petebeck3, Author at Third Peter

The Firmament, the Throne, and the Apocalypse

Posted August 6, 2025January 27, 2026
by petebeck3

In my previous article in this series, I described the firmament and what it contains – the sun, moon, and stars. According to the Bible, God’s throne is located above the firmament.

From his lofty position above the earth, the “Most High” watches and sovereignly rules over all things as the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord.

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. Isaiah 40:22–23 (NKJV)

The Throne

The Bible has some amazing revelations about the firmament that pertain to God’s throne. God’s habitation is mentioned in Exodus when God invited Moses and the elders of Israel to dine with him.

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.  Exodus 24:9–10 (NKJV)

Obviously they were no longer on Mt. Sinai! God lifted them into heaven, above the firmament, as he did with Ezekiel and John the Revelator later. The description of the pavement agrees with other descriptions of the firmament, above which is God’s throne.

Below are passages that describe other descriptions of the firmament as the location of God’s throne. The first is at the beginning of Ezekiel’s ministry. God revealed himself to that prophet before sending him to fearlessly speak to a rebellious nation who would not heed his words. The second passage is taken from Revelation near the beginning of what God would unfold to John.

The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. 24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings. 26 And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking. Ezekiel 1:22–28 (NKJV)

Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. Revelation 4:2–6 (NKJV)

These descriptions of the firmament agree – pavement as clear as the sky, crystal, and glass. Ezekiel 1:22 says the firmament is like “awesome crystal,” which literally means frost or ice. It is really high above the earth and may indeed be some sort of ice. Interestingly, frozen oxygen is sky blue in color. Just a thought…

If you are like me, I tended not to pay great attention to these verses before coming to believe in a literal firmament because they seemed so otherworldly and loaded with almost unfathomable symbolism.

Once I started taking the existence of the firmament seriously, however, I began to see that these verses describe a heavenly reality.

Below are some significant insights they give us.

God inhabits a place where the hard “pavement” has a clarity like the sky.
From below, the firmament looks like crystal. The Hebrew word here is qerach, which literally means frost or ice. The word for crystal from Revelation 5:6 uses the Greek word krustallos, which means congealed or transparent and is derived from a root word for frost. (You may wish to go back to the previous article and look at how lightning sprites illumine what looks like a crystalline firmament above them.)
God’s throne rests on this glass-like pavement of the firmament and is the color of sapphire, very much like the color of the sky itself.
The one who sits on the throne must be our Lord Jesus himself. In Exodus and Ezekiel this would have been a pre-incarnate theophany of the eternal Logos. We know from the words of our Lord Jesus that the triune God is a spirit (John 4:24) whom heaven cannot contain, but Jesus acquired a human body (John 1:14) and has been given authority to judge. It is he who sits on the throne as the glorious son of man prophesied by Daniel. (Daniel 7:13-14)
The rainbow appears around God’s throne, which testifies to what an abomination it is that it has been subverted to represent something anti-God. John the Revelator describes the light as emerald green in nature, which is the main color of the aurora borealis, which can be seen at the northernmost areas of the earth, which is directly below the apex of the firmament. Could it be that the northern lights are part of God’s glory shining down from above the firmament? One day we will find out!

God told us that every matter or word will be confirmed out of the mouths of two or three witnesses. (Matthew 18:16). Therefore, since we have three verses describing the firmament, I believe God wants us to accept these verses as describing reality, not some vague symbolism.

The Apocalypse

The apocalypse or revelation of Jesus Christ on the last day can be understood best when we accept the reality of the firmament as the location of God’s throne and the barrier that separates us from God’s realm.

God is called the Most High because he literally occupies the highest place in creation. When God told John the Revelator to “Come up here,” (Revelation 4:1) “up” had meaning, which it does not have on a globe, since all directions on it are relative. (This should be a red flag in itself. Satan desires to make all truth relative and malleable.) Heaven is above. Sheol is below. Earth is in between. Jesus told us to “look up” as end time signs appear.

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:28 (NKJV)

The reason we are to look up is because that is where God’s throne is and from where the Lord Jesus will appear when God rolls back the firmament like a scroll, dissolving the heavens.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:10–13 (NKJV)

Jesus said the the sun will stop shining, the moon will go dark, and the stars will fall to the earth.

But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25 AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. Mark 13:24–26 (NASB95)

If the stars were distant suns larger than our sun, this could not happen. Because the stars are simply luminaries, not “suns,” in the firmament, when their habitation is dissolved, they will fall to the

earth. To me, at this point, it is not certain exactly what stars are. Sometimes they seem to be living beings or angels. At other times, simply lights. One day we will know. For now we must be content with what God allows us to know. Trying to go beyond what God reveals is what got humanity in trouble in the first place!

When the firmament is dissolved, the stars fall, and the sun and moon cease to give their light, it will be a day like no other.

For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. Luke 17:24 (NKJV)

...Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You. 6 It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish. 7 It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light. 8 And in that day it shall be— That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. 9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be “The LORD is one,” And His name one. Zechariah 14:5–9 (NKJV)

What will that be like? It shall be both wonderful and terrible, glorious and fearful.

When God says he will roll up or split apart the heavens like a scroll, he means he will peel back the firmament to reveal the glorious one who sits on the throne.

The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:14–17 (NASB95)

At that point in history, every eye shall see him. His throne is so high, higher than the North Star, and his being is so gloriously bright that he will be seen by all those who dwell on the earth plane.

...when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10 (NKJV)

The one who ascended through the heavens after his resurrection (Ephesians 4:10) will be revealed in flaming fire when the heavens are dissolved. Afterward God will create a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). Glory to God. What a day that will be!

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Introduction to the Firmament

Posted August 6, 2025May 2, 2026
by petebeck3

Gaining a better understanding of the firmament can help us move forward in our quest to develop a biblical cosmology. God designed the heavens and earth to communicate to us an idea of his character and power.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, Romans 1:20 (NKJV)

An accurate understanding of his creation will foster a better understanding of God; whereas, a faulty or false model will misrepresent him.

The cosmological model that most people believe teaches us that God is far away, if present at all. The cosmology of the Bible shows us a God enthroned above the firmament, who is very near at hand watching over his creation.

The word translated as “firmament” in the KJV and NKJV is the Hebrew word raqia, which is rather vaguely rendered as “sky” or “expanse” in most other versions. This latter way of translating raqia accommodates the generally accepted heliocentric model and is an example of what is called eisegesis, the reading into God’s Word what we want it to say, rather than what it actually means. We want avoid doing that and instead allow the Bible to say what God intended.

The English word “firmament” better communicates the meaning of the word raqia. The Bible depicts it as an immense and strong vaulted dome-like structure made of something like sapphire blue crystal (Ezekiel 1:22), molten metal (Job 37:18), or glass (Revelation 4:6).

In Genesis 1:8, God called the firmament (raqia) heaven (shamayim). God used the firmament to separate the waters (mayim) below from those located above it.

Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. Genesis 1:7 (NKJV)

So above the firmament there was and currently is (Psalm 148:4) water. The shamayim (heavens) contain mayim (waters). The waters above did not disappear after the flood, as some expositors claim. This probably accounts for the shimmering appearance of stars and so-called “planets.”

Therefore, according to the Bible, the firmament is hard and strong enough to support the enormous weight of untold amounts of water which are above it.

After some of this water was released upon the earth in judgment during the great flood (Genesis 7:11-12), there is no reason to suppose that those waters were not replaced. In fact, there may be a giant system of water above and below the earth, which ancient Hebrews believed looked something like the image on the right. Sadly, the translators of the New Living Translation took the liberty to translate mayim as “water vapor.” Often they do a good job of translating idea for idea, especially when it comes to helping us understand theological terms such as justification, but, in this case, they did us a great disservice. Mayim means waters or a flood, not vapor. Again this demonstrates how translators, who are assigned the task of representing in English what the original languages say, can stray far from their duty by resorting to eisegesis to uphold current scientific ideas.

Almost all translators choose English words for raqia (firmament) that are more palatable to our modern “scientific” heliocentric worldview. Check it out for yourselves. The NASB, ESV, and NET, my usual “go to” versions for a literal rendering of the Bible, all use the word “expanse,” which communicates absolutely nothing of the hard and strong nature of the firmament, but provides the heliocentrist with complete liberty to superimpose that unscriptural view, complete with unlimited expanses of “outer space,” upon the Bible. The KJV and NKJV are faithful to the Hebrew language and use the word “firmament” to communicate its solidity and strength.

Can you, with Him, spread out the skies, Strong as a molten mirror? Job 37:18 (NASB95)

So a proper biblical understanding of the heavens must include the presence of a super-strong solid firmament separating waters from waters, in which God placed the sun, moon, and stars on day four of creation.

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:14–19 (NKJV)

The Genesis creation account cannot be harmonized with the heliocentric model.

The Bible tells us that the earth and seas were created on day one, over which God erected the vaulted dome (Amos 9:6) of the firmament on day two, in which he placed the heavenly luminaries on day four. The sun follows a circuit over the stationary circular plane of the earth. (Psalm 19:6) Both the sun and moon are lights or luminaries, according to the Bible. The stars are luminaries in the firmament, not distant suns. Planets are “wandering stars,” not earth-like spheroid worlds.

The true meaning of words are important for those who take the Bible seriously.

God wants us to “tremble” at his Word (Isaiah 66:2). Since it is God’s glory to conceal things in his Word (Proverbs 25:2), it is our honor to search the scriptures to discover more about God and his creation (Acts 17:11).

It is a serious error for us to casually dismiss what God says because we believe we now know better.

For example, Job 26:11 tells us that the heavens (the firmament) has pillars. If we dismiss this as pre-scientific ignorance, we are not trembling at his Word. We are arrogantly dismissing it and fall for the same trick as did Eve – “Did God really say?”.

It is also important for us to stick to biblical terms.

The Bible never uses the words “planet” or “globe” as synonyms for the earth. Those terms come from astrophysicists who reject the biblical testimony.

Sadly, most Christians have swallowed the satanic lie and use those words continually, thus verbally contradicting the Bible on a daily basis, much to the devil’s delight. After our ears are attuned to the frequent use of these words, we see how complete is the devil’s victory in this area. Worse yet, the word planet means “wandering” in Greek and is used to describe stars that left their assigned paths. In addition, the word is used to describe evil people and angels.

And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; Jude 6 (NKJV)

These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars (Greek: planetes asteres) for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Jude 12–13 (NKJV)

When we describe the earth as a planet, we unwittingly declare that we think the earth is wandering from its assigned place, instead of having a stable, God-given, fixed position.

Furthermore, if we call the earth a planet and part of the heliocentric system, we reveal that we think that we are held in the grip of Helios (Satan), along with the other “planets” that have wandered from our assigned place of following God. Interestingly, all the other “wanderers” are all named after false gods. This is intentional. It sets us up to see reality in terms of pagan gods and goddesses and glorifies the prince of darkness. In much the same way the pagan names of the days and months are repeated over and over, even by us Christians who know better but are “captive” to the system.

The Bible does not acknowledge the existence of solid spherical objects orbiting the sun. Instead it only gives us the sun, moon, and stars in the firmament following their course or path over the earth.

This puts those of us who claim to believe the Bible in a spiritual crisis. Both models cannot be true. We cannot honestly say we believe the Bible is true while denying its cosmology.

We cannot have it both ways by claiming the Bible is only true regarding spiritual matters but not concerning the physical creation.

God created the heaven and earth as one unit.

The foundations of the firmament, which is the floor of heaven, are on the earth.

He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters At the boundary of light and darkness. 11 “The pillars of heaven tremble And are amazed at His rebuke. Job 26:10–11 (NASB95)

Those who insist that the earth is a globe sometimes refer to Isaiah 40:22 as a “proof text.”

It is He who sits above the circle (Hebrew - chug: circle, not sphere or ball) of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. Isaiah 40:22–23 (NASB95)

The word translated “circle” means drawn as a circle, as one would by using a compass. The word “ball” is used in Isaiah 22:18 (Hebrew – dur) ; so, the prophet knew the difference between a circle and a ball. The image to the right could be thought us as a circle with edges as would be formed by pressing a circular seal into wax, which was a word picture used in Job 38:14, when God himself is talking about his creation.

Going back to the verse from Isaiah above, the heavens (which was a name given to the firmament) are stretched out like a curtain and spread out like a tent. The most likely kind of tent would be a circular dome-like tent, similar to a yurt.

Amos 9:6 in the NASB provides us with wonderful picture of the firmament.

The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth, He who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth, The LORD is His name. Amos 9:6 (NASB95)

God placed his throne and “upper chambers” above the firmament. I will look at this in another teaching entitled “The Firmament, the Throne, and the Apocalypse,” where I show that unless we accept the biblical depiction of the earth, we cannot understand where is God’s throne and how Jesus will return.

The Hebrew word for “vaulted dome” is aguddah, which means “bands fitted together.” For some reason, the NASB translators are the only ones that chose to translate aguddah to describe the firmament as a vaulted dome above the earth, but I am glad they did. On the positive side, the other versions make the connection that the upper “strata” (NKJV) is attached to the earth. Putting it together, we understand the vaulted dome of the firmament is made of some sort of strata or “bands” attached firmly to the earth.

The firmament is the most immense structure in creation, as far as we can tell. No wonder it took all of day two to create it.

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. 3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4 Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. 5 You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever, Psalm 104:1–5 (NKJV)

Those who hold that the earth is a stationary plane believe the firmament extends beyond the ring of ice that contains the oceans, which is falsely depicted as the continent of Antarctica on the globe. Interestingly, a page from the Encyclopedia Americana (1958 edition) references the existence of the firmament in that area of the earth. Click here to see a video on YouTube.

The firmament is an extremely vast structure that extends over an currently unknown area of the plane earth up to an unknown altitude.

As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. Proverbs 25:3 (NKJV)

The Hebrews who gave us the Old Testament by revelation from the Holy Spirit, understood the earth to be an enclosed circular plane. The earth has foundations and sits still in place, just as our senses confirm.

When the earth shakes, so does heaven because they are connected. (Hebrews 12:26), Isaiah 13:13, Haggai 2:6)

The solid crystalline-like firmament, which declares God’s glory, is a dome that can only exist as the Bible describes it, over a stationary plane earth. Such a dome cannot work with a spherical base.

The scientific world tells us that the earth is a sphere surrounded by a thin, fragile atmosphere held in place by gravity, which somehow keeps the imaginary vacuum of “outer space” from sucking it away, which violates the physical law that pressurized gases require a container. Instead of declaring God’s glory, as does the biblical heaven-earth complex, the globe model declares that we are hurtling at over a million miles per hour through “outer space,” unprotected from its perils of comets, asteroids, sun flares, and aliens. It is interesting that Jesus never talked of “outer space,” only outer darkness, the abode of cursed individuals.

Could it be that Satan has put it in man’s heart to leave the earth, our proper abode that God made for us, to explore the habitation of fallen angels?

Those who promote the anti-biblical cosmology do not want us to know that we are safely enclosed in the solid dome called the firmament and watched over by our Creator.

If you have followed my argument thus far, I feel sure you are wondering about the false cosmology presented by NASA and other space agencies. That is another topic altogether, but, for now, let me say that we are being deceived on a huge scale. I have gathered a large number of videos to show that space is fake. Click here to view.

No one as yet knows much about the firmament. Some tests indicate that rockets encounter something at about 72 miles.

Some think this could be a bottom layer of the firmament. The following video shows lightning sprites at about that altitude illuminating what appears to be the firmament above them. Such evidence is not a “proof,” however. The “proof” is God’s Word.

Perhaps we were never intended to know all about the firmament, but let us make sure that what we claim to know agrees with Scripture.

When we stand before God one day, let us give our Lord no reason to question why we doubted or altered his words.

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. Matthew 22:29 (NLT)

If we accept the reality of the biblical firmament over the false cosmology that contradicts God’s Word, it will arm us against falling for further deception. Belief in the literal firmament is a huge key to properly understanding the world in which we live.

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Flat Earth… Really?

Posted August 3, 2025August 3, 2025
by petebeck3

Most people have a caricature in mind, such as the picture on the right, when the subject of the “flat earth” comes up. I hope you will not immediately reject the idea based on the “straw man” argument the world uses to get people to dismiss the idea out of hand before ever really considering it properly. An investigation into the claims of biblical cosmology will convince us just how propagandized we are. In addition to inundating society with endless images of the globe, our “puppet masters” have pre-loaded our minds with a ridiculous image of the flat earth. Their first defense against the biblical earth, which is a stationary plane covered by a dome called the firmament, is to make us feel foolish for even considering it.

Every classroom has its mandatory globe. Since 1955, the movie and entertainment industry has incessantly promoted the idea that the earth is a globe. Interestingly, the timing corresponds to mysterious developments in Antarctica, the Antarctic Treaty, and the formation of NASA.

Propagandists know that if a lie is told often enough, in the minds of the hearer it becomes the truth.

This is what went on in Nazi Germany and what is going on around the world today. We have been brainwashed in many areas, not just regarding the nature of the cosmos.

No doubt the term “flat earth” is not the ideal choice of words, but it is one with which our position has been saddled. That is one reason why I call this series “Biblical Cosmology.”

The earth and heavens presented in the Bible are very different from the version we have been taught from infancy.

Another, perhaps preferred, descriptor for where we live is “true earth” or “biblical earth.” If you decide to continue reading this series, I ask you to keep an open mind, especially if this is all new to you. We cannot overcome a lifetime of indoctrination in just a few minutes.

As we research biblical cosmology, we will discover that when the Bible says that Satan is a liar (John 8:44) who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9), it is not using poetic language. It is the absolute truth.

The globe – heliocentric model of the earth gained traction around 500 years ago, thanks to Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton. Today it largely has displaced the Bible’s account in Genesis.

Today most Christians accept the heliocentric version of the cosmos and try to accommodate Scripture to fit it somehow.

I am convinced that this cannot be done without twisting the meaning. (I have written another article specifically addressing this issue.) My goal and hope is that these articles will help the reader to transition from what he have been told since childhood to a firm conviction that what the Bible says about the cosmos is true.

The Bible’s Authority

The Bible is our authority in every area of life, including science.

It is not a book written from man’s perspective, but from God’s. If we believe the Bible is absolutely true, we cannot honestly think that God said what he did in Genesis and elsewhere because people at that time were not ready for the truth, since they were what some call “pre-scientific.” God gives us the truth, whether we think it is true or not. He cannot lie. He says what he means and means what he says.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV)

Every single word of God in the Bible is true, including what it says about the cosmos.

We are commanded to live by every word that proceeds from God. If we take upon ourselves to claim that some words are not scientifically accurate, we make ourselves judges of God’s Word. What other verses will we dispose of because they do not fit our current views on things?

It’s a slippery slope when we start down the path of rejecting some of the Bible because it offends us or makes us look ignorant in the eyes of the world.

Perhaps we are not bold enough to reject God’s Word, but instead we try to alter its meaning. Instead of allowing it to say what it clearly says (exegesis), we bend and twist it to say what we have predetermined that it should say (eisegesis).

Peter warned that people would do this.

And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. 2 Peter 3:15–16 (NLT)

An example of this is when commentators try to make “evening and morning, the first day” into an indefinably long period of time. A similar twist is when interpreters translate the Hebrew word for firmament (raqia) into “sky” or “expanse” without the least reference to its solidity.

The Bible tells us that we are not to provide a “private interpretation” to God’s Word.

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:20–21 (NASB95)

This means we must approach scripture with reverence, realizing that we simply cannot lay on top of it our own preference or some scientific worldview to show us how to interpret its words. We must diligently seek to understand what God meant it to say. For this we need the Holy Spirit and an honest heart.

As disciples, we will accept what the Bible says, no matter what!

Hermeneutics

If we have been viewing Genesis and other passages of the Bible through the lens of the heliocentric view of the cosmos, we will have to make a rather huge adjustment. The authors of the Bible believed no such thing. The Hebrew conception of the earth and heavens, as believed by Moses, David, Isaiah, Daniel, etc., the ones who authored its words, looked like the image on the right according to Bible scholars.

One of the most important principles for Bible interpretation (hermeneutics) is that the Scriptures must at least mean what the authors intended.

When Moses wrote Genesis, the model of the earth enclosed in the firmament is what he meant to communicate to us regarding the nature and construction of earth and heaven.

Another important hermeneutical principle is that we must take the Bible literally, except when the context makes it clear we should not. We are not permitted to relegate to symbolism what the author intended us to take literally.

We would never reinterpret Genesis to accommodate a heliocentric cosmos, unless we presuppose modern astrophysics to be true. We have to decide whether to believe God or Copernicus.

The Earth’s Curvature on the Globe Model

I do not think I will ever forget watching a clear demonstration that we can see much, much farther than we are supposed to see over water, if the globe theory of the earth’s shape were actually true. Most people do not know how much the earth’s surface is supposed to curve, if we are indeed a globe. There are websites that calculate the required amount of curvature over distance using spherical trigonometry, such as he Earth Curvature Calculator. For simplicity’s sake, the following parabolic formula works up to a distance of about 2000 miles. After that, there will be some slight discrepancies with the trig calculation, but nothing significant.

Easy Formula: The Earth's Predicted Curvature = 8 inches times the distance in mileage squared.

Here are some sample distances with the calculated required curvature, if the earth were indeed a globe. 8 inches equals .66 feet.

Distance	Formula	Expected Curvature
1 mile	8″X1X1	8 inches
2 miles	8″X2X2	32 inches
3 miles	8″X3X3	6 feet
4 miles	8’X4X4	10.66 feet
5 miles	8″X5X5	16.66 feet
10 miles	8″X10X10	66 feet
20 miles	8″X20X20	264 feet
100 miles	8″X100X100	1.25 miles

Perspective vs Curvature

When objects move away from us, optical perspective due to shape of our eyes make them appear to disappear from the ground or water up. Aristotle believed this was proof of the earth’s curvature. Bill Nye the Science Guy says the same thing, much to his shame. Thanks to the power of telescopes and zoom cameras, we can bring objects back into view that had “disappeared” due to perspective, all the way down to the hull in the water for boats. Even the setting sun can be brought back above the horizon line using a zoom lens.

There are so many different proofs that the earth does not curve that I cannot list them all here, but, if you want to do your own research, I have placed many of them on the Resource Page connected to this series. I encourage you to check it out. Better yet, do your own empirical experiments. Below I give you a very short video demonstration, perhaps to whet your curiosity.

If I am right in saying that the earth is not a globe but a stationary plane, then it is obvious that we are being lied to on an almost unbelievable scale.

The level of conspiracy to hide the truth is so great that many people reject the possibility of this happening out of hand. My eyes, however, were opened to large scale deception during the supposed Covid pandemic, when I observed a conspiracy between government, media, science, education, and the medical establishment to push the vaccine lie. Since then I have no problem believing in large scale deception.

The world lies in the power of the father of lies; so, why would we think mass deception would not be present?

Satan always has counter arguments to keep people away from the truth, just as he did in the garden when he flatly contradicted God’s Word to Eve. The typical counter to our being able to see so far is that it is because of refraction. Refraction, or lensing, does happen, but it cannot account for our ability to see beyond what the curvature formula tells us we should. In fact, in the example below, one of the laser shots is made over ice at night when the air temperature is colder than the water (ice) temperature, a condition in which refraction cannot take place.

As you can imagine, when I realized that water does not bend around the surface of the supposed globe, I was shocked to realize that what I had been told about the globe is a lie!

That put me into a state of cognitive dissonance. I had new evidence that clearly contradicted what I had been taught by parents, teachers, TV, NASA, and renowned scientists. It went against all the supposed video and photographic evidence provided by NASA of a spherical earth suspended in space. (I will write more about NASA’s fakery later.) As you would expect, I had a thousand questions as would anyone who is confronted with evidence that contradicts what he or she had previously believed. This new evidence indicated that the whole world has been deceived! Was I crazy? My wife and I began to investigate further.

One thing we must immediately come to terms with is that no one understands how everything works.

Just because we cannot fully explain how everything in the cosmos works does not mean, however, that the evidence of the earth’s being a plane is false. Instead, it means that we have a lot to learn.

We went back to the Bible to see what it really says. As you can imagine, we saw scriptures with a new set of eyes. It is all right there! We just could not see it previously because of our brainwashed condition. We had unwittingly accommodated the scriptures to conform to the heliocentric version of the cosmos. In some cases, we just did not even think about it, thinking it was too difficult for us to understand, another of Satan’s tricks.

Why the Lie?

One of the most frequently asked questions from anyone who is first confronted with the claims we are covering here is, “What could possibly motivate people to lie on such a grand scale?”

The simple answer is that Satan is deliberately working to blind us to the testimony of God’s creation. (Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:20)

In place of the Bible’s testimony, the devil provides us with a pagan version of the cosmos designed to strip us of any belief in God at all. When we come to believe that the earth and heavens are exactly as described in the Bible, God seems closer than ever. All we have to do is look up, just like the Bible says. His throne is above the firmament, not in some hard to imagine spiritual non-location. A common testimony of non-believers and atheists who come to believe in the flat earth is that they can no longer deny God’s existence. Like a turtle on a fence post, the firmament did not get there by itself! (Here is a link to listen to some testimonies.)

I assure you that I never had a desire to become a “flat earther.” No one wants to be regarded as a kook by friends and family, but to deny what I see with my eyes and in Scripture, would be dishonest.

Here is a humorous short video that captures what I mean.

Google even feels the need to attach a warning to every YouTube video supporting the flat earth position. It is my opinion that they would not do this if this truth did not threaten their global deception scheme.

Google seems to choose to push people away from areas where they are hiding something.

Those of us who see this truth realize that we are engaged in a type of battle reminiscent of David versus Goliath. The government controls the media, NASA, and higher education. NASA has a budget of around $60 million per day to develop their computer generated images of “outer space,” satellites, the International Space Station, and Hubble telescope wonders. All we have on our side is a dedicated cadre of YouTubers, Rumblers, and writers. But, with God’s help, that will be enough.

My prayer is that God will lift the shroud of deception off the people of the earth, that once again we will realize that the Bible is absolutely true when it comes to science as well as spiritual matters. May our eyes be opened to the heavenly testimony.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

There is plenty to talk about. I hope you will continue with me.

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The Math of Generosity

Posted August 2, 2025August 2, 2025
by petebeck3

God loves generosity. He is the greatest giver of all time and eternity. How we handle money reveals a lot about us, especially when it comes to giving. If we have difficulty with being generous, we probably have bigger issues than financial ones.

God’s call to be generous is designed to enlarge our hearts and free us on the inside from the tentacles of greed.

Do we really believe that God is our Provider whose assets are limitless, or do we think that our resources are limited to working only with what we already have? Those who pass this test by trusting that God will abundantly supply everything we need will find out that our generosity opens a floodgate of blessings.

When we cling to what is “ours,” we may end up losing it.

That’s one of the paradoxical principles of God’s money system. However, when we generously give with an attitude of faith and obedience to the Spirit’s promptings, we may be blessed to see God work in unexpected ways.

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. ²⁵ Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:24-25 (ESV)

It takes faith to give away what it seems that we need for ourselves. God promises to supply our needs, if we trust him as our Provider. Our choice to give generously is evidence that we truly believe this promise. When we give away what we think we need, it shows that we trust God to replace it and give us even more. The key is faith. God wants us to trust him with all our hearts.

The math of generosity requires us to believe that God is not limited by a “closed” system. In a “zero sum” world, there is a limited supply of resources. If we give away what we have, we will have less. But in God’s kingdom the more generous we are, the more we will be blessed.

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Luke 6:38 (NLT)

Some people have a true gift of giving. They are internally motivated to be generous. Others of us must choose to be generous, especially if we were taught or otherwise learned to hold on to what is “ours.”

Over a Barrel

One way to estimate how generous we are is to look at how in debt we are. Indebtedness can come from various reasons. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by unforeseen circumstances, such as illness, but mostly we get into debt by purchasing beyond our income. We are all prone to do this, but some make a lifestyle of spending beyond their means. This may reveal that we are impatient and lacking faith that God will indeed supply our needs. Being in debt also harms our ability to give generously since much of our income must go to paying off what we owe.

Sometimes the only way to break free into generous giving is to eliminate debt first.

Generosity from Poor People

Surprisingly, perhaps, being poor does not limit our ability to be generous. It is really a matter of the heart. The Macedonian church was very poor but became a biblical model of what it means to be generous. Doesn’t that sound like God?

Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. ³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. ⁵ And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. ⁶ So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. ⁷ But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 2 Corinthians 8:2-7 (NIV)

The only way we can give “beyond our ability” is by faith. It means we disregard our current circumstances in order to be generous to others, trusting that God will meet our needs.

Giving by faith starts with first surrendering ourselves, which includes our finances, to God. Once that is done, God can direct how we use our money as he sees fit.

Until that happens, we will self-direct our finances. Paul calls this a “grace of giving.” We should all aspire to excelling in this area.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NIV)

The math of generosity is simple: the more we give, the more we receive.

Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.

A corollary truth is that only cheerful giving counts for much with God. No one should try to force someone else to be “generous.” That is a contradiction of terms. Our generosity must be a freewill offering to God, or we are missing the point entirely. Even if we believe that God requires us to give, we should ask his help to be joyfully generous and go beyond what is merely expected.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work…  ¹¹ You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:8, 11 (NIV)

The math of generosity teaches us that God increases what the generous giver has so that he will have enough to meet all his own needs plus continue to be generous to others.

In other words, he gives us more than we need as we continue to be generous.

Where Do I Begin?

You may ask, where do I begin? Do I give to the poor first? Do I give to the church? The Bible exhorts us to be generous to the poor, which includes the promise that the Lord will care for those who care for those who have not.

If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you! Proverbs 19:17 (NLT)

In my next article, I will look at the principle of the tithe. Many believe that this is where we should begin. The important thing is that we depend on the Holy Spirit and the Bible to guide us. The Scripture has much to say about giving to God’s kingdom work being carried out by the church. More on that next time.

To access the entire series on the Disciple and Money, click here.

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Presuppositions: Are they biblical?

Posted August 1, 2025January 26, 2026
by petebeck3

Presuppositions are beliefs that we consider to be self-evident, taken by faith, and requiring no proof.

For example, many people believe in God without being able to prove his existence empirically. Hopefully we have what we consider to be good reasons for believing our presuppositions, but we will never be able to prove them to a doubter. Everyone has presuppositions, even those who claim to be purely rational and scientific. To claim that we can think rationally is a presupposition, especially if one believes in a randomly evolved universe.

If our presuppositions are correct, they will help us arrive at proper conclusions. If they are incorrect, they will lead us into further error.

In order to establish a biblical cosmology, we must agree upon certain presuppositions, some of which I have listed below. If we can agree on these, it will help us see eye-to-eye as we move forward. I have put the corresponding presuppositions of the Big Bang heliocentric side, as well.

Biblical Cosmology Presuppositions	Popular Cosmology Presuppositions
God exists, and he created the heavens and earth out of nothing by speaking it into existence.	There is no God. The universe and all life self-created through the Big Bang and randomly evolved.
God gave us the Bible, which, according to its own testimony, is absolutely true. All its words are inspired by God. (2 Timothy 3:16) Therefore, we can rely upon the truth of every word. (Proverbs 30:5, John 17:17)	The Bible was written by men and is fallible, outdated, and not a reliable source of information about scientific matters.
We should accept that the words of the Bible are literally true, unless it is clear from the context that we should interpret them in some other way, such as symbolically. We should not impose upon the scriptures an outside presupposition to make them mean something different from the author’s original intent (2 Peter 3:16); although, some scriptures can have multiple meanings beyond the author’s intent.	When the Bible conflicts with established scientific consensus, we must interpret the Bible in a way (symbolically, poetically) that agrees with science.
The Bible is not merely a book that communicates spiritual and moral truths, but it also is correct when it addresses practical, historical, and scientific issues.	If the Bible has relevance, it is only in spiritual and moral matters.
God did not “dumb down” his inspired and true Word to accommodate the ignorance of what some call the “pre-scientific” era.	If God did inspire the Bible, clearly he spoke in ways to accommodate the level of comprehension of the writers and readers.

If we can accept these five presuppositions, we can conclude that the Creator God of the Bible was present at creation, knows all things, says what he means, and means what he says. (Numbers 23:19) Many times God does not tell us everything we want to know, but he is always truthful.

None of us were there and have no right to question God’s veracity.

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Job 38:4 (NASB95)

Therefore, it is reasonable and mandatory for us to believe the assertions made by the Creator in the Bible over the theories and declarations of fallible men, no matter how intelligent, credentialed, or admired they may be.

The Bible is our most reliable source of truth in all matters. We believe it gives us accurate information regarding the order of creation, the nature of the heavens, and the design of the earth. (Romans 3:4)

The Bible also teaches us that we have an adversary called Satan who is a liar by nature. Jesus said that no truth dwells in him. (John 8:44) According to Scripture, he actively deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9), which lies in his power (1 John 5:19). Only those who belong to Christ have escaped from his kingdom of darkness (1 John 5:5). Only those in whom dwells the Holy Spirit of truth and who study and believe the Bible have the ability to detect and defend themselves against the devil’s lies. How sad it is, however, when born-again sons and daughters of the God of truth are duped into believing Satan’s lies! Tragically this happens on a large scale.

There is a worldwide satanic plan to deceive the masses regarding the design of the earth and heavens in order to hide the existence of the Creator.

His plan is also to convince people that we are insignificant and worthless in the grand scheme of an infinite chaotic universe. He wants us to believe that we live in a rather hopeless situation, that our “planet” is in mortal danger, especially from the “virus” of humanity. He also aims to trick people into believing that the Bible is unreliable. (Psalm 2:1-4) How better can he do that than by convincing us that the very first chapter of Genesis is a fairy tale account of creation.

Conversely, our Creator God is revealing the truth about the heavens and earth in order to awaken people to his existence and to convince us to place our faith and allegiance in our Lord Jesus.

It is my hope that this series of articles will assist you to gain a better understanding of the shape and design of the earth and heavens as revealed in the Bible so that your confidence in the Bible and God will increase.

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Biblical Priorities for Spending

Posted July 31, 2025July 31, 2025
by petebeck3

When it comes to spending money, some common sense should guide our establishment of priorities: income should exceed outflow. Simple, yet profound. Obvious, yet commonly ignored. Not following this simple logic is a recipe for economic disaster. Our nation refuses to live by this sound bit of wisdom and seems to get away with it, since it can print its own money, but a day of reckoning is coming. People cannot long continue to spend more than they make without going bust.

People in America are taught from a very young age to go into debt, something our forefathers would have avoided like the plague. They knew better. Why do we do it? Most of the time we choose to go into debt because we want something immediately and refuse to wait until we can save enough to cover it. At times this kind of reasoning makes good sense, such as when purchasing something that appreciates in value, such as a home. It can also be a good idea for a business to purchase equipment that can be used immediately to make money and paid for with the money earned. In our nation, most people legitimately need to borrow money to purchase their cars, which are needed to get to work.

Going into debt for anything that is not a necessity will likely lead to some sort of financial bondage.

It’s easy and fun to get into debt, but extremely difficult to get out. This is because, not only do we have to pay off what we borrowed, but we also have to cover the accumulated interest, all the while continuing to fund our other everyday expenses.

Sometimes people place themselves in a position to go into debt because they fail to create any sort of margin to protect themselves from unexpected or even expected expenses. We cram our “budget” so full that there is no ability to save for emergencies.

What fills our jars?

We all have a “budget,” whether or not we consciously and intentionally follow it. In other words, we all have a certain amount of spendable income and we make decisions on how to spend it.

Disciples are responsible to God for how we use our money.

We should also want to use as much wisdom as possible for our own sake, since we and those under our care will be immediate beneficiaries of our having a sound monetary policy.

Imagine three different sizes of mason jars, which will represent three sizes of budgets. Obviously, the larger jar (budget) will have a lot more room in it for extras. People with very small jars, many single moms for example, will not even have enough room for some important priorities. Middle class people will have room for most financial priorities, but will not have a lot of extra. Big jar people can get away with having no budget, which might lead them to fritter away money that could be better used elsewhere. Small jar people might feel that budgeting is a hopeless endeavor, which can lead to foolishly spending what we do have. Medium jar people often feel the greatest need and satisfaction from having a budget.

In this illustration, we will fill our jars with four things – stones, pebbles, sand, and water. The stones will represent necessities and large high priority budget items. Pebbles will represent the next level of expense items. Sand will represent what we might call luxury items, and water, which uses up all the remaining space in our budget, can represent “throw away” cash.

If we take our jar and fill it with stones, it will appear to be full. However, if we then take very small pebbles and add it to the mixture, we will watch it begin to fill in the spaces between the stones. Now the jar is more full, but there is still some room. Then we add sand and observe it squeezing into the spaces between the stones and pebbles. Now, surely, the jar is full. How could we get anything else in there? However, if we then pour water into the jar, we will see it fill in around the sand. Once the water level reaches the top of the jar, it is indeed full. What does this teach us?

The wise person makes sure there is room in his jar for all the high priority items, even if it means eliminating less important things from the budget.

The smaller the jar, the more cutting has to be made, even to the point of cutting some pretty big things. It’s unavoidable.

Thinking through our priorities

What do we consider to be the necessities of life? The Bible lists food and clothing.

But godliness with contentment is great gain, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (ESV)

Most of us would add shelter, and if a person has a serious medical problem, healthcare is a necessity, too. It is important to mention at this point that serious disciples will also add giving (tithing and other freewill offerings) to the list of necessities, driving up our number of stones to four or possibly five. So all of us should have three to five stones in our jar. Here is where you should start feeling some sympathy for the single moms out there whose jar cannot even hold these stones.

Beyond these absolute necessities, we have what seem to be necessities in today’s world – transportation, cell phone costs, car insurance, life insurance, and emergency savings. Pebbles represent this level of spending. Depending on our level of conviction about giving to God, some would add tithing and charitable giving here rather than at the stone level. We will address this in more detail later. These are the expenses that should be next highest level on our priority list. They generally carry high price tags and take up the most space in our budgets.

Sand represents the third level of expenses – optional items, such as entertainment (cable TV), lawn service, Netflix, and vacations. These are things we can live without, but would rather not. They are luxuries. The water stands for the little niceties that make life more enjoyable, such as a cappuccino at Starbucks or eating out. Obviously there is not a lot of difference philosophically between sand and water.

How will we fill our jars from now on?

Many people unwisely pour a lot of water and sand into their jars before adding stones and pebbles. They spend money for bottom tier items first, which prohibits their being able to afford higher priority items. How we spend our money is a deeply personal choice, which no one can force upon us; that is, until we get ourselves into financial trouble. Then we may find the bank or our creditors controlling how we spend. Anytime we borrow money, we give someone else the ability to rule over our spending to some degree.

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. Proverbs 22:7 (ESV)

If we are continually short on cash and building credit card debt, we should rethink how we are spending our money.

Do we have too many sand and water items that can be removed to give us more space for saving and essentials? Do we need to eliminate eating out so we can afford to save? Do we need to cut the cord on cable TV, so we can make ends meet? Each person has to evaluate what is individually important to him or her, have the courage to admit when something has to go, and take action.

The problem with many of us is that we have never learned to say “no” to our desires. American culture is geared to making us think that happiness depends on consuming, but wisdom teaches us otherwise.

As you likely have already figured out, another option is to enlarge our jars by getting a better job.

I have not yet really covered giving to God and generosity to others yet. That is one of the most important things that should be in everyone’s budget. Where will we get the money for that? How important is giving to God’s kingdom? Is it a stone item or water or somewhere in between? What about faith? Where does that fit into the picture? We will cover those things in coming articles. For now, I encourage you to start evaluating your spending priorities and make some hard choices, if necessary. It may hurt at first, but in the long term you will be glad.

To access the entire series on the Disciple and Money, click here.

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Immorality – The Infidelity in Us

Posted July 31, 2025October 2, 2025
by petebeck3

Whereas test #1 exposes any remaining idolatry in our hearts; test #2 searches our hearts to ferret out any moral infidelity or immorality so that we can confess that to the Lord and be set free.

Balaam was a false prophet whom King Balak hired to speak curses over the nation of Israel as they marched through the wilderness heading for Canaan. God forbade him from doing so, and, much to Balak’s horror, he spoke blessings and some amazing prophecies over God’s chosen people instead. We learn from this true story that the devil has no power to curse those whom God has blessed.

“For there is no sorcery against Jacob, Nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’ Numbers 23:23 (NKJV)

However, this evil man devised a devilish alternate plan for bringing destruction to Israel by inciting them to sin, which incurred God’s judgment. He and Balak sent idol worshiping Midianite women to lure Israelite men into sexual immorality and idolatry. This rebellious infidelity to God brought down God’s judgment upon the entire nation.

Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel. Numbers 25:1–3 (NKJV)

Since Balaam had not been able to curse Israel, he lured God’s people into immorality and idolatry, thus bringing God’s judgment upon themselves.

As Moses and those who remained faithful to God considered what to do, one of the sons of an important clan leader blatantly sinned in full view of the camp, taking a foreign woman into his tent.

Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Numbers 25:6 (NLT)

Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, took action and drove a spear through both the offending man and the woman, stopping God’s plague of judgment from going any further. In today’s morally lax and tolerant world, this sort of behavior seems very strange indeed and even reprehensible, but the Bible praises Phinehas for this display of devotion to the Lord and his holiness. We learn from this something about the utmost seriousness of sin, especially immorality and idolatry. Sin should never be taken lightly. It is what nailed our Lord Jesus to the cross. Nevertheless, the plague from God killed 24,000 Israelites before it was stopped. (Numbers 25:1-17)

Balaam’s strategy came from Satan and is still operational today. Satan cannot curse God’s people; so, he tempts us to sin against God, which always brings negative consequences.

Mankind betrayed God in the Garden of Eden, choosing to go his own way instead of God’s. Sinful infidelity (the “flesh”) lurks in the human heart ever since, making us susceptible to temptation to sexual immorality. In order to incite us to lust, we are bombarded with graphic sexual images on the internet, TV, the movies, and in other forms of media. Modern culture has largely acquiesced by declaring that sexual transgressions are not really wrong after all. Young people are taught that having sex outside of marriage is normal and natural, and they are encouraged and expected to engage in such activity. The availability of birth control and easy abortions provides a way for people to avoid the natural consequences associated with this sort of sin. Modern medicine has even made STDs less scary.

Nevertheless, one can never truly escape the consequences of sin. Indelible marks are left on our souls and sometimes our bodies, which only the blood of Jesus can cleanse and heal.

God’s commandments always have our best interests in mind, and we violate them at our own peril. Ultimately, we will all give an account to Jesus at the Last Judgment for how we lived and obeyed him. Sexual sin can rob us of heavenly reward and also brings destruction into our lives in the present. It tries to fill our thoughts, thus distracting us from the one thing that should consume us – our love for and devotion to the Lord.

Paul told Timothy:

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 (NKJV)

Families and lives are ruined by sexual transgressions. We reap what we sow. Solomon warned of the dangers associated with failing the test of sexual immorality.

Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth: 25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her (the immoral woman's) ways, Do not stray into her paths; 26 For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men. 27 Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death. Proverbs 7:24–27 (NKJV)

Ironically, this wise man horribly failed this test. We should not imagine that we are somehow immune to the power of this temptation. Many otherwise strong people have succumbed.

Emotional bonds are formed outside of the marriage covenant through having sex, and scars are left when these relationships are broken. This is serious stuff! God will not be mocked. Sin has consequences, and all of them are bad. (Galatians 6:7)

There is always a cost to obedience and to sin. We have to decide which price we would rather pay – the pain of denying ourselves or the pain of the consequences of sin.

There is a very big upside to denying ourselves sinful pleasure in order to please God. There is no upside to sin.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.  Hebrews 11:24–26 (NASB95)

Jude warned us that even some who profess to be followers of Christ will go off the path and try to take others with them. Many who claim to be Christ followers today have fallen for the lie that God does not really care that much about moral holiness.

I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4 (NLT)

God’s mercy and grace should never be used as an excuse to indulge in sexual immorality. Even though I am convinced that the Lord will not take away our eternal relationship with him if we sin, we should nevertheless fear the discipline of the Lord. He is not playing games when it comes to this test and will do whatever he sees fit to bring us to repentance and set us free.

Wise people do not test the limits of God’s patience.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31 (NKJV)

Why not rather heed God’s admonitions and flee immorality?

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 (NKJV)

God will reward us for resisting temptations to immorality. We can only do this by what the Bible calls “walking in the Spirit,” by relying on the combination of a proper fear of the Lord and the grace of God. With God’s help, we can do this! (You can read more about “walking in the Spirit” by clicking here.)

Application

If you have been flirting with or engaging in sexual immorality, or if you have been listening to arguments and reasoning that says it’s no big deal, beware! This is the second of the four big wipe out tests. I encourage all of us to recommit ourselves to setting apart our bodies and hearts for the Lord. Resist sexual temptation and stay away from opportunities to sin. It may be helpful to you to become accountable to some trustworthy loving person, who can assist you to keep your commitments to the Lord. Don’t throw away your heavenly reward for temporary pleasure. Pass the second test by standing strong against sexual temptation.

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; ¹⁶ that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷ For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. Hebrews 12:15-17 (ESV)

God wants us to set ourselves apart to him so that he can use us for noble purposes in his kingdom.

Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:20–22 (NASB95)

Joseph is a great example of someone who resisted sexual temptation and was later used for a noble purpose. Would he have risen to such an exalted position if he had violated Potipher’s wife and his master’s trust?

Prayer

Lord, please forgive me for entertaining immorality. I confess it to you and want to be set free. Guide me, Holy Spirit, in whatever steps you want me to take. Amen.

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The Link between Sorcery and Deception

Posted July 26, 2025July 27, 2025
by petebeck3

Perhaps most people would not think a link exists between deception and sorcery, but the Bible affirms that there is. Concerning mystery Babylon in the Book of Revelation, John wrote:

The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries. Revelation 18:23 (NLT)

Nahum corroborates these words when describing another powerful city of his time, Nineveh.

All because of the many harlotries of the harlot, The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries. Nahum 3:4 (NASB95)

In another verse, the Bible says that Satan has deceives the entire world (Revelation 12:9). It only stands to reason that he uses sorcery to do it.

Those who take the Bible seriously and know that every word is God’s truth realize that God is telling us that governmental and other types of power in this world are often connected to the satanic and demonic realm. This includes the power to deceive, which is wielded through sorcery.

Consider the power of the satanic lie to seduce Adam and Eve into doing what brought death and destruction. Do we think that the serpent in the garden merely used a logical argument against them, or was something far more powerful and sinister at work? I can almost see the glittering eyes of the serpent as he unleashed the poison of his sorcery against them.

The Book of Enoch, which is non-canonical but is quoted in our New Testament, has some interesting things to say about the occult. It relates that evil angels instructed humans in the wicked knowledge of sorcery. The following is from Book 9.

Thou hast seen what Azazyel has done, how he as taught every species of iniquity upon earth, and has disclosed to the world all the secret things which are done in the heavens. 6. Samyaza also has taught sorcery, to whom thou hast given authority over those who are associated with him. They have gone together to the daughters of men; have lain with them; have become polluted;

I do not ascribe scriptural authority to these verses, but they seem to add detail regarding what is recorded in the first few chapters of Genesis. Whether these words are indeed true, we know that people must gain their knowledge of the occult realm from the devil. Where else would they obtain it?

But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Revelation 2:24 (NASB95)

Just as the deep things of God can only be learned from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10), the deep things of Satan come by spiritual interaction as well.

There are only two sides in this cosmic battle between good and evil, God and Satan. There is only one Lord, Jesus, and one pretender to the throne, Satan. It is important for us to grasp that the entire world system is steeped in deception and that the only way of escape is via the truth found in the Bible as revealed by the Spirit of truth. It is also important to know what we are up against – evil people allied with Satan who have access to “the deep things of Satan.” The power of evil is formidable, but no match for the power of the Lord.

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:4–6 (NASB95)

I believe we should understand that there is more deception in the world than we think based on what Jesus said in Revelation 12:9. Governments employ deception on a unimaginable scale through such agencies as the CIA. In an age when the “deep fake” can be easily carried out by modern technology, we must be on guard.

Every other testimony, whether it be scientific, medical, or so-called “experts”, should be weighed against the testimony of the Bible. When there is disagreement, we must lean toward the Scriptures. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Like the Protestant reformers, we should adopt the motto, “Sola Scriptura” – “only the scripture.” We ought to repent from trusting science or any other human testimony more than God’s Word. This is the only way we will thrive in a world drowning in deception.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB95)

Prayer

Holy Spirit, we ask you to deliver us from the rampant deception that has enveloped the world. Open our eyes to more and more truth from your Word. If we have been duped by the devil’s sorcery and lies, we ask you to set us free in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Click her to see more articles like this.

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What does our marriage tell the world about God?

Posted July 23, 2025July 24, 2025
by petebeck3

God designed marriage to be a kind of model of the relationship between Christ and the church. People are watching us. Whether we like it or not, people keep an eye on followers of Christ to see if we practice what we preach. They suspect we are hypocrites as are most others. Some people even hope professing Christians will fail miserably because they think that will get them “off the hook” with God. Then they can say, “See, just as I thought, Christianity is a crock! It’s not real.”

People look at our marriages, perhaps because they want to know if its even still possible to have a lasting and happy union. So many grow up in broken homes where they never witnessed what a good marriage entails. So many marriages are failing that it can be disheartening to those contemplating tying the knot! When we pledge lifelong faithfulness to our spouses, most of us, I presume, really intend to keep our vows. Even in a morally confused world, many stilly want the stability and security that lasting love provides.

One big reason why faithfulness in marriage is so important is because it reflects to the world the relationship between Christ and his church.

Jesus is the “husband” in that relationship, and the church is the “bride.”

FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. ³² This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32 (NASB)

God wants our faithfulness in marriage to be a living example of the faithfulness between Christ and his people. Jesus promises to never leave or forsake us, and we promise to always be faithful to him. He gave himself for his bride, the church, by dying for her on a cross. Our loving response is to live and, if necessary, die for him, as we offer ourselves back to him in loving worship and service.

God always keeps his promises, and he expects us to do the same.

When we violate our solemn covenant to be faithful until death to our spouses, we transgress and give a false testimony of the very nature of God, who dwells within each believer.

When we keep our word, we honor God and exemplify his faithfulness to a watching world. Love and faithfulness are two key character attributes of God, both of which a good marriage reflects to the world.

God’s idea is that marriage reinforce the gospel message, not detract from it.

When we tell people that God never violates his promises nor abandons his people, if our marriages do not reflect the same kind of faithfulness, it likely will seem a little hollow. Sure, as humans we fail, but God remains faithful.

Even if our marriages do fail, we can still testify to the mercy and redemptive power of God, but how much stronger is our witness when we live out covenant faithfulness as a kind of living parable!

People are watching us to see if following Christ makes any practical difference at all. Let our marriages be a resounding “Yes!”

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The Prophetic Significance of the Stoning of Stephen for Israel

Posted July 23, 2025February 18, 2026
by petebeck3

The stoning of Stephen had tremendous prophetic significance concerning the nation of Israel. Stephen began his final speech to the Jews by giving a short account of Israel’s history with God. Suddenly, he switched gears to pronounce a scathing judgment upon the Jews.

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” Acts 7:51–53 (NKJV)

We must assume that the Holy Spirit prompted him to pronounce this indictment. His death, witnessed by Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, fulfilled the timing found in one of the prophet Daniel’s visions.

Stephen’s wording was exact. He did not use hyperbole when he said the Israelites always resist the Holy Spirit and never kept the Law. Yes, there were significant men and women during her history who walked with God, but the nation as a whole was steeped in idolatry and did not submit to God. We now know that it was impossible for them to do so and still is, apart from being reborn in the Spirit, for no one is able to keep the Law.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Romans 3:21–24 (NKJV)

The window of opportunity for the entire nation of Israel to repent and confess that Jesus is Lord came to a close when the Jews killed Stephen.

The more complete outworking of that judgment was fulfilled years later when the Roman army sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in 70 AD, thereby ending the sacrificial system forever.

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Hebrews 8:13 (NASB95)

Daniel’s Vision

I wrote another article about the partial preterist interpretation of Daniel’s seventy weeks, which you can read, if you like, by clicking on the link above. I believe this interpretation better agrees with scripture and history. You can click here to read more about my position regarding dispensational theology. Below I will summarize a section of my article on Daniel’s vision.

“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. 25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” Daniel 9:24–27 (NKJV)

A generally accepted convention for interpreting prophecy is making a day into a year. Below is a breakdown of how the partial preterist position interprets the 70 weeks.

7 weeks (49 years) – 457 BC (the decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem) to 408 BC, during which time were the ministries of Ezra (rebuilding the temple) and Nehemiah (rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem).
62 weeks (434 years ) – 408 BC to the baptism of Jesus in AD 27 (The anointing of the Holy One.) He was baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit to carry out the work of the ministry.
1 week (7 years)
- AD 27 to AD 31: 3.5 years – The time from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry until his crucifixion. He was the the Anointed One who was cut off. The Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself, ending the need for any more animal sacrifices. He, the Messiah, shall confirm a covenant – the New Covenant.
- 31 AD to 34 AD: 3.5 years from the crucifixion to the stoning of Stephen, after which the door was officially opened to the Gentiles and a door of opportunity shut for the Jews as a nation. Paul was called and commissioned shortly thereafter.
70 AD: the destruction of the Temple by Titus and the Roman army (the people of the prince), effectively ending all animal sacrifices.

The partial preterist view does not put a 2000-year gap between the 69^th and 70^th week, as does dispensational theology. Therefore, Daniel 9 does not predict what will happen at the very end of time just prior to the Second Coming. If we accept the partial preterist interpretation, it is quite understandable why Daniel was so upset by the vision. God showed him that Israel would reject and murder their Messiah and Jerusalem and the temple destroyed!

Jesus’ Prophetic Warning to Israel

Jesus also foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6, Luke 21:20, Luke 19:43-44), which signified the end of God’s purpose for Israel.

Israel had the glorious role of stewarding God’s promises and the scriptures as well as providing the human pedigree for the Messiah. However, just as John the Baptist’s role was concluded when he introduced Jesus to the nation, Israel’s role sadly reached its end when it fulfilled the scriptures by crucifying the Messiah!

In Acts chapter two, on Pentecost, the apostle Peter offered those present in Jerusalem for the great feast an opportunity to repent of this great evil, and 3000 did! Unfortunately, the preponderance of the people and leaders continued to resist the Holy Spirit, just as Stephen said in his last sermon.

Jesus prophesied that all this would happen and that the kingdom of God would be given to another people, one that would embrace him as Lord.

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. Matthew 21:43–45 (NASB95)

This new people was later revealed to be the Church, the “one new man” (Ephesians 2:15) composed of elect Jews and Gentiles who are born again by the Holy Spirit, a new nation and people springing forth from the second or last Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

God’s Plan All Along

The surprising emergence of the church had been God’s intention all along, contrary to the claims of dispensationalism. The church was not a “plan B,” but was God’s original intent as revealed in several places in Scripture.

...to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Ephesians 3:10–13 (NKJV)

From the beginning of Israel’s history, God revealed that he would eventually destroy that nation for its blatant rebellion and raise up another people who would fulfill his will.

The first example was at Mount Sinai. Moses ascended to mountain to receive the ten commandments. Upon his return, he found that the people had quickly abandoned their devotion to God and made an idol for themselves to worship. Here is God’s pronouncement of judgment.

The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10 “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” Exodus 32:9–10 (NASB95)

Why did God say this? Did he have a “short fuse” which made him prone to utter rash words in anger? Of course not! God knew that the nation of Israel, like all fallen humans, had zero ability to keep his commandments and remain devoted to him.

In the passage above God prophetically foreshadowed his plan to raise up another prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) from whom he would bring forth another people capable of serving him wholeheartedly. This new people would be the New Covenant church, who would be indwelled and empowered by God’s own Spirit. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Again, when the Israelites rebelled against God in the wilderness on their way to the promised land, God pronounced a judgment that revealed his future plan to raise up the church through Christ.

The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? 12 “I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.” Numbers 14:11–12 (NASB95)

When Israel came to edge of the Promised Land the first time, once again they rebelled against God’s command to enter the land and conquer the inhabitants. Only Joshua and Caleb had faith in God’s promises. The rest were sentenced to die in the wilderness over the next forty years of wandering. Only Joshua, Caleb, and the new generation were able to eventually obtain the promises of God.

The principle is simple, the old fallen fleshly order cannot inherit the promises of God. Only those born of the Spirit can enter by faith.

Interestingly, once Israel heard God’s pronouncement of his rejection of their generation, they rebelled once again and decided they would after all enter and conquer the Canaanites. But it was too late. The door had been shut. Their attempt to enter in their own strength did not have God’s support or blessing. It was doomed to failure. (Numbers 14:39-45)

I believe that the nation of Israel today is like that group of rebels. Until the people of Israel submit to Jesus as Lord, they will not succeed.

When it came time for Moses to die, he again warned the Israelites of what was to come.

Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you. 27 “For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death? Deuteronomy 31:26–27 (NASB95)

Once again, God pointed out that Israel was incapable of pleasing him because that nation was of the flesh, born of Adam, and part of the old fallen order. No flesh can inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50), but only that which is born of God by the Spirit. (John 3:5).

Neither the nation of Israel nor any other human institution or people is capable of pleasing God or inheriting his kingdom outside of the New Covenant transformation caused by the new birth.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB95)

Those whom God so transforms from within are part of God’s elect, the church, the Israel of God. (Galatians 3:7, Galatians 3:29, Galatians 6:16, Romans 2:29, Romans 9:6, Philippians 3:3)

When Joshua was near death, he, too, warned Israel that it was impossible for them to be faithful to God, to which they objected, as we all do before God shows us how hopelessly lost we are without Christ.

Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. 20 “If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.” 21 The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.” 22 Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” Joshua 24:19–22 (NASB95)

The Jews who reject Christ will be judged by the Law, as will we all. (John 5:45)

The law’s purpose is to reveal how hopelessly lost we are. It was never a viable means for us to save ourselves through obedience to it. It only showed how badly we need a Savior.

But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:22–29 (NASB95)

It is so difficult for us to admit that we cannot save ourselves, but until we come to the end of thinking we can, we are not ready to receive God’s offer of eternal life through his Son. If we reject the Son, we do not have the Father either. (1 John 2:23) Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that, rather than being children of God, they were offspring of the devil. (John 8:44) Later in Revelation, he calls them the “synagogue of Satan” in two different places.

I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Revelation 2:9 (NASB95) 

Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Revelation 3:9 (NASB95)

These are not my words, but our Lord’s. He was not antisemitic, and neither am I. Jesus spoke the truth, and I attempt to follow in his steps.

The nation of Israel today claims to be God’s chosen people, but they are not. God has only one chosen people, the elect, who are known by their faith and allegiance to Christ.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants...11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, Romans 9:6–8, 11 (NASB95)

For us to believe that the nation of Israel is God’s chosen people is to misunderstand the New Covenant.

We cannot have it both ways. There are not two tracks for salvation, one that pertains only to Israel after the flesh and another that pertains to all other humans through God’s Spirit. God has only one way to be saved, which is through the new birth by faith in Christ’s resurrection and by declaring allegiance to him. (Romans 10:9-10)

To back Israel now as God’s chosen people is akin to when the northern tribes backed Absalom against God’s chosen king.

Those tribes were deceived into supporting a rebel and pretender to the throne. It did not end well. Many died in a vain rebellion against God’s true king. We dare not fall into that trap today by supporting the nation of Israel as it attempts to regain what God stripped from them in 70 AD. They will not succeed.

God will be glorified in Christ and his church through all eternity, not in the nation of Israel.

Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:21 (NLT)

Only those descendants of Abraham who acknowledge that Christ is Lord will be included in what is called the Israel of God.

When all the elect Jews and Gentiles are finally born again into the church, the end will come and all Israel (the true Israel of God) will be saved. (Romans 11:26)

The stoning of Stephen was a prophetic marker that closed the door to the nation of Israel. Thereafter, the true born again Israel of God would be assembled from every nation under heaven.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:9–10 (NASB95)

Click here to go to more articles on Israel, dispensational theology, and the end times.

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The Throne

The Apocalypse

The Bible’s Authority

Hermeneutics

The Earth’s Curvature on the Globe Model

Perspective vs Curvature

Why the Lie?

Over a Barrel

Generosity from Poor People

Where Do I Begin?

Biblical Cosmology Presuppositions

Popular Cosmology Presuppositions

What fills our jars?

Thinking through our priorities

How will we fill our jars from now on?

Application

Prayer

Prayer

Daniel’s Vision

Jesus’ Prophetic Warning to Israel

God’s Plan All Along