Why do you consider the Old Testament so important? (Part 2)

In the first instalment of this series, we saw how there are those who do not believe that the Old Testament is necessary for a Christian today.  We continue in part 2 to look at reasons why such thinking is wrong. We saw, under the first of seven points, that both the Old Testament and the New Testament combine to give revelation about God, His creation of the universe and of man.   Let us move on discussing more reasons why the Old Testament is so important.

  1. The Old Testament is vital for God’s revelation about His master plan of salvation for the whole of mankind.

In Leviticus 23:1-2, we read about God’s Holy Days: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.’”

It should be noted that they are God’s Feasts, not Israel’s or of the Jews.   Today, as we will know, these generally are no longer kept by professing Christians except by the true Church of God with very few others understanding their necessity. Even most Jews do not keep them in the way prescribed by God. Mainstream Christianity have their own set of days which they keep, namely Christmas, Easter and other days.    These Holy Days, and their meaning, can be studied in our free booklet God’s Commanded Holy Days” where we read on page 1, the following:

“Why did ancient Israel and Judah have to go into captivity? Was God angry with them? And why does God warn this modern world that calamity is fast approaching? Is God angry with us?  Is there a correlation?

“Could our failure to observe God’s weekly Sabbath and His annual Feast Days have anything to do with it? Before we shrug our shoulders and scoff at such an idea, let us review God’s Word—the Bible—to learn what our Maker has to say about our national, collective and individual sins.

“To suggest that God still requires man to observe the Seventh-Day Sabbath and His annual Holy Days sounds strange, indeed, to most people. After all, weren’t those days given only to the Jews, ultimately to be replaced by Christians with Sunday and with such festivals as Christmas, Easter, and even Halloween? Wouldn’t the keeping of the Sabbath and the annual Feast Days mean returning to Old Testament rituals that were done away by Christ when He died for us? Weren’t the Sabbath and the annual Festivals just part of the Old Covenant that was replaced by the New Covenant?

“Undoubtedly, these are some of the arguments you have heard over the years, intended to convince you that the observance of the original Holy Days, and especially the weekly Sabbath, is no longer required or even permitted. Are these arguments based on Scripture, or are they based on human reasoning and opinion? How can you know the truth of the matter?

“We believe this booklet will present the Biblical truth regarding the Sabbath and Holy Day observances.”

And if we fast forward, we read on page 52 under the heading “Conclusion”:

“As we have shown you throughout this booklet, God’s weekly Sabbath and His annual Festivals are still to be kept holy today. God wants EVERYONE—including YOU—to observe them. There is no Scripture in the New Testament that does away with God’s requirement to keep His weekly Sabbath and His annual Holy Days holy, as He made them holy. God had to severely punish ancient Israel and Judah for violating His commandments, including profaning His Holy Sabbaths. God is very angry with the world today—especially the modern houses of Israel and Judah, who should know better—for trampling His Sabbaths under foot. His judgment is coming soon on the whole world.”

Further information is available in the booklets: The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days and “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days.” 

We would have no knowledge of God’s Holy Days were it not for the Old Testament although there are references to them in the New Testament.   Today, mainstream Christianity ignore the fact that the early Church kept these Holy Days, as did Jesus.  How much more would they be ignored (if that is possible) if Leviticus 23 was not available where it confirms to whom the Holy Days belong.

  1. The Bible is incomplete without the Old Testament.  Neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament are sufficient on their own.

Under the first 2 points above, it can be clearly seen that both the Old Testament and the New Testament are needed to understand the items briefly discussed above and without both, our future would not be set out clearly as it is.

They are inter-connected and make up the Word of God. We read in Genesis 3:1-13 how God dealt with Adam and Eve’s transgression and continuing in verses 14-19: “So the Lord God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.’ To the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.’  Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, “You shall not eat of it”: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.  In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.’”

Above we read how God addressed both the serpent and man.   The curses spelled out show how a curse came upon humanity because of sin.  In Revelation 22:1-3 we read: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.”

We read that the curse will be removed and this knowledge would be incomplete without both Testaments.   This is but one of so many connections that is necessary to get the full picture.

Another connection would be quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament.  On the blueletterbible.org website we read:

“The close connection between the Old and the New Testament is shown by the number of times the Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament. Bagster’s Bible gives 889 quotations and allusions. George F. Pentecost gives the number at 885, a few of the allusions given by Bagster’s Bible being disputed. Every book of the Old Testament is quoted except Obadiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, and Esther. There is only one quotation from the Song of Solomon.”

In the four gospels and the book of Acts, taken from the above calculations, there are around 285 quotations from the Old Testament, showing that the early Church knew the value of the Old Testament.

We read in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

It refers to the Scriptures, that is, of the Old Testament—the writings of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms, as well as those parts of the New Testament, which had already been written by the time Paul wrote the first letter to the Corinthians. Later, Peter would refer to Paul’s writings as part of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:14-16).

  1. The Old Testament contains many prophecies about the first coming of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. 
  2. We read in John 1:45: “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’”

We further read Christ’s words in John 5:39: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”  And in verses 46-47: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

We find Jesus expounding the Old Testament (the only Scriptures available at His time and which we will cover later), and in Luke 24:27 we read: “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

And in verses 44-46: “Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’  And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day…’”

In Acts 1:3, we read about Jesus appearing to His apostles after His resurrection: “…to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

On the website: biblearchaeology.org, there is an article entitled, “400 Prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament” by Paul Humber, reading as follows:

“The Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear that the Old Testament spoke of Him, stating: ‘You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me’ (John 5:39). My recently published book, ‘400+ Prophecies, Appearances, or Foreshadowings of Christ in the Tanakh (Old Testament),’ is a conscientious effort to take Jesus at His Word and to discover Him in pages of the Old Testament.

“Many people have the idea that the Old Testament was written BC (‘before Christ’). It was indeed written before Christ’s incarnation—but not before Christ, the Son of God. Nothing was ‘before’ Christ. In fact, He is the Creator of all—including even time itself. Thus, Jesus often even appears in the OT pages. In addition, there are many prophecies of His coming into the world to fulfil His unique role as Messiah.

“There are at least 117 prophecies, appearances, or foreshadowings (PAF’s) of Christ in the Law, at least 144 PAF’s in the Writings, and at least 153 PAF’s in the Prophets.  A minimal total for the entire Old Testament, therefore, is 414.”

With such a weight of evidence, it is difficult to imagine how anyone could think that the New Testament alone is sufficient for a Christian.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

Why do you consider the Old Testament so important? (Part 1)

Amazingly, there are those who consider themselves to be “Christians” who do not believe that the Old Testament is a necessary part of their belief system.

Just to give some brief examples to show that such attitudes exist, let us take note of the following:

“In the USA, North Point Community Church (of Alpharetta, Georgia, USA), Senior Pastor Andy Stanley has stated that Christians need to ‘unhitch’ the Old Testament from their faith. In the final part of a recent sermon series, Stanley explained that while he believes that the Old Testament is ‘divinely inspired,’ it should not be ‘the go-to source regarding any behavior in the church.’  To justify this, Stanley preached last month about Acts 15, which described how the early church decided that Gentile converts did not need to strictly observe Jewish law to become Christians” (christianpost.com).

The above Pastor also said that “(First Century) Church leaders unhitched the church from the worldview, value system, and regulations of the Jewish scriptures (the Old Testament). Peter, James, Paul elected to unhitch the Christian faith from their Jewish scriptures, and my friends, we must as well.”

Of course, we know that that was not the outcome of the Acts 15 conference, and in our Q&A we say: “For instance, we read in Acts 15:5, ‘But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them [Gentiles who became Christians], and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” The context of the discussion shows us that they were not arguing about the Ten Commandments — including the Sabbath — but whether circumcision and other rituals contained in the Law of Moses were mandatory for Gentile Christians.”

One lady wrote of her experience: “Just the other day I was straightening up the Bible section when I overheard a customer tell one of my coworkers that reading the Old Testament was like moving backward in faith.  He said that since we have the New Testament and Jesus, there is no need to bother reading the Old Testament.”

For some, there is an antipathy towards the Old Testament.   Ted Grimsrud stated the following in a paper “Old Testament Bases for Christian Peace Theology”:

“Christian peace theology tends to be New Testament centered, especially drawing on the gospels. Most Christians would seem to assume that the Old Testament has little to offer for the work of overcoming war and violence. The comment of a friend of mine many years ago may be representative. We were in a Bible study group together and when someone suggested we study something from the Old Testament, my friend snorted and stated flatly, ‘I don’t want anything to do with that ……. book!’ And many Christians who have wanted something to do with the Old Testament, going back to Augustine, have mainly used it as a justification for the acceptability of warfare.”

We have covered the matter of war in our 78-page free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?”   

Anyone can buy a copy of just the New Testament but why would anyone want to do that – getting only a part of the story of God and His creation and plan for mankind?

In our booklet, The Authority of the Bible,” we ask the question on page 4:

“Dismissing the Old Testament?

“Aside from those who flatly reject the Bible as myth, many people claiming to practice Christianity dismiss the Old Testament (as well as some books of the New Testament, such as the Book of Revelation)—all of which are part of the enduring Word of God (compare Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35; Psalm 119:89). In fact, many who embrace Jesus as their Savior have never even read the prophetic Scriptures about His first appearance, and they are, likewise, unaware of the dramatic prophecies concerning His return that are recorded throughout the Bible.”

We want to expand on the fact that anyone dismissing the Old Testament will be in serious spiritual trouble as they will only have part of the story and will not be able to understand the plan of God that is revealed in the Old Testament.

Ignoring the Old Testament is like seeing a film half way through and not really understanding fully what is going on.

It does seem that the absence of not having and using the Old Testament is dwarfed by those who see the clear need to have the full story.   However, the downside is that mainstream Christianity, while using all of the Scriptures, often come to erroneous conclusions as will be seen by their theology and practice.  Please see our Statement of Beliefs.

Let us review 7 reasons (and there are many more) why we should use, and take the Old Testament seriously.  There will inevitably be some overlapping under the different points below but will give conclusive evidence of the need for the use of the whole Bible.

  1. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament combine to give revelation about God, His creation of the universe and of man. 

Where else would you find the ultimate knowledge about creation?   Interestingly, there are three verses in the New Testament that are instructive: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John 1:1-3).

However, we have to revert back to the book of Genesis for much more information.  We find written in Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” and the first 3 chapters of Genesis give a resume of the beginning of the 6,000-year-reign of man, information not given in the New Testament.

First, we learn something about “God”—that God consists of more than one Personages. We read in Genesis 1:26 that God said: “Let US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness.” From John 1:1-3, we know that there are two Personages—God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ, the Word.

We also learned that God—the God Family—created the heavens and the earth. It’s simple and straightforward unlike the disunity of proponents of the false religion named “evolution” who propose, argue and debate the theory of the beginning of creation through the concept of the “big bang” theory or some “primeval soup”. In our free booklet “The Theory of Evolution – A Fairy Tale for Adults?,”  we conclude on page 34 with the following comments:

“If we want to follow God, we must believe what God says, as we pointed out at the beginning of this booklet. And God tells us very clearly in His inspired Word, the Bible, that He created the heavens and the earth, as well as man. We did not evolve from animals, but man was created directly by God.

“How accurately the Apostle Paul described the wise and learned of his day who believed the concept of evolution, as we pointed out at the beginning of this booklet! He stated in Romans 1:20-23, ‘For since the creation of the world His [God’s] 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… Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four footed animals and creeping things.’

“God is saying the same to all of us today. We also are without excuse if we replace the truth of God and His creation with the ungodly idea of evolution, essentially degrading man as descending from a mollusk. What an insult to mankind, and what blasphemy toward man’s Creator!”

Then in Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:21-23 is the creation of man, both male and female.   This was not some evolutionary process where man evolved over billions of years down to our present time and is Old Testament information.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

Don’t you emphasise the end times too much when there still seems to be plenty of time left? (Part 2)

In the first of this two-part series, we looked at Scriptures which indicate that the early apostles thought that Jesus might return in their lifetime, and since that time, there have been many other predictions about the Second Coming right up until the present time. We showed that the world is currently in chaos with prophecies being fulfilled.  We also briefly reviewed the manifold and insurmountable problems around the world at this time.

It is the job of the true Church of God to preach the gospel about the soon-coming Kingdom of God on earth and to warn about what is to come.

In our booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” the following is written under the heading, “We Must Be About Our Father’s Business,” on pages 25-26:

“As we saw earlier, when Jesus Christ came preaching the Kingdom of God, people thought that He would establish it right then. Note in Luke 19:11: ‘Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the Kingdom of God would appear immediately.’

“Although He, the future King of the Kingdom, was among them, the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on this earth would come much later—at the time of His second coming. He gave a parable in Luke 19 to explain this. Remember, He spoke in parables so that the world would not understand, but so that His disciples would understand.

“Luke 19:12: ‘Therefore He said: A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.’ Christ is talking about Himself. He is the nobleman who went into a far country—the third heaven—to receive from God the Father the kingdom or government or rulership over this earth.

“We read about this already in the account of Daniel 7:13-14, where the Son of Man would appear in the clouds before the Ancient of Days to receive everlasting dominion and a kingdom that shall not be destroyed, so that all peoples and nations should serve Him.

“And the angels confirmed this in Acts 1:11, when they told the disciples at the time when Christ ascended to heaven: ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’

“Before Christ, the nobleman, departed for the far country, he instructed his servants to keep busy during his absence. We read in Luke 19:13: ‘So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas [a mina was worth about three month’s salary], and said to them, “Do business till I come.”’

“What the master gave his servants was valuable. And they were to DO something with what they had received. They were not to sit back and do nothing. Over and over we read in the Bible that Christ expects action from His disciples. He tells us in Matthew 28:19-20 that we are to make disciples of all nations, ‘“teaching them to observe ALL THINGS that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” We already read in Mark 16 that we are to ‘go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’

“Also, He admonishes us in Matthew 24 to watch and to be ready when He, the Master, returns. Beginning in Verse 45: ‘Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and to drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant…will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.’

“Again, we see that Christ expects His servants to BE DOING something—but it has to be the RIGHT kind of work. In this parable, the head servant is charged with feeding his fellow servants healthy physical food while his master is gone.

“The analogy here is that of the ministry feeding the sheep healthy spiritual food until Christ returns. As Christ told Peter three times, ‘feed my sheep.’”

The Church must feed the sheep, those who have repented and been baptised and are living a life pleasing in the sight of God.  The Church also has the duty and responsibility to warn the world about what is surely now not too far away.  Let us list the reasons why we feel this way. 

  1. We have seen that since the 1950’s, this has been the first time in recorded human history that we have had the capacity to commit cosmocide which is the destruction of planet Earth, especially as a result of human  Just as an aside, and purely out of Church of God interest, according to WordSense Dictionary online and  Wiktionary.org., the origin and history of the word “cosmocide” is shown as being in the “1989, Plain Truth – Volume 54, page 9, a magazine of the now defunct Worldwide Church of God.
  2. In addition, we are now at the end of the 6,000 years allotted to man.   In our Q&A “Do you teach that modern man is only about 6,000 years old? Do you believe in a 6,000-year plan of God?”, https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-14722/ we read the following:

“The concept of a biblical 7,000-year plan and the creation of man about 6,000 years ago has been believed by Jews and Christians alike over the millennia. The historian Edward Gibbon wrote in ‘The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’ that this concept was taught by Rabbi Elias around 200 B.C., who expressed the common belief that it had been taught by the prophet Elijah. The Encyclopaedia Judaica explains that this tradition can even be traced back to Moses.”

  1. From our understanding of prophecy, much is now in place for the end-time scenario with some important pieces of the jigsaw almost ready to be put in place, e.g., the arrival of the beast power in Europe and a new charismatic leader; a third temple to be built; nations with nuclear capabilities which could be unleashed at the press of a button; and all of the unprecedented problems that the world now faces for which there are no humanly-devised answers available.
  2. Signs of the times.  We read in Matthew 24:32-33: “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer isSo you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” This follows on from Jesus talking about His Second Coming (see verses 29-31).   We have to discern what is going on in the world and how prophecy is being fulfilled.

There have always been scoffers about, and there are plenty today – those that deride the understanding that there is indeed a supreme Almighty God, and even if this is admitted, scoffing about the return of Christ abounds.

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).

We further read in 2 Peter 3:1-4 a passage that shows that there will be scoffers at the end of this age: “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder),  that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,  knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’”

Jude verses 17-18 also reveals mockers: “But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:  how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.” 

The original question asked was “Don’t you emphasise the end times too much when there still seems to be plenty of time left?,” and it is an assumption that there seems to be plenty of time left, but is there?

Some claim that it has been the end times since the inauguration of the New Testament Church in 31 AD and that it is a period of time from the first coming of Jesus Christ until His return.   After all, we read in 2 Peter 3:8: “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

On the website “got questions,” we read:

“In a sense, the marking of time is irrelevant to God because He transcends it. Peter, in 2 Peter 3:8, cautioned his readers not to let this one critical fact escape their notice—that God’s perspective on time is far different from mankind’s (Psalm 102:12; 24-27). The Lord does not count time as we do. He is above and outside of the sphere of time. God sees all of eternity’s past and eternity’s future. The time that passes on earth is of no consequence from God’s timeless perspective. A second is no different from an eon; a billion years pass like seconds to the eternal God.

“Though we cannot possibly comprehend this idea of eternity or the timelessness of God, we in our finite minds try to confine an infinite God to our time schedule. Those who foolishly demand that God operate according to their time frame ignore the fact that He is the ‘High and Lofty One . . . who lives forever’ (Isaiah 57:15).”

The phrase “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” shows the difference between God and man and is just a way of trying to show that the difference between the ways of God and the ways of man are so great that words cannot do this justice.   It is a way of trying to describe that which we cannot really understand.  God is patient, and He gives us the time we need; man, generally, is impatient.

However, the idea that in regard to Christ’s Second Coming, the end-times began with Christ’s first coming does not at all convey accurately what the Bible is talking about. The prophecies and statements regarding Christ’s Second Coming do not refer to events which occurred about 2,000 years ago, but are written for the last generation—for OUR learning and instruction, “on whom the end of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Paul was inspired to address us today, even though, as we pointed out in the previous Q&A, he might have thought that he would experience the return of Christ in his lifetime. Also compare Christ’s words in Revelation 1:1-3, saying that the time of the Day of the Lord (the main theme of the Book of Revelation) was near or at hand. Again, He addressed the end-time generation with this statement, as it could by no means be said that the Day of the Lord was near about 2,000 years ago.

No one knows the time of Jesus Christ’s return, except the Father, who is the One who will decide as to when He will send Christ back, and those who take it easy, not expecting His return anytime soon, could be caught out as we read in Matthew 24:36-44, and that would be a very unfortunate position to be in.  Jesus was “about His Father’s business” at the age of 12 as we read in Luke 2:41-49.   Can we, as followers of Jesus, do any less?

The signs are there in the world today that man simply does not have the answers to the many and varied problems that exist, and only the intervention of God to save mankind will resolve this matter.   But we must be close as we understand prophecy and how it is being fulfilled on the world scene now.   It surely cannot be that long but it is for the Father only to decide such timing.

Let us consider this. Regardless as to when Christ returns, those called and chosen will have lived a far better life than they would have done had they remained “in the world” and its ways.   God’s Way brings far more joy, happiness and peace of mind and it enables them to be a part of the end-time commission to the Church to preach the gospel. And the future for those called and chosen by God will be an eternity of serving and sharing in the Kingdom of God.

Please see the sermon given by Mr Eric Rank entitled “Don’t Stop Living,” given on 20th August 2022, where he encourages everyone to proceed with normal planning in our lives involving God in every way and aligning ourselves with His Way of Life and if Christ returns before such plans come to maturity, then something much better will replace them – the Kingdom of God. https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/dont-stop-living/

We know from Scripture that Jesus will return and whether we died before this or are still alive at that time, we will be with Him when He does.   As we read earlier in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Until that time happens, it is our job to warn the nations about what is just around the corner.   We do that through the StandingWatch programme, through all of the material that is available on our website, and through our advertising and involvement with social media outlets that allow us to reach right across the globe.   And we will continue to do this for as long as we are able and for as long as God allows us to do this in His service.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

Don’t you emphasise the end times too much when there still seems to be plenty of time left? (Part 1)

Since Jesus returned to heaven around 2,000 years ago, there have been continued interest and predictions about His return to earth.

We know from the Bible that even before Jesus was crucified, resurrected and then returned to heaven, the original apostles were looking to His Second Coming.  In Matthew 24:3, we read: “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’”   Jesus then lists what will happen before His return to earth, from verse 4 until the end of the chapter.

And after He had returned to heaven, some thought that His return was to be in their lifetime. Let us look at some examples of this.

In Acts 2:16-17, we see that Peter was speaking on the day of Pentecost in 31 AD, recorded by Luke some 30 years or so later, and Peter said:But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;  Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,  Your young men shall see visions,  Your old men shall dream dreams.”

Peter was quoting the prophet Joel and while this happened in part with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, as a forerunner, this prophecy has to be fulfilled at the end of this age.   It is fairly obvious that Peter thought that they were in the last days then; otherwise, why would he have quoted this prophecy at that time?   Also, Peter thought it was the end-time with his comment in 1 Peter 1:20: “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

Peter was joined by Paul in thinking that time was short then, as we read in 1 Corinthians 7:29: “…this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none…”

In 1 Corinthians 15:50-52, we read: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’’ When we use the word “we,” it obviously includes ourselves – and in this case it includes Paul.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, Paul also wrote: “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 by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

In Hebrews 1:1-2, we again see Paul referring to the last days: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”

James, the half-brother of Christ, had this to say in James 5:1-3: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”

The apostle John felt exactly the same, as we read in 1 John 2:18: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

Why did God allow all these men to think along these lines?   Surely, one of the reasons must have been that if it had been made clear to the apostles in the first century that Christ wouldn’t return for at least 2,000 years, discouragement could well have set in.   Irrespective of WHEN Christ will return – and the Scriptures are very clear that He will return – we have to be ready because we just don’t know when that most marvellous event will occur.   And it will only occur once.

In Mark 13:32, we read: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” We have no reason to believe that that is not still the same situation today.

It was not until the 1950’s that man had developed the capacity to blow himself off the face of the earth with nuclear bombs and other weapons and so the end couldn’t possibly have taken place before then.   In Mr Armstrong’s book “Tomorrow – What It Will Be Like”, he states the following on page 2:

“Besides nuclear annihilation, there are at least five other means by which mankind could be destroyed off the face of the globe: chemical warfare, biological warfare, overpopulation and resulting famine, disease epidemics, and environmental pollution.”

The return of Christ has been anticipated down through the last 2,000 years.   In the book, “The End of Time: Faith and Fear in the Shadow of the Millennium” by Damian Thompson, he writes: “What is it about the advent of the year 2000 which propelled millions of people in the direction of apocalyptic belief? Why should Christians who know perfectly well Christ was not born in A.D. 1 attached such importance to the calendar change question even more strangely, why should the prospect of a new millennium quicken the pulse of millions of non-Christians?

“For some time, Christians including Irenaeus around 115-200 AD and Justin Martyr (100-165 AD) continued to look for Christ to set up a literal kingdom of God on earth.  In the 3rd century, Origen (185-254 AD) asserted that the kingdom existed not in time or space but in believer’s souls.

“AD 500 was another date that evoked excitement.   The terrors of the Year 1000 might be a myth, but there can be no denying the sense of doom which permeates so many documents of the period.   Throughout the tenth and early eleventh centuries, preachers and chroniclers regularly assured their audiences that their misfortunes were fulfillments of Biblical prophecies about the Last Days (p 42).”

Mr Thompson gives many more examples right down to the present time.  Throughout the centuries, speculation about the Second Coming has caused arguments and debates along with untold disappointment when it didn’t happen.

If we continue to read Mark 13:33-37, we learn what we are to do: “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

We are instructed to watch – not go to sleep and lose interest.   We have to maintain our zeal for the Work of God.

Wherever we look around the world, there are problems, many of them insurmountable and only the return of Jesus Christ will solve all of these issues.

In our weekly Update, number 1037, dated 2nd September 2022, under the heading “Is God Punishing the United States of America?,” we quoted what the Jerusalem Post wrote on August 24: “… it is a challenge for me to believe that the series of ‘plagues’ that have befallen the United States of America of late are not part of some heavenly master plan…”

“The triumph of democracy and freedom over fascism and national land grabs energized the American body politic to take responsibility and rebuild the world after the devastating losses in the war.”

It then covers “over 300 mass shootings in the US this year as of early July, the largest number by far of any country in the world; then the weather showing that tens of millions of people are under extreme weather risk every day and as of July 5, 34,478 fires have already burned 4,582,301 acres of land.

“If one accepts the religious concept that whatever happens in the world is part of God’s plan for the world (and not everyone accepts that, to be sure), it is possible to postulate that God had a plan for the United States of America. It is almost as if God is now expressing displeasure with his servant, the US, in the course it has taken.”

It is interesting to read what a secular newspaper has to say.  In fact, they don’t mention many other areas where God is not pleased at all, including that of the sexual perversions that permeate the land where the abhorrent behaviour of Sodom and Gomorrah was summarily dealt with through their total destruction.   It should be further noted that this applies not only to the USA but to the other English-speaking countries, such as the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the world at large.

Perversion is celebrated as being good and must be accepted, and quoting God’s instruction on such matters is considered hate speech.   Large worldly churches blithely go along with the changes in society and try to fit in with them, rather than representing God and His Way of Life.   Blasphemy is used everywhere from the youngest to the oldest, and respect for God is negligible.  Left-wing media push the anti-God message, and most people just go along with it.

Russia is continuing to bomb the Ukraine, resulting in many casualties.   Problems between nations seem to never end with problems between the Israelis and Palestinians, other problems in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.   Inflation is rocketing around the world with the USA and UK both approaching double figures. Many other countries are also experiencing high double figures, and Zimbabwe, as of August 2022, had a staggering 600%.  Because of this, higher wages are sought with industrial action taken or threatened.  The cost of energy continues to be a huge problem with massive hikes in prices.

The continuing rise in abortion rates and the callous call for women’s rights to allow abortion at any time for any reason just add vast numbers to the killings experienced in the many wars in force around the globe.

Cruelty in war, and in society, to young children and defenceless animals proliferates as love for God and neighbour disappear over the horizon.  All of the above is just the tip of the iceberg but gives a brief overview of the problems that only God can solve. Yes, there are some decent people who try hard to do the right thing, but they do not truly understand the Way of God and what He expects from us.

The world is currently in crisis from which there seems to be, humanly speaking, no end.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

The Meaning of the Last Great Day

This Last Great Day has meaning that is incomprehensible to the world.   They don’t keep the Feast days and so they simply cannot understand.   Because we keep this day we understand that those who were not called in previous ages, who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ or the message He brought, will, in just over a thousand years from now, have their first and only opportunity for salvation.   Because people have to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, this automatically rules out all those other religions and ideas that have their basis on other erroneous foundations.

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Looking Forward to Perfect Government

Since Adam and Eve, man has had the opportunity to follow God’s ways and even the ancient Israelites whom God chose to be his people made a mess of things and that failure continues right up until this day.   One of many areas that have been a complete failure has been that of governance.   Man simply has no idea of the right way even after 6,000 years of trying and this sermon shows that perfect government on the earth under the millennial rule of Christ, will happen.

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Blind Spots

It is likely that we can see when others have “blind spots” but much less likely to acknowledge that may also have them.   We must never fool ourselves that we don’t or can’t have them and they can be an impediment in our Christian growth.

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Cause and Effect

 A number of examples given show that there is always an effect to the actions that are taken.   So many people seem to think that they can do whatever they want to and never think that there may be pay-back time – a time of consequences.   We have to make sure that the actions we take produce good effects.

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What has been the influence on society by the Bible? (Part 2)

In part 1, we looked very briefly at how much the Bible has been influential in the world and how its influence can be noticed today for those with eyes to see.   Let us review some more interesting information that will help us realise how influential the Word of God has been over a long period of time.

On the website: “What Christians Want to Know,” we find more interesting information:

“The Bible is quoted more often than any other piece of literature in history and has had more influence on our language, culture, and laws than any other book or idea ever published. A recent book by the linguist David Crystal, appropriately called Begat: The King James Bible and the English language, counts 257 phrases from the King James Bible in contemporary English idiom. Some of the phrases from the Bible that has become part of our everyday language include [the following quotes are taken or adapted from the Authorized Version]:

“Gave up the ghost ~ Genesis 35:29

“Out of the mouth of babes ~ Psalms 8:2

“Put words in thy mouth ~ Jeremiah 1:9

“Feet of clay ~ Daniel 2:33

“Salt of the earth ~ Matthew 5:13

“Fought the good fight ~ 2 Timothy 4:7

“Turned the world upside down ~ Acts 17:6

“God forbid ~ Romans 3:4

“Take root ~ 2 Kings 19:30

“The powers that be ~ Romans 13:1

“Filthy lucre ~ 1 Timothy 3:3

“No peace for the wicked ~ Isaiah 57:21

“A fly in the ointment ~ Ecclesiastes 10:1

“Wheels within wheels ~ Ezekiel 10:10

“The blind leading the blind ~ Matthew 15:14

“Famous men have praised the Bible’s influence on society. Tennyson considered Bible reading ‘an education in itself’, while Dickens called the New Testament ‘the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world.’

“The US statesman Daniel Webster said: ‘If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures.’

“Equally celebrated as a British orator, TB Macaulay said that the Bible demonstrated ‘the whole extent of the beauty and power’ of the English language.

“The novels that have had the most impact on American literature have strong biblical influences. These classics include: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, Moby Dick by Herman Melville and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the much-read Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the book contains almost 100 quotations or direct references from the Bible.

“Film is a highly popular medium in society all over the world and the Bible has influenced society through films that have biblical references. Some of the great films with biblical themes include: The Ten Commandments, The Passion of the Christ, The Prince of Egypt, Chariots of Fire and many others.”

As we pointed out in part 1, we are in no way endorsing depictions of Jesus Christ, including in movies. We just quote these excerpts to show the influence the Bible has had, however inappropriate their depictions might have been. Continuing:

“The Bible has also influenced society by its presence in the great art throughout history.  If you visit the great museums in Europe and America, like the Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, you’ll find many paintings whose subjects are inspired by the Bible.  Famous biblical art include Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper and his statue of David. The Sistine Chapel in Italy is famous for its ceiling painted by Michelangelo which is bursting with beauty from biblical scenes. In the Tate Museum in London, you’ll find engravings by William Blake on the Book of Job. Botticelli delights with his painting on the Adoration of the Magi at the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence. The painting of David with the Head of Goliath by Caravaggio is also well known.

Again, the same comments as stated above would apply here as well. Continuing:

“The Bible: laws and morality.

“In societies like America where the Bible is widely read, this sacred book is highly influential, becoming the foundation of morality in society. For example, in America, the Constitution and the rules and laws that govern society have their roots in the Bible, through moral codes like the Ten Commandments.

“Great American leaders have also spoken about the importance of the Bible in establishing morality in society.

“‘I have always said, I always will say, that the studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.’ Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), 3rd President of the United States.

“And Jefferson wasn’t the only early U.S. president who felt this way.

“‘So great is my veneration for the Bible, that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens to their country and respectable members of society.’ John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), 6th President of the United States.

“In conclusion, we can see that the Bible has an enormous influence on society through its presence in culture. Biblical allusions can be found in the major works of art, fiction and poetry, music and films. Through the prevalence in both high culture and pop culture, the Bible influences society with its teachings. The Bible is indeed a highly influential book, impacting society on many levels.”

Some of the others who have attested to the value of the Bible are as follows:

Isaac Newton, English mathematician and scientist, 1642-1727: “We account the scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever” (Libquotes.com).

Napoleon, Emperor of the French (1804-1814), 1769-1821: “The gospel is not a book; it is a living being, with an action, a power, which invades every thing that opposes its extension, behold! It is upon this table: This book, surpassing all others. I never omit to read it, and every day with some pleasure” (quotefancy.com).

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, 1809-1865: “In regards to this great Book [the Bible], I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are found portrayed in it” (AZquotes.com).

Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, 1856-1924: “When you have read the Bible, you know it is the word of God, because it is the key to your heart, your own happiness, and your own duty” (AZquotes.com).

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States, 1858-1919: “A thorough understanding of the Bible is better than a college education” (brainyquote.com).

President George Washington, First President of the United States: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible” (creationist.org).

Robert E. Lee, Civil War General who fought for the Southern Confederacy: “In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength” (goodreads.com).

President Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States: “Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible” (libquotes.com).

We can see above that many leaders of the past have been very enthusiastic and positive about the Word of God.

According to Wikipedia, Gideons International “is an evangelical Christian association founded in 1899 in Wisconsin. The Gideons’ primary activity is distributing copies of the Bible free of charge. This Bible distribution is a worldwide enterprise taking place in around 200 countries, territories and possessions. The association’s members focus on distributing complete Bibles, New Testaments, or portions thereof. These copies are printed in over 100 languages. The association is most widely known for its Bibles placed in lodging rooms. The Gideons also distribute to hospitals and other medical offices, schools and colleges, military bases, as well as jails and prisons. The association takes its name from the Biblical figure Gideon depicted in Judges 6.

“Members of The Gideons International currently distribute over 80 million Bibles annually. On average, more than two copies of the Bible are distributed per second through Gideons International.   As of April 2015, Gideons International has distributed over two billion Bibles.”

What we have quoted is but a fraction of the evidence of the positive influence the Bible has had on so many people over such a long period of time.

As the teachings of the Bible are pretty much rejected by so many today, we can see a similar graph showing the nations’ descent into chaos and confusion. Perhaps reading and acting upon the blessings and cursings of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 might for some shine light on the principle of sowing and reaping. Also, Galatians 6:7 states: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows, that he will also reap.”  Sowing and reaping would be just one lesson from so many that can be found in the world’s bestselling book, but would also be an enormous benefit to everyone involved in implementing such wise advice.

The rejection of such knowledge and the antipathy and antagonism shown to the Word of God brings about, not only inferior results, but also a society that will, sooner or later, be punished for their attitude and blasphemy towards the information and knowledge unsurpassed from any other source.

Amongst so many issues that are addressed by the Bible, it gives an explanation about the creation of the universe; issues guidance on which Holy Days to keep; how to live a life pleasing to God; an object lesson on problem solving whenever this is necessary; and what the future holds for mankind.   (For an in-depth review and study of these and many other issues, please see our list of available booklets on our website www.eternalgod.org).

There are so many other lessons to be learned from the teachings of the Bible, and those who take note and apply them to their own lives are the real winners today.

And that is the effect that the Bible can have on us all, individually, today.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

Godly Precision

About two months ago, we had the hottest day ever recorded in the UK.   On the 19th July this year, 41.3 degrees centigrade (106.34 Fahrenheit) was recorded in Lincolnshire.  The following day was pretty much on a par with that until the weather started to normalise.

There are, of course, places across the world that have higher temperatures than that.   We read on Wikipedia that “the current official highest registered air temperature on Earth is 56.7 °C (134.1 °F), recorded on 10 July 1913 at Furnace Creek Ranch, in Death Valley in the United States.”

Just as a flavour of the damage caused in the UK by this intense heat, Yahoo News wrote:

“Firefighters are unaware of the full extent of the damage caused by blazes which affected houses, schools and churches across London, with crews describing scenes as ‘absolute hell’.

“Residents were being evacuated from their homes and people were taken to hospital amid fires in the capital as temperatures soared to more than 40C on Tuesday afternoon.”

It just shows how just a few extra degrees can cause havoc in different parts of the world.

An ex-atheist – but one who came to understand that there is a great Creator God wrote these interesting observations:

“The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze.  Any closer and we would burn up.  Even a fractional variance in the Earth’s position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible.  The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph.   It is also rotating on its axis, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be properly warmed and cooled every day.

“And our moon is the perfect size and distance from the Earth for its gravitational pull.  The moon creates important ocean tides and movement so ocean waters do not stagnate, and yet our massive oceans are restrained from spilling over across the continents.”

Atheists would have you believe that the universe came about through a Big Bang or some primordial soup.  But how could such a beginning with nothing guiding, directing or developing events finish up with what we have today?   How could the precision of God just happen without Him being involved which has resulted in the earth being exactly the right distance away from the sun and moon?  Creation demands that there be a Creator but man thinks otherwise and they turn logic on its head.   Godly revelation in the Bible means nothing to so many as they wallow in their own “greatness”.

In Isaiah 40:21-26, we read a comparison between God’s great majesty and mankind which shows how small and insignificant we all are: “Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?  It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.  He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.  Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

“To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.  Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.”

God’s precision is seen in everything He has created and does.  Man, in general, won’t even acknowledge that there is a God.   Romans 1:18-22 sums it up perfectly: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  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, 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. Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

And fools they are, who fit into this category now, but they will have their opportunity, as will all people, and when they see the might, glory and the precision of all that God does, perhaps they may repent and be in the Family of God forever!

Let us hope and pray that that is the case!

©2024 Church of the Eternal God