Fight against gay-straight alliances just warming up

Kingston Whig Standard – May 29

TORONTO - When Ontario’s political history is written, say in 25 years, historians may point the finger at the Dalton McGuinty government for the beginning of the end of provincial funding of Catholic schools.

Then again, perhaps the Catholic school system will overcome this latest blow.

That being the Liberal government’s recent about-face — pushed by the NDP — on giving Catholic schools an “out” on the issue of allowing so-called “gay-straight alliances” (GSAs) in high schools. Continue reading

Religious freedom speech offers few clues about new office

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird speaks to U.S. audience about religious persecution
By Laura Payton, CBC News May 25, 2012

A speech by Canada’s foreign affairs minister about religious freedom in Washington, D.C., is providing few new clues as to what a planned office to promote the cause will entail. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

A speech by Canada’s foreign affairs minister about religious freedom is providing few new clues as to what a planned office to promote the cause will entail. Continue reading

A Question about Donations

Question:
I receive so many wonderful cds from Cgi, I have always been wondering…
I send in offerings and Holy day Offerings to the Canadian Office,
but I receive all this info, from Cgi “Tyler Texas”.  Do any of my offerings come to Tyler to help you folks out? … or should I be sending Offerings to Tyler Tx. separately?
I have been wondering this for some time now, and I’m not sure what the answer is ??
Can you help me ?

Answer (from CGI, Tyler Texas):
Thanks so much for asking.  You are doing exactly the right thing…sending donations to CGI/Canada.  The “mailings” are all done from Tyler, Texas (where it is most economical).  We keep track of what goes to Canada, and CGI/Canada periodically reimburses us out of the offerings they receive.  In addition, The Armour Of God TV program broadcasts on a couple networks in Canada, &  is paid for with the Canadian offerings.  As a registered charity, CGI Canada is able to issue receipts to allow donations sent to the Canadian Office to be Tax Deducible.  Thank you for your question, & your support of …
the Church of God, International, for our works & outreach.

Bible offers no opposition to gay rights (!?!)

Whig Standard – May 18, 2012

Following hard on the heels of U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic and courageous announcement of his full support for the marriage of committed same-sex couples, the floodgates of sharp condemnation have opened wide. The torrent of not only criticism but also bitter abuse will no doubt flow on until the election in November and beyond. Continue reading

Great turn out to our Bible Lecture Campaign in Ottawa from May 11 to 12, 2012

      

Mr. Bill Watson message was entitled “A Prophetic Warning From The Voice of Ezekiel”.  Ezekiel understood that Israel would be a divided kingdom between the House of Judah to the South (its capital Jerusalem) and the House of Israel to the North (its capital Samaria). They will be reunited at Christ’s return when David will be resurrected and made king over them. This event will have a tremendous effect on the world.

 12 new people attended the two-day Bible lecture. An unexpected 5% response to such an event sponsored by CGI was gratifying. Usually the average response is about 3% and we surpassed that expectation. The guests enjoyed Bill’s message and were extremely pleased with the one-on-one fellowship afterwards with Bill and the church members. Two of the guests expressed an interest in seeking counselling for baptism and attending with us on a regular basis.  All in all it was a resounding success.
Thanks and praise be to God!
Submitted by Bob Dagenais (CGI-Ottawa)

GDL–Great Day of the Lord – Book Of Joel

A Study of the Book of Joel

Introduction

In three short chapters the book of Joel takes us from an ancient locust plague to the eschatological day of the Lord. How can two events so far apart in time and so different in content be related? For the prophet Joel, who apparently witnessed the devastation wrought by the invading insects, the connection was easily established. Knowing the promised blessings and curses contained in the Covenant God had established with Israel, the prophet’s divinely inspired insight enabled him to see in the locust plague a sign of a greater day of destruction in his people’s future. The bad news is that the future day of visitation—called “the great and terrible day of the Lord”—will bring far worse devastation than any locust plague could. But the day of the Lord is not all bad news. It’s a time of judgment, to be sure; but it’s also a time of repentance and restoration, a time of revival and spiritual renewal. In fact, the prophet describes it as a time when God will pour His Spirit upon the young and the old, the sons and the daughters, and the male and female servants.

But God’s promise of the outpouring of the Spirit is not restricted to the future day of the Lord. In the New Testament, Peter cites Joel’s prophecy of this wondrous event and applies it directly to what was happening then and there. A careful study of Joel’s chronology of prophesied events reveals that Peter was on target. Contrary to the claims of a few skeptics, the apostle did not lift Joel’s prediction out of context; nor did he misapply it.

Joel prophesied during a time when the Temple was standing and the priesthood was in place. But it is difficult to pinpoint a precise date for the book. Evidence within the text has led many scholars to believe that this work belongs to the ninth century B.C. This date is partly based on Joel’s references to an anticipated invasion of the promised land, though the prophet’s description of this approaching event easily matches at least three known invasions: the Assyrian invasion of 701 BC., the Babylonian invasion of 598, and the Babylonian invasion of 588. This study does not require an opinion on the date of the book.

As for Joel himself, we know little about him. He is mentioned in no other book of the Old Testament, and the book bearing his name tells us only his name and the name of his father. But was he a priest? A farmer? His references to both occupations might lead us to suspect that he was one or the other, but we cannot be certain because the book simply does not say.

Of this we are certain: Joel’s prophecy is no useless relic, but has profound meaning for all who would read it and heed its message.

I.       Anticipating the Day of the Lord

 A Severe Locust Plague

1 The word of the Lord that came to Jo’el, the son of Pethu’el: 2 Hear this, you aged men, give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? 3 Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. 4 What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten. 5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. 6 For a nation has come up against my land, powerful and without number; its teeth are lions’ teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines, and splintered my fig trees; it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their branches are made white (Joel 1:1–7).

 The first verse declares the origin of the prophet’s warning. Joel, whose name means “Yahweh is God,” is but a messenger. The “word” he brings to his people is from Yahweh.

Joel’s description of the massive agricultural loss brought about by wave after wave of devouring locusts calls attention to the terms set forth in the Covenant between God and the nation of Israel. Long before, God had promised this nation blessings for obedience to His commandments and curses for disobedience. If the people were careful to do all that God had commanded, He would set them “high above all the nations of the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:1). Their crops would produce abundantly, and food would be plentiful for them and their many healthy children; their herds and flocks would multiply; their enemies would turn and flee from them, and no foreign power would dominate them (verses 2–14). However, failure to obey God’s commandments would bring just the opposite—crop failure, drought, famine, disease, defeat at the hands of the enemy, and ultimately, loss of the land (verses 15–68).

The locust plague Joel witnessed was due to the people’s disobedience to the commandments set forth in the Covenant. God had warned their ancestors, “You shall carry much seed into the field, and shall gather little in; for the locust shall consume it” (Deuteronomy 28:38).

Agricultural pestilences varied in intensity, some causing far greater loss than others. This one was among the worst. It was of the kind that is not soon forgotten but is talked about for generations to come (Joel 1:3).

The prophet describes the invading locusts as a large and mighty “nation” that moves in and strips the land of the blessings God had previously given. This is the first clue of what will later become painfully clear: The locust plague, as devastating as it is, is only a harbinger of something much worse! A “day of the Lord” is drawing near! His mighty army would soon cast its terrifying shadow over the face of the land!

Temple Worship Affected

8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth. The cereal offering and the drink offering are cut off from the house of the Lord. The priests mourn, the ministers of the Lord (Joel 1:8,9).

 The prophet calls for an expression of the kind of deep sorrow a young maiden would experience if her intended husband were taken away before the wedding could take place. The crop losses and resultant shortage of food for the people as well as their flocks and herds are cause enough for lamentation, but Joel recognizes that the adverse effects of the locust plague upon the sacrificial system—the very heart of the nation’s religious life—is, in a sense, an even greater cause for sorrow.

The sacrifices and offerings of the Temple at Jerusalem were an integral part of Israel’s system of worship. Each offering was (ideally) an expression of humility and thanksgiving toward the God of the covenant. The abundance of agricultural produce brought to the Temple was a continual reminder of the promises of blessings God had made long before (Deuteronomy 28). But now, the agricultural loss brought about by the locust plague threatened the sacrificial system. The lamenting priesthood and lack of offerings was a stark reminder that God’s protection had been withdrawn, and served as a sign of the unhappy results of unfaithfulness.

Curses of Disobedience

10 The fields are laid waste, the ground mourns; because the grain is destroyed, the wine fails, the oil languishes. 11 Be confounded, O tillers of the soil, wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley; because the harvest of the field has perished. 12 The vine withers, fig tree languishes. Pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are withered; and gladness fails from the sons of men (Joel 1:10–12).

 

Like the priests of the Temple, the farmers wail because of the severe loss. The fields that had brought forth abundantly in previous years are now barren. The vines and trees have been stripped of their fruit. Again we are reminded of God’s promises of abundant blessings for obedience to His laws, and of the devastation of having those blessings taken away because of disobedience.

God had intended to continually pour His blessings upon the people of Israel, and would have done so had they remained faithful. It had been His desire to place them in “a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing” (Deuteronomy 8:8,9). This they could have had, but instead of the good fruit of the land they chose to partake of the fruit of disobedience, the “grapes of wrath.”

Through Moses, God had warned,” All your trees and the fruit of your ground the locust shall possess” (Deuteronomy 28:42). The rebellious nation of Joel’s day could no longer treat God’s warnings to the Exodus generation as outdated and obsolete.

A Call to Repentance

13 Gird on sackcloth and lament, O priests, wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because cereal offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. 14 Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God; and cry to the Lord (Joel 1:13,14).

 The priests were to officiate in all sacrificial rites and see to it that the rituals and ceremonies of the Tabernacle (or Temple) were properly performed. They represented the people before God, and were to teach the Israelites God’s laws and statues. As the spiritual leaders of the nation, it is important that repentance begin with them. God calls upon them to put on sackcloth, an outward symbol of heart-rending repentance, and to call for fasting and fervent prayer.

In Scripture, fasting is a physical expression of contrition and penitence. An outstanding example of such fasting is in the scriptural account of Nineveh’s response to the dire forecast of the prophet Jonah. When Jonah announced to the people of Nineveh that God would soon overthrow their city, they “proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them” (Jonah 3:5). The king proclaimed a fast for all Nineveh, and called upon the people to cry out for God’s mercy as they resolved to turn from their evil ways (verses 6-8). God responded to their repentance by deciding not to destroy the city (verse 10).

It is not the act of refraining from food and drink that causes God to withhold punishment. Rather, it is the inner transformation, expressed through “a broken and contrite heart” (Psalm 51:17), that draws a positive response from God. The pleasures of food and drink seem inappropriate during a period of such heart-rending contrition and penitence.

This is the kind of fasting Joel has in mind when he calls upon the priests to sanctify a fast and call for the elders and people to cry out to God. He knows that the health of the nation depends heavily upon the spiritual condition of the individuals that make up the nation. If enough people will truly turn to God with all their hearts, the nation will be spared; but if no, something far worse than the locust plague lies in the immediate future.

 

Description of Desolation

15 Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes. 16 Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? 17 The seed shrivels under the clods, the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are ruined because the grain has failed. 18 How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep are dismayed. 19 Unto thee, O Lord, I cry. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field. 20 Even the wild beasts cry to thee because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness (Joel 1:15–20).

The plague of locusts was only part of the problem. The wasted fields now lay barren under the cloudless sky of a hot summer. The locusts had destroyed the crops, and the intense summer heat and lack of rain had resulted in ruined pastures and insufficient water supplies. Again, the prophet’s description draws our attention to God’s promise of curses for disobedience: “And the heavens over your head shall be brass, and the earth under you shall be iron. The Lord will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down upon you until you are destroyed” (Deuteronomy 28:23,24).

Joel describes the desolation that had already occurred and the turmoil the people had been experiencing for some time. Until this point, Joel’s descriptions have been in the present tense. But now, the prophet links the present distress with something yet to come—an even greater time of trouble that lies in the immediate future.

Joel warns that “the day of the Lord is near.” Four other prophets in four different centuries gave the same warning (Isaiah 13:6; Ezekiel 30:3; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7,14). In each case, the day of the Lord was imminent, and was a day of divine visitation wherein the wrath of God would be poured upon the ungodly.

The apostle Peter, writing many centuries later, clearly places the day of the Lord in the future, and associates it with the time of the Second Coming of Christ (2 Peter 3:3–12). This is the “great day of…wrath” the apostle John foresaw (Revelation 6:17).

But how can this be? How can prophets and apostles living hundreds of years apart say that the day of the Lord is near?

The day of the Lord is any day of divine visitation. God has intervened and brought both destruction and deliverance many times in the past, and each divine act was a “day of the Lord.” Each day of divine visitation points to and serves as a forerunner of the final judgment of the present age. Therefore the day of the Lord can be both near and distant. For Joel and other Old Testament prophets, the day of the Lord was near in that divine punishments for disobedience were imminent. However, since God’s promise of divine retribution for the ungodly was never exhausted in any past intervention, the ultimate and final day of the Lord lies in the future.

II.    Judgment and Restoration

 The Coming Judgment

1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near, 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. 3 Fire devours before the, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but after them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, and like war horses they run. 5 As with the rumbling of chariots, they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, like a powerful army drawn up for battle. 6 Before them peoples are in anguish, all faces grow pale. 7 Like warriors they charge, like soldiers they scale the wall. They march each on his way, they do not swerve from their paths. 8 They do not jostle one another, each marches in his path; they burst through the weapons and are not halted. 9 They leap upon the city, they run upon the walls; they climb up into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. 10 The earth quakes before the, the heavens tremble. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 11 The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his host is exceedingly great; he that executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; who can endure it? (Joel 2:1–11).

 The fact that the day of the Lord “is coming” indicates very strongly that the events described in 2:1–11 are future to the locust plague, which has already taken place. Further, the destruction described in 2:1–11 suggests that this is a plague of a different sort than the earlier one.

This is the second time Joel speaks of the rapidly approaching day of the Lord. The prophet warns of a coming invasion, and describes the invaders in terms reminiscent of the locust plague of chapter one. Their number is so great that their distant approach appears to be a huge shadow. They leap, devour, climb, run upon the walls, and turn the garden of paradise into an empty wasteland. The prophet draws from the earlier plague in his description of this “great and powerful people,” but makes it clear that these invaders are not locusts.

This exceedingly great host cannot be another swarm of locusts, for “their like has never been from of old.” The desolation resulting from the locusts and drought was thorough, so another swarm of locusts could hardly bring unparalleled destruction.

The invader is called “the northerner” in verse 20. Both the Assyrians (in 701 B.C.) and Babylonians (in 598 and 588 B.C.) invaded from the north, so the prophecy most likely pertains to one of these encroachments, depending upon when Joel lived. The locust plague served as a harbinger of this far worse invasion.

As with the locust plague and drought of chapter one, this prophecy must be viewed in light of the covenantal curses of Deuteronomy 28: “The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies….and they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your land (verses 49,52).

The invading army is God’s army. It may seem strange that the warriors of a foreign nation are called God’s army, but it should be understood that they are God’s army in the sense that god uses them to chasten His own nation.

The Only Hope

12 “Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mournings; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil. 14 Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, a cereal offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. 17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare thy people, O Lord, and make not thy heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:12–17).

 God calls upon the people to turn to Him in heart-rending repentance, and assures them that “even now,” at this late date, it is still possible to mend the broken relationship. The problem is with the unwillingness of the people, not with God. His love, mercy, and graciousness far exceed the ordinary human boundaries of these qualities. He is “slow to anger” in that He always allows plenty of time for repentance, and sends prophets to warn His people and give them a chance to repent before being severely chastised. God “repents of evil” in that He changes His course of action and withholds punishment—“relents from sending calamity” (NIV)—when His people turn to Him in wholehearted repentance.

Unfortunately, many believe that God foreordained every event that would ever happen over the entire course of human history, from the beginning to the end. This is clearly not true. Joel’s prophecy, alongside many other prophecies of Scripture, reveals the conditional nature of prophetic pronouncements. Here, Joel declares that the day of the Lord is near. He even indicates that God has already selected and prepared His army to carry out the punishment He has determined upon His people. Yet, the prophet cites God’s own call for repentance in assuring the people that their future depends upon whether they turn from their evil and restore their relationship with God.

Joel asks, “Who knows whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him…?” This is almost identical to the hopes expressed by the repentant king of Nineveh after hearing of Jonah’s pronouncement of doom upon the city (Jonah 3:9). The question is notwhether God will respond positively to the people’s repentance, but how He will respond. Who knows?—In addition to calling off the invasion, He might restore everything that’s been lost, and then add some additional blessings! The priesthood could begin sacrificing again, and the joyous worship of God could be recaptured.

Joel reiterates God’s call for fasting and repentance. He calls for a solemn assembly of all the people, exempting no one, not even the children, infants, and newlyweds. He calls for the priests, the ministers who represent the people before God, to go to God with contrite hearts and pray on behalf of the assembled crowd. Only then would God relent from bringing calamity upon the nation—but if the people would offer to him the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, He would do it gladly.

Repentance is the key.

Divine Deliverance

18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. 19 The Lord answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. 20 I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his front into the eastern sea, and his rear into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. 21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things! 22 Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree brings its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full yield.  23 Be glad, O sons of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25 I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, a your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame” (Joel 2:18–27).

 God assures the repentant people that He will drive away the enemy, bring an end to the drought, and restore all that was lost in the locust plague. The people will then rejoice before God, praising Him as the faithful Provider who defends, protects, and preserves His people, and who dwells in the midst of Israel.

Rather than allow the invaders to overtake the land, God will scatter them, sending them into the desert, the Dead Sea (“eastern sea”), and the Mediterranean (“western sea”). As Deuteronomy 28:7 states, “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways.”

On the one hand, this entire section expresses the ideal outcome, and should be understood as conditional. On the other hand, it prophetically points to both the temporal restoration (which did occur) and the ultimate restoration of Israel in the future. The assurance that God’s people “will never again be put to shame” points to the future period when God will regather the scattered descendants of Jacob and renew the Covenant with them (Jeremiah 31:31–40; Ezekiel 37:21–28; 39:25–29).

The history of Israel and Judah is a history of curses and blessings. At times, the prophets warned of the nearness of national calamities due to the sins of the people; at other times God blessed the people because they turned to Him in repentance. Unfortunately, such “revivals” were always short-lived.

In summary, this section (2:18–27) should be understood three ways: 1) It expresses the ideal outcome and is therefore conditional. 2) It speaks of the temporal effects of the people’s repentance, and refers to actual events in Israel’s history. 3) It prophetically describes the ultimate restoration of Israel and fulfillment of God’s promise to gather the scattered people to their own land, reestablish His Covenant with them, and make them the model nation they were intended to be.

The prophesied events of the following sections will ultimately be fulfilled after the restoration of Israel—during the millennial reign of Christ—but it is a mistake to place the entire spectrum of fulfillment for these prophecies on the other side of the Second Coming. Indeed, the promises contained in these prophesied events have already been fulfilled to some extent.

God’s Spirit to be Poured Out

28 “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 upon the manservants and maidservants in those days, I will pour out my spirit. 30 And I will give portents 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 terrible day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered; 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” (Joel 2:28–32).

The term “afterward” in verse 28 is important. It tells us that the events described in the subsequent verses occur at some point after the events described in the previous sections. The outpouring of the Spirit of God will take place at some undesignated time after the “day of the Lord” described in 2:1-11. Yet, 2:31b seems to indicate that the outpouring of the Spirit and celestial/terrestrial portents (2:30,31) take place before the “great and terrible day of the Lord” arrives.

This seeming conflict can be resolved once we understand that the “day of the Lord” of 2:1–11 happened long before the time of Christ, and that the “great and terrible day of the Lord” of 2:31 is the eschatological day of the Lord—the same “day of the Lord” mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:2–4 and 2 Peter 3:10, and described through the powerful symbolism of the book of Revelation (6:15–17; 8:1–9:21; 11:15–19; 16:1–21; 19:1–21). The “great and terrible day of the Lord” is the culmination of all previous days of divine visitation. The portents in heaven and earth will precede, and announce the arrival of, that day. God’s Spirit will be poured out before that day arrives; however, the everlasting nature of the blessings described in this section indicates that the greater outpouring will occur after, or during, the eschatological day of the Lord.

Preliminary fulfillments of this prophecy occurred in Jerusalem (Acts 2), at Samaria (Acts 8), and Caesarea (Acts 10). From God’s prospective in eternity, these occurrences and all subsequent down-pourings of the Holy Spirit are seen as a single event. The event began on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit descended with a sound “like the rush of might wind” (Act 2:2), but did not end there. It continued in the days subsequent to Pentecost, and has not yet been completed!

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter cites Joel 2:28–32 and declares that the downpour of the Spirit they were experiencing is a direct fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy (Acts 2:16–21). That the prophecy is open-ended and subject to future fulfillments is indicated in the promise of salvation for “whoever calls on the name of the Lord” (2:21; cf. Joel 2:32).

The book of Revelation reveals that the Pentecost event will be repeated in the end-time, just before the great and terrible day of the Lord. When Christ opens the sixth seal, a great earthquake accompanied (or followed) by heavenly signs occurs (Revelation 6:12–14). These occurrences are not unlike those Joel predicted (Joel 2:30,31), and, like the portents of Joel’s prophecy, these begin before the final day of the Lord. This is indicated in Revelation 6:15–17, where everyone from the kings to the slaves call for the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them “from the face of him [God] who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb [Christ]; for the great day of their wrath [the final day of the Lord] has come….” Then, before Christ opens the seventh seal, which represents the final day of the Lord, 144,000 Israelites are “sealed…upon their foreheads” (7:3,4). These are followed by “a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation” (7:9). Apparently, the innumerable multitude is also “sealed” before the wrath of God is poured upon sinful humanity.

The seal sets the servants of God apart for protection from God’s wrath during the tumultuous day of the Lord (Revelation 9:4). But what does the seal consist of? Paul writes, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). Those who turn to God in heart-rending repentance and accept His provisions for salvation are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it” (1:13,14).

The 144,000 Israelites and great multitude from all nations are set apart, or sealed, by the Holy Spirit immediately before the day of the Lord commences. This suggests that another great downpour of the Spirit will occur in the time of the end. Perhaps it will be even greater than the downpour that occurred in the days of the apostles. At any rate, it is certain that the prophetic downpour of the Spirit was not exhausted in first-century Jerusalem, Samaria, and Caesarea.

It is also important to realize that Joel’s prophecy of the down-pouring Spirit is not restricted to the boundaries of a restored nation of Israel. God’s Spirit is to be poured upon “all flesh” (Joel 2:28), not just the Israelites. This is consistent with the promise God had given to Abraham, which is the basis of the covenant between God and Israel. God had said to Abraham, “And I will make you a great nation….and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves [or be blessed]” (Genesis 12:2,3).

The pattern of the Abrahamic promise is seen in the formation and growth of the apostolic church. Abraham’s children were the first to receive the Spirit, but soon afterward the Samaritans and other non-Israelites received it. The pattern seems to be repeated in the sealing of the 144,000 Israelites and great multitude from all nations. It will repeat once more when the Messianic Kingdom is established.

Te ultimate and final fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy will dwarf the initial fulfillment that occurred in the days of the apostles.

III.  Divine Blessings for Zion

 Israel’s Enemies Overthrown

1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehosh’aphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there, on accounts of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations, and have divided up my land, 3 and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and have sold a girl for wine, and have drunk it. 4 What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will requite your deed upon your own head swiftly and speedily. 5 For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. 6 You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, removing them far from your own border. 7 But now I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will requite your deed upon your own head. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabe’ans, to a nation far off; for the Lord has spoken.” 9 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare war, stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.” 11 Hasten and come, all you nations round about, gather yourselves there. Bring down thy warriors, O Lord. 12 Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehosh’aphat for there I will sit to judge all the nations round about. 13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the wine press is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. 14Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. 16 And the Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel (Joel 3:1–16).

Continuing the thought, God speaks of “those days” when the captives of Judah and Jerusalem will be brought back. While this occurred at the end of the Babylonian exile, its ultimate fulfillment is yet future. At that time, god will enter judgment with the nations who had scattered His people. To God, there is little difference between a day and a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8), so the events of ancient times and the events of the last days of the present age are closely related. This is why God can speak of ultimate things in an ancient context. He links the past to the future by referring to the deeds of ancient Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia as He speaks of the future restoration of Israel. The judgments pronounced against those nations, while fulfilled in history, apply to end-time nations performing the deeds of those ancient enemies of Israel.

Isaiah’s depiction of nations living at peace is reversed. Rather than beating their swords into plowshares (Isaiah 2:4), the nations called to the valley of Jehoshaphat for judgment are told to beat their plowshares into swords and prepare for war. Again, “the day of the Lord is near.” That this is the eschatological day of the Lord is certain because it is linked with the celestial and terrestrial portents (compare 2:30,31 with 3:15,16).

The Glorious Future

17 “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwell in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy and strangers shall never again pass through it.18 And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the stream beds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the valley of Shittim. 19 Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. 20 But Judah shall be inhabited for ever, and Jerusalem to all generations. 21 I will avenge their blood, and I will not clear the guilty, for the Lord dwells in Zion” (Joel 3:17–21).

This is quite a different picture from that of the locust plague and drought of chapter one and the foreign invasion of chapter two. God is no longer far removed from His nation, but dwells in Zion. Full and joyous worship has been restored in Jerusalem, and all the enemies of Israel have been vanquished, their lands inheriting the curse earlier placed upon the land of promise. Zion, on the other hand, is a veritable paradise, overflowing with both material and spiritual blessings.

The return of Jesus Christ will bring not only severe judgment for the ungodly, but blessings to those who turn to God in whole-hearted repentance. In that day, Christ will regather the scattered descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and give them the land He promised to their forefathers. Then, “the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:2–4).

That’s what the future holds for Israel and the world.

But the book of Joel is not just a story of what is going to happen. It is far more than a mere prediction about what we can expect. It is a call to repentance! The message for us is contained within God’s admonition to Joel’s original audience: “’Yet even now,’ says the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’”

This is what God wants for each of us. Turning to Him with fasting and weeping simply means giving our lives to Him completely. It means committing ourselves to becoming a pliable lump of clay to be molded and formed by the hands of the Master Potter. It means accepting His provisions, obeying His laws, bowing before the King He appoints as Ruler over all Israel and the world, and trusting Him without wavering.

That, above all else, is the message God wants us to glean from the book of Joel.

EET-Evidence of the End Times

Speaking of the end times, Jesus said, “Learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things [signs of the end of the age], know that He [Jesus] is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:32–33). Are we seeing the “fig tree” beginning to bud? Have we finally entered the “season” of the end times? Is the return of Christ “near, even at the doors”?

In Luke’s account of the “fig tree” analogy, Jesus adds this important exhortation: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36).

In Mark 13, Jesus privately tells Peter, James, John, and Andrew of events and conditions that will lead to the end of the age. He tells them of many future events, some of which would happen in their lifetimes. Yet, none of them realized it would take many centuries before the prophecy would run its course.

We must remember that the relationship of time and prophetic events that are portrayed in our Bibles are often seen from God’s perspective and concept of time as the standard. Therefore, remember a thousand years is as one day to Him (2 Peter 3:8), making it understandable as to why Peter would say, as he did on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, “Ye men of Judea, …hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day [approximately 9 a.m.]. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:14-16). Then Peter proceeds to take a quantum leap and quote Joel 2:28–30, which says, “And it shall come to pass in the last days.” Peter further explains about the sun turning to darkness and the moon turning blood red right before the notable “Day of the Lord.” And yet this happened two thousand years ago! How can this be? Keep in mind; as far as God was concerned, it was only about two days ago. In other words, if you were to ask Peter if we were in the end times, based on his initial presentation two thousand years ago, it’s fair to say he would have told you unequivocally, YES! “Never Before…”

As much as the early New Testament apostles thought they were in the end times, little did they know how many centuries would pass before mankind would achieve the capability to completely destroy all of civilization around the world. Jesus said, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows” (Mark 13:8).

However, since many of these mentioned events have occurred regularly over the passing centuries and humanity’s legacy is one of war, multiple calamities and assorted natural disasters, many modern day pundits scoff at the thought that mankind’s days are now conclusively numbered. Even the apostle Peter saw this cynicism coming in his time when he described the attitude of some during the last days (2 Peter 3:3–10).

So, if these modern times are indeed any different, what is it that makes them that way? Are these the final days and times Jesus was talking about? And if they are, how are they any different from the many times before? Why shouldn’t we consider it just another cycle of violence, unrest, calamities, and more war and destruction?

It would do us well to consider the terminology of the Apostle Peter when he said, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…” (2 Peter 3:10). This is an interesting characterization. The notion you’re given is that some of us will be caught off guard and taken by surprise when Jesus returns and the heavens and earth begin to pass away. This is why Jesus explains to us that we should learn the parable of the fig tree. He warns us to WATCH! Why? So we will be prepared physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Committed to never giving or letting up! We should be like the good man of the house, who if he had known what watch the thief would come, he would not have suffered his house to be broken into. In other words, BE PREPARED because we are living in a day and age unlike any other time in the history of mankind; and if we become complacent, we could suffer loss. So watch and consider the following “buds of the fig tree.”

Never before has there been a time when the world has been so tightly knitted together by the “cyberspace highway.” It is indeed a global community and growing world economy! Exports and imports are shipped throughout most of the world in what can almost be characterized as a developing “seamless” social order. Even China, a country espousing a completely opposing political ideology with the West, is now one of the largest trading and/or investment partners with North America, Europe, and South America. Never before have the economies of China, Korea, India, and many of the Asian countries exploded into such a frenzy of social commerce. The consumption of goods and services has become a force to be reckoned with in the last decade, even causing shortages of raw materials in some areas. Additionally, the competition to acquire raw materials is becoming more acute. The labor force in some of these countries has grown hundreds of percentage points producing trade deficits in the West that appear to be insurmountable due to this cheap available labor.

Never before has there been such international turmoil of the magnitude we have today over culture, politics, religion, energy, environment, and terrorism. “Nuclear energy management” is a central issue for much of the world’s paranoia regarding the security of the global community. Despots in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, parts of Africa, and South America continue to “saber rattle” and hold the world hostage while they periodically use the United Nations to forge their policies of nuclear development and uranium enrichment under the guise of domestic energy needs. It is a precarious situation at best among the G-8 nations to attempt to manage this extremely hot issue and find any sincere and truthful mutual concessions. Everyone seems to have his own agenda. It is impossible to satisfy all concerned. God’s Word says, “The way of peace they know not.”

Never before has Europe ignited into such a global powerhouse! Today, heralding the union of twenty-five nation states (and growing!) under a common European Union (EU), it is attempting to aspire to a level of geopolitical influence it hasn’t experienced since the days of the Ottomans, Hapsburgs, or Napoleon. Today, the EU is brokering peace accords in the Middle East and negotiating with both Palestine and Israel. It is also actively developing its own constitution so it can operate and construct policies more uniformly, along with a strike force and a common currency. Currently, the EU has interfered with corporate mergers belonging to the United States that were hoping to do business in Europe, while at the same time setting industrial standards for corporations around the world, and continuing to gain additional economic leverage throughout the globe by virtue of its currency, the euro.

The euro, presently worth more than the dollar, has acquired a prominent role as the world’s accepted back-up currency behind the dollar. As a matter of fact, that may change very soon as the dollar continues to lose confidence around the world and the OPEC nations seriously consider the euro as the preferred currency for oil. This potential shift stands to create far reaching worldwide economic effects that will impact many of the economies around the world, if and/or when it happens. Europe persistently maintains being the driving force behind the globalization of the world’s community of nations. It is no secret that many of the European leaders intend for the EU to become a type of “United States of Europe,” functioning in the role of a resurrected Roman Empire. Even the Catholic Church has recognized the emergence of this “Euroclydon Power” and is attempting to influence European opinion for its accepted place and role going into the future.

Never before have these European geopolitical “assimilated conditions” come together in such modern times, with technologies in place, political, economic, and religious prowess in line, and a grass roots acceptance from the populace. The potential of fulfilling what Daniel said is fast becoming a practical matter. Notice: “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully [by wonderful works] and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people [people of the holy ones]. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace [prosperity] shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes [Jesus Christ]; but he shall be broken without hand” (Daniel 8: 23–25).

Remember, Daniel also prophesied that “the judgment shall sit, and they [Jesus Christ and His resurrected immortals] shall take away his [a king of fierce countenance, the beast] dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions [earthly rulers] shall serve and obey him” (Daniel 7:26–27). This is very good news! It is at the heart of the Gospel!

Never before have Israel and its neighboring countries been so outspoken about their intents to protect their own territories and policies. Though this area of the world has been a “lightning rod” of strife and animosity affecting the world since the inception of Israel as a legitimate nation state in 1948, recently the intensity appears to have turned a corner for the worse. Terrorism has exacerbated the conditions, causing them to become extremely volatile, with potentials of endangering the rest of the world. The nuclear policies and intents of surrounding Arab countries continue to agitate much of the world’s community of nations with concerns of potential reactionary violence erupting from terrorist groups or irrational government military action. It wouldn’t take much to encircle Jerusalem with foreign armies (Luke 21:20).

Never before has there been an Israeli Sanhedrin in place driving ahead to construct a Temple. Currently, though without Israeli government recognition, this Sanhedrin is moving ahead to assemble engineers and architects for the development of detailed working plans to bring this project to an operational stage. The Sanhedrin is presently calling upon the Jewish people to contribute towards the acquisition of materials for the purpose of rebuilding the holy Temple!

As described in the Daniel 12, it is clear that “daily sacrifices shall be taken away” (Daniel 12:11). That, of course, presumes the fact that there must be a sacrificial system in place that will be stopped. We understand that this happens around the time when “he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished” (Daniel 12:7). It is further clarified that these things happen at the “time of the end” (Daniel 12:9).

Additionally, with a temple built and the daily sacrifices stopped, conditions conducive for “the abomination that makes desolate” can be set up (Daniel 12:11; Matthew 24:15; Mark13:14). Remember, at some point even the apostle Paul recognized that a man would come along “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

Never before has there been such an explosion of anti-Christ sentiment. Christian persecution, even among Sunday-keeping Christians, is on the increase around the world. The humanistic, secular culture of the West, especially throughout England, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, has reduced and/or diminished the name of Jesus Christ from any public influence and/or display except in the area of the Church. Currently, there are movements trying to rid the educational systems of any Christian influence, as it is in politics or on government buildings. Today lawsuits are targeted in many instances to confront Christian values with the growing humanist “value system” within our culture. The abandonment of the God of our Bible and Judeo-Christian values is fast becoming evident to many throughout the West.

Islam is advancing around the world today and enjoys the prominence of being the fastest growing religious faith in the world. If it continues at the current pace of growth, some have said, it will exceed Catholicism in Europe by the year 2015. Islam is an “anti-Christ” religion, as are many faiths around the world outside of Christianity. This, too, has never occurred in a day and age when science and technology have produced weapons with mind-boggling destructive potential.

Never before has there been such an outpouring of anti-American rhetoric throughout the globe. In today’s world, many nations want what the American economy and market, resources, and military have to offer. There are literally multiple millions of people immigrating to the United States, legally as well as illegally, attempting to share in the “American Dream.” However, at the same time they will criticize, ridicule, and deride anything they can about the exercise of its power or political influence and the freedoms American culture enjoys.

Never before has the United States enjoyed such exclusive role recognition, identified among the community of nations as the last remaining superpower of the “Cold War Era.” While the British had enjoyed their dominance, controlling at one time fourteen million square miles of planet Earth, it is apparent, like never before, the sun is finally setting on the British Empire.

However, today the United States is enjoying the apex of its material, political, and military prowess, serving in the prominent role as a balance of power among many terrifying conditions that could rapidly deteriorate into a massive global conflict. Many of us don’t understand just how fragile and dangerous these circumstances really are. Yet, it seems for many throughout the world, there is nothing they would like more than to see the United States failing in its role and attempting to be the counterbalance of an endangered world, threatened by so much irrational anger and militant behavior. Unfortunately, trends are beginning to indicate those gainsayers repudiating the United States will ultimately get what they are hoping for.

Never before has the United States been so vulnerable to collapse. There is the proverbial “handwriting on the wall.” In so many areas there are trends that, if they continue, will definitely conclude with the same result the northern ten tribes of Israel experienced. In 2 Kings, the record of why God took Israel down and allowed their land to be destroyed is clear. “Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah by all the prophets…. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant…and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them…. And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God…. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight…also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God…And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel…the LORD removed Israel out of his sight…so was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day” (2 Kings 17:13–23).

The United States is morally bankrupt. Corruption runs rampant throughout politics, religion, and business. Private interest groups are tearing at the very fabric of the American culture. Families are in disarray. Divorce runs in excess of 60 percent of all marriages. And marriage itself is under attack, being redefined according to the homosexual agenda, while at the same time, the United States allows approximately two million unborn human beings to be murdered by legalized abortion. It’s a sad state of affairs—and God is not amused!

The United States of America was indeed framed by imperfect men God used who viewed this new homeland of “the free and the brave” through the paradigm of God’s Holy Word, both Old and New Testaments of the Bible. God has blessed the United States of America with so much wealth in so many areas—in spite of our national transgression; He now owes our nation nothing! The promises made of material wealth and affluence to the ancient patriarch Abraham and his descendents have been fulfilled. When properly understood, this is a most frightful truth!

The proof of this daunting realization of our current geopolitical distinction is: NEVER BEFORE has the United States enjoyed the exclusive role as the dominant WORLD POWER! And regrettably, America has been weighed against God’s Word and has been found miserably wanting. As the people of the United States stand before God, this nation is viewed to be in the process of “giving up” on Him and becoming more Epicurean and hedonistic in their ways as never before. As the nation moves away from God, so God will remove Himself. And along with His departure, so goes His protection as with ancient Israel. The pattern is the same, and God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. History has proven this to be true!

Much More Could Be Said

So much more could be said about geopolitical conditions, and much could be said about the weather, about the potential for major droughts and famines, earthquakes and volcanic activity, and deadly disease pandemics; but it’s apparent to those who have eyes to see that the “fig tree” is indeed beginning to bud! It is vitally IMPORTANT that we do not underestimate the perilous times we’re living in! We are consistently reminded that we know not the hour when our Lord will come. We are also reminded that the days will be shortened for the elect’s sake, because if they weren’t, no flesh would remain alive. God has assured us He won’t let that happen.

We need to consider there are conditions that could easily erupt into a rapid progression of circumstances igniting the world into catastrophic chaos. The book of Revelation explains that “power was given unto them [the four horsemen] OVER THE FOURTH PART of the earth, to kill with the sword [second horseman], and with hunger [third horseman], and with death [fourth horseman], and with the beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:8).

The apostle John is warning us that 25 percent of the population of the world will be destroyed by the effects of these four horsemen contained in the FIRST FOUR SEALS (Revelation 6:8)! Then following right on the heels of these first four seals, is the fifth seal describing a horrific Christian martyrdom. Quickly following is the sixth seal, describing heavenly signs in the sky, with the seventh seal opening up thereafter to announce the “seven trumpets,” outlining the great day of God’s wrath (Revelation 6:17).

With that said, all true believers need to realize the prophetic events we know are scripted to happen in the Bible may occur by circumstances and conditions that are not necessarily detailed in our Bible. Remember, World Wars I and II are not listed, yet they have had major influence in setting the current geopolitical stage. So have oil, economics, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and the vast cultural malaise and the rise of computer technology and the Internet, none of which are detailed in the Bible.

However, all of these items are factors contributing to the massive trends catapulting the world toward a “new world order” that will position three major powers to face off with each other in the latter days: the King of the North, the King of the South, and those powers to the northeast of Jerusalem (Daniel 11:40–45). Sadly, it is obvious the influence and military might of the United States and Britain will have been previously neutralized, eliminating them from any involvement as a nation during these latter day conflicts.

With the United States and Britain out of the way, a “times of the Gentiles” will ensue. Events leading up to and causing the downfall of God’s birthrighted cultures, resulting in enormous casualties and the death of thousands of Christians (Revelation 6:9–11), will certainly cause a mammoth geopolitical shift that will lead to the fulfillment of many end-time events prophesied in Scripture.

The point is, we are living in volatile times that are unlike any time before. Today, one terrorist, through one mindless act of violence, can kill thousands! Think of what mayhem a team of well-organized terrorists could cause, especially if they were able to acquire weapons of mass destruction! Indeed, a series of terrorist attacks could quickly send the global community into a tailspin, throwing it headlong into the abyss of chaos and confusion. Beware, and WATCH (Luke 21:29–36)! Global turbulence continues to escalate; a storm is brewing! Indeed, the “fig tree” is putting forth “buds”!

The apostle Paul reminds us, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of the darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and that that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thessalonians 5:1–11).

EFF-Evolution- Fact or Fallacy?

No one can deny that our complex universe is an astounding, majestic marvel. But how did it get here? Where did we come from? Does it really matter? Can it be, as so many contend, that this all just “happened” by some fortuitous cosmic accident? Or did it come about as the result of the careful design of an infinite God? Here are the facts you need to know!

Part 1: What the Experts Say

Evolution and Creation: the Contrast

What an age we live in! Ours is an age in which godless evolution is taken for granted and taught to our children as though it were scientific fact. The Bible, on the other hand, is regarded by many as though it were myth, theory, and conjecture. Nothing could be further from the truth. The public is being bombarded daily from nearly every avenue with the notion that the universe began with a cosmic accident-sometimes referred to as “the big bang”-and slowly evolved into the universe we see today including all life in it. The current standard operating assumption of naturalism is that nature is “all there is.” Is this a scientific fact, as some would have us believe, or is it a gigantic theoretical hoax? It is time we looked at the theory of evolution from a commonsense-and from a biblical-perspective instead of gullibly believing everything that is neatly packaged and delivered to us by those with an antisupernaturalistic bias.

Those who view science as the new Messiah often look down upon those who believe in the Bible account of creation and portray them as being naive, uneducated, and unenlightened. Evolutionistic pronouncements have priority over biblical statements. The Bible, it seems, must be reinterpreted whenever and wherever it contradicts the present evolutionary worldview. It is often alleged that Bible-believing Christians have nothing but blind faith to hold onto. Is this the case? Come, let us reason together. Would it be fair to ask evolutionists what they have to hang onto? Is it true that non-living elements were able to endue themselves with life and, once bringing themselves into being, to change themselves from one genesis kind to another, all the while climbing up an evolutionary ladder? By what observable laws of science have they done so? Have earth’s myriad life forms-plants, insects, birds, animals, and mankind-all evolved from one common ancestor? Is there evidence to support this notion? Or is our generation being taken in by the greatest hoax of all time-the theory of evolution?

No realistic person can deny that life on planet earth exists. But where did it come from and how did it get here? Everything had a beginning. There are only three ways to explain life on this planet: 1) Life has always existed. 2) Life came from non-life by some “natural” process. 3) Life was suddenly created by a higher power.

The first law of thermodynamics informs us that energy can be neither created nor destroyed and that energy or matter cannot be naturally created from nothing. It may be changed from one form to another, but never created nor destroyed. Yet, the evolutionary premise demands the initial creation of matter and energy from nothing.

The second law of thermodynamics, stated quite simply, is that spontaneity causes degradation-the tendency to run down. In other words, the universe runs just one way: it is like a great watch that is running down, not evolving to a higher state. The second law of thermodynamics describes a universal law of decay and disintegration over time. This is the diametric opposite of the evolutionary concept. Material things are not eternal. Nothing stays as fresh as it is the day one buys it; material items ultimately rot, rust, and return to dust. Everything ages and wears out. The effects of the second law of thermodynamics are all around us, touching everything in the universe. This second law of thermodynamics is, in fact, one of the major reasons many evolutionists have dropped their theory in favor of creationism. The logic is inescapable.

The second law of thermodynamics attests to the inevitable heat death of the universe and proves that there has been no past eternity of matter. Since this degradation of matter can be measured, we know that not enough time has gone by for all matter to run down since it was created. Thus, we can eliminate the hypothesis that all matter has always existed. This means that matter had to begin to exist, and what begins to exist was necessarily caused to exist. Thus, there had to have been a First Cause!

The theory of biological evolution begins with an existing universe. It teaches, in effect, that all life forms resulted from mechanistic, naturalistic processes without the intervention of any outside agency. Natural selection and mutations, its proponents claim, can explain everything.

By contrast, the Holy Bible teaches that God created the heavens and the earth by divine fiat. Although some attempt to meld both claims together as one, they are truly irreconcilable if one takes the Bible literally. Huxley, the noted evolutionist, once admitted, “It is clear that the doctrine of evolution is directly antagonistic to that of creation. Evolution, if consistently accepted, makes it impossible to believe in the Bible.”

What Is the Theory of Evolution?

Evolution is essentially a philosophical theory designed to explain how life came from non-life by some peculiar intrinsic process. More specifically, it maintains that there is a gradual process in which things change from one genesis kind to another genesis kind by the unseen hand of “resident forces.” In the field of biology, it is the theory that groups of organisms change with passage of time, mainly as a result of natural selection, resident forces, mutations, and profound “leaps” so that descendants differ morphologically and physiologically from their ancestors. Where, we ask, is the proof of such an affirmation? What are these mysterious “resident forces” and where did they come from and what makes them work? Are they still working today and, if so, where is the evidence?

Going further, common usage of the word “evolution” conveys the idea that living things in our world have come into being through a long unguided naturalistic process starting from a primeval mass of subatomic particles and radiation over a period of approximately 1520 billion years (give or take a few billion depending upon your authority). If evolution be true, the burden of proof is on its proponents, not creationists. In truth, the theory of evolution is an attempt to explain the creation without a Creator.

A more precise understanding of the evolutionary theory divides the act of conveying “atoms to people” into four categories: 1) cosmology, 2) abiogenesis, 3) micro-evolution, and 4) macro-evolution.

Cosmology is the branch of astronomy which deals with the origin and formation of the general structure of the universe. The belief that the atoms of a “big bang” eventually produced people all by themselves (that is, without any intelligent guidance) is contrary to the well-proven second law of thermodynamics, which demonstrates that the universe is known to be “running down.” Yet evolution postulates it is “building up and changing through time.” While many try to push beginnings back into the undiscoverable past, we must still ask the fundamental questions of where these first atoms come from, and to what laws did they conform, and where did these laws come from? Something cannot come from nothing either g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y or suddenly.

By analogy, if you were to cup your hands together and peek through your fingers-imaging that the space between your hands was a total vacuum (no matter!)-how long would you have to wait until “something” appeared out of “nothing”? Answer: an eternity. How much longer would we have to wait until all the matter in all the vast universe appeared in a materialless universe? When put into such simple terms, one wonders how one’s mind can seriously entertain the idea.

Abiogenesis refers to first life-the production of living organisms from non-living matter. “Atoms-to-people” evolution resembles a religious belief more than scientific fact. With all his technological skills today-even after “cracking” the gene code-man cannot create a single living cell-not a worm or a mosquito-let alone demonstrate the premise of evolution. Whether conscious of the fact or not, many today harbor an anti-supernaturalistic bias which prevents them from believing that God literally created our universe, earth, plants, animals, and people just as described in the book of Genesis. We will see that there is really no sound reason not to believe in a literal creation just as the Bible presents it, while the mind reels at the evolutionary concept.

Microevolution (small adaptations): No one, including creation scientists, disputes that so-called “microevolution”- which is variation within a type of organism caused by natural selection-occurs and may be responsible for the large number of species found within a type. This is not real evolution and yet nearly all touted evidences for evolution are of this category. Actually, “microevolution” is a misnomer because it implies that “a little” evolution is continually taking place and that, over eons of time, these add up to big changes. In actuality, no evolution is taking place at all because there is no increase in complexity, such as the development of a new organ or species, but merely the accentuation of some already present feature over others. A change in eye or hair color, for example, is not an evolutionary change, but merely a variation within the same genesis kind.

A classic example of natural selection is the peppered moth changing its predominant color in response to recent environmental pollution in an industrial area in Britain. Before pollution darkened the landscape, it is claimed, both light and dark moths were equally present. It is claimed that within the past one hundred years the moth has been “evolving” from a light color to a dark color. This darker coloring, it is claimed, provides protective camouflage from predatory birds and other enemies because it now blends in with pollution-darkened surroundings. Such clever reasoning has deceived many. This adaptation is not, however a change in kind or species where one life forms develops into another kind or species. Regardless which variety survives best in a given environment, they do not change into a different kind or family of organism. A moth is still a moth and nothing “new” is formed. Adaptation has limits beyond which no more change is possible. A horse and a donkey can produce a hybrid mule, for example, but the mule is sterile. It has reached the limits of its “kind.”

Macroevolution (giant leaps), or general evolution, refers to the progression from simple to more and more complex forms of life. Though much debated, the popular explanations for microevolution are via “mutation” and “natural selection.” Large-scale change from one type of organism into another, or so-called “macroevolution,” is far beyond the ability of mutation or natural selection to produce. Most evolutionists dodge this issue by acknowledging this is still a “research question.” Even non-creation scientists such as Denton and Behe have written books documenting why this is impossible. The “geologic column,” or layers of strata, which has been cited as proof of evolution occurring in the past, is better explained as the result of a devastating global flood as described in the Bible. Virtually all evolutionists acknowledge that the fossil record consists of already fully formed creatures that abruptly appear. There are no “half-formed” or transitional fossils of any kind.

Mutations (“blunders” and happenstance) are suggested to have altered or provided new genetic material used for reproduction. Some suggest that exposure to radiation altered isolated life forms into other, more advanced, life forms. Since this theory was first introduced it has been demonstrated that naturally occurring mutations are very rare, and that all known mutations are harmful. Various arguments supporting evolution are just as irrational and illogical. Two-headed frogs or snakes do not evolve into a new species of reptile or warm-blooded animal.

Natural selection does just what is says. It only “selects” from what is already present-it cannot change or create anything new! Natural selection states that those individuals which posses some advantage in the environment such as being camouflaged, more fierce, or a faster runner are more likely to leave behind more offspring, thereby increasing the probability of passing the advantage on to future generations. This may be true, but it does not cause any biological changes in the genesis kind and is not evolution.

Upon examination, we see that two of the most obvious weaknesses of the theory of evolution are:

  1. There is no adequate explanation for the origin of life from non-living elements or chemicals.
  2. The fact remains that even the simplest life form is tremendously complex.

When we examine the fossil record, which is the only alleged support of whether evolution actually occurred in the past, we find that it lacks any transitional forms. All animals, birds, reptiles, and fish appear suddenly, already fully formed and fully functional when first present, just as they are today. If evolution was a fact, there should be billions upon billions of transitional evidence-half-formed mammals that did not evolve far enough to “make it” and therefore reproduce. Our museums should contain more half- or partially formed fossils than fully formed ones. To repeat: there are no such transitional fossils on the face of the earth today. Not one. The law of “each after his kind” proves itself day-by-day to be in full force and effect. The evidence that “pre-men” existed is speculation based upon unproved speculation at best. So called pre-man fossils have turned out in every case to be those of wholly man, contemporary or extinct apes, or historical frauds. The patriarch Job spoke of base men driven by want and famine into the caves and rocks of the earth (Job 30:36), but these were coexisting men, not half-man, half-beast. True science has never yet produced the so-called “missing link” between species.

It may come as a surprise to some that there is no single view of evolution. There are nearly as many views as there are evolutionists to expound them. The majority of hardcore evolutionists, however, still concurs that, “somehow,” all life must have evolved through billions of years in all its complexity of its own accord. God is left totally out of the picture because such beliefs are not deemed by some as “scientific.” Coached in impressive pedantic terminology and illustrated in breath-taking step-by-step art forms, the theory of evolution is dropped into our children’s minds as though it were fact. Once the seed idea is planted it is difficult to dislodge. It has been said that it is ten times harder to unlearn error than to learn new truth. We need to get to the crux of the matter. Nothing can be more important.

Contrary to what many would have us believe, the Bible is not “against” true science. The very word “science” is from the Latin word scientia, meaning “to know.” The biblical mandate to “subdue” the earth in Genesis 1:28 requires us to understand it, which is what science is all about. We are cautioned, however, in 1 Timothy 6:20 to “avoid profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” The implication is that there is true science and there is pseudo-science, just as there is true religion and false religion. “Creation science” is simply the admission of science coupled with the acknowledgement that there is a Creator God. Let us go on to prove all things and hold fast that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

What the Experts Say

Many media-driven television programs would have us believe that nearly all scientists, paleontologists, geologists, astronomers, chemists, physicists, mathematicians, cosmologists, zoologists, geneticists, and physicians are in near complete harmony and agreement about the theory of evolution. The truth is just the opposite. Behind closed doors heated debates take place between scientists as to the mechanisms of the various proposed theories. Shortly, we shall list a few eye-opening quotations by some of the most prominent thinkers of our time concerning some of the various aspects of evolution. They are worthy of our consideration. Though many more quotations could be given, lest we exhaust the reader, the ones listed should be enough to convince any open-minded truth-seeker that all is not well in the realm of evolutionary hypotheses. Those listed below will suffice to show why hundreds of scientists are distancing themselves from the theory of evolution every year.

Cosmology: What the Experts Say Concerning the ‘Big Bang’ Theory

Cosmology is the theory concerning the origin, structure, and development of the material universe.

Let us all agree upon one thing: we exist. (For anyone who denies that this world is real and that we exist, it is recommended that he resort to the old “hatpin test.” He will soon suspect that we do exist!) We live in a material universe consisting of the basic ninety-two natural elements. Matter is defined as physical substance that occupies space and can be perceived by one or more of our five senses; something that has mass and exists as a solid, liquid, or gas; a physical body. Truly, matter does exist, but the question arises, where did matter come from? The universe as a whole is composed of matter, but how did it permeate the universe in the form of planets, stars, and galaxies? Where did the complicated and delicately balanced solar systems and heavenly bodies come from? What keeps them in balance? And how did the laws that govern matter originate?

Science has repeatedly demonstrated that there has been no past eternity of matter. It had to have a beginning. It came from somewhere. For millennia, philosophers and scientists have set forth their best theories and reasonings to explain creation without a Creator. The result has been a hopeless hodgepodge of conflicting hypotheses, conjecture, assumptions, and guesses.

It is relatively easy for the would-be evolutionary protagonist to speculate that this or that might have occurred if.and then go on to orchestrate a visionary scenario as to how he thinks these things could have “accidentally happened.” We would like to point out that those who dismiss “beginnings” can be likened to those who would come into the middle of a movie, as it were, and wish to move aside the former director, producers, and performers to direct and alter the happenings as they see fit. How convenient to begin with an already created, fully-functioning, law-abiding universe! It is as intellectually dishonest to dismiss true beginnings and interject one’s own interpretation somewhere in the middle as it is to lift a scripture out of context to “prove” one’s own slanted point of view. Beware of such skullduggery!

The “Big Bang” Theory

It is only logical that before evolutionists can even tackle the issue of the transmigration of species, they must first explain how matter and the universe came to exist in the first place.

As a substitute for divine revelation, evolutionists have devised a framework of theories in the 1920s through the 1940s which they call cosmology, to explain how matter in general, and stars in particular, could have come into existence. An extraordinary theory was invented called the “big bang” theory, which declares that, since there has been no past eternity of matter, in the beginning there was nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nada. Nothing. The logic is that when much of this “nothingness” gathered itself into one place it became so greatly compressed that it exploded and blew itself into hydrogen gas from which the entire universe evolved. Then somehow during this fantastic explosion, we are led to believe, the laws of thermodynamics invented themselves and caused the gas to congeal into “clumps.” So, the theory continues, as indeterminable periods of time elapsed, these clumps of gas billowed outward and congealed themselves into stars. From there all the

stars began exploding themselves into supernovas, but instead of these explosions destroying as they do today, these explosions “created.” Laws of physics, energy, light, gravitation, momentum, action and reaction, and so forth, are said to have manifested themselves and acted upon the matter, forcing it into far-flung galaxies and the vast universe we see today. Clothed in pedantic scientific rhetoric and impressive mathematical formulas, the theory was later christened “scientific.” Those who believed in it were called “enlightened.” It is reasoned that if enough time passes anything can happen. And so, in order to adapt the theory and make it seem plausible, the supposed age of the universe has been pushed back to a theoretical age of 1520 billion years (give or take a few billion), when the big bang is said to have occurred.

Science Versus the Big Bang

True science and common sense, however, refute the fallacy that “something” can explode out of nothing and organize itself into an intricate, law-abiding universe. If such a hypothesis were accepted, consider the following logical fallacies:

  1. At the risk of sounding trite, we must ask the question: Which came first, the laws of physics, or the physical matter that they operate upon? If there had been “nothing” in the beginning, there would have been nothing for such laws to act upon. If “something” grew gradually-or even “instantly”-out of nothing, where did the laws come from and what caused them to act upon matter? Law demands a lawgiver and is a proof of God.
  2. “Nothingness” is not squeezable or compressible. All the “nothingness” in the pre-universe could not pack itself together into “something.” It is an observable fact that the gas in outer space is millions of times more rarefied (thinner) in density than any fog on earth. Can you imagine trying to pack a valley of fog into a ball? Yet, by mere chance, according to some, such a metamorphosis is supposed to have accomplished this magic billions of times on an unimaginable scale throughout the universe!
  3. If there were no laws of physics, there was no way to compress free hydrogen gas-assuming it came into existence by itself in the first place-into a solid or semisolid form. There would be no action or reaction.
  4. Assuming that such a solidification of nothingness could have occurred anyway, there would be no mechanism to congeal it into a single point, and then stop it there.
  5. Assuming further that a universe-filling pre-atom did assemble itself, either once or-according to the “oscillating universe” theory-billions of times, out of nothingness and compact itself, there would have been nothing to explode it. Atoms do not just explode. There would be no combustion, no fire to ignite the nothingness-assuming that it was combustible-that had just assembled itself. Even a match will not ignite in a vacuum.
  6. Without the laws of physics there would have been no way to cause such a hypothetically compacted and ignited ball of matter to expand. There would be no way to propel this congealed nothingness outward. A total vacuum can neither contract nor expand. According to the laws of physics, it takes energy to do work, and there is no energy in emptiness.
  7. Once set into motion, even if the expanding nothingness could explode outward, there would be no way to later slow it down in frictionless space.
  8. There would be no way to clump it. It is impossible for gas to pack itself together on earth, much less in outer space without gravity. Gas disperses from high density to low density-not the other way around-with no way to produce heavier, more complex atoms and elements.
  9. There would be no way to produce stars because there would be no gravity. There is no way by which gas could form itself into stars, planets, and galaxies. Only after a star has been formed can it hold itself together by the law of gravity.
  10. There would not be enough time for the exploded gas to reach the edge of a universe of more than 20 billion light-years, and then convert itself into billions of stars, before the theoretical explosions were supposed to have stopped.

“It is absurd for the Evolutionist to complain that it is unthinkable for an admittedly unthinkable God to make everything out of nothing, and then pretend that it is more thinkable that nothing should turn itself into anything” (G.K. Chesterton in The Quotable Chesterton).

In Isaiah 1:18, the God of the Bible says, “Come, let us reason together.” Think for a moment: Do highly ordered systems emerge from disorder automatically? Do explosions in print shops produce encyclopedias? If you were to throw a mass of metal and glass into the air enough times, would it fall to earth as a fully assembled, perfect time-keeping wristwatch? No, random explosions do not produce encyclopediasor intricate planetary orbits. And haphazard explosions in the neither regions of space could never produce gravity, stellar rotations, or intricate orbits.

Scientists Speak Out

Theories come and theories go. Numerous scientists now agree that the “big bang” did not, and could not, occur. Scientists have illustrated why the theory is unworkable in many professional books and journals; yet, because of media hype, news coverage, and “nature programs” often aired on TV, the public is largely unaware that scientists disagree sharply upon their diverse speculations. For every theory advanced by man, someone else has advanced facts to prove that theory wrong. Let us look briefly at what some of the scientists themselves say about the big bang theory.

“The French Mathematician, Lecompte de Nouy, examined the laws of probability that a single molecule of high dissymmetry could be formed by the action of chance. De Nouy found that, on an average, the time needed to form one such molecule of our terrestrial globe would be about 10 to the 253 power billions of years. “But,” continued de Nouy, ironically, “let us admit that no matter how small the chance it could happen, one molecule could be created by such astronomical odds of chance. However, one molecule is of no use. Hundreds of millions of identical ones are necessary. Thus we either admit the miracle or doubt the absolute truth of science” (Quoted in “Is Science Moving Toward Belief in God?” by Paul A. Fisher, The Wanderer, Nov. 7, 1985; cited in Kingdoms In Conflict, C. Colson, p. 66).

“Probably the strongest argument against a ‘big bang’ is that when we come to the universe in total and the large number of complex condensed objects in it [stars, planets, etc.], the theory is able to explain so little” (G. Burbidge, Was There Really A Big Bang in Nature?, 233:3640).

“This persistent weakness has haunted the big bang theory ever since the 1930′s. It can probably be understood most easily by thinking of what happens when a bomb explodes. After detonation, fragments are thrown into the air, moving with essentially uniform motion. As is well known in physics, uniform motion is inert, capable in itself of doing nothing. It is only when the fragments of a bomb strike a target-a building for example-that anything happens… But in a big bang there are not targets at all, because the whole universe takes part in the explosion. There is nothing for the expanded material to hit against, and after sufficient expansion, the whole affair should go dead” (Fred Hoyle, “The Big Bang in Astronomy,” in New Scientist, 92, 1981, pp. 521, 523).

“The Big Bang is pure presumption. There are no physical principles from which it can be deduced that all of the matter in the universe would ever gather together in one location or an explosion would occur if the theoretical aggregation did take place.Theorists have great difficulty in constructing any self-consistent account of the conditions existing at the time of the hypothetical Big Bang. Attempts at mathematical treatment usually lead to concentration of the entire mass of the universe at a point. The central thesis of Big Bang cosmology,’ says Joseph Silk, ‘is that about 20 billion years ago, any two points in the observable universe were arbitrarily close together. The density of matter at this moment was infinite.’This concept of infinite density is not scientific. It is an idea from the realm of the supernatural, as most scientists realize when they meet infinities in other physical contexts. ‘If we get infinity [when we calculate], how can we ever say that this agrees with nature?’ This point alone is enough to invalidate the Big Bang theory in all its various forms” (Dewey B. Larson, The Universe of Motion, 1984, p. 415).

“The naive view implies that the universe suddenly came into existence and found a complete system of physical laws waiting to be obeyed” (W.H. McCrea, “Cosmology after Half a Century,” Science, Vol. 160, June 1968, p. 1297).

Still MORE Quotes Concerning Cosmology-Origins of the Universe

“If a watch proves the existence of a watchmaker but the universe does not prove the existence of a great Architect, then I consent to be called a fool” (Voltaire).

“The choice is simple: one chooses either a self-existent God or a self-existent universe-and the universe is not behaving as if it is self-existent” (A.J. Hoover).

“The statements of people who do not believe do not outweigh the circumstantial evidence that suggests the universe was the intelligent design of a Creator” (Russell DeLong).

“I have little hesitation in saying that a sickly pall now hangs over the big bang theory” (Sir Fred Hoyle, astronomer, cosmologist, mathematician, and evolutionist, Cambridge University).

“The likelihood of the formation of life from inanimate matter is one to a number with 40,000 noughts after it It is big enough to bury Darwin and the whole theory of evolution… if the beginnings of life were not random, they must therefore have been the product of purposeful intelligence” (Sir Fred Hoyle, astronomer, cosmologist and mathematician, Cambridge University).

“When I make an incision with my scalpel, I see organs of such intricacy that there simply hasn’t been enough time for natural evolutionary processes to have developed them” (C. Everett Koop, former US Surgeon General).

“The pathetic thing is that we have scientists who are trying to prove evolution, which no scientist can ever prove” (Dr. Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize winner and eminent evolutionist).

“The theory of evolution suffers from grave defects, which are more and more apparent as time advances. It can no longer square with practical scientific knowledge” (Dr. A. Fleishmann, zoologist, Erlangen University).

“It is good to keep in mindthat nobody has ever succeeded in producing even one new species by the accumulation of micromutations. Darwin’s theory of natural selection has never had any proof, yet it has been universally accepted” (Prof. R Goldschmidt Ph.D., DSc Prof. Zoology, University of Calif. in Material Basis of Evolution, Yale Univ. Press).

“The theory of the transmutation of species is a scientific mistake, untrue in its facts, unscientific in its method, and mischievous in its tendency” (Prof. J Agassiz, of Harvard in Methods of Study in Natural History).

“Evolution is baseless and quite incredible” (Dr. Ambrose Fleming, President, British Assoc. Advancement of Science, in The Unleashing of Evolutionary Thought).

“Overwhelming strong proofs of intelligent and benevolent design lie around us…. The atheistic idea is so nonsensical that I cannot put it into words” (Lord Kelvin, Vict. Inst., 124, p. 267).

“It is possible and, given the Flood, probable that materials which give radiocarbon dates of tens of thousands of radiocarbon years could have true ages of many fewer calendar years” (Gerald Aardsman, Ph.D., physicist and C-14 dating specialist).

“We have to admit that there is nothing in the geological records that runs contrary to the views of conservative creationists” (Edmund Ambrose, evolutionist).

“The best physical evidence that the earth is young is the dwindling resource that evolutionists refuse to admit is dwindling the magnetic energy in the field of the earth’s dipole magnet. To deny that it is a dwindling resource is phony science” (Thomas Barnes Ph.D., physicist).

“No matter how numerous they may be, mutations do not produce any kind of evolution” (Pierre-Paul Grasse, evolutionist).

“It is easy enough to make up stories of how one form gave rise to another, and to find reasons why the stages should be favored by natural selection. But such stories are not part of science, for there is no way of putting them to the test” (Luther D. Sutherland, Darwin’s Enigma, Master Books 1988, p. 89).

“Is it really credible that random processes could have constructed a reality, the smallest element of which-a functional protein or gene-is complex beyond anything produced by the intelligence of man?” (Molecular biologist Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, London: Burnett Books, 1985 p. 342).

“Modern apes…seem to have sprung out of nowhere. They have no yesterday, no fossil record. And the true origin of modern humansis, if we are to be honest with ourselves, an equally mysterious matter” (Lyall Watson, Ph.D., evolutionist).

“Although bacteria are tiny, they display biochemical, structural and behavioral complexities that outstrip scientific description. In keeping with the current microelectronics revolution, it may make more sense to equate their size with sophistication rather than with simplicity. Without bacteria life on earth could not exist in its present form” (James A. Shipiro, “Bacteria as Multicellular Organisms,” Scientific America, Vol. 258, No. 6, June 1988).

“Eighty to eighty-five percent of earth’s land surface does not have even three geological periods appearing in ‘correct’ consecutive order it becomes an overall exercise of gargantuan special pleading and imagination for the evolutionary-uniformitarian paradigm to maintain that there ever were geologic periods” (John Woodmorappe, geologist).

“That a mindless, purposeless, chance process such as natural selection, acting on the sequels of recombinant DNA or random mutation, most of which are injurious or fatal, could fabricate such complexity and organization as the vertebrate eye, where each component part must carry out its own distinctive task in a harmoniously functioning optical unit, is inconceivable. The absence of transitional forms between the invertebrates’ retina and that of the vertebrates poses another difficulty. Here there is a great gulf fixed which remains inviolate with no seeming likelihood of ever being bridged. The total picture speaks of intelligent creative design of an infinitely high order” (H. S. Hamilton MD, The Retina of the Eye-An Evolutionary Road Block).

“My attempts to demonstrate evolution by an experiment carried on for more than 40 years have completely failed” (N. H. Nilson, famous botanist and evolutionist).

“None of five museum officials could offer a single example of a transitional series of fossilized organisms that would document the transformation of one basically different type to another” (Luther Sunderland, science researcher).

“The entire hominid collection known today would barely cover a billiard table, but it has spawned a science because it is distinguished by two factors which inflate its apparent relevance far beyond its merits. First, the fossils hint at the ancestry of a supremely self-important animal-ourselves. Secondly, the collection is so tantalizingly incomplete, and the specimens themselves often so fragmented and inconclusive, that more can be said about what is missing than about what is present. Hence the amazing quantity of literature on the subject ever since Darwin’s work inspired the notion that fossils linking modern man and extinct ancestor would provide the most convincing proof of human evolution, preconceptions have led evidence by the nose in the study of fossil man” (John Reader, “Whatever Happened to Zinjanthropus?” New Scientist, Vol. 89, No. 12446, March 26, 1981, pp. 802805).

“The evolutionist thesis has become more stringently unthinkable than ever before” (Wolfgang Smith, Ph.D.).

“The only competing explanation for the order we all see in the biological world is the notion of Special Creation” (Niles Eldridge, Ph.D.., paleontologist and evolutionist, American Museum of Natural History).

“A growing number of respectable scientists are defecting from the evolutionist campmoreover, for the most part these ‘experts’ have abandoned Darwinism, not on the basis of religious faith or biblical persuasions, but on scientific grounds, and in some instances, regretfully” (Wolfgang Smith, Ph.D., physicist and mathematician).

“As yet we have not been able to track the phylogenetic history of a single group of modern plants from its beginning to the present. The more scientists have searched for the transitional forms that lie between species, the more they have been frustrated” (John Adler with John Carey: “Is Man a Subtle Accident,” Newsweek, Vol. 96, No. 18, November 3, 1980, p. 95).

“Despite the bright promise that paleontology provides means of ‘seeing’ Evolution, it has provided some nasty difficulties for evolutionists, the most notorious of which is the presence of ‘gaps’ in the fossil record. Evolution requires intermediate forms between species and paleontology does not provide them” (David Kitts, Ph.D., “Paleontology and Evolutionary Theory,” Evolution, Vol. 28, Sep. 1974, p. 467).

“Hundreds of scientists who once taught their university students that the bottom line on origins had been figured out and settled are today confessing that they were completely wrong. They’ve discovered that their previous conclusions, once held so fervently, were based on very fragile evidences and suppositions which have since been refuted by new discoveries. This has necessitated a change in their basic philosophical position on origins. Others are admitting great weaknesses in evolution theory” (Luther D. Sutherland, Darwin’s Enigma: Fossils and Other Problems, 4th Edition, Santee, California: Master Books, 1988, pp. 7,8).

“The fact that a theory so vague, so insufficiently verifiable, and so far from the criteria otherwise applied in ‘hard’ science has become a dogma can only be explained on sociological grounds” (Ludwig von Bertalanffy, biologist).

“Micromutations do occur, but the theory that these alone can account for evolutionary change is either falsified, or else it is an unfalsifiable, hence metaphysical theory. I suppose that nobody will deny that it is a great misfortune if an entire branch of science becomes addicted to a false theory. But this is what has happened in biology. I believe that one day the Darwinian myth will be ranked the greatest deceit in the history of science. When this happens many people will pose the question: How did this ever happen?” (S. Lovtrup, Darwinism: The Refutation of a Myth, London: Croom Helm, p. 422).

“If one allows the unquestionably largest experimenter to speak, namely nature, one gets a clear and incontrovertible answer to the question about the significance of mutations for the formation of species and evolution. They disappear under the competitive conditions of natural selection, as soap bubbles burst in a breeze” (Evolutionist Herbert Nilson, Synthetische Artbildung Lund, Sweden:Verlag CWK Gleerup Press, 1953, p. 174).

“In all the thousands of fly-breeding experiments carried out all over the world for more than fifty years, a distinct new species has never been seen to emerge or even a new enzyme” (Gordon Taylor, The Great Evolution Mystery, New York: Harper and Row, 1983, pp. 34, 38).

“The uniform, continuous transformation of Hyracotherium into Equus, so dear to the hearts of generations of textbook writers, never happened in nature” (George Simpson, paleontologist and evolutionist).

“Evolution is unprovable. We believe it because the only alternative is special creation, and that is unthinkable” (Sir Arthur Keith, evolutionist).

What the Experts Say Concerning Fossils

Three of the biggest weaknesses of evolutionary theory are: 1) There is no adequate explanation for the origin of life from dead chemicals. 2) The alleged process cannot be duplicated even with the best minds under the strictest laboratory conditions. 3) Even the simplest life form is tremendously complex.

The fossil record, our only documentation of whether evolution actually occurred, lacks any transitional forms, and all types appear fully formed when first present. If the theory of evolution were true, we would expect to find many more transitional forms of life than fully formed ones, and yet we never find “half-formed” hands, feet, flippers, fins, eyes, ears, noses, or feathers. The hypothesis that “pre-men” existed is an ambiguous conjecture at best. Upon investigation, virtually all so-called “missing links” turn out to be bones of apes, men, or historical frauds.

“Fossils are a great embarrassment to Evolutionary theory and offer strong support for the concept of Creation” (Gary Parker, Ph.D., biologist/paleontologist and former evolutionist).

“most people assume that fossils provide a very important part of the general argument in favor of Darwinian interpretations of the history of life. Unfortunately, this is not strictly true” (Dr. David Raup, curator of geology, Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago).

“As is well known, most fossil species appear instantaneously in the fossil record” (Tom Kemp, Oxford University).

“The fossil record pertaining to man is still so sparsely known that those who insist on positive declarations can do nothing more than jump from one hazardous surmise to another and hope that the next dramatic discovery does not make them utter fools.Clearly some refuse to learn from this. As we have seen, there are numerous scientists and popularizers today who have the temerity to tell us that there is ‘no doubt’ how man originated: if only they had the evidence…” (William R. Fix, The Bone Pedlars, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1984, p. 150).

“The curious thing is that there is a consistency about the fossil gaps; the fossils are missing in all the important places” (Francis Hitching, archaeologist).

“The intelligent layman has long suspected circular reasoning in the use of rocks to date fossils and fossils to date rocks. The geologist has never bothered to think of a good reply” (J. O’Rourke in the American Journal of Science).

“In most people’s minds, fossils and Evolution go hand in hand. In reality, fossils are a great embarrassment to Evolutionary theory and offer strong support for the concept of Creation. If Evolution were true, we should find literally millions of fossils that show how one kind of life slowly and gradually changed to another kind of life. But missing links are the trade secret, in a sense, of paleontology. The point is, the links are still missing. What we really find are gaps that sharpen up the boundaries between kinds. It’s those gaps which provide us with the evidence of Creation of separate kinds. As a matter of fact, there are gaps between each of the major kinds of plants and animals. Transition forms are missing by the millions. What we do find are separate and complex kinds, pointing to Creation” (Dr. Gary Parker, biologist/paleontologist and former ardent evolutionist).

“Evolution requires intermediate forms between species and paleontology does not provide them” (David Kitts, paleontologist and evolutionist).

“I still think that, to the unprejudiced, the fossil record of plants is in favor of special creation. Can you imagine how an orchid, a duckweed and a palm tree have come from the same ancestry, and have we any evidence for this assumption? The evolutionist must be prepared with an answer, but I think that most would break down before an inquisition” (Dr. Eldred Corner, professor of botany at Cambridge University, England: Evolution in Contemporary Botanical Thought, Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1961, p. 97).

“So firmly does the modern geologist believe in evolution up from simple organisms to complex ones over huge time spans, that he is perfectly willing to use the theory of evolution to prove the theory of evolution [p.128]one is applying the theory of evolution to prove the correctness of evolution. For we are assuming that the oldest formations contain only the most primitive and least complex organisms, which is the base assumption of Darwinism [p.127]. If we now assume that only simple organisms will occur in old formations, we are assuming the basic premise of Darwinism to be correct. To use, therefore, for dating purposes, the assumption that only simple organisms will be present in old formations is to thoroughly beg the whole question. It is arguing in a circle [p.128]” Arthur E Wilder-Smith, Man’s Origin, Man’s Destiny, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1968, pp. 127,128).

“It cannot be denied that from a strictly philosophical standpoint, geologists are here arguing in a circle. The succession of organisms has been determined by the study of their remains imbedded in the rocks, and the relative ages of the rocks are determined by the remains of the organisms they contain” (R. H. Rastall, lecturer in economic geology, Cambridge University: Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 10, Chicago: William Benton, Publisher, 1956, p. 168).

“I admit that an awful lot of that [fantasy] has gotten into the textbooks as though it were true. For instance, the most famous example still on exhibit downstairs [in the American Museum of Natural History] is the exhibit on horse evolution prepared fifty years ago. That has been presented as literal truth in textbook after textbook. Now, I think that that is lamentable, particularly because the people who propose these kinds of stories themselves may be aware of the speculative nature of some of the stuff. But by the time it filters down to the textbooks, we’ve got science as truth and we have a problem” (Dr. Niles Eldredge, paleontologist and evolutionist).

What the Experts Say Concerning DNA

Science has recently unraveled one of the most amazing facts of all concerning heredity. DNA, a shortened name for deoxyribonucleic acid, has been found to be the carrier of the inheritance code in all living things. It constitutes a built-in memory, blueprint, or biogenetic law that keeps all forms of life within their basic kinds. Your personal DNA is scattered throughout your body in over 60 thousand billion specks and determines everything from your eye color and height to your fingerprints. The DNA barrier insures that neither mutations nor natural “selection” nor any other factor proposed by advocates of evolution could result in the forming of a different kind of life from a previous kind.

“The chance that useful DNA molecules would develop without a Designer are apparently zero. Then let me conclude by asking which came first-the DNA which is essential for the synthesis of proteins or the protein enzyme DNA-polymerase without which DNA synthesis is nil? there is virtually no chance that chemical ‘letters’ would spontaneously produce coherent DNA and protein ‘words’” (George Howe, expert in biology sciences).

“The set of genetic instructions for humans is roughly three billion letters long” (Miroslav Radman & Robert Wagner, “The High Fidelity of DNA Duplication,” Scientific America, Vol. 259, No. 2, August 1988, pp. 4046).

“DNA and the molecules that surround it form a truly superb mechanism-a miniaturized marvel. The information is so compactly stored that the amount of DNA necessary to code all the people living on our planet might fit into a space no larger than an aspirin tablet” (Paul S. Taylor, The Illustrated Origins Answer Book, p. 23).

“Life cannot have had a random beginning. The trouble is that there are about two thousand enzymes, and the chance of obtaining them all in a random trial is only one part in 10 to the power of 40,000, an outrageously small probability that could not be faced even if the whole universe consisted of organic soup. If one is not prejudiced either by social beliefs or by a scientific training into the conviction that life originated on the Earth, this simple calculation wipes the idea entirely out of court” (Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe, Evolution From Space).

“An intelligible communication via radio signal from some distant galaxy would be widely hailed as evidence of an intelligent source. Why then doesn’t the message sequence on the DNA molecule also constitute prima facie evidence for an intelligent source? After all, DNA information is not just analogous to a message sequence such as Morse code, it is such a message sequence” (Charles B. Thaxton, Walter L. Bradley, and Robert L. Olsen: The Mystery of Life’s Origin, Reassessing Current Theories, New York Philosophical Library, 1984, pp. 211, 212).

“Generation after generation, through countless cell divisions, the genetic heritage of living things is scrupulously preserved in DNA. All of life depends on the accurate transmission of information. As genetic messages are passed through generations of dividing cells, even small mistakes can be life-threateningif mistakes were as rare as one in a million, 3000 mistakes would be made during each duplication of the human genome. Since the genome replicates about a million billion times in the course of building a human being from a single fertilized egg, it is unlikely that the human organism could tolerate such a high rate of error. In fact, the actual rate of mistakes is more like one in 10 billion” (Miroslav Radman and Robert Wagner, “The High Fidelity of DNA Duplication…,” Scientific America, Vol. 299, No 2, August 1988, pp. 4044, p. 24).

“In the meantime, the educated public continues to believe that Darwin has provided all the relevant answers by the magic formula of random mutations plus natural selection-quite unaware of the fact that random mutations turned out to be irrelevant and natural selection a tautology” (Arthur Koestler, author).

“Evolution lacks a scientifically acceptable explanation of the source of the precisely planned codes within cells without which there can be no specific proteins and hence, no life” (David A. Kaufman, Ph.D., University of Florida, Gainesville).

“Once we see, however, that the probability of life originating at random is so utterly minuscule as to make it absurd, it becomes sensible to think that the favourable properties of physics on which life depends are in every respect deliberate. It is therefore almost inevitable that our own measure of intelligence must reflecthigher intelligenceseven to the limit of Godsuch a theory is so obvious that one wonders why it is not widely accepted as being self-evident. The reasons are psychological rather than scientific” (Sir Fred Hoyle, well-known British mathematician, astronomer, and cosmologist).

“Ultimately, the Darwinian theory of evolution is no more nor less than the great cosmogenic myth of the twentieth century” (Michael Denton, Evolution, A Theory in Crisis, p. 358).

“Any suppression which undermines and destroys that very foundation on which scientific methodology and research was erected, evolutionist or otherwise, cannot and must not be allowed to flourish. It is a confrontation between scientific objectivity and ingrained prejudice-between logic and emotion-between fact and fiction.In the final analysis, objective scientific logic has to prevail-no matter what the final result is-no matter how many time-honored idols have to be discarded in the process. After all, it is not the duty of science to defend the theory of evolution and stick by it to the bitter end-no matter what illogical and unsupported conclusions it offers. If in the process of impartial scientific logic, they find that creation by outside intelligence is the solution to our quandary, then let’s cut the umbilical chord that tied us down to Darwin for such a long time. It is choking us and holding us back. Every single concept advanced by the theory of evolution and amended thereafter is imaginary as it is not supported by the scientifically established probability concepts. Darwin was wrong. The theory of evolution may be the worst mistake made in science” (I. L. Cohen, Darwin Was Wrong-A Study in Probabilities, PO Box 231, Greenvale, New York 11548: New Research Publications, Inc., pp. 68, 209210, 214215.

I. L. Cohen is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and officer of the Archaeological Institute of America).

“The notion thatthe operating program of a living cell could be arrived at by chance in a primordial soup here on earth is evidently nonsense of a high order” (Sir Fredrick Hoyle, evolutionist).

“The theory of Evolutionwill be one of the great jokes in the history books of the future. Posterity will marvel that so flimsy and dubious an hypothesis could be accepted with the incredible credulity it has” (Malcolm Muggeridge, well-known philosopher).

“We have had enough of the Darwinian fallacy. It is time that we cry: ‘The emperor has no clothes’” (K. Hsu, geologist at the Geological Institute at Zurich).

“Far from being an established fact of science that it is so typically portrayed to be, evolution is, in reality, an unreasonable and unfounded hypothesis that is riddled with countless scientific fallacies” (Scott M. Huse, The Collapse of Evolution, Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, p. 127).

“Unfortunately many scientists and non-scientists have made Evolution into a religion, something to be defended against infidels. In my experience, many students of biology-professors and textbook writers included-have been so carried away with the arguments for Evolution that they neglect to question it. They preach it.College students, having gone through such a closed system of education, themselves become teachers, entering high schools to continue the process, using textbooks written by former classmates or professors. High standards of scholarship and teaching break down. Propaganda and the pursuit of power replace the pursuit [of] knowledge. Education becomes a fraud” (George Kocan, “Evolution Isn’t Faith But Theory,” Chicago Tribune, Monday, April 21, 1980).

“Scientists who go about teaching that Evolution is a fact of life are great con men, and the story they are telling may be the greatest hoax ever. In explaining Evolution we do not have one iota of fact” (Dr. T. N. Tahmisian, a former U.S. Atomic Energy Commission physiologist).

“Evolution is a fairy tale for grown-ups. This theory has helped nothing in the progress of science. It is useless” (Dr. Louise Bounoure, director of research at the French National Center for Scientific Research, director of the Zoological Museum, and former president of the Biological Society of Strasbourg).

“I, as a scientist, must postulate a source of information to supply the teleonomy or know-how, I don’t find it in the universe, and, therefore, I assume that it is transcendent to this universe. I believe, myself, in a living God who did it. I believe that this God, who supplied the information, revealed Himself in the form of a man-so that man could understand Him. We are made to understand. I want to understand God. But I can only do it if He comes down to my wavelength, the wavelength of man. I believe that God revealed Himself in the form of Christ, and that we can serve Him and know Him in our hearts as the source of the Logos-all information is necessary to make the universe and to make life itself.Look at the beauty of nature around us. When you consider that it all grew out of matter injected with information of the type I have been describing, you can only be filled with wonder of the wisdom of a Creator, who, first of all, had the sense of beauty to do it, and then the technical ability. I am filled with wonder as I look at nature, to see how God technically did it and realized the beauty of His own soul in doing it. The Scripture teaches perfectly plainly, and it fits in with my science perfectly well, that the One who did called Himself The Logos. That Logos was Jesus. Jesus called Himself the Creator who made everything-’for Him and by Him’. Now, if that is the case, then I am very happy and filled with joy that He made the Creation so beautiful and that He also valued me enough to die for me, to become my Redeemer as well” (Arthur E. Wilder-Smith, Ph.D., D.Sc., Dr. es. Sc., The Natural Sciences Know Nothing of Evolution, Santee, California: Master Books, p. 154).

Charles Darwin’s Own Admission

Finally, let us notice what Charles Darwin himself admitted about his own the theory of evolution.

“If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down” (Charles Darwin, Origin of Species, New York University Press, 6th ed., 1988, p. l54).

“To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree” (Charles Darwin, Origin of Species, chapter: “Difficulties”).

“Not one change of species into another is on record. we cannot prove that a single species has been changed” (Charles Darwin, My Life & Letters).

Two Antithetic Views

In review, basically there are only two antithetic views of the origin of the universe. There are no others. Either Almighty God created all matter, the physical laws of the universe, and life itself in all its myriad forms, or there is no God in the universe, no supernatural Being, and all matter, laws, and life came into existence out of nothing of their own accord.

Either there is a Creator or there isn’t. It’s as simple as that. Millions have settled for the first option-special creation. Sadly, special creation is rarely taught in the schools and institutions today. Millions have opted for the second option-evolution-where it is taught in most colleges and classrooms as though it were fact.

The theory of evolution remains unproved and unprovable. Though special creation also cannot be proved in a laboratory, the lack of evidence in the fossil records and the DNA code of living creatures should lead the unbiased mind to the inevitable conclusion that of the two possibilities, special creation is the more rational.

Which viewpoint society bases its faith upon eventually determines the behavior of that society. If the youth are taught that they came from apes, then the “law of the jungle”-the survival of the fittest-will predominate and no one should be surprised at the moral collapse of society, particularly amongst the youth. They are merely living out the “law of the jungle” as taught to them by their elders.

If, on the other hand, we were made after the God kind, “in His own image,” then we are accountable to Him for our actions. We cannot-yea we dare not-live as we please. The God of your Bible declares that there is coming a Day of Judgment when He will judge the world in general-and you in particular. On that awesome Day every man, woman, and child will have to give account of his thoughts, words, and deeds.

An author prints his name on his book. An artist writes his name upon his painting. A musician copyrights his song. If God made the heavens, the earth, and all that is in them, it is only natural that He would reveal something of Himself. Let us look briefly at some Bible passages that speak of God’s revelation of Himself.

Part 2: What the Bible Says

Either the unproven and unprovable theory of evolution is false, or the Bible is in gross error and there is no God. “Theistic evolution” is not a viable alternative, as it asserts that God “jump-started” creation by creating all matter, laws, and primitive life, and then stepped back and let it evolve as the proponents of evolution affirm.

Let us begin at the beginning, since that is where God starts. The first four words in the Bible state, plainly and simply, “In the beginning God” and the remainder of the sentence tells what God did in the beginning: “created the heavens and the earth.” Nothing alluding to a gradual evolution of matter and animals is even hinted at. Creation is the proof that God exists! It is His signature, His copyright, His lawful claim of ownership.

The Bible is clear. The teaching that everything made itself and is accountable only to itself instills doubt, corrupts morals, devastates lives, and separates people and nations from the true God.

Evolution is the “eyeglasses” through which many scientists-and even “theistic evolutionists”-view things. Everything they see in nature is either consciously or unconsciously interpreted as having “evolved.” One philosopher once commented with tongue-in-cheek, “Evolution is the descent of man from monkey, which some people forgot to make.”

The Everlasting Gospel

One of the last messages to be preached to mankind is the glad tidings that the everlasting Kingdom of God is about to appear. The book of Revelation describes this message as the everlasting gospel. It is everlasting simply because the truth it encompasses will never cease to be relevant.

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters’” (Revelation 14:6,7).

The word gospel is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word which meant “the story concerning God.” In the New Testament the Greek word euaggelion, translated “gospel,” means the “good news” or glad tidings of deliverance from sin, the setting up of the Kingdom of God, and the record of the life of Jesus Christ embracing all His teachings (Mark 1:1,14). The “everlasting” gospel is not a new or different gospel, but a perpetual gospel, without beginning or end.

This above mentioned angel’s call to repentance is not merely a call to “fear God” but is also a call to “worship the Creator of the mighty universe, the One who made the heavens, the earth the sea and the fountains of waters.” In other words, the everlasting gospel, as preached in these last days by a mighty angel, is calling upon mankind to jettison the popular notion of evolution and to accept the fact that the Almighty made the universe in six literal days as the Bible teaches. The

doctrine of special creation is a foundational teaching of Scripture which true science will always verify. The first two chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation are about the Almighty’s creative powers, and the everlasting gospel is a call to humanity to accept what the Bible says about it and to reject the false ideologies of man.

It is important that we acknowledge the truth that acceptance of the everlasting gospel is directly linked to faith in a Creator God. Multiple millions of people today refuse to accept the gospel call to faith and obedience because their minds are steeped in the fallacious theory of evolution that casts doubt upon the plain Bible statement that God created the world in six literal (24-hour) days. Many deliberately hide their eyes to the precious truths presented here. The unspoken reason? If God did not create all He said He did-if God does not exist-there is no incentive to obey Him.

Yet, God’s Word thunders that ignorance is no excuse. “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Those who accept that God created the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the many life forms that inhabit planet Earth will worship Him gladly by keeping the day that He divinely appointed as a memorial or reminder that He is the Creator God–the seventh-day Sabbath. The Sabbath identifies who God is–the Creator.

God’s Word commands, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).

The everlasting gospel is a call to repentance, faith, and obedience. This includes obedience of the seventh-day Sabbath command that testifies that He is the Creator God. It is so important to God that He used it as a sign between Him and His people (Exodus 31:13,17). “And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God” (Ezekiel 20:12,20). One of the very first things Jesus Christ will do upon His return to earth is to reinstitute His Sabbath and holy days which point to Him as Creator, and His plan of salvation for all mankind (Isaiah 66:23; Zechariah 14:16). Be sure to send for our free brochure, Sunday, Saturday-What Difference Does It Make?

Creation: A Basic Bible Doctrine

The sum and substance of the raging “creation versus evolution” issue revolves around one thing and one thing only: whether or not the God of the Bible is the Creator and Sustainer of life and the universe. Let us see what the Bible clearly claims:

“Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded” (Isaiah 45:11,12).

This is a remarkable claim to say the least. It is either true or it is a colossal falsehood. God either created the heavens and the earth and their entire host or He didn’t. These scriptures demand that we treat the matter of the creation as the foundational doctrine in the Bible. All other scriptural doctrines, laws, prophecies, and instructions hang on this single fact that the entire universe came into being by the Word of the Almighty God. We repeat: The Lord’s claim is that He created the universe is either true or it is a monumental lie. There is no other conclusion one can arrive at.

The Bible pulls no punches. It informs us straight out that Satan has the whole world deceived (Revelation 12:9). Almost daily we are blitzed by brilliantly produced TV documentaries-coming in the name of “science”-claiming “Mother Nature,” of her own accord, by some inexplicable, innate power, produced our grand universe and all its myriad life forms. Millions are duped by it. The Bible forewarns us of such deception: “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith” (1 Timothy 6:20,21). True science and biblical revelation exposes the theory of evolution for what it really is-a fantastic fallacy, a fallacy that is now being rejected by thousands of scientists and other intellectuals as well as believers in the Word of God. The Psalmist came to the same conclusion many centuries ago when he wrote, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

Was the Psalmist right? Is there a God or isn’t there? These are vital questions and the answers you arrive at will not only govern your current behavior, but also will determine whether you will ultimately be in the Kingdom of God or perish in a lake of fire. Yes, it is just that important.

Faith Is Needed

Since it is not possible to scientifically demonstrate either evolution or special creation, faith is required to accept either teaching. But faith in the right thing is not wrong. The Bible says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). A British wit once described “evil lution” as “the substance of links hoped for, the evidence of fossils not seen.” How right he was!

Broadly speaking, people fall into one of three categories:

Creationists: Those who believe that a supernatural Being (God) made the universe as recorded in Genesis chapter one. The Church of God International, along with millions of Bible-believing Christians and Jews, falls into this category.

Evolutionists: Those who believe that the universe came into existence billions of years ago and that life on earth evolved of its own accord by some inexplicable power. One does not have far to look to find many who hold this view.

Theistic Evolutionists: The theistic evolutionists attempt to integrate the two doctrines. However, the doctrines of creation and evolution are so strongly divergent that reconciliation is totally impossible. Theistic evolutionists believe that God was involved in the creation, but that He took thousands-perhaps millions or billions (do we hear “trillions”?)-of years to do so. Although many hold this view today, such syncretism reduces the message of the Bible to insignificance. The conclusion is inevitable: There is no biblical support for theistic evolution.

Does It Really Matter What One Believes Concerning the Origin of the Universe?

It matters a great deal what we believe concerning the origins of the universe and of life itself because if the universe and life on earth evolved over billions of years, then:

The Genesis account of creation and the hundreds of Bible verses that refer to the creation are pure fiction. In other words the so-called Holy Bible is, itself, riddled with the very thing it strictly forbids: lies, suppositions, and superstitions.

Virtually all the Old and New Testament writers were deluded-because they all believed in the creation. This would include all the prophets of old, all the apostles, and even Jesus Christ Himself.

If life on earth evolved of its own accord, it would mean that man is not accountable for his actions to a supernatural Being, and that we could make or break so-called “moral laws” with impunity. After all, “if there is no God, there cannot be a Judgment Day. So why bother about moral behavior: let us eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.”

In the final analysis, if evolution is true and the Bible is false, there would be no sin, since there would be no God, no Lawmaker, and no laws to break. It follows that, if there were no laws to break-and the Bible defines sin as “the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4)-there would be no sin. If there is no sin, we would not need a Savior to redeem us from the penalty of breaking those laws (Romans 6:23) and Christ would have died in vain. In short, evolution is a complete denial of everything the Bible stands for.

These are the inevitable conclusions that will flow in the wake of a society that rejects the basic teaching that God created the universe. The matter of origins is very important because society’s behavior and destination depend upon it. In his book, Evolution or Creation? (page 2), Henry M. Morris, Ph.D., confirms this point. He writes:

“Each person needs, more than anything, a sense of his own identity and personal goals, and this is impossible without some sense of his origin. What a person comes to believe about his origin will inevitably condition what he believes about his destiny.”

Lenin is quoted as saying that religion is the opiate of the people, but the truth is that evolution is the opiate of the atheist!

What Does the Bible Teach Concerning Creation?

Before we answer this question let us review a few facts about the universe we live in.

Our earth is a tiny planet, about 8,100 miles (13,000 km) in diameter, which circles the sun, an average-sized star some 93,000,000 miles away.

The sun is about 870,000 miles in diameter. It forms part of a medium-sized spiral galaxy called the Milky Way that contains some 200 billion stars. Nearly all of the 6,000 stars we are able to see with the naked eye are part of the Milky Way. Some scientists speculate there may be literally trillions.

A light year is the time light, traveling at over 186,000 miles per second, takes to travel in one year.

“The nearest galaxy to the Milky Way is approximately 200,000 light years away, which is a distance of 1,175,722 trillion, 568 billion, 640 miles. And there are approximately 100 billion galaxies, each containing 100 billions stars! Does your head spin with these numbers? Can your mind comprehend such figures? Is not our God an awesome God?” (When Day and Night Cease,

p. 34, published by Shikinah Books Ltd., Box 846, Keno, OR 97627 USA).

Now let us examine some basic Bible texts that affirm divine creation. The prophets, psalmists, apostles, and God Himself all testify to the fact that the universe was created.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1; read the entire chapter).

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:13).

“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” (Genesis 2:4).

“Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee” (Nehemiah 9:6).

Proverbs 3:19 tells us, “The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens.”

Psalm 86:9 says, “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.”

Isaiah 40:26 encourages, “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number.”

Isaiah 41:20 says, “That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.”

Isaiah 42:5 repeats, “Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.”

Isaiah 45:8 says, “Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.”

Isaiah 45:12 quotes God as saying, “I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.”

John 1:13 describes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.”

Mark 10:5,6 affirms, “And Jesus answered and said unto themBut from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.”

Acts 4:24 testifies, “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.”

Acts 14:15 repeats, “unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.”

Acts 17:24 goes on, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”

In Ephesians 3:9 Paul prays, “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”

Colossians 1:16 affirms, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.”

Revelation 10:6 foretells, “And sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.”

Christians must either accept these Bible passages as fact or they should not classify themselves as true believers! The Bible is either God’s Word or it isn’t. God is either telling the truth or He is telling lies. There really is no other logical conclusion one can arrive at.

Why Was the Universe Created?

But why did God create mankind and the mighty universe in the first place? While man spends billions on examining the universe in an attempt to find out if there is life “out there” somewhere, the Bible provides the answer! “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:18). No idols or man-made gods can equal Him and His creative powers.

“Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7).

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

In summary, the vast universe was created to be inhabited by beings who will glorify God and bring Him pleasure. Furthermore, God’s plan of salvation involves adding sons and daughters to His divine family. “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14,15). Be sure to send for our free booklet, Man’s Awesome Destiny, for deeper understanding on this subject.

The New Universe

The Bible tells us that new heavens and a new earth that will endure forever will soon replace this old universe. Here is a prophecy of this coming event:

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:10-13).

The Almighty’s power to create will then be demonstrated before our very eyes, and as previously, He will not need billions of years to complete His work then, just as He did not need billions of years to create it in the first place. He will create a new universe just as He did the present one-by His Word. He will once again speak creation into existence: and the new universe will come into being.

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 66:22,23).

“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ And He that sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said unto me, ‘Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said unto me, ‘It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son’” (Revelation 21:17).

Where Do We Fit Into This Picture?

The Bible makes it perfectly clear that all who accept God’s offer of mercy and salvation through His Son Jesus Christ will inherit and inhabit the new universe for His pleasure, glory, and the expansion of His Divine Family. We shall be kings and priests ruling under Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:6; 5:10). How awesome! Are you willing to accept that fact? It is speculated by some that the entire universe will one day teem with life and the redeemed of the Lord will inhabit it.

“And He that sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said unto me, ‘Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said unto me, ‘It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son’” (Revelation 21:57).

Summary

The God of your Bible is known by many names, titles, and descriptions-such as Lord, the Almighty, I Am, the Most High, Everlasting God, Mighty God, Lord of hosts, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel, the Holy One of Israel, and numerous others, according to the function He is fulfilling at the time. It is noteworthy that He also refers to Himself as the Creator of the mighty universe. Isaiah 45:11,12 tells us, “Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, ‘Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.’”

Creation is a basic Bible doctrine. The credibility of all the prophets of old, the apostles, and Jesus Christ Himself depends on whether the creation account in Genesis is true because they all taught and wrote of it. Indeed, the Bible is either God’s Word or a monumental array of lies.

The evidences pointing to special creation are legion. The amazing wonders of the natural world and the wonders of the heavens all tell of the glory and power of a Creator.

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:20-25).

It matters a great deal what we believe because all our subsequent actions are influenced by our beliefs. If there is no God, then moral standards mean very little in a “dog-eats-dog world.” But if we must all one day stand before the Judgment Seat of a Creator God, then how we live our lives matters a great deal!

The Bible contains scores of texts concerning the creation. Nearly every Bible writer refers directly or indirectly to the creation.

The Almighty Creator God created the universe to be ultimately inhabited by humankind who will finally be born-resurrected by metabolic change-into His Family at Christ’s Second Coming and will be His companions for all eternity. Can your mind fully grasp the significance and excellence of this fact?

The gospel of Jesus Christ, the ageless message commissioned to be proclaimed to all the world in the last days, calls upon all men and nations to: “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Those who accept this end-time message will begin to turn their lives around and to keep God’s commandments, including the Fourth, which is to revere the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) as an act of faith and worship of our Creator.

The Lord has committed Himself to make new heavens and a new earth. Only then will we fully appreciate His creative powers. We now “see through a glass darkly,” but then face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). In that coming paradise there will be no more pain, suffering, sickness, or death. All are invited to be there. This booklet may well be part of that invitation to you! Think about it.

As the Master so truly said in Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul [life]? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” That is a question that every person must answer for him- or herself. No issue is more important than your personal salvation. Where do we fit into this picture? We are admonished in Philippians

2:12 to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

We affirm not only belief in God the Father and in Jesus Christ as Creator, Designer, and Lifegiver, but in the Holy Bible as the inspired revelation of Almighty God (Psalm 12:6,7; 119:89; 2 Timothy 3:16). You must now choose whom you will believe and obey: the speculations, ideas, and theories of menor the inspired Word of God. Our earnest prayer is that the Lord God of Israel, the Almighty Creator of the infinite universe, will grant you wisdom to make the correct decision and the faith to believe and obey His Word.

SCA-Seven Churches of the Apocalypse

The mysterious last book of the New Testament is not “The Revelation of St. John the Divine,” as it has been erroneously called. John was merely the instrument of divine revelation, not its source. And, if he were here today, he would be appalled at the title “the Divine.”

The very first verse of the book provides an appropriate title, and reveals both the source and destination of the message: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”—a perfect title—“which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place.” Ultimately, God the Father is the Source of the message contained in this book. He gave it to His Son to give to His servants. John was merely an instrument through which the message was delivered: “And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.”

John, in turn, passed the message along to “the seven churches which are in Asia” (1:4). He was following the instruction Jesus Christ had given him in a vision while he was on the island called Patmos: “What you see, write in a book and send to the seven churches which are in Asia, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea” (1:11).

Once in the possession of the seven churches, the book of Revelation quickly made its way to assemblies of God’s people throughout the known world. It was copied and recopied countless times, and now, some nineteen hundred years later, has made its way into our hands. Obviously, the message to the seven churches was not meant only for the assemblies of first-century Asia Minor. It was meant for every generation of God’s people; it was meant for us.

So it’s time we pay careful attention to “what the Spirit says to the churches” (2:7,11,17,29; 3:8,13,22).

The ‘Seven Ages’ Theory

Many interpreters—especially dispensationalists—believe the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 represent seven church ages, beginning with the time of the apostles and concluding with the time of the end. Through innovation and inference, one can make the descriptions of the seven churches roughly “match” various movements and events in the 2,000-year history of Christianity, thus presenting what appears to be a plausible sequence of prophetic fulfillments.

Popular evangelical author Hal Lindsey, famous for his best-selling book, The Late Great Planet Earth, follows other dispensationalists in his interpretation of the seven churches. He believes that the seven churches were literal assemblies that existed in Asia Minor at the time John wrote, and that they prophetically describe seven ages extending from the apostolic church to the church of the last days. He presented the following associations in There’s A New World Coming, his commentary on the book of Revelation:

  1. The Church in Ephesus: Apostolic Church (A.D. 33–100)
  2. The Church in Smyrna: Era of Persecution Under the Ten Caesars (A.D. 100–312)
  3. The Church in Pergamum: Era of Church-State Union (A.D. 312–590)
  4. The Church in Thyatira: Era Spanning the Middle Ages (A.D. 590–1517)
  5. The Church in Sardis: Protestant Reformation (A.D. 1517–1750)
  6. The Church in Philadelphia: Era of Revival and Great Awakening (A.D. 1750–1925)
  7. The Church in Laodicea: Era of “Higher Criticism” (A.D. 1900–Tribulation)

Others have come up with different arrangements, even identifying specific organizations and movements as “eras.” For instance, some within the Sabbath-keeping movement have attempted to identify the Church of God (Seventh Day) with Sardis; the Worldwide Church of God (or one of its offshoots) with Philadelphia; and various other bodies with Laodicea.

Of course, any such theory is speculative at best. One cannot prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that the seven churches represent seven church ages. One could just as well argue that the seven churches are seven organizations or “branches” of the true church at the time of the end. But that, too, would be speculative.

The best we can do is believe—accept as fact—only those things that can be proved, and leave what cannot be proved in the vast realm of speculation. Our task, then, is to see what the Revelator—Jesus Christ—says, and what He does not say. In chapter 1, the glorified Christ has seven stars in His right hand, and is surrounded by seven golden lampstands. These stars and lampstands are obviously symbols. But what do they represent? What are the objects of these symbols?

Jesus Christ answers:

“The seven stars are the angels [messengers] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20).

Remember, the symbols are the stars and the lampstands; the objects of those symbols—the things they symbolize—are the seven angels, or messengers, and the seven churches. There is no good reason to assume that the seven angels (symbolized by the seven stars) are themselves symbols of something else; nor is it reasonable to assume that the seven churches (symbolized by the seven golden lampstands) are symbols of church ages. The Revelator says plainly that the seven golden lampstands (obvious symbols) ARE the seven churches, and He identifies those seven churches as “seven churches which are in Asia” (1:11).

Jesus Christ is the infallible Revelator. He alone can infallibly interpret the symbols of the book of Revelation. Here, He reveals the meaning of the symbolic stars and lampstands.

Now if the infallible Revelator tells us that the seven lampstands ARE the seven churches of Asia, then we should simply believe it. All of us—including the dispensationalists—should be able to agree on this. And most—if not all—do agree on this point. As noted above, Hal Lindsey believes that the messages of Revelation 2 and 3 were sent to, and received by, seven literal churches in Asia Minor. The Sabbath-keeping “Church of God” groups that teach “church eras” also accept this. The problem is that some move beyond the Revelator’s own interpretations and begin to teach as doctrine things the Revelator did not say.

Jesus Christ did not say that the seven lampstands are seven church ages. He said plainly that the lampstands ARE the seven churches of Asia—churches located in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Therefore, if we say that we believe that the seven lampstands (churches) are something other than, or in addition to, what Christ plainly says they are, then it is imperative that we admit that we are speculating!

We can all say with certainty that the seven churches really existed, that they were located in Asia Minor, and that John wrote to them. But we cannot say with certainty that the seven churches represent seven church ages spanning some 2,000 years; nor can we say with certainty that the seven churches represent seven organizations or movements in the time of the end.

But this we can say: The messages to the seven churches are for anyone “who has an ear” and is willing to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). So rather than engage in the unfruitful practice of labeling churches with “Laodicea” or “Philadelphia” or “Sardis,” let’s hear what the Spirit says to us in these seven messages.

Commendations

The seven churches had their share of problems, but they also had some important positive attributes. Christ commends them for their strengths, and His commendations should be both motivating and instructive for God’s people today.

The strengths Christ identifies in the seven churches can be summarized under three main categories: (1) vigilance, or watchfulness; (2) perseverance; and (3) improvements in performance.

Vigilance, or Watchfulness

To the church of Ephesus, Christ says, “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars” (Revelation 2:2).

The Ephesians had done a good job of following the apostle Paul’s exhortation to their elders: “For I know this,” Paul warned, “that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves [the leaders] men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears” (Acts 20:29–31).

Paul’s admonition to the Ephesian elders probably took place several decades before the book of Revelation was written. Christ’s message to the church of Ephesus shows that the Ephesians had taken Paul’s exhortation seriously. The “wolves” had come, but the “flock,” being vigilant, recognized them for what they were.

The Ephesians, it seems, had become quite proficient in recognizing, and rejecting, heretical movements. “But this you have,” Christ says, “that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (Revelation 2:6). The precise identity of the Nicolaitans is uncertain, but we know for sure that they advocated a philosophy that made compromise with falsehood seem acceptable—a doctrine similar to the phony “grace” (or license to sin) some popular evangelists proclaim today. The Ephesians would not stand for it!

Perseverance

The Christians of Smyrna had endured tribulation and poverty, and Christ urges them to face the new trials that would soon come upon them with faith and courage. “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer,” He urged. “Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

Many of the believers of the church in Pergamos persevered in the faith even during times of severe persecution (verse 13). The faithful of the church in Thyatira, known for their patience and works of love and service (verse 19), were urged to “hold fast what you have till I come” (verse 25)—to persevere in love and good works in spite of the apostate movement spreading among believers in Thyatira.

Christ has only positive things to say about the Philadelphian Christians. “Because you have kept My command to persevere,” He promises, “I also will keep you from the hour of trial that shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10). This “hour of trial” appears to refer specifically to the end-time Day of the Lord—a major theme of Revelation—but in principle includes any time of divine intervention and wrath. This does not mean that the church in Philadelphia symbolizes a particular end-time assembly of the faithful. It simply means that the message is not restricted to the believers of late first-century Philadelphia; it is universal (as “whole world” suggests). It tells us that just as Christ called on the Christians of Philadelphia to persevere in the faith, so He calls on all His brethren everywhere to “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (verse 11).

Improvements in Performance

The faithful believers within the troubled church in Thyatira are commended for their good works and improvements in performance. “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as far as your works, the last are more than the first” (Revelation 2:19).

Each of the letters to the seven churches promises divine blessings for the one “who overcomes” (2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21). To “overcome” is to prevail, or conquer. Overcoming, by its very nature, is an improvement in performance. We overcome when we conquer bad habits, successfully resist temptations, and take control of our thoughts.

The internal qualities of faith, love, and hope influence our behavior—our “works,” our service to others. But it’s important to realize that our external works—the things we do—have a powerful effect on the internal qualities of faith, love, and hope. The internal qualities and external works go hand-in-hand. Improving one results in improvements in the other—but deterioration of one means deterioration of the other. When we find ourselves short on faith or love, we need to follow the admonition Christ gave to the church whose love had waned: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” (2:5).

Problems and Admonitions

Christ’s commendations for the seven churches are motivating and instructive, but His admonitions are equally important. The problems in the seven churches range from a loss of love and general apathy to full-scale apostasy. The following are the problems Christ identifies in His messages to the seven churches:

Loss of First Love

The church in Ephesus was known for its good works and perseverance, but somewhere along the way a problem developed: the church had lost its “first love” (Revelation 2:4). Christ knew that this problem would lead to the church’s inability to bear light to the world (verse 5) and would open the door to apostasy, though up to this point the Ephesian church had performed remarkably well in exposing false apostles (verse 2).

The church’s waning love had already affected its performance as a light-bearing instrument. For this reason, Christ warned, “Remember therefore from whence you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (verse 5).

Christ is the One “who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands” (verse 1), as if moving from one to the other to monitor their performance and even remove lamps that had become so defective that they could no longer bear light. His coming to “remove your lampstand from its place” is not the Parousia, or Second Coming, but is a divine judgment occurring within the church age.

The Teachings of Balaam, the Nicolaitans, and Jezebel

Some of the members of the church in Pergamos had exhibited their loyalty to Christ and His truth even in times of severe persecution and martyrdom (Revelation 2:13). But other members of this church were not so faithful. They are identified as two groups. One held the “doctrine of Balaam” (verse14), and the other held the “doctrine of the Nicolaitans” (verse 15).

In the Old Testament, “Balaam” is a diviner hired by the Moabite king, Balak, to curse the people of Israel, but God causes him to bless Israel instead (Numbers 22–24). Unable to curse Israel directly, Balaam taught Balak how to seduce the men of Israel to commit idolatry, thus causing them to bring a curse on themselves.

The “doctrine of Balaam,” then, is a teaching that permits mingling idolatrous practices with the worship of God. Apparently this teaching provided a philosophical “justification” for compromising with evil under certain circumstances. It was especially attractive in a time when refusing to participate in pagan rites and emperor worship could result in severe economic privation or even the death sentence.

Both “Balaam” and “Nicolaitan” can mean “to conquer the people.” The Balaamites and Nicolaitans were apparently two distinct groups who held essentially the same philosophy. As Balaam of old taught Balak how to “conquer the people” through seduction, the Balaamites and Nicolaitans in Pergamos attempted to conquer the people of God (for Satan) through encouraging them to compromise with paganism.

Christ’s warning is clear: “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth” (verse 16).

In Thyatira, “that woman Jezebel” (verse 20), named for the idolatrous wife of King Ahab (1 Kings 18–19), appears to have taught the same philosophy. She apparently urged Christians to participate in trade-guild festivals (which involved idolatry) in order to prevent economic hardships. But to do so, Christ warned, would lead to a much greater loss:

“Indeed I will cast her [Jezebel] into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children [followers of Jezebel] with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts” (verses 22–23).

Today, the long-accepted, time-tested Judeao-Christian standards of morality are being challenged and maligned. Many are caving in to pressures, rejecting the authority of Scripture and redefining biblical morality. Christ’s call to faithful endurance is the same today as it was in the first century.

Spiritual Death and “Lukewarmness”

The church in Sardis had a few faithful members, but it was essentially a dead church (Revelation 3:1,4).

But how does a church “die”? Some clues are in the text.

Christ said, “You have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (verse 4). Apparently, the others—the members who made up the “dead” part of this church—had “defiled their garments.” This is a metaphor for the works of iniquity. The church in Sardis “died” because its members had let down their guard and let the enemy come in.

Christ warns, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God” (verse 2). To be “watchful” means to be vigilant —to remain at all times in a state of preparedness. This is what the Christians at Sardis had failed to do.

Christ’s warning remains valid for God’s people today: “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch [be vigilant], I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (verse 3).

Members of the church in Laodicea thought they were in good shape spiritually, but their condition was similar to the condition of the church in Sardis. They were “lukewarm” (verse 16). Apparently, their complacency and self-delusion had led to an attitude of compromise.

Christ said, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (verses 15–16).

Cold water is good for quenching thirst, and hot water is a valuable aid to healing and pain relief. Spiritually, the Laodicean church was neither cold nor hot—could neither quench spiritual thirst nor provide spiritual healing.

Christ’s admonition to the Laodicean church is timeless: “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (verse 18).

In other words, get rid of impure thoughts and actions; remove the spots and stains of sin from your life; and stop deceiving yourself. And remember… “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (verses 19–20).

‘He who has an ear…’

The book of Revelation—the Apocalypse—directs our attention to the end of this age and the establishment of the everlasting Kingdom of God on this earth. It points to the future reality of the New Heaven and New Earth—the restoration and transformation of the cosmos—but it admonitions and exhortations are timeless. It is a message from God to His people—all His people at all times. And the letters to the seven churches of first-century Asia Minor are for the churches of God today. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

HAM-Heresies: Ancient and Modern

Jesus Christ warned, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4–5). He further warned, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (verse 24).

Christ’s prediction proved true. False teachers began bringing their pernicious doctrines into the church within a few years after the first Christian congregations were established. Over time, some false teachers would claim to be the Christ, or Messiah, while others would come in Christ’s name, claiming to be His authoritative representative.

Jesus prophesied of those who would call Him “Lord” and claim to have prophesied, cast out demons, and done many great works in His name, but because of their lawlessness they would not be permitted to enter His Kingdom (Matthew 7:21–23). The apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthian believers to watch out for anyone who came preaching “another Jesus whom we have not preached…or a different gospel which you have not accepted” (2 Corinthians 11:4). Paul explained to the Galatians that the perversion of the true gospel amounts to nothing less than “a different gospel,” and that anyone who preaches or practices such a “gospel” is to “be accursed” (Galatians 1:6–9).

In approximately A.D. 52, Paul urged the Corinthian Christians to avoid being apprehensive about the coming of Christ. He explained that the day of Christ’s coming “will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). This “son of perdition,” Paul explained, would “exalt himself above all that is called God …showing himself that he is God” (verse 4). This could mean that the future lawless one will actually claim to be God, but the expression “showing himself that he is God” is most likely Paul’s way of speaking of the lawless one’s self-exaltation above all that is worshipped.

Interestingly, though the lawless one will appear on the scene in the future and will be alive when Christ returns, the “mystery of lawlessness” that will produce this lawless one was “already at work” in Paul’s day (verse 7, emphasis added). The final apostasy (“falling away,” verse 3) and revelation of the lawless one will occur only after the removal of the restraining power that presently prevents the mystery of lawlessness from full manifestation (verses 7–8). The mystery of lawlessness, restrained but not extinguished, was at work in Paul’s day and has been at work in this world ever since. It has given rise to many antichrists and will bring forth the final Antichrist (1 John 2:18).

The mystery of lawlessness is not a single, organized system or well-orchestrated historical conspiracy; it is the sum total of the Devil’s efforts to thwart God’s plan for humankind. Since the true church is at the center of God’s program, Satan’s efforts are directly particularly, though not exclusively, at the church.

Many Antichrists

Many “antichrists” had come before the close of the first century. The Judaizers began spreading their heretical notions in the early years of the Gentile mission. They restricted salvation to the sphere of their own experience and understanding of the Mosaic economy, hence their insistence that Gentile converts to the Messianic faith be “circumcised according to the custom of Moses” (Acts 15:1). In other words, they believed Gentiles had to become Jews to be saved.

This early heresy was dealt with decisively at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), though it persisted for a good many years afterwards. The heresy was a serious threat, especially to “babes” in the Christian faith, but it could hardly be described as “lawless,” or antinomian. The problem was a wrong use of the law, not a rejection of the law as a rule of life—so Paul apparently had something else in mind when he warned of the “mystery of lawlessness” and of the “lawless one” who would appear in the last days.

Paul’s (and other New Testament writers’) use of the term “lawlessness” (an apparent reference to antinomianism, or “anti-law” doctrine) and John’s descriptions of “antichrists” who practice lawlessness and deny that Christ had come in the flesh (1 John 2:18–23; 3:4–10; 4:1–3) may point to an early form of Gnostic dualism, a religious system whose major features would be imposed upon the Gospel narratives and blended with Christian beliefs, thus yielding a different Jesus, another gospel, and a foreign spirit. The system, under the guise of “Christianity,” would emerge full-bloom in the second century.

Gnosticism

The “Christian” Gnosticism of the second and third centuries was not a unified movement. Beliefs among those identified as Gnostics varied considerably, but there were some common features among them. One of the most important features was their radical dualism, or belief that only God is good and everything else—the entire material creation—is inherently evil and is the work of an inferior god, or demiurge. God is the ultimate Reality, and human spirits are a part of that Reality. Unfortunately, many of these spirits, or sparks of divinity, are presently trapped in evil material bodies and bound to an evil material world.

For the ancient Gnostics, salvation was not a way by which human beings could be reconciled with God; it was knowledge (hence the designation Gnostic, meaning “to know”) of one’s divine identity—an awakening, a deliverance from ignorance.

Gnostic dualism requires a radical revision of the Gospel narratives. First, the God-sent Savior could not be a flesh-and­blood human being because flesh and blood are a part of the material creation, which is evil; so biblical Christology had to be radically redefined. The Christ may appear to be human, but he is not. He could not have been crucified, so the “crucifixion of Christ” must have been a case of mistaken identity. Second, the divine self needs liberation through knowledge of its true identity, not “atonement” through deliverance from sin; so the purpose of Christ’s coming had to be radically revised. Third, since the divine self is temporarily trapped in the prison of an inherently evil body, death is a friend, not an enemy; so the biblical concept of death as the “last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26) must be thrown out.

Fourth, God’s goal, according to Scripture, is the renewal of the cosmos—a “new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1; Romans 8:19–22). The Gnostic system, which sees the material creation as the work of an inferior god, must reject this goal. Fifth, biblical salvation includes “the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23). For the Gnostics, the goal is to escape the body, leaving the material creation behind to return to God, the ultimate spiritual Reality. The concept of a bodily resurrection is meaningless—perhaps despicable—in Gnostic thought. Sixth, the Gnostic perception of material things as evil requires a different understanding of morality, since morality is based on biblical (and natural) law, which teaches respect for and the proper use of the body and other material things.

According to New Testament scholar David M. Scholer, “Many church fathers, especially Irenaeus and Epiphanius, portrayed the Gnostics as immoral libertines, who indulged the body and its passions…. Many scholars doubt the accuracy of these portrayals, since none of the primary texts written by the Gnostics themselves indicate any tendency toward or approval of that type of lifestyle. Yet the church fathers may well have described what was a social reality for some Gnostics, and it is logically possible to understand that an ideology that believes that the body is fundamentally evil could lead not only to asceticism but also to indulgence of the body, since it is of no relevance for religion or morality” (The Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Development, p. 402, InterVarsity Press, 1997).

Other conservative biblical scholars agree with Scholer’s assessment. Some Gnostic dualists probably argued that since salvation pertains to the soul and the body is irrelevant, indulgence of the flesh (lawlessness) doesn’t matter. Others Gnostics—the majority—probably reasoned that since the body is inherently evil, all passions and pleasures should be suppressed. The former were lascivious, while the latter most likely forbade marriage and sexual relations, avoided meat and wine, and embraced poverty—but it is quite possible, even probable, that both extremes grew out of the same philosophy of dualism.

The Gnostics also believed in intermediary beings who inhabit the realm between God and the material world. Perhaps the apostle Paul was confronting an early form of Gnosticism in his epistle to the Colossians. He mentioned the “worship of angels” (Colossians 2:18), a possible allusion to an excessive emphasis on intermediary beings. He also mentioned “regulations—Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” (verses 20–21), a certain reference to the rigorous rules of asceticism.

All Gnostics did not share the same customs and did not adhere to a single creed or set of tenets. They varied considerably in religious practice and identified themselves by various names, but their dualism called for drastic reinterpretation or wholesale rejection of the apostolic doctrine of Christ and the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

The Gnostic movement lasted until the fourth century. To what extent its dualism with its emphasis on intermediary beings and asceticism (with lawlessness, or antinomianism, as a possible feature in some circles) affected the broader church is uncertain. What is certain is that strong opposition on the part of the early church fathers indicates that they saw Gnosticism as a serious threat to Christianity.

Marcionism

Another second-century heretical movement believed by some to be connected to Gnosticism came to be known as Marcionism, named for its founder, Marcion, a native of Pontus in Asia Minor. Marcion was born in about A.D. 80 and began developing aberrant theological views fairly early in life. Later, partly due to the influence of a Roman Christian philosopher named Cerdo, Marcion’s views would become a fully developed system of belief.

A council of elders in Rome excommunicated Marcion in A.D. 144 on charges of heresy. Marcion, believing his system of belief represented a restoration of the true faith, formed his own movement.

Marcion believed Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, was a just but inferior god, and that the Father of Jesus Christ—the God of the New Testament—was a good God. With these ideas at the foundation of his belief system, Marcion edited the Scriptures, forming his own canon. He rejected the Old Testament entirely; threw out all the Gospels except an edited form of Luke’s; and accepted ten of Paul’s epistles, throwing out the pastorals. The purpose of Marcion’s revisions was to rid Scripture of Jewish corruptions. He believed his edited version of the scriptural canon was the key that unlocked the mystery of the true gospel.

Marcion believed too much Jewish religion had been assimilated into the broader church’s doctrine and practice. The good God of the New Testament, he believed, should not be confused with the inferior god of the Jews; nor should He be worshipped according to Old Testament ordinances.

Marcionism spread throughout the known world and became quite popular. Its popularity was due primarily to its anti-Judaism, which had already infected much of Christianity and was widespread among pagans. Other factors contributing to its popularity were (1) its solution to alleged contradictions in the Gospels and (2) its simple solution to the seeming paradox between the existence of evil and belief in a good God.

Many scholars believe Marcion was in some measure influenced by Gnosticism. He rejected the material world and the flesh, believing them to be inherently evil. He forbade sex, marriage, drinking wine, and eating meat. Like the Gnostics, Marcion believed that Christ did not have a material body.

While Marcionism was ultimately condemned by the broader church and stamped out, the very fact that such a bizarre belief system could be so well received among Christians illustrates how powerful an influence a sentiment or prejudice—in this case, anti-Semitism—can be, and how such influences, if left unchecked, can lead to full-scale apostasy.

Montanism

Another second-century deviation that had considerable influence was an apocalyptic movement that began in a Phrygian village when a traveling preacher, Montanus, fell into a trance and supposedly began prophesying under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Later, Prisca (Pricilla) and Maximilla, two women who accompanied Montanus, began falling into trances and prophesying. They were said to be the embodiment of the Holy Spirit who inspired Montanus. Pricilla was eventually excommunicated for claiming that Christ appeared to her in female form.

The three traveled about, spreading their new brand of Christian experience. The movement grew; it came to be known as Montanism. Its greatest defender was Tertullian, who left what he called “the church of a lot of bishops” and was drawn into the movement, perhaps due to theological agreement on certain issues, particularly the Montanists’ view that Christians who fell into serious sin could not be restored.

Montanus prophesied the time of Christ’s return and identified a Phrygian village as the site of the New Jerusalem. His prophecies failed to come to pass; nevertheless, the movement persisted for several centuries. Many church leaders denounced it, denying that the Montanists were true prophets, even claiming that they had introduced into the Christian church pagan ecstatic prophecy. Indeed, ecstatic prophesying and ecstatic speech—“speaking in tongues”—were features of certain pagan religions, but it is doubtful that the Montanists were influenced by paganism.

Montanists believed the Second Coming was near. They strongly emphasized chastity, avoidance of sin, fasting, and church discipline. Remarriage was forbidden. They saw their movement as one of restoration and revival—a new movement of the Holy Spirit. The fact that such a movement could gain the approval of many believers and even influence a learned theologian of the caliber of Tertullian illustrates how a “little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

Christological Heresies

Other significant heresies that appeared in the early centuries of Christian history include Christological aberrations such as “adoptionism” and “modalism.” The early adoptionists—identified today as “dynamistic monarchians”—believed that Jesus, though miraculously conceived by the operation of the Holy Spirit, was a mere man who became the Son of God by adoption. This view is expressed in The Shepherd of Hermas, which was written in about A.D. 150. “Modalistic monarchians,” by contrast, emphasized the full deity of the Son but denied that the Father and the Son were personally distinct. In the third century, Sabellius of Rome taught that God was one divine Person who projected Himself in three different modes—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Perhaps the most famous of all the early Christological heresies was Arianism, named for Arius, a fourth-century Alexandrian theologian who denied the full deity of the preincarnate Christ. “There was a time when He [Christ] was not,” Arius famously said. He argued that Christ was a created being and the agent through whom God created the universe but was not God in the absolute sense.

Arianism took forms ranging from radical to semi-orthodox. It was so divisive that the emperor Constantine convoked an ecclesiastical council in A.D. 325 and called on the bishops of the church to settle the matter. In the end, Arianism was defeated, but only after a hard-fought battle.

Many other theological disputes arose in the subsequent centuries—and the consequences have been significant. While most of these issues were settled through one means or another, they did not just go away without affecting the beliefs and customs of historic Christendom.

Gnostic dualism, antinomianism, Christological heresies, and the wide array of disputes—from different doctrinal ideas to the clash over the use of images to cultural influences like Greek philosophy and pagan practices—played a significant role in shaping the doctrinal creeds and ecclesiastical traditions of the historic visible church. And, as the old saying goes, there’s nothing new under the sun. Today we see the same unscriptural ideas—the same patterns of apostasy, if you will—coming up again and again in various religious movements.

Old Heresies in New Packages

Marcion simply threw out those parts of Scripture he believed to be corrupted. Today, the liberal critics do essentially the same thing when they attempt to separate the “authentic sayings of Jesus” from the sayings His disciples supposedly put on His lips. Of course, the critics’ edits are based on their own preconceived notions, including their tendency to rule out the existence of the supernatural. Thus, neither Christ’s miracles nor His resurrection could have occurred.

But softer forms of Marcionism have also appeared in modern times. Many hyperdispensationalists accept the Old and New Testaments, but they divide the contents of Scripture in such a way as to make only a small part of it applicable to Christians. They establish a radical discontinuity between the Old and New Testaments and between Israel and the church. Some go so far as to declare that only certain of Paul’s writings pertain to Christians today.

We also see softer forms of antinomianism today. The “once saved, always saved” advocates do not deliberately encourage sinful behavior, but their teaching that sinful behavior on the part of a true Christian can never sever his relationship with God is, nevertheless, a form of antinomianism.

A form of antinomianism is also seen in the view that the believer now relies completely on the influence and promptings of the Holy Spirit, and has no need of biblical law to inform him on godly behavior. This view resembles yet another form of antinomianism—the view that replaces biblical commandments with the sentiment of “love.” The result is that sentiment (often called “love”) takes precedence over the plain commandments of God, resulting in “justification” for all kinds of immoral behavior—couples living together as if married, so-called gay marriage, and euthanasia. Even taking a pro-abortion (“pro-choice”) stance is seen as “loving,” as it is opposed to those mean old Bible-thumping “fundamentalists” who oppose “reproductive rights” and “choice.” And then there are the modern modalists who, like the modalists of old, make God a solitary Person who operates through three modes; the modern Arians and adoptionists, who strip Christ of His full divinity and make Him a part of creation; the modern Montanists, noted for their emphasis on ecstatic prophecy and ecstatic utterance, or “speaking in tongues”; the modern Gnostics, who blend Christian beliefs with New Age spirituality; and on it goes.

An Old Admonition—Still Good for Today

There can be no doubt that the Christianity that has come down to us was in many ways shaped by the torrent of heresies, cultural influences, and theological disputes that have come and gone over the centuries. But—make no mistake—yesterday’s heresies never really went away. They have simply been brushed up a bit and repackaged—but they’re still with us. For this reason, the people of God today would do well to heed an old—but not outdated—admonition: “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to CONTEND EARNESTLY for the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3, emphasis added)