The Theology of Up and Down

In the Bible the directions of up and down and positions of above and below have great theological significance. God’s creation is a physical reality as described in the Bible which consists of an earth and heavens above it. Below the earth is a place called Sheol in Hebrew and Hades in Greek. Surrounding it all are waters. A solid structure called the firmament divides the waters above it from the waters below it. Contrary to the opinion of some, the Bible says that these waters above the firmament are still there. (Psalm 148:4)

The earth realm has been given to mankind. The heaven of heavens belongs to God. (Psalm 115:16 LXX)

Satan seeks to separate people from God’s physical reality through mysticism and an imaginary false version of reality and the universe in order to draw us away from truth and God himself. Satan cannot dwell in the truth because that is God’s realm.

The Bible is our ultimate source of truth. Anything that contradicts the Bible is false by definition. It is vital that we stick to what the Bible teaches and not allow ourselves to drift into satanic speculation that draws us away from God’s truth.

Jesus is a real person who came from a real heaven to earth. He became a human man who died for us on a real cross, shedding real blood. His real body was buried in a real grave. He descended into a real Hades, and after three real days he rose bodily from the dead. He revealed himself to his disciples who saw, heard, and touched him. After that he ascended bodily into a real heaven where he now sits on a real throne waiting for his real enemies to be destroyed. He will return bodily to the earth to judge all peoples. We will ascend to meet him. The current real heavens and earth will be destroyed and replaced by a new heaven and earth. All of this is part of an historical reality. 

Satan works to make everything mystical and wants us to deny the physical reality of Christ and his work. 

22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2:22–23 (NKJV) 

The devil seeks to alter God’s truth about creation with his imaginary version of a Big Bang – Heliocentric universe. As always the goal of his deceptions is to lead us away from God and cast doubt on the truth of the Bible.

It is impossible to understand God’s theology of up and down unless heaven is really “up” above us and Hades or Sheol is “down” below us. Otherwise we are left to the satanic mystical realm of no absolute truth or direction that is required on a globe earth.. 

The writer of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, understood and believed in the reality of the three-tiered heaven-earth-Hades complex.

Below is an artist’s rendering found in Logos bible software notes.

upThis physical reality is first presented in Genesis Chapter One and continues throughout the Bible. Rejecting biblical cosmology is not simply a matter of reinterpreting Genesis Chapter One as a poetic metaphor. Doing so requires us to render the theology of up and down as an outdated and incorrect way of looking at some very fundamental things that are essential to the gospel.

One cannot properly understand the gospel without accepting the biblical model of heaven, earth, and Sheol or Hades.

Below are some clear examples.

Down

The Bible states that God is enthroned above the earth, from where he looks down upon the inhabitants of the earth. 

22 He is the one who holds the circle (Hebrew:chug - to draw round or make a circle; Greek Septuagint: gyro = circle or ring, not ball or sphere) of the earth fast, and those who dwell in it are like locusts. He is the one who set up heaven like a canopy and stretched it out like a tent to be inhabited. Isaiah 40:22 (LES2)

It is from this heavenly abode of God that Christ descended to the earth.

No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. John 3:13 (NASB95)

In order to descend from heaven, Christ had to be there first. The Bible gives us evidence of this. Isaiah saw the pre-incarnate Christ seated on God’s throne above the firmament.

And this happened in the year when Uzziah the king died: I saw the Lord seated on a high and raised throne, and the building was full of his glory. 2 And seraphim stood around him; each one had six wings, and with two they were covering their face, and with two they were covering their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And one cried aloud to the other, and they were saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord Sabaoth; the whole land is full of his glory!” Isaiah 6:1–3 (LES2-LXX) 

John informed us that this was a vision of Christ. (John 12:41) Ezekiel also was privileged to see the Lord seated upon his heavenly throne.

There was a likeness of a chair upon it, and above the likeness of the chair was a likeness as the appearance of a human from above. 27 And I saw what looked like an appearance of amber from the vision of the loins and up, and from the vision of the loins and down I saw what looked like fire and its splendor around about. 28 As the appearance of a bow when it is in the cloud on rainy days, such was the standing of the light from all around. Ezekiel 1:26–28 (LES2-LXX)

Jesus descended from heaven to the earth to be the “ladder, door, bridge, or gate” to heaven for us through his sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension.

And he [Jacob] dreamed, and look, a ladder fixed upon the earth, whose top was reaching into the heavens, and the angels of God were ascending and descending upon it. 13 The Lord rested upon it and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. Do not fear! The land on which you are sleeping upon it, I will give it to you and to your offspring. Genesis 28:12–13 (LES2) 

Jesus later explained that this dream represented a heavenly reality. He is the ladder by which men are able to be restored to our heavenly Father. The angels ascend and descend. He came down that we might go up.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” John 1:50–51 (NKJV)

Up

At the end of Christ’s earthly ministry, as foretold, Jesus was lifted up upon a cross to die.

Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die. John 12:31–33 (NKJV)

Down

After being lifted up to die, he went down into the earth in burial. The Bible says that he descended into the lower parts of the earth or Hades. Peter quoted from Psalm 16:10, where David foresaw Christ’s descent into Sheol.

Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’ Acts 2:26–28 (NKJV)

Up

But God did not leave him there. He raised his body from the dead. 

This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.  Acts 2:32 (NKJV)

After forty days, Christ ascended into heaven, back to God’s right hand on the throne, where Isaiah and Ezekiel saw him earlier.

Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’ Acts 2:33–35 (NKJV)

The apostles saw this take place.

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, Acts 1:9–10 (NKJV)

Apparently Daniel saw Christ ascending into heaven to receive glory, honor, and authority in a vision long before.

I continued to watch in a vision of the night, and look, upon the clouds of the heavens, a being like a son of man came, and the ancient of days was present, and his attendants were present with him. 14 Authority and royal honor was granted to him, and all the peoples of the earth according to races, and all honor will be directed to him, and his authority is an eternal authority that will not be removed, and his kingdom is one that will not perish. Daniel 7:13–14 (LES2)

Down

After Christ ascended, he sent his Holy Spirit to earth equip and empower the church to be his witnesses.

Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:33–36 (NKJV)

Jesus also promised that one day he will return as the glorious Son of Man to redeem his people and judge the living and the dead.

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:2–3 (NKJV)

At the ascension, the angels told the apostles to expect his return in the clouds.

And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:10–11 (NKJV)

The last book of the Bible likewise promises his return.

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:7–8 (NKJV)

For every eye to see Jesus at once means the earth must be plane and Jesus must be extremely high and brilliant for this to happen; otherwise on our limited vision and perspective would prohibit it. It certainly could never take place on a globe.

Up

When Jesus comes down, the Bible says we will be caught up to meet him. 

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 (NKJV)

Conclusion

The three-tiered heaven-earth-sheol complex is first described in Genesis and is referenced as being our reality all the way through Revelation. The directions of up and down are absolute, not mystical or relative. Heaven is described as a physical location above the earth from which Jesus came, went back, and will come again. This reality is only possible if the Bible’s cosmology is a fact. It has no meaning on a globe. A spherical earth hurtling aimlessly through the void of outer space  is a satanic construct meant to hide the truth of creation and God and to render the theology referenced in this article invalid.

Therefore, what we think regarding the shape of the earth is extremely important theologically.

When Jesus descends from heaven at the end, we will see him and marvel.

For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. 2 Thessalonians 1:6–10 (NASB95)

We are told to look up from where our redemption comes.

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

Stephen, the first martyr, looked up to heaven as he was being stoned to death for his testimony regarding Jesus.

54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Acts 7:54–58 (NKJV)

The prophet Elijah was taken up into heaven at the end of his ministry.

It happened as they were walking, they went along and spoke. Look, a chariot of fire and a horse of fire! And he separated between the two of them. Elijah was taken up in the air as into heaven. 4 Kingdoms 2:11 (LES2) 

Paul referenced this up-down theology in Ephesians.

8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” 9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) Ephesians 4:8–10 (NKJV)

This is the same Paul who was privileged to be taken up into the third heaven, God’s realm.

1 It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 2 Corinthians 12:1–4 (NKJV)

He, like Jesus, knew from experience that this heaven-earth-sheol complex is a reality, not something mystical. As Jesus promised, one day he will rend the heaven and come back to earth, much to our amazement and worship.

10 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)

Until then, we are to encourage one another with this great promise.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 (NKJV) 

Word Games

wordPeople love word games. I play Wordle almost every day. Even Bible translators play word games. One of their favorite is called “Translator’s Bias.” The goal of this game, even if it is unconsciously done, is to translate a word in such a fashion that it will obscure its plain meaning in order to guide readers into accepting the translator’s presuppositions. This happens all the time as translators wrestle with the difficult task of how to best communicate the meaning of scripture. The New Living Translation does this on purpose in an attempt to accurately present larger ideas instead of the literal meaning of specific words. Sometimes they hit a home run. At other times they sadly miss the mark, forcing us to turn to a more literal translation to properly understand a passage. It is a sad state of affairs, however, when translations that are supposed to be literal also engage in obfuscation of the text.

The pernicious effect of the Enlightenment has so infiltrated Christianity that we now view and interpret the Word of God through the lens of logic and science.

We have accepted the notion that what is called science is the best explanation of reality available. In so doing, we demand our interpretation of the Bible to conform to what are considered to be unassailable scientific truths or facts. We have capitulated to the devil by elevating reason above revelation.

Genesis Chapter One is a great example of this travesty in action. When Darwin first introduced his theory of biological evolution, it was hailed as a scientific breakthrough by many. Those who adhered to the Bible saw that it was a satanic lie, but over time more and more of those who say they believe the Bible began to accept Darwin’s theory as the truth. As a consequence, interpreters found it necessary to reinterpret the scriptures to fit the new paradigm, coming up with all sort of clever ways to twist the obvious meaning into something that was able to adjust to the new science. The advent of what is called “creation science” gave a scientific footing for those who believe that the Genesis account of biological creation is actually true. Now there are many Christians who can argue scientifically for a young earth and biological creation. Even though worldly scientists scoff at such beliefs, Christians do not feel foolish in arguing for something that has scientific backing.

The same creationists, however, will likely throw out the part of the six day creation that pertains to cosmology because there are so few who deem it scientifically plausible. Most of the time biblical cosmology is scorned and not given the time of day, so to speak. It does not matter that God spoke it. What matters is what does science say. This is a triumph of science over revelation, the word of men over the Word of God.

This capitulation to science is revealed in how scholars routinely translate the Hebrew word “raqia” into English. The people who wrote the Bible and lived at that time understood it to mean a solid dome that enclosed the stationary plane of the earth and the seas, separating the waters above from the waters below. (If you want to read more about the raqia, click here.) The KJV and NKJV give us an honest translation by using the word “firmament,” which communicates the idea of solidity. Almost every other version bows the knee to post-Copernican astrophysics by using vague words such as sky or expanse, which are misleading. When God’s Word is twisted to agree with a satanic lie, we have bowed the knee to science falsely so called.

As a result of our capitulation to “science,” most Christians today believe in the heliocentric lie without realizing that it contradicts the Bible and dishonors God. It also renders the entire Bible suspect, if the very first chapter cannot be relied upon to communicate reality.

(If you wish to learn more, I have written another article that focuses on the occult origins of astrophysics.)

This morning I read Psalm 104:3 in my daily devotions, which says that God “lays out the beams of his upper chambers in the waters.” (NKJV) The Hebrew word (aliyyah) translated “upper chambers” could be rendered more literally “roof chambers,” which accurately communicates the concept of the firmament being a roof over the earth, above which is God’s throne. (I wrote another article going into more detail about this place called heaven.)

My notation in the margin next to Psalm 104:3 took me to Amos 9:6.

He who builds His layers [Hebrew: maalah] in the sky, And has founded His strata [Hebrew: aguddah] in the earth; 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 (NKJV)

I have numerous Bible translations, but for my daily reading and study I use the NKJV. I switched to this version because it accurately translates raqia as the firmament. It is a fairly good translation, but I like the NASB the best. In this instance, the NKJV let me down. The Hebrew word it renders as “layers” (maalah) communicates little of the literal meaning, which the NASB better translates “upper chambers,” which corresponds to Psalm 104:3.

Below is the NASB rendering of the verse in Amos.

The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens And has founded His vaulted dome [aguddah] 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)

I suppose you noticed how differently the NASB translated the Hebrew word  “aguddah.” The literal meaning is bands, thongs, slavery fetters, or bunch (as a bunch of hyssop). Why then did the NASB translate this “vaulted dome?”

We are told in Genesis that another term for firmament is heaven. (Genesis 1:8) We are also told that heaven has multiple layers called “the heavens.” God apparently dwells in the third heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:2) We know so little about the heavens that it is quite probable that the first heaven, our atmos has multiple layers. We are still discovering what has been deliberately obfuscated by so-called scientists for centuries. So, we see that translating aguddah as vaulted dome is consistent with other scriptures, but is not a literal rendering. Here we seem to have translator’s bias in support of biblical cosmology, instead of against it as usually happens.

When we interpret the Word of God, it is important that we allow it to speak for itself instead of twisting its meaning to fit a preferred paradigm. Let us not resort to word games as we search for truth, even if that search leads us away from long cherished presuppositions.

 

Click here to go to series home page.

 

A Sad State of Affairs

It is a sad state of affairs when we Christians have been duped by the devil into attacking each other over that which we should be in agreement – the complete veracity of the Bible. Satan knows that if we fight each other, we will be distracted from our real enemy who continues to work in the background. Jesus warned us:

...“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. Luke 11:17 (NKJV)

Sadly, one of the devil’s greatest con jobs of the last 500 years was the introduction of the anti-biblical heliocentric theory at approximately the same time as the Protestant Reformation was turning people back to the authority of God’s Word.

Despite the fact that the reformers resisted this satanic lie, it did not take very long for the idea to gain traction.

sad

The devil knows how to play the “long game.” He spins his lies over generations, knowing that if a lie is repeated often enough, it will soon be regarded as truth. In short order, Sola Scriptura became Sola Scientia. We have betrayed our Reformation heritage.

Today, sadly, the theory of heliocentrism is regarded as an unassailable fact that has deceived Christians into believing that Genesis Chapter One must be reinterpreted to “fit the data,” instead of demanding that the Word of God be our highest arbiter of truth.

The devil has succeeded in convincing us once again to doubt the truthfulness of God’s written word in favor of the wisdom of men. Once again, we find the pursuit of hidden (occult) knowledge so enthralling that we cannot seem to resist.

I wrote an article on the occult origins of modern astrophysics, which you can access by clicking on this link.

Just as the early protestant reformers encountered deadly persecution from the established Roman Catholic Church, anyone who seeks to reform modern Christians’ view of the cosmos, bringing it into alignment with the testimony of Scripture, ironically will be attacked by other Christians. The devil doesn’t need to round up a bunch of atheists to do his dirty work. Duped believers in Christ will gladly volunteer, thinking they are defending the integrity of their witness before the world, while attacking the integrity of the Bible.

It is serious enough for those of us who claim to believe the Bible to deny the truthfulness of Genesis, but it is an even worse sin, in my opinion, to attack and ridicule those who do believe.

And yet that is where we often find ourselves today. It is a sad state of affairs.

Click here to go to series home page.

The Shape of the Earth

The shape and makeup of the earth and heavens as described in the Bible are very different from the heliocentric-globe model we have been taught from infancy. If we use the Bible as our source of truth, instead of the world, we will need to lay aside, at least for the moment, what we have always assumed to be the truth. Our goal is to discover what some call the “true earth” or “biblical earth.”

The Earth Is the Center of God’s Creation

One of the first things we learn from Genesis is that the earth is the center or focus of God’s creation. The heliocentric view flatly contradicts what the Bible teaches, making the sun the center of everything. The Copernican Principle, a derivative of the evolutionary Big Bang theory tells us that the earth is an infinitesimally small and insignificant part of an incomprehensibly large and expanding universe.

However, if the earth is the centerpiece of creation, just as the Bible says, man is the focus, making him extremely significant.

Satan wants us to think that we are relatively inconsequential and nothing special. If we know that the God who created and watches over us made us central to his purposes, it should motivate us to learn more about him and to serve him. If we believe the heliocentric lie, it will tend to demotivate us by making us feel alone, insignificant, and hopeless. Satan’s plan has always been to usurp the glory that belongs to the Creator and influence humans to transfer their allegiance away from God to him. 

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

If Satan can distort our understanding of creation, he likely will hinder our ability to properly discern his glory.

The Earth Is Part of a Three-Tiered Complex Surrounded by Water

shapeThe Bible teaches from Genesis to Revelation that we live in a kind of giant “terrarium” created by God as a perfect environment  for mankind. Waters surround this “terrarium,” which consists of a circular plane earth with edges set on foundations, above which is a domed crystalline firmament of unknown proportions. God’s throne is situated atop this firmament. Underneath are what Paul called the lower parts of the earth. (Ephesians 4:9)

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. Isaiah 40:22 (NASB95)

Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together. Isaiah 48:13 (NKJV)

The word translated “circle” – chug in Hebrew – means to inscribe or draw a circle, as one would do with a compass. It does not mean a sphere, globe, or ball, which is another word Isaiah uses in Isaiah 22:18. 

Other verses support Isaiah 40:22.

When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, 28 When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed, 29 When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth; Proverbs 8:27–29 (NASB95)

The above passage confirms that God inscribed a circle on the waters to make the earth. He also shapecreated a boundary for the sea, which we understand is a giant ring of ice, a wall, that surrounds the earth. Globe supporters contest that Antarctica is a continent at the “bottom” of the sphere, but the Bible indicates the earth has a boundary or edges, and early explorers, such as Cook and Ross, discovered it is the ice wall, which they spent years exploring its limits, both of whom traveled over 60,000 miles doing so.The Bible refers to this wall as the “ends of the earth.”

For He looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens. Job 28:24 (NASB95)

Isaiah 40:22 only makes sense if we use the Hebrew concept of the earth being under a crystalline dome called the firmament, which will be covered in more detail elsewhere. Another verse in Job compares the creation of the earth to a seal being stamped in wax. The following image captures this idea in which the ends of the earth again are the walls of ice surrounding her.

Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night’s wickedness? 14 As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors. Job 38:13–14 (NLT)

shapeWe also learn from Proverbs 8:29 that God placed the earth on foundations, as he did the firmament. Anything so massive as the earth and its dome must have massively strong foundations.

 

 

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)

As we will see in our study of the firmament, God’s upper chambers are above the firmament, where his throne sits

God refers to the earth as a plane in Revelation.

And they came up on the broad plain (Greek: platos) of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. Revelation 20:9 (NASB95)

It is significant that God calls the entire earth a platos or broad plain. This word is also used to describe the New Jerusalem that will descend from heaven.

The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width [platos]; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. Revelation 21:16 (NASB95)

The enormous size of this city could not fit anywhere on a globe due to the required curvature of the surface. Over a distance of 1500 miles, the earth must curve a total of 281 miles or 140.5 miles all the way around from the center point. Therefore, the city could only be set on a flat surface. 

In more than one place, God says the earth has a face. This term only makes sense on a flat surface. A ball or globe, especially one that rotates, has no portion that we would all a face. Other verses that indicate the earth is a plane rather than a globe are found in Daniel and Matthew, where it is said the the entire earth can be viewed from a great height.

The tree grew large and became strong And its height reached to the sky, And it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Daniel 4:11 (NASB95)

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; Matthew 4:8 (NASB95)

We accept that God’s Word is absolutely true and accurate and that the Lord would not lie to us. Theoretically it should be possible to view the ends of the earth from an extremely high vantage point, if not for perspective issues due to the way our eyes are made and atmos conditions – but only if we live on a plane surface. It would never be possible if the globe were real. Likewise, it would be impossible for the return of our Lord to be seen by everyone on the earth unless we live on a plane.

BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. Revelation 1:7 (NASB95)

There is a reason flying machines are called airplanes. They fly straight and level. Likewise, the reason the horizon has that name is because it does not curve. It is a horizontal line. In the same way, sea level describes the proven law that water does not curve, but always seeks its own level. The testimony of the Bible and our senses is that we live on a stationary plane. We are not moving. 

The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Psalm 93:1 (NKJV)

Scripture says that the heavens and earth teach us about God. Therefore, properly understanding its shape and composition is important.

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:19–20 (NLT)

How can we possibly “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) if we live on a water ball spinning at around 1000 mph at the equator, hurtling around the sun at an incomprehensible 66,600 mph, zooming through the galaxy at 500,000 mph, and traveling with the galaxy through the vastness of “space” at around a million miles per hour? God’s stillness and peace cannot be known on such a unstable platform! The earth is still and we know it. Becoming still like the earth God made helps us to know the Creator.

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

The Occult Origins of Modern Astrophysics

occultAfter spending considerable time meditating on the testimony of God in Genesis and throughout the Bible regarding the origin and nature of the heavens and earth, I am convinced that any Christian who adheres to the claims of modern astrophysics and heliocentrism is, in fact, rejecting God’s testimony regarding his creation and has been seduced by a pagan occult religion. The word “occult” means hidden. Occult religion in general is the search for and use of hidden (satanic) knowledge to gain “enlightenment,” power, favor, and access to whatever “god” or power source is providing the knowledge. In this article,

I will show that modern astrophysics, including heliocentrism, is an occult religion. It is based on paganism, was first proposed and popularized by those who elevated reason above scripture, and provides knowledge that previously had been hidden which contradicts the Bible. 

Satan preyed upon Adam and Eve by telling them that God had withheld important information from them, which, he, the talking serpent, could help them discover for themselves. The hidden wisdom he offered contradicted what God told them and appealed to their vanity. He promised that by eating the forbidden fruit, rather than die, they would become like God, knowing good and evil for themselves. Perhaps they imagined that they would be equal to God and no longer be dependent upon or subservient to him.

Whatever was their thinking, from this passage of scripture we learn that humans are extremely susceptible to cunning lies that promise to reveal hidden knowledge and elevate us to godlike status.

As we know from the Bible, the devil lied, as he always does. As a result of their believing his lie and acting upon it, Adam and Eve sinned, were immediately enveloped by guilt and shame, hid themselves from their Creator, and died spiritually that very day, as God had forewarned. Their bodies continued to live, but the death process had begun inside them. Contrary to the serpent’s promise, Adam and Eve did not become like God. Instead, sin alienated them from him. They lost their  innocence and gained firsthand knowledge of evil and the destruction and loss it brings. The serpent’s word came true in that regard – they now knew both good and evil. The unwanted and result was their coming under the tyranny of sin, sickness, death, and the devil. 

The temptation and fall in the garden is foundational for our understanding how the devil operates by enticing people into evil and consequent destruction by offering to them occult knowledge and power. The lure of hidden knowledge is just as strong today as it ever was.

The devil appeals to our pride by promising to reveal what God has hidden from us.

Satan’s goal is to entice us to transfer our allegiance from the Creator to him, Lucifer, the supposed “light bearer.”

In general, satanic occult religions and philosophies cast the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator, as the “bad guy” who unnecessarily hinders mankind’s development. Satan, or Lucifer as he is sometimes called, poses as the “good guy” who is working hard to illuminate and liberate mankind.

The promise of liberty that Satan offers always leads us away from God into bondage, destruction, and death. 

The United States is a cautionary tale in that regard. We were founded by men who liberty higher than it should have been. Patrick Henry, an icon of the Revolution, famously said: “Give me liberty or give me death.” Our forefathers created a republican form of government that would hopefully safeguard our hard earned freedom from England, but we know that eventually evil people learn how to “play” every system to their advantage. The freedoms of this country eventually were turned against the people and into a license to do evil. Now we sometimes are punished if we do not affirm evil. Any time we elevate reason and freedom above our dedication to God, we became enslaved. (Romans 1:18-23)

The only possible way back to true freedom is through repentance and faith in Christ and by voluntarily limiting our freedom by placing ourselves once again under Christ the Lord’s authority.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NKJV)

A transfer of allegiance takes place when we believe a lie that causes us to mistrust the true God, who is the true light giver.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NKJV) 

If our hearts are hardened against God, we then open ourselves to the evil one, who disguises himself as an “angel of light.”

Satan loves to pose as our friend as he works to destroy us.

...Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NKJV)

Satan entices us to open our hearts to the hidden knowledge of evil while, at the same time, he contradicts and obscures God’s revealed truth. If we open ourselves to evil and deception, our hearts begin to turn away from God and his Word.

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; Ephesians 4:17–18 (NASB95)

When we entertain Satan’s lies, it shows that we underestimate the depth of his savage cunning and trickery. He is able to weave his spell around the minds of those who abandon God’s truth so that they become lost in a maze of deception with no apparent way out.

Paul gave us some insight in the following passage from Ephesians.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, Ephesians 4:14–15 (NASB95) 

We dare not venture down any path that leads away from complete confidence in the truth of God’s Word lest we find ourselves enmeshed in Satan’s web of lies

God’s Mysteries

Satan’s best lies have an element of truth in them. God does hide some things from us. Some of what he conceals is outside of our need to know. He is God and is not required to share with us the secret counsels of his heart. Moses wrote:

The hidden things are the Lord your God’s, but the revealed things belong to you and to your children forever, to do all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29 (LES2-Septuagint)

The “revealed things” are those things that God sees fit to reveal to us in his Word by his Spirit.

If God does not address a topic in the Bible, we are free to explore it using the resources available to us, but, if the Bible clearly teaches on a topic, we are unwise to speculate contrary to what it reveals, for it will surely lead to deception.

Another reason God hides things is to test our humility and loyalty, to see if we will trust in him even when we cannot figure things out for ourselves.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5–6 (NKJV)

God created us to trust and rely upon him. This is a chief way we bring honor to him. Trust plus allegiance are the two ingredients of faith, without which we cannot please God. (Hebrews 11:6) If trust is broken, allegiance tends to disappear. This is what happened to Adam and Eve.

Refusing to trust God’s words impugns his character, something no wise person would ever do. Humility enables us to be okay with not knowing everything.

To gain more understanding, I suggest you read another of my articles entitled, "An Unexpected Key to Happiness."

God conceals some mysteries in order to reveal their full meaning at the proper time. He is indeed a God of surprises! These mysteries cannot be understood apart from divine revelation. 

When God opens our understanding to grasp his holy mysteries, however, the new revelation or insight always agrees with and adds depth to what the Lord had already spoken earlier in his Word. Satan’s occult mysteries, however, contradict what God previously said.

For example, one of the greatest mysteries in the Bible, which was hidden until after Christ’s resurrection, is that the Gentiles are included in God’s plan of salvation on an equal footing with the Jews. Paul wrote:

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. Ephesians 3:1–7 (NKJV)

This New Covenant revelation explained in greater depth the meaning of God’s promise to Abraham that his “Seed” (singular, that is, Christ – Galatians 3:8,16) would become a blessing to the whole earth. Rather than the relatively small group of ethnic people called the Jews being God’s “chosen people,” the New Covenant enlarged that number to include both Jews and Gentiles who are chosen “in Christ.”

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:14–18 (NKJV)

The rock solid principle concerning godly mysteries, things concealed from us until God reveals them by his Spirit, is that the new revelation always builds upon and clarifies what was already written.

God never reveals some new “truth” that contradicts what is written in his Word. 

The Dishonesty of Modern Astrophysics

This brings us to Genesis Chapter One, in which God revealed the creation order and nature of the heavens and earth. The opening chapter of the Bible is of fundamental importance.

If we determine that it is not a true account of creation or a reliable description of the world in which we live, our confidence in God will be undermined. Why would we trust anyone who lies in the very first chapter of his book? 

occultI have written an article delineating the fundamental differences between the Genesis account and what is generally believed today regarding cosmology – the heliocentric model. You may wish to take time to read it to refresh yourself regarding how vastly these competing claims differ. Sadly, heliocentrism is regarded as an established scientific fact by most of the church in the West, even though believing it requires us to dispute the truthfulness of Genesis and many other verses and passages in the Bible.

It may surprise many to discover that heliocentrism is a theory rather than a fact. It will probably be an even greater shock to find out that it is an occult religion going back to ancient Egypt. Its grip on our minds derives from the occult power of satanic deception. It is a spell that must be broken spiritually. Many are so overpowered by it that they will not even consider what I am writing in this article, rejecting it out of hand.

Interestingly, some leading astrophysicists over the last five hundred years agree that it is impossible to prove the heliocentric theory through observation from the earth. Models can be constructed that will explain all astronomic phenomena using either a geocentric or heliocentric paradigm.

People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations, For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations. You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong in that. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that.    —Cosmologist George Ellis, in Scientific American, “Thinking Globally, Acting Universally”, October 1995

J.D. Bernal stated:

[Copernicus’] reasons for his revolutionary change were essentially philosophic and aesthetic,” and in a later edition he is more convinced that the “reasons were mystical rather than scientific.”   —J. D. Bernal, Science in History, 1st edition, London, Watts, 1954; 2nd edition, 1965).

Conversely, empirical experiments designed to confirm the earth’s motion through “space,” such as Airy’s “Failure” and the Michelson-Morley experiment,  proved instead that the earth is at rest.

The data [of Michelson-Morley] were almost unbelievable… There was only one other possible conclusion to draw – that the earth was at rest. – Physicist Bernard Jaffe, Michelson and the Speed of Light, 1960, p.76.

The most common alleged “proofs” that support heliocentrism are the CGI images of a spherical earth suspended in space provided by NASA and other space agencies and the reasoning that only a spherical earth can account for eclipses.

Both of these fail under scrutiny. 

If a person were to say that all swans are white, producing photograph after photograph of myriads of white swans, it could not overcome my producing one black swan. Likewise the multitude of supposed proofs of a globe earth cannot overcome a few basic “black swans,” such as the lack of demonstrable curvature and the law of entropy, which demands that pressurized gas have a container.

It is not within the scope of this article to try to prove these statements to you. If you are interested in investigating these claims, you may wish to access my Resource Page. In this article, I rest my case on the testimony of Scripture.

Einstein developed his theory of special relativity to explain away the unexpected and unwelcome results of the Michelson-Morley experiment. He famously concluded that it is impossible for us to tell whether it is the earth that is moving or the sun, moon, and stars.

“While I was thinking of this problem in my student years, I came to know the strange result of Michelson’s experiment. Soon I came to the conclusion that our idea about the motion of the Earth with respect to the ether is incorrect, if we admit Michelson’s null result as a fact. This was the first path which led me to the special theory of relativity. Since then I have come to believe that the motion of the Earth cannot be detected by any optical experiment, though the Earth is revolving around the Sun.” (Taken from How I Created Relativity by Albert Einstein)occult

How could Einstein know something that cannot be proved? He accepted the earth’s motion as an unprovable presupposition, a fact. How convenient! Anyone who has studied astronomy knows that declaring theories as facts is common procedure.

 

einstein refutationMichio Kaku, an outspoken and well-known astrophysicist, admitted that modern astrophysics is “off” by a factor of 10 to the 120th power, which means it is worthless for describing reality. This is because it has strayed from the foundational truths of the Bible and ventured into satanic speculation.

One of the great true experimental, as opposed to theoretical, scientists of  Einstein’s era was Nicolai Tesla. He did not not have much good to say about Einstein, the poster boy of modern astrophysics. He regarded him as a charlatan whose elaborate theories had no relationship with reality. He called the theory of Relativity: “…magnificent mathematical garb which fascinates, dazzles, and makes people blind to the underlying errors. The theory is like a beggar clothed in purple whom ignorant people take for a king.”

The above quote originates from an interview Tesla gave to the New York Times on July 11, 1935, on the occasion of his 79th birthday. In that interview, he criticized the state of modern physics and attacked the theory of relativity, stating:
 
“It might be inferred that I am very obtuse, but I cannot see the truth of these things. I hold that space cannot be curved, for the simple reason that it can have no properties. It might as well be said that God has properties. He has not, but only attributes and these are of our own making. Of properties we can only speak when dealing with matter filling the space. To say that in the presence of large bodies space becomes curved is equivalent to stating that something can act upon nothing. I, for one, refuse to subscribe to such a view.”
 

Edwin Hubble, of telescope fame, wrote the following after discovering that cosmic background radiation indicates that the earth is the center of the universe.

…Such a condition would imply that we occupy a unique position in the universe, analogous, in a sense, to the ancient conception of a central Earth…This hypothesis cannot be disproved, but it is unwelcome and would only be accepted as a last resort in order to save the phenomena. Therefore we disregard this possibility…. the unwelcome position of a favored location must be avoided at all costs…. such a favored position is intolerable…Therefore, in order to restore homogeneity, and to escape the horror of a unique position…must be compensated by spatial curvature. There seems to be no other escape.” (The Observational Approach to Cosmology)

Hubble’s views agree with what has come to be known as the “Copernican Principle,” which holds that the earth and humanity are nothing special, the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches. 

Christians need to understand that modern astrophysics is not a pursuit of truth. It is determined effort to conceal it.

Heliocentrism Is an Occult Religion

The reason I can affirm that heliocentrism is an occult religion is because it claims to be a revelation of previously hidden knowledge that contradicts God’s Word.

Before Copernicus, mankind generally accepted that the earth is as described in Genesis, with a few exceptions. Copernicus was encouraged by the Pope to publish his theory, but it was initially rejected by the Reformation leaders, such as Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli, who stood by the authority of the Word of God.

occult

However, it was not long before that group died out. Succeeding generations caved to the new theory. Today Christians defend heliocentrism as if it were God’s revealed truth, maligning anyone who dares venture outside the boundaries of accepted scientific dogma.

Copernicus rejected the wisdom of God’s Word as he pursued the great quest of the Age of Reason – to divest humanity of faith in God and the Bible.

[Copernicus’] work, published in 1543, was called On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres. It stated that the center of the universe was a spot somewhere near the sun…The scheme met the requirements of philosophical and theological belief in circular motion. In every other respect, however, Copernicus struck at the heart of Aristotelian and Christian belief. He removed the Earth from the center of the universe and so from the focus of God’s purpose. In the new scheme man was no longer the creature for whose use and elucidation the cosmos had been created. His system also placed the Earth in the heavens, and in doing so removed the barrier separating the incorruptible from the corruptible.  —James Burke, The Day the Universe Changed, p. 135

Both Copernicus and Isaac Newton were devotees of Egyptian “hermeticism,” a spiritual, philosophical, and mystical tradition based on writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. It emerged in the early centuries of the Roman Empire, blending Greek philosophy, Egyptian religion, astrology, alchemy, and mysticism.

Hermeticism teaches that:

  • The universe is interconnected. “As above, so below.”
  • The divine exists within nature and within human beings, a form a pantheism.
  • Spiritual knowledge (“gnosis”) can transform the soul, making this a form of the gnostic heresy.
  • Reality reflects hidden correspondences between the macrocosm (the universe) and the microcosm (the individual).

The main hermetic texts were Corpus Hermeticum, The Emerald Tablet, translated into English by Isaac Newton, and Asclepius. Some of its key components are spiritual enlightenment – Gnosticism, meditation and contemplation, astrology, alchemy, sacred geometry, and the pursuit of hidden (occult) wisdom. The most significant thing, as far as the theme of this article is concerned, is that Copernicus and Newton, as well as other Enlightenment era thinkers, were seeking hidden knowledge from pagan occult sources. 

Hermes Trismegistus, who may be the one who first developed the heliocentric idea.

“For the sun is situated at the centre of the cosmos, wearing it like a crown. Around the Sun are the six spheres that depend from it: the sphere of the fixed stars, the six of the planets, and the one that surrounds the Earth.” (Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius)

heliocentrism
Helios, the Sun God

 Here are Copernicus’ own words. Judge for yourself.

In the middle of all sits Sun enthroned. In this most beautiful temple could we place this luminary in any better position from which he can illuminate the whole at once? He is rightly called the Lamp, the Mind, the Ruler of the Universe: Hermes Trismegistus names him the Visible God, Sophocles’ Electra calls him the All-seeing. So the Sun sits as upon a royal throne ruling his children the planets which circle round him. The Earth has the Moon at her service. As Aristotle says, in his On Animals, the Moon has the closest relationship with the Earth. Meanwhile the Earth conceives by the Sun, and becomes pregnant with an annual rebirth.  —Nicolaus Copernicus , De Revolutionibus, Of the Order of the Heavenly Bodies

Copernicus used unmistakable religious language that elevated the sun, Helios or Sol, to a godlike status. It does not take much imagination to make the obvious connection between Helios and Satan. 

Newton was also a fan of Hermes Trismegistus and translated one of his books, The Emerald Tablet, into English. One of the quotes from this book obviously influenced Newton’s work regarding gravity: “The sun’s force is above all force, for it vanquishes every subtle thing and penetrates every solid thing.”

occult“Few people knew the father of modern science had dabbled in alchemy; but the more Keynes collected and the more he “brood[ed] over these queer collections,” the clearer it became that alchemy wasn’t a niche to Newton at all. It was, in many ways, Newton’s life work—more vital to him than physics or mathematics ever was. This Newton “was not the first of the age of reason,” Keynes concluded. “He was the last of the magicians.” (Article from National Endowment for the Humanities)
 
Lynn Picknett, a writer for the the Gnostic New Dawn Magazine, embraces the hermetic roots of Copernican Heliocentrism:
 
“Essentially, Copernicus was claiming to have found mathematical and physical proof for the principles that are set out– without proof– in the Hermetic books. Contemporary Hermeticists certainly regarded him as a hero for vindicating their sacred texts.” (November-December, 2011)
 

Johannes Kepler, another highly regarded astronomer from that period, wrote in his book titled, Of the Harmony of the World:

“…a very few days after the pure Sun of that most wonderful study begin to shine, nothing restrains me, it is my pleasure to yield to the inspired frenzy, it is my pleasure to taunt mortal men with the candid acknowledgment that I am stealing the golden vessels of the Egyptians to build a tabernacle to my God from them, far, far away from the boundaries of Egypt…I cast the die, and I write the book.” (translated by E.J. Aiton, 1997, p.391)
 
Copernicus and Newton effectively legitimized pagan sun worship by giving it an apparent scientific basis, much as Charles Darwin provided a scientific rationale for those wishing to abandon the need for a Creator with regard to the origin of life.
Heliocentrism
Christianity
Sun is enthroned as Ruler of the cosmos. Jesus is enthroned at the Father’s right hand as King of Kings
The Sun has a temple. The church is the temple inhabited by God’s Spirit
The Sun is the Lamp that illuminates all things. Jesus is the Light of the world.
The Sun is the “mind” of the cosmos. Jesus is the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. We have his mind.
The Sun is the Visible God. Jesus is the Word of God become a man.
The Sun is all seeing. Only God is omniscient.
The Sun rules the earth and the planets. God is ruler of the earth. The sun runs a circuit over the earth as a servant to it (Psalm 19:6). There is no such thing as a planet, only “wandering (Greek: planetes) stars (asters – lights, luminaries). (Jude 13)
Sun sires life on earth. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. His light is the light of men. He created all things. (John 1:4)

Heliocentrism qualifies as an occult religion for many reasons, but for the purposes of this article, my main argument is that it introduced “hidden” or occult knowledge that contradicts the Bible.

Sadly many, if not most, Christians in the West have voluntarily altered how they interpret Genesis to make it agree with heliocentrism. That is a betrayal of God and his Word, one that fundamentally dishonors God and minimizes our witness by exposing our hypocrisy to a watching world. Perhaps no lie of Satan has more effectively turned people away from acknowledging the Creator than heliocentrism and its related theories – the Big Bang and evolution.

One cannot have heliocentrism without the Big Bang, and the Genesis text cannot possibly be harmonized with it. Once we get off God’s path of truth by accepting heliocentrism, we necessarily find ourselves supporting the absurdity of the Big Bang, which comes directly from the occult Kabbalah. The only way out of this conundrum is to repent and return to the truth of God’s Word. 

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)
 
The heavens declare God’s glory if rightly understood. Heliocentrism is meant to do away with the God of the Bible.
I believe that God is awakening his church to the truth about the earth and heavens and calling us to repent from elevating pagan cosmology above the clear teachings of the Word of God. 
 
Will we again see fearless Christians stand up for the truth of the Bible against all opposition, regardless of the personal cost, as during the Reformation?

If no one else will do it, why not you and I?

Prayer
Lord, I choose to return to your Word as my primary source of truth. I renounce lies that contradict your testimony and ask you to reveal more truth about your creation to me. Amen.
 

Do We Underestimate Our Enemy?

The great Chinese military strategist, Lao Tzu, advised that there is no greater danger than to underestimate our enemy. We can fail to properly assess his or her forces, resources, strategic brilliance, spy network, perseverance, courage, or patience. Of all these, perhaps the worst mistake is to underestimate the enemy’s ability to do the unexpected. Rome never expected Hannibal to take his army across the Alps. The British never thought Washington would attempt to cross the semi-frozen Delaware River to attack Trenton. The Allies never expected the Germans to launch a counter-offensive called the Battle of the Bulge. Expecting the unexpected is a necessary defensive mindset because the enemy may be more clever than we think.

Be sober, be vigilant; because [of] your adversary the devil... 1 Peter 5:8–11 (NKJV)

In spiritual warfare, we should never underestimate Satan or God. 

We should neither underestimate the sinister cunning and patience of Satan nor God’s wisdom, creative genius, unlimited power, and love of surprises. Satan is not truly creative. He can only mar and twist what God made. His main weapons are deception and the use of violence and fear. His goal is enslavement, destruction, and death. God desires for us to enjoy abundant life with him forever.

Paul gave us sound advice and a warning in Ephesians Chapter Four.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, Ephesians 4:14–15 (NASB95)

The particular Greek words Paul used give us clues regarding the nature of Satan’s schemes. The “trickery of men” literally means rolling the dice, which is a game of chance. “Deceitful scheming” is the translation of two Greek words – plane and methodia. The word plane means “wandering,” in this case away from truth. The word methodia indicates that there is a method or scheme at work. Today we might call this a conspiracy or a secret plan. It is certain that Satan has nefarious schemes, but God has benevolent mysteries which he has revealed through the gospel.

By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, Ephesians 3:4–6 (NASB95) 

Jesus called Satan the “father of lies” in whom there is no truth at all.

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. John 8:44 (NKJV)

He said the Jewish leaders who rejected him as Lord were children of the devil. Since they were never born again through faith in Christ, the retained the fallen condition of being under Satan’s sway. Since they refused the revelation of Christ right in front of them, they were given over to do Satan’s will.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; Romans 1:28 (NKJV)

Ironically, even God’s born-again children who fall for and align themselves with Satan’s lies may find themselves resisting and even denying God’s Word and aligning with antichrist agendas. This should never be!

The essence of a good lie is that it fools the hearer. If a lie is known to be a lie, it loses its effectiveness, unless, of course, the hearer prefers the lie to the truth, which is sometimes the case. The idea that the devil develops clever schemes to undermine God’s plans and destroy humans and the earth in which we live might be a new concept to some. If so, it only shows that we have greatly underestimated the enemy.

Paul wrote that he was personally aware of the devil’s schemes.

Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:10–11 (NKJV)

In this case the satanic “device” – Greek: noema – thought or purpose – was to tempt the church to become bitter and alienated from each other. That is a low-level scheme. There are much grander ones at work, too. 

One of the devil’s cleverest schemes in the last several decades has been to introduce into our vocabulary a phrase concocted by a government agency that is dedicated to lying. It’s the term “conspiracy theory.”

When people began to investigate a suspected government conspiracy behind JFK’s assassination, the CIA coined the term to discredit truth seekers. Ever since, this pejorative has been increasingly used to disparage anyone who thinks there is more to discover than what we have been told. The general message is that conspiracy theorists have too much time on their hands. Since they lack critical information, they go looking for hidden reasons behind events that really does not exist. The term infers that such people lack wisdom and judgment and are unstable. And yet… the CIA still refuses to let us see all the JFK files for some reason.

Any person or group that routinely lies is working for the devil. 

underestimate

JFK said that a free society cannot endure such behavior and determined to dismantle the agency. He believed there was (is) a worldwide secret “conspiracy” (his word) that must be opposed and removed. Did he underestimate the enemy?

The devil’s first known conspiracy led to a failed attempt to usurp God’s throne. We know it must have been a secret plan because he had to convince about a third (we think) of the angels to follow him. Imagine being so persuasive that angels who had experienced the presence of God in heaven fell for the lie! This rebellion resulted in his expulsion from heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15). It would be a foolish underestimation of our enemy to assume that he afterward gave up his goal to displace God. The Bible makes it clear that he will fight until the very end and never cease his rebellion until he is destroyed in the lake of fire.

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:7–10 (NKJV)

The devil works to destroy everything he touches. 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10 (NASB95)

All those captured by the devil act with similar treachery. King David’s son, Absalom, was so motivated. Inspired by pride and bitterness, he cunningly conspired to take his father’s throne. His plan was so clever and patiently carried out that it duped thousands of Israelites into following him into battle against God’s appointed king. Joab, David’s general, understood that the only way to eliminate the threat was to kill the traitor, which he did. As long as Absalom lived, treachery would continue. As long as Satan is free to act, God’s people must beware.

Christ ultimately defeated Satan when he rose from the dead, but mopping up operations continue. It seems that God did it this way so that his people might participate in the final victory.

And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Romans 16:20 (NKJV)

We can expect the devil to fight ferociously until the bitter end, deceiving as many as will follow him into likewise resisting God’s kingdom and thereby consigning themselves to the lake of fire with the devil and the fallen angels.

Apparently, the second conspiracy hatched by Satan was to harm the people God created and placed on this beautiful place called earth. He deceived Adam and Eve into mistrusting God and following (honoring and serving) him instead. Their disloyalty and disobedience opened the door for Satan to dish out death and destruction to all humanity and to mar the beautiful earth God created for our habitation.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Romans 8:22 (NKJV)

We cannot be sure if Satan was simply motivated by malice or if he had something bigger in mind when he duped our first parents into betraying God, but we would be wrong to underestimate our enemy.

I personally believe the devil’s goal was and is to enlist as many people as possible into his resistance army in an attempt to overthrow God.

Immediately after our first parents’ sin, God announced his secret plan that one of Eve’s descendants one day would crush Satan’s head.

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed (singular); He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NKJV)

We do not know if Adam and Eve immediately understood the import of this prophetic promise, but apparently Satan did, and he began to work to circumvent God’s purpose. As the centuries passed, God made some astounding promises regarding this coming Seed. Two of the most significant are crucial to the New Covenant.

  1. Abraham’s promised “Seed,” would become a blessing to the entire earth. (Galatians 3:8) 
  2. David’s promised “Seed,” would rule over God’s kingdom for all eternity. (Acts 2:30)

Satan planned to destroy the promised “Seed” and to use deceived and rebellious people to do it. Thankfully, it did not work because God is greater.

From Eden to Calvary, the devil conspired to use humans under his sway to put to death those suspected of being part of the blood line of the Messiah. The first victim was Abel. The last were the children Herod killed. Eventually, however, just as God promised, Jesus was born.

Nevertheless,Satan did not give up. He is a persistent foe and ruthless enemy. After Jesus grew to manhood, Satan’s plan changed somewhat. He then put his efforts into corrupting Jesus through temptation. That also did not work; so, the devil began to inspire the Jewish leaders to put him to death, imagining that would accomplish his purpose. (John 11:53)

Here is where Satan was guilty of greatly underestimating God. He thought, if he could kill Jesus, the kingdom of God on the earth would be his.

He duped the first Adam to wrest authority from him. Now he planned to kill the “Second Adam” to prevent his gaining the throne and the inheritance. As always, Satan used people to carry out his conspiracy against God. Ironically, in this case, he used the very ones whom God had privileged to preserve the promises and be the vehicle through whom the Messiah would come – the Jews. Just as Absalom conspired to take his father’s throne, the Jewish leaders, thought that by killing the Jesus, the rightful heir, they would own the vineyard for themselves

Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Matthew 21:37–39 (NKJV)

What a coup for the devil to turn Israel against God, a rebellion from which they, as a whole, have never recovered! Only a remnant has confessed Christ as Lord over the years. The rest persist in unbelief and rebellious defiance of God and his appointed King. 

As always, Satan never anticipated the genius of God. He did not realize that killing the promised “Seed” would facilitate God’s victory and Christ’s exaltation.

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7–8 (NKJV)

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8–11 (NKJV)

But Satan, the adversary, did not give up after Christ’s resurrection. Having been thwarted in his plan to destroy the promised Seed or prevent his gaining the throne, Satan next turned to destroy those God has called to participate in Christ’s victory by being “in” him. Some of the names for this groups are the Body of Christ, the church, the elect of God, the one new man, and the bride of Christ. If you cannot hurt a strong man, hurt those he loves.

Again, at least at first, he used the Jews as his instruments. Later he influenced the leaders of the Roman empire to join in the persecution of God’s people. Still today Christians are the most persecuted group of people on the earth. No doubt this is because the church has been chosen by God to rule and reign with Christ for all eternity.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4–7 (NKJV)

This group, the elect of God, has been granted the very thing that Satan tried to usurp, a place at God’s throne!

We who confess Christ as Lord have been elevated in glory and authority above the angels, having been granted a seat with Christ at God’s right hand. No wonder Satan hates the church!

Not only did Satan completely fail to prevent the Edenic prophecy from coming to pass, the unthinkable, as far as he is concerned, has taken place!

People he thought that he had completely ruined through the disobedience of Adam and Eve have been redeemed, reconciled to God, made God’s sons and daughters, and seated next to God’s throne in Christ. 

You would think, perhaps, that at this point Satan would give up, but let us not be guilty of underestimating him again. We do not know what Satan thinks, of course, but we know he is a deluded evil egotist who is fueled by pride and hatred. Perhaps Satan still believes he can defeat God and take the heavenly throne. Perhaps he simply wants to defile the earth, God’s footstool, and persuade as many humans as possible to worship him and fight against God’s rule on their journey to the lake of fire.

I am convinced that he also wants to steal the hearts of those who are part of the New Covenant temple called the church, a spiritual edifice constructed with what Peter called “living stones.”

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4–5 (NKJV)

The Old Covenant temple was destroyed to make way for the New Covenant fulfillment, a spiritual temple made of people for God to inhabit. (1 Corinthians 3:16)

If the devil was able to corrupt the nation of Israel into following false gods and rejecting their promised Messiah, dare we underestimate what he might be doing to throw the church off track today?

Are we on the lookout for Satan’s deceitful schemes concocted to fool us into enthroning him in the place reserved for God alone? I have written extensively about two of the deadliest schemes of which I am aware. 

The Conspiracy to Displace God in the Hearts of Men

The first grand scheme began over five hundred years ago. Its purpose is to undermine our confidence in the Bible, remove God from the consciousness of humanity, and set up what may be a final conspiracy to convince humanity to join Satan in his epic fight against Christ when he comes again. This lie is the Big Bang Heliocentric Theory (BBHT), which is a clever scheme to capture the hearts and minds of humanity. It relies on evolutionary theory, a corollary lie, which says that all of creation with its amazing order and complexity, resulted by pure random chance from a primordial explosion called the Big Bang. This is the equivalent of a cosmic rolling of the dice, a game of chance, which Paul called the trickery of men. The heliocentric theory is impossible without the cosmic evolution associated with the Big Bang. If Christians believe this lie, it forces them to abandon their confidence in the utter reliability of God’s Word and elevates what is called science to the position of arbiter of truth.

At first this trickery was recognized for what it is by the contemporaries of Copernicus, the Reformers,

underestimate
Helios, the Sun God

but it took only a few generations for the mighty momentum of Sola Scriptura to be blunted by the Age of Reason’s insistence that Science is supreme over the Bible. Today most of the church is held in a kind of Copernican Captivity.

It is interesting that the Greek word plane is used for deceit. This is the word from which our English word planet is derived. The deception here is that we have been fooled into thinking that these lights in the firmament, as Genesis calls them, are actually spherical worlds which are all named after false gods that, along with the earth, orbit Helios, another name for Satan. It is time for the church to break up with her pagan boyfriend and recommit to fully to Christ and his Word.

The Conspiracy to Undermine the New Covenant and Displace Christ with Israel

The next monumental deception that Satan concocted 150 or so years ago was designed to displace Jesus with Israel in the thinking of millions of Christians. It has fooled us into thinking that modern Israel is the promised “Seed,” rather than Jesus. This is pure idolatry, but a large percentage of the church has fallen for this lie hook, line, and sinker. As a result, we are backing the attempts of an antichrist nation to establish its worldly kingdom while denouncing the lordship of Christ. This nation resists the gospel and persecutes Christians. Why believers think they are God’s chosen people, a title that belongs only to the elect in Christ, reveals a lack of biblical understanding and is evidence of satanic deception.

In addition, by insisting that Dispensational theology is true, Christians reveal that they do not understand the New Covenant. I have written several articles to demonstrate this, including “Five Ways Dispensationalism Opposes the New Covenant.” I encourage you to study this topic and escape the snare of the devil.

Conclusion

Jesus warned us to beware when all men speak well of us. (Luke 6:26) That is how people treat  false prophets. Those who speak the truth, however, are quite often maligned and persecuted. I am not surprised when unbelievers mock those who resolutely stand by their belief in the absolute truthfulness of the Bible, but never would I have expected such behavior from followers of Christ. Yet the two issues mentioned above often trigger just such a response. Why would a Christian deride anyone for professing faith in the utter truthfulness of the Bible? There would need to be a powerful delusion in play or some other strong motivation to produce such a betrayal of God and his Word.

Perhaps we are afraid of being thought stupid by our peers.

The devil’s false claims forces us to make a stand for God. This is a good thing. Elijah called for the Israelites on Mount Carmel to decide between God and Baal. Today God is calling us Christians to make a similar stand.

Will we choose God and his Word or continue to bow the knee to what is called science?

Christians have always been a minority. Part of our ability to speak to the world system depends on our being qualitatively different. Please study the Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the truth about these matters. We want to be on the right side of the truth when Jesus returns. 

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Don’t Hedge Your Bets

To hedge a bet means to wager on different outcohedgemes of the same event so that, no matter what, some sort of return will be guaranteed. An example of this is when individuals or groups contribute to candidates in both political parties during an election. A close cousin of this in the investing world is called diversification. Common wisdom is to spread investments into a wide variety of options so that, if one gives a poor return, others will do better. The opposite of this, in country jargon, is called putting all our eggs in one basket. Drop that one basket and all is lost.

When it comes to the kingdom of God, however, diversification and hedging bets is a dishonest strategy.

Jesus advised us to go “all in” for him, putting all our eggs in his basket, so to speak. He gave us an example of a man who sold everything he had to acquire one pearl of great price, meaning we should trade everything for him. The apostle Paul relinquished all that previously had been important to pursue Christ.

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7–11 (NKJV)

Our devotion to Christ is tested in all sorts of ways during our lifetimes. A big test is connected to our desire for recognition and approval.

Almost everyone desires to be held in esteem by others and to be shown respect. 

Paul’s decision to follow Christ without reservation devastated his worldly ambitions and desire for esteem among his countrymen. He had to count what he previously treasured as so much trash. He lost his reputation, wealth, and place among the rising stars of Judaism. In exchange, however, he gained the approbation of God. To be sure, he came out ahead in the long run, but at great short term personal cost.

Jesus warned us that, if we value the praise of men more than God’s approval, it will hinder our pursuit of God’s kingdom.

How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? John 5:44 (NKJV)

The desire to gain or maintain approval from others can be a great hindrance even for those who have been born again. 

The desire to be thought well of by others can motivate us to keep silent regarding our allegiance to Christ.

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. John 12:42–43 (NKJV)

During the COVID scare, Mattias Desmet wrote some insightful articles on the importance of speaking out against tyranny. I did my best to share what I thought to be the truth about the mRNA jab, etc. from a biblical perspective, which brought some criticism my way. After my retirement from pastoring about three years ago, the Holy Spirit had some surprises for me. As a result of what I believe God has shown me about two very controversial topics – biblical cosmology vs heliocentrism and Dispensationalism vs. the New Covenant, I have learned even more about the necessity of and challenges connected with making a stand for the truth of God’s Word. 

Jesus and the truth always spark controversy because people generally love lies and the comfort they bring more than we love God’s challenging truth.

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. John 3:19–20 (NKJV)

When I grasped that heliocentrism and the globe earth are satanic lies and made known my belief that Genesis Chapter One is the literal truth regarding the heavens and earth and not mere poetic disinformation, I ran into a buzz saw of human disapproval. For the first time in my “career” as a teacher of God’s Word, I was told that I do not know how to properly interpret the Bible. Other Christians, who profess to believe the Bible is 100% true, claimed that I am “crazy,” “deceived,” “ignorant,” and foolishly throwing away my ministry. After all, who would be stupid enough to invite me to teach in their church now? To be fair, a minority believed what I wrote, and I have discovered a entirely new set of friends who have also seen the truth. Hallelujah! For the most part, however, I sadly report that I heard the voice of the serpent coming through some of my family, friends, and acquaintances, when they said that God did not mean what he said in Genesis.

Almost unbelievably, other Christians attempted to make me feel foolish for upholding God’s Word!

At first I was taken aback. I imagined that my years of teaching the Bible would count for something, but not in this case.

I crossed the line by agreeing with the Reformers and daring to say that God’s Word trumps much of the accumulated scientific “truth” of the past 500 years. How dare I?

hedgeI have to admit, it was a little unnerving to make this stand at first. I could not and cannot answer every question put to me, but neither can heliocentrists. It is not easy to break loose from a lifetime of brainwashing.

hedge

There are plenty of good empirical arguments for the biblical version of the earth and heavens, but I soon realized that, for the Christian, it boils down to one simple issue: do we believe God and his Word or not?

It has become apparent to me that most Christians I know choose to hedge their bets when it comes to Genesis.

We choose to be in the “God camp” when it comes to biological creation, but we remain in the “world’s camp” when in comes to cosmology. The world winks at us when we claim that Adam and Eve were real people while maintaining that the six days of creation are poetry not meant to be taken literally. The devil knows that those two beliefs are incompatible. They both cannot be true. It is similar to trying to eat our piece of cake and keep it for later. It cannot be done. Choose one.

Either we take the six days of creation literally, or we lose Adam and Eve. Once we say it is okay to dismiss one portion of the Bible, it will not be long before all is called into question.

However, if we dare to take those six days literally, we will pay the price of being mocked and scorned. If we declare that we live on a circular plane enclosed by the dome of the firmament, just as the Bible says, we will be ridiculed. Why? 

Satan knows that a right understanding of the heavens testifies to God’s existence and glory.

The heavens set out in detail the glory of God. And the firmament reports the creation of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (LES2- Septuagint)

The Big Bang – Heliocentric – Globe model testifies that the Bible is false and there is no God, or, if he exists, he is untrustworthy and far away.

It should not surprise us that leading astrophysicists are atheists. It is also no accident that many who come to believe that the earth is what the Bible says also become believers in Christ.

The existence of a solid firmament testifies to God’s existence. Everyone understands that such a structure did not get there by itself. 

It is impossible to save heliocentrism without the evolutionary cosmology of the Big Bang, and one cannot hold to the literal truth of Genesis Chapter One and believe in heliocentrism. (I show this in my article entitled, “The Creation Account Cannot Be Harmonized with Heliocentrism.”)

Therefore, Christian heliocentrists are stuck between a rock – God’s Word, and a hard place – evolution. This forces us to make a decision regarding whether we value most highly God’s approval or man’s?

since they feared and were shamed before people, they will be overthrown; but the one who trusts in the Lord will rejoice. Ungodliness gives a man a misstep, but the one who relies on the master will be saved. Proverbs 29:25 (LES2-Septuagint)

Let us all take courage and stop waffling when it comes to biblical truth. Go all in for Jesus. Do not be ashamed of him or his words.

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NKJV)

God always tells the truth, even though the whole world believes a lie. (Romans 3:4) It is time for us to unashamedly declare that we believe God’s Genesis cosmology over Satan’s, regardless of the personal cost. The world likely will mock us, but God will smile. Let us be willing to sacrifice our reputations for the glory and honor of God. We will not regret it.

Will We Suffer Reproach for the Word’s Sake?

The early church was familiar with the suffering and reproach connected with firmly declaring allegiance to Christ and his Word. The apostle Peter wrote the following encouragement.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 1 Peter 4:12–14 (NKJV)

Today in America we do not experience a great deal of overt persecution, but that could change any time.

There is, however, a form of suffering which intimidates many of us into silence. It is the reproach that often visits those who boldly testify that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.

One of the West’s most dominant idols is science, which is considered by many to be the height of modern man’s achievements. What many now call science has degenerated into a form of humanistic materialism which asserts that the physical world is the only real one and belittles any attempt to introduce spiritual reality and truth into a conversation. Anyone who affirms an absolute trust in the Bible and believes in the supernatural opens himself up to ridicule and rejection. In such an environment, it often seems prudent to keep our thoughts to ourselves in order to avoid persecution. This seems to agree with Jesus’ admonition not to throw our pearls before pigs, since they may trample them in the mire and then attack us.

But is it not part of our calling as disciples to proclaim God’s truth, whatever the cost?

As Mattias Desmet points out so elegantly in “The Psychology of Totalitarianism,” one of the only ways to stop encroaching tyranny is to speak out courageously against its lies. Affirming the absolute truth of the Bible, therefore, is a chief duty of disciples and all who love freedom.

Sadly, however, even some who call ourselves Evangelicals have abandoned our faith in the inerrancy of scripture by altering God’s Word to make it agree with anti-biblical forms of “science,” such as the Big Bang theory and evolution.

Many of us no longer believe that anything that contradicts scripture is false by definition.

Long ago the prophet Isaiah warned:

Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. Isaiah 8:20 (NLT)

The Bible is self-authenticating, since there is no higher standard of truth. Paul wrote:

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)

Jesus also affirmed the absolute truth of God’s words.

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 (NASB95)

The Bible also tells us that God always tells the truth because it is part of his nature. He says what he means and means what he says. God never plays with words in order to obfuscate truth, as the devil does. 

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

In addition, we are not permitted to “privately interpret” scripture to make it agree with our preferred outcome or doctrine, which is called eisegesis.

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 that every word of the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit and is completely true and trustworthy. There is no indication ever that God accommodates our ignorance, unbelief, or sin by toning down his words or saying something false or misleading.

Some mainline Protestant denominations have abandoned their allegiance to the Bible, choosing to align with the world system rather than with God’s truth. This is exactly what the Jewish leaders had done in Christ’s day, for which he rebuked them.

And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ 8 “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:6–8 (NASB95)

The Roman Catholic Church also abandoned the Bible as ultimate truth centuries ago by elevating church tradition, man-made extra-biblical theology, and papal pronouncements to be above or at least on a par with the Bible. Just a few centuries back, that church’s hierarchy was in mortal fear of the common people ever finding out what the Bible actually says. The Roman Catholic Church kept God’s Word hidden behind the veils of Latin and ignorance.

The fire of the Protestant Reformation was fueled by the common people’s obtaining the scriptures in their own languages.

Courageous men and women were willing to sacrifice their lives to make the Bible available to the masses. The ownership of Bibles became widespread thanks to the invention of the printing press.

Below is a short list of some of these champions of the Word.

  • The Waldensians (12th and 13th centuries) were subjected to mass burnings for using Bibles in their own languages (instead of Latin). The Roman Catholics banned the lay ownership of the Bible in general and Bibles in the vernacular at the Council of Toulouse in 1229.
  • John Wycliffe (c.1320-1384) was an English theologian and Oxford scholar who translated the Latin Vulgate into English. He was posthumously declared a heretic. His body was exhumed,  burned, and the ashes scattered on the River Swift by order of the Council of Constance. He was accused of promoting errors because he put the Bible into the hands of the people.

Any time we fearlessly hold to God’s Word as it is written, we will likely incur the wrath of the establishment that bends its knee to the satanic world system.

  • Jan Hus (1369-1415) was a Czech reformer who translated part of the Bible into his native language and encouraged preaching in the vernacular of the people. For this extraordinary heresy he was burned at the stake after being condemned at the same Council of Constance.
  • William Tyndale (1494-1536) translated the New Testament and parts of the Old into English directly from the original languages. He was strangled and burned at the stake near Brussels, Belgium. His translation’s wording makes up over 80% of the King James Bible, which was published in 1611. 
  • Patrick Hamilton (1504-1528) was burned at the stake in St. Andrews for translating Luther’s works and encouraging lay Bible reading in Scotland.
  • Myles Coverdale (1488-1569) completed Tyndale’s work and published the first English Bible in 1535. He escaped death by fleeing to the continent, but some of his associates were martyred. 
  • Martin Luther (1483-1546) nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany and took a stand against the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church.

Luther could have kept quiet about his newly found understanding of justification by faith in order to avoid persecution, but he chose to speak up, and so should we.

At his trial, the Roman Catholic Church demanded that he recant his teachings at the Diet of Worms on April 18, 1521 and reaffirm his submission to the supreme authority of the church. It was at this time that he delivered his famous response.

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. May God help me. Amen.

Luther and those other courageous men and women made the choice to endure reproach, persecution, and sometimes death rather than be disloyal to God and his Word. I am quite sure that God’s Spirit of glory rested upon them, just as Peter wrote.

If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 1 Peter 4:14 (NKJV)

Moses also made a similar choice, as recorded by the author of the Letter to the Hebrews.

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)

Today, we Evangelicals feel good about ourselves for being self-proclaimed people of the Word, but it might unnerve us a bit to consider that so were the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. The stumbling stone for the Pharisees can trip us up, too, if we are not vigilant. They were committed to the words of God but not to God himself.

Our lack of surrender to the God of Bible can lead to our artfully twisting the scriptures so that our disloyalty remains hidden.

The Jews elevated their traditions above God’s Word.

We Evangelicals are sometimes guilty of elevating reason above revelation and, in so doing, participate in a kind of idolatry of the human mind.

We have developed nuanced interpretations of the Bible that change God’s words into something that God did not say that we find to be palatable to our firmly held beliefs, preferences, and preconceptions.

Here is an example of what I mean. We evangelicals profess that every word of God is true, but  anyone who publicly affirms that the Genesis account of creation is the literal truth will likely encounter criticism, mockery, dismissal, and other forms of reproach and rejection from both unbelievers and Christians.

Have we drunk so deeply from the well of modern biology, geology, and cosmology that the words of the Bible seem completely foolish and unreasonable?

Rather than say outright that the Bible is not true, we make a clever “end run” by claiming that part of scripture in Genesis is poetry and not intended to convey any practical form of truth. We nuance our interpretation so that we are able to affirm that spiritual truth is conveyed in the midst of a false claim. But my question is, doesn’t that make God a liar and us smarter than the people who wrote the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? And where did God give us permission to so interpret his words of truth? Doesn’t this challenge to what God said, come from somewhere else, the same one who challenged Eve in the garden? “Did God really say?” 

We inadvertently fall into the trap of agreeing with those enemies of God’s truth who claim that the Bible contains truth, but is not inerrant or factually correct.

Jesus was a literalist.

And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered (literally: be broken). So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. John 10:35–36 (NLT)

Our Lord believed in the literal creation narrative of Genesis, Adam and Eve, Abel, Jonah, Noah, and the flood. Do we dare say that we are smarter than Jesus, the Creator and eternal Logos become flesh?

The same evangelicals who deny that Genesis is historically and scientifically accurate maintain that Jesus’ resurrection is an historical and scientific fact. I am sorry, but if Genesis is not true, how can we honestly claim any of the Bible should be considered to be true? If the first chapter is unreliable, than let’s throw it all out, which many an atheist had done. Satan knows that once a witness’ credibility is destroyed, it undermines all of his or her testimony. That is why the devil has worked so hard to convince us to trash the Genesis creation account and all its cosmological implications. Oh, he lets us keep the literal creation of Adam and Eve intact while we deny the existence of the firmament. He laughs at us when we do that, and so do the atheists. We fall into the trap of trying to make the Word of God palatable to unbelievers. The world thinks that we are self-deceived fools. We cannot make them think well of us.

If we believe the bodily resurrection of Christ is true, which the world says is ridiculous and “unscientific,” why not stand up for everything else the Bible teaches?

Why are we so disingenuous? Is it our hope that the world will think well of us? I have news for you. They laugh at us when we deny the truthfulness of Genesis. They know that such thinking undercuts the integrity of the whole Bible.

We should instead resolutely trash everything in our world view and cosmology that disagrees with the Bible.

That is what Paul did.

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; Philippians 3:7–9 (NKJV)

Let us cast aside any embarrassment we feel by believing the words of the Bible.

It is time for the church to be more concerned with being loyal to God that in looking intelligent in the world’s eyes.

We cannot afford to esteem the praise from men over God’s approval.

Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God. John 12:42–43 (NLT)

The devil hates God’s Word because he knows it is the truth that sets people free.

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)

God will reward those who publicly identify with the Lord and are willing to endure reproach for his sake and the Word’s. We must make a choice between being praised or reproached by men or by God.  .

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NASB95)

There is no shame in being reproached by those who think they are smarter than God.

The Genesis Testimony

Understanding that the Bible is our most reliable source of truth for establishing a proper cosmology, it is important for us to study and believe the Genesis account of creation. The author of Hebrews wrote that faith in the Genesis creation narrative gives us understanding. 

By faith we understand that the worlds (Greek: aons or ages) were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3 (NASB95)

Only by faith in God’s Word are we able to properly comprehend God’s creation.

We dare not rely on our own understanding, men’s wisdom, occult accounts, or anyone who denies the Genesis account’s truthfulness.

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1–2 (NKJV)

King David’s first Psalm encourages us to trust in God’s Word above all else. Those pursuing a greater understanding of the heavens and earth should avoid the counsel of the “ungodly” – those who scorn God and the Bible, which includes most prominent astrophysicists.

It is not uncommon for a follower of Christ to experience a crisis of faith regarding whether we will value and believe God’s testimony over every other voice or supposed authority. If we accept that all of God’s Word is true, then we will believe his account of creation and his description of the earth and heavens. If we choose to believe the testimony of modern astrophysics and put our trust in what is called science over the testimony of the Bible, we must either throw out the biblical account altogether or drastically alter it so that it no longer resembles what it originally said.

Satan knows that if he can make us doubt the accuracy and truthfulness of Genesis Chapter One, it will undermine our faith in the rest of the Bible. Non-Christians also see the hypocrisy of not accepting the Genesis account while claiming to be a Bible believer.

If Chapter One of the Bible only communicates spiritual concepts that have no relationship to physical reality, how can we suppose that other supposed historical truths, such as the virgin birth and the resurrection of Christ, actually happened? Might they not also be imperfect attempts by human authors’ to describe spiritual truths beyond our comprehension or experience? Denying the accuracy of the Genesis Chapter One account opens the door to all sorts of deception.

The Bible begins with a description of how God created the sea, the earth, and the heavens as a integrated whole. The three-tiered creation described in Genesis continues all the way to the last book, Revelation. Brandon Ezzo does a tremendous job illustrating this in his twelve-part series on the firmament. The first is below, if you are willing to take the time to see how extensive are the references in the Bible to the three-tiered creation of Genesis.

It is impossible to reject the cosmological model of Genesis without rejecting the description of heaven and earth throughout the Bible. Thus rejecting Genesis Chapter One requires us to reject all of the Bible. The following is one example. 

Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” 9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) Ephesians 4:8–10 (NASB95)

The Bible does not permit us to treat Genesis otherwise than being historically factual. The early Hebrews and Christians understood it that way.

Just because it and other parts of the Bible are written as poetry does not alter their truthfulness.

Poetry is used to intensify the power, beauty, and clarity of words and is never used to obscure truth or lead us astray.

The only reason we would think otherwise is because we are looking for an excuse to reject the clear meaning of the words of the Bible. If we hold presuppositions that contradict God’s Word, we will often claim the Bible is not literally true. For centuries people simply accepted as factual what Genesis says, but when science said differently, our tune changed. If we believe that the Big Bang – Heliocentric Theory (BB-HT) is an established fact, we will be forced to treat Genesis Chapter One as a scientifically inaccurate description of something God did not think the authors and first readers could comprehend. It would be the equivalent of God’s telling his children that there is a Santa Claus and a tooth fairy.

Saying that God gave us a false account of creation in Genesis is the equivalent of accusing the Lord of lying and deliberately setting a stumbling block in front of future generations who would have access to the theories of modern “science.”

If I catch someone in a lie, especially if I am just getting to know him or her, it is a significant “red flag” that experience has taught me not to ignore. I have found that to put confidence in such a person almost inevitably leads to disappointment. It is foolish to trust an habitual liar. If God lied in Genesis, then he lied throughout the Bible and should not be trusted. However, we know God’s character. He never lies.

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)

Men, on the other hand, have a long history of lying. Satan lies because the truth is not in him. Men without the indwelling Holy Spirit are natural born liars, too. Psalm 116:2 says:

I said in my entrancement (Greek - alarm, astonishment, Hebrew - alarm, haste), “Every person is a liar.” Psalm 116:2 (LES2 - Septuagint)
We are alarmed and astonished when it finally dawns on us that we have been lied to about some very important things by people we trusted!
 
When we are forced by competing claims to choose whether to call God a liar or men, scripture guides our steps.
...Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.” Romans 3:4 (NKJV)
 

If God did not tell us the truth in Genesis Chapter One, why should we believe him ever again? How will we know what other parts of the Bible are untrue, and who will decide?

This is the danger of dismissing Genesis Chapter One as “mere” poetry that provides no factual information, only spiritual concepts. If we go this route, when does Genesis become factually and historically true? What chapter? Who decides? How do we know?

The only reason we mistrust God’s truthfulness is because somewhere we chose to believe the devil’s lie and we have hardened our hearts against the truth.

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility [vanity, emptiness] of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life [and Word] of God, because of the ignorance [of God's Word] that is in them, because of the blindness [hardness, callousness] of their heart; Ephesians 4:17–18 (NKJV)

Satan’s contradiction of God’s words worked in the garden on Adam and Eve, and it continues to be effective today, especially when it comes to the Genesis account of creation. We can still hear the serpent hiss, “Did God really say?”

Many conservative Christians reject the theory of evolution in favor of the creation account of Adam and Eve, even though quite a large percentage of people in the world consider the theory of evolution to be fact. We who accept the biblical account understand that the scientific argument for evolution has so many holes in it that it can hold no water, so to speak. Nevertheless, when the theory first gained traction, many Bible teachers were quick to re-frame Genesis in a way that allowed for the evolutionary process. Now we know that there is no reason to do this, and it was a huge mistake to misrepresent scripture. Why then do so many of us Bible believers willingly re-frame the cosmological part of Genesis to agree with a satanically inspired Big Bang model? Is it not because we think we have seen proof of a spherical earth suspended in the void of space? NASA has been caught lying so many times, why then should we have any confidence in that organization ever? Why would we trust them more than God?

For a summary of reasons to question NASA, I recommend the following article by J.L. Pattison - "10 Truths about NASA that Christians Conveniently Ignore.

Look at what that agency has given us over the years as supposed actual photos of the earth from outer space.

Our government lies to us about many things. Once we grasp that Genesis is the correct version of the nature of the heavens and earth, it is not a huge jump to conclude that NASA is deceiving us about many other things.  (If you want to view more evidence of NASA’s fakery, click here.)

Even if we do not conclude that NASA deliberately is deceiving us, wisdom tells us that we should never believe the testimony of those who contradict God’s Word.

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20 (NKJV)

Ultimately, each of us has to make up our own minds regarding what we will believe, but we should never forget that God will hold us accountable in this area.

Contrasting the Biblical Account with the Big Bang – Heliocentric Theory.

The Biblical Account The Big Bang – Heliocentric Theory

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NKJV) — This verse is a summary of all that follows. God is the center of everything. This compares to a parallel account in John’s Gospel.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:1–4 (NKJV)

In the beginning of the Big Bang – Heliocentric Theory (BB-HT), the universe created itself out of nothing. It is impossible to harmonize this account with the Genesis narrative. One cannot honestly say that the Big Bang took place when God spoke the cosmos into existence out of nothing. (Hebrews 11:3) Nothing in the Big Bang account agrees with Scripture, especially not the timeline or sequence of events. In fact, the notion of the entire universe genesisoriginating from a single point is found in the Jewish Kabbalah, an occult book, and was later posited by a Roman Catholic Jesuit priest, Georges Lemaitre, who was given credit for its conception. That a Catholic clergyman would promote a non-biblical theory is not surprising because that church long ago abandoned its commitment to the Bible’s authority.

DAY 1 -The Deep, Waters, Light

The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2 (NKJV) 

The Bible opens with the “deep” already in existence. We are not told when God first created these waters. It is a mystery hidden from us. To speculate about information God has withheld would be wrong, in my opinion.

In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. 2 But the earth was unseen and unprepared, and darkness was upon the deep [the bottomless]. And the spirit of God rushed upon the water. Genesis 1:1–2 (LES2-Septuagint)

The dry land or “earth” was not formed or visible yet. The Holy Spirit’s activity is central. To assert that the first thing created was “the deep” places the biblical account in direct conflict with the so-called “scientific” narrative.

According to the BB-HT, the formation of the universe began with the chaos of an explosion from a single point, out of which stars eventually formed after billions of years and later the “planets” and other bodies spun off from them. This means the sun came into existence before it “created” the earth. Therefore, the earth owes its existence to the sun, around which it orbits, held in place by a theoretical force called gravity. The sun isgenesis central in heliocentrism, which is a modern variation of sun worship, something Pythagoras and Hermes Trismegistus practiced, and which Copernicus and Newton acknowledged. The so-called science of heliocentrism is really an occult religion.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:3–5 (NKJV)

Having created the seas, on the same day God created light and instituted the pattern of day followed by night. God had not yet created the sun, moon, or stars; so, there was no obvious physical source of this light. It must have emanated from God himself, which agrees with John’s Gospel and Revelation.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:4–5 (NKJV)

And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:23 (NASB95)

Moses was not a stupid man. He knew that the sun produced daylight; so, when he wrote this account of creation, he understood that it did not make sense from a mechanistic point of view. When God does not explain everything to us, it serves as a test of our faith and loyalty to him and his Word.

The Lord asks us to take him at his word without having complete understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) This is a recurring theme in the Bible.

The “scientific” view requires that there be a natural source for light, which, according to the BB-HT, would come from some form of combustion or nuclear fusion, such as from a star or sun. This would necessitate the sun’s already being in existence, which contradicts the Bible account. The heliocentric view also requires the earth to rotate on an imaginary axis to account for day and night. Since there was no sun, moon, or stars at this point in the Genesis account, the “scientific” view demands that we reject the Bible as a trustworthy source of information about creation. This is one reason why so many leading exponents of the Big Bang theory are atheists and why so many Christians do not accept the literal truth of the Genesis account.

The true account of the heavens and earth testifies to God’s glory. The false account argues that there is no god.

The scientific point of view requires that we have a mechanistic explanation for everything. God is not part of the equation. Anything that cannot be explained mechanistically and logically is rejected. This is the philosophy developed during the so-called Age of Reason.

DAY 2 -The Firmament

Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 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. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Genesis 1:6–8 (NKJV)

genesisHere is another place where the Genesis account radically departs from the BB-HT. When people have been indoctrinated from childhood in the heliocentric-globe theory, the idea of there being a solid dome-like vault called the firmament encasing the earth seems bizarre. However, since we know that a pressurized atmosphere requires a container, it is more reasonable than the BB-HT.

who builds his upper chambers in the heavens and lays the foundation of his vault on the earth, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them on the surface of the earth—Yahweh is his name. Amos 9:6 (LEB)

Raqia, the Hebrew word for firmament, means something solid, such as molten bronze that has been beaten out. (Job 37:18) It had to be strong enough to support the weight of the waters above. God took an entire day to construct this amazing structure, which was prepared to house what we call the “heavenly bodies” – the sun, moon, and stars and be the container of our atmos. This structure had to be placed on a strong foundation. (You can read more about the firmament by clicking here.)

The structure of the firmament requires the earth to be a plane, not a sphere.

God does not give us many details about the nature of the firmament, except in a few verses which I will cover in other articles. For now, it is enough to say that it is a gigantic structure testifying to the glory and majesty of God. 

The heavens set out in detail the glory of God. And the firmament reports the creation of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (LES2)

The BB-HT requires us to translate raqia as “heavens,” “sky,” or “expanse” because it does not allow for a solid structure that encloses the earth, since it wants us to believe that we can travel to “outer space,” which is outside our assigned realm. The BB-HT holds that the earth is “fragile,” having no protection against the perils of “outer space,” such as asteroids, sun eruptions, comets, or even alien beings. Rather than being stable and stationary, the earth is said to be hurtling through the void / vacuum of “outer space” at incredible speeds (rotating at 1000 mph, revolving around the sun at 66,600 mph, traveling through the Milky Way at 500,000 mph, and hurtling through the “universe” with our galaxy at over 1,000,000 mph). In this version of reality we do not know where we are going. We are said to have an “atmosphere” that is held to the earth by a mysterious unproven force called gravity against the incomprehensible power of the strongest vacuum known (actually, theorized), without any sort of container, which is a violation of the known physical law of entropy.

genesis

The BB-HT is specially designed to deny the existence of God and the truth of the Bible and to make us believe what is contrary to all experience and the testimony of our five senses. The true creation testifies to God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), but the false version testifies that there is no God. This false narrative is being used to hide God’s existence and to enslave humanity to Satan’s lies.

The existence of the firmament means that “outer space” with its vacuum is an imaginary construct that exists only in our minds and NASA CGI. Travel beyond the firmament into God’s realm is impossible outside of Christ. It was tried at Babel and continues to be attempted by NASA through the use of rockets. Therefore, no one ever has been to the moon, as any real investigation of that bit of NASA fakery will reveal. (If you doubt this, please take a look at the following video series entitled Wagging the Moon Doggy or look at the website – aulis.com. The following video is also recommended.)

DAY 3 – Dry Land and Plants

Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:9–13 (NKJV)

On day three we have the first appearance of dry land, called the earth. We learn from Psalm 24:2 that the earth was founded upon the waters, just as Genesis describes it. We also discover from Psalm 75:3 and numerous other places that God placed the earth on pillars so that its foundation is secure and it will not be moved. (Psalm 96:10) Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:20 tell us that the creation declares the the glory of God and reveals much about his character and power. The earth has a solid foundation, just as we do in Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11)

God also created the first living things, which were plants.

The BB-HT, which applies evolutionary theory to the cosmos, cannot have life beginning with plants on dry land. Rather, the evolutionary development of life is said to have begun in the “primordial soup” of the sea.

In addition, the BB-HT says that the earth is tilting, wobbling, and moving at breakneck speed through an evolving ever-expanding universe. This all directly contradicts the Bible, which says the earth does not move.

He established the earth on her foundations, so that it will not be moved forever and ever. Psalm 104:5 (LEB)

DAY 4 – Sun, Moon, and Stars

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 account finally gives us physical sources for light on day four. The sun, moon, and stars are all called lights or luminaries. They are all placed in the structure called the firmament, requiring them to be smaller and much closer than modern astrophysics claims. There are no “planets” (spherical solid objects) but only “wandering” (Greek: planetes) lights or stars that move differently from the circular fixed motion of the other stars. If one looks at these wandering stars with a telescope or high-zoom camera, they look quite similar to other stars and not like NASA’s computer generated images.

genesis

Their motion is over the earth, as revealed in Psalm 19:5, are fixed as shown in Jeremiah 31:35 and other places. Everything is fixed from creation like a giant clock. The moon is also described as a light, rather than a reflector. If we think about how the light of the moon extends in complete brightness to its very edges, it should be plain to us that it is not a spherical rock reflecting sunlight, and certainly not the dull gray surface supposedly photographed by the Apollo astronauts.

 

As I already mentioned, the BB-HT of origins states that the sun and other stars were the first things that coalesced after the primal explosion, which directly contradicts the Bible. This theory also says that the moon is a spherical solid reflector of sunlight rather than being a light in its own right. The stars are said to be suns, which contradicts scripture, too. Instead of being in God’s “fixed” order, everything in the universe is supposed to be moving away from the theoretical original blast center. The “wandering stars” (Jude 13) were reclassified as solid spherical objects, much like earth is said to be. Each of these so called planets supposedly are caught in the inexorable power of the sun’s theoretical gravity. The sun rules its “solar system” as a king would his court. Each “planet” except for the earth is named after a pagan god. This is all based on sun worship, which holds that the sun god, Helios or Sol, rules over all.

Heliocentrism places the earth in the same category as the wandering planets named after false gods, thereby putting us in a place of serving Helios, just like the other servants of Satan.

 DAY 5 – Sea Creatures and Birds

Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Genesis 1:20–23 (NKJV)

Instead of life being self-generated through evolution from the sea, God created sea creatures and birds after he made the plants on dry land.

The evolutionary BB-HT proposes that life self-generated from the sea, which directly contradicts the biblical account.

DAY 6 – Land Animals and Mankind

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:24–31 (NKJV)

The conclusion of creation took place on day six when God created all land-based animals and man. Humans are made in God’s likeness and have been given dominion over the earth. Our first command was to be fruitful and multiply, which has never been rescinded. At this point in time, God completed his creation and rested on the seventh day.

According to the evolutionary BB-HT, it took billions of years for life to self-generate and evolve into human beings through a string of favorable mutations. Not only does this theory violate the second law of thermodynamics called entropy, it also contradicts the Bible.

The BB-HT teaches us that the earth and mankind are nothing special, being accidents of evolution. We have no God-given authority over the earth. In fact, we are considered to be a sort of dangerous “virus” that needs to have our numbers reduced.

The result of the BB-HT is that we see ourselves as purposeless, meaningless accidents instead of being the focal point of God’s creation. This is called the Copernican Principle.

In addition the BB-HT says that the universe is still self-creating through expansion and evolution, thus contradicting the Bible’s claim that God completed his work in six days and then rested.

If you want to download a PDF version of the above summary, click here.

One of the fundamental principles of Bible interpretation is that the scripture must be allowed to say what the author meant it to say.

Bible scholars agree that the Hebrews interpreted the Genesis account quite literally. This view is described by Google and other “fact checkers” as being archaic and disproved by science. This is the result of the Copernican heliocentric view having gained the ascendancy over the past 500 years and NASA’s being believed implicitly. Before the “scientific revolution,” many cultures held the same “archaic” understanding of the design of the earth and heavens. The knowledge was probably passed down orally from Adam. Whereas, once it was considered heretical to believe the Copernican view, now it is considered to be conspiratorial, stupid, and willfully ignorant to believe the biblical testimony regarding the cosmos. How thoroughly the devil has deceived mankind!

The lasting effect of the Copernican-Newtonian revolution has been the separation of “science” from religion and, more specifically, from the Bible.

No longer is the Word of God highly regarded by those claiming to be scientists, or even, in many cases, by those who acknowledge Christ. Paul warned Timothy that this day would come.

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from pointless empty talk and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some, by professing it, have deviated concerning the faith. Grace be with you all. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (LEB)

In summary, Christians must decide between these two worldviews.

I believe we are being tested today in the same way as Adam and Eve were. Once again God is allowing Satan to ask our generation, “Did God really say?”

Satan made Adam and Eve feel foolish and ignorant for taking God at his word. This is how the devil tries to make those who believe the Genesis account feel today. Often other Christians join the chorus of accusers. Perhaps many who name Christ as Lord are actually embarrassed by or ashamed of the Genesis testimony. May that soon change!

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NASB95)

Introduction to Biblical Cosmology

What is biblical cosmology? A simple answer is that we regard the Bible as the best and highest source of truth. What “science” claims is true must agree with what the Bible teaches or we should reject it.

Our modern “scientific” theory of the heavens and earth, the Big Bang heliocentric model, gained traction during what is called the Scientific Revolution. It was introduced by the likes of Kepler, Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton. Today it is reinforced in our public and private school systems and constantly drummed into us by the media.

The brainwashing has been so pervasive that this model, which began and continues as a mere theory, now is believed to be factually true by the masses.

Belief in this false cosmology is widespread in the West; although, a growing number of people now realize that it is a house of cards waiting for God’s wind of truth to bring it down.

A “red flag” for us Bible believers is that the heliocentric model contradicts the Bible’s testimony.

As followers of Christ, God expects us to derive our understanding of the nature of the heavens and earth from him, rather than from the testimony of scientists and other “experts,” many of whom are atheists who completely reject the Bible. God tells us not to follow the counsel of the ungodly.

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1–2 (NKJV)

Here is a brief video that provides a quick introduction to our topic.

Moses, the author of Genesis, was directly inspired by God, making everything he wrote God’s truth. In fact, one of the cardinal tenets of the Reformers was the inviolability of God’s Word. Sola Scriptura was a rallying cry during the Reformation, which was a movement to reestablish the Scriptures as God’s ultimate authority.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)

The Genesis account provides us with an accurate model of the heavens and earth that was at one time almost universally believed, but now is regarded as a product of pre-scientific ignorance. 

Almost all cultures spread over the earth had a similar concept of creation, as illustrated by the image below.cosmology

Today, Hebrew scholars recognize that the authors of the Bible believed the earth looked similar to the image below. 

cosmology

Those who implicitly trust the pronouncements of  modern “scientists” and the “experts”  have been trained to think through brainwashing that begins in the crib that the Bible’s version of the earth and heavens is primitive, unscientific, and idiotic. They say that those who believe in it are “science deniers” and victims of a massive “conspiracy theory” – a psy-op.

cosmologyIn this series I will cover some very important topics relative to the subject that I hope will convince you to adhere to what the Bible says instead of relying on the opinions of men. Below are the topics that will be covered.

Part 2: The Bible Is Our Benchmark for Truth

The second article will look at our key presupposition that the Bible is always true. God does not lie and would never mislead his people into believing something false. The Bible certainly does not contain all information about the world in which we live, but what it does say is true. We derive our most fundamental understanding of the heavens and earth from the Bible, not from theoretical astrophysics and the testimony of men.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (NASB95)

Part 2 will show how heliocentrist employ improper hermeneutics by trying to force the scriptures to agree with their preconceived belief in heliocentrism instead of simply believing what the Bible says. We will see that doing so is the equivalent of thinking we are smarter than Jesus. Once we nail this down, we will proceed to investigate in detail the claims of Genesis Chapter One, the foundation of the whole Bible.

The heliocentric lie places Bible believers in a crisis of faith. We must choose whether to believe God’s Word or what the world calls science, something that is worshiped by many – “trust the science.” 

Part 3: The Genesis Testimony

Once we agree that God’s Word, the Bible, is our highest and most reliable source of truth, we will see that it is impossible to hold onto heliocentrism and believe the Bible testimony. One of the other most go. Unfortunately, most people today dispense with the Bible by claiming it does not really mean what it says.

Part 4: Introduction to the Firmament 

This teaching will show that the Bible teaches that the heavens and earth are a unified whole. The firmament acts as a barrier between God’s realm in heaven and the earthly habitation to which we have been assigned. We will see how this complex was God’s first tabernacle. God told Moses to construct the earthly tent of meeting to correspond to this reality.

Part 5: The Apocalypse and God’s New Heaven and Earth

The apocalypse only makes sense if we believe in biblical cosmology. The New Covenant promise is that the current heaven-earth complex has been defiled by sin and Satan and will be replaced with something far more wonderful.

Part 6: Heliocentrism Opposes the Entire Bible

Once we understand that the Bible teaches that we world in which we live is a unified heaven-earth complex, we will see that this reality is found throughout the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. We cannot reject Genesis Chapter One without rejecting the entire Bible.

Part 7: The Reason for the Lie

Most people want to know what is the reason for the enormous lie called heliocentrism? The first reason is to hide the reality of God’s existence. The second is to distort our conception of God through a distortion of our understanding of what he created. What we believe profoundly affects how we behave. The worldview derived from modern theoretical astrophysics is atheistic and promotes hopelessness. If there is no God, we have no meaning, identity, purpose, or destiny. Hopeless people behave in destructive ways.

Part 8: The Occult Origins of Modern Astrophysics

This part will show how modern astrophysics originated in Egyptian hermeticism, alchemy, sun worship, and the Jewish Kabbalah. This probably accounts for the incredible pull this false teaching has upon most people.

Part 9: Man’s Ongoing Quest to Escape His Assigned Habitation

From the tower of Babel until the present day, mankind has wanted to escape the “confines” of our assigned habitation and penetrate the firmament into heaven. Satan has tricked us into being dissatisfied with the earth God gave us. We perceive ourselves to be lords or masters of the universe who have an insatiable desire to join Satan in outer darkness.

Part 10: Making a Stand

The last section is a call to repentance and faith in God’s Word. To do so will require courage to suffer reproach for the Word’s sake and endure potential ridicule and other forms of opposition.

Many believers who say they believe that the Bible is God’s Word are embarrassed by the Genesis account and use some form of eisegesis to force the scriptures to agree with modern astrophysical theories.

God is calling the church to ditch her pagan boyfriend, Helios, and join the counter rebellion. Making such a stand will bring honor and glory to God and serve as a testimony against the unbelief of so many.

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