Gospel truth proclaimed.blogspot.com: November 2013

Saturday 30 November 2013

The Truth About Enoch & Elijah

Friday 29 November 2013

Biblical Sexual Prohibitions

Dr. Scott Johnson

Sermon Overview: In this teaching we will be looking at a subject that is rarely (if

ever) preached on in modern day churches: The sexual prohibitions outlined in

Leviticus 18 &20. This is a very important study and especially needed by

Christians in the day and time we live in. Truly much of the Body of Christ is

being destroyed for lack of knowledge due to NOT knowing the material covered

in this teaching. Unfortunately there are many things that modern day Christians

are doing (many times unknowingly) that are affecting them adversely in both a

spiritual and physical way. Much of what we will get into was common

knowledge up to 50 years ago but has been slowly repressed since then. We will

look at the shocking WHOLE definitions of sodomy, fornication and intercourse

and also the New Testament text some use to justify any sexual action regarding

the marriage bed. We will also see how Biblically these types of sins defile a

person in a way that other sins do not.

Sexual Prohibitions:What Satan Doesn't

Want YOU to Know!
"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me;

he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned

away my prayer, nor his mercy from me." (Psalm 66:18)

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is

holy, which temple ye are." (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by

the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."

(Romans 7:7)

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers

God will judge.(Hebrews 13:4)
Does Hebrews 13:4 allow oral sex among married couples?

NO!

How does someone know that sexual sins defile and ruin a Christian?

"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body;

but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body."

(1 Corinth 6:18)

Scott A. Johnson says there is a demonic exchange when you join flesh to flesh.

For example, homosexuals were defiled with demons in an early stage in their life.

"For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are

the way of life:

To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread:

and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be

innocent."

(Proverbs 6:23-29)

􁪽"But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it

destroyeth his own soul."

(Proverbs 6:32)

􁪽"With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she

forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool

to the correction of the stocks;"

(Proverbs 7:21-22)

􁪽"Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast

down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the

way to hell, going down to the chambers of death."

(Proverbs 7:25-27)

Seven Classifications Of Sexual Sins

Incest

"None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their

nakedness: I am the LORD."

(Lev 18:6-18)

This is not just looking but also an act!

"And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that

committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall

surely be put to death. And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his

father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon

them."

(Lev 20:11)

"And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness:

they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. And if a man shall take his brother's

wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be

childless."

(Lev 20:20-21)

Adultery

"Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her."

(Lev 18:20)

"And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that

committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall

surely be put to death."

(Lev 20:10)

Self Gratification

"And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up

seed to thy brother.

And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in

unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to

his brother.

And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also."

(Genesis 38:9-10)

This has to do with masturbation! Think about how the angels would witness these

things.

Satan accuses us of our sin. If you don't repent how can Jesus forget these things?

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and

the kingdom of our

God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which

accused them before our God day and night." (Rev. 12:10)

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts,

which war against the soul;"

(1 Peter 2:11)

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride

of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

(1 John 2:16)

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath

committed adultery with her already in his heart."

(Matthew 5:28)

􁪽"Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of

serpents."

(1 Corinth 10:9)

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

13 􁪽There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is

faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the

temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

(1 Corinth 10:12)

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is

not with thee."

(Proverbs 23:7)

Homosexuality

"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed

an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

(Lev. 20:13)

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

(Lev. 18:22)

Bestiality

"Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any

woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye

yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out

before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and

the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants."

(Lev. 18:23-25)

"(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you,

and the land is defiled;)

That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that

were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the

souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these

abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not

yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God."

(Lev. 18:27-30)

Abortion

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Again, thou shalt say to the children of

Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in

Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the

people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man,

and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto

Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the

land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto

Molech, and kill him not: Then I will set my face against that man, and against his

family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom

with Molech, from among their people."

(Lev 20:1-5)

The seed is a sacrifice of children unto a statue called Molech!

Sex With A Woman On Her Period

"And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her

nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of

her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people."

(Lev 20:18)

"Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she

is put apart for her uncleanness."

(Lev 18:19)

Definitions

This is a simple summary of the definitions that follow and what these actions lead to -

The definitions of these words vary widely, depending on

which dictionary you use.

No wonder why many Christians do not know of this truth.

Here are different sources or dictionaries in which the following definitions

are defined

Sodomy -

From SodomyLaws.org we read: "The proscription of sodomy in the English

tradition began in 1533 when King Henry VIII adopted contemporary church

doctrine into a system of laws at the time of the English withdrawal from the

Catholic Church. Sodomy became both a sin and a crime, since ecclesiastical

law recognizes no distinction between the concepts of "sin" and "crime."

Sodomy included any form of non-procreative acts including self sexual

gratification, oral and anal intercourse. The original thirteen American colonies

derived their laws from the English common law and continued the legal tradition

in which sodomy carried the penalty of death. The 1683 Pennsylvania law called

sodomy an "unnatural sin" and the East New Jersey law listed it among the

"Offenses against God."Every state adopted some form of a sodomy law as it

joined the United States, either in acceptance of an unwritten common law or in

formal codification. A slow modernization of laws away from a religious doctrine

into a secular system reduced penalties over time in a piece meal fashion. All

states had laws against sodomy by 1960."

http://www.sodomylaws.org/history/history.htm

The American Heritage Dictionary defines "sodomy" as "1. anal copulation of one

male with another. 2. Anal or oral copulation with a member of the opposite sex. 3.

Copulation with an animal." The same dictionary defines "sodomite" as one who

engages in sodomy. To engage in sodomy is to use ones body in a manner that is

contrary to its fundamental Biblical purpose (procreation). Sodomy, then, has no

social purpose or function, it is simply an activity of personal sexual selfgratification.

"Virginia’s "Crimes Against Nature" law, which prohibits any act of oral or anal

intercourse. The law applies to both heterosexual couples and homosexual

couples." http://www.sodomylaws.org/usa/virginia/vanews31.htm

Webster's 1828 Dictionary--A crime against nature.

yourdictionary.com

any sexual intercourse held to be abnormal;

Example: bestiality, anal intercourse, esp. between two male persons

Dictionary.com

Anal or oral copulation with a member of the opposite sex;

copulation with a member of the same sex; bestiality

American Heritage

Any of various forms of sexual intercourse held to be unnatural or

abnormal, especially anal intercourse or bestiality.

Did you know that Virginia's law prohibits sodomy? That

means no oral sex if you are notmarried.

Fornication - Webster's 1828 Dictionary

The incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female;

also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman; Adultery,

Incest. 1Cor. 5, Idolatry; a forsaking of the true God, and worshipping of idols. 2Chron.

21. Rev. 19.

yourdictionary.com

Voluntary sexual intercourse engaged in by a man, esp. an unmarried

man, with an unmarried woman;

Voluntary sexual intercourse engaged in by an unmarried person: if the

other person is married,the act of the unmarried person is sometimes considered

adultery

Dictionary.com

Voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two

persons not married to each other.

American Heritage

Sexual intercourse between partners who are not married to each other.

Deals with fornication. Sins against your own temple since the holy

spirit lives inside you. Jesus Christ bought us for a price.

(1 Corinth 6:15-20)

Intercourse -

Dictionary.com Interchange of thoughts, feelings, etc. Sexual relations

or a sexual coupling, esp. coitus.

Coitus - Dictionary.com

Sexual intercourse, esp. between a man and a woman.

Incest - Dictionary.com

Sexual intercourse between closely related persons.The crime of sexual

intercourse, cohabitation, or marriage between persons within the degrees of

consanguinity or affinity wherein marriage is legally forbidden.

American Heritage

Sexual relations between persons who are so closely related that their marriage is

illegal or forbidden by custom. The statutory crime of sexual relations with such a near

relative

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earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

Contraception and the Bible

Dr. Johnson's Main Website at: http://contendingfortruth.com

Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Gen 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth.
Gen 9:7 And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
Jer 23:3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them,
and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

Psalm 127:3-6 “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As
arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his
quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”

Now arrows are an offensive weapon. Our children are weapons for the kingdom of Jesus Christ who
will "contend with their enemies in the gate". In light of this ask your self this question: Would Satan
want true born again believers to have large or small families? It seems apparent by reading the
preceding verses that were quoted; we already have God’s answer. Jesus said in John 10:10: The
thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have [it] more abundantly.

From a physical standpoint there is no greater way the Lord can manifest the gift of life, than through
the birth of a child. I have told you that the goal of the New World Order is to reduce world population by 65-85%. Georgia Guidestones
The world around us is addicted to death and sin. As the pagans around us abort their children and
have smaller and smaller families Christians from a Biblical standpoint should be doing the very
opposite! What if true born again Christians were growing their families like the Mormons, Muslims
and Catholics which are cults near the top of the list in growth and numbers. But a big reason for their
growth is due to the large families they tend to have. If their offspring do not get saved, they will
untimely burn in hell and take others with them to hell to suffer the same fate. But Christians can do
the exact opposite and raise Godly children which ultimately impact this world for Christ and lead
many to the Lord.

Gen 28:3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people… So children are not seen by God as a burden but as a blessing.
It has been said the root of most Christians desire to have small families is a selfish desire for
comfort. We think that we won't be able to have a house or as nice of cars if we were to let
God determine the size of our family. Now is the God that created the universe going to give any
Christian family more children than we can provide for? Does this also boil down to a lack of faith that Christians have in God provide for a large family?

So now let’s get into the main way families on this planet limit there size, yes I am referring to
contraception.
I feel it is necessary to talk about the birth control pill first because there are some facts about
the pill that many do not know. Hosea 4:6 The birth control pill comes in many forms,
from the progestin-only pill to combinations of progestin and estrogen. There is now also a patch that
works in the same way as the pill but as the name indicates it is worn as a patch.
Progestins and the estrogen in the pill are artificial hormones designed to help a woman's body
believe that it is pregnant month after month. All the vital organs in her body are affected by the
constant use of this pill. It contains powerful steroids that constantly remain present in her body. The
pill's artificial hormones suppress the woman's production of normal progesterone and estrogen.
This constant presence of powerful steroids is not healthy, and there are side effects when using the
pill.
How does the pill work?
The birth control pill can work in one of three ways:
1. It can prevent ovulation (releasing an egg from the ovary)
2. It can cause the mucus in the cervix to change so that if sperm reach the cervix, they are not
allowed to enter, and
3. It can irritate the lining of the uterus so that if the first two actions fail, and the woman does
become pregnant, the tiny baby boy or girl will die before he or she can actually attach to the
lining of the uterus.

In other words, if the third action occurs, the woman's body rejects the tiny baby and he or she will
die. This is called a chemical abortion.
Abortion is an act of direct killing that takes the life of a tiny human being-a life that begins at
fertilization.

The prophet Jeremiah said in Jer. 1:4-5 “Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I
formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee,
[and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” So when we interfere with the process of
conception are we in effect trying to play God? What Biblical right do we as Christians have to do
such a thing. 1Cor 6:19-20: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Psa 139:13-16 “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I
will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul
knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously
wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and
in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there
was none of them.” This sounds pretty important to God and this takes place prior to conception. Of
how much greater importance would the conception and life of one of His children be to Him.

Psa 22:9-10: “But thou art he that took me out of the womb…. I was cast upon thee from the
womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. Not only does this verse imply that when you are
born it is God’s doing but also that there are those that know God from the womb.
Despite the keen attention given by pro-life crusaders to matters concerning abortion, with far too
much detail regularly offered regarding such monstrous practices as partial-birth abortion, very few
are willing to consider the possibility that The Pill and Patch can induce abortions by hormonally
interfering with the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus.

While Catholics reject (or, at least, they are supposed to reject) contraception because their Pope
tells them to, Christians are only supposed to listen to the Word of God. From the apostles before 1930, however, no true Christian denomination or group ever permitted the practice, and it was Christian state legislatures across the country that made the trafficking of contraceptives illegal until the Supreme Court intruded in Griswold v. Connecticut, paving the way for Roe v. Wade. So in other
words 75 years ago this message would of not been necessary because the topic was not a topic
worthy of debate. Contraception was considered by Christians a grievous sin, and that fact was a
forgone conclusion that was not debated by Christians. Did you know the word “contraception” is
not even listed in the Websters 1828 dictionary. So the next questions to ask yourself would be: Are
the Christians of today more right with God than those of the times past. The Bible warns us
speaking about the Laodicean church and current church age in Rev. 3: 14-19: And unto the angel of
the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my
mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and
knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white
raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and
anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Last year, a courageous young Christian couple, Sam and Bethany Torode, urged fellow Christians to
forsake birth control in favor of an “Open Embrace” within marriage. Their work reflects the deep
commitment in pockets of resistance all over the United States to the official line that contraception is
only a Catholic concern. In a well-researched and poignant book, the Torodes argue that Christian
attempts to separate the pleasures of the marital bed from the spiritual blessing of openness to
childbearing is unScriptural.

Too many Christians are simply unwilling to let go of the right to choose—in this case, the right to
choose to reject God’s blessing of children. The issue, therefore, is simply not discussed. That life
begins at the moment of conception is, believed (wrongly) due to people like pro-lifers, all but
universally accepted among Bible-believing Christians. But for the most part God’s intention for His
Creation is ignored when it comes to contraception. So let’s make this issue more personal. I will
start with myself. What if I had chosen to use contraception the night my daughter Taylor was
conceived? Would this act have interfered with God’s plan for Taylor? For myself? For the people
she was created to touch in a Godly way? For those she would lead to the lord? We could go on and
on. OK so now ask yourself that same question in regard to the children you have had (if that
applies)? What if they had never been born? Now ask yourself this question: What if your parents
had chosen to use contraception the night you were conceived? If that were the case none of us
would be here right now. The Lord says: Come let us reason
together............................………………………….

There need be no proof text for Christians to suggest that homosexuality is a sin. Instead, the biblical
witness testifies to that which is already obvious from natural revelation. Likewise it was obvious to
the early Christians that the natural purpose in marital union was procreative as well as unitive. This
revelation of God in natural law was reflected in His dealing with Onan, who, in Genesis 38, was
commanded by his father, Judah, to take his late brother Er’s wife as his own, in order that their
offspring might be counted as Er’s, receiving his inheritance (a Levirate marriage). Onan took Er’s
wife into his bed but “wasted his seed on the ground” which was a form of contraception. He was
trying to prevent her from becoming pregnant. But isn’t that what contraception is. Why did he
do this? Because he was self centered. Which if you really think about it is the root of virtually every
sin we commit. Moses tells us that “the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew
him . . . ”Again as I asked last week in regard to sexual self gratification, if we take this verse further
can it be viewed as an endorsement for contraception?

Historically Christians unanimously saw the action of Onan as a violation of natural law. In his
commentary on Genesis, Martin Luther called Onan’s act sodomy:
“The exceedingly foul deed of Onan, the basest of wretches . . . is a most disgraceful sin. It is far
more atrocious than incest and adultery. We call it unchastity, yes, a sodomitic sin. For Onan goes in
to her; that is, he lies with her and copulates, and when it comes to the point of insemination, spills
the semen, lest the woman conceive. Surely at such a time the order of nature established by God in
procreation should be followed. Accordingly, it was a most disgraceful crime . . . Consequently; he
deserved to be killed by God. He committed an evil deed. Therefore, God punished him.

John Calvin agreed, calling Onan’s act “doubly monstrous” and tantamount to a “violent abortion” in
which the “offspring of his brother” was “torn from the mother’s womb” and “cast on the ground.”
Similar natural-law arguments were made by John Wesley, the great Baptist Charles Haddon
Spurgeon, and Reformed commentator Matthew Henry, among countless others.

The Anglican Church became the first Protestant body to sanction the use of contraception, although
it took great pains to emphasize that contraception should only be used by married couples. Still, the
1930 Lambeth Conference’s declaration rejected natural law in favor of the law of “good intentions”:
Tell me where the law of good intentions is the Bible. The saying “The road to hell…” has a lot of
truth in it. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 says…. So contraception was deemed permissible “where there
is a clearly-felt moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood.” It is precisely married couples,
however, who are least likely to have a legitimate reason to avoid parenthood, for having children is
what they are urged to do in Scripture. Isaiah 5:20: Woe unto them that call evil good and good
evil…”
Conservative Christians were horrified by Lambeth. T.S. Eliot said that it was an un-Christian
experiment to remake society, and Lutheran Hour speaker Walter A. Maier called it “one of the most
repugnant of modern aberrations, representing a 20th-century renewal of pagan bankruptcy.”
So as a Christian from a Biblical perspective are we ever supposed to get to a point where we say to
the God “Alright Lord that is enough truth for me, I don’t want anymore.” That’s what many Christians do when confronted with truth that does not line up with what they have believed. But remember the bible says the truth shall set you free. It also says in Hosea 4:6…. So is it better to learn these truths now and have an opportunity to repent or would it be better to have never known the things that were covered today and potentially have it affect your life and prayers in an adverse way and be ashamed at the Judgment Seat of Christ?

Monday 25 November 2013

Audio on Contraception study from bible

Sermon on contraception Audio

Please note this important subject is heavily neglected by many christen ministries but I have allowed this audio because the minister covers some important bible issues. I personal agree with most of it no all but it is worth listening to A lot more could be written on this, married etc. Many Christian church would leave this subject to the individual to decide but isn't the word given to govern all our after all we most all stand at the judgement seat of Christ.

Sunday 24 November 2013

Enoch and Elijah BY M THOMAS WARK

ENOCH AND ELIJAH: R.I.P. By M. Thomas Wark

Introduction: By victor.s please note I personal can't confirm the writers view about Jews position on the intermediate state of the soul between death and before going to heaven. My understanding of the saved soul is on death it sleeps /rest in Abraham bosom until the first resurrection. Luke 16

Christians who believe in the immortality of the soul or spirit sometimes point to the antediluvian patriarch Enoch and the prophet Elijah as examples of men who have never died and are alive in heaven.

Enoch is sometimes further taken as a type of the "pre-tribulation rapture" of the Body of Christ at the end of this dispensation! According to this theory, just as Enoch was "snatched away" to heaven and safety before the Flood, so also will Christians at the end of the dispensation of grace be "snatched away" to heaven and safety before the Great Tribulation and the Wrath of God.

As for Elijah, who hasn't at one time or another heard in a sermon how that Elijah was carried oft to heaven in a fiery chariot thereby escaping death? This popular notion has even passed into evangelical hymnology in the song "Swing Low Sweet Chariot---comin' for to carry me home"!

In some modern "last days scenarios" BOTH Enoch and Elijah are identified as the Two Witnesses of the Book of Revelation (11:3-12). Adherents to this view reason that since "it is appointed unto men once to die, and then the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27) and since (according to their theory) neither Enoch nor Elijah have yet died, they must therefore appear again on earth just before the end of the age to witness to the followers of the Antichrist and then be slain, after which God will raise them from the dead and take them "back to heaven."

Now in the case of Enoch the language used of him in Genesis and Hebrews is incredibly terse and great care must be taken to interpret it correctly and in harmony with what the rest of holy Scripture teaches on the state of the dead.

In the case of Elijah the language used in 2 Kings is plain enough, its just more often than not misread and thereby misunderstood.

To further complicate matters, the teaching that these men escaped death and are alive in heaven is an ancient one. And to those who espouse it, the very antiquity of the teaching seemingly lends it a kind of authority. But antiquity does not equal authority. What is true is true because it is true and not merely because it is old! The serpent's lie: "thou shalt not surely die"(Gen.3:4) is very, very old--but it is NOT the truth. [1]

This belief about Enoch and Elijah being taken alive into heaven does not appear anywhere in the Old Testament. It first makes its appearance in Jewish thought and literature during the intertestamental period. That is, this belief doesn't appear until AFTER the Jews return from the seventy year long Babylonian Captivity.

Persian Influences On Second Temple Judaism:

Some time after the Jews were taken into captivity the Babylonian Empire was overthrown by the Medes and Persians. The state religion of the new empire was Zoroastrianism In fact, King Cyrus--.who Isaiah named in prophecy several centuries before he was born(lsa.45:1.4) and who allowed a remnant of the Jews to return to the land...King Cyrus was himself a Zoroastrian! [2]

Zoroastrianism comes from Zoroaster ("seed of the star" or "star-seed") which is what the Greeks called the Iranian prophet Zarathustra.

Now the Zoroastrians had a number of doctrines which more or less paralleled those of the Jews. They believed in a Supremely Good and All-Wise eternal Creator-God named Ahura Mazda, and in an Evil, not quite eternal, Corrupt-god named Angra Mainyu (or Ahriman) who was somewhat analogous to the Biblical Satan. They believed in a coming deliverer called a Saoshyant ("savior") [3] who would be born of a virgin. [4] They believed in both angels and demons. And they believed in the resurrection of the dead.

However, in stark CONTRAST to the teachings of the Hebrew patriarchs and prophets, they believed that at death the spirit of the righteous would ascend to Garo Demana (the heaven of light and the abode of Ahura Mazda), whereas the spirit of the wicked would descend to Drujo Demana (the house of the lie and the abode of Angra Mainyu) where it would dwell forever in "a murky glow and woeful wailings." [5]

According to Scripture, before the Jewish remnant was allowed to return to the land of Israel, many Zoroastrians converted to Judaism (Esther 8:17). As is often the case in such conversions the new convert brings some concepts from the old religion into the new one. This is especially so when there already exist many parallels between the two religions as was the case with Zoroastrianism and Judaism.

Evidence of the infiltration of Zoroastrian ideas Post-Captivity Judaism can be found in intertestamental literature, in the Dead Sea Scrolls in Rabbinic traditions.

For example, some of the Rabbi's taught that "the names of the angels [as well as the names of the months] came with us from Babylonia"(Rosh Hashanah 1.56d). [6] In fact, Asmodeus, the evil spirit in the Book of Tobit (3:8;etc.), is actually the name of a Zoroastrian demon! [7]

Again, the community of Essenes at Qumran in their Charter teach a doctrine of "two spirits" that so closely resembles Zarathustra's teaching that few scholars fail to see the connection. [8]

The Aramaic word for "demon" which was used by the Jews in Palestine in the first century is DEVA which is a loan word from the Persian. [9]

Finally, the word "paradise"(Aramaic=pardaisa and Greek=paradeisos) is derived from the Persian word PARDIS. "Pardis was the name of a famous palace and garden built by one of the Median kings about seven centuries before Christ." [10] The Greek transliteration of this word is used throughout the Septuagint (LXX) [11] to translate the Hebrew words for "garden" (GAN/GANNA). The Aramaic pardaisa was in common use in Palestine in the first century and survives in Rabbinical writings and in the Peshitta and other Aramaic (Syriac) Christian literature.

Since there is no evidence in Scripture that the Jews, prior to the Babylonian Captivity, believed in an intermediate state between death and resurrection, [12] and since Jewish belief in an intermediate state first appears in Judaism AFTER the Jews' return to the land (along with a number of other concepts of Persian origin)---it is reasonable to believe that late Jewish traditions of an intermediate state are also of Persian (that is, Zoroastrian) origin!

Still later, when Palestine would come under Greek rule, Hellenistic ideas would further reinforce this deviation from Biblical teaching.

Enoch "in translation":

Now in the apocryphal Wisdom of Sirach Genesis 5:24 is plainly interpreted as teaching
that Enoch was taken up alive into heaven by God:

"Enoch pleased the Lord, and was taken up; he was an example of repentance
to all generations." (Sirach 44:16)

"No one like Enoch has been created on earth, for he was taken up from the earth." (Sirach 49:14)

The prophet Elijah gets a similar treatment in Sirach:

"You who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with horses of fire; you who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury..." (Sirach 48:9.10)

But is the teaching in this apocryphal book Scriptural? Are the theories, both ancient and modern, which are based upon this teaching the truth?

Let us take a closer look at what the Holy Scriptures have to say about these so called "Old Testament raptures." We will begin with the case of Enoch:

"And Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God TOOK him." (Gen.5:24, KJV)

"By faith Enoch was TRANSLATED so that he did not see death, 'and was not found because God had translated him'; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." (Hebrews 11:5, NKJV)

As a number of scholars and students believe that Paul's epistle to the Hebrews was originally scribed in Aramaic and then translated into Greek [13] we will give Dr. Lamsa's translation of this verse from the Peshitta:

"By faith Enoch DEPARTED and did not taste death, and he was not found, because God TOOK him; but before He TOOK him away, there was a testimonial about him, that he pleased God." (Heb.11:5, Lamsa)

Some say that these passages say that Enoch never died, but that God took him directly to heaven. On the other hand, there are Scriptures that certainly contradict such a notion. For example:

"NO MAN HAS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." (John 3:13, NKJV)

"NO MAN HAS SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME." (l John 4:12a, NKJV)

How are we to reconcile the popular teaching with such plain statements to the contrary? ANSWER: we cannot!
In Genesis 5:24 the word "took" is from the Hebrew LAQAH which means "to receive" or "to accept" (Young’s Analytical Concordance). Phrases similar to "he was not" are used elsewhere in the Old Testament to denote DEATH. For example:

"Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are not" (Jer.31:15, NKJV) -- that is, they had died. Again: "...for now I shall lie in the earth; thou wilt seek me but I shall not be" (Job 7:21, KJV). Thus Genesis 5:24 could be read: "And Enoch walked with
God, and he DIED; for God ACCEPTED him." (Added By Victor.s The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.)

The first part of this verse seems plain enough But what could "for God ACCEPTED him" possibly mean? A closer look at Hebrews 11:5 will provide the answer we seek.

In the Aramaic (Peshitta) text of Hebrews 11:5 the words which Dr. Lamsa renders "departed" and "took" are from the word SeNA which means "to remove," "to change," "to depart," "to translate," "to transfer" and "to carry over. In this context "to remove" is probably the best rendering. "By faith Enoch was REMOVED..." This reminds us of Job's declaration: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him"(Job 13:15, KJV).

The Greek text of Hebrews 11:5 is also illuminating. The NKJV reads in part: "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death..." Here the Greek word rendered "taken away is METATITHEMI, which, according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, means "to place, or transfer in a passive, horizontal posture." Forms of this word also occur in Acts 7:16 ("carried back"), Galatians 1 :6 ("turning away"), Heb.7:12 ("changed"), and Jude 4 ("turn"). It is used throughout the LXX with a similar range of meanings. However, it is also used in the fourth chapter of the apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon. Chapter four, verse ten reads:

"He pleased God, and was beloved of Him; so that living among sinners he was TRANSLATED." [14]

An examination of the context of this verse reveals that it is not referring to Enoch in particular, but rather to the righteous in general in contrast to the wicked. Let's look at Wisdom 4:10 once more, this time in context:

"But though the righteous he prevented with death, yet shall he [the righteous] be in rest." (v.7)

"He [the righteous] pleased God, and was beloved of Him; so that living among sinners he [the righteous] was TRANSLATED." (v.10)

"Yea, speedily he [the righteous] was TAKEN AWAY, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul." (v.11)

"He [the righteous], being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time." (v.13)

"For his soul pleased the Lord; therefore hasted [God] to TAKE HIM AWAY from among the wicked." (v.14)

"This the people saw, and understood it not, neither laid they up this in their minds, that [God's] grace and mercy is with His saints, and that He has respect unto Hischosen." (v.15)

"Thus the righteous THAT IS DEAD shall condemn the ungodly WHICH ARE LIVING..." (v.16)

"For they shall see the END of the wise, and shall not understand what God in His counsel hath decreed of him [the righteous], and to what end the Lord hath set him in safety." (v.17)

All of the above verses are from The Wisdom of Solomon, chapter four, verses seven through seventeen. This passage teaches that when the wicked live to be very old and the righteous die young it is because God is merciful to the righteous! God takes the righteous away from among the wicked to spare them from their contaminating influence.

Thus we see that the Greek word METATITHEMI, as used in the Greek text of Hebrews 11:5 and in the Wisdom of Solomon 4:7-17, simply means to be taken out of life before one's years are fulfilled or before one's time. This is in order to spare the righteous from the further corrupting influence of the wicked, thereby insuring that the righteous do not lose their reward!

Before we take leave of this fascinating passage we would like to point out that the parallels between the situation of "the righteous" in these verses and that of Enoch as related in Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5 are many. In fact, we contend that the author of the Wisdom of Solomon had Enoch in mind when he penned this passage, and that he used Enoch as an example of what happens and why-- whenever any righteous person is prematurely removed from the land of the living.

Finally, we contend that neither the Aramaic text of Hebrews 11:5 nor the Greek texts of Hebrews 11:5 and The Wisdom of Solomon 4:7-17 teach that anyone was "translated" alive up to heaven.

As for the statement that Enoch "did not death"(Heb.11:5, NKJV), this should be compared and contrasted with the statements of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 and of Peter in 2 Peter 1:13-15. These men had advance warning of their impending death. Enoch was removed suddenly and without warning.

For any who may think our interpretation of Enoch's REMOVAL strange we offer the commentary of one of Judaism's greatest teachers: Rabbi Solomon, son of Isaac, of Troyes---commoniy known as Rashi. Here follows his interpretation of Genesis 5:24:

"AND ENOCH WALKED. He was a righteous man, yet [it was] lightminded (for him) to return to evil. Therefore the Holy One, Blessed be He, hastened and removed him and let him die before his time. That is why Scripture varies [the expression] about his death and writes, 'And he was not' in the world to complete his years. FOR HE TOOK HIM. Before his time..." (The Pentateuch And Rashi’s Commentary, Vol.1: Genesis).

While the comments of The Wisdom of Solomon and Rashi are very illuminating--in that they establish that the language used of Enoch in Genesis and in Hebrews CAN legitimately refer to a premature death--NEVERTHELESS, the testimony of God's Word must be our final court of appeal in this matter. Let us, then, return to Hebrews eleven and see if that chapter can shed any more light on the fate of Enoch.

Hebrews eleven lists the famous men and women of the Old Testament era and testifies of their faith:

By faith Abel...By faith Enoch...By faith Noah...By faith Abraham..."

After listing all of these faithful ones, INCLUDING ENOCH, Paul concludes in verse 13:

"These ALL died in faith, not having received the promises...

And again:

"And these ALL [again: INCLUDING ENOCH], having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us, that they [INCLUDING ENOCH] without us should not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:39-40, NKJV)

Friends, if God's Word is to be believed, and it is, Enoch was NOT "raptured" to heaven. We must conclude, rather, that Enoch DID die; that he died in faith not having received the promises, and that he shall receive the promises in the resurrection of the dead like all believers. [15]

Elijah and the Whirlwind:

What about Elijah? Doesn't Scripture teach that he was taken away to heaven in a fiery chariot?

"And it came to pass, as they [Elijah & Elisha] still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." (2 Kings 2:11, KJV)

Does this verse actually teach that the prophet was taken up alive into heaven, whether by a chariot of fire or by a whirlwind? As we saw above, the author of the apocryphal Wisdom of Sirach seemed to think so! Let's take another look at what Sirach says and then compare it to the inspired Word of God.

"You [Elijah] who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with horses of fire; you who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury (Sirach 48:9.10)

And now God's Word:

"...and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into HEAVEN." (2 Kings 2:1lb, KJV)

The word translated "heaven" in this verse is from the Hebrew SHAMAYIM which The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon says means "heaven, sky"(p.1029, col.2). It is the same word used in Genesis 1:7-8 where God is said to have placed water above and below the firmament and then "God called the firmament HEAVEN;"--that is, THE SKY!

Sirach's belief that Elijah was alive in heaven and "ready at the appointed time…to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury" was based on his interpretation of Malachi 4:5.6, which reads:

"Behold, I will send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse..." (KJV)

But Sirach's overly literal understanding of this prophecy is not correct. Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us the correct interpretation. According to Jesus, Malachi prophesied the ministry of John the Baptist:

"He [John the Baptist] will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17, NKJV)

No, Elijah did NOT ride up to heaven on a fiery chariot as many believe. The Scripture plainly states that "a chariot of fire parted them [Elijah & Elisha] asunder." And after Elisha was some distance away "Elijah went up BY A WHIRLWIND." (He would have fried in a chariot of fire!) Further, the meaning of the Hebrew is that the prophet "went up by a whirlwind into THE SKY" or "atmosphere." He certainly did not ascend to the heaven of the angels or of God's throne! How can we be sure?

First, we have already quoted the statement of the beloved Apostle that; "No man has ascended into heaven." (John 3:13).

Second, the Scriptures record that ELIJAH WAS STILL ON EARTH SOME TWENTY YEARS LATER during the reign of King Jehoram!

"And there came a letter to him [King Jehoram] from Elijah the prophet, saying: 'Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father! Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, Nor in the ways of Asa, King of Judah..." (2Chron.21:12, KJV)

This letter conclusively demonstrates two things:

1) It demonstrates that Elijah was still on earth some twenty years after being transported by a whirlwind through the atmosphere to a different location

2) It further shows that Elijah was acquainted with contemporary events and therefore must have been living somewhere in Israel or Judah.

Ephrem, an early Syriac Christian theologian, comments: "There came suddenly from on high a fire-storm, and in the midst of the flame the form of a chariot and of horses, and separated them from one another; one of the two it left on the earth, the other, namely Elijah, it carried up on high...but whither the wind...took him, or in what place it left him, the Scriptures have NOT told us. They say, however, that some years afterwards an alarming letter from him, full of threats, was delivered to King Joram of Judah." (quoted in Commentary On the OT, Keil & Delitzsch, Vol.3, p.209, note 1).

To this we add the testimony of Josephus: "Now at this time it was that Elijah disappeared from among men, and no one knows of his death to this very day;...And indeed, as to Elijah, and as to Enoch, who was before the Deluge, it is written in the sacred books that they disappeared; but so that nobody knew that they died" (Antiquities IX, 9:2)

Elijah at the Transfiguration:

Some believers take Elijah's appearance with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration as proof that Elijah did in fact ascend to heaven. Let's examine the record to see whether this is so. Matthew 17:1-9 reads:

"Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud over-shadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!' And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, 'Arise, and do not be afraid.' When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, 'Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.'" (NKJV)

It is amazing to us that anyone would think that this passage proves that Elijah, to say nothing of Moses, is still alive. Verse 9 plainly states that what the disciples saw and heard occurred in a vision! [16]

The Shem-Tob manuscript of the Gospel of Matthew--preserved for centuries by the Jews and NOT a translation from Greek or Aramaic--is a textual descendant of the original Hebrew Matthew. [17] In chapter 17, verse three of this little known manuscript there is an interesting variant reading:

"Then Moses and Elijah, while speaking with Him, were revealed to them and they told Jesus all which would happen to Him in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were asleep. Asleep but not asleep; awake but not awake. They saw His body and the two men with Him."

This textual variant teaches us three things: 1) It teaches that the sight and sound of "Moses and Elijah" speaking with Jesus was a REVELATION to Peter, James and John. 2) It teaches us that the purpose of the revelation was to prepare the disciples for what was going to happen to Jesus in Jerusalem; and that the path to His glorification was to be one of suffering. This is confirmed in verses 12 & 22. And finally, 3) It teaches that the state in which the disciples received this REVELATION was not unlike a waking dream. They are described as being "asleep but not asleep; awake but not awake."

But why Moses and Elijah? Why not Abraham and Job? Or Deborah and Barak? The reason is that Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets, and that what was going to happen to Jesus in Jerusalem was going to happen in fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. The disciples had a difficult time grasping this teaching.

In chapter 24 of Luke's Gospel we're told that after His resurrection from the dead Jesus met two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. Not recognizing Him they spoke with Him about their Master and how He had been delivered up and crucified, and how His tomb had been found empty. In verses 25-27 we read:

"Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?' And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." (NKJV)

Now in the Law and the Prophets there are two principal lines of Messianic teaching. One line concerns "the suffering servant." The other line concerns "the Davidic king." A two-messiah theory was widely held at that time. Many Rabbi's believed in a Messiah-ben-Joseph who would come and suffer and redeem his brethren; and in a Messiah-ben-David who would come and deliver Israel from her enemies and then rule for ever on the throne of David. [18]

The Essenes at Qumran also held a form of this theory. In their Charter they are counseled:

"They shall govern themselves using the original precepts by which the men of the Community began to be instructed, doing so until there come the Prophet and the Messiah's of Aaron and Israel."
(1Q, col. 9, lines 10-11) [19]

We believe that the purpose of this VISION was to teach the disciples that Jesus is THE "beloved Son" in Whom God is well-pleased and the singular INDIVIDUAL in Whom BOTH lines of Messianic prophecy will be fulfilled. It does NOT teach that Elijah is alive in heaven!

In closing, let us return to Hebrews chapter eleven. While Elijah the prophet is not here mentioned by name (as was Enoch) he is most certainly included in verse 32 in the phrase: "...and of the rest of the prophets."

Therefore Elijah ALSO comes under the verdict that "these ALL died in faith..." (Heb.11:13a) and "ALL these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us." (Heb.11:39-40, NKJV)

In Conclusion:

The testimony of God's Word is clear and consistent on these matters. All die in Adam. Enoch and Elijah are no exception! Along with the patriarchs, the prophets and all who have since died in faith--they sleep the sleep of death until it is time for them to awaken in resurrection.

Notes:

[1] Paul speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ as the one "Who alone has immortality" (1 Timothy 6:16). "Those who are Christ's"
will put on immortality and incorruption in resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23 & 50-55), when the promise of everlasting life is finally realized (2 Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:2; 1 John 2:25;etc.).

[2] See: Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices by Mary Boyce, pp. 50-53 for the historical and archaeological
evidence.

[3] A Savior, Zoroaster's "...own kith and kin, a superman of miraculous power. born in a supernatural manner, will finally
descend upon earth to rennovate the world." From: Zoroastrian Theology by M. N. Dhalla p.182.

[4] "...the Saoshyant will be born of the prophet's own seed, miraculously preserved in the depths of a lake.. ..When the end
of time approaches, it is said, a virgin will bathe in this lake and will become with child by this prophet; and she will in due
course bear a son, named Astvat-ereta, 'He who embodies righteousness' [after Zoroaster's own words: 'May righteousness be embodied' Yasna 43:16]. Despite his miraculous conception, the coming World Savior will thus be a man, born of human parents..." From Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices by Mary Boyce, p.42.

[5] The full quotation reads: "Whoever comes after the Follower of Asha, his dwelling in future shall be Light, but for you, O
followers of the Druj, a long period of darkness, a murky glow, and woeful wailings---to such an existence will your evil
conscience lead you through your evil deeds." (Yasna 43:16) From: SONGS OF ZARATHUSTRA: The Gathas. Translated From The Avesta, by D.F.A. Bode and P. Nanavutty.

[6] Quoted from: A Rabbinic Commentary On The New Testament by Samuel Tobias Lachs, p.19-20.

[7] "But of all the demons that attend upon Ahriman, the arch-fiend Aeshma (...aesma daeva, regarded by some as the
Asmodeus of the Book of Tobit) is the most feared and the most diabolical." From: Zoroastrian Studies by A.V. Williams
Jackson, p.75.

[8] Compare Zarathustra's teaching given in Yasna 30:1-11 with that of the Essenes at Qumran in 3:15---4:25 of their
Charter.

[9] DAEVA is a word of Indo-Aryan origin. In ancient and modern Hindu sects the Daevas (beings of light or "Shining
Ones") are worshipped as gods, while the ASURAS are shunned as dark spirits. Zarathustra and his followers split oft from an
early form of this DAEVA-religion. Zarathustra claimed that the DAEVAS were actually the dark spirits (equivalent to demons)
while the ASURAS were spirit-servants (angels) of Ahura Mazda, the one true God! See: Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs And Practices by Mary Boyce, pp.11, 19,21, 30&36.

[10] Quoted from: Iranian Influence In Judaism And Christianity by A. Aryanpur & M. Aryanpur, p.53.

[11] The LXX or Septuagint Version of the Old Testament was made circa 280 BCE when Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt translated the Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek for the use of Greek-spea king Jews and proselytes.

[12] "Scholars generally agree that the Old Testament writings, with the possible exception of Isaiah 26 and Daniel 12, do not contain explicit references to the resurrection of the dead. At death the individual simply is gathered to his final (or father's)
place, the tomb. Sheol and the netherworld ['eres] is described as the abode of the dead, not of people who continue to live after death [cf. Isa .38:18; Sir. 17:28;14:12-19J." From: The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha ed. By James H. Charlesworth;
Volume I, p.xxxiii.

[13] See: Semitic Light On Hebrews by J. S. Trimm, Hebrew/Aramaic Research Institute, Hurst TX, 1997 and The
Semitic Origin Of The New Testament by J. S. Trimm, Hebrew/Aramaic Research Institute, Hurst TX 1996. Also see the insightful, if somewhat dated, New Testament Origin by George Lamsa, Aramaic Bible Society Inc., Covington GA, 1976.

[14] See: The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek And English by Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton, pp.58,59 of Apocrypha.

[151 With the exception of those believers who "are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:15).
These will not experience death.

[16] Even a casual reading of the Scriptures reveals that God has often delivered Divine instruction to people by means of
VISIONS. Visions are similar to waking dreams. In visions, spiritual truth is imparted to the mind or heart AUDIBLY and
PICTORALLY. Visions, then, are a kind of AUDIO-VISUAL PARABLE.

Now any informed student of Scripture knows better than to interpret a PARABLE as a literal or historical account. The
results of so doing can be disastrous. The same thing applies to VISIONS recorded in Scripture. They must never be treated
as anything more than SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATIONS of truth.

[17] The universal tradition of the early churches was that the Gospel of Matthew was originally scribed in Hebrew and later
translated into Greek and Aramaic. The Shem-Tob and DuTillet manuscripts, while NOT the Hebrew original, are not
translations and are therefore textual descendants of the original. See: Hebrew Gospel Of Matthew by George Howard,
pp.155-233 and B'SOROT MATTI: The Good News According To Matthew From An Old Hebrew Manuscript by James Scott Trimm, pp. vii-xiv.

[18] See: What The Rabbis Know About The Messiah by Rachmiel Frydland, pp. 51-61.

Thursday 21 November 2013

Holy Spirit working in and with OT Believers J Piper Minister

Romans 8:1–8

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The difference between a historian and a preacher is that the historian says, "Was it so?" and the preacher says, "So what?" I took a course in seminary on the Old Testament wisdom literature where we talked about Hebrew poetic parallelism and determinism and Heilesgeschichte ("salvation history") and I would generally raise my hand at the end of class and say, "So what?" I never have believed in knowledge for its own sake or art for art's sake. Such notions have always struck me as profoundly atheistic. Surely for a Christian the only reason to study or be artistic is for God's sake. "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). And I can't help but think that knowledge for its own sake or art for art's sake is a very callous and unloving motto. Surely for a Christian all study and all creative work must justify itself in terms of love. "Let all things be done for edification" (1 Corinthians 14:26). "Let all that you do be done in love" (1 Corinthians 16:13). Learning and labor which do not lead people in love to God are not prompted by the Spirit of Christ.

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

So when I pose myself a question like, "How did believers experience the Holy Spirit before Pentecost?" I can't think about it more than five minutes without saying, "So what?" Does anybody care? Would it make any difference for our lives today if we knew the answer? I think it will make a difference. I wouldn't bother with the question if I didn't. I want to show you ten ways the Old Testament saints experienced the Holy Spirit. But first let me tell you why I think it is so relevant.
Pentecost was a Jewish festival fifty days after the Passover. Jesus was crucified during the Passover celebration. Seven weeks later, on the day of Pentecost, the risen Lord Jesus fulfilled the promise he had made in John 15:26—namely, that he would send the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist had promised: The one who comes after me "will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Luke 3:16). So at 9:00 on Pentecost morning, while the disciples were praying, "a sound came from heaven like a rush of mighty wind . . . and there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:2–4). Then Peter preached a sermon and said, "This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel, 'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams'" (Acts 2:16–17).
In other words, Peter says, we have entered the last days: the Messiah has come, he has accomplished redemption on the cross, he has risen and ascended to the right hand of God, and the interval before he returns in glory will be marked by an incomparable outpouring of the Holy Spirit on men and women, old and young, slave and free, near and far. And the people of God in this period are to be a people born of the Spirit, baptized in the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit to bear witness to "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." We live in the latter days of the Spirit. We live in the days that Isaiah (44:3) and Ezekiel (11:19; 36:26f.; 39:29) and Joel (2:28) prophesied and longed to see. There are no more decisive turning points in redemptive history that must happen before Jesus returns to establish his kingdom. This is it. These are the days of Pentecost, the days of the fullness of the Spirit, the days of worldwide mission.

The Difference of the Aswan High Dam

Now let me suggest an analogy to illustrate the experience of the Spirit before and after Pentecost. Picture a huge dam for hydroelectric power under construction, like the Aswan High Dam on the Nile, 375 feet high and 11,000 feet across. Egypt's President Nasser announced the plan for construction in 1953. The dam was completed in 1970 and in 1971 there was a grand dedication ceremony and the 12 turbines with their ten billion kilowatt-hour capacity were unleashed with enough power to light every city in Egypt. During the long period of construction the Nile River wasn't completely stopped. Even as the reservoir was filling, part of the river was allowed to flow past. The country folk downstream depended on it. They drank it, they washed in it, it watered their crops and turned their mill-wheels. They sailed on it in the moonlight and wrote songs about it. It was their life. But on the day when the reservoir poured through the turbines a power was unleashed that spread far beyond the few folk down river and brought possibilities they had only dreamed of.
Well, Pentecost is like the dedicatory opening of the Aswan High Dam. Before Pentecost the river of God's Spirit blessed the people of Israel and was their very life. But after Pentecost the power of the Spirit spread out to light the whole world. None of the benefits enjoyed in the pre-Pentecostal days were taken away. But ten billion kilowatts were added to enable the church to take the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ to every tongue and tribe and nation.
So here's my answer to why the experience of the Old Testament saints is valuable for us today. If these saints experienced privileges and powers in the Holy Spirit before the dam was opened, how much more should we in these billion kilowatt days experience these things or more. A survey of Old Testament spiritual experience is needed to wake us up to our privileges in these last days that were inaugurated at Pentecost. The church today is so sleepy that some of us have even fallen behind the Old Testament saints in our appropriation of what the Spirit has to give.

Ten Ways OT Saints Experienced the Holy Spirit

So here are ten ways Old Testament believers experienced the Holy Spirit which in these "last days" of Pentecostal fulfillment ought to be enjoyed by the church.

1. The Spirit as Creator and Sustainer of Life

First, and most basic, the OT believers were conscious of God's Spirit as the Creator and Sustainer of their natural life. In Job 33:4 Elihu speaks for all faithful Jews when he says, "The Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." Psalm 104 celebrates the wonder and variety of all living things and says (vv. 29–30), "When thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the ground."
I hope you share this world view with the OT saints: namely, that your conception as a person in your mother's womb was a sovereign act of creation by God's Spirit and that every breath you take now and every chemical transaction in the cells of your body is sustained every moment by work of the Holy Spirit. The world we grew up in and live in does not see things this way. And we have by and large absorbed their mechanistic view of things. The world sees a mechanical process of evolution and natural selection. But the Christian ought to see the creative, imaginative work of God's Spirit. And every breath you take ought to be a prayer of thanks that you live and move and have your being in the Spirit of God.

2. New Birth and Indwelling of the Spirit

Second, the OT believers experienced the new birth and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When Nicodemus was bewildered about Jesus' demand for new birth by the Spirit, Jesus responded (John 3:10), "Are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand this?" In other words, I'm not teaching or requiring anything new. Any Israelite who has ever been saved had to be born again by God's Spirit. Otherwise how would they ever overcome their natural hostility to God? How could they have ever submitted to God's law and pleased him—as many did, like Abel and Noah and Abraham and Moses and Rahab and Ruth and Deborah and David?
Paul says in Romans 8:7–9, "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed, it cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit if the Spirit of God really dwells in you." There are two groups of humans: those in the flesh (born of the flesh) and those in the Spirit (born again of the Spirit). Those in the flesh are devoid of the Spirit and cannot submit to God's law or please God. Those in the Spirit are indwelt by the Spirit and are enabled by him to fulfill the just requirement of the law.
This means that all the saints of the OT who trusted God and followed his ways in the obedience of faith were born again by the Spirit and indwelt by the Spirit. For example, Numbers 14:24 says of Caleb, "My servant Caleb, because he has a different Spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into this land." And Numbers 27: 18 says, "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Take Joshua the son of Nun, in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him.'" The OT believers were saved the same way we are: they were born of the Spirit, they trusted in God's promises, and they followed his commandments in the obedience of faith.

3. The Constant Presence of the Spirit

Third, the OT believers enjoyed the constant presence of God's Spirit. Psalm 139:7–10 says, "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." Old Testament believers enjoyed the presence of God's Spirit wherever they went. It gives me a lot of encouragement, when I am called to go places where I feel insecure, to know that the Spirit is within to give me the words I need and that he is also already in the place where I am going to prepare the way and to hold me when I get there.

4. The Spirit as Counselor and Teacher

Fourth, OT believers experienced the Spirit of God as their Counselor or Teacher. In Nehemiah 9, Ezra gives thanks to God for all his past benefits to Israel and says in verse 20, "Thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct them and didst not withhold thy manna from their mouth." Probably the Spirit was their instructor in two senses. It was by God's Spirit that the prophets spoke to the people God's Word (Nehemiah 9:30), and it was by the Spirit that the people were enabled to grasp and apply the Word. Today the Spirit still instructs us by the Word of Scripture and we ought to pray earnestly for an outpouring of God's enlightening Spirit so that the Scriptures really live for us and become intensely personal.

5. The Gifts of Craftsmanship and Artistic Ability

Fifth, the OT saints believed that craftsmanship and artistic ability in the service of God was a gift of the Holy Spirit. God not only designed how he wanted his tabernacle built, he also equipped the craftsmen to do it. Exodus 31:1–5 says, "The Lord said to Moses, 'See, I have called by name Bezalel . . . and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting and in carving wood, for work in every craft.'"
In one sense, all craftsmanship and artistic ability is a gift of God, just like our breath is. But the text says that God called Bezalel by name and filled him with his Spirit. And I think there was and is today a special touch or filling of the Holy Spirit that elevates the work of an artist or a musician or a craftsman from mere technical skill to divinely empowered ministry that exalts God and builds faith.

6. Power to Denounce Evil and Declare Righteousness

Sixth, OT believers experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit as a power to be bold in denouncing evil and declaring righteousness. Micah 3:8 says, "As for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin." It doesn't lie within man's own power to risk his life and stand up for the truth of God and denounce sin. The Spirit gives that courage. Luke 1:15 says that John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit from his mother's womb—and he got his head chopped off for denouncing Herod's unlawful marriage.
Surely we have need today of men and women filled by the Spirit to expose and denounce evils in our society that are hardly blinked at any more: the exploitation of women's bodies and debasement in advertising, the unconscionable destruction of human life through abortion on demand, the maneuvers of our own country to destabilize other governments, the gross waste and gluttony of American life, the cavalier attitude to divorce and remarriage which God hates, and the multi-million dollar promotion of alcohol and cigarettes as anything less than family-destroyers and body-killers. When people are filled with the Holy Spirit, they do not blink at evil.

7. Victory over Fear

Seventh, the saints of old experienced victory over fear by the presence of the Spirit. When God wanted to encourage the people to rebuild the temple after the exile, he said, "Work, for I am with you . . . My Spirit abides among you. Fear not" (Haggai 2:5). Just think, if Jews returning from God's judgment in Babylonian exile can take heart that God's Spirit will protect them, how much more fearless should we be who have the overwhelming assurance of God's love and power in Jesus' death and resurrection! Old Testament saints knew then and Christians know today that victory over all threats and obstacles belongs to God. Zechariah 4:6 says, "Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts."

8. Extraordinary Feats of Power to Help God's People

Eighth, some OT believers were enabled by the Spirit to do extraordinary feats of power to help God's people. For example, in the life of Samson we read, "The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and he tore the lion asunder as one tears a kid" (Judges 14:6). Or: "The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and the ropes which were on his arms became as flax" (15:14). It wasn't a common manifestation of the Spirit, but it was real then and it is today. Every now and then in extraordinary circumstances of need the Spirit enables ordinary Christians to perform amazing feats of rescue far beyond their ordinary capacity—like lifting a car off of a pinned husband or escaping from a raging rapist.

9. The Ability to Interpret God's Revelation in Dreams

Ninth, the Spirit enabled some OT believers to interpret God's revelation in dreams. After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream about the coming famine, Pharaoh says, "Can we find such a man as this in whom is the Spirit of God?" On the day of Pentecost Peter said that in these last days "your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams" (Acts 2:17). If these latter days are to be days of dreams and visions from the Holy Spirit, we had better pray earnestly for gifted Josephs to arise among us who can discern truth and error in such claims.

10. The Gift of Prophecy

Finally, the Holy Spirit gave some in the OT a gift of prophecy. For example, when Moses gathered with the seventy elders of Israel at the tabernacle, it says in Numbers 11:25, "The Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him and took some of the Spirit that was upon him and put it upon the seventy elders; and when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did so no more." Evidently, God only gave a brief taste of prophetic powers to the seventy elders. It seemed to point to something more that might come in the future.
Four verses later Moses says, "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them" (v. 29). Which again points forward to the last days inaugurated at Pentecost. Peter says, "In the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy." What is this gift of prophecy? Where is it being manifested in the church today? Or is it? At least part of the answer to that is found in the teaching on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12–14, which we will soon begin to study in an evening series.
This morning let me close simply by returning to the Aswan High Dam for a moment. Even before the dam was completed and the reservoir was officially unleashed on the day of Pentecost, the OT saints downstream enjoyed stupendous benefits from the river of God's Spirit. We do well to read about these things, and ask ourselves the simple question: if they experienced so much of God's Spirit which was but a trickle of the reservoir, how much more should we enjoy under the dozen turbines of Pentecost?