Resources for Those Wishing to Develop a Biblical Cosmology

Here are some resources that I think are very good that should help anyone who is interested in developing a proper biblical cosmology. When we first begin to investigate this subject, since it runs counter to the official government narrative, we encounter the “matrix” and discover that Google, et. al., have installed algorithms to rig internet searches against us, just as during the Covid “pandemic.” Almost every site with good information has a flat earth “warning” attached. Anytime the government thinks it is necessary to warn us away from a site, it is almost proof that we are on the right track. 

I have devoted many hours to finding quality resources, some of which I make available on this page. I plan to update this information as needed. This list includes a link to my private Facebook page – The Biblical Flat Earth Forum, biblical explanations, scientific reasons for believing that the earth is a fixed plane instead of a rotating globe suspended in space, and testimonies of people who have seen the light, so to speak.

Please keep in mind that those of us who adhere to the biblical design of the earth all once believed in the globe. In the journey to our present conviction, we thoroughly investigated this issue and had to deal with all the questions most globe supporters ask. Hopefully what is contained on this page will help anyone who is open to the amazing claim that we live in a world that was designed and created just as the Bible says by the Most High who sits enthroned above the firmament.

If you want a good place to begin, I suggest that you try the Biblical Cosmology Series by Pastor Ray McBerry. It’s long, but quite good. Please watch each video in succession. Don’t cheat and skip ahead.

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

Not everyone who ascribes to the “flat earth” model is a follower of Christ or a Bible believer. Almost all end up realizing there has to be a Creator. How could we not, when we see the design of the earth and firmament? However, some don’t know who he is. We Christians understand that our Lord Jesus, the eternal logos, created everything. Those who are not adherents of the Bible sometimes end up in strange places. Don’t be put off by this. Truth is truth and can be discovered by anyone. We are all on a spiritual journey that hopefully will lead us to Christ. The big difference for us who already know him is that we have a guide, the Holy Spirit, and a map, the Bible. Many of us Bible believing Christians are arriving late to the party, so to speak, when we should have been the ones hosting it! We are people of the Book who should have known all along. Let’s make up for lost time.

Private Facebook Page for Honest Enquirers

The Biblical Flat Earth Forum

Biblical Support

 

Historical Perspectives

 

 

Scientific Evidence

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pilot Testimonies

 

Mapping the Flat Earth

 
 

Antarctica

Stars

 

 

 

Space Is Fake Evidence

 
   

Website: aulis.com – provides extensive documented evidence of NASA fakery

 

Testimonies

 

Humor

Recommended YouTube Channels

  • Ditrh
  • Flat Earth, Banjo, USA, Japan and Brazil
  • Flat Earth Reality Explorers
  • Flat Earth Sun, Moon & Zodiac Clock app
  • Flat Out Hope
  • Flat Out Truth
  • J. Tolan Media 1
  • Jen Murray
  • Observable Reality
  • Paul on the Plane
  • Sky Free
  • Taboo Conspiracy
  • Vikka Draziv /Truth In Plain Sight
  • Witset Gets It

Recommended Books

 

Loyalty to God’s Word

Satan’s strategy always has been to make us doubt, deny, and disobey God’s words. God’s Word, the eternal Logos, is the second divine person of the Trinity. The Logos became a human being named Jesus (John 1:14), who revealed that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). God’s Word is always true. (John 17:17) It reveals that the only way to experience God’s life is through our Lord Jesus.

Since Jesus is the Logos made flesh, to reject God’s Word is to reject Jesus. Faith in and loyalty to Jesus includes being loyal to his Word. Every person will eventually face a crisis that tests our loyalty to God’s Word.

For Adam and Eve, it happened in the garden when Satan, disguised as a serpent, questioned Eve and cast doubt upon God’s integrity and the truthfulness of his words. Adam and Eve failed the loyalty test. It is important that we pass it.

Satan is a cunning deceiver, whom Jesus called the “father of lies.” Speaking to the Pharisees, the Jewish religious leaders who resisted God’s truth, Jesus said:

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. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:44–45 (NKJV)

We need to understand that the devil’s lies are still very seductive. Through them he has enslaved most of humanity.

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9 (NKJV)

Once enslaved by his lies, we naturally resist the truth. Once a lie sets up residence in our hearts and minds, it is easier for us to accept it rather than God’s truth.

In other words, we will actively resist our own liberation when we are confronted with God’s truth. When lies are repeated to us over and over again, it is called brainwashing, which is difficult to overcome. Such deception is increasing as the age in which we lives draws to a close.

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 (NKJV)

Paul the apostle told us that Satan’s lies work inside us to erect “strongholds” or fortresses that resist the entrance of God’s truth.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NKJV)

The only way to overcome these lie-based strongholds is by believing the truth of the Word of God as revealed by the Spirit of God, whose ministry includes guiding us into all truth.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth... John 16:13a (NKJV)

Just as we must choose Jesus above every imposter vying for our hearts, so we must be loyal to God’s Word above every lie that opposes it. We cannot be disingenuous by embracing some form of syncretism. That is, we must not try to blend God’s truth with a lie in an effort to “have our cake and eat it, too.” Syncretism is the first step in a downward slide into idolatry and has always been a temptation for God’s people. The ancient Israelites often were insecure in their devotion to Yahweh and tried to blend worship of other gods into the mix, just to cover their bases, so to speak. What if the other gods were real and their protection was needed? The result was always a disaster. God allows no other gods to come between us and him. (Exodus 20:3) Syncretism will never work for us either. Paul wrote:

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21 (NKJV)

Likewise, it is impossible for us to be completely loyal to God’s Word while simultaneously embracing what fights against it. In today’s world, unless one is involved in the occult, the most likely enemy that invites us to dilute or contradict God’s truth is what is falsely called science.

We have been taught to believe that scientists operate in the realm of fact apart from having any sort of ideological bias, but nothing could be further from the truth. For example, when astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that the red shift exhibited by the stars indicated that the earth is the center of the universe, he wrote that such was an  “intolerable” conclusion.

“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…” (Hubble, The Observational Approach to Cosmology)

While some areas of science use what is called the scientific method, other areas, particularly those associated with origins and cosmology, are based on conjecture and assumption cloaked in a facade of certainty. Neil deGrasse Tyson, a well-known spokesperson for such pseudo-science, famously stated that the theory of evolution is a scientific fact. Evolution, however, is at best an unprovable hypothesis and certainly not a fact, but it is taught as truth in our lie-based anti-God school systems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world portrays those of us who adhere to the Bible’s teaching about the origin of mankind as backward religious extremists who resist the advancement of an enlightened scientific view.

To go against the dominant “scientific” worldview is to risk, or perhaps guarantee, being called a fool. This is a price everyone who is loyal to God’s Word must be willing to pay. (1 Corinthians 4:10)

One might ask if gravity is indeed a fact, too, or is it merely an unproven theory espoused by Sir Isaac Newton to support the novel and non-biblical Copernican heliocentric theory? It soon thereafter morphed into the so-called Law of Universal Gravitation, which today is accepted as an indisputable truth despite the fact that it cannot be proven in a laboratory.

Satan uses pseudo-science to obscure the revelation of God.

King David wrote these beautiful words that describe one of the purposes of creation.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Psalm 19:1–4 (NKJV)

Human beings are supposed to look upon what God made and see clear evidence of the Creator.

Paul wrote:

because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:19–21 (NKJV)

When our spiritual eyes are blinded by sin and lies, we cannot see evidence of God in his creation, which has devastating results by alienating us from God and his life. In an effort to shroud the entire world in deception, Satan has used what is falsely called science to spread lies about the world God made. Realizing this ever present danger, Paul warned his protege, Timothy.

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NKJV)

Only by returning to the truth found in Genesis and reading it with an open heart and mind can we begin to get back to a proper understanding of creation.

God created this world as the center of everything. It is a protected environment overseen by the Creator personally. His throne is located above the firmament. We are not, as so-called scientists say, an insignificant speck in an incomprehensibly large universe hurtling at incredible speeds toward an uncertain future in which God is nowhere to be found.

Jesus revealed how important it is to be loyal to God’s Word, if we are going to experience freedom from Satan’s enslaving lies.

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)

It is time for God’s people to rededicate ourselves to God’s Word and determine that we will adhere to it no matter how costly it may prove to be. Those who honor his Word will be honored by God.

For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:2 (NKJV)

Reaffirming Our Allegiance to God’s Word above the Claims of Astrophysics

The Word of God, the biblical account of the sun, moon, and stars differs from what we are taught in school regarding the Big Bang and the heliocentric model. Historians usually pose the church as the villain which resists the progress of science and truth. We are centuries past the introduction of the Copernican heliocentric theory’s general acceptance and the uproar that accompanied it. The church acquiesced, and what was previously debated is now regarded as fact, even though it has not been empirically proven using the so-called scientific method.

The conflict between Scripture and what is called science is age old and tests whether we will esteem God’s Word higher than the theories and pronouncements of men.

The passage of time tends to generate a general acceptance of what was once only a theory. Enormous pressure exists in the scientific community to accept the status quo, but real science and truth only advance when questions are asked and answers tested. The problem is that questions regarding cosmology and origins defy empirical testing.

I have already known a long time that we do not yet have proof for the system of Copernicus, but I shall not take the risk to be the first one attacking it  —Alexander von Humboldt(1769-1859), Quoted in F.K. Schultze’s synopsis and translation of F.E. Pasche’s “Christliche Weltanschauuing

In this article I question some parts of our current reigning cosmology in pursuit of biblical truth.

I humbly ask you to consider what the Bible says in contrast to what so-called science claims and afterward make a decision regarding where you will stand in the matter.

I have come to believe that Satan must experience a perverted pleasure from convincing us to abandon God’s truth and embrace his lies. Jesus was not overstating things when he called him the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and Revelation tells us that he deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9). The longer I live, the more my eyes have been opened to the magnitude of the deception and the enormous numbers of people who participate in it.

Satan’s deceptions are always designed to make us question God’s words, hide God’s glory, and enslave us.

The Bible says that the devil’s lies create spiritual strongholds which resist God’s truth. (2 Cor. 10:4-5) Another name for this is brainwashing. When a lie is repeated to us over and over again, we tend to believe it, especially if those doing the lying are esteemed by us. In our culture, I believe that scientists are often the culprits. We have been trained from childhood that their proclamations are true, even if they are based on mere speculation. When a brainwashed person is confronted with truth, he or she initially resists it, thinking that it is false because it runs counter to their programming. Sometimes it takes repeated encounters with truth before we start to open ourselves to it.

My hope is that you will at least consider what I have written here, even if it challenges your own status quo. I hope we can agree that the pursuit of truth is a worthwhile journey.

The Bible vs “Science”

Here is what Genesis teaches us about the heavenly luminaries.

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. Genesis 1:14–15 (NKJV)

The Hebrew word for “light” means a luminary, light bearer or producer, or lamp. God gave us these luminaries to “divide the day from the night,” generally to provide light for us, and to be for signs, seasons, days, and years. Our days are regulated by what the Bible calls the “circuit” (Psalm 19:6) of the sun. It has been measured at 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59.99… seconds, essentially 24 hours – the solar day. The moon’s “circuit” is different and has “phases” that have been used for centuries to measure months in 28-day cycles. The stars’ circuit around Polaris, the north star which for centuries has remained fixed over the north pole, is called the sidereal day and lasts 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 41 seconds. Astronomers have developed a complex theory of celestial motion to try to explain why the solar day is a different length from the sidereal one, since both depend on the rotation of the earth, if we use the heliocentric explanation of things. For the average person, this explanation is “beyond our pay grade,” which invites us to lay aside our own reasoning power and rely on the “experts.”

In one year, the stars always return to their same position in the sky, which is quite remarkable (I would say unbelievable.), if we accept the Big Bang tenet of faith that the entire universe is constantly expanding at incredible speeds. If one does an internet search to find out how fast, one realizes that the answers are largely unintelligible for the average person. Some say our galaxy is racing through the universe at over a million miles per hour. This obviously requires us to take a leap of faith that the “experts” are telling us the truth. I find that such thinking is unbelievable, considering that the stars have remained in fixed positions in the night sky through the centuries. The only way that heliocentrists can somehow try to account for this is to say that they are so incomprehensibly far away that there is no observed parallax. This would require the stars to be phenomenally large. The Bible makes no such claim. It says they are in the firmament and are not “sun” but are luminaries.

 Anybody who has been seriously engaged in scientific work of any kind realizes that over the entrance to the gates of the temple of science are written the words: ‘Ye must have faith.’ —Max Planck

Theoretical physics is derived from math, not experimentation. Nicola Tesla, generally regarded as one of the most brilliant true scientists of all time, and a contemporary of Einstein, had little regard for the latter’s work.

Today’s scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality.  —Nikola Tesla

A prominent modern theoretical physicist and string theory proponent, Michio Kaku, agreed with Tesla.

Nobody that I know of in my field uses the so-called scientific method. In our field it is by the seat of your pants, leaps of logic. It is guesswork.  —Michio Kaku, C-SPAN Interview (Source)

After talking with Kaku about string theory and dimensions, William Shatner of Star Trek fame said that he concluded that science and science fiction are the same thing.

A good example of obfuscating the truth behind incomprehensible math is Einstein’s theory of special relativity, which he developed after the surprising findings of the Michelson-Morley experiment. That experiment shot a light beam east-west and north-south, expecting there to be a difference based on the assumed motion of the earth around the sun. The unexpected result was that there was no difference, leading Morley to conclude that the earth was not moving.

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.

Einstein was a confirmed Copernican and developed his theory of special relativity to explain away the results. He employed a logical fallacy called “begging the question” by “proving” the motion of the earth by assuming the motion of the earth. Einstein took the “leap of faith” that the metal enclosure contracted because of the earth’s motion, thus accounting for the unexpected results. This gave theoretical physicists an imaginary mathematical solution, which has never been empirically verified, which allowed them to keep the Copernican system intact. I believe that Einstein and others have chosen to “suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18) because they are unwilling to consider that what the Bible claims is true: the earth is at rest with the heavenly bodies moving around it. I believe this is another case of the religion of pseudoscience masquerading as the truth.

Personally, if I must take a “leap of faith,” it will be to assert God’s Word is true, even if it contradicts the generally accepted theories of modern astrophysicists.

Returning to our exploration of what God says about the sun, moon, and stars, the Bible tells us that these luminaries are located in the firmament, which I believe is a mysterious firm boundary which separates the waters above and the third heaven where God’s throne is located from what lies below. (See previous article.)

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 1:16–19 (NKJV)

The exact nature and extent of the firmament is unknown to us, but the Bible affirms that it is the location of the sun, moon, and stars. This seems to preclude that they are “astronomical” distances from us. Since God chose to withhold details from us, we must accept his words without having complete understanding. God created us to operate by faith. (2 Cor. 5:7) Everyone operates by certain unprovable assumptions (presuppositions) and must believe in someone or something because no one knows everything. This is true for the Christian as well as the theoretical physicist.

Whether we choose to believe in God or “science,” it takes faith.

The Bible says that the sun and moon are both light sources, which opposes accepted science that claims the moon is a spherical reflector of the sun’s light. If science is correct, one would expect the moon to reflect light as a sphere would, which would be brightest at the center of sphere and fading toward the edges.

However, the moon is evenly lit across its surface. Something does not add up about this luminary. There are things about the moon and cosmos that we do not yet understand. I believe it is a mistake to dismiss God’s Word as our authority when it comes to heavenly bodies just because it does not agree with accepted theoretical physics.

I believe it is safe to say that the Bible is true not only regarding morality but also the creation.

Does this not seem to be yet another case of “has God really said?” Have we been guilty of bowing our knee to “science” instead of to God and his words?

Hear the word of the LORD, You who tremble at His word... Isaiah 66:5 (NKJV)

About now I think I can hear the objection that NASA landed people on the moon, proving that it is a sphere. Did they? There is a vast amount of evidence that the entire thing was a sham. NASA spent billions on the Apollo project, but has quite inexplicably “lost” all the original video, audio, telemetry data, and rocket engine designs, and “destroyed” the technology. Don Pettit is a space station astronaut who has spent months there. Listen to his words.

In addition, more recently other occupants of the International Space Station have said that we have never been beyond lower earth orbit.

Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it, considering our government claims that we landed on the moon several times?

All government agencies lie part of the time, but NASA is the only one I’ve ever encountered that does so routinely. —George A. Keyworth, Science Advisor to President Regan in testimony before Congress, March 14, 1985

And let us not forget that today we have the ability to manufacture a false or virtual “reality” like never before in history. Those of us saw the movie, Gravity, were impressed by the amazing simulations of weightlessness and “outer space” that were produced in a movie studio with a large, but limited budget. From our point of view, it was impossible to tell it from the “real thing.” What could NASA produce with its yearly budget in the billions? If, as more and more people believe, the moon landings were an elaborate hoax filmed by the renowned director Stanley Kubrick, we have no direct proof that any claims made by NASA about the nature of the moon are true. Additionally, there are no true photographs of the earth from space, only computer generated images.

Robert Simmon, NASA’s Lead Data Visualizer and Information Designer, said, “My role is to make imagery from Earth sciences data. I turn data into pictures.” He came up with what is known as the blue marble image of a globular earth that is so ubiquitous today. Several versions have been released, which surprisingly show continents having differing sizes. Hmmm…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But we do have God’s unchangeable Word that never lies. (Numbers 23:19)

Psalm 19 supplies us with more truth regarding the sun.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:1–6 (NKJV)

Here the firmament is described as a tabernacle or tent for the sun, under or within which it travels a circuit or circular course.

Simply put, the Bible states that the sun moves, not the earth.

That this is the proper understanding is confirmed in the following passage from Joshua.

Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. Joshua 10:12–13 (NKJV)

Martin Luther, a contemporary of Copernicus, rejected his heliocentric theory based on the verse above combined with other scriptures, such as Psalm 19:6, Ecclesiastes 1:5, and Psalm 93:1, which state that the earth does not move, but the sun does.

Once again we are confronted with a crisis of faith: will we believe what the Bible says or what modern “science” tells us?

Since the Renaissance, the church has felt compelled to compromise the Word of God to make it conform to theoretical physics. We sometimes adopt a hermeneutic that God simply accommodated himself the the limited understanding of the authors of the Bible. Am I the only one uncomfortable with believing that God fudged the truth? My wife and I refused to lie to our children about Santa Claus lest we damage their faith somehow. Surely God would not lie to us, would he?

Personally, I am willing to assume that God is the one telling the truth, even though it requires me to assume others are lying. I certainly do not wish to call God a liar.

The stars, viewed with a powerful optical lens, look quite different than we have been led to expect by NASA. They seem to be shimmering luminaries as might appear if seen through water. Remember: the Bible tells us that there is water above the firmament.

My research leads me to believe that we have been fed a steady diet of CGIs regarding “outer space” instead of the truth?

In our day, I believe that “science” is the government’s religion, and scientists are its high priests.

If we dare question these high priests, we should be prepared to suffer for it in some way, even if it is simply to be dismissed as ridiculous. At this point, I cannot help but remember how Fauci claimed that Covid vaccine opponents were science deniers. We opposed the religion of the state and encountered its push back.

Scientists are not the paragons of rationality, objectivity, openmindedness and humility that many of them might like others to believe. —Marcello Truzzi, Professor of Sociology

It can be argued that Copernicus’ heliocentric theory was more of a religious / philosophical proposition than pure “science.” It elevated the sun to a sort of god status that holds things together; whereas, the Bible states that Jesus created and holds everything together through the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:3). 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

Interestingly, the supposed missions to the moon were named after the Greek sun god, Apollo, who stands for Lucifer, the light bearer.

Science cannot be “scientific” without adhering to the scientific method. Modern astrophysics makes empirically unprovable pronouncements which we must accept by faith. This seems more like religion than science.

The motion of the sun, moon, and stars can be predicted without the heliocentric theory, as is proved by centuries of astronomers having accurate knowledge of celestial movements, including eclipses, before the advent of modern astronomy.

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).

Nevertheless, now, many generations after his death, anyone who disputes his theory is deemed to be a scientific heretic and worthy of scorn. The actual scientific method encourages questioning, however.

Just as the serpent dismissed and scorned God’s words of warning in the garden so long ago, the hiss of the serpent can be detected in the way that which is called science casually and routinely dismisses the Bible’s claims.

Many modern “scientists” haughtily scorn God and the Bible while indoctrinating our society with anti-biblical “truths” with the purpose of pushing people further away from seeing the glory of God in his creation. The more we buy into an anti-God “scientific” narrative, the further we are likely to drift from the Bible’s truth and an appreciation for the Creator.

[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

Conclusion

I believe there is an anti-God agenda in full swing on the earth, which influences every area of society and life beginning with cosmology, extending to theology, and ending perhaps with sexuality.

Satan wants us to doubt and dismiss every single word of God.

He starts by telling us that this world, instead of being fashioned by a loving and wise Creator, is random and chaotic, birthed by an explosion and is in danger of being annihilated at any moment by a wandering asteroid, a virus, war, pollution, climate change, or an alien invasion. He tells us that there are too many people and not enough food, even though God commanded us to be fruitful and multiply. He insists that humans are an evil “virus;” even though God says we are his highest creation, made in his image and likeness. He tells us that Christianity is bad; even though we proclaim the truth about the Creator-Sustainer-Redeemer. He tells us that sex outside of marriage is normal, natural, and fulfilling; even though God forbids it, and we can clearly see how it has ravaged society. He tells us that children in the womb are not human at all and should be subject to the whims of the mother regarding being allowed to come to term and be born or not; even though God is involved with our development in the womb and knew us even before we were conceived. He tells us that we cannot be sure of what gender we are, when God says we are male and female. He encourages us to mutilate our bodies in the pursuit of trying to be different from how God made us, instead of humbly acknowledging our Creator in all things.

Would it be out of character for Satan and his minions to lie to us about the nature of the earth, sun, moon, and stars?

Obviously not, especially if doing so will interfere with our being able to recognize the Creator’s handiwork.

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

I believe it is time for God-fearing Christians to reaffirm our allegiance to God’s Word as our authority on all of life, including the creation. As the apostle Paul said:

...Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar... Romans 3:4 (NKJV)

The Amazing Firmament

My recent studies of the firmament have left me amazed, filled with joy, and worshipful. Sometimes God’s truth lies right under our noses, but we just cannot see it. Much of our problem in the West stems from our scientific worldview. In this case the problem has been augmented by translators’ bias.

All of us bring our established ways of viewing our world and reality to our study of the Bible. We cannot help this, generally speaking, but students of the Bible are charged with allowing the Bible to say what it means, instead of what we would like for it to say.

Years ago, a friend humorously told me a truth that stayed with me. When God revealed himself to Moses, he told him “I am who I am.” He did not say, as many insist today, “I am who you want me to be.”

Translators’ bias jumps off the pages of most versions when it comes to the Hebrew word “raqia,” which literally means something hard like beaten out metal. In Genesis 1:8, God called the firmament (raqia) heaven (shamayim). God used the firmament to separate the waters (mayim) below from those above. So above the firmament there was and is (Psalm 148:4) water. The shamayim contain mayim.

Therefore, the firmament must be hard and strong enough to support the enormous weight of untold amounts of water, some of which were released upon the earth in judgment during the great flood. (Genesis 7:11-12)

Interestingly, the translators of my beloved New Living Translation, in their attempt to explain difficult concepts in modern language and terms, took the liberty to translate mayim as “water vapor.” Normally I like it when they do this sort of thing, especially when it comes to theological terms such as justification, but in this case they did us a disservice. (That is why I advise people to read the Bible with a dynamic equivalency translation (NLT) in one hand and a literal rendering, such as the NKJV or NASB, in the other.) Mayim means waters or flood, not vapor.

Almost all translators choose words for raqia (firmament) that are more palatable to our scientific worldview pounded into us by our education system. Check it out for yourselves. The NASB, ESV, and NET, my “go to” versions for literal renderings, all use the word “expanse,” which communicates nothing of the hard and strong nature of the firmament. The KJV and NKJV are faithful to the Hebrew and use the word “firmament” to communicate its solidity and strength. This leaves us who have been indoctrinated with the scientific worldview from childhood in a quandary. Do we believe the Bible and go with the literal rending or do we accommodate our scientific bias?

As for me, when I stand before God one day, I would rather he tell me that I took him too literally than have him question why I altered his words.

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

The Bible has some amazing revelations about the firmament besides its strength. I hope you will journey with me as I consider that the firmament is real and not something that is merely symbolic. The first place is in Exodus when God invited Moses and the elders of Israel to dine with him.

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

Obviously they were no longer on Mt. Sinai. It seems that God pulled them into heaven, much as he did with Ezekiel and John the Revelator later. Below are verses that describe those later occasions.

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


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

If you are like me, I tended not to pay great attention to these verses because they seem so otherworldly, impractical, and loaded with unfathomable symbolism.

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

Below are some significant insights they give us.

  • God inhabits a place where the hard “pavement” has a clarity like the sky, the color of sapphire.
  • From below the firmament looks like crystal. The Hebrew word here is qerach, which literally means frost or ice. The word for crystal from Revelation 5:6 uses the Greek word krustallos, which means congealed or transparent and is derived from a root word for frost.
  • God’s throne rests on this sapphire-like pavement of the firmament and is also the color of sapphire. John likened the firmament below it to a sea of glass.
  • The one who sits on the throne must be our Lord Jesus himself. In Exodus and Ezekiel this would have been a pre-incarnate theophany of the eternal Logos. We know from our Lord Jesus himself that God is a spirit whom heaven cannot contain, but Jesus acquired a human body and has been given authority to judge. It is he who sits on the throne as the glorious son of man prophesied by Daniel.
  • The rainbow appears at God’s throne, which reveals what a abomination it is that an inversion and corruption of this symbol now represents something quite anti-God. Could it be possible that the northern lights are expressions of God’s glory above the firmament? One day we will find out for sure!

God told us that every matter or word will be confirmed out of the mouths of two or three witnesses. (Matthew 18:16). Therefore, I believe he wants us to accept these verses as describing reality, not some uncertain symbolism. If we do this, we will see other verses in a new light.

When God says he will roll up or split apart the heavens like a scroll, he means he will peel back the firmament to reveal the one who sits on the throne. (Isaiah 34:4 and Revelation 6:14)

At that point in history, every eye shall see him. The one who ascended through the heavens after his resurrection (Ephesians 4:10) will be revealed when the heavens are no more. Then God will create a new haven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). Glory to God. What a day that will be!

Repentance from Syncretism

In my previous article, I showed how we can repent from believing the “scientific” lie of evolution as opposed to the Bible creation story. This article will address the sin of syncretism whereby we try to blend two or more irreconcilable ideas or faiths.

God warned the Israelites that they must destroy the idols of the people who lived in Canaan to protect themselves from their deluding influence.

Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 “But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 —for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— 15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. Exodus 34:12–16 (NASB95)

The people of that day recognized what many today do not understand. Demonic “principalities and powers” often gain influence and even mastery over the residents who live in certain areas because of sacrifices made to those evil beings in order to procure favor and blessings. In order to protect themselves, invading conquerors often made an effort to appease the local gods. They would not abandon their own gods but would simply add some new ones. This eclectic religion seemed very practical and revealed that they believed that there was not one supreme God over all, but many gods who vied with one another. This would result in a syncretistic blending of elements from the various religions into something new, a sort of hybrid religion.

Another definition of syncretism is “the attempted union of principles or parties irreconcilably at variance with each other.”

I hope I showed how biblical creationism and Darwinism are hopelessly irreconcilable; nevertheless, many well-meaning theologians over the years felt pressure to try to fuse the two. They did not want to seem “foolish” or “ignorant” of the latest “scientific breakthroughs.” They wanted to have their Christian religion while simultaneously bowing to the gods of science. It created something very different from simple belief in the Bible’s teachings and led people to doubt the truthfulness of God’s Word. This is always Satan’s end game. He uses “science,” otherwise called “knowledge,” to cast doubt on God’s spoken or written words.

When engaging in this sort of syncretism, something has to give, and it always seems to be our adherence and allegiance to the written Word of God.

Instead of God’s creating the known world and everything in and around it in six days, blending evolutionary theory into the mix requires us to drag things out over millions of years using supposedly naturalistic but quite impossible processes to spontaneously generate life. Such syncretism results in a sort of Deism in which God passively steps back and lets things play out on their own.

As is apparent, this compromise results in two things. First, it teaches us to distrust and abandon the literal teachings of the Bible, and, second, it makes God irrelevant and unneeded, which is exactly the goal of every satanic philosophy and “scientific” system of thought.

Followers of Christ should never cave to syncretism. As Joshua said so long ago.

“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:14–15 (NASB95)

Now let us consider the creation story in more detail and examine another form of syncretism that involves the Big Bang theory. Have you ever wondered where scientists got the idea of the entire known universe exploding out of nothing? This idea is found the Kabbalah, an occult form of Jewish mysticism.

All of existence started with an explosion from one point that is continually multiplying, according to Jewish mysticism. Thus, Wolfson sees a distinct relationship between the contemporary Big Bang theory and the Kabbalistic notion that the universe burst forth from a single point, which in mystical terms is the limitless light of the divine, or Infinite, known as the “Ein Sof.” In Hebrew, “Ein Sof” literally means “no end.” So the divine, or god, is just another word for infinity. Kabbalists are people who study the manifestations of infinity. And just as physicists seek a single principle, a so-called “unified theory of everything” that will explain all of life, so do mystics. “For the kabbalists, that one principle is the light of infinity, which materializes into the multiplicity of all beings,” Wolfson says. That light emerging from darkness is both physical and symbolic, the professor explains. As an idea, it shows that things are often much more complex than they appear at first glance, and that the most abstract of notions explain the material world. “Cast in the lingo of quantum physics, we could identify the immaterial light as the particle and the material vessel as the antiparticle, which meet and collide in the zero gravitational energy of empty space, the nothingness that spawns the something that is the stuff of being,” Wolfson says.  (https://qz.com/1375015/jewish-mysticism-offers-a-poetic-explanation-of-the-big-bang-and-black-holes)

This is a perfect example of satanic “science” which weaves its web around the mind, appealing to our desire to have knowledge without getting it from God. It baffles us with the appearance of intellectual brilliance.

In 1927, a prescient [Jesuit] astronomer named Georges Lemaître looked at data showing how galaxies move. He noticed something peculiar – all of them appeared to be speeding away from Earth. Not only that, but the farther away they were, the faster they went. He determined a mathematical way to represent this, and connected his relationship to Einstein’s law of General Relativity to produce a grand idea: That of a universe continually expanding. It was a radical idea then, but today it fits with our conception of a universe spawned by a Big Bang. (https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-jesuit-astronomer-who-conceived-of-the-big-bang/)

Personally I believe that Satan was just as surely behind the Kabbalistic and Jesuit versions of origins as he is behind the Big Bang theory. I think they are one and the same, only the latter is dressed up in the clothes of science rather than religious mysticism.

The Kabbalah was developed during the Middle Ages by a Jewish mystic. Practical Kabbalah is the process of engaging in rituals, summoning angels and demons, uttering incantations and divine names, using amulets and magical seals to actually change the world. (https://www.learnreligions.com/kabbalah-4771368)

The Kaballah is syncretistic, blending biblical Judaism with witchcraft. One might say the same thing about the Big Bang theory. It seeks to weave a magical spell around our minds to keep us from seeing God’s glory in creation.

The attempt to blend the Big Bang theory and its attendant cosmology with what the Bible teaches is quite impossible, even though its seems as it might be done at first. The Bible says that God spoke the our world into existence out of nothingness. So far, so good.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NASB95)

But, besides refusing to credit the Creator with initiating the process, the Big Bang theory holds that the sequence of events after the initial ‘blast” unfolded is completely unlike what God’s Word tells us. Employing supposed naturalistic forces and assumptions, the Big Bang theory posits that an entire “universe” of exploded matter and energy over vast amounts of time formed into stars, planets, etc., eventually producing what we observe, including all forms of life, without any reference or reliance upon the Creator. The Bible is very specific in how God put things together, dividing his work into six twenty-four hour days. The two simply do not mix.

By giving us a naturalistic, supposedly scientific, explanation of our origins, Satan tries to make those who hold to what the Bible says seem backward, “archaic,” and ignorant. If you want to be mocked or patronized, tell your “educated” friends that you believe the Bible 100%.

The Bible does not always satisfy our curiosity by giving us the “how” or “why,” but it does give us what we need to know. Our problems start with wanting to know more than God chooses to tell us.

This insatiable quest for knowledge that goes beyond and stands opposed to what God has revealed is what got us into trouble in the first place and continues to do so now. Some things relating to origins and cosmos are simply past our comprehension and “need to know.”

When Job virtually demanded to know why God allowed him to be afflicted, God eventually appeared to him, but not to answer his questions. Job’s interaction with his Maker resulted in his gaining a new awe and admiration for God that satisfied every fiber of his being. He no longer needed to know why.

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” 4 ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ 5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; 6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:3–6 (NASB95)

The creation is meant to impress upon us awe and wonder resulting in worship of the Creator. The Big Bang theory is meant to reduce the universe to mere materialistic mechanisms that rob us of knowing God.

King David wrote these words of worship as he pondered the heavens.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, Psalm 8:3–6 (NASB95)

God intends for us not only to grow in our knowledge and worship of him. He also wants us to understand that mankind is central to his creation purposes.

The Big Bang theory leaves us thinking that we are inconsequential specks in a vast impersonal universe. Can you not detect Satan’s hand in weaving the witchcraft-like spell of this pervasive lie? Satan hates that we who put our faith in Christ are destined to rule with him forever, seated with Christ at God’s right hand. We are handed what Satan tried to take from God.

In my next article, I will begin to explore in more detail what the Bible says about the world in which we live. It is quite at odds with the lie of the Big Bang theory. We cannot mix the two. We, like Joshua, must decide whom we will serve – modern so-called “science” with its cleverly spun lies or the God of the Bible whose words are always true. He cannot and does not ever lie.

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NKJV)

Adopting a Biblical Cosmology

In my previous article, I showed why it is hazardous for us to try to blend irreconcilable ideas in a vain attempt to harmonize the Bible with godless philosophies and systems of thought.

We can avoid syncretism by allowing God’s Word to shape our thinking in every area, including our cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the heavens and earth.

Doing so will cause us to reexamine commonly held beliefs in both the natural and spiritual domains to see how faithfully they align with biblical revelation and truth. Not surprisingly, this process will likely challenge whether we trust and revere God’s Word more than what is called “science”.

During the Covid crisis, a mantra was echoed – “trust the science,” which, by the way, is very unscientific. Science is a process that requires and encourages questioning. Notwithstanding, those of us who questioned “the science” during Covid, including the efficacy of lockdowns, masks, social distancing, and an unproven mRNA jab, were ridiculed, censored, ostracized, and sometimes persecuted, as in the case of those who were fired for refusing to trust the science. We were expected to bow to the “high priests” of a new religion called scientism, instead of doing our own research and forming our own conclusions. Blindly trusting “science” is more of a religion than scientific, as revealed by how our leaders handled opposition. During Covid, many of us awakened to the fact that Satan, the great deceiver, is hard at work promulgating falsehoods designed to steal, kill, destroy, and to hold humanity captive, hindering our quest to know God and truth.

For lovers of truth, anything that contradicts the Bible must be rejected.

This will test our loyalty to God and our conviction regarding the truth of the Bible. It might require us to be willing to look foolish to “more enlightened” people who esteem the tenets of faith promoted by what is called science higher than any other source of truth.

God wants to convince us that he never lies. He may not immediately reveal everything we want to know, but he will not fudge the truth to accommodate our ignorance either.

For example, today many scientifically minded people no longer believe that evil spirits or demons exist or are behind some common sicknesses and diseases. People with this view think that God simply accommodated our ignorance of medicine in times past and told us that demons caused such things as epilepsy, instead of telling us the truth, which would have made no sense at that time.

Consider, however, that if we are willing to believe that Jesus either did not know what he was talking about or that he gave us false information, we are claiming that God sometimes gives us bad information that must later be corrected by our own discoveries.

This sounds like Eve’s quest in the garden to me. “Did God really say?”.

However, the Bible is clear on this matter.

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)

God never lies, but Satan and humans do all the time.

Our government has always lied to some extent, but has taken things to an entirely new level in the last several decades. A former CIA director, William Casey, once told President Reagan: “We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.” This quote was given by Barbara Honegger, who was in the room.

With the advent of computers, video, and artificial intelligence, it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate between truth and falsehood. This is part of Satan’s plan to demoralize us to the point we give up our quest for truth.

Satan has been quite successful at pulling the wool over our eyes in many areas for a long, long time. As is usual with all tyrants, however, he went too far, which has awakened more and more people to what he has been doing. During the Covid crisis, it became apparent that a supranational agency or group was manipulating things. All over the world the same sort of policies were adopted that stripped citizens of their freedoms in the name of public safety.

It also became apparent that the truth was the biggest casualty during that crisis as governments censored anyone who did not go along with the party line. This happened even in the USA, where freedom of speech is enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Mattias Desmet coined the phrase “mass formation psychosis” to describe the wholesale brainwashing that took place around the world. Those of us who spoke against unscientific and totalitarian practices were ridiculed, censored, and sometimes ostracized, but, as Desmet points out, the only thing that can prevent such a brainwashed society from descending into totalitarianism is for the unyielding minority to continue to speak up.

The reason that so many people could not accept that the “jab” might be dangerous was because trusted individuals and institutions said it was safe. Surely there could never be a conspiracy so encompassing that it would include our government, Big Medicine, Big Pharma, Big Media, Big Tech, our education establishment, and supranational organizations such as WHO and the European Union! But that is exactly what happened. In this case, however, the devil pushed too far, causing many people to awaken to the level of evil and deception at work in the world.

Jesus told us that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9). We should not regard this as hyperbole. It is literally true.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 1 John 5:19 (NKJV)

Satanic deception is not limited to religious or moral matters. It extends to every area of life. His goal is to subvert God’s truth regarding creation, the nature of reality, life itself, and God.

Most of us naively think that we are above being brainwashed. Knowing how easily we fall for ideas that appeal to our pride, the devil introduces philosophies and systems of thought that make us think we are smarter than anyone else and do not need to lean on that “crutch” called God or believe in “archaic ideas” contained in the Bible. At the same time, our archenemy tells us that we are insignificant, meaningless, and harmful beings that evolved by chance and need to be removed from the planet or at least significantly reduced in number. Consider the first goal written on the now destroyed Georgia Guidestones: maintain humanity under 500 million in perpetual balance with nature. Who wrote that? Who is trying to accomplish this 94% reduction in the world’s population? Whoever it is, they are in league with Satan.

It’s ironic that in our pride we believe the satanic lie that we are smarter than God but totally insignificant.

Adopting a Biblical Cosmology

What does the Bible teach us about the world in which we live? When I took a course in astronomy in college, I was a new Christian. I remember being struck by how the textbook and teacher promulgated mere theories as fact. Our educational system, media, and government does this regularly, knowing that if a lie is repeated often people begin to accept it as true.

From earliest times, men and women have observed the sun, moon, and stars and tried to comprehend or explain their movements. Due to the cosmos being outside our reach, everything was theoretical and philosophical. Philosophy always carries a bias, such the modernist presupposition that any explanation that requires a Creator must be rejected. Fortunately for us, the Bible gives us some us some extremely valuable information, which we should not dismiss as archaic or primitive. Perhaps ancient man, being closer to Adam, had greater insight that we do.

 

If we believe that God’s words are always true and faithful, then we will take them at face value, unless it is clear from the context that we should not.

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

Genesis and other scriptures tell us several important truths upon which we can and should base our cosmology. It is not surprising that godless “science” tries to negate these words by offering us a contradictory explanation of the nature of heaven and earth how they came into being.

Day 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. Genesis 1:1–5 (NASB95)

God created the “heavens” (plural) and the earth out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3) simply by speaking it into existence. Our cosmos did not spontaneously explode into existence, as Big Bang adherents insist. Explosions produce chaos and destruction and are never creative. We learn from John that everything we can observe was brought into existence and is sustained by God’s living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1:3)

The “earth” (Hebrew “erets”) was formless and void but consisted of waters and “the deep” over which “face” the Spirit of God hovered or moved. At this point all was darkness. God then created light. It is important that we understand and believe that this light existed without sun, moon, or stars to emit it. Interestingly, Revelation states that in the new creation that will come at the very end of time, there will be no need for a sun because God himself is its light. (Revelation 21:23) Jesus also said that he is the Light of the world. (John 9:5)

The Bible’s declaration that light existed before there being any known source is a “scientific” hurdle we must clear if we are going to honor God’s Word above all contenders.

God excludes certain information or explanations from us in order to see if we will  stick to our guns by trusting him even when we do not understand the “how”. We do not want to be like those followers of our Lord who turned away because he said some things they did not comprehend . (John 6:66) God declared that the light was good and separated it from the darkness. He called the light day and the darkness night. Then the Bible declares that this separation resulted in the first day. As yet there is no sun and no solar day. Are you still there?

Day 2
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)

The second day of creation challenges our scientific world view again. The English word “firmament” is only used in the KJV and NKJV. The other translations opt for such words as expanse, space, or sky, which is unfortunate. The Hebrew word is raqia, which means something hard such as beaten out metal. The Bible says it is strong enough to support the waters above it and forms a vault over the earth. Here are a couple other verses that use the word raqia.

And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Ezekiel 1:26–27 (NKJV) 

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

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

God placed waters above the firmament, which are still there, according to the psalmist.

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Psalm 148:4 (NKJV)

God called the firmament heaven, which is another Hebrew word, shamayim. We know from Paul that there are (at least) three heavens. (2 Corinthians 12:2) We also know that when Jesus ascended after his resurrection he rose through the heavens. (Ephesians 4:10 and Hebrews 4:14)

Day 3
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 3, God separated the waters under the firmament from the land and brought forth plants. This confronts evolutionary theory that all life began in the primordial soup of the oceans. We must decide which will we believe, “science” or God?

Day 4
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)

On the fourth day, God place “lights” or luminaries in the firmament of the heavens. Here once again God’s Word collides with the Big Bang theory head on. The Bible says the Creator placed luminaries in his vaulted heavens, which include the stars, the sun, the moon, and the wandering luminaries science calls planets after he made the earth. If our scientific cosmology has not been challenged before now, this certainly brings us to a crisis of faith. Will we believe what God says or write it off to God’s speaking within the context of an archaic and primitive worldview? If we choose the latter, we have now begun to slide down the slippery slope of deciding what parts of the Bible can be trusted and which need to be revised to accommodate the “insights” of modern so-called “knowledge.”

The Bible presents a geocentric cosmos, in which man is the center of God’s plan and purpose.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, Psalm 8:3–6 (NKJV)

The Big Bang theory and its adjunct, heliocentrism, informs us that the earth is an inconsequential speck in a chaotic, exploding, godless, and impersonal universe. It teaches us that earth and mankind have no special significance or purpose. Once again, we are faced with an important decision. Who will we believe? To me, it is clear that one voice comes from God, and the others sounds very much like someone who hates us.

In the Bible’s geocentric view of the earth, the sun and moon are “luminaries” that God placed in the firmament and run a “circuit” over the earth.

Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:4–6 (NKJV)

Was God here merely conforming his words to a primitive understanding of the cosmos before people “discovered” the heliocentric view? Did God think that earlier people were so ignorant and stupid that he had to fudge the truth? Did he communicate something that we later would find out was not true, thus causing us to wonder if other things in the Bible are false as well? Did God really say?

When our children were very small, Martha and I had to decide if we would go along with the fantasy of Santa Claus and lie to our children about that. We decided that we never wanted to give them a cause for doubting our words or God’s; so we told them the truth. We did not take a “hard line” approach, but we did tell them the truth, without trying to strip all the fun out of the annual holiday gift giving. Being mere humans, we are not very righteous or truthful compared to God.

If we did not not want to give our children cause for doubting the truthfulness about God by telling them a lie about Santa Claus, shouldn’t we think that the God of truth would never do such a thing by lying to us about how the word was created?

Day 5
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)

On the fifth day, God created sea creatures and birds and gave the command to be fruitful and multiply. This order of things is anti-evolution, which says that life evolved out of the sea. If we believe God’s Word is true and unalterable, we quickly recognize the lie behind evolutionary thinking.

Day 6
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)

On the last day of creation, God made land-based animals and man. Man was created in God’s image and is most important to God, not a being that evolved by chance. The command to multiply runs contrary to globalist thinking that there are too many people. God wants us to fill this magnificent earth.

The desire to curtail multiplication through abortion and other means comes from Satan himself.

If we take God’s Word at face value, even when it confronts the “established truths” of modern science, we are well on our way to liberating our minds and hearts from the schemes and lies of the devil. I hope you will take this process seriously and allow yourself to insist on adhering to God’s Word.  As the apostle Paul wrote long ago.

...let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” Romans 3:4 (NASB95)

The Mechanics of Deception

In my previous article, I concluded that God has given us two antidotes for the poison of deception: a map (the Bible) and a guide (the Holy Spirit). Satan uses his cleverness to pry us away from reliance upon those two gifts from God. Paul recognized this satanic strategy at work in Corinth.

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB95)

The devil uses philosophies and doctrines that appeal to our vanity and desire to figure things out for ourselves instead of relying upon God.

Again, Paul warned about this.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NASB95)

Any system of thought that denies the truthfulness of the Bible is not from God.

The first thing Satan did to bring about the fall of mankind was to sow doubt into Eve’s mind regarding the truthfulness or God’s words.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1–5 (NASB95)

In hindsight, it is easy for us to see how Satan manipulated Eve, but, when it happens to us, it can be very confusing. The serpent began by asking an seemingly innocent question that subtly accused God. This put Eve on the defensive. Her recounting of God’s prohibition was incorrect in that she added touching the fruit in addition to eating it as a cause of death. At this point Satan flatly contradicted God’s words and accused God of being untrustworthy in the process. Eve, for some reason, bought the lie instead of defending God. Adam was present and remained quiet, which makes him responsible, too. Once Adam and Eve accepted Satan’s accusation against God, it was not much of a leap to reject God’s warning and evaluate the fruit using their own reasoning, which led them to take a bite. The rest is history. That one act of treachery cost our Lord Jesus his life.

Satan will always cast doubt on the veracity of God’s Word. He encourages us to evaluate things according to our own judgment instead of relying on God’s. He introduces arguments that appeal to our pride and sound convincing, but always lead to death.

It is amazing to me that many people easily put their faith in the Big Bang theory rather than in the Bible’s account of creation. No one was there when everything we see came into being; so, whatever position one takes regarding origins is either a matter of faith or mere conjecture. If a person wants to believe that everything we see came out of nothing all by itself, that takes more faith than believing in a Creator God. Nevertheless, spontaneous creation appeals to our pride and gives us permission to do whatever we like, since we have no one to whom we are accountable. This sin is very much like that of our first parents, the desire to be our own gods.

Similarly, many accept the unproven hypothesis of Darwinian evolution rather than the creation account of human origins. Once again, neither can be scientifically duplicated and “proven,” so, whichever one a person chooses to believe is a matter of faith – faith in God or in mere conjecture. The appeal of such a vain philosophy is apparent. It places us on the top rung of creatures who are accountable to no one. We are gods of a sort, the best “nature” has come up with so far.

This kind of thinking produces unwelcome consequences. Evolution leads to thinking that some “races” are superior or “more evolved,” leading to racism and genocide. Evolution produces the existentialist conclusion that there is no absolute truth. All we can know for sure is what we experience. That being the case, what really matters in life is pleasure, power, and being “fulfilled.”

When God’s truth is rejected, it leaves us without an anchor, drifting on seas of uncertainty and confusion.

That is where our nation is today.

Can you think of other areas in which we have allowed the wisdom and so-called knowledge or “science” propagated in the world to make us despise and forsake God’s Word?

Once we understand the mechanics of deception, it should make us even more determined to live within the framework God has given to us, using the map of the Bible and the guide – the Holy Spirit. We can decide to never again accept any philosophy or doctrine that denies what the Bible teaches. If we do this, it can lead us to some very important and exciting truths that can revolutionize our thinking and lives.

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)

The Entrance and Extent of Deception

Deception is all around us, and we must ask ourselves where did it come from, what is its nature, how extensive is it, and how can we escape its influence? No person is adequate to completely answer these questions, but, using the Bible as our map and depending on the Holy Spirit to guide us, we can make progress. Otherwise, we will all be like Pontius Pilate, who heard Jesus say:

...I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” John 18:37 (NLT)

When the Roman governor stood face to face with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, he could only reply, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) This is the question facing all of us.

Since the God of truth created the world and said it was “good,” how did deception and evil make their entrance? The Bible tells us that it happened when the serpent deceived Eve into choosing knowledge, falsely so called, over God’s truth.

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Genesis 3:4–7 (NASB95)

The truth was that disobeying God’s command would bring death. Satan convinced Eve that he knew better, which she acted upon. In violating God’s clear command, she and Adam chose so-called knowledge over God’s revealed truth. This continues to this day in many different ways, about which Paul warned us.

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you. 1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NASB95)

Once Adam and Eve poked a hole in the wall of truth that guarded their lives, it opened a flood of deception upon the earth. All of us to some degree or another have become co-conspirators in a giant assault on the truth.

Paul wrote about this in his letter to the church in Rome.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. Romans 1:18–19 (NLT)

The so-called Covid pandemic helped to open our eyes to the extent of the suppression of truth. It was incomprehensible to most people that our government, mainstream media, Big Tech, Big Medicine, and Big Pharma would join forces to suppress truth and push a lie, but that is exactly what happened and continues today. A thinking person must ask him or herself, just how far does this deception go? What other lies have we been told? Whom can be trusted?

The devil is “hell bent” on deceiving and destroying humanity in order to somehow “hurt” God. This is what Jesus said about him.

...He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! John 8:44–45 (NLT)

Because our hearts have been corrupted by sin, we have a natural affinity for lies, which should put us on guard against the entrance of deception, even for those of us who have come to love the truth.

The devil…

...will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 2 Thessalonians 2:10–11 (NLT)

As a result of centuries of Satan’s work and the cooperation of those who gladly serve the serpent, much of what most people believe is based on deception.

 

We cannot fully trust what the government, the education system, the mainstream media (MSM), Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Medicine tell us. If anyone dares go against the accepted “narrative,” he or she will meet with mockery, rejection, and sometimes other forms of persecution, such as de-funding or maybe even jail time. Worse push back probably lies ahead unless things change significantly.

Is there any way for us to escape pervasive lies and propaganda and learn to discern and stand for what is true? As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, God has given us a map, the Bible, and a guide, the Holy Spirit.

The Bible self-authenticates, since there is no higher authority. Jesus, the One who called himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was vindicated or authenticated by God the Father when he raised him from the dead. Jesus, who is truth personified, told us that the Word of God is truth.

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

God wants us to settle in our hearts that his Word is faithful and true. Only by so doing, can we reverse the suppression of truth initiated by Adam and Eve.

Your eternal word, O LORD, stands firm in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. Psalm 119:89–90 (NLT)

God gave us the Holy Spirit, who is also called the Spirit of Truth, to guide us into all truth as we are able to hear and bear it.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13 (NASB95)

In addition, the truth by its very nature, is irrepressible. It will triumph in the end. Those who are open will be able to discern the truth.

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.John 18:37 (NKJV)

Those who close their hearts to truth will miss out and demonstrate that they are not “of God.”

Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” John 8:47 (NLT)

We can trust the Lord to guide us into truth one step at a time. The important thing is to keep moving toward it. People will resist, mock, and try to intimidate you, but it is worth the cost to discover truth. It will set us free. (John 8:32)

Prayer

Jesus, I long to be a person of truth. I want to know truth, believe it, live by it, and stand for it. I recognize that your are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I ask you to come into my life and open my eyes and heart to your truth. I give my life to you. Use me as you see fit. Amen.

Link to next article in the series.

Don’t pin your hopes on the rapture.

Many think we may be on the brink of a long awaited event, the Second Coming of Christ preceded by a time of great suffering and persecution called the Great Tribulation. The futurist and often Dispensational view of the end times also teaches that sometime before this time of suffering those who believe in Christ will be “raptured.” Even though this is not actually a biblical term, it is means a “catching up” of the Body of Christ which is definitely scriptural.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV) 

The Greek word is harpazo, which means to seize, catch up, or snatch away. The idea is that God’s people will be removed before it gets really bad here on earth, leaving unsaved humanity to endure the atrocities of the Antichrist’s rule. But does this teaching conform to the Bible’s clear instructions on the end times? Might it be a false hope which could leave the church unprepared to endure suffering?

Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who miraculously survived the Nazi death camps after being betrayed by a neighbor for harboring and protecting Jews, toured the world in her old age warning Christians that suffering is part of God’s plan to transform us and prepare us for glory. I quote her below.

 

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.

In China, the Christians were told, ” Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated- raptured.” Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later, I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,

“We have failed..
We should have made the people strong for persecution,
rather than telling them Jesus would come first.
Tell the people to be strong in times of persecution,
how to stand when the tribulation comes,
to stand and not faint.” (Women of Christianity)

We do well to seriously consider Corrie’s warning, but what the Bible says is even more important. What, if anything, did Jesus and Paul say about the rapture? Not surprisingly, they said quite a lot about the end times, and some of it directly relates to the rapture theory. I begin by quoting our Lord’s words regarding the very end of things.

Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.” 37  Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38  The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39  The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. 40  “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42  And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! Matthew 13:36-43 (NLT) 

Here Jesus explained that the first group that will will be taken is composed of the wicked, not the righteous. This is the very opposite scenario posited by rapture enthusiasts. In another passage, Jesus reaffirms that this is how things will end.

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38  In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39  People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40  “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41  Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. 42  “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43  Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. Matthew 24:37-44 (NLT) 

Once again Jesus words work against having an expectation of the rapture of the church. Instead, those who will be taken or swept away are the wicked, just as during the flood of Noah’s day. Noah’s family was left behind to inherit the earth, not the wicked.

Where did the doctrine of the rapture come from then? John Nelson Darby was probably the first person to fully articulate this relatively modern doctrine sometime between 1832 and 1845. (John Darby: Pretribulation Rapture Theory) It can be argued that such a theory could only find traction in a land and time that was free from intense persecution. I doubt if it could have been developed during the persecutions that attended the early church or the one going on in Communist China right now. Many areas of the world have already experienced or are currently experiencing great tribulation.

By the way, the Greek word translated tribulation is thlipsis, which essentially means “pressure.” Pressure explodes weak containers and refines coal into diamonds. How we will be affected by pressure will depend on what is inside us.

The Bible clearly warns us to expect suffering, which God’s grace will help us endure.

"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10  "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11  "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12  "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. 13  "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Matthew 24:9-13 (NASB) 

Jesus encouraged us to endure suffering for the gospel, not pin our hopes on a “great escape” called the rapture.

When people believe they will be pulled out of the coming troubles, it can demotivate us from actively preaching the gospel and working to expand the kingdom of God. Instead, we may end up “forting up” in our churches, waiting for the rapture.

Removing believers when intense suffering is about to arrive does not conform to God’s shepherd heart. Jesus told us that the Good Shepherd will not flee when he sees the wolf coming. Watchman Nee lived and ministered in China before it fell to communism. He had the opportunity to escape but chose to remain with the people under his care. His church was among those who did not capitulate to the demands of the Communist Party. He endured great suffering as a result of his choice and languished for years in prison, but he was faithful to God and those under his care.

Is it not more in line with Christ’s love that he would raise up his church to be his fearless witness during such a time? Is that not what actually happened during previous persecutions? The church grew exponentially during Roman tribulation and has expanded victoriously during the modern persecution in China. Would we expect Christ to rejoice in a weak and fearful bride hiding in hopes of being rescued or in one who is gloriously confronting the enemies of the gospel? What if the period we hope to escape will end up being the most glorious and victorious era for the church?

I have a growing suspicion that most of our end time theology will be seriously rearranged in the coming days as we approach the Second Coming of Christ.

The prophet Habakkuk promised that the glory of the Lord will fill the earth.

"For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 (NASB) 

Could a Spirit-filled victorious church participating in a massive outpouring of the Spirit as prophesied in Joel be part of that process before the Second Coming? Many, including myself, think so.

Jesus taught that his Second Coming will precipitate the resurrection from the dead, the last judgment, and the final state of things. Not only will the wicked be removed and burned with unquenchable fire; all the dead will be raised, judged and assigned to their eternal destinies.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. John 5:25-29 (ESV) 

Those who have already died as believers will be the first ones caught up to meet the Lord when he comes to judge the world. After that those believers who are still alive physically will join them.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18  Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NASB) 

Putting all this together, it appears that the Lord’s Second Coming will be immediately preceded by a removal of the wicked, followed by a resurrection of the dead and a catching up of the righteous to join the descending Lord. This agrees with what Paul wrote about the resurrection in the fifteenth chapter of his First Letter to the Church in Corinth.

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51–53 (NASB95)

Jesus will come again at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised, and those who are still alive will be instantly transformed by receiving their glorified bodies. This is what is called the rapture.Then a glorious and fearful final reckoning will take place which will be administered by the Divine Son of Man, the risen Lord Jesus.

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32  "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33  and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-33 (NASB) 

God has not given us all the details of how it will be at the end, only what we need to know. Hardly anyone figured out how Jesus would arrive on planet earth the first time. Why should we expect that we will succeed the second time?

As we await his sure return, let us hold on to our ideas of what will be with an open mind and heart, realizing that we may need to adjust our thinking as we watch events unfold.

In the meantime, let us take seriously the apostle Peter’s words of encouragement.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11  All power to him forever! Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11 (NLT) 

Disunity Can Be a Sign that God Is at Work

 

 

 

 

 

Unity is important in the church, family, nation, or really any group, but disunity often, maybe always, accompanies any important new activity or truth coming from God.

When Jesus presented himself to Israel as their long awaited Messiah, he attracted the malevolent criticism of those who held power and benefited from maintaining the status quo. He polarized the community by forcing people to make a decision to be either for him or against him.

There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” John 7:12 (NLT)


So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. John 7:43 (NASB95)

Those who tried to hold to a “middle ground” to avoid being caught up in the controversy were either uninformed, uncaring, or cowardly.

Whenever God is doing something important, it brings about a crisis of faith in those who witness it.

Those whose hearts are open receive God’s truth with joy. The devil hates God and truth with a passion, and anyone who is still under his influence will offer vehement resistance. The “lukewarm” will not care because they refuse to be players on the grand stage of life. Every great movement is carried out by a relatively small percentage of people who passionately believe. They will be resisted by those who ardently disbelieve, while the uninvolved watch the drama unfold.

The psalmist taught that unity carries a blessing.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 (NASB95)

Jesus taught on its importance, too.

The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 17:22–23 (NASB95)

Our unity as believers is based on what God has done for his church in Christ.

He has taken Jew and Gentile, men and women, slave and free, and rich and poor from all races and nations and fashioned us into “one new man.” (Ephesians 2:15) We who believe are now part of the body of Christ. Our unity in the Spirit is already accomplished. Our challenge is to believe and act in accordance with this great truth.

However, unity in the Spirit does not mean we must refrain from proclaiming truth that some find divisive.

Jesus and truth have always produced contention because not everyone is willing to receive them. The gospel is often passionately rejected by some who later become believers. That was certainly the case with the apostle Paul. Others never see the light and remain opposed for life. The early church was wracked with disunity from the start in the matter of grace versus the Law. The Judaizers insisted that Gentile believers keep the Law of Moses including circumcision, but Paul and company stood their ground insisting the opposite in the face of great hostility. Though the matter was officially settled in the Jerusalem conference, this controversy still exists.

Truth will always be resisted by those who do not understand or receive it.

When God restored the truth regarding believer’s baptism during the Reformation, both Catholics and Protestants violently opposed the Anabaptists who held to this “new” and “divisive” doctrine. Some of those brave men and women died rather than be moved away from this revelation from God. Today almost everyone in the churches with whom I fellowship believe this doctrine. The baptism in the Spirit was restored in the early 20th century, but not without controversy that still exists. When I was first baptized in the Spirit in 1971, the dominant campus ministry where I attended university opposed our little charismatic group’s meeting by ourselves. They wanted us to join them to preserve unity, but at what cost to what God was doing in our midst? We were trying to grow in our experience and use of the gifts of the Spirit, but, if we only met with the larger group, the Spirit would be quenched by those who disbelieved.

Many times a call to unity is an attempt to silence and control the opposition. Unity between opposing factions cannot happen unless liberty of belief and practice is granted.

When my Dad launched his home meeting in the early 1970s, many Catholics attended, including nuns. After a while, the local Catholic Church tried to “rein in” what he was doing by insisting that the meeting had to be accompanied by a Mass. My father refused to comply with this attempt to quench the freedom of the Spirit. Eventually we departed from the Catholic Church in pursuit of freedom to practice the truth of God’s Word.

Where there is no unity regarding truth, there can be no unity in practice or assemblage.

Interestingly, Paul wrote that disunity is sometimes God’s way of revealing those who are approved by God.

For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. 1 Corinthians 11:19 (NASB95)

Martin Luther did not set out to depart from the Catholic Church. His intention was to reform it, but that was not possible because the Catholic leaders wanted none of it. They wanted to quash the “revolt” and kill its leader. This is exactly what our Lord’s enemies tried to do with him, but they failed as did Luther’s opponents.

Satan and unredeemed humanity will always rebel against and try to subvert what God is doing.

Sometimes even God’s people push back because of our natural human propensity to resist change. The old established way of seeing and doing things always seems better. Sadly, any new move of God is usually resisted by those who experienced the previous one. Jesus said it like this.

“But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ” Luke 5:38–39 (NASB95)

St. Augustine is credited with saying, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

Our Lord does not want us to allow our stand for truth to snuff out our love for those in opposition.

Jesus said to love our enemies, including those who oppose God and truth. However, we are never to back down from our stand for truth because of push back from those who do not understand or receive it. If the truth in question is “non-essential” to salvation, we can agree to disagree, but we cannot abandon our convictions for the sake of a false kind of unity.

Any call to unity that asks us to lay down strongly held convictions is just a veiled form of oppression.

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