The Bible
Tells It Like It Is
AUTHOR’S
FOREWORD
This book is
non-sectarian and unconventional, a veritable bomb-shell of well-documented
good news, addressed especially to frightened, thinking people—people who are
turned off by, or not getting enough out of traditional religion—rather than to
satisfied churchgoers.
It presents the
key that permits the reader himself to unlock the mystery of God’s magnificent
plan, and of the prophecies that enumerate, describe and provide the solutions
to every terrifying problem of today. It is an exposé of false fears and a
revealment of secrets, unknown until recent years, that provides for even the
most dejected a glorious reason for living.
It is written
as briefly as possible to convey its message, and it should be read through,
from beginning to end, because its individual topics are interdependent for
depth of meaning. An index to the chapters is provided only for second reading
reference, since no chapter is sufficient unto itself. An alphabetical index is
provided as an appendix; not an exhaustive index, but an assist in locating
items for second reading reference.
All Biblical
references are to the authorized King James version of the Holy Bible,
originally published in 1611. This is not because it, unlike all other
translations, is without error, but because it is the most widely circulated
and broadly recognized translation of the oldest recognized manuscripts.
It is my prayer
that this writing will bring you, dear reader, comfort, direction,
understanding and inspiration—a real zest for living!
AUTHOR’S
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
The First
Edition of this joyous book of prophecy was published in 1972. Since then, a
continuing love affair with the Bible, and a close observation of prophecies
fulfilled by current events have served only to strengthen my wholehearted
faith in the message this book relays: that God has a plan for the human race
that may appear to be too good to be true, but that the Bible proves it is true
beyond the shadow of a doubt!
The
considerable correspondence this book has inspired from people belonging to a
variety of the best known Faiths, as well as people formerly disinterested in
religion, indicates that the book is serving its purpose to expose false fears
which were contrived during the Dark Ages, and to bring to light the Bible’s
explanation of God’s plan which has been withheld miraculously from our
understanding until recent years—a plan so superior to the imagination of man
that only God could have conceived it!
This Second
Edition is published in grateful response to the beautifully expressed wishes
of the book’s many friends in the United States and Great Britain, and with
overwhelmingly humble thanksgiving that God is permitting The Bible Tells It
Like It Is to continue to help with the distribution of Bible Truths due to
be understood during the current transitional period—the end of this Age and
the beginning of the next Age—a time when great advantages are available to
those who recognize them, and strive for them!
[Dorothy
Norwood of Pennsylvania]
Chapter I CREDIBILITY GAPS BRIDGED
You are deeply
concerned about the trend of events and it is of little wonder. Our topsy-turvy
world appears to be pitching and tossing like a gale-ridden ship with an
unmanned helm, and men’s hearts are failing for fear of what—if anything—lies
ahead.
Our minds are
filled with terrifying questions, such as:
(1) Are there
flying saucers threatening us with invasion from outer space?
(2) Might the
nuclear, biological or chemical weapons we have stockpiled be released,
advertently or inadvertently, to exterminate us overnight?
(3) Will the
population explosion strangle us?
(4) Will the
air, water, and/or land pollution overcome us before we find a solution?
(5) Is there a
solution short of anarchy to the decay of our financial, political, religious
and social structure—man’s inhumanity to man?
(6) Is there a
God? If so, is He a malicious, vindictive fiend? Has He written us off as
hopeless? Has He been overpowered by Satan or, perhaps—is God dead?
All these and
related questions that scientists, psychologists, educators, theologians,
statesmen and all our most educated minds are failing to answer, are questions
that only God can and will answer.
This writing is
designed to call your attention to God’s answers to these questions and,
beginning at the beginning to provide these answers sequentially, in the order
of their chronological appearance on the horizon of each episode necessary to
an understanding of God’s unfolding plan. It is designed to erase false fears
and to assure the fainting heart, in simple and forthright language, that God
is not merely a vague cosmic force, incapable of miracles and individual
consideration; that God is not dead; and that things are not out of hand; but
rather that:
(1) God is a
vibrantly alive, omnipotent, personal being;
(2) God has a
magnificent plan;
(3) God is
exercising His infinite wisdom, justice, love, and power to complete this plan
exactly on schedule; and
(4) God has provided us with the Bible: (a) to spell out
the details of His plan; (b) to make plain the rewards for good and the
penalties for evil-doing; and (c) to supply us with perfect direction in
determining the difference between right and wrong.
The Bible tells
us that within a predetermined period of time, God plans to populate this earth
with a predetermined number of perfect human beings who will live forever,
under perfect conditions. The Bible tells us God knows "the end from the
beginning" (Isa 46:10)
and, although much can be done to the advantage of individuals, there is
absolutely no one nor thing that can hasten or delay God’s timetable.
Yes, the Bible
tells it like it is! And the best is yet to come—not in some remote region, at
some remote time, in some remote after-life, but right here on earth, and very
soon—within your life expectancy and mine—with the establishment of the Fifth
Universal Empire.
The Fifth
Universal Empire? Mere mention of the possibility of such an establishment
sparks our curiosity with who, what, when, where and why questions.
The need for a
universal empire or world government is increasingly obvious. We have seen our
world grow smaller and smaller in direct proportion with the growth, larger and
larger, of our abilities to travel and communicate. The need for world
government was first recognized at the end of World War I with the establishment
of the League of Nations. Since then, this need has grown to assume the
proportions of a necessity in the eyes of many knowledgeable people, who are
aware that our technological advancements make neighbors of us all. We can
travel at a speed greater than sound, within and without our planet. We can
communicate, through television, at the speed of light, now, extensively, and
reportedly "when sufficiently sophisticated satellites in sufficient
number are placed in orbit—it will be possible for any man on earth,
individually, to reach any other."
As more people
ponder over the effects of such neighborly facts—effects that bring into their
individual living rooms an instantaneous verbal and visual exchange between
people living in even the most separated areas of earth, an awareness of the
need for world government grows. And, as we might suspect since this need is so
apparent, the Bible prophesies the establishment of the Fifth Universal Empire
and God provides the answers to our five "W" questions in considerable
detail, which will be brought to light as they appear chronologically in God’s
unfolding plan.
Today we might
look upon the Bible’s presentation of God’s plan for mankind as a jigsaw
puzzle, in which history already has placed so many of the pieces that the
remaining pieces are dropping into place so understandably and so rapidly that
we can easily see the whole picture. In other words, we are living at a time
when so many of the Bible’s prophecies have been fulfilled that the remaining
prophecies, concerning the redemption of man, are increasingly clear to us,
provided our vision is not too clouded by erroneous traditions.
These blinding,
erroneous traditions are cunningly devised distortions of the truth, conceived
by Satan and executed (often innocently) through man, to subjugate humanity.
These falsehoods, born of Satan’s master mind for evil, reflect the ultimate of
deceit: they are sugar-coated with appeal to the ambition, selfishness and
greed of those used by Satan to promote them; and they are peppered with false
threats and promises to arouse the fear and superstition of the masses enslaved
by them.
Many erroneous
traditions have been established through organized religions. It is not easy to
"buck the establishment," as we must in many instances in order to
divorce our, minds of truth-distorting tradition; but it is only reasonable to
rely upon a "thus saith the scriptures," rather than upon a
"thus saith a man of many letters," to learn the accurate word of
God. Therefore it is contended that we must lift our Bible from its dusty
shelf, read for ourselves what it truly tells us and, as they arise, eradicate
from our minds any traditions proven false.
The Bible tells
us that God says: "Come and let us reason together." (Isa 1:18). Again,
this is not easy, because Satan has so cunningly devised false traditions or
credibility gaps that "If it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect." (Mt 24:24).
However, if we
have the strength, the courage, and the. determination to think freely; to
disabuse our minds of the man-made distortions of the truth that false
tradition has taught us and, prayerfully, to approach the Bible with
unprejudiced, teachable minds, the Bible’s simple truths will fill our hearts
to overflowing. The Bible tells us: "Ask and ye shall receive." (Joh
16:24), and "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Mt 5:6).
One cunningly
devised credibility gap is the concept of "no God." It contends that
there is no God, a theory designed to appeal especially to the
pseudo-intellectual; or it contends that God is dead, a theory designed to
appeal to those with whom I wholeheartedly agree, who reason that there had to
be a Creator but who would rather believe Him dead than believe Him to be the
vindictive fiend described by traditional theology.
The Bible
anticipates these concepts and provides myriad assurances that God exists; but
here, since we have not yet established the authenticity and infallibility of
the Bible, suffice it to quote: "The fool (one who ignores or lacks
reason) hath said in his heart, ‘there is no God.’"( Ps 14:1); and
"Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." (Ps 90:2); and even that "The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator
of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary." (Isa 40:28).
But, aside from the Bible, what does reason tell us concerning the existence of
God?
Experience has
established the fact that we acquire knowledge through our five senses.
Applying this fact, we agree that we cannot literally see, hear, smell, taste,
or feel God. However, continuing to use our intelligence, we apply the
harmonious and equally established fact that for every effect there is a cause,
and we find that we discern God through every sense.
We see our
universe, we hear the woodland symphony, we smell the aroma of nature, we taste
the fruit of the vine, and we feel the glow of the sun.
Surely a
Supreme Intelligence was required to cause such effects. Surely the magnificent
spectacle of Creation proves to the intelligent mind that there is a God, and
that He continues to direct creation’s orderly operation. As Albert Winchester,
well-known biologist, said: "A deeper and firmer belief in God can be the
only result of a better insight into truth."
Atheistic
evolutionists, seeking an explanation of creation without a creator, theorize
that intelligent operations like our universe, and intelligent beings like
ourselves, are the outcome of unintelligent happenings. Can the thinking mind
believe that the endless variety of trees, flowers, and other vegetation just
happened, and that their growth, each from a seed of its kind, has been
unplanned? Can the thinking man observe himself, the intricacies of his being,
and his ability to reproduce himself, and believe that he is not the creation
of a magnificently intelligent Creator? Surely the thinking mind must conclude
that this theory that our world and all that is in it evolved through a
slow-moving, natural process from nothing is incredible.
If the theory
of evolution were factual, we should expect to see multitudinous examples of
one species evolving into another. However, no evidence of such evolving has
ever been found in either plant or animal life. Darwin himself, in his Origin
of the Species, was loathe to say: "In spite of all the efforts of
trained observers, not one change of species into another is on record."
Surely this complete absence of long-sought "missing links" lends
credence to God’s decree that all plant and animal life was created, and
propagated from seed "after its kind." (Ge 1:11,21).
Many honest
people, particularly in the less enlightened past, have been duped by this
Theory of Evolution. Fortunately, for those who might still suffer a hangup on
this subject, the theories of Darwin, Lamarck, and others have been debunked by
many fine authors; and many great scientists such as Albert Einstein have
stated their belief in the existence of a supreme, intelligent Creator. For
example, Michael I. Pupin, former president of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, said: "Wherever science has explored the universe
it has found it to be a manifestation of a coordinating principle, and that
coordinating directing principle I call Divine Intelligence." Pupin also
said: "When you see the stars, each moving in its own pathway, or see a
seed grow up after a definite plan into a tree, or see a baby develop into a
full-grown, self-directing human individuality, can you conceive of all that
taking place as the result of haphazard happenings? Well, I cannot."
A. Cressey
Morrison, former president of the New York Academy of Sciences, said: "By
unwavering mathematical law we can prove that our universe was designed and
executed by a great engineering intelligence."
It is believed
that Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, before his death in October of 1969, expressed
well the thoughts of the thinking mind when he said: "Does any intelligent
being really think that the cosmic scheme of things is mindless and
purposeless, without meaning or destiny? To explain the law and abiding order
of the world, the nobility of the human character at its best, as mere
happenstance, is like saying that the letters of the alphabet were blown
together by a chance wind to form the works of Shakespeare."
Thus we contend
that Creation provides irrefutable proof to any conscientious seeker of the
truth that God exists. In addition, as we might suspect, since He has imbued us
with a longing for such information, if God has provided us with a revelation
of our origin and destiny such as the Bible is purported to be, and if that
revelation is in accord with His character and reason, then we are doubly
assured that there is a God and we are anxious to inspect this last offering of
evidence—the Bible.
Another
cunningly devised credibility gap is the concept that the Bible is not the
divinely inspired Word of God. We hear that the Bible is just a collection of
Hebrew myths, that it is an old fiddle upon which any tune can be played, that
it contradicts itself. Yes, we often hear: "They say the Bible has been
discredited;" but, you will recall, the "they" is usually
unidentified, the evidence of discredit is seldom given, and the proof has
never been documented.
It is believed
that most of the critics of the Bible have not even read, much less studied,
the Bible; but have relied on hearsay (tradition) as a basis for their
criticism. A case in point concerns Thomas Paine, who wrote Age of Reason,
one of the most widely read attacks ever made on the Bible, and who admitted
that when he wrote the first part of his book, he did not even possess a Bible.
( Cambridge History of the Bible, page 250.) The contentions of
pseudo-intellectuals that most of the historical records of the Bible have no
basis in fact but are merely allegories, myths, and fables, are being disproved
by modern science.
Archaeologists
are unearthing one after another of the ancient landmarks previously claimed
nonexistent, such as the cities of Babylon, Bethel, Gibeon, Jericho, Nineveh,
Ur, etc. Also, as they excavate the ruins of these cities, archaeologists are
finding texts and monuments amounting to a vast treasure of knowledge
illuminating the great historical narratives of the Bible. Your time will not
be taken now to explore the great bulk of this information that is available,
but your attention is called to books such
as Everyday
Life in Bible Times published by the National Geographic Society, Keller’s The
Bible As History, and New Discoveries in Babylon, and James A. Michener’s
novel, The Source.
The Space
Program may provide additional evidence that Bible stories, falsely claimed to
be myths, are true. This seems apparent in the following astonishing
development, related by Mr. Harold Hill, president of Curtis Engine Company in
Baltimore, Maryland, and a consultant in the space program.
While checking
the positions (past, present and future) of the sun, moon and planets (a step
necessary to the mapping of a collision-free course of orbit, covering the life
span of each satellite launched), the astronauts, space scientists and IBM
technicians at Green Belt, Maryland, were baffled when the computer, running
measurements back and forth over the centuries, came to a stop and flashed a
red signal, indicating an error in either the input of information or the
comparative standards.
The computer’s
result indicated the seemingly impossible fact that "a day is missing in
space in the elapsed time;" and they were stumped until finally, in the
face of considerable skepticism, they called upon the Bible to tell it like it
is.
At first they
thought that the missing day was explained by the Scripture, "The sun
stood still and the moon stayed—and hastened not to go down for about a whole
day." (Jos 10:13), but the computer was not satisfied. The computer
indicated the elapsed time missing in Joshua’s time was only 23 hours and 20
minutes—not a whole day; rather, as the Bible stated, "about
(approximately) a whole day." An unaccounting for forty minutes may appear
relatively unimportant in thousands of years of time, but not so in the eyes of
the computer or space scientists, because forty minutes multiplies many times
over in orbits. Additional Biblical research brought to light the Scripture,
"And he (the Lord) brought the shadow (of the sun) ten degrees
backward." (2Ki 20:11), and ten degrees is exactly 40 minutes.
It is now
logged in the space program logbook that the 23 hours and 20 minutes in Joshua
plus the 40 minutes in II Kings equal the 24 hours of the missing day in the
universe. Thus it was that the Bible explained a perplexing problem for the
space program; and thus it was that the space program supported two Bible stories,
formerly pronounced myths:
(1) the story
of the time when God made the sun stand still, in recognition of Joshua’s fear
that the surrounding enemy, with nightfall, would destroy him; and
(2) the story
of the time when God turned back the sun ten degrees in response to Isaiah’s
request for this sign to convince Hezekiah that the Lord would heal him.
(For additional
information, you may wish to refer to the article entitled "Bible Helps
Astronauts Track Trajectory Of Planets In Space" by Robert Schwartz, Press
religion editor, and published in the Pittsburgh Press of January 8,
1972.) The most serious assaults ever made on the authority of the Bible have
come not from atheists and scientists but from the Christian ministry which,
often unintentionally, has misrepresented the Bible’s teachings in an effort to
make it support tradition. In addition, today very few theologians will accept
the Bible as an authoritative standard; in fact, many of them openly challenge
the authority of the Bible.
About these,
the Bible tells us: "Lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what
wisdom is in them?" (Jer 8:9). It is most disillusioning, when we approach
the ministry for guidance, to learn only that the clergy does not reach for the
Bible as an end to all dispute, and that our questions are unanswered because
they concern issues controversial among the clergymen themselves. To this, God
says: "But if they had stood in my counsel and had caused my people to
hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil ways, and from
the evil of their doings." (Jer 23:22).
We give excuses
for not reading the Bible; as the Bible tells us, "Men deliver (The book)
to one that is learned, saying, ‘Read this, I pray thee;’ and he saith, ‘I
cannot; for it is sealed:’ And the book is delivered to him that is not
learned, saying, ‘Read this, I pray thee:’ and he saith, ‘I am not
learned.’"( Isa 29:11,12). But what is the reason we do not read this book
of simple instruction from God? Is it because we have been brainwashed to
believe that we should rely upon the professionals in the field of religion to
read and interpret God’s message for us? Is it because we fear we will discover
in God’s message instructions requiring us to change our way of life?
Or is it that
the secret has been withheld from us that the Bible reveals explanations of the
present and promises for the near future that are more fabulous than anything
we ever have dreamed?
No book has had
so many enthusiastic supporters or so many bitter enemies as the Bible. It is
the world’s perennial best seller, the oldest and most widely published book in
existence. An estimated ten million copies of the King James Version of the
Bible are reported to have been sold in 1969, and it is impossible to estimate
the total number of hundreds of millions of copies printed and distributed
throughout the years. Despite the fact that men have tried every means possible
to destroy it, the Bible
lives on! As
the Bible tells us, "The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth
away; but the Word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by
the Gospel is preached unto you." (1Pe 1:24,25). The Bible has survived
these many centuries, despite unparalleled efforts to destroy it. Is this not
strong evidence that God, whom it claims as its author, is also its preserver?
The Bible has
been called the torch for civilization and liberty. Its influence for good in
society has been recognized by the greatest statesmen; our best laws have been
patterned after it, and even the skeptics agree that wherever the influence of
the Bible has been felt, its moralizing force has made the world better. If the
laws of the Bible had been faithfully followed there would be no world crisis
today!
We are told
that "Nothing is sure but death and taxes;" the Bible contradicts
this adage on all counts and supplants it with the thought that nothing is sure
but the Word of God! We are told that "Nothing is certain about what the
future holds for ourselves and our children;" the Bible contradicts this
statement and gives us definite assurance of what the future holds for us. The
Bible calls our attention to its "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." (2Pe 1:19).
The prophecies
came from God; they were not conceived by man; as the Bible emphatically tells
us, "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For
the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake
as they were moved of the Holy Ghost (Spirit)." (2Pe 1:20,21). In fact,
the prophets foretold many events which they themselves did not understand; as
Daniel said, "I heard but I understood not." (Da 12:8).
About one-third
of the Bible is prophetic. The fact that history has proved and that current
events are proving the bulk of these prophecies accurately fulfilled, surely
excites interest as to what prophecies remain to be fulfilled in our time.
The fact that
we are imbued with a great thirst for knowledge of our past, present, and
future would lead us to believe that our loving Heavenly Father, who created
this thirst, would provide the information to satisfy it. It is contended that
the Bible is God’s presentation of this information; that it is the divinely
inspired Word of God, through which God reveals to us His character, His four
attributes including infinite wisdom, justice, love, and power; and through
which God provides us with the only satisfactory explanation there is of the origin
and destiny of man.
The Bible tells
us that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good
works." (2Ti 3:16,17). Think of it: God has provided us with a perfect
Book of Instructions!
We are
accustomed to reading sheets, leaflets or books of instructions, designed to
assist us in getting the most out of things we acquire; but heretofore few of
us realized that the Bible tells us that it, itself, is God’s perfect Book of
Instructions, designed to direct us in getting the most out of life!
It is this Book
of books that we confidently present to the conscientious seeker of the truth,
as final evidence of proof, conclusive beyond the shadow of a doubt, that (a)
God is a vibrantly alive, omnipotent, personal being; that (b) God is actively
exercising His infinite wisdom, justice, love and power to execute, exactly on
schedule, each phase of His magnificent plan; and that (c) the Bible is the
divinely inspired Word of God, provided to explain the detail of His plan,
guide our individual footsteps, and answer our every question.
Do we want to
be bothered reading the Bible? It would seem that anyone with a spark of curiosity,
whether or not he yet believed the Bible to be the divinely inspired Word of
God, or whether or not he yet believed in God, must conclude that such a book
as the Bible is claimed to be is a must on his reading list Therefore,
"avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely
so-called" (1Ti 6:20), and WITH BIBLE IN HAND, let us proceed to verify
what it really says about our past, our present, and especially our future.
Chapter II FACTS—NOT FICTION—ESTABLISHED
You will observe
that the Bible is divided into two main sections, known as the Old Testament
and the New Testament. The Old Testament tells the story; the New Testament
amplifies the story; and we can be sure that the Bible—Genesis through
Revelation—will not support a single thought contradictory to the story-the
story of God’s divine plan.
The Old
Testament is subdivided into thirty-nine books. The first seventeen books
(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and
II Samuel, I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther) are
largely historical, supplying the background of human experience to which the
outworking of the divine plan has been related. The next five books (Job,
Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon) are largely inspirational,
presenting God’s promises of guidance and sustaining power to His people,
although they also contain prophecies pertaining to developments in the divine
plan. The remaining seventeen books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel,
Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah,
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) are largely prophetic, although they contain
some history as well as assurances of God’s love for His people.
The New
Testament is divided into twenty-seven books. The first five books (Matthew,
Mark, Luke, John, and The Acts) are largely historical, recording the life and
ministry of Jesus Christ, calling attention to many events that were in direct
fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, and furnishing accounts of the
experiences of the Apostles and early Christians. The next twenty-one books
(Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I
and II Thessalonians, I and II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I and
II Peter, I, II, and III John, and Jude) are largely doctrinal, outlining the
details of the divine plan for the recovery of man from sin and death. The last
book (Revelation) is largely prophetic and, in beautiful, symbolic language, assures
that the divine plan will be executed fully, and that "there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain,
for the former things are passed away." (Re 21:4).
The Bible does
not present God’s plan in sequential story form, but it reflects complete
harmony of purpose and direction from its opening three chapters, which
describe the creation of man and his fall from favor with God, to its closing
three chapters, which describe the restored creation, with sin and its curse
removed.
The Bible opens
with the statement that "In the beginning (not of the universe, but of our
planet) God created the heaven and the earth." (Ge 1:1). It then provides
a brief description of what was accomplished on each of the succeeding six
creative days. The Bible does not tell us how long ago the
"beginning" was, the time prior to the "creative days" when
"the earth was without form and void" (Ge 1:2), and in need of
preparation as man’s habitat. It may be interesting to note that with the
telescope we have photographed spheres, the light of which, at the speed of
186,000 miles per second, required 2,000 million years to reach the earth and
that scientists have calculated the age of the earth to be from 28 million to
over 3,000 million years. However such calculations do not concern our faith,
for the Bible neither supports nor denies such figures but assures us that God
is "from everlasting to everlasting" (Ps 90:2), which encompasses any
number we might calculate.
The Bible does
not divulge the exact length of each creative day, but there are indications
that each of the creative days was 7,000 years in length. There are those who
would have us believe that the "days" of creation are
twenty-four-hour days but they are not; they are eras of time, each era having
an obscure "dark" beginning, described as "evening," and a
bright ending of the accomplished project, described as "morning." In
accordance with this, it should be noted that, while God introduced light on
the first creative day the sun, which God appointed to determine the length of
a twenty-four-hour day, was not visible until the fourth creative day. This
does not mean that the sun did not exist prior to the fourth day but rather
that, prior to its appointment, it did not penetrate the clouds of vapor and
gas surrounding the earth as brightly as it did after its appointment.
The creative
"day" is a translation of the Hebrew word yawm, and while yawm
is often applied to a literal day of twelve or twenty-four hours, it also is
often translated "year," "season," "time," etc.
The Biblical word "day" (yawm), like our English word
"day," must be defined in context to assure its meaning. For example,
when we read of "Abraham Lincoln’s Day," our thoughts are no more
confined to a twenty-four-hour period than they should be when we read of
"the day of temptation in the wilderness" (Ps 95:8), which refers to
the forty years the Israelites spent in the wilderness; or of a "creative
day" which refers to an era, let us assume, of 7,000 years.
In recent years
some evidence has been unveiled indicating that certain numerical figures are
mistranslated in the Bible, and that each creative day was an era of 8,400
years (7x1200), rather than an era of 7,000 years (7x1000). (An interesting presentation
of this thesis is provided in Pyramidology, a four-volume publication available
from The Institute of Pyramidology, 31 Station Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire,
Great Britain.) This information is brought to the attention of only the reader
who wishes to delve deeper into Bible chronology, because the bulk of the
discrepancy concerning this seventh era in which we live concerns the period
prior to the flood, and is of little consequence to the message of this book.
The creation
and preparation of the earth for man’s inhabitance is broadly described in
Genesis, and additional information is provided in other books of the Bible
such as Job and Isaiah. Scientists are not able yet to comprehend all the Bible
states about our earth but, with the increase of knowledge, elaborated upon
later, more and more is understood. For example, until 1492 it was broadly
thought that the earth was flat; now, especially since we have seen pictures of
the earth televised from outer space, it is well-established that the earth is
a spheroid, and now we can understand what the Bible proclaimed 3,000 years ago
in the Book of Isaiah, where we read of "the circle of the earth,"
(Isa 40:22). Now that we know that the earth’s atmosphere does not extend to
the moon and that we earthlings dwell in an oxygen tent, we are able to
comprehend "that (God) stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and
spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in." (Isa 40:22). Now we know that
the earth is not resting on the back of Atlas but that "He (God) stretched
out the north over the empty place and hangeth the earth upon nothing."
(Job 26:7).
In 1955 the
first edition of Creation’s Amazing Architect, subtitled "How the
Modern Science of Geology Was Anticipated by 3,500 Years," was published.
It was written by Walter J. Beasley, then president of the Australian Institute
of Archeology, and provides an interesting account of creation, comparing the
Biblical narrative with geological and biological research and showing how
amply the Bible is supported by modern scientific investigation. Many other
publications are available to make extremely interesting a Bible versus Science
analysis of Creation; no evidence has been found to disprove the Bible, but a
growing amount of evidence has been found to support the Bible and to make us
more aware of the incomprehensible wisdom, justice, love, and power of God.
However, your time will not be taken now to explore this subject because, for
the purpose of this writing, we are anxious to move on to the morning of the sixth
creative day and the crowning feature of God’s earthly creation, man—male and
female.
Chapter III MAN-MADE TRADITIONS DENOUNCED
The Bible tells
us that toward the end of the sixth creative day, "God created man in his
own image; in the image of God created He him." (Ge 1:27). That is, God
created man not as a robot but as a free moral agent, with the capacity to
reason and the ability to choose between right and wrong.
The Bible tells
us that "God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Ge 2:7).
Science concurs
that man’s body is composed of the chemical elements inherent in Mother Earth,
and that man lives by virtue of the oxygen that he breathes.
Another
interesting item that the Bible tells us about our anatomy is that "The
life of the flesh is in the blood." (Le 17:11). This is interesting, especially
as another of the Bible’s truths that we were unable to understand until more
recent years, when medical science discovered that the oxygen taken into the
lungs is carried by the blood to every part of the body, and that it is thus
that the body is kept alive.
In the
above-mentioned verse, "God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
soul," the word "soul" appears in the Bible for the first time,
and with it appears the definition. Note that man was not given a "living
soul," as tradition would have us believe, but that the body plus
the breath of life became a "living soul." The same Hebrew
word, here translated as "living soul," is translated as "living
creature" in Genesis (Ge 1:21; 24), where the reference is to lower
animals. Such lack of uniformity in translation appears to uphold the Immortal
Soul tradition by evading the Bible’s simple truth, that man and beast alike
were created living souls (living creatures or living beings); both with one
and the same breath of life, and that "as one dieth so dieth the
other." (Ec 3:19-21).
The Immortal
Soul tradition is another of the Devil’s cunningly devised credibility gaps. It
claims that man has a spark of indestructible life hidden somewhere within his
anatomy, which, when the body dies, escapes and survives death. This tradition
denies God’s word, "Thou shalt surely die," (Ge 2:17), and supports
Satan’s lie, "Ye shall not surely die," (Ge 3:4).
In both the
heavenly and earthly realms, the Biblical word "soul" is synonymous
with the words "being" and "creature;" and whether our
reference is to a "living soul" or a "dead soul" depends
entirely upon whether the body concerned continues to breathe.
In the Bible,
the word "immortal (Greek: apthorsia —deathless or
death-proof)" appears only once, and refers to God as "immortal"
(1Ti 1:17). The word "immortality" (Greek: athanasia
—deathlessness or death-proofness) appears only five times: once, referring to
Jesus Christ as one "who only hath immortality (God, as always is
excepted)," (1Ti 6:16); and four times referring to Christ’s Bride (later
discussed) who will "put on immortality" as a reward for great
sacrifice and suffering. (2Ti 1:10; 1Co 15:53,54; Ro 2:7).
It is true that
God has immortality, that Christ has immortality, and that Christ’s Bride,
after the marriage, acquires immortality. It is not true that any other
spiritual or human being has immortality, nor does the Bible in any way
intimate that any other being, soul or creature will ever have immortality.
We reason that
God displays great wisdom in doling out immortality very sparingly when we
consider, for example, that Satan, created as a perfect spirit being of very
high order, has degenerated to the very depths of evil; and when we realize
that if Satan were immortal, it would not be possible to put him to death, as
God has promised to do. (Discussed later).
Exceedingly
great as is the prize of immortality, won by Christ’s Bride and lost by the
estimated 99.99998% remainder of mankind, we should not be shook up or
depressed for having lost this prize because everlasting life, under conditions
exceeding our fondest dreams, still is within our reach—everlasting life that
can be destroyed if it becomes hopelessly evil, not immortality which is
indestructible!
The Immortal
Soul tradition did not become popular as a tenet of the Christian faith until
well after the death of the Twelve Apostles, but after its inception it soon
developed into an abominable weapon for keeping the people in line—for
terrorizing those ignorant of the facts.
This abominable
weapon stemmed from the notion that when the body died, the dreamed-up Immortal
Soul had to have some place to go, and the idea was conceived that if a man was
"good" (abided by the man-made rules), he would go to Heaven; and if
he was "bad" (did not abide by the man-made rules), he would go to
Hell—a place described by the rule-makers as a roaring furnace of everlasting
torment. What a blasphemous thing it was to claim that our loving Heavenly
Father could relegate any of His children to such a place!
This fiendish
doctrine of Eternal Torment defamed God’s character to the extent that today
many poor deceived souls are too afraid of God to seek His loving care and
guidance; others, unable to believe such a fiendish doctrine, have turned away
from the Bible which is falsely accused of teaching it The Bible does not teach
this God-dishonoring, truth-beclouding theory of Eternal Torment. It teaches
that "the wages of sin is death." (Ro 6:23); nothing more, nothing
less! Again it says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," (Eze
18:4, 20), and "There is no work nor device, nor knowledge in the grave (sheol)
whither thou goest." (Ec 9:10). If there is no knowledge in the grave,
certainly there can be no suffering!
The verses of
the Bible falsely accused of teaching this doctrine are those concerning the
word "hell;" therefore it is necessary for us to examine the
instances in the Bible where the word "hell" is used.
We must bear in
mind the fact that our English Bible was translated—the Old Testament from the
Hebrew language, and the New Testament from the Greek language.
The English
word "hell" was selected, in every instance that it appears in the
Bible, to translate into English the Hebrew word sheol and the Greek
words hades, tartaroo, and gehenna. These same Hebrew and Greek
words (sheol and hades), are also translated "grave"
and "pit."
The old English
word "hell," before theologians gave it a new and special
significance, simply meant "to conceal, to hide, to cover;" hence,
any concealed, hidden, or covered place such as a grave. In old English
literature you will read of "helling the potatoes" (putting them into
pits), and of "helling the house" (covering or thatching the roof).
Therefore the word "hell" can be said to have been properly used
synonymously with "grave" and "pit," to translate
especially the Hebrew word sheol and the Greek word hades.
The Apostles
supported the exact correspondence of the words sheol and hades
when, quoting from the Old Testament, they used the Greek word hades to
translate the Hebrew word sheol. For example, the Apostle Peter quoted
from Psalms: "Thou will not leave my soul in hell (sheol, hades)."
(Ps 16:10, Ac 2:27).
Yes, the word
"hell" was used properly; however, the hanky-panky became obvious
when the translators, apparently afraid to make plain the truth yet ashamed to
tell a lie, used the word "hell" in instances where they thought the
word "hell" could be twisted to support the theory of Eternal
Torment, and used the words "grave" or "pit" in borderline
or other instances where they thought the use of the word "hell"
would dispute this theory.
It is not
questioned that the scholars who translated the Bible knew well the meaning of sheol
and hades; it is believed that they dared not buck the
"establishment," which was willing to twist God’s word in order to terrorize
the ignorant, and which in many instances is still willing to perpetuate the
error.
In the Old
Testament the word "hell" appears thirty-one times; each time it is
translated from the word sheol. In addition, this identical word sheol
is translated as "grave" thirty-one times and as "pit"
three times. It is obvious that this Hebrew word sheol, like the Greek
word hades in the New Testament, must mean the same in all instances,
and that if the Bible reader simply substitutes the accurate phrase "the
condition of death" or, for ease of handling, the word "grave"
for the word "hell," much confusion will be eliminated.
As mentioned
earlier, the New Testament includes two other Greek words that are translated
as "hell"; gehenna, which occurs twelve times, and tartaroo,
which occurs only once.
Gehenna is the Greek for the Hebrew Valley of
Hinnom, which was located outside the city of Jerusalem and served as a dump
for the refuse and offal of the city. Fires were kept burning, with brimstone
being added to assure complete destruction; but the Jews were forbidden to
torture any creature, so no living thing was permitted to be cast into this
dump. The High Council, or Sanhedrin, at times sentenced certain very obnoxious
criminals to the indignity after death of being refused burial, and these
corpses, along with the carcasses of dogs, the city refuse, etc., were cast
into the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) to be consumed. This was a very severe
sentence because the Jews, hoping for a resurrection, were (needlessly) very
careful of the manner in which they buried their dead. Gehenna
represented complete destruction at that time, and it is used in the Bible to
represent complete destruction: death without hope of resurrection—"the
second death." This same refuse dump is referred to elsewhere in the Bible
as "the lake of fire." For example, in describing events to take
place at the end of the Millennial Age, the Bible tells us "and death and
hell (the grave) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
(Re 20:14).
This means
simply that death and the grave will be completely destroyed; there will be no
more death after the fulfillment of this prophecy!
The Greek word
tartarno occurs but once in the Bible, and it is translated
"hell" as follows: "God spared not the angels that sinned but
cast them down to hell (tartaroo) and delivered them into chains of darkness to
be reserved unto judgment." (2Pe 2:4). Peter’s word tartaroo
closely resembles tartarus, the name for a dark abyss in Greek
mythology, but tartaroo seems to refer more to an act than to a place.
It is thought, especially in the light of other references to these fallen
angels, that a more accurate translation might read, "God spared not the
angels that sinned but degraded them to the atmosphere of the earth and
delivered them unto chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment." Of
course, this verse does not concern human beings; it concerns angels and will
be referred to later.
In addition to
the false usage of the word "hell" to prove the doctrine of Eternal
Torture, there is an erroneous theory that people, not "bad" enough
to go to Hell yet not "good" enough to go to Heaven, go immediately
to a place called Purgatory when they die. It is falsely claimed that in Purgatory
these people suffer until, purged of their sins, they go to Heaven. The word
"purgatory" does not appear in the Bible and there is absolutely no
hint of the traditional Purgatory teachings in the Bible! There is much said in
the Bible about Christian cleansing or purging from sin, but this takes place before
death, not after death.
The Bible
records the accounts of several people, such as Lazarus (John, Chapter 11),
whom Jesus awakened from death as a sample of a future resurrection, in the
Millennial Age. We search these accounts in an unsuccessful effort to reconcile
this experience of these sample-resurrection people, with the false concept
that each of them had an Immortal Soul which, if immortal, of necessity must
have sojourned in Heaven, Hell or Purgatory from the time they died until the
time Jesus awakened them. We reason that:
(a) They did
not sojourn in heaven. None of these sample-resurrection people appeared
greater than David, whose heart was perfect before God (1Ki 11:4), and whom God
described as "a man after mine own heart" (Ac 13:22). Yet, more than a thousand years after
his death, the Bible tells us that even the worthy David "is both dead and
buried—for David is not ascended into the heavens." (Ac 2:29,34). In
addition, we note that Jesus himself assured us that He did not do these people
the injustice of calling them from heaven, when He said, "No man hath
ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man
(Christ)." (Joh 3:13).
(b) They did
not sojourn in Hell or Purgatory—none of these sample-resurrection people
mentioned being in the traditional Hell or Purgatory—obviously because no such
places exist; for otherwise, we should expect hair-raising tales to have been
told.
(c) They
sojourned nowhere because they were dead.
The facts are
not reconcilable with the false concept of an Immortal Soul, and we must
conclude that, as the Bible tells us, these sample-resurrection people were
unconscious in death and "the dead know not anything." (Ecc. 9:5).
Replacing
tradition with fact, we reason that it appears clear that the Immortal Soul
tradition and its associated Hell’s Fire or Eternal Torment doctrines, is
completely false. The expression "Immortal Soul" appears nowhere in
the Bible and, as the Bible tells us, "That which befalleth the sons of
men befalleth beasts. All go unto one place; all are of the dust and all turn
to dust again." (Ec 3:19,20).
One might hope
that, with exposure of the erroneous Hell’s Fire and Purgatory doctrines, and
assurance that in the grave there is no consciousness, a release from the fear
and abhorrence of death might come; but no, this is not the case. The condition
of death is and—at least until the likelihood of it is abolished—will continue
to be feared and abhorred by every person in his right mind (not physically
and/or emotionally disturbed), because death is not a natural condition.
Vibrant life is
the natural condition of mankind!
It is true that
some of the most violent records of history are recorded in the Bible, but any
cruelty and vindictiveness found are not the will of God; they are the works of
man, contrary to the laws of God. The wrath of God is turned not on man but on
the establishments that suppress and enslave mankind.
Shame on those
who would make us fearful of God!
The Bible tells
us that "Fear toward God is taught by the precepts of man," (Isa
29:13), certainly not by the Bible! Let us not accept as gospel what
"they" say is in the Bible; rather, let us follow God’s advice to
"prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1Th 5:21).
God proclaims
that He is "merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness
and in truth," (Ex 34:6), and these characteristics are amplified
throughout the Bible as it unfolds His magnificent plan. Therefore, let us
divorce our minds of bigotry and tradition, and proceed, BIBLE IN HAND, to
learn more of what the Bible really does tell us.
The Bible tells
us that God placed man in the Garden of Eden, where God had made to grow
"every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of
life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and
evil." (Ge 2:9).
God told man to
"be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish (fill) the earth, and subdue it:
and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." (Ge 1:28). (The word
"replenish" is a faulty translation; the word "fill" is
properly used in the Revised Standard Version and other translations—it is
translated from the Hebrew word male, meaning "to fill," not
"refill.")
God provided
man with a bountiful supply of the food necessary to sustain everlasting life
and commanded him, saying: "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely
eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of
it: for the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Ge
2:16,17).
The Bible tells
us that, through the serpent, Satan beguiled Eve by saying, "Ye shall not
surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes
shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Ge
3:4,5).
This was the
first of many, many times Satan has used a mixture of truth and error to
deceive mankind.
It was true
that, as a result of disobedience to God’s law not to eat of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil, Adam, Eve, and, by inheritance, their entire
progeny would acquire by experience a knowledge of good and evil. This truth
was confirmed later by God (Ge 3:22). It was a lie that as a result of this
disobedience they would not die. Satan often uses this cunning method of deceit
in which the truth lends credence to the lie.
The Bible tells
us Eve was deceived by Satan’s lie and "she took of the fruit thereof and
did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Ge
3:6). It was at this point that man exercised unwisely his freedom of
choice—his freedom to choose between good and evil.
There is no
doubt that Adam and Eve were well aware of God’s law and of the penalty for
breaking it, but they lacked a personal knowledge of evil and, rather than
accept as their own the infinite wisdom of their loving Heavenly Father, they
chose to disobey him and, consequently, to learn through bitter experience the
exceeding sinfulness of sin. Man chose to learn the hard way, and thus
displayed a quality expressed to this day in even the littlest child as it
reaches, in defiance of its earthly father’s command, to touch the burning
stove or to run into the street.
The Bible tells
us that because man broke the law and ate of the forbidden fruit the death penalty
was invoked. God expelled man from the Garden of Eden, saying, "In the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for
out of it was thou taken; for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou
return." (Ge 3:19).
God had said
plainly, "the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," (Ge
2:17), and history confirms that no man has lived longer than the specified
thousand-year-day which, in this instance, is defined as "one day with the
Lord is as a thousand years." (2Pe 3:8).
It is
reassuring to know that "Adam lived 930 years, and died." (Ge 5:5);
and Methuselah, the oldest man ever to have lived, died at the age of 969 years
(Ge 5:27); no man’s life span has exceeded the thousand-year-day in which he
was sentenced to die. (It was after the flood that man’s age limit was set at
120 years—Ge 6:3.) We do not question that, since God created man and his
environment, God had every right to set the rules whereby man should live.
However, since on the surface death appears to be a mighty stiff penalty for
eating a little fruit, we find ourselves questioning why God made the penalty
for disobedience so great—why God did not overlook man’s first offense—why God
did not restrain our first parents—and why God permitted Satan to tempt man.
The Bible tells
us—and we are assured our first parents understood—that God provided us with
perfect laws, the keeping of which assures enduring happiness and everlasting
life; and the breaking of which results in misery and death. We know that each
law is important to our individual and collective happiness; if it was not
important, it would not be included among God’s perfect laws. We know also,
that God never changes; "he (God) can not deny himself," (2Ti 2:13),
and it is "impossible for God to lie," (Heb 6:18); and we are grateful for this knowledge
because it gives us assurance that always we can depend exactly upon what He
says!
The more we
analyze God’s laws the deeper grows our admiration and respect for them—laws
which man has never been able to improve; and, too, we shall see that the more
we analyze His laws the more we shall become cognizant of the infinite wisdom,
justice, and love God displays in his decree that the penalty for disobedience
to these laws is death. Obviously God’s laws are not designed to enslave
mankind; on the contrary, they are designed to free mankind—to guide us away
from unhappiness unto happiness. History relates the depths to which man has
stooped to break one after another of these laws and, although we shudder with
thoughts of the evils that are rampant in the world today, our visions are
trivial as compared with our visualization of the chaotic state in which our
world would be if the penalty for sin was not death; if we were permitted to
compound generation after generation of evil-doing. With little thought, it
becomes obvious indeed that it was exceedingly wise and merciful to make death
the penalty for sin, and thus eliminate greater suffering.
We know there
are four ways of knowing things: by intuition, by observation, by experience,
and by infallible information. Intuitive knowledge belongs only to God,
"the eternal fountain of all wisdom and truth." No object lessons
concerning the effect of evil
were available
for man’s observation, and man demonstrated by his disobedience that he was
unwilling to accept infallible information—that he would not accept God’s
superior wisdom as his own; and therefore, that he was determined to learn
through experience. We know that mankind serves as an object lesson to angels
and fortunately that, since Adam s time, many humans are spared bitter
experience by gaining knowledge through their faith in God’s laws, or through
their observation of the painful results of others’ wrongdoing; but by and
large, mankind still is determined to learn through personal experience.
The Bible tells
us that "known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the
world," (Ac 15:18), and there is no doubt that God knew exactly how man
would react to temptation. God could have created man a robot to automatically
obey him, but instead God created man, a God-like, free moral agent to have
dominion over the earth. God knew that man would require practical knowledge of
good and evil in order to develop the quality of character necessary to the
role he was to play; but he allowed man, the free moral agent, to choose his
own course.
It is not easy
at first for our finite minds to grasp the wisdom of God’s decisions. However,
in the instance of Adam’s and Eve’s transgression, we reason that God did not
flaunt the death penalty as a big stick over man’s head to subjugate him; on
the contrary, God, as a loving Father, pointed out to our first parents the
reward of doing right and the penalty of doing wrong. He gave them a fair and
square opportunity to choose, as a source for their knowledge of good and evil,
either their Creator’s infallible information or their own bitter experience.
Now, having
developed more responsible vision, we look upon the sentence of death as
merciful and, since man still is choosing bitter experience rather than God’s
laws to guide his life, we see how futile it would have been to overlook man’s
first offense, even if it had been morally possible for God to do so. This
reasoning indicates that we are beginning to respond to the Bible’s tutelage,
and we are delighted with this early evidence that indeed, our minds may
develop the capacity to accept God’s flattering invitation to "Come and
let us reason together." (Isa 1:18).
The Bible tells
us God is "not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness." (Ps 5:4). His
purpose is to make manifest the perfection and righteous authority of his laws
and to prove to us, and to angels, the evil consequences of violating his laws.
God has permitted Satan to tempt us and the associated reign of evil only
insofar as it serves His purpose in planning our ultimate good, as will be elaborated
upon later.
Thus it was
that the sixth creative day ended, with our perfect first parents living in the
perfect Garden of Eden under perfect laws which, if obeyed, assured enduring
happiness and everlasting life; and thus it was that the evening, the dark
beginning, of the seventh day began, with our disobedient first parents turned
out of the Garden onto the uncultivated earth, destined to learn the evil of
wrongdoing through bitter experience, and sentenced to die.
Chapter IV FIRST SIXTEEN CENTURIES
For about the
first sixteen centuries of this seventh seven-thousand-year day, the period
from Adam’s disobedience until the flood, God withdrew the personal guidance
man had spurned in the Garden of Eden, committed the supervision of mankind to
angels, and favored only a devout character or two. (Only Abel, Enoch and Noah
receive honorable mention in the Bible).
Man had been
created perfect, with a knowledge of God’s law written into his very nature to
serve as a guide in his daily life; and after man sinned, God left him
measurably to his own course so that he might observe the result of wrongdoing,
and learn to appreciate God’s wisdom in demanding absolute obedience to His
laws.
The angels
failed miserably in their endeavor to lift mankind out of sin, as is elaborated
upon later in this writing, and man’s course was down, down, down—until man
became so corrupt and depraved that God did "bring a flood of waters upon
the earth to destroy all flesh," (Ge 6:17), except that flesh saved in
Noah’s ark.
God knew the
angels would fail but He permitted their endeavor that by their failure all
might learn that the one and only effectual remedy for sin is that provided in
Jesus Christ, as is discussed later.
The Bible tells
us "the world that then was being overflowed with water perished."
(2Pe 3:6). "Every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face
of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of
the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth; and Noah only remained
alive, and they that were with him in the ark." (Ge 7:23).
The Genesis
account of the flood is offered—to those who doubt its authenticity—as the only
plausible explanation for the great bulk of evidence, accumulated by science,
that there was a time of world-wide cataclysm in man’s history.
In all parts of
the world, paleontologists have found fossils of substantial numbers of animals
and vegetation irrefutably reputed to have expired en masse under catastrophic
circumstances; but, reluctant to admit a catastrophe of world-wide proportions,
paleontologists fail to agree on an answer to the puzzle of what happened to so
abruptly terminate life.
For example, an
expert paleontologist has said that the destruction that came to the dinosaurs,
and ended other types of reptilian evolution, was one of the outstanding events
in the history of the earth, and that it was an event that still defies all
efforts of explaining it In the frigid areas of Alaska and Siberia,
considerable evidence of the suddenness with which herds of numerous kinds of
animals perished lies in the frozen muck blanket, which has preserved great
numbers of them for several thousand years; some have frozen in their teeth and
stomachs undigested leaves and grasses. You may wish to read Dr. Frank C.
Hibbon’s book, The Lost Americans, for an account of the Alaskan
disaster, and the works of Dr. Ivan T. Sanderson, famous British zoologist, for
a description of the Siberian catastrophe.
Archaeologists
have confirmed the fact of such a flood in the Mesopotamian Valley, and
geologists offer proof that such a vast flooding existed in many other parts of
the world; in fact, world-wide evidence of the deluge is so convincing that in
1960 Dr. Rhodes W. Fairbridge was prompted to say in Scientific American,
"A deluge such as that described in the Book of Genesis occurs in the
legends and folklore of almost every ancient people ...such agreement among the
legends of so many peoples living in distant parts of the world has caused
scholars in modern times to wonder whether mankind did in truth experience the
world-wide catastrophe of a deluge." Bravo for Fairbridge; it is
impossible to understand how any other conclusion can reasonably be reached!
Prior to the
flood Noah, under God’s direction, had built an ark to serve as a refuge for
his family and for pairs, male and female, of all of the animal kingdom
specified by God (Ge 7:1-3). After the flood subsided, the ark came to rest on
Mount Ararat and "Noah went forth, and his (three) sons, and his wife, and
his sons’ wives with him. And every beast, every creeping thing, and every
fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kind, went forth out
of the ark." (Ge 8:18,19). It was from these that came from the ark, that
the world, as we know it today, multiplied.
The Bible tells
us that God instructed Noah, "Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt
thou make in the ark, and shall pitch it within and without with pitch. And
this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be
three hundred cubits (547.3 feet by sacred cubit of 21.88 inches), the breadth
of it fifty cubits (91.2 feet) and the height of it thirty cubits (54.72 feet).
A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above
(an opening 21.88 inches high all around the ark under the eaves); and the door
of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third
stories shalt thou make it." (Ge 6:14-16).
These
dimensions provide a capacity of 2,730,782 cubic feet and a tonnage of 81,052.
Therefore, we reason that the immensity of the ark was ample to accommodate the
eight passengers, the pairs of all the species of animals specified, and the
supplies necessary to the voyage ..."The waters prevailed upon the earth
an hundred and fifty days." (Ge 7:24).
After the
flood, the Bible tells us, "The ark rested ...upon the mountains of
Ararat." (Ge 8:4).
A recent
development that may provide additional evidence of the accuracy of the Genesis
account of the flood is described in an article by Louis Cassels, in the Pittsburgh
Press of June 11, 1970, entitled "That Wood Mass In Glacial Ice: Is It
Noah’s Ark?"
Cassels’
article indicates that in June, 1970, a team of eight American scientists and
explorers, representing a foundation called SEARCH, would fly to Turkey to
determine whether the mysterious mass of hand-hewn timbers that lies embedded
in glacial ice about 14,000 feet up the side of Mount Ararat could be the
remains of Noah’s Ark. (See also, Science News: 6/13/70, p. 574).
In 1955,
explorer Fernand Navarra, following clues given in Middle Eastern history and
literature dating back to the time of the Babylonian Empire, discovered a mass
of wood embedded in a glacial ice pack at the 14,000 foot level of Mount Ararat
He estimated that at least fifty tons of wood were visible through the ice and
that it appeared to be organized in a bow-shaped structure, including hand-hewn
timbers 150 to 200 feet in length.
In 1969, SEARCH
sent Navarra back to the mountain with diamond-tipped boring tools to obtain
samples of the wood which, since then, have been tested at scientific
laboratories in Europe and America.