revelation 16:16, you will see the word, “Armageddon,” which relates to a campaign of battles between the forces of God and the forces of Satan, and will culminate with the return of Christ to earth to judge sin and set up His earthly 1,000 kingdom at the end of the tribulation. We will discuss more about the people which will have to endure the wrath of God. Watch the video carefully. You will see events that match the times of tribulation which will encompass a seven-year period of time after the catching up of the saints of God occurs; the last half of the tribulation is known as the great tribulation.
Consider the judgments of God that will occur during the tribulation.
Seal Judgments. Revelation 6:1-8:6. (1. Antichrist. 2. War. 3. Famine. 4. Widespread death on Earth. 5. The cry of the martyrs. 6. Great Earthquakes.)
Trumpet Judgments. Revelation 8:7-9:21. (1. A third of vegetation burned. 2. A third of the seas struck. 3. A third of fresh waters struck. 4. A third of the luminaries darkened. 5. Increased demonic activity. 6. A third of mankind killed.)
Bowl Judgments. Revelation 15:1-16:21. (1. Malignant sores. 2. Seas turned to blood. 3. Fresh waters to blood. 4. Population scorched with fire. 5. Darkness over the kingdom of the Anti-Christ. 6. Invasion from the east. 7. Greatest earthquake and widespread destruction.)
Notice that the severity of the judgments will increasingly become greater. Let’s consider the Bowl Judgments of Revelation 16, which will occur during the second half of the seven-year tribulation.
Revelation 16 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Seven Bowls
16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”
First Bowl: Loathsome Sores
Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood
Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood
Fourth Bowl: Men And Women Are Scorched By The Sun’s Fiery Heat/Polar Ice Caps Melt/Great Floods
Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
16:16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (This gathering is in preparation for the great spiritual battle of Revelation 19:11-21 when Christ returns to earth with His caught up saints. The battle is won by a spiritual sword that comes out of the mouth of Christ.)
Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken/Thunderings/Lightnings/Great Earthquake/. Islands/Mountains not to be found. Great Hail/Great Plague/Those Left Behind Blaspheme God.
Consider the “Who” of the article. “Who’s There?” In other words, who are the people that will be present on Earth during the tribulation?
The purpose of the total tribulation is for God to judge sin and to draw unsaved Jews to saving faith in Christ. Unsaved gentiles whom will be left behind on earth when the catching up of the born again believers in Christ occurs, will also be able to come to saving faith in Christ. However, it is important to know that the time of tribulation, with its judgments and wrath of God, is not designed with the purpose of born again believers in Christ being the targets of God. In many videos of the tribulation, small children are shown. Please let me make this statement: “small children will not be left behind from the catching up of the saints.” God does not have a problem with small children, or with born again believers in Christ. The focus of the tribulation is on those whom have not been born again. (Matt 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” NASB). Israel, that is unbelieving Israel, is stated as being the reason for the tribulation. See Jeremiah 30:7, Daniel 9:20 and Daniel 9:24-27.
Let’s look at some verses of scripture that specifically relate to the people whom will, or “will not,” be left behind to endure the judgments of God and the persecution of the anti-christ.
You must be born again (to be present with God).
John 3:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
God’s Holy Spirit causes the new birth to take place.
John 3:8 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
To be born again is also to believe in Christ.
John 3:16-18 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The Spirit of God dwells within the spirit of every born again believer in Christ.
John 14:20 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
God, the Holy Spirit, will testify to His believers of the things of God.
John 15:26-27 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
The indwelling Presence of God’s Holy Spirit will convict His believers of sin, and righteousness and judgment. Because Christ is not physically in our world, His Spirit (Whom dwells within the spirits of all of His born again believers) will teach those believers the same things that Christ taught His disciples, and more. The reason is that born again believers in Christ will tell the world about the righteousness of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
John 16:7-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
At the moment that anyone has been born again, their spirit becomes as perfect as the Spirit of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:21 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Salvation comes through accepting Christ as Lord, which comes through the Word of God.
Romans 10:13-15 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
Consider the tools that are used by Satan to get in the way of unbelievers coming to saving faith in Christ. This information is of extreme importance to parents of children, both young and not so young. God’s Word to parents is very clear. There can be no lack of understanding of the role that parents are told by God’s Word to play in the Godly training of their children.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 English Standard Version (ESV) 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Parents have the responsibility of teaching their children the Word of God, and also of shielding their children from anything that is not of God. (Whatever is not of faith is sin, Romans 14:23). Christian parents are responsible for ensuring that their children are placed in an environment where they are encouraged to call on the Name of the Lord,” (Romans 10:13-15). However, there is competition for the minds of our children that comes from the following satanic detractors: liberal academia, entertainment, news and opinion, new world order corporations, and the democrat party. Any family that puts their children in the environment of these above detractors is playing Russian Roulette with the eternities of their children. Nothing of God comes from those groups. Support for abortion on demand, homosexuality, violence, and opposition to Israel are being fed to the American public on almost a twenty-four hour a day basis. If such a diet of sin is constantly placed before a family, that family will not come to saving faith in Christ. Consider the follow breakdown of entities that are opposed to God’s Holy Word. The truth of such ungodliness can easily be seen in news reports, even from the agencies of fake news.
A. From that which we see on news reports, a large majority of universities bombard their students with the pressure of accepting their ungodly beliefs of: abortion on demand; homosexuality and same-sex marriage; mob violence; a total disrespect of the nation of Israel, and the love that God has for “His chosen people,” (Deuteronomy 7:6).
B. The entertainment industry continues to produce movies and other so-called forms of art, in such a way that few entertainers feel free to express their view that the killing of unborn babies is murder; that homosexuality and same-sex marriage are not only to be accepted but – – – to be embraced, with the consequence of jail. Much of the entertainment industry holds to the view that the support of Israel is inconsistent with being an open-minded member of the actor’s guild; few actors or actresses openly stand up to the forces of “Hollywood.”
C. That media which has earned the reputation of being “fake news,” has a constant barrage of attacks on anyone whom believes that unborn babies have a Godly and constitutional right to be born; that if any segment of society opposes, or speaks out against, homosexuality and same-sex marriage, that those “narrow-minded bigots,” should be shunned and openly attacked for their narrow-mindedness; that so-called Palestinians have a legal right to the ownership of the land that God promised to Israel, His chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6).
D. New World Order Corporations. Such businesses work hand-in-hand to hold back those employees whom deny support for abortion on demand, and other aspects of homosexuality. These corporations also show opposition to Israel, and the placing of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which is the actual capital of Israel, and has been the capital since 1451 B.C.
E. In order to put teeth into forcing abortion on demand, homosexuality and same-sex marriage, and a total lack of Israel’s right to its God-given home land, a political party is needed to enact laws that will not only make people accept the things that I have been discussing, but to also embrace such things that God opposes. In essence, “accept and embrace homosexuality, pay a large fine, or go to jail!” This is not a fairy tale; it has actually happened. The baker in Colorado that did not want to design a homosexual wedding cake was destroyed by the media. He would have sold a cake to the homosexual couple, but that was not good enough; they wanted to get into his mind and force him to create a cake of abominable purposes.
Such above ungodly opposition to the election of Republican candidates is because the Democrat party supports the ungodly positions of supporting abortion on demand, same-sex marriage and opposition to Israel. The Democrat party has also encouraged violent acts against Republicans. If a Christian family votes for only one Democrat, that vote lends support to the ungodliness of the Democrat party.
A family, that subjects its family members to a constant diet of the liberal and ungodly agendas of the above mentioned liberal entities, is making the way easier for that family to find itself left behind from the catching up of the saints, to endure the judgments of God and the persecution of the anti-christ, and to find its eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15). The reason for this statement is that such families are putting ungodly obstacles between them and the Holiness of the Word of God that draws unbelievers to saving faith in Christ.
Parents! This is serious business. As many would say,”they’re only your family!” Some may object to the truth of this article but, the truth is the truth (John 8:32).
No one voting for any democrat candidate can deny the position of that party on killing unborn babies, and using legislation to force acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Abortion on demand is murder! Homosexuality is an abomination; it is an act that is repulsive to God; it can be best described as something that makes God want to “throw up!” A single sin does not cast a person’s eternal destiny in stone. But, a lifestyle of murder and homosexuality shows that such a person has not been born again, having the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within their spirit, prompting them to righteous living. Such people will spend their eternity in Hell.
AN ABORTION (This video is provided to expose the Nazi mindset of the democrat party. Notice that the aborted baby is still moving.)
Worst abortion video yet: Intact living fetus; Don’t just defund Planned Parenthood; Shut them down
A STERN WARNING
If you are a doctor, or are part of a medical staff; if you are a government official, (elected, appointed or party staff or supporter); if you are a voter; if you find yourself in any of these or other situations, and you have a lifestyle of support for killing unborn babies, you have not been born again, having the Spirit of Christ dwelling within your spirit prompting you to righteous living. Regardless of the 1973 Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision that made abortion on demand, “law,” based on “privacy,”; regardless of the continued statements of democrats about “precedent and settled law,” abortion on demand is the killing and dismemberment of an innocent baby that has life within that child (Law of Biogenesis, “life comes from life,” Dr. Louis Pasteur). If you are a government official (elected, appointed or party staff or supporter); if you are a voter, or anyone else who supports legislation that supports same-sex marriage, you have not been born again, and have a destiny of hell awaiting you, and very probably “your children too!” (1 Cor 6:9-10; Rev 21:8). But, that destiny can be changed if you accept the Spiritual call on your life to accept Christ as you Lord and Savior, and are born again and change your lifestyle of conflict with God’s Holy Word, your destiny can be changed to where you will join the “elect” of God, and not have to endure the tribulation or the lake of fire (Rev 20:10-15), per the following verse.
1 Corinthians 6:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
CONCLUSION
The purpose of this article is not one that is political, but relates to eternal presence. The purpose that can be best described is one of drawing people to Christ; those that have not been born again and are heading straight to hell. I do not want anybody to spend an eternity in the lake of fire; I want those whom have not been born again, to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, to be born again, to change their lifestyle of support for abortion on demand and same-sex marriage, and to join the great numbers of people whom are of God’s elect in the “new heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem (Rev 21:1-2).
The Spirit of God is endlessly calling people to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior (John 1:9). I join in that call to draw people, whom are unbelievers in Christ, to come to know Him as their Lord and Savior.
Politically speaking, I am neither democrat nor republican. My opposition to the ungodly nature of the democrat party would be the same for the republican party, if the republican party were to have the same emphasis as democrats on abortion on demand, same-sex marriage, and opposition to Israel.
Would you belong to the following political party?
Exodus 1:15-17 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
The Nurses Who Followed God
15 There were two Hebrew nurses who helped the Israelite women give birth. They were named Shiphrah and Puah. The king of Egypt said to the nurses, 16 “You will continue to help the Hebrew women give birth to their children. If a girl baby is born, let the baby live. But if the baby is a boy, you must kill him!”
What would you do if you were one of the nurses?
17 But the nurses trusted God, so they did not obey the king’s command. They let all the baby boys live.
Eternity 