As we will see in this new series, the answer to the question in this Q&A is clearly yes. We will explain that the dinosaurs were created and existed PRIOR TO modern MAN, and that they became extinct BEFORE the creation of man (Adam and Eve), due to a universal catastrophe which engulfed the entire earth. 

We will explain the cause for this catastrophe, and that God subsequently restored the surface of the earth and that He brought into existence modern man at that time, as well as the kinds of animals and plants which are basically still known today. (However, God re-created some dinosaur-type animals, when He created man, as will be discussed). A subsequent worldwide catastrophe at the time of Noah wiped out all land animals and birds and insects (but not necessarily sea animals), except for those which were preserved in the Ark.

In this new series, we will also respond to “objections” which are raised against our conclusions. These objections claim that the earth is only 6,000 years old, and that God created all dinosaurs and man together at the same time–“in the beginning”–and that all the dinosaurs and man continued to live together on this planet, until they were destroyed in Noah’s Flood. As we will show, this erroneous idea cannot be based on the Bible.

In our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?”, we explain, first of all, that neither the universe, nor the earth, nor man and animals, as well as plants, were the product of (atheistic or theistic) evolution, but that GOD created everything “by fiat” (while we are not denying that modifications did and do take place within a species (there are different “types” or “breeds” of dogs or cats), but not from one species (cat) to another species (dog), or from a reptile to a bird, from a bird to a mammal, and most certainly not from an animal (ape) to man.)

In the chapter, “The Proof of Creation,” we state the following:

“While scientists tell us the beginning of the universe began with a ‘big bang,’ the Bible tells us something altogether different. God says in Genesis 1:1, ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ The word ‘heavens’ is plural, referring to the entire universe. In Isaiah 45:11-13, God says, ‘Thus says the Lord, the holy One of Israel, and His Maker:… I have made the earth, and created man on it. I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host [the stars, planets, etc.] I have commanded.’

“The New Testament confirms these claims in Hebrews 11:3, ‘By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.’ Hebrews 1:10 tells us, ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.’ Again, we are told that it was God who brought into existence everything there is. Revelation 4:11 states, ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.’…

“Note God’s purpose for His creation in Isaiah 45:18, ‘For thus says the Lord who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited.’ The Hebrew word for ‘in vain’ is ‘tohu,’ which means ‘empty’ or ‘in a state of waste.’ When God created the earth, it was not created in a state of being empty or waste. Rather, we read in the book of Job, that the angels were delighted when they saw the beauty of the earth, as God had created it. Job 38:4-7, ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth… when the morning stars [high-ranking angels, compare Isaiah 14:12, New International Version] sang together, and all the sons of God [lower-ranking angels in this case, compare Job 1:6; 2;1] shouted for joy?”’ The angels would not have shouted for joy if the earth had been an empty, wasted, uninhabitable planet, which had to wait millions of years for physical life to evolve. No, the earth was created in a beautiful condition, capable, at the time of its creation, of supporting life.”

Before continuing, please note that “angels” were already in existence when the earth was created. We read that God created everything. “God” is a translation of the Hebrew word “Elohim,” which describes a Family of God beings, consisting of the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. That is why “God” said, “Let US make man in OUR image” (Genesis 1:26). God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:1-2)—the visible AND the invisible (Colossians 1:13-18, especially verse 16). Angels are created beings, and as we will see in the next installment, one third of them were placed on the earth for a special purpose. We are not told how long ago the earth was created—let alone, how long prior to that the angels came into existence by the hand of God. Also remember that God did NOT create the earth “in vain”– in a state of emptiness and destruction.

In the chapter titled, “The Earth Became Void and Empty,” our booklet on the Theory of Evolution states:

“With this in mind, let’s read Genesis 1:2, ‘The earth was without form [Hebrew ‘tohu’], and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep.’ A more correct translation would be, ‘The earth became void and without form.’ Some translations, like the Companion Bible and The New International Version, have made notations to this effect. [The German Elberfelder Bible states in a footnote as well that the translation can be rendered as, “became” (“wurde”” in German].

“We saw that Isaiah 45:18 tells us that God did not create the earth in vain, or ‘tohu.’ The Hebrew word for ‘in vain’ in Isaiah 45:18, ‘tohu,’ is the same word used in Genesis 1:2, and rendered there, ‘without form.’ So we read in Isaiah that God did not create the earth ‘void’ and ‘empty,’ but we also read in Genesis 1:2 that the earth was ‘void’ and ‘empty.’ Since the Bible does not contradict itself, the only explanation is that the earth, which had NOT been created ‘void,’ subsequently BECAME ‘void.’

“The reason why some translate Genesis 1:2 as, ‘The earth WAS void and empty,’ rather than, ‘The earth BECAME void and empty,’ is based on the fact that the Hebrew word, translated ‘was’ or ‘became,’ can indeed mean both, based on the context. The word in Hebrew is ‘haya.’ It is up to the translator to decide whether to use ‘was’ or ‘became,’ and unless the translator understands what transpired here, based on what the Bible says elsewhere, the resulting translation is going to be misleading.

“Let’s look at some examples that show that the Hebrew word ‘haya’ can mean ‘became.’ As a matter of fact, in the following passages, the word ‘haya’ can ONLY mean ‘became,’ and NOT ‘was.’ Genesis 2:7 says, ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man BECAME [haya] a living being.’ Let’s also read Genesis 19:26, ‘But Lot’s wife looked back behind him, and she BECAME [haya] a pillar of salt.’ Another interesting passage is found in Deuteronomy 27:9, ‘Then Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying, “This day you have BECOME [haya] the people of the Lord your God.”’ Finally, 2 Samuel 7:24: ‘For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever, and You, Lord, have BECOME [haya] their God.’

“Many theologians and scientists have correctly postulated that the state of emptiness, described in Genesis 1:2, occurred long after the state described in Genesis 1:1, when God created the earth. For instance, Joseph Free, Ph.D., Professor of archaeology and history, published a book in 1950, entitled, ‘Archaeology and Bible History.’ He writes on pages 19 and 20, ‘The date of the creation of the universe is an entirely different question from the date of the creation of man. The universe may have been created shortly before the creation of man…or long before, depending on whether or not a long period of time is involved in the first two verses of Genesis. [T]he original creation of the universe and the earth is described in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Then a period of time followed during which “the earth was without form and void.” … This period of time may have been of any length, and could include the geological ages observable in the earth’s surface… After this cataclysmic period, the putting of the world in order is described in Genesis 1: 2b, 3 ff…

“‘In the nineteenth century George H. Pumber in his book, ‘Earth’s Earliest Ages,’ popularized this view that there may have been a long period or gap in Genesis 1:1, 2, and it is sometimes charged that the whole idea is due merely to his book. The possibility of a gap or a long period of time in Genesis 1:1, 2, has, however, been held by many competent theologians…’ …”

We will later address what caused this cataclysmic period, and why the earth, after it had been created beautifully, BECAME a wasteland. But before the earth became empty, animals already lived on the earth. It is important to remember, however, that man did not exist at that time. His creation is described in Genesis 1:26, after God had made the earth habitable again, and after He had created animals which live, for the most part, still today. An interesting passage describing the re-creation or the renewal of the surface of the earth can be found in Psalms 104:30, “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You RENEW the FACE of the earth.”

In our booklet on Evolution, we continue to describe scientific evidence that the earth did in fact BECOME void and empty through a worldwide catastrophe, and that this cataclysmic event caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and other pre-Adamic animals. We will not take the space here to repeat these findings, but recommend to our readers to study our booklet in that respect. However, we will continue with quotes from our booklet, showing the BIBLICAL evidence for this worldwide catastrophe and God’s subsequent restoration of the surface of the earth and the creation of man.

In the chapter, “In the Beginning…,” we say the following:

“The Bible confirms a catastrophic event in the past that destroyed a previously beautiful earth. This event produced darkness and devastation that God had to remove when He renewed the surface of the earth. Looking at Genesis 1 more carefully, we can see that the darkness was the result of comets or asteroids hitting the earth, as well as subsequent volcanic eruptions. Genesis 1:3 says that God said there should be light, and that there was light. But then we read that subsequently, God made the sun, the moon and the stars. Is this a contradiction? Was the great skeptic Voltaire correct when he asked sarcastically, ‘How could there be light, when there was not a sun yet?’ The answer becomes clear when we remember what happens when a meteor or an asteroid or a comet hits the surface of the earth. The smoke from the flames can darken the sky for months, even years. Sunlight could not come through. God had to eliminate the darkness so that the light of the sun could shine through to the earth.

“But still, how can it be that God made the sun on the fourth day, after He had already made light on the first day? The answer is that the Hebrew word translated ‘made’ in verse 16 can also be translated ‘had made’ or ‘will have made.’ One must always consider the context. Remember in Genesis 1:1, ‘In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth.’ God did indeed make the sun, moon and stars in the beginning, though we are not told the time frame of the original creation of these elements. Therefore, verse 16 must be correctly translated that God HAD already made the sun, moon and stars. Then on the fourth day God eliminated all the smoke and dust so that the sun, moon and stars could be viewed again in full clarity and strength.

“Reading verses 14 and 15 again, ‘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 lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth.’ In other words, let them become fully visible. Until then they divided nothing, as there was still a lot of smoke and ashes.

“Commentator R.K. Harrison, in his ‘Introduction to the Old Testament,’ points out that Genesis 1 is written as if the writer was on the earth at the time he wrote, and describes the phases of re-creation in the way he would have seen them. From that standpoint, the writer would have seen the sun, moon and stars on the fourth day when God removed the darkness caused by the fallout…”

We continue to address the question why the earth was covered with water, as verse 2 tells us. We explain that huge tidal waves can be produced by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in the oceans, and we give numerous historical ancient as well “more modern” examples to that effect.

We state that “scientists tell us that even today, in order to see most of the earth flooded with water, not too many spectacular occurrences are necessary. For instance, Bangkok, Thailand, is located only one meter above sea level. A large portion of the Netherlands is actually under sea level. Many developing countries, in fact, are threatened by the possibility of tidal waves or tsunamis. So it is possible, even from a scientific view, that meteors, asteroids and comets hitting the earth, combined with resulting earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and sinking of the earth, as well as huge tidal waves or tsunamis, could have resulted in the surface of the earth being covered with water.”

In our chapter, “Punishment for Sin,” we begin to answer the question WHY such a worldwide destruction which destroyed the dinosaurs occurred after the earth had been created in a beautiful state, so that the angels shouted for joy. We state:

“The cause for the destruction was sin. The Bible tells us that angels occupied the earth prior to man and their leader was Lucifer. But Lucifer became proud and haughty. He induced the angels under him to fight against the very God who created them. Of course, they lost…

“Lucifer’s name, meaning Lightbringer, was changed to Satan, meaning Adversary. The angels under him became known as demons. And because of the sin committed by Satan and his angels, the earth that they inhabited was destroyed. This physical destruction, caused by sudden catastrophes, explains part of the fossil record. Remember, fossils can only be formed in a sudden way. Gradual changes don’t create fossils. Some fossils were formed during other catastrophes, such as the world-wide flood. Again, such catastrophes took place because of sinful conduct of the inhabitants of the earth. A lesson we should learn from this is that sin has a price—you reap what you sow. The fossil record proves that evolution did not take place, and could not have taken place. Rather, fossils establish the existence of sudden catastrophes.”

In our next installment, we will commence to explain in more detail WHY God placed angels, under Lucifer, on the earth; WHY and HOW the earth became gradually corrupted under their rule (after all, since God created the earth and its physical inhabitants in a beautiful and peaceful state, it is hardly comprehensible that He would have created some of the animals as vicious and mean-spirited carnivores); HOW and WHY Lucifer and the angels under his command rebelled against God; and WHY the subsequent SPIRITUAL battle between God and Satan caused the earth to become PHYSICALLY destroyed, causing the extinction of all the dinosaurs alive at that time.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Many of the writers and reviewers of this publication once belonged to a different church organization. For the purpose of this Q&A, it does not matter whether or not you, as the reader, are familiar with that organization. Even if you have never heard of that organization, the following should still be very revealing. The organization referred to (the Worldwide Church of God under its human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong, who died  in 1986)  had taught the truth for decades. A few years after its founder died, the new leadership began to introduce doctrinal changes. The changes were subtly introduced, and it was claimed at the time that they were just clarifications or changes in terminology.

Before explaining in detail what actually happened, let us examine the nation of Israel and the building of the first temple under King Solomon to extract historical lessons from  it. 

When a nation or a church organization is pleasing God through faithful obedience, God blesses that nation or church. The first temple at Jerusalem was a most magnificent building. We can read about the Queen of Sheba, a person who was used to opulence and grandeur.  When she came to visit Solomon and viewed the temple, the servants and all that Solomon had done, she fainted. We read in 1 Kings 10:1-5 (in the Authorized Version):

“And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.”

Yet in spite of all the gold, silver and costly things in the temple and in Jerusalem, the temple was subsequently completely destroyed. Why did God allow this?  After all, even the ark of the covenant was placed in this beautiful temple.

We can read in the book of Ezra that at the time when the second temple was built, the people wept because they had seen the spendour of the first temple under Solomon,  and this second house did not remotely compare to it. Ezra 3:10-12 states (Authorized Version):

“And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy…”

Later, Jesus warned the disciples that the second temple, which had been greatly beautified by Herod, would also be destroyed. This occurred in 70 AD under Titus.

God allowed the destruction of the first and second temples because of sinful conduct and behaviour.

Sin, if not dealt with, is destructive to a nation, a church and an individual.

The Worldwide Church of God’s Auditorium in Pasadena, California, was one of the nicest buildings in the US, with near perfect acoustics for anyone speaking from or singing on stage.  Important people lectured there and world-renown artists played and performed. There was an  inscription in gold letters on the wall of the entryway, stating in part: “DEDICATED TO THE GREAT GOD.”

Yet today, the Auditorium and the entire College campus are no longer in the hands of Church members, and many of the buildings on campus have been torn down. So, what happened? The Worldwide Church of God has collapsed—even its name was changed, so technically, it does no longer exist; and the Church’s three Colleges (in Pasadena, Bricket Wood, England, and Big Sandy, Texas) are no longer operated by the Church.

Let us realize how sinful doctrinal compromise and false teachings led to the entire downfall of the Worldwide Church of God organization. It all really started with a “new understanding” regarding the “Born Again” teaching. As we explain in our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?”, we are begotten when we receive the Holy Spirit, but not yet born. The Worldwide Church of God under Herbert Armstrong understood and taught this, but the new leadership after Mr. Armstrong’s death was very anxious to change this teaching and to proclaim that we are already born again when we receive God’s Spirit.

Why were they determined to do this? Why was Satan’s first major attack on the doctrines of the Church directed towards that very teaching on “Born Again”?

Satan is not stupid. His agenda is and was to be worshipped as god and to replace the one and true God as supreme Commander of the universe. Satan is also very subtle. He is an expert at deception and lying.

The great commission to the Church of God is to preach and publish the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness, and to feed the flock. At the very core of this gospel message is the knowledge and understanding about “born again” and the fact that God is reproducing Himself through mankind.  Man’s potential is to become a born-again immortal God being in the Family or Kingdom of God.

In Satan’s eyes, the dismantling and changing of this understanding was crucial to bringing the church down, since that knowledge also includes the fact that as sons and daughters of God, we will replace Satan and the demons as the present rulers of this world.

Corrupting this understanding was just like placing a virus in a computer. Corrupting it was crucial in Satan’s efforts to ultimately destroy the Worldwide Church of God.

Christ is the Head of the Church of God, which is a spiritual organism. It operates through human organizations. If you think of a Church organization as a body, it stands on two legs.  The doctrine of “born again” was one leg which Satan wanted to cut off. The other leg which had to be cut off in Satan’s mind was the correct understanding about the nature of God–the knowledge that God is a Family, currently consisting of two Members. This knowledge is crucial to the gospel message, since it also helps us to understand our ultimate destiny.

Slowly turning that correct understanding to the pagan and unbiblical doctrine of the Trinity in all its various forms was cutting the second leg from the body which caused the body to fall, and the Worldwide Church of God has never recovered from that fall.

These two doctrines are crucial in order for us to stand as a Church, and they are also crucial for the gospel message to be properly understood. In order to spiritually survive today, we must never let go or compromise on those two doctrines. If we do, then the understanding of other doctrines will also be lost over a period of time.

Changing true doctrines and teaching spiritual error is sin. The Worldwide Church of God organization with its many buildings and campuses was destroyed because of the sinful and misleading conduct and doctrinal error of its leadership, after Herbert Armstrong’s death, and the many ministers and members who accepted these false teachings.

Let’s fully understand the destructiveness of sin regardless of the grandeur and spendour of Solomon’s temple; the temple in Jesus’ time; and the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. They were destroyed or polluted, and the Auditorium and the Pasadena campus of the Worldwide Church of God are now in the hands of Sunday-worshippers –all because of sin.

That’s why it is so crucial not to compromise with doctrine but to stick to the trunk of the tree, and not to get side-tracked from the commission of the Church of preaching the true gospel which contains the only hope for mankind.

In our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again,” we describe in detail the doctrinal downfall of the Worldwide Church of God from its unique correct scriptural understanding to an appalling blasphemous apostasy:

“When the change on ‘born again’ came, some noted that this would ultimately lead to a change regarding the nature of God and the potential of man. A few years later, those changes, anticipated by some, actually had taken place. How could anyone have foreseen this development?

“Simply, because the correct ‘born again’ understanding goes hand in hand with other important Biblical concepts and teachings. When we understand that Christians—those who have received the Holy Spirit—are ‘begotten’ of the Father, we also understand that the Father is reproducing Himself through us. We understand that God is a Family, and that God wants to enlarge His Family through us. We also understand that Christ, the SON of God and the firstborn among many brethren, will marry His church at the time of His return (Revelation 19:7–9; Matthew 22:2; 25:10; Ephesians 5:31–32).

“One important principle taught in the Bible is that a kind only reproduces according to its own kind… [This] shows that Christ will NOT marry a church that is physical. Christ is God—a Spirit being. Christ will only marry Spirit beings. We understand that we are not yet Spirit beings. We also understand, however, that we WILL BE Spirit beings at the time of our resurrection and change to immortality. THEN we WILL BE spirit. THEN we WILL BE born again. THEN Christ WILL marry us. And NOT BEFORE!

“All of these Biblical concepts go together. After we are begotten of God’s Spirit, we have to grow in Christ’s knowledge. We have to become perfect (Matthew 5:48). The receipt of the Holy Spirit is just the BEGINNING of our journey toward perfection and ultimate entrance into the Kingdom of God.

“We understand, too, that the Kingdom of God has not yet come. Christ has not yet established the Kingdom of God on earth. He will do so when He returns. At that time, we will be IN the Kingdom of God. Why? Because we WILL BE God—and God is a Kingdom—the Family of God RULING over creation…

“Since Christ’s death made it possible that man can become God, and since Christ will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords in this Kingdom, under God the Father, the gospel message also includes information about Christ Himself. However, the gospel message goes beyond the person of Christ. It’s a message brought by Christ—not a message limited to the personage of Christ…

“We understand that our ultimate salvation is still in the future—that we will be saved when we enter God’s Kingdom—at which time we will be God…

“In time… we heard the terminology of a gospel about Christ, or that Christ was the gospel. At the same time, we were taught that the Kingdom, although still future to an extent, had already arrived, that we were already in the Kingdom, and that Christ would only come to ‘inaugurate’ the Kingdom.

“We were also taught that we were already saved. All of these ‘new’ teachings were ‘logical’ extensions of the false understanding of ‘born again.’ IF we were already ‘born again,’ then we could see and enter the Kingdom. Therefore, so the reasoning went, since we ‘were already’ born again, we ‘were already’ in the Kingdom and already saved. Since we were already saved, we were gradually taught that we didn’t have to ‘grow’ anymore in Christ’s knowledge as how to keep the law, since the law was allegedly no longer in force and effect. No more Ten Commandments, let alone any commanded observance of God’s annual Holy Days, as Christ supposedly did away with them all! Christ’s statement that we cannot see the Kingdom was incorrectly interpreted… in a way that He was merely talking about ‘perceiving’ the powers of the Kingdom. Of course, these so-called new concepts also required a ‘re-definition’ of what the Bible says about the Kingdom of God.

“Then, we were told that it is incorrect to say that God IS a Family—rather, we should say that God HAS a family. With that ‘subtle’ change, the truth of the nature of God began to become obscure. If God were not a Family, then God was not reproducing Himself, either. Again, we see the ‘logical’ consequence of the ‘born again’ change. This, then, led to the ultimate change regarding the nature of God. God was no longer perceived as consisting of two Beings (God the Father and God the Son), but as just ONE Being. Since God was no longer a Family, there was no longer a duality in the Godhead, either. Clear Scriptures proving the duality of the Godhead were re-interpreted, twisted, or simply ignored…

“We were also taught that God, although one Person, represents Himself within a ‘threefold mode of being.’ A ‘clever’ argument was presented that a person can have three functions—that of a father, a husband, and a president. In other words, God was described as consisting of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but these three ‘functions’ were not Persons, but ‘hypostases.’ This concept had been adopted from a Greek Orthodox idea that stemmed from pagan Greeks like Plato and Aristotle. It was then reasoned that Jesus Christ was a created being who did not exist prior to His human birth. So, we suddenly were introduced to God (one Person in three hypostases), and Christ (another—created—person), who was or somehow became a son, but separate and apart from the ‘Son’-hypostasis of the God-Person. We were even told that the Son was still in heaven (as one of the three hypostases), while Christ was here on earth, and that the Son remained alive when Christ, the physical person, died. With that idea, the supreme sacrifice of Christ had been denied and rejected.

“To add further to the confusion and heresy, we were subsequently told, without any explanation, that God was a Trinity, the same concept taught by the Catholic Church and most Protestant churches—one Person in three Persons (no longer ‘hypostases,’ as previously represented). Christ had now become part of the Trinity, although it remained unclear what He was before He became man, what He was when He was here on earth, and what He became after His resurrection. God, in any event, had become a closed Trinity. Since He was no longer a Family, man could not become a part of that Family. It was taught that God would ‘adopt’ Christians, but Christians would never become God’s real sons and daughters. God was no longer reproducing Himself through man. It was taught that God was CREATING or building a somewhat figurative ‘family.’ However, God was no longer adding to the very Family that He is and that He always has been. Christians were no longer understood as becoming members of the very God Family, with God being their true and real Father, and Christ being their true and real elder Brother…

“Without the ‘born again’ change, the subsequent changes could not have occurred. It is, therefore, imperative that we not tamper with the correct understanding of ‘born again.’ If we do, even in seemingly unimportant areas of ‘terminology’ or ‘explanations,’ we will change the proper understanding of what ‘born again’ means, and we will thereby open a floodgate of change, again. In the end, we might very well find ourselves being totally void of all correct Biblical understanding. It happened before to those who apparently understood the truth at one time. Let us not think that it could not happen again. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says…’ (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).”

The Bible tells us that a falling away from the truth is still to occur in the Church of God, just prior to the return of Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). If history is our guide, then something very similar to the last apostasy in the Worldwide Church of God will happen again in God’s Church in the not-too-distant future. Even though we are clearly living today in the Laodicea era of the Church—which can be described as a big lukewarm social club without real zeal, being filled with riches, pride and self-deception (Revelation 3:14-18)—there are still remnants of some of the previous eras in existence today. One era is designated as Sardis, describing a church which has a name that it is living and alive, but it is spiritually dead, with works which are not perfect before God, and only very few in that church have not defiled their garments and are worthy to be given white clothes (Revelation 3:1).

Another remnant is that of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-10), designating a faithful church with little strength, which keeps Christ’s Word and which does not deny His name. It stays faithful to the truth and refuses to compromise with doctrine. Only members with that Philadelphia spirit are promised protection from the terrible times to come.  It is they who will not fall for the errors of doctrinal deception, and only they will be spared from the clutches of the falling away from the truth which is still prophesied to happen.

If you are in a church organization which has begun to compromise with the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3)—especially in the areas of “born again” and the gospel of the Kingdom or Family of God—then God tells you to come out of that spiritual Babylon of confusion (Revelation 18:4), and to refuse to partake of its sins of false teachings. If you have and embrace the truth, make sure that you continue to hold on to it, no matter what the circumstances and challenges may be.

Lead Writers: Rene Messier and Norbert Link

In Genesis 1:22, we are introduced for the first time to the concept of blessing. God created sea animals and birds and, in blessing them, He said that they were to be fruitful and multiply. In Genesis 1:28, God blessed the first man and the first woman and said that they were to be fruitful and multiply as well (compare also Genesis 5:2). Then, in Genesis 2:3, we are introduced to the third blessing of God—He blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it (compare also Exodus 20:11).

The Pulpit Commentary writes that blessing means, “to wish well… As on the introduction of animal life the Divine Creator conferred on the creatures his blessing, so when the first pair of human beings are formed they are likewise enriched by their Creator’s benediction.”

Regarding the blessing of the seventh day, the Benson Commentary writes: “He conferred on it peculiar honour, and annexed to it special privileges above those granted to any other day…” Barnes’ Notes on the Bible adds: “Blessing results in the bestowment of some good on the object blessed. The only good that can be bestowed on a portion of time is to dedicate it to a noble use, a special and pleasing enjoyment.”

We see, then, that blessing can refer to people, animals or even time in a very GENERAL way. Subsequently, God would bless the entire nation of Israel (Numbers 24:1; Deuteronomy 26:15), and Moses would also say a blessing for the entire congregation of Israel (Exodus 39:43), as did King Solomon (2 Chronicles 6:3) and the priests (2 Chronicles 30:27).  Jesus Christ blessed a meal (Mark 6:41), as He had promised the entire nation of Israel, to bless bread and water in case of their obedience (Exodus 23:25). We read about the cup of blessing, referring to the wine (symbolic for the blood of Christ) at Passover (1 Corinthians 10:16). Also note that Christ blessed the Passover bread—symbolic for His broken body (Matthew 26:26). We also read that people blessed God (Joshua 22:33; 1 Chronicles 29:10,20; Nehemiah 8:6; Daniel 2:19; Luke 2:28; James 3:9), in the sense of speaking well of and praising and thanking God.

We are told that we ought to bless our enemies and those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14). The quoted examples above have shown us how blessings are bestowed in a more GENERAL way.

But we also find quite a few examples in the Bible where humans were blessed by others in a very INDIVIDUAL and SPECIFIC way.

In our Q&A about the concept of “laying on of hands,” we referred to several incidents when specific blessings were and are bestowed on others in connection with the laying on of hands of Christ or His ministers. We gave five specific examples of laying on of hands (baptism; healing; marriage; blessing of little children; and ordination). In the case of little children, it is specifically mentioned that Christ took up the little children “in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:13-16). We said: “The Church of God now follows this example by setting aside a time during the annual Feast of Tabernacles celebrations to bless little children, and especially, to ask God to grant them His protection and guidance.”

Even though in the four other examples discussed in our Q&A, the word “blessing” is not specifically mentioned, it is clear that in each case, blessings are involved. Note, for instance, that the symbolic act of laying on of hands at baptism “sets the baptized person aside or sanctifies him or her for the divine purpose of receiving from God His Holy Spirit.” What a spiritual blessing from God that is! (Compare also Ephesians 1:3). The prayer for the blessing of healing is accompanied with the laying on of hands by the elders. During the marriage ceremony, the minister “places his hands on the couple, while asking God in prayer to sanctify the marriage and to set aside the couple for the holy purpose of the marriage relationship”—so that the marriage will be blessed by God. And finally, ordinations “are always accompanied by the laying on of hands–setting the ordained person aside for the godly office of a deacon or deaconess or an elder.” This act manifests that “all official gifts flow… from the Church’s glorified Head.”

The point to notice is that in these cases, blessings were bestowed not in a general way, but through the LAYING ON OF HANDS. In light of this, let us examine numerous biblical passages which also indicate that individual blessings were bestowed on others in a very specific way—not just in a “general” way—through the laying on of hands by the one bestowing the blessing. In our Q&A, we stated: “The ‘laying on of hands’ is a symbolic act, setting individuals apart for God’s special intervention. Already in Old Testament times, it was understood as symbolizing the imparting of godly blessings (Genesis 48:13-20), His authority and spiritual power (Numbers 27:18; Deuteronomy 34:9).”

The above-quoted passage in Genesis 48:13-20, makes very clear that Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh—the sons of Joseph—by laying his hands on their heads (compare also Hebrews 11:21). Even when general blessings were bestowed on a group of people, these were many times signified by hands which were lifted up, even though hands might not have been laid specifically on each one in attendance (Leviticus 9:22; 1 Kings 8:54-56; Luke 24:50-51).

Let us consider additional examples of very specific and individual blessings.

First, we will review two more examples when GOD BLESSED humans QUITE SPECIFICALLY during PERSONAL encounters:

We read that Melchizedek (Jesus Christ) blessed Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20). This occurred during a personal meeting between them. What was specifically involved here?  Based on the other passages, noted above, it stands to reason that Melchizedek blessed Abraham by laying His hands on him. In Hebrews 7:1-7, we read that Melchizedek, as the “better,” blessed Abraham, the “lesser.”

When Jacob wrestled with the “LORD”—Jesus Christ—he insisted that God would bless him before he would let Him go. God did so, changing his name from Jacob to Israel (Genesis 32:23-32). We can clearly see that this was not a general blessing, but a very SPECIAL act of a blessing which was apparently bestowed on him in a very specific way. Subsequently, God appeared again to Jacob to bless him (Genesis 35:9-13; compare also Genesis 48:3).

Let us now review further examples when people were individually and SPECIFICALLY BLESSED BY OTHER PEOPLE:

Isaac’s blessing of Jacob involved a very specific act (Genesis 27:4), and it was understood to be “in the presence of the LORD” (verse 7). In fact, this blessing—as well as Isaac’s blessing of Esau—was inspired by God (Hebrews 11:20). Later, before Jacob’s departure, Isaac blessed him again very specifically  (Genesis 28:1-4).

We read that Jacob blessed Pharaoh who had treated Joseph kindly (Genesis 47:7, 10). Israel also blessed every one of his twelve sons with a special blessing (Genesis 49:28). Joshua blessed Caleb for his faithfulness (Joshua 14:7-8, 13), and Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife—the parents of Samuel (1 Samuel 2:20). We read that David blessed his household (2 Samuel 6:20), and he also blessed Barzillai (2 Samuel 19:39), because he had helped David when he had fled from Absalom (2 Samuel 17:27-29). Finally, we read that the prophet Simeon, a just and devout man, blessed Mary and Joseph in the temple (Luke 2:25-34).

All these incidents of individual blessings through other humans were very special and specific. Even though the Bible does not say expressly that laying on of hands was involved, this is very likely to be the case, in light of other biblical passages and in consideration of the important symbolic meaning of the laying on of hands and the significance of the particular blessing.

Those blessings included the wish for God’s special favor and guidance on others and the plea to God to answer these prayers. We are reminded of the wording of a very well-known collective priestly blessing on the house of Israel and Judah, which, according to tradition, was passed on with lifted-up hands, and which reads as follows (compare Numbers 6:22-27):

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, “This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: ‘The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.’”’ So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

The Life Application Study Bible has the following annotations to this passage:

“A blessing was one way of asking for God’s divine favor to rest upon others. The ancient blessing in these verses helps us understand what a blessing was supposed to do. Its five parts conveyed hope that God would (1) bless and protect them; (2) smile upon them (be pleased); (3) be gracious (merciful and compassionate); (4) show his favor toward them (give his approval); (5) give peace. When you ask God to bless others or yourself, you are asking him to do these five things. The blessing you offer will not only help the one receiving it, it will also demonstrate love, encourage others, and provide a model of caring for others.”

In fact, we read in 1 Peter 3:8-9:

“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”

The commentary of Rienecker, Lexikon zur Bibel, states this about blessing:

“According to the Holy Scriptures, blessing (in opposition to cursing) is the gift of godly… favors towards men, be it through God Himself or through people who act within the power of God… The strength of the blessing passes on to the blessed person… it is transmitted through words… and the laying on of hands… The blessing can include the offspring…, the possession…, and the environment … of the blessed… Ultimately, it is always God who blesses… The Hebrew and Greek words for blessing can also mean praising and thanking.”

All of us are most certainly called upon to bless others in general ways and to speak well of them and wish them happiness. However, we should understand that at least since the establishment of the New Testament Church, only ordained ministers, acting “within the power of God,” should be laying their hands on others, including for the purpose of bestowing a godly blessing upon them. This is more fully explained in our above-quoted Q&A, and no biblical example exists which would indicate the contrary.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link