Q&A

Politicians often have to compromise to achieve their goals. Wouldn’t it be acceptable for Christians to compromise at times, if it is a means of setting a good example or preaching the gospel?

The short answer is that it most certainly is not acceptable for a true Christian to compromise his or her Christian beliefs for any reason whatsoever.

What is compromise? A compromise is an agreement (or proposed agreement) to accept a situation in which the parties get variations from what they originally sought, to achieve a compatible outcome. It can also be defined as an amicable agreement between parties in controversy, to settle their differences by mutual concession.

Actually, to reach such an agreement can be acceptable if this applies to decisions that don’t apply to God, His Word and His Way of Life, and that do not require the violation of our standards, conscience or conviction. For example, a married couple may want to spend a particular day together but with different pursuits. Therefore, a mutual agreement has to be reached between the two parties. But coming to a consensus in such a case is not a problem because God’s Law and His Way are not violated—quite to the contrary, we read that we should not look only at our needs and desires, but also at the desires and needs of others, and that we should treat others better than ourselves. In addition, in Romans 12:18 we read the following: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” That may mean giving in, at times, in order to get along, without having to violate any of God’s standards or our own convictions.

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Why will modern Turkey be punished so severely, and what will be Israel’s and Judah’s role in respect to Esau?

In the previous Q&A, we saw that the modern Babylonian system under Assyria’s lead will conquer Edom (modern Turkey) and enslave it, after Edom had at first escaped the “king of the North,” while participating in the defeat of the modern houses of Israel (mainly the USA and GB) and Judah (the modern Jews).

We also saw in the last Q&A that God expressly stated that He will bring about Edom’s defeat to punish them for their conduct.

Psalm 137:7 tells us one reason for God’s anger with Edom: “Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, ‘Raze it [Lit., make it bare], raze it, To its very foundation!’”

Joel 3:19 tells us: “Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom a desolate wilderness, Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in their land.” Note, in passing, that Egypt’s desolation will end, as Egypt will become a major power in the Millennium, and Esau’s desolation will also end, even though it will not become a major power in the Millennium.

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Does the Bible say anything about Esau and his descendants? Is Esau the ancestor of modern Turkey?

The Bible has indeed much to say about the descendants of Esau in our times. In this Q&A, we will discuss the history and the modern identity of Esau. In a subsequent Q&A, we will be addressing the future of Esau, as prophesied in the Scriptures.

Esau was the twin brother of Jacob. Due to the fact that he sold Jacob his birthright for some red stew, he became also known as “Edom,” which means “red” (Genesis 25:30). Later the name Idumea (Isaiah 34:5, Authorized Version; the New King James Bible says, “Edom”) was applied to some of the descendants of Esau or Edom. Herod the Great was an Idumean. (It was Herod who killed the male babies in Bethlehem and surrounding areas, from two years old and under, compare Matthew 2:16.)

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What does the Bible say about Ethiopia?

Even though Ethiopia is not mentioned as often in the current news as countries such as Egypt, Libya, Syria or Iran, the Bible has much to say about the past and future of Ethiopia. As we pointed out in a recent Q&A on Egypt, Ethiopia was at one time the influential “king of the South,” as mentioned in the book of Daniel, and the Bible shows that Ethiopia will still play an important role in future world affairs. This is not that surprising when considering even the present role and status of Ethiopia, which should not be underestimated. As the Wikipedia encyclopedia tells us:

“[Ethiopia] is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 85.2 million people… When Africa was divided up by European powers at the Berlin Conference, Ethiopia was one of only two countries that retained its independence. It was one of only four African members of the League of Nations. After a brief period of Italian occupation, Ethiopia became a charter member of the United Nations. When other African nations received their independence following World War II, many of them adopted the colors of Ethiopia’s flag, and Addis Ababa [Ethiopia’s capitol] became the location of several international organizations focused on Africa… Ethiopia is one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), G-77 and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

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Did King Saul commit the unpardonable sin ?

In two recent Q&As, we discussed the question whether Judas might have committed the unpardonable sin, dealing with the issue whether Judas is lost http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/10163, and whether he rejected his chance for salvation when he betrayed Christ http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/10136.

We concluded that Judas did not commit the unpardonable sin, mainly because he never received God’s Holy Spirit prior to his death. Please read or re-read our Q&As, which also explain the nature of the unpardonable sin.

One way to commit the unpardonable sin is to permanently refuse to repent, after one has obtained the knowledge of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This kind of sinful conduct cannot be forgiven, as one refuses to repent and therefore cannot repent, and God only forgives us our sins upon repentance. Paul tells us in the letter to the Hebrews that there is no further sacrifice for us, when we fall away after we have been enlightened and tasted the powers of the world to come and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, as we would then require Jesus Christ to die for us again (compare Hebrews 6:4-8). But the Bible says that Christ died once and for all (Hebrews 9:28).

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What does the Bible say about Iran’s future?

The Bible contains numerous passages, dealing with the future of Iran, which was formerly known as Persia. Most commentaries and encyclopedias are in agreement that the modern-day Iranians are descendants of the ancient Elamites. For instance, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible equates Elam with Persia. Genesis 10:22 and 1 Chronicles 1:17 state that Elam was a son of Shem—and therefore a brother of ancient Asshur or Assur. The city of Sushan or Susa was one of the capitols of the Elamite or Persian empire, and Esther, Daniel and Jeremiah resided there at times. Susa is today known as Shush—a city in modern-day Iran.

In biblical times, the Medes and the Persians conquered the Babylonian Empire. Famous King Cyrus of Persia permitted captured Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and the temple. Subsequent Persian kings, such as King Xerxes, had a more or less friendly relationship with the Jewish people, specifically because of his wife, the Jewish Queen Esther. In time, that friendly relationship would change, and presently, Iran is viewed as one of the arch enemies of the modern house of Judah.

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What is the prophesied future of Libya?

Libya has been in the news for quite some time, and nobody seems to know what the future holds for that biblical country. God’s Holy Scriptures do give us a glimpse, however, as to what we can expect to occur in or pertaining to Libya.

It is commonly accepted that Libya is designated as “Put” or “Phut” in the Hebrew Scriptures. Put was the son of Ham, a son of Noah (Genesis 10:6; 1 Chronicles 1:8). The word “Put” or “Phut” means “bow” or “warrior.” According to Josephus, Put settled in the land of Libya. Depending on what translation one might use, the word “Phut” is sometimes mentioned in addition to Libya. As the Ryrie Study Bible explains, the word “Put” can also refer—depending on the context—to just a part of the country of Libya.

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Does the Bible say anything about the future of Syria?

Violence is erupting in Syria, and the question is what the future will hold for that country. Does the Bible tell us anything about Syria’s past, and does it give us any indications as to what is in store for it? The Holy Scriptures certainly do.

Syria is sometimes referred to in the Bible as “Aram,” and the Syrians are called “Arameans.” Historically, there have been times of war and of peace between Syria and the houses of Israel and Judah. After Jacob had deceived his father Isaac and his brother Esau, he fled to and lived in Syria, where he was terribly deceived by his uncle Laban. Hosea 12:12 tells us: “Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse And for a wife he tended sheep.”

David fought against the Syrians (2 Samuel 8:5), and so did Solomon (1 Kings 11:25). Later, Assyria intervened on behalf of King Ahaz of the house of Judah and overthrew Damascus, the capital of Syria. At that time, Rezin, King of Syria, was allied with the house of Israel under King Pekah, and they both attacked King Ahaz of Judah. The king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, heeded King Ahaz’s request for help, and he killed Rezin, King of Syria, and carried the Syrians into captivity, to a region called Kir (2 Kings 16:5-9; compare a possible reference to these events in Isaiah 8:3-4).

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Does the Bible say anything about the future of Egypt?

The Bible contains quite a few Scriptures dealing with Egypt’s past, present and future conditions. However, there is also much speculation being circulated, which is not necessarily in agreement with Scripture, or which cannot be proven by Scripture. For instance, some say that in the end time, Egypt will be the king of the South, as mentioned in Daniel 11. Of course, Daniel 11 does not specifically identify the king of the South, and it says nowhere that it is Egypt.

In his booklet, “The Middle East in Prophecy,” copyright 1948, 1972, Herbert Armstrong wrote this:

“Ethiopia, the King of the South!

“Ethiopia was the only country in all East Africa that continued independent, and had a government and kingdom dating back before the Roman Empire. It was the southern part of the kingdom of the south. So it is the only possible government that could be the king of the south. At the time of the end — our time — this king of the south was to push at the king of the north, now at Rome!

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