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The cover image for this booklet portrays three individuals—who, like some of the early disciples of Jesus Christ—were fishermen at the Sea of Galilee. Men such as these, along with others chosen by Jesus, followed Jesus for the next three-and-one-half years. They got to know Him intimately, and a record of their experiences has been left as a witness for us to also learn about and come to truly know Jesus Christ.

Introduction

Jesus Christ is a great enigma for most people—who He was when He lived here on earth over 2,000 years ago; whether He lives today; and whether He will indeed return to this earth as He has promised.

Our free booklets Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery! and When and How Will Christ Return? address many of those questions.

But there is so much more to reveal, and in this booklet we focus primarily on Christ’s pre-existence, His birth, and His life on earth as a human being.

Did He really exist prior to His human birth? If so, who or what was He? Was He an angel? Was He God? Was He just a “thought” in the mind of God?

HOW exactly did His human birth occur?

Was He a man with a sinful human nature?

Does the Old Testament, especially Isaiah 53, prophesy that the Messiah would first come to earth as God’s suffering Servant? If so, why do most Jews reject those passages, claiming instead that the Messiah would ONLY come as the world-ruling King of Israel?

Why did Jesus come in the first place? What were the purposes of His Coming?

What kind of life did Jesus live? Was He a hippie-like, homeless vagabond with long hair? Did He have emotions and feelings? Did He resort to violence? Did He condone and justify sinful conduct? Did He really prohibit a disciple from burying his father? Was He married? Did He have brothers and sisters, and if so, why did He ask His disciple John to take care of His mother Mary?

As Christians, we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. This booklet will help you better understand who and what Jesus Christ was, and how He really lived as a human being, so that YOU CAN follow in His footsteps.

Chapter 1 – The Pre-Existence of Jesus

The question as to whether Jesus existed prior to His human birth is asked time and again. We will show you in this booklet the very clear Bible teaching that Jesus Christ did exist, AS GOD, prior to His First Coming!

God Since Eternity

The Bible reveals that both the Father and Jesus Christ ARE God, and that they have ALWAYS been God throughout eternity! Reading from John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word [the “Logos” in Greek, meaning “Spokesman”], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We see that it is Jesus Christ—the “Word”—the One who “SPOKE, and it was done” (Psalm 33:9), and the One who later became flesh (John 1:14), who is referred to in John 1:1 as “God.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible states the following:

“What he [John] saith of him [is] enough to prove beyond contradiction that he is God. He asserts… His existence in the beginning: In the beginning was the Word. This bespeaks his existence, not only before his incarnation, but before all time. The beginning of time, in which all creatures were produced and brought into being, found this eternal Word in being. The world was from the beginning, but the Word was in the beginning… the Word was God: a distinct person… for he was with God [the Father]… He that undertook to bring us to God… was himself from eternity with God; so that this grand affair of man’s reconciliation to God was concerted between the Father and Son from eternity, and they understand one another perfectly well in it… He was with God, and therefore is said to come forth from the Father.”

In addition, Philippians 2:5–7 explains that Christ was in the “form of God” and “equal with God” the Father, but that He took the “form of a bondservant,” and came “in the likeness of men.”

Christ said in John 5:37 that no one has ever seen the “form” of God the Father (compare also John 1:18; 1 John 4:12). Since some, including Moses, saw the “form” of the LORD (Numbers 12:8; Exodus 33:17–23), it is logical and compelling that they must have seen the form of Christ—the second member in the Godhead.

Paul explains in 1 Timothy 3:16: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD was manifest in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”

HOW, exactly, was “God” manifest in the flesh? Some claim that God is just one Being and that He somehow placed some of His thoughts into the mind of a human being called Jesus. But they are wrong! Jesus actually did exist as a God Being—a second, individual God Being to God the Father—prior to His birth as a human.

Christ the Creator

Colossians 1:16 states that “all things”—visible and invisible—were created “by” and “through” Jesus Christ. We see in John 1:1–3 that “all things” were made through the Word—the Logos—Jesus Christ; and Hebrews 1:1–2; 2:10 tells us that God the Father made “the worlds” or the entire universe and “all things” “through” Jesus Christ.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible points out, regarding Colossians 1:16:

“Jesus Christ is the Creator of the universe; of all things visible and invisible; of all things that had a beginning, whether they exist in time or in eternity… he was prior to all creation, to all beings, whether in the visible or invisible world… Now, allowing… Paul to have understood the terms which he used, he must have considered Jesus Christ as being truly and properly God… Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, therefore Jesus Christ must be, according to the plain construction of the apostle’s words, truly and properly God.”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible comments on John 1:3:

“In this place it is affirmed that ‘creation’ was effected by ‘the Word,’ or the Son of God. In [Genesis 1:1], it is said that the Being who created the heavens and the earth was God. In [Psalm 102:25–28], this work is ascribed to Yahweh. The ‘Word,’ or the Son of God, is therefore appropriately called ‘God’… he was the agent, or the efficient cause, by which the universe was made. There is no higher proof of omnipotence than the work of creation; and, hence, God often appeals to that work to prove that he is the true God, in opposition to idols… The Being, therefore, that ‘created’ all things must be divine; and, since this work is ascribed to Jesus Christ, and as it is uniformly in the Scriptures declared to be the work of God, Jesus Christ is therefore equal with the Father.”

Christ—The “I Am”

Jesus Christ spoke of His own pre-existence over and over again. At one time, He stated boldly that He—AS God—had lived before Abraham. The Jews were so outraged that they were willing to stone Jesus. Notice the dialogue and the reaction of the Jews to Christ’s words in John 8:56–58: “[Jesus said,] ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’”

When Jesus said, “I AM,” rather than, “I WAS,” the Jews understood that He identified Himself as God—as “Yahweh,” the “I AM” or Eternal of the Old Testament. That is why they “took up stones to throw at Him” (verse 59).

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary adds the following thoughts:

“‘Before Abraham was, I am’ — The words rendered ‘was’ and ‘am’ are quite different. The one clause means, ‘Abraham was brought into being’; the other, ‘I exist.’ The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did… but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally… In that sense the Jews plainly understood Him, since ‘then took they up stones to cast at Him,’ just as they had before done when they saw that He made Himself equal with God [John 5:18].”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible elaborates:

“‘I am’ – The expression I am, though in the present tense, is clearly designed to refer to a past time… he assumes it as his name, ‘I AM,’ and ‘I AM that I AM,’ [Exodus 3:14]… There is a remarkable similarity between the expression employed by Jesus in this place and that used in Exodus to denote the name of God…The question here was about his pre-existence. The objection of the Jews was that he was not 50 years old, and could not, therefore, have seen Abraham. Jesus replied to that that he existed before Abraham… this declaration corresponds to the affirmation of John [John 1:1], that he was in the beginning with God, and was God.”

The Jews of Christ’s time rejected Him as fulfilling the office of Messiah and the King of Israel. However, prophecy in the books of the Old Testament pointed to the fact that it would be God who would come to deliver them (compare Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23). Jesus told the Jews, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). In another instance, following His resurrection, Jesus showed some of His disciples these very proofs: “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).

In addition, in Luke 10:18, Jesus said that He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven, claiming that He existed when Satan’s rebellion occurred, which happened long before the creation of man. (See our free booklet, Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man.)

Christ—The Beginner of Creation

Quoting from our free booklet, God Is a Family:

“Jesus Christ is identified, in Revelation 3:14, as the ‘beginner of the creation of God,’ as it should be correctly rendered… Christ… had no beginning. He is identified in Hebrews 7:1 as ‘Melchizedek,’ the ‘priest of the Most High God.’ Hebrews 7:3 explains that He had ‘neither beginning of days nor end of life.’ Therefore, Revelation 3:14 is more accurately translated as ‘beginning’ or ‘source’ of God’s creation (compare, for instance, Revised Standard Version; New Revised Standard Version; Revised English Bible; and New American Bible). Christ EXISTED as a God being from all eternity, and it was He—the second member of the God Family—who began the creation of everything…”

Some, in commenting on Revelation 3:14, claim that God the Father first created His Son, Jesus Christ, and proceeded afterwards to create everything else through Christ. They say that the Word was created, and when that happened, there were no days or time created, so Christ had no beginning of days as such. This is not, however, what the Bible teaches.

Micah 5:2 talks about the coming Messiah when it states: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, WHOSE GOINGS FORTH ARE FROM OF OLD, FROM EVERLASTING.”

The New Bible Commentary: Revised adds the following: “… the title ‘the beginning of God’s creation’ (better translated ‘the principle’ or ‘source’ of creation) exalts Christ as Creator above the proud but puny creatures that boast in their self-sufficiency.”

The Commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown agrees, pointing out: “‘…beginning of the creation of God’–not he whom God created first, but as in Colossians 1:15–18… the Beginner of all creation, its originating instrument. All creation would not be represented adoring Him, if He were but one of themselves. He being the Creator is a strong guarantee for His faithfulness as ‘the Witness and Amen.’”

In Revelation 22:13, Christ refers to himself as the “beginning [arche] and the end [telos].” If “beginning” suggests that there was a time when Christ did not exist, but that He came into existence as the first being of God’s creation, does “end” indicate that there will be a point at which He will no longer exist? That would be a ridiculous suggestion!

Based on all the biblical evidence, we can dogmatically state that Jesus Christ had NO beginning. Rather, He is the BEGINNER of God’s creation: God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ, who existed [as God] since all eternity.

Finally, quoting again from our booklet, God Is a Family:

“We read that the Spirit of Christ was IN the prophets of old (1 Peter 1:11)… This proves, too, that Christ existed at that time [as God], prior to His human existence, and that He gave His Spirit to the prophets…”

There can be no reasonable and honest doubt that Jesus Christ was God—since all eternity—before He became a human being.

Chapter 2 – Jesus Christ IS God!

The Bible teaches very clearly that Jesus Christ is God. For undeniable proof, notice Titus 2:11–14: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

Christ—the Great God and Savior

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary confirms that the entire phrase “Great God and Savior” refers to Jesus Christ:

“There is but one Greek article to ‘God’ and ‘Savior,’ which shows that both are predicated of one and the same Being… Also… ‘appearing’ (epiphaneia) is never by Paul predicated of God the Father… it is invariably applied to Christ’s coming… Also… in the context… there is no reference to the Father, but to Christ alone… Also… the expression ‘great God,’ as applied to Christ, is in accordance with the context, which refers to the glory of His appearing…”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible adds:

“There can be little doubt, if any, that by ‘the great God’ here, the apostle referred to the Lord Jesus, for it is not a doctrine of the New Testament that God himself as such… will appear at the last day.”

This is true. The Bible says that God the Father will descend to earth AFTER the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment—not at the time of Christ’s Second Coming.

No One Has Seen the Father

In addition, we make these comments in our free booklet, God Is a Family:

“John 1:18 tells us: ‘No one has ever seen God [the Father]. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known’ (New Revised Standard Version). Notice the rendering of this passage in the New American Bible: ‘No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.’”

A similar rendering is also used in the Luther Bible: “No one has seen God at any time; the only Begotten, WHO IS GOD and who is in the Father’s bosom, has revealed Him to us.” The Elberfelder Bible comments in an annotation that many old and good sources render the phrase, “the only-begotten Son,” as “the only-begotten GOD.”

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible adds: “The Syriac version here renders it, ‘the only begotten, God which is in the bosom of the Father’; clearly showing, that he is the only begotten, as he is God.”

The Eternally Blessed God

Additionally, Romans 9:5 refers to Jesus Christ as “the eternally blessed God.” Please note the exact rendering: “… Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states the following:

“‘Who is over all’ – This is an appellation that belongs only to the true God. It implies supreme divinity; and is full proof that the Messiah is divine: Much effort has been made to show that this is not the true rendering, but without success. There are no various readings in the Greek manuscripts of any consequence; and the connection here evidently requires us to understand this… of the divine nature.

“‘God blessed forever’ – This is evidently applied to the Lord Jesus; and it proves that he is divine.”

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible agrees:

“As this verse contains such an eminent proof of the deity of Christ, no wonder that the opposers of his divinity should strive with their utmost skill and cunning to destroy its force. And it must be truly painful to a mind that has nothing in view but truth, to see the mean and hypocritical methods used to elude the force of this text. Few have met it in that honest and manly way in which Dr. Taylor, who was a conscientious Arian, has considered the subject. ‘Christ,’ says he, ‘is God over all, as he is by the Father appointed Lord, King, and Governor of all.’”

Note, too, the following statements by Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible:

“Mentioning Christ, he interposes a very great word concerning him, that he is over all, God blessed for ever. Lest the Jews should think meanly of him, because he was of their alliance, he here speaks thus honourably concerning him: and it is a very full proof of the Godhead of Christ; he is not only over all, as Mediator, but he is God blessed for ever. Therefore, how much sorer punishment were they worthy of that rejected him!”

God Anointed God

In the first chapter of the book of Hebrews, overwhelming and indisputable proof can be found that Jesus Christ is God today. Beginning with verse 5, God the Father is quoted (compare verse 1) as saying: “(verse 5) For to which of the angels did He [God the Father] ever say… (Verse 7) And of the angels He [God the Father] says… (Verse 8) But to the Son He [God the Father] says: ‘Your throne, O GOD, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.’”

So, clearly, God the Father, speaking to Jesus Christ the Son, calls Him “God.”

Also notice how the next verse (verse 9) is rendered in some translations (still quoting God the Father’s words to the Son, Jesus Christ). For instance, the Revised English Bible writes: “You have loved right and hated wrong; therefore, O God, your God has set you above your fellows (or: “… has anointed You”).”

This rendering (“Therefore, O God, Your God has anointed You…”) is also used in the Luther Bible; the Zuercher Bible; and the Menge Bible.

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary states the following:

“Jerome, Augustine, and others translate [Psalm 45:7:] ‘O God, Thy God, hath anointed thee,’ whereby Christ is addressed as God. This is probably the true translation of the Hebrew there, and also of the Greek of Hebrews here; for it is likely the Son is addressed, ‘O God,’ as in [Hebrews 1:8].”

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible agrees, stating, “The original… may be thus translated: Therefore, O God, thy God hath anointed thee. The form of speech is nearly the same with [sic] that in the preceding verse [of Hebrews 1:8]…”

Similarly Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:

“‘Therefore God, even thy God.’ The word ‘even’ inserted here by the translators [in the Authorized Version], weakens the force of the expression. This might be translated, ‘O God, thy God hath anointed thee’…

“The Greek will bear this construction, as well [as] the Hebrew in [Psalm 45:7] In the margin in [sic] the Psalm it is rendered ‘O God.’ This is the most natural construction, as it accords with what is just said before. ‘Thy throne, O God, is forever. Thou art just and holy, therefore, O God, thy God hath anointed thee,’ etc.”

The Mighty God

Also, in our free booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, we make the following observation about Christ’s divinity and His role in the future:

“The angel Gabriel quoted here [in Luke 1:30–35] in part from Isaiah 9:6–7: ‘For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God…’”

So we see that Isaiah prophesied, under inspiration, that Jesus Christ would be called the “Mighty God,” when He rules here on earth. In Isaiah 10:21, we read that a remnant of Jacob will return to the “Mighty God.”

There is still much additional proof for the biblical teaching that Jesus Christ is God today. Christ is called the “image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1–3). Thomas calls the resurrected Christ “My Lord and My God,” and Christ responds that he believes now since he has seen Him (John 20:28–29). What did Thomas believe? That Christ was his Lord and his GOD.

1 John 5:20 is another text showing that Jesus Christ is God. It says: “And we know that the Son of God has come… and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

Some claim that the reference of “true God” refers here to the Father, but as Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible points out, the grammatical construction of the sentence favors the view that the reference is to Christ. He continues to state:

“No doubt would have been ever entertained on this point, if it had not been for the reluctance to admit that the Lord Jesus is the true God. If the assertion had been that ‘this is the true Messiah;’ or that ‘this is the Son of God;’ or that ‘this is he who was born of the Virgin Mary,’ there would have been no difficulty in the construction.”

Barnes also makes this additional convincing argument:

“… this interpretation accords with what we are sure John would affirm respecting the Lord Jesus Christ. Can there be any doubt that he who said, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;’ that he who said, ‘all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made;’ that he who recorded the declaration of the Saviour, ‘I and my Father are one,’ and the declaration of Thomas, ‘my Lord and my God,’ would apply to him the appellation ‘the true God!’…?”

The Bible is very dogmatic that Jesus Christ is God today! In fact, this is an essential and salvational issue!

Chapter 3 – Jesus Christ—the Man!

We have discussed in the previous two chapters that Jesus Christ was God before He came to this earth, and that He is God today. From this it follows that He was and had to be God—the “Immanuel” or “God with us”—when He came to this earth during His First Coming. As we saw in the last chapter, He confirmed this fact to the Jews at His time, when He called Himself the “I am”—the Everlasting One—the God of the Old Testament.

But in what way was He God when He was here on earth? The fact that He was God since all eternity—with no beginning and uncreated—has confused many who think that He was still “fully God”—as well as “fully man”—when He came to this earth. Of course, one cannot be fully something and fully something else, if these two characteristics are incompatible. And indeed, being fully God and fully man would be inconsistent.

What then, was Jesus Christ, when He came to this earth?

God Became Flesh

We discuss this question in much detail in our free booklet, Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery. We recommend that you read the entire booklet, especially pages 7–22 for the purpose of this chapter. Because of space limitations, we can only quote here pertinent excerpts and highlights that summarize the biblical understanding as to who and what Jesus was when He was here on earth:

“Notice the clear revelation of this mystery in John 1:14: ‘And the Word [the ‘Word’ referring to Jesus Christ, Who in the beginning was God and was with God the Father, John 1:1–2] BECAME flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth’…

“God clearly tells us that the Word—Jesus Christ—who was God before His human birth, BECAME flesh. Christ came in the flesh by BECOMING flesh. This means that He became totally and fully flesh and blood, like you and I! This is CRUCIAL for you to understand! When Christ BECAME flesh, He was no longer Spirit. He was no longer fully God, because He had become fully man!…

“When Mary became pregnant with Jesus, how did that happen? We read that the Holy Spirit of God, the Father, came upon her—that the power of God overshadowed her (Luke 1:35). From this we can understand that through the Holy Spirit, God, the Father, changed the all-powerful Spirit being, Jesus Christ, into a tiny physical human sperm, fertilizing the egg in the womb of Mary, thus impregnating her. The fetus grew within Mary’s womb like any other human fetus. Jesus was born as a little baby like every other human baby. He was fully flesh, just like you and I are fully flesh…”

God Emptied Himself

The Bible teaches clearly that Jesus Christ—the God of the Old Testament—“emptied” Himself and became a human being. We read in Philippians 2:6–7, in the Revised Standard Version:

“[Jesus Christ]… though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (better: retained), but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men…”

The New International Version renders the phrase in verse 7 as follows: “…taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness…”

The New Jerusalem Bible leaves no doubt in its translation as to what Jesus became:

“… he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being…”

In spite of these powerful words, most commentaries simply deny what is being said here, and resort to some incredible “explanation” as to what this passage allegedly means. Note these astonishing statements by the Nelson Study Bible:

“This phrase can be translated ‘He emptied Himself.’ Christ did this by taking on the form of a servant, a mere man. In doing this, He did not empty Himself of any part of His essence as God. Instead He gave up His privileges as God and took upon Himself existence as a man. While remaining completely God, He became completely human.”

This is utter nonsense. As mentioned, you cannot be completely something and be completely the exact opposite at the same time.

The Bible is very clear that Christ emptied Himself of existing as a Spirit Being, and He emptied Himself of the glory that He had before the world was (compare John 17:5). He BECAME a human being. He was no longer “completely” or “fully” God—rather, He had become “completely” or “fully” man.

We read, for instance, that man—flesh and blood—cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50). We also read that we must be born again in order to enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5), and that flesh and blood cannot even see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). In order to be IN the Kingdom of God, one must BE Spirit (John 3:6). Jesus came in the flesh; He WAS flesh when He was here on earth. He became born again at the time of His resurrection as a Spirit Being—no longer flesh and blood—and it was THEN that He entered the Kingdom or Family of God as a glorified Spirit Being. He was NOT (yet) in the Kingdom of God when He was here on earth as a man. It is true that some of His disciples saw Him on the mount of transfiguration as a glorified Being in the Kingdom of God—together with a glorified Moses and a glorified Elijah—but that was in a vision, picturing what would occur in the future.

The Father’s Spirit Without Measure

We continue quoting from our free booklet, Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery:

“Christ had God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within Him… He had God’s Spirit without measure or limit—given at conception—which is how He was able to overcome sin in the flesh… Jesus said that He could do nothing of Himself (John 5:19, 30). When in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed to God, the Father, for strength and God sent an angel to strengthen Him. He knew that the Father could do everything and that nothing was impossible for the Father (Luke 22:40–46; Matthew 26:39–42)…”

He healed the sick through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 5:17; 6:19; 8:46)—not His power, but the power of the Father’s Spirit in Him. Christ said that of Himself, He could do nothing (John 5:19).  It was the Spirit of God the Father dwelling in Christ without measure or limitation, which gave Him the power to perform miracles. Acts 10:38 reads: “God [the Father] anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God [the Father] was with Him.” We also read that God the Father was in Christ [through the Holy Spirit] during His suffering (2 Corinthians 5:19), giving Him the strength to endure.

Fully Man

To continue with our free booklet, Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery:

“It was absolutely NECESSARY for Christ to become FULLY MAN, because only in that way could He become the Savior of man. Notice this in 1 Corinthians 15:21: ‘For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.’… We read that Christ was DEAD. HE HIMSELF had died—the person that He was—the Son of God Who had become Man. Revelation 1:18 confirms that HE was dead, not just a part of Him…

“Philippians 2:8 adds that ‘He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of DEATH, even the death of the cross.’ … Romans 14:9 adds: ‘For to this end Christ DIED and rose and LIVED AGAIN, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.’…

“Hebrews 2:9 teaches very powerfully that Christ died just as all humans die. In fact, He HAD to die that way in order to ‘…taste death for everyone.’ We read: ‘But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.’

“The only way that Christ—who had been GOD since all eternity—could die, was to become flesh. When He became flesh, He was totally human!… When Christ became flesh, He gave up all of His divine attributes and powers. Simply put, He became a man so that He could die! He was no longer a Spirit being, He was no longer God as we think of God, since God, a Spirit being, cannot die (compare Luke 20:35–36; Isaiah 57:15; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 Timothy 1:17)…

“Christ became flesh so that He could overcome sin in the flesh. He had to prove that it is possible for man, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit within him, to overcome sin!…

“Christ was tempted in all points, as we are, but He stayed sinless (Hebrews 4:15, ‘[He] was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.’). He overcame sin in the flesh, resisting temptation (Revelation 3:21). God, a powerful perfect Spirit being—cannot be tempted (compare James 1:13). But we read that Christ WAS tempted. This proves that He was not the all-powerful perfect Spirit being when He was here on this earth that He HAD been prior to His birth as a human being…

“Romans 8:3 tells us: ‘For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh [human beings, all by themselves, without God’s Spirit dwelling in them, are too weak to keep the law], God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.’ In other words, He OVERCAME SIN as a human being.

“… why, then, do we read that Christ would be called ‘Immanuel,’ which means, ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23)?…

“Christ had been an immortal God being. He was changed into a human being, but He was still the same personage He had been since all eternity. Christ, who became human, was still the personage He had always been. He was still the one who had previously met with Abraham, the one who created Adam and Eve, and the one who spoke to Moses face-to-face. He lived as a human being—growing as children do, developing into a young man, and then becoming a rabbi, or teacher, in Judah. But He was still the same individual that He had always been. He had been an immortal God being and He knew that He would become an immortal God being again, subject to qualifying by being and remaining sinless… Christ, when He was here on earth, was, quite literally, Immanuel, or, ‘God with us.’…

“Christ was God Eternal, who BECAME man, so that man COULD ultimately become God! Christ was tempted, He suffered, and He died as a man.

“Who IS Christ now? Christ is God. Christ, the man, was resurrected by God, the Father, as the mighty and powerful God being that He had always been before His days in the flesh. He is now the mighty God for whom we wait to bring us redemption, salvation, and eternal life in the very Kingdom of God (Titus 2:11–14)!

Chapter 4 – How God Became a Man

Some doubt that Christ became human at all. Others believe that He was fully God and fully man when He was here on earth. Then there are those who teach that while the “human form” of Jesus was here on earth, the “Son of God” was still in heaven. They believe that when Jesus “died,” the Son of God continued to live.

None of these concepts are correct. As we explained in the previous chapter, the Word or the “Logos”; that is, the Son of God—Jesus Christ—BECAME flesh. When He was changed into flesh, divesting Himself of His divinity and laying aside His divine attributes and glory, He ceased to exist as an immortal Spirit Being. Rather, He BECAME—was CHANGED INTO—flesh.

How did this happen?

We read that Christ existed since all eternity. There was never a time when He did not exist. He was always the second Member of the God Family, which always existed as two immortal God Beings—God the Father and the Son. But Christ, who was slain from the beginning of the world, BECAME a human being—consisting fully of flesh—so that He could overcome sin in the flesh and DIE. When He became a man, He ceased to exist as a Spirit Being. When He died, He ceased to live—He did not continue to live, while in the grave for three days and three nights.

God the Father resurrected Him from the dead as an immortal Spirit Being, with the glory that He had before He became flesh.

God is Spirit, and so Jesus Christ, before He became a man, was Spirit because Christ was God (John 1:1). The Holy Spirit is not a Person, but the power and mind of God, flowing from God. As long as Christ was a God Being, His Holy Spirit flowed from Him, as it did and does from God the Father. But in order to bestow the Holy Spirit on others, one has to be a glorified God Being (compare John 7:37–39). When Jesus became a human being, He no longer had the Holy Spirit on His own. Rather, it was the FATHER, who lived in Christ through HIS—the Father’s—Holy Spirit. It was the Father’s Holy Spirit of power, which dwelled in Christ from His human inception without measure.

When Christ became a human being, the Father changed the immortal Spirit Being—Jesus Christ—into a mortal human being, thereby also becoming the Father of the HUMAN being Jesus Christ. Later, the Father “reversed” the process by changing the human being—Jesus Christ—back into an immortal Spirit Being.

How did the Father accomplish the change from Spirit to flesh in the Person of Jesus? Actually, this had to be an extremely unique and awesome accomplishment, so that Jesus became the “ONLY-SO-begotten” Son of the Father (This phraseology, “only-so-begotten,” will be explained in the next chapter.)

First, we read that Mary was found pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. It was the power of God the Father who impregnated Mary with Jesus. To put it bluntly, from all the biblical evidence available to us, Jesus was changed into and became a sperm in the womb of Mary. Mary’s ovum was thus fertilized, as every human baby comes into existence through the fertilization of a female egg through a male sperm. In Jesus’ case, however, the sperm was not from a human father, but it was the result of a change from immortal to mortal, through the power of God the Father’s Holy Spirit.

Spirit in Man

When a human being is conceived in the womb of his or her mother, God gives that tiny little fetus a spirit—called the spirit in man. We do not know, exactly, how this is done—whether through an individual miraculous action and intervention on God’s part, or whether through an automatic “mechanism” and “procedure” which is somehow attached to or incorporated in the male sperm and brought into motion at the time of conception. In any event, this human spirit did not exist before in its individual “capacity”—we read that God “forms” or “creates” it in man (Zechariah 12:1), apparently at the time of conception. That individual human spirit, which is apparently created and comes into existence at the moment of conception, does of course not have any “memory” of anything prior to its “creation” in the human fetus. (For more information on the Spirit in man, please read our free booklet, The Theory of Evolution—A Fairy Tale for Adults?)

It appears that this concept applies to Christ as well. When God the Father placed in Christ the HUMAN spirit at the time of His conception in the womb of Mary, it did not carry with it any memory of Christ’s prior life as a God Being—as the HUMAN spirit of Christ did not exist prior to Christ’s change into a mortal human being.

Holy Spirit of the Father

At the same time, we read that Christ, when He was a man, clearly recalled His preexistence. We do not know exactly when Christ began to “remember,” but it appears that His memory came to Him, gradually, through the indwelling Holy Spirit of God the Father (compare, for example, Luke 10:18).

This conclusion is based on the fact that Christ told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would remind them of the things which He had told them. In the same way, it stands to reason that the Spirit of God the Father reminded Christ of prior events in His Life as a God Being.

When a human being dies, his human spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). It is stored in heaven to be used for the purpose of a later resurrection of the person, as it retained everything of the person, including his outward appearance, thoughts, memories, experiences and actions in his life prior to death (See our booklet, The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?). But the spirit in man is not a person, and neither is the Holy Spirit.

When a person becomes converted and is properly baptized, he will receive from God the Holy Spirit, thereby giving him divine nature, potentially leading to immortal divine life at the time of his resurrection. When that converted person dies, both his human spirit and his Holy Spirit return to God, and are retained in heaven, until the time of his resurrection to an immortal spirit being.

The same happened at the time of Christ’s death. His human spirit, together with God the Father’s Holy Spirit, returned to God, and after three days and three nights in the grave, God the Father resurrected Christ from the dead as an immortal glorified God Being, using the spirit in man and the Father’s Holy Spirit to create a spiritual body with all physical and spiritual memories, thoughts and accomplishments.

But in the case of Christ, even more had to be involved.

Christ’s Spirit 

Returning to our discussion on Christ’s physical birth, recall that we said that Christ was changed from spiritual to physical. He willingly gave up His glory and laid aside His divine attributes. The question arises as to what occurred at that moment to His Holy Spirit. As a God Being, He had the Holy Spirit on His own, but He did not have it on its own when He was human.

Three arguable possibilities might be discussed.

First, His Holy Spirit simply ceased to exist. This possibility must be ruled out. God’s Holy Spirit does not simply cease to exist. For example, in the parable of the unprofitable servant, God takes back from him that which had been given to him—the Holy Spirit—to bestow it on someone else.

Another possibility could be that Christ’s Holy Spirit changed into something mortal—the human spirit perhaps—when Christ changed into a human sperm. But there is really not much evidentiary basis for that conclusion, especially if considering the following third possibility, which is in harmony with God’s usual course of action.

The third possibility is that Christ’s Holy Spirit stayed with God the Father in heaven—clearly NOT as a self-conscious entity, and most assuredly NOT as the Son of God—but as God retains in heaven his human spirit after a converted person’s death, together with the Holy Spirit given to and residing in that person, so it appears that when Christ became a human being, the Father “retained” Christ’s Holy Spirit in heaven, which Christ “laid aside.”

Subsequently, when Christ died and His human spirit and the Holy Spirit of the Father (which dwelt in the human Christ without measure) returned to the Father in heaven, both the Father’s Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Christ (retained in heaven) would have combined or “merged.”

When the Father resurrected Christ from the dead, He would have done so by (1) using Christ’s human spirit, as well as (2) the Father’s Spirit, which had dwelt in Christ without measure and (3) Christ’s Spirit which had been retained in heaven. But it was still the FATHER who resurrected Christ through the power of HIS Spirit.

To repeat, neither the Holy Spirit nor the spirit in man are self-conscious entities or persons. When Christ died, He was dead. There was no consciousness in Him, nor did God the Father’s Holy Spirit that had dwelt in Christ continue to “live” with consciousness while Christ was in the grave.

Likewise, Christ’s Holy Spirit that was retained by God the Father in heaven while Jesus lived on earth did not have any self-consciousness. But one can clearly see how the FALSE concept of a conscious immortal soul which keeps on living after a person dies could have entered the confused mind of man, as well as the FALSE concept that the Son of God continued to exist as a conscious Being in heaven, while the man Jesus lived on earth.

Today, as both God the Father and Jesus Christ are immortal glorified God Beings, both the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of Christ dwell in a converted Christian. We read that there is ONE Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4), in the sense that both the Father and Christ are totally UNIFIED.  And we also read that true Christians are to be ONE (John 17:11) or unified, AS God the Father and the Son are ONE (John 17:22) or unified.

Chapter 5 – Jesus—The “Only-So-Begotten” Son of God

In the last chapter, we mentioned that Jesus Christ was the “only-SO-begotten” Son of God. However, technically, Jesus Christ is referred to, in English translations of the Bible, as the “only begotten” Son of God.

The Only Begotten Son

We read in John 1:17–18:

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

This passage addresses the fact that Jesus Christ came to reveal the Father and the spiritual intent of the law, and that He made forgiveness of sin possible. He is referred to as the “only begotten Son” (as mentioned previously, some translate, the only begotten “God”), being in the “bosom” of God the Father, thereby showing the intimate and close relationship between the two members of the God Family.

In John 3:16, a similar statement is made:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

We can only obtain salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ—the “only begotten Son”—and as one initial step, we must believe in His Sacrifice. But His death does not save us; we will be saved by His Life (Romans 5:10), which He lives in us through the Holy Spirit.

And so, we read in 1 John 4:9:

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

Begotten Sons and Daughters

On the other hand, converted Christians are also referred to as God’s begotten sons and daughters and His begotten children (see our free booklet, Are You Already Born Again?); and Christ is called the firstborn among many brethren. When we receive God’s Holy Spirit, we are begotten children of God (1 Peter 1:1–3); and when we are changed to immortal Spirit beings at the time of Christ’s return, we become God’s born again children. Likewise, when Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, He became the first-BORN Son of God.

We read in John 1:12–13:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born [begotten], not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

But God must call us; it has nothing to do with our will to be called. And when we respond and “receive” the truth, we can become begotten children of God at the time of our baptism, when we receive the Holy Spirit. In the passage above, the term “begotten” should be used. The Greek word is “gennao” and can mean “begotten” or “born,” and it can even describe the process from begettal to birth.

In Galatians 4:4–7, this development is further explained:

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption [better, “sonship”] as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

Christ never sinned. He became a Man—fully flesh—to overcome sin in the flesh and to die for us, paying the penalty for our sins. We were under the law—its penalty—and so He was placed under the penalty of the law to make our redemption possible. We can receive God’s Holy Spirit and become sons and daughters of God—first begotten children and finally born again children. The term “adoption” is an incorrect rendering; the better translation is “sonship.”

Paul elaborates in Romans 8:14–23:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption [better: sonship] by whom [which] we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit [itself] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together… For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God… because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God… we who have the firstfruits of the Spirit [are] eagerly waiting for the adoption [sonship], the redemption of our body.”

As converted Christians in whom God’s Spirit dwells, we are begotten sons and daughters of God. We have already obtained sonship—we are already God’s (begotten) sons. But when we are changed into Spirit Beings, we will obtain the full sonship of immortal born again God Beings in God’s Family, as we are told in 1 John 3:1–2.

The Only So Begotten Son

There is a fundamental difference between Jesus Christ, the “only” begotten Son of God, and converted Christians, who are also called begotten sons of God. Christ has always existed; there was never a time when He did not exist. Since all eternity, He was the second member of the God Family—the Word or Logos, the Spokesman of God the Father, as John 1:1 explains. He was always the Son, as God was always the Father.

But when Christ became a human being as the “only begotten” of the Father (John 1:14), He became a BEGOTTEN Son of God IN THE FLESH. While we—flesh and blood human beings—become begotten children of God through the gift of the Holy Spirit in us, Christ—the immortal God being—became FLESH and the begotten Son of God through the miracle of transformation from Spirit to flesh. He was the ONLY Personage who was EVER begotten in this way, and in that sense, He was the only SO begotten Son of God. We also read that since His conception as a human being in Mary’s womb, He had God the Father’s Holy Spirit within Him without measure.

Miraculous Transformation

Notice how Christ’s miraculous transformation and begettal took place.

We read in Matthew 1:18–25:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit… an angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream, saying, ‘…that which is conceived [literally: begotten] in [Mary] is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS [Savior], for He will SAVE His people from their sins.’ So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”

A parallel account of the announcement of the virgin birth can be found in Luke 1:26–38. Notice especially the angel’s statement in verses 31–32, 35: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest… The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

No other human being was conceived and begotten in this way, and therefore, Christ IS the only begotten Son of God in that sense. But Christ is also the firstborn among many brethren, and converted Christians are also begotten sons of God. To emphasize the distinction between Christ’s “begettal” and our “begettal,” we referred to Christ as the only SO begotten Son of God, indicating that while others will also be called begotten sons of God, their “begettal” does not occur in the same way and does not describe the same process as Christ’s begettal did.

Chapter 6 – Jesus Christ’s “Sinful Nature”

All of us are born with HUMAN NATURE, or, as the Bible puts it, with SINFUL FLESH. Christ never sinned, but He did come into sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). Human nature was passed on to Him through His mother, Mary, and He needed God’s help to overcome sin in the flesh. He had the fullness of God’s Spirit within Him without measure, from conception (John 3:34, Authorized Version), which enabled Him to stay sinless.

Christ was not in any way guilty or sinful because of “original sin.” This false concept teaches that Adam’s sin is passed on genetically to all human beings when they are conceived in their mother’s womb. The Bible does not teach the concept of “original sin;” however, Christ was conceived with human nature. Romans 8:3 tells us that Christ came “in the likeness of sinful flesh” to overcome and “condemn sin in the flesh.”

In the Likeness of Sinful Flesh

When the Bible says that Christ came “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” it also expresses the concept that He came “in” or “into sinful flesh.”

The fact that both expressions (“coming in the likeness of sinful flesh” and “coming in sinful flesh”) convey identical thoughts has been clearly understood by commentators and translators. For instance, the Jerusalem Bible renders Romans 8:3–4 as follows:

“God has done what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body God condemned sin. He did this in order that the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the spirit dictates.”

The “likeness” of something or someone describes an IDENTICAL copy or representation of something or someone else.

The Greek word for “likeness” is “homoioma,” and means, quite literally, “something made like” or “being the same” (derived from “homos,” meaning “the same.”)

The same word is used in Romans 5:14: “… death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam…”

Adam’s descendants did not commit exactly the same sin that Adam had committed, in that they did not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they had sinned, of course, because death reigned over them, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We see, then, that the word “likeness” describes the identical duplication or representation of something else. If they HAD sinned according to the “likeness” of Adam’s sin, then they would have committed exactly the IDENTICAL sin.

The most convincing Scripture can perhaps be found in Philippians 2:7 where we read that Christ came “in the likeness (“homoioma”) of man.” This is another way of saying that He came as a man; that He BECAME a man; that He WAS a man (compare John 1:1, 14).

So, when He came in the “likeness” of sinful flesh, He came in or into sinful flesh. That is, He became a man with human nature, which is described as sinful, as it CANNOT be subject or obedient to the Law of God (Romans 8:7). However, with the help of God the Father, Christ WAS able to OVERCOME His human nature—self—and learned obedience by the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8).

Overcoming Human Nature

As Christ was fully man—as He came in the “likeness of man” and “in the likeness of sinful flesh”—He had to overcome His flesh and make sure that He would not succumb to the temptations of His flesh. That is why we read that Christ, “in the days of His flesh… offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear” (Hebrews 5:7). In that way, He overcame self.

We read that He had a human will, which did not want to die, but He submitted to God’s Will, saying, “… not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39), adding, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (verse 41). He knew beforehand what would await Him, and He said to His disciples: “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished” (Luke 12:50). But if He had followed His human will to escape His pre-ordained fate (giving in to the will of His “weak flesh”), He would have sinned, in that He would have disobeyed God’s Plan for Him and for all of mankind.

If Christ would not have had “sinful” human flesh or human nature, He would not have been susceptible to Satan’s temptations either (since God cannot be tempted by evil, James 1:13), but He clearly was tempted by Satan and had to conquer him (Matthew 4:10; Mark 8:33). When Peter tried unknowingly to circumvent the Will of God, Christ told him: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense [a stumbling block] to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23).

Just as Christ overcame His human nature, Satan the devil, and the world (John 16:33), so must we (Revelation 3:21).  With the living Christ in us, we CAN obey God and become and stay righteous, so that the “righteous requirement of the law” CAN be “fulfilled in us” (Romans 8:4). We do not HAVE TO sin. Of and by itself, human nature cannot be subject or obedient to the Law of God, but God’s Holy Spirit in us helps us to overcome human nature and become obedient.

Christ NEVER sinned (Hebrews 4:15). But of Himself, He could do nothing (John 5:19, 30). It was the Father IN Christ who did the works (John 14:10), including the “works” of overcoming and staying obedient. With the help of God the Father’s Spirit within Christ, without measure, leading, guiding and empowering Him, He could and did overcome the human nature of His “sinful flesh,” NEVER sinning even once (1 Peter 2:21–22; 1 John 3:5), and thereby becoming the perfect Sacrifice for us, paying the death penalty for our sins on our behalf and giving us the opportunity to “become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Chapter 7 – The Rejected Prophecies of Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53 prophesies about the First Coming of Jesus Christ. However, most Jews deny that Isaiah 53 speaks about the Messiah and His First Coming.

We will discuss their erroneous rationale later in this chapter. First, let us briefly point out that Jesus Christ was and is the Messiah; that Isaiah addresses the Messiah’s First Coming; and that Jesus fulfilled precisely the prophecies in Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53 and Christ’s First Coming

For instance, Isaiah 53:1 (“Who has believed our report?”) is quoted in John 12:37–38 in reference to Jesus.

Isaiah 53:3 (“He is despised and rejected by men”) finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ (compare John 1:10–11; Luke 19:14; Mark 6:3).

Isaiah 53:4 (“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows”) is quoted in Matthew 8:17 as pertaining to Jesus.

Isaiah 53:5 (“And by His stripes we are healed”) is quoted in 1 Peter 2:24 in respect to Jesus.

Isaiah 53:6 (“All we like sheep have gone astray”) is quoted in 1 Peter 2:25 in reference to the Sacrifice of Jesus.

Isaiah 53:7 (“He opened not His mouth”) was fulfilled in Jesus during His “trial” (Matthew 26:63; 27:12–14), and the passage is directly quoted in Acts 8:32.

Isaiah 53:7 (“He was led as a lamb to the slaughter”) is a clear reference to Jesus Christ—“the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36).

Isaiah 53:8 was fulfilled in its entirety by Jesus Christ. It reads: “He was taken from prison and from judgment… For He was cut off from the land of the living.” It is quoted, in reference to Christ, in Acts 8:33. Our free booklet, Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery, explains that Jesus’ “arrest” and “trial” were illegal, even under Jewish law at the time, and it shows in what way He was taken “from prison” and “from judgment” or a “just” sentence.

Isaiah 53:9 (“He had done no violence. Nor was any deceit found in His mouth”) was fulfilled in Christ, and even Pilate admitted repeatedly that Jesus was innocent (Mark 15:14; John 18:38; 19:4, 6).

Isaiah 53:9 (“And they made His grave with the wicked–but with the rich at His death”) was fulfilled, even in death, by Jesus Christ, as stated in Matthew 27:57–60. He was placed in the grave of a rich man, while He was supposed to be buried or disposed of like any other “criminal” (Luke 23:33) in the fire of the valley of Hinnom—“Gehenna.”

Isaiah 53:9 (“Nor was any deceit in His mouth”) is quoted in 1 Peter 2:22 in reference to Jesus.

Isaiah 53:12 (“And He was numbered with the transgressors”) was fulfilled by Christ in two different ways, compare Mark 15:28 and Luke 22:37. He was numbered with the transgressors because He was crucified as a criminal, together with two criminals, and also, because Peter used His sword to defend Christ at the time of His “arrest.”

Isaiah 53:12 (“And made intercession for the transgressors”) was fulfilled by Christ, as recorded in Luke 23:34.

In addition, there are further passages in Isaiah 53 which find their direct fulfillment in Christ’s First Coming.

Isaiah 53:2 said that the “Servant” (Isaiah 52:13) did not have special beauty or comeliness in His appearance as a man. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, looking like an ordinary Jew who had to be identified to the soldiers by Judas Iscariot.

Isaiah 53:3 also predicted that men would despise the “Servant” of God and hide their faces from Him. We read in the New Testament that when Jesus was bleeding on the cross, onlookers, as it were, hid their faces from Him and despised Him (Matthew 27:39). Likewise, even His closest disciples fled from Him (Matthew 26:56), and Peter flatly denied that he knew Him (Matthew 26:75).

As Isaiah 53:5 prophesied that His “chastisement” was for our peace, the New Testament confirms that Jesus Christ fulfilled and fulfills this prophecy (Romans 5:1).

Isaiah 53:5, 8, 11, 12 points out that the Messiah suffered and died for our sins, so the New Testament confirms in various places that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies (Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13).

It is, of course, well known that Jesus Christ died for our sins and transgressions, and that through His death and life we obtain forgiveness and justification—as this was clearly prophesied to happen in Isaiah 53:8, 10, 11.

In its introduction to Isaiah 53, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible states:

“This chapter foretells the sufferings of the Messiah, the end for which he was to die… the Messiah was to suffer for sins not his own; but that our iniquities were laid on him, and the punishment of them exacted of him… He shows the meekness and placid submission with which he suffered a violent and unjust death, with the circumstances of his dying with the wicked… and that, in consequence of his atonement, death, resurrection, and intercession, he should procure pardon and salvation to the multitudes… and ultimately triumph over all his foes… That this chapter speaks of none but Jesus must be evident to every unprejudiced reader who has ever heard the history of his sufferings and death.”

Jewish Rejection

Why, then, do Jewish commentaries reject the clear meaning of Isaiah 53?

It should be pointed out that not all Jews do or did this. In fact, in ancient times, the Jews understood the passage to apply to the Messiah. The Ryrie Study Bible explains:

“Traditional Jewish interpretation understood the passage to be speaking of the Messiah, as, of course, did the early Christians, who believed Jesus to be the Messiah (Acts 8:35). Not until the 12^th century did the view emerge that the NATION [of] ISRAEL is referred to, a view that has since become DOMINANT JUDAISM. But the servant is distinguished from the ‘people’ (Isaiah 53:8). He is an innocent victim, something that could not be said of the nation (53:9).”

Sadly, however, as stated above, Judaism today rejects Isaiah 53 as applying to the Messiah, but teaches that it refers to the JEWISH NATION.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible states in his introduction to Isaiah 53: “The Jews have endeavored to apply it to their sufferings in captivity…”

The Jewish commentary, Soncino, states this view, as follows:

“The Babylonians, or their representatives, having known the servant, i.e. EXILED ISRAEL IDEALIZED, in his humiliation and martyrdom, and now seeing his exaltation and new dignity, describe their impressions and feelings…”

In line with this thinking, the Soncino commentary “explains away” rather obvious passages in Isaiah 53 in the following “unique” manner:

Regarding verse 8 (“He was cut off from the land of the living”), the commentary says: “He was cut off from his homeland by the Babylonians.” Regarding verse 9, referring to “His grave,” the commentary says that this means “the graves of the Jews in exile.”

As the idea is that the “Servant” refers to the people of Israel or Judah, passages which refer to the innocence of the “Servant” are interpreted in this way:

“[Regarding verse 9:] On account of his [the people of Israel’s] sufferings he was deemed to be a sinner, and, therefore, classed with them. He was, therefore, OFTEN put to death as a criminal…

“[Regarding verses 10–12:] The servant’s [the people of Israel’s] patiently borne suffering for other people’s sins will culminate in the spiritual uplift of many and in his own physical or spiritual rejuvenation. He will enjoy a glorious future, offspring, long life, prosperity and influence…

“[Regarding verse 11:] The servant will live to use his knowledge of God to justify his ways to man…”

These terrible misinterpretations not only totally reject the saving work of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ Himself, they even apply everything TO the people that Christ would do FOR the people. According to their false understanding, it is now the PEOPLE of Israel and Judah—rather than the GOD of Israel and Judah—whom Isaiah is allegedly describing. They claim that it is the PEOPLE—NOT GOD—who will bring about the work of salvation!!!

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible sheds more light on the Jewish misconceptions regarding the Messiah, when making the following comments regarding Isaiah 53:12:

“Notwithstanding the evidence that it refers to the Messiah, yet it is certain also that the Jews expected no such personage as that here referred to. They looked for a magnificent temporal prince and conqueror; and an impostor would not have attempted to evince the character, and to go through the circumstances… here described. What impostor ever would have attempted to fulfill a prophecy by subjecting himself to a shameful death?…

“We are then prepared to ask an infidel how he will dispose of this prophecy. That it existed seven hundred years before Christ is as certain as that the poems of Homer or Hesiod had an existence before the Christian era; as certain as the existence of any ancient document whatever. It will not do to say that it was forged – for this is not only without proof, but would destroy the credibility of all ancient writings…”

The clear answer is that Isaiah 53 refers to Jesus Christ who, being God, became man in order to die for our sins. He was brutally tortured, murdered, buried and resurrected. He is acting today as our merciful High Priest, and He WILL return as a conquering hero, as many New Testament Scriptures confirm (compare Revelation 19:11–16).

There is no “salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The time will come when everybody will understand this, and also, that Isaiah prophesied about the true and only Messiah—Jesus Christ. Then, everyone will bow his knee “at the name of Jesus,” confessing that “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11).

Chapter 8 – The Shroud of Turin and Jesus Christ

Many believe that the Shroud of Turin pictures Jesus Christ at the time of His death, burial and resurrection. Apart from the fact that John 19:40 shows that Christ was wound in linen CLOTHES and that John 11:44 describes the custom of Jewish burials in using several CLOTHES and binding them about the dead body, in addition to the dead person’s face being wrapped with or in a cloth (a head swath), there are numerous additional problems with the idea that the one-piece shroud may be an authentic depiction of Jesus Christ.

On April 17, 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported:

“When the Shroud of Turin goes on display Sunday [April 19, 2015] for the first time in five years [while being on display until June 24, 2015], it will revive a long-running debate as to whether it is a medieval fabrication or—as Catholic devotees have believed for centuries—the burial cloth of Jesus Christ… The 14½-foot-long piece of linen, which bears a front-and-back image of a dead man’s body, is owned by the pope but safeguarded by the archdiocese of Turin.

“… the [Catholic] church does not take a stance as to whether it is authentic or not, leaving that question to scientists and historians. The results of carbon-14 tests in 1988 suggested the shroud was no older than the 13^th century, but other experts have since suggested that the fabric tested may have been contaminated by centuries of handling…”

According to the Los Angeles Times, dated October 14, 1988, Cardinal Anastasio Ballestrero said that the “calendar age range assigned to the shroud cloth, with a 95% confidence level, is from 1260 to 1390 A.D.”

To contradict this conclusion, some point at traces of pollen from plants found only in the east Mediterranean [The retort is that those could have been easily brought to the place of the “creation” of the shroud.]. It has also been argued that extraneous matter, or radioactivity, could have skewed the carbon-dating results (The Economist, May 5, 2015). Further, it has been suggested that the great earthquakes mentioned in the Bible at the time of Jesus’ death and His resurrection (Matthew 27:51–53; 28:1–2) influenced, corrupted and falsified the finding of the radio-carbon test (The Today Show, NBC, June 17, 2015). All these proposals are of course without any scientific or archeological proof.

No Long Hair

However, the real biblical reason, which rules out totally the possibility of an accurate depiction of Christ on the Shroud of Turin, can be found in the writings of Paul to the Corinthian church.

1 Corinthians 11:2–16 proves that the Shroud of Turin could not possibly picture Jesus Christ, as it shows a man with long hair, and Christ did not wear long hair (verse 14).

We are told that a man is not to wear “long hair,” and that even nature teaches us that wearing long hair is a “dishonor” to a man. The Greek word for “dishonor” is “atimia.” This word, or a related form (“atimos”), can be found in the following additional passages: Romans 9:21; 1 Corinthians 15:43; 2 Corinthians 6:8; 2 Timothy 2:20; 2 Corinthians 11:21 (translated as “shame”); and Romans 1:26 (translated as “vile”).

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance points out that “atimia” can describe a comparative indignity or disgrace (under No. 819). The related word, “atimos,” can describe something “less honorable [comparative degree]” (under No. 820).

The Nazarite Vow

The Old Testament permitted a man on special occasions to wear long hair. This exception is set forth in Numbers 6, known as “the Law of the Nazarite.” Men were permitted to make a temporary “Nazarite vow” to God. During the time of their vow, a Nazarite was not to cut his hair, but let “the locks of the hair of his head grow” (verse 5). In addition, he was not to touch a dead person, eat any fresh grapes or raisins, or drink anything made from grapes, including wine. This law was inseparably connected with the ritual law of sacrifices: At the end of the separation, the Nazarite had to bring several offerings, and he had to go through additional rituals before the priest.

The long hair of the Nazarite vow reflected, in physical terms, the willingness of the person to be under authority — under the authority of God. Sometimes, certain people were consecrated from their birth as Nazarites, to be separated to God throughout their lives. Famous examples are Samson (Judges 13:5,7); Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11); and — perhaps — John the Baptist (Luke 1:15; Luke 7:33).

Jesus a Nazarene

Jesus, however, was not a Nazarite. He grew up in the city of Nazareth and was therefore called a “Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23) — which is of course quite different from being a Nazarite.

Since we have no record of a written Old Testament prophecy regarding Christ as being called a Nazarene, we conclude that Matthew is referring here to an oral prophecy (He specifically states that this had been “spoken” of Jesus.) However, in Isaiah 11:1, Christ is called the “Branch,” in Hebrew “nezer.” This Hebrew word is very similar to the Hebrew word for Nazarene. It has therefore been suggested that Jews at the time of Jesus might have understood this verse to refer to someone from Nazareth.

In any event, Christ was not a Nazarite, because He did many things, which were prohibited for Nazarites.

Those who took the vow of a Nazirite did not cut their hair, but they were also prohibited from drinking any wine or touching a dead body (Numbers 6:4–6). Christ, however, did drink wine (Luke 22:14–18; Matthew 11:19), and He did touch dead bodies (Luke 8:51–55).

If Christ had been a Nazirite, He would have broken His vow and thereby violated one of God’s laws. But He said that He had kept His Father’s commandments (John 15:10), including all ritual laws still in force and effect at His time, and we read that He never sinned. The Bible defines sin, however, as the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4, Authorized Version). Therefore, Christ could NOT have been a Nazirite, wearing long hair.

Christ Looked Like an Average Jew

Christ was a Jew, and He looked like an ordinary Jewish man, without special beauty in appearance (compare Isaiah 53:2). He was able to escape on occasion, by mingling with the crowd and going “through the midst of them” (Luke 4:30; John 8:59).

Apart from the Bible, archeology and history also confirm as well that the Jews at the time of Christ did not wear long hair, as will be more fully discussed below. Christ, therefore, did not either; otherwise, He would have stood out in a crowd and a special identification through Judas (who identified Him by kissing Him) would not have been necessary.

Recently, Israeli and British forensic anthropologists and computer programmers got together to create Christ’s face featured in “Popular Mechanics,” a 1.2 million-circulation magazine. They did not mean to imply that Christ actually looked the way the magazine cover portrayed Him, as they used the skull of a Jew from the first century — not, of course, the actual skull of Jesus. They nevertheless determined that Christ did not wear long hair. Other experts agree with that conclusion. On February 24, 2004, Reuters wrote:

“‘… Jesus didn’t have long hair, said physical anthropologist Joe Zias, who has studied hundreds of skeletons found in archeological digs in Jerusalem.’ [He also mentioned:] ‘Jewish men back in antiquity did not have long hair.’ ‘The Jewish texts ridiculed long hair as something Roman or Greek,’ said New York University’s Lawrence Schiffman. Along with extensive writings from the period, experts also point to a frieze on Rome’s Arch of Titus, erected after Jerusalem was captured in AD 70 to celebrate the victory, which shows Jewish men with short hair taken into captivity. Erroneous descriptions of Jesus in Western art have often misled film makers in their portrayal of Jesus, experts say.”

It is important to realize that virtually all depictions of Christ do not accurately reflect His appearance as a human being on earth. He did not wear long flowing hair, and He did not look like a woman. He was a carpenter, a builder, and He was also the leader of former fishermen. Even His hair color was probably not blond—as depicted on most paintings—but black, as the Hebrew people at the time of Christ were recognized as having predominantly black hair.

Temporary Nazarite Vow

In the early New Testament church, we do find occasional references to some who continued to make a temporary Nazarite vow. It is possible that even Paul made a temporary Nazarite vow for a short time (compare Acts 21:23–24, 26–27). However, these vows ceased within the church when the temple was destroyed, as the purification ceremonies could not be carried out any longer.

It has been suggested that even though Jesus was not a Nazarite from birth, He made a temporary Nazarite vow from time to time. The Bible does not support this claim. In any event, Christ would not have been under a Nazarite vow at the time of His death; that is, He would not have worn long hair at that time. Note that at the end of the Nazarite vow, the Nazarite had to “shave his consecrated head” and burn his long hair, which had been cut off (verse 18). But as long as the Nazarite was subject to and under his vow, he could not drink any wine or even “any grape juice” (Number 6:4).

We know, however, that Jesus kept the last Passover with His disciples on the night when He was betrayed, and at that time, they all drank the Passover wine together (Matthew 26:27–29; Mark 14:23–25; Luke 22:17–18). Therefore, Christ could not have been under a Nazarite vow at that time, which means, He did not wear long hair at the time of His death.

Whatever the Shroud of Turin is and however it came into being, it is quite impossible to conclude that it contains an accurate portrayal of Jesus Christ.

After all, it was He — the Word of God — who inspired Paul to write that a man is not to wear long hair. For Paul, this fact was so self-evident that he asked his readers, “Does not even nature itself teach you” this truth? (1 Corinthians 11:14).

Don’t Know Him as a Man

In any event, Paul tells us that we are not to “know” Christ “according to the flesh.” We read in 2 Corinthians 5:16 (Phillips translation): “… even though we knew Christ as a man, we do not know him like that any longer.”

It is dangerous to focus on images and pictures of Christ, including portrayals of Christ by actors in movies, and think that in some way those portrayals may accurately represent how Christ might have looked. We are to focus on Christ as He is now—a powerful Spirit being! To get a correct portrayal of Christ’s present appearance, please read Revelation 1:14–16. Christ has white hair, as white as wool or snow, and His eyes are like flames of fire, while His face shines like the sun in full strength! THAT is the Jesus Christ of the Bible—God the Son—who is worthy of worship!

Chapter 9 – Jesus Not a Homeless Vagabond

Sadly, many have a totally wrong concept as to how Jesus Christ lived when He was here on earth. They might have read Scriptures saying that even though He was rich, He became poor (2 Corinthians 8:9), not realizing that Paul is using a comparison between the richness of the immortal God who owns everything, and, in contrast, the poverty of man whose insignificant riches might be here today and gone tomorrow (compare Proverbs 23:4–5).

But Jesus Christ was by no means a vagabond or a hippie. Even though some claim, for instance, that He wore long hair, the Bible is very clear that He did not (compare 1 Corinthians 11:14), as we explained in chapter 8 of this booklet.

Jesus—Firstborn Son of a Carpenter

He was the (step-)son of a carpenter—Joseph—and as Jewish custom of the time dictated, He would have been taught in Joseph’s occupation and He would have continued in it after Joseph’s death. (Joseph might have died sometime after the episode of the 12-year old Jesus in the temple, as he is not mentioned thereafter in Scripture as still being alive.)

The carpenter’s occupation included that of an architect who would build houses. It is therefore very likely that Joseph built a house for himself and his family, and that Jesus, as the carpenter’s son, would also have been engaged in building houses. It was customary for sons and daughters to remain in their parents’ home until marriage, and as the firstborn son, He would have had the right and responsibility of inheriting the home and carrying on the family business that was operated from it. But it is also very likely that, as the firstborn son of a carpenter and having become a carpenter Himself, He would have built His own house or houses.

Jesus Built and Owned Houses

There are numerous passages indicating that Jesus owned His own house—or perhaps even more than one. He grew up in Nazareth, but He later lived or “dwelt” in Capernaum (Matthew 4:13), “His own city” (Matthew 9:1). Luke makes this possible distinction when referring to Nazareth as the city where Jesus “had been brought up” (Luke 4:16). It appears that at some point in time, then, Jesus made His adult home in Capernaum. We read that when in Capernaum, Jesus would go into “THE” house, and that people would visit Him there when they found out that He was in the house (compare Matthew 13:1, 36).

Many commentaries say that this is a reference to Peter’s house in Capernaum, but it would be strange that in a few passages, it is specifically said that He entered “Peter’s house” (Matthew 8:14), while in most cases, it is only stated that He was in THE house. It was obviously a dwelling place that was well known to the people—they knew where to go when they heard that He was in THE house. The strong indication is that it was actually Christ’s house where He would live when He was dwelling in Capernaum and when He was not on a missionary journey.

For instance, in Mark 2:1, some commentaries feel that the phrase, “He was in the house,” should be rendered, according to the original Greek, as “He was at home,” which would strongly indicate that Christ either owned a house in Capernaum, or that He was renting one, still showing that this was “His home.”

Later, when Jesus went up from Capernaum to Nazareth, we read His words in Matthew 13:57, which could refer to His relatives and/or to visitors in His own house: “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country [or: hometown, compare New American Standard Bible] and in his own house.” And so, He did not do many works in His hometown where He had grown up, “because of their unbelief” (verse 58).

Joseph and Mary Not Poor

Some have claimed that Joseph and Mary were poor and could not afford to have and live in a house in Nazareth because Christ was born in a manger (Luke 2:7). But we must realize that Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem with Mary, who was pregnant, in order to be registered there, because that was the location where Joseph had been born; but even then, we find that later they were no longer in a stable, but in a house (Matthew 2:11)—perhaps a house which was owned by Joseph’s relatives. We point this out to show that it was not unusual for people at that time to own houses.

We must also recognize that Joseph and Mary were betrothed to get married—they were already called husband and wife (Matthew 1:18–19, 24), but they had not yet consummated their marriage—and Joseph, as a just man who might not even have been anymore in his “teenage years,” had certainly financially prepared for his marriage with Mary (compare Proverbs 24:27; 27:23–27).

Foxes Have Holes

As recorded in Matthew 8:20, Jesus said that foxes have holes and birds have nests but the Son of Man had no place to lay His head. Some commentaries claim that this proves Jesus could not have owned a house and was pretty much homeless. However, we must look at the context. While Matthew 8:20 is not as specific as to the timing, the parallel passage in Luke 9:58 is given in the context of when He was on a journey with His disciples and the Samaritans refused to grant them shelter (compare Luke 9:51–56; note verse 57: “NOW it happened as they journeyed on the road…”). There were times when Christ and His disciples did not encounter hospitality while they were on their missionary journeys, and it was that fact which Jesus stressed when He spoke about the sacrifices one must be willing to make when he or she wants to follow Christ (compare verses 57–58).

In this context, also note what Peter said of himself and the other apostles: “Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?’” (Matthew 19:27; compare Mark 10:28). Notice Jesus’ answer in Mark 10:29–30: “So Jesus answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.’”

However, we also know that Peter and many of the other apostles had wives and that they did not leave them, but they continued their responsibilities as husbands (compare 1 Corinthians 9:5; the reference to “Cephas” is the Aramaic name for Peter; compare John 1:42). What both Jesus and His disciples gave up was their daily jobs—the work they had been trained in. Some left their family business (compare Matthew 4:20, 22; Mark 1:18, 20; Luke 5:27–28). Provision was made for them by the support of others (compare Luke 8:1–3).

We should also recognize that the soldiers did not want to cut Jesus’ garments and clothing when He was hanging on the cross (or better, stake), but they cast lots to determine who should receive them (Matthew 27:35). Even though their conduct was in fulfillment of a prophecy, it is also worthwhile to mention that His garments and clothing were apparently not “cheap,” but of such a quality and value that the soldiers were willing to cast lots for them.

Apostles Had Houses

The fact that Jesus told John in His final hours to take care of His mother Mary, and that John took her into his own house (John 19:25–27), does not contradict the concept that Jesus might have owned a house. Rather, Jesus wanted John to take care of His mother, having the greatest confidence that John—the disciple whom He loved—would be the best person to carry out that heavy responsibility. (For an in-depth discussion of Jesus’ statements to John, please see chapters 12 and 13.)

Some critics claim that in passages such as Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, and Luke 18:22, Jesus told His followers to dispose of all their possessions; yet, He Himself owned a house. They conclude that Christ was a hypocrite and that His teachings must be rejected. However, any HONEST view of these Scriptures forces us to conclude that Jesus spoke to one particular rich man who had made a god out of his riches. He was not willing to give up his idol to follow Christ. Knowing this young man’s heart, Christ told him that he needed to overcome his idolatry, and it was in that particular case that He told him to sell whatever he had (note, these passages do not single out the possession of houses). It is true that Christ made clear to all of us that we must forsake everything—whatever it may be—IF those (physical) things would prevent us from building a right relationship with God and to follow Him completely. Of course, whatever physical possessions Christ might have had, they NEVER induced Him to make that mistake about which He warned others.

Scriptures do seem to indicate that Christ owned a house—and perhaps even more than one. But ultimately, it is not of great importance whether Jesus owned or rented a house, or whether He dwelled with His disciples in their houses, as long as we understand that Jesus was not a homeless vagabond or a hippie. He was a living example of God’s Way of Life, and the Bible tells us that God wants us to prosper in all things (3 John 2). Scriptures also tell us that when we obey God (and Christ always obeyed Him, not sinning once), God would bless us financially (compare Malachi 3:8–10). David even said that he was young and grew old, and he never saw the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread (Psalm 37:25).

In this booklet, we do not take any position on whether or not it is wise or unwise to buy a house in the present financial climate. This is a personal decision which everyone must make, based on his or her own individual circumstances. Some may feel that they can afford to buy a house, while others have bought houses with far-too-high mortgages and with little or no equity, and because of the collapse of the housing market and the recent great recession or depression, banks foreclosed on them and they lost or walked away from their houses, as they were unable to pay their mortgages.

We know that terrible and “expensive” times are ahead of us, but we also know that when we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, God will give us all the physical things that we need, including food, clothing and shelter. God the Father most certainly did this for Christ—the prime example of someone who did seek first in His life God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. Christ’s mission was to preach the gospel and to finish the Work which the Father gave Him to do, and when He died, He exclaimed: “It is finished.” Christ’s disciples are to follow that example today.

Chapter 10 – The Resurrection of Lazarus

In John 11:35 we read the shortest verse in the Bible in the English translation: “Jesus wept.” It is only in the book of John that we read about the death and raising from the dead of Lazarus by Jesus.

Why Did Jesus Weep?

Why did Jesus weep at this particular time? Various authors and commentaries have offered numerous ideas and explanations.

For example, Matthew Henry’s Commentary states the following: “Different constructions were put upon Christ’s weeping. Some made a kind and candid interpretation of it, and what was very natural (John 11:36): ‘Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!’ They seem to wonder that he should have so strong an affection for one to whom he was not related, and with whom he had not had any long acquaintance. Others made a peevish unfair reflection upon it, as if these tears bespoke his inability to help his friend.”

In Wesley’s Notes we read: “Jesus wept – Out of sympathy with those who were in tears all around him, as well as from a deep sense of the misery sin had brought upon human nature.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states: “Jesus wept.  As he was going along to the grave, see John 11:28; as he was meditating upon the state of his friend Lazarus, the distress his two sisters were in, and the greater damnation that would befall the Jews then present, who, notwithstanding the miracle, would not believe in him. This shows him to be truly and really man, subject to like passions, only without sin.”

Wrong Explanation

Wikipedia adds that “the death and raising of Lazarus portends the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Another stated theory is that Jesus felt the trauma that Lazarus would experience when transitioning from a short stay in Paradise back to a very troubled Earth. Pope Leo I summed it up this way: ‘In his humanity Jesus wept for Lazarus; in his divinity he raised him from the dead.’”

This last explanation is clearly wrong, as Lazarus was dead and in his grave—not in a Paradise in heaven.

Some feel that Jesus wept because He felt sorrow, sympathy, and compassion for all mankind.  Others think that it was the rage He felt against the tyranny of death over mankind.

Let us look more closely at the passage in question. In John 11 we read that Lazarus was sick. In verse 4 it states: “When Jesus heard that, He said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” Jesus stayed where He was for two more days, and verse 11 states: “These things He said, and after that He said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.’”

In the space of two days, Jesus had said that the sickness was not for death (that is, Lazarus would not remain dead, but would shortly be brought back to life), and that He would go and wake him up. His disciples were thinking of normal daily sleep, not the sleep of death, and “Then Jesus said to them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead…’” (verse 14).

Why then did Jesus weep at the grave, knowing that He would raise up Lazarus within the next moment?

Lack of Faith

The disciples had seen Jesus perform many miracles.

In Matthew 17:14–21 we read the following:  “And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.’ Then Jesus answered and said, ‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.’ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.’”

It is obvious from this passage that the disciples lacked sufficient faith to heal the boy, and Jesus was obviously frustrated at this (see verse 17). The concept of faith is also highlighted in Matthew 8:8–10: “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’”

Faith always seemed to be in short supply. Further unbelief is shown in John 11:37: “And some of them (the Jews) said, ‘Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?’” Here was doubt again!

In spite of all of the miracles that Jesus performed, there always seemed to be doubt. In John 11:25–26 we read: “Jesus said to her (Martha), ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”

Jesus was trying to tell Martha what He was about to do (see verse 23 where Jesus told her that her brother would rise again). But even though Martha said that she knew that whatever He asked of God, God would give to Him (verse 22), she could not really see or believe that Lazarus would be raised up right there and then. Even though she claimed to believe that He was the prophesied Christ and the Son of God (verse 27), she could not comprehend what Jesus would do, thinking rather that He was talking about the resurrection at the last day (verse 24).

It seemed that even His close disciples and friends, and those who had seen such awesome miracles performed, failed to recognize what He was really capable of doing. They lived in grief and sorrow, confused and scattered, incapable of finding a way out of misery, discomfort, frustration and pain. They needed help.

Full of Compassion

Christ was a man full of compassion (Matthew 9:36). When He saw the grief of the people, including the ones whom He loved (see verse 5), it undoubtedly had an impact on Him and His emotions. We read that when Jesus saw Mary and the Jews weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled (verse 33). Jesus wept with those who wept (compare Romans 12:15).

In addition, in light of what we discussed above, there seems to be an even more compelling explanation as to why Jesus wept. He was grieved about their doubt of Him and His ability to heal, and their lack of faith and vision.

It is a good lesson for us today—not to doubt what God and Jesus Christ can do in our lives and to make sure that we believe what the Word of God clearly reveals to us.

Chapter 11 – Jesus’ Human Feelings, Emotions and “Limitations”

We explained before that Jesus was fully man when He was here on earth. He had “sinful” human nature (even though He NEVER sinned, not even once), a human will, and human “limitations.” We read that He was “tired” from a long journey (John 4:6). He had need of sleep (Luke 8:23).

He ate and drank—such that He was even wrongly accused of being a glutton and a winebibber (Matthew 11:19).

When considering Jesus’ conduct, we must firmly emphasize that He never sinned—not even in His thoughts. He always controlled His emotions and brought all His thoughts under the obedience of God the Father, as we have to bring all our thoughts “into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

As we discussed in the last chapter, He wept at the grave of Lazarus (John 11:35) and again when He thought of the future of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).

He showed much compassion (Matthew 9:36; 15:32), but He also expressed anger toward the hypocritical Pharisees and their proud and envious feelings, and their hardness of heart and unwillingness to change (Mark 3:5).

He prayed much, knowing that He needed help from His Father (Hebrews 5:7).

Customs of Men

He refused to live by the standards and traditions of men if they were not in accordance with the law of God or if they violated the letter or the spirit of the law:

He spoke publically with a Samaritan woman (John 4:27),
communicated and ate with “sinners” and “tax collectors” (Mark 2:15–16), and did not teach His disciples to fast in accordance with the traditions of the elders (Matthew 9:14).

He refused to uphold the numerous washings invented by the religious “establishment” (Mark 7:1–5, 8), and He rejected the burdens which they had created (Matthew 23:4), including those pertaining to the Sabbath, and He showed them how to keep the Sabbath in the right way:

He healed on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1–6; Luke 13:10–17); He did not rebuke His innocent disciples to pluck grain on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–8); and He told a man whom He had healed to carry his bed on the Sabbath (John 5:5–15).

As we will explain in chapter 15, He refused to condemn the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11), and He refused to become an arbitrator for two people fighting over their inheritance (Luke 12:13–15). He uttered strong words to the unyielding Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees, calling them hypocrites, brood of vipers and worse (Matthew 23:13–36).

He never shied away from telling the truth and preaching boldly, even if it meant that the audience would become offended (Matthew 15:12–14; John 6:60–62).

No Violence

He never resorted to or preached violence against other human beings (Matthew 26:51–52). We need to note that He did not beat the money changers, but used His whip for the animals (John 2:14–16). The New International Version translates John 2:15 quite accurately: “So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all of them from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.”

He showed no disrespect toward His parents. As a 12-year-old boy, He submitted to His parents (Luke 2:51), and later, He honored the wishes of His mother at the wedding in Cana (John 2:3–5), but He did not submit to the will of man, if that was not in accordance with the Will of God. When Peter tried to discourage Him, telling Him that He should not die, He answered, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23).

When His mother and His brothers tried to prevent Him from preaching the Word of God, He did not give in to them (Matthew 12:46–50).

Christ had a special love for John, to whom He entrusted His mother; but He did not overlook his mistakes and weaknesses. He called him and his brother James “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17), and He rebuked them when they were willing to call down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans (Luke 9:54–56).

Christ was a human being—fully human—but He never denied His past and His future as a God Being (John 5:18), knowing full well that this would cost Him His life.

Full of Grace

He was a man full of grace and truth. 

John 1:14 says that “… the Word [the “Logos,” that is, Jesus Christ the Spokesman] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory… full of grace and truth.”

The Greek word “charis,” which is commonly translated as “grace,” has a variety of meanings. It can and very often does refer to God’s forgiveness of our sins—His “unmerited pardon”—and to our justification. We read in Romans 3:24 that we are “being justified freely by His grace” (compare also Titus 3:7).

Favor

But we have to realize that Jesus Christ never sinned and that He therefore did not have to receive any “unmerited pardon” for sin. Still, we read in Luke 2:52 that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in grace with God and men. Most translations render this verse as, “Jesus increased… in favor with God and men,” but in the Greek, the word “charis” is used which is translated as grace in John 1:14.

This shows that the word “grace” can also have the meaning of “favor.” We find that later, “great grace was upon” all of the early apostles when they witnessed Christ’s resurrection with great power (Acts 4:33).

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible states that Christ was full of “favor, kindness, and mercy to men; teaching the way to the kingdom of God, with all the simplicity, plainness, dignity, and energy of truth.”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible supports this understanding, stating: “The word ‘grace’ means ‘favors,’ gifts, acts of beneficence. He was kind, merciful, gracious, doing good to all, and seeking man’s welfare by great sacrifices and love; so much so, that it might be said to be characteristic of him, or he ‘abounded’ in favors to mankind. He was also ‘full of truth.’ He declared the truth. In him was no falsehood…”

In 1 Corinthians 16:3, we read that Paul told the disciples that he wanted to send someone to “bear your gift to Jerusalem.” The Authorized Version says, “your liberality.” The Greek word is “charis”—commonly translated as “grace.” This shows that the concept of grace includes gifts, which are given freely and with liberality.

We read in John 1:16–17: “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explains that the phrase “grace for grace” means, “grace upon grace… in successive communications and larger measures, as each was able to take it in.”

John was not saying here that we need to sin more so that God’s forgiveness of our sins might abound (compare Romans 6:1–2 and Jude 4), but that Christ bestowed gradually more and more favors on His disciples.

Gracious

The Greek word for grace can also mean “gracious.” We read that Jesus spoke with “gracious words” (Luke 4:22), so that all marveled at them. And so, we are admonished today to always speak “with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6).

When we read that God gives us grace, then this not only means forgiveness of our sins upon repentance, but it can also refer to special favors and physical and spiritual help that we may need. We read in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

The Greek word for grace (“charis”) can also mean “thanks” or “thankworthy” (compare Romans 6:17; 1 Peter 2:19 in the Authorized Version). To be truly thankful is a gift or favor from God which we must use and apply toward God and man.

Christ, full of grace, is willing to bestow His grace on us. But we also read that we must be truly humble in order to obtain God’s grace (1 Peter 5:5; compare James 4:6). We must be careful and diligent, lest through a root of bitterness, “anyone fall short of the grace of God” (Hebrews 12:15).

When we read that Christ was full of grace, we need to understand that He was gracious to people, full of compassion and mercy. Since He was also full of truth, we need to comprehend that He never lied or compromised with God’s truth in order to “please” someone or avoid confrontation or persecution.

The One Volume Commentary by Dummelow states regarding John 1:14: “… grace is the divine favour and loving-kindness; truth … is not simply veracity, but holiness in general… Christ was full of grace and holiness, not that He might keep them to Himself, but that He might bestow them upon men.”

We must become people who are full of grace and truth—to be used for the benefit of others (compare Ephesians 4:29). Hebrews 12:28 says: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” We are to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10)—not for selfish purposes, but for the purpose of sharing it with others.

We must be gracious and compassionate, filled with lovingkindness and goodwill, bestowing favors on others, as we have opportunity (compare Galatians 6:10). At the same time, we must be upright and dependable, truthful and trustworthy. As Christ’s disciples, we must grow in HIS grace and in HIS knowledge (2 Peter 3:18).

We must develop in us and embrace Christ’s gracious character traits, and we must steadily increase in the understanding of Christ—including how to answer someone truthfully and tactfully who asks us about our faith (1 Peter 3:15).

Chapter 12 – “Behold Your Mother!”

When Christ was dying on the cross, He asked John to take care of His mother Mary. Some have concluded that Jesus was Mary’s only child, and that He therefore asked John to take care of His mother after His death, as there was nobody else in His immediate family who could have done so. However, this is not what the Bible teaches.

We read in John 19:25–27:

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother… When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

The Disciple Whom Christ Loved

Almost every biblical scholar agrees that the “disciple whom Christ loved” was the disciple John (Compare for additional references, John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7). Especially in John 21, John identifies himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (compare verses 20–24).

The fact that Jesus entrusted John, who was possibly one of His cousins [compare comments in the “People’s New Testament”], with the care of His mother, does not mean, however, that Mary did not have other children. The Bible clearly reveals that Mary and Joseph had additional children, AFTER Jesus was born.

Christ’s Brothers and Sisters

Our free booklet, Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery, proves this fact in great detail in chapter 3, “Christ’s Relatives,” on pages 28–30. You might want to read the entire passage in the booklet, but here are just a few highlights:

“The ‘Virgin Birth’ is clearly taught in Scripture. However, the Bible does not teach that Mary stayed a virgin for the rest of her life. We read in Matthew 1:25 that Joseph ‘did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.’ The word ’till’ or ‘until’ signifies that after the birth of Jesus, Joseph DID ‘know her,’ that is, he did have a sexual relationship with her…

“The Jews knew that Jesus was not the only son of Mary. They knew very well that Jesus had brothers and sisters. We read the account in Matthew 13:53–56: ‘Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s Son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”’…

“Some teach that Christ’s ‘brothers’ were in fact Christ’s cousins… The word for brother is ‘adelphos.’ This Greek word is used in Matthew 1:2 and 4:21, clearly referring to literal brothers. The word for cousin is ‘exadelphos,’ meaning ‘from brothers.’ When the Jews pointed out in Matthew 13 that Christ’s brothers were with them, they used the word ‘adelphos,’ not the word ‘exadelphos.’

“Some propose that the brothers and sisters mentioned in Matthew 13 were Christ’s spiritual brothers and sisters, not His physical siblings. But… the Bible makes a clear distinction between Christ’s physical brothers and His spiritual brothers. In addition… Christ’s physical relatives did not believe in Him and so they could not possibly have been referred to as Christ’s spiritual brothers and sisters.”

Why, then, did Jesus ask John, rather than His brother James, to take care of Mary?

Unbelieving Relatives

One thing we need to realize is that at the time of Jesus’ death, none of His brothers believed in Him. Also, John was the ONLY disciple who stayed with Christ until He died—showing His dedication and bravery and the intimate relationship between Christ and His disciple whom He loved. Christ KNEW that John would take care of His mother—more than His half-brothers would have been able or willing to do—and that he would do so from the very moment (or the “same hour”) of His death.

So even though the Bible does not specifically and expressly say why Jesus chose John, there are several important hints. Most commentaries show an understanding that Jesus HAD brothers and sisters, and they also give plausible explanations, based on Scripture, as to WHY Christ entrusted His mother to His beloved disciple who BELIEVED in Him—rather than to one of His brothers who did NOT believe in Him at that time of His death.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible points out, in John 19:26, that Jesus said, in effect:

“‘… take that disciple whom my power shall preserve from evil for thy son; and, while he considers thee as his mother, account him for thy child.’ It is probable that it was because the keeping of [Mary] was entrusted to him that he was the only disciple of our Lord who died a natural death, God having preserved him for the sake of the person whom he gave him in charge… It is very likely that Joseph was dead previously to this.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible elaborates, as follows:

“This was an honour put upon John, and a testimony both to his prudence and to his fidelity. If he who knows all things had not known that John loved him, he would not have made him his mother’s guardian. It is a great honour to be employed for Christ, and to be entrusted with any of his interest in the world… It would be a care and some charge to John; but he cheerfully accepted it, and took her to his own home, not objecting [to] the trouble nor expense, nor his obligations to his own family, nor the ill-will he might contract by it… [Some commentaries say] that she lived to remove with him to Ephesus.”

Both tradition and historical records report that John was later accompanied on his missionary travels by an elderly woman, who—it is felt—was none other than Mary, the mother of Jesus.

We might also add that John had more writing to do. At least five writings of his have been preserved and are part of the Holy Scriptures. He wrote the “gospel of John” (of which Mary was undoubtedly a good source of information), three letters (1 John; 2 John; and 3 John) and finally the last book of the Bible—the book of Revelation, while banished to the isle of Patmos.

It is true, that ultimately (as explained in our aforementioned booklet), at least three of Christ’s four brothers came to the faith (James, Simeon and Jude, who wrote the letter of Jude). Perhaps Jose or Joseph became converted, too. We are also informed that James became a very influential leader in the early Church, and that he wrote the letter of James. But that happened LATER. Before then, Christ’s brothers were unbelieving and hostile toward Christ (compare John 7:5). They might have been envious and even perhaps hateful toward Him. He referred to them as enemies within His own household—being without honor in His own home.

At the time of the crucifixion, Christ knew that Mary did not need to experience further agony from her own family. It was more than enough that she had to observe the brutal death of her beloved Son—feeling the sword piercing through her own soul also (Luke 2:35). Christ, in His wisdom and foresight, entrusted His mother to the care of John, knowing that he would be able to provide both physically and spiritually what Mary needed the most at that difficult time in her life.

As explained in our aforementioned booklet, tradition tells us that James, after his conversion and leadership role in the early church in Jerusalem, experienced a violent death in his faithful service to Christ. IF Mary was still alive by that time, a further transition of care for her would have been necessary. Christ, foreseeing this, entrusted the care of His mother to John, knowing that John would die long AFTER Mary would die.

Chapter 13 – Was Jesus Married?

There is no statement in the Bible that says or even implies that Jesus was married. However, we find many biblical references revealing that other famous people in the Bible were married. We read about Abraham’s wife Sarah; Isaac’s wife Rebekah; Jacob’s wives Leah and Rachel; Joseph’s wife in Egypt; Moses’ wife Zipporah; David’s wives; and other wives of Old Testament prophets.

In the New Testament, we read in 1 Corinthians 9:5 that other apostles as well as Jesus’ half-brothers had [believing] wives who traveled with them. Matthew 8:14 also mentions Peter’s wife in passing, and it is later revealed that Peter or Cephas took his wife with him on his missionary journeys (1 Corinthians 9:5 in connection with John 1:42).

Toward the end of His crucifixion, Jesus asked John to look after His mother (John 19:26–27), but He does not say anything about a wife or a child. This would be strange if He was married and especially if Mary Magdalene was His wife, as some claim, since she also stood at the cross (John 19:25).

The fanciful idea that Jesus was married and that Mary Magdalene was His wife was totally unknown in the early church. When reading about Mary Magdalene’s reported behavior after Christ’s crucifixion, death and resurrection, as well as Christ’s interaction with her, the idea that she had been married to Jesus must be totally rejected.

Eunuchs

In Matthew 19:12, Christ speaks about three categories of people who do not marry—those who are born eunuchs; those who were made eunuchs by men; and those who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of God’s sake.

The first two groups refer to those who are born with birth defects or who were castrated by men, rendering them incapable of fulfilling their marriage duties (1 Corinthians 7:5). The last category describes those who have voluntarily chosen to refrain from getting married in order to fulfill certain responsibilities in preparation for the establishment of the Kingdom of God. John the Baptist belonged to that category, and so did Paul after his conversion (it appears that he might have been married before, but that his wife died prior to his conversion).

The same is true for Jesus. He knew about His end at a young age, causing hardship on a young woman that could have been avoided by not marrying in the first place. Christ would have more than likely been too busy to attend to a physical family. And as Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 7:32, 35, it is sometimes easier to accomplish this without the distractions of family life.

As mentioned, if Jesus had been married to Mary Magdalene, He would have most certainly said something before His death about her future, as He did regarding His mother. To ask John to look after His mother, but to totally ignore His wife would appear incomprehensible.

Unconverted

There is another reason why Christ could not have been married when He was here on earth. At that time, beginning with His conception and birth and leading to His death, no one became converted (John 7:38–39). It is true that John the Baptist had received the Holy Spirit at the time of his conception, but this occurred six months prior to the conception of Jesus.

As we point out in chapter 3 of our free booklet, Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery!, not even Mary or Jesus’ half-brothers and -sisters initially became converted. None of His male and female disciples, included the Apostles, became converted until after His resurrection. The Bible does not mention that during Christ’s lifetime as a human being, any converted single young woman existed.

Christ’s mother Mary and at least some of His relatives, as well as His male and female disciples, became converted and received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, in 31 AD, after Christ’s ascension to heaven. This means that Mary Magdalene, who had been possessed at one time by seven demons (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9), was not converted during Jesus’ human existence, and to marry her would have been in violation of the command, to “only” marry someone “in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39)—that is, Christ could have only married a converted Christian.

But Mary Magdalene was not converted, nor does the Bible mention that there were any converted single female followers of Christ who would have been spiritually eligible for a marriage with Christ. For that reason alone, He had to stay single.

Chapter 14 – Driving the Money Changers Out of the Temple

It is not largely understood why Jesus acted toward the money changers in the way that He did. Let us read John 2:13–16:

“Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!’”

Authority

Christ spoke with authority! It is obvious from other passages that Jesus, who was recognized as a Rabbi, had authority. In John 3:1–2 we read: “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’” Here Nicodemus addressed Jesus as Rabbi which is translated “Teacher” (compare Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible) or “Master” (which is an official title of honor—compare Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionaries).

Therefore, even within the Jewish establishment, Jesus was not just some ordinary Jew of that time who was taking things into His own hands, but He was someone who had the right to exercise authority in the Temple, which was their place of worship. We note in Luke 4:16–19 that Jesus “went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read” which shows that He did have authority to take such action.

When Jesus drove out the money changers, He was driving out all of the commercialism and business that had permeated a place of worship—and He had the authority to take such action! Not only human authority, of course; as the Son of God, He represented God the Father who was the Owner of the Temple.

Did the authorities try and put a stop to this action that Jesus took? Even though the Jews asked for “signs” or “proof” that He was allowed to do this (John 2:18), they were afraid to stop Jesus because they knew that the law of God was on His side.

The New Bible Commentary observes that “He (Jesus) visits the Temple and finds that within the sacred enclosure in the court of the Gentiles a market has been established for the sale of animals required for the sacrifices. The money changers sit there changing Roman currency into Jewish. Jesus is stirred in His soul and is moved with flaming indignation at such profanation of the temple of God. The wrath of the Lamb is a reality.”

We read the following in the KJV Commentary: “Christ found in the court of the Gentiles a terrible scene. The Sanhedrin was permitting the selling of sacrificial animals at exorbitant prices and permitting the changing of foreign currency into Jewish money, which was required for the temple tax. Christ makes a whip and drives out both the animals and the wicked merchants. [We might want to interject here that Christ only beats the animals, not the people, compare chapter 11 of this booklet] He overturns the tables and scatters the coins across the floor. He commands the dove owners, Take these things hence. Christ then justifies this striking action, make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise (Malachi 3:1–3). Again, the failure of Judaism is emphasized. The disciples recall that this is the fulfillment of prophecy (Psalm 69:9). In verse 18, the Jews, who have been shocked by the action of Christ, demand a sign to substantiate His authority and conduct. However, this was a ridiculous request since the cleansing in itself was a sign (Malachi 3:1–3).”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible has this to say about Christ’s actions: “… he did it without the resistance of any of his enemies, either the market-people themselves, or the chief priests that gave them their licences, and had the posse templi—temple force, at their command. But the corruption was too plain to be justified; sinners’ own consciences are reformers’ best friends; yet that was not all, there was a divine power put forth herein, a power over the spirits of men; and in this non-resistance of theirs that scripture was fulfilled (Mal. 3:2, 3)…”

And so we can see that Christ had the authority for His actions and He spoke with authority. We should also take note of the fact that Jesus drove out the money changers twice—at the beginning (John 2:13–17) and towards the end of His human ministry (Mark 11:15–18; Matthew 21:12–13).

Violent Civil Disobedience?

But what about us? Does that give us the right to fight against the authorities today if we consider it necessary and feel that such action is justified?

In Romans 13, we see that we are to be subject to the powers that be, to man’s laws, which is our commitment to an orderly society, as long as there is no conflict with the law of God. Verses 1 and 2 state that “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”

As Jesus Himself taught, we are to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s (compare Matthew 22:15–22; Mark 12:13–17; Luke 20:20–26), thus showing that He was subject to man’s law so long as there was no conflict with God’s law. And that applies to us today.

In Titus 3:1 Titus is instructed by Paul to “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work.”

In 1 Peter 2:13–17, the same principle is repeated: “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men – as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

In Acts 4:18, Peter and John were “commanded… not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” But in verses 19–21 we read: “But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’ So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.”

In this instance, they defied the secular authorities so that they could do the Will of God and no punishment was forthcoming. Shortly thereafter, in order to follow God’s command, which had been communicated to them by an angel, they again had to disobey the secular authorities and were severely punished as a consequence (Acts 5:17–32, 40). But in spite of their punishment and the ongoing threats of the government, the apostles defied the order of the civil counsel, “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (verse 41). And they continued to disobey the orders of the government while obeying God’s explicit instructions (verse 42).

In short, our submission to governing authorities does not mean uncritical obedience, as our highest authority is God. Laws that are contrary to the law of God must not be obeyed, but in such situations we must be willing to accept the consequences of our actions and submit to the penalties inflicted upon us, without resorting to violent civil disobedience.

Chapter 15 – Stoning the Woman Caught in Adultery?

Why did Jesus refuse to stone the woman who had been caught in adultery? Did He thereby violate the Law of God?

John 8:3–11 reads, in context (emphasis added):

“Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, IN THE VERY ACT. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ This they said, TESTING HIM, THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING OF WHICH TO ACCUSE HIM. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first’ [better: ‘let Him throw THE first stone’]. And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, BEING CONVICTED BY THEIR CONSCIENCE, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”

Jesus Did Not Destroy the Law

We need to understand that Jesus did NOT come to destroy the law (Matthew 5:17–20). He did not come to declare that the Ten Commandments were obsolete and that adultery was no longer a sin. At the same time, the passage in John 8 points out that the scribes and Pharisees came to test or tempt Him, so that they could accuse Him. In what way was this a test?

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible points out:

“Had our Lord condemned the woman to death, they might have accused him to Pilate, as arrogating to himself the power of life and death, which the Romans had taken away from the Jews [compare John 18:31]; besides, the Roman laws did not condemn an adulteress to be put to death. On the other hand, if he had said she should not be put to death, they might have represented him to the people as one who decided contrary to the law, and favored the crime of which the woman was accused.”

Affairs of this World

We also need to keep in mind that Christ had not come in the flesh to condemn or destroy, but to save human life (compare Luke 9:56). It was simply not His purpose to get involved in the affairs of this world. For instance, He refused to become a judge or an arbitrator over those who fought over their inheritance (compare Luke 12:13–14).

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible points out:

“Christ came not into the world to act the part of a civil magistrate, and therefore refused to arbitrate a case, or be concerned in dividing an inheritance… Nor did he come into the world to condemn it, but that the world, through him, might be saved [John 3:17]…”

Christ expects this same kind of approach and conduct from His disciples today. He told Pilate that none of His servants would fight to prevent His murder—including His angels and His disciples—as His Kingdom was not (and still is not) of this world (John 18:36). That is one reason why Christ’s disciples are opposed to joining the military or voting in governmental elections or serving on a jury.

Note that we as Christians, who live under the conditions of the New Covenant, are NOT to carry out or participate in any way in the execution of criminals. As we explain in our free booklet, And Lawlessness Will Abound:

“God gave Israel certain national laws, for instance in Deuteronomy 16 and 17, dealing with the punishment and, in certain cases, the execution of criminals. Converted Christians are servants of the New Covenant, which gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). They are not to judge or condemn another person. Christ said that he who is without sin may cast the first stone (John 8:7). At the same time, we are told that nobody can claim to be without sin (1 John 1:8). Therefore, Christians are not to participate, for instance as jurors, in the judicial systems of this world. In addition, the Church today is not to carry out the death penalty, either. Rather, the ministry is to preach today reconciliation and eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:18–21).”

Old Testament Law

Under Old Testament law, both the adulteress AND the adulterer had to be stoned (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22), if they had been convicted based on the accusations of at least two witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6). In addition, the witnesses had to cast the first stones (Deuteronomy 17:7). We can see from the foregoing that the situation before Christ did not even come close to such a “trial” and “conviction” and “sentencing,” as required by the law.

First, even though the woman was allegedly caught in the very act of adultery, the accusers did not present the man. Secondly, when Christ challenged them by pointing out their hypocrisy, they all disappeared, and Christ and the woman were left without any accuser. No valid or legal judgment was pronounced by any competent judge, and even if it had been, the witnesses had disappeared so that the sentence could not have been carried out.

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states: “They had accused her, but they had not proceeded to the act expressive of judicial condemnation.”

Based on all of these factors, Christ told the woman that He did not condemn her to death either. Barnes elaborates:

“This is evidently to be taken in the sense of judicial condemnation, or of passing sentence as a magistrate, for this was what they had arraigned her for. It was not to obtain his opinion about adultery, but to obtain the condemnation of the woman. As he claimed no civil authority, he said that he did not exercise it, and should not condemn her to die.”

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible adds the following thoughts: “It would have been strange if Jesus, when he was not a magistrate, and had not the witnesses before him to examine them, and when she had not been tried and condemned by the law and legal judges, should have taken upon him to condemn her.”

Compare also Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: “The law appointed the hands of the witnesses to be first upon the criminal, and afterwards the hands of all the people, so that if they fly off, and do not condemn her, the prosecution drops.”

Don’t Continue Sinning

However, Christ admonished the woman not to continue sinning. Even though Christ did not claim “civil authority,” He nevertheless showed that He “regarded the action of which they accused her as sin” (Barnes), and He commanded her to cease from sinning—especially from the act of adultery.

If we apply Christ’s comments, that He was not “condemning” the person, in a spiritual sense, we have to conclude that Christ forgave the woman her sins. God forgives us upon true repentance (compare Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; 1 Kings 8:33–40). Christ, knowing our thoughts and hearts (compare Luke 5:22), could and would have seen that the woman before Him had deeply repented of her sin, and so Christ forgave her. We find, in similar instances, that Christ forgave sins upon repentance (compare Luke 7:36–50). At the same time, Christ cautioned the woman caught in the act of adultery, not to return to her former adulterous conduct (compare John 5:14).

Chapter 16 – Let the Dead Bury the Dead!

Christ made the following, seemingly controversial statement in Matthew 8:19–22:

“Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.’… Then another of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’”

Called into the Ministry

The phraseology, “Follow Me,” indicates a calling into the ministry (Matthew 4:19; 9:9; John 1:43).

The parallel passage in Luke 9:59–60 reveals more clearly that Christ was calling this man into the ministry, challenging Him to “Follow Me… [and to] go and preach the kingdom of God.”

Christ was not prohibiting this disciple from attending his father’s funeral. The passage does not say that his father had died and needed to be buried. We read in Luke 7:11–15 how Christ Himself showed kindness to a mother during a funeral procession of her only son.

What Christ was addressing here was the desire of His disciple to stay with his elderly father UNTIL he had died, rather than following Christ’s invitation to become a minister and preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God wherever he would be sent. This man tried to make excuses for not following the call to the ministry at that moment in time. He wanted to wait for a more “appropriate” time. As the early apostles forsook everything they had in order to follow Christ, so this disciple was challenged to do the same. But he refused.

Father Had Not Died

The Commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown points out:

“Was his father actually dead – lying a corpse – having only to be buried? Impossible. As it was the practice… to bury on the day of death, it is not very likely that this disciple would have been here at all if his father had just breathed his last; nor would the Lord, if He was there, have hindered him discharging the last duties of a son to a father. No doubt it was the common case of a son having a frail or aged father, not [supposed] to live long…”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible agrees, stating (in regard to Luke 9:60):

“The excuse he made: ‘Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. I have an aged father at home, who cannot live long, and will need me while he does live; let me go and attend on him until he is dead, and I have performed my last office of love to him, and then I will do any thing.’… It is a plausible excuse indeed: ‘Let me go and bury my father, – let me take care of my family, and provide for my children, and then I will think of serving Christ;’ whereas the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof must be sought and minded in the first place… Not that Christ would have his followers or his ministers to be unnatural; our religion teaches us to be kind and good in every relation, to show piety at home, and to requite our parents. But we must not make these offices an excuse from our duty to God… This disciple was called to be a minister, and therefore must not entangle himself with the affairs of this world [2 Timothy 2:4].”

The Nelson Study Bible explains Matthew 8:21–22 as follows:

“This passage most likely describes a follower whose father was still alive, because by Levitical law the man would not be out in public if his father had just died. His father was aged. So the man wanted to go to his home, wait for his father to die, and then follow Christ. Jesus’ answer means that we must never make excuses for refusing to follow Him. There is no better time than the present.”

The same commentary makes the following comments to the parallel account in Luke 9:59–60:

“This aspiring disciple placed family responsibilities ahead of following Jesus. The concerns of home were this man’s stumbling block… Jesus emphasized that a disciple must have clear priorities. The call of God should receive priority over everything else.”

Christ is teaching us that we are not to allow physical concerns to prevent us from serving Him. In His parable of the sower, He addresses a category of people who receive the word but become unfruitful due to the “cares of this world” (Matthew 13:22).

The Life Application Bible adds this thought regarding Matthew 8:22: “As God’s Son, Jesus did not hesitate to demand complete loyalty. Even family loyalty was not to take priority over the demands of obedience.”

Nothing and no one must prevent us from following Christ and obeying His Word. As those called and chosen by God, we are God’s Spirit-begotten children whose first and foremost responsibility is to love GOD with all of our heart, might and soul. Christ said that no one is “fit” for the Kingdom of God, who puts his hand to the plow and looks back (Luke 9:62)—wanting to return to where he came from.

Christ showed the difference to His disciple who wanted to wait until his father had died, before following Christ, by explaining that the spiritual dead can take care of his father, including his brothers and other family members who were apparently not being called at that time.

Christ was not saying, of course, that the father should not be buried when he died. He was talking about spiritually dead relatives who would be in a position to take care of the funeral arrangements. We were all, at one time, “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), but God has made us “alive” in Jesus Christ (same verse), having forgiven us all of our trespasses (Colossians 2:13). For those who have been made spiritually alive, nothing must be more important than to follow Christ wherever He goes and wants His followers to go (Revelation 14:4).

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible gives the following explanation, when discussing the “dead” who can “bury their dead”:

“Our Lord is not to be understood, as speaking against, or disrespectfully of burying the dead; his words suppose it ought to be done: only it was not proper, that this person should be concerned in it at this time, who was called to an higher employment; and therefore should leave this to be done by persons, whom it better became. And however strange and odd such a phrase may sound in the ears of some, of one dead man’s burying another, it was easily understood by a Jew; with whom it is common to say… ‘that a sinner is counted as… dead, and that ungodly persons, even while they are alive’,… are ‘called dead’… And in this sense is the word used, in the former part of this phrase; and Christ’s meaning is, let such who are dead in trespasses and sins… bury those who are dead in a natural or corporal sense… there were enough of them to take care of this service: and therefore, there was no need why he should neglect the ministry of the Gospel to attend that…”

The Ryrie Study Bible elaborates on Christ’s saying, as follows (commenting on Luke 9:59–60):

“The father had not died; the speaker meant that he was obligated to care for him until he died… [Christ replied:] let those who are spiritually dead bury those who die physically. The claims of the kingdom are paramount.”

Christ tells us that the concern for an elderly parent who might or might not die soon must not prevent us from doing the Will of God for us. Even though it may appear that only we can and must deal with certain physical situations, upon deeper analysis, we might find that others, who are not called to God’s Way of Life at this point, might be in a better position to do so, while God wants us—and especially those called into His ministry—to fulfill much more important tasks at this time.

Chapter 17 – The Anointing of Jesus

The question has been raised as to whether all of the passages in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John regarding the anointing of Jesus address the same incident. The answer is that they do not, and this understanding is most remarkable in light of the good influence we may have on others, as well as the good example we can be setting for those who may observe our conduct.

Luke’s account of Christ’s anointing occurred prior to the events described by the other gospel writers; they did not take place in the same city; and the women anointing Christ were not the same.

The Sinner

We read in Luke 7:36–50 that Christ went to the house of Simon, a Pharisee, to eat with him, when a “woman in the city who was a sinner” washed Christ’s feet with her tears, wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed His feet and anointed them with fragrant oil which she had brought. The Pharisee questioned that Christ was a prophet, since He allowed the woman to do this, even though she was a sinner. He reasoned that if Christ had known who the woman was, He would not have permitted her to touch Him.  However, Christ said that the sins of the woman, which were many, were forgiven her, because she loved much, and He told her that her faith had saved her.

It appears from verses 1 and 11 that this episode took place in the city of Capernaum or Nain or another city nearby. The city itself where the woman lived is not identified, but many think that it was Capernaum.

Mary, Sister of Lazarus

However, when turning to John 12:1–8, we find ANOTHER anointing of Jesus described. It occurred six days before Passover (John 12:1), in Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Christ had resurrected. A supper was made for Jesus, and Lazarus, Martha and Mary were all there. We read that Martha served, as she had done before; so the implication is that the supper took place in the house of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. We read that Mary took a pound of very costly oil, anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. When Judas Iscariot complained about the “waste of money,” Jesus responded that Mary had kept the oil for His burial.

Many seem to think that this incident is the same as the one described by Matthew and Mark. However, this is not the case either.

Unidentified Woman

In Matthew 26:6–13, we also read about a woman (she is not identified as Mary) who poured very costly fragrant oil on Christ’s head, and that His disciples (not just Judas) became indignant, claiming that the oil could have been sold and the money been given to the poor. Jesus responded that in pouring the oil on His body, the woman did it for His burial, and that her action will be told as a memorial to her. Even though this account is similar to the one in John, we read in Matthew 26:2 that it took place “two days” before Passover (not six days, as in John 12:1), and that it took place in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper. Neither Lazarus nor Mary nor Martha are mentioned in this record.

Mark 14:3–9 describes the same incident, as reported by Matthew. Mark 14:1 tells us as well that it occurred two days before Passover, and verse 3 states that it took place in Bethany, at the house of Simon the leper. The unidentified woman poured very costly oil on Christ’s head, and some became indignant over the “waste of money.” Christ’s response was the same as it was recorded in Matthew’s account.

We see, then, that the gospel writers tell us about at least three episodes, when women anointed Jesus’ feet or head.

Three Episodes

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states the following about the account of Luke, regarding the first episode, when a sinner anointed Christ, explaining that the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John describe events on at least three different occasions:

“[The] woman [sinner] in the city [was not] Mary Magdalene, spoken of in Luke 8:2 under another character; and is a different person, who had not been taken notice of by the evangelist before; nor Mary the sister of Lazarus, who is said to anoint the feet of Christ, and wipe them with her hair, John 12:3… this was in Galilee, and that in Bethany; this in the house of Simon the Pharisee, that in the house of Lazarus; this was some time before Christ’s death, and after this he went a circuit through every city and village, that was but six days before his death, and after which he never went from those parts;

“nor is this account the same with the history, recorded in Matthew 26:6 for that fact was done in Bethany also, this in Galilee; that in the house of Simon the leper, this in the house of Simon the Pharisee; that was but two days before the death of Christ, this a considerable time before; the ointment that woman poured, was poured upon his head, this upon his feet: who this woman was, is not certain, nor in what city she dwelt; it seems to be the same in which the Pharisee’s house was; and was no doubt one of the cities of Galilee, as Nain, Capernaum, or some other at no great distance from these:

“which was a sinner; a notorious sinner, one that was known by all to have been a person of a wicked life and conversation; a lewd woman, a vile prostitute, an harlot… the word, sinners, seems to be used elsewhere by Luke; see Luke 15:1 compared with Matthew 21:31. Some think she was a Gentile, Gentiles being reckoned by the Jews sinners, and the worst of sinners; but this does not appear [to be the case]…”

While the woman in Luke’s account was a well-known sinner, the woman in John’s account was Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, who was a very dedicated servant of Christ; and the woman in Matthew’s and Mark’s account is not identified—but it is unlikely that it was again Mary, anointing Christ a second time.

Sinner Serves as Example

What we need to conclude from this is that the well-known sinner in the city of or near Capernaum, who was the first one anointing Christ, served as a motivation for Mary to do something similar. While the prostitute anointed Christ’s feet, Mary anointed His head. And Mary’s example motivated and inspired another woman in the same city of Bethany to do the same four days later. Christ accepted this service in every case. He forgave the sinner because of her living faith; and He defended Mary’s and the unidentified woman’s conduct, saying that they had done it for His burial and that they will be remembered wherever the gospel is preached.

Let us carefully review what exactly Christ said about the women:

In Luke 7:47–50, Christ spoke these words about and to the “sinner”: “… her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much… your sins are forgiven…Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Since we cannot have forgiveness without repentance and the faith in Christ’s Sacrifice, it appears that somehow, this woman must have known that Christ came as the Savior of the world, and that He would die for the world and for her.

In John 12:7, we read Christ’s words to Judas regarding Mary; “Let her alone; she has kept this [costly oil] for the day of My burial.”

Mary must have believed that Christ would die for her and all of mankind, and her action manifested her belief in Christ’s death.

In Matthew 26:10, 12–13, Christ said to His disciples, on behalf of the unidentified woman who anointed Him four days later:

“Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me… For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

In Mark 14:8, His words are virtually identical with His saying in Matthew, except that these interesting comments are added: “She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.”

Again, we see that this woman, following Mary’s example four days earlier, must have understood about Christ’s death, and she also manifested her belief by her work.

The conduct of all of the women is a beautiful example of living faith in action. As James said, faith without works is dead (James 2:20). When we truly believe, we will prove our faith by how we live.

Chapter 18 – The Purposes of Jesus’ Coming

In the concluding chapter of this booklet, we will answer from the Bible the question as to WHY Christ came to this earth as a human being. Some of the purposes and reasons are well known; others might not be that obvious.

To Die for Us

In John 12:27, He prayed: “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

In verses 32–33, it is explained that He was speaking of the manner of His death.

His purpose to die for us also includes His purpose to live again in a glorified state, enabling Him to give us His Holy Spirit (compare John 7:37–39). In order to obtain the Holy Spirit, one must repent of one’s sins and believe and become baptized (Acts 2:38). Jesus gave us an example of correct baptism, even though He did not have to repent, as He never sinned: He asked John the Baptist to baptize Him to show us what we must do. Believing in Jesus and in His Sacrifice is not enough for the receipt of the Holy Spirit if we are at the same time unwilling to obey Him (Acts 5:32).

The purpose for Christ’s coming (to die for us) includes also the fact that He came to serve us. We read in Matthew 20:28: “… just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (compare Mark 10:45).

To Overcome Sin in the Flesh

Romans 8:3 says: “… God did by sending His own Son… He condemned sin in the flesh…”

The one who confesses that Jesus came in the flesh (John 1:14) is of God (1 John 4:2). That understanding includes the realization that He died and that He was really dead (Revelation 1:17–18); and that the Father resurrected Him from the dead (Romans 10:9; 6:4).

Also, the one is a deceiver who denies Christ as coming in the flesh today; that is, he denies that Christ lives in us today, so that His righteousness can be fulfilled in us (Galatians 2:20; 2 John 7; Romans 8:4).

To Fulfill the Law

Matthew 5:17 reads: “… I did not come to destroy [the Law or the Prophets] but to fulfill…”

He came to exalt the law and make it honorable, as we read in Isaiah 42:21. He “fulfilled” the law or the Prophets by filling up the literal words with the spiritual intent, exclaiming for example that one transgresses the law not only by killing someone, but even by hating someone.

To Call Sinners to Repentance

Matthew 9:13 says:

“… I did not come to call the [self-] righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (compare Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32).

This includes the fact that Jesus came to seek and save “the lost”:

Luke 19:10 states: “…the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (compare Hebrews 12:2 and Luke 15:7).

To Save Us from Darkness

John 12:46 reads: “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”

This world is in utter darkness. It is ruled by Satan the devil, the prince of darkness. Christ came to free us from darkness and lead us to the Light (Acts 26:17–18). This includes the fact that Christ came to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:8 says: “… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

To Bring the Sword

Matthew 10:34–39 reads: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”

He continued to explain that God’s Word—the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17)—will bring division between those who want to obey God’s Word and those who refuse to do so.

To Bring Judgment 

Jesus came for judgment so that those who are blind may see, and that those who see may be made blind.

John 9:39 explains it in this way:

“And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’”

He proceeded to tell the Pharisees that their sin remained because they claimed that they saw; if they had been blind, they “would have no sin.”

Those who saw did not want to repent, so their sin remained; regarding those who were blind, God originally overlooked their ignorance (Acts 3:17–19; 17:30).

To Give Us Salvation and an Eternal Inheritance

Hebrews 9:11–15, 27–28 states:

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come… having obtained eternal redemption… He is the Mediator of the new covenant… that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance … Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many…”

This includes His purpose of coming to build the Church of God—His spiritual Body (Colossians 1:18). He explains in Matthew 16:18: “And I also say to you that you are Peter (a small stone), and on this rock (Jesus Christ, the massive rock) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

To Preach the Gospel

Mark 1:38 quotes Jesus as follows: “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”

Luke 4:43 adds: “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”

(Compare Matthew 4:23; 9:35; Mark 1:14–15).

There is only one gospel—the gospel of the Kingdom of God
(Galatians 1:9–16). And it is the gospel of the Kingdom, which must be preached again today in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14).

To Bear Witness to the Truth

John 18:37 cites Jesus in this way: “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.”

Jesus said these words when Pilate asked Him whether He was a king, clarifying that He was a king indeed, but that His kingdom was not of this world or this day and age (verse 36). Rather, He emphasized that He is and will be the King of the world tomorrow.

To Save and Preserve Life

Luke 9:56 reads: “For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them…”

Christ said these words to James and John, the “Sons of Thunder,” who were willing to destroy a city of the Samaritans because they had refused to grant them shelter.

To Bring Us More Abundant Life

John 10:10 says: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

This includes enjoying what life may have to offer. Jesus came to eat and to drink, but He was accused by some who thought that He had to live an ascetic lifestyle.

Luke 7:34 says: “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’”

We can also apply this principle to those who prohibit the (modest) consumption of alcohol or of clean meat, which we can eat (1 Timothy 4:3)

To Comfort Those Who Mourn

Isaiah 61:1–2 says: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”

To Do the Will of the Father

John 6:38 reads: “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me…”

He continues to explain that it is the Will of the Father to resurrect all those whom the Father has drawn to Christ.

Hebrews 10:7 adds: “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’”

Paul continues to explain that it was the Will of the Father to abolish animal sacrifices through the supreme Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

All of this includes the fact that Jesus came to give us an example as to how we must live. He told us that as He overcame, so we must overcome (Revelation 3:21); and as He kept the commandments, so we must keep them (John 15:10). In addition, He gave us an example of suffering so that we can follow His footsteps and remain sinless, even when we suffer in trials and persecutions (1 Peter 2:21).

He made it very clear that we must do the Will of both the Father and Christ if we want to enter the Kingdom of God, and that our refusal to keep the Law will disqualify us from inheriting eternal life (Matthew 7:23).

To Reveal the Father

1 John 5:20 states: “… the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ…”

That Christ came to reveal the Father to us can also be seen in passages such as Matthew 11:25–27; and John 1:18; 5:37; 6:46.

This revelation includes the understanding that God is a Family—the Kingdom of God—into which we can be born.

Questions for Us

To conclude this chapter, let us ask ourselves the following
pertinent questions:

Do we have the same purposes in life that Jesus had?

Are we willing to give our life for others, to help others and to sacrifice our time and preferences for others?

Are we willing to allow Christ to live in us so that we can overcome sin in the flesh?

Are we willing to do the Will of the Father and to fulfill His Law in our lives?

Are we willing to reveal the Father to others through our good works?

Are we willing to comfort those who mourn?

Are we willing to help in preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness?

Are we willing to always tell the truth; never to compromise; and to place the Word of God above all human relationships?

Are we willing to rejoice when someone repents?

If all of this applies to us, then we are Christ’s disciples indeed!

Conclusion

Jesus Christ is God! There was never a time when He did not exist as the Son of God, the second member of the God Family. God the Father created EVERYTHING through Jesus Christ.

Jesus became a Man, fully Man! He was not fully God at the same time! He set aside His divinity to come into sinful flesh, to overcome sin in the flesh and to die for us, so that we can inherit eternal life.

God the Father resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead as an immortal eternal God Being and restored to Him the glory, which He had before the world was.

While He was here on earth as a human being, He lived His life as an example for us, showing us how to live as true Christians in whom God’s Spirit dwells. Christ is coming today in the flesh…living His life in His true disciples. The question is: Are we willing to let Him live His life in us?

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Introduction

In this booklet, we will address many puzzling questions pertaining to the ancient history of planet earth, the history of man and the purpose of his life, questions that only provoke a confusing array of responses rather than reasonable and sensible answers. Was there a world prior to Adam, and if so, what did it look like? What purpose would it serve to have a world without modern mankind? Is everything that exists simply the product of an accidental “evolutionary” process, initiated and developed through mere time and chance, or did God really create everything? The Bible says that He did! With this perspective, then, where can we find meaningful and believable answers to the following questions?

For instance, did God create voracious dinosaurs and other vicious creatures? Have some of them survived? Did man coexist with dinosaurs? Why are there aggressive animals today? Are the biblical Leviathan, Behemoth, Rahab, and other serpent-like sea creatures just figments of imaginary fairy tales and fables? Does the Loch Ness Monster or Ogopogo really exist? Could creatures such as Bigfoot, Sasquatch or Yeti exist today? Were there giants on the earth at one time, and if so, did all of them die out? Who was the Neanderthal Man? Was he an animal, a modern man, or was he identical with the biblical giants of old? Were biblical giants the offspring of sexual intercourse between angels and humans?

How long has modern man existed? Does the Bible say that God created the physical universe and the earth about 6,000 years ago, and that he accomplished this feat in just 6 days? Does God have a 7,000-year plan for mankind? Was the earth created in a state of utter confusion and destruction, or did the earth become this way? If it became destroyed, how and why did this happen?

Who ruled the world prior to Adam, and who has been ruling it ever since? Are fallen spirit beings responsible for much of the evil in the prehistoric and ancient world, as well as modern times? What was the initial potential of these spirit beings, and why did they fail? What is the purpose and potential of mankind? Since God created the physical earth and the universe, why does the Bible say that He will create new heavens and a new earth? Will they be physical or will they consist of spirit?

Join us in this interesting search of the Bible to find answers to these and many other questions.

Part 1 Dinosaurs Before Man?

Some believe that God created the earth in six days, and that He created dinosaurs and man at the same time. Others reject the Bible altogether or consider its stories as fairy-tale inventions by uneducated minds. But then there are those who point out that the Bible does not teach that God created the universe and the earth in six days, nor that all animals were created together with modern man at the same time. This begs the question: Does the Bible allow for the existence of dinosaurs prior to the creation of modern man?

We will explain in the following pages that dinosaurs were created and did exist PRIOR TO modern MAN, and that they became extinct BEFORE the creation of man (Adam and Eve), due to a universal catastrophe which engulfed the entire earth.

We will explain the cause for this catastrophe. We will show that God subsequently restored the surface of the earth and brought into existence modern man at that time, as well as the kinds of animals and plants which are basically still known today. (However, God did re-create some dinosaur-type sea animals when He created man, as will be discussed in Chapter 3 of Part 1). A subsequent worldwide catastrophe at the time of Noah wiped out all land animals, birds and insects (but not necessarily sea animals), except for those which were preserved in the Ark.

We will also respond to “objections” which are raised against our conclusions. These objections claim that the earth is only 6,000 years old, and that God created all dinosaurs and man together at the same time—“in the beginning”—and that all of those dinosaurs, as well as man, continued to live together on this planet until they were destroyed in the flood at the time of Noah. As we will show, this erroneous idea is not based on the Bible.

Part 1—Chapter 1 The Creation and Destruction of the Earth

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

God Created the Heavens and the Earth

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

“While scientists tell us the beginning of the universe began with a ‘big bang,’ the Bible tells us something altogether different. God says in Genesis 1:1, ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ The word ‘heavens’ is plural, referring to the entire universe. [This will be explained in more detail in Chapter 3 of Part 1.] In Isaiah 45:11–13, God says, ‘Thus says the LORD, the holy One of Israel, and His Maker: …I have made the earth, and created man on it. I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host [the stars, planets, etc.] I have commanded.’

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

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

God Created Angels Before He Created the Earth

Before continuing, please note that “angels” were already in existence when the earth was created. We read that God created everything. “God” is a translation of the Hebrew word “Elohim,” which describes here a Family of God Beings, currently consisting of the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. That is why “God” said, “Let US make man in OUR image” (Genesis 1:26). God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ (John 1:1–3; Hebrews 1:1–2)—the visible AND the invisible (Colossians 1:13–18, especially verse 16). Angels are created beings, and we will present the biblical fact in this booklet that one-third of them were placed on the earth for a special purpose. We are not told in the Bible how long ago the earth was created, nor are we told how long prior to the creation of earth the angels came into existence by the hand of God. But remember that God did NOT create the earth “in vain”—in a state of emptiness and destruction.

The Earth BECAME Void and Empty

In the chapter entitled, “The Earth Became Void and Empty,” our booklet on evolution states:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Bible Confirms a Catastrophe Prior to the Creation of Man

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

God Renewed the Surface of the Earth

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

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

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

“Reading verses 14 and 15 again, ‘Then God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night… and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth.’ In other words, let them become fully visible. Until then they divided nothing, as there was still a lot of smoke and ashes.

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

Why Covered with Water?

In our above-quoted booklet, we continue to address the question as to why the earth was covered with water, as verse 2 of Genesis 1 tells us. We explain that huge tidal waves can be produced by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in the oceans, and we give numerous historical ancient, as well “more modern” examples to that effect.

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

Why the Initial Catastrophe?

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

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

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

We will discuss Lucifer’s sin and rebellion in much more detail in the next chapter of this booklet.

Part 1—Chapter 2 Satan and his Demons Responsible for Destruction of the Earth

In the first chapter of this booklet, we explained that “in the beginning” God created the heavens (the entire physical universe) and the earth, but due to a catastrophe, the earth BECAME void and empty. God subsequently restored the surface of the earth within six days. We also pointed out that God made man at that time. However, the earth was not originally created in a state of emptiness, corruption and decay. Before God created the physical universe and the earth, He had already created angels and other spiritual “things” (regarding the existence of spiritual “things,” please see our free booklet, Angels, Demons and the Spirit World, pages 59–62).

Angels Occupied the Earth

In said booklet, we stated the following in the introduction:

“The Bible reveals to us that there was a time when only God existed. However, that statement is coupled with the biblical understanding that God actually consists of two beings—the Father and the Son. John 1:1 tells us, ‘In the beginning [before anything else was created] was the Word [the Son of God—Jesus Christ], and the Word was with God [God the Father], and the Word was God.’ God has always existed. There was never a time when God (both the Father and the Son) did not exist.

“The Bible does not tell us what God did before He began creating within the spirit world and then the physical universe. We are told, however, that there was a time when God started His Work of creation. We might speculate that God spent a lot of time in planning His creation. We are not told, however, how long this took nor what God did before He began to plan His creation.

“We humans tend to think of creation as referring to the physical universe—the galaxies, the suns, the stars and planets, and our own earth and the life forms on it, including man. God, however, did not start His work of creation by creating physical things. He first created spiritual things. This spirit realm still exists today, but since it is invisible to the human eye, many choose not to believe in it. However, when rightly understood, the spirit world is much more real than the physical world. It is, in fact, permanent, unlike the physical world, which is temporary. The created spirit world has existed much longer than anything physical, and it will continue to exist for all of eternity.”

In the first chapter of this booklet, we pointed out that when God created the earth, the angels shouted for joy because the earth was created in such a beautiful state!

We also alluded to the fact that some angels occupied the earth prior to man, and that they were led by a beautiful archangel and cherub by the name of Lucifer. However, as we mentioned, he and his angels rebelled and tried to fight against God. They invaded the third heaven, but they were defeated and cast back down to the earth where they still live and rule today. Lucifer’s name was changed to Satan or the Devil, and the angels under his rule became known as devils or demons.

Lucifer and his Angels Sinned

In our booklet, Angels, Demons and the Spirit World, Part 2, “The World of Demons,” we stated under the section “Lucifer and Satan”:

“The Bible reveals that God created all of the angels. They were not created as robots, but as spirit beings with the power to choose and to decide. One high-ranking angel, a cherub by the name of Lucifer, rebelled and sinned against God (Isaiah 14:12–15; Ezekiel 28:11–17). Lucifer wanted to ‘ascend to heaven’ to dethrone God (Isaiah 14:13). He wanted to ‘ascend above the heights of the clouds’ (Isaiah 14:14). This shows us that he was here on earth, because he wanted to ascend above the clouds of the earth to go to heaven. When he sinned, he was thrown back to this earth (Isaiah 14:12).

“He became Satan, which means enemy or adversary. Lucifer, or Satan, was already here on earth when Adam and Eve were created. We are told that the serpent was already here in order to deceive Eve when Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden. The serpent is identified as Satan the devil (Revelation 12:9). Since Satan appeared to the first man and his wife as the deceiver, he must have lived on this earth prior to man as Lucifer—when he was not yet the deceiver—before he tried to ‘ascend to heaven.’

“Actually, before he was sent to earth, Lucifer had been trained in heaven before the very throne of God, and he had angels under his command. We read in Ezekiel 28:14 that he was the anointed cherub who covers. Recall that the cherubs covered the throne of God when God appeared to Moses in the Tabernacle. Also, we read in Ezekiel 28:14 that Lucifer was on the holy mountain of God in heaven (compare Hebrews 12:22). When he sinned by trying to ascend from this earth to heaven to dethrone God, he was cast out of the mountain of God (Ezekiel 28:16). Christ later said that He saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning (Luke 10:18).

“In the Hebrew, the word translated as ‘Lucifer’ in the Authorized Version and in many other translations, is ‘helel,’ or ‘heylel,’ which means ‘lightbringer,’ ‘shining one,’ ‘morning star,’ or ‘shining star of the dawn.’ The word ‘Lucifer’ is the Latin translation of the Hebrew word ‘helel,’ or ‘heylel,’ conveying exactly the same meaning. It is therefore appropriate to use this word in describing the cherub who later became Satan (‘sawtwan’ in Hebrew).

“Satan, the prince of darkness, is still ruling on this earth. Revelation 2:13 tells us expressly that Satan has a ‘throne’ here on earth. He holds the people of this world captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). He has authority over all the kingdoms of this world (Luke 4:5–7). He is called the ‘ruler of this world’ in John 14:30. He is even called the ‘god of this age’ in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Satan is called ‘the prince of the power of the air’ in Ephesians 2:2.”

Why Did Satan Sin?

Why did Satan rebel against God? We read that he wanted to become like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14). This refers to God’s position. God was the ruler of the universe, while Lucifer was “only” the ruler of the earth. It appears he craved more. This conclusion becomes even more compelling when realizing in what state Lucifer had been created. We read that he was “the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” and that “every precious stone was [his] covering” (Ezekiel 28:13). For a while, he was “perfect in [his] ways,” but then “iniquity was found in” him and he “became filled with violence within” (verses 14–16). He became guilty of sin (same verse). It started with pride—his “heart was lifted up because of [his] beauty” and he “corrupted [his] wisdom” (verse 17).

He apparently began to think that because of his “perfection” and great wisdom, he could do as good a job—if not better—than God, ruling not just the earth, but the entire universe! He passed on this line of selfish thinking and pride to the angels under his command, who, sadly, began to adopt his reasoning. We do not know how much time passed until the angels had convinced themselves that they should follow Lucifer—it could have taken thousands, if not millions of years. A human example could be seen in Absalom, and how he persuaded the people of Israel and Judah to assist him in his rebellion against his father David. When one wants to find “fault” with another being over some real or imagined “injustice,” one can quickly do so. And with that mindset, one can even blame and disagree with God regarding actions that He takes (compare Revelation 16:8–9, 21).

Rather than quickly repenting, Lucifer and his angels continued to “become futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (compare Romans 1:21–22), until they became “haters of God” (verse 30). Their hate caused them to launch an attack against God in heaven, thinking they could actually knock Him off His throne and take over the rule of the physical universe and the third heaven, where God dwells, including the spiritual “things” in the third heaven.

We might even conclude that it was ultimately Satan’s goal to rule over all the other angels as well, but he must surely have known that his attack on God would not bring about this immediate result, and that it would have required a long period of time to convince God’s angels to follow him. Since his short-term goal was to rule the universe, he had to knock God off His throne and subdue God’s angels in spiritual warfare. He might have thought that, in time, he would perhaps be able to convince God’s angels to submit to him as well, since he had been successful in persuading the angels under his original command to obey him.

Angels Followed Satan

Referring especially to the role that Lucifer’s angels played in this appalling spiritual rebellion, we stated the following in Part 2 of our aforementioned booklet Angels, Demons and the Spirit World, under the section, “Angels Became Demons”:

“Lucifer was not the only spirit being who rebelled against God. The angels under his control accompanied him and became known as demons thereafter. A reference to that rebellion is made in Revelation 12:4, stating that one-third of the angels (referred to as ‘stars’) followed Satan and became demons. This indicates that the other two-thirds of the angels stayed loyal to God…

“We read in Jude 6 about angels who did not keep their own domain (the earth), but left their own abode in order to go to heaven to dethrone God. They are now reserved in everlasting chains under darkness; that is, they are angels of darkness. They are still ruling this earth under Satan (compare Ephesians 6:12 where demons are called ‘the RULERS of the darkness of this age’). They are ‘chained,’ or held captive, by their own spiritual perversion. We read in 2 Peter 2:4 that ‘…God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell [in Greek, tartarus, describing a condition, rather than a place] and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.’”

Lucifer Trained by God in Heaven

Lucifer had been trained at God’s very throne in heaven, as one of the cherubim “covering” the throne with his wings, and inasmuch as God later created the earth and placed Lucifer there with one-third of all created angels, it follows that Lucifer was trained to administer God’s government of love and justice among the angels and to rule with them on the earth, which, as you will recall, was created in a beautiful state. As God would later give man the charge to “have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on earth” (Genesis 1:28), it stands to reason that a similar charge was given by God to Lucifer and his angels.

We do not read that Lucifer and his angels created the animal and plant world that existed at that time—long before the creation of man—but we read that everything was created by God through Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:16). We also read that the angels shouted for joy when the earth, including the animals, was created, which would imply that all the animals were peaceful, not ferocious creatures.

Animals Originally Created in a Peaceful State

When God re-created the surface of the earth and created the more “modern” animals, they were created with a peaceful nature. God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden and instructed them to “tend and to keep” it (Genesis 2:15). The animals were brought to Adam so that he could name them—including lions, crocodiles, snakes and serpents, scorpions and other animals that are “wild” and potentially aggressive today, but which were apparently tame then. As we will explain, they became wild due to Satan’s influence and sin. Something similar happened to the dinosaurs prior to the creation of man—they too became wild due to Satan’s influence and sin. God did not create them as vicious animals as we see them sometimes portrayed in movies today.

Animal Nature Changed

There is no biblical evidence that God created any of the animals with a vicious nature. We do find, however, that the nature of animals changed when they gave in to Satan’s influence. We read, for example, in Genesis 3:1 that “the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” While Satan is described as a serpent and as a dragon (Revelation 20:2), it appears that Eve was confronted by and spoke to a real serpent in the Genesis account. Satan gave the serpent a voice —in the same way that God gave a donkey a man’s voice to speak to the false prophet Balaam (Numbers 22:28; 2 Peter 2:16).

We read that the serpent—the animal—was more cunning, or more subtle, than every other beast of the field. Later, God punished the serpent, stating that it was more cursed than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field (Genesis 3:14). God pronounced punishment on a literal, physical serpent, as well as, of course, on Satan the devil who used the serpent.

Did God create the serpent with a cunning and subtle nature? The Hebrew word for “was,” in Genesis 3:1, is “haya,” which, as we saw, can also mean, “became.” It appears that the serpent, under Satan’s influence and control, had become more subtle and cunning than the other animals. At that point, its nature had changed.

In due course, under the influence of Satan, the nature of other animals also changed. In fact, the nature of certain animals became so evil that God decided to kill them in a flood. We read in Genesis 6:7 that God was sorry that He had made man and beast. Genesis 6:11 tells us that the earth was corrupt and filled with violence. Genesis 6:12 adds that all flesh had corrupted their way. This includes the animal world. Genesis 6:13 states that the end of all flesh had come, and that the earth, due to Satan’s influence and control, had become filled with violence through them. Genesis 7:21 states specifically that the term “all flesh” includes at least all of the land animals and birds, as well as man: “And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.”

Animals Became Hostile in the Pre-Adamic World

God did not create Lucifer and his angels as evil monstrous creatures either. As we saw, they became that way, and as the nature of the animals changed in the post-Adamic world, under Satan’s influence, so it is fairly certain that the nature of the animals changed as well in the pre-Adamic world. As Lucifer decided to rebel against God, his own nature changed, and as he was able, in the process of time, to influence the angels under him to follow him in unrighteous conduct, their nature changed too. This, in turn, had consequences for the nature of the animal world under their control. Peaceful animals became vicious and hostile. Some began to attack and devour each other. We do not know whether some animals were originally created as flesh-eating creatures, or whether they became that way, but in any event, they were not created by God as vicious creatures.

When God created the animals at the time of Adam, it does not appear that they were flesh-eaters. Rather, we read that God gave “green herbs” for food to the animals (Genesis 1:30). We also know that after Christ’s return, the lion will again eat straw like an ox (Isaiah 11:7). In any event, the lion’s original tame nature at the time of Adam’s creation will ultimately be restored.

Why—Exactly—Did the Earth Become Void and Empty?

It appears that when Satan and his demons launched their attack against God, all flesh on the earth had corrupted itself. And just as God destroyed the animals in the Flood at the time of Noah, He might also have destroyed the pre-Adamic animals when Satan and his demons were thrown back to the earth. This spiritual fight between God and Satan would not have automatically brought about destruction to the physical surface of the earth, so an additional action was necessary.

It is also possible that Satan and the demons caused the physical destruction of the earth, or that they had a part in it. It is possible that the twisted and perverted minds of Satan and his demons destroyed the surface of the earth and the animal world in rage and anger when they realized that their fight against God would prove unsuccessful. Satan is THE destroyer (Revelation 9:11); he will destroy whatever he can! He will motivate man to destroy this entire planet just prior to Christ’s return, because his wrath is very great (Revelation 12:12)! The mindset of demons is equally destructive! They can influence people whom they possess to become self-destructive (Mark 5:2–5) and to kill themselves (Mark 9:14–22). The demons caused a herd of swine to kill themselves when they possessed them (Matthew 8:30–32).

Satan’s rebellion against God caused the earth to become void and empty, and all the animals were destroyed, including the dinosaurs in existence at that time. God restored and renewed the surface of the earth and made it habitable for man to live on it. But due to Satan’s influence, the earth has become corrupted again today (compare Hosea 4:3), and when Christ returns, another renewal of the largely destroyed earth will have to occur, so that a Millennium of peace and happiness can begin.

Part 1—Chapter 3 Renewal of Heavens and Earth, and Creation of “Sea Monsters”

We discussed in the first two chapters of this booklet that “in the beginning” God created the heavens and the earth, but that Satan’s rebellion caused the earth to become void and empty. We also showed that God restored the surface of the earth within six days. In addition, He also brought order to the chaotic condition of the earth’s atmosphere and the universe which was also affected by Satan’s rebellion.

Some claim that Exodus 20:11 and Exodus 31:17 show that God created the universe and the earth, including mankind, within six days, but they allege that there was no time gap and no catastrophe between His initial creation of the heavens and the earth, and the creation of modern animals and man. Is this true?

We read in Exodus 20:11:

“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day….”

Also, we read in Exodus 31:17:

“… for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested…”

Rightly understood, these passages do not state that God created heavens and earth, including modern man, within six days.

God Creates, Makes and Forms

Genesis 1:1 records that in the beginning, God “created” (Hebrew “bara”) the heavens and the earth. However, in Exodus 20:11 and 31:17, we read that He “made” (Hebrew “asah”) the heavens and the earth. In many cases, the word “create” describes an act of bringing something into existence which did not exist before, while the word “made” refers to the prior existence of something which is “formed” into a certain recognizable appearance. For instance, God “created” man (Genesis 1:27; 5:2; 6:7), but He also “made” man (Genesis 1:26), and He “formed” man (Genesis 2:7). These three terms are not identical, as some suggest, but they express three different aspects of God’s actions. God “created” man—that is, no man existed prior to this; but He also “made” him from pre-existing “material” (the dust of the ground), and He “formed” him from that dust to give him a certain appearance. Later God “made” (literally “built”) Eve from one of Adam’s ribs (Genesis 2:22). In other words, the dust of the ground existed before Adam was made from it, and Adam’s rib existed before Eve was made from it.

On the other hand, nothing physical existed when God “created” the heavens and the earth. Rather, God brought the physical heavens (the universe) and the earth into existence at that time (Hebrews 11:3).

When we read in Exodus 20:11 and 31:17 that God “made” the heavens and the earth in six days, the reference is to the RENEWAL of the earth’s surface after Satan’s rebellion, as well as the renewal of the earth’s atmosphere (the first heaven) and apparently a certain renewal or restoration of order for the universe which had also suffered turmoil due to Satan’s rebellion. (Meteorites and asteroids, as well as stars which exploded millions of years ago might give testimony to the fact that the universe suffered some destruction, even though God had not created it that way.)

Three Heavens

God speaks of three heavens—the first heaven describes the earth’s atmosphere with its clouds and birds; the second heaven refers to the physical universe with its many galaxies, suns and planets; and the third heaven refers to the spiritual heaven of God, where He and His angels dwell.

That there is more than one physical heaven can be seen in Genesis 1:1, where we read, “In the beginning God created the HEAVENS and the earth.” Also, in Genesis 2:1, “Thus the HEAVENS and the earth were finished, and all the hosts of them.” These verses imply that “the whole material universe was created simultaneously with the earth” (Herbert W. Armstrong, “Mystery of the Ages,” p. 45).

The first two heavens—the physical heavens—can be divided into the earth’s atmosphere and the space beyond our atmosphere, commonly called the universe.

The atmosphere or the “first heaven”—the air that surrounds the earth—refers to the space where the birds fly, the clouds and the wind roam, and from which the dew comes. We read in Genesis 1:20: “…let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” We also read, in Genesis 27:28, that God promises to give “the dew of heaven.” Finally, we are told in Deuteronomy 33:28, that Jacob’s “Heavens shall also drop dew.”

The physical universe, which is beyond this earth’s atmosphere, can be described as the “second heaven.” It represents the space where we find the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the other planets that God has created. We read in Genesis 1:14–17 that God referred to the sun and moon as “lights in the firmament of the heavens” (verses 14, 15), and that He “set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth” (verse 17). David pondered, in Psalm 8:3, over God’s “heavens, the work of Your fingers,” specifically mentioning “the moon and the stars, which You have ordained.”

In addition to these two physical “heavens,” we find that the Bible speaks about another heaven, a heaven composed of spirit—the third heaven—where God lives. No human being has ever ascended to this heaven (compare John 3:13). There is only One who went to this heaven after His resurrection, and that was Jesus Christ. We are specifically told that David did not ascend to heaven (Acts 2:34).

Only Jesus Christ Went to the Third Heaven

It is therefore obvious that Elijah did not go to the third heaven where God’s throne is. We read in 2 Kings 2, verses 1 and 11, that Elijah was taken up “into heaven by a whirlwind.” We also read that his disciples understood that Elijah did not go to the third heaven, as they were concerned that “the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley” (verse 16). In fact, God transported Elijah to another place here on this earth where he continued to live until his death. He wrote a letter and had it delivered to king Jehoram, AFTER he “went to (the first) heaven,” as Jehoram became king right at the time of Elijah’s disappearance (2 Kings 1:17; 3:1). The contents of the letter is given in 2 Chronicles 21:12–15, referring to the evil deeds of king Jehoram that he had committed after Elijah had been taken away and transported through the air to another place here on earth.

On the other hand, the Bible tells us that some have seen or even gone to the third heaven “in spirit”—in a vision. We read that John went to God’s throne in heaven “in the Spirit” (Revelation 4:1–2). We also read that Paul “was caught up to the third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2), referring to this experience as “a vision” (verse 1).

As we see from 2 Corinthians 12:2, the heaven which is called God’s dwelling place is referred to as the “third heaven.” No additional heavens are mentioned. Notice this comment taken from the Nelson Study Bible: “The Hebrew word for heavens may refer to the physical heavens, the sky or the atmosphere of earth…, or to the dwelling place of God (Ps. 14:2), the spiritual heaven. The expression is probably derived from a word meaning ‘to be high, lofty.’”

The third heaven is, according to the Bible, located “on the farthest sides of the north.” Lucifer described his plan to dethrone God in this way, in Isaiah 14:13–14, “‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne [here on earth] above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High [or, I will be the Most High].’”

We also read that “promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south” (Psalm 75:6, Authorized Version). Rather, it comes from the north—from God’s dwelling place in the third heaven.

There are indeed three heavens, not “seven.” The Encyclopedia Britannica, ed. 1959, sheds some light on the wrong concept of “seven heavens.” It points out, “In the cosmogonies of ancient peoples there was a plurality of heavens, varying from three to seven, the higher transcending the lower in glory.”

In addition, note this comment from Rienecker’s Lexicon of the Bible, “At the time of the Old Testament, Judaism knew of a plurality of heavens, which number was determined in LATE Judaism as seven. The Holy Scriptures know nothing of this number. Paul speaks of the THIRD heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2–4. The letter to the Hebrews states that Christ was seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens (Hebrews 8:1). It adds that He, as High Priest, passed through the heavens (Hebrew 4:14) to enter into the most important heaven, where He appears in the presence of God for us (Hebrews 9:24).”

Although it is taught by traditional Christianity that we will go to heaven when we die, this is NOT the biblical teaching. For more information as to what happens to us when we die, please read our free booklet, Do We Have An Immortal Soul?

God “Made” or Restored the Destroyed Surface of the Earth in Six Days

Returning to our discussion on the re-creation of the surface of the earth after its destruction, God renewed—“made”—the earth in six days by giving it the topography, form and appearance (with mountains, oceans etc.), which it generally still has today.

We read in Genesis 1:7 that God “made” the firmament by dividing “the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament,” as He had divided earlier the light from the darkness (verse 4). All of these “divisions” and their exact meaning are explained in our free booklet, The Theory of Evolution—A Fairy Tale for Adults? In short, Satan’s rebellion had caused the earth to be covered with water (verse 2), and it had also brought darkness on the earth due to the dust and debris (verse 4). Conditions had to be restored which made the earth’s atmosphere breathable and the earth’s surface habitable for plants, animals and mankind.

To recap, God renewed the surface of the earth, and He renewed or “made” the first heaven in six days, in that He removed the dust and debris from the atmosphere and “made” it breathable for physical beings.

God “Made” or Restored the Heavens

Since we read that God “made”–not “created”–the heavens (plural) in six days, He not only created or restored conditions pertaining to the first heaven—the earth’s atmosphere—He also dealt with the second heaven—the universe. He restored some order in and to the universe, as we read that Jesus Christ upholds or sustains the universe today by His mighty word (Hebrews 1:3). The Living Bible translates this passage as follows: “He regulates the universe by the mighty power of his command.” The Revised English Bible states that “he sustains the universe by his word of power.”

Jeremiah 31:35 adds that God “gives the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,” again showing God’s involvement in the universe. David was amazed about the stars which God had created, some of which he could observe on a clear night (Psalm 8:3–4), stating that God counts them all by name (Psalm 147:4). Isaiah adds that God “BRINGS OUT their host by number” (Isaiah 40:26).

However, there is no biblical evidence to suggest that God had ever created physical life anywhere else but on planet earth. Nor do we know for sure (as the Bible does not specifically state this) whether due to Satan’s rebellion and his attempt to knock God off His throne in the third heaven, some “damage” occurred there so that God had to “restore” conditions pertaining to the third heaven as well. But it is interesting that Christ told us to pray to the Father: “Your Will be done On earth as… in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). (Note that the clause “it is” in “as it is in heaven” is not in the original and was added by the translator.)

Genesis 2:4 distinguishes between the original creation of the heavens and the earth and subsequent events. We read in the Authorized Version: “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.”

Commentaries rightly point out that in this instance, “in the day” does not refer to a 24–hour day, but it designates an unidentified time span. It describes the time when God “made” or renewed the surface of the earth and the earth’s atmosphere (the first heaven), and when He brought back order to the universe (the second heaven). Two different times are described in Genesis 2:4: First, God “created the heavens and the earth”—as we know, this occurred “in the beginning”—but then, at a later time, He “made” them—that is, He gave them or restored the form, appearance and ordered structure which they basically have today. The Revised English Bible renders Genesis 2:4–5 as follows: “This is the story of the heavens and the earth AFTER their creation. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, there was neither shrub nor plant growing on the earth, because the LORD God had sent no rain…”

The New Scofield Reference Edition explains that there is no discrepancy between the events described in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, stating:

“It is often said that Genesis 2:4–25 is a second account of creation differing from that in Genesis 1:1–2:3. In point of fact, however, Genesis 1 tells of the creation of the whole universe, including [at a later time] man and woman; while Genesis 2 specifically describes the origin of man and woman without repeating the story of the creation [and renewal] recorded in Genesis 1.”

God Created Great Sea Creatures on the Fifth Day

We read in Genesis 1:21 that God “created” great sea creatures and birds—showing that many of those types of animals did not exist before. Most “modern” animals of the post-Adamic time are generally quite different from many of the animals which existed prior to Adam. As will be explained below, this does not HAVE to mean that God did not create any dinosaur-type animals when He renewed the earth. We do not know if these were similar to those dinosaurs which had existed before Adam and which became extinct. In any event, God would not have created violent animals at the time of Adam. We do read, however, that subsequent to Adam’s sin, some animals became wild and aggressive, as we discussed before.

Does the “Loch Ness Monster” Exist?

In this context, let us deal with the question of whether the Bible says anything about the modern existence of “sea monsters,” such as the “Loch Ness creature.” Surprising as it may seem, the Bible indeed has much to say about the existence of certain elusive creatures. It is entirely possible that some of these creatures, such as the “Loch Ness monster” in Scotland or similar “lake monsters” in other parts of the world might exist today.

First of all, let us examine some interesting Scriptures which clearly describe animals which are generally believed today to be myths or legends, or which are thought to have become extinct. Some have attempted to apply living known animals, or Satan, or world powers, to the biblical descriptions, but those attempts must be considered as totally inadequate.

Leviathan!

For instance, the Bible has much to say about a creature called “Leviathan.” This animal clearly existed at the time of Job and is described, in detail, in the 41st chapter of the book of Job. Some have said that a crocodile is described there, but this is utter nonsense. The description of Leviathan in the book of Job and in other places refers to a living animal but it does not remotely apply to a crocodile. Some have said that the description of Leviathan in the book of Job is merely a description of Satan. However, clearly an animal is described in Job 41, not a spirit being (even though some of the characteristics of Leviathan might very well, in a symbolic sense, apply to Satan).

We might also consider additional passages outside of the book of Job that refer to Leviathan. Psalm 74:14 says that God “broke the HEADS of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.” Some might want to dismiss this passage as simply mythological, claiming that no known animal existed or exists with more than one head. This claim is not necessarily accurate. Even today, sometimes animals, due to mutation or birth defects, are born with more than one head, so there is no reason to believe that the passage in Psalm 74 must be understood in a mythological, rather than a literal way.

Psalm 104:25–26 clearly identifies Leviathan as a real, living water animal, co-existing with man: “… The great and wide sea, In which are innumerable teeming things, Living things both small and great. There the ships sail about; There is that Leviathan Which You have made to play there.”

There are additional biblical passages which might refer to Leviathan and/or other unidentified “sea monsters.”

Serpents in the Sea

Amos 9:3 states: “And though they hide themselves on top of Carmel, From there I will search and take them; Though they hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea, From there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them.”

An interesting statement can also be found in Isaiah 27:1: “In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.”

Some contend that God is strictly referring here to world powers, comparing them with Leviathan and other strong animals. It may be so. We find similar comparisons in other passages. For instance, King Nebuchadnezzar is described as “a monster” in Jeremiah 51:34, and in Ezekiel 32:2, God compares the Pharaoh of Egypt with a young lion AND with a “monster in the seas, Bursting forth in your rivers, Troubling the waters with your feet, And fouling the rivers.”

In any event, the fact that God compares world powers or individuals with Leviathan and other sea creatures suggests that these creatures do exist. God compares Pharaoh with a lion AND with a monster in the sea. Since lions are real animals, it is reasonable to conclude that this particular sea monster exists as well. Also, God speaks in the same context of Leviathan as the fleeing serpent and the twisted serpent, AND of the reptile in the sea. We all know that reptiles exist. Why would God mention Leviathan in the same context if THAT creature was only mythological or allegorical?

Does Canada’s Ogopogo Exist?

We should understand that the alleged sightings of the “Loch Ness monster” are only one category among literally hundreds of other sightings of additional “lake monsters” all around the world. Another famous “lake monster” is the “Ogopogo,” a creature reportedly living in the Okanagan Waters in Canada. The description of that creature is very similar to the description of the “Loch Ness monster.”

We are not saying that the Leviathan of the Bible is necessarily identical with the “Loch Ness monster” or with the “Ogopogo”—nor, of course, that these modern creatures have more than one head—but we are saying that the Bible allows for the existence of “sea monsters.” And if the “Loch Ness” monster or “Ogopogo” exist today, they would not have been the end product of an “evolutionary development,” nor would they be “living fossils,” but God would have created them one day prior to Adam, and, as water animals, they would have survived Noah’s Flood.

There are many reports of sightings and even some photographs of the “Loch Ness monster” or the “Ogopogo” or other lake creatures from all over the world–too many to be summarily dismissed. We cannot say that all of these reports and pictures are fake (even though undoubtedly many are); or that none of these sightings are legitimate; or that they all were the result of highly imaginative minds; or that they were hallucinations caused by Satan the devil. Again, undoubtedly, some, if not many, of these “sightings” would belong to those categories.

Books have been written trying to identify the “Loch Ness monster” or the “Ogopogo” as a pre-Adamic long-necked plesiosaur, a marine dinosaur thought to have been extinct “for about seventy million years,” and they have tried to explain how and why that creature was able to survive in sweet water lakes. (Those explanations are clearly wrong, since these kind of creatures would not have been in existence for more than 6,000 years.) Others have tried to explain the numerous sightings by pointing at a variety of known existing animals or other natural phenomena.

Orangutans and Giant Squids

However, these explanations fail to consider that even today, we sometimes discover previously unknown species, or animals which were thought to have been long extinct. For instance, although legends existed for centuries of a “hairy man living in the trees,” it was only fairly recently that the Orangutan ape was discovered by scientists.

The same can be said for the giant squid which lives in the oceans. Although there had been some speculation for centuries that it might exist, scientists were only recently able to discover certain body parts of the giant squid, such as the portion of a long arm, with tentacles, in the belly of a sperm whale, enabling them to calculate the enormous size of that squid. Even in more recent days, new, previously unknown species were discovered. Cadavers from animals were found–and pictures taken–which look like the cadavers of previously unknown modern animals or of those considered by misled scientists to have become extinct “millions of years ago.”

Reports about Loch Ness and Ogopogo

Many eyewitness reports of the “Loch Ness monster” or of the “Ogopogo” have been published, but members of the Church of God view those reports correctly with caution, not knowing how reliable they really are. However, in light of the biblical evidence, it is possible that some of those reports are accurate and that these and other unknown creatures do exist. As a consideration of this question, we are setting forth below an eye witness report about an encounter with the “Ogopogo.” The report was written by Delia Messier, wife of Rene Messier, an ordained pastor of the Church of God (CGCF) in Canada. The report, relating events which took place in about 2007, is reliable and also makes reference to eye witness reports from two other Church of God ministers and their families:

“The beautiful Okanagan Lake has a famous legend of an elusive water creature called the Ogopogo. This lake is almost 100 miles long with under-water caverns. For many years stories of sightings of the Ogopogo living in the Okanagan Lake have been heard and told. A family of three of our friends told my husband and me that they saw [about 25 years ago] Ogopogo’s head appear in front of them, as they were standing on the pier one fall day. They told us: ‘It lifted its head out of the water, then quickly disappeared when it saw us.’ Another family had also told mutual friends that they had seen it, but never having seen it myself, and being an elusive creature not common to public acceptance, one tended to dismiss the stories.

“One day, driving along the lake heading towards Kelowna, I saw something on the water that was strange. Looking hard at what it was that I saw there in the water, I have to say that it was at first unrecognizable. Nothing I had ever seen before in all these years living near the lake fit what I was observing. It was puzzling as it was not any type of water craft I would normally see, not a motor boat, not a canoe, not a Sea-Doo, not a paddle wheel, not a water skier, not a sail boat. Trying to identify what it was, I had to eliminate what it wasn’t, but there it was–a big head sticking out of the water, erect and moving smoothly straight forward, with a long wake trailing behind. It had a very big head, shaped like a horse’s head, with the long face and nostrils which a horse has, and with rounded short ears.

“The lake was quiet that day, as it was in late fall and the usual summer tourists had gone for the season, so this big water animal, gray or dark green in color like a wet rock, kept swimming leisurely. There was nowhere for me to pull over on the highway, but as long as I could see the lake from the road, the animal stayed above water and kept moving forward. Now I do believe the legend is true; that there is the Ogopogo living in the Okanagan Lake, and that our friends truly saw it, just as I did.”

From this it follows that an elusive creature seems to exist in the Okanagan Lake and that similar creatures might also exist in Loch Ness and in many other lakes around the world. What is especially interesting is that the words of the Bible, speaking of unknown “sea monsters” co-existing with man, have to be viewed as literal truth, rather than myth, legend or fiction.

Behemoth

This sea monster would have been created by God at the time of Adam, and since it lived in the sea, it would have survived Noah’s Flood. Other “monsters” might have been created at the time of Adam as well. For instance, the Bible speaks about another creature in the book of Job, called “Behemoth.” As mentioned, some have suggested that Leviathan describes a crocodile, and they also claim that Behemoth describes a hippopotamus. But this is definitely not correct. The margin of the New King James Bible admits that Behemoth is “a large animal, exact identity unknown,” and that Leviathan is a “large sea creature, exact identity unknown.” (Another possible “pre-historic” sea-monster is called “Rahab.” It will be discussed in Chapter 4 of Part 1 of this booklet.)

Aaron’s Staff Turned into a “Dragon”

We might also point out that it was Aaron’s staff which became a “serpent” before Pharaoh and which swallowed up the “serpents” of the magicians (Exodus 7:9–12). We should note that the “serpent” in the episode with the burning bush is NOT the same kind of creature as the “serpent” in the episode with Aaron and Pharaoh. Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, points out on page 11, that the word used in the latter episode is “tannin” and describes “some giant serpentlike creatures that were formed at [recreation]… Later, Aaron’s staff (and the Egyptian magicians’ staffs) turns into such a creature (not merely a snake!) at the Egyptian court.”

In fact, the meaning of the word “tannin” is “dragon.” Friedman adds on page 192 that Aaron’s staff turned into a serpent. “Not a snake. This is different from the snake (Hebrew nahas or nachash) that Moses’ staff became in Exodus 4:3. Moses performed the miracle for the Israelite elders (4:30). Now, in front of Pharaoh, Aaron’s staff becomes a ‘tannin.’ This is the term that is used for the big sea serpents that God makes on the fifth day of [re-]creation (Gen. 1:21). They are not merely snakes, as people have often pictured them. They are extraordinary creatures…”

If Leviathan and Behemoth, among other “serpents” or “dragons,” are in fact unidentified dinosaur-like creatures which God created at the time of Adam, then this would explain why sometimes bones of human remains and of dinosaur-like animals are allegedly found together. These are, of course, some bold assumptions, and are only valid IF these claims are true and IF the scientific explanations are indeed correct in regard to such findings. In any event, they would not prove that God created the heavens and the earth in six days, when He created man, but they would show that after God renewed the surface of the earth, He did create some dinosaur-type creatures. A few of those creatures might have still existed at the times of Job and Moses; and some of them might even still exist today—or did so very recently–in very secluded areas or in the murky, dark and inaccessible waters of some lakes or the oceans.

Part 1—Chapter 4 Why Was Lucifer Placed on this Earth?

In the first three chapters of this booklet, we explained that God created the earth in a beautiful and peaceful state, and that He placed Lucifer and one-third of His angels on this earth to administer God’s government. We established that nowhere do we read in the Bible that God created the universe and the earth within six days; nor, that God’s physical creation occurred only about 6,000 years ago. Rather, we read that God created the heavens and the earth “in the beginning”—whenever that “beginning” was. It could have been millions or even billions of years ago. We also explained that Lucifer and his angels rebelled against God and became known as Satan and his demons. The earth became void and empty, and God subsequently renewed the face of the earth within six days and created man.

Before these cataclysmic and chaotic events, dinosaurs and other pre-Adamic animals roamed the earth. We showed that there is no indication that they were vicious creatures when God created them, but the implication is that they became that way under Satan’s influence.

In this chapter, we will dig deeper into the purpose for Lucifer and his angels being placed on the earth. What exactly were they supposed to do here?

We will also try to shed additional light on the question of how some of the dinosaurs became aggressive and ferocious creatures, such as the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Why on Earth?

In his book, Mysteries of the Ages (copyright 1985), Herbert W. Armstrong addressed the question as to what exactly Lucifer and his angels were instructed to accomplish when God gave them the earth as their place of residence. In the chapter, “Mystery of Angels and Evil Spirits,” the following is stated on page 73 (hardcover edition):

“It is revealed in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, that God placed the archangel Lucifer, a cherub, on a throne on the earth. He was placed there as a ruler over the entire earth. God intended him to rule the earth by administering the government of God over the earth. And the government of God was administered on earth until the rebellion of the sinning angels. How long these angels inhabited the earth before the creation of man is not revealed. It might have been millions–or even billions–of years…”

After explaining the sin and rebellion of Lucifer and his angels and the subsequent destruction of the earth’s surface, the following is stated on pages 74–75:

“What God creates, he has created for a purpose–to be used, improved, developed, preserved and maintained… [With the angelic sin, the] preservation and development of the physical earth and all its original beauty and glory ceased–and physical destruction to the surface of the earth resulted… [Genesis 1:1] shows the creation of a perfect, if unfinished earth, glorious and beautiful. Verse 2 reveals the result of the sin of the angels…”

Further addressing the purpose of Lucifer’s and his angels’ rule on this earth, Mr. Armstrong continued to state on page 77:

“God creates in a principle of duality… What had been created was perfect as far as it existed up to that point. But it was not yet a finished or completed creation. God intended the angels to add their own workmanship to the earth’s surface. He intended them to work over the surface of the earth, to improve it, to embellish it, beautify it…”

Later, on pages 84 and 85, he states:

“Lucifer… had been stationed at the very throne of God [in heaven]. He was trained and experienced in the administration of the government of God. God chose such a being, well-experienced and trained, to be the king ruling the government of God over the angels who inhabited the whole earth… As long as Lucifer continued in this perfect way, there was happiness and joy unspeakable over the whole earth. There was glorious peace–beautiful harmony, perfect love, cooperation. The government of God produced a wonderfully happy state–as long as Lucifer was loyal in the conduct of God’s government…”

The Initial Awesome Potential of Angels

Continuing with a quote from page 88:

“Apparently the entire universe had been created also at the time of the earth’s creation. There is no evidence… in God’s revealed Word, nor in science, that any of the planets in endless outer space had been inhabited with any form of life. But God does nothing in vain. He always has a purpose. Apparently all such planets in the entire universe NOW are waste and empty–decayed (tohu and bohu)–like the earth was, as described in Genesis 1:2.

“But God did not create them in such conditions of decay–like our moon. Decay is not an original created condition–it is a condition resulting from a process of deterioration. Evidently if the now fallen angels had maintained the earth in its original beautiful condition, improved it, carried out God’s instructions, and obeyed his government, they would have been offered the awesome potential of populating and carrying out a tremendous creative program throughout the entire universe…”

And again, on pages 89–90:

“… it is well to understand the nature of God’s original creation… It is perfect, but subject to a beautifying finish that God intended angels to accomplish. The original ‘unfinished’ creation was produced by God alone. But he intended angels, prehistorically… to finish this part in God’s creation–of adding the final beautifying and utilitarian phases of what shall be the FINAL COMPLETED CREATION! And whether or not it had been revealed to the angels, it was a supreme TRIAL AND TEST. It was to be the PROVING GROUND of obedience to GOD’S GOVERNMENT and their fitness to develop into final finished creation the millions of other planets in the vast universe…

“So the angel potential was to take over the entire universe–to improve and finish the billions of physical planets surrounding the uncountable stars, many of which are SUNS… [God] intended angels to have a vital part in the final creation of the endless universe!…”

Taking all of these statements into consideration presents a mind-boggling scenario. It is obvious that Lucifer and his angels had to fulfill a purpose when placed on this earth. As Mr. Armstrong describes their purpose, it included the development, embellishment, beautification and improvement of the earth’s surface (and apparently, ultimately, of the entire universe to make it possible for dead planets to sustain physical life). As quoted above, Mr. Armstrong even hinted at the possibility that God’s purpose for the angels was to “carry out a tremendous creative program throughout the entire universe” and to “have a vital part in [its] final creation.”

Angels Not Given Power to Create Physical Things Out of Nothing

This does not mean, however, nor do we want to suggest, that God gave angels the power to create physical things or beings out of nothing, but it does appear that they would have been given the opportunity, if they had stayed loyal to God’s government, to somehow participate in God’s awesome plan of finishing the creation of the entire universe.

We need to emphasize again that God created the earth in a beautiful and peaceful state, and as long as Lucifer and his angels, who were stationed on earth, followed and administered the government of God, that peaceful state of tranquility was maintained. But when Lucifer allowed pride to enter his life, and when he subsequently began to work his destructive thinking on the group of angels for whom he was responsible, the peaceful environment of the earth began to change gradually. Before this wrong thinking set in, the animal world, which had been created by God, was in no way hostile or aggressive. We pointed out in Chapter 2 of Part 1 of this booklet that some of the animals became vicious under Satan’s influence, as later the “serpent” in the Garden of Eden “had become” more cunning than other beasts which God had made.

Animals Under Satan’s Influence

We read in the Bible that at the time of Noah’s Flood, “all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Genesis 6:12). This is a reference to man as well as land animals and birds of the air (Genesis 7:21–23), but nothing is mentioned about animals living in the oceans or in rivers and lakes. Friedman’s Commentary on the Torah remarks that the reference to the corruption of the earth applies “to the dry land, and not the sea. That is why there will be no destruction of sea creatures. It is the land that will disappear, and land creatures will die.”

The Menge Bible explains that the term “all flesh” in this context refers to humanity and animals. Friedman agrees, stating that the phrase “all flesh had corrupted its way” refers to “all animal life, not just humans.”

Man as well as land animals and birds of the air had “given in” to Satan’s influence. The Bible does not tell us exactly in what way they had corrupted themselves, except that they had engaged in rampant violence and, apparently, bestiality (see the implication in the Soncino Commentary) and cannibalism. We are also not told, specifically, how they “gave in” to Satan’s influence, but the Bible does show that a degree of “culpability” existed even in the animal world.

When God brought the animals to Noah to enter the ark, it appears that He changed or at least temporarily subdued whatever violent nature existed in them. We do not read that any of the animals reacted aggressively toward Noah and his family. However, after they had left the ark, most humans, as well as (some) animals, became vicious and perverted again. Even Noah’s grandchild Canaan abused Noah sexually. In due time, the tower of Babel was built under Nimrod in open defiance of and rebellion against God. Satan was ruling this world then, and he is still ruling it today. Christ tells us that when He returns, the conditions will be like they were at the time of Noah (Matthew 24:37–39; compare also 2 Peter 2:5).

We know from the Bible that when Satan or his demons possess a human being, that person can become very violent, but when the possession ceases, he behaves gently and peacefully (Luke 8:26–36). We also know that Satan and his demons can possess animals to cause them to do violent things (Matthew 8:28–32). But apart from actually possessing a person or an animal, even demonic influence can affect both man and beast and drive them to vicious actions. When Satan and his angels developed their hostile attitude against God, which could have lasted for millions or billions of years, their evil thinking was also directed toward influencing the animal world. Animals do have personality and apparently, some animals were and are more “receptive” to wrong influences than others.

Animal Spirit

Animals do have a spirit (Ecclesiastes 3:21), though it is different from the human spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11). The Bible reveals nevertheless that a non-physical component resides in animals, and it is through that animal spirit that God—and also demons—can influence animals. When God commanded the ravens to bring food to Elijah, He influenced them through their spirit. When He commanded the sea monster [a huge “fish” or sea animal of unknown identity which God had specially “prepared” at that time, see Jonah 1:17; compare also Matthew 12:40] to spew out Jonah onto dry land, He influenced its animal spirit. And so, Satan and his demons can do the same thing. This is, of course, even more true for people. God—as well as Satan and his demons—can influence a human being by dealing with his human spirit. For more information on this subject, read pages 17–26 of our free booklet, The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults.

Some Dinosaurs BECAME Vicious

When the Satanic rebellion developed on the earth for perhaps billions of years—even before it found its climax in the actual spiritual attack and war in the third heaven with the goal to knock God from His heavenly throne—some of the animals, being influenced by demonic forces, became vicious and hostile, and it appears that they also became flesh-eaters (At the time of Adam, God created all animals as “vegetarians,” but after Adam and Eve’s sin, some became flesh-eaters. The implication is that God had originally created the pre-Adamic animals as plant-eaters as well).

We do not read in the Bible, nor do we feel comfortable suggesting that Satan and his demons created “ex nihilo” (out of nothing) flesh-devouring dinosaurs and other vicious animals, but we know that they existed, even though we do not know for sure HOW ferocious and aggressive they really were. Hollywood is most certainly not a true guide in the matter, and fossils and bones can only tell us so much. In any event, God did not create them as vicious animals, to be sure. The only remaining answer would be that they became that way through Satan’s influence. Is it possible, then, that not only their nature changed, but also their physical systems, including their digestive systems and their nutritional “needs” when they became flesh-eaters? Neither the Bible nor science would prohibit such a conclusion. Even though we know that the Evolution concept is wrong, demanding a scientifically impossible macro-mutation from one species to another, we also know that micro-mutations did and do occur; that is, changes WITHIN a species.

Micro-Mutations Possible

We stated the following on pages 15 and 16 of our booklet, The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults:

“Animals were not created in such a way that they could develop from one kind or from one species into another kind or species. The Bible does not allow for big mutations, that is, for changes from one species into another species, or perhaps more accurately, from one kind into another kind. We are using here the word ‘species’ loosely, but we should realize that the Bible talks about ‘kind,’ not ‘species.’ The Biblical definition of ‘kind’ might include several species, the way some scientists identify ‘species.’ …

“The point here is that evolution requires changes and transformations from one species or kind into another species or kind, but all our past and present experiences show that those mutations or changes did not, and do not occur. And remember, NO fossils have been found to prove that any such changes occurred in the past. A bird brings forth birds… A bird does not produce anything else but birds, it does not produce a fish or a mammal. And no fish evolves or changes into a bird, and no reptile into a fish. Rather, all animals reproduce according to their kind. No scientist is able to have a horse produce a dog, or a shark or a crocodile.

“Darwin’s big mistake was to assume that, since little mutations or adaptations within a species do occur, big mutations or changes from one species into another must have occurred as well. This, of course, was a wrong assumption. On the other hand, it is true that animals within their own species can change or adapt to their environment. Darwin saw on the Galapagos Islands that certain birds had, within their species, brought forth minor changes. And so it is today. Of course, we can breed different species of dogs or cats—but they will always remain dogs or cats. Within the species of cats, one can cross-breed. But one cannot breed a dog with a cat. Likewise, the birds, which Darwin observed on the Galapagos Islands, did not develop into other birds, and most certainly not into mammals.”

Mutations Could Have Included Changes in the Digestive Systems of Animals

Mutations within a species or a “kind” did and do occur, and they could have included changes pertaining to the digestive systems in animals. It is possible that Satan and his demons might have helped in bringing about those changes in pre-Adamic animals; and instead of beautifying and improving God’s creation on earth, including the animal world, they degraded and polluted it.

When man can “experiment” with relatively unaggressive bees and “produce” highly aggressive killer bees, or when he can actually breed hybrids (such as Ligers) which would not even occur in nature, then Satan and his demons could most certainly have worked on the nature of some pre-Adamic animals. And when not only God, but also demons are able to change staffs into serpents (Exodus 7:10–12), then fallen angels might very well have had some responsibility and culpability in contributing to the change of the nature and the eating habits of some animals prior to Adam and Eve.

God Will Reverse the Process

We know that in the Millennium, God will reverse that process. Wolves and lambs will live peacefully together; and so will leopards and young goats; calves, young lions and fatlings; as well as cows and bears (Isaiah 11:6–7). Formerly “aggressive” and poisonous snakes, such as cobras and vipers, will become friendly and harmless to man, including little children (Isaiah 11:8). Also, flesh-eating and meat-devouring lions will eat straw like an ox (Isaiah 11:7). This will require some alteration in the physical make-up of lions, including their digestive systems and nutritional needs.

When we consider that, following Satan’s rebellion, the earth became void and empty, the cause for the physical destruction and the elimination of all animal life at that time could have been due to Satanic and demonic wrath and/or it could have been due to direct punishment from God, as He later destroyed the human and animal world at the time of Noah’s Flood.

Rahab!

In this context, let us review a few Scriptures referring to God’s destruction of “Rahab.” In some cases, this is a figurative reference to Egypt (Isaiah 30:7; Psalm 87:4), but in other cases, it seems to describe a real pre-Adamic sea monster. For instance, we read in Isaiah 51:9 that in the ancient days, in the generations of old, God “cut Rahab apart And wounded the serpent.” Notice also the reference (correctly rendered) in Job 9:13: “God does not restrain His anger; Under Him Rahab’s helpers sink down” (Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures). Tanakh adds in a footnote that Rahab is a “primeval monster.” The Elberfelder Bible states likewise that Rahab is a “sea monster in primitive times or of remote antiquity.” The Menge Bible comments to Job 9:13 that “Rahab was a legendary monster (a sea monster) that opposed God and was overpowered by Him in primitive times.”

If we were to conclude that Rahab was a pre-Adamic dinosaur-type sea monster (while Leviathan might be a post-Adamic dinosaur-like sea monster), then it would have been God who destroyed Rahab (and other vicious animals) following Satan’s rebellion. This, in turn, would mean that God would have brought about, at least in part, the worldwide catastrophe which destroyed the pre-Adamic animal world, because it had apparently corrupted its way on earth AND in the sea.

Part 2 The Neanderthal Man—Animal or Human Being?

The following reproduces much of a research paper which the author wrote in 1982 while studying at Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. The relevance of the paper has not lost its impact, so we are including it in this booklet which addresses the creation of man and the pre-Adamic and post-Adamic world. Headlines were supplied in italics.

In 1856 the remains of a creature, later called “Homo Neanderthalensis” or the “Neanderthal Man,” were discovered in a cave in Western Germany. The remnants were carelessly dug up by two laborers so that many parts were lost. Only the skull and several parts of the skeleton were saved. At once a division arose in regard to the skull. Some scientists acknowledged it as modern and human and some thought it would belong to an unknown and primitive type of early man.

Even today, more than hundred years after this first discovery, the question still seems to be unanswered: Was the “Neanderthal” a human being as you and I or was he a primitive type of early man, not fully developed according to the evolution theory?

In order to answer this question, we have to recognize that scientific explanations in general may not be entirely correct. The Neanderthal is a good example which shows how interpretations of science can change.

Scientific Explanations

The former belief of science was in many aspects different from what it is today. In the main two early discoveries of skeletons of the Neanderthal Man led to the older scientific interpretations. The first find occurred—as mentioned above—in 1856. The surviving fragments were given to J.C. Fuhlrott, founder of the Natural Science Society, who recognized a low skull with massive brows and bowed limbs, an ulna of the lower arm with an injury on it. He concluded that this skeleton was ‘antediluvian,’ that it was a fossil of a real man who had got washed into the cave by the Flood itself.

Professor Schaafhausen, however, anatomist at Bonn, who was asked to give his judgment next, stated that he was not sure at all that the skull was even ‘diluvial›; on the other hand, he felt that it must be older than such inhabitants of Europe as the Celts and the Germans. It is also interesting to note that Huxley, the great advocate of evolution, regarded the skeleton as one of modern man, as “Homo Sapiens.” Darwin kept silent. Only William King of Galway articulated his belief that the skeleton belonged to a primitive type of human and therefore named it “Homo Neanderthalensis.”

The La Chapelle-aux-Saints Discovery

The next important discovery was made in 1908 in southern France. Three French priests had undertaken the excavation of a small cave near the village of La Chapelle-aux-Saints. Below the modern floor of the cave they found remains of a woolly rhinoceros, an extinct bison, a reindeer—and the skeleton of a Neanderthal-type man. The skeleton included the skull and most of the bones of the body. The remains of this skeleton were sent to the anatomist and paleontologist Marcellin Boule, director of the French Institute of Human Paleontology. He maintained that the body was that of an old man of the Neanderthal type and assigned its geological age to the Pleistocene period (120,000–10,000 B.C.). His memoir on this skeleton was published in 1908. In the main, he described it and with it the whole species of the Neanderthal Man as having massive brow ridges over the eyes and a puffing-out of the bone below the orbits, so that instead of a “canine fossa” there was a convexity. According to these examinations, the Neanderthal Man was viewed as a squat, stunted fellow about five feet one inch tall, or 155 cm. He was described as having a short, thick-set and coarsely built body and a shaggy covering of hair over most of the body.

Change of Scientific Explanation since 1955

However, since nearly thirty years [Note again: This article was written in 1982] we can find a changed scientific belief in the above-described appearance of the Neanderthals. This change started to take place in 1955, when William Strauss and A.J.E. Cave, professors of anatomy, re-examined the skeleton of La Chapelle-aux-Saints. They found that the forty-to fifty-year-old man was rotten with arthritis. The forward thrust of his head, noted by Professor Boule, was due to a wry neck, and the stunted stature and stooping posture were due to arthritic lesions in his vertebral column. Some scientists also realized that the great German pathologist Virchow had even stated in reference to the very first discovery of the Neanderthal Man in 1856 that this creature was a victim of disease and that he—Virchow—had upheld this conclusion for over thirty years. At that time another important fact was brought back to mind, namely that the cranial capacity of that skull of La Chapelle-aux-Saints was very great, about 1,600 c.c., and that meant that the size of the Neanderthal’s brain was not less than that of modern man. Moreover, it was clearly asymmetric in the same way as that of modern man.

Many More Discoveries

Since 1856, when the bones of the first Neanderthal Man were discovered, a very large number of remains of other creatures have been unearthed in caves of Europe, Asia and Africa. Among them are the Man of Spy, the Man of Krapina, the Man of Jersey, the La Guina Man, the Mousterian Man, the Peking Man, the Rhodesian Man and, of course, the Chapelle-aux-Saints Man. They all are classed together as the Neanderthal Man. Soon scientists realized that there was such variability in points of detail among the many known Neanderthal-type skulls that there was none that could be called “typical.” Therefore, many scientists believe today that the species had already divided up into a number of racial variants before the Neanderthal Man disappeared, comparable with the variants that can be seen in the races of living man today. Some scientists go even further than that and state that the Neanderthal Man is no ancestor of the modern living man, but that he developed separately and independently of the modern man.

So, the scientific world today has no specific description of THE Neanderthal Man and it is not even sure that he was a forefather of modern man. However, most scientists profess that the Neanderthal was not a human being, although even this question is not kept without arguments. For example, Sir Arthur Keith, author of the book, “Antiquity of Man,” felt that the Neanderthal Man was certainly “not a dawn form of humanity.” And William Strauss and A.J.E. Cave wrote in their report about the fossil from La Chapelle-aux-Saints: “If he could be reincarnated and placed in a New York Subway – provided that he were bathed, shaved and dressed in modern clothing – it is doubtful whether he would attract any more attention than some of its other citizens.”

No Human Being?

In recognition of this kind of confusion whether or not the Neanderthal man was a human being, we want to look very carefully at the archeological records discovered by scientists. Many scientists—and sometimes religious people as well—believe that the Neanderthals were no human beings. They feel that they are supported by some of the following discoveries.

Cave Dwellers

The main argument for this belief refers to the primitive way in which Neanderthals lived. There is little doubt that they dwelled in caves which protected them from the cold during the cold seasons and that they hunted wild animals, either individually or collectively. When they had killed an animal, they used stones or stone tools to remove the skin and ate the meat raw or roasted over the fire, while they used the skin to cover their bodies and to sleep on. It is believed, too, that they ate carrion. But these facts do not prove by themselves that the Neanderthals were no human beings. Even today primitive tribes are known living in the same way the Neanderthals did—for example, the tribe of the Tasaday on the Philippine islands—and no scientist states that these people are not human.

Limited Language Capabilities

Another argument why the Neanderthals are not considered as human beings is the assumption that their language capabilities were limited. Philip Lieberman and Edmund Crelin of Yale made a series of measurements of the skull of the fossil found at La Chapelle-aux-Saints. The measurements suggested that the Neanderthals lacked a modern pharynx and that they were unable to utter some vowel sounds or form some consonants. On the other hand, both scientists stated that Rhodesia Man, another creature of the Neanderthal race, had a slightly more modern pharynx. These controversial results do not prove that the Neanderthals were not human. First of all, do we know that the fossil from La Chapelle was representative for the whole race of the Neanderthals? As a matter of fact, this was not the case because the results were different in regard to the Rhodesia Man. Furthermore, these results prove that the Neanderthal Man could speak—and this is also true for the Chapelle-aux-Saints Man—although the vocabulary might have consisted of fewer consonants and vowel sounds. Therefore, limited language capabilities are also no proof for the assumption that Neanderthal Man was not human.

“Nephilim” without Spirit in Man?

But there is still a third argument for this belief which is brought forth mainly by religiously-oriented people who state that the Bible mentions the Neanderthals as “nephilim” and distinguishes them herewith from the modern living man. In Genesis 6:4, the King James Version translates the Hebrew word “nephilim” with “giants” and reads: “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” It is considered that these “giants” were descendants from the ancient Neanderthal types, from “pre-Adamic races.” [Note that this passage will be discussed in more detail in Parts 4 and 5 of this booklet.]

According to this theory, the Neanderthals were creatures without the spirit in man, and that means without understanding; they were not fully conscious of their own self-existence as we are self-aware and conscious. In other words, without the spirit in man, the Neanderthals should have lived on the level with animals (1 Corinthians 2:11).

However, the following discoveries will prove that the Neanderthal lived beyond that level and, therefore, that he was a human being.

Use of Tools and Weapons

It may be questionable, indeed, to make a certain distinction between animals and human beings in regard to several aspects. The fact that the Neanderthals used tools and weapons might not be considered as proof that he was human, because it is also known that apes [and monkeys] use sticks as weapons. But the scene would change fundamentally if it could be proved that the Neanderthals believed in religion, in life after death, in a supernatural being. No animal, lacking this certain non-physical element in its brain, which is called the “spirit in man,” is able to think about itself, its own future, life after its death. If we can prove that the Neanderthal believed in religion, then we can also prove that he was fully conscious and aware of his existence, that he had the “spirit in man,” and that he was a human being.

Religious Beliefs

We know today that the Neanderthals were cannibals. They sometimes killed and ate one another. For example, in 1899 twenty Neanderthals were found at Krapina, [then called] Yugoslavia. Skulls had been smashed in and limbs had been split lengthwise, so that the marrow could be sucked out. Many scientists believe today that the Neanderthals were cannibals because of religious reasons. In some primitive societies today, natives believe that they can acquire strength and courage by eating the flesh of an enemy. In this connection, it is interesting to note that Neanderthals are believed to have eaten the brain of their strongest enemy, the cave bear. Other discoveries have shown that the Neanderthals widened the opening of the skull so that they could reach into it and scoop out the brains and eat them. This is exactly the same way in which modern cannibals perform.

In Italy, workmen found in a cave a single Neanderthal skull with a widened opening, surrounded by an oval ring of bones. It is also possible that the eating of Neanderthals were accompanied by a certain kind of bear ceremonies, described below. In 1965 bones of about twenty Neanderthals were found in a cave at Hortus, France. The human bones were mixed up with animal bones, as if the ancient inhabitants of the cave drew no distinction between eating human and animal flesh. Above Vaetis in the Tamina Valley, there is a “dragon cave” in which large numbers of cave bear bones were found. The skulls and bones were laid in niches or stone chests. They were arranged in deliberate order and carefully covered with stone-slabs. Neanderthal men had decapitated the bears and then buried the whole heads. Sometimes thigh bones were thrust through the cavities in the skulls. Other finds have been made near Valden, Switzerland, and in Silesia. Some scientists assume that the Neanderthals performed solemn dances around the heads of the bears. Interestingly, such bear ceremonies and bear sacrifices occur to this day among certain tribes of Northeast Asia. These are strong indications that Neanderthals were cannibals because of religious reasons. If so, they certainly were human beings.

Burials with Food and Tools

But there is still another aspect which makes it quite impossible to believe that the Neanderthals were animals. Scientists agree that the Neanderthals have buried their own dead. Most scientists also agree that the burials were religiously motivated, for the “departed” were supplied with tools of stone and sometimes other goods. Some scientists think that these stone tools were meant to help the “soul” against the bears and other problems of the “afterlife.” For example, a skeleton of a sixteen year old Neanderthal youth was found in 1909. Typical artifacts had been laid aside the body, so that there was evidence of some form of ritual burial. One year before, in 1908, the Neanderthal skeleton near the village of La Chapelle-aux-Saints was found. It lay extended full length on its back, with the head pointing to the EAST (probably indicating some kind of sunrise worship). Beside it were artifacts and fragments of red ochre. Across the skull lay several limb bones of bison, one of which was still connected with some of the smaller bones of the foot and toes. From this it could be suggested that the flesh had been on the bones when they had been placed with the human body. Therefore, they were meant to provide the “soul” of the Neanderthal with food. The same custom is known about the old Egyptians.

Belief in an Afterlife

These discoveries certainly show that the Neanderthal Man believed in some kind of life after death and, because there had to be someone who would grant him this future life, he also believed in a supernatural being or supernatural beings. Accordingly, Neanderthals were aware of themselves, lived on an incomparably higher level than animals and were, therefore, human beings.

Older Than 6,000 Years?

Scholars of the Bible will ask: If the Neanderthal was human, how is it possible that he was older than six thousand years, as science states, because God created man only about six-thousand years ago? [Note that the question of the time of man’s creation will be discussed in Part 3 of this booklet.] This important question will be answered now.

It is true that scientists declare today that Neanderthals are 40,000 [or at least 30,000] years old. But it is also true that the only method which has been used in order to determine their age, was the carbon fourteen dating [the Radio-Carbon method]. Even the bristlecone pine tree-ring chronology, another method to determine the age of living or dead organisms, is based on the carbon fourteen dating. Therefore, we want to take a short look at this method in order to find out how it works and whether or not it is accurate.

The Carbon Fourteen Dating

The carbon fourteen dating is based on a simple process. Cosmic rays bombard the upper atmosphere with tremendous energy. These rays produce great numbers of fast-moving neutrons which collide with nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere. The bulk of these atoms are chemically transmuted into carbon fourteen. This carbon fourteen combines with oxygen—as does ordinary carbon—to produce carbon dioxide which is diffused through the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide contains radioactive carbon fourteen—it makes up a tiny fraction of all the carbon dioxide available to plants for photosynthesis. When the plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, they automatically absorb this carbon fourteen. Afterwards these plants are eaten by animals and humans and therefore, carbon fourteen is added to their bodies, too. At death, however, an organism no longer takes in carbon fourteen. Instead, the amount possessed by this organism at death begins to decay.

According to some authorities, every 5,730 years, and according to others, every 5,745 plus/minus 50 years, one half of the carbon fourteen decays and changes into nitrogen fourteen. During the next 5,730 years (or 5,745 plus/minus 50 years), half of the remaining carbon fourteen will decay—only one-fourth of the original amount will be left—and this process continues, until all carbon fourteen is decayed. Accordingly, by measuring the amount of remaining carbon fourteen in a dead organism, which was alive once, scientists are believed to be able to estimate when that organism died.

No Proof for Basic Assumption

When Dr. Libby developed this method in the late 1940’s, he conducted experiments to discover the present production rate of radiocarbon. He first calculated the present average production rate of free neutrons in the outer atmosphere, then the present production rate of carbon fourteen. After this, he determined the average rate of decay of carbon fourteen in modern living organisms. Finally, he calculated the total present amount of carbon in the world’s exchange reservoir. At this point, he made the following assumption: If the production of carbon fourteen had proceeded at a constant rate for many thousands of years, then the amount of carbon fourteen present on the surface of the earth would have reached a constant value, because a condition had been established in which the rate of formation of carbon fourteen was equal to the rate with which it disappeared. Of course, this assumption was never proved.

C-14 Method Not Reliable

Now we will see whether this method is accurate, although the proof for the basic assumption is lacking. It is clear that the dating would not be correct if there were any change in the production rate of carbon fourteen—for example, a change caused through universal catastrophes. As a matter of fact, at least two worldwide catastrophes have occurred. The first catastrophe happened when Satan rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12–14); this gigantic battle destroyed the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:2) and with it, for example, the dinosaurs. The second universal catastrophe was the tremendous deluge in the days of Noah. It is quite obvious that a gigantic battle between spirit beings, which led to a demolition of the surface of many planets, could change the production rate of radiocarbon. But how could, on the other hand, the deluge alter this production rate?

Alteration of C-14 Production Rate at Deluge

Many scientists believe today that the earth was once surrounded by a shield of water vapor. The Bible, too, contains certain indications for this assumption. In Genesis 1:6–7, it is mentioned that God, when He renewed the “face of the earth” (Psalm 104:30), “divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.” And in reference to the deluge the Bible states that “all the fountains of the great deep” were “broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Genesis 7:11). This shield of water vapor prevented that many cosmic rays could bombard the upper atmosphere. The situation changed, however, when the shield disappeared at the time of the deluge. But this happened only about 4,000 years ago and this means that the enormous amount of radiocarbon necessary for the establishment of the equilibrium was not reached and that the specific amount of radioactivity of living matter is much less than the rate of production calculated from the neutron intensity.

Environment Important

But there is still another aspect which shows that the carbon fourteen dating is not accurate. The method postulates that every organism assimilates the same rate of carbon fourteen independent of the environment in which that organism lives or had lived. Professor Melvin A. Cook [1968 Nitro-Nobel Gold Medal winner] has shown, however, that this assumption is wrong. He expressly stated:

“Living mollusks are sometimes found deficient in Carbon 14 to such an extent as to appear to have been dead as long as 3,000 years. This is due to carbonate-ion exchange in salt water in contact with old calcite and dolomite deposits. These mollusks are in an environment of old carbonates, and during their life cycle, they assimilate those carbonates that have no radiocarbon in them, rather than to be in steady state with the atmosphere. The reverse (dates that are too low) will also happen by involving carbonate-ion exchange in freshwater lakes which become high in alkalinity and thus tend to absorb carbon dioxide from the air to form new calcites and dolomites.”

Therefore, the only method being used to determine the age of the Neanderthals, the carbon fourteen dating, cannot be proved as being accurate. Accordingly, there exists no proof at all that the Neanderthals are older than 6,000 years.

Neanderthal Man Was a Modern Human Being

The conclusion is that Neanderthal was no animal. It is true that he probably was no representative of a culturally high-standing race; more likely the opposite is true in that he was a degenerated descendant of humanity, as a certain unnamed German anatomist had suspected when he wrote that the Neanderthal “may have been one of these wild men, half-crazed, half-idiotic, cruel and strong, who are always more or less to be found living on the outskirts of barbarous tribes.” But whatever the Neanderthals were, one thing is certain: They were distinctly human.

This ends the reproduction of the research paper. At this point, we would also like to quote from an article, which was published in the Washington Post, dated June 19, 2014:

“In a cave in northern Spain, a team of scientists has retrieved the remains of 28 prehistoric humans, members of an enigmatic species that could be described as a little bit Neanderthal. They had Neanderthal faces, with heavy brows and protruding noses. They had powerful mandibles and mouths that could open extremely wide, indicating that they used their teeth as gripping tools. But they didn’t have the large skulls or other robust skeletal features seen in the prototypical Neanderthals who, hundreds of millennia later, roamed Ice Age Europe.

“The discovery does not dramatically change the general picture of human evolution, but it complicates it a bit, providing new evidence that there were many distinct, and largely isolated, human species existing simultaneously.

“[Scientists] think these proto-Neanderthals possessed the power of speech and lived in social groups. There are few human ancestors more intriguing than the Neanderthals, who could be described as the best example in the history of the planet of an intelligent species that has gone extinct. They had large craniums and larger brains than modern humans (although that doesn’t mean they were smarter). They existed as recently as about 30,000 years ago, when their kind disappears from the fossil record.

“How they died out, and why, and to what extent they may have interbred with anatomically modern humans is an ongoing source of debate and contentiousness among highly credentialed scientists. But as a species, the Neanderthal vanished. In their place came anatomically modern humans, who evolved in Africa and are the ancestors of everyone alive today.

“The Neanderthals, [one expert] said, ‘obviously were very intuitively smart. They were great toolmakers. They were ingenious. They were resourceful. They were living through difficult times.›”

In addition, The Independent wrote on January 28, 2015:

“The partial skull of an anatomically modern human who lived alongside the Neanderthals about 55,000 years ago has been unearthed from a cave in northern Israel, scientists say. It is one of the oldest non-African skulls of Homo sapiens and comes close to the date when modern humans migrated out of Africa, eventually to colonise Asia, Europe, Australia and the Americas… ‘It has been suspected that modern man and Neanderthals were in the same place at the same time, but we didn’t have the physical evidence. Now we do have it in the new skull fossil,’ said Bruce Latimer, a palaeontologist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, who took part in the study. ‘Modern humans and Neanderthals likely encountered each other foraging for food,’ Dr Latimer said.

“Modern humans share a small percentage of their DNA with Neanderthals, suggesting that limited interbreeding had taken place at some point in the past. However, it is not known when this contact took place, or whether it had occurred somewhere in Europe or the Middle East… [Some scholars claim] that interbreeding with Neanderthals could have taken place in the Middle East rather than in Europe.”

As we explained, these scientists are totally off on the dating, as they are using a completely unreliable method—the Radio Carbon Dating. But this article proves once more that the Neanderthals lived “alongside” “modern man,” and that interbreeding took place between them. What it really shows is that Neanderthals were modern human beings, interbreeding with other human beings.

God created modern man about 6,000 years ago [as will be discussed in Part 3], and the Neanderthal was a modern man. [This conclusion reflects also the long-standing belief and teaching of the Worldwide Church of God under its late human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong.] Science is wrong to assume that modern man—including the Neanderthal—is older than 6,000 years. Man did not evolve. Rather, he was instantaneously created by God. The concept of “human evolution” has been scientifically disproved. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?”

Part 3 Does God Have a 7,000–Year Plan for Man?

We have already alluded to the fact that modern humans (Adam and Eve) were indeed created about 6,000 years ago. Now we will present biblical proof of this fact and we will also point out that God has a 6,000-year plan for man’s rule, followed by 1,000 years of godly rule over man in the Millennium.

The Weekly Sabbath and the Millennium of 1,000 Years

In Hebrews 4:9, Paul draws an analogy between the weekly Sabbath and the Millennial rest at the end of man’s rule, comparing the coming Millennial rest with a Millennial “Sabbath” of 1,000 years. Several Scriptures indicate a 7,000-year plan of God—comprising a “week” of seven 1,000-year “days.” God gave man 6,000 years (or 6 “days” of 1,000 years each) to prove that man, under Satan’s influence, cannot rule himself. These first six “days” of 1,000 years each will be followed by the seventh “day” of 1,000 years, called the Millennium, during which Christ and His elect will rule this earth (compare Revelation 20:4–6; 2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4).

God also gave us a rest on a weekly basis—the seventh day of the week—the weekly Sabbath. Paul states that just as God rested from His work on the seventh day (Hebrews 4:4), so man is to rest from his work during the weekly Sabbath, and also during the Millennial Sabbath at the end of man’s worldly rule when the first 6,000 years of God’s plan for creation have expired. As the weekly seventh day of God’s re-creation ended God’s work, so the weekly Sabbath lets us rest from our work, and the Millennial Sabbath of 1,000 years will end the rule of man under Satan’s influence, to be replaced by God’s rule.

But is there really any evidence for a 6,000-year plan? Consider this important Scripture in this regard: “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” (2 Peter 3:8). This verse provides a basis for believing that God is working out certain parts of His plan in the context of 6,000 years.

Three Times Fourteen Generations

Consider this additional fact concerning the length of time that has transpired leading up to the time of Jesus Christ’s birth: “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations” (Matthew 1:17). Before Abraham and before the Flood, the Bible records life spans of certain individuals, and from these, a general idea of the number of years of that period can be derived. However, even with this information, experts vary when it comes to exact numbers.

For those who accept the biblical record, it is apparent that we are now living in what can be generally understood as the period of time that is now about 6,000 years since God first created Adam and Eve. The most poignant conclusion for us is that we are now living in the generation that will witness the establishment of God’s Kingdom on the earth!

One Day AS a Thousand Years

Some have pointed to 2 Peter 3:8, claiming that God allotted man exactly 6,000 years to rule this earth, and that after exactly 6,000 years, Christ will return. However, that is not what 2 Peter 3:8 conveys. The Scripture reads: “… with the Lord one day is AS a thousand years, and a thousand years AS one day.”

This Scripture does not provide us with a fixed date. The Greek word for “as” is “hos,” and it can also be translated as “about.” (Compare Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, under “about.”) In fact, the Authorized Version translates this word 14 times as “about.” For instance, the word “hos” is correctly translated as “about” in passages such as Mark 8:9; Luke 2:37; 8:42; and John 1:39. From this we can know that 2 Peter 3:8 conveys the principle that in the eyes of God one day is ABOUT 1,000 years—not necessarily exactly so. (Compare chapter 4 of our free booklet, When and How Will Christ Return?)

Historical Belief in a 7,000-Year Plan

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 Encyclopedia Judaica explains that this tradition can even be traced back to Moses.

The apocalyptical epistle of Barnabas, which was written around 130 A.D., addresses the 7,000-year plan as well, and Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of the apostle John, wrote in Against Heresies in 150 A.D. about the 7,000-year plan of God. Bishop Latimer wrote in 1552 A.D. that the world would exist for 6,000 years. Some modern Jewish and Christian authors uphold the biblical teaching of a 7,000-year plan as well (compare Edward Chumney, The Seven Festivals of the Messiah, copyright 1998).

Others who taught a 7,000-year plan include Commodianus and Methodius in the third century, and Lactantius (tutor to the son of Roman Emperor Constantine) in the fourth century.

The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge pointed out that the “early fathers most commonly looked for the second advent at the end of 6,000 years of the world’s history.” The Encyclopedia Britannica (11th edition) wrote about the Talmud: “The view most frequently expressed there . . . is that the Messianic kingdom will last for one thousand years… ‘Hence the world will last for six thousand years of toil and labor; then will come one thousand years of Sabbath rest for the people of God in the kingdom of the Messiah.’ This idea must have already been very common in the first century before Christ.”

This view is also confirmed in the Jewish New Testament Commentary, by Dr. David H. Stern, on 2 Peter 3.

For further information about the belief in a 6,000– or 7,000–year plan, please see the box on page 25 of our free booklet, Should You Fight in War?

God Pronounces a 6,000–Year Sentence

In Mystery of the Ages, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following in 1985, in the chapter, “The Mystery of Man,” pages 120–121:

“When God ‘drove out the man’ from the Garden of Eden, and barred reentrance—lest he go back and receive eternal life in sin (Gen. 3:22–24)—God PRONOUNCED SENTENCE!

“God [in the Person of Jesus Christ] said, in effect: ‘You have made the decision for yourself and the world that shall spring from you. You have rejected me as the basic source of knowledge–you have rejected power from me through my Spirit to live the righteous way—you have rebelled against my command and my government—you have chosen the ‘GETTING,’ ‘TAKING’ way of Satan. Therefore I sentence you and the world you shall beget to 6,000 years of being cut off from access to me and my Spirit—except for the exceedingly FEW I shall specially call. And that FEW shall be called for special service preparatory for the kingdom of God. They shall be required to do what you have failed to do—reject, resist and overcome Satan and his WAYS, and follow the ways of my spiritual LAW.

“‘Go, therefore, Adam, and all your progeny that shall form the world, produce your own fund of knowledge. Decide for yourself what is good and what is evil. Produce your own educational systems and means of disseminating knowledge, as your god Satan shall mislead you. Form [your] own concepts of what is [good], your own religions, your own governments, your own life-styles and forms of society and civilization. In all this Satan will deceive your world with his attitude of SELF-centeredness—with vanity, lust and greed, jealousy and envy, competition and strife and violence and wars, rebellion against me and my law of LOVE.

“‘After the world of your descendants has written the lesson in 6,000 years of human suffering, anguish, frustration, defeat and death—after the world that shall spring from you shall have been brought to confess the utter hopelessness of the way of life you have chosen—I will supernaturally intervene. By supernatural divine power I shall then take over the government of the whole world. With reeducation, I will produce a happy world of PEACE. And on repentance, I shall then offer eternal salvation to all. After a thousand years of that happy world to come, I will resurrect from death to mortal life all who have died uncalled during this present 6,000 years. Their judgment shall then come. And on repentance and faith, eternal life shall be offered them.

“‘During this 6,000 years, when I myself shall cut them off from me, they shall not be eternally judged. Only, as they sow during their lifetimes, they shall reap. But when I open eternal salvation to them, there shall be no Satan to hinder or deceive them—no Satan for them to overcome. Those few called during this first 6,000 years shall have to reject and resist Satan’s pulls and overcome. But those who overcome shall sit with me in my throne, and have power under me to rule all nations under my Supreme Rule.’”

In a letter written in 1987 by the Letter Answering Department of the Worldwide Church of God, the following was stated:

“Charts which list biblical events in time order… are accurate enough to show that human life was created about 4,000 years before the birth of Christ. History makes it clear that almost another 2,000 years have elapsed since then—making a total of nearly 6,000 years of human civilization to date. In short, man’s ‘week’ is nearly over, and God’s great millennial rest will soon be here.”

“In That Day” Adam Would Die

We might also want to consider that God told Adam that in the “day” he ate of the forbidden fruit, he would surely die (Genesis 2:17). Yet Adam lived to be 930 years old. Some commentators explain this by saying that Adam died before the first 1,000–year day was completed, since a day is as a thousand years with God.

Possible Objections

Two possible objections need to be addressed. First, why do scientists tell us that modern man is much older than 6,000 years, and why do Jews believe that we are living in about 5775—apparently with at least another 225 years to continue before the expiration of 6,000 years of human existence?

Is Modern Man Older Than 6,000 Years?

Our German booklet, EVOLUTION–ein MÄRCHEN für Erwachsene?, discusses the estimated age of modern man (“homo sapiens”), which, according to “scientific” calculations, allegedly far exceeds 6,000 years. We dispute this and point out why the scientific methods of determining the age of some fossils is very faulty. We explain that especially the commonly used radiocarbon method is unreliable, as some scientists do admit.

For instance, a convincing rebuttal of the accuracy of the radiocarbon method to determine the age of “human” fossils can be found in the book, In Search of Noah’s Ark by Dave Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier (copyright 1976, 1979). Other scientists who went on record to question the accuracy of the scientifically determined age of “human” fossils include David Hatcher Childress (in a television interview with Charlton Heston) and Robert Gentry. (Compare Dennis Crews, Mystery of the Rocks, copyright 1990. Compare also our discussion regarding the radiocarbon method in Part 2 of this booklet.)

When considering the age of man, we must understand that modern man (Adam and Eve) was created with a human spirit (the spirit in man or of man) which distinguishes man from animals. We do not question the possibility that fossils might have been found that would have pre-dated Adam and Eve, which might have had similar “appearances” as modern man. However, they would not have been human beings, but rather ape-like creatures. “Lucy” is a classic example, which was clearly NOT a human being, but an ape-like creature. (Of course, the possible existence of such pre-Adamic ape-like creatures proves in no way the accuracy of the evolution theory. Modern man did not evolve from these creatures.)

Jewish Counting is Inaccurate

Let us now address the second question: Why do the Jews count the years differently than we do? For instance, the year 2014 is Elul 5774–5775 according to Jewish reckoning. The Jewish calendar puts creation at 3760 B.C.E., but this date is quite impossible. It has been suggested that the Jewish calendar actually begins with the time or birth of Enosh—grandson of Adam and Eve—who was born 235 years after the creation of Adam (Genesis 5:3–6). However, no plausible explanation has been given for that conclusion.

A letter from the Letter Answering Department of the Worldwide Church of God explained this puzzle in this way (compare also The Good News, November–December 1987 edition):

“… the Jews count their years from 3761/3760 B.C.E. (Before Common Era). That is the year of the commencement of the lunisolar calendar. In the century following the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70) certain Jewish scholars took the date 3761/3760 B.C.E. and assigned to it the time described in Genesis 1 and 2. Thus, the Jews preserved the correct date for calendar calculation but mistakenly associated it with the creation week.

“Actually, Creation occurred over two centuries prior to the beginning of the lunisolar calendar. The basic fact on which the lunisolar calendar is based, the average length of the lunar month, would have taken more than two centuries of measurement and observation to determine.

“The Jews celebrate their new year in the autumn. The Bible refers to two different years, the civil and the sacred. In ancient Israel, the civil year began in the autumn, on the first day of the seventh month. It is comparable to the fiscal year in the United States. It was more or less the legal year, which was used to reckon the reign of kings and other chronological events. The true sacred year of the Bible begins with the month of Nisan (also called Abib), in the spring (Ex. 12:2). The sacred year portrays God’s great plan.”

From all the biblical and historical evidence, facts and records available to us, we must conclude that the Jewish reckoning for the time of man’s creation is wrong, and that the 6,000 years of human rule which have been allotted to man, are almost over. This means that the return of Jesus Christ to restore the Kingdom and Government of God here on earth is very near. However, we are not to set dates, though we are to watch in order to determine the signs of the times (Matthew 24:32–35). Christ warned us very specifically:

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming… Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42, 44).

Part 4 Biblical Giants—Then and Now?

Does the Bible teach the existence of giants prior to modern man? Did they exist after Adam’s creation? Do giants exist today?

There are indeed several references to post-Adamic giants in the Bible, and several words are used to describe giants, but there is no biblical reference to the existence of giants prior to Adam. All giants mentioned in the Bible are those in existence since Adam… not prior to him. Some existed prior to Noah, and some since Noah. We will show that biblical giants were human beings who descended from Adam and Eve. If giants existed prior to Adam and Eve, then they would have been animals without the spirit in man.

“Gibbor”

In Job 16:14 (Authorized Version), we read about Job’s complaint against God: “He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.” Here, the word for “giant” is “gibbor” and is defined as “mighty” or “a strong one.”

“Nephilim”

Another word for “giant” is “nephilim,” which can first be found in Genesis 6:4, at the time of Noah: “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became [note: the word “became” is not in the original and was added by the translator] mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

The Ryrie Study Bible explains that the meaning of the word “nephilim” is “to fall,” and continues: “… to fall upon others because they were men of strength.” The commentary concludes: “Evidently they were in the earth before the marriages [between the sons of God and the daughters of men], and were not the offspring of those marriages who became mighty men (military men) and men of renown (of wealth or power).” This conclusion is correct, as more fully explained in Part 5 of this booklet where we discuss the question of whether angels had intercourse with women.

All human beings, including those giants, died in the Flood, except for Noah and his family. However, “nephilim” giants are mentioned again long after the Flood, at the time of Moses. They must have been descendants of one of the three sons of Noah who were with him in the Ark.

The “nephilim” (giants) are mentioned in Numbers 13:32–33, when the spies returned from the Promised Land of Canaan and gave a bad report about it:

“And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘the land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in their own sight, and so were in their sight.’”

These “giants” are also mentioned again in the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua, as well as in other books, but different Hebrew words are used, showing however, that they all describe the same kind of people.

“Raphah”

According to Young’s Analytical Concordance, one such additional Hebrew expression is the word “raphah,” which can be found in 2 Samuel 21:18–22, at the time of King David. The word “raphah” has the meaning of “fearful one” or “giant,” inasmuch as his huge stature struck fear in the heart of men:

“Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechal the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the sons of the giant. Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Golitah the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was born to the giant. So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. These four were born of the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hands of his servants.”

When turning to the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 20:4–8, the Hebrew word for “giant” in verses 4, 6 and 8 is “rapha,” according to Young’s Analytical Concordance, but as we can see from these two examples, the words “raphah” and “rapha” have the same meaning (“fearful one”; “giant”). “Rapha” is the most commonly used expression and can be found, for instance, in Deuteronomy 2:9–11 where Moses told the people of Israel, prior to the occupation of the Promised Land:

“Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’ (The Enim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. They were also regarded as giants [Hebrew “rephaim”–plural form and related to “rapha,” according to the margin of the King James Bible], like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim…).”

These gigantic people (“rephaim”) might also be mentioned in Genesis 14:5 in connection with the events surrounding Lot.

Giants at the Time of Moses

In Deuteronomy 2:19–21, Moses continues:

“‘And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’ (That was also regarded as a land of giants; giants formerly dwelt there. But the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place…).”

These gigantic people (called “Zamzummim”) might also be referred to in Genesis 14:5.

As Moses continues with his narrative, he points out that in regard to the kingdom of Og in Bashan, only one mighty giant survived. We read in Deuteronomy 3:11, 13:

“‘For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the giants [in that area and belonging to that people, as we read about other giants at the time of David]. Indeed his bedstead was an iron bedstead. (Is it not in Rabah of the people of Ammon?) Nine cubits is its length and four cubits its width, according to the standard cubit… The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Gog, I gave it to the half tribe of Manasseh (All the region of Argob, with all Bashan, was called the land of the giants…).’”

Reference to Og, the king of Bashan, is made in Joshua 12:4 and 13:12 as the “remnant of the giants.”

Giants at the Time of Joshua

When Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land, they had to contend with giants who were still living there. The “Valley of Rephaim” (“Valley of the Giants”) is mentioned in Joshua 15:8 and 18:16. In Joshua 17:15, Joshua tells the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh: “‘If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.’”

Giants at the Time of David

As mentioned, giants existed at the time of David.

We have all heard about the giant Goliath who was killed by young David. Goliath was from Gath, “whose height was six cubits and a span” (1 Samuel 17:4).

The Benson Commentary states:

“Goliath of Gath—For to this city the Anakims fled when Joshua rooted them out of the land of Canaan, Joshua 11:22. And here they propagated a race of giants; that is, people of great strength and stature. Whose height was six cubits and a span—At least nine feet nine inches…”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible adds:

“Goliath of Gath – One of the places mentioned in Joshua 11:22 as still retaining a remnant of the sons of Anak; Gaza and Ashdod being the others. The race of giants (the Rephaim, from… râphâ’ ) is mentioned again in the account of David’s Philistine wars [in] 2 Samuel 21:15–22; 1 Chronicles 20:4–8… Six cubits and a span… would equal about nine feet nine inches. The bed of Og king of Bashan was nine cubits long.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary writes:

“Whose height was six cubits and a span; which is not strange, for besides the giants mentioned in Scripture, Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, and Pliny, and others, make mention of persons seven cubits high, which is near double to an ordinary man’s height.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible says:

“… the coffin of Orestea, the son of Agamemnon, is said… to be seven cubits long; and Eleazar, a Jew, who because of his size was called the giant, and was presented by Artabanus, king of the Parthians, to Tiberius Caesar, is said by Josephus… to be seven cubits high; and one Gabbara of Arabia, in the times of Claudius Caesar, measured nine feet nine inches, as Pliny… relates, and who elsewhere… speaks of a people in Ethiopia, called Syrbotae, who were eight cubits high…”

We also read that Goliath was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was 5,000 shekels of bronze (verse 5), or “156 pounds 4 ounces,” according to the Geneva Study Bible. His iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels (verse 7), or “between seventeen and eighteen pounds” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible).

In addition, we read about an encounter of one of David’s mighty men with an Egyptian giant in 1 Chronicles 11:23.

Post-Flood Giants Descendants of Canaan

In a letter by the Letter Answering Department of the Worldwide Church of God, the following was stated about giants:

“The Bible indicates that men of great size lived both before and after the Flood…. The giants who lived after the Flood were some of the offspring of Canaan, one of Ham’s sons [Ham was one of the three sons of Noah]. These descendants of Ham were living in the land of Canaan when the Israelite spies went through it… When the Israelites conquered the lands east of the Jordan, they encountered Og, King of Bashan. He was the last of the giants on that side of the river…

“Three chiefs of the giants lived in Hebron until Caleb took the city… After the conquest of Canaan by Joshua…, remnants of the giants were still living in the Philistine cities of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. The most famous of these was Goliath… A later encounter by David’s ‘mighty man’ with four other giants is recorded [as well]…

“These giants terrorized Israel periodically from the time of the entry into Canaan until late in the reign of King David. The Bible says nothing further about giants from that time (about 1,000 B.C.) on.”

Other “Giants”

We also need to realize that there were very tall people and warriors in the Bible who were of Israelite stock, such as King Saul (1 Samuel 9:2; 10:20–23). They would not have been descendants of the Canaanite ”giants” of the Bible as described above, but could be considered “giants” in their own “right”—even though they did not reach the height of the Canaanite “giants” of the Bible.

Modern “Gigantism”

Even though nobody is specifically identified in the Bible as a “giant” after the days of David, does this mean that all giants became extinct? It is of course known that there are very tall people alive in these times (as there are little people in existence today as well), but these KNOWN tall people do not seem to reach the height of the giants of the Bible, and even apart from their height, there seems to be another fundamental distinction between many (but not all) of the modern tall people and the giants of the Bible. As one website puts it:

“So were all of these giants just people who developed gigantism? Although gigantism may account for some of the ancient giants, this proposed solution falls short of explaining many of the biblical accounts.

“Modern gigantism is often caused by abnormalities that lead to excessive production of growth hormone. It is highly unlikely that Goliath, the nephilim, Anakim, or most of the other Old Testament giants suffered from such a condition since they were often described as warriors or ‘mighty men,’ while modern ‘giants’ are usually awkward, uncoordinated, and endure several physical ailments. There have been some rare cases where the person could accurately be described as a ‘mighty man.’

“Furthermore, modern gigantism is not hereditary, whereas the Bible often describes giants as being the offspring of other giants (e.g., Deuteronomy 9:2; 1 Chronicles 20:6). So the groups known as giants were not simply made up of individuals with the modern form of gigantism.”

We might also think of historical tall powerful men since the birth of Christ. For instance, it is said that Charles the Great—Charlemagne—was a very tall man, and he was of course a mighty warrior. But again, his height did not seem to remotely reach the height of the Canaanite giants of the Bible. In any event, this does not mean that he should be considered to be a descendant of the ancient Canaanite giants of the Bible. On the other hand, modern “giants”—very tall people—with physical ailments could of course be the end result of decades, if not centuries, of degeneration.

True Giants Today?

Note also that the Bible does not say that ancient powerful giants, the “heroes of old” as mentioned in Old Testament times, were totally extinct—that they all died out. We do read that they were “dispossessed’ from areas which they once inhabited and that they appeared subsequently in other areas. Therefore, can we rule out that “giants,” as described in the Bible, could exist today?

Bigfoot—Illusion and Fairy Tale, an Animal or a Human Being?

Speculation abounds regarding encounters with tall hairy creatures around the world, commonly referred to as Bigfoot, Sasquatch, the Russian “Abominable” Snowman or Yeti. Many consider these stories as mere fabrications and fairy tales, while others believe that not all of the independent reports over many centuries (some of them highly reliable) could simply be made up.

Some who believe in the accuracy of at least some of the eye-witness accounts conclude that they might be “demonic illusions.” Certainly some of the “encounters” might very well be of demonic origin, but this could not explain all witness accounts and findings (including unexplained huge footprints, hair samples, etc.). Others see in them huge ape-like animals, which could be a distinct possibility. Still others view them as missing links between pre-historic men-like creatures and modern men—a totally wrong idea, as humans did not evolve, and therefore, such missing links did not and do not exist. In addition, if there were giants (gigantic ape-like animals) prior to Adam, they would have been destroyed with all other living physical creatures (such as the dinosaurs) when the earth became “void and empty.” Today’s “giants” in the form of “Bigfoot” would have to be ape-like animals or humans—descendants of beings which or whom God created when He renewed the surface of the earth, within six days, about 6,000 years ago.

Still others view Bigfoot and Yeti, etc., as fully human—modern representatives of homo sapiens, albeit perhaps in a wild, savage and degenerated state. This is also a distinct possibility. Hunters who allegedly had close encounters with Sasquatch reported that they were determined to shoot and kill “the beast,” but refrained from doing so when they looked into its eyes, which were perceived to be “distinctly” human.

Hairy Beings

One might ask how “hairy” creatures could qualify as humans. Even though the Bible does not specifically say that the ancient GIANTS were hairy, it does include a few examples of “hairy” men. For instance, we read that Esau, when he was born, was “like a hairy garment all over” (Genesis 25:25).

Esau

The Pulpit Commentary remarks that literally, it says, “‘all of him as a cloak of hair’… the fur cloak, or hair mantle, forming one notion… the child’s body [was] covered with an unusual quantity of red hair…”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible adds: “his body was all over full of hair, which stood as thick as a garment made of hair…”

Esau’s condition did not change when he grew up. In fact, it increased. He is referred to as a “hairy man” (Genesis 27:11). Gill’s states that Esau “was covered all over with hair; as with a hairy garment; so he was born, and so he continued, and no doubt his hair increased.” This condition was so severe that his blind father, Isaac, was tricked into believing that Jacob was Esau, when “skins of the kids of the goats” were placed on Jacob’s hands and on the smooth part of his neck, so that Isaac did not recognize Jacob (Genesis 27:16, 23).

The Hebrew words quoted above and used for hairy or hair are also applied to “rough” garments (Zechariah 13:4, Authorized Version) or a “rough” goat (Daniel 8:21).

Elijah?

We also read that Elijah was a “hairy man,” or the “owner of hair” (2 Kings 1:8). Many interpret this to mean that he was wearing a long beard and long hair [even though nothing is mentioned that he ever took a Nazirite vow (compare Numbers 6:1–21) or that he was a Nazirite from birth, such as Samuel, compare 1 Samuel 1:11]. Others claim that he was wearing a hairy cloak or mantle of sheep or goat skin or of camel’s hair (1 Kings 19:13), comparing it with the mantle of camel’s hair which John the Baptist wore (Matthew 3:4).

However, these conclusions are not compelling. The Nelson Study Bible states: “Although hairy may refer to Elijah’s garments, the usual translation ‘hairy man’ is supported by the ancient versions.” It is possible that Elijah had a similar appearance as Esau. In any event, the Bible knows of the existence of human beings who were covered all over with hair, as with a hairy garment.

Werewolf Syndrome

In addition, cases are known of people with the so-called “werewolf syndrome” or “hypertrichosis,” who might even pass on their condition to the next generation. One website describes this condition as follows:

“Hypertrichosis is a rare genetic condition that results in extreme hairiness… There is some speculation that Esau, son of Isaac and twin brother of Jacob, may have had hypertrichosis. He was described in the Old Testament as born covered in red hair, and was referred to as a hairy man by his brother as an adult.”

Life Science reported on June 6, 2011, that “Scientists have discovered a genetic mutation responsible for a disorder that causes people to sprout thick hair on their faces and bodies. Hypertrichosis, sometimes called ‘werewolf syndrome,’ is a very rare condition, with fewer than 100 cases documented worldwide. But researchers knew the disorder runs in families, and in 1995 they traced the approximate location of the mutation to a section of the X chromosome (one of the two sex chromosomes) in a Mexican family affected by hypertrichosis.”

As mentioned, the Bible does not describe ancient giants as “hairy” people, but it does indicate a genetic mutation or disorder in the case of at least one giant (apart from their height, the precise cause for which is still open to debate). Remember that one particular giant was described as having twelve fingers and twelve toes (compare again 2 Samuel 21:20 and 1 Chronicles 20:6).

Polydactyly

Similar “abnormities” have been reported elsewhere. The condition is commonly referred to as “polydactyly”; that is, a birth defect resulting in extra fingers and/or toes.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states that “Pliny speaks of one M. Curiatius, a patrician, who had two daughters that had six fingers on an hand, and were called ‘Sedigitae’, six-fingered; and of Volcatius, a famous poet, called ‘Sedigitus’, or six-fingered, for the same reason; and elsewhere, from other writers he makes mention of a people that had eight toes [on] each foot; so Ctesias speaks of a people in the mountains of India, which have eight fingers on each hand, and eight toes [on] each foot, both men and women.”

The Benson Commentary adds that “Tavernier, in his relation of the grand seignior’s seraglio… says, that the eldest son of the emperor of Java, who reigned in the year 1648, when he was in that island, had six fingers on each hand, and as many toes on each foot, all of equal length.”

Based on all of the foregoing evidence, we cannot exclude the possibility that giant human beings (such as Bigfoot) exist today. Some of them could even be hairy people. They could be, but would not have to be, descendants of ancient Canaanite giants as described in the Bible. If they were, this would mean that not all of those ancient giants are extinct, but that some might have survived and procreated over the centuries and millennia, and that remnants with a hairy genetic disorder—perhaps known as Bigfoot or Yeti—might still live today in remote wilderness areas and in secluded high mountain terrains.

It is interesting to consider that many sightings of Bigfoot or Sasquatch have been reported in North America (California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho) and Canada (British Columbia), and that these reports include ancient “legends” told by American Indians. Although many American Indians descended from Tiras, a son of Japheth (one of the three sons of Noah), some historians feel that “Native American” tribes might also be, to an extent, descendants of ancient Canaanites who migrated to North America.

In light of the biblical and historical evidence of very tall people, as well as hairy people with genetic disorders—including hypertrichosis, which seems to run in families and for which there is still no known cure—it is not totally unreasonable to assume that mighty and powerful human “giants” known as Bigfoot, Sasquatch or Yeti might exist today in fairly inaccessible terrains in different parts of the world.

Part 5 Did Sexual Intercourse Between Angels and Women Produce Giants?

Some believe the Bible teaches that at the time of Noah, angelic beings produced giants through sexual intercourse with women. In fact, this belief is wide-spread and sometimes referred to as the “most controversial concept” in the entire Bible. For proof, proponents refer to Genesis 6:1–4. This passage reads:

“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose… there were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”

Giants Not Offspring of “Sons of God” and “Daughters of Men”

Note that the Bible does NOT say that the giants were the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men.

As mentioned in Part 4 of this booklet, the Ryrie Study Bible states: “The giants were on the earth before the marriages of Gen. 6:2, and were not the offspring of those marriages.”

Some translations wrongly imply that the giants were the offspring of those marriages between the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men,” while other renderings, sticking to the original wording in the Hebrew, show that the giants who were on the earth at the time, and afterwards too, were NOT the product of such sexual relationship.

Regardless, some claim that the sons of God were angelic beings, while the daughters of men were mortal women.

“Sons of God” Not Angels in this Passage

First of all, let us remember that God made animals and humans according to their kind (Genesis 1:21, 24–28). Animals can only reproduce other animals, according to their kind (two dogs can produce another dog, but they can’t produce a horse or a bird), and men can only produce humans (they can’t produce animals). Since men and angels belong to a different “kind,” it is impossible for that reason alone that they could produce human offspring.

Angels Cannot Sexually Reproduce

In addition, as created spirit beings, angels do not reproduce sexually or by any other means. Jesus made this very clear. He said in Luke 20:34–36 that the “sons of this age,” i.e., human beings who live today, “marry and are given in marriage.” One of the purposes of marriage is reproduction, as well as having a sexual relationship (compare Genesis 1:28; 2:24). Married couples are to become “one flesh”—including sexually. Christ told us that those who are worthy of attaining the resurrection to eternal life will not marry or be given in marriage, but they will be, in THAT sense, equal to angels. They will be OVER angels in authority and essence (1 Corinthians 6:3; Hebrews 2:5–8), being children of GOD, not of angels, but they will be EQUAL to angels in the sense that they will no longer “marry”—physically—and engage in sexual activities.

“Sons of God”—Descendants of Seth

As mentioned, some quote Genesis 6:4 for the false idea that angels [allegedly referred to as “sons of God” in this passage] married women and produced human offspring prior to the Flood. Although it is true that in rare instances, “sons of God” can refer to angels (compare Job 1:6–8; 2:1), it refers most of the time to human beings (compare Malachi 1:6; 2:10; Luke 3:38; Romans 8:14; Revelation 21:7). This is also the case in Genesis 6. God decided to destroy sinful men—flesh—not angels. We read that all flesh and every MAN died in the flood (Genesis 7:21–23). Because of this, some commentaries point out that the term “sons of God” might, in this instance, refer to the “godly line of Seth” (compare Ryrie Study Bible). Halley’s Bible Handbook allows for the possibility that the “sons of God” were “leaders in Sethite families who intermarried with godless descendants of Cain. These abnormal marriages… filled the earth with corruption and violence.”

“Daughters of Men”—Descendants of Cain

Even though the “sons of God” (human beings) belonged to the line of Seth, and might have worshipped the true God (compare Genesis 4:26), they took for themselves whatever women they wanted, including those who did not believe in and worship the true God (compare God’s warning in Malachi 2:15 and in 1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14). The consequence was that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

The commentary of Jamieson, Faussett and Brown agrees that Genesis 6 refers strictly to human marriages, stating: “‘the sons of God saw the daughters of men’–by the former is meant the family of Seth, who were professedly religious; by the latter, the descendants of apostate Cain. Mixed marriages between parties of opposite principles and practice were necessarily sources of extensive corruption. The women, irreligious themselves [that is, not worshipping the true God], would as wives and mothers exert an influence fatal to the existence of [true] religion in their household, and consequently the people of that later age sank to the lowest depravity.”

Matthew Henry agrees with this explanation: “The sons of God (that is, the professors of [true] religion) married the daughters of men, that is, those that were profane, and strangers to God and godliness. The posterity of Seth did not keep by themselves, as they ought to have done. They intermingled themselves with the excommunicated race of Cain.”

Similar the Soncino Commentary, identifying the “sons of God” as “the sons of princes and judges,” referring to the fact that the word “Elohim” (in “sons of God” or “Elohim”) always implies rulership and can refer to human judges (compare Exodus 4:16; 7:1). It goes on to say that “thus the very men who should have defended justice openly committed violence” and that they took wives “by force,” including those “married to others.”

“Sons of God” Not Evil Angels or Demons

Some claim that “the sons of God” were evil angels or demons who cohabited with women. Of course, if righteous angels could not do so, neither could evil angels.

However, the Living Bible interprets the passage in Genesis 6 in this way: “In those days, and even afterwards, when the evil beings from the spirit world were sexually involved with human women, their children became giants, of whom so many legends are told.”

The Nelson Study Bible states: “The phrase [sons of God]…clearly means, angels… some of Satan’s angels, spirit beings, took on human form… and, out of perverted lust, seduced women…”

The Ryrie Study Bible prefers this explanation as well, stating that with the sons of God, “more likely, a group of fallen angels [is described] who, because of this unique sin, were confined… These are the fallen angels who sinned grievously by cohabiting with women.”

There are numerous problems with these explanations. Even though righteous angels are sometimes referred to as “sons of God,” fallen angels or demons are NEVER described in the Bible in that way. Demons are simply NOT described as “sons of God.” In addition, and as mentioned before, even when speaking of righteous angels, the term “sons of God” or even “gods” refers most of the time to human beings (compare Psalm 89:6–7, New American Bible: “Who is like the LORD among the gods?”; compare Psalm 82:6–7 with John 10:34–35. See also Isaiah 45:11; 2 Samuel 7:14.)

Notice Scofield Reference Notes, which state:

“Some hold that these ‘sons of God’ were the ‘angels which kept not their first estate’ (Jude 1:6). It is asserted that the title is in the Old Testament exclusively used of angels. But this is in error (Isaiah 43:6)… we are expressly told that marriage is unknown among angels (Matthew 22:30). The uniform Hebrew and Christian interpretation has been that the verse (Genesis 6:2) marks the breaking down of the separation between the godly line of Seth and the godless line of Cain.”

Sin of Angels Prior to Creation of Man

Note again that some commentaries (quoted above) propose the idea that the fornication of angels with women constituted the sin for which the fallen angels were immediately confined. This, too, is erroneous. The sin of the angels, as mentioned in Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4, did not refer to fornication with women at the time of Noah, but as we have seen before, it describes sinful rebellious conduct against God which occurred long before the creation of man.

We state the following in our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”:

“The Bible reveals that God created all of the angels. They were not created as robots, but as spirit beings with the power to choose and to decide. One high-ranking angel, a cherub by the name of Lucifer, rebelled and sinned against God (Isaiah 14:12–15; Ezekiel 28:11–17). Lucifer wanted to ‘ascend to heaven’ to dethrone God (Isaiah 14:13). He wanted to ‘ascend above the heights of the clouds’ (Isaiah 14:14). This shows us that he was here on earth, because he wanted to ascend above the clouds of the earth to go to heaven. When he sinned, he was thrown back to this earth (Isaiah 14:12). He became Satan, which means enemy or adversary…

“Lucifer was not the only spirit being who rebelled against God. The angels under his control accompanied him and became known as demons thereafter. A reference to that rebellion is made in Revelation 12:4, stating that one-third of the angels (referred to as ‘stars’) followed Satan and became demons. This indicates that the other two-thirds of the angels stayed loyal to God…

“We read in Jude 6 about angels who did not keep their own domain (the earth), but left their own abode in order to go to heaven to dethrone God. They are now reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, that is, they are angels of darkness. They are still ruling this earth under Satan (compare Ephesians 6:12 where demons are called ‘the RULERS of the darkness of this age’). They are ‘chained,’ or held captive, by their own spiritual perversion. We read in 2 Peter 2:4 that ‘…God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell [in Greek, tartarus, describing a condition, rather than a place] and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.’”

The sin of angels occurred long before the creation of men. It does not describe any sinful sexual conduct with women at the time of Noah.

Derived from Jewish Fables

So, since the Bible does not teach that spirit beings cohabitated with women, where does this idea come from? The answer is, from uninspired Jewish folklore, fables, fairy tales and legends, contained in the book of Enoch and in Hebrew myths.

Commentaries admit that the idea of angels marrying mortal women is derived from Jewish folklore, especially from the apocryphal book of Enoch. For instance, Unger’s Bible Handbook admits: “Barclay, in his commentaries on Jude and 2 Peter, also concludes that Gen. 6 talks about angels fornicating with women, thereby heavily relying on Jewish folklore and mysticism and the apocryphal book of Enoch.” Other commentaries explain that the book of Enoch “interprets” Genesis 6:2 as describing angels fornicating with women (compare Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary on Jude 6).

Book of Enoch NOT Inspired

However, the problems with the entire uninspired “book of Enoch” are massive! We know, of course, that the biblical Enoch did not write it, but that it comes “from many writers and almost as many periods… It includes at least four quite independent books” (Richard Laurence, The Book of Enoch). Please read chapter 8 of our free booklet, The Authority of the Bible, which shows why the book of Enoch is neither inspired nor reliable in any way.

Terrible Blasphemies and Demonic Teachings in the Book of Enoch

In chapter 7 and in other places, the book of Enoch states that 200 holy angels from heaven decided to take wives for themselves from the daughters of men, cohabited with them, “teaching them sorcery, incantation, and the dividing of roots and trees, And they conceiving brought forth giants… these devoured all which the labor of men produced; until it became impossible to feed them… they turned themselves against men, in order to devour them…”

The demonic nature of this interpretation becomes even clearer, when reading chapter 15 of the book of Enoch:

“Now the giants, who have been born of spirit and of flesh [Note: the only One who was ever born “of spirit and of flesh” – or better, who became flesh when the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary–was Jesus Christ; see discussion below], shall call upon earth evil spirits, and on earth shall be their habitation. Evil spirits shall proceed from their flesh, because they were created from above; from the holy Watchers was their beginning and primary foundation. Evil spirits shall THEY BE upon earth, and the spirits of the wicked shall they be called. …”

So, according to the book of Enoch, these giants BECAME evil spirits which “are born in earth” and which “shall rise up against the sons of men, and against women, for they come forth from them during the days of slaughter and destruction.”

These incredible Jewish fables become even stranger when considering what is explained in the book Hebrew Myths—The Book of Genesis. It states that holy angels—the “sons of God”—were sent down to earth to teach mankind truth and justice, which they did for 300 years. Then they lusted after mortal women, but also after men and beasts, and produced the giants, called the “Fallen Ones.” In absolutely corrupting the truth, these false Jewish fables claim that “in those days only one virgin, Istahar by name, remained chaste.” Istahar or Ishtar was in reality a very immoral woman, also known as Semiramis, the mother-wife of Nimrod, who was later worshipped as a Babylonian goddess. The Jewish fables claim, however, that Istahar flew to heaven where she took sanctuary. In the book of Jeremiah, we read about a pagan goddess residing in heaven, called the queen of heaven, who has been identified as Astarte or Ishtar, who was worshipped by the apostate Israelites (compare Jeremiah 7:18; 44:15–25). (As pointed out in Part 1, Chapter 3 of this booklet and as will be discussed below, there is no “queen” residing in heaven, since no human being ever ascended to heaven, except for Jesus Christ after His resurrection and glorification.)

Don’t Rely on Jewish Fables

The Bible warns us not to rely on Jewish fables, such as the uninspired Apocrypha, which are even included in some versions of the Old Testament. We read in 1 Timothy 1:3–4: “… charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables…” We are also told in Titus 1:13–14 that we are to be “sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables…”

Enoch Not in Heaven

These Jewish fables, which are contained in the uninspired fairy tale of the book of Enoch, also claim that the “wise and virtuous Enoch also ascended to Heaven, where he became God’s chief counselor, henceforth known as ‘Metatron.’ God set His own crown upon Enoch’s head, and gave him seventy-two wings.”

All of this is utter nonsense, of course, as Enoch never went to the third heaven, but died and is in his grave, until he will be resurrected at the time of Christ’s Second Coming (compare John 3:13; Hebrews 11:5, 13, 39–40.) Please read chapter 7 of our free booklet, Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation, which discusses what actually happened to Enoch when he was “translated,” and why he did not go to the third heaven.

In addition, there is only one Mediator between God the Father and men—the Man Jesus Christ (see 1 Timothy 2:5).

The book Hebrew Myths—The Book of Genesis points out on page 104 that the interpretation of Genesis 6 in the book of Enoch is derived from an UGARITIC MYTH of how “El,” a Semite bull god, seduced two mortal women and fathered divine sons with them.

It is interesting, though, that even these fanciful Jewish tales offer an explanation for the events in Genesis 6 which come closer to the truth. They say: “Others, however, make the Sons of God pious descendants of Seth, and the Daughters of Men were the sinful descendants of Cain… Adam, on his deathbed, ordered Seth to separate his tribe from the Canaanites; and each Sethite patriarch publicly repeated this order, generation after generation. The Sethites were extraordinarily tall, like their ancestor; and… won the name ‘Children of God.’” It is also claimed that the “Daughters of Men” were “Goddess-worshipping Canaanites” who “were notorious for their orgies and premarital prostitution.”

We will now present additional reasons why the idea that angels cohabitated with mortals and produced children is utter nonsense!

Angels Do Not Become Humans

Note first of all, that Christ and His righteous angels, when they appeared in Old Testament times AS humans, did NOT actually BECOME humans. Jesus Christ BECAME flesh—a human being—at the time of His First Coming, but not prior to then.

We read that God, in the person of Jesus Christ, together with two angels, appeared to Abraham, and they ate and spoke with him (Genesis 18:1–15). Christ and His angels appeared as men (verse 2). But this does not mean that they actually WERE men—flesh and blood human beings. They simply manifested themselves AS human beings. If the two angels had BECOME human beings at the time of Abraham, they could have died, but God’s Word tells us that His angels CANNOT die (Luke 20:34–36). If Christ had become a flesh and blood human being at the time of Abraham, He also could have died at that time. But this would have been impossible. He had to become a human being at the time of the New Testament in order to be able to die.

Christ did not become a human being prior to His human birth. In Old Testament times, He, as a Spirit being, was able to manifest Himself as a human being, but He was NOT actually a human being. The same is true for angels. They never BECAME humans.

Angels Do Not Marry

Some might respond that as angels, they could eat physical food, so why could they not engage in sexual conduct? They refer to the record about Sodom and point out that the men of the city wanted to have sexual intercourse with the two righteous angels who were staying with Lot. But this passage does not say, of course, that such intercourse took place. In fact, it did not occur, and the homosexual men of the city did not know that these were angels who had manifested themselves as men. The Bible clearly says that angels DO NOT marry nor are given in marriage. Some respond that this does not mean that they COULD NOT marry. This “distinction” is academic and immaterial, since righteous angels DO NOT marry. Genesis 6 clearly states that the “sons of God” took “AS WIVES” those whom they wanted. The New Jerusalem Bible renders Genesis 6:2,4 as follows: “… the sons of God, looking at the women, saw how beautiful they were and MARRIED as many of them as they chose… and had children by them.” The New International Version says: “the sons of God… MARRIED any of them [the daughters of men] they chose.”

So, the “sons of God” could not have been righteous angels, as angels do not marry. The same is true for demons, as we have seen, so the “sons of God” could not have been demons. But there is still another reason why the sons of God could not have been demons.

Fallen Angels Cannot Materialize Themselves

When angels sin, they cease to be righteous angels and they become fallen angels or demons. As such, they cannot materialize themselves any more as humans, let alone become humans. Unlike God’s holy angels, demons cannot appear as human beings, and for that reason alone, they could not have produced human offspring with women.

Notice the following comments in our above-mentioned booklet, Angels, Demons and the Spirit World:

“It appears from Scripture that demons cannot materialize themselves the way that angels can. Demons cannot appear as men. They can, however, create an illusion, or an apparition that might look very real to people… We find the following interesting record in Mark 6:47–50: ‘Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost [Authorized Version: a spirit], and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”‘ The disciples thought they saw a ghost or a spirit, that is, a demon. The Greek word for ‘ghost’ is ‘phantasma,’ which has the meaning of ‘phantasm’ or ‘apparition.’

“In Luke 24:36–42 we find another passage that sheds some light on the inability of demons to materialize themselves. We read: ‘Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.’

“Christ manifested Himself to the disciples as a being with flesh and bones. He even ate food in their presence to convince the disciples that it was He, not a spirit or a demon. The Greek word for ‘spirit’ is ‘pneuma’ and can refer to demons (compare Matthew 8:16; 10:1; 12:43, 45; Luke 4:33, 36; 6:18; 7:21, etc.). We understand, of course, that Christ is not a being with flesh and bones. Rather, at His resurrection He received a spiritual body and became a life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:44–45, 50). He was able to manifest Himself, however, as a person with flesh and bones… angels can manifest themselves as human beings as well. Demons cannot. Christ used this opportunity to show His disciples that He was not a spirit or a demon, because demons cannot manifest themselves as human beings with flesh and bones.

“We read in Job 4:12–16 about Eliphaz’ encounter with a spirit: ‘Now a word was secretly brought to me, And my ear received a whisper of it. In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men. Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body stood up. It stood still, But I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; There was silence; then I heard a voice…’ Eliphaz saw some kind of a form before his eyes but he could not discern the appearance of the spirit. This indicates that it was a demon, as the Bible does not show that God’s angels appear to man in such a way. It was something like an apparition—a phantasm. It was what the disciples thought they saw, too, when Jesus was walking on the water.

“Another encounter with a demon is recorded for us in 1 Samuel 28… King Saul consulted a witch to find out his future. During a séance, the witch ‘saw’ a demon, who pretended to be the dead Samuel. Saul could not see the demon. The demon spoke through the witch to Saul. We note again that the demon did not materialize himself as a being with flesh and bones. Rather, it was an illusion.”

The idea that righteous or fallen angels cohabited with women—and that they could perhaps do so again today– is a demonic and blasphemous abomination! The sons of God in Genesis 6 were not angels or demons, but they were male descendants of Seth (third-born son of Adam and Eve), who sinned when marrying unrighteous female descendants of Cain (Adam and Eve’s unrighteous first-born son who had murdered his righteous brother Abel).

This happened at a time when there were giants on earth. Clearly, Satan and his demons were behind these events, in that they influenced the descendants of Seth to marry the unrighteous descendants of Cain (whom they had also influenced, of course, to become, and stay, unrighteous), but this does not mean that Satan and his fallen angels physically fornicated with the women.

Part 6 A New Creation—What Will We Do as God Beings?

Lucifer and his angels were placed on this earth to beautify it and to subsequently finish the creation of the entire universe under God’s direction. They failed. It is man’s potential to succeed with this task, but much more than this is involved. Angels were created from the outset to help man and “to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Angels were never offered the incredible potential which humans were offered. As we discussed in Chapter 4 of Part 1, angels were never given the power to create life out of nothing—just to finish the creation of the earth and the entire universe under God’s explicit direction. As we will see now, the potential of man is so much higher and all-encompassing!

The Bible teaches that it is the potential and destiny of man to enter the Kingdom and Family of God; that is, to become immortal God beings. The Bible tells us that we who are called today will BE what Christ is today. We will be like Him—as He is. We will share the Father’s and Christ’s very divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). We are to inherit “all things” with Christ!

Ability to Create

As God beings, we will, of course, have the ability to create, in the same way as God the Father and Jesus Christ create. This potential was never given to angels! They were to finish the creation of the universe under the directive of the God Family—and under the directive of man, after he has been made immortal. But even as immortal members of the God Family, we will always be UNDER the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ. We will never do ANYTHING contrary to the Will of the Father and the Son. As God beings and members of the God FAMILY, we will be TOTALLY unified with the Father and Christ—we will think and act EXACTLY as they do!

Christ, a Life-GIVING Spirit Being

1 Corinthians 15:45 tells us that Christ is “a life-giving spirit.” That is, He is a Spirit being who can give and create LIFE! In fact, that is what He did before He became a human being. That is what He is doing today, and it is what He will continue to do after His return to this earth! We know, for instance, from the book of Revelation, that all living things in the oceans and rivers will have died before His return (Revelation 16), but we also read in several passages that there will be fish in the Millennium (Ezekiel 47). This shows that God will create LIFE, in this case, physical fish. He created life when the surface of the earth was renewed; and He created (“had prepared” or “had made”) a great fish or “sea monster” to swallow up Jonah (Jonah 1:17).

Re-creation of Dead Pets?

This understanding has wide-ranging consequences. Some have wondered about the fate of our pets, when they die. Even though the Bible does not say anywhere that animals will be resurrected the same as human beings, there is nothing in the Bible that says that they will not be. We read that animals have a spirit, and while Solomon states that the spirit in man will go back to God who gave it, he also ponders the fate of the spirit of animals, with no decisive answer given (Ecclesiastes 3:21). Consider that God can CREATE animals—including those resembling our pets. When scientists can clone animals today, how much more are God the Father and Jesus Christ able to create animals or to re-create (or resurrect) those which the God Family had created in the first place.

It follows then, that since we will be as Christ is, we will be given the same capabilities.

The Entire Universe Waits for Us

Romans 8:20–23 tells us that the entire creation (the entire universe) waits for us. Why? As we will discuss below, to be transformed into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The entire physical creation will be freed from corruption because it will ultimately become spirit too. But not until God creates new heavens and a new earth—long after Christ’s return. So, what are we going to do prior to God’s new creation?

Beautifying the Earth

When Christ returns, this earth will lie in a state of total ruin, so we will assist Him in the momentous project of rebuilding the ruins so that the earth will become a beautiful paradise. Just as the Father, through Christ, restored the surface of the earth after Satan’s rebellion, so the Father will restore the surface of the earth, through Christ and us under Christ. We will assist Christ in beautifying the earth, which includes CREATING physical life. Once we have entered the Family of God as immortal God beings, we will have the same abilities and capabilities which God the Father and Jesus Christ have. We will rule angels and possess more and higher powers than they do. We will heal people. We will assist Christ in judging mankind. And we will rule forever and ever (Revelation 22:5). Over what or whom will we reign, forever and ever?

Beautifying the Universe

First, we will reign under Christ over man. But once God’s plan for physical mankind has been completed and all human beings who have qualified will have become immortal God beings (while those who committed the unpardonable sin will have been burned up in the lake of fire), then what will be the next step in God’s great master plan? It appears that we will begin to rule over and beautify the vast universe. Romans 8:18–23 tells us that “the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility in hope; because the creation itself [the entire universe] also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption [or “decay,” compare New International Version and Revised Standard Version]… into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now…”

This passage indicates that once we are God beings and full members of the God Family, we will participate in the process of beautifying and finishing the creation of the presently unfinished universe. The universe is in a state of decay—the planets are, from all that we can tell, waste and empty. But it is our human potential to become God and, under the leadership of God the Father and Jesus Christ, to free the universe from decay and corruption.

This has been the long-held understanding of the Church of God under its late human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong.

In his book, Mystery of the Ages, chapter 3, “The Mystery of Man,” he wrote on page 103 [hard copy version]:

“Once… man [has been] BORN INTO the divine FAMILY of God, restoring the government of God to the earth, [he will] then participat[e] in the completion of the CREATION over the entire endless expanse of the UNIVERSE!”

In Chapter 7, Mystery of the Kingdom of God, he stated on pages 355–362:

“God says… that he has decreed the entire universe–with all its galaxies, its countless suns and planets–everything–will be put under man’s subjection… Why should the whole universe—the creation—be waiting with eager longing for the actual birth and appearing of all these sons of God to be born into the family of God? The… verses [of the Bible] portray a universe filled with planets in decay and futility—yet as if subjected now to this dead state in hope!…

“Could the whole universe with its myriad of other planets have been created for the eventual purpose of sustaining life?… when we (converted humans) are born of God—then having the power and glory of God—we are going to do as God did when this earth had been laid ‘waste and empty’… Christ… was renewing what had been destroyed by the rebellion of the sinning angels…

“[The Bible] indicates precisely what all astronomers and scientific evidence indicate—the suns are as balls of fire, giving out light and heat; but the planets, except for this earth, are in a state of death, decay and futility—but not forever—waiting until converted humans are BORN the children of God; born into the very divine family of God, forming the kingdom of God… even the whole universe is to be ruled by us, who, with God the Father and Christ, become the kingdom of God… We are to be given jurisdiction over the entire universe! What are we going to do then? These scriptures indicate WE SHALL IMPART LIFE to billions and billions of dead planets, as life has been imparted to this earth. We shall create, as God directs and instructs. We shall rule through all eternity!”

Imparting Physical Life

The foregoing quotes describe our role as God beings in helping, under the direction of both God the Father and Christ, to beautify and impart LIFE to the entire physical universe. (However, this will NOT include the creation of human life, as that aspect of God’s master plan will have already been completed.)

In addition to the beautification of our physical earth and the physical universe, the Bible reveals even more.

We have already pointed out that after these events, God will create new heavens and “a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” The new heavens (including the entire universe) and the new earth will no longer be physical—consisting of matter—but they will be spiritual—consisting of spirit. When the heavenly Jerusalem (a city consisting of spirit) descends to earth, it will descend to an earth consisting of spirit.

Spiritual Colonization of the New Heavens

The Bible not only speaks of the physical colonization of the universe as a type or forerunner, but also ultimately of our spiritual “colonization” of a universe that has been transformed into spirit.

The heavenly Jerusalem will come down from heaven after the physical earth and the physical heavens are burned up, and after God creates new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:7, 10–13) which will remain (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22). In 2 Corinthians 4:18 we read: “…For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Lamsa renders Hebrews 12:27 in this way: “And these words, once more, signify the CHANGE of things which may be shaken, because they are made in order that things which cannot be shaken may remain.”

Romans 8:18–23 tells us very clearly what those invisible things will be: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption INTO the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [sonship], the redemption of our body.”

Physical Universe Changed into Spirit

We saw in verse 21 that the creation will be delivered from corruption “into” (“eis” in Greek) the glorious liberty of the children of God. Moffat renders verse 21 in this way: “The hope being that creation as well as man would one day be freed from its thralldom [bondage] to decay and gain the glorious freedom of God’s children.” The Revised Standard Version writes: “…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and OBTAIN the glorious liberty of the children of God.” The Luther Bible states, “The creation, too, will be freed from bondage of temporary existence INTO the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

The Greek word for corruption or decay that is used in verse 21 is “phthora.” It is the same word used in 1 Corinthians 15:42, where we read: “The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.” It is also used in Galatians 6:8: “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption.”

This physical creation, patterned after God’s spiritual creation, waits to be delivered from corruption to obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. The glorious freedom which the universe will receive, includes freedom from death! In that new universe, DEATH will be unknown, and so also will decay and corruption. In order to obtain such freedom from death and corruption, this universe will have to be changed into SPIRIT, as we also will have been changed into Spirit beings. In this way, the new heavens and the new earth will remain, for only the things that the human eye cannot see will remain.

What will remain is the new earth and the new universe, consisting of spirit (what the human eye cannot see). The physical existence will not remain forever; that is, the physical earth and the physical universe, which can be seen by the human eye, will be changed into spirit (which cannot be seen by the human eye).

Time Not an Issue

We do not know how much time will transpire after the end of the third resurrection period and before the physical earth and the heavens will be dissolved (2 Peter 3:11–12); new heavens and a new earth will be created (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1); and the heavenly Jerusalem will descend to earth (Revelation 21:2). As Spirit beings, time will be of no consequence for us. For God, 1,000 years are just as one day (2 Peter 3:8) and “like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). We do not know how much time will be spent to beautify the physical earth and maintain its beauty, while colonizing the physical universe, before God will create new heavens and a new earth. The Bible would allow for millions, if not billions or trillions of years, if viewed in human terms.

Some may ask why we should even colonize a physical universe, if it is only to be burned up later? The same question could be asked about this physical earth, which we will beautify and rule for a very long time after Christ’s return. It too will be burned up. But the emphasis is on the creation of spiritual heavens and a spiritual earth which will last forever—not on the temporary physical universe and the earth which will expire. Nothing physical will last forever.

In the Past: First Spiritual, Then Physical

We need to remember that the Spirit world existed first and that God created Spirit beings and “things” within the Spirit world before He created the physical. We read of a heavenly spiritual city, a spiritual temple, a spiritual mountain, a spiritual altar and a spiritual tabernacle, as well as spiritual trumpets, spiritual clothes, etc. After this spiritual creation, the physical universe and the earth were created—first the spiritual, and then the physical.

In the Future: First Physical, Then Spiritual

In the distant future, that process will be reversed—first the physical, and then the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46). When man was created, he was a physical creation with the potential of becoming a spiritual creation—a Spirit being. And so, the physical world and universe will ultimately be changed to consist of spirit as well. Once the beautification of the physical earth and the physical universe (as a first physical step) has been completed, they will be transformed or changed into something spiritual. As we hinted above, physical animals which died might be brought back to physical life, so also they might ultimately be transformed into spiritual existence. (After all, even angels have animal-like features, but they existed first, and the physical animals were, to an extent, created after their pattern.)

But we do not suggest that our work of beautifying the earth and imparting life to the universe (physical and spiritual) would include the creation of human beings. This phase of God’s master plan will have concluded with the third resurrection. And we do not suggest that we will ever create angels, or that God will create additional angels. Nothing is mentioned about this in the Bible. Rather, it appears that God created all the angels He wanted to create before He created man, as they were apparently created FOR man (Hebrews 1:14). But since we believe that we are going to create, at first physical, and then later spiritual life on earth and in the universe, it remains to be seen what type of life this is going to be.

Beyond Human Imagination

What exactly God has in store for us after the new heavens and the new earth have been created, we do not know. But we do know that God says we will rule forever and ever, and that His peace and government over the new earth and the entire new universe will have no end. God the Father will dwell on the newly-created earth, consisting of spirit, and the New Jerusalem, consisting of spirit, will come down from the third heaven, after the physical earth and the physical universe have been dissolved. Undoubtedly, the new earth will be God’s headquarters over the entire (new) universe, and it appears that we will be assisting God in the way that He directs.

For more information and Scriptural evidence on this intriguing subject, please read our free booklets: Angels, Demons and the Spirit World; God Is a Family; The Gospel of the Kingdom of God; Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever; and Are You Already Born Again?

Summary

Before there was a physical creation, God who is Spirit, created a spiritual (third) heaven, the angels and spiritual things. Much later, “in the beginning” of His physical creation, He proceeded to create physical heavens—including the universe—and the earth. He created many life forms on the earth, but at that time, man was not yet created. God placed Lucifer and one-third of the angels on the earth to administer God’s government and, under God’s directive, to beautify the earth, with the purpose of also beautifying the universe, but they sinned and became known as Satan and demons or evil spirits. Under their influence, some or even much of the once peaceful animal life changed into vicious dinosaurs and other aggressive creatures. A universe-wide catastrophe ensued and the earth became void and empty. All physical life became extinct at that time.

About 6,000 years ago, God re-created the surface of the earth in six days by creating “modern” plants, animals and modern man on the third, fifth and sixth day, respectively. Adam and Eve procreated and all human beings, including those called “Neanderthal Man,” and the biblical “giants,” sprang from them. At that time, on the fifth day, God also created dinosaur-type sea-living creatures such as Leviathan and Behemoth, some of which might still exist today in secluded and fairly inaccessible waters, perhaps known as “the Loch Ness monster” or “Ogopogo.”

This original re-creation produced peaceful animals, but due to Satan’s influence, man, land animals and birds corrupted themselves. Man and beast became violent, and humans (not angels) engaged in unholy marriages. As a consequence, another earth-wide catastrophe ensued, and man and beast (but not necessarily sea creatures) were destroyed in a Flood (only Noah, his family and the animals in the ark were saved).

The surviving animals and humans procreated to fill the whole earth. At that time, giants developed again (descended from the offspring of Noah’s family—originally to a large extent from Canaan, Ham’s firstborn son). Most of these later became extinct, but some might have survived and may have become known in modern times as Bigfoot, Sasquatch or Yeti.

Today, Satan and his angels rule this world, but their rule will end when Jesus Christ returns to set up God’s righteous government on earth. The Bible speaks of several “worlds.” We read about sinning angels who occupied the world prior to man (2 Peter 2:4). We are then told about the “ancient world,” which was destroyed in the Flood (verse 5); the “present evil world” (Galatians 1:4, Authorized Version); and the “world to come” (Hebrews 2:5). That future world will not be under subjection of the angels (same verse).

When God created man, He purposed to bring him into His very Family and to give him rule over the earth and the entire universe, to administer His government over His physical and spiritual creation. Once man has qualified and has become a God being, God will direct him to restore and beautify the earth, and finally, to “colonize” new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13).

God’s plan will succeed, and you could have a part in it.