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Thursday, January 10, 2019
The "Mark of the Beast" is NOT a microchip
Imagine, in 65 AD, the 7 churches of Asia received John's Revelation.
As they read it they were astonished that 2000 years in the future, one of the two beasts of Revelation would require everyone to have microchips inserted in them.
They were probably like, "Wow! Microchip technology! What's that?"
The Book of Revelation was written to, and to be understood by, the seven churches of Asia. ANY interpretation that would have been foreign to them is foreign to the Bible.
FOR SOME CHALLENGING BIBLE STUDIES THAT GO DEEPER THAN YOUR AVERAGE SUNDAY SERMON, JOIN US AT WWW.GODEEPERBIBLESTUDY.COM
FOR SOME CHALLENGING BIBLE STUDIES THAT GO DEEPER THAN YOUR AVERAGE SUNDAY SERMON, JOIN US AT WWW.GODEEPERBIBLESTUDY.COM
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
What Does 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Mean?
What Does 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Mean?
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
This verse is given as “proof” of a pre-tribulation rapture. Of course it says nothing about a tribulation, but it seems to be the only verse that even vaguely supports the eschatology of those who believe this.
The sensational idea we will be “caught up into the clouds” to be rescued from a great tribulation does not explain why the “dead in Christ” need to be rescued.
So what is this verse talking about? If we are not being snatched away to heaven, what is happening?
Apantesis, the Greek word translated “meet” in 1 Thessalonians 4, is, according to the Souter Lexicon, “almost technical for the arrival of a newly arrived official.” The idea is to meet to honor and escort.
In ancient times, when a king visited, the people would go out to meet him and escort him back to town. Those welcoming the official would change direction after the meeting and then escort him back to the town from which they had come, not back to his place of origin (see Moulton, Greek Testament Grammar, Vol.1, p.14).
Apantesis is used four times in the Bible. In Matthew 25:1,6, Acts 28:15 and in 1 Thessalonians 4.
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” Matthew 25:1
“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” Matthew 25:6
“And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.” Acts 28:15
Notice in Matthew, it is revealed that the virgins had been waiting for the bridegroom to appear. When He did, they met him and escorted him to the banquet hall.
They did not go back with him to the place from which he came.
“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” Matthew 25:10
The bridegroom did not change directions, reverse course after the waiting virgins met him. Rather, he kept on coming in the original direction from which he started. The ones who changed direction were the virgins.
In Acts, the brethren came out and escorted Paul back to Rome. After they met him they did not return to Caesarea with Paul (which was his place of beginning for this trip). Paul did not change directions after the waiting brothers met him; rather, he maintained his course to Rome. The ones who changed direction were those who met him.
The Lord’s coming is not our going. It is His coming! We will not be caught up to escape anything,. We will be meeting him in the air to honor him in his coming and escort him back to earth.
No matter one’s eschatology, nothing can be proved from this verse other than that this is the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13
It is the time of His glory and honor. “When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10
We are caught up to honor him and escort him to earth.
(PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT, BUT KEEP IT NICE. THANK YOU.)
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Tuesday, October 30, 2018
What is "the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven?"
Matthew 24:30 "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
What is "the sign?" The sign is the Son of Man in Heaven. Will Christ return for his church? I believe so. And he will return with all glory and dominion which was given him when he sat at the right hand of the Father. But I believe the sign mentioned in this verse is that the "Son of Man" is in Heaven. He has been given the same glory and dominion as the Father.
What is the " Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven?"
Daniel 7:13-14 "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
 |
| Not this. |
So many Christians read Matthew 24:30 and immediately the get the idea of Jesus riding a cloud and returning to earth. But when we compare the verse to to the very same phrase in Daniel's prophecy, we see Jesus is not coming down in Matthew 24, but he is going up. Up to the throne of God where ALL dominion and glory was given to him.
Jesus referred to this part of Daniel's prophecy when he addressed Caiaphas, the high priest, at his trial.
Mark 14:60-64 "And the high priest (Caiaphas) stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death."
Jesus claimed to be that very "Son of Man" that would be given ALL DOMINION AND GLORY. Now we know that these things belong only to God, so Jesus was saying that, yes, he was (he is) God.This was the great blasphemy the Jews used to condemn him.
Mark 14:62 "And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
I welcome comments and corrections. I do not welcome argumentation and contention.
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Why Are The Ugaritic Texts Important To Bible Study?
Why Are The Ugaritic Texts Important To Bible Study?
Most Christians, including a lot of pastors, have never heard of the Ugaritic texts, much less considered how they can aid us in understanding ancient Hebrew literature and life. Yet, certain Old Testament books actually quote from the Ugaritic religious texts. This will be discussed later in this article. First, let's get some information about where the Ugaritic texts came from.
In 1982, near Ras Shamra, a Syrian farmer was plowing his field when his plow struck an unusual rock which had an unnatural square shape. When the farmer removed the rock, he discovered an underground vault.
The vault was filled with vases, jugs, tablets, gold, silver, and pieces of ivory. Quite accidentally, the Syrian farmer had discovered the ancient Phoenician city of Ugarit, today known as Ras Shamra. Ras Shamra is approximately seven miles north of Laodicea, approximately fifty miles east of Cyprus.
However, the greatest discovery involved the finding of a scribal school and library. This amazing discovery revolutionized Biblical scholarship.
The clay tablets discovered and deciphered in the late 1920s and early 1930s opened a window to look into the life and religious worldview of the ancient Israelites.
Ugaritic language is important in that its vocabulary is so close to biblical Hebrew. Many Ugaritic words are letter-for-letter the same as biblical Hebrew. The similarity of the languages helped scholars get a better understanding of the Hebrew language, particularly in cases where the Bible may use a word only once.
The texts found also included a wide variety of languages. Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Hittite hieroglyphics, and native cuneiform texts were represented.
All these gave ancient language scholars a wealth of knowledge enabling scholars to interpret previously impossible passages.
It is the religion of Ugarit, however, that is especially important to Old Testament scholarship.
Sadly, most Christians have settled on the idea that we know everything we need to know about the religion of the Israelites from the Bible. Although I believe the Bible contains all we need to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, many phrases and events in the Bible remain a mystery to us. Other ancient texts can help us to understand these tough passages and ideas.
To be honest, a lot of the Bible is pretty foreign to the 21st century reader. The Biblical writers were writing to people in their time, not for a technological society. Words, phrases, descriptions, and concepts that were completely familiar to an Israelite are lost on us.
The availability of ancient texts from that same time and area help us to understand what is being said and how it was received by its original audience.
Also, ideas from other religions, especially Baʿal worship, influenced the Israelite's thoughts and ideas about God. You have to wonder why, to paraphrase Elijah (1 Kings 18:21), Israel kept halting between two opinions as to who was the true God.
1 Kings 18:21 "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baʿal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word."
Yet, because the Israelites were not in a bubble separated from their Mesopotamian neighbors, but rather, interacted with them in commerce and day to day living, the ideas and believes of those around them would influence them.
We can see in our own country where the different philosophies of our neighbors, and the changes in culture, have influenced various churches and church leaders. It would not be different for the ancient Israelites.
The ancient literature of Ugarit sheds a lot of light on these issues and others . The destruction of Ugarit can be accurately dated to around 1200 BC. That means these tablets, and the ideas they convey, were around earlier than most of the books of the Hebrew Bible.
Given that chronology, (the texts pre-dating the Bible), scholars were surprised to find so many striking parallels to words, phrases, pericopes (an extract from a text, especially a passage from the Bible), and ideas previously known primarily and in some cases, only from the Hebrew Bible.
Before the discovery of the library of Ugarit, scholars of the Hebrew Bible and the languages of the ancient Near East presumed that Mesopotamian religious texts provided the best parallels to those found in the Hebrew Bible. The cuneiform tablets of works such as the Gilgamesh Epic and Atrahasis (the flood story) were first translated, revealing similarities to stories in the Bible in written material centuries older than the Bible.
Indeed, many skeptics claimed, and still claim, the Bible actually stole from these earlier stories.
After the discovery of Ugaritic, the idea that Israelite beliefs came from foreign civilizations in Mesopotamia was abandoned.
The Ugaritic texts showed that people in Canaan living during biblical days were quite literate, a realization that was important, since the oldest manuscript evidence for the Hebrew Bible at the time dated to roughly 1000 AD.
The Ugaritic importance in understanding the Bible:
One of the most important principles of interpretation is to put every text into its proper context. That is, to read the text to be interpreted in perspective to its meaning to its original audience.
We look not only at the text that comes before and after the text to be interpreted in the Bible, but also to the social, historical, cultural, and literary traditions of the world in which it was produced. The texts recovered at Ugarit provide a key piece of literary, social, and religious context for certain passages of the Old Testament.
To understand the Bible, you must understand the literary context. First of all, it's important to understand that the biblical writers, though under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, followed the ordinary forms of literature that were current in their day when they wrote. If, for example, the biblical writer was describing a covenant treaty between God and his people, his description conforms in style to covenant treaties known elsewhere in the ancient world. To depart from this style would have seemed strange to the ancient readers: “What kind of covenant treaty is this? Didn’t this guy know how to write one?”
The apostle Paul wrote his letters to the churches in the style and format of the day. The recipients of Paul’s letters knew what a letter was supposed to look like. The Bible is written in the language, expressions and style of the times in which it was recorded. We wouldn't write a personal letter and put footnotes in it, or write a recipe to share and use scientific terminology. Likewise the biblical authors wrote using the literary conventions and styles that would be expected by their audience.
Also, we must understand that every word in the Bible is not an original thought. The Apostle Paul often quoted Greek philosophers and other ancient writers. Jude quoted the Book of Enoch. Old Testament writers also quoted from other texts and cultures.
Christian preachers and authors today quote commentaries, devotionals, journals, newspapers, and even television shows to illustrate a lesson or make a point. Similarly, the biblical writers used external material to draw attention and make a statement.
Paul quotes from pagan Greek poets. The psalmists and prophets borrow vocabulary and paraphrase material from ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Syrian literature. The people of biblical times knew the quoted material wasn't inspired, but it had meaning for them and their audience.
Biblical writers didn't just use the forms of contemporary non-inspired literature, they were also influenced by the literature itself. The stories and philosophies affected how the writers and their readers thought, just as what we read and watch influences our thoughts and opinions. The lens through which we see the world is colored by what we read and see. It was the same for Biblical writers and their audiences.
We also must consider the religious context of the writings. The religion of Ugarit and the religion of ancient Israel were not the same, but there were some striking similarities. For example, the name of the ultimate divine authority at Ugarit was El, which is also one of the names of the God of Israel (e.g., Gen 33:20).
Genesis 33:20 "And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel."
El was described as an aged god with white hair, seated on a throne. However, at Ugarit, El was sovereign, but another god ran things on earth for El as his vizier. That god’s name was Baʿal. At Ugarit Baʿal was known by several titles: “king of the gods,” “the Most High,” “Prince Baʿal” (Baʿal zbl), and "the Rider on the Clouds.”
Baʿal’s position as “king of the gods” in Ugarit, Israel’s northern neighbor, helps explain the “Baʿal problem” in the Old Testament. Jereboam’s religion in the northern kingdom borrowed from Baʿal worship, and it soon began to look like there was no difference, or if there was a difference, they were so close that worshipping one or the other was just theological hair-splitting.
We see this same problem with contemporary Christianity, with so many of the cults claiming to worship the God of the Bible, yet with so many contrary teachings. Indeed, to properly communicate with the followers of the cults, we must first define terms, since they use terms like born-again, sanctified, etc, in ways that differ from how the Bible uses them.
This is what prophets like Elijah had to contend with. The people had no Bible. They had only the prophets and their words. When a prophet wasn’t around to set the record straight, it was easy to just do what the neighbors were doing, especially if your king didn’t care, or actually preferred it that way.
Given this state of affairs, it is not surprising that the prophets counted on familiarity with Baʿal to make their case that it was Jehovah, not Baʿal, who was the heavenly king.
We know this was the case, since certain Old Testament books actually quote from the Ugaritic religious texts, most notably the one that modern scholars have called the Baʿal Cycle. Whereas the Baʿal Cycle would give Baʿal credit for things like sending rain and making the crops grow, the prophets would credit those things to Jehovah. The showdown at Carmel is such a case. God had withheld rain for three years and Elijah challenged Baʿal, the rain giver, to a showdown, which God won in an astounding and impressive manner (1 Kings 17-18).
To fully understand the bible, we must put it in its original context of time and culture. God preserved the Bible for this generation and all generations. It is relevant and contains the truths God's people need. But we must understand, the Bible was not written by this generation nor for this generation, It was written at a specific time for a specific audience to convey a specific message. Putting the Bible into its ancient social, historical, and religious context doesn't harm it. Rather, the text is illuminated for those people who are culturally removed from their origin.
“The Cloud Rider”
Throughout the Ugaritic texts, Baʿal is repeatedly called “the one who rides the clouds,” or “the one who mounts the clouds.” The description is recognized as an official title of Baʿal. No angel or lesser being bore the title. As such, everyone in Israel who heard this title associated it with a deity, not a man or an angel.
Part of the literary strategy of the Israelite prophets was to take this well-known title and attribute it to Jehovah in some way. Consequently, Jehovah, the God of Israel, bears this descriptive title in several places in the Old Testament (Isaiah 19:1; Deuteronomy 33:26; Psalm 68:33; 104:3). For a faithful Israelite, then, there was only one god who “rode” on the clouds: Jehovah.
Until we hit Daniel 7, that is. You know the story, but you likely don’t know the full context, since Ugaritic provides that for us:
Daniel 7:9-14 "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
The plurality of thrones in the passage tell us plainly that we have here what scholars of the Hebrew Bible call a divine council scene. We have the Most High seated in his throne room, meeting with the heavenly host. The literature of Ugarit has many such scenes, and the biblical divine council and the council at Ugarit are very similar.
In point of fact, the flow of Daniel 7 actually follows the flow of a divine council scene in the Baʿal Cycle:
In the Ugarit / Baʿal Cycle we have:
(A) El, the aged high God, is the ultimate sovereign in the council.
(B) El bestows kingship upon the god Baʿal, the Cloud-Rider, after Baʿal defeats the god Yamm in battle.
(C) Baʿal is king of the gods and El's vizier. His rule is everlasting.
In Daniel 7 we have:
(A) The Ancient of Days, the God of Israel is seated on the fiery, wheeled throne. Like Ugaritic El, he is white haired and aged. (We see this throne also in Ezekiel 1.)
(B) Jehovah-El, the Ancient of Days, bestows kingship upon the Son of Man who rides the clouds after the beast from the sea (yamma) is destroyed.
(C) The Son of Man is given everlasting dominion over the nations. He rules at the right hand of God.
The striking parallels are especially noteworthy given that this is the only time in the Old Testament where a second person other than Jehovah is described as “coming with or upon the clouds.”
That the intent of the author to describe this “son of man” with a title reserved only for Jehovah, (the rider of the clouds), is clear by virtue of how the scene followed the Baʿal literature, the literary cycle whose central character, Baʿal, held the Cloud-Rider title.
The Jewish audience reading Daniel would have clearly understood the implications. The prophet Daniel was describing a second power in heaven, a second being at the level of Jehovah to whom Jehovah himself granted authority. Although we naturally think of the idea of a godhead as distinctly Christian, we have evidence here that this idea is found in the Hebrew Scriptures.
We find that Jewish theological (noncanonical) writing during the second temple period is filled with references to the “second power in heaven” and attempts to figure out how to articulate what was going on in heaven in light of monotheism.
Jewish writers speculated that the “second god” was the archangel Michael, or perhaps Gabriel. Some Jewish writers even wrote that Abraham or Moses occupied that position! However, for Christians the answer is obvious. This second person in the Godhead is Jesus, pre-incarnate.
It is well known that Jesus’ favorite title for himself while on earth was “son of man.” The term means two things: (1) human being (Jesus enjoyed being human!), and (2) the deity figure to whom all authority was given. The latter usage is perfectly evident in Matthew 26, as Jesus stood before Caiaphas, someone who knew his Old Testament, waiting to fulfill his destiny on the cross.
When asked to give the Sanhedrin a straight answer about who he was, Jesus quoted Daniel 7:
Matthew 26:62 "And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death."
By quoting this passage, Jesus was making an open, unmistakable claim to be deity, he was the one who rides on the clouds. That this is the interpretation is evident from Caiaphas’ reaction:
65 "Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death."
The statement is only blasphemous if one is claiming to be the rider on the clouds.
The idea of a second person in the Godhead may have been acceptable to Jews at the time, but it was simply intolerable that this man Jesus of Nazareth would claim to be the incarnation of the second power.
What many may think is an odd answer, or even a deliberate deflection of Caiaphas’ demand, is the exact opposite. Jesus could not have been more direct. He was the “second deity” of Daniel 7.
The meaning would be clear to those present. The concept of a godhead is not a Christian innovation; it is rooted in Israelite religion and Jewish theology, and was accepted doctrine for Jews until the second century A.D. when, in response to the worship of Jesus by Jews converting to Christianity, the rabbis declared the second power idea a heresy.
Are the Ugaritic texts important for the Christian? I say an emphatic, "Yes!" We are able to see the beginnings of the Christian doctrine of the godhead in the Hebrew Bible with the help of the context supplied by the literature of Ugarit. We are able to better understand exactly what the writers were telling their audience in the context of the time.
Does this mean I believe every Christian should devote himself to studying ancient texts? No. But those of us who claim to be called to teach should familiarize ourselves with the ancient texts, not only the Ugaritic texts, but the ancient Hebrew writings, which though not canonical, influenced the Biblical writers and the people to whom they wrote.
We need to read and study our Bibles. We need to know the Word of God. But, when we see something unusual, we need to see if there are other writings of the period that may shed light on those texts. As teachers and students of the Word, we need to be diligent in our study.
2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Most Christians, including a lot of pastors, have never heard of the Ugaritic texts, much less considered how they can aid us in understanding ancient Hebrew literature and life. Yet, certain Old Testament books actually quote from the Ugaritic religious texts. This will be discussed later in this article. First, let's get some information about where the Ugaritic texts came from.
In 1982, near Ras Shamra, a Syrian farmer was plowing his field when his plow struck an unusual rock which had an unnatural square shape. When the farmer removed the rock, he discovered an underground vault.
The vault was filled with vases, jugs, tablets, gold, silver, and pieces of ivory. Quite accidentally, the Syrian farmer had discovered the ancient Phoenician city of Ugarit, today known as Ras Shamra. Ras Shamra is approximately seven miles north of Laodicea, approximately fifty miles east of Cyprus.
However, the greatest discovery involved the finding of a scribal school and library. This amazing discovery revolutionized Biblical scholarship.
The clay tablets discovered and deciphered in the late 1920s and early 1930s opened a window to look into the life and religious worldview of the ancient Israelites.
Ugaritic language is important in that its vocabulary is so close to biblical Hebrew. Many Ugaritic words are letter-for-letter the same as biblical Hebrew. The similarity of the languages helped scholars get a better understanding of the Hebrew language, particularly in cases where the Bible may use a word only once.
The texts found also included a wide variety of languages. Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Hittite hieroglyphics, and native cuneiform texts were represented.
All these gave ancient language scholars a wealth of knowledge enabling scholars to interpret previously impossible passages.
It is the religion of Ugarit, however, that is especially important to Old Testament scholarship.
Sadly, most Christians have settled on the idea that we know everything we need to know about the religion of the Israelites from the Bible. Although I believe the Bible contains all we need to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, many phrases and events in the Bible remain a mystery to us. Other ancient texts can help us to understand these tough passages and ideas.
To be honest, a lot of the Bible is pretty foreign to the 21st century reader. The Biblical writers were writing to people in their time, not for a technological society. Words, phrases, descriptions, and concepts that were completely familiar to an Israelite are lost on us.
The availability of ancient texts from that same time and area help us to understand what is being said and how it was received by its original audience.
Also, ideas from other religions, especially Baʿal worship, influenced the Israelite's thoughts and ideas about God. You have to wonder why, to paraphrase Elijah (1 Kings 18:21), Israel kept halting between two opinions as to who was the true God.
1 Kings 18:21 "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baʿal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word."
Yet, because the Israelites were not in a bubble separated from their Mesopotamian neighbors, but rather, interacted with them in commerce and day to day living, the ideas and believes of those around them would influence them.
We can see in our own country where the different philosophies of our neighbors, and the changes in culture, have influenced various churches and church leaders. It would not be different for the ancient Israelites.
The ancient literature of Ugarit sheds a lot of light on these issues and others . The destruction of Ugarit can be accurately dated to around 1200 BC. That means these tablets, and the ideas they convey, were around earlier than most of the books of the Hebrew Bible.
Given that chronology, (the texts pre-dating the Bible), scholars were surprised to find so many striking parallels to words, phrases, pericopes (an extract from a text, especially a passage from the Bible), and ideas previously known primarily and in some cases, only from the Hebrew Bible.
Before the discovery of the library of Ugarit, scholars of the Hebrew Bible and the languages of the ancient Near East presumed that Mesopotamian religious texts provided the best parallels to those found in the Hebrew Bible. The cuneiform tablets of works such as the Gilgamesh Epic and Atrahasis (the flood story) were first translated, revealing similarities to stories in the Bible in written material centuries older than the Bible.
Indeed, many skeptics claimed, and still claim, the Bible actually stole from these earlier stories.
After the discovery of Ugaritic, the idea that Israelite beliefs came from foreign civilizations in Mesopotamia was abandoned.
The Ugaritic texts showed that people in Canaan living during biblical days were quite literate, a realization that was important, since the oldest manuscript evidence for the Hebrew Bible at the time dated to roughly 1000 AD.
The Ugaritic importance in understanding the Bible:
One of the most important principles of interpretation is to put every text into its proper context. That is, to read the text to be interpreted in perspective to its meaning to its original audience.
We look not only at the text that comes before and after the text to be interpreted in the Bible, but also to the social, historical, cultural, and literary traditions of the world in which it was produced. The texts recovered at Ugarit provide a key piece of literary, social, and religious context for certain passages of the Old Testament.
To understand the Bible, you must understand the literary context. First of all, it's important to understand that the biblical writers, though under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, followed the ordinary forms of literature that were current in their day when they wrote. If, for example, the biblical writer was describing a covenant treaty between God and his people, his description conforms in style to covenant treaties known elsewhere in the ancient world. To depart from this style would have seemed strange to the ancient readers: “What kind of covenant treaty is this? Didn’t this guy know how to write one?”
The apostle Paul wrote his letters to the churches in the style and format of the day. The recipients of Paul’s letters knew what a letter was supposed to look like. The Bible is written in the language, expressions and style of the times in which it was recorded. We wouldn't write a personal letter and put footnotes in it, or write a recipe to share and use scientific terminology. Likewise the biblical authors wrote using the literary conventions and styles that would be expected by their audience.
Also, we must understand that every word in the Bible is not an original thought. The Apostle Paul often quoted Greek philosophers and other ancient writers. Jude quoted the Book of Enoch. Old Testament writers also quoted from other texts and cultures.
Christian preachers and authors today quote commentaries, devotionals, journals, newspapers, and even television shows to illustrate a lesson or make a point. Similarly, the biblical writers used external material to draw attention and make a statement.
Paul quotes from pagan Greek poets. The psalmists and prophets borrow vocabulary and paraphrase material from ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Syrian literature. The people of biblical times knew the quoted material wasn't inspired, but it had meaning for them and their audience.
Biblical writers didn't just use the forms of contemporary non-inspired literature, they were also influenced by the literature itself. The stories and philosophies affected how the writers and their readers thought, just as what we read and watch influences our thoughts and opinions. The lens through which we see the world is colored by what we read and see. It was the same for Biblical writers and their audiences.
We also must consider the religious context of the writings. The religion of Ugarit and the religion of ancient Israel were not the same, but there were some striking similarities. For example, the name of the ultimate divine authority at Ugarit was El, which is also one of the names of the God of Israel (e.g., Gen 33:20).
Genesis 33:20 "And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel."
El was described as an aged god with white hair, seated on a throne. However, at Ugarit, El was sovereign, but another god ran things on earth for El as his vizier. That god’s name was Baʿal. At Ugarit Baʿal was known by several titles: “king of the gods,” “the Most High,” “Prince Baʿal” (Baʿal zbl), and "the Rider on the Clouds.”
Baʿal’s position as “king of the gods” in Ugarit, Israel’s northern neighbor, helps explain the “Baʿal problem” in the Old Testament. Jereboam’s religion in the northern kingdom borrowed from Baʿal worship, and it soon began to look like there was no difference, or if there was a difference, they were so close that worshipping one or the other was just theological hair-splitting.
We see this same problem with contemporary Christianity, with so many of the cults claiming to worship the God of the Bible, yet with so many contrary teachings. Indeed, to properly communicate with the followers of the cults, we must first define terms, since they use terms like born-again, sanctified, etc, in ways that differ from how the Bible uses them.
This is what prophets like Elijah had to contend with. The people had no Bible. They had only the prophets and their words. When a prophet wasn’t around to set the record straight, it was easy to just do what the neighbors were doing, especially if your king didn’t care, or actually preferred it that way.
Given this state of affairs, it is not surprising that the prophets counted on familiarity with Baʿal to make their case that it was Jehovah, not Baʿal, who was the heavenly king.
We know this was the case, since certain Old Testament books actually quote from the Ugaritic religious texts, most notably the one that modern scholars have called the Baʿal Cycle. Whereas the Baʿal Cycle would give Baʿal credit for things like sending rain and making the crops grow, the prophets would credit those things to Jehovah. The showdown at Carmel is such a case. God had withheld rain for three years and Elijah challenged Baʿal, the rain giver, to a showdown, which God won in an astounding and impressive manner (1 Kings 17-18).
To fully understand the bible, we must put it in its original context of time and culture. God preserved the Bible for this generation and all generations. It is relevant and contains the truths God's people need. But we must understand, the Bible was not written by this generation nor for this generation, It was written at a specific time for a specific audience to convey a specific message. Putting the Bible into its ancient social, historical, and religious context doesn't harm it. Rather, the text is illuminated for those people who are culturally removed from their origin.
“The Cloud Rider”
Throughout the Ugaritic texts, Baʿal is repeatedly called “the one who rides the clouds,” or “the one who mounts the clouds.” The description is recognized as an official title of Baʿal. No angel or lesser being bore the title. As such, everyone in Israel who heard this title associated it with a deity, not a man or an angel.
Part of the literary strategy of the Israelite prophets was to take this well-known title and attribute it to Jehovah in some way. Consequently, Jehovah, the God of Israel, bears this descriptive title in several places in the Old Testament (Isaiah 19:1; Deuteronomy 33:26; Psalm 68:33; 104:3). For a faithful Israelite, then, there was only one god who “rode” on the clouds: Jehovah.
Until we hit Daniel 7, that is. You know the story, but you likely don’t know the full context, since Ugaritic provides that for us:
Daniel 7:9-14 "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
The plurality of thrones in the passage tell us plainly that we have here what scholars of the Hebrew Bible call a divine council scene. We have the Most High seated in his throne room, meeting with the heavenly host. The literature of Ugarit has many such scenes, and the biblical divine council and the council at Ugarit are very similar.
In point of fact, the flow of Daniel 7 actually follows the flow of a divine council scene in the Baʿal Cycle:
In the Ugarit / Baʿal Cycle we have:
(A) El, the aged high God, is the ultimate sovereign in the council.
(B) El bestows kingship upon the god Baʿal, the Cloud-Rider, after Baʿal defeats the god Yamm in battle.
(C) Baʿal is king of the gods and El's vizier. His rule is everlasting.
In Daniel 7 we have:
(A) The Ancient of Days, the God of Israel is seated on the fiery, wheeled throne. Like Ugaritic El, he is white haired and aged. (We see this throne also in Ezekiel 1.)
(B) Jehovah-El, the Ancient of Days, bestows kingship upon the Son of Man who rides the clouds after the beast from the sea (yamma) is destroyed.
(C) The Son of Man is given everlasting dominion over the nations. He rules at the right hand of God.
The striking parallels are especially noteworthy given that this is the only time in the Old Testament where a second person other than Jehovah is described as “coming with or upon the clouds.”
That the intent of the author to describe this “son of man” with a title reserved only for Jehovah, (the rider of the clouds), is clear by virtue of how the scene followed the Baʿal literature, the literary cycle whose central character, Baʿal, held the Cloud-Rider title.
The Jewish audience reading Daniel would have clearly understood the implications. The prophet Daniel was describing a second power in heaven, a second being at the level of Jehovah to whom Jehovah himself granted authority. Although we naturally think of the idea of a godhead as distinctly Christian, we have evidence here that this idea is found in the Hebrew Scriptures.
We find that Jewish theological (noncanonical) writing during the second temple period is filled with references to the “second power in heaven” and attempts to figure out how to articulate what was going on in heaven in light of monotheism.
Jewish writers speculated that the “second god” was the archangel Michael, or perhaps Gabriel. Some Jewish writers even wrote that Abraham or Moses occupied that position! However, for Christians the answer is obvious. This second person in the Godhead is Jesus, pre-incarnate.
It is well known that Jesus’ favorite title for himself while on earth was “son of man.” The term means two things: (1) human being (Jesus enjoyed being human!), and (2) the deity figure to whom all authority was given. The latter usage is perfectly evident in Matthew 26, as Jesus stood before Caiaphas, someone who knew his Old Testament, waiting to fulfill his destiny on the cross.
When asked to give the Sanhedrin a straight answer about who he was, Jesus quoted Daniel 7:
Matthew 26:62 "And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death."
By quoting this passage, Jesus was making an open, unmistakable claim to be deity, he was the one who rides on the clouds. That this is the interpretation is evident from Caiaphas’ reaction:
65 "Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death."
The statement is only blasphemous if one is claiming to be the rider on the clouds.
The idea of a second person in the Godhead may have been acceptable to Jews at the time, but it was simply intolerable that this man Jesus of Nazareth would claim to be the incarnation of the second power.
What many may think is an odd answer, or even a deliberate deflection of Caiaphas’ demand, is the exact opposite. Jesus could not have been more direct. He was the “second deity” of Daniel 7.
The meaning would be clear to those present. The concept of a godhead is not a Christian innovation; it is rooted in Israelite religion and Jewish theology, and was accepted doctrine for Jews until the second century A.D. when, in response to the worship of Jesus by Jews converting to Christianity, the rabbis declared the second power idea a heresy.
Are the Ugaritic texts important for the Christian? I say an emphatic, "Yes!" We are able to see the beginnings of the Christian doctrine of the godhead in the Hebrew Bible with the help of the context supplied by the literature of Ugarit. We are able to better understand exactly what the writers were telling their audience in the context of the time.
Does this mean I believe every Christian should devote himself to studying ancient texts? No. But those of us who claim to be called to teach should familiarize ourselves with the ancient texts, not only the Ugaritic texts, but the ancient Hebrew writings, which though not canonical, influenced the Biblical writers and the people to whom they wrote.
We need to read and study our Bibles. We need to know the Word of God. But, when we see something unusual, we need to see if there are other writings of the period that may shed light on those texts. As teachers and students of the Word, we need to be diligent in our study.
2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Visit us at: https://www.winthechildren.com
Thursday, September 20, 2018
When Did The Apostle Paul Expect Christ To Return?
Much of the Christian world believes Christ Jesus is going to return at some point in our future to establish His Kingdom here on planet earth. Some Christian groups believe the return of Christ is imminent and fully expect Jesus to return very soon.
What is often overlooked is that Christians of every generation since the establishment of Christianity in the first century A.D. have looked for Christ to return in their lifetime. Yet, if we are to believe the Bible, Christ's return must have been in the first century.
Jesus, Himself, plainly taught He would return within the lifetime of some of those hearing Him teach. Jesus made some very straightforward statements during His ministry that speak to His return occurring in the generation in which he lived. His disciples and also the Apostle Paul, repeat what Christ said about his soon return. If the return of Christ didn't occur in the time frame seen by the New Testament writers, it is not a matter of only the disciples of Jesus being wrong, it's a matter of Jesus Himself being wrong.
The writer of Hebrews exhorted the readers to patience, knowing Christ's return was imminent.
The Apostle Paul believed that Christ was returning in his time and shared that thought with the church at Thessalonica to comfort them. Paul said "we which are alive," not "they which are alive."
1 Thessalonians 3:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
James wrote that the coming of the Lord was nigh, near. The judge was "before the door." Christ's coming and his judgement on wicked Israel was soon approaching.
What is often overlooked is that Christians of every generation since the establishment of Christianity in the first century A.D. have looked for Christ to return in their lifetime. Yet, if we are to believe the Bible, Christ's return must have been in the first century.
Jesus, Himself, plainly taught He would return within the lifetime of some of those hearing Him teach. Jesus made some very straightforward statements during His ministry that speak to His return occurring in the generation in which he lived. His disciples and also the Apostle Paul, repeat what Christ said about his soon return. If the return of Christ didn't occur in the time frame seen by the New Testament writers, it is not a matter of only the disciples of Jesus being wrong, it's a matter of Jesus Himself being wrong.
The writer of Hebrews exhorted the readers to patience, knowing Christ's return was imminent.
Hebrews 10:36-37 "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry."
The Greek here is very emphatic. Bullinger, in the Companion Bible, shows the Greek phrase mikron hoson hoson to mean: "in a very, very little while." This statement was made some 2000 years ago to Jewish Christians who are being told to persevere so they will receive what was promised at a near to occur return of Christ.
The Apostle Paul believed that Christ was returning in his time and shared that thought with the church at Thessalonica to comfort them. Paul said "we which are alive," not "they which are alive."
1 Thessalonians 3:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
James wrote that the coming of the Lord was nigh, near. The judge was "before the door." Christ's coming and his judgement on wicked Israel was soon approaching.
James 5:7-9 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door."
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Why Are Young People Leaving The Church?
Why Are Young People Leaving The Church?
FOR SOME CHALLENGING BIBLE STUDIES THAT GO DEEPER THAN YOUR AVERAGE SUNDAY SERMON, JOIN US AT WWW.GODEEPERBIBLESTUDY.COM
There is a huge problem in most of our churches today. Unanswered questions.
The apostle, Peter, wrote: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" (1 Peter 3:15 ).
But when questions come, too often, they are left unanswered. When the church no longer has the answers, people look elsewhere. They look to the secular world. They look to the wisdom of man when the wisdom of God is not taught.
Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."
For lack of knowledge, our young people are looking to the world. For lack of knowledge, others are staying in the church, but bringing the values and culture of the world into the church.
According to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey which allowed respondents to answer in their own words, most who left the church said they no longer identified with a religious group because they no longer believed it was true. When asked why they didn’t believe, many said their views about God had “evolved” and some reported having a “crisis of faith.” Their specific explanations included the following statements:
The fact is people often leave the Church because they don’t think anyone in the Church can answer their questions or make a case. I know when I was about 13, I asked questions in Sunday School and I was treated as a trouble maker. I just wanted answers to things I did not understand. In retrospect, I realize the problem was, the teacher didn't know the answer. But I stopped going to church at that point.
For years, I only sporadically attended church, but continued to study on my own. Even as an adult in adult Sunday Schools, I discovered at various churches I visited, that I understood more about the Bible than the teachers did.
It wasn't until 1995 that I discovered a church where most of the folks knew the Bible, and made the Bible the center of their lives. I had my questions answered and many of my beliefs questioned and corrected. I finally found a church where the average member knew more about the Bible than I did. A lot more. And they lived what they knew and encouraged me to live it, too.
I started attending every Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night and spent many evenings studying in the homes of the ministers and of church friends.
I am blessed to have had several mentors the past 20 plus years that took the time to open the Bible and study with me. Not just the standard Bible stories we teach our children, but real study. Digging deep into the word and finding the meaning of scriptures, their audience relevance and how to apply these things to my life.
I am convinced that if I had teachers like this when I was a lad, I never would have stopped attending church for twenty years.
We need to stop picking Sunday School teachers who do not have the gift and the burning desire to teach. The willingness to dig into scripture and to research earnestly and exegete correctly must be a requirement for teachers in the church.
From my experience, I know Christians of all ages and even nonchristians, get wide-eyed and engaged when I teach not only the words of the Bible, but what the words mean. People want to hear about what was happening when the words were written and how they would impact the original audience.
When we are asked a question about evolution or how the Genesis account compares to the Enuma Elish, as teachers we need to be willing to study and find the answers. As preachers, we need to preach expositional sermons, revealing what God is saying in his words. We need to do background studies and bring the history and culture of the writer into the message, to clearly convey what was being communicated.
It is right and it is important to say, "I don't know," when asked a question we do not have the answer to. Then it is our responsibility to find that answer.
It appears from the Pew survey that young people (and even older people) in our churches are experiencing the same thing I experienced as a teen. If our questions cannot be answered, we go elsewhere for answers. I went to independent study of the Bible, but too many go to secular teachings for their answers.
Pastors need to become true students of the Word, not just teaching easy topical messages, but bringing every aspect of the Word out that it may bear fruit in our hearers. We need to teach our people how to study the Bible for themselves. We need to teach our teachers how to become true students of the Bible themselves, that they may teach from a depth of knowledge and experience.
A true teacher inspires their students. When students are inspired, they study, succeed and hunger for more. When you feed a stray cat, the cat always comes back for more food. When we feed a hungry student, they will not leave.
I encourage you to leave comments and follow my blog. I will endeavor to answer any questions you may have.
Watch my video on why we need to stop trying to make the Bible relevant to teens - an interesting look into our youth ministry. https://youtu.be/Kxxu7d36Lok
FOR SOME CHALLENGING BIBLE STUDIES THAT GO DEEPER THAN YOUR AVERAGE SUNDAY SERMON, JOIN US AT WWW.GODEEPERBIBLESTUDY.COM
There is a huge problem in most of our churches today. Unanswered questions.
The apostle, Peter, wrote: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" (1 Peter 3:15 ).
But when questions come, too often, they are left unanswered. When the church no longer has the answers, people look elsewhere. They look to the secular world. They look to the wisdom of man when the wisdom of God is not taught.
Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."
For lack of knowledge, our young people are looking to the world. For lack of knowledge, others are staying in the church, but bringing the values and culture of the world into the church.
According to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey which allowed respondents to answer in their own words, most who left the church said they no longer identified with a religious group because they no longer believed it was true. When asked why they didn’t believe, many said their views about God had “evolved” and some reported having a “crisis of faith.” Their specific explanations included the following statements:
- “Learning about evolution when I went away to college”
- “Religion is the opiate of the people”
- “Rational thought makes religion go out the window”
- “Lack of any sort of scientific or specific evidence of a creator”
- “I just realized somewhere along the line that I didn’t really believe it”
- “I’m doing a lot more learning, studying and kind of making decisions myself rather than listening to someone else.”
The fact is people often leave the Church because they don’t think anyone in the Church can answer their questions or make a case. I know when I was about 13, I asked questions in Sunday School and I was treated as a trouble maker. I just wanted answers to things I did not understand. In retrospect, I realize the problem was, the teacher didn't know the answer. But I stopped going to church at that point.
For years, I only sporadically attended church, but continued to study on my own. Even as an adult in adult Sunday Schools, I discovered at various churches I visited, that I understood more about the Bible than the teachers did.
It wasn't until 1995 that I discovered a church where most of the folks knew the Bible, and made the Bible the center of their lives. I had my questions answered and many of my beliefs questioned and corrected. I finally found a church where the average member knew more about the Bible than I did. A lot more. And they lived what they knew and encouraged me to live it, too.
I started attending every Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night and spent many evenings studying in the homes of the ministers and of church friends.
I am blessed to have had several mentors the past 20 plus years that took the time to open the Bible and study with me. Not just the standard Bible stories we teach our children, but real study. Digging deep into the word and finding the meaning of scriptures, their audience relevance and how to apply these things to my life.
I am convinced that if I had teachers like this when I was a lad, I never would have stopped attending church for twenty years.
We need to stop picking Sunday School teachers who do not have the gift and the burning desire to teach. The willingness to dig into scripture and to research earnestly and exegete correctly must be a requirement for teachers in the church.
From my experience, I know Christians of all ages and even nonchristians, get wide-eyed and engaged when I teach not only the words of the Bible, but what the words mean. People want to hear about what was happening when the words were written and how they would impact the original audience.
When we are asked a question about evolution or how the Genesis account compares to the Enuma Elish, as teachers we need to be willing to study and find the answers. As preachers, we need to preach expositional sermons, revealing what God is saying in his words. We need to do background studies and bring the history and culture of the writer into the message, to clearly convey what was being communicated.
It is right and it is important to say, "I don't know," when asked a question we do not have the answer to. Then it is our responsibility to find that answer.
It appears from the Pew survey that young people (and even older people) in our churches are experiencing the same thing I experienced as a teen. If our questions cannot be answered, we go elsewhere for answers. I went to independent study of the Bible, but too many go to secular teachings for their answers.
Pastors need to become true students of the Word, not just teaching easy topical messages, but bringing every aspect of the Word out that it may bear fruit in our hearers. We need to teach our people how to study the Bible for themselves. We need to teach our teachers how to become true students of the Bible themselves, that they may teach from a depth of knowledge and experience.
A true teacher inspires their students. When students are inspired, they study, succeed and hunger for more. When you feed a stray cat, the cat always comes back for more food. When we feed a hungry student, they will not leave.
I encourage you to leave comments and follow my blog. I will endeavor to answer any questions you may have.
Watch my video on why we need to stop trying to make the Bible relevant to teens - an interesting look into our youth ministry. https://youtu.be/Kxxu7d36Lok
Visit us at: https://www.winthechildren.com
Friday, September 7, 2018
Ba’al is Satan; Knowing Our Enemy
Ba’al is Satan
It's strange to me that many Christians see Satan as a real spiritual being at war with God and humanity, yet they consider Ba'al as a make-believe character that existed only in the minds of his Old Testament followers.
I believe as we begin to see that the gods of the Old Testament were real spiritual beings, influencing man, we begin to understand the Bible more clearly. We start to see the battle between God and "the gods" in many places. Places where God shows himself to be the only true God, the creator and ruler of the universe. The cosmic war starts to be revealed to us in these episodes.
The most prominent of the Old Testament gods is Ba'al. We see him in Canaan and also in Egypt. But who is Ba'al?
Twice in the New Testament the Lord Jesus reveals the true identity of Ba’al.
In the first of these instances, Jesus heals a demonized man who is mute and blind (we are left to assume that his demons were causing his illness and when Jesus removed them, the man was healed). After the public saw this healing they began to wonder if Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. The Jewish authorities respond by trying to discredit the source of Jesus miracles with this:
Matthew 12:24 "But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils."
Beelzebub or Beelzebul (/biːˈɛlzɪbʌb/ bee-EL-zi-bub or /ˈbiːlzɪbʌb/ BEEL-zi-bub; Hebrew: בַּעַל זְבוּב Baʿal Zəvûv) is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshiped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name Beelzebub is associated with the Canaanite god Baal. Source: Wikipedia
According to: M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain:
Beelzebub (Gr. form Beel'zebul), the name given to Satan, and found only in the New Testament ( Matthew 10:25 ; Matthew 12:24 Matthew 12:27 ; Mark 3:22 ). It is probably the same as Baalzebub (q.v.), the god of Ekron, meaning "the lord of flies," or, as others think, "the lord of dung," or "the dung-god."
Jesus responded to them and in so doing, referred to the devil as both Satan and Beelzebub.
Matthew 12:25-28 "And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."
The second instance is in the Book of Revelation.
Revelation 2:13 "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."
The city of Pergamon was a center of cultish pagan worship. Chief among the city’s features was a temple dedicated to the king of Greek gods, Zeus. The masterpiece of this great temple was an altar featuring a statue of Zeus up on his throne. This monument is what Jesus was referencing when he calls Pergamon the place of “Satan’s throne.”
Jesus is identifying the Greek deity Zeus with the devil. Zeus is the Greek counterpart of Ba’al and was considered by their respective followers to be the same being in different cultures. Both the Greeks and Canaanites believed that Ba’al and Zeus were the same deity, they came to this conclusion for a few reasons.
Ba’al was a storm god whose weapon of choice was the thunderbolt and in his iconography he is typically shown with lightning, just like Zeus. Both Ba'al and Zeus defeated sea monsters to gain control of the universe. The parallels between the two gods clearly indicate they were the same god, represented similarly in two different cultures.
As we study the religions of other cultures, we discover that Satan has been called and worshiped by many names, including Ba'al, Zeus, Jupiter, and even in Chinese religion, the old dragon is a major character in their theology.
Satan has been deceiving humanity for a very long time. His role in the Old Testament story is much deeper than just tempting Adam, Eve and Job. He is the main adversary of God in many scenes like the Red Sea crossing, we just haven’t recognized him because he was going by his alias Ba’al. But beyond just Scripture, the devil’s role in human history runs deep. For thousands of years he has been using the other religions of the world to trick our fellow humans into serving him.
The only thing that Satan has ever created is falsehoods, the only language he knows how to speak is lies (John 8:44). When we shine God’s truth on the shadows that the devil has created for himself and begin to strip away the masks we can see him for what he truly is, a pretender, a trader, a rebel who has already been defeated.
Please feel free to comment below.
It's strange to me that many Christians see Satan as a real spiritual being at war with God and humanity, yet they consider Ba'al as a make-believe character that existed only in the minds of his Old Testament followers.
I believe as we begin to see that the gods of the Old Testament were real spiritual beings, influencing man, we begin to understand the Bible more clearly. We start to see the battle between God and "the gods" in many places. Places where God shows himself to be the only true God, the creator and ruler of the universe. The cosmic war starts to be revealed to us in these episodes.
The most prominent of the Old Testament gods is Ba'al. We see him in Canaan and also in Egypt. But who is Ba'al?
Twice in the New Testament the Lord Jesus reveals the true identity of Ba’al.
In the first of these instances, Jesus heals a demonized man who is mute and blind (we are left to assume that his demons were causing his illness and when Jesus removed them, the man was healed). After the public saw this healing they began to wonder if Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. The Jewish authorities respond by trying to discredit the source of Jesus miracles with this:
Matthew 12:24 "But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils."
Beelzebub or Beelzebul (/biːˈɛlzɪbʌb/ bee-EL-zi-bub or /ˈbiːlzɪbʌb/ BEEL-zi-bub; Hebrew: בַּעַל זְבוּב Baʿal Zəvûv) is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshiped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name Beelzebub is associated with the Canaanite god Baal. Source: Wikipedia
According to: M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain:
Beelzebub (Gr. form Beel'zebul), the name given to Satan, and found only in the New Testament ( Matthew 10:25 ; Matthew 12:24 Matthew 12:27 ; Mark 3:22 ). It is probably the same as Baalzebub (q.v.), the god of Ekron, meaning "the lord of flies," or, as others think, "the lord of dung," or "the dung-god."
Jesus responded to them and in so doing, referred to the devil as both Satan and Beelzebub.
Matthew 12:25-28 "And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."
The second instance is in the Book of Revelation.
Revelation 2:13 "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."
The city of Pergamon was a center of cultish pagan worship. Chief among the city’s features was a temple dedicated to the king of Greek gods, Zeus. The masterpiece of this great temple was an altar featuring a statue of Zeus up on his throne. This monument is what Jesus was referencing when he calls Pergamon the place of “Satan’s throne.”
Jesus is identifying the Greek deity Zeus with the devil. Zeus is the Greek counterpart of Ba’al and was considered by their respective followers to be the same being in different cultures. Both the Greeks and Canaanites believed that Ba’al and Zeus were the same deity, they came to this conclusion for a few reasons.
Ba’al was a storm god whose weapon of choice was the thunderbolt and in his iconography he is typically shown with lightning, just like Zeus. Both Ba'al and Zeus defeated sea monsters to gain control of the universe. The parallels between the two gods clearly indicate they were the same god, represented similarly in two different cultures.
As we study the religions of other cultures, we discover that Satan has been called and worshiped by many names, including Ba'al, Zeus, Jupiter, and even in Chinese religion, the old dragon is a major character in their theology.
Satan has been deceiving humanity for a very long time. His role in the Old Testament story is much deeper than just tempting Adam, Eve and Job. He is the main adversary of God in many scenes like the Red Sea crossing, we just haven’t recognized him because he was going by his alias Ba’al. But beyond just Scripture, the devil’s role in human history runs deep. For thousands of years he has been using the other religions of the world to trick our fellow humans into serving him.
The only thing that Satan has ever created is falsehoods, the only language he knows how to speak is lies (John 8:44). When we shine God’s truth on the shadows that the devil has created for himself and begin to strip away the masks we can see him for what he truly is, a pretender, a trader, a rebel who has already been defeated.
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