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ISBN: 978-0-9880971-3-1

1. Science – Molecular Biology, Evolution. 2. Religion – Islam, Christianity, Bible, Creation Science. 3. Atheism. 4. Tithing.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible, which is in the public domain in the United States and Canada.

List of Bible References

American Standard Version (ASV)
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Common English Bible (CEB)
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Darby Translation (DARBY)
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

English Standard Version (ESV)
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Good News Translation (GNT)
King James Version (KJV)
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New Century Version (NCV)
New International Version (NIV)
New King James Version (NKJV)

New Living Translation (NLT)
The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (NRSV)
Online English Translation Of The Tanakh (Jewish Bible)

First Edition published: 2013

ISBN: 978-9880971-1-7

Second Edition published: 2017

ISBN: 978-0-9880971-3-1

For those who love truth more than life itself.

R E J E C T

Contents

COVER

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

NOTE TO READERS

CHAPTER ONE: CREATION SCIENCE IS A BEAUTIFUL DELUSION

SECTION ONE

You Are Now Entering Life’s Greatest Battlefield

Confessions

Is Anyone Driving This Train?

Is Existence A Simple Roll Of The Dice?

The Big Picture

THE QUESTIONS

The Three Greatest Questions Of All Time

The First Question / Revisited

Computer Language

Genetic Language

Your Three Choices

PRELUDE TO WAR

In The Beginning Was Information

The Darwinian Paradigm In A Nutshell

Sciency Atheism

The Six Bridges: A Very Short Intro

SECTION TWO

Unlocking The Science Of Genesis

The Keys Of Life (And Immortality)

You Cannot Die To Enter Heaven, You Must Be Born There!

The Story Of Rain

Why Are There Two Creation Accounts?

Natural And Supernatural

Was Adam Created Or Made?

In The Garden Of Eden

Why Did God Create Evil?

Why Isolate Adam In A Garden?

Unlocking The Nephilim Controversy

Searching For Grandma

Unraveling The Science Of Immortality

Out of Eden

The Truth About Immortality

Crime And Punishment

The Other Side Of Death

The Vicious God: Part 1

The Vicious God: Part 2

Did You Know That There Are Two Forms Of Death?

The Final Bridge

The Materialistic Roadmap

The Biblical Roadmap (Journey)

SECTION THREE

Answering The Tough Questions

SECTION FOUR

A Letter To Young Earth Creationists

Endnotes:

CHAPTER TWO: IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO GO TO HEAVEN, YOU’D BETTER MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT KEYS!

Oh God, Please Save Us From Our Priests!

Why Are So Many Preachers Using The Wrong Keys Of Salvation?

So You Want To Know The Truth About Christianity?

The Bottom Line

You Can Go To Heaven!

The Salvation Buffet

C’mon, Let’s Go Bargain Hunting For Salvation

The Sinner’s Prayer = 1/3 Salvation

The Salvation Test

Do You Want To Live Forever? (Start Here)

The Keys Of Immortality

Is Your Name In The Book Of Life?

Only One Life?

You Cannot Die To Go To Heaven

THE SECOND WITNESS

The Journey To Paradise

Independent Historical Records

THE THIRD WITNESS

How Will Believers Know When They Are Born Of The Spirit?

Speaking In Another Language—Instantly And Miraculously

Clearing Up The Misconceptions

Three Old Testament Prophecies

DECIPHERING JESUS

But Who Do You Say That I Am?

Was Jesus Begotten In The Womb Of The Father?

One God / Three Persons

Unlocking The Mystery Of The Trinity

The Redemption Story According To The Imperial “Church Fathers”

The Redemption Story According To The Bible

When Love Walked Among Us

Jesus

Questions For The Imperial Church

Historical Evidence

Answering The Tough Questions

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

Endnotes

CHAPTER THREE: IS COLLECTING TITHES A FORM OF WITCHCRAFT?

Priestcraft

Is The Abrahamic Tithe An Example For Christians To Follow?

The Tithe That Jacob Promised God (Genesis 28)

What About Cain’s Offering Of The Firstlings In Genesis 4?

The Money-Driven Church

Who Is Robbing Who? Twisting Malachi 3

Transferring Ancient Curses Onto Christians

Historical Sources

Endnotes

CHAPTER FOUR: DID GOD GIVE MUHAMMAD THE KEYS TO OPEN OUR GRAVES AND LEAD US HOME?

Here Are The Facts: You Decide!

Is Muhammad The Greatest Man Of All Time?

Islam Will Rule The World; And Here’s Why

Islam Advances Women’s Rights

Muhammad’s Amazing Legacy

Was Muhammad A Slave Trader?

The Miraculous Qur’an

Answering The Tough Questions

Endnotes

Back Cover

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work would not have been possible without the contribution and dedication of the entire team that helped me over a long period of time. Indeed . . . we are more than conquerors.

NOTE TO READERS

This book is about one thing—and one thing only: Immortality.

In order to authenticate the true Keys of Immortality, it was necessary that we not only demolish Atheism—and some of the world’s greatest deceptions, but that we also end the war between science and the Bible.

It all ends here.

Just for the record . . .

This book was not built on any denominational creeds, private revelations, or unsubstantiated religious claims.

For those who say they want solid empirical evidence for the existence of life after death, you are now without excuse!

SECTION ONE

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”
—Carl Sagan

“You can recognize a pioneer by the arrows in his back.”
—Beverly Rubik

YOU ARE NOW ENTERING
LIFE'S GREATEST BATTLEFIELD

We have to talk.

If you’re tired of all the bitterness and disinformation dished out by both sides of the Creation/Evolution slugfest, you’re not alone. In this chapter, we will unpack the most troubling and volatile questions of all time.

Section One introduces the main arguments on the battlefield. Readers who are already familiar with the basic tenets of the Creation/Evolution controversy, may skip directly to Section Two.

Section Two, for the first time in human history, unveils the incredible, mind-blowing science of creation and immortality.

In Section Two, you will not only discover what the scientific evidence and Holy Bible actually say about our origins, but your views on science, Creationism, life, death, and your place in the universe may never be the same.

Don’t thank us now, but this is the hitchhiker’s version. No big speeches, New Age drivel, lost gospels, or religious mumbo-jumbo. No long, drawn-out historical or biographical sketches either.

Yes, we know. This is not going to be easy. Challenging both the secular and religious powerhouses has never been easy.

Actually, it can be quite dangerous.

“We have fossils . . . We win!”

—Lewis Black, Comedian

Confessions

“How surprising it is that the laws of nature and the initial conditions of the universe should allow for the existence of beings who could observe it.”

—Steven Weinberg, Nobel laureate, high-energy physicist

Don’t laugh.

A few years ago, many of us were card-carrying Young Earth Creationists. And like most evangelical Christians today, we were taught a host of absurdities, such as the Earth is roughly 6,000 years old; and sharks, spiders, and cockroaches were once immortal, like God.

We were taught wrong.

Now, let’s introduce you to the opponents situated on both sides of the ring. Watch your step.

In One Corner: Creationists

On the religious front, countless church leaders continue to hysterically warn their flocks that scientists are slick con men and disciples of the devil who have cooked up the Theory of Evolution to disprove God and discredit the Holy Bible. Darwin, the “father” of evolutionary science, is depicted as a creaky old crackpot or, at the very least, a misguided fool.

By invoking a shallow, superficial reading of the Genesis creation narratives, most of these religious scholars have pieced together a chop-chop view of our natural history that flies in the face of all the evidence gathered from archaeology, paleontology, anthropology, astronomy, and biochemistry. And as if twisting facts and ignoring inconvenient data weren’t enough, they have also convinced the secular world—and a major part of Christendom—that they, in fact, speak for the Bible and its truths.

Do they?

The Young Earth Creationist movement and its twin satellites, Old Earth Creationism and Gap Creationism, lead the troops here. To support their passionate views, they have invented an entirely new scientific discipline called Creation Science. This description is in fact ill-conceived—similar to saying “Christian math” or “Jewish biology.” While groups may have their own religions and theories about various metaphysical matters, they cannot have their own science.

Science is science, yes?

Wait, there’s more.

At the other end of the church pew, another powerful trend is slowly grinding its way across the religious and academic world. By failing to properly investigate the profound science of God as revealed to the ancient prophets thousands of years ago, a new breed of battle-weary Biblical scholars is rushing over to accommodate evolutionary science by re-casting the Bible as a well-meaning, dusty, old cultural book filled with nice sayings. Then, they claim, it was slowly beefed-up by crooked churchmen and tossed out to the gullible masses as the authorized “words of God.”

Michael Dowd, author of the encyclopedic bestseller Thank God for Evolution, who sees himself as a Christian Evolutionary Evangelist, trumpets this new designer Christianity upgrade 2.0 pagan procession that morphs Jesus, Confucius, the shiny clouds o’er yonder, and whatever one may want to call “god” into one big harmonious love fest:

“No matter your religion or philosophy, making a commitment to grow in deep integrity will offer you much the same experience as those who have repented of their sins and asked Jesus to be their personal Lord and Savior.” [1]

In The Next Corner: Scientific Atheists

On the other side of the ring, leagues of eager gladiators are lining up at the turnstiles to poke fun at the wild and crazy world of Young Earth Creationism. For the most part, this lot consists of secular humanists, Scientific Atheists, materialists, and hordes of fully certified skeptics who were probably once believers, but who—perhaps rightfully—became disillusioned by the spectacle of Creation Science.

Underline this: just as leaders within the Creationist establishment gladly “speak” for all Christians and God, present-day career atheists like Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett claim to speak for all of science. Their public position is that they are at war with religion in general; but don’t be fooled—it’s really Jesus Christ they’re after.

Many of these media darlings are not naive, incompetent amateurs but leading intellectuals and internationally respected scientists who skillfully aviate under the banners of “Science” and “Reason” to push their militant, anti-God, naturalistic philosophy.

Note: In this context, the word naturalistic does not mean “wholesome,” or “healthy;” rather, it refers to the view that there is a materialistic or naturalistic explanation for all reality in the cosmos. Admittedly, this is an entirely rational and logical conclusion. However, these self-styled Horsemen of the Apocalypse[2] (their words, not ours) don’t stop there. In their minds, the conflict between science and religion is long over. The Christian faith is portrayed as a silly antediluvian fairytale fastened with spiritual duct tape to make sense of the harsh reality of death.

And the Bible? Well, it’s currently on life-support. To them, there is no scientific evidence for life beyond the grave. It all ends here; learn to live with it.

Click.

Is Anyone Driving This Train?

Darwin was right.

There, we said it. Okay . . . he was mostly right.

Scientific research has confirmed that life—all life—did evolve from a single bacterium in the primordial ocean some 3.8 billion years ago. And yes, natural selection, gene flow, random mutation, genetic recombination, and perhaps many other yet-to-be-discovered processes are key components of the evolutionary train.

But who—or what—is driving this incredible train: God or chance?

Are we the happy-go-lucky results of natural processes that blindly produced sentient beings from drifting space dust? Or is there a half-decent chance that there might be a purpose behind the miracle of sentient life? (A reserve for fools, no doubt.)

The real conflict, we will show, is not between God and science at all—but between God and chance—between purposeful, meaningful creation and Atheism. We will show that Scientific Atheists cleverly switch the creative power of God for the creative power of matter.

In other words, no one is driving the train!

Is Existence A Simple Roll Of The Dice?

Two hundred years ago, the eminent French scientist, Jean B. de Lamarck, described life’s appearance this way: “Life is merely a physical phenomenon. All manifestations of life are based on mechanical, physical, and chemical causes, being properties of organic matter.”[4]

In recent times, Jacques Monod, a biochemist and Nobel laureate, went even further: “A totally blind process can by definition lead to anything; it can even lead to vision itself.” [5]

Is this the whole story, then?

Can chance and nonliving matter explain everything, from the origin of the universe to the mystery of sentient life? Is it true that we are nothing more than the spontaneous results of inanimate forces? Forces that would inevitably kick-start the universe, turn lifeless space dust into a single-celled bacterium, and then—through a series of purely accidental jaunts—engineer roses, horses, dinosaurs, and consciousness?

The Big Picture

Let’s take a step back for a moment.

According to modern scientific consensus, the universe began with a burst of energy commonly referred to as the Big Bang. Then everything—absolutely everything—materialized out of that mysterious burst of energy. (Unfortunately, in time, everything will also decay—every star, every planet, and every blade of grass.)

At the subatomic level, we are still 100% pure energy.

In fact, the universe is energy and nothing else!

Looking back then, it’s not hard to see that the original energy that launched the cosmos began with a mission to form stars that would eventually pressure-cook heavier elements—such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen—which would then fuse to form our Solar System, where, on the third planet from the Sun, conscious beings would eventually emerge from that same dust.

Simply put, inanimate matter eventually became aware of itself.

Clearly then, from square one, the universe was pregnant. It was pregnant with a mysterious form of energy/information. And we all came screaming out.

What kind of energy was this?

Well, for one, it eventually cooked up all the informational blueprints for all the stars, planets, and biological life.

That is, it not only became alive, it became conscious.

Some scientists refer to this fine-tuning nature of the cosmos as the Anthropic Principle or the Goldilocks Syndrome. Don’t look now, but the Anthropic Principle is also a major selling point for Team Creationism because, as everyone recognizes, thousands of just-right conditions must harmonize flawlessly for life to appear, reproduce, and compose “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

Even though there is still furious debate among scientists regarding the precise agencies involved in large-scale evolution, we must bear in mind that science is bound by a strict, materialistic methodology. This is actually good news. We depend on scientists to cultivate treatments and cures for crippling diseases. They are also on the front lines protecting us from pseudo-scientific projects like Ayurvedic medicine and Tibetan sound tapes—the hokey-pokey stuff that many turn to in times of desperation, or perhaps when overburdened by a surplus of cash. In this regard, we must thank God for Richard Dawkins and Steven Weinberg, and give special kudos to the eminent Eugenie Scott (former Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education).

That being said, must all spiritual and moral realities be mere evolutionary by-products and figments of our imaginations simply because scientists cannot prod their scholarly fingers into them? Scientists and secular thinkers who marinate in atheistic ideology say yes. They are convinced that life and consciousness are nothing more than the unplanned products of lifeless matter. From this privileged perch then, they can see no ultimate purpose, no hereafter, and certainly no God. It all ends here.

Not so fast!

There is absolutely no evidence to support this “when it’s over, it’s all over” view of reality.

None. Zippo.

This is still your old-fashioned, barn-burning, boogie-down leap of faith. They hope that when it’s over—it’s all over.

It’s not hard to see that the modern atheistic dynasty and their Creationist counterparts are cut from the same cloth—that is, they approach both the hard evidence and the Holy Bible with their quasi-scientific or philosophical assumptions skillfully veiled.

In the case of the first bunch, this strategy happily frees them and their cheerleaders from acquiescing to the possibility of a divine lawgiver waiting at the end of the road. No wonder many notorious atheists, such as Sam Harris and Antony Flew, turned to various spiritual traditions to make sense of the intriguing miracle of life, self-surrendering love, free will, hope, honesty, virtue, and dignity—things that are forbidden to occupy physical space. Yet, these basic universal realities are more pervasive than all our armed forces combined.

THE QUESTIONS

The Three Greatest Questions Of All Time

1. How did we get here?

2. Why are we here?

3. If there is an afterlife—how do we get there?

These three questions are not warm, fuzzy religious questions. They are questions of truth. In fact, they shape our views of reality and how we order our lives.

For the most part, they are passed down to us through our various religious traditions or through the powerful media houses marshaled by luminaries such as Dan Barker and Michael Shermer, who—like their predecessors Nietzsche, Russell, and Shaw—are totally bewildered as to why billions of “fools” still cling most wretchedly to an antiquated legend of a risen Savior and his offer of another life beyond the grave, in spite of all the great advances of science and reason.

Francis Crick, one of the biologists who discovered the structure of the DNA molecule, is convinced that there is definitely a glorious power operating in the cosmos.

No, it’s not God.

It’s Chance.

“Chance is the only source of true novelty,” he assures us.[6]

George Gaylord Simpson and W. S. Beck add, “Mutations are, indeed, the ultimate source of all new genetic materials. . . . In the final analysis, all evolutionary change depends on mutations . . . all organic evolution is contingent on it.”[7]

Biologist Richard Dawkins also puts his faith—as it were—in the exhilarating shuffle of chance:

“The answer is that chance enters into the story, but not a single, monolithic act of chance. Instead, a whole series of tiny chance steps, each one small enough to be a believable product of its predecessor, occurred one after the other in sequence”[8] (emphasis added).

Okay, let’s skip the lecture

1. The Sun will eventually run out of fuel and fade away.

2. Life on Earth will be long gone by then.

3. Eventually, the entire universe will become a cold, dark graveyard of subatomic particles.

These are the conclusions of science, not of shrieking fundamentalists.

Now, let’s roll out some of the Big Questions facing you in this chapter. How old is the Earth? Is it 4.5 billion years old or a mere 6,000 years old, as Young Earth Creationists posit? You may be surprised to learn that their finest minds make a rather compelling case that, a few millennia ago, all life—including Adam, the first man—showed up immortal and fully formed in a mere six days.

Without getting ahead of ourselves, we must ask our Creationist friends, “Is it possible that God did not perform creation in a seven-day sequence, but rather, revealed it as a seven-day sequence”?

Surely, he could have created everything in a twinkle of an eye, instead of dragging it out day after day—for six long 24-hour days. It was miraculous stuff to begin with—right?

Then, why add another day at the end of the sixth day to make it a seven-day week, when absolutely nothing happened? God simply rested.

Why, pray tell, would God need rest?

Now, instead of a six-day week, we have an even longer, universally binding, seven-day-week order of time that rules the entire planet.

Is it possible that the Creator not only set the heavens (space) and the living world in order—but Time itself? In fact, modern science confirms that space and time are inextricably linked, emerging from a single continuum called space-time. Interestingly, throughout history scores of powerful rulers have tried to alter God’s seven-day week order of time, but failed. (See: The Old Farmer’s Almanac.[**])

Next, what sort of evidence do you think it would take to convince an atheist that God exists? Most are quite content to suppress the truth of God’s existence and wait until Death arrives at their doorstep to find out if they made the right choices. Is this “wait and see” approach wise? (For a closer look at the evidence for God’s existence, see chapter 2.)

For the sake of argument, let’s turn the “God debate” around.

What if there was nothing except a bunch of our smartest scientists? And what if these leading lights were given all the technological marvels of today’s world to create our universe from a single spark of energy; call it their own prize-winning Big Bang. Do you think they could pull it off? Could they create stars, dolphins, butterflies, humans, etc., with one single burst of energy?

But non-living matter did it all, by accident?

By sheer blind luck?

Now, a few questions for the God of the Bible.

Why won’t you simply appear in the sky, and settle the God question, once and for all?

Perhaps, write a message in the clouds?

If you could have created the universe any way you wanted, why put your children through this gruesome, blood-spattered circus filled with cataclysmic events like global ice ages, wars, diseases, and so much pain and suffering? Then, at the end of it all, why is the entire planet scheduled for a final meltdown (Armageddon)?

Where’s the love?

And more curiously, what is the rationale behind it all? What are we missing here? Why put your beloved children through so much tribulation—starting with two trees in the Garden of Eden and a talking snake and ending with a global meltdown?

Why didn’t you just create us up there in heaven . . . with nice pajamas . . . so that we could bypass all this madness down here? Was this the only path to achieve your end-goal, and to prepare free conscious beings for the next universe? Are your children being forged on this increasingly hostile planet—as carbon is being forged in the center of stars?

And by the way, why did you give us these amazing faculties of reason and logic, then turn right around and say forget your brilliant computations; just step out in faith first; then—and only then—can you meet me? What’s the big deal about faith, anyway? Is faith a religious trump card or a fundamental ingredient of reality like logic and love?

Throughout history, the Jews have been persecuted all around the globe; not always because of their own transgressions, but—get this—because the Creator of the universe chose them to be his own “special people.” Thanks a lot. Not only did he chastise them quite ferociously when they rebelled against him, but he also ordered them to fight against various tribes in and around ancient Israel, apparently to prevent them from being wiped out or assimilating other alluring customs. No wonder many of his more daring critics take to calling him names like “a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, bully.” [9]

Yikes!

For the first time (as far as we know), the reader (and the bewildered Israelites themselves) will now learn the real truth behind this no-nonsense God of the Old Testament.

Have you ever wondered why it “seems” that human evolution has come to a screeching halt with the arrival of consciousness? Now, instead of another spectacular biological upswing for us primates, it seems that the intellect alone (not the physical wiring of the brain), is presently advancing by leaps and bounds. But, more importantly, along with the arrival of this multidimensional and arguably neurotic consciousness came moral awareness and the hotly debated issue of “free will.”

Here’s the tricky thing about free will.

Free will gives us humans the power to choose between good and evil, and the ability to know the difference between right and wrong in our innermost being—no matter what the prevailing culture might say. As a result, we are no longer shackled by brute physical laws and instincts like the rest of the Animal Kingdom. But we’ve escaped the determinism[10] of the natural world and have crossed into a mysterious, non-physical dimension of reality (i.e., consciousness) that is defined by deeply entrenched and universally binding moral laws and principles.

Where do these moral laws come from?

Bear in mind that it is not only our advanced sense of morality that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom; but perhaps, more importantly, it’s our unique sense of our mortality. That is, our awareness of the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death.

Pulitzer prize–winner Chris Hedges noted that “It is impossible to formulate a moral code out of reason and science. As the realm of fact rather than value, science is notoriously unable to generate a basis for moral behavior. Neither science nor reason calls on us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to forgive our enemies, or to sacrifice for the weak, the infirm and the poor.”[11]

Who can deny that in every heart, there is a persistent tug for us to rise up to a higher timbre guided by inexplicable, built-in laws that continuously urge us to be more self-sacrificing, honest, fair, and generous, as well as to earnestly pursue truth and justice. These qualities are not only deficient in the rest of the Animal Kingdom, but they are unexplainable in terms of physical processes. Sure, we can rise above the earthly mindset—with its hidden cache of selfishness, greed, and hate—but who can deny that it is still there . . . gnawing?

With these powerful, non-physical realities confronting us daily, will we move into the next phase of our long evolutionary journey through a biological revolution or through a cognitive one?

Through natural selection or through conscious selection?

In other words, why did this slowly dying universe generate highly intelligent, sentient beings and then arm them with the power of choice?

Choose what?

Now, let’s get personal.

What will happen three seconds after you die? That’s the bottom line, isn’t it? After all, you’re already here! Is there any evidence to suggest that the miracle of life ends here? Or is there more beyond the horizon? Because science cannot go “beyond,” does that mean that there is no beyond? Or is this just God talk?

Of course, many New Atheists have already carved out booming careers by convincing millions that heaven is a stupid Neolithic hoax. God is a crutch for the stupid and the weak-minded. Give up the search. Grow up. Eat sensibly. Take long walks. Get as much happiness as you can.

See ya.

Is life a gift or an opportunity?

Look at it this way: because you are here, only one of the 400 million sperm cells that tried to fertilize Mom’s egg on that pivotal day made it.[***]

The sperm that fertilized you beat them all, fair and square.

Billions more may have tried, but they never got close enough to a mature egg for fertilization to take place.

Even so, life is not a gift.

Think about it. If life is a gift, how come we have to give it back? It’s actually a bizarre opportunity; because now that you are here, you’ve been given a measly 657,000 hours (if you make it to age 75) to find out why you are here!

And you’ve only got one shot, friend.

Not to rub it in, but you’ll probably end up losing about 200,000 hours to sleep and another 100,000 surfing the Internet or watching TV. This brings us right back to our original question: where did the whole shebang come from in the first place? Who or what started it all?

Is life one big accident?

** https://www.almanac.com/content/why-week-has-seven-days

*** This line of argument has been adopted and expanded by many Muslim and Christian scholars (e.g., Frank Turek). Suggested Resource (no affiliation): See Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/cells/embryology/a/egg-meets-sperm

The First Question / Revisited

One: Did The Universe Come Out Of Nothing?

If there is no God—no prime mover or energy outside of the universe (or universes) —how could “nothing” create “something?” Can a thing create itself?

Fair is fair.

For the sake of discussion, let’s throw out formal logic and reason, but let’s hold on to good old-fashioned common sense. Regardless of all the impressive credentials behind every new cosmological theory of origins, don’t be fooled, something analogous to the laws and agencies of physics had to be in existence in the first place in order to do something!

In short, nothing can only do nothing!

Two: Are We Rock/Stars?

By the way, most of us see ourselves as existing in the universe when, in reality, we are the universe. (Or at least a piece of it.) We are as much a part of the universe as the asteroid belt or the sand swirling under the sea. We are dust, and to dust we will return. We are indeed composed of the same elementary particles found in the Milky Way Galaxy—such as hydrogen, iron, carbon, and other starry elements—but “glued together” by a complex informational template that is found in every cell (including immature red blood cells and cornified cells).

Three: Are We Biological Information Systems?

Apart from life and consciousness, all biological structures are framed by genetic information with complex sequences mitigated by the laws of physics and chemistry. Researchers working on cutting-edge genetic technologies all conclude that we’re indeed 100% digital and analog informational systems.

So where did the unimaginably complex genetic information found in life’s biological programs come from? At the end of the day, one cannot deny that everything originated from the initial spark of the Big Bang creation event.

The question arises: if DNA is software, who is the programmer?

Chance?

Is there any naturally occurring process that we can point to and say, “THAT could have given rise to the staggering engineering principles and complexity that are encoded within the software of biological systems”? [*]

There is no denying the importance of random mutations, natural selection, genetic drift, and other evolutionary processes in the natural world. But are these processes sufficiently imbued with the creative programming genius to produce the kaleidoscope of biological systems found in the living world?

Put another way, did matter create consciousness? Or did consciousness create matter?

Before We Enter The Ring

If you’re wondering how this subject became so viciously polarized, we have one word for you: religion—specifically, the Religion of Pride.

In their haste to combat Scientific Atheism, sincere religious scholars shaped their views of creation via a hasty and shallow interpretation of the Word of God, and then happily squeezed the science to fit.

We must remind the reader that the creation narratives were given to the ancient prophets who were divinely inspired (anointed) to compose descriptions of our cosmological and biological origins within the parameters of their own prehistoric, pre-science level of understanding. Nevertheless, they did an amazing job, as you will see in Section Two.

The atheist marketplace survives not because it trumps the Holy Bible, but because it trumps Creation Science. Creation Science is in a sense the gift that keeps on giving.

Science is not the enemy of God; religious pride is.

By any measure, the “scientific method” is less confusing than most religious dogmas. Even though science is admittedly far from perfect, it is in fact accumulative, provisional, and continually being tested and updated. Science is not afraid to address tough questions, and respectable scientists don’t recoil in horror and cry “Blasphemy!” when criticized or challenged. In fact, they often welcome it.

The undeniable truth is that the hard evidence from every scientific discipline confirms the trajectory of our evolutionary past.

Beginning in the 4th century, a counterfeit Christianity—linked to the oppressive ruling classes—promoted torture, diverse forms of censorship, book burnings, mass murders, and appalling anti-Semitism. As if that weren’t enough, it also launched the Inquisitions, the Crusades, capital punishment for trivial offenses, and the promotion and defense of slavery. Its participation in the scientific arena was not without friction either, even though—until recently—almost every prominent scientist and notable thinker was a Christian believer of some kind. Take Galileo, for instance. When this eminent scientist and believer challenged the imperial church’s prevailing view (that the Earth was at the center of the universe), he was grilled by the Inquisition. His sentence was changed to house arrest after he recanted. Giordano Bruno, another Italian “heretic,” did not fare as well. He was set on fire.

No wonder Darwin inadvertently became the messiah of an intellectual world burdened by the tyranny of the imperial church. At long last, atheism had found its dancing partner: Darwinian Evolution. Out of this union, Scientific Atheism was born.

* https://phys.org/news/2015-11-complex-grammar-genomic-language.html

Your Three Choices

1. Special creation: God created everything in six days

2. Self-creation: Nature did it—alone (Materialism, Naturalism)

3. Combination: God commissioned nature (God + physics and chemistry)

We will make the case for the third option in Section Two, namely that the Creator commissioned the natural processes to “bring forth” animals, plants, birds, etc.—but not all—of what we see today.

Here’s a short preview. The entire creation can be viewed as a journey whose ultimate goal is to produce sentient beings that will one day be given the opportunity to choose to enter into a timeless universe where they stand to inherit and share in all the infinite creative expressions of God.

God could have chosen many paths or alternative realities to accomplish this goal. He could have created us as angels by simply snapping his fingers. Or he could have prevented Satan from deceiving Eve in the Garden of Eden. Or he could have told Adam to wrestle Eve to the ground before she reached for the forbidden fruit. Nonetheless, we can safely conclude that it is crucial (to God) that everyone be given the opportunity to choose his or her own eternal destiny: most likely because of the principles underlying free will. Truth be told, regardless of the plan, armed with free will, it’s not hard to see that we would have found some way to muck up God’s garden and then blame him!

Consequently, contrary to mainstream teachings and the extreme Absentee Landlord theory (in which God winds up the universe and basically sits back to watch), the Creator, mindful of a particular outcome for universal history, pre-programmed (only) the natural laws and processes of the physical universe—such as natural selection, mutations, gravity, parental care, and reproduction—to fulfill his universal plan. The entire physical timeline of creation can be likened to the thousands of vastly different, but harmonious, physical processes that operate throughout all the stages of conception and childbirth.

Therefore, even though everything falls under the Creator’s sovereignty, there is no need for him to steer or control every physical aspect of creation like a puppeteer or “celestial dictator” who simply sits back and turns the pages of his own history book. On the contrary, he has given nature and humanity autonomy to operate freely within his universal boundaries.

According to the Bible, these boundaries were hardwired or pre-programmed into the physical creation from square one. “In the beginning was the word” (John 1:1). And “. . . by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. . . . By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved . . .” (NIV 2 Peter 3:5,7; emphasis added).

This may sound intensely religious, but we assure you that it is not. God’s spoken Word is not dead; it is alive and active. In the language of physics, it could be likened to an invisible informational framework, undergirding the subatomic building blocks of the universe, out of which the entire visible universe comes into being. Put another way, this divine language (God’s Word) produced the subatomic world from which the physical universe materialized, not in a spiritual sense, but in a very real and corporeal sense.

“For by faith we understand that the worlds were fashioned by the word of God, and these things that are seen came into being out of those things which are unseen” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English Hebrews 11:3; emphasis added).

God does not need to “sit down with sketchbook in hand” to design every baby, snowflake, flower, or bird; nor does he need to plot the course of every bolt of lightning, biological species, asteroid, or earthquake. Actually, it is within these very same pre-programmed physical processes that natural selection, genetic drift, mutations, and global extinction events operate to produce winners in the fight for survival, including amazing prodigies like Mozart and Blaise Pascal, and—unfortunately—AIDS, cancer, and great evil.

Even so, everything in the universe is constrained by God’s universal purposes, so that no accidental global catastrophe can wipe out the biosphere until all of his universal plans are accomplished. In other words, there is no need for the Creator to continually rush down to block giant asteroids, avert human extinction, or stop nearby supernovas. The physical world was programmed (ordained) to operate within, and in accordance with, the parameters of God’s Word and divine purposes.

For instance: “And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear;’ and it was so” (NKJV Genesis 1:9).

Creation simply obeys!

At the end of the day, from the materialist’s perspective, existence is a meaningless roll of the dice as our dying universe embraces its cold, dark fate and all life vanishes.

In sharp contrast to this Nihilistic malaise, the Bible declares that the journey of man will have only just begun. The next chapter of man’s journey begins with God’s children crossing over into an infinite and timeless reality, whose beauty and splendor lie beyond the compass of our imaginations.

Meanwhile, God, who inhabits his own reality, stepped out to meet his children halfway, as it were, by becoming like them (as the incarnate Christ). “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them’” (NASB Revelation 21:3).

Therefore, instead of threatening faith, science continues to decode God’s engineering secrets.

God bless our scientists!

What About Other Creation Accounts?

Needless to say, there is no shortage of creation myths to go around a family campfire. But as we will demonstrate in the following chapters (and on our website), they are usually quixotic or, like the Qur’an, incongruous and unbearably incoherent, while at the same time invoking dazzling poetry and crafty mongrelization of the Holy Bible to dupe the unsuspecting.

Prelude To War

“I don’t know why we are here, but I’m pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves.”

—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)

In The Beginning Was Information

“All science, even the divine science, is a sublime detective story. Only it is not set to detect why a man is dead; but the darker secret of why he is alive.”

—G. K. Chesterton

Before we end this section, we must lay the groundwork for Section Two.

According to modern cosmology, the entire universe was no bigger than a grain of salt when it was less than one second old.

Did you know that if scientists were to slice open a grain of salt and look inside they would be greeted by another dynamic universe, with its own miniature Solar System of spinning bodies, much like the ones we see outside in the night sky? This is an over-simplified illustration of the atom, but nonetheless, it is quite fitting.

Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki explains: “Molecules are made up of atoms, and each atom looks like a little Solar System, with a central core of protons and neutrons with small electrons orbiting around.”[12]

What then is the true nature of the physical world? When scientists slice open the nucleus of an atom, they find protons. When they slice open a proton, they find quarks and gluons. Further down, they find “a sea of energy” that some researchers are beginning to describe as “information” in motion.

In The Matter Myth, non-theists John Gribbin and Paul Davies writes: “We shall see that matter as such has been demoted from its central role, to be replaced by concepts such as organization, complexity, and information. . . . An extension of the quantum theory, known as quantum field theory, goes beyond even this; it paints a picture in which solid matter dissolves away, to be replaced by weird excitations and vibrations of invisible field energy.”[13]

What are these “weird excitations” and “vibrations of invisible field energy” that undergird all reality? Werner Gitt (a former Head of the Department of Information Technology at the German Federal Institute of Physics and Technology), puts it this way: “In the beginning was information.”

At the end of this chapter, we will address the physics of this mysterious energy in the gaze of God’s Word.

Nobody Likes Bad News, But . . .

According to various cosmic, geologic, and other scientific measurements, life on Earth is possible only within a relatively narrow window of time. This Human Habitability Time Window includes variables like the movement of tectonic plates, atmospheric conditions (such as greenhouse gases), the Sun’s increasing luminosity, Earth’s lengthening rotation period, nearby cosmic activities like supernovas, increasingly destructive viruses such as HIV, depletion of our natural resources, build-up of nuclear waste, and glaciation cycles (Ice Ages).

Bertrand Russell hung us out to dry with his customary wit: “All the labors of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the Solar System. . . .”[14]

There may be endless debates about our origin, but all sides agree on this one thing: we are all sailing into oblivion.

Everything has an expiration date—our houses, families, philosophies, cities, planets, and galaxies.

Gone.

Forever.

Is Young-Earth Creationism Biblical?

All branches of Creationism agree that a Grand Designer created the cosmos and life. Materialism’s greatest flaw, everyone agrees, is that lifeless matter cannot produce life and consciousness when left to its own devices.

After all, how smart can rocks be?

So far, so good. Hugs all around. Then everyone opens their bibles to Genesis. And all hell breaks loose. Team Young Earth argues that God created everything in six 24-hour calendar days, and rested on the seventh day (the creation week). They also contend that:

- This occurred roughly 6,000 to 10,000 years ago.

- Everything was created fully formed.

- There was no death.

Sorry, You’re Wrong—But We Can Help

Young Earth apologists have convinced a large proportion of Christendom that the Bible actually teaches that the cosmos and the entire living world appeared in six days—as is. Naturally, with their hearts in the right place, they feel that only heretics and fools dare oppose their so-called literal defense of Genesis. Challenging them is essentially challenging God and his Word. Watch out!

Here is a summary of their views.

They believe that the Big Clock had just begun ticking when all the stars and planets appeared instantly. Poof!

Why did God stop there, we wonder? Why not create plants and animals and everything else at that same moment?

Could he or couldn’t he?

Why take the rest of the day off, in a manner of speaking, then start all over again the next day? At any rate, God returns the next day and . . . poof! He creates again.

Stops.

Then takes the rest of that day off.

Day after day this continues. One day, the Earth is sheer mud. The next day, it is covered with grass and trees.

Suddenly seagulls, eagles, and woodpeckers appeared in the sky like fireworks on Independence Day. Pop, pop, pop!

Then, countless creatures, including elephants, tigers, and gorillas, suddenly materialized out of thin air on the jungle floor.

Poof!

Young Earth Creationists also claim that there was no death at this time. Lions and sharks all had eternal life. And they were vegetarians too, eating only seeds, vegetation, and fruits. If a huge boulder fell on a chicken it would simply balloon out unharmed.

Shortly thereafter, Adam and Eve were created, sinned, and death passed into the rest of the living world.

The Bible Vs. Religion

We posit that God, instead of being a wand-waving magician, is more like an old gardener or architect with an unusual gift of patience. Of all the things we can say about God, biology professor Kenneth Miller muses, impatience is not one of them.

Nonetheless, kudos to Young Earth Creationists for insisting that the Bible does seem to support a literal seven-day creation week and the “recent” appearance of Adam and Eve, in light of the genealogical records.

However, the seven-day order of time was never meant to be a diary of God’s daily schedule. Rather, it is a unique behind-the-scenes look at the divine laws and statutes that govern our planet and time! Therefore, while giving us clues to the underlying science of creation, the Genesis account also points sentient beings—if they should inquire—to their ultimate purpose and destiny.

For this reason, God unveils two perspectives of creation in the Book of Genesis: his and ours. Chapter 1 reveals the divine perspective, and chapter 2 revolves around man.

Hence, as soon as man’s story begins, the divine “days” switch to the Earth-based arrow of time (Genesis 4:3) to mark the flow of human history. (Please note that chapter divisions in the Bible were positioned by Bible translators and do not necessarily represent any fundamental truth about the contents. The first creation account is summarized in Genesis 2:4 and the second account begins in the following verse.)

Those that advance the argument that the “day” refers to a literal 24 hour period should consider that throughout the Bible, God’s time is always referred to as “days.” Thus, the Bible begins with the first day and ends with the last day.

In the Book of Revelation, the last day, or the final chapter of human history, comes into view.

God is back.

Notice that “the day” is also back.

God calls it the Great Day of his Wrath, the Day of the Lord, the Day of God’s Vengeance, or the Terrible Day of the Lord. Will Young Earth Creationists argue that the doomsday events that unfold in the Book of Revelation transpire within a literal 24-hour period? If they want to be consistent with their literal interpretation of what constitutes “a day,” then they must.

Wait, there’s more.

Another “day” follows—Judgment Day. Will Judgment Day also be a literal 24-hour period?

Young Earth Creationism Vs. The Bible

Look, either God programmed the physical world by his sovereign decrees so that creation (i.e., physical creation) would evolve within the parameters of his immutable laws and ultimate purposes, or the Bible is the greatest historical fraud known to man.

Please bear in mind that the Bible clearly asserts that creation itself is one piece of evidence for the existence of God, the other two being the accurate fulfillment of prophecy and the born-again experience (John 3:1–8, Acts 2). We should therefore find the Creator’s fingerprints throughout his workshop if we look hard enough. After all, why would he give us these extraordinary brains, capable of making scientific instruments to study our habitat, if our discoveries would undermine his Word and contradict his existence?

The Darwinian evolutionary monkey tale may not sit well with church folk, seeing as they have come to equate the word “natural” as meaning “without God.” But if, as the Bible abundantly demonstrates, the Creator works through the laws of nature to do some earth-shaking miracles, why, pray tell, can’t he use these same laws and processes to accomplish his will for creation?

It has been said that either God is playing a practical joke on us by monkeying around with the physics of the universe to make it appear old, or somebody is milking the wrong cow. When science agrees with this or that group’s interpretation of the scriptures, the lights are turned down and everyone dances, but when it disagrees, watch out—the devil is on the loose!

Young Earth Creationist Kent Hovind warns:

“There is definitely a conspiracy, but I don’t think that it is a human conspiracy. I don’t believe there is a smoke filled room where a group of men get together and decide to teach evolution in all the schools. I believe that it is at a much higher level. I believe that it is a Satanic conspiracy. The reason these different people come to the same conclusion is not because they all met together; it is because they all work for the devil. He is their leader and they don’t even know it.”[15]

The Darwinian Paradigm In A Nutshell

Darwin was one smart cookie. He decided to wait many years before publishing his groundbreaking treatise, telling one of his confidants that it was like confessing to murder.[16]

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—Bertrand Russell

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The Final Bridge

Question: What happens after we die?

Scientific Atheist: We are currently working on it. But one thing is for sure—we’re all going somewhere!

SECTION TWO

Unlocking The Science Of Genesis

Would you trust a God whose holy book contradicts basic high school science?

Probably not.

Well, powerful Creationist groups have positioned the Christian faith to not only resist the scientific evidence, but also the very book they claim to defend: the Holy Bible. Instead of being on God’s side, most within the Creationist establishment is in fact misrepresenting him while, ironically, professional scientists are closer to the truth than you can imagine.

First, let’s consider the scientific account of the beginning. “According to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, the Big Bang represents The Beginning, the grand event at which not only matter but the space-time continuum itself was born.” [38]

In short, the scientific establishment posits that a burst of energy—the Big Bang—represents the beginning of:

1. Time

2. Space

3. Matter

Here are the opening words of Genesis: “In the beginning, God created the heaven[**] and the earth.”

1. In the beginning: Time

2. God created the heaven: Space

3. And the Earth: Matter

Wait a minute!

How could Moses, a Bronze Age goat herder and banished prince, describe the birth of the cosmos with such incredible accuracy? How could he know that there was a particular moment when everything was created by a source of energy that exists outside of time, space, and matter?

We must bear in mind that the Genesis creation account was revealed to the ancient fathers more than 3,600 years ago, so this explanation would have been similar to a parent explaining to a four-year-old how satellites work. That is, it would be ridiculous for God to talk about primordial nucleosynthesis and the formation of neutrinos and quarks.

To confirm, beyond any shadow of doubt, that he is the originator of the cosmos, Yahweh unveiled its exact cosmological structure to the ancient fathers! He even threw in another bizarre clue. Everything, he says, began—not by smoke, magical swords, or thunder—but by his Word: by some divine form of informational energy (John 1:1). He also declared that the visible world came into being out of things that are in existence—but they are invisible.

“By faith we understand that time was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are invisible” (ISV Hebrews 11:3; emphasis added).

Our Expanding Universe

By integrating multiple lines of evidence, astrophysicists have been able to determine that the universe is expanding. Thousands of years ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth and its people are as grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in” (NIV Isaiah 40:22).

We realize that this description is somewhat figurative, but it’s worth noting that this “stretching” is not linked to some Middle Eastern desert lingo but to space—that is, to the very fabric of the heavens. In a similar vein, the Bible also establishes that the Earth is free-floating or suspended in space (Job 26:7).

In This Town, We Still Obey The Second Law Of Thermodynamics

Did you know that not only mainstream Creationists but also many within the scientific community are a bit uncomfortable with the Big Bang Theory?

Why?

Because it implies “a beginning”—a point of creation.

“That’s why quite a lot of scientists are nervous about the Big Bang. They quite prefer having something that doesn’t require somebody sort of poking a finger in and saying, ‘Now it’s starting.’”[39]

So much for the birth (and expansion) of the universe. But what about its ultimate fate? According to Big Bang cosmology and the second law of thermodynamics, as the universe ages, it will gradually decay until all the stars burn out and everything evaporates towards zero entropy. On this point, the Apostle Paul explains that, “For the Creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay . . .” (NIV Romans 8:20–21).

The same God who gave us the precise cosmological chemistry of creation now describes its demise. He says everything will decay; not just life, but the entire creation will experience universal decay. (What about time? Since time was “switched on,” it will also be “switched off” when the universe is dissolved.) But first, the Bible declares that the Earth will burn up.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved . . .” (NKJV 2 Peter 3:10–11).

This is in complete harmony with the scientific description of the Solar System’s demise. It seems that in matters of the greatest importance to us, God went to considerable lengths to give the ancient prophets nothing less than the exact scientific details, using their nascent level of understanding.

However, let’s shift gears before we are accused of reading too much into the Bible.

** In this context, “heaven” does not refer to God’s abode. It is used in the same context as Deuteronomy 4:19: “And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars. . . .”

Origin Of Life

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).

How, When, And Where Did Life Begin?

As we have shown, the very first verse of the Bible immediately introduces the birth of the cosmos: that is, space, time, and our planetary home.

So what was the next historic event on Earth’s timetable?

Life, right?

What about God’s account?

It is found in the very next verse!

Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, we are arrested, taken into custody, and swiftly airlifted to a breathtaking scene overlooking the young Earth where, to our amazement, the Spirit of God sweeps down into creation (as a bird) and begins to brood (explained below) upon the waters of the primordial oceans.

“And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water” (Jewish Tanakh Genesis 1:2).

Why did God give humanity front row seats to this remarkable scene that unfolded over the oceans? What is he trying to show us? Why did he tell us that “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”? What’s the connection between the Spirit from above and the waters below?

The first part of that very same verse gives the reason. We are told that the planet is “without form and void.”

Void?

Void of what?

In the original language, the words that became “without form” and “void,” are tohu and bohu, respectively. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance[40] explains:

- Tohu: formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness

- Bohu: emptiness, void: from an unused root (meaning to be empty); a vacuity, i.e., (superficially) an undistinguishable ruin—emptiness, void

In other words, the planet was empty! Empty of what? The Contemporary English Bible answers:

“The earth was barren, with no form of life” (CEV Genesis 1:2).

Let’s retrace our steps.

First, God says that the planet is empty.

Then we see the Spirit of God sweeping down through the skies of the newly formed planet to brood—not upon the land—but upon the waters.

Look what happens next.

For the first time in the narrative, God loudly declares:

“Let there be light!”

What type of light did God speak into existence?

Sunlight?

Did God unveil this spectacular drama over the waters of the early oceans only to introduce the beautiful rays of the Sun? Or was this the Biblical “light of life” that kick-started life on the Earth (and its inherent struggle against darkness, the seven-day week, etc.)? In other words, was God unveiling the cradle of life? Is this where life came from—from the primordial oceans?

“In the beginning was the Word and . . . In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness . . .” (John 1:1, 4, 5; emphasis added).

After introducing us to the birth of space, time, and our earthly home, is it possible that God is now introducing humanity to the next pivotal stage of creation—life? But this time he wants us to clearly know that earthly life began through a combination of his Spirit from above and the waters from below. Moreover, is it possible that God is not only unveiling the divine chemistry for earthly life, but even more importantly, the divine chemistry for heavenly life? That is—for immortality?

Let’s consider the scientific evidence.

One: we cannot ascribe the statement “let there be light” to the original Big Bang event, as some do, because the Earth was already formed! Two: the Sun (only one of countless billions of second and third generation suns) had to be in existence because not only was the Earth already formed and held in its gravitational force, but the Earth had also aged sufficiently for the oceans to form. Three: from a Biblical perspective, the Sun and Moon were not formed on the “fourth day” (that is absurd); they were introduced on the fourth day and ordained as timekeepers. And finally, when we read, “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,” we are reading a translation. The Hebrew word for “moved” is rachaph.[41]

Rachaph means to brood. The prodigious Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary affirms this:

“The Spirit of God moved—literally, continued brooding over it, as a fowl does, when hatching eggs.” [42]

And, of course, brooding is defined as:

“Sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body. Incubation, birthing, giving birth, parturition, birth—the process of giving birth.”[43]

In very clear terms, the Spirit of God entered creation to brood upon the face of the waters. To confirm this image of brooding, God inspired the same writer to use that identical word (rachaph) once more: “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, hovers [rachaph] over its young, spreads its wings to catch them, and carries them on its feathers” (GW Deuteronomy 32:11; emphasis added).

It is the identical imagery!

By the way, if this “let there be light” was the introduction of sunlight, why would God re-introduce sunlight all over again a few verses below? Why introduce sunlight twice in the same short narrative? Here it is:

‘“And let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.’ And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth” (NIV Genesis 1:15–17).

There’s much more. Coupled with the recent discovery that there is no other medium—apart from water—in which the initial building blocks of life could have assembled, there is the fact that for the first 4 billion years of Earth’s 4.6 billion-year existence, life existed only in water. Did you know that, even today, scientists are ridiculed by many religious groups for insisting that life began (exactly as God revealed thousands of years ago) in a “primordial soup”?

Philip Ball, in his book, Life’s Matrix: A Biography of Water, writes, “Liquid water is essential for the kind of delicate chemistry that makes life possible.”[44] In a recent news article in the BBC’s Science and Environment, Dr. Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at University College, states that “Liquid water is absolutely essential for life, and we’ve found life on Earth in pretty much every moist niche.”[45]

The Keys Of Life (And Immortality)

These two keys (Spirit and water) not only constitute the divine chemistry for life on Earth, but for life eternal—through Jesus Christ who taught that in order to enter into the next universe, we must also be born there (John 3:5).

And by the very same keys!

Moreover, throughout the Bible, the Spirit is often portrayed as a bird—typically as a dove. Here is the divine blueprint:

- Spirit + Water = Life (in this universe)

- Spirit + Water = Life (in the next universe)

We must remind our theologically trained readers about the Biblical witness known as the First Mention Principle. For others, what this means is that if our deductions are accurate, beginning here and every time God reintroduces life, he must (or should) always introduce the same two keys: Spirit and water.

Spirit + Water = Life / Salvation

To grasp the underlying reason why God chose to unveil the divine chemistry of life right away, we must zoom forward a few billion years to the Garden of Eden, where our ancestral parents, Adam and Eve, threw God’s plan off course because of their rebellion. Naturally, the Spirit or the breath of God who had given them (spiritual) immortality could no longer dwell within their sin-polluted forms.

They became instantly disconnected from God when they sinned.

Then they were driven out of the Garden and barred from eating from the tree of life, which had, until then, sustained their cellular longevity or “physical immortality” (explained later).

From that moment on, Sin and Death entered into the human equation. Everyone—that is, all of Adam’s descendants—were consequently plunged into spiritual darkness and into eternal Death.

“But of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it, for on the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die” (Jewish Tanakh Genesis 2:17; emphasis added).

We are not trying to wear you down with deep theological matters here, but it is worth noting that because of the “Fall” of man, God eventually came down to Earth through the Virgin Mary to restore the light of life. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (NKJV Romans 5:12). That is to say that Jesus, who is called “the light of the world” or “the second Adam,” was manifested to pay the penalty or ransom, not only for Adam’s original sin, but also for all subsequent sins. This he did by offering himself freely and willingly so that the entire human family—all of Adam’s descendants—could regain access to the light and thus escape eternal destruction.

Simply put, Jesus took our place.[***]

Did God Use The Same Keys In The Re-Creation?

Not long after Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden, their descendants multiplied and sank into unbridled depravity. As a result, God decided to send a great flood to wipe out humanity and to reboot creation with Noah and his family. When the rains came, eight people were safely aboard the ark.

Watch this: When the rain subsided, Noah opened the window of the great Ark and sent a bird over the waters!

“Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground” (NKJV Genesis 8:7–8).

Is it sheer coincidence that God introduced the same keys—the bird (Spirit) and the water—when he restarted creation?

In the interest of time, let’s race over to the New Testament, where, in the Gospel of John, we find John the Baptist announcing the return of the “light.” How did John know that Jesus was “the light of the world”?

Read for yourself.

“I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit’” (NIV John 1:32–33; emphasis added).

Again, God used the identical keys.

The Spirit descended as a bird while Jesus was being baptized in the waters of the Jordan River to confirm that “light has come into the world . . .” (John 3:19).

What kind of light did Jesus bring to restore humanity?

Sunlight?

What About The Keys To The Promised Land?

During the Exodus account, God could have taken the Israelites another way to the Promised Land (Exodus 13:17), but instead, he took them to the Red Sea. To get to the Promised Land, they were told to follow the Spirit of God—as a cloud by day and fire by night—and go through the waters of the Red Sea (Exodus 13:21).

Both keys—Spirit and water—were once again reintroduced.

In case we missed it, the Bible connects the dots: “They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud [Spirit] and in the sea [water]” (NIV 1 Corinthians 10:2).

Yes, incredibly, God orchestrated that particular route to the Promised Land to also highlight the importance of these keys to salvation. Peter confirms this: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come” (NIV 1 Corinthians 10:11).

God to his children: Don’t be deceived, these two keys—Spirit and water—will bring you home.

Now, let’s take stock.

Keys Of The First Birth

“And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2; emphasis added).

1. Spirit

2. Water

Keys Of The Second Birth

“. . . unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (NKJV John 3:5; emphasis added).

1. Spirit

2. Water

*** In Section Three, we address the main Jewish objections to Christ’s atonement including: “If God hates human sacrifice, why would he accept the sacrifice of Jesus?” and “If the Bible teaches that every man shall be put to death for his own sin, how could Jesus die for our sins?”

You Cannot Die To Enter Heaven,
You Must Be Born There!

1. Spirit baptism—to restore “the light” (i.e., immortality)

2. Water baptism—to wash away the “darkness” of sin and one’s past

Incredibly, these keys unlock, not only the first and second births, but also an extraordinary genetic trail that flowed from Eve’s ovaries to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.

These keys will also help us to decipher many of the so-called Biblical contradictions that give present-day scholars like Michael Shermer and Bart D. Ehrman severe heartburn.

In fact, an entirely new dimension of the Bible unfolds from just considering two aspects of these keys. They will help us to deconstruct the apparent disorder of the creation story: the conflicting order between the first and second chapters of Genesis, Adam’s search for a mate among the animal kingdom, the real goods on Satan, the seclusion of Adam into a well-defined and reserved garden after God gave him the entire world, the two unusual trees in the Garden, the birth of Eve from Adam’s side rather than from the earth, the strange Nephilim creatures, and much more.

Revisiting The Fourth Bridge

Quickly now, what does the Bible say about the Cambrian explosion? It confirms that the root or source of every subsequent radiation of life (kind) appeared—not on land—but in the waters.

“So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind . . .” (NKJV Genesis 1:21; emphasis added).

Did God snap his fingers and “every living thing” appeared magically? Were there no precursors? Of course not. God always works through the physical world to accomplish his goals. Nonetheless, like the cosmic Big Bang, this biological Big Bang occurred only once! And for what it’s worth, both of these events were explicitly mentioned in Genesis.

The Genesis Of Plants

Q; According to the Book of Genesis, where did plants come from? Did God reach down to make the pretty little flowers with his hands?

A: No, he commanded the Earth to do the job. God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass . . .” (NKJV Genesis 1:11). And indeed, the Earth obeyed! Wait a minute, isn’t this what scientists are saying?

Q: Who brought forth plants?

A: The Earth did!

Q: Did God create apple trees magically, or did the Earth produce them naturally?

A: The Bible makes no suggestion, not even remotely, that the growth of plant life was anything but natural; rather, it is their origin that was supernatural.

Q: Why would God introduce plant life (the photosynthetic lineage) as the next major player in the story of life when paleontological records show that true plants only appeared 400 to 500 million years ago?

A: In their epic work Microcosmos, Margulis and Sagan clarify this mystery by explaining that the rise of photosynthetic bacteria (the precursors to vascular plants) was “undoubtedly the most important single metabolic innovation in the history of life on the planet.”[46] Rowan Hooper, in the New Scientist, adds:

“As historical events go, it was one of the most important in the last few billion years. The development of photosynthesis—the biological capture of light energy from the Sun—underpins almost all complex life on Earth, but what organism first did it, and how, has been a mystery. Now it seems that that honor goes to the ancestors of cyanobacteria, a huge phylum of filamentous bacteria found all over the world.”[47]

Clearly, Moses, the inspired writer of Genesis, had no way of knowing about microscopic photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Naturally, he placed the entire photosynthetic lineage into one family album, as it were—plants.

The Story Of Rain

In the second chapter of Genesis, we find this seemingly mundane entry:

“This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground” (NKJV Genesis 2:4–6).

There is an abundance of Biblical truths embedded within these verses, but for the sake of brevity, let’s consider one—rain. How could Moses know about the absence of a hydrologic (water) cycle during the Earth’s early epoch, billions of years before his time? He even wrote that a universal “mist” (steam) spewed out from the ground and that there was a waiting period (a process) before man appeared.

Neil deGrasse Tyson comments:

“One key to the riddle was volcanoes, which, throughout Earth’s infancy, pumped huge amounts of steam into the atmosphere. Then, as Earth cooled, that steam condensed into rain. Drop by drop, water collected in low-lying areas.”[48]

Another scientific theory offers this:

“One about the origin of ocean water states that as Earth formed from a cloud of gas and dust more than 4.5 billion years ago, a huge amount of lighter elements (including hydrogen and oxygen) became trapped inside the molten interior of the young planet. During the first one to two billion years after Earth’s formation, these elemental gases rose through thousands of miles of molten and melting rock to erupt on the surface through volcanoes and fissures (long narrow cracks). Within the planet and above the surface, oxygen combined with hydrogen to form water. Enormous quantities of water shrouded the globe as an incredibly dense atmosphere of water vapor. Near the top of the atmosphere, where heat could be lost to outer space, water vapor condensed to liquid and fell back into the water vapor layer below, cooling the layer. This atmospheric cooling process continued until the first raindrops fell to the young Earth’s surface and flashed into steam. This was the beginning of a fantastic rainstorm that, with the passage of time, gradually filled the ocean basins.”[49]

Why Are There Two Creation Accounts?

Not only are there two creation accounts in Genesis, but the second one deliberately reverses the order. In the first account, plants and animals were made before man; in the second account, they seemingly appeared after man.

Why?

Here is the answer: the first account unfolds from the divine perspective, whereas the second revolves around man and the earthly perspective. In the second account, plants and animals were not made after man, they were made for man. In this account, man is now at the center of God’s creation! The entire focus shifts from God to man, from the how to the why.

In the first account, God is in heaven—aloof. In the second account, he is no longer distant, but comes down to the Earth, breathes into Adam’s nostrils, rolls up his sleeves, and prepares a garden home for his son, not unlike any excited, new parent. (Adam was a son, not the only begotten Son.) “The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed” (NKJV Genesis 2:8).

Origin Of Man: Instant Or Gradual?

“And the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul” (Jewish Tanakh Genesis 2:7).

Notice that God did not breathe into the dirt and it became a man. God breathed into the man, and he became a living soul!

Of course, traditional Creationists picture God coming down to the Earth, kneeling, and lovingly fashioning Adam from the ground with his bare hands. They imagine that God shaped the mud face and ears, dotted the mud eyes, breathed into the mud nose—and Adam’s mud lungs and mud heart kicked into gear.

When God Breathed Into Adam, Did He Receive Biological Life Or Eternal Life?

According to God’s Word, man arose from the dust of the Earth. According to the scientific evidence, man arose from the dust of the Earth.

Yes, these are identical.

Billy Graham, the famous evangelist, wisely cautions: “How you believe doesn’t affect the doctrine. Either at a certain moment in evolution God breathed into one particular ape-man who was Adam, or God could have taken a handful of dust and blowed and created a man just like that.” [50]

In view of the fact that the Hebrew word for breath (in reference to God) expressly symbolizes his Spirit, when God breathed into Adam’s nostrils, we contend that instead of his biological parts becoming alive, Adam received the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit then transformed Adam into God’s spiritual image and likeness—not into God’s physical image and likeness! In short, God’s breath gave Adam:

1. Immortality

2. Advanced sentience (moral awareness, language, and a direct spiritual bond with his maker, etc.)

As a witness, this particular act is symbolically reestablished in the new covenant: “And when He [Jesus] had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (NKJV John 20:22).

Consider this: Why use dirt to form Adam from scratch when, according to all the archeological data, there were countless anatomically-identical hominids (human-relatives) in existence at that time? And what’s more, if, through the breath of God, Adam became a living soul (Hebrew nephesh)—which is interpreted by traditional Creationists to indicate that he received life in a biological sense—then other animals must have received the breath of God too, because they also became living souls (Genesis 1:30). Strong’s Concordance defines the same root word nephesh as “soul, life, person, mind, heart, creature.”[51]

Was The “Forming” Of Man Different From The Rest Of The Living World?

- “Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the air . . .” (NKJV Genesis 2:19; emphasis added).

- “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground . . .” (NKJV Genesis 2:7; emphasis added).

According to God, they are the same!

So whether you believe it took three seconds or three million years for God to form man, both the Bible and the scientific community agree that man (beasts, birds, etc.) emerged from the ground.

That is, they share the same physical elements. (We’re not trying to make a case for Eastern mysticism here. The Earth is not our mother or some great revolving spirit; it is lifeless.)

But unlike the rest of the living world, we assert that Adam received God’s spiritual image and likeness through the breath of God. Adam’s physical anatomy did not make him special and unique. God’s breath did.

“. . . they themselves are like animals. For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust” (NKJV Ecclesiastes 3:18–20; emphasis added).

Of course, it is still possible to argue that Adam was created instantly— like Eve. But, after weighing all the evidence, it seems far more cogent that Adam’s biological form was fashioned by the natural processes (by divine order), just as every other biological form on the planet was. Then when the time was ripe, God chose Adam—just as he chose all the other great patriarchs, such as Noah, Abraham, and Moses—and separated him from his clan to quicken him by the power of his Spirit (breath) into becoming the first Man. (See Section Three for common objections.)

What happens next confirms this: God immediately put Adam into a secluded garden.

Why?

“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed” (NKJV Genesis 2:8).

Natural And Supernatural

To understand the appearance of man, we must first consider the divine agencies operating behind the scenes using these two keys—Spirit and water. To do this, we must unlock two essential attributes of these keys.

First, the Spirit refers to the supernatural agency. And the water refers to the natural agencies. It’s that simple!

- Spirit is supernatural.

- Water is natural.

All Of God’s Actions (Within Creation) Follow This Pattern: Supernatural + Natural

Amazingly, whenever God acts within creation, it is always through a combination of these two agencies: the natural and the supernatural. As we have shown, the first creation account in Genesis unfolds from the divine (supernatural) perspective while the second account focuses on man and unfolds from the earthly (natural) perspective.

Here are a few more examples:

The Origin Of Adam:

1. Physically made from the Earth: natural

2. Becomes the first modern human: supernatural

The Origin of Eve:

1. Adam’s body: natural

2. Divine act: supernatural

The Origin of Jesus:

1. Mary’s pregnancy: natural

2. Divine conception: supernatural

Salvation

1. Born of water: natural

2. Born of Spirit: supernatural

Is God An Outlaw?

Contrary to popular belief, God has never violated or bypassed any of the laws operating within the natural world, be they physical, spiritual, or moral. On the contrary, God works through these laws rather than against them. If God was in the business of violating his own laws, he could have easily forgiven Adam and Eve and moved on. Or he could have zapped the devil before Adam and Eve appeared on the scene. Or he could have avoided Calvary’s cross. But how could we trust a God who doesn’t or won’t obey his own laws?

In fact, none of the miracles found in the Bible violated any of the laws of the natural world: only, perhaps, our understanding of these laws.

Surely, an omniscient Creator would know—before creation—exactly what physical laws and processes (e.g., the rain cycle, natural selection, and photosynthesis) would best serve his purposes. Hence, every time the Creator acts within creation, he orders the natural processes to carry out his supernatural directives: “Let the earth bring forth . . .” or “Let the sea bring forth. . . .”

Take, for instance, the flood in Noah’s days. It was both a natural and a supernatural event. God did not need to use rain; he could have killed everyone on the spot. Instead, he worked through the natural world (i.e., the natural processes). Now humanity is left to wonder and debate: was it by God or by nature?

Why leave room for skepticism by working through the natural world? Why not just override the puny laws of the Earth and leave tons of irrefutable evidence. Make it spectacular!

Zap!

All the atheists and naysayers would be silenced forever.

Hallelujah!

Miracles In The Life Of Moses

- The rod of Moses became a snake to prove that God was on his side.

- Moses used a tree to sweeten the water at Marah for the Israelites to drink.

- Moses lifted the rod and God used the wind to part the waters of the Red Sea.

- Moses was told to hit or speak to the rock to get water.

- Manna and quail fell from the sky rather than miraculously materializing on paper plates.

Don’t believers still thank God when they are healed, whether by an instantaneous miracle or by the long drawn-out process of medical treatment? Or is God limited to chop-chop miracles?

How can the Creator expect faith and human accountability if miracles occur ubiquitously?

This could surely set off profound theological and (hilarious) practical ramifications. For example, imagine angels racing past you to deliver flat screen TVs or hauling away bank robbers clutching bags full of money. Or snuffing out demons or drug dealers on your street corner. What would our existence be like if we needed only to repeat the right phrase or ring the great cosmic bell and heaven must do as it’s told? Most assuredly, it would unleash an entirely new phantasmagorical dimension to the human carnival—an Alice-in-Wonderland-type existence. Choosing God would become hollow, and the desire to go to heaven would be motivated by greed and opportunism rather than the wish to be with our heavenly Father and to see the amazing universe that he is creating . . . for us.

Did Jesus Violate Any Of The Laws Of The Natural World When He Did Miracles?

Not only did he not violate them, but he repeatedly left room for the human (natural) element, responsibility, faith, and, of course, doubt.

For instance, why multiply leftover fish and bread to feed the multitudes? Why not just materialize baskets full of fish and bread? Why use water to make wine? He could have easily astounded everyone by materializing barrels full of wine from thin air. Why use mud and spit to give a blind man back his eyes and then tell him to go wash his eyes in a nearby pool? Jesus could have easily healed him with one word, couldn’t he? Yet the Savior consistently worked through, or with, the natural world and the seeker’s faith. Never did he override them.

Even when the disciples wanted money (for the temple tax), he could have easily snapped his fingers. What did he do instead? He sent them fishing. They found money in a fish’s mouth.

Consider Jesus’ birth. He was supernaturally conceived, but naturally formed via the long drawn-out process of pregnancy and childbirth. Why not simply bypass these trivial laws for his incarnation? It is because God always works through the natural world, but steers it toward a higher purpose!

“Create” Vs. “Make”

Previously, we noted that the Spirit refers to “the supernatural” and water refers to “the natural.” Now let’s consider the second and final attribute of these two keys.

When the Bible speaks of something being created, it is always created by God—and God alone. Why? Because only God can create from nothing. (Indeed we can “create” music, but we are merely rearranging the pre-existing elements of sound, notes, etc.)

On the other hand, if a “thing” is formed or made, it naturally indicates a process. God speaks and the natural world obeys. God himself confirms this distinction: “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made” (NKJV Genesis 2:3; emphasis added).

Here is a short breakdown:

1. To create: refers to a direct divine act (supernatural).

2. To make (or form): refers to God working through the (natural) physical processes.

Now we will use these two words—create and make—to decipher some of God’s acts within creation.

In Genesis 1:1, the universe was created. That’s easy. Only God can create. But then, suddenly, the word “create” drops out of sight, and only reappears much later in Genesis 1:21 to re-establish that life was indeed created in water.

But wait, the Bible says that living things were also made (i.e., formed or fashioned). Is this a contradiction?

No, life was originally created (from nothing) in the primordial sea but formed by the natural processes of the Earth under divine governance. Here’s the proof.

Created:

“So God created great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind . . .” (NKJV Genesis 1:21; emphasis added).

Formed:

“Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the air . . .” (NKJV Genesis 2:19; emphasis added).

Examples of creating

- The universe

- Life

- Adam’s divine (or spiritual) image and likeness

Examples of making (or forming)

- Adam’s earthly image and likeness

- Wine

- Babies

- Priests

- Careers

Was Adam Created Or Made?

Both.

Adam was unique. As we alluded to earlier, Adam was not created in God’s physical image and likeness, but in God’s divine image and likeness. (Truth be told, we are not physically far removed from chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas.) Compare these two verses carefully:

- “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . .” (Genesis 1:26; emphasis added).

- “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him . . .” (Genesis 1:27; emphasis added).

Did you catch the difference? In verse 27, Adam was created in God’s image. Makes sense, right? Only God can create.

But earlier, in verse 26, Adam was originally made or formed. But in this verse, he wasn’t made by God alone; he was made by God and someone or something else!

“Let us.”

Plural.

Who else was involved in making man—not creating him?

Who was the “us”?

Let “Us” Make Man In Our Image . . .

Who is the “us” and “our” involved in making or forming man? Other gods? If other gods (or divine persons) were involved, the verse would have simply read, let us create man—end of story.

These two verses have plagued theologians and church folk for centuries. Most Christian apologists use the “us” and “our” to support the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, arguing that the three persons were having a heavenly conference before creating man. This is textbook polytheism. More erudite Trinitarian scholars avoid this controversial subject with a quick handshake.

Rabbinic and “one-God” Apostolic scholars (absolute monotheists), on the other hand, argue that this is an example of the “Plurality of Majesty” similar to the Queen speaking on behalf of her kingdom (e.g., “let us go to war”). This, too, is inaccurate. After all, why isn’t the “Plurality of Majesty” repeated throughout the Bible? Why are these two opposing verses (one singular and one plural) juxtaposed here—and nowhere else in the Bible?

The answer is fairly self-evident.

To bring forth plants and animals, who did God speak to? He spoke to the Earth, right? (“Let the Earth bring forth.”)

But clearly, in making man, he not only spoke to the Earth, he also spoke to himself!

Let us.

This time, God became distinctly involved.

Hence, Adam was truly unique. Unlike the rest of the living world, he received two images (or natures).

One earthly (natural) and one divine (supernatural).

His divine image and likeness (immortality, etc.) was directly created by God’s breath or Spirit. (After all, only God can create.)

But his earthly, biological image and likeness was formed—not by God alone—but by God and the Earth. That is, by God also working through the earthly processes. And as you will see shortly, Adam severed himself from the divine image when he sinned. Consequently, his children no longer bear God’s pure and holy image, but Adam’s earthly, fallen image.

“[Adam] had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth” (NIV Genesis 5:3; emphasis added).

The Two Images Of Adam

Originally, man received two images or natures.

1. His spiritual image was supernaturally created.

2. His physical image was naturally formed.

One was divine, the other earthly.

The Bible spells it out: “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly,” which, of course, was lost in the Garden but eventually restored by Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:49). In the passages below, the Bible clearly confirms that Adam received the natural image first, then the spiritual.

“. . . There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. . . . Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:44, 46).

Man’s earthly image is well known to us: carnal, selfish, clannish, animalistic, wretched, and depraved. (“Who can know it?”) After all, it was groomed by the long and intractable processes of the natural world and sin. Who will deny that the earthly image and likeness lies at the heart of the war that exists in every human heart?

- “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (NKJV 1 Corinthians 2:14).

- “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (NKJV Romans 8:13).

In The Garden Of Eden

Can these divine keys also unlock the biochemical secrets underlying death, immortality, God’s sinless human incarnation, and the mysteries of the next universe?

Apart from our incredible multidimensional consciousness, pound for pound, we are all movie-going, popcorn-munching apes (thankfully, with less hair). This inconvenient truth forces us to come to terms with the hard evidence that reveals that we are a lot closer to these lice-covered beasts than we care to admit. Good thing we parted company some 4 to 6 million years ago. But to dismiss the growing evidence of our evolutionary past is, well, just as silly as attempts to discredit the Holy Bible. When comparing the same aspects of the chimpanzee and human genomes, studies reveal that they differ by a mere 1.5 to 5%!

We are animals.

Chimps r’ us

Let’s return to our previous question: Why would God make Adam from scratch when there were many other similar hominid branches already on the planet? (This may begin to sound improper, but please bear with us.)

Even more troubling is this: Why would God make so many super-fit, robust hominid branches like the Neanderthals and Denisovans who were sexually compatible with us humans, and then wipe them out, while less inferior (sexually incompatible) branches, like doting chimps and big-bellied orangutans, prospered? An avalanche of bones and artifacts from these various extinct hominid branches, which existed long before (and during) the rise of modern humans, are studied at museums around the world. So far, scientists have cataloged bones from over 400 Neanderthals and another 6,000 closely related archaic hominid remains. What’s more, recent studies in molecular genetics have indicated that all men today are genetically linked, and they may have inherited their Y chromosomes from a single African male. This hypothetical male is dubbed Y chromosomal Adam and may have lived 60,000 years ago!

Was Adam Immortal?

The simple answer is no. Adam was not a true immortal being. Only God is truly immortal. However, Adam did receive the gift of eternal life or spiritual immortality via the breath/Spirit of God. But he was not given a blank check signed Immortality; there were conditions attached to it, such as his obedience. So, in order to maintain his spiritual immortality, Mr. Adam had to stay connected to the One “who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see . . .” (CSB 1 Timothy 6:16; emphasis added).

As for his physical immortality, Adam could only enjoy an endless (physical) life so long as he ate from the tree of life with its cellular rejuvenating properties. “. . . And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” (NKJV Genesis 3:22).

The High Cost Of Being Human

Because lower animals were not imbued with an advanced level of sentience, they literally get away with murder. God does not hold this bunch accountable for anything! Not so with us. When Adam received God’s image and likeness, he immediately became aware of God’s moral laws and the clear standards governing this higher level of existence. Adam also became responsible for his moral choices and actions. We do not get away with stuff. All crimes and moral breaches will be adjudicated in a court of law, whether here or over yonder. This holds true not only for God’s laws but also in most human societies where lawmakers have devised explicit ways of dealing with lawbreakers who breach our social and moral contracts.

Hence, when Adam sinned against God, a court date was automatically set to deal with his offense. That day, of course, is known as Judgment Day. It is crucial that we point out that the penalty for Adam’s sin was actually postponed. It was transferred to an innocent animal (explained below). The creature became a temporary substitutionary payment.

But clearly, a bull or a goat is not a fair and balanced substitute for a human being.

A fair substitute would have to be identical (or greater) to the original Adam before he became accursed. But how could anyone redeem Adam (and us) if all of mankind—who are Adam’s descendants—would automatically inherit his unregenerated nature with its propensity to sin. It’s important to note that God does not hold us accountable for Adam’s sins (i.e., after the Spirit departed from him). We will be held accountable for our own sins.

- “. . . redemption are come. And I looked, and there was none to help, and I beheld in astonishment, and there was none to uphold; therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me . . .” (Jewish Tanakh Isaiah 63:4-5).

Remember, Adam was free to serve God or not. He was not made into an automaton or slave. He was told that one tree brought life, the other brought death. It was that simple. He was also told that the day he disobeyed, he would surely die (Genesis 2:17).

Wait! But Adam did not die that day when he sinned. Is this a contradiction?

No.

He did die.

He died spiritually.

He was immediately disconnected from God who was the source of his spiritual immortality. That was Adam’s first death. Then, because he was driven out of the Garden, where the tree of life grew, Adam began the natural, physical process of dying. It took a few centuries, but in time, he succumbed to cellular degeneration and died.

That was Adam’s second death.

- First death: spiritual (supernatural)

- Second death: earthly (natural)

the two deaths of adam

Adam and Eve’s downfall and demise was not a curse or a sentence from God. It was a natural consequence of their sinful actions.

God cursed the snake and the ground only.

Furthermore, “the ground” does not refer to the entire planet, as universally held, but it refers to the divinely planted garden paradise where the tree of life grew.

“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (NKJV Genesis 2:8–9).

Because the tree of life could prolong human existence indefinitely, it had to be eliminated. Paradise was set to self-destruct and angels were placed on guard until its demise. That was for our benefit now that sin had entered the picture. Imagine a world full of murderers and pedophiles who could prolong their existence indefinitely.

In addition, Eve’s sorrow was greatly multiplied because she would personally witness—from that day forward—her children multiply in numbers (by divine decree) and in unspeakable debaucheries (because of her actions).

It is within this tragic backdrop that we are introduced to the very first religious ceremony performed in the Holy Bible.

Soon after Adam and Eve sinned, God sacrificed an animal (or animals) and covered our ancestral parents with the skin. This served as a temporary atonement or covering. This was, in fact, the first Yom Kippur. The life-blood of an innocent creature became a temporary payment or ransom for the life-blood of the criminal.

Why?

God explains:

“For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have therefore given it to you [to be placed] upon the altar, to atone for your souls. For it is the blood that atones for the soul” (Jewish Tanakh Leviticus 17:11; emphasis added).

Consequently, God’s judgment was temporarily postponed. This sacrificial offering provided a temporary stay of execution or covering until God himself provided the final sacrifice for the removal of sin. “But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (NKJV Hebrews 10:3–4).

God specifically warns that only human life can atone for human life. (Genesis 9:5-6).

This sacrificial ceremony was then repeated down through the ages until it was officially inducted into the Mosaic Law, where it continued year after year in Jerusalem (except when the Israelites were in exile) even until the temple was trodden down by Roman armies in 70 AD.

Thus, God’s judgment was transferred to an (innocent) creature—then to another and another—until God could provide himself a balanced substitute to redeem humanity, once and for all (Genesis 22:8).

He even called upon Abraham to sacrifice his son to give humanity another clear-cut Biblical witness and historical framework for his final sacrifice. Please note that God himself initiated both the sacrifice of Isaac and the ram. Amazingly, both of these sacrifices were then repeated on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). One goat was killed and the other, which represented Isaac— (e)scaped. Hence the term “scape goat.”

Before we explore the science underlying God’s breathtaking plan of redemption within Old Testament history, we must take a short detour.

Why Did God Create Evil?

You’ll find this verse tucked away in the Book of Isaiah. God says, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil . . .” (Isaiah 45:7).

Yikes!

God created evil?

Religious apologists the world over are rattled by this verse and hope that no one ever asks them to explain it. Why? Because it appears that God is the author of the world’s evils. There is no need to ask, “How can a loving God allow evil?”

Shucks, he created it!

Why Did God Create Evil—Or, Better Yet, Why Admit To It?

The Bible explains that God does not have love; he is love. Yes, love is a person. Similarly, God does not have light; he is light. That’s why, when God (Love) created the universe, there was no need for him to create light from scratch; it was already in existence. What did he do? He fashioned or formed the light to suit his purposes. For instance, back in Genesis, he used “light” to kick-start life, to set up the seven-day week, and so on.

On the other hand, notice that God purposely created evil (that is, the potential for evil or calamity or wrong).

Why?

Because evil did not yet exist!

It is also possible to argue that evil does not—and cannot—exist in God’s holy province.

In any case, why include the potential for evil within the very fabric of the universe where your children will soon reside?

To unlock this mystery we must first emphasize the fact that the light of God, like his love, holiness, or glory, is not an idle metaphor. It is real: as real as the burning heat of the Sun. Here is a glimpse of God in his human glorified form:

“His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” (NKJV Revelation 1:14–16).

The Bible also explains that no man has ever seen God, nor can see God (except in a form or theophany such as an angel or a fire or in his human incarnation). God is not a citizen of heaven. All heavenly realities proceed from him, and in his presence—we greatly suspect—no evil dare glint.

So why did he include the potential for evil within creation? Because love is not real unless free will is real!

Love is a choice. Without choice, love is only an illusion: there is only slavery and coercion. Free will gives us the option to love or to hate, to obey or not to obey. How could Adam and Eve choose to follow and obey God (and each other) if the potential for disobedience (or evil) was not genuine? Without free will there would be no dichotomy between love and hate or good and evil. Freedom would be an illusion, and God would be a great cosmic deceiver. And we would all be in big trouble.

“Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (NKJV Genesis 3:4–5).

The verse above clearly teaches that Eve was unaware of the effects or the experience (knowledge) of evil. The two trees represented the clear moral choices set before them: life or death, good or evil.

Because God subsequently laid down hundreds of laws to steer fallen man, atheists carelessly indict God as a “celestial dictator.”[52] But observe that God originally gave Adam one rule—one “don’t.” Don’t eat from that tree, sonny. No wonder Lucifer focused his cunning on Eve by using that very desire “. . . and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (NKJV Genesis 3:5).

One more thing.

From a physical perspective, it was necessary to include the potential for evil (choice) in the very fabric of the universe so that freedom, rebellion, and autonomy would flow through every level of reality. Natural selection and random mutations are two of its best-known examples. As mentioned earlier, this principle of free will also generates horrific disasters like cancer, earthquakes, predatory warfare, and—alas—human depravity (e.g. the holocaust and the abortion industry).

God could have created our dimension perfectly ordered like “the new heaven and the new earth,” (Revelation 21:1) where existence will transcend the dichotomy of good and evil. But the ability to choose (i.e., the potential for evil) was hard-wired directly into the informational building blocks of creation. Lucifer and a host of angels were dutifully appointed (or created at that time) to be God’s regents in our multi-dimensional universe. Lucifer did not become “a ruler” as a reward for his disobedience in heaven (or because of his super-powers or singing ability). He was originally appointed by God.

- “. . . the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

- “. . . the God of this world hath blinded the minds . . .” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Consider the strange dialogue in the Book of Job in which God allows Satan to do as he pleases, but cautions him not to kill Job (Job 1:12). And later, in the Book of Daniel, when Daniel prayed a mighty angel of God was dispatched from heaven to visit Daniel, but Satan’s generals held him back for 21 days (Daniel 10:12-13).

No doubt when God gave man dominion over creation, Lucifer’s hair went on fire. Fuming with rage and jealousy, he stepped out of his “first estate” (Jude 1:6) and entered into the Garden of Eden to deceive the first couple. He targeted Eve. It is also important to note that Eve was deceived, but Adam sinned willfully.

Lucifer’s plan was simple: thwart God’s plan by inciting Eve to sin. He used the same desire that brought him down “. . . ye shall be as Gods” (Genesis 3:5).

He still uses it today. This thirst for Godhood or Brahman is the driving force behind the success of the Mormon Church and many Eastern faiths.

It still works!

Run, Devil, Run!

While we’re wading out in the deep, we might as well debunk a few long-held misconceptions about the devil. It is often said that Satan was God’s right-hand, super-powerful angel. That is nonsense. He is merely an angelic general turned degenerate. Also, he is usually pictured as running things down in hell. This too is false. According to the Bible, Satan is ruling right here on Earth—albeit to a limited degree—in our governments, our multi-billion-dollar corporate entertainment complexes, and, regrettably, even in many religious institutions. Remember, he is called the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4)—not the god of hell.

One can also argue that Satan may never have been in heaven (at least not after going rogue). On the contrary, he was probably created to oversee our present, temporal universe. It seems quite absurd that a little degenerate and lecherous demon was running around in heaven—in the presence of a holy and formidable God—spreading evil, spewing bile, and plotting to overthrow the Almighty Creator! Plus, how could the devil secretly sneak around in heaven and sway leagues of angels to join him in his rebellion? That’s preposterous!

Q: But didn’t Satan enter heaven with the sons of God (angels) in the book of Job?

A: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them” (NKJV Job 1:6).

First of all, sin cannot enter heaven: “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (NKJV Revelation 21:27).

Secondly, we cannot assume that the scene from Job took place in heaven. Consider this: “then both men in the controversy shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days” (NKJV Deuteronomy 19:17).

God is everywhere.

Why isolate Adam in a garden?

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (NKJV Genesis 2:15).

We are back to our main theme. If God gave Adam and Eve dominion over the entire planet, why isolate them within the confines of a secluded Garden?

Who or what was he isolating them from?

It certainly wasn’t the devil. If God had tried to keep Satan out, Satan would have been kept out!

We know that the Garden was secluded, because after the Fall, God threw Adam and Eve out and blocked their way back in. “He drove out the man, and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (ESV Genesis 3:24).

Unlocking The Nephilim Controversy

Since, as we have argued, Adam was chosen from a primitive group of hominids (when nakedness was natural) to become the first fully sentient man and then isolated within the Garden of Eden to start the first human family, when Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden, guess who they would encounter living outside of the Garden?

Most likely the (pre-human) descendants of Adam’s former clan or some other closely related, sexually compatible hominids, such as Neanderthal or Denisovan. And what would happen if Adam’s (fully-human) sons began mating with the fair daughters of these archaic clans? No doubt, they would produce a strange, unnatural, genetic corruption: an unusual hybrid (explained in more detail below).

Well fasten your seatbelt again, because the next scene in Genesis has escaped the Earth’s gravity and ignited more flights of fancy than the folks behind the “Lost tomb of Jesus.” It is so bizarre that even God throws up his hands and decides to wipe out the human race with a flood.

Why?

Was it because these ancient men were unredeemable? Could they have been any worse than we 21st century people are?

Or was it because the human bloodstream was becoming polluted by this aberrant sexual union, which would have ultimately corrupted the promised seed of Eve and the entire human gene pool?

Let’s see: “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” (Genesis 6:12).

All flesh?

Yes, and it all began when the “sons of God” saw the daughters of men were fair (Genesis 6:2).

Next scene: They began to have sexual relations.

“There were ‘giants’ in the earth in those days; and also after that when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old men of renown” (Genesis 6:4).

The Hebrew word used to describe the hybrids produced by this corrupt sexual union is Nephilim (nᵉphîyl, nef-eel’).

The translators of the King James Bible called these peculiar offspring giants. The Hebrew word is derived from the root naphal, which means a strange fallen race. “In the Hebrew Bible and several non-canonical Jewish and early Christian writings, Nephilim (in Hebrew means The Fallen [ones]) are a people created by the cross-breeding of the ‘sons of God’ (beney ha’elohim) and the ‘daughters of men.’”[53]

Predictably, many religious commentators turn to dark, exciting mythos to announce that these Nephilim creatures were children of fallen angels who sneaked down to the Earth to have sex with Earth gals. What’s their proof? In the exceptionally poetic Book of Job, angels were referred to as the sons of God: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them” (NKJV Job 1:6).

Wishful thinking aside, angels are not sons of Yahweh! And we doubt whether God would refer to fallen angels (otherwise known as demons) who seek earthly women for sex and babies as “sons of God.”

In fact, Jesus taught the very opposite. He taught that when believers get to heaven they will be like angels. “For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven” (NLT Matthew 22:30; emphasis added). According to standard interpretations that use the whole counsel of God’s Word, angels do not have the ability to procreate, much less carry human semen.

If they are not “equipped” to father (or mother) baby angels in heaven, how would they be able to father human ones here on Earth? Angels are not even related to each other as “family members.” The Bible implies that angels are created as individual entities. Created, not born.

They don’t have mommies and daddies.

Another school of thought posits that the sons of God were the godly descendants of Seth. The males of Seth’s godly bloodline, they propose, began having sexual relations with the daughters of Cain, his evil brother. First off, there is no Biblical evidence whatsoever for God forbidding these two groups from intermixing. Second, this cannot account for their offspring becoming giants or “heroes of old, men of renown.” And third, they don’t sound too godly if God wiped out the entire stock, except for one man and his family!

So who are the “sons of God”? (We must confess that our view may not be as exciting as these popular theories.) Since the Bible views Adam as a son of God, then naturally his sons would be viewed as the sons of God. What could be plainer than that?

“Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God” (Luke 3:38).

And the “daughters of men” were simply the daughters of men; that is, a sexually compatible hominid group. Consequently, a strange hybrid race emerged. They were called Nephilim because they were unusually brawny, as hybrids usually are.

“Hybrids often have what is called hybrid vigour; they tend to be larger, faster-growing, and healthier than their parents. Thus, mules are bred for their strength, superior to that of either parent . . . nearly all corn and tomatoes grown today are hybrids that bear much larger fruit than their parental stock.”[54]

In any case, it began raining.

Perfect In His Generations?

In order to preserve the purity of the human gene pool (explained in more detail later), God had to move quickly—and ruthlessly. He searched for a family whose bloodline was still pure (genetically speaking) to preserve the holy seed from corruption. In Noah (which naturally included his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law), he found such a man.

Why did God choose Noah?

The Bible explains that it was because Noah was perfect.

Perfect?

The Hebrew word is tamim, which means “without blemish as to breed or pedigree.”[55] In other words, it is not used in an ethical sense but in regards to an animal being pure. It does not identify Noah as being “morally” perfect (like God), but perfect “in his generations.”

In his bloodline. (This fact was also recognized by Arthur Custance.[*])

“This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations . . .” (Genesis 6:9; emphasis added).

Interestingly, archaeological evidence points to a mass extinction of various closely-related hominid branches occurring sometime between the appearance of modern humans (about 50,000 to 70,000 years ago) and a wave of migration out of Africa that led to the colonization of Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. For what it’s worth, this ancient diaspora seems remarkably consistent with the next event in the Genesis account. Soon After the flood, God miraculously gave various human groups different languages (they began to speak in new tongues) and scattered them “abroad upon the face of all the earth.” [**]

* See “The Seed Of The Woman;”Arthur Custance Online Library; https://custance.org/Library/SOTW/Part_III/chapter22.html; pg 17. Disclaimer: Links to Arthur Custance Online Library are being provided as a convenience; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval of this online library.

** Suggested Resource (no affiliation): Link 1.

Searching For Grandma

Before continuing, we must briefly return to the Garden of Eden.

Just before Eve makes her miraculous appearance in the Book of Genesis, God laments, “It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him” (GNT Genesis 2:18).

Can someone please tell us why God is rationalizing that Adam might need a wife?

If you think this is unusual, consider the next statement: “Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam. . . . but for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him” (NKJV Genesis 2:19–20).

Let’s be sensible here.

Surely God knew that Adam would need a mate, right? Then why did he tell Adam to choose a helpmeet from out in the jungle and, while seeking a mate, to name the animals? How could Adam find a mate out there if the jungle was only filled with apes, baboons, and orangutans?

Why would God encourage bestiality? This would not only be a serious indictment against his character but it would also cast a mighty long shadow on the integrity of the Bible. Unless, of course, there were potential mates somewhere out there for Adam to choose from! No wonder the Bible swiftly declares, “. . . but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him” (NASB Genesis 2:19). For the Spirit-filled, fully-sentient child of God, there was no going back to grunts and cave lice.

God decided to make a helpmeet.

Eve, our ancestral mother, was a miracle in every sense of the word. Here’s a short list: Adam’s name is etymologically linked to dirt or mud because he came from the earth. Eve, on the other hand, means life because she was taken from life, that is, from the side of a living person. Adam evolved somewhere out in the world; Eve was formed in Paradise. Eve was, in fact, God’s final masterpiece in the creation narratives.

Unraveling The Science Of Immortality

Building on God’s Holy Word, modern genetics, and the work of great theologians—such as St. Augustine, John Calvin, and Arthur Custance, we will now explore the astonishing genetic link that connects Eve to a miraculous child born in Bethlehem thousands of years later. We are introduced to this intriguing motif by the very first prophecy found in the Holy Bible: “And I shall place hatred between you and between the woman, and between your seed and between her seed . . .” (Jewish Tanakh Genesis 3:15).

Again, we must remind the reader that this section is not a crypto-feminine empowerment polemic. (So put your “aha” speech down.) God has laid out clearly defined roles for men and women in the Bible (Ephesians 5:23–24). We are simply following the biochemical trail that linked Eve to her future “seed of promise.” And in the meantime, we might as well correct a long overdue and unfair indictment of God’s treatment of women.

Clue #1: God attached a specific Messianic promise to the seed of the woman (Eve) and not to the seed of the man (Adam). Surely, the prophecy should include Adam. In spite of everything, he is still the father of the human race. Yet, oddly, he was completely left out!

Clue #2: Was it by sheer coincidence that God stepped out of heaven to personally form Eve completely outside of the normal reproductive process—that is, from a man alone? Then thousands of years later, Eve’s future seed (Messiah) was born from a woman alone.[*] Also outside of the normal reproductive process. And also by direct divine intervention. And both mothers are directly linked by the very first prophecy in the Bible!

Standard Birth

Male + female = child

Two Unique Births (In All History)

Eve (divinely) formed from a man alone

Jesus (divinely) formed from a woman alone

Clue #3: One may wonder, why did God make Adam first, then Eve? Because, leaving aside the theological nuances, it would have irreparably breached his own natural laws to do things in the reverse order. To form a man from the flesh of a woman, she would have to provide the Y sex chromosome. (The Y sex chromosome contains blueprints for the male reproductive system, including those for sperm development.) Women do not carry the Y chromosome; they carry two X chromosomes. Men, on the contrary, carry both the X and Y chromosomes.

- Female sex chromosomes: XX

- Male sex chromosomes: XY

Clue #4: When Eve was miraculously formed from Adam’s rib, she naturally received his X and Y chromosomes. But she only needed the X chromosome. What happened to the Y chromosome?

* Suggested Resource (no affiliation): “The Seed Of The Woman” found at Arthur Custance Online Library (HTML); https://custance.org/Library/SOTW/Index.html#Page2

Out of Eden

Young Earth Creationists, are you still here? You can breathe a huge sigh of relief. In a very weak sense, the human race did not spring from monkeys; we sprang from the womb of a divinely-made, miraculous woman named Eve!

How Could Adam Leave Mother And Father And Cling To His Wife?

If Adam was created instantly (i.e., if he had no parents), then the pronouncement spoken in the Garden, “that a man should leave mother and father and cleave to one’s wife,” would be highly ridiculous. How could Adam leave father and mother if he had none? Notice that the statement did not address Eve. How could it? Eve, on the other hand, had no parents!

Hence, though the genealogical records—a pivotal part of the Biblical mandate chronicling the historical pre-eminence of the seed of promise—began with Adam, as head and designated ruler of creation by divine appointment, it flowed from Eve and her seed, not his. No wonder Eve is called “the mother of the living” (Genesis 3:20), whereas Adam is known as the father of the dying: “By one man . . . death passed upon all men” (Romans 5:12).

The Mitochondrial Dna Story

In this section, we will learn why Eve’s eggs (i.e., her unborn children), which already existed in her body, were spared the physical consequences of the “Fall” and why God’s breathtaking plan to redeem humanity was transferred down through the ages by women.

Yes, women are the unsung heroes of the Bible.

Anticipating the forces of darkness, the Creator kept everyone’s eyes on the outstanding patriarchs, warriors, and priests of the Holy Bible while secretly protecting the promised seed of Israel as it traveled down through the corridors of Jewish history via the female bloodline, that is, within the mitochondrial genetic material.

It began with Eve.

And ended with Mary.

The Truth About Immortality

Before continuing, we must examine the Bible’s assertion that Adam and Eve were physically immortal. The concept of physical immortality may seem deeply religious.

It isn’t.

Do you know that life on Earth began physically immortal?

The very first life form that God seeded in the ocean was gifted with an endless physical life. They still are! As scholars Pierre Lecomte du Noüy and Arthur Custance pointed out, unicellular microbes are essentially immortal, dividing again and again through binary fission without ever leaving corpses behind. (Also, see the “immortal jellyfish” Turritopsis dohrnii and Henrietta Lacks.)

Here is the thing though, especially for those who see the story of Adam and Eve as a dreamy chapter in the Bible, far removed from reality. Even though these primeval life forms are endowed with an endless life, they can still starve to death or be killed. Simply put, they are not truly immortal. They are only physically immortal as long as the conditions of life (i.e., food, water, etc.) are properly maintained.

Similarly, even though Adam and Eve could have lived indefinitely, they would have died if they had stopped eating or if an asteroid or a boulder fell on them.

The breath of God (i.e., the Spirit) did not give them physical longevity; the tree of life did.

“And the LORD God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever’” (NIV Genesis 3:22).

If they were truly immortal, why eat? Could they have lopped off each other’s hands and feet and still lived? Or dived off cliffs for fun?

The simple truth is that the same God who gave the first life form the potential for an endless life restored that same (or similar) biochemical potential to humans via the tree of life.

Evidently, God gave them a prolonged lifespan knowing that one way or another, because of free will, humanity would eventually rebel against him. Notice that even though they were banished from the Garden, they continued living for many years because of the enzymes (from the tree of life) that were already in their bloodstreams. Adam clocked in 930 years. Then, as expected, without access to the tree of life, the human lifespan began to slowly decline.

You might be thinking, but isn’t this account of vast lifespans originating from a tree somewhat farfetched? Interestingly, scientists have recently discovered a living tree that is about 13,000 years old!

“It began life during the last ice age, long before man turned to agriculture and built the first cities in the fertile crescent of the Middle East. It was already thousands of years old when the Egyptians built their pyramids and the ancient Britons erected Stonehenge. The Jurupa Oak tree first sprouted into life when much of the world was still covered in glaciers. It has stood on its windswept hillside in southern California for at least 13,000 years, making it the oldest known living organism. . . .”[56]

Crime And Punishment

“We are not punished for our sins, but by them.”

— Elbert Hubbard (1856 – 1915)

In a moral universe, justice demands some form of compensation for wrong-doing. In other words, what we sow, we reap. Adam had to pay.

Unless someone was willing to stand in his place.

But who could possibly redeem Adam (and his descendants) when, to be a fair and balanced substitute, the redeemer must be completely free from sin and judgment. That is, his substitute must be exactly as Adam was (or greater) before the Fall.

So what was the pre-fall Adam like? Here is a breakdown:

Adam (Before The Fall )

- He was 100 % human.

- He was without sin.

- He was gifted with the Spirit of immortality.

HIS SUBSTITUTE/REDEEMER (the second adam)

- Must be 100% human

- Must be without sin

- Must have the Spirit (of immortality)

The Other Side Of Death

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (ESV Romans 5:12).

Humanity was doomed.

The writer of the Book of Job looked at the human tragedy and cried, “. . . how can he be clean that is born of a woman” (Job 25:4)?

How, indeed? How could God provide himself a (sinless) human to redeem Adam and his descendants when everyone who proceeded out of Adam’s loins would be defiled and in need of a savior for themselves?

For the scientific groundwork of this mystery, we are deeply grateful to Arthur Custance[*] and the eminent biologist August Weismann.

We’ll keep it simple. No rock climbing.

1. Males produce sperm as they mature, and continue to do so throughout their lives.

2. Females, on the contrary, do not continuously produce new eggs as they age. The number (of eggs) is already set from birth. They are formed before birth. Normally, one of these eggs ripens each menstrual cycle, and is released during ovulation.

This is a must-read description:

“Both eggs and sperm form from the same kind of initial cells present in the embryos. But while in case of females the eggs are formed before birth, in case of males the sperm is produced after birth. Unlike sperm, the eggs are produced in a limited number; women are born with a certain number of eggs that are then released one by one (occasionally two) at each ovulation.”[57]

The point here is this: unlike Adam, all of Eve’s eggs (the biological houses for her future children) were already in her ovaries.

They were already formed.

Adam, on the other hand, continued to produce new sperm as he aged. This is critical, because it unlocks the mystery behind this verse. “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world . . .” (Romans 5:12).

You might be thinking, “This isn’t fair!” How come the fallen nature was released into the human bloodstream only through Adam? Weren’t they both involved? In fact, Eve disobeyed first. And from the rest of the narrative, it’s obvious that she also suffered the natural consequences of the Fall.

First of all, Eve did not sin willfully. She was tempted. Duped. Swindled. Conned. The Bible confirms this: “However, I’m afraid that as the snake deceived Eve . . .” (GW 2 Corinthians 11:3). And second, how could a just and holy God hold Eve accountable when he knew that she was conned? He did not!

But did she get a free pass?

Nope. She too suffered the natural consequences of her actions.

Here’s the thing. Because of God’s perfect justice and integrity, the eggs of her unborn children—which were already present in her body—were entirely spared!

They remained pure, innocent, and undefiled and free from judgment.

It’s worth restating that if Eve’s eggs were produced after she became defiled (like males), her eggs, too, would have been defiled.

Thus, the menstrual cycle is not a curse, as viewed by some groups. On the contrary, the female reproductive system played a critical, life-and-death role in God’s plan to rescue the human family from eternal doom.

Thank God for his daughters.

In this regard, God allowed humanity to catch tiny glimpses of his intriguing plan through modern science (even though, admittedly, we are looking “through a glass darkly”) and by various prophecies beginning with this one: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise HIS heel” (Genesis 3:15; emphasis added).

Translation: One day, Eve’s future seed will be wounded by the devil, but the (promised) seed will put an end to Satan’s reign.

You’re probably thinking that during sexual reproduction, 23 of the male chromosomes must mix with 23 of the female chromosomes to form the baby. Therefore, everyone would be automatically contaminated by Adam’s sperm cells, thus tainting any hope of producing an unpolluted child to redeem humanity. It was, by definition, impossible!

This is another important description.

“Whenever an egg cell is fertilized, nuclear chromosomes from a sperm cell enter the egg and combine with the egg’s nuclear DNA, producing a mixture of both parents’ genetic code. The (male) mtDNA from the sperm cell, however, is left behind, outside of the egg cell (where it dies). So the fertilized egg contains a mixture of the father and mother’s nuclear DNA and an exact copy of the mother’s mtDNA, but none of the father’s mtDNA.”[58]

As mentioned, Adam’s genetic material (like all males) contained both the X and Y chromosomes (XY).

However, like all females, Eve only needed the X chromosomes when she was formed (XX). In female mammals, one of the two X chromosomes is essentially inactivated.

So when God formed Eve from Adam’s rib, what happened to the Y chromosomes naturally embedded within the cells?

They were divinely inactivated until “the fullness of time.”

To execute his plan, it is evident that God chose the mitochondrial material of Eve to divinely preserve the original genetic information of the pre-fall Adam (including his Y chromosome) so that the promised seed would remain pure and spotless (from the Adamic poison) as it traveled down through the female bloodline.

“Unlike nuclear DNA, which is a unique combination of both parents’ genomes, mitochondrial DNA (or mtDNA) is passed down through the mother, is derived almost exclusively from her egg, and typically remains unchanged from one generation to the next. Mutations in a woman’s mtDNA are inherited by her child, and so far there has been no way to cure these conditions or stop their transmission.”[59]

To legally authenticate the bloodline of the Messianic seed, the Gospel writer Matthew mapped out the lineage of Jesus through Joseph, his legal father by adoption.

This is a major roadblock for us.

This genealogy ends at Father Abraham. But, as we know, the genealogy of Jesus must link Mary to Eve, not Joseph to Abraham. Joseph is not even the biological father of Jesus!

It seems that all the highly celebrated Rabbinical critics of Jesus were right after all.

What now?

Watch this.

God dialed Luke’s phone number.

Startlingly, Luke, the inspired writer of the third gospel, stepped out of cultural protocol and religious tradition to carefully map out the genealogical records of Mary—a woman—and to judiciously seal her sacred bloodline into his Gospel. If you follow the genealogical records of Jesus inscribed in Luke 3:23–38, you will notice that this bloodline goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden—to Adam, and of course, to his wife Eve!

The Trouble With Eve

“Eve was more likely a dark-haired, black-skinned woman, roaming a hot savannah in search of food. She was as muscular as Martina Navratilova, maybe stronger; she might have torn animals apart with her hands.”[60]

The Old Testament is nothing more than the history of the promised seed of Eve. End of discussion. Just as nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolutionary science,[61] Biblical history makes little sense outside of the importance of this holy seed.

God used the remarkable genetic link connecting Jewish (and some genetically unpolluted gentile) women to execute an incredible plan to rescue the entire human family from doom. (Still, the choice is yours.) And, as we alluded to earlier, even though the Jewish genealogical records flowed along the male, Abrahamic bloodline, as a point of law, it was the female bloodline (wives and daughters) that carried the promised seed; the only true hope for humanity.

For no other reason than this, God goes radioactive to protect this sacred bloodline throughout the Old Testament.

* Important Resource (no affiliation): https://custance.org/Library/SOTW/Index.html#Page3

The Vicious God: Part 1

From the moment Adam and Eve began to produce offspring, God began to providentially plot the course of the sacred bloodline containing the original, uncontaminated seed.

The Stage Was Now Set

If by some fortuitous conjunction of events the promised seed was miraculously fertilized, the child would be free from the Adamic sin-poison and thus be 100% pure and undefiled.

Time passed.

Generations came and went.

Until Mary.

Was Mary Sinless?

No. Although the papacy seems to elevate her with fresh vigor and unheard of accolades year after year, the Blessed Virgin was not sinless, as billions believe.

How could she be?

Even though she was blessed above all women and highly chosen of God, Mary was conceived like everyone else. That is, by a human father. Hence, she received 23 of her father’s sin-polluted chromosomes.

Like the rest of the human family, Mary, too, needed a savior.

As a matter of fact, any woman could have been selected for this honor if she had fulfilled all of the genealogical qualifications and divine precursors, such as covenants and ceremonies, attached to the sacred bloodline or genotype. What’s more, the only significance of Mary being a virgin was that it unquestionably confirmed the pure and undefiled nature of God’s human incarnation. Knowing the heart of man, God chose the Virgin Mary so that there would be no imperfections or opportunities for his enemies to exploit. But, as Custance also noted, the issue is not that a virgin conceived a baby, but that a young woman—who, indeed, was a virgin—conceived a baby who lacked a human father.

“Therefore, the Lord, of His own, shall give you a sign; behold, the young woman [unmarried virgin] is with child, and she shall bear a son, and she shall call his name Immanuel [עִמָּנוּאֵל or God is with us]” (Jewish Tanakh Isaiah 7:14).

We must repeat: the important issue is not that Mary was a virgin, but that a young woman (unmarried virgin) conceived a baby without the benefit of a human father.

On this point, God did not leave his one-of-a-kind, unconventional human incarnation without a Biblical witness or legal precedent. As we noted earlier, God himself descended to the Earth to personally form Eve—from a man alone. This was to give the world an unshakable point of reference and Biblical witness for his own unique incarnation—from a woman alone.

It is scripturally self-evident that God prepared for himself his own future body (the Logos) which was then sealed within the promised seed of Eve.[*]

Amazingly, God not only successfully bypassed the sin-polluted nature conveyed by humanity, but he also protected the baby’s blood from contamination during Mary’s pregnancy. During pregnancy, the placenta naturally separates the mother’s blood from mixing with her baby’s blood.[**]

Jesus was made like sinful flesh; not in sinful flesh (Romans 8:3).

* Important Resource (no affiliation): “The Meaning Of The Hebrew Word Almah”https://jewishroots.net/library/prophecy/isaiah/isaiah-7-14/the-meaning-of-almah.html.

** See (no affiliation) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53254/.

The Vicious God: Part 2

The Journey Of The Chosen Seed From Eve To Mary

With the fate of the entire human family hanging in the balance, it was imperative that God protect the sacred bloodline carrying the promised seed. There was no room for failure. Come hell or high water. It was obey or die—now! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, earthquakes and floods. Page after page, we are greeted by a no-nonsense headmaster-like, grumpy old grandfather figure who wasted no time laying down the law. Some were even etched in stone! The huge volume of Mosaic laws was handed down with one purpose in mind: to prevent this sacred bloodline from descending into spiritual and physical adulteries with the heathen nations around them, and also among themselves.

“They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood” (Psalm 106:34-8).

Some of these nations were not only sources of constant hostilities but of hedonistic lure. For this reason, God established one bloodline with one man: Abraham. It’s not hard to do the math here. Clearly, recognizing the depravity of man, God knew that it would be easier to steer one man and his bloodline than to steer the entire planet:

“And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him” (Genesis 17:19; emphasis added).

The Jews were then saddled with a plethora of strict blood laws and cultural regulations to protect the sacred bloodline. These laws included extreme dietary regulations, holy days, warnings about marriage outside of the blood community, strict hygienic practices, and other finely crafted religious traditions. Even though God knew that by being uncompromising with the Jews and the nations around them, he would be viewed as a “petty, unjust and a bloodthirsty, sadomasochistic ethnic cleanser,”[62] still, he was determined to protect our only hope—at any cost.

Truth be told, everyone was doomed anyway.

Including us.

Rules! Rules! Rules!

- “Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves” (ESV Numbers 31:17–18).

- “Encamp outside the camp seven days. Whoever of you has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. You shall purify every garment, every article of skin, all work of goats’ hair, and every article of wood” (ESV Numbers 31:19–20).

How Do Jews ACCOUNT FOR The Extensive Laws And Regulations Given To Them And Which They Endlessly Violated?

“The short answer to why Jews observe these laws is because the Torah says so. The Torah does not specify a reason for these laws but for an observant Jew there is no need for a reason—Jews show their belief and obedience to God by following the laws even though they do not know the reason.”[63]

Did You Know That There Are Two Forms Of Death?

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil” (NIV Hebrews 2:14).

The question about death and the afterlife is perhaps the greatest area of disparity between the Bible and Scientific Atheism. Consider this statement made by Jesus: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and I have the keys of hell and death” (Revelation 1:18).

Let’s be honest; this has to be the most provocative statement anyone can ever make. Sure, it’s important to know how we got here. But according to the Bible, only one person has the keys to open our graves and usher us into the next dimension.

Jesus.

The Difference Between “Sin” And “Sins”

In the opening words of his book, God gave us the keys to unlock creation, salvation, evolution, and so on. But can these keys also unlock the secrets of death and the afterlife?

Recall that Adam had two natures (or images). When Adam first sinned against God, he died spiritually. That was Adam’s first “death.” Then years later, without access to the tree of life, he slowly succumbed to cellular deterioration and died physically.

Two deaths.

Naturally, it was incumbent on Jesus, who was manifested to pay the cost for Adam’s release, to bear the full penalty for Adam’s transgression. Because of man’s rebellion, as noted earlier, God instituted the first Yom Kippur ceremony. The Jewish priesthood was then instructed to repeat this ceremony year after year by offering up two goats as a temporary “stay of execution” for the entire nation.[*]

“For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have therefore given it to you [to be placed] upon the altar, to atone for your souls. For it is the blood that atones for the soul” ( Jewish Tanakh Leviticus 17:11).

The first goat was killed and its life-blood became a temporary payment or penalty for Adam’s (original) Sin when he became spiritually disconnected (or separated) from God. That was Adam’s first “death.”

The second goat, on the other hand, was not killed. The high priest verbally laid “all” the sins of the nation on its head, and then it was taken out of the city and banished into the wilderness to die a physical death. The second goat was to (symbolically) carry away the sins of the nation. A scarlet cloth or thread was attached to its body to warn anyone who might try to rescue it. (The possibility of this goat returning to Jerusalem indicates that this system of atonement was neither perfect nor permanent.) This second goat represented Adam’s second death—after he was banished from the Garden. This, of course, became a yearly ceremony to temporarily atone for the sins of Israel.

First Offering: For Sin

“Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat” (Leviticus 16:15; emphasis added).

Second Offering: For Sins

“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:21; emphasis added).

* According to the Holy Bible, there are clear distinctions between (original) sin and (man’s subsequent) sins; and between Spiritual death and Natural death. The following discussion is also drawn from the works of Arthur Custance, St. Augustine, Calvin, and many other brilliant thinkers. 1: Arthur Custance: “Two Men Called Adam” (Ch 15); https://custance.org/Library/2MEN/index.html#Abstract. 2: St. Augustine: Classic Christian Library: The Works of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo - Vol. 4; “A Treatise On The Merits and Forgiveness Of Sins, And The Baptism Of Infants”

:https://archive.org/details/worksofaurelius04augu/page/6/mode/2up. 3: John Calvin: “John Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion Book 2;” (See Ch 1; Section 4) :https://trinityinyou.com/john-calvins-institutes-of-christian-religion-book-2/#inst2_1_4.

THE FIRST “DEATH” OF JESUS

Spiritual Death: The eternal Spirit separated himself from his human body.

“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying . . . ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (NKJV Matthew 27:45–46).

THE SECOND DEATH OF JESUS

Physical Death: Jesus died physically.

“And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last” (NKJV Luke 23:46).

When Darkness Covered The Earth

Now, let’s return to Calvary.

For three hours, thick darkness covered the Earth as God separated himself from his human form.

When Jesus cried, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” he wasn’t being poetic or reciting the Psalms. Like Adam, the Messiah of Israel was experiencing true separation from his eternal and omnipresent Spirit.

This may trigger a firestorm of protest; but it seems reasonable to deduce that in some inexplicable and spiritual extent, when Jesus became our substitute, it was incumbent that he bear the dreadful consequences of our sins. And the immediate consequence of Adam’s (original) Sin was not physical death but spiritual death. That is, Adam became spiritually separated from God’s eternal and omnipresent Spirit. Otherwise, our salvation on Calvary would have been imperfect and invalid.

Ronald W. Leigh wrote:

“It is important to realize that it was not Christ’s physical death wherein he substituted for us. If that were the case, believers would not have to die physically. Remember that the punishment for sin is primarily spiritual death, that is, separation from God.”[64]

When the eternal God and Creator of our cosmos went to the cross for us (as a human being), he held back nothing. He gave up his throne, his omnipresence, his omniscience, his rights, his dignity, his blood, and even his very life—for us.

“Who hath believed our report?” Isaiah cried.

“All we like sheep have gone astray . . . and the LORD [the high priest] has laid on Him [the scapegoat] the iniquity of us all” (NKJV Isaiah 53:6; emphasis added).

“He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth; [to protest his innocence; but willingly accepted the death sentence, despite its gross injustice.] He was led as a lamb to the slaughter . . . For the transgression of My people was He stricken” (NKJV Isaiah 53:7-8; emphasis added).

“And I will pour upon the house of David . . . the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son . . .” (Zechariah 12:10; emphasis added).

Yes, Jesus died on the cross. But the cross did not take his life. He willingly gave it up for us.

“No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again . . .” (CEV John 10:18).

What does this mean?

Jesus is your “RESTART” button.

The Final Bridge

clues to existence in the next universe

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned” (NIV John 5:28–29).

Examining the resurrection of Israel’s Messiah and the events that unfolded prior to his ascension, we can safely conclude that existence in the next dimension seems to be somewhat built upon or linked to the physics and chemistry of this present universe.

God seemed to go to great lengths to resurrect his brutally-beaten, incarnate form and then dazzled it up with immortality. Surely he could have given himself and believers completely new forms rather than resurrect these broken-down, old jalopies. Therefore, we greatly suspect that the next universe may have a semi-physical component and be both timeless and boundless (i.e., geographically limitless), part natural and part supernatural, and probably filled with endless worlds with exotic creatures (perhaps even flying horses).

You may wonder why the Bible is so alarmingly silent about the next universe. It is because our eternal home is not meant to be a place to feast on ice cream clouds and cheesecake mountains, but a place where we will meet and fellowship with our heavenly Dad.

“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . .” (NIV Revelation 21:1).

Humanity should be overjoyed to know that God did not leave it up to human ingenuity for us to find him and experience a taste of eternity. As explained in chapter 2, God offers a real and tangible down payment, as it were, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit right here and right now. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the gift of Spiritual immortality.

It seems that at the end of the age, the original body and soul of the believer will be re-activated to produce the most marvelous, immortalized, supernaturally rewired, miraculous form possible. If you think getting here is a miracle, wait until you get to the other side.

“For You shall not forsake my soul to the grave; You shall not allow Your pious one to see the pit” (Jewish Tanakh Psalms 16:10).

The Materialistic Roadmap

1. The Big Bang creation event began the universe (cause unknown/accident).

2. Life began (cause unknown/accident).

3. Life advanced towards greater complexity (by luck/accident).

4. We die (destination unknown).

The Biblical Roadmap (Journey)

1. “In the beginning was the word” (i.e., Logos). The Word/information launched the Big Bang creation event that eventually unveiled time, carbon-based life forms, DNA, sentience, etc.

2. A league of angels (Satan and crew) was created (or commissioned) to be God’s emissaries in this universe.

3. The first microbial life was seeded in the primordial ocean.

4. Life evolved by divine decree (using information) to oversee various physical processes, including genetic mutation and natural selection.

5. Adam was chosen from an early hominid clan to become the first fully human, immortal being by God’s Spirit (breath).

6. God formed Eve miraculously.

7. Satan deceived Eve.

8. “The Fall” of man: Adam (including Eve and their offspring) became disconnected from the Spirit of immortality.

9. The light went out; spiritual darkness covered the Earth.

10. Adam and Eve died physically.

11. The light returned in Bethlehem.

12. The blood of Jesus was shed for man’s redemption.

13. The resurrection confirmed man’s redemption.

14. Immortality is restored through our obedience to Acts 2:38.

15. Believers receive immortalized bodies on “the last day.”

16. The Judgment comes.

17. The present universe will be dissolved.

18. Home.

SECTION THREE

Answering The Tough Questions

Is The Bible Free Of Error?

God did not write the Bible. He inspired his servants to write it: “No prophecy ever originated from humans. Instead, it was given by the Holy Spirit as humans spoke under God’s direction” (GW 2 Peter 1:21). Generally, the Spirit did not dictate the words of the Bible, only specific instructions or truths. These truths were then expressed through the prophets’ intellect and divinely guided by the Holy Spirit.

Bear in mind that God uses imperfect human vessels who are constrained by their own cultural and educational backgrounds to preserve, copy, and translate the original, divinely inspired autographs.

However, based on the statement that God swore that he would keep his Word from generation to generation in spite of human fragilities (Psalms 119:89) —and because of the surprisingly large number of early manuscripts that have survived—it is easy to see why many Biblical scholars recognize the beauty and grandeur of the King James Bible among the English translations, in spite of a few disputed verses (e.g., 1 John 5:7 and Mark 16:9-20).

Is Israel The Suffering Servant Of Isaiah 53?

“He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken” (Isaiah 53:8: emphasis added).

Isaiah declares, “. . . for the transgression of my people was he stricken.” There is a clear distinction between “he” and “my people.”

“. . . And the LORD hath made to light on him The iniquity of us all” (Jewish Tanakh Isaiah 53:6: emphasis added).

Proponents of modern Judaism claim that the context of the entire book of Isaiah points to a remnant of Israel as “the suffering” servant. But how can a nation, who God divorced and pronounced desperately wicked, bear the sins of others? (See Jeremiah 3:8, Isaiah 50:1, and Daniel 9:24-27.)

“Woe to a sinful nation, a people heavy with iniquity, evildoing seed, corrupt children. They forsook the Lord; they provoked the Holy One of Israel; they drew backwards” (Jewish Tanakh Isaiah 1:4).

When God fulfilled the promise to usher in a New Covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31-34), he chose a remnant of physical Israel (i.e., Abraham’s physical descendants) to become the firstfruits of spiritual Israel. Now, the door to the heavenly Jerusalem is open to all—both Jew and gentile.

if the Bible teaches that everyone shall be put to death for his own sins, how could Jesus die for our sins?

“The soul that sins, it shall die; a son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and a father shall not bear the iniquity of the son . . .” (Jewish Tanakh Ezekiel 18:20).

Without a doubt, no man can die for another man’s sin because all men are guilty before God! Jesus, however, was sinless! Thus “the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

God reserves the right to govern, not only life and death, but also all forms of justice. (See Deuteronomy 32:39.)

For instance, in the Book of Exodus, God intentionally instituted the Passover sacrifice to demonstrate that you can be saved from his judgment—not by prayer and repentance alone—but by offering a substitutional sacrifice of blood. No ifs or buts.

Yom Kippur, the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar, was God’s only prescription for the (temporary) atonement “for all sins.” There was no other sacrifice like this, which involved both a living and a dying goat. “For on this day, he shall effect atonement for you to cleanse you. Before the Lord, you shall be cleansed from all your sins” (Jewish Tanakh Leviticus 16:30; emphasis added).

After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the only religious sect that survived was primarily the Pharisees (the fathers of modern-day Rabbinic Judaism). With the dissolution of the temple, priesthood, and sacrificial system, the new, resourceful Rabbinical sect fashioned a religious system (which was conceived in Babylon) based solely on prayer, repentance, and good works to replace God’s system of blood atonement.

“God saving man” was replaced with “man saving himself.”

if god hates human sacrifice, how could jesus pay for our sins?

Here are seven brief distinctions:

1. In every case of human sacrifice, instead of sacrificing themselves to save their children, people sacrificed their children as food to demons!

2. Jesus did not die as a burnt offering on a pagan altar. He was arrested, tried, beaten, and sentenced to death on a Roman cross.

3. Every day, people put their own lives on the line for others, or die willingly in their attempt to save another person’s life (e.g., law enforcement officers, firemen, and Doctors Without Borders). This is in fact honorable and virtuous. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

4. God initiated his own redemptive plan (in the Garden of Eden) to save humanity!

5. When God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, it served as a Biblical foundation and precursor of the final sacrifice.

6. Jesus willingly offered himself as an eternal sacrifice to redeem humanity. (Incidentally, unlike the yearly sacrificial offering, only an infinite being could offer an infinite atonement.)

7. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah shall bear our iniquities: “. . . when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. . . . He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:10-11).

WHY DID JESUS DIE FOR OUR SINS IF GOD CAN SIMPLY FORGIVE US

What if all the courts in the world simply forgive every offender: murderers, drug dealers, bandits, etc.—just because they ask for forgiveness? In actual fact, forgiveness is only part of the solution. Adam became polluted when he sinned. Because there was no propitiation for sin, the quickening Spirit that once gave him eternal life could no longer reside in his sin-contaminated soul.

The day of atonement only covered “unintentional” sins; therefore, only “unintentional” sins can be forgiven and forgotten through the atoning sacrifice of jesus christ

Actually, the death sentence was quite often meted out to those who intentionally opposed God’s commandments within ancient Israel. However, on the Day of Atonement, God’s mercy (provisionally) atoned for all sins—intentional and unintentional—for the faithful and penitent.[**]

Truth be told, almost every sin we commit is in fact intentional!

“For on this day (Yom Kippur), he shall effect atonement for you to cleanse you . . . from all your sins” (Jewish Tanakh Leviticus 16:30; emphasis added).

Why did god create adam and eve if he knew that they would sin and bring about so much pain and suffering?

Should we refrain from having children because we know that they are often rebellious and arrogant? Of course not. Besides, we can safely deduce that God knew what would happen and that this particular historical outline (even with the unceasing wickedness of man) would still bring about his goal.

Isn’t slavery overlooked in the bible?

(See “Answering the tough questions” in chapter 4.)

what about genesis 1:6-7? [***]

These verses, along with Genesis 2:5-6, describe the genesis of the Earth’s water cycle.

How were believers saved before christ?

Every year, on the Day of Atonement, the sons of Aaron offered up the blood of bulls and goats to atone for the sins of the faithful and penitent. Throughout the year, Jews also brought various offerings to atone for their sins. Some were voluntary and others were obligatory. The Bible explains, however, that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away man’s sins. These sacrifices were provisional, pointing to God’s perfect sacrifice to remove sin once and for all. Hence, believers who died before the cross could not enter God’s eternal realm. They either went to sleep (John 5:28) or were sent to Abraham’s bosom (see Proverbs 30:4, Ephesians 4:8-10, 1 Peter 3:18-20, and Luke 16:22-26).

Where does the soul come from?

We cannot fully understand the nature and origin of the soul without first understanding the nature and origin of consciousness. Here is a short survey of the cognitive functions that educators associate with consciousness:

- Experiences such as pleasure, pain, attitude, bias, belief

- Intuition, self-reflexive awareness, self-sense/identity

- Curiosity, purpose, will

- Bliss, misery, suffering, hope, compassion, appreciation

- Ethics, morality, choice, values

- Imagination, vision, inspiration

The soul, in the Biblical framework (and in most cultures), is defined as the inner self or the reservoir of the mind (or consciousness) that stores the real you. In a sense, your soul is all that you are if your body were pulled out from under you. Just as the neural architecture of your consciousness processes information and physical sensations—such as seeing, hearing, and smelling—your soul processes your inner life. Beyond the physical senses. Beyond its basic computational threshold.

Put another way, just as your physical body likes a good massage, the “inner you” seeks to be appreciated and loved, and to seek out the purpose for your existence.

It is your soul that knows the difference between right and wrong, stores unforgiveness, and pairs with your spiritual life. The effects of a good massage can be physically monitored and thoroughly verified by the empirical tools of science, but the need to be appreciated or loved cannot. Therefore, most atheistic scientists either flatly deny the existence of the soul or try to define it in terms of sheer physics and chemistry (for example, Steven Pinker). [65]

Where did consciousness come from?

Atheistic scientists and thinkers are convinced that human consciousness is a product of our evolutionary past. They are 100% correct. It is indeed the neural wiring of the brain that produces consciousness (even the functionality of the soul): no wiring, no consciousness. Our thoughts and emotions are not levitating in the air above our heads.

What’s more, this view is in perfect harmony with the Holy Bible, which asserts that even lower organisms have souls (nephesh) and therefore, in a very limited but evolutionary sense, must have some degree of consciousness (Genesis 1:24).

There is an enormous body of evidence that chronicles a gradual rise in consciousness and “soulish behaviors” as life developed toward greater complexity. Dogs grieve and get jealous, and there are many uniquely human traits found in monkeys. However, unlike the rest of the animal kingdom, man was predestined to enter into the highest realm of consciousness. At the end of the day, regardless of one’s worldview, human consciousness is the crowning jewel of creation.

Alternatively, traditional Creationists postulate that God designed the human brain as is, without any precursors. Yes, the brain is God’s handiwork. But we argue that God did not create the human brain instantly (except Eve’s, of course). Indeed, he could have, but we are persuaded that God installed all the physical laws and processes of the natural world to form the neural wiring of the brain so that, in time, it would eventually produce (by his decree) a level of consciousness capable of receiving his divine laws and image. Then, when that time came, the Spirit of God quickened Adam’s mind so that he not only became aware of the divine but of his responsibilities toward the divine and those around him. Most of all, Adam’s soul became immortalized. He was now like his Creator.

But this blessing came at a great price.

From that moment on, Adam’s actions and choices would also bear eternal consequences.

In the wild, creatures like polar bears and wolf spiders sometimes feast on their young, lick their lips, and scurry away. But now, suddenly, Adam became accountable for his actions. And he couldn’t plead ignorance for any moral wrongdoings, as he was given all the mental faculties and resources to make fully informed choices.

Contrary to most religious dogmas (especially Eastern ones), the soul does not and cannot exist outside of the physical body—except, of course, by divine prerogative. In other words, it is not by nature transcendent. It does not float off into the sky while we meditate or dream. Upon death, like a computer that is switched off, the soul, which stores one’s identity and deeds, either goes to sleep or falls into the hands of God. (We are unsure.)

But that’s not the end of the story. The soul of the believer, which is preserved by the author of life, will one day be re-awakened in its earthly body to stand before its Creator.

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned” (NIV John 5:28–29).

Notice that at the coming of the Lord, both saint and sinner will be raised up from their graves and not from some ethereal dimension in the sky. It seems that the soul needs the physical body to find expression, otherwise, why would God bother to raise up our cadavers from the Earth to stand before him?

How did god use the natural processes to form life; and what role does faith play in the physics of the universe?

When you think of God’s role in creation, surely you don’t think of the entire subatomic world as being sustained by information (i.e., God’s Word).

“He [Jesus] reflects the brightness of God’s glory and is the exact likeness of God’s own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word . . .” (GNT Hebrews 1:3; emphasis added).

In fact, it all began with the Word:

“In the beginning was the Word . . .” (John 1:1).

We do recognize the risk of reducing these great Biblical truths to the language of modern science. The New Age movement and a host of other enterprising paranormal groups have hijacked many of the recent discoveries in quantum mechanics to market their mystical mind-enrichment services, beckoning us to join them at the great quantum plug-in and Ayurvedic spa. Nonetheless, there are four important points to consider.

First, when the Bible speaks of the universe as being framed by the Word, it is not a reference to sound waves circling the universe. Rather, it points to an invisible informational framework. The Bible confirms this:

- “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being . . . . By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved . . .” (NIV 2 Peter 3:5, 7; emphasis added).

- “By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (NKJV Hebrews 11:3; emphasis added).

Max Plank, the distinguished German physicist, noted:

“As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear-headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute Solar System of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.”[66]

Second, scientists are beginning to speak of the universe not only as a flow of the space-time continuum but also as a flow of information.

The Word (i.e., divine information/energy) that launched the universe not only became stars and planets but also consciousness, love, music, faith, worship, and a strange universal tug for us to decipher the “ultimate” questions.

As mentioned earlier, under the hood, we are still 100% pure energy! This numbing truth was immortalized in Einstein’s famous equation, E=mc^2, which in its simplest form, means that matter and energy are different forms of the same thing.

Third, information specifies form. For example, the information encoded within the DNA of a cell contains bio-informational instructions for your body. The original divine energy/information of the Big Bang did not simply produce stars and kittens; it became stars and kittens (the medium is the message). It became us.

Fourth, another crucial ingredient of the universe is faith. Surely, no one imagines faith to be as real as love, inspiration, or fear! What comes to mind when you hear the word faith? Religious stuff, right? But, faith is more than a belief in God. Atheists can deny the reality of faith until the cows come home, but whenever they get on an airplane, go for an operation, or see a police officer waving them over, they, too, often call on its power.

This uncomfortable reality has a few special bonus points for atheists, as well. Because of the laws embedded in faith, God, the inventor of thunder and lightning and flat tires restrains direct control over us. We can do whatsoever we darn well please. How can that be, you ask? Because of the divine properties inherent within the laws of faith. Thank God for faith!

If we were to steal a car, we would also automatically violate God’s natural laws of faith. We could repair the breach by returning the car with heartfelt recompense. But if we didn’t, the fabric of faith would realign itself through God’s built-in law of sowing and reaping, and we will reap what we sow! True, God can fix our lives (if we sincerely repent), but the breach may have caused irreparable damage. Thankfully, God runs a 24-hour emergency repair service.

“And without faith, it is impossible to please God . . .” (NIV Hebrews 11:6).

How does the divine word program the subatomic world?

Researchers plumbing the subatomic depths of reality describe a world where energy behaves more like ideas than matter. Hailed as one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century, quantum mechanics is indeed another godsend. At the subatomic level of reality, researchers say that they are grappling with many unsolved questions and boundless mysteries.

One such mystery is called quantum indeterminacy.

Consider water boiling in a pot. Although some of the parameters, such as the amount of water, the pot, the stove, etc., are fixed and obey stable physical laws, no one can ever determine the location of every bubble in the boiling water. They are truly free. Free to operate in the pot.

In this particular sense, they have free will or autonomy—in the pot. This principle flows throughout the subatomic foundational building blocks of creation. So even though God has a fixed goal for universal history, with specific laws and conditions (stove, pot), we are still free to express ourselves throughout our lives and to make our own bubbles or decisions—even the decision to reject him.

Some would argue that scientists may be able to reconcile the free and unpredictable nature of the quantum world with the neat and orderly laws operating in the “big world” around us. But regarding this level of reality, Robert Laughlin, a Nobel laureate at Stanford University, wrote: “What we call reality is a spontaneous phenomenon, emerging like a wave out of some forever unknowable cosmic medium.”[67] In Decoding Reality: The Universe as Quantum Information, Vlatko Vedral adds:

“[E]verything in our reality is made up of information. From the evolution of life to the dynamics of social ordering to the functioning of quantum computers, they can all be understood in terms of bits of information. We saw that in order to capture all the latest elements of reality we needed to extend Shannon’s original notion of information, and upgrade his notion from bits to quantum bits, or qubits. Qubits incorporate the fact that in quantum theory outcomes to our measurements are intrinsically random. But where do these qubits come from? Quantum theory allows us to answer this question; but the answer is not quite what we expected. It suggests that these qubits come from nowhere!”[68]

As explained earlier, God did not construct the universe such that he would need to continuously intervene to stop giant tornadoes or wipe out rambunctious dinosaurs. On the contrary, he has pre-programmed numerous physical laws (e.g., those that produce the Earth’s magnetic shield to block most space junk) to oversee creation until his universal plans are fulfilled.

No doubt, the emergence of humans as the governing species would not have been possible if billions of marauding dinosaurs continued to flourish and terrorize the planet. So even though evolutionary forces were free to flow into as many creative blueprints as possible, when the time came for God’s universal plan to arise, there needed to be a swift global re-alignment. Dino and his friends had to go. Nature, conforming to the embedded Word overseeing creation, teased them out. God did not need to lift a finger, as it were. (Third reminder: we are by no means suggesting that nature is a person or a deity.)

If a mad scientist, for example, tries to build a bomb to destroy the entire planet, he’ll discover that he can’t. Why not? It’s not because his dream isn't attainable; it’s because God’s universal plan for humanity remains unfinished.

Concerning God’s universal plan, we consistently stress the word universal because creation wasn’t stuffed into a divine straitjacket. Nature was designed with numerous failsafe systems such as natural selection and parental care to survive and flourish. It is free to combine and recombine into as many biological templates as possible through these various built-in processes (e.g., mutations) that promote variations and survivability. Hence, even though God’s creative Word is the source of every biological template in the natural world (eyes, ears, noses, toes, flowers, feathers, etc.), much of what we see in nature and in human history (including our decisions) was not deliberately or intentionally designed by God. Rather, we are surrounded by the natural and sometimes quirky results of the freedom given to nature (and to us).

In other words, God did not sit down to draw up blueprints for every leaf, canyon, and fish. Nor did he draw up detailed plans for cancer, AIDS, or Auschwitz. Yet, in spite of these and many other runaway biological factors, a balanced life-supporting ecosystem will always be maintained (the pot in our boiling water example) via God’s universal will embedded within the informational structure of the cosmos “before the foundations of the Earth.”

Look at it this way: God wrote the beginning lines of the Creation Song and the grand finale, but we are free to compose our own unique life stories and songs (the bubbles) in between. The renowned British theoretical physicist John Archibald Wheeler explains, “All things physical are information-theoretic in origin, and this is a participatory universe.”[69]

God went to great lengths to teach us that he always works through the natural world (“And God said, let the Earth bring forth . . .”). Consequently, even though God has an ultimate end goal for creation, spontaneity and freedom (e.g., free will, natural selection, and random mutation) were never removed from the equation. Free will is not a religious trump card; it was hard-wired into reality.

No wonder this ghostlike nature of the quantum dimension—which is the physical basis of free will—greatly disturbed the prodigious Einstein, who spent the rest of his life trying to find a way to harmonize its spontaneous character with the orderly laws of general relativity. With angst, he threw up his hands and declared, “God does not play dice with the universe.” [70]

What do we mean by the “physics of faith?”

Life is information-based (bits and bytes). Take DNA. It is the densest known informational storage structure in the universe. No wonder Richard Dawkins, in his best-selling book “The Selfish Gene,” has endowed the gene with divine privileges.

Consider these examples that demonstrate the true informational nature of the natural world around us—and in us. When notes are played on the violin, vibrations of the strings excite wave particles, which in turn travel to the listener’s ear. Particles of matter in the ear become excited, and electrochemical impulses travel to the brain (also made of particles). There, the data are interpreted. (Just as a cell phone receives radio waves.)

The point here is that the brain (which is made up of brute matter) actually perceives the natural world as information. Obviously, if we held a stethoscope to your head while you listened to the violin, we would be met with total silence.

Again, when photons (waves/particles) from a science fiction movie enter your eye, particles in your eye become “excited.” This signal travels to your brain and is interpreted. If we were to look inside your brain, we would not see a movie screen filled with spaceships and Martians.

Waves/particles from the world outside are constantly interacting with the particles of matter that make up your sensory systems, but your brain processes the entire world around you as data (information).

Why?

Because all of reality emerges from information. (Interestingly, did you know that particles in our brains may be inextricably linked with particles in the world around us? It’s called Quantum Entanglement.)

With this in mind, the age-old question arises: can this process be reversed? Can one’s brain (through faith) also influence or interact with the world around us? Can our hearts and prayers be so powerfully charged with faith that they move the physical world in order to, perhaps, heal a sick child through the will, power, and grace of God?

Or did the Creator set up reality as a one-way street?

According to the cool atmosphere of God’s Word, yes, we can!

However, there is one and only one way. No, it’s not through TM, sweat lodges, yoga, or the prosperity gospel’s positive confession doctrine.

It’s through simple, childlike faith.

And everyone—not only those of a particular religion—can access the divine laws of faith. However, supernatural faith necessitates a relationship with the author of faith—Jesus.

It is important to note that the laws of faith, like any of the laws of the universe, are indeed impacted by natural principles. Notice that the incarnate God did not perform any great miracles in his hometown. The spirit of familiarity (anti-faith) produced a lack of faith among his townsfolk.

To make a supernatural impact on the physical world, one must align one’s faith (and life) with the divine principles found in God’s Word.

There are rules.

WHAT ABOUT 1 CORINTHIANS 11: 8-12 AND 15:39-48?

These verses are not about biology. Rather, Paul is primarily addressing the creation order within the church and in spousal relationships; not within parental lineages. “For the man (Adam) is not of the woman (Eve); but the woman of the man.” “Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. . . .” Again, in chapter 15, Paul addresses the differences between various stars, humans and animals, etc., to teach that these differences are observational and spiritual—not chemical. “There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

The book of genesis says that god rested from all his works, so why does he continue to perform miracles?

God didn’t stop working; he stopped creating new stuff within the universe.

How can god do miracles without violating his own natural laws?

God continues to work through the principles of faith woven into the space-time fabric of creation. There is, therefore, no new input of information to precipitate a violation. The universe (i.e., the subatomic world) is closed except to the conduit of faith. To put it more succinctly, even though we were tossed overboard because of our ancestor’s rebellion, there is still one rope dangling over the side of the ship: Faith.

** Suggested Resource (no affiliation): “Answering Jewish Objections to Blood Atonement” available at: http://www.defendproclaimthefaith.org/jewish_objection_atonement.html.

*** “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.”

SECTION FOUR

A Letter To Young Earth Creationists

This section addresses some of the main concerns of Young Earth Creationists.

“The son of ” found in the genealogical records may refer to distant ancestors, rather than direct father-son connections, which explains why some names are missing.[71]

Jesus is called “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1), even though they were hundreds of years apart.

The genealogies contain family lines, not birth dates.

In a recent article in Nature, University of Utah geologist Frank Brown and others estimated that the fossil records suggest that musical instruments, drawings, needles and other sophisticated tools—with the exception of crude stone blades—did not appear until about 50,000 years ago. “Which would mean 150,000 years of Homo sapiens without cultural stuff.”[72]

The Bible is curiously silent about the age of the Earth and the universe. Moreover, the Biblical writer indicated that solar time was not even used as the standard of measurement for creation because God specifically didn’t introduce the Sun—our astronomical reference point for indicating days and nights—until the fourth day of creation!

Here is Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary Biblical definition for the word “day:”

- Day (yowm yome): from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (a space of time defined by an associated term)

- Age: often used adverb[73]

Q: Are there any Biblical references that indicate the Creator’s view of time is radically different from ours?

A: Yes: “. . . With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (NIV 2 Peter 3:8).

Young Earth Creationists postulate that they have discovered the divine secret for calculating God’s time: that is, one divine day of exactly 24 hours is equal to 1,000 Earth years. However, according to the Bible, a thousand years is also compared to a “watch in the night” which is only a few hours long. “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night” (NKJV Psalm 90:4; emphasis added). This would indicate that the Young Earth Creationists’ math is a bit shaky.

Notice that 2 Peter 3:8 asserts that God’s day is like 1,000 years, not is 1,000 years. It seems that the number 1,000 is used in the Bible as a symbol for a large, unrevealed quantity.

For example, we’re told that God owns “the cattle on a thousand hills.” If God owns the cattle on only one thousand hills, who owns the rest? Here are some other examples:

- “One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you” (Joshua 23:10).

- “He hath remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations” (Psalms 105:8).

- “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” (Daniel 7:10).

Objection: don’t evening and morning indicate a 24-hour day?

Since every creation day (except the seventh) ends with “the evening and the morning,” Young Earth Creationists feel that this reinforces their 24-hour day argument.

Consider this example:

Regarding the life cycle of grass: “In the morning it flourishes, and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades, and withers away” (NASB Psalm 90:6). Is this an accurate description of the life cycle of grass?

It is clear that God used the creation narrative to “establish” a seven-day order of time that revolves around a special day under the Mosaic Law that was devoted to rest (much to the dismay of the ruling classes and slave owners throughout history) and to honoring him.

“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou” (Deuteronomy 5:14; emphasis added).

And finally, how can “the day” refer to a literal 24-hour cycle when we are still in the seventh day of creation, which did not end with “and it was evening”?

Endnotes:

1. Michael Dowd. Thank God for Evolution! How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World (New York: Penguin Group, 2009), 195.

2. Discussions with Richard Dawkins. Episode One: The Four Horsemen, filmed by Josh Timonen (2007; Oxford, UK: The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, 2007. DVD.

3. Materialism, Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com Unabridged (Random House, Inc), accessed December 27 2009, http://www. dictionary.com/browse/materialism.

4. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Philosophie zoologique, vol 1 (Paris: Paris Duminil-Lesueur, 1809).

5. Jacques Monod, Chance and Necessity (New York: Random House, 1971).

6. Francis Crick, Life Itself: Its Origin and Nature (New York: Touchstone, 1982).

7. George Gaylord Simpson and William S. Beck, Life: An Introduction to Biology, (New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1969).

8. Richard Dawkins, “The Improbability of God,” Free Inquiry 18, no. 3 (1998).

9. Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion (New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006).

10. The philosophical doctrine that all events including human actions and choices are fully determined by preceding events and states of affairs, and so that freedom of choice is illusory (World English Dictionary).

11. Chris Hedges, I Don’t Believe in Atheists (New York: Free Press, 2008).

12. Karl Kruszelnicki, “Fabric of Space and Time,” Dr Karl’s Greatest Moments. ABC Science, 2009, accessed January 25 2012, http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2001/10/29/275021.htm.

13. Paul Davies and John Gribbin, The Matter Myth: Dramatic Discoveries that Challenge our Understanding of Reality (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992).

14. Bertrand Russell, “A Free Man’s Worship” (1903), in Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subject, (New York: Touchstone, 1967).

15. Kent Hovind, Unmasking the False Religion of Evolution (1996).

16. Charles Darwin, “Letter no. 729” to Joseph Dalton Hooker, 11 Jan 1844. Darwin Correspondence Database, accessed January 25 2012, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-729.

17. Roff Smith “Here’s What Happened the Day the Dinosaurs Died” National Geogra- phic, June 11 2016. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/what-happened-day-dinosaurs-died-chicxulub-drilling-asteroid-science.

18. Søren Løvtrup, Darwinism: The Refutation of a Myth, (New York: Croom Helm, 1987).

19. Paul Davies, The Cosmic Blueprint (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989).

20. Bertrand Russell, “A Free Man’s Worship” (1903), in Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subject, (New York: Touchstone, 1967).

21. Richard Dawkins, “Ignorance is no crime,” Free Inquiry 21, no. 3 (2001).

22. Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion (New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006).

23. Richard Dawkins. Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder (New York: First Mariner Books, 2000).

24. Richard Dawkins, “Religion’s misguided missiles,” The Guardian (London, UK), September 15, 2001.

25. Douglas J. Futuyma, Science on Trial: The Case for Evolution (New York: Pantheon Books, 1983).

26. George Gaylord Simpson, The Meaning of Evolution (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1953).

27. Mario Beauregard and Denyse O’Leary, The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Case for the Existence of the Soul, (Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2007).

28. Dan Falk, Universe on a T-Shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything (New York: Arcade Publishing, 2004).

29. William Provine, “Evolution and the Foundation of Ethics,” MBL Science 3, no. 1 (1988): 25-29, quoted in Philip Johnson, Darwin on Trial (Westmont, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 126.

30. Erwin Schrodinger, Nature and the Greeks (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1954).

31. Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a World Without Design. (New York: Norton & Company Inc, 1996).

32. G. Z. Opadia-Kadima, “How the slot machine led biologists astray,” Journal of Theoretical Biology 124, no. 2 (1987), 127-135.

33. Leon Lederman and Dick Teresi, The God Particle: If the Universe is the Answer, What Is the Question? (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993).

34. Arno Penzias, quoted in Cosmos, Bios, and Theos, Edited by Henry Margenau and Roy Abraham Varghese, (La Salle, IL: Open Court, 1992).

35. Edward P. Tryon, “Is the universe a vacuum fluctuation?” Nature 246 (1973), 396, doi:10.1038/246396a0.

36. Franklin M. Harold, The Way of the Cell: Molecules, Organisms and the Origin of Life (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001).

37. Paul S. Agutter and Denys N. Wheatley, About Life: Concepts in Modern Biology (New York: Springer, 2007).

38. Penn State, “Penn State Researchers Look Beyond The Birth Of The Universe,” ScienceDaily, May 15, 2006, accessed January 25,2012, www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2006/05/060515232747.htm.

39. M. J. Stephey, “What Came Before the Big Bang?” Time, August 13 2009, accessed January 26 2012, https://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1916055,00.html.

40. James Strong, “Tohu,” “Bohu,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009).

41. James Strong, “Rachaph,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009).

42. Robert Jamieson, Andrew Robert Fausset, David Brown, Alexander Cruden, Jamieson, Fausset & Brown’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999).

43. Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. S.v. “brooding.” Retrieved January 25 2012 from http://www.thefree dictionary.com/brooding.

44. Philip Ball, Life’s Matrix: A Biography of Water, (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2001).

45. Hamish Pritchard, “Mars: Nasa Images Show Signs of Flowing Water,” BBC News, accessed January 25 2012, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/science-environment-14408928.

46. Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan, Microcosmos: Four Billion Years of Evolution from Our Microbial Ancestors (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997).

47. Rowan Hooper, Revealing the dawn of photosynthesis. New Scientist. August 16 2006, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19125654-200-revealing-the-dawn-of-photosynthesis/.

48. Nova: Origins, Earth is Born, PBS, WGBH Educational Foundation Transcript. Sep 28-29 2004.

49. “Ocean,” Science Clarified, accessed December 28 2011, http://www.scienceclarified.com/Mu-Oi/Ocean.html.

50. Billy Graham, “Cooperative Evangelism at Harringay,” United Church Observer, July 1966.

51. James Strong, “Nephesh,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009).

52. Christopher Hitchens vs. Tony Blair Debate: Is Religion A Force For Good In The World? C-Span, November 26 2010.

53. “Nephilim,” https://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Nephilim.

54. “Hybrid,” http://www.johnhextfremlin.com/neanderthal%20nephilim.htm.

55. “Appendix 26 from the Companion Bible,” The Rain, accessed July 11 2016 http://www.therain.org/appendixes/app26.html.

56. Steve Connor, “At 13,000 years, tree is world’s oldest organism,” The Independent, December 22 2009, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/at-13000-years-tree-is-worldrsquos-oldest-organism-1848009.html.

57. Vlad Tarko, “Why Men produce Sperm and Women Eggs,” Softpedia News, April 6 2006, accessed January 25 2012, http://news.softpedia.com/news/Why-Men-produce-Sperm-and-Women-Eggs-20928.shtml.

58. Rick Groleau, “Tracing Ancestry with MtDNA,” PBS Nova Online, accessed January 25 2012, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/neanderthals/mtdna.html.

59. Lauren Gravitz, “Changing A Cell’s Biological Battery. A new method tested in monkeys for replacing mitochondrial DNA could one day prevent devastating diseases,” MIT Technology Review, August 26 2009, accessed Jan 25 2012, https://www.technologyreview.com/s/415055/changing-a-cells-biological-battery/.

60. John Tierney, “The search for Adam and Eve,” Newsweek 111 (1988): 46-52.

61. Theodosius Dobzhansky, “Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution,” American Biology Teacher 35 (1973): 125-129.

62. Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion.

63. “Jewish Dietary Laws (Kashrut): Overview of Laws and Regulations,” Jewish Virtual Library, accessed July 11 2016, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/kashrut.html.

64. Ronald W. Leigh, “Exchange,” in The Substitutionary Death of Christ (2014), accessed January16 2016, http://ronleigh.com/bible/substitu/index.htm#exchange.

65. Steven Pinker, How the Mind Works (New York: W.W. Norton, 1999).

66. Max Planck, Das Wesen der Materie [The Nature of Matter], Speech at Florence, Italy (1944), Archiv zur Geschichte der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Abt. Va, Rep. 11 Planck, Nr. 1797, translated by and quoted in Gregg Braden, The Spontaneous Healing of Belief (New York: Hay House, 2008), 212.

67. Robert Laughlin, quoted in “What lies beneath,” New Scientist 2358 (2002), 24-27.

68. Vlatko Vedral, Decoding Reality: The Universe as Quantum Information (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2010).

69. John Archibald Wheeler, “Information, physics, quantum: The search for links,” in Complexity, Entropy, and the Physics of Information, ed. Wojciech H. Zurek (Redwood City, CA: Addison-Wesley, 1990).

70. Albert Einstein, quoted in William Hermanns, Einstein and the Poet—In Search of the Cosmic Man (Brookline Village, MA: Branden Press Inc, 1983).

71. An excellent source on this issue: http://newadvent.org/cathen/06408a.htm.

72. “The Oldest Homosapiens,” Physorg.com, February 17 2005, accessed July 11 2016, http://phys.org/news/2005-02-oldest-homo-sapiens.html.

73. James Strong, “Day: #3117: yowm,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009).

Oh God, Please Save Us From Our Priests!

- “Jesus wore designer clothes.”[1] John Avanzini

- “Poverty is from the devil and God wants all Christians prosperous.”[2] Benny Hinn

- “Your miracle is attached to what’s in your pocket right now. You’re trying to hold on to it, but God sent me to tell you to let it go. Let it go!”[3] Juanita Bynum

- “The Bible says that He has left us an example that we should follow His steps. That’s the reason why I drive a Rolls Royce. I’m following Jesus’ steps.”[4] Fred Price

Why Are So Many Preachers Using The Wrong Keys Of Salvation?

Hold your pocket. . . . Grab your Bible. . . . Run!

This chapter is dedicated to the countless believers and atheists who have been disillusioned by the clergy’s insatiable appetite for earthly riches and power. Who can deny that the simple faith of Jesus has fallen into the hands of some of the most despicable con men and impostors to ever crawl out of the sewer of human history?

In fact, way back in Biblical times, demonic forces were eagerly waiting for the early apostolic leaders to drop dead. As foretold, their foot soldiers gradually crept into the early church, enthroned themselves, and paganized the identity of Israel’s Messiah. Worst of all, they switched the Biblical Keys of Salvation.

This may sound like denominational rabble-rousing, but because of this one strategic move, many sincere Christians throughout history may have perished. And many more may be standing on the ledge.

Some may think that we’re being deliberately provocative to sell books or that we’re legalistic, nitpicking, fundamentalist Bible thumpers. Or that we’re crypto-atheists or Satanists who represent some iconic leader or secret society trying to start a new church or esoteric movement.

Rest assured that, first, this is not a tirade against faithful religious leaders and believers. Second, this is an independent study. We do not represent any particular denomination or assembly; nor will we point you to one. Third, we do not hold to any pagan mysteries, denominational creeds, or private revelations in matters pertaining to God and salvation. And lastly, our only guide is the Holy Bible.

Fair enough?

This is a battle between the teachings of the Holy Bible and the teachings of men.

Full stop.

Our assignment is twofold: to contend for the true keys of immortality left by Jesus himself and to expose the extra-biblical creeds and deceptions that have been woven into the simple faith of the Savior.

It is highly recommended that the reader consider the full contents of this chapter and not skim through or attempt a hasty overview. The following requires careful and rigorous examination.

So You Want To Know The Truth About Christianity?

Popular icons such as Bertrand Russell (Why I Am Not a Christian) and V. Stenger (God: The Failed Hypothesis), have had a field day with the chaos within Christendom and have prospered quite nicely by duping the unfamiliar into believing that they have uncovered the true essence of Christianity.

Not so.

They owe their infamy to three primary factors. First, in spite of their intellectual prowess and impressive credentials, they are embarrassingly ill-equipped to address the Bible’s deep revelatory underpinnings and its teleological trajectories. This is to be expected, considering the startling number of human creeds galvanized within the Christian faith. Second, many of these personalities judge the Holy Bible by those who claim to follow it, or rather, misuse it. And third, they subscribe to the myth that science will eventually explain everything.

the bottom line

Imagine that you’re on your deathbed and you’re desperately seeking answers about God, death, and immortality. And you’ve heard about the extraordinary claims made by Jesus: that because he conquered death and the grave, you can too. And what’s more, you’ve heard about the amazing “born again” experience that God promises everyone and that is demonstrated throughout the Acts of the Apostles.

Here’s the problem.

There are hundreds of warring denominations out there, and in addition to their mudslinging and nasty name-calling, their keys to eternity are either slightly dissimilar or worlds apart. How can this be? And which one of these fine churches has the correct, divinely ordained keys to open your grave and usher you home?

That’s the bottom line, isn’t it?

Your eternal destiny may be on the line here. After all, there are no second chances in the grave. And to make matters worse, Jesus and his apostles consistently warned that the Christian faith would be infiltrated and hijacked by a long line of crooked clerics.

Here are four familiar examples:

Jesus: “. . . Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many” (NKJV Mark 13:5-6).

Paul: “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (NKJV Acts 20:29).

John the Revelator: “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

Peter: “. . . there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. . . . And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of” (2 Peter 2:1–2).

You Can Go To Heaven!

Forget about their fiery sermons and all the nice, kindhearted people in the choir. The important issue is—who has the keys to our eternal home? The Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, Christadelphians, Baptists, Quakers, or any of the others?

Or did God leave a salvation buffet for us to rummage through?

The Salvation Buffet

1. BELIEVE—Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

2. THROUGH FAITH—For by grace are ye saved through faith.

3. BELIEVE AND BE BAPTIZED—He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

4. CALL ON HIS NAME—Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

5. CONFESS—If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart.

6. REPENT—Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.

7. BORN OF WATER AND SPIRIT—Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

C’mon, Let’s Go Bargain Hunting For Salvation

Now hear this, and hear this well.

God, in his boundless love and wisdom, did not leave your soul’s eternal destiny in the hands of crafty theologians or secret councils. On the contrary, he inspired Luke, the Gospel writer, to document the arrival of the kingdom of God (i.e., the birth of his church) in the second chapter of Acts. And it is here that we see, for the first time, the only true, divinely ordained Keys of Salvation used by Peter and the rest of the apostles to usher humanity into God’s kingdom.

“. . . thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven . . .” (Matthew 16:18–19).

To reiterate, according to Jesus, only one man was initially appointed to open the kingdom of God to humanity. Not Emperor Constantine, not our so-called church fathers, not Reverend Shiny Shoes.

Peter!

So with every denomination claiming to be the true church of Jesus Christ and bearers of the keys to open our graves, we don’t have to go very far to test their claims. Our wise Creator entrusted the Keys of Salvation to Peter, and then carefully engraved them into his imperishable Word.

When faced with the stark contrast between their human creeds and true Biblical salvation, most denominational leaders will quietly suggest that you shouldn’t trust some parts of the Bible or that it doesn’t really matter if their “church fathers” slightly altered God’s blueprint for salvation. However, after the most cursory examination of the Holy Scriptures, it seems downright suicidal to twist, substitute, or tamper with God’s words to humanity, especially his blueprint for salvation!

“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (NASB Revelation 22:18-19).

The Sinner’s Prayer = 1/3 Salvation

This is how it usually begins.

In most Protestant churches, the prospective convert is encouraged to repeat a Billy Graham-style “sinner’s prayer,” which essentially means confessing your sins to God and then asking Jesus into your heart.

Run along. That’s it. You’re saved.

Wait. Not so fast.

Yes, true repentance (i.e., saying the sinner’s prayer) is a crucial step towards God. The key of repentance opens the floodgates for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. And it is indeed life-changing.

But it does not end there.

There’s more.

According to the Holy Bible, there are two more keys or steps to inherit immortality: the Spirit and the water. And as mentioned above, soon after the time of Jesus and the apostles, Satan hatched an ingenious plot to hijack the church and to cunningly use God’s own words to switch the two remaining keys—Spirit and water.

Remember this?

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he CANNOT enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5; emphasis added).

The Salvation Test
(Is your church using the right Keys of Salvation?)

1. If your church believes that water baptism is not necessary for salvation—they have the wrong keys. (The Catholic Church is 100% correct in this regard.)

2. They have the wrong keys if they simply repeat this phrase when baptizing, “We now baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost,” they are merely repeating the command, not obeying it. He commanded them to do it, not say it.

3. If they teach that Christians receive the Holy Spirit automatically when they “accept Jesus into their hearts,” they have the wrong keys. This error may be responsible for the greatest spiritual holocaust since the rise of Islam.

unlocking the mystery of the trinity to the 21st century church

Later in this chapter, we will also unlock the mystery of the Trinity. Here’s a short preview. We Christians assert, quite passionately, that we believe in one God. Yes, this is absolutely true. Forged in our hearts from birth, even within Hindu polytheists, is the fact that there is but one god.

But here’s the problem: Who is our one God?

God the Father alone or some mysterious, three-bodied contortion?

In other words, if we were to go to heaven today would we see our “one God” on one throne, with one face—or three separate divine persons, sitting on three separate thrones, with three separate faces?

Is it possible that, hundreds of years after the time of Jesus and the apostles, a number of imperial church councils inadvertently dragged us into two thousand years of Greco-Roman confusion when they crafted various human creeds to appease a bunch of heretical priests?

Here is your first clue: In the Book of Revelation, John received a vision of the Almighty God in the new heavens (as did many prophets before him). Time is no more and all of God’s children are safely home.

John writes: “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:3; emphasis added).

John says that God himself shall dwell with them.

And, like the prophets before him, he assures us that he saw one God with one face, sitting on one throne. John called this one being: “God and the Lamb.” How can “God and the Lamb” have one throne and one face?

“. . . But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Revelation 22:3–4).

Speaking about the one being on the one throne—who is called God and the Lamb, John declares that “his” servants shall serve “him,” not “them.” And they shall see “his face,” not “their faces.”

Were John and all the prophets before him deluded? Were they all liars?

If we Christians plan to meet three separate divine persons in heaven, don’t be fooled; it’s no longer a mystery—it’s polytheism. And polytheism, according to the holy prophets, is the purest form of idolatry. Consider these three passages:

- “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God . . .” (Revelation 20:11-12).

- “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).

- “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne” (Revelation 4:2).

Yes, God may have many attributes, theophanies, and titles in the Holy Bible; but he is absolutely one.[*]

*   Please note that we are not suggesting that sincere, born-again believers will be doomed because they were misled into believing a false view of the godhead. However, we must confess that we are unsure about God’s verdict in this matter.

Do you want to live forever?
(start here)

We’ve come to the main purpose of this entire work. What are the Biblical Keys of Salvation that will open your grave and grant you full access and citizenship in the next universe? Remember, this is not about how to become religious or how to be a good person; this is about eternal life. About living forever. About the eternal destiny of your soul.

So. . . .

Please sit down.

Remove religious blindfold.

Now let’s go to the Holy Bible.

Before his ascension, Jesus appeared to his disciples and reminded them that they were now fully aware of water baptism; but he commanded them to stay put and wait for the final key—the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Why?

Because earlier he had explained that unless a man is born of the water and of the Spirit he CANNOT enter into the Kingdom of God.

Both keys (after repentance) must be on your heavenly birth certificate.

Water and Spirit.

“[Jesus] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with WATER; but ye shall be baptized with THE HOLY GHOST not many days hence” (Acts 1:4–5; emphasis added).

Shortly thereafter, that divine promise was spectacularly fulfilled. The Holy Spirit was poured out on the early believers. At long last, the kingdom of God had arrived. The Spirit of Immortality was now available to humanity.

“But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9: 27).

“Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).

When the disciples received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, everyone began to speak in different languages, to dance, and to worship God. (Earlier, Jesus anointed the apostles with the presence of the Holy Spirit to do miracles, but now they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.)

The crowds that had gathered around assumed that the disciples were drunk.

Peter, the famous coward, now empowered by the Holy Spirit, raised his voice and began to preach. After listening to Peter’s sermon, three thousand believed and came forward. They then asked Peter and the rest of the apostles: what must we do (Acts 2:37)?

This is it!

This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. But first, we must reaffirm four key points:

One: The birth of the true church of Jesus was divinely preserved in God’s sacred Word (Acts 2) to give humanity an unshakable scriptural witness to know for themselves the only true divine keys used by God’s chosen apostles to usher humanity into God’s kingdom.

Two: Don’t be fooled. With respect to salvation in the New Testament, there can’t be one way for certain groups of people and another way for other groups. “There is only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).

Three: Jesus directly appointed Peter to open the kingdom of heaven to humanity.

Four: The keys used by Peter were the only ones used throughout the New Testament to usher believers into the kingdom of God.

The Keys Of Immortality

Are you ready?

Do you want to escape death and the grave,[*] and open your eyes to the unveiling of the next universe, and meet your heavenly Dad? According to the Holy Bible, here are the only keys designed to get you there.

“And Peter said unto them . . .

Repent,

and be baptized every one of you

in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and

ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children,

and to all that are afar off,

even as many

as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38–39; emphasis added).

the three keys used by peter

1. Repent

2. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (born of water)

3. Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (born of the Spirit)

*   “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:13-15).

Is Your Name In The Book Of Life?

THE OLD TESTAMENT WITNESS

1. BLOOD: Brazen Altar

2. WATER: Brazen Laver

3. SPIRIT: Golden Candlestick / Oil / Light

THE NEW TESTAMENT WITNESS

1. BLOOD: Christ died

2. WATER: Christ was buried

3. SPIRIT: Christ resurrected

the new birth (keys of the kingdom)

1. BLOOD: Believers must die to their old lives by repenting.

2. WATER: Believers must be buried in a watery grave.

3. SPIRIT: Believers must receive the Spirit of the resurrection.

Only One Life?

“All of us are sinners; but I don’t want to die in mine.”

—Anonymous

All the claims and promises made by Israel’s Messiah stand or fall on these three keys when obeyed exactly as God prescribed.

If believers do not experience the miraculous new birth as promised: that is, if they do not feel the weight of their sins and past removed in the waters of baptism when it is done in the name of Jesus Christ (by faith) and if they are not instantly transformed and miraculously reconnected to God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit—which is promised to everyone and confirmed (outwardly) by speaking in a new, heavenly language—then Christianity is a sham. It’s nothing more than a beautifully crafted deception, a requiem for fools, and a phony baloney “flying spaghetti monster” myth. Consequently, modern day rabble-rousers like Michael Shermer and Bart Ehrman, and a growing fraternity of highly decorated atheists should be applauded for their bloodletting commitment to exposing its lies. We should send them flowers. And this book should be tossed in the lake.

By that same token, if these distinguished scholars have not sincerely tried and tested the true Keys of Salvation for themselves, how can they deny its veracity?

It’s one thing to convince one’s own heart that the miracle of life ends here, but it’s another thing to feverishly convince others to give up their search.

You Cannot Die To Go To Heaven

According to the Creator of the cosmos, we cannot die to enter heaven: We must be born there. Just as Carl Sagan and Christopher Hitchens could not enter into this universe without being born here, similarly, no one can enter into the next universe without being born there either. That’s why Jesus carefully spelled it out two times—You must be born again.

The door to eternity is not “up there” or in a secret cave somewhere. It’s through the water and by God’s Spirit.

Want religion?

Look around: There are thousands to choose from.

Want immortality?

Follow Jesus.

Just as he died, was buried in this world, and then resurrected—to gain immortality, we must also die to this world (and to ourselves) by repenting. And then, be buried in this world through water baptism. And if we receive God’s Spirit (either before or after water baptism), then we too will rise again (Acts 2).

That’s it.

the three witnesses

1. The First Witness: Repentance

2. The Second Witness: Water (Switched)

3. The Third Witness: Spirit (Switched)

THE SECOND WITNESS

The Journey To Paradise

From the beginning of creation, God deliberately gave humanity several spectacular witnesses to teach us the importance of the Keys of Salvation. As previously noted, when God was about to deliver the Children of Israel from their enemies, instead of taking them a shorter way, he took them to a great big sea without any boats in sight and had Moses declare, “See the salvation of the Lord!” (Exodus 14:13). (Can you imagine the faces of the Israelites?)

This epic journey was orchestrated to highlight the importance of following the Spirit as a cloud and of going through the water to get to the Promised Land. “And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud [Spirit] and in the sea [water]” (1 Corinthians 10:2). Of course it began with the sacrificial death of the Passover lamb. Not only did God use the waters of the Red Sea to save the Children of Israel, but he also used them to wash away and bury the evil forces that kept the Israelites in bondage.

The Flood

Remember that earlier, in the time of Noah, God could have wiped out the ancient hordes with one word. But instead, he used water to bury or wash away that old sinful corruption. Then Noah released a dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, over the water to teach humanity that both keys—the Spirit and the water—were involved in the re-creation of life. (See 1 Peter 3:21.)

If the Apostle Paul met today’s Christians (acts 19:1–6)

Would he ask them if they’ve accepted Jesus into their hearts or said the sinner’s prayer? (Remember, God anointed the Apostle Paul to write most of the books of the New Testament. Now, here he is; live and in-person.) In Acts 19, Paul met some believers. His first question was:

“Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?”

Notice that even though they believed, Paul specifically asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost. If receiving the Holy Spirit was automatic upon belief or a special “gift” for some, why bother asking? And how would they know whether they had received the Holy Spirit if nothing tangible or demonstrable happened?

“And they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.”

Naturally, they knew about the Spirit of God; but they were not aware that the Spirit of God was now available for them to receive. Look at Paul’s next question.

“Into what then were you baptized?”

Wait a minute Mr. Paul; aren’t you going a little too far here? Who cares how they were baptized? Think about this for a second: If baptism is not even considered a part of salvation, why would Paul even care how they were baptized?

“They replied, ‘Into John’s baptism.’”

Phew! Thank God they were already baptized. And by none other than the great John the Baptist who baptized Jesus. Instead of congratulating these believers, the apostle responds:

“John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”

Look what happens next.

“On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

That’s right. Paul immediately marched these believers (who were already baptized) over to a river somewhere and re-baptized them into the only divinely authorized name—Jesus Christ.

Were they now fully saved? Let’s find out.

“And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.”

Paul also made sure that they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other languages. Did you notice that Paul used the identical keys established by Peter and the rest of the apostles to usher believers into the kingdom of God? No special religious councils. No alterations. No human creeds. No wiser than God are we.

Just trust God’s Word.

(Second reminder: The Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke, who also penned The Gospel of Luke; so be very wary of “scholars” and preachers who use Greek and theological semantics to reinterpret, disregard, or cast doubt on any part of the Bible.)

What’s the difference between the first and second baptism of these believers? The truth is numbing. The first time they were baptized, Israel’s Messiah was still alive. His blood had not yet been shed for the remission (or the cleansing) of sins. It is quite reasonable to deduce that Paul re-baptized them so that the blood of the new covenant would be applied through the sacred name.

Why else would he re-baptize them?

He could have simply encouraged them to give their hearts to Jesus again, hugged everyone, and moved on.

Moreover, there seems to be a subtle difference between forgiveness and cleansing: God forgives; the blood cleanses. “But if we walk in the light . . . the BLOOD of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. . . . If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7, 9; emphasis added).

No wonder Satan immediately began a relentless crusade against the church to stop believers from applying God’s redemptive name in baptism: “. . . let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name” (Acts 4:17). Satan knows that the power of God (and all authority in heaven and Earth) can only be released in one sacred name—Jesus Christ!

If this is true, then why isn’t god showing our faithful, god-fearing ministers that they are disobeying his word?

The first time God destroyed the human race (during the flood), only eight people were spared.

Eight!

By that same token, who can deny that there are billions of Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hindus, and even Christians in an indeterminate state today? Does God only love some of us?

The truth is that God will not override his divine principles or his immutable Word based on the dictates of our church councils, preachers, personal whims, or majority consensus.

It is not God who is holding humanity back from truth; he has already given us his imperishable Word (2 Peter 1:19–21). Surely Christians know this: God will not drive, drag, or push anyone to love truth. But for reasons far too complex for us to examine here, the Bible affirms that the Spirit of God will always lead the searching heart back to his Word, not to our wonderful religious traditions, dreams, or councils. That’s why God will not sanction any private revelations, new holy books, or extra-biblical creeds.

You go outside the Bible, you go alone.

But our church leaders say that we are automatically saved when we repent and accept jesus into our hearts

They are partially right. Believing, repenting, and accepting Jesus into one’s heart is a crucial step towards salvation. But repentance alone does not constitute full salvation. Yes, it opens the door for the Spirit of God to work in our lives, but we must step through the door. We must enter in.

We must be born of the water and of the Spirit.

Isn’t salvation A free GIFT (NOT BY WORKS)?

“Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (NLT Ephesians 2:9).

The Catholic Church is absolutely correct in teaching that water baptism is essential for salvation, but alas, they have completely altered the divine blueprint, both in word and deed. Many Protestant ministers, on the other hand, proclaim that water baptism is merely a ceremonial act (while in the same breath, many of them teach that believers must tithe to be right with God). They also argue that we cannot “do” anything to obtain salvation. Salvation is free.

Yes, salvation is free.

But first—we have to repent—don’t we?

That’s our part.

Then God does the rest, and it is absolutely free! After all, converts cannot baptize themselves. Someone else must do “the work.” For this purpose, God has ordained certain individuals (such as John the Baptist) to do “the work of the ministry” free of charge.

On the day of Pentecost, thousands believed. Then they asked Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Did the apostles say, “You don’t have to do anything”? (See Acts 2:38.)

Yes, believing the Gospel is crucial, but it is not enough.

If Jesus, who was sinless and the only one who need not be baptized, insisted on being baptized, then pray tell, how can it be optional for anyone else?

We repent. The church baptizes us. God fills us with the Holy Ghost. It’s that simple.

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Romans 6:4–5).

Aren’t you being legalistic, holier-than-thou bible thumpers?

You decide. So, let us be clear: Water by itself does not wash away sins. It is by submitting to God’s plan of salvation, by faith. Sadly, most of our Protestant ministers have zoomed in on faith to the point of believing that we are saved by faith alone. Why repent, then? God reminds us that “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (NIV James 2:17).

Yes, if someone is baptized without their permission or if they were coerced into it, it is useless. They took a bath. If an atheist gets baptized just “to check it out,” it is pointless. Indeed, without faith, baptism is ineffective. The Bible stresses the importance of faith, but then reminds us that “. . . we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone” (NLT James 2:24).

In 2 Kings, when a Syrian Captain, Naaman, was instructed by the prophet Elisha to duck into the river Jordan seven times to be cleansed of his leprosy, he too thought it was ceremonial stuff and went away fuming. However, after reconsidering, he returned, went under the water as divinely instructed, and was cleansed of his leprosy.

Was it the water that cleansed him?

Of course not. It was his obedience. But God’s power was manifested through the water, right? What if Naaman had asked his servants to fill a jug of water and sprinkle it over his head while chanting, “Be ye cleansed”?

Or what if Naaman had taken a sponge bath?

Would God have accepted these man-made changes?

What if Naaman truly loved God with all his heart and had great faith that God would heal him but did not go under the water as instructed and departed, thinking that God loved him and would still heal him in spite of his blatant disregard for God’s direct instructions?

Or what if Naaman went down into the water only three times, instead of seven times as explicitly instructed? Would God have accepted all of these sincere man-made alterations? Possibly, but we’re not 100% sure.

Why take chances?

“And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’? So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (NKJV 2 Kings 5:13–14; emphasis added).

Our deceased mother received the holy ghost, but she was incorrectly water baptized. Will she perish?

We strongly contend that since it is the preacher that erred by not baptizing believers into the God’s redemptive Name or by full immersion (many pour or sprinkle water on babies, etc.), how can God blame the innocent and trusting convert for the preacher’s error? We must quickly point out that the Bible also clearly warns that it is incumbent on everyone to personally examine themselves to see whether they are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). In other words, why take chances?

Why did the apostles baptize everyone in the name of jesus instead of simply reciting the command?

Because Jesus commanded them to use the Name. Consider his command carefully: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19; emphasis added). Notice that he commanded them to use the “NAME” not “names.” Are we to believe that we must do everything in the Name of Jesus except his divinely ordained baptismal rite?

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus . . .” (Colossians 3:17).

Again, to be quite clear, we are not suggesting that believers who were incorrectly water baptized are lost. However, knowing the terror of the Lord, we graciously beseech all God-fearing Christian leaders to return to the Biblical blueprint. The holy apostles of Jesus left clear instructions: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Bear in mind that when Matthew recorded Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), the apostles were not baptizing anyone. They were simply being told what to do when the kingdom arrives.

So what did they do?

They baptized everyone into the NAME of the Lord as commanded.

None of God’s chosen apostles baptized by repeating: “. . . in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.”

Not once!

As a second witness, the Great Commission scene was also documented by Luke. This time, the Holy Spirit lifts the veil: “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47; emphasis added).

How can jesus (yeshua) be the name of the father, son, and holy ghost?

Jesus is derived from the Greek name Iesous, which is derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshua or Yeshua.[5] This name is a combination of two words: Yahweh and Hoshea.

Yahweh is a rendering of the name of God. And Hoshea means “savior.”

Jesus (Yeshua) literally means “Yahweh Savior.” Or “God has become our salvation.” When we are baptized in the name of Jesus (Yeshua), we are being baptized into Yahweh our Savior – our new family name.

The name of the Father:

Yahweh.

The name the Son:

Yahweh Savior: “I am come in my Father’s name . . .” (John 5:43).

The name of the Spirit:

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name . . .” (John 14:26).

Did peter and the rest of the apostles (including matthew, who recorded matthew 28:19) disobey god by baptizing in jesus name?

No, they did not! Why would the apostles risk eternal damnation? They were following Jesus, not the traditions and creeds of men. After all, father is not a name. It means male parent. Neither is son, nor is spirit, a name. These are everyday relational titles. Interestingly, do you know that Satan is also a father, son, and spirit? He is called the father of lies, son of the morning, and the spirit of antichrist.

Our god-fearing pastor says that water does not wash away sins

He’s right. The power is in the blood. The blood of Jesus is spiritually applied through the agency of water in response to the penitent’s heart to wash away his or her sins. Compare the creeds of the imperial “church fathers” to the Word of God. After all, we will not be judged by what the “church fathers” say, but by what God has said.

In the Acts of the Apostles, a prophet was called to seek out Saul (who later became known as the Apostle Paul). In Acts 22:14, 16, the prophet tells Paul, “The God of our fathers hath chosen thee. . . .”

Here are three versions of his command to Paul. You decide.

1. “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (NASB; emphasis added).

2. “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (NIV; emphasis added).

3. “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (KJV; emphasis added).

But our pastor says that we are saved by faith, not baptism

He’s mostly right. Without faith in God, there is no salvation. We can only be saved by faith. In other words, we must submit to God’s plan of salvation, not out of coercion or compulsion, but by faith. But notice that the Bible warns that just as in the time of Noah, when God used water to wash away the old sinful world, similarly, in his final covenant he also uses water; not for the removal of dirt, but to wash away the old sinful man.

So does baptism save us now? Again, you decide. Here are two versions of 1 Peter 3:21:

- “Baptism, which is like that water, now saves you. Baptism doesn’t save by removing dirt from the body. Rather, baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience. It saves you through Jesus Christ, who came back from death to life” (GW; emphasis added).

- “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God . . .” (KJV; emphasis added).

Why did god choose water?

God designed baptism as a type of burial (instead of burying believers in a graveyard) wherein the believer is buried with Christ after dying through repentance. It is in the watery grave that the “old sinful man,” inherited from our first birth, is divinely cut off and buried and where, amazingly, the believer enters into the New Covenant (which is the identical covenantal fulfillment of Old Testament circumcision). But now that the old sinful man is buried, how are we born into God’s holy province?

Watch this!

As explained in chapter 1, God does not override or violate any of the laws embedded within the natural world. Rather, he steers them towards a higher purpose. In this regard, God uses the exact biological template he designed for our first birth as the template for the second birth.

Just as in our first birth, our mother’s water must break open to release the newborn baby into this world, similarly, in the supernatural birth—the baptismal water becomes the spiritual womb that must also break open to release the new child of God (coming out of the watery grave) into God’s kingdom. Here it is:

“In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands. But it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ. This happened when you were placed in the tomb with Christ through baptism. In baptism you were also brought back to life . . .” (GW Colossians 2:11–12; emphasis added).

Note: it is God himself who performs the operation.

“[We are] buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God . . .” (Colossians 2:12; emphasis added).

No wonder Nicodemus was perplexed and hesitant (as many are today). “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John 3:4).

Why did paul say, “for christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (1 corinthians 1:17)?

His calling, unlike other ministers such as John the Baptist, was not to go around baptizing folks in rivers and streams, but to preach. As luck would have it, Paul was also reminding the church at Corinth not to be proud of the one who baptized them, but the one whose name they were baptized into. “I thank God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name” (1 Corinthians 1:14–15).

We are washed by god’s word, not by baptism

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25–26).

This epistle is addressed to the church, to people who are already saved, not to the unsaved. Indeed, the Word of God continues to wash and refine believers in the church.

What about, “believe on the lord jesus christ, and thou shall be saved”?

Most preachers stop right there. Let’s continue reading. “They spoke the Lord’s word to the jailer and everyone in his home. At that hour of the night, the jailer washed Paul and Silas’ wounds. The jailer and his entire family were baptized immediately” (GW Acts 16:32–33). Yes, in the middle of the night. Please note that on the day of Pentecost, thousands believed (Acts 2:37). Were they saved? They asked, “What must we do?”

What about “for whosoever shall call upon the name of the lord shall be saved” (romans 10:13)?

How convenient! While dying, did Hitler know that if he simply called on the name of the Lord, heaven’s gates would swing open wide? Welcome home, son! No need to repent or be born again. Indeed, if we sincerely call on the name of the Lord, he will hear our cries and send someone to tell us how to be saved (see Acts 10). Even though the following verse is taken out of context, it is worth mentioning: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven . . .” (Matthew 7:21).

What about the thief on the cross?

Jesus was still alive; therefore the Old Covenant (the Law) was still in place. The New Covenant began after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the testator. A will or testament can only take effect after one’s death. The thief on the cross lived and died under the old covenant.

What about romans 10:9–10?[**]

Believing, repenting, calling on the Lord, humbling oneself, having faith and hope, etc., are all important steps that we must take towards salvation. That’s our part. And yes, it opens the door for the Spirit of God to begin working directly and very richly in our lives. But there’s more. There’s God’s part. Our fast-track belief and confession traditions cannot be substituted for God’s prescription for immortality.

But isn’t the fact that god is good to us (miracles, finances, health, etc.) A sure sign that all is well?

Do you know that, not only Christians, but Sikhs, Hindus, and many others often experience great miracles and blessings when they cry out to God? The Bible emphatically states that the goodness of God leads to repentance: “. . . are you unaware of his rich kindness, forbearance, and patience, that it is God’s kindness that is leading you to repent?” (NIV Romans 2:4).

** “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Independent Historical Records

Encyclopedia britannica, 11th ed. (1920), Ii 365:

“The Trinitarian formula and trine immersion were not uniformly used from the beginning . . . Bapti[sm] into the name of the Lord [was] the normal formula of the New Testament. In the 3rd century, baptism in the name of Christ was still so widespread that Pope Stephen, in opposition to Cyprian of Carthage, declared it to be valid.”

Encyclopedia of religion and ethics (1951). Ii, 384, 389:

“The formula used was ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ’ or some synonymous phrase; there is no evidence for the use of the trine name . . . . The earliest form, represented in the Acts, was simple immersion . . . in water, the use of the name of the Lord, and the laying on of hands. To these were added, at various times and places which cannot be safely identified, (a) the trine name (Justin). . . .”

Interpreter’s dictionary of the bible (1962), i 351:

“The evidence. . . suggests that baptism in early Christianity was administered, not in the threefold name, but ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’ or ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus.’”

Canney’s encyclopedia of religions (1970), page 53:

“Persons were baptized at first ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’ . . . or ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus.’ . . . Afterwards, with the development of the doctrine of the Trinity, they were baptized ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.’”

A history of christian thought, otto heick, (1965), i, 53:

“At first baptism was administered in the name of Jesus, but gradually in the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Hasting’s dictionary of the bible (1898). I, 241:

“[T]he original form of words was ‘into the name of Jesus Christ’ or ‘the Lord Jesus.’ Baptism into the name of the Trinity was a later development.”

Williston walker, a history of the christian church (1947), page 58:

“The Trinitarian baptismal formula . . . was displacing the older baptism in the name of Christ.”

Encyclopedia biblica (1899), i, 473:

“It is natural to conclude that baptism was administered in the earliest times ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’ or in that ‘of the Lord Jesus.’ This view is confirmed by the fact that the earliest forms of the baptismal confession appear to have been single—not triple, as was the later creed.”

THE THIRD
WITNESS

How Will Believers Know When They Are Born Of The Spirit?

First, let’s consider what mainstream Christian ministers believe and practice. Most teach that we are automatically “born of the Spirit” when we repent and ask Jesus into our hearts. Here’s the difference:

They say to be born again = Repentance only

Jesus says to be born again = Water + Spirit

Hence, they teach that “speaking in a new heavenly language or tongues” is not the outward evidence of the spiritual birth. They truly believe this. They are not trying to deceive anyone. This teaching goes all the way back to the birth of the imperial church.

Nonetheless, according to the Creator, God, King, ruler, and heavenly architect who gave us his imperishable Word, we cannot enter into the next universe without being born there either.

(With tears and a humble heart, we beseech every sincere, God-fearing minister to please consider this matter very carefully. There is no room for philosophical musings, personal feelings, or denominational pillow fights. Billions of souls are on the line here. On your watch.)

Speaking In Another Language—Instantly And Miraculously

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).

Have you ever wondered why, soon after the flood, God introduced a bizarre miracle into human history when he caused early men to begin speaking new languages (instantly and miraculously)—to scatter them? No doubt, he could have easily chosen a leader like Moses to divide up the people into various groups and then scatter them. However, it is evident that God performed and recorded this miraculous event to give humanity a clear Biblical witness and precedent for the incredible miracle that he will once again use (i.e., to confirm the spiritual birth). Now, instead of scattering humanity, he is reuniting them by using the same miracle!

“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech” (Genesis 11:1, 7).

Now, let’s ask Jesus.

After all, it was the Savior who taught that “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he CANNOT enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5; emphasis added).

If it’s truly a matter of life and death, surely Jesus would not leave us guessing, right?

Surely, he would tell us exactly how we will know when we are born of the Spirit, if we CANNOT enter heaven without his Spirit?

Well, immediately after announcing the importance of the spiritual birth, Jesus unveiled the divine evidence. (This is so important that we’ve included five versions of John 3:8.)

- “The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the VOICE thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit” (American Standard Version; emphasis added).

- “The Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his VOICE thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is EVERY ONE who hath been born of the Spirit” (Young’s Literal Translation; emphasis added).

- “The Spirit breathes where he will, and you hear his VOICE, but you do not know from where he comes and where he goes; thus is EVERYONE who is born from The Spirit” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English; emphasis added).

- “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the VOICE thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit” (English Revised Version; emphasis added).

- “The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his VOICE, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit” (Douay-Rheims Bible; emphasis added).

According to Jesus, the evidence to confirm that the believer has received the Spirit of immortality is confirmed by a phóné[*] (voice or language or sound). Here’s Strong’s extended definition for the word phóné: # 5456

1. a sound, a tone

2. a voice
a. of the sound of uttered words

3. speech
a. of a language, tongue

Jesus said that just as the wind (KJV) is confirmed by a discernible sound, voice, speech, language, or tongue—when it is moving, “so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

Everyone!

Not some.

Everyone!

who gets to decide where you will spend eternity?

When the Holy Ghost was poured out in Acts 2, Peter stated, “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see AND HEAR” (Act 2:33; emphasis added).

- “For with distorted speech and in another language, does he speak to this people. For he said to them, ‘This is the rest; give rest to the weary, and this is the tranquility,’ but they would not listen” (Jewish Tanakh Isaiah 28:11-12; emphasis added).

Is receiving the holy spirit a matter of life or death?

- “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (ESV Romans 8:9; emphasis added).

- “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11; emphasis added).

- “He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified]” (John 7:38–39; emphasis added).

How did the gentiles enter into the kingdom of god?

Let’s find out from God’s Word.

Initially, the church was composed of mainly Jews. But God had commanded Peter to open the kingdom to everyone. Naturally, that included the Gentiles and the Samaritans—a mixed race. Some of the Jewish brethren were leery, so they accompanied Peter on his mission to the Gentiles. The Bible says that while Peter was preaching, the Gentiles began to receive the Holy Spirit. How did they know this?

“All the circumcised believers [Jews] who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God . . .” (NASB Act 10:45– 46; emphasis added).

How did they know that the Gentiles had received the Holy Ghost?

“For they were hearing them speaking with tongues.”

Notice that the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized in water. Were they now fully saved? Were they now ready for the glorious hereafter?

What about the other key of water baptism? Did Peter suggest that they should be water baptized sometime later as a public testimony? Peter said:

“‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (NASB Acts 10:44–48; emphasis added).

Soon afterward, Peter told the Jerusalem Council, “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us” (Acts 15:8; emphasis added).

What about the samaritans? How did they enter into the kingdom?

“Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus)” (Acts 8:14–16).

What is particularly noteworthy about this is that even though the Samaritans believed, were joyful, and were all properly water baptized, they hadn’t received the Holy Ghost.

How did they determine this?

How did they know that they hadn’t received the Holy Ghost? They not only believed, but they were already water baptized.

In any case, they sent for Peter.

Why Peter? Because, as we have stressed, Peter was initially appointed by Jesus to open the kingdom of God to everyone. First the Jews; then the mixed races and the Gentiles. When Peter and John arrived . . .

“Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:17).

Because the Bible does not repeat the fact that they spoke in tongues, theologians jump up and down and shout: “See, speaking in tongues is not necessary.”

Well, how did they determine that the Samaritans eventually received the Holy Spirit? There had to be some discernible evidence, right? What evidence would that be?

Notice that a local magician offered to buy the phenomenon. Why would a local magician offer to buy a phenomenon if nothing happened? “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money” (Acts 8:18).

“For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying” (NLT 1 Corinthians 14:14).

* Suggested Resource (no affiliation): https://biblehub.com/greek/5456.htm?v=UVwizsojd1Y&list=WL&index=2.

Clearing Up The Misconceptions

“Then will I sprinkle clean WATER upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new SPIRIT will I put within you . . .” (Ezekiel 36:25-26; emphasis added).

Most preachers are trained to believe that when Jesus said that one of the signs of a true Christian would be speaking in new tongues, he meant the ability to preach the gospel in the languages of other nations.

That is incorrect.

First, the languages of other nations would not be “new” languages, but “old” or “other” languages. Second, there is zero Biblical or historical evidence of God anointing someone to speak a foreign language—instantly—to preach the gospel. Third, when the early believers were filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, they weren’t preaching, they were worshipping God. Peter alone preached. And he preached in the common dialect!

This misunderstanding flourishes because when the church was initially launched on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit also used known languages to confirm to Israel that these crazy Christ followers were not drunk or insane by dancing and speaking gibberish but that they were actually witnessing a genuine move of God (as in Genesis).

After all, how can anyone speak another language instantly?

Nonetheless, speaking in tongues, as believers do when they are born of the Spirit, involves a heavenly language that only God (and perhaps angels) understands. The Bible explains: “For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit” (NRSV 1 Corinthians 14:2).

This prayer language flows from the believer’s spirit, unhampered by the carnal mindset, impure thoughts, and words. Paul explains:

- “. . . for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).

- “. . . I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

- “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret” (1 Corinthians 14:13).

We were taught that “speaking in tongues” is only one of the gifts of the spirit

This too is an incorrect assumption. One must first have the “gift” of the Spirit (see Acts 2:38) before one can receive the “gifts.”

On the day of Pentecost (and other times in the book of Acts), notice that everyone spoke in tongues, not just a select few. Are we to believe that out of the nine gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12), everyone, every time, received the same gift? (According to Charisma Magazine, as of 2014, an estimated 600 million Christians speak in tongues.[6])

This issue is difficult to explain to churches that are not Spirit-filled because they are not familiar with the public gift known as “tongues and interpretation of tongues.” So naturally, and quite understandably, they confuse this gift with the personal initial experience.

Here is a brief explanation (see 1 Corinthians 14). God uses two forms of public prophetic gifts to speak to his church today, appropriately called the prophetic gifts.

First, there is the gift of prophecy, which is brought forth in a known language, as expressed by the Old Testament prophets. Second, there is the prophetic gift of tongues, which has two parts: The Spirit may also bring a message in an unknown language through an anointed believer and God anoints someone else (or the same person) to bring forth the interpretation. The operation of this gift is what Paul alluded to in 1 Corinthians 12:30: “Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?”

“If any man speak in an unknown tongue [in a religious gathering], let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28; emphasis added).

How can people continue to speak in heavenly languages (tongues) after their apostasy?

Here is one possible explanation. According to Acts 2:38, the gift of the Holy Spirit is promised to everyone who repents and seeks God’s indwelling presence. Unlike man, God does not go back on his Word. That is, his Word is irrevocable and cannot be withdrawn (Romans 11:29).

WILL DECEASED BELIEVERS (MARTYRS, MISSIONARIES, ETC.) who WEREN’T BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT BE LOST FOREVER?

God’s grace, love, and mercy are unfathomable. He declares that “As the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). However, please note that the Word of God commands everyone to be born again—of the water and of the Spirit.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO NEVER HEAR THE GOSPEL?

To address this deeply troubling question, well-intentioned believers commonly turn to Romans 1:18–32, which states: “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Thus, they argue that deceased, unreached individuals who refused God’s light are eternally lost. But those who, through faith alone, sought a relationship with God will no doubt enter heaven.

They commonly cite the faith of the biblical patriarchs Abraham, Job, and Noah as examples. But to transpose a biblical, historical blueprint—from the period of time when God meticulously selected and protected an ancient bloodline—as the basis for a universal principle is faulty hermeneutics. But more importantly, those ancient patriarchs were well-acquainted with the sacrificial system instituted by God for the (provisional) atonement for their sins.

Using Acts 17:26, others argue that God knew that the unreached would refuse the gospel; hence, he “determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation” (Acts 17:26). This is thinly veiled Calvinism.

So, will decent, God-fearing souls who did not hear the gospel be lost or saved?

Just as the Lord described his return at great length without providing an exact date, similarly, he also described the state of the unreached at great length and likewise, he did not provide a verdict of their ultimate fate. Consequently, believers are given no excuses or pretexts not to evangelize the lost.

Three Old Testament Prophecies

- “But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!’” (ESV Numbers 11:29).

- “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).

- “As I will pour water on the thirsty and running water on dry land, I will pour My spirit on your seed and My blessing on your offspring” (Jewish Tanakh Isaiah 44:3).

DECIPHERING
JESUS

But Who Do You Say That I Am?

Jesus is by far the most provocative and misunderstood figure in all of history. In fact, no other person has triggered more wars and bitter feuds about his true identity than this meek and humble Galilean.

There is one Muhammad, one Gandhi, one Joseph Smith, and even one Bubba Free John, but hundreds of Jesuses. And every year it seems that another best-selling version shows up. One of the most recent comes from Barrie Wilson, author of How Jesus Became a Christian, whose delightful research has led him to conclude that Jesus was, in fact, a nice Jewish rabbi whose words got twisted out of context by the likes of the Apostle Paul. The latest rantings of God’s critics seem to be devoted to denigrating and vilifying Paul. To be fair to these genuinely baffled scholars, even Jesus’ disciples were equally puzzled.

Jesus according to . . .

1. Mikhail Gorbachev (Soviet political leader): “Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind.”[7]

2. Mahatma Gandhi: “I cannot say that Jesus was uniquely divine. He was as much God as Krishna, or Rama, or Mohammed, or Zoroaster.”[8]

3. Yasser Arafat (leader of the PLO): “[Jesus was] the first Palestinian fedayeen who carried his sword.”[9]

4. Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christian Science): “[You must] recognize that Jesus Christ is not God.”[10]

5. Louis Farrakhan (Leader of the Nation of Islam): “You don’t have to look anywhere for your Jesus. I represent Him . . . Who is Jesus, who is Elijah? Jesus and Elijah are one in the same . . . I am that Elijah that was to come and now is.” [11]

Jesus—according to atheism and seven major religions

- Atheism—a fictional character or, at best, a teacher who was later deified.

- Islam—a prophet like Muhammad.

- Judaism—a misguided Jew.

- Hinduism—a great soul; an avatar.

- Mormonism—one god amongst many.

- Jehovah’s Witnesses—Michael the Archangel.

- Catholicism—God the Son, second person in the Trinity.

- Protestantism—God the Son, second person in the Trinity.

Jesus—according to the holy bible

- Great God and Savior

- Lord and Christ

- The First and Last

- The Beginning and the End

- The root of David / The offspring of David

- King of Kings and Prince of Peace

- High priest and sacrificial Lamb

- Son of God (filius Dei)

- God the Son (Deus filius)

Hey . . . why is “god the son” scratched out?

There is no “God the Son” found in the entire Bible. None of the prophets or apostles—not even God himself—knew a person called God the Son!

So where did he come from?

He was invented by the imperial “church fathers.” Look carefully and you’ll notice the switch.

Their “God the Son” is the “Son of God” turned backward!

Son of God
God the Son

Hmmm!

Why the switch?

Why did the leaders of the imperial church devise a creed using a counterfeit version of Israel’s Messiah and then imprison, kill, or condemn anyone who refused to serve this unbiblical entity?

Hold your fire; are we implying that Bible-believing Christians are serving the wrong Jesus?

Absolutely not!

All Bible-believing Christians serve and love the same crucified Savior born in Bethlehem. The problem is not that Christians do not know who died on Calvary; the problem is that they don’t know who came down from heaven to redeem us.

To figure out the identity of Jesus, the early founders of the Roman Church decided that the God of Israel, like the gods of the Orphic Mysteries, also gave birth to a son in heaven.

So they named him God the Son.

This God the Son, they reckoned, resides in heaven with his father and another divine person called God the Holy Ghost (another fabricated title).

Then when humanity needed a savior, the Son was once again begotten by God down on the Earth. Yes, he was begotten twice by God the Father!

Here’s the first problem with this man-made creed.

God didn’t need the son; we did!

Was Jesus Begotten In The Womb Of The Father?

“We must believe that the Son is begotten or born [genitus vel natus] from the womb of the Father [de utero Patris]” (DS 526, CT, Council of Toledo. 675).

In short order, here is what happened. When General Constantine became emperor of the Roman Empire, the young Christian faith was in a massive schism over the identity of Jesus, which was further amplified when Rome wedded Christianity to the state through various imperial edicts. To avoid civil unrest, Constantine wisely invited various churchmen to his imperial war room to hammer out a compromise. Historians concur that the well-meaning Constantine—who remained a ruthless unbaptized pagan until his deathbed—was not motivated by divine revelation but by a sincere desire to rescue his empire from religious anarchy.

Centuries after completion of the Bible, Constantine and his theological advisers used Greco-Roman concepts and heretical terminology to compose a double-speak, mumbo-jumbo definition of God to appease everyone and then they marshaled a vote. Yahweh, the one God of Israel, was now officially three separate persons. But not to worry, they are still one because they share the same god substance.

“And [we believe] in one Lord Jesus Christ . . . of the substance [homoousios] of the Father . . . true God of true God; begotten, not made, consubstantial [i.e., of the same substance] with the Father” (Nicene Creed).

With this ingenious logic, anyone can worship a truckload of gods and still claim to be monotheistic by tacking on our handy little disclaimer: Even though our ten gods are separate persons, they still have the same god substance (homoousios), so technically speaking, they are still one.

Confused? Don’t be. It’s a mystery. Don’t you know that God’s ways are higher than yours? A popular website defends the turmoil:

“The most difficult thing about the Trinity Doctrine is that there is no way to adequately explain it. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. God is infinitely higher than we are, therefore we should not expect to be able to fully understand Him. The Bible teaches that the Father is God (Exodus 3:14), that Jesus is God (John 8:58), and that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3–4). The Bible also teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; James 2:19). How these two statements of doctrine can both be true is incomprehensible to the human mind. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re both not true. . . . Instead of focusing on the Trinity, try to focus on the fact of God’s greatness and infinitely higher nature than our own.”[12]

From the 4th century onwards, the Jews were now even further alienated from their own long-awaited Messiah. We imagine that when they first heard that God had given birth to a son “in eternity past,” they probably fell on the ground shaking uncontrollably while gasping for air. Why, oh why, did God lie and deceive us for so long? Why did he compel our fathers to be so fanatically monotheistic, and repeat the Sh’ma Yisrael daily, if he is actually three persons?

Naturally, Christians were, from that moment on, tagged as polytheists. And polytheism, the ancient prophets warned, is the height of idolatry. Don’t look now, but any form of worship other than to the one God of Israel is considered gross idolatry. And it seems that God hates idolatry more than any other sin in the Holy Scriptures, judging by the number of times he brought the subject up. Sure—sin is sin, but idolatry seems to really get on his nerves.

Is this clear enough?

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:10–11).

“Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any” (Isaiah 44:8).

God instructed his people to meditate on these words daily: “Hear Oh Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord” (Sh’ma Yisrael). He warned that he alone is God, Shepherd, Comforter, Judge, Redeemer, and Savior. He said that he looked around and he didn’t notice any other divine persons, thrones, saviors, redeemers, or gods next to him.

“Speak and present your case. Yes, let them consult one another. Who revealed this in the distant past and predicted it long ago? Wasn’t it I, the LORD? There is no other God except me. There is no other righteous God and Savior besides me” (GW Isaiah 45:21).

That is not to say that this new creed that divided God into three co-equal persons (family members?) was our brilliant idea. The ancient world was teeming with mysterious triads amalgamated into various super-deities. (See Triple Deity on Wikipedia and you too will be dumbfounded.)

Two distinguished apologists, William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland, offer this solution: “Just as Cerberus [the mythological three-headed dog] is a single dog with three consciousnesses, so God is a single spiritual substance or soul with three self-consciousnesses.”[13]

One God / Three Persons

Unlocking The Mystery Of The Trinity

In the Old Testament, God visited Abraham in the form of a human being. Even though he appeared fully human, it was no doubt a temporary human form (Genesis 18).

Question: While dining with Abraham on the plains of Mamre, enjoying the fresh air and Sarah’s cooking, was God absent from his throne in heaven? Of course not. God is everywhere, right?

What if, instead of coming down to the Earth in a temporary human form, God wanted to redeem his children by entering into creation as a human being?

Could he do it?

And while the Creator of life was dwelling in his human form in Israel, would he be absent from heaven? Of course not. God is a spirit, right?

Put another way, could the eternal God, who is a spirit, manifest himself in the flesh through a human mother to dwell in Israel; and yet, at the same time—as an omnipresent spirit—still be in heaven, or anywhere else for that matter?

Or was this impossible for the Almighty God to accomplish?

Recall that Isaiah prophesied that a Son will be born unto us and the Son will be called the “Mighty God” and the “everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6). How can that be? How can the “Son” be called the everlasting “Father”?

Was Isaiah waxing poetical or waxing old?

This mystery, as we alluded to earlier, lies at the center of the storm surrounding the identity of Jesus. How did the omnipresent God become fully human and still remain fully God?

Okay, let’s ask him.

“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26).

He said that just as he hath life unto himself as the self-existing, eternal Spirit (Father), he also allowed his incarnate form (Son) to have a full human life unto himself. (This is the true mystery!)

In other words, when the Almighty God manifested himself in the flesh to redeem us, he wasn’t pretending to be human; he was fully human. But rest assured that even though the eternal God, who is a spirit, entered creation through the bloodstream of Mary, he did not stop being God!

That is, he was not bound or confined to his human body.

Amazingly, in Christ, God enjoyed an authentic human life and consciousness and experienced creation just as we do.

Even though the Spirit within the Jewish child was the eternal God (who was also in heaven and everywhere else), Mary held a real human baby in her arms. He probably had her smile and her eyes.

But . . . remove the flesh of Mary’s baby, in a manner of speaking, and guess who you’ll find on the inside?

The omnipresent God.

“ . . . The words that I say to you I don’t speak on my own. It is the Father who dwells in me and who carries out his work” (ISV John 14:10).

It should be noted that the concept of modes or offices or robes or natures, in respect to the Father and the Son, is a calculated misrepresentation of the true teachings of monotheists who affirm that there are in fact profound physiological differences between the Father (who is an omnipresent spirit) and his human incarnation conceived by Mary. That is to say, in an anatomical or biological sense, the Father is not the Son; the Father—a Spirit—was in the Son, in heaven, and across the universe! The Father wasn’t conceived in Mary’s womb, the Son was.

Jesus is, therefore, the miraculous, one-of-a-kind union of the eternal God and man that was formed in the womb of the Blessed Virgin.

He was 100% God and 100% man.

Lord and Christ.

God and lamb.

Therein lies the difference.

- “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36; emphasis added).

- “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself . . .” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

- “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (NASB Titus 2:13).

This may sound elitist. But there are actually three levels of revelations concerning most Christological doctrines—the carnal mindset, human wisdom (e.g., the creeds of the institutionalized church, Islam, etc.), and divine revelation. In fact, only God can unlock the mystery of his incarnation.

“In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes . . . . no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him” (Luke 10:21-22).

Unitarians, muslims, christadelphians, and trinitarians—please read this:

God is a Spirit; he is not a man. God manifested himself through Mary to live among us—as the incarnate Christ—in order to become the final sacrificial offering for sin. Jesus is therefore the extraordinary union of the heavenly and the earthly.

The Son of God was miraculously begotten by the Spirit—not in heaven, but in Bethlehem; not in “the womb of the father,” but in the “womb of Mary!”

Understandably, as noted, because there are profound physiological differences between the omnipresent Spirit (Father) and his fully human incarnation (the Son), the imperial church naturally decided that these differences indicate separate persons.

However, if she were here, Mary would tell you that it was a cranky baby who often woke her up bawling for milk. Not God the Son pretending to be human, but a real human child.

Even though he knew that he was God incarnate (i.e., Immanuel), the young Jewish child had to get up, brush his teeth, and go to the local synagogue to learn Torah. He had to learn Hebrew and Aramaic just like any other child, even though the Spirit in him knew all things. He probably didn’t know the names of his own angels in heaven or the names of everyone in the world. Of course, he could have if he wanted to or if it was necessary. But he would have to get the answers from the omniscient Spirit (Father) dwelling in him and in heaven.

Recall that in Mark 13:32, Jesus revealed that the Son did not know the time of his return! “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”

In fact there are many differences between the Father who is a spirit, and his human incarnate form. For example, the eternal God (in Christ) did not get hungry, sleepy, or weak; his human form did. The eternal God (in Christ) did not die, and lay lifeless in a tomb for three days; his human body did.

- “. . . The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19).

- “. . . for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me” (John 8:42).

- “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:7–9).

Why would the creator trade in heaven for us?

Because love is not just another mysterious force that magically appeared in our world. Love is a person.

And this is his story.

Consider this: Would you let your children drown, even though you know that they are often rebellious and arrogant? Of course not. Surely you would find a way to rescue them, in spite of themselves, right? How far would you go to save them though? Would you be willing to pay the ultimate price?

God is a spirit. And as a spirit he could not redeem his children, clean us up, and get us ready for eternity. Only a fair and equitable substitute could.[**] In the book of Isaiah, we find this startling prophecy:

“ . . . My servant would vindicate the just for many, and their iniquities he would bear . . . because he poured out his soul to death, and with transgressors he was counted; and he bore the sin of many . . .” (Jewish Tanakh Isaiah 53:11-12; emphasis added).

Even before he created the worlds, God knew that one day he would walk on the shores of Galilee, not as God, but as man. God cloaked his extraordinary plan of redemption within many layers of prophetic truths and it seems that even the prophets and the mighty angels couldn’t figure it out (1 Peter 1:10, 12).

This mystery can be likened to a fair and impartial judge who must legally sentence his own rebellious children to death for their crimes. But as a loving father, he casts off his judicial gown and steps down to take their place.

Which God did.

Not as Spirit, but as man.

** In Genesis 22:8, Abraham said that God will “provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” But God provided a ram a few verses later, not the promised lamb.

The Redemption Story According To The Imperial “Church Fathers”

God (Love) is in fact three separate persons sitting on three separate thrones in heaven. Each one is a co-equal, co-eternal, and distinct person. (They are “one” because they share the same god-stuff or substance.)

When God the Father—the first person—wanted to save humanity, he showed his great love for us, not by coming down himself; oh no, he sent someone else. He sent God the Son.

I love them so very much—you go, son.

So the first person shipped the second person off to the Earth to be brutally beaten, mangled, and nailed to a cross, because he, the first person, really, really loves us!

How noble is that?

Would you respect a person who, wanting to demonstrate their love for you, stopped a car from running you down by sending his son in front of it?

You go, son.

Seriously, ask yourself this: Would you, a mere human being, send your child in front of a train to demonstrate your great love for someone in danger?

Wouldn’t you rather put yourself in harm’s way?

The Redemption Story According To The Bible

There is only one God.

There are no “persons” or gods sitting next to him.

He alone is God.

To redeem us, God manifested himself in the flesh through the Virgin Mary. He did not come down to the Earth to become God. He came down to become a man. He did not come down to beat his chest and demand that we bow down and worship him. He came down to redeem us.

You see, dear reader, God didn’t send someone else to rescue you; he came down himself.

There is only one story in the Bible.

His story.

A story about one indescribable, unfathomable being who loves us so much that from the creation of the stars to a lonely hill outside of Jerusalem, he who was covered in spit and blood; crushed, rejected, and despised—was our God.

“And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness:

God [He] was manifest in the flesh,

justified in the Spirit,

seen of angels,

preached unto the Gentiles,

believed on in the world,

received up into glory.”

(1 Timothy 3:16)

When Love Walked Among Us

- “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us . . .” (1 John 3:16).

- “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28; emphasis added).

- “Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 9:5).

- “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).

- “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

- “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to” (NLT Philippians 2:6).

Jesus

Questions For The Imperial Church

“I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds” (The Nicene Creed).

1. If God the Father can make babies in heaven, why not have two or three sons? Give them thunderbolts.

2. Did God snap his fingers to create God the Son in heaven? Or was he begotten “de utero Patris” (i.e., from the womb of the Father)?

3. Did God the Son grow up in heaven—from infancy to adulthood—or was he born fully grown?

4. How long did it take for him to grow up in heaven?

5. If there is going to be a family with a father and son, shouldn’t there be a mother?

6. According to the institutionalized church, the Son was “eternally begotten” (whatever that could possibly mean) from the Father. But in Hebrews 1:5, God says, “. . . Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son.” When did Jesus become a Son?

7. How can Jesus be both begotten and eternal at the same time? To be begotten or to be a son logically means that there was a time when he did not yet exist.

8. How can the Son and the Father be co-eternal: that is, of the same age?

9. If God the Son came down to the Earth to become human, why are we told that it was the Holy Spirit that came down (Luke 1:35)?

10. Who is the Father of Jesus? If one person is called “Father,” then how can another person in the Godhead be the true father? “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:20).

11. If the Father is Holy and he is a Spirit, then he is a Holy Spirit, right? Then why would God the Father—who is an all-powerful, omnipresent Holy Spirit—need another person who is also an all-powerful, omnipresent Holy Spirit?

12. Why doesn’t the Bible ever mention that God’s Spirit has a throne?

13. Why is “God’s Spirit” not personally addressed in the prayers of Jesus?

14. Is it possible that the “Holy Spirit” is simply the Biblical way of describing the one Almighty God (who is a spirit) when he acts within creation and through humanity (e.g., prophets, preachers, etc.)?

15. Who should believers direct their prayers to? Jesus? The Father? Or the Spirit of God? When we switch our prayers from person to person is that not polytheism? Should we divide our prayers equally so that no one feels left out?

16. Are God and the Father separate persons? “Now God himself AND OUR FATHER, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you” (1 Thessalonians 3:11; emphasis added).

Historical Evidence

The new catholic encyclopedia:

“The formulation ‘one God in three Persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century. But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective” (1967, Vol. XIV, p. 299).

The encyclopedia americana:

“Christianity derived from Judaism and Judaism was strictly Unitarian [believing that God is one person]. The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicea was scarcely a straight one. Fourth century Trinitarianism did not reflect accurately early Christian teaching regarding the nature of God; it was, on the contrary, a deviation from this teaching” (1956, Vol. XXVII, p. 294L).

Nouveau dictionnaire universel:

“The Platonic trinity, itself merely a rearrangement of older trinities dating back to earlier peoples, appears to be the rational philosophic trinity of attributes that gave birth to the three hypostases or divine persons taught by the Christian churches. . . . This Greek philosopher’s conception of the divine trinity . . . can be found in all the ancient religions” (Paris, 1865–1870, edited by M. Lachâtre, Vol. 2, p. 1467).

John l. Mckenzie, s.J., Dictionary of the bible:

“The trinity of persons within the unity of nature is defined in terms of ‘person’ and ‘nature’ which are G[ree]k philosophical terms; actually the terms do not appear in the Bible. The Trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies in which these terms and others such as ‘essence’ and ‘substance’ were erroneously applied to God by some theologians” (New York, 1965, p. 899).

Answering The Tough Questions

Is there a difference between father and son?

Yes.

God the Father is not a man; he is spirit. In Christ, God humbled himself and partook of a full human body and consciousness (or mind) which was naturally limited and distinct from his omniscient, divine consciousness. Thus, as previously mentioned, the distinctions or differences between the Father and Son are not between persons or modes or natures or whatever; they are between the omnipresent Spirit and his fully human existence.

Is jesus the second person in a triune godhead?

God did not give us the creeds and philosophies of the imperial church. He gave us the Holy Bible. The entire doctrine of the Trinity (not just the word “Trinity,” by the way) is built upon the notion that God the Son is one person in a triune Godhead.

The Bible clearly warns: do not be deceived by men’s traditions and philosophies. For example, many teach that Jesus is in the Godhead. The Bible disagrees. It warns that all of the Godhead is in Jesus— bodily!

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col 2:8–9; emphasis added).

If jesus is god, why did he pray?

Just to be abundantly clear, the Son was not merely “the human nature” of God. He was 100% human. Again, at the risk of diminishing our great God and Savior, we must reiterate that God chose to allow his human incarnation (the Son) to be fully human in order to be a completely fair and balanced substitute for us. Recall that, knowing the horrendous pain and shame of the cross before him, Jesus struggled to bring his human will into subjection to his divine purpose and mission.

What about all the verses that seem to indicate that jesus was physically sent from god?

So were many others. It doesn’t mean that they came down from heaven. For example, concerning John the Baptist: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John” (John 1:6). It simply means that their missions were predetermined by God before the worlds were created. Let’s ask Jesus. “And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me” (John 12:45).

Naturally, Mary’s baby—the flesh and blood human being—did not pre-exist in heaven except in the plan (Logos) and prophetic purposes of God before the foundation of the Earth. The Bible declares that Jesus was also slain before the worlds were formed (Revelation 13:8). Likewise, God knew and consecrated Jeremiah even before he was born: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee . . .” (Jeremiah 1:5).

How can the father bear witness of the son if they are not separate persons?

As a spirit, God cannot die. God manifested himself in the flesh to redeem us. The Father (who is a spirit) was in the Son. In John 5:37, Jesus, the human Galilean, was explaining to his attackers that his Earthly ministry was confirmed by God the Father (i.e., the Torah, prophets, etc.).

What about 1 john 5:7 found in the king james version?

This recently added verse still confirms that God is one! “The text of this verse should read, ‘Because there are three that bear record.’ The remainder of the verse is spurious. Not a single manuscript contains the Trinitarian addition before the fourteenth century, and the verse is never quoted in the controversies over the Trinity in the first 450 years of the church era. (The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer). . . . Another example of an alteration found in the King James Version is Acts 12:4. . . . The Greek word translated “Easter” in this passage is the word 3957 Gk.páscha. This word appears twenty-nine times in the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Twenty-eight times the word is rendered “Passover” in reference to the Feast of Passover. . . . In Acts 12:4 it is falsely translated Easter.” [***]

What about this verse: “and now, o father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which i had with thee before the world was” (john 17:5)?

Indeed, it appears that God the Son was asking God the Father to give him the glory that he once had when he was in heaven. Incredibly, this makes perfect sense if you were taught that the Father begat a child in heaven who then “emptied himself,” and was begotten by the Father (a second time) down on the Earth.

So why did Jesus refer to that specific glory: The glory that he “had with thee”?

The truth is that it was “back in eternity” that our Great God planned to glorify his human form (and believers on the last day), not two days before Adam threw us under the bus. Hence the phrase, “with thine own self.”

That is to say that the man Christ Jesus knew that it was preordained before creation, that through his obedience, death, and resurrection, his incarnate form would become the template of a new “glorified” creation designed to exist in the New Heavens. So when was Jesus glorified?

- “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39; emphasis added).

- “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26; emphasis added).

Isn’t jesus on the right hand of god?

The phrase “on the right hand” is common to all cultures. When we say, “Bill is my right-hand guy,” what do we mean? It denotes a place of power or importance, right? It is not a geographical location. Likewise, in ancient cultures “the right hand” simply refers to a place of authority and power.

For example:

“For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved” (Acts 2:25).

Is God on David’s right hand? Of course not. David was depending on God’s strength and power. Consider these verses:

- “[The LORD] shall stand at the right hand of the poor” (Psalms 109:31).

- “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship . . .” (Galatians 2:9).

When jesus was baptized, all three persons were present!

This is the main proof text used to support the notion that God exists as three separate persons in heaven. Indeed, at the baptism of Jesus, God did speak in an audible voice from the clouds over Jerusalem and John did see a bird fluttering down from heaven. But what if, in addition to the voice and a bird, God also manifested himself as a pillar of fire or a burning bush? Could he? How many persons would there be in the Godhead then?

First off, God is not a bird, is he? Or a voice or a bush or a cloud or a man or an angel. God is a spirit. These are but separate manifestations of the one God, not separate persons.

The baptismal scene was never meant to tip off the foolish, monotheistic Jews to the great and wonderful truth that would be uncovered by a 4th century Roman council.

On the contrary, these manifestations served as a legal witness to validate the Messiah’s inauguration to covenantal Israel. That’s why John explained that, “And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost” (John 1:33).

“If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me” (ESV John 5:31- 33, 37).

Aren’t there two persons in john 14:23?

Yes, the eternal Spirit and the crucified Lamb are working together for our salvation. The eternal and the earthly. As a spirit, God could not redeem us. But as the incarnate Christ, he not only bled and died for us, but he could now personally identify with our pain, hunger, tiredness, and so on. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5; emphasis added).

What about “let us make man in our image . . .” (Genesis 1:26)?

This is explained in the Creation/evolution chapter.

In revelation 5: 6–7, the lamb takes a book out of the hand of the one sitting on the throne. Aren’t god and the lamb separate persons?

“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne” (Revelation 5:6–7; emphasis added).

Let’s consider John’s vision within its proper Biblical framework.

As with the entire Book of Revelation and the prophetic visions of Daniel (see Daniel 7:9-14), this scene is filled with extraordinary images and intense prophetic symbolisms.

First, God is a spirit. He does not have hands, as we envision. Second, Jesus is not a four-footed lamb. Third, Jesus does not have seven horns and seven eyes. Fourth, if there are seven Spirits of God in heaven, that would mean there are nine persons in the godhead—not three.

John was simply being shown that the source of our redemption proceeded from “the midst of the throne.” Not from God as Spirit alone. But from God who became our sacrificial lamb or savior. “And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation . . .” (Isaiah 63:5; emphasis added).

What does this mean?

“Then cometh the end, when he [Jesus] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. . . . then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:24, 28).

Because there will be no more sin after the Judgment, there will be no need for a mediator between sinful humanity and God. That is to say, there will be no need for the redemptive role of Christ or the “Sonship” of God. The function of the “Son” as mediator between God and man will cease.

Who is the one being who is both god and lamb?

Many believers wrongly assume that, in the resurrection, they will ascend into God’s heavenly habitation. On the contrary, believers in their new, glorified bodies will enter an entirely new dimension or universe (i.e., the new heavens and the new earth), where the invisible God himself will reign, not as the “unapproachable light whom no one has seen or can see,” but in his nail-scarred, immortalized human form.****

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. . . . Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:1-3).

Here is another view:

“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times—he might gather together in one—all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; EVEN IN HIM” (Ephesians 1:10 emphasis added).

*** Please see (no affiliation): http://www.onetruthonelaw.com/uploads/4/2/3/5/42356753/what_did_the_early_church_teach_about_god%E2%80%99s_holy_spirit.pdf.

**** Some actually suggest that in John’s vision, God the Father and the Holy Spirit are beside Jesus, but they are invisible! First, it was a vision. Second, in all the visions given to the ancient prophets, they too saw one God on one throne.

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

Answer: God.

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal cosmic force, esoteric power, divine family member, or separate person. The Holy Spirit is simply the scriptural title for the living God when he is working within time and creation and through the lives of believers.

The Bible uses other titles such as Holy Ghost, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Christ in us, and the Spirit of Christ. These are not separate persons, only separate titles.

If you say, “My spirit is troubled,” surely you are not referring to a separate person, are you? You’re referring to yourself. Likewise, just as humans use their hands to work, God, who is a spirit, uses his Spirit to work in our hearts and in creation. Are your hands separate persons? Of course not!

Neither do we give our hands personal names. Notice that throughout the Bible the Spirit has no name. The words “holy” and “spirit” are descriptions, not names.

And naturally, at the end of time, there is only Jesus—who is, of course, both God and lamb—but no Holy Spirit personage.

Consider this clue as we close down shop.

In the verse below, Jesus—as a flesh-and-blood person—informs his disciples that he must first go away, but he will send another comforter. Who is the comforter? (Muslims believe that Muhammad is the comforter. Please!)

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:16–18; emphasis added).

Endnotes

1. John Avanzini, “Believer’s Voice of Victory,” Trinity Broadcasting Network, January 20 1991, accessed January 2008 from http://www.tbn.org.

2. Benny Hinn, “This Is Your Day,” Trinity Broadcasting Network, November 6 1990, accessed January 2008 from http://www.tbn.org.

3. Juanita Bynum, “Fall Praise-A-Thon,” Trinity Broadcasting Network, November 1 2004, accessed January 2008, from http://www.tbn.org.

4. Fred Price, “Ever Increasing Faith,” Trinity Broadcasting Network, December 9, 1990.

5. If God wanted the name Yeshua to be preserved in Hebrew, as some groups vigorously contend, why did he allow the apostles to write the name in Greek, the language of the New Testament?

6. Brian Alarid, “5 Things You Need to Know About Speaking in Tongues,” Charisma, September 9 2014, http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/supernatural/21237-5-things-you-need-to-know-about-speaking-in-tongues

7. Mikhail Gorbachev, Daily Telegraph, June 16 1992.

8. Mohandas Gandhi, quoted in Mark Driscoll “Vintage Jesus Sermon Notes, 1–2,” January 2008.

9. Yasser Arafat, United Nations Press Conference (New York: United Nations, 1983).

10. Mary Baker Eddy, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” 1875 Writings of Mary Baker Eddy, reprint 361(1994):11–13.

11. Louis Farrakhan, “Newswatch Today,” CBN (Virginia Beach, VA: March 6, 1996).

12. “Trinity Doctrine,” All About God, accessed January 2008, http://www.allaboutgod.com/trinity-doctrine.

13. William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, IVP Academic, March 31 2003.

“Here lies the beginning of our harlotry. we cherish our lovely buildings. we give payola to our pastors and missionaries so they will accept the spiritual responsibility and release us to acquire things. we are part of a christian world in which the worship of money has infiltrated more widely than most of us could have ever dreamed. the church has become unfaithful because its religion has become an industry. it is itself big business.”[1]

GOD’S SALVATION PLAN

1. Believe that God loves you.

2. Get saved.

3. Fork out 10% of your earnings (or social assistance) to your church leaders—for as long as you live. If you don’t, God will curse you and shut up the windows of heaven.

ARE PASTORS SINNING BY COLLECTING TITHES?

The Bible does not address this question. However, it is our sacred duty to warn tithe collectors about the dangers of this unbiblical practice.

ARE BELIEVERS SINNING BY PAYING TITHES?

No. Giving a tenth of one’s resources should be standard practice for all believers. But giving should be motivated by love and compassion, not in response to promises of riches or threats of hellfire.

CHRISTIANS SHOULD GIVE MORE NOT LESS!

If you were thinking that this chapter releases you from supporting the work of God, think again! Christians should give more—not less—to genuine ministries who care more about their congregational needs and the work of God than their own personal bank accounts.

In fact, the New Testament consistently encourages believers to yield 100% of their lives to God—not 10% of their income. To put it more succinctly, whatever the Spirit leads you to do, you should do.

That being said, we are also fervently opposed to teaching lies or indulging in unethical practices to raise money for God (like robbing people to buy a private jet). Consequently, our mission here is not to wag our fingers at sincere ministers who collect tithes, but to alert them to the spiritual dangers of this ungodly practice.

Eric M. Hill, author of the book What Preachers Never Tell You About Tithes & Offerings: The End of Clergy Manipulation & Extortion, noted that in the Kingdom of God, preachers and denominations cannot make up their own rules.

Priestcraft

Most Christians are taught that they are required to observe a fully regulated tithing practice that commands them, under penalty of divine curses, to pay 10% of their earnings, pensions, or welfare checks to their church leaders. Meanwhile, ironically, most church leaders teach that New Testament believers are unconditionally freed from Old Testament laws and ordinances like circumcision, animal sacrifices, and so on.

Except one.

The tithe.

Tithing, they claim, is not optional. It is mandatory. It is God’s law.

To hold back one’s tithes is to rob God. It is as important to one’s salvation as abstaining from adultery. Creflo A. Dollar once stated, “To not tithe is worse than committing adultery.” [2]

There is no easy way to say this.

The Christian tithing law is a cover-up for cowardly stewardship and twisted theology arising from the disastrous consequences of the church’s marriage to the world’s political and financial systems when the early church was hijacked by Imperial Rome.

The tithing mindset is, to a large degree, at the root of the selfishness, smugness, and religious pride found in many of today’s churches. It has destroyed the spiritual call to nurture those among us who are less fortunate and hurting and has left only indifference and detachment.

Instead of focusing on the day-to-day struggles of churchgoers by stressing love and charity among members, the church’s lifeblood is primarily focused on its corporate ambitions. (Let’s not forget that Martin Luther and other free thinkers risked their lives to expose a host of racketeering schemes perpetuated by the imperial church.)

To be fair, most modern tithe collectors are blindly following the traditions of the institutionalized church without examining the dangers of enforcing an unauthorized Old Testament ordinance under the New Testament government of the Spirit. (Note: When we use the word “law” in regard to tithing, we are referring solely to Biblical laws governing holiness and salvation, not to governmental or civil laws.)

There are many justifiable reasons not to buck the tithing trend. Most preachers simply do not have enough faith to trust church members to contribute voluntarily from a heart of compassion. They feel that only threats of hellfire will loosen the selfish heart. This may be true. But the spiritual consequences of this ungodly enterprise are disastrous.

Consider this: When you pay your 10% tithe, are you obeying the Spirit or your church’s tithing law?

- “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2–3).

- “I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace” (RSV Galatians 5:3–4).

Reviving an Old Testament law, even for legitimate purposes, is antithetical to living under grace. It directly annuls the sacrifice of Jesus. Why? Because we cannot have both. It is religious adultery. If believers can be saved by observing Old Testament ordinances like tithing, circumcision, the Sabbath, the feasts, and so on, then what need is there for the work of Christ and his Spirit? Christ has died in vain.

“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21).

DID JESUS PAY TITHES?

No, carpenters were not required to tithe. Under the Old Testament law, there were clear-cut rules.

The tithe was not 10% of one’s income; it was 10% of the harvest! It was only collected from farmers and herdsmen who used or leased God’s land—Israel.

BUT JESUS SPOKE ABOUT THE TITHE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Jesus lived and died under the Old Covenant. He mentioned the tithe (Matthew 23:23) because the Mosaic Law was still in full force. The new covenant began after the death of Jesus. “For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives” (NASB Hebrews 9: 16-17).

WHAT ABOUT MODERN-DAY PROSPERITY PREACHERS?

Heavy hitters like Creflo A. Dollar, the Copelands, T. D. Jakes, and Benny Hinn have gained untold riches, not from collecting tithes alone but from pressuring folks to give (to God?) with deceitful promises of a guaranteed return on their investments. By exposing the 10% tithing system, genuine ministers walking in the will of God should not suffer lack. But the imposters will have to sell their mansions and jets to buy television airtime. Doesn’t the promise to “supply all our needs” also apply to preachers? Perhaps those who run a spiritual sweatshop should reexamine the price Paul was willing to pay for his calling:

“. . . I have worked harder and have been put in jail more times. I have been beaten with whips more and have been in danger of death more often. . . . I have worked and struggled and spent many sleepless nights. I have gone hungry and thirsty and often had nothing to eat. I have been cold from not having enough clothes to keep me warm” (CEV 2 Corinthians 11:23, 27).

DID PAUL COLLECT TITHES?

No.

He wrote, “I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service” (2 Corinthians 11:8).

He certainly wouldn’t be “robbing” anyone if he was entitled to collect tithes, would he? A wage is not a tithe. These folks were not breaching a tithing ordinance. They were unsupportive. Paul made it clear that he accepted little or no help from anyone but worked with his own hands. “What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel” (I Corinthians 9:18; emphasis added).

SO WHAT SAYETH THE NEW TESTAMENT?

If tithing is tied to obedience and salvation, a “heaven or hell” issue, why is there no tithing ordinance or regulation given, or even hinted at, in the New Testament?

Not one verse.

Instead, the New Testament teaches: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity . . .” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Necessity is defined as “an unavoidable need or compulsion to do something: not by choice but by necessity” (Dictionary.com).

Here are two other versions of 2 Corinthians 9:7:

- “Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don’t feel sorry that you must give and don’t feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give” (CEV).

- “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (ESV).

How can Christians give as they “purposeth” in their hearts if the amount is already set? The Bible stresses that giving must be born from the heart, based on compassion, love, and gratitude, and not in response to divine curses, threats, and Gestapo-like tactics. That’s manipulation and blackmail.

Under this dispensation of grace, love must be our only motivation, not fear of divine retribution. In contrast, the Old Testament tithing system given to ancient Israel was a fully regulated taxation system governed by legal ordinances—not by love.

THE DANGERS OF TITHING

Preachers who enforce tithing may be placing their entire congregations under a curse—not individually, but collectively—when they invoke Old Testament ordinances and its related curses to justify New Testament principles.

Why?

Because the New Testament does not authorize church leaders to collect tithes. Nor does it instruct Christians on how much to give. Period.

ASK TITHE COLLECTORS:

- Should Christians pray because they have to?

- Should Christians sing because they have to?

- Should Christians go to church because they have to?

- Should Christians love God (and others) because they have to?

Then why should Christians tithe because they have to?

The Bible does not portray a mobster God who demands protection money or else he will vengefully shut up heaven and pour down curses. Instead, it reveals a loving Father interested in our hearts and lives. No wonder the New Testament consistently asserts the grace of giving rather than the law of tithing. It is a call to charity and compassion, not to curses, threats, and Old Testament injunctions.

It is a completely different mindset.

The early Christians “. . . sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need” (Acts 2:45; emphasis added). Why didn’t they give the required 10% tithe? Instead, they gave whatever they could to all men. Throughout the New Testament, believers are encouraged to support the needy among them—not just the clergy.

If tithing was still compulsory for Christians, why didn’t the apostles use the countless opportunities when finances were discussed to appeal to the Abrahamic tithe? Or at the very least introduce a New Testament tithing ordinance? If the giving of livestock and agricultural goods was to be transferred from the Levitical priesthood to the new Christian clergy, surely they would have introduced some basic guidelines or principles, especially since Gentiles (non-Jews) had not participated in the former Mosaic tithing system. The church leaders could easily have said, “Do not take your wheat and barley to the priests over at the temple anymore; bring it to us.”

The apostles even convened a council to decide which aspects of the Mosaic Law should be observed by the New Testament community. It appears that they not only forgot to mention tithing, but they specifically warned that the burden of the Mosaic Law was Jewish and it should not be laid on the shoulders of new believers (Acts 15:28)!

If God thoroughly spelled out—in dozens of detailed chapters—the financial upkeep of his former priesthood/temple, then with its passing why did he not impart one single verse in support of a tithing system for the new priesthood?

And even more alarming is this: The apostles left clear instructions concerning every aspect of the operation of the church and the conduct of new believers. Yet are we to believe that they completely forgot to mention the most fundamental aspect of ministry—its financial upkeep through tithing? They laid down detailed instructions on the wearing of hats, talking in church, hair length, family relationships, marriage, divorce, eating, working, sex, etc. The early Christians were rebuked for lying, cheating, stealing, gossiping, committing adultery, fornicating, arguing, and even talking in church! Yet are we to believe that everyone tithed faithfully? Not once in the entire New Testament was anyone rebuked for not tithing!

BUT DIDN’T ABRAHAM VOLUNTARILY GIVE A 10% TITHE TO MELCHIZEDEK BEFORE THE LAW (GENESIS 14)?

In order to justify the modern tithing system, tithe collectors claim that Abraham voluntarily tithed to Melchizedek before the Law of Moses was given. Therefore, tithing was not derived from the Law; it was a freewill offering. It was done by faith.

Ironically, the modern tithing system is not done “by faith.” It is a well-defined church ordinance like the Mosaic Law. You are legally bound to tithe or you are “robbing God.” It is never adjusted to 5% or 6% based on “faith” or compassion for the poor. It is a fixed 10% cut of one’s gross income.

Is The Abrahamic Tithe An Example For Christians To Follow?

1. Abraham, “the father of circumcision,” also started the rite of circumcision before the Mosaic Law. If tithing is to be observed, then why aren’t the traditions of circumcision, sacrificing of bulls, going on war raids, taking concubines, etc., also to be observed by Christians?

2. The Sabbath was introduced before the Mosaic Law. Why isn’t it also to be observed by all churches?

3. Even though he was extremely wealthy, Abraham never once gave a tithe of his personal income or personal possessions. The “spoils” that Abraham tithed on were gained from war, not work. They were pagan war booty.

4. Abraham’s tithe cost him absolutely nothing!

5. He wasn’t a “tithing man.” Abraham is recorded as giving his war tithe one time only. (If this was a “type,” then Christians should only tithe once! And go out on raids to obtain the tithe.)

6. Yes, the Bible tells us what Abraham did. But it does not say that everyone must do the same thing. None of the prophets nor New Testament writers used the Abrahamic tithe to teach a tithing ordinance.

7. There is no mention of Abraham’s tithe being a “freewill” offering. It was customary to honor the king of the land with a portion of the spoils of war. This was a Middle Eastern pagan war custom, not a commandment from Yahweh. The Encyclopedia of Religion explains, “In the ancient Near East lie the origins of a sacred offering or payment of a tenth part of stated goods or property to the deity. Often given to the king or to the royal temple, the ‘tenth’ was usually approximate, not exact. The practice is known from Mesopotamia, Syria-Palestine, Greece, and as far to the west as the Phoenician city of Carthage.”[3]

8. In contrast, the subsequent Mosaic Law of tithing given to Israel was not collected from the “spoils of war” (as with Abraham) but from “the land.” In Numbers 31, God institutes his own ordinances for the spoils of war: 1% to the Levites (Numbers 31:27–28) and 0.1% to the priests (Numbers 31:29–30).

9. There were no Biblical ordinances of tithing until it became a fully regulated Mosaic system collected from the increase of the land for the upkeep of the sacrificial system in Israel, and for helping the poor, the widow, the fatherless, and the stranger. Moreover, God himself provided the increase by opening up the floodgates of heaven, rebuking diseases, and so on.

10. Abraham never taught a tithing system to his children, and neither did Jacob. Throughout ten in-depth chapters about Joseph, he never once observed a 10% tithing custom.

11. There is no Biblical foundation permitting any human being to act on behalf of the Melchizedek priesthood in order to collect tithes! None!

12. According to 1 Peter 2:9 Christians have become priests. If we are to follow Abraham’s example, Christians should receive tithes – not pay tithes.

The Tithe That Jacob Promised God (Genesis 28)

1. Jacob wouldn’t tithe until God blessed him first. It was conditional. His tithe was not based on faith or a universal decree but on a cunning bargain.

2. If tithing was a divine “principle,” Jacob would not have set conditions. He would simply have obeyed!

3. No one approaches a divine law with an “If you . . . then I’ll . . .” On the other hand, the Mosaic tithe was not conditional.

4. If this was a “type,” then Christians should also barter with God. “I’ll tithe if you give me a million dollars.”

5. Jacob couldn’t fulfill one part of that vow. How could he? God had promised, “The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.” Jacob then promised, “Of all that you give me, I will surely give a tenth unto thee.” Jacob promised to tithe from what he received from the land. How could Jacob give a tithe from the Promised Land if he hadn’t personally inherited it? Incredibly, the subsequent tithing law was a fulfillment of Jacob’s promise, directly tied to the increase of the land of Israel.

6. Hence, when the Mosaic Law was instituted, the tithe was only collected from Jacob’s descendants who used the land; that is, farmers and herdsmen.

What About Cain’s Offering Of The Firstlings In Genesis 4?

Tithe collectors also turn to Cain and Abel to argue for tithing, as an example that also involves giving the firstfruits (firstlings) of one’s labor to God. Nothing could be further from the truth. The firstfruit offering and the tithe were separate ordinances.

In the Old Testament, the offering of a blood sacrifice was not optional; it was mandatory. It was based on a principle that God himself instituted in the Garden of Eden when he killed an animal(s) to cover our ancestral parents and to illustrate that, since man had forfeited the right to approach him, a blood sacrifice served as a temporary “covering” or as a “stay of execution.”

God was displeased with Cain, not because he held back his tithes, but because his offering (not his tithe) was incomplete without a blood sacrifice. This is in contrast to Abel, who “. . . brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering” (Genesis 4:4). Furthermore, there is no indication as to the amount given by Cain or Abel, nor do we find a scriptural basis for the fat portions of flocks being in some way equivalent to a tithe. In the entire story of Cain and Abel, there is no mention of a 10% tithe.

Finally, none of God’s anointed writers of the New Testament mentioned a firstfruit tithing ritual passed down to the New Testament Church.

The Money-Driven Church

- Tithing under the Law of Moses was not “giving.” It was a fully regulated, divine taxation system “paid” to support the Jewish priesthood in the administration of the ancient sacrificial system.

- Only Levites were authorized to collect tithes. Absolutely no one else was permitted! Today, of course, there is no temple or Aaronic or Levitical priesthood operating and no Biblical foundation to indicate that God changed his tithing ordinances to include non-Levites.

- Since there is no temple system in operation, modern Rabbinic Jews are not obligated to pay tithes! Rather, they support local Rabbis through contributions and freewill offerings.

- During the Mosaic Law period, the Jewish poor and laborers were under no obligation to tithe. God did not tax the poor; he helped the poor. They received from the tithe! “The Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do” (NASB Deuteronomy 14:29).

- Only when they entered the land of Israel did the Jews begin tithing. Throughout their years in the wilderness, they never tithed!

- Not everyone paid tithes. Neither monetary income nor bartered goods were tithable. How could money be “holy unto the Lord”? Wheelwrights, harness makers, metalworkers, toolmakers, judges, and other municipal workers were under no obligation to tithe.

- Paul, being a tentmaker, was not required to tithe; neither was Jesus or Peter. Carpenters and fishermen were exempt.

- Tithing was never money or income based. It was land based. Money could be given as a freewill offering by anyone (and a yearly half shekel was given by males over 20) for the upkeep of the temple. Jesus did not have to pay the yearly half shekel temple tax which was given “for an atonement for your souls” (Exodus 30:16). Jesus is the atonement! Incredibly, Jesus, our King, freed us from these requirements (Matthew 17:26).

- When the Jews traveled long distances to Jerusalem, they could convert their produce into money. Did God accept the money? Absolutely not! Here are the instructions pertaining to the Festival Tithe.

“And spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household” (ESV Deuteronomy 14:26). And they were to share it with the Levites.

- When Paul talked about taking a collection in 1 Corinthians 16, it was to aid the less-fortunate saints. Many other passages speak of this effort among churches to help suffering Christians. There is no mention of collecting tithes.

- How can God demand a 10% tithe from Christians? The New Covenant is no longer tied to the physical land of Israel. It is a spiritual kingdom.

- Hebrews 7 is not about money. It’s about Jesus! The writer explains that Jesus is a superior priest who descended, not from the tribe of Levi as the Mosaic priests did, but from the tribe of Judah. In other words, as prophesied in Psalm 110:4, Jesus is a superior priest after the endless order of Melchisedec and not from the temporary Aaronic priesthood.

Who Is Robbing Who? Twisting Malachi 3

Ironically, in this chapter, God was also addressing dishonest priests (under the Law) who were violating his ordinances. In fact, the entire nation was backslidden. The only way the food could get into the storehouse was by the Levites who were ordered to put a tenth of the tithe into it (Nehemiah 10: 38). Those who enforce tithing would like us to believe that the priests were the unfortunate victims, the innocent lambs. But follow each chapter carefully, and you will notice that God was addressing priests. For example:

“And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. . . . I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it” (Malachi 2:1-3).

Judgment began at the house of God. It was the priests who were abusing the ordinances God had enacted to support those who served in the temple, the poor, etc.

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house . . .” (NKJV Malachi 3:10; emphasis added).

Food. Not money.

These “ordinances” were official laws regarding Old Testament worship. In other words, these verses fall under the Law. In this and many other chapters in the Old Testament, God is calling the Jews to return to the covenants he had specifically made with the nation of Israel. How can anyone justify teaching Christians that they should return to ordinances that God contracted with ancient Israel under the Law? Especially when the writer of Romans explains that Jesus removed these ordinances from the New Testament Church! “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14).

HERE IS THE CONTRACT GOD MADE WITH ANCIENT ISRAEL:

We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.

We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.

As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.

Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.

A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury.

The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept.

“We will not neglect the house of our God” (NIV Nehemiah 10:34–39; emphasis added).

Transferring Ancient Curses Onto Christians

1. The Malachi chapter is addressed to the “sons of Jacob,” not the New Testament Church. “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6).

2. Those who enforce tithing focus on the curse attached to the exclusive contract God made with the sons of Jacob while brushing aside the context of Malachi’s writings.

3. That curse directly addresses the nation of Israel. “Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation” (Malachi 3:9, emphasis added).

4. How can Christians be cursed by Old Testament injunctions contracted with the nation of Israel under the Law when we were never burdened with these ordinances in the first place?

5. How can God curse Christians if he has removed the curse of the Law from us? “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

6. And even more terrifying is this: How can anyone justify reestablishing these curses on God’s behalf after he nailed them to his cross?

7. Tithe enforcers use God’s admonitions to ancient Israel (under the Law) to teach that if Christians don’t tithe, God will curse us. The New Testament teaches the opposite! It directly warns that by placing ourselves under the Law, we place ourselves “under the curse” (Galatians 3:10).

8. There is no Biblical basis—not even the vaguest hint—for connecting tithing to “divine curses” and “salvation” in the New Testament. None!

9. Those who enforce tithing argue that Old Testament verses, addressed to the nation of Israel, still apply to everyone today because God does not change. That is demonstrably false. Yes, God’s nature does not change, but his statutes and laws do (e.g., eye for an eye, physical circumcision, animal sacrifice, Sabbath).

10. God said: “. . . that there may be meat in Mine house.” Tithe extractors say that “meat” means “money.” Are we to believe that God meant: “that there may be money in Mine house”?

DID ANANIAS AND HIS WIFE HOLD BACK TITHES?

Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead—not because they failed to tithe but because they lied about the price of the land that they sold. They were not obligated to give anything if they did not want to.

MODERN SOCIETY IS NO LONGER FARM-BASED BUT CURRENCY-BASED

Money was already in widespread use during the time of Abraham (see Genesis 23:13). In Genesis 23:9 Abraham bought land with money, not with food.

DID JESUS INSTITUTE A TITHING SYSTEM TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL?

Mindful of the dangers of money, here is his direct command: “As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here. Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy, and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid” (CEV Matthew 10:7–8; emphasis added). Recall that he threw out the moneychangers saying that they were turning the house of God into a den of thieves!

PAUL’S INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUPPORTING THOSE WHO LABOR FOR THE GOSPEL:

“Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void” (1 Corinthians 9:7, 11–15).

Why would Paul implore believers to support the ministry if church leaders had a legal right to collect tithes?

Instead, Paul argued that workers—including those who work for God—have a moral right to be compensated for their work. Here again was another perfect opportunity for Paul to rebuke the early Christians for not tithing or, at the very least, introduce it. After all, Paul was no shrinking violet.

“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor . . .” (Matthew 19:21).

Give it to whom? To church leaders? Sadly, instead of helping the poor, many pastors are stealing from the poor.

The apostle Paul, who founded most of the early churches, worked to support himself by making tents when not in jail. He declares:

“I have never wanted anyone’s money or clothes. You know how I have worked with my own hands to make a living for myself and my friends” (CEV Acts 20:33–34).

Are today’s preachers better than Paul? Didn’t Paul deserve to collect tithes? He warned:

“. . . They [false preachers] have wicked minds and have missed out on the truth. These people think religion is supposed to make you rich” (CEV 1 Timothy 6:5).

THREE SIGNS OF PRIESTCRAFT:

1. If your church invokes a tithing regulation to manipulate or extort money for following Jesus—it is Priestcraft.

2. If your church is run as a family dynasty with top positions and succession reserved exclusively for the preacher’s family members—it is Priestcraft.

3. If your church leaders’ salaries are not transparent—it is Priestcraft.

Finally, using threats and invoking curses to manipulate Christians (or anyone) to “pay God” is directly or indirectly a form of witchcraft.

Yes, you read it right.

It is sorcery.

Historical Sources

- “The Law of Moses prescribed tithing in some detail. Leviticus 27:30–32 stated that the tithe of the land would include the seed of the land and the fruit of the tree. In addition, the Hebrew people were required to set apart every tenth animal of their herds and flocks to the Lord . . . Nowhere does the New Covenant expressly command Christians to tithe. . . .” [4]

- “As the Church expanded and various institutions arose, it became necessary to make laws which would insure the proper and permanent support of the clergy. The payment of tithes was adopted from the Old Law . . . The earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the [canons] of the Council of Macon in 585.” [5]

- “The tenth of all produce, flocks, and cattle was declared to be sacred to Jehovah by way, so to speak, of rent to Him who was, strictly speaking, the Owner of the land, and in return for the produce of the ground . . . Although the Law did not specify the various fruits of the field and of the trees that were to be tithed, the Mishnah (Maaseroth 1.1) includes ‘everything eatable, everything that was stored up or that grew out of the earth. . . .’” [6]

- “It is admitted universally that the payment of tithes or the tenth of possessions, for sacred purposes, did not find a place within the Christian Church during the age covered by the apostles and their immediate successors.”[7]

- “The New Testament nowhere explicitly requires tithing to maintain a ministry or a place of assembly.”[8]

- “The silence of the N.T. writers, particularly Paul, regarding the present validity of the tithe can be explained only on the ground that the dispensation of grace has no more place for a Law of tithing than it has for a Law on circumcision.” [9]

Endnotes

1. John White, Money Isn’t God: So Why is the Church Worshiping It? Revised ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 38-39.

2. Creflo A. Dollar, quoted in John Blake “The Riches of God,” The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, August 23 1997, F01.

3. Mircea Eliad, Encyclopedia of Religion (New York: Macmillan, 1987).

4. Ronald F. Youngblood, Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Revised ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1995).

5. C. G. Herbermann,E. A. Pace, C. B. Pallen, T. J. Shahan, and J. J. Wynne, “Tithes,” The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 1 (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907), 259.

6. Russell Earl Kelly, Should the Church Teach Tithing? (Lincoln, NE: Writers Club Press, 2007), http://www.tithing-russkelly.com/.

7. James Hastings, Hastings Dictionary of the NT: The Apostolic Church, Vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), 594.

8. Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan, “Tithe,” Oxford Companion to the Bible (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993).

9. Everett F. Harrison, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Carl F. H. Henry, “Tithe,” Wycliffe Dictionary of Theology (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1999), Orig. Baker’s Dictionary (1960).

Here Are The Facts: You Decide!

This is serious business. So let’s cut to the chase.

This is not a religious cage-match between Christianity and Islam. Or a debate about Western culture versus Islamic culture.

Most of all, this is not a personal crusade against our decent, God-fearing, peace-loving Muslim brothers and sisters. Most Muslims are extremely kind and charitable beyond measure; and like most of us, they simply want to live in peace.

This chapter is about one thing and one thing only: Did God give Muhammad the keys (e.g., the Five Pillars of Islam) to open our graves and lead us home? Or was Muhammad another self-deluded preacher who fell captive to the seductive snare of our greatest enemy—Satan—the angel of darkness?

To be fair and objective—all the material found in this chapter except for a few citations and commentaries were taken from Islam’s official texts: the Hadith (traditions), Sira (biography of Muhammad), and the Qur’an.

ATTENTION: This chapter is not for the weak of heart. It contains numerous sexually deviant and highly disturbing teachings. Some material may not be appropriate for children under 13.

TESTING THE RELIGIOUS CLAIMS OF MUHAMMAD

First, as every Muslim knows quite well, absolutely nothing happens when one converts to Islam. It’s like joining an international brotherhood locking arms against various social issues like porn, booze, mini-skirts, and Western corporate expansionist policies.

Second, there are no miracles, proofs, or prophecies in the Qur’an to objectively test the claims of its lone prophet, Muhammad.

None. Zero.

Third, religious talk is not a litmus test for proving divine authorship. Even the founders of Santeria and Haitian Voodoo borrowed Biblical stories, talked about forgiveness, modesty, hell, feeding the poor, being nice to people, and so on. As a matter of fact, every successful prophet who hitched his or her wagon to a well-established religious system fared much better than independent startups.

At the end of the day, what do we have left?

The claims of one man.

Yes, one man.

WHAT KIND OF MAN WAS HE THEN?

Well, for one, he is dead. And, when he died, he stayed dead. Two, like the rest of us, he was quite a sinner (Qur’an 40:55, 48:1–2). And three, just before he passed away, he confessed that he wasn’t even sure where he was heading! In fact, he grew increasingly hysterical when death tightened its grip. Read for yourself:

- “Muhammad said, ‘By Allah, though I am the apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me’” (Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 266).

- “Aisha said, ‘Allah’s Apostle in his fatal illness, used to ask, ‘Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?’” (Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59, Number 731).

- “Say: ‘I am not the first of the messengers, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you: I do not follow anything but that which is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a plain warner’” (Qur’an 46:9).

This can’t be good.

It’s probably unwise to simply put our souls’ eternal destiny, blindly and unquestioningly, into the hands of one man—another sinner—who wasn’t even sure where he was heading, much less those who follow him.

So let’s keep digging.

WAS MUHAMMAD A PARAGON OF VIRTUE AND THE BEST EXEMPLAR FOR THE HUMAN RACE?

It all began when Muhammad, a traveling merchant, proclaimed that he met an angel—alone—in the privacy of a nearby cave. Then over the next 23 years, he claimed that the spiritual entity delivered messages to him on a routine basis.

However, as his military strength and following grew, it appears that Muhammad amassed many wives and sex slaves; he organized deadly raids by promising his followers plenty of sex and booty; pillaged and plundered and ordered the deaths of thousands of unarmed people, all the while claiming to be God’s perfect role model and his supreme mirror-image on the Earth.

“Ye have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of (conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah” (Qur’an 33:21).

Under careful scrutiny, though, it becomes evident that most of Muhammad’s revelations seemed conveniently tweaked to advance his own personal ambitions and sexual cravings. For example, when he was over 50 years old, he ordered a trusting follower to hand over his 6-year-old baby to be his wife!

“But I am your brother,” the baby’s father pleaded.

Muhammad explained the new rules: “You are my brother in Allah’s religion and His Book, but she (Aisha) is lawful for me to marry” (Bukhari 7, 62:18). And besides, Muhammad confessed, I’ve been dreaming about her (Bukhari 9, 87:140).

Muhammad also received another melodious revelation giving him the green light to marry his (adopted) son’s famously attractive wife (Qur’an 33:37).

Aisha, his child bride, recalled her suspicions: “I said (to the Prophet), ‘I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires’” (Bukhari 6, 60:311).

Yet Muslim apologists vigorously protest that Islam actually upholds freedom of religion, women’s rights, and human dignity. Most historians disagree. They warn that Islam is, in reality, the world’s most dangerous and duplicitous death cult—whose mandate is to persistently strip away all free, democratic societies of their God-given rights to freedom of speech, equality, and freedom of conscience by making them Sharia compliant.

We must remind our readers that Muslims are not our enemies. They are Muhammad’s first victims. Muslims need our embrace, our kindness, and our earnest prayers, not cowardly condemnations and pious bigotry.

Most scholars also caution that according to Muhammad’s “spirit guide,” everyone on the planet must either commit their souls to Muhammad and his religion for all eternity or be subjugated to his 7th century barbaric laws as a second-class dhimmi who must pay an infidel tax or die! And if you were fortunate enough to be born into a Muslim family or you walked in and happily joined up, guess what? You’re not allowed to leave Muhammad and his religion. Ever. The penalty for apostasy in Islam is death (Bukhari 4, 52:260). And yes, the penalty for questioning or criticizing Muhammad is also death.

- “They wish that you should reject faith as they reject faith, and then you would be equal; therefore take not to yourselves friends of them, until they emigrate in the way of God; then, if they turn their backs, take them, and slay them wherever you find them; take not to yourselves any one of them as friend or helper” ( Qur’an 4:89; emphasis added).

- “Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment” (Qur’an 5:33; emphasis added).

This brings us to another important question: Is Allah the same God of the Bible? Is Allah the same being who ate dinner with Abraham, met Moses on Mount Sinai, and spoke to all the Jewish prophets? Christians say: absolutely not. Not even close. Allah bears zero resemblance to Yahweh. Independent historians say that all the historical evidence points to the fact that Allah was a moon-rock deity of Muhammad’s tribe.

And rocks don’t talk.

WHAT ABOUT MUHAMMAD’S MESSAGES (WHICH LATER BECAME THE QUR’AN)?

Islamic theologians argue that Muhammad’s messages must be divine, seeing as they were composed in beautiful rhythmic Arabic, a pure and sacred language of Allah. After digging around a bit, we discovered that the Qur’an was composed in none other than the local poetic dialect of Muhammad’s tribe.

In recent times, Muslim apologists have begun to desperately tout another great “miracle of the Qur’an.” Unlike the Holy Bible, they claim, the Qur’an remains unchanged since it was first given to Muhammad; hence it must be divine.[**]

Even though scores of authors and historians have already debunked this “perfectly preserved miracle” (see Answering-Islam.org), it’s probably worth noting that there are thousands of much older writings and cuneiform etchings still “perfectly preserved” today. This does not make them divine, does it?

If the Satanic Bible or Hitler’s demonic treatise, Mien Kampf, remains unchanged for the next few hundred years or so, would that mean that it was sent from God?

AN ANGEL FROM ABOVE OR AN ANGEL FROM BELOW?

In stark contrast to the prophets of the Bible, when Muhammad began to receive messages, it appears that he behaved rather oddly. Muslim sources seem to indicate that Muhammad shook violently, heard ringing bells, sweated profusely, and even frothed at the mouth. (See Muhammad and the Quran by Islamic scholar Dr. Rafiq Zakaria.)

Critics of Islam are somewhat divided. Some say that he demonstrated all the signs associated with Frontal Lobe Epilepsy. Others say that his convulsions were in fact clever performances fabricated to impress his early followers—to get the religious ball rolling, so to speak—or may be an indication of something darker, even more sinister.

Still, in a world inundated with deceiving spirits with a flair for cultic overkill (e.g., the establishment of the Veil to erase women from the world), how are we to personally verify whether Muhammad’s spiritual guide was sent from God? It seems that after meeting this strangely aggressive creature, Muhammad confessed to his wife Khadija that he wanted to commit suicide because he felt that he was demon-possessed.

Hmmm, why would Muhammad attribute an encounter with an angel from God to demons?

“Muhammad: ‘Now none of God’s creatures was more hateful to me than an (ecstatic) poet or a man possessed . . . Woe is me poet or possessed . . . I will go to the top of the mountain and throw myself down that I may kill myself and gain rest.’”[1]

Muhammad’s wife, Khadija, with the help of her cousin (a heretical Christian), persuaded Muhammad not to kill himself. They figured that the “angel” was sent by God—not Satan, who wanted Muhammad to lead the world into an erotic paradise filled with dark-eyed virgins and rivers of wine. It’s important to note that the Bible teaches the very opposite. It declares that heaven is a Spiritual paradise not a Sexual paradise. Jesus affirmed that believers will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but will be like the angels. Curiously, Khadija’s cousin took a pass on Muhammad’s claims and remained a heretical Christian.

Then, there are the infamous satanic verses. In an effort to win over his tribe, Muhammad conjured up a revelation authorizing Allah’s pagan daughters to receive prayers. But then he retracted it saying that “the devil made me do it.” For those who seek to deny this embarrassing incident, please note that it was fully documented and attested to by all four of Muhammad’s early Muslim biographers: Ibn Ishaq, Wakidi, Ibn Sa’d, and Tabari—not fabricated by enemies of Islam.

Of course, Christians wonder: What kind of prophet speaks Satan’s words? And why follow a man who couldn’t tell the difference between a revelation from God and one from a demon?

Luckily for billions of Muslims, Muhammad eventually confessed that the angelic demon assigned to him, converted to Islam and became a Muslim.

The Messenger said, “Each one of you has a devil-companion from the jinn over him.” They asked, “Even you, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet recited, “Even me, yet Allah helped me against him until he embraced Islam. He does not order me to do anything but good” (Muslim 039: 6757).

We must remind the reader that according to the Holy Bible the entire human race fell away from God when another angelic demon showed up in the Garden of Eden, quoted God’s words, twisted them so very slightly, and deceived Eve—our ancestral mother. (Now, look at the mess we’re all in!)

No wonder the apostles warned people not to trust angels (Galatians 1:8). Not every angel who sings praises about Abraham and Moses and rants about what a wonderful prophet Jesus was—actually comes from God.

They warned that if you look closely, the demonic world will always twist God’s Word or plant seeds of doubt against it.

And Muhammad did both.

We became even more nervous when we noticed that Muhammad paid lip service to the Holy Bible, but then expects humanity to reject most of its timeless truths. Truths that have been unilaterally endorsed by all of its demon-chasing prophets and backed by countless earthshaking miracles and fully documented prophecies.

Why would God raise up another prophet who not only doesn’t introduce a single new moral teaching to wretched humanity, but who actually breaks the moral and ethical teachings of all the prophets and apostles before him? And who, like the ancient fertility cults, seemed strangely obsessed with the human genitalia and bodily excretions.

THE QUR’AN: A POETIC MASTERPIECE

As we alluded to earlier, when asked to prove that his messages were divine, Muhammad challenged his critics to a poetry-writing contest: “And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down to Our slave, then produce a surah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses besides Allah, if you are truthful” (Qur’an 2:23).

We need proof, not poetry.

Arabic linguistic rules and rhythm are a 7th century desert trick designed to deceive ancient Bedouins. What the Qur’an says is what concerns us here, not how beautiful it sounds in sing-a-long Arabic.

Yes, truth can be rhythmic and beautiful, soaring high above rose-tinted Moroccan skies, but so can deceit! Ask any former Jehovah’s Witness. The truth is not established by the beauty of its expressions or because it was written in a particular language—say, 12th century Latin or Sanskrit—but by facts.

For what it’s worth, here is the entire Surah 109 of the Qur’an:

1. Say: O ye that reject Faith!

2. I worship not that which ye worship,

3. Nor will ye worship that which I worship.

4. Nor will I worship those whom you have worshiped;

5. Nor will ye worship that which I worship.

6. To you be your Way and to me mine.

Apart from its non-stop tirades of severe punishments for disbelievers, Jews, and whatnot, the Qur’an betrays a stolen mishmash of Arabian paganism, grossly inaccurate Biblical stories, Zoroastrianism, Jewish mysticism, and silly campfire legends set to swaying Arabian melody.

There is no historical order, narrative sequence, or prophetic timeline, yet the Qur’an is touted as the final and flawless Word of God.

Unlike all the Biblical prophets who were directly inspired by God, Muhammad confessed that he was inspired by an aggressive entity who claimed to be an angel called Jibreel. (Interestingly, angels did not inspire humans in the Holy Bible.) Yet curiously, Muhammad (and his various scribes and followers) abrogated or altered many of Allah’s eternal and unchanging words.

For example, in another wild gamble to win over the Jews, Muhammad adopted the Jewish practice of praying towards Jerusalem. But when the Jews refused to accept his claims, Muhammad switched his prayers to Mecca despite the fact that, at that time, it was still full of idols (Qur’an 2:142). Then he began slaughtering the Jews.

- “Nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah is able to do all things?” (Qur’an 2:106).

- “The Messenger of Allah abrogated some of his commands by others, just as the Qur’an abrogates some part with the other” (Muslim 3:0675).

Historical records affirm that Muhammad lived in an atmosphere of rich and vibrant Arabian poetry contests where poets from various tribes met at fairs and in public duels. (Hence, Muhammad’s love-hate relationship with poets.) While barbarians engaged in blood-spattered tournaments, Arabian tribes often met to recite poetry:

“Every year, at pilgrimage sites around Arabia, tribes gathered for religious observances, trade, and poetry contests. One of the major sites was Mecca, with its ancient shrine, the Ka’ba, an empty, square enclosure with a black rock embedded in one wall. The pilgrimage rituals in Mecca included the circumambulation of the Ka’ba (the ritual circling of the shrine), as well as the ‘stations’ of pilgrimage around the precinct of Mecca itself that made up the larger ritual known as the hajj. As tribes came to Mecca during the sacred months, all warfare and blood feuds were forbidden. During this period, trade fairs and poetry contests were held outside of Mecca in a place known as Ukaz. According to legend, the seven most admired poems were embroidered in gold on rare black cloth and suspended from the walls of the Ka’ba. These ‘Hanging Odes’ (Mu’allaqat) served as the epitome of pre-Islamic Bedouin cultural values and verbal expression.”[2]

Wait!

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that our only purpose here is to determine whether Muhammad was given the keys to open our graves and lead us through the gates of paradise.

So what are the keys to eternal life according to Muhammad?

Apart from blowing oneself up to instantly secure dozens of voluptuous virgins, salvation includes a mandatory trip (except in cases of poor health or financial constraints) to Saudi Arabia to shuffle seven times around a stone and to (hopefully) kiss or touch it.

“I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Touching them erases sins. And circumambulating seven times, it is like freeing a slave’” (Sunan an-Nasai 3, 24:2922).

Muhammad also said: “By Allah! On the Day of Qiyamah, Allah will present the Hajar al-Aswad (the black stone) in such a manner that it will have two eyes and a tongue to testify to the Imaan (faith) of all those who kissed it” (Tirmidhi).

Afterwards, everyone jostles back and forth between two hills. Then the believer heads over to another spot to gather up pebbles—not to kiss, but to stone Satan (represented by three stone monuments).

In addition to these pagan stone rituals, Muslims are also required to shave their pubic hairs, and to robotically bow and pray, five times a day, towards the Black Stone in Saudi Arabia, no matter where in the world they find themselves. (See illustrations below.)

Muhammad’s early followers were deeply embarrassed when they discovered that God’s final messenger decided to keep all the old pagan rites but reinvented their stories by saying that, many moons ago, some of the Jewish patriarchs traveled down to Mecca to build these shrines for Allah.

Why is this nonsense?

First, there is no historical foundation for his preposterous claim.[***]

Second, this account is lethally inconsistent with Biblical theology: “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the LORD your God” (NIV Leviticus 26:1).

And third, why did none of the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles—including Jesus, mention or follow any of these pagan rituals of Islam?

Nonetheless, Muhammad revealed Allah’s backup plan. “No Muslim man dies but Allah causes a Jew or a Christian to enter the Fire in his stead” (Muslim 50:7012). And “some Muslim people will come with sins like mountains, but Allah will forgive them and will place them (the sins) on the Jews and the Christians . . .” (Muslim 51:7014).

- Ibn Umar said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Touching them both [the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamani] is an expiation for sins’” (Tirmidhi, 961; Ibn Maajah, 2944).

- “Adherents of the prophet, (when) they were still in the pre-Islamic period, used to come up to visit two idols, Isaf and Na’ila; then they would go and run between Safa and Marwa; then they would have their hair cut. When Islam was established, they hated to run between them, but Allah sent down this verse (Qur’an 2:158), thus they ran (between them)” (Muslim 3:411).

- “Narrated Asim: I asked Anas bin Malik: ‘Did you use to dislike to perform Tawaf between Safa and Marwa?’ He said, ‘Yes, as it was of the ceremonies of the days of the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance, till Allah revealed: ‘Verily! [The two mountains] As-Safa and Al-Marwa are among the symbols of Allah. It is, therefore, no sin for him who performs the pilgrimage to the Ka’ba, or performs Umra, to perform Tawaf between them’” (Bukhari 2, 26:710-711).

We conclude this section with this.

When asked, Muhammad listed three key revelations to confirm his link to God and immortality. Here’s our pick: “As for the resemblance of the child to its parents: If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and gets discharge first, the child will resemble the father, and if the woman gets discharge first, the child will resemble her” (Bukhari 4, 55:546).

“However, the sequence of discharge, i.e., whether the man or the woman climaxes first, has no influence on the future child. The statement of Muhammad actually contains several errors. First, the sperm of the man and the ovum of the woman are not fighting or racing against each other to see who is going to win the competition. On the contrary, they need to meet and unite, and then the physical appearance of the child is determined by the combination of the characteristics of both.”[3]

** Suggested Resource (no affiliation): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcoMB8nJWmw.

*** Suggested Resource (no affiliation): The true story of the construction of the temple of Mecca by Dr. Rafat Amari: http://docshare02.docshare.tips/files/3192/31929037.pdf.

IS MUHAMMAD THE GREATEST MAN OF ALL TIME?

muhammad began receiving revelations about sexual positions

Bukhari 6, 60:51

“Jews used to say: If one has sexual intercourse with his wife from the back, then she will deliver a squint-eyed child.” So this verse was sent down: ‘Your wives are a tilth (field) unto you; so approach your tilth when and how you will’” (Qur’an 2:223).

Authors’ note: According to Muhammad, Muslim men are also allowed to have sex with their wives “how” and “whenever” they please—no questions asked, unlike the backward infidels who practice consensual sex.

Even in the world’s most primitive cultures, Muhammad’s perfect law “for all time” is defined as Rape.

NO COMMENT

“When I got married, Allah’s Apostle said to me, ‘what type of lady have you married?’ I replied, ‘I have married a matron.’ He said, ‘Why, don’t you have a liking for the virgins and for fondling them? Why didn’t you marry a young girl so that you might play with her and she with you?’” (Bukhari 7, 62:17).

DID THE 50-YEAR-OLD WARLORD MARRY A 6-YEAR-OLD BABY?

“A’isha reported: Allah’s Apostle married me when I was six years old, and I was admitted to his house when I was nine years old” (Muslim 8:3310).

THE VISITS

“Aisha: (I don’t remember) a single day passing without our being visited by Allah’s Apostle in the morning and in the evening” (Bukhari 5, 58:245).

LIVING WITH THE PROPHET

“Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girlfriends also used to play with me [in his house]. When Allah’s Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place), they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me” (Bukhari 8, 73:151).

MUHAMMAD’S UNIVERSAL SHARIA:

“The majority of Imams (Priests) are of the opinion that the issue of age plays no role in this respect, and that the criterion is that the woman should be physically fit and big enough to accommodate men, and consequently there would be no fear that she would get sick if she is copulated with, even if she has not reached the age of nine” (Bulaq 1:287; emphasis added).

WOULD YOU PERMIT A 50-YEAR-OLD MAN TO MARRY YOUR 6-YEAR-OLD daughter?

Did the 50-year-old “prophet” set an example for all men to follow when he used his “calling” to marry a 6-year-old child playing with her dolls?

Muslim apologists insist that, in many cultures in the ancient world, arranged marriages were quite commonplace. That is true. But not between 50-year-old men and toddlers!

They also protest that Muhammad only began having “full” sexual intercourse with his follower’s child when she turned nine. (Imagine a nine-year old child living through the three stages of pregnancy, childbirth, and then motherhood.) And besides, they add, the aging warlord desired the child because of her wonderful memory, as she would later memorize many of his sayings. Well, instead of having sex with the child, he could have adopted her!

Actually, Muhammad’s true motives are fully documented! “Why, don’t you have a liking for the virgins and for fondling them. Why didn’t you marry a young girl so that you might play with her and she with you?”

To add to his achievements, Muhammad attacked a Jewish tribe and beheaded over 700 men including the husband of the beautiful Rayhana who he kept as a sex slave after dividing up the booty and all the captured females and young boys without pubic hair amongst his gang.

The 60-year-old warlord also raided another Jewish village and took a 17-year-old Jewish bride to his tent soon after slaughtering most of the men in her tribe including her father, brother, and husband. After learning about the beauty of Islam, we are told that the 17-year-old girl lovingly embraced Muhammad and his religion in his tent that night.

Then he got poisoned.

Muhammad died as a result of being poisoned by one of his female victims.

DID MUHAMMAD SLEEP WITH HIS OWN DAUGHTER-IN-LAW?

After some highly scandalous events that occurred earlier, Muhammad just happened to stop by his adopted son, Zaid, for an unannounced visit. Zaid, also a devoted follower, was not home, but his wife was. Upon arriving, Muhammad caught a glimpse of his daughter-in-law’s almost naked body and muttered loudly to Allah.

A revelation was quickly dispatched, and his adopted son promptly divorced his wife and surrendered her to the holy Prophet. Here is the entire revelation allowing Muhammad to sleep with his daughter-in-law.

“It is not for any believer, man or woman, when God and His Messenger have decreed a matter, to have the choice in the affair. Whosoever disobeys Allah, and His Messenger has gone astray into manifest error. When you said to him [Muhammad’s son] whom Allah had blessed, and you had favored, ‘Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah,’ and you were concealing within yourself what Allah should reveal, fearing other men; and Allah has better right for you to fear him. So when Zaid had accomplished what he would of her, then We gave her in marriage to you, so that there should not be any fault in the believers, touching the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished what they would of them; and Allah’s commandment must be performed. There is no fault in the prophet, touching what Allah had ordained for him” (Qur’an 33:36–38).

This disgraceful affair would have spelt disaster for Islam.

Suddenly, Muslim men were given the green light to go after their own daughters-in-law! Well, another revelation was quickly dispatched under the cover of the merciful Allah. Did it ban slavery? Wife beating? Child marriage? Female genital mutilation?

No.

It banned one of the greatest acts of kindness and charity on the planet: the legal adoption of children. Muhammad’s adopted son was no longer his true son.

“. . . Nor has He made your adopted sons your sons. Such is (only) your (manner of) speech by your mouths. But Allah tells (you) the Truth, and He shows the (right) Way” (Qur’an 33:4).

Islam Will Rule The World; And Here’s Why

“The martyr has six things (in store) with Allah: He is forgiven from the first drop of his blood that is shed; he is shown his place in Paradise; he is spared the torment of the grave; he is kept safe from the Great Fright; he is adorned with a garment of faith; he is married to (wives) from among the wide-eyed houris; and he is permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives” (Sunan Ibn Majah 4, 24:2799).

ALLAH WILL GIVE YOU VIRGINS WITH BIG BREASTS, BEAUTIFUL CARPETS, AND LOW-HANGING FRUITS

“They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the fruit of the Gardens will be near (and easy of reach). . . . In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched” (Qur’an 55:54, 56).

are you ready for unlimited eating, drinking, and sex?

“Verily, for the (righteous) Muttaqun, there will be a success (Paradise); Gardens and grapeyards; And young full-breasted maidens of equal age” (Qur’an 78:31–33).

WINE (FORBIDDEN ON EARTH)

“Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger as saying: He who drank (wine) in this world would be deprived of it in the Hereafter” (Bukhari 23:4967).

why did muhammad promise muslim men beautiful young boys in paradise?

“There will circulate (Tawaf) among them young boys made eternal. When you see them, you would think them [as beautiful as] scattered pearls. And when you look there, you will see pleasure and great dominion” (Qur’an 76:19–20; emphasis ours).

WIVES LOCKED AWAY IN SEPARATE CORNERS AND KEPT 60 MILES APART (ALLAH KNOWS BEST)

“In Paradise, there is a pavilion made of a single hollow pearl sixty miles wide, in each corner of which there are wives who will not see those in the other corners; and the believers will visit and enjoy them” (Bukhari 6, 60:402).

LOTS OF PRIVACY (AND SHADE)

“And (as for) those who believe and do good deeds, we will make them enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them forever; they shall have therein pure mates, and we shall make them enter a dense shade” (Qur’an 4:57).

NICE COUCHES WITH CUSHIONS

“Therein will be a bubbling spring, raised throne-like couches, drinking cups ready placed, cushions set in rows, and rich silken carpets all spread out” (Qur’an 88:12).

HOW WILL MUSLIM MEN STAY VIRILE IN MUHAMMAD’S PARADISE?

“There is no one whom Allah will admit to Paradise but Allah will marry him to seventy-two wives, two from houris and seventy from his inheritance from the people of Hell, all of whom will have desirable front passages and he will have a male member that never becomes flaccid (i.e., soft and limp)” (Sunan Ibn Majah 37:4481).

NO TOILETS IN MUHAMMAD’S PARADISE!

“I heard Allah’s Apostle as saying that the inmates of Paradise would eat and drink but would neither spit, nor pass water, nor void excrement, nor suffer catarrh. It was said: Then, what would happen with food? Thereupon he said: They would belch and sweat (and it would be over with their food), and their sweat would be that of musk, and they would glorify and praise Allah as easily as you breathe” (Muslim 39:6798).

WHAT ABOUT MUSLIM WOMEN? MOST WILL BE THROWN INTO HELL!

“The Prophet said: ‘I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful.’ It was asked, ‘Do they disbelieve in Allah?’ (or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, ‘They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them’” (Bukhari 1, 2:29).

Islam Advances Women’s Rights

MUHAMMAD LEGALIZED PROSTITUTION

“We used to participate in the holy wars carried on by the Prophet, and we had no women (wives) with us. So we said (to the Prophet), ‘Shall we castrate ourselves?’ But the Prophet forbade us to do that, and thenceforth he allowed us to marry a woman (temporarily) by giving her even a garment, and then he recited: ‘O you who believe! Do not make unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you’” (Bukhari 6, 60:139).

MUHAMMAD LEGALIZED ADULTERY AND RAPE

“Some of the Companions of the apostle of Allah were reluctant to have intercourse with the female captives in the presence of their husbands who were unbelievers. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Qur’anic verse, ‘And all married women (are forbidden) unto you save those (captives) whom your right hand possesses.’ That is to say; they are lawful for them when they complete their waiting period [menstrual period]” (Qur’an 4:24) (Sunaan Abu Dawud 11:2150).

MUHAMMAD LEGALIZED FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

“A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet said to her: Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband” (Sunan Abu Dawud 41:5251).

MUHAMMAD LEGALIZED WIFE BEATING

“Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and forsake them in beds apart, and beat them . . .” (Qur’an 4:34).

MUHAMMAD LEGALIZED FLOGGING

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Zam’a: The Prophet said, “None of you should flog his wife as he flogs a slave and then have sexual intercourse with her in the last part of the day” (Bukhari 7:62:132).

MUHAMMAD PERMITTED SEX WITH MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

“The one who owns the mother also owns her children. Being the master of the mother makes him the owner of her children whether they were born to a husband or they were illegitimate children. Therefore, the master has the right to have sexual intercourse with the daughters of his maid-slave because they are his property, provided he does not sleep with the mother at the same time” (Ibn Timiyya, Vol. 35, page 54).

MUHAMMAD TAUGHT THAT WOMEN ARE LIKE DOMESTIC ANIMALS

“Allah’s Apostle said, ‘If at all there is a bad omen, it is in the horse, the woman, and the house’” (Bukhari 7, 62:32).

MUHAMMAD TAUGHT THAT WOMEN ARE BORN STUPID (MENTALLY DEFICIENT)

“Once Allah’s Messenger . . . passed by the women and said, ‘I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women).’ They asked, ‘Why is it so, O Allah’s Apostle?’ He replied: I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. The women asked, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?’ He said, ‘Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?’ They replied in the affirmative. He said, ‘This is the deficiency in her intelligence’” (Bukhari 1, 6:301).

MUHAMMAD TAUGHT THAT WIVES MUST SUBMIT TO SEX OR FACE THE WRATH OF ALLAH

- “When a man calls his wife to his bed, and she does not respond, the One Who is in the heaven is displeased with her until he (her husband) is pleased with her” (Muslim 2:3367).

- “Allah’s Apostle said, ‘If a husband calls his wife to his bed [i.e., to have sexual relations] and she refuses and causes him to sleep in anger, the angels will curse her till morning’” (Bukhari 4:460).

THE PROPER MUSLIM WIFE

“Who among women is the best? He replied: She who gives pleasure to him (husband) when he looks, obeys him when he bids, and who does not oppose him regarding herself and her riches fearing his displeasure” (The Prophet; Mishkat 1:216).

ALL MEN LIMITED TO FOUR WIVES

“And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four” (Qur’an 4:3).

EXCEPT ONE MAN . . . MUHAMMAD

“Prophet, We have made lawful for you the wives whose bride gift you have paid, and any slaves God has assigned to you through war, and the daughters of your uncles and aunts on your father’s and mother’s sides, who migrated with you. Also any believing woman who has offered herself to the Prophet and whom the Prophet wishes to wed—this is only for you [Prophet] and not the rest of the believers . . .” (Qur’an 33:50; emphasis ours).

SEX WITH YOUR OWN DAUGHTER OR GRANDCHILD ALLOWED (IF BORNE OUT OF WEDLOCK)

“If there is no legal lineage then there is no legal relationship; for adultery does not prohibit (from marriage) the daughter of the mother (you committed adultery with)” (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Qur’an 25:54).[*]

*   Suggested Resource (no affiliation): https://davidiqbalkarim.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/allah-sanctions-incest-in-the-quran/.

MUHAMMAD’S AMAZING LEGACY

MUHAMMAD’S FLAT EARTH AND THE SETTING OF THE SUN IN A MUDDY POOL AT NIGHT*****

- “Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it, he found a People: We said: ‘O Zul-qarnain! (Alexander the Great) either to punish them or to treat them with kindness’” (Qur’an 18:86; emphasis ours).

- “I was sitting behind the Apostle of Allah who was riding a donkey while the sun was setting. He asked: Do you know where it sets? I replied: Allah and his Apostle know best. He said: It sets in a spring of warm water (hamiyah)” (Abu Dawud  025:3991).

- “Once I was with the Prophet in the mosque at the time of sunset. The Prophet said, ‘O Abu Dharr! Do you know where the sun sets?’ I replied, ‘Allah and His Apostle know best.’ He said, ‘It goes and prostrates underneath (Allah’s) Throne’” (Bukhari  6, 60:326).

WARNING: DO NOT FACE THE HOLY STONE IN MECCA WHEN USING THE TOILET

“The Prophet said, ‘While defecating, neither face nor turn your back to the Qibla (the sacred building in Mecca) but face either east or west.’ Abu Aiyub added. ‘When we arrived in Sham we came across some lavatories facing the Qibla; therefore we turned ourselves while using them and asked for Allah’s forgiveness’” (Bukhari 1, 8:388).

WHEN WE DAILY BOW AND PRAY TOWARDS A STONE AND TRAVEL TO MECCA TO BOW, KISS, AND CARESS IT; WE ARE NOT WORSHIPING THE STONE—WE ARE WORSHIPING ALLAH

“Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces” (NIV Bible; Exodus 23:24).

PASSING GAS WHILE PRAYING TOWARDS THE HOLY STONE CANCELS PRAYER

“My uncle asked Allah’s Apostle about a person who imagined to have passed wind during the prayer. Allah’s Apostle replied: He should not leave his prayers unless he hears sound or smells something”  (Bukhari 1, 4:139).

when you pray towards the HOLY stone, your prayers will be CANCELED if a woman, ass, or black dog passes in front of you

“The Messenger of Allah said: When any one of you stands for prayer . . . his prayer would be cut off by (passing of an) ass, woman, and black Dog” (Muslim 4:1032).

islamic toilet rules: say prayer to block demons; enter with left foot; wipe yourself with left hand and then ask for forgiveness; exit with right foot

“None of you should hold penis with his right hand while urinating, or wipe himself with his right hand in privy and should not breathe into the vessel (from which he drinks)” (Muslim 2:0511).

WHEN YOU PUT ON THE RIGHT SHOE FIRST, ALLAH IS WELL PLEASED

“Allah’s Apostle said, ‘If you want to put on your shoes, put on the right shoe first; and if you want to take them off, take the left one first. Let the right shoe be the first to be put on and the last to be taken off’” (Bukhari 7, 72:747).

MUHAMMAD’S GREATEST SCIENTIFIC REVELATION

“The people asked the Messenger of Allah: Can we perform ablution out of the well of Buda’ah, which is a well into which menstrual clothes, dead dogs and stinking things were thrown? He replied: Water is pure and is not defiled by anything” (Abu Dawud 1:66).

***** Suggested Resource (no affiliation): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVwizsojd1Y&list=WL&index=2.

Was Muhammad A Slave Trader?

“Prophet, We have made lawful to you the wives to whom you have granted dowries and the slave-girls whom God has given you as booty” (Qur’an 33:50).

If God sent his greatest and final prophet to reveal to wretched humanity a better way of life for all time, why did Muhammad not abolish slavery? Instead, he not only kept slaves (40), but also had sex with them! In fact, he was a well-known slave-trader and human trafficker, forcing thousands into slavery. His wives, many of his henchmen (like Abu Bakr), and the four caliphs all had slaves. Slavery is in fact codified within Islamic law.

- “The freed slave of Ibn ’Abbas, that Maimuna bint Al-Harith told him that she manumitted a slave-girl without taking the permission of the Prophet. On the day when it was her turn to be with the Prophet, she said, ‘Do you know, O Allah’s Apostle, that I have manumitted my slave-girl?’ He said, ‘Have you really?’ She replied in the affirmative. He said, ‘You would have got more reward if you had given her [i.e., the slave-girl] to one of your maternal uncles’” (Bukhari 3, 47:765).

- “I came and behold, Allah’s Apostle was staying on a Mashroba [attic room] and a black slave of Allah’s Apostle was at the top of its stairs. I said to him, ‘[Tell the Prophet] that here is Umar bin Al-Khattab [asking for permission to enter].’ Then he admitted me” (Bukhari 9, 91:368).

MUHAMMAD’S BLACK SLAVE

“Allah’s Apostle was on a journey, and he had a black slave called Anjasha, and he was driving the camels (very fast, and there were women riding on those camels). Allah’s Apostle said, ‘Waihaka (May Allah be merciful to you), O Anjasha! Drive slowly (the camels) with the glass vessels (women)!’” (Bukhari 8, 73:182).

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

- “From his share of captive women, the Prophet gave his son-in-law, Ali a slave girl, Raytah bt Hilal to enjoy her at his will. He also presented Uthman b. Affan, his son-in-law, another slave girl Zainab b. Hayan, and bestowed another girl (name unknown) to his father-in-law Omar Ibn Khattab. Omar gave that girl to his son Abdullah” (The History of Tabari 8:9–30).

- “A man decided that a slave of his would be manumitted after his death and later on he was in need of money, so the Prophet took the slave and said, ‘Who will buy this slave from me?’ Nu’aim bin ‘Abdullah bought him for such and such price, and the Prophet gave him the slave” (Bukhari 3, 34:351).

AFRICAN HEADS

“Allah’s Apostle said, ‘You should listen to and obey your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian (black) slave whose head looks like a raisin’” (Bukhari 9, 89:256).

The Miraculous Qur’an

Muhammad was careful to copy and paste many famous Biblical characters into his revelations and even put bits of dialogue in their mouths. But his revelations are filled with gross inaccuracies and silly folklore. Here are a few examples:

1. Qur’an 67:5 says shooting stars are missiles Allah throws at demons who are trying to eavesdrop on heaven’s proceedings.

2. The Jesus of Islam was born by the trunk of a palm tree (Qur’an 19:23); and baby Jesus spoke from the cradle (pirated from the Gospel of Infancy) (Qur’an 19:28–34).

3. In the Qur’an, Jesus wasn’t actually crucified. Apparently, Allah deceived everyone by using a stand-in (who he made to look like Jesus) to die in his place. This was pirated from the Treatise Of The Great Seth.

4. One of Noah’s sons drowned outside the ark (Qur’an 11:42–43)!

5. Muslims believe Abraham was told to sacrifice Ishmael, not Isaac.

6. Solomon also understood the language of ants:

- “At length, when they came to a valley of ants, one of the ants said: ‘O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it’” (Qur’an 27:18–19).

7. Muhammad gave a revelation of a modified third-century Christian legend called the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. It is a campfire fairytale of seven boys and a dog sleeping in a cave for around two hundred years. Amusingly, Muhammad was unsure of how many boys and how long they were in the cave, so he added this clever disclaimer to his story:

- “Now some will soon say: ‘They were three and their dog was the fourth.’ The others will guess: ‘They were five and their dog was the sixth,’ and there are still others who will say: ‘They were seven, and their dog was the eighth.’ Say: ‘My Rabb alone knows their number. None but a few really know their correct number.’ Therefore, do not enter into discussion with them about their number except in a cursory way, nor ask anyone about the companions of the cave” (Qur’an 18:22).

8. According to the Qur’an, Mary (mother of Jesus) was the sister of Aaron and Moses (Qur’an 19:28).

9. The Bible says that the human lifespan decreased after “the fall.” Muhammad assumed that it was our height that decreased.

- “The Prophet said, ‘Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall (90 feet).’ . . . People have been decreasing in stature since Adam’s creation” (Bukhari 4, 55:543).

10. The following is categorically false: “And of everything We have created pairs: that ye may receive instruction” (Qur’an 51:49). The Earth is filled with asexual reproductive organisms.

11. The sperm is certainly not emitted from between the backbone and the ribs: “Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted—proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs” (Qur’an 86:5–7).

12. The Qur’an’s creation account is totally incompatible with the Biblical account. For example, Muhammad assumed that “the fall” of man was literal. Adam and Eve did not literally fall from heaven to the Earth; they fell from grace.

Answering The Tough Questions

BUT ISN’T THE TRINITY PAGAN?

Yes. The Trinity (and most of its deceptive jargon) is not found in the Holy Bible. Like Islam, it was concocted by insidious forces hundreds of years after the time of Jesus and the apostles.

HOW CAN JESUS BE GOD? GOD IS NOT A MAN!

(See chapter 2.)

WHY DID JESUS DIE FOR OUR SINS IF GOD CAN SIMPLY FORGIVE US?

(See chapter 2.)

DIDN’T THE GOD OF THE BIBLE ALSO ORDER SOME JEWISH LEADERS TO FIGHT IN HIS NAME?

When God was preparing the land of Israel to raise up a holy nation for his future incarnation, some Jewish leaders were ordered to fight against various wicked and ungodly nations. (However, throughout the Bible, most of God’s rebuke was directed towards his own people. In fact, God consistently used other nations to discipline the Jews.) The important point here is that this was applicable for a particular time and for particular circumstances. Now, believers are commanded to love their enemies and turn the other cheek. Muhammad, on the other hand, enacted an open-ended jihad against the entire planet: “I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah . . .” (Muslim 1:33).

ISN’T SLAVERY OVERLOOKED IN THE BIBLE?

In Bible times, slavery was based on economics (e.g., debt-slavery), not race. Skilled slaves were trafficked in every part of the ancient commercial world. What’s more, many sold themselves or their children into rich homes.

Within the context of the less-than-optimal social institutions of the ancient world, God called the Jewish prophets to set up guidelines for one family bloodline, not to initiate a global political constitution for all humanity (as Islam does). For this reason, within the Jewish community, he protected servants, concubines, and slaves. Jews could buy slaves, not take slaves. “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death” (ESV Exodus 21:16).

WHAT ABOUT THE MATHEMATICAL MIRACLES OF THE QUR’AN?

Desperate to find a miracle to authenticate Muhammad’s claims and to hide his embarrassing teachings, apologists and translators turn to cunning translation gimmicks rather than to the power of ideas. Satan is indeed a master deceiver. Moreover, he knows that by using modern computers to find recurring words, numbers, and whatnot, we humans are more likely to put our faith in numerology and divination, rather than in evidence; thus avoiding deeper inspection.

Narrated Ibn Abbas: “The Jews came to the Prophet and said: ‘Inform us about the thunder, what is it?’ He said: ‘An angel among the angels, who is responsible for the clouds. He has a piece of fire wherever that he drives the clouds wherever Allah wills.’ They said: ‘Then what is this noise we hear?’ He said: ‘It is him, striking the clouds when he drives them on, until it goes where it is ordered’” (Tirmidhi 5, 44:3117)

islam is a religion of peace that promotes love, kindness, and harmony for all

“Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the religion of truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low” (Qur’an 9:29).

When Muhammad began receiving “revelations,” his messages were very tolerant and inviting. After thirteen years of proselytizing, he had gained less than 150 followers. Eventually, he moved to Medina, raised up an army and began launching raids on peaceful villages and passing caravans. Within a few years, Muhammad and his army grew rich and powerful by stealing other people’s money. No longer the underdog, Muhammad’s messages changed (hence the Islamic concept of abrogation; and the dichotomy between moderate and radical Muslims).

By the time he had achieved full military control over the Arabian Peninsula, it was join me, pay me, or die!

Your money or your soul.

GOD HAS THE FINAL WORD!

“Then the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds’” (NIV Jeremiah 14:14).

Endnotes

1. Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, trans. A. Guillaume (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994).

2. Michael Sells, Approaching the Qur’an: The Early Revelation (Ashland, OR: White Cloud Press, 1999).

3. Sam Shamoun and Jochen Katz, Islamic Genetics, accessed July 10, 2016. http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/shamoun/resemblance_question.html