Fiat Promises With a Gold Standard

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Fiat Promises With a Gold Standard


 by Amanda Boyer




Source: photos.comIn an economics class I took in high school, my teacher said something that surprised me. He said, “Money has value only because we believe it does.” He went on to further explain that the current monetary system that we use in the United States refers to our currency as “fiat money.”



Fiat money is a medium of exchange that gives currency value only because the government says so by its authority. The word “fiat” is a Latin word that means, “Let it be done.” The type of currency the U.S. was under previous to this was called the gold standard, which was replaced in 1971 under president Richard Nixon. The gold standard meant that the printed dollars people used day to day had a fixed value compared to gold, which the government kept in reserves to back up that money.



Often in times of economic uncertainty, people turn to gold as a sort of insurance against a financial collapse of our fiat monetary system. Have you noticed lately all the places advertising “WE BUY GOLD”?



We know that ultimately, we can’t put our faith in the value of gold or fiat money (Ezekiel:7:19They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.). However, there is an important lesson we can learn from these two monetary systems.



In a prayer to God after building the temple in Jerusalem, Solomon said, “You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand” (1 Kings:8:24Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day., NKJV).He realized that God had the power to say, “Let it be done,” and the perfect character to back and fulfill those promises with action.



I believe this is the true value of a promise.



God’s promises are “unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us” (Hebrews:6:18That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:, NLT).



We can put our faith in our loving God of truth, because He makes fiat promises with a gold standard to back them up.

Will the World End in 2012?

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Will the World End in 2012?



article by Noel Hornor





Much has been said about the world ending in the year 2012 - a fact supposedly revealed in the ancient Mayan calendar. Is there any basis or truth to this or in others who predict the end of the world next year? What does the Bible say about the end of the world? Does it tell us whether the world could or will end in the year 2012







Source: iStockphotoMany people would give almost anything to know what the future holds. This has been true as long as human beings have walked the earth.



The apostles of Jesus Christ were no exception. He spoke often to them about His return when He will dwell again on the earth—in the future Kingdom of God, reigning over everything.



Shortly before He died, Jesus was with His 12 disciples in Jerusalem in the area of the splendid Temple Mount. Jesus told them that the temple, in which the Jews of that day took exceptional pride, would one day be razed to the ground (Matthew:24:1-2[1]And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.[2]And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.).



The disciples were likely shocked and surprised at that statement by their Master, and it prompted them to ask the question about which Christians from the first century to this day have earnestly desired to know: "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matthew:24:3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?, emphasis added throughout).



This conversation occurred nearly 2,000 years ago. Jesus would not return in the lifetime of those to whom He spoke, although it seems they expected Him to for many years. They all died, still waiting for the return of the King of Kings (Revelation:19:16).



While they were alive, they repeatedly preached the promise of His coming and earnestly longed for His return. One of the 12, Peter, recorded a warning for those of his day that has echoed through time and still speaks today to all who read it. He wrote that some skeptics—"scoffers," he called them—would say, "Where is the promise of His coming?" (2 Peter:3:4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.). And he responded in advance, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise" (verse 9).



When Jesus returns, it will be the end of "this present evil age" (Galatians:1:4Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:), the end of the world in which human beings rule.



Human-generated prophecies of the coming apocalypse

When Jesus' disciples asked Him when the end would come, He told them of signs and events that would occur during the intervening period. Yet He also told them, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew:24:36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.).



Jesus' statement has not dissuaded men from making brazen prophecies. People of every stripe and type have been stricken with prediction addiction. Raymond Hundley's 2010 book Will the World End in 2012? noted one website that "cited 149 different predictions of the apocalypse between AD 44 and 2008" (p. ix).



The predictions of the end of the world did not cease in 2008. If anything, the avalanche has gained momentum. Many of the prophecies even center on a specific day—Dec. 21, 2012.



This has been called the most intriguing date in history. The orientation of those who pinpoint this date is widely varied—some are religious and some are secular. The events they say will trigger the ultimate cataclysm comprise descriptions of a human-contrived cauldron of horror.



But will they come to pass? It's vital for your spiritual safety and peace of mind that you are well-grounded in the truth of the Bible. There are many deceivers in the world; indeed Scripture tells us that Satan "deceives the whole world" (Revelation:12:9). For this reason, Jesus warns His disciples, "Don't let anyone mislead you" (Matthew:24:4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you., New Living Translation).



Many people are putting forth their own interpretations regarding the future, but the Bible must be our sole guide. It brims with prophecy about the end of the world. We must also be careful about the spin that people put on biblical prophecies about the end.



While we can have a better idea of the general time frame of Christ's return as time goes on and we see prophecy being fulfilled around us, the pages of history are strewn with erroneous dates on which some predicted or expected the end to come.



As Mark Hitchcock notes in his book 2012: The Bible and the End of the World: "The oldest surviving prediction of the world's imminent demise was found inscribed upon an Assyrian clay tablet which stated, 'Our earth is degenerate in these latter days. There are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end. Bribery and corruption are common'" (2009, p. 102).



We will be wise if we stick to what the Bible says rather than pay heed to self-proclaimed prophets. What do some gloom-and-doom prophets do? "The Bible is consulted and considered reliable when they believe it supports their 2012 theory, but when it contradicts and challenges their beliefs it is rejected and in some cases even ridiculed" (p. 92).



The anticipated day: Dec. 21, 2012

Why has Dec. 21, 2012, been selected by many as the day of catastrophe? It is due in large part to calculations on the calendars of the ancient Mayans.



The Mayan people were centered in Central America, the apex of their civilization lasting from around A.D. 250 to 900. The Mayan priests devised a calendrical system connected to astronomical observation that some believe to be more accurate than the calendar we use today. This despite the fact that they had no telescopes, using only the naked eye to study the sky.



What was their calendar like?



"Based on their studies in astronomy, the Maya created a calendar system that plotted the history of time starting with the beginning of the current world on August 11, 3114 BC. Using a lunar calendar system, the Maya measured time in units of twenty. Twenty kin (days) made a winal (month); 18 winals made a tun (year); 20 tuns made a katun (20 years); and 20 katuns made a baktun (400 years).



"To designate a specific date, they recorded it in terms of how far away from the start of creation it was . . . The significance of the Mayan calendar is that it appears to predict 13 baktuns as the end time of the present world age. After dating every year from the beginning of time, the calendar abruptly ends at the close of the thirteenth baktun.



"Translating the Mayan calendar date into the Gregorian calendar system used today produces a date of December 21, 2012, as the end-date for the present age" (Hundley, pp. 7-8). This date coincides with the time of the winter solstice.



"The Mayan obsession with time can be seen in the fact that they developed 20 different calendars . . . the Maya relied upon three main time-tracking calendars—three calendars that are most relevant to the 2012 date . . . The third Mayan measure of time is known as the Long Count calendar. It was used to document the 'world age cycles' that repeat over and over.



"This calendar was divided into five units that extend forward and backward from the mythical creation of the Maya, which they believed was August 11, 3114 B.C. . . . The year 2012 is the year that the fifth great cycle is supposed to end. This is the genesis of the belief that the end of days is 2012" (Hitchcock, p. 32-33).



Beliefs not of godly origin

Where did the Mayan people receive the religious and cosmological conceptions related to their calendar? They certainly didn't come from the God of the Bible. In fact, the Mayans practiced abominable religious rites that are strongly condemned in the Bible, such as human sacrifice.



"The Maya practiced human sacrifice as part of their religion, often using children for the ritual in which the Mayan priest cut open the still-alive child's chest and pulled out the heart as a sacrifice to the gods. In fact, to celebrate the beginning of a new year, the Maya 'ripped out the heart of a sacrificial victim . . . and started a flame with a fire drill in his open chest cavity'" (Hundley, p. 5).



As Mark Hitchcock notes, "Much of the barbaric, bloodthirsty 'worship' of the Mayans, including human sacrifices, can be accounted for if we recognize that it was demonically motivated by the real power behind their gods of stone" (p. 41).



The gods of pagan worship are not real, but the devil and his demons are behind much of false religion—sometimes posing as these false gods. The apostle Paul wrote that "the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons" (1 Corinthians:10:20But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.; compare Leviticus:17:7And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.; Deuteronomy:32:17They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.; Psalm:106:35-38[35]But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.[36]And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.[37]Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,[38]And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.).



What do modern Mayans believe?

While many Westerners seize on Dec. 21, 2012, as a date of unparalleled disaster, modern Mayans generally do not see it that way. Don Alejandro, one present-day Mayan leader, has given his opinion on what the time will mean. He presents in poetic terms a time of positive change:



"According to the Maya Long Count Calendar, we are finalizing the 13 Baktun and . . . thus approaching the Year Zero . . . The world is transformed and we enter a period of understanding and harmonious coexistence where there is social justice and equality for all.



"It is a new way of life. With a new social order there comes a time of freedom where we can move like the clouds, without limitations, without borders. We will travel like the birds, without the need for passports. We will travel like the rivers, all heading towards the same point . . . the same objective" (quoted by John Major Jenkins, The 2012 Story, 2009, p. 369).



Another leader, Benito Ramirez Mendota, offered this perspective: "As the elders said, everything is going to change. The world will be changed by that memorable date. Our children will have a different world view. The time will have passed and other beings will inhabit the universe" (p. 371).



World peace and harmony will not come in 2012, but it will come eventually—as we shall see. Both of these "prophecies" contain some elements of truth. But it's worth noting that these Mayans do not share the catastrophic views many people have of next year.



Why accept Mayan prophecy anyway?

Hundley points out regarding the Mayan legend: "It does seem that if December 21, 2012 was an earth shattering prediction for the Maya of the end of the world, it would have been preserved as an important part of the cultural and religious heritage of that civilization, even today. But apparently, such is not the case. Many modern Maya do not affirm that interpretation of their calendar and belief system but complain that Westerners have forced this interpretation on them from their own perspectives and for their own purposes.



"Having said that, even if it could be proven that the Maya predicted the end of the world in 2012, what would qualify them as prophets? Although the Maya were gifted astronomers, that ability does not necessarily mean they were gifted prophets.



"According to the same logic, do we expect present-day astronomers, who have made incredible discoveries through the use of advanced telescopes and space-traveling satellites, to be qualified to provide us with trustworthy, detailed predictions of the future of our planet? Of course not! The idea that those who make remarkable astronomical observations are therefore qualified to be seers, predictors and prophets of future events is unfounded" (p. 17).



We see, then, that the idea that the Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world in 2012 simply lacks credibility. It means nothing, and it's only because our world is in such sad shape that some pay attention to such things.



Other predictions of doom

Pretentious prognosticators prattle about other fearful tales of destruction they say will occur in 2012. They have assembled a catch-all container chock-full of imagined tragedies lurking around the corner!



"Worldwide droughts, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions caused by solar storms, cracks forming in the earth's magnetic field, and mass extinctions brought on by nuclear winter, famine, human disease, wars, economic cataclysm, massive solar flares, polar reversals . . . These have all been predicted to occur in the year 2012" (John Claeys, Apocalypse 2012, 2010, p. 1).



Yes, some of these things are occurring now in various parts of the earth. And the Bible prophesies that some catastrophes will become global in scope before the very end of the age! But the year 2012 is not the time for the worst of the horrors to come.



And yes, some of these threats are very real. One scenario that seems likely to happen eventually is the eruption of a supervolcano. The Geological Society of London has stated that the eruption of a supervolcano "sooner or later" will chill the planet and threaten human civilization.



The gigantic caldera underlying Yellowstone National Park is a distinct possibility. "The magnitude 5 eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 blew out the side of the mountain, destroyed forests for miles around, caused $3 billion worth of damage, and killed fifty-seven people. The U.S. Geological Survey described it as the 'worst volcanic disaster in the recorded history of the United States.' A super eruption at Yellowstone would be a thousand times more powerful" (Greg Breining, Super Volcano, 2007, p. 229).



"But Yellowstone is not the only magma caldera, even in the United States. There is at least one more at Long Valley in California, near Yosemite National Park and the popular ski resort of Mammoth Lakes. Other possible sites are Japan, New Zealand, the Andes, and Indonesia. Yellowstone is the most frequently studied of these caldera . . . It has been noted that the area is continually undergoing seismic activity, and it certainly will erupt again at some point" (Sharan Newman, The Real History of the End of the World, 2010, p. 288).



The scope of such a disaster defies the imagination. Will this happen in 2012? We don't know. But there's nothing that points to 2012 as the time for it to happen. It could just as well happen this year or in 2013—or years after that. Or it may never happen, at least on the anticipated scale, if Christ takes care of the problem when He returns.



Yet Scripture does indicate there will be volcanic eruptions accompanying the return of Christ: "The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth" (Psalm:97:5The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.). "Bow down your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke" (Psalm:144:5Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.).



What about "Planet X"?

The most cataclysmic of prophesied end-time "natural" disasters is the scenario of a collision or near-miss of another planet with the earth. The mysterious orb that supposedly threatens us has been called "Planet X" or "Planet Nibiru," and some expect it to arrive on Dec. 12, 2012.



But what is the evidence that this will occur? There is no scientific evidence that supports this idea. The idea came "not by radio signals from the cosmos, but [instead has supposedly been] channeled through medium and Zeto envoy Nancy Lieder, who was in contact with . . . altruistic aliens" (Govert Schilling, The Hunt for Planet X, 2009, p. 115).



Who are the Zeto and Nancy Lieder? Here is the story: "Nancy was only nine years old when it happened. What looked like a bright light came from the sky and crashed into the field next to her home. Her parents were out shopping, so Nancy was left alone to investigate the strange event. As she crept near the site of the crash, she was terrified to see what appeared to be a spaceship hovering above the ground. When a door in the ship opened, Nancy fainted.



"When she came to, she was inside the ship, and there were strange beings hovering around her. As she tried to speak, one of the Zetas told her to lie still. A large mechanical arm with a small device at the end of it began to move closer and closer to her head. As the device touched her scalp, she lapsed into unconsciousness again.



"When she awoke, she was inside her home. One of the extraterrestrials was placing her gently into her bed. And then he spoke: 'Nancy, do not be afraid. You have been chosen from all the people on your planet to be our voice on Earth. We are very concerned about what is happening on your planet. The device we placed in your head will enable us to communicate messages to you for all earthlings'" (Hundley, p. 63). This is either a made-up story or an encounter with demons.



Govert Schilling is an internationally acclaimed astronomical writer. He and prominent scientists have debunked the Planet X/Nibiru scheme. Schilling presented this compelling comment about Planet X: "So that means there is plenty to do for the debunkers—the archaeologists and astronomers who take a long and skeptical look at the tidal wave of Nibiru nonsense and explain with scientific precision what is wrong with the cosmic fairy-tale. They will have their work cut out in the next few years.



"And on December 22, 2012 there will be a new pseudoscientific cock-and-bull story doing the rounds and the whole circus will start all over again. Because no matter how many new celestial bodies are found in our solar system, there will always be a need for a mysterious Planet X" (Schilling, p. 117).



What should we expect?

Yes, Dec. 21, 2012, will come and go, Dec. 22 will arrive, and the earth will go on. And so will new theories regarding new exact dates for the end of the world. The cry has been shouted by strident voices for millennia, and you can be sure it will continue.



Sadly, many will take this non-event and other failed predictions as an excuse to dismiss what the Bible foretells is yet ahead. We will no doubt see an even greater increase in scoffers concerning Christ's return, as Peter mentioned. But rest assured: The Bible's actual prophecies are not false predictions like the 2012 hype. What God has revealed in His Word certainly will come to pass. We just don't know exactly when. So what should we do?



Jesus Christ is quite plain: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (verse 44).



His point? We need to be ready at all times for the end of the age. Jesus will return—six times in the book of Revelation He states that He is "coming quickly."



The life of any of us could end today or tomorrow. "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James:4:14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.). At whatever time we die, Jesus' return will occur for us in our next second of consciousness. If we have lived a life of serving God, we will then be given eternal life and rewarded according to our works (Matthew:16:27For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.).



This is the good news of the Bible! It is priceless truth that can add immeasurable meaning to your life.



For too many, life is vacant and lacking in transcendent purpose. Barton Payne in the Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy sums it up well when he writes: "We live in an uncertain world. Men of today are casting about eagerly, and almost pathetically, in search of meaningfulness. For while we have amassed knowledge, we seem to have missed truth. Indeed, apart from God and from His revealed words that constitute the Bible, mankind and life and time do seem to be essentially purposeless.



"Yet the Lord of grace, who once sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem the world (John:3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.), will some day send Him again to lead this world into its intended goal of glorifying God (Romans:11:36For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.). This is the hope which pervades the whole of Scripture" (1973, p. v).



Jesus Christ's second coming is the most certain prophecy in the Bible that is yet to be fulfilled. More than 500 verses in the Bible comment specifically on various facts and aspects of this monumental, earthshaking event.



While we do not know exactly when Jesus will return, signs around us indicate we are in the end time. Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians:7:31And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. looms larger each day: "For this world as we know it will soon pass away" (New Living Translation). As we look around us, many of the foundational pillars that provide order to society are in jeopardy. "And the world is passing away and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John:2:17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.).



People have longed for a better world and a better life since the beginning of human history. And it is coming! The time rapidly approaches when God will shake all nations and "the Desire of All Nations" will come (Haggai:2:7And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.).



You must seek the knowledge of God and not allow it to slip from your grasp! You can know what the future holds. More than one quarter of the Bible is prophecy, and most of it is yet to be fulfilled.



The Bible tells us that the millennial reign of Jesus Christ is coming (Revelation:20:4)—not in the year 2012, but perhaps not much beyond that! All who repent and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and then live a life of obedience to God's commandments will reign with Him during that time in a world of peace. The invitation is extended to you. Now is the time to act!

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The Bible Prophesied the Exact Year the Messiah Would Appear

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The Bible Prophesied the Exact Year the Messiah Would Appear


An amazing prophecy in Daniel:9:25Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. gives the specific year the Messiah would appear.



An amazing prophecy in Daniel:9:25Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. gives the specific year the Messiah would appear. The angel Gabriel revealed this information to Daniel approximately 580 years before its fulfillment. Let's examine this remarkable prophecy and how it was fulfilled.



"Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks ..."



The word translated "weeks" here literally means "sevens." While it could mean seven-day weeks, that is evidently not the case here. Daniel had been specifically praying earlier in the chapter about a prophetic period of 70 years. In this answer to his prayer, he is told of a period of 70 sevens—clearly meaning 70 sevens of years in this context, i.e. 70 seven-year periods.



Adding 7 plus 62 (69) of these seven-year periods—that is, a total of 483 years—from a decree to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem gives the year the Messiah would appear on the scene.



After Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians in 586 B.C., the Babylonian Empire was succeeded by the Medo-Persian Empire. This empire's kings issued several such decrees that were recorded in the Bible (by Cyrus in 538 B.C., found in Ezra:1:1-2[1]Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,[2]Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah., and by Darius in 520 B.C., described in Ezra:6:8Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.).



But the one that was issued by Artaxerxes Longimanus in 457 B.C. (Ezra:7:11-26[11]Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.[12]Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.[13]I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.[14]Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;[15]And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,[16]And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:[17]That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.[18]And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.[19]The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.[20]And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.[21]And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,[22]Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.[23]Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?[24]Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.[25]And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.[26]And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.) points us specifically to Christ's ministry. Counting 483 years from the 457 B.C. date of this decree brings us to A.D. 27 (keep in mind that because there is no year "0" we have to add one year to the calculation).



A.D. 27 was a significant year. Jesus was baptized this year and began His public ministry.



The Jews of Christ's day were certainly familiar with Daniel's prophecy. And regardless of which decree one might choose as the starting point of the 483 years, the time for the Messiah to appear had elapsed during Jesus' day. Messianic fervor was rampant with the realization that the fulfillment of this prophecy was near at hand (compare John:1:41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.; 4:25).



If the Messiah was to come, He would have to arrive on the scene just when Jesus did—in the exact year!

Who—and What—Was Jesus Christ?

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Who—and What—Was Jesus Christ?


Who, really, was Jesus of Nazareth? Where did He really come from? If we understand that, it explains everything He did and said.



"None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians:2:8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory., New Revised Standard Version).



The Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, faced a difficult situation when Jesus was brought before him. Apprehensively, he attempted to dismiss the picture that was emerging in front of him. When Pilate heard the accusation, it struck fear into his heart. "He has claimed to be the Son of God" (John:19:7The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God., NRSV).



Pilate's next question betrayed his fear that he was not dealing with an ordinary man. He had just been given a message from his wife, who received a warning in a dream not to have anything to do with this innocent man (Matthew:27:19When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.). Pilate himself knew that Jesus had been delivered to him because the chief priests were jealous of and despised Him (verse 18). Yet Pilate couldn't avoid his date with destiny.



He next asked Jesus, "Where are You from?" (John:19:9And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.). Pilate already knew He was Galilean. But what geographical area this Jewish teacher came from was not the question. Where are you really from is what Pilate wanted to know. Jesus was silent. His claim to be the Son of God had already answered this question. But Pilate did not have the courage to deal with this answer.



Accepting the real answer would have made all the difference. The apostle Paul said that none of the rulers of this world knew who Jesus was, where He came from and His purpose for coming, "for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians:2:8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.).



Pilate could not face this issue. He knew what was right in this instance, but he feared losing power. He feared Caesar's reaction if it were reported that he did not deal with someone who posed a threat to Roman control in the region (John:19:12And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.). He feared a popular uprising if he did not agree to the Jewish leaders' political demands. He also feared Jesus, because he was not quite sure with whom he was dealing.



Avoiding a difficult choice



In the end political expediency won out. The stage was set to both indict all mankind of guilt and make provision for their forgiveness. Pilate gave the order for Jesus to be crucified. The reality was denied, left for all to confront at a later time.



Most of us tend to ignore unpleasant realities and make choices that we think are beneficial to us. Confronted with evidence as to who Jesus really was, would you face a reality that is too difficult for you to accept? Deep down, maybe we intuitively realize it would change life as we know it. So perhaps it's better, we reason, not to look into this matter too deeply to leave ourselves an out. That's the route Pilate took.



But this is where we have to begin. Who, really, was Jesus of Nazareth? Where did He really come from? If we understand that, it explains everything He did and said.



Most see Jesus as a teacher, a wise man, a Jewish sage who died an unjust and horrible death and founded a great religion.



Is there more to it than that? One of the most controversial topics is the true identity of Jesus Christ—and at the same time it is perhaps the most crucial. It lies at the heart of the Christian faith. What this entails is the understanding that Jesus was not simply an extraordinary human being, but that Jesus was actually God in human flesh.



But if He was God in the flesh, how was He God? This is the part that is often neglected in many explanations—and, as a result, many have difficulty grasping how this could be.



Jesus certainly regarded Himself as much more than only a man, prophet or teacher.



Some say that Jesus made no claims to be God. Some scholars even insist that, years later, leaders of the Christian Church concocted and edited into the record the titles Jesus used, the miracles and His claims and actions that showed He believed He was God. In other words, the argument is that the record has been fabricated and the Jesus portrayed in the New Testament is a legend, a theological product of the early Church.



However, this is historically impossible for several reasons—not the least of which is that immediately after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Church grew explosively based on the conviction that He was God. There was no time for a legend to develop around exaggerated claims of who Jesus might be.



Peter immediately preached that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead and that He was indeed the Christ and Lord and equated Him with God (Acts:2:27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption., 34-35). The disciples and the Church knew who Jesus was, as the powerful growth of the Church shows.



The fact of the matter, staggering though it is, is that Jesus of Nazareth was God in the flesh. This fact, which we will further explore, is what makes Christianity unique and authoritative. If Jesus was not God, then the Christian faith doesn't differ in kind from other religions. If Jesus was not God, those in the early Christian Church would have had no basis for their beliefs—beliefs that, in the words of their enemies, "turned the world upside down" (Acts:17:6And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;).



Jesus, the I AM



Perhaps the boldest claim Jesus made about His identity was the statement, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (John:8:58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.). Translated into English, His statement may appear or sound confusing. But in the Aramaic or Hebrew language in which He spoke, He was making a claim that immediately led the people to try to stone Him for blasphemy.



What was going on here? Jesus was revealing His identity as the actual One whom the Jews knew as God in the Old Testament. He was saying in one breath that He existed before Abraham and that He was the same Being as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.



Anciently when the great God first revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus:3:13-14[13]And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?[14]And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you., Moses asked Him what His name was. "I AM WHO I AM," was the awesome reply. "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"



Jesus clearly claimed to be this same Being—the "I AM" of Exodus:3:14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you., the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (verse 15).



"I AM" is related to the personal name for God in the Old Testament, the Hebrew name YHWH. When this name appears in our English Bibles, it is commonly rendered using small capital letters as LORD. It is transliterated as "Jehovah" in some Bible versions.



When Jesus made this startling statement, the Jews knew exactly what He meant. They picked up stones to kill Him because they thought He was guilty of blasphemy.



"I AM" and the related YHWH are the names of God that infer absolute timeless self-existence. Although impossible to translate accurately and directly into English, YHWH conveys meanings of "The Eternal One," "The One Who Always Exists" or "The One Who Was, Is and Always Will Be." These distinctions can apply only to God, whose existence is eternal and everlasting.



In Isaiah:42:8I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. this same Being says, "I am the LORD [YHWH], that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images." A few chapters later He says: "Thus says the LORD [YHWH], the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God" (Isaiah:44:6Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.).



To the Jews, there was no mistaking who Jesus claimed to be. He said He was the One the nation of Israel understood to be the one true God. By Jesus making claim to the name "I AM," He was saying that He was the God whom the Hebrews knew as YHWH. This name was considered so holy that a devout Jew would not pronounce it. This was a special name for God that can only refer to the one true God.



Dr. Norman Geisler, in his book Christian Apologetics, concludes: "In view of the fact that the Jehovah of the Jewish Old Testament would not give his name, honor, or glory to another, it is little wonder that the words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth drew stones and cries of 'blasphemy' from first-century Jews. The very things that the Jehovah of the Old Testament claimed for himself Jesus of Nazareth also claimed" (2002, p. 331).



Jesus identified with YHWH



Dr. Geisler goes on to list some of the ways Jesus equated Himself with YHWH of the Old Testament. Let's notice some of these.



Jesus said of Himself, "I am the good shepherd" (John:10:11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.). David, in the first verse of the famous 23rd Psalm, declared that "The LORD [YHWH] is my shepherd." Jesus claimed to be judge of all men and nations (John:5:22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:, 27). Yet Joel:3:12Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. says the LORD [YHWH] "will sit to judge all ...nations."



Jesus said, "I am the light of the world" (John:8:12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.). Isaiah:60:19The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. says, "The LORD will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory." Also, David says in Psalm:27:1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?, "The LORD (YHWH) is my light."



Jesus asked in prayer that the Father would share His eternal glory: "O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (John:17:5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.). Yet Isaiah:42:8I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. says, "I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another ."



Jesus spoke of Himself as the coming bridegroom (Matthew:25:1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.), which is how YHWH is characterized in Isaiah:62:5For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. and Hosea:2:16And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali..



In Revelation:1:17 Jesus says He is the first and the last, which is identical to what YHWH says of Himself in Isaiah:44:6Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.: "I am the First and I am the Last."



There is no question that Jesus understood Himself as the LORD (YHWH) of the Old Testament.



When Jesus was arrested, His use of the same term had an electrifying effect on those in the arresting party. "Now when He said to them, 'I am He,' they drew back and fell to the ground" (John:18:6As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.). Notice here that "He" is in italics, meaning the word was added by the translators and isn't in the original wording. However, their attempt to make Jesus' answer more grammatically correct obscures the fact that He was likely again claiming to be the "I AM" of the Old Testament Scriptures.



"I and My Father are one"



The Jews confronted Jesus on another occasion, asking Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ [the prophesied Messiah], tell us plainly" (John:10:24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.). Jesus' answer is quite revealing: "I told you, and you do not believe" (verse 25). He had indeed confirmed His divine identity on a previous occasion (John:5:17-18[17]But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.[18]Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.).



Jesus adds, "The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me" (John:10:25Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.). The works He did were miracles that only God could do. They could not refute the miraculous works Jesus did.



He made another statement that incensed them: "I and My Father are one" (verse 30). That is, the Father and Jesus were both divine. Again, there was no mistaking the intent of what He said, because "then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him" (verse 31).



Jesus countered, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews responded, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God" (verses 32-33).



The Jews understood perfectly well what Jesus meant. He was telling them plainly of His divinity.



The Gospel of John records yet another instance in which Jesus infuriated the Jews with His claims of divinity. It happened just after Jesus had healed a crippled man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. The Jews sought to kill Him because He did this on the Sabbath, a day on which the law of God had stated no work was to be done (which they misinterpreted to include what Jesus was doing).



Jesus then made a statement that the Jews could take in only one way: "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Their response to His words? "Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath [according to their interpretation of it], but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God" (John:5:16-18[16]And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.[17]But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.[18]Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.).



Jesus was equating His works with God's works and claiming God as His Father in a special way.



Jesus claimed authority to forgive sins



Jesus claimed to be divine in various other ways.



When Jesus healed one paralyzed man, He also said to him, "Son, your sins are forgiven you" (Mark:2:5When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.). The scribes who heard this reasoned He was blaspheming, because, as they rightly understood and asked, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (verses 6-7).



Responding to the scribes, Jesus said: "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts?...But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the paralytic—"I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home" (verses 8-11, NRSV).



The scribes knew Jesus was claiming an authority that belonged to God only. Again, the LORD (YHWH) is the One pictured in the Old Testament who forgives sin (Jeremiah:31:34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.).



Christ claimed power to raise the dead



Jesus claimed yet another power that God alone possessed—to raise and judge the dead. Notice His statements in John:5:25-29[25]Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.[26]For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;[27]And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.[28]Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,[29]And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.:



"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live...All who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."



There was no doubt about what He meant. He added in verse 21,"For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will." When Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead, He said to Lazarus' sister, Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life" (John:11:25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:).



Compare this to 1 Samuel:2:6The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up., which tells us that "the LORD [YHWH] kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up."



Jesus accepted honor and worship



Jesus demonstrated His divinity in yet another way when He said, "All should honor the Son just as they honor the Father" (John:5:23That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.). Over and over, Jesus told His disciples to believe in Him as they would believe in God. "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me" (John:14:1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.).



Jesus received worship on many occasions without forbidding such acts. A leper worshipped Him (Matthew:8:2And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.). A ruler worshipped Him with his plea to raise his daughter from the dead (Matthew:9:18While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.). When Jesus had stilled the storm, those in the boat worshipped Him as the Son of God (Matthew:14:33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.).



A Canaanite woman worshipped Him (Matthew:15:25Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.). When Jesus met the women who came to His tomb after His resurrection, they worshipped Him, as did His apostles (Matthew:28:9And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him., 17). The demon-possessed man of the Gadarenes, "when He saw Jesus from afar ...ran and worshiped Him" (Mark:5:6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,). The blind man whom Jesus healed in John 9 worshipped Him (verse 38).



The First and Second of the Ten Commandments forbid worship of anyone or anything other than God (Exodus:20:2-5[2]I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.[3]Thou shalt have no other gods before me.[4]Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.[5]Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;). Barnabas and Paul were very disturbed when the people of Lystra tried to worship them after their healing of a crippled man (Acts:14:13-15[13]Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.[14]Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,[15]And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:). In Revelation:22:8-9, when John the apostle fell down to worship the angel, the angel refused to accept worship, saying, "You must not do that!...Worship God!" (Revelation:22:8-9, NRSV).



Yet Jesus accepted worship and did not rebuke those who chose to kneel before Him and worship.



Jesus' instruction to pray in His name



Jesus not only tells His followers to believe in Him, but that when we pray to the Father, we are to pray in Christ's name. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John:14:13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.). Jesus made it clear that access to the Father is through Him, telling us that "no one comes to the Father except through Me" (verse 6).



The apostle Paul states of Jesus: "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 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, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).



Paul is telling us that God the Father Himself is upholding the fact that Jesus is God, by exalting His name to the level of the One through whom we make our requests and the One before whom we bow. Jesus also assures us that He will be the One who will give the answer to our prayers ("...that I will do," John:14:13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.).



In so many ways Jesus revealed Himself as the God of the Old Testament. The Jews saw Him do many things that only God would or could do. They heard Him say things about Himself that could only apply to God. They were angered and responded with outrage and charged Him with blasphemy. They were so infuriated by His claims that they wanted to kill Him on the spot.



Jesus' special relationship with God



Jesus understood Himself to be unique in His close relationship with the Father in that He was the only One who could reveal the Father. "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him" (Matthew:11:27All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.).



Dr. William Lane Craig, an apologist writing in defense of Christian belief, says this verse "tells us that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God in an exclusive and absolute sense. Jesus says here that his relationship of sonship to God is unique. And he also claims to be the only one who can reveal the Father to men. In other words, Jesus claims to be the absolute revelation of God" (Reasonable Faith, 1994, p. 246).



Christ's claims to hold people's eternal destiny



On several occasions Jesus asserted that He was the One through whom men and women could attain eternal life. "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John:6:40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.; compare verses 47 and 54). He not only says that people must believe in Him, but also that He will be the One to resurrect them at the end. No mere man can take this role.



Dr. Craig adds: "Jesus held that people's attitudes toward himself would be the determining factor in God's judgment on the judgment day. 'Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God' (Luke:12:8-9[8]Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:[9]But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.).



"Make no mistake: if Jesus were not the divine son of God, then this claim could only be regarded as the most narrow and objectionable dogmatism. For Jesus is saying that people's salvation depends on their confession to Jesus himself" (Craig, p. 251).



The conclusion is inescapable: Jesus understood Himself as divine along with the Father and as possessing the right to do things only God has the right to do.



The claim of Jesus' disciples



Those who personally knew and were taught by Jesus, and who then wrote most of the New Testament, are thoroughly consistent with Jesus' statements about Himself. His disciples were monotheistic Jews. For them to agree that Jesus was God, and then to give their lives for this belief, tells us that they had come to see for themselves that the claims Jesus made about Himself were so convincing as to leave no doubt in their minds.



The first Gospel writer, Matthew, opens with the story of the virgin birth of Jesus. Matthew comments on this miraculous event with the quote from Isaiah:7:14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel., "'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us'" (Matthew:1:23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.). Matthew is making it clear that he understands that this child is God—"God with us."



John is likewise explicit in the prologue to his Gospel. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John:1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God., 14).



Some of them called Him God directly. When Thomas saw His wounds, he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" (John:20:28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.). Paul refers to Jesus in Titus:1:3But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; and 2:10 as "God our Savior."



The book of Hebrews is most emphatic that Jesus is God. Hebrews:1:8But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom., applying Psalm:45:6Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. to Jesus Christ, states: "But to the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.'" Other parts of this book explain that Jesus is higher than the angels (1:4-8, 13), superior to Moses (3:1-6), and greater than the high priests (4:14-5:10). He is greater than all these because He is God.



He left us no middle ground



The renowned Christian writer C.S. Lewis observes: "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher ...



"You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to" (Mere Christianity, 1996, p. 56).

Introduction - Jesus Christ: The Real Story

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Introduction - Jesus Christ: The Real Story


What is the real story of Jesus Christ?



Who was Jesus? Few will dispute that a man named Jesus lived 2,000 years ago and that He was a great teacher who impacted the world from His time forward.



He made a claim that was breathtaking in its audacity—that He was the very Son of God. For much of His lifetime He commanded only a small following, people who believed that claim and considered Him their promised Deliverer and King. Many others later came to believe that He was the Son of God as a result of the testimony of those followers.



Yet during His time the religious authorities rejected Him as the Son of God. Many of His statements were so contrary to their teachings and traditions that they opposed Him and eventually succeeded in having Him put to death.



Likewise, the local Roman authorities also saw Him as a threat and became complicit in His execution, being the ones who actually carried it out. The religions of His day opposed the growth of His teachings and used unlawful and violent means to try to destroy the Church He founded. The government of Rome also came to vigorously persecute the followers of this Jewish teacher from Galilee.



Controversy about Jesus continues



Today Jesus remains a controversial figure. The record of Jesus' life as recorded in the Gospel accounts has come into question in many ways. For example, the Gospel writers presented the miracles of Jesus as supernatural. Today, however, many rationalize them away as a normal function of nature misunderstood at the time, or they simply dismiss them altogether as fables.



Yet another and more modern reconstruction of the true Jesus appears in books and movies about His life. For example, most people have come to accept a popular likeness of Jesus far different from the way He really looked 2,000 years ago. These portrayals give an inaccurate picture of Christ's humanity. Such movies as The Last Temptation of Christ and the stage play Jesus Christ Superstar, along with countless television productions, have left a lasting impression on our minds and in the process distorted, as we will see, the true historical Jesus.



Of course, one can easily point to variations in the beliefs and practices of those who've claimed to be Jesus' followers down through the centuries and rightfully ask the questions, "Who is the real Jesus, anyway? And why should I want to follow Him?"



Certainly if you take His statements as recorded by His first-century disciples literally, and then you consider all that has happened since, you may well perceive that most of those who have professed to follow Jesus over the centuries actually haven't—and the same is true today.



Yet you might conclude that this is only to be expected—that Jesus taught nice but impractical ideas, things that can't really work in the real world. Then again, perhaps the old saying, "the trouble with Christianity is that it has never been tried," has a lot of truth to it. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Jesus I like, but I don't know about His followers."



Discovering the real Jesus



What is the real story? Can the true picture of Jesus emerge after 2,000 years of differing views? Who should we believe as we try to find it?



To know the real Jesus would include the fact that what He really taught, and what He really did, is essential for eternal life. Praying to His Father, Jesus said, "This is eternal life: to know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John:17:3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent., Revised English Bible, emphasis added throughout).



Did Jesus do what the records show? Was He—is He—really who He claimed to be? Can it be proved historically? Or are we left to simply accept it on blind faith?



And then perhaps the most important question: Does it really matter?



Let's put it this way: If the story of Jesus is a myth, if the reported events of His life along with His claims and teachings are the fabrication of a small group of conspirators, then it certainly doesn't matter. We are then left to devise the meaning of human life from our own imaginations.



But if Jesus Christ is who He says He was—the Son of God who came to earth to live as a human being, who died at the hands of fellow human beings and who was raised from the dead three days and three nights later—then that changes everything.



For this one single event—God living and dying as a man—then becomes the most amazing event in the entire history of humanity.



It puts all of us in a situation that requires our full attention—because it leaves us ultimately accountable for how we choose to respond.



Can we know? This booklet seeks to address and answer the major questions that intelligent, reasoning people naturally ask in trying to understand Jesus Christ—the real story.

Early contention over Christmas

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Early contention over Christmas




In the beginning, Christians were opposed to Christmas. Some of the earliest controversy erupted over whether Jesus' birthday should be celebrated at all.



"As early as A.D. 245, the Church father Origen was proclaiming it heathenish to celebrate Christ's birthday as if He were merely a temporal ruler when His spiritual nature should be the main concern. This view was echoed throughout the centuries, but found strong, widespread advocacy only with the rise of Protestantism. To these serious-minded, sober clerics, the celebration of Christmas flew in the face of all they believed. Drunken revelry on Christmas! The day was not even known to be Christ's birthday. It was merely an excuse to continue the customs of pagan Saturnalia" (Del Re, p. 20).



The Encyclopaedia Britannica adds: "The [church] Fathers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Epiphanius, contended that Christmas was a copy of a pagan celebration" (15th edition, Macropaedia, Vol. 4, p. 499, "Christianity").



The decision to celebrate Christ's birth on December 25 was far from universally accepted. "Christians of Armenia and Syria accused the Christians of Rome of sun worship for celebrating Christmas on December 25 ... Pope Leo the Great in the fifth century tried to remove certain practices at Christmas which he considered in no way different from sun worship" (Robert Myers, Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays, 1972, p. 310).



Indeed, of all times of the year suggested as the birth of Christ, December 25 could not have been the date.



Again, the idea of celebrating Christ's birthday on any date was initially problematic—to say nothing of celebrating it on a date derived from paganism.



"To the early Christians the idea of celebrating the birthday of a religious figure would have seemed at best peculiar, at worst blasphemous. Being born into this world was nothing to celebrate. What mattered was leaving this world and entering the next in a condition pleasing to God.



"When early Christians associated a feast day with a specific person, such as a bishop or martyr, it was usually the date of the person's death ... If you wanted to search the New Testament world for peoples who attached significance to birthdays, your search would quickly narrow to pagans. The Romans celebrated the birthdays of the Caesars, and most unchristian Mediterranean religions attached importance to the natal feasts of a pantheon of supernatural figures.



"If Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, and his purpose in coming was anything like what is supposed, then in celebrating his birthday each year Christians do violence, not honor, to his memory. For in celebrating a birthday at all, we sustain exactly the kind of tradition his coming is thought to have been designed to cast down" (Flynn, p. 42).

Christmas: Accommodating a pagan populace

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Accommodating a pagan populace




How, we should ask, did these pagan customs become a widely accepted part of Christianity? We should first understand what a strong hold these celebrations and customs had on the people of those early centuries. Tertullian, a Catholic writer of the late second and early third century, lamented the fact that the pagans of his day were far more faithful to their beliefs than were the compromising Christians who were happily joining in the Roman midwinter festival that eventually evolved into what is now Christmas:



"By us [Christians], ...the Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the Brumalia, and Matronalia are now frequented; gifts are carried to and fro, new year's day presents are made with din, and banquets are celebrated with uproar; oh, how much more faithful are the heathen to their religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians" (Tertullian in De Idolatria, quoted by Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, 1959, p. 93).



It wasn't long before such non-Christian rites and practices were assimilated into a new church religious holiday supposedly celebrating Christ's birth. William Walsh describes this process and the rationalization behind it: "This was no mere accident. It was a necessary measure at a time when the new religion [Christianity] was forcing itself upon a deeply superstitious people. In order to reconcile fresh converts to the new faith, and to make the breaking of old ties as painless as possible, these relics of paganism were retained under modified forms ...



"Thus we find that when Pope Gregory [540-604] sent Saint Augustine as a missionary to convert Anglo-Saxon England he directed that so far as possible the saint should accommodate the new and strange Christian rites to the heathen ones with which the natives had been familiar from their birth.



"For example, he advised Saint Augustine to allow his converts on certain festivals to eat and kill a great number of oxen to the glory of God the Father, as formerly they had done this in honor of [their gods] ... On the very Christmas after his arrival in England Saint Augustine baptized many thousands of converts and permitted their usual December celebration under the new name and with the new meaning" (p. 61).



Gregory permitted such importation of pagan religious practices on the grounds that when dealing with "obdurate minds it is impossible to cut off everything at once" (Sansom, p. 30).



Tragically, Christianity never accomplished the task of cutting off everything pagan. According to Owen Chadwick, former professor of history at Cambridge University, the Romans "kept the winter solstice with a feast of drunkenness and riot. The Christians thought that they could bring a better meaning into that feast. They tried to persuade their flocks not to drink or eat too much, and to keep the feast more austerely —but without success " (A History of Christianity, 1995, p. 24).

The roots of modern Christmas customs

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The roots of modern customs

Many of the other trappings of Christmas are merely carryovers from ancient celebrations.



"Santa Claus" is an American corruption of the Dutch form "San Nicolaas," a figure brought to America by the early Dutch colonists (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, Vol. 19, p. 649, "Nicholas, St."). This name, in turn, stems from St. Nicholas, bishop of the city of Myra in southern Asia Minor, a Catholic saint honored by the Greeks and the Latins on Dec. 6.



How, we might ask, did a bishop from the sunny Mediterranean coast of Turkey come to be associated with a red-suited man who lives at the north pole and rides in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer?



Knowing what we have already learned about the ancient pre-Christian origins of Christmas, we shouldn't be surprised to learn that Santa Claus is nothing but a figure recycled from ancient beliefs tied in with pagan midwinter festivals.



The trappings associated with Santa Claus—his fur-trimmed clothing, sleigh and reindeer—reveal his origin from the cold climates of the far North. Some sources trace him to the ancient Northern European gods Woden and Thor, from which the days of the week Wednesday (Woden's day) and Thursday (Thor's day) get their designations (Earl and Alice Count, 4000 Years of Christmas, 1997, pp. 56-64). Others trace him even farther back in time to the Roman god Saturn (honored at the winter Saturnalia festival) and the Greek god Silenus (Walsh, pp. 70-71).



What about other common customs and symbols associated with Christmas? Where did they originate? "On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites ... Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. 2, p. 903, "Christmas").



"In midwinter, the idea of rebirth and fertility was tremendously important. In the snows of winter, the evergreen was a symbol of the life that would return in the spring, so evergreens were used for decoration ... Light was important in dispelling the growing darkness of the solstice, so a Yule log was lighted with the remains of the previous year's log ... As many customs lost their religious reasons for being, they passed into the realm of superstition, becoming good luck traditions and eventually merely customs without rationale. Thus the mistletoe was no longer worshiped but became eventually an excuse for rather nonreligious activities" (Del Re, p. 18).



"Christmas gifts themselves remind us of the presents that were exchanged in Rome during the Saturnalia. In Rome, it might be added, the presents usually took the form of wax tapers and dolls—the latter being in their turn a survival of the human sacrifices once offered to Saturn. It is a queer thought that in our Christmas presents we are preserving under another form one of the most savage customs of our barbarian ancestors!" (Walsh, p. 67).



When we see these customs perpetuated today in Christmas observance, we can have no doubt of this holiday's origin. Christmas is a diverse collection of pagan forms of worship overlaid with a veneer of Christianity.

Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje Show Modern Attraction of Signs

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Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje Show Modern Attraction of Signs






article by World News & Trends staff





In today's skeptical world, and on the most secular continent, there is still evidence of man's innate attraction to signs and miracles. Consider three European sites that attract millions of visitors.



In today's skeptical world, and on the most secular continent, there is still evidence of man's innate attraction to signs and miracles. Consider three European sites that attract millions of visitors.



Lourdes, a small town in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southern France, attracts some 5 million tourists and pilgrims a year because of the visions seen by a 14-year-old girl nearly 150 years ago. Bernadette Soubirous first saw visions of a woman in white at a remote grotto on Feb. 11, 1858.



Within months, visitors were claiming healing from the waters of the grotto, and of approximately 7,000 who have felt they were healed and sought confirmation, nearly 70 have been declared scientifically inexplicable miracles by the Lourdes Medical Bureau and by the Catholic Church.



In Fatima, Portugal, three shepherd children saw six visions of "Our Lady of Fatima" between May 13 and Oct. 13, 1917. They told of three secrets that were revealed to them, and the second has been seen as predicting World War II and the "immense damage that Russia would do to humanity by abandoning the Christian faith and embracing Communist totalitarianism" (www.vatican.va).



Speculation abounded about the third secret, which was not released by the Vatican until Pope John Paul II's visit to Fatima May 13, 2000. There, the third secret's description of a bishop clothed in white making his way among corpses of those who were martyred and being shot himself was explained as being fulfilled in the May 13, 1981, assassination attempt on John Paul II.



Then there is Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where six people began seeing visions 25 years ago on June 24, 1981. Since then, some say more than 30,000 messages have come and more than 30 million people have visited the site, though these pilgrimages are not encouraged by the Vatican.



With such interest in visions and secrets seen by a few, is it any wonder that millions more will be convinced by incontrovertible miracles seen with their own eyes? WNP

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Signs and Lying Wonders: Will You Be Deceived?

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Signs and Lying Wonders: Will You Be Deceived?

article by Mike Bennett





Bible history and prophecy show that not all miracles are from God. At the end time, there will be counterfeit miracles to deceive the nations and, if possible, even God’s people.



In our modern age, many people are skeptical of claims of healings, miracles or any supernatural events. The miracles of the Bible are looked at as quaint fairy tales developed by primitive cultures to explain the mysteries of nature. Today, science claims to give man the godlike ability to explain those wonders, and the rational mind believes all phenomena can be explained by nature—without God.



Yet there remains something just below the surface of the modern psyche that is tantalized by the mysterious and unexplainable. UFOs, ghosts, magic and witchcraft are still incredibly popular. And the mystical elements of various religions attract myriad new converts every year. Sites like Fatima, Lourdes and Medjugorje draw millions of pilgrims each year.



The Bible foretells a time when religion will play a major role in places like Europe, where religion was written off many decades ago. How can church again dominate state in such a secular wasteland? It seems the prophesied miracles will play a major part in bringing about this change in the "zeitgeist" (spirit of the times) of the Continent.



First, can supernatural wonders really come from a source other than God?



Lying wonders



Even those with a passing knowledge of the Bible have heard of the Exodus and the parting of the Red Sea . Before the pharaoh was willing to let his Israelite slaves go, the Bible records 10 devastating plagues God brought on the stubborn Egyptian ruler and his people.



Interestingly, the pharaoh's magicians were able to duplicate, on a smaller scale, the first two plagues, making water appear as blood and making even more frogs appear on Egypt than those God had sent (Exodus:7:22And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. and 8:7). They were also able to make their rods change into snakes (Exodus:7:11-12[11]Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.[12]For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.). Whether these were tricks and illusions or actual supernatural miracles from an evil spiritual source, they had the intended effect. They hardened the pharaoh's heart, meaning they cemented his resistance to the demands of the Israelites.



Eventually, though, the magicians admitted they were outclassed and could not duplicate God's third plague. "This is the finger of God," they said (Exodus:8:19Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.).



Because of the existence of false miracles and false prophets, God warned Israel to reject any miracle worker who denies Him or speaks contrary to His laws and teachings (Deuteronomy:13:1-3[1]If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,[2]And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;[3]Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.). God says just because someone's prophecy happens or a miracle occurs doesn't mean we should follow that person.



These warnings continued to apply in the New Testament. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits," Christ warned (Matthew:7:15-16[15]Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.[16]Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?).



Those fruits obviously went beyond whether the prophecies occurred or the miracles happened. Christ described some who cast out demons and did many wonders in His name. "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew:7:23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.). Denying God's laws remains a fruit of the way of darkness (Isaiah:8:20To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.).



End-time warnings



In a prophecy for the end times, Jesus the Christ warned, "False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew:24:24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.).



The apostle Paul expands on this in 2 Thessalonians 2, with a warning about "the lawless one" who comes with "all power, signs, and lying wonders" (verse 9). Paul says it takes a love of the truth—the Bible and God's law—to avoid being deceived by this man of sin, this lawless one (verse 10).



The apostle John also expands on this warning in Revelation 13. This chapter starts by talking about a "beast" representing a great end-time empire—a government that will rule much of the earth. Then in verse 11 it talks about another beast with two horns like a lamb—meaning he tries to appear like Christ, the Lamb—but who speaks like a dragon, Satan. This is the same one who is called the False Prophet in Revelation 19, who we believe will be a religious leader in Europe.



Revelation:13:13-14 says: "He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived."



For more about the meaning of this prophecy and the framework of end-time prophecy, read or request our free booklets The Book of Revelation Unveiled and You Can Understand Bible Prophecy at www.wnponline.org/litreq.



What this means for us



Someday in the not-too-distant future, miracles will occur that will be widely publicized and that will convince even many of the skeptical people of our day. Perhaps supernatural fire will destroy enemies, or other spectacular miracles will occur. Will they convince you to follow the ones who perform them?



The antidote to lying wonders is to know what the Bible teaches and be prepared. Those who fall for the "unrighteous deception" of the "lawless one" are those who "did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thessalonians:2:9-10[9]Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,[10]And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.).



God's people, on the other hand, are those "who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation:12:17). But even to the Church Christ said, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain…Hold fast what you have…anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Revelation:3:2, 11, 18).



The biblical description of God's Church compared to the counterfeits is laid out in detail in the booklet The Church Jesus Built, also online at www.wnponline.org/litreq.



Examine the fruits. Are the miracle workers teaching God's laws and fulfilling His will? Or are they using miracles to trick people into supporting a government and a religion that are actually opposed to God's law and His plan? Many people will believe that the miracles they see are of God. Study God's Word; examine the fruits.



Don't be deceived! WNP

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