Useful Q & A

[Dant01]

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29» God "Came Down" To Inspect The Tower Of Babel?

Isaac Was Abraham's Only Son When He Was Offered?

• Gen 22:2 . .Then God said: Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love,
and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the
mountains I will tell you about.

Abraham actually had two sons at this time: Ishmael and Isaac. But only one of his
boys counted. Here's why.

• Gen 21:10-11 . . Sarah said to Abraham: Cast out that slave-woman and her son,
for the son of that slave shall not share in the inheritance with my son Isaac. The
matter distressed Abraham greatly, for it concerned a son of his own.

Ishmael would always and forever be one of Abraham's biological sons; that
couldn't be undone with any more ease than recalling the ring of a bell. However; in
the case of slave mothers; there was a way to break Ishmael's legal ties to
Abraham; and the way was actually quite to Hagar's advantage.

The common law of Abraham's day (e.g. the Code of Hammurabi and the laws of
Lipit-Ishtar) stipulated that if a slave-owner disowned his child's in-slavery
biological mother; then the mother and the child would lose any and all claims to a
paternal property settlement with the slave-owner.

The catch is: Abraham couldn't just send Hagar packing, nor sell her. In order for
the common law to take effect; Abraham had to emancipate Hagar; which he did.

• Gen 21:14 . . Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle
of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent
her away

The phrase "sent her away" is from the Hebrew word shalach (shaw-lakh') which is
a versatile word that can be used of divorce as well as for the emancipation of
slaves. In other words: Hagar wasn't banished as is commonly assumed; no, she
was set free; and it's very important to nail that down in our thinking because if
Abraham had merely banished Hagar, then her son Ishmael would have retained
his legal status as Abraham's eldest son.

Ishmael retained his status as one of Abraham's biological sons (Gen 25:9) but in
legal matters relative to inheritance he's no son at all.
_

 

[Dant01]

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30» Why Is Jeconiah's Curse So Important?

A curse, back in the Old Testament, leveled at a really bad king in Solomon's royal
line to David's throne reads like this:

• Jer 22:29-30 . . O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord! Thus said the Lord:
Record this man as without succession, one who shall never be found acceptable;
for no man of his offspring shall be accepted to sit on the throne of David and to
rule again in Judah.

The bad king's name was Jeconiah (a.k.a. Jehoiakim and/or Coniah). Jesus' dad
Joseph was one of his descendants. (Matt 1:11)

It's commonly believed that the curse extended to Joseph, so that had he been
Jesus' biological father, it would have prevented Mary's boy from ascending David's
throne.

However, Joseph adopted Jesus and seeing as how adopted children inherit from
their fathers the same as biological children; then had the curse extended to
Joseph, it would have extended to Jesus too whether he was virgin-conceived or
not. In other words: seeing as how Jesus got into Solomon's royal line by adoption,
then of course he would've got into the curse too because the throne and the curse
were a package deal.

However; the wording "to rule again in Judah" indicates that the curse on
Jeconiah's royal progeny was limited to the era of the divided kingdom with
Samaria in the north and Judah in the south. That situation came to an end when
Nebuchadnezzar crushed the whole country and led first Samaria, and then later
Judah, off to Babylonian slavery.

When Messiah reigns, the country of Israel will be unified. His jurisdiction won't be
limited to Judah within a divided kingdom, but will dominate the entire land of
Israel. So the curse doesn't apply to him.

• Ezek 37:21-22 . .You shall declare to them: Thus said the Lord God: I am going
to take the Israelite people from among the nations they have gone to, and gather
them from every quarter, and bring them to their own land. I will make them a
single nation in the land, on the hills of Israel, and one king shall be king of them
all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided
into two kingdoms.
_

 

[Dant01]

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31» What Is Matt 22:42-45 Supposed To Mean?

That's a reference to Ps 110:1 which Jesus interpreted speaking of Christ, a.k.a.
Messiah.

• Ps 110:1 . . The Lord says to my lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your
enemies a footstool for your feet.

There's two distinctly different Hebrew words translated by the English word "lord"
in that passage

The first is Jehovah (a.k.a. Yahweh); which is a name restricted to God's use. (Isa
42:8)

The second is 'adown, which is a common word for superiors in the Old Testament;
both human and divine, for instance: Sarah referred to her husband as 'adown
(Gen 18:12).The people of Heth addressed Abraham as 'adown (Gen 23:5-6).
Abraham's trusted servant referred to him as 'adown (Gen 24:12). Rachel
addressed her father Laban as 'adown (Gen 31:35). And Jacob addressed Esau as
'adown (Gen 33:8). And God is spoken of as 'adown too, e.g. Isa 1:24 and Isa 3:1
et al.

Jesus' interpretation of Ps 110:1 says Christ is superior to David, which is normally
unthinkable seeing as the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God ranks
parents above their children. (Ex 20:12, cf. Eph 6:2)

Now, the thing is: David has no peers relative to kings on earth, seeing as he was
given the rank of God's firstborn son in that respect.

• Ps 89:20-27 . . I have found My servant David; with My holy oil I have anointed
him . . I will make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

So, in order for one of David's sons to outrank their father, the son would have to
be God's firstborn son in Heaven, viz: David's son would have to be a divine being.
(cf. Acts 2:32-36)

The theologians of Jesus' day knew the Old Testament practically word for word,
but they couldn't always explain it. No doubt they were aware that Psalm 110
speaks of David's son, and that he would be superior to David, and that he would
be a divine being. I'm pretty sure they knew all that. But what they hadn't as yet
figured out is how this one particular man of David's biological posterity could
possibly become so incredibly exalted.
_

 

[Hark]

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2» Was John the Baptist a Christian?

John missed the cut. Jesus didn't begin assembling the "my church" predicted at
Matt 16:18 till after John was executed.

In point of fact, Christianity didn't exist prior to Jesus' resurrection-- specifically
before the day of Pentecost following that event.

The day of Pentecost kicked of an era characterized by the baptism of the Holy
Spirit (Acts 1:5 and 1Cor 12:12-13).

John was filled with the Spirit all his life, even prior to his birth (Luke 1:15). But he
wasn't baptized by the Spirit. This is a very, very important technicality.
_

John the Baptist, as it was for that thief on the cross, were with Jesus in Paradise aka Abraham's bosom the day Jesus had died.

Where's Abraham's Bosom A.K.A. Paradise Located?

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

So when Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and had ascended into Heaven, that is where Paradise is now at with the spirits of the O.T. saints that are awaiting the firstfruits of the resurrection to join with the N.T. saints at the Marriage Supper table in Heaven at the rapture event.

2 Corinthians 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

 

[Dant01]

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32» What Is The "My Church" Spoken Of At Matt 16:18?

Within the global sphere of Christianity is a non-denominational fraternity of
individuals joined to Christ in such a manner as to be corporately identified as his
body, i.e. his actual body. (Eph 1:22-23 and Eph 5:30)

This concept isn't new. In the beginning it was declared that when a man and a
woman are joined to each other as a permanent couple, they become one flesh, i.e.
one body. (Gen 3:23-24, cf. Eph 5:31-32)

FAQ: How did these individuals bond with Christ's body?

A: Via baptism by the Spirit. (1Cor 12:13)

FAQ: Not by Christian baptism?

A: No; by Spirit baptism. In other words: bonding with Christ's body is by means of
an act of God rather than a ritual, i.e. one's affiliation with a denomination is
merely a name tag.
_

 

[Dant01]

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33» How Was It Okay For Abraham To Marry His Half Sister?

I'm not sure we can say "okay" but a codified law prohibiting marriage to a half
sister wasn't instituted till Lev 18:9, which was many years later in Moses' day.

According to Deut 5:2-4, Rom 4:15, Rom 5:13, and Gal 3:17 the codified law isn't
retroactive so Abraham could get away with marrying a sibling in his day.
_

 

[Dant01]

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34» Is Something Important Hinted By Gen 13:7?

• Gen 13:7 . . And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle
and those of Lot's cattle. The Canaanites and Perizzites were then dwelling in the
land.

How do you suppose that squabbling looked to the pagans? When God's people
can't get along, outsiders become disgusted with them and they sure won't be
influenced for God in a good way when there's fighting amongst themselves like
that.

For example: years ago, when I was a young welder just starting out on my own, I
rented a small room in a daylight basement from a man who was the senior pastor
of a medium sized church in the Portland Oregon area. He and his wife radiated the
luster of polished spirituality whenever I spoke with them out in the yard, but in my
location under the floor of the house, I could overhear their bitter quarrels upstairs
behind closed doors. Was I favorably inclined to attend their church? No.
_

 

[Dant01]

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35» What Is Hope Per Christianity?

• 1Pet 3:15 . . Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for
a reason for your hope.

The Greek word translated "hope" in that verse is elpis (el pece') which means to
anticipate (usually with pleasure) and to expect with confidence. Note the elements
of anticipation, expectation, and confidence.

In other words: Christianity's hope is a know-so kind of hope rather than a cross
your fingers hope-- i.e. it's a sure thing, a.k.a. in the bag: signed, sealed, and
aboard the FedEx truck headed your way for delivery (so to speak).

• Rom 12:12 . . Rejoicing in hope.

When people are praying for the best, while in the back of their mind dreading the
worst, they have absolutely no cause for rejoicing; no; but they do have plenty of
cause to fear the unknown.
_

 

[Dant01]

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36» What Is Grace?

The common Greek word translated "grace" refers to graciousness; roughly defined
as kind, courteous, sympathetic, inclined to good will, generous, charitable,
merciful, altruistic, compassionate, thoughtful, cordial, affable, genial, sociable,
cheerful, warm, sensitive, considerate, and tactful.

*Cordial* stresses warmth and heartiness

*Affable* implies easy to approach, and readiness to respond pleasantly to
conversation or requests or proposals

*Genial* stresses cheerfulness and even joviality

*Sociable* suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others

*Generous* is characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit; viz: magnanimous,
kindly, and liberal in giving

*Charitable* means full of love for, and goodwill toward, others; viz: benevolent,
tolerant, and lenient.

*Altruistic* means unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others; viz: a
desire to be of service to others for no other reason than it just feels good to do so.

*Tactful* indicates a keen sense of what to do, or say, in order to maintain good
relations with others in order to resolve and/or avoid unnecessary conflict.

*Compassionate* speaks of an awareness of others' distress coupled with a desire
to alleviate it.
_

 

[guest1]

John the Baptist, as it was for that thief on the cross, were with Jesus in Paradise aka Abraham's bosom the day Jesus had died.

Where's Abraham's Bosom A.K.A. Paradise Located?

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

So when Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and had ascended into Heaven, that is where Paradise is now at with the spirits of the O.T. saints that are awaiting the firstfruits of the resurrection to join with the N.T. saints at the Marriage Supper table in Heaven at the rapture event.

2 Corinthians 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

Good luck the person is all about self and not others. he/she just likes to post/spam the boards with his/her own man-made ideas and not engage anyone in any sort of dialogue. I trued that in the ridiculous genesis thread.

it became an exercise in futility- now I just leave the poster to his/her own demise. I think of it as the proverbs and the fool scenario.

the only interest is having his/her own free platform to regurgitate the unbiblical dogma.

and the irony is the misleading title Q & A-

you ask questions and get no answers- you just gotta luv the irony in that lol.

hope this helps !!!

 

[Dant01]

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37» What Is Redemption?

A couple of Greek words are translated redemption.

One is lutrosis (loo'-tro-sis) which means a ransoming.

The other is apolutrosis (ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis) which means to ransom in full.

Webster's defines "ransom" as:

1) A consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from
captivity

2) The act of paying the consideration.

In the divine scheme, Christ is the payer; and the life of his body is the
consideration; plus. according to apolutrosis, his life isn't a down payment, rather:
the entire sum demanded leaving no balance outstanding.

FAQ: Who/What is the captor?

A: The architect spoken of by Genesis 1:1

FAQ: God is holding the world hostage?

A: Not quite like that. A better comparison depicts the world as indicted fugitives in
imminent danger of arrest and trial at the great white throne event described at
Revelation 20:11-15.

In other words: Christ satisfies the justice due to the fugitives so they can be
acquitted-- which is much better than parole because an acquittal leaves behind no
record. It's as though a wanted man has never been anything but 100% innocent
his entire life.

I cannot imagine a better way to settle out of court with God than by means of the
redemption that's available in Christ Jesus.
_

 

[Dant01]

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38» What Is Justification?

• Rom 4:25 . . He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for
our justification.

The Greek word translated "justification" in that passage means acquittal; which
Webster's defines as a judgment that a person is not guilty of the crime with which
the person has been charged.

To give a rough-hewn idea of how this plays out: according to Rev 20:11-15, God is
keeping books on everyone wherein is inventoried their entire life.

Were those books to be opened to the pages wherein is supposed to be an
inventory of the life of someone who managed to obtain the justification available
by means of Christ's death and resurrection, those pages would be missing because
when someone obtains the justification, God closes their case and it's never
reopened-- not because it's a cold case, but because all charges against them were
dropped, i.e. transferred to Christ.

• Isa 53:6 . .We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own
way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

• 2Cor 5:19 . . God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting
their trespasses against them

• Rom 8:33-34 . .Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns; Christ Jesus, who died?
_

 

[Dant01]

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39» What Is Meant By The Quick And The Dead?

• 2Tim 4:1 . . Christ Jesus, who will judge the quick and the dead

The Greek word translated "quick" means living, i.e. alive.

The question pertains to judgments rather than spiritual conditions, For example
John 5:24 speaks of spiritual conditions; whereas 2Tim 4:1, along with 1Pet 4:5,
speaks of judgments.

There's a judgment for those alive depicted at Ezek 20:33-38 and another at Matt
25:31-46.

A judgment for those deceased is depicted at Rev 20:11-15.
_

 

[Dant01]

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40» How Can Death Be Thrown?

• Rev 20:14 . . Death was cast into the lake of fire.

Seeing as how Death can't be picked up and thrown like a baseball or a javelin,
then I suggest that casting, in this instance, is speaking of exile. (e.g. Matt 8:11-
-12)

Death is likely a category consisting of everything and anything one can possibly
imagine that God considers dead to Himself; both visible and invisible. Whatever
that amounts to, it will all be discarded in that fiery impound. In that respect, the
lake of fire could be thought of as a sanitary landfill, viz: a dump for refuse
disposal.
_

 

[Dant01]

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41» Why The Everlasting Gospel?

Most of the Bible teachers that I've listened to sincerely believe that Jesus' church
will be completely gone from the Earth when the fourth chapter of Revelation
begins coming to pass, viz: the era of the so-called great commission (a.k.a. the
church age) will be over; there won't be any regenerated, Spirit-empowered
Christian evangelists left anywhere on Earth preaching the gospel of Christ, yet
according to Rev 7:9-17, many thousands of people will be saved out of the
Tribulation during the church's absence.

In my opinion, some of those numbers can be attributed to the success of the
everlasting gospel, which can be rightfully called the timeless gospel because it
contains things that have been known all over the world since the very beginning,
whereas Jesus' crucifixion, his resurrection, and his future kingdom on Earth are
relatively new entries in the annals of time.

• Rev 14:6-7 . . And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, announcing with a loud voice: Fear
God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him
that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The everlasting gospel is very elementary; pretty much all it says is:

1) There's a supreme being.

2) He deserves respect and admiration.

3) There's a frightful reckoning looming on the horizon, and

4) The cosmos-- all of its forms of life, matter, and energy --is the product of
intelligent design.
_

 

[Dant01]

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42» What's To Learn From Moses And The Snakes?

• John 3:14-17 . . Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the
Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal
life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send
his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved
through him.

Long story short: Moses' people became sick and tired of living in the desert and
eating manna all the time at every meal. But instead of courteously, and
diplomatically, petitioning their divine benefactor for tastier food and better
accommodations, they became hostile and confrontational.

In response to their insolence; God sent a swarm of deadly poisonous snakes
among them; which began striking people; and every strike was 100% fatal, no
exceptions. In no time at all, much people of Israel died. Then those not yet dead
got nervous and appealed to Moses for help. In reply; The Lord instructed Moses to
construct a replica of the beasts and hoist it up on a pole in plain view so that
everyone dying from venom could look to it for immunity.

Now the key issue here is that the replica, lifted up, was the only God-given
remedy for the people's terminal condition-- not purity, not sacrifices and offerings,
not tithing, not church attendance, not missionary work, not confession, not holy
days of obligation, not the Sabbath, not charity, not good deeds, not good
behavior, not piety, not Bible study and Sunday school, not catechism or yeshiva,
not one's religion of choice, not self denial and/or self control, not the so-called
golden rule, not vows of poverty and/or chastity, not the Ten Commandments, not
the Eucharist; no, none of that: not even prayers. That replica, lifted up, was it;
viz: it was all or nothing at all-- there was no other option. Whoever failed to look
to that replica, lifted up, for immunity died: no exceptions.

In other words then: Christ, lifted up on the cross to satisfy justice for the sins of
the world, is the only God-given option for protection from the second death
depicted at Rev 20:11-15. The default is terminal; no exceptions. People relying
upon religion and piety, instead of putting all their trust in Christ's crucifixion, are
dead men walking, no exceptions.

• John 3:18 . .Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever disbelieves
stands condemned already.
_

 

[Dant01]

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43» What Is Sheol?

Sheol is an Old Testament Hebrew word that's sometimes transliterated instead of
translated; likely because there is so much controversy about its meaning.

During Jonah's nautical adventure, he spent some time in sheol (Jonah 2:2) which
is a region that he placed at the bottoms of the mountains. (Jonah 2:6)

Well, Jonah's fish was under the sea rather than under the mountains, and seeing
as how no part of a mountain is located in a fish's tummy, then we can be
reasonably certain that Jonah and his body parted company; implying that Jonah
was alive for some of the time during his three days and nights in the fish but not
the whole time; which corroborates Jonah 2:9 that the prophet's body underwent
putrefaction and would've been completely destroyed beyond recognition had not
God resurrected Jonah in time to stop the process from getting out of hand.

Jesus appropriated Jonah's experience to illustrate his own. Jesus predicted that at
some time during his three days and nights deceased, he would be in the heart of
the Earth. (Matt 12:40)

Well; Jesus' body was laid to rest on the surface of the Earth; so in order for him to
be down inside the Earth at same time, he and his body had to part company. In
other words: Jesus spent some of his three days and nights at the bottoms of the
mountains, i.e. sheol. And he too was resurrected in time to stop the process of
putrefaction from getting out of hand. (Ps 16:8-10 and Acts 2:25-32)
_

 

[Dant01]

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44» How Could Abraham's Posterity Possibly Amount To The Stars?

• Gen 22:17 . . In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy
seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore;

I think it best to interpret stars and sand as ancient idioms representing
overwhelming numbers of just about anything. Compare Heb 12:1 where "cloud" is
a term for the same purpose.

But as a matter of interest: back in Abram's day, prior to the invention of optics,
the only stars that people could see with their own eyes were those in our home
galaxy, the Milky Way; which consists of an estimated 100-400 billion stars. But
many of those estimated billions of stars appear to the naked eye not as stars but
as glowing clouds; viz: they cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye
so those didn't matter to Abram when it came to actually tallying the heavens.

The entire global sky contains roughly five or six thousand stars visible to the naked
eye. However, we can't see all those stars at once; only the ones when the sky is
dark. So then; in Abram's day, he could see at most three thousand discernible
stars from dark till dawn. God had said "if you are able to count them" (Gen 15:5).
Well; even at only three thousand, the task would be difficult.
_

 

[Dant01]

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45» Why Was Jesus Baptized?

• Matt 3:13-15 . .Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by
John. But John tried to deter him, saying: I need to be baptized by you, and do you
come to me? Jesus replied: Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all
righteousness. Then John consented.

An important point worth noting is that everything Jesus did, it was to please his
Father. (John 8:29)

Also, Jesus did nothing on his own initiative. His daily itinerary was planned for him
(John 6:38 and John 8:28). In other words: Jesus was micro managed.

However, John's baptism was unto repentance (Matt 3:11). This is curious because
according to Isa 53:9, John 8:29, 2Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15, 1Pet 2:22, and 1John 3:9;
Jesus committed no sins of his own; and as he always pleased his Father, then
there was never a time when Jesus needed to ponder his life's direction and think
about turning from evil and returning to God.

The reason for Jesus' baptism is very simple: his Father required it. Even if Jesus
didn't know the reason why God wanted him to submit to John's baptism, it was the
right thing for Jesus to do at the time because it was God's will; just as baptizing
Israel was the right thing for John to do at the time because it was God's will. Both
men were acting in compliance with God's directions. (John 14:31)

Obedience fulfills righteousness. For example Eph 6:1 where it's said:

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

NOTE: Orwellian societies-- e.g. Communist China --tend to ban religions like
Christianity because one of their means of control is to turn children against their
parents. This particular management practice was put into full swing during the
Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao Zedong back in the era 1966-1976. (cf.
Malachi 4:6)
_

 

[Hark]

Good luck the person is all about self and not others. he/she just likes to post/spam the boards with his/her own man-made ideas and not engage anyone in any sort of dialogue. I trued that in the ridiculous genesis thread.

it became an exercise in futility- now I just leave the poster to his/her own demise. I think of it as the proverbs and the fool scenario.

the only interest is having his/her own free platform to regurgitate the unbiblical dogma.

and the irony is the misleading title Q & A-

you ask questions and get no answers- you just gotta luv the irony in that lol.

hope this helps !!!

Thanks for the information. I reckon prayer is needed for this fellow believer.🙏