Tuesday, June 23, 2009

A New Book Released on Intelligent Design

A new book is now released dealing with Intelligent Design. It looks to focus on the importance of 'Information' that is contained in the DNA of each cell. Here is an excerpt of Chapter 1 of this book:


 

SIGNATURE IN THE CELL

DNA AND THE EVIDENCE FOR INTELLIGENT DESIGN

STEPHEN C. MEYER - Discovery Institute | Seattle, WA | (206) 292-0401 x128 | www.signatureinthecell.com;

www.stephencmeyer.org;


 

Here is an Excerpt of Chapter 1

DNA, Darwin , and the appearance of Design.

When James Watson and Francis Crick elucidated the structure of DNA in 1953, they solved one mystery, but created another.

For almost a hundred years after the publication of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin in 1859, the science of biology rested secure in the knowledge that it had explained one of humankind's most enduring enigmas. From ancient times, observers of living organisms had noted that living things display organized structures that give the appearance of having been deliberately arranged or designed for a purpose, for example, the elegant form and protective covering of the coiled nautilus, the interdependent parts of the eye, the interlocking bones, muscles, and feathers of a bird wing. For the most part, observers took these appearances of design as genuine. …

But with the advent of Darwin, modern science seemed able to explain this appearance of design as the product of a purely undirected process. In the Origin, Darwin argued that the striking appearance of design in living organisms—in particular, the way they are so well adapted to their environments—could be explained by natural selection working on random variations, a purely undirected process that nevertheless mimicked the powers of a designing intelligence. Since then the appearance of design in living things has been understood by most biologists to be an illusion—a powerfully suggestive illusion, but an illusion nonetheless. As Crick himself put it thirty-five years after he and Watson discerned the structure of DNA, biologists must "constantly keep in mind that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved."

But due in large measure to Watson and Crick's own discovery of the information-bearing properties of DNA, scientists have become increasingly and, in some quarters, acutely aware that there is at least one appearance of design in biology that may not yet have been adequately explained by natural selection or any other purely natural mechanism. Indeed, when Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA, they also discovered that DNA stores information using a four character chemical alphabet.

Strings of precisely sequenced chemicals called nucleotide bases store and transmit the assembly instructions— the information—for building the crucial protein molecules and machines the cell needs to survive.

Crick later developed this idea in his famous "sequence hypothesis," according to which the chemical parts of DNA (the nucleotide bases) function like letters in a written language or symbols in a computer code. Just as letters in an English sentence or digital characters in a computer program may convey information depending on their arrangement, so too do certain sequences of chemical bases along the spine of the DNA molecule convey precise instructions for building proteins. Like the precisely arranged zeros and ones in a computer program, the chemical bases in DNA convey information in virtue of their "specificity." As Richard Dawkins notes, "The machine code of the genes is uncannily computer-like."3 Software developer Bill Gates goes further: "DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software ever created."

But if this is true, how did the information in DNA arise? Is this striking appearance of design the product of actual design or of a natural process that can mimic the powers of a designing intelligence? As it turns out, this question is related to a long-standing mystery in biology—the question of the origin of the first life. Indeed, since Watson and Crick's discovery, scientists have increasingly come to understand the centrality of information to even the simplest living systems. DNA stores the assembly instructions for building the many crucial proteins and protein machines that service and maintain even the most primitive one-celled organisms. It follows that building a living cell in the first place requires assembly instructions stored in DNA or some equivalent molecule. As origin-of-life researcher Bernd-Olaf Küppers explains, "The problem of the origin of life is clearly basically equivalent to the problem of the origin of biological information."

Much has been discovered in molecular and cell biology since Watson and Crick's revolutionary discovery more than fifty years ago, but these discoveries have deepened rather than mitigated the enigma of DNA. Indeed, the problem of the origin of life (and the origin of the information needed to produce it) remains so vexing that Harvard University recently announced a $100 million research program to address it. When Watson and Crick discovered the structure and information bearing properties of DNA, they did indeed solve one mystery, namely, the secret of how the cell stores and transmits hereditary information. But they uncovered another mystery that remains with us to this day. This is the DNA enigma—the mystery of the origin of the information needed to build the first living organism.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Jesus in the Old Testament – Part 2, Jesus Shown in the Prophets

Hi and happy Father's Day weekend to everyone. Today, I am again writing about Jesus, and the Old Testament verses that describe and prophesy about Him. I began a couple of weeks ago by writing about Jesus in the books of the Old Testament Law. And today in part 2 of this series I am writing providing the verses revealing Jesus in the Old Testament books of the Prophets.

This section of 32 different sets of verses is the meat of the verses showing Jesus as described in the Old Testament. The most famous prophecy about Jesus is contained in the book of Isaiah and the prophecy of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). By the way, this prophecy written by Isaiah approximately 700 years before Jesus the Messiah was born (that is 700 B.C.) And this prophecy which is contained in the Masoretic text, the Septuagint, and in the Dead Sea Scrolls, provides the best proof that the Bible was not changed or rewritten, and that "myths" were not added later to it. If you don't believe me, please ask me and I will explain my reasoning for saying this. But otherwise from these books we see the prophecies of Jesus' birth, His Divinity, His Kingship, His Righteousness, and even His Second Coming.

One quick note of explanation. A number of these verses describe the Messiah as coming from David's line (including his father Jesse), or that the Messiah is "a branch", or "a stump". And so, everywhere you see a branch or a stump of Jesse mentioned, it is a reference to the prophecy that the Messiah will be a descendant of King David.

And secondly, remember the timeframe involved here: Abraham lived approximately at 2000 B.C., Moses lived around 1500 B.C., and King David is born close to 1,000 B.C. The Prophets in the Old Testament lived after King David. And the Prophets lived during the years 750 B.C. to approximately 400 B.C. And so, the Prophets are sandwiched between the lives of King David and Jesus, with hundreds of years separating them in each direction. And so, I hope you see how unusual it is for the Prophets to write about the Messiah coming from the line of David, when David had died hundreds of years before they wrote.

Remember from my first post on this topic, we see in Luke 24:27 and 24:44 that Jesus after being resurrected taught the Disciples about Himself using the Old Testament Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. The wonderful resource of J. H. Smith, the 'New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge' breaks down these verses. And in today's post, I will show what verses in the books of the Old Testament Prophets Jesus may have used for His teaching. And so, without further ado, here is the list of the 32 sets of verses in the Old Testament Prophets that describe Jesus the Messiah:


 

Luke 24:27 - And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he (i.e., Jesus) interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:44 - Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

Jesus in the Books of the Old Testament Prophets:

Isaiah +*7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Tom's note: Immanuel means 'God with us'.)

Isa. +*9:6, 7 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;           and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,           on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.           The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Isa. *11:1-10 - There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.      2     And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.           He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,      4     but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.      5     Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.      6     The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,           and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.      8     The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Isa. 28:16 - Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.

Isa. *40:1-11 - "Comfort, comfort my people," says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned.

Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins."      Listen! It's the voice of someone shouting, "Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!

     Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.
Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.

The Lord has spoken!"     A voice said, "Shout!" I asked, "What should I shout?" "Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field.      The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord.

And so it is with people.      The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever."      O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, "Your God is coming!" 10      Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 11      He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Isa. *42:1-4 - Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights       I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.           He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;           a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.         He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Isa. 49:1-8 – (to v. 7?) - Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar.           The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.      2    He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me;           he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away.      3     And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified."

     4     But I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;           yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God."      5     And now the Lord says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,           to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him—           for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength—      6     he says:

          "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel;           I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."      7     Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,           to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers:

          "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;           because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." (Jesus reaching all nations – but also God's Way of reaching Israel –see vv. 5-7)

Isa. 50:2-6 - Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer?           Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?

          Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert;           their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst.

     3     I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering."      4     The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught,           that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.           Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

     5     The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.

     6     I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;           I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.

Isa. *52:13-15 through Isa. ch. +*53 - He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions

 13Behold, my servant shall act wisely;   he shall be high and lifted up,   and shall be exalted.
14As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,   and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15so
shall he sprinkle[b] many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.

Isaiah 53

 1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?[   And to whom has
the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,   and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with
grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces   he was despised, and
we esteemed him not.

 4 Surely he has borne our griefs    and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;    he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;    we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him    the iniquity of us all.

 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,   and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,   so he opened not his mouth.

8By oppression and judgment he was taken away;    and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living,    stricken for the transgression of my people?

9And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence,   and there was no deceit in his mouth.

 10Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;    he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt,   he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see
and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
   ( make many to be accounted righteous,   (and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death    and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many,    and makes intercession for the transgressors.


 

Isa. *61:1-3 - The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,           to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

     2     to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

     3     to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,           the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;           that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Jeremiah +*23:5, 6 - "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.'

Jerem.33:14, 15 - "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.'

Ezk 17:22-24 - Thus says the Lord God: "I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it." (This is a Messianic prophecy showing that the Christ will come from the line of David.)

Ezk*34:23, 24 - And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.

Dan *2:44 - And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever

Dan *7:13, 14 - "I saw in the night visions,           and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man,           and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

     14     And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,           that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,           and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Dan +*9:24-27 - "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."

Hosea 1:7-11 - But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen."

8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the Lord said, "Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God."

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God." 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Hosea *3:5 - Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

Joel +*2:28-32 - "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;           your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

     29     Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Amos 9:11, 12 - "In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old,

     12     that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name," declares the Lord who does this.

Micah +*5:1-4 - Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us;           with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.

     2          But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,           from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,           whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

     3     Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth;           then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.

     4     And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.           And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.      5     And he shall be their peace.

Haggai *2:7-9 - And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.' "

Zech 6:12, 13 - And say to him, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." '

Zech 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zech 11:8-13 - In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. 9 So I said, "I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another." 10 And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.

Zech *12:10 - "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

Zech 13:7 - "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me," declares the Lord of hosts.

          "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. (This Verse describes several things: first, Jesus' Divinity, the Crucifixion and the Disciples desertion of Jesus as He was crucified.)

Zech *14:4 - Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4
On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. I added v. 3 – a powerful picture of Jesus' return as standing on both sides of a split mountain to rescue Jerusalem on the Day of the Lord.)

Malachi *3:1-3 - "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. (A verse describing John the Baptist's work before Jesus. It also looks like a description of Jesus' Return, and so does this mean that there will be another person in the future who comes along the same type as John the Baptist?)

Malachi 4:2-6 - "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

4 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction." (I added verse 1 to place the verses in proper context. This is a description of Jesus' Second Coming. A couple of things to note – those who fear God will be there at Jesus' Return to "tread down" the wicked. Also, here is another description of God sending Elijah (or John the Baptist) to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and children's hearts to their fathers. Otherwise, God would utterly destroy the world..)

Acts 28:23 - When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him (i.e., Paul in Rome) at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.


 

I hope this list put together helps give you a new appreciation for our Lord and Savior Jesus the Messiah. For me, it has helped me in seeing how many of these prophecies there are. And how perfect and powerful God's Word is. I hope you will join me to Praise God whose Word is true and trustworthy, Amen.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Don’t All the End-Times Events Take Place at the Same Time?

A beautiful, sunny, warm day here in the Twin Cities. And a good day to remember how thankful we are that wonderful Olivia is in our life (she is now 12 years old). And so, while I am in my happy place (a reference to the Happy Madison movie), and I am still working on Part 2 of my list of references to Jesus the Messiah in the Old Testament, I thought I would write about the end-times again. This post is to support the Amillennial view by showing that the references speaking about Jesus' return have all of the events taking place at the same time. Let me start with an example:


 

The Last Trumpet:

At the "Last Trumpet", both the Rapture of the Elect takes place, but also the wrath of God takes place upon the nations. For those who fear the Lord,

  • At Jesus' Second Coming, Jesus sends out His angels with a Loud Trumpet call to gather the elect (Matt. 24:31);
  • At the Last Trumpet, the elect will all be changed, and the dead are raised (1 Cor. 15:52);
  • Jesus will descend from heaven with a loud trumpet call, with those in Christ, both living and dead meeting Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-17);

BUT, also at the Last Trumpet:

  • The nations will rage that God's wrath has come, that the time for the dead to be judged had come, and also a time for Jesus to reward His servants (Rev. 11:15, :18; remember that in Revelation 8:6 through Revelation 10 there is a description of the 7 Trumpets. In Revelation 11:15, :18 there is a description of God's Judgment taking place at the Last Trumpet – the 7th Trumpet). Thus, at the Last Trumpet there is both the gathering of those who Fear the Lord, and the Judgment of the ungodly.


 

OK, hopefully you see what I'm doing. Here is another one:

Angels at Jesus' Return:

At Jesus' Second Coming, Angels will be used to separate the wicked from the Elect, and to gather the Elect to Jesus. This all takes place as one event, at Jesus' Second Coming.

At Jesus' Second Coming, Angels work to take out the ungodly and throw into them into Hell:

  • Angels will separate out those that offend (Matt. 13:41);
  • Angels separate the wicked from the just (whoops, I lost this reference);
  • When Jesus returns in His glory with His Holy Angels with Him, He will separate the sheep from the goats before His Throne (Matt. 25:31-33);
  • When Jesus is revealed from heaven, with His Mighty Angels, to take vengeance on those who do not know God, and who disobey the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:6-:10);
  • The Lord comes ten thousands of His Holy Ones to execute judgment on the ungodly (Jude 14-15)

Yet, also at Jesus' Second Coming, Angels work to gather the Elect:

  • The Son of Man will come in His glory with His Angels and reward each according to his works (Matt. 16:27);
  • At Jesus' Second Coming, He will send His Angels to gather the Elect from the four winds (Matt. 24:31/Mark 13:27)
  • When Jesus comes in His glory with His Angels, the world will gather before His throne and He will separate the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:31-32);


 

I hope I am showing that when Jesus' return is discussed in the Bible, both the taking up of those who Fear the Lord, along with the removal of the ungodly, all are taking place at the same time. As believers in Jesus Christ we love the promise of Jesus coming for us "in the clouds". Here is another example of verses that describe God coming in the clouds":

Clouds:

Jesus will Return for Those Who Fear God in the CLOUDS:

  • And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
    11 and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-10);
  • Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:17);

Yet for the ungodly, seeing the Lord Coming in the CLOUDS will cause wailing and trembling at the Judgment that is approaching:

  • Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. (Revelation 1:7);
  • Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. (Revelation 14:14 – note that the sickle Jesus is carrying is a tool to deal with the ungodly;), and in the Old Testament there are a bunch of examples given of God riding in the CLOUDS as a description of God's impending Judgment upon the enemies of God. Here's a couple of examples:
  • Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. (Isaiah 19:1 – God's Judgment upon Egypt);
  • Behold, he shall come up like clouds, And his chariots like a whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are plundered!" (Jeremiah 4:13);
  • The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet (Nahum 1:3 – isn't this a powerful picture? The clouds are the dust of God's feet coming in Judgment.)


     

I could go on with other examples, but I think I have made my point; when significant end-time events like the Last Trumpet, Jesus coming with His Angels, and Jesus returning on "Clouds", it is always a two-sided coin – a day of rescue for those who Fear the Lord, but also a day of Judgment upon the ungodly. And I believe only Amillennialism has all of these events taking place at the same time, on the same Day. There is no separation of these vents of 3 ½ years, 7 years, or 1,007 years. At the Day of Jesus' Return we will see the rescue of His people, but also the Judgment upon all nations. Friends, Today is the day to repent.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Jesus – Old Testament References to Jesus in the Law;

A rainy day in Minnesota? Yes, it's long overdue. It's kinda nice to hear the rain outside. I have pulled myself away from my Facebook games long enough to think about a fascinating scene that's in the Bible. We see Jesus just having been killed on the Cross and the miracle of God after three days raising Him from the dead. He then spends 40 days on Earth. Some of this time was spent with those who were closest to Him while He was alive, His Students / Disciples. And the best description of this time is contained in the Gospel of Luke. Luke describes Jesus teaching His Disciples by going back to the Old Testament Books and showing them that Jesus was written about in these Books.

Here are two references in the Gospel of Luke that shows Jesus did teach His Disciples about what was written as Prophecy by God about the Messiah (or synonymously in the Greek 'Christ') in the Books of the Old Testament. Although Jesus did not spend all His last 40 post-resurrection days with His Disciples, it is clear from Luke Chapter 24 that He did spend a good portion of this time teaching the Twelve. He opened up what those precious Old Testament writings had to say about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. But more, as is made clear in the New Testament Book of Hebrews, He also revealed that there were rituals done by the people of Israel that were made fully clear in the life of Jesus Christ. As an example of this, we have the OT sacrifice of animals. This was done by the Jews to show God of their sorrow for having done their sinful actions. (For it is blood that makes atonement for our souls – Leviticus 17:11; and in the New Covenant, Jesus' sacrifice as the Lamb of God, makes atonement for the sins of those who repent. Thus the OT animal sacrifices were a shadow pointing toward God's perfect sacrifice of His Son Jesus the Messiah). Here are two of the verses which describe Jesus teaching His disciples what was said in the Old Testament about Him:

Luke 24:27 - And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he (i.e., Jesus) interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:44 - Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."


 

And so, we see that Jesus taught about Himself using the Old Testament Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. The wonderful resource of J. H. Smith, the 'New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge' breaks down a number of these verses. And in today's post, I will show what verses in the Law of Moses (the first five Books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy) Jesus may have used: Here we go!

in the law.

Ge +*3:15. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel

Ge 14:18. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) [See, Hebrews 7:1-3, below);

Ge +*22:18. and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." (to Abraham)

Ge +m49:10. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

Le 16:2, etc. and the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

Nu *21:8, 9. And the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. See, John 3:14-15)

Nu *35:25. And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

Dt *18:15-19. "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me (tom's note, like Moses) from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' 17 And the Lord said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken. 18
I will raise up for them a prophet like you
from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.' [See, John 5:46-47, Acts 3:22-24, Acts 7:37]


 

And here some New Testament which apply the Old Testament verses to Jesus -

Jn *3:14, 15. (And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Quoting Numbers 21:9)

Jn *5:46, 47 (For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?").

Jn 7:23 [If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well?].

He 3:5 [Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things
that were to be spoken later,]

He 7:1-3 (For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.);

He 9:8-12 [By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12
he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.]

He 10:1. For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.

These are great verses revealing more about God's plan from the beginning – that He knew Israel would rebel against Him, and that He would one day show His love for all of humanity by sending Jesus His Son as a sacrifice for the world's sins. I think the Melchizedek verses (Genesis 14:8 and Hebrews 7:1-3) must have blown the disciples away. Here is this king described in the first book of the Bible, who just shows up to Abraham as a King of the Most High, provides Abraham with bread and wine after his battles, blesses Abraham, then Abraham shows his respect for Melchizedek by tithing a tenth of his spoils of war to him, and then Melchizedek just disappears. No followers, no descendants. Just poof! Gone. But only later after Jesus is gone, do we see how God has tied Jesus with Melchizedek, in the NT Book of Hebrews. And Jesus is described as a Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 7:17). But I'm getting ahead of myself. This Post is meant to show some of those wonderful verses in the Law revealing more to us of our Lord and Savior Jesus. If I a m permitted, I will show more of Jesus as described in the Prophets. May God bless you this upcoming week.