Year: 2014

It depends on ‘who’ is doing the translating. If a non-Christian scholar does the translation, what would most likely be the result? Ans.- lots of errors in interpretation, which is verifiable from Manuscript study (or a Strong’s Concordance). And with many of our later ‘English’ translations, that’s exactly what has happened.
     For example, some ‘non-believers’ have taken Paul’s Message of those ‘in Christ’ being ‘espoused’ to Christ Jesus, totally out of context (I believe it was done on purpose by them). They interpret a literal marriage, saying even that Mary Magdalene was actually physically married to Jesus. There are some ‘so-called’ Bible scholars who really are non-believers of Christ. So be careful ‘where’ you get your Bible materials and sermon lessons from. A word to the wise.
     In English, our most ‘accurate’ Bible translation from the Manuscripts is still the good ol’ King James Version of 1611. The KJV originally included a ‘Letter to the Reader, and to King James, Defender of The Faith’. That accompanying Letter has been removed from all later KJV editions. Why? That should be part of your answer. Thomas Nelson Publishers out of Nashville still publishes an ‘original’ KJV edition with that Letter in It, along with margin notes by the translators on certain difficult verses.
    Why so many different Bible translations then? The original reason was supposedly to make The Bible easier to understand for the laymen. But the ‘wicked one’ has his worker’s hands in some of the newer versions, because of the particular ‘twisting’ of Scripture in key areas, even omitting verses which are in the Manuscripts. In other words, some newer translations are not even a ‘complete’ Bible from the Manuscripts. This is another reason why I recommend using a KJV of 1611 for Bible study.
     Some would say, “Well God wouldn’t allow His Word to be tampered with!” The fact of the matter is, God left us His Word entact with the Manuscripts. It’s always better to read a hand-written Letter in its ‘original’ language, than a translation. Take for example a letter you might write to someone in a foreign country, their not knowing English, and it had to be translated. Depending upon who your foreign friend got to translate, some of your letter could be misunderstood. With God’s Word, He made sure His overall Message of Salvation through His Son Christ Jesus would remain in translations. But for ‘deeper’ study, He left us the Manuscripts, even though there’s battles over them also. Satan’s workers are doing everything they can to destroy the credibility of the Manuscripts which the original KJV translators used.
     Moreover, a system setup by Hebrew scribes to ensure Old Testament hand copying would be accurate, called the Massorah, had specific notes on how many Hebrew characters were to be in each Book, Chapter, verse. The notes also included a section on how certain ‘specific’ verses were to be interpreted, locking in God’s Truth with special Acrostics, etc. This is why I recommend The Companion Bible, a KJV 1611 version with many Massorah notes in the margin, put together by a ‘Christian’ scholar, named E.W. Bullinger (still, Bullinger’s margin notes are not all perfect).
     The new Christian will have a hard time understanding much of this, because learning God’s Written Word is similar to a child first learning how to read. A child doesn’t start off reading heavy literature, but they begin using ‘readers’, like ‘Jane, see the dog’. So a new believer may be told, or think, that there are no translation errors even in our KJV. There are some errors in translation. I won’t try to hide that Truth. Acts 12:4 with the word ‘Easter’ is one such obvious error. The Greek word is ‘pascha’, meaning ‘passover’. There’s no way that the Greek word ‘pascha’ can be translated to the word ‘Easter’. The word ‘Easter’ came from a pagan ritual named ‘Eostre’ and linked to a type of ‘grove’ worship. The early Church around the seventh century allowed many pagans to keep some of their old ways in appeasing them to convert to Christ. The Easter celebration became the name for the celebration of the time of Christ’s resurrection. Ever wonder why Easter eggs and bunny rabbits are not mentioned in God’s Word? Our Lord Jesus held the ‘Passover’ with His Apostles. That was the ‘last supper’. Christ Jesus ‘became’ our ‘Passover’ sacrificed for us, as Paul states in 1 Cor.5.
     Acts 12:4 with that word ‘pascha‘, which was wrongly translated ‘Easter‘ by the KJV translators, can be easily verified using practically ‘any’ Greek Bible Lexicon (dictionary).
     Even though there are little errors such as this in several places within the KJV translation, It’s still the best English translation from the Manuscripts, to date. Those errors only become apparent through ‘deeper’ study. They will not be noticed much by the new student of God’s Word. God’s overall Message is still not lost in the KJV.
     An example of the newer ‘New King James Version’ Bible in Luke 4 omits some of the Greek Manuscripts of The New Testament. Here’s the basis of measure starting with the original King James Version of 1611:

Luke 4:9-12
9    And he brought Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, “If thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down from hence:
10    For it is written, ‘He shall give His angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee:
11    And in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.’”
12    And Jesus answering said unto him, “It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (KJV)

     The above verses taken from the original KJV, is about Satan tempting our Lord Christ. Satan is very good at quoting Scripture. That’s one of his strongest methods used to deceive with, even today with many. Satan is quoting from Psalms 91, and notice the phrase, “lest at any time” in verse 11 above. It’s very important to recognize.

Ps 91:11-12
11    For He shall give His angels charge over Thee, to keep Thee in all Thy ways.
12    They shall bear Thee up in their hands, lest Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.
(KJV)

     Here’s the KJV verses in Psalms 91 where Satan was quoting from. Do you see the phrase, “at any time” within It? No… it’s not there. Satan ‘added’ to God’s Scripture, just as he did with tempting Eve. That phrase “at any time” which Satan added would mean Jesus could tempt The Father, while He was made flesh walking upon the earth, anytime He wished to, and He would suffer no harm. Notice Christ Jesus’ answer to Satan. Our Lord Jesus ‘knew’ Satan had ‘added’ to His Word there, and caught it, rebuking Satan with “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
     Now let’s go to the NKJV Bible (New King James Version), and see how they handled all this:

Luke 4:9-12
9    Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.
10    “For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You,’
11    “and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12    And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
(NKJ)

     Note verse 11 here in the NKJV. The translators of that newer version left out totally the phrase “at any time” which Satan added to the quote from Psalms 91:12. That omit destroys the main teaching of our Lord being tempted there. That phrase Satan added, “at any time”, IS in the Greek Manuscripts. Thusly, with the New King James Bible (NKJV), part of Luke Chapter 4 is ‘missing’. There are more similar ‘blatant’ errors in the newer New King James Version, and more in the NIV (New International Version Bible).
     The newer Bible versions is one of the greatest deceptions happening today among many of our brethren/sisters in Christ. If a student wants to still use their easier to read NKJV, NIV, American Standard, Living Bible, etc., then they should be warned to ‘always’ verify back to the original King James Version of 1611, and then… to the Manuscripts using a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. This is also part of a test upon all Christians today. And using an original KJV with a Strong’s is not that difficult of a habit to establish.

Was The Holy Bible inspired? Is that the real question? Is It authentic? Or is It just words from the mouths of men’s babelings? Peter gives the answer:

2 Pet 1:16    For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
17    For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, ‘This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.’
18    And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount.
19    We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20    Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21    For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

     To be an Apostle for Christ, means to be ‘sent’ by God for a mission, with ‘direct’ evidence from Divine Authority. God’s Divine Presence either by The Holy Spirit giving the prophets of old vision or Word, or Christ Himself on earth selecting His Apostles, or in Heaven selecting Paul for his Mission, gave us His Holy Scripture.

TRANSLATIONS
There are many Bible ‘translations’ available today; and many corrupt translations, which can easily be verified by going back to the Manuscripts. This is why I recommend a King James Version of 1611 and a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance as minimum Bible study tools. Dr. James Strong, a Christian scholar, did a great work for our Lord, and for us, by giving us the definitions of the manuscript words used in the King James 1611 Version translation. That means with a Strong’s Concordance, one can ‘verify’ back to the Manuscript languages which the King James translators used. If one can use a plain old Webster’s dictionary, then they can learn to use a Strong’s Concordance.
     The original writers of our Holy Bible did not make any mistakes in putting God’s Word down in ‘letters’. The mistakes come from ‘translations’ and ‘man’s traditions’ based on those ‘letters’.

Do you mean is every little choice, ever little act or thought we do in this life, being pre-ordained to happen, with us like a bunch of robots? No.
     When thorough study is done in God’s Word, one major clue as to our free-will is suddenly revealed. GOD will not force anyone to love Him. He doesn’t want a bunch of little ‘robots’ following Him around saying “love ya, love ya, love ya” all the time.

Rev 4:11    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.

     You may call the following an ‘opinion’, but I feel it explains much as to why GOD created the ‘family’ unit in the flesh. For me, I don’t doubt our Heavenly Father, actually being A REAL Father, of all souls, us, His children, also wanted us to know what it feels like when our ‘own’ flesh children rebel against us, or to feel the ‘joy’ we gain from them when they do real good.
     So how is it in our own families? How do we feel when our ‘own’ children go out and follow some fake ‘fad’, or ‘fashion’, or ‘gang’, or ‘club’, which goes totally against the peace and goodness we want for our child? Our relationship is no different with our Heavenly Father.
     Question: Do we as flesh parents want to ‘force’ our children into loving us? No way. Wouldn’t we rather they come to us in love, on their own accord? You bet! Our Father is no different. Also… do we want to micro-manage every second, minute, hour of our children’s thoughts and lives? No. Our Father is no different in that respect either.
     Do we at times ‘make’ our children do things which we know are best for them, like going to bed on time, brushing their teeth, eating right, etc.? You bet! Why? Because we care. It’s no different between us and our Father.
     When our children do wrong, do we dish out correction as needed, for their sakes, because we love them, and want them to know the difference between right and wrong? You bet! It’s no different with our Heavenly Father and us.
     When we give our children gifts and love, isn’t it a pleasure to see them enjoy it so much? You…bet! It’s no different with us and our Heavenly Father!
     God so loves us, that He sent His Only Begotten Son, to get us back, bringing us back to Him. Would our Heavenly Father have a need to do that, offering His Son for us, if He controlled us all like robots? Of course not, for if that were true, with God ‘manipulating’ every little thought and deed, then there probably would be no sin in the world. But our Father definitely is in control. There’s no doubt about that.
     Even Lucifer was created by God, and the evil one cannot just go out and do anything he wishes. God is ‘controlling’ what the wicked one can, and can’t do. This is written about in the Books of the prophets. Sad most of our brethren don’t get that understanding of our Father’s full control (see Ezekiel 28 about Lucifer once being “perfect in his ways” before he rebelled.)
     Our Heavenly Father has emotions just like we do, for we all were made in His Image. His desire is for His children to listen to and seek Him, in reverence, just as a good child seeks their good Father’s advice and approval, and most of all, His love.

I need information on the anointing, i.e., what it does, why it’s needed, what it is, etc.

The words ‘Messiah’ (Mayshiyach in Hebrew), and ‘Christ’ (Christos in the Greek), both mean ‘anointed’, and the root of both words mean ‘to rub or smear with oil‘ (Strongs nos. 4899;5547). When we say Jesus Christ, we are saying God’s Anointed Savior.
Olive oil is the traditional Oil of God’s People. It has many uses, and is especially healthy to cook with (I think that’s one reason why I miss southern European food so much.) Salves and ointments have been used as aids to beauty and healing for… a long time. So it is no surprise that a non-sacred act of rubbing with oil, such as the face, hands, etc., is an aid to health, and especially important in many destitute lands.
The most important Message of ‘anointing’ is it’s sacred use. That act represents the Power of The Holy Spirit anointing the person, similar to water Baptism. We need be baptized in Christ fulfilling the act of Baptism with water once, while the act of anointing with oil accompanied with prayer, is to allow The Holy Spirit to work His Power of healing in us. And it should be done when we or others are in need, unlike water Baptism (see James 5:14). It is not the oil which does the cleansing or healing, just as water Baptism is a symbol. It is The Holy Spirit performing the healing. So as Christians, we show outwardly our obedience and faith in our ‘Anointed One’ Savior Jesus Christ, when we anoint with oil. Many Churches have gotten away from anointing, but as written in James 5, it is a pure act for those in Christ.
The King and Queens of Europe are still anointed with oil during their coronation ceremony, just as was done while in the land of Israel long ago. Queen Elizabeth was anointed with oil in 1953 when she ascended to the throne (I hope you see a parallel to Christ’s Throne with that). I have a link to the British Monarchy website on my Links page giving some of the details of the coronation.
Allow me to show you a Message our Savior taught about the anointing with oil. Then you’ll find below a description of ‘anointing’ from Vine’s Expository Dictionary.

Jer 4:30 30 And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. (KJV)      

     Note the phrase “rentest thy face with painting” in this verse of Jeremiah 4:30. Also note the result of that ‘painting’. This is metaphor. It doesn’t mean women can’t or shouldn’t use makeup. This reference in Jer.4 is about ‘spiritual harlotry’. Clearly, that deception has much to do with matters of false worship in the flesh. This metaphor shows an attempt at spiritual ‘beauty’ with the ‘painting’ of the face, for the sole purpose of playing the spiritual harlot, going into false worship. Jesus is going to give a different account of those symbols in The New Testament.

Rev 3:18    I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (KJV)      

     This description by our Lord and Savior here in Rev.3:18 is the exact opposite for those symbols of false worship given in Jer.4:30. This particular ‘anointing’ Christ was telling the Church at Laodicea to do on themselves, was to open their ‘spiritual eyes’, so that they might come to Christ’s Truth, instead of relying on the things of the flesh which they were guilty of (see verses 15-17). The ‘eyesalve‘ was to be the bridge for Christ’s Spirit to open their minds to Him.
All this does not mean to rely on ‘ritual’ devices before we think God’s Spirit will work through us. Our Father does not want us to go the way of the superstitious, thinking everything to be an omen, always doing little religious appearing acts to try and produce results from Him. That is paganism. James 5 especially outlines ‘prayer’ as being needed. God works without any acts by man. It is our ‘faith’ in Christ which attones us to Him. But anointing with oil is AOK, as needed, as long as we treat our faith in Christ with understanding and common sense, just as we do at Holy Communion. That’s what makes Christians different from the glitter and gold of idolistic pagan false worship of flesh.

What are the redemptive names of Christ and what are the covenant names of God the Father in the Old Testament?

The Hebrew Name ‘Immanuw’el’, is written in Isaiah 7 and 8, and is also confirmed in the New Testament in Matthew 1:23 with the Greek ‘Emmanuel'(Emmanouel). Immanuel means ‘with us is God’, showing Jehovah’s role of Savior, incarnate in flesh, as Jesus Christ, our Mediator for us to Jehovah (1 Tim.2:5). Although ‘Emmanuel’ as a word, does not show the redemptive meaning directly, it does indirectly, as this Name links back to God calling Himself our Saviour in the Old Testament Scripture. That’s why the Greek form ‘Emmanuel’ is the same as the Hebrew ‘Immanuel’, an original Hebrew word. This means we can’t separate the Old Testament passages which describe Immanuel, from the Gospel Books of the New Testament of ‘Emmanuel’, or Christ Jesus. It is an excellent proof from God’s Word that Jesus Christ IS GOD made flesh, and not just a prophet such as Moses, etc. (see John 1).
The “I AM” within “I AM The LORD thy GOD” is given in Isaiah 43:3 and is in Covenant relation to His People, then the Title “The Holy One of Israel” as in contrast to false gods, and then “thy Saviour” which is ‘Yasha‘, translated as ‘Saviour’. All three Titles given in one verse. In John 8:58 our Lord and Savior said “…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.” This showed again Christ as God’s Role as Saviour as written. Isaiah 45 is emphatic that there is no other Saviour than The God of Israel. Christ Jesus is God in the Role of Saviour, Incarnate in flesh, Emmanuel ‘God with us’ (Matt.1:23). Even in Luke 1:47 Mary, the mother of Christ, calls God her Saviour, without naming Jesus, for He was not made flesh just yet.
Isaiah 49:26 and 60:16, God calls Himself our ‘Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob’. That means kinsman redeemer, as One of kin, who avenges, revenges, ransoms, etc., for us. We belong to Him. We are family. GOD did create us all, and we all are His children. Naturally then, only those who wish to be part of His family can claim that relationship to Him.
The word ‘salvation’ in the Old Testament Hebrew is ‘yeshuw’ah’; ‘yesha’, ‘teshuw’ah’. The name Joshua (Yehowshuwa in Hebrew) is the equivalent Iesous (Jesus) in Greek, and means ‘Jehovah’s Saviour’.
Melchizedek of Genesis 14 and Psalms 110:4 is our Saviour and Lord, as confirmed in Hebrews Chapters 5 through 7. Melchizedek is from two Hebrew words, Melek (Malkiy) in Hebrew means ‘king‘, and ‘tsedeq‘ means ‘the right, moral, legal, natural’, and is written as ‘King of Righteousness‘ in the Book of Hebrews. Thus also, the title of King of Salem, and Prince of Salem, are also definitions of Melchizedek.
The words ‘Messiah‘ and ‘Christ‘ both mean Anointed, as Messiah is the Hebrew form, and Christ is the Greek form. Remember the commands for Christians to anoint themselves, and the anointing of prophets, kings, and priests.
Isaiah 9:6 gives more Titles of God’s Role as Saviour through Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is referred to there as ‘Counsellor, Wonderful, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace‘. Christ is called The ‘Branch’ in Isaiah 11:1, in relation to His birth through the seed of David. Therefore, He is also called the ‘son of David’ in relation to the meaning of Eve called ‘the mother of all living’, meaning through her womb, Christ would be born in flesh for the Mission as Saviour for all who accept Him, and through grace receive everlasting Life.
As far as ‘redemptive names of Christ’, the above all show Christ’s relationship as God’s Saviour for us. Those verses and Names also show that Christ is God, especially as in Isaiah 9:6. There are many, many, more references to Christ in the Old Testament which just use pronouns, such as ‘he’, not declaring one of the specific Divine Titles. Only by true study through the Books of The Old Testament will it be discovered when Christ is being talked about. The context of the Chapter will reveal Christ in those Scriptures of the Old Testament concerning His Mission as Savior and KING OF KINGS. Isaiah 11 is one example. Zech.9:9-10 give both first and second Advents of Christ, as does Isa.61:2, yet His Name is not mentioned. Do you think our Father caused that to proove us with, to see if we would listen to Him and study His Word for ourselves? I don’t have any doubts that He did. So all the arguments about the Trinity, etc., among many Christians who are unlearned in God’s Word, especially in the Old Testament, with the Manuscripts, is all for naught. Just what is written here concerning the various Names of God in different relationships should put to rest many of those arguments. Appendix 4 of The Companion Bible gives all the Covenant Titles for God in relation to His People. Below is some of the info from Bullinger’s Companion Bible, Ap.4, pp.6-7:

1. Jehovah – Elohim in Covenant relation to those He created.
Jehovah – Jireh = Jehovah will see, or provide. Gen.22:14.
Jehovah – Ropheka = Jehovah that healeth thee. Ex.15.:26.
Jehovah – Nissi = Jehovah my banner. Ex.17:15.
Jehovah – Mekaddishkem = Jehovah that doth sanctify you. Ex.31:13; Lev.20:8; 21:8; 22:32; Ezek.20:12.

Jehovah – Shalom = Jehovah [send] peace. Judg.6:24.
Jehovah – Zebaoth = Jehovah of hosts. 1 Sam. 1:3 and frequently. Jehovah – Zidkenu = Jehovah our Righteousness. Jer.23:6; 33:16. Jehovah – Shammah = Jehovah is there. Ezek.48:35.
Jehovah – Elyon = Jehovah most High. Ps.7:17; 47:2; 97:9.
Jehovah – Ro’i = Jehovah my Shepherd. Ps.23:1. 2.
JAH = Jehovah as having BECOME our Salvation (Ex.15.2). Occurs 49 times.
3. SHADDAI – Translated “Almighty”, and is indicated by small capital letters. It is God (“El”), not as the source of strength, but of ‘grace’; not as Creator, but as the ‘Giver’. Shaddai is the ‘All-bountiful’. This title does not refer to His creative power, but to His power to supply all the needs of His people. Its first occurrence is in Gen.17:1, and is used to show Abraham that He Who called him out to walk alone before Him could supply all his need. Even so it is the title used in 2 Cor.6:18, where we are called to “come out” in separation from the world. It is always used in connection with “El”.
4. ELYON – first occurs in Gen.14:8 with ‘El’, and is rendered “the most high (God)”. It is El and Elohim, not as the powerful Creator, but as “the possessor of heaven and earth.” Hence the name is associated with Christ as the Son of “the Highest” (Luke 1:35). It is ‘Elyon’, as possessor of the earth, Who divides the nations “their inheritance”. In Ps.83:18, He is “over all the earth”. The title occurs 36 times (6 x 6, or 6 to the 2nd power). Elyon is the Dispenser of God’s blessing in the earth; the blessings proceeding from a Priest Who is a King upon His Throne (compare Gen.14:18-22 with Zech.6:13; 14:9).

In Genesis 14, it talks of King Amraphel, well from my bible and other studies scholars say that this Amraphel is King Hammurabi, the one whom wrote the codes of law, but my question is did Abraham kill Amraphel, why I ask is because according to Amraphel a.k.a Hammurabi, that the king didnt die by the sword, but that he was sick and died of sickness, and that his son reign in his stead, but what is the real truth, I mean Im not doubting GOD, but why is GOD being doubted here, unless Abraham didn’t kill Amraphel, that would be the only explanation, but what are your thoughts?

On the Companion Bible: I’m aware of that margin note made by Bullinger on Gen.14, where he says Amraphel was Hammurabi. Bullinger put the Companion Bible together back in the late 1800’s, so it must be remembered that he was going on the Assyriologist’s knowledge of his day. Bulllinger was not an Assyriologist.
On page 15 of the Companion Bible, in Gen.10:2, Bullinger has another error with the descendents of ‘Gomer’. He says those of Gomer were the Cimmerians; the group which the Greek historian Herodotus wrote of. That was another link which Bullinger evidently got from the Assyriologists of his day. The Cimmerians are linked to part of a name he gave in the margin, i.e. ‘Gimirra’, but linking ‘Gimirra’ with Gomer is supposition.
A later translation of the Assyrian tablets by Leroy Waterman in 1930 establishes the link that the ‘Gimirra’ were members of the ‘house of Israel'(ten tribes), not Gomer of the time just after Noah’s flood. The ‘Gimirra’ of the Tablets are linked to the Cimmerians which Herodotus wrote of, but not associated with Gomer of Gen.10. Bullinger has very little comment on the lost tribes of Israel within The Companion Bible, which he evidently did not grasp from I Kings 11 forward. Otherwise, he would have seen the error of linking Gomer to the later group of Cimmerians who migrated from Assyria to Asia Minor much later.
Also, Bullinger was partial to the “secret rapture” doctrinal interpretation of I Thess.4:17, as shown in his margin notes. Though he was an excellent scholar, and left us a great work with the Companion Bible, he was not perfect, as no man is. That’s why each one of us are to study God’s Word for ourselves, asking God’s Holy Spirit to help us understand. The Word was written under the guidance of The Holy Spirit. And that’s the only way It can be properly understood, by The Holy Spirit. The deeper understanding of God’s Word by His Spirit of Truth helps reveal man’s inconsistancies.

Could you please tell me where Cain got his wife and where I can find this information in The Bible?   If Cain and Abel were Adam’s and Eve’s first children, were there people prior to Adam?

From God’s Word, we can only know where Cain DID NOT get his wife. Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel, were the only ones written living in ‘Eden’ at the time, meaning ‘paradise’, or called the Garden of God, in ‘the presence of the LORD’.

Gen 4:16     And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. (KJV)      

     Just before this verse of Gen.4:16, Cain was near the ‘presence of the LORD’, along with Adam and Eve. It’s important to understand that wherever God is, that’s where His Heaven is. Heaven was established upon earth during the time of Adam and Eve, just before the fall. That’s the meaning of “from the presence of the LORD”. Our Father was there, as He will bring Eden (Heaven) back to His earth in His Eternity (see Rev.20, 21, 22, and last verse of Ezekiel). The ref. in Rev.22 to the Tree of Life (Jesus Christ) locks this in with Gen.2-3 also (note the Cherubims of Gen.3:24 guarding Eden, i.e. Heaven, where Christ also dwelt, called in Genesis the Tree of Life). So as Adam and Eve were to be the specific bloodline which Christ would be born from, (Gen.3:15; Luke 3), then no others were setup there in Eden. Then Gen.3:24 says Adam and Eve were booted out of Eden, specifically where the Tree of Life (Christ) was. This is symbolic of God moving His Heaven (Eden) off the earth, into the dimension it is in today, with a separation taught in Luke 16 by our Lord and Savior.
Even though some teach that there were other daughters of Adam at that time of Cain, the reference they use is not written in God’s Word until ‘after’ Cain was put away, out of Eden. Adam had other ‘sons and daughters’, as written in Gen.5:4. Thus, Cain more than likely took his wife from the ‘land of Nod’, away from God’s presence, ‘east of Eden’, as written.
I recommend a work called Sargon The Magnificent, which documents from the Assyrian Babylonian Tablets that ‘Sargon’ was a Semite, who migrated to ancient Sumer (Babylonia), and brought knowledge of agriculture and science. In the Tablets, this Sargon is named the ‘son of the dragon’, or son of bel. And later, other Semites moved there also. The city named in those Tablets of his time is Urech, which could be the city of Enoch which Cain built.
Yes, there were ‘other’ peoples on the earth during Adam and Eve’s time, ‘outside’ Eden. As God said Zion is where He has chosen for His dwelling, and ‘the land of Nod’ is ‘east of Eden’, then God’s Garden of Eden was where Jerusalem is today, and ancient Babylon is ‘east’ of Zion also. This is why many scholars assign the man Cain as being oriental, but he was Semitic.
My interpretation of Gen.1:26-27 is that God created all ‘races’ of mankind, and the specific eth’Ha’adham (this same man Adam) in His Garden of Eden, all on the ‘sixth day’ of flesh creation, but they had separate dwellings. The Hebrew word for ‘man’ in Gen.1:27 is ‘ha’adham’, meang ‘the man Adam’. The Hebrew word for ‘man’ in Gen.1:26 is ‘adam’, with no article, meaning ‘mankind in general’, i.e. the various races. The geneaology from the man Adam to Christ is given in Luke 3.
Cain is not in Adam’s genealogy given there. Cain was not Adam’s son. See my Genesis studies for more.

This was a question asked me by one who prayed in ‘tongues’ during Church service, and his Pastor called him down for it. In order for me to properly answer that question, I would need to know more about how that individual meant ‘tongues’; other languages such as, Spanish, German, etc., or the ‘unknown tongue’ which few can understand today.

     Secondly, Paul stated in I Cor. 14, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” In that Chapter you’ll find the proper instructions to the Church for conducting service, which is teaching The Word of God. Anything that disrupts the teaching of God’s Word in Church is not to be allowed. I Timothy also gives instructions for Church doctrine and conducting behavior in the Church.
The common sense of the matter is similar to when we were in school, if another kid in class started doing something which disrupted the other students from learning, even including provocative dress by the females in the class causing distraction, then the teacher would take control, which also the authority of a Pastor teaching in Church has, as given by God.
There is a deeper message which you may or may not receive, as long as you know that I am trying to help, but if you have doubts about what I’m going to say, then I challenge you to dig in The Word for yourself, and make your own decision. Before you read the following paragraphs, I strongly recommend you ‘study’, not just read, the following verses and Chapters: Acts 2; compare Matthew 24; Mark 13 with Rev. 6.  Also study 2 Thessalonians 2 documenting that the ‘son of perdition’ must first be revealed, who is Satan himself; 2 Corinthians 11; I Cor. 14; and Ezekiel 13 dealing with the “secret rapture” “fly away” doctrine. By the word ‘study’ I mean to do it for yourself, don’t ask me or anyone else to interpret it for you, and it must be done in prayer to Jehovah through His Son Jesus Christ for guidance.
My position on the ‘unknown tongue’, of which I have several friends who do speak in this ‘unknown tongue’, I do not, is according to God’s Word in Acts 2. It is written there in Acts that the ‘cloven tongue’ spoken on that Pentecost day was known languages of the world, going out in all directions, and every man heard in their own language, and even ‘dialect’ from the country in which they were born. This is not the same ‘tongue’ which my other Christian friends speak, because none that I’ve been around can understand when it is spoken. Therefore, until everyone present understands those of today who speak in an ‘unknown tongue’, in their own language and even in their dialect of birth (English, Spanish, etc.), then, it is not the true tongue the Apostles spoke on Pentecost day, according to Acts 2 (see the Tongues study). Further, the word ‘unknown’ in I Cor.14 in the KJV was added by the KJV translators. It is not in the original Greek Manuscripts. That word ‘tongue’ there is ‘glossa’ in the Greek, meaning “a language, one naturaly unaquired” (Strong’s no. 1100).Paul was teaching there in I Cor. 14 about how to conduct the edifying of God’s Church making prophesying (teaching) the most important function during Church service. Even the true meaning of the word ‘prophesy’ has been twisted by those who speak an unrecognizable ‘unknown tongue’.  To ‘prophesy’ means to ‘teach’ with words of understanding. Since Paul was a Hebrew Biblical scholar, previously being a Pharisee, and trained under one the greatest Hebrew Biblical scholars of his day named Gamliel, naturally then, Paul spoke other ‘tongues’, such as Hebrew, Aramaic, and of course Greek.

    The following verses point out ‘languages’ as being the whole matter, not the ‘unknown tongue’ which few can understand.

1 Cor 14:9     So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. 1 Cor 14:15    What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

1 Cor 14:19    Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

1 Cor 14:26    How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

1 Cor 14:33    For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.(KJV)

FINALLY:  If the ‘unknown tongue’ is a ‘sign’ for those who will speak with God’s Holy Spirit against Satan’s New World Order Religious organization, now in the final process of being set up in the world as I speak, then all that hear that ‘tongue’ must be able to understand in their own dialect of the country’s language where they are from. That has not happened yet. So I’m not judging you, nor any man, as I don’t have that authority or right. As I stated before, it is amazing that some friends who do speak in this ‘unknown tongue’ also believe they are going to ‘fly away’ with the first Messiah, which will be Satan playing the role he has always coveted by his pride, the role of the Savior of the world. There is only One Son of God and His Name is ‘Immanuel in the Hebrew meaning “God with us”, Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God’ (Isaiah 8:8 and Isaiah 9:6) ‘Jesus Christ’ (Christos meaning ‘Anointed, Messiah’), Iesous in the Greek, Yashua in the Hebrew meaning “Jehovah is salvation”.

There is a major difference between true Bible Study, and merely “reading” The Holy Bible. This is because God’s Word is different from all other types of literature known to man.
     God’s Holy Spirit as Guide is the only way to properly understand our Father’s Word, as God wants us to worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). The writers of The Bible were inspired through The Holy Spirit, and set God’s Truth down in Letter (2 Peter 1:21). So likewise, The Holy Spirit is needed to understand His Word. Believing on Christ Jesus as our Savior, and asking Him for guidance is necessary. There is no other Way of Salvation or towards His Truth.
     This means the “spiritual mind”, not the “flesh mind”, must be open in order to understand God’s Word. There is very deep and profound Truth in God’s Word which will be missed by the ‘flesh thinking’.
     At the same time, an ordered and disciplined method of study will allow The Holy Spirit to open up our Father’s Word to you. Each person must do this for themselves.
     God can lock or unlock The Scriptures to you. Begin your Bible Study with a prayer to our Father asking guidance, always in Christ’s Name.

Proper Bible Study will Change your Life

     True Bible Study is not just learning in the intellectual sense, but food for the ‘soul’. It should produce a ‘change’ in your attitude, thinking, and most importantly, the way you live. That ‘change’ will influence your outlook and personal understanding of your life, and the lives around you. It will lead you to righteousness. If you feel your life has been like a boat with no rudder, drifting on the open seas, then know that true understanding of The Word will be That Rudder for you. Then there will be direction, purpose, strength of mind, inner peace, in your being. It doesn’t mean that the trials in the flesh will cease, but you will be better prepared to overcome them. Our LORD said He would never leave nor forsake those who believe and trust in Him (Heb.13; 1 Sam.12:22; Ps.37:28).
     Only God’s Word can give true answers to our questions about life. There are so many in the world who look for answers, but seldom find them. The philosophers of the flesh have trapped many people away from true spiritual understanding within The Word of God. Listening to the world will keep you from understanding yourself and this world in which we live in.
     A compassionate attitude cannot be learned; it comes from the heart. Coming to Christ in sincereity will produce this ‘heart’ and ‘mind of Christ’.

Faith is to Have Hope for Things Unseen

     To have ‘Faith’ is to know that this flesh time is temporary, and to have hope for eternal life and eternal peace through our Savior Jesus Christ.

Heb 11:1   Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
KJV

  This means our belief in Jesus Christ is certain, and not just idle words of the flesh mind. Anyone can just ‘say’ they believe, but “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). That means our ‘faith’ will naturally produce ‘works’ of our attitude towards and in Christ Jesus.
     How is it with those who don’t seek Christ? We all must have faith in something. Whether the non-believer admits it or not, they place their faith in the world, or possibly in their own works, i.e. things ‘seen’ of the flesh. Faith in the world will produce works of the world, and not of God.

Give Freely what You’ve Been Given

     There are many instances from The Word where sent ones who understood God’s Truth went forth to share that Truth with others. God will bless you if you’re trying to serve Him. If you have His Truth, more of It will be given to you, if you’re in the field doing His Work. If you just ‘sit’ on what Truth you have been given, then don’t expect blessings from our Father.
     Doing for our Father in hopes of gaining material wealth, is the wrong attitude also. Our Father knows all thoughts and all hearts. He can’t be fooled. But if you’re trying to serve our Heavenly Father for ‘righteousness sake’, because He is That True Righteousness, and also because of your love to Him and His children, then He’ll give you what you need to do His Work, and then some, and I mean that spiritually. Our Father expects us to do with what we have been given. Those who are given more, more is expected of them, but we all have the same inheritance in Christ (Luke 12:48).

The Bible Language

     The Holy Bible is written in ‘literal’ languages, specifically Hebrew, Greek, Chaldee, and Aramaic. The rules of grammar apply to It also.
     Figures of speech, or idioms, are used throughout God’s Word to enhance and overcome the limitations of the literal languages. These ‘figures’ or idioms are used because man’s language of communication is limited. Understanding the ‘figurative’ sense, or metaphor, is of utmost importance. The Companion Bible is a great help in understanding these figures of speech. (See my Bible Tools section for more information.)
     Customs, traditions, and methods of the times are the center of reference for many key parables. For example: in Matt.9:17, Jesus describes putting new wine into new bottles. The word ‘bottle’ is askos in the Greek Manuscripts, and means a leathern, or wine flask made of skins. They didn’t use glass bottles at that time. The analogy is that if you put freshly made wine that has to ferment and expand, into an old wine ‘skin’ that won’t stretch, it will burst open.
     The Bible from Genesis to Revelation gives a ‘progressive revelation’ of the whole Plan of God. And because of this, The Word of God is Its Own best Interpreter in understanding. Leave out part of It, and only pieces of God’s Plan will be understood. And that sparingly. Some Messages in one Book will not be understood without the ‘key’ from another Book. God made sure we must try to understand all of His Word to gain full Truth of His Plan. And each Christian should understand God’s Plan from Genesis through Revelation. We don’t have to memorize, but know God’s Plan contained within His Word. By understanding the meaning of each Chapter and Book, we come to understand God’s Concepts. This discloses to us how our Father operated in past dispensations (God’s Plan as revealed to man in intervals), for today in this present dispensation of ‘grace’ through Christ, and yet future (Eph.1:10; 3).
     Agreement is present among the whole Word; all Books are in accord with each other, and all weave together. To properly understand one Book, one or more other Books must be understood. There are no contradictions within God’s Perfect Word (in this, I refer to the Manuscripts). If we feel there is apparent contradiction within The Word, then our understanding is lacking at some point and requires further guidance and study.

Influence of Our Own Ideas: A Hinderance

     It’s difficult for us while in the flesh to prevent our own ideas from influencing our understanding. Even when studying a new technical subject, many of our own ideas and experiences help us form a bigger picture of the new subject. This is natural because it’s how we were educated in the world, and how we are taught to think. And it can be a hinderance when learning God’s Word, because His Ways are not man’s ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).
     Reading a passage in Scripture, and then applying our own ideas as to what it means, without further study, can be a hinderance to God’s Truth. A verse belongs to a Chapter; a Chapter belongs to a Book. It would be silly if we took one paragraph out of a textbook on, let’s say, history, and then thought we knew all about the subject.
     There will always be found at least ‘two witnesses’ for a Truth in God’s Word. Allow The Word to interpret The Word. If a passage gives you an idea, find backup in more than one Scripture. In many cases, there will be several Scriptures verifying one of God’s Truths. Until one has learned to search the Scriptures in this way, they are not properly studying The Word.
     The Word will be understood according to each person’s ability through study. A well disciplined method of study with allowing God’s Word to flow in the mind, and not our own ideas, will help The Holy Spirit in giving you Truth. That is how The Holy Spirit operates in teaching us God’s Word. We must put forth the effort first. Being of a humble heart and mind is a must.

2 Tim 2:15
15    Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(KJV)

Scholarship And God’s Word

      Contrary to popular belief, good scholarship and God’s Word go hand in hand.  Also contrary to popular teachings, you don’t have to be a Ph.D. to handle good Biblical scholarship. A mature heart with The Lord, and patience, IS necessary.
There have been some God gifted Christian scholars that have provided the English speaking student with some valuable tools.  One particular tool is a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (It must have the Hebrew and Greek dictionaries in it to be a real Strong’s).  Dr. James Strong took every word or phrase in the 1611 King James Version Bible, created a search concordance, assigned numbers to each word or phrase in the original languages that the King James was translated from, and gave us the original Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and Chaldee definitions. In other words, with a Strong’s, you can look up the original manuscript definition for any word in the 1611 King James Bible.  By doing this, you are taking God’s Word back to Its original languages, without having to read Hebrew, Greek, or Chaldee.  If you can read in these languages, so much the better, but not everyone can do this.  That’s the reason for using the tools available listed on my Study Resources page, which of course, is by no means complete.
A word of caution:  there are some so-called higher critics of The Word that have attempted to destroy the credibility of Dr. James Strong. If the sincere student uses a Strong’s Concordance for a while, the reasons will become obvious. Those critics want a monopoly on understanding God’s Word, for their own gain.  Our Lord warned us about false prophets all throughout His Word. Don’t be deceived by them in paying them any heed (This does not apply to the good Churches that do teach God’s Word, especially chapter by chapter, and verse by verse). The false prophets will not show you how to study for yourself, but tell you what to believe instead.  A true teacher of The Word will always show you how a particular teaching was arrived at, and also will admit to mistakes when made, and will not give you a false answer when they don’t really know.

The Six Questions

    When studying The Word, it helps to apply the questions of ‘where, who, when, what, how, and why’.
     Asking yourself these questions in studying The Word will drive you to discovery of profound Truths which many hardly ever get to. As God’s Word is Perfect Truth, answers to all six questions dealing with a subject, will be found within The Word. Those answers may be spread out in other Books, but they are there waiting for you.

Do Your Own Study

     A good Bible teacher can ‘help’ you a lot in understanding God’s Word, if both teacher and student fit the qualifications our Father requires. But man cannot study for you. As with any subject of study, we must apply ourselves to grasp it. The Holy Spirit can only guide you in The Word of God as you’re willing to study It for yourself. That means work. Group study will only produce if you go home and verify what was taught in the group for yourself. Don’t be content with just what others believe; you could be misled. Verify in The Scriptures for yourself. To do otherwise, is to believe on man and not Christ.

     Well if you’ve made it down to this paragraph thus far, good for you. You’re evidently serious about God’s Word. May our Father’s Holy Spirit and His Son Jesus Christ bless you in your study of His Word, in Christ’s Name, Amen.

Peace be with you in Christ Jesus,
Dave.

 In the last Letter, we considered experiences common to humans involving ‘time’ differences between ‘daydreams’ and the ‘wake state’ of the mind. There is nothing wrong with considering this particular facet in life which all peoples can probably admit they have experienced. As a matter of fact, with God’s people, the influx of the Holy Spirit within their being is a definite signal to the Christian that there is a spiritual existence, and not just life of the ‘flesh’.
     (If you’re thinking about ‘tongues’ at this stage, know that the true ‘tongue’ at Pentecost spoken of in Acts 2 was ‘cloven’, going out in all directions, and ‘understood’ by all those present, even in the dialect of their particular village of the various countries from which they were born. Any other ‘tongue‘ than this, is false. Also note that the word ‘unknown‘ in the King James was added by the translators; it is not in the original Greek manuscripts. Rightly divide The Word; check it out for yourself; don’t just take my word for it.)
God’s Holy Spirit awards His people with various ‘spiritual gifts’ accordingly as you work for our Father. If you truly are a believer in Christ, and are working for The Lord, you should be able to document a gift from the Holy Spirit, mainly to yourself; i.e., from experiences that have God’s Signature all over it, His workings that defy physical explanation somewhat. Others should readily notice that ‘gift’ from God when it becomes manifest also.
Well how do we know that certain ‘workings’ of the spirit are from God, and not Satan? God’s Word instructs us in the difference, therefore, if these events do not align with His Word, then they are not of Him. It’s that simple. Also then, if you can honestly say that you haven’t studied The Word, then you are open to interpreting ‘signs’ and ‘wonders’ from Satan as being from God. Thus, it is easy to listen to others give ‘witness’ of spiritual gifts and believe they are from God if you haven’t done your ‘homework’; and you could easily be duped. ‘Appearance’ is one of Satan’s most powerful tools of deception and one of the most dangerous ‘appearance’ schemes is coming upon us in the near future. When Satan comes to earth, in person, claiming to be Jesus Christ, ‘working miracles in the sight of men’, many who have not prepared themselves by studying The Word will get a magnificent teaching on God’s sense of ‘time’ (see Rev.16). Since many have not understood God’s overall Plan, and ‘time’ schedule, they will believe on this strong contrast between Satan and his angels working ‘miracles’ on earth while mankind is yet still in the flesh. The flesh understanding will naturally see the remarkable nature of Satan’s miracles on earth, for all to see, and will believe that only God could perform them. But those armed with ‘God’s Armour’ (Eph.6), which is of the ‘spirit’ and not the flesh, will see these ‘remarkable acts’ by Satan portraying himself as Christ as an abomination (Matt.24; Mark 13; Luke 21; Daniel 7; II Thess.2; Ezekiel 28; Isa.14; Rev.12; 13; 16).
In the Book of Daniel it is written that this last ‘king’ (Satan) diverse from the others, who arises in the ‘fourth kingdom’ (the last ‘world government’ of man upon earth, the ‘New World Order’), “…shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws;…” (Dan.7:25). This ‘wearing out’ of God’s saints is in the mental sense, for ‘shall wear out’ is ‘bela’ in Aramaic in the King James, and means “to afflict: (but used only in a mental sense)” (Strong’s 1080). This verse is in parallel to Rev.9:4, where those who have the ‘seal of God’ in their foreheads (the Gospel Armour, The Word), are not to be harmed. But what is this ‘time‘ and ‘laws‘ in Dan.7:25 which Satan thinks to change? The word ‘times‘ is the Aramaic word ‘zeman‘ in the manuscripts, and it means ‘an appointed occasion’ (Strong’s 2166, root 2165). This ‘appointed occasion’ Satan thinks to change is the second Advent of Jesus Christ. Lucifer will be saying that Christ has come, but his ‘appointed time’ will be false, and out of season, thinking to change the ‘time’ God set up for the return of Jesus.
     When you put this with all the other references in God’s Word to Satan playing the role of Jesus Christ (remember, Jesus is God, Immanuel ‘God with us’), then those of you that have been studying with me in Isaiah have yet another proof from The Word that Satan is coming as a ‘false Messiah’, before Christ returns. Well why would this word ‘laws‘ be attached along with changing the ‘times‘ (appointed time of Christ’s return) there in Dan.7:25?  This word ‘laws‘ is ‘dath’ in Aramaic, and it means ‘a law’ (Strong’s 1882), specifically ‘God’s Law’. Our loving Father gave us knowledge of the Advents of Christ coming to earth in His Law and the prophets. It is all written, and has been for a long, long, time. All we have to do is come to our Father Jehovah in ‘truth and in spirit’, following Him, believing on His Son, and studying to show ourselves approved.
Jesus warned us about today’s time throughout His Word, and even through Paul would teach about ‘another Jesus’, and false ministers of Satan teaching God’s Word (2 Cor.11). Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not teaching against God’s true Churches that do teach His Word;  I’m teaching against the false ones, for I know they exist, and many people in those false Churches are so confused, they don’t have a clue as to what God’s Word really says. Soothsayers those false ones are, for instead of teaching those who love The Lord how to stand against the ‘fiery darts of Satan’ in the days to come, they teach to believe on ‘another Jesus’ as the Messiah, and to ‘fly’ away with him (Lucifer), out of season.
Many are looking for a short cut list of things to prepare for, without studying God’s Word for themselves. When we attend Church service, listening to man without checking him out in our Father’s Word, it’s like paying someone else to pass the exam for you. Remember the saying in that case? When you let someone else do your homework for you; ‘you’re only cheating yourself’. The difference is that God is not playing school, and we can’t ‘cheat’ our way through.
As we learned with this Letter, God’s Time has definite events tied to that ‘Time’. His Time has been previously prepared for us in this flesh age. To understand His Time is to be aware of the events of this second earth age, the age of flesh. We know this through His Word. No man knows the day or hour of Christ’s return, but we have been given the events to watch for. These events will happen just as written. Man cannot change them, for our Father is in control. The ‘patience of the saints’ is to recognize these events, waiting for the True Messiah Jesus Christ to return instead of worshipping the little ole’ angel Lucifer as the false Messiah.

Peace be unto you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey.