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Genesis Chapter Six. And God Said unto Noah, The End of all Flesh is Come Before Me.

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
[2] That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
[3] And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
[4] There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
[5] And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
[6] And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
[7] And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
[8] But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
[9] These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
[10] And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
[11] The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
[12] And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
[13] And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
[14] Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
[15] And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
[16] A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
[17] And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
[18] But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
[19] And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
[20] Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
[21] And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
[22] Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Commentary On Genesis Chapter Six

Upon an in depth understanding of the events which we shall see set before our eyes now, rests a great deal of the ability to grasp what is happening in the world we live in at this very hour. Make no mistake concerning the truth, and historical nature, concerning the worldwide deluge sent by God to cleanse away the filth and depth of depravity which the entirety of humanity had caused to infest this earth. Not far back in the study of Genesis it is noted that God walked in close fellowship with humanity, there was peace on earth, and there was no shame nor fear known among men and women, and no one knew the fear of death. The effects of the outworking of sin within this portion of God’s creation changed all of that so that we now find a world which grieves the heart of its creator.

Sin is never to be laughed at or taken lightly, for it will fascinate you and then without warning assassinate you at the earliest opportunity. In the opening of this chapter, we are given an insight into the depth of the putridness of that which had been perverted away from God’s intention and purposes. It is written.

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
[2] That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
[3] And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
[4] There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
[5] And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
[6] And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
[7] And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”

(Genesis 6:1-7)

There are several highly important things to deal with in these passages. First among them is the question of who these are, “sons of God“. There has been much study among many conservative scholars which points to their identity as being creatures of angelic origin and not human. The term, “sons of God” is used in Scripture to identify them as such in passages in the book of Job. there it is written.

  • “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.” (Job 1:6)
  • “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.” (Job 2:1)
  • Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
  • (Job 38:5-7)

Remember that there was a time when a third of all created angels followed Satan in an unsuccessful coup attempt against the Sovereign God of all creation. It is a grave error to believe these demons as well as Satan himself are now confined unto the fiery pits of hell. They are not. They walk this earth seeking to wreak havoc upon the creation of God wherever and whenever possible. The term in the Hebrew language in which this text was written indicates that these are the type of creatures we see in this chapter.

The offense which triggered God’s countdown to total annihilation of all living creatures upon this earth is indicated to be that of the unholy alliance of angelic creatures with human women. Verses two and three directly connect these two things. There we read the following.

“That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
[3] And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”

The perversion of the designed union of men and women, which was blessed by God Himself when He brought Eve to Adam, has been shattered when we get to this place before us. It would seem that we are witnessing a universal and continued perversion by demonic creatures, for that is what fallen angels became, for the purpose of so corrupting the race of humanity that a normal child could not have been produced when they completed their tasks. Remember that Satan had heard the promise of the one, coming through the seed of the woman, who would be the redeemer.

Take careful note of the mention of the offspring from this union. We are told two things about this matter. The first is that during these days there were “giants” in the earth. The second is that there were children fathered by demons and mothered by human women born during this time.

The meaning of that term, “giants”, is literally, the fallen or corrupted ones.”. These were half demon and half human beings who were capable of magnificent feats which became the basis of many legendary figures throughout ancient history and mythology. The names of Hercules, Ajax, and Achilles, as well as the gods who fathered them have come down to us through such channels.

Perhaps the most striking incident of such a man of renown is that of the demigod, Gilgamesh. Scholars hold that the earliest literary record of such epic tales is “The Epic of Gilgamesh“, which some date as far back as over five thousand years when speaking of its origin. Beings, such as this one, have been recorded in the histories and mythologies of nearly every ancient people group to have ever existed upon the earth and many of the attributes and characteristics which one would expect to discover from the descendants of demigods are alluded unto when these are discussed.

The giants mentioned here are known as Nephilim and not Anakim. The difference between the two is that the meaning of then term giant which we use most often today conjures up images of abnormally large and fierce people who tower over all around them. Throughout Scripture such large men are noted but they are always referred to as Anakims, and never Nephilim.

Note the additional information which we are given about the conditions on planet earth when God pronounced this judgement. It is written.

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
[9] These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
[10] And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
[11] The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
[12] And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
[13] And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

(Genesis 6:8-13)

Violence was predominant on a worldwide basis. We are not speaking of a few fists fights here and there. We are being informed that the hearts of men were actively seeking manners and ways to destroy themselves. Their minds were filled with immorality connected with violence it would seem. One would think that this situation was particularly dominated with violent, immoral, thoughts connected to the misuse of the bodies of women. Pornographic violence is not new upon this earth. Perversion of children’s innocence was certainly involved in this degradation of humanity as well.

Yet in the blackest of days for man upon the earth, God still speaks of grace being extended unto man. Out of the entirety of humanity, one man and his household found grace in God’s eyes. We are told that Noah walked with God, similar language to that used of Enoch, when we look carefully at this text. We are also told that God set a definitive time limit when His grace would be extended, granting this time to any who would repent and turn back to God. That period was one hundred and twenty years. During this time several things happened,

It was during this time that God had Noah build an ark which would provide safe passage through the coming cataclysmic events for all who were inside. During this time, we are not informed in any fashion that the fallen demonic creatures ceased their perversion of humanity. It was also during this time that Noah preached the coming judgement of God as he built the ark. It is written.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
[2] And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
[3] And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
[4] For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
[5] And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
[6] And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
[7] And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
[8] (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
[9] The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”

(II Peter 2:1-9)

Read this passage carefully. Herein you will find the preaching of Noah of which I spoke. You will also find that what happened in Genesis chapter six is compared unto the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah. The perversion involved in Genesis six was worldwide and deeply infused in the race of men by the demonic assault up women. There is also much to learn here about the character and workings of God Himself. God is a God of judgement upon sin. He cannot tolerate it in His presence, and it separates men and women from His presence.

God gave more than ample witness unto the world which definitively rejected all of it. As has been mentioned there was Noah. Also, in Genesis six there is mention of The Holy Spirit of God striving with men. Take note of this, for it is a hallmark of the ministry of The Holy Spirit that He is the one who calls out unto men wooing them to a point of decision through convicting them that they are sinners and need a redeemer. During the entirety of that 120 years, He was working yet being constantly rejected. The world also had the witness of the man Methuselah. That name means, “when he is dead it shall be sent.”

We shall see in short order as we continue through Genesis that in the year he died, the great deluge came. In addition to all of this there was the preaching of Enoch which is to be included in God’s gracious witness. It is written.

“I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
[6] And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
[7] Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
[8] Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
[9] Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
[10] But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
[11] Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
[12] These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
[13] Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
[14] And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
[15] To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
[16] These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.”

(Jude 5-16)

It is clear when one carefully studies these things that God was exceptionally gracious unto humanity right up until the moment that they rejected His final call unto them. The mercy of God does have limits in certain circumstances. Remember that grace is the extension of a favor or gift which one has not earned and does not deserve to receive due to any merit which that one holds. Mercy is the withholding of pending execution of a sentence which one does deserve due to his evil works which have earned such sentence. Both can be seen actively demonstrated in this account before us.

Both are also to be discerned in the fact that God chose one man and His household to be saved from the coming execution of His righteous wrath. The manner in which this was to be achieved is set before us for it is written.

“Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
[15] And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
[16] A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
[17] And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
[18] But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
[19] And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
[20] Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
[21] And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
[22] Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”

(Genesis 6:14-22)

There have been several attacks from within the realm of academia as well as the realm of the various news media regarding the existence, viability, and dimensions of The Ark of God which is described here. All of which have been demonstrated over time to be debunked. There is, however, a carefully constructed cover up of the facts regarding this ship by those who would eradicate God from the current society of humanity for their own nefarious reasons. As we continue to study The Scriptures, we shall see clearly how God’s command was absolutely, correct and more than sufficient for the task at hand, which was the preservation of the human race through grace extended unto Noah and his family.

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Introduction to The Old Testament

In beginning one’s pursuit of God, as He has revealed Himself throughout the Scriptures, it is important to note that there are certain presuppositions which ought to be addressed from the outset. How one approaches the Scriptures, particularly The Old Testament Scriptures, will determine one’s ability to understand the great truths of The Almighty God as He has chosen to reveal them unto His creation. In approaching the collection of writings which comprise what we have come to call The Old Testament there are several valid questions which naturally arise that we ought not to leave unaddressed in a satisfactory manner.

Much confusion and problematic doubts can be avoided through this process of setting the stage for study rather than just diving in without proper preparation. Let us bever be mindful as we begin that every word, we read upon these pages, is a word spoken by God. We are not examining someone’s opinion. We are not examining a myth or legend which came down from those who lived before us and suffered some sort of change in the process. We are being instructed by God Himself concerning factual, historical, events which occurred.

in the accounts of the Old Testament events, we shall find noted many acts of courageous men and women as they pertain to the grand plan of God’s revelation of Himself and especially God’s plan for the redemption of mankind unto Himself. Names such as Abraham, Noah, Sampson, Saul, David, and many others which may or may not be familiar to you are to be found here. The record of the events of their lives will be found to contain not only those things which place them in a good light, but also those things which show them to be humans with a sinful nature as well.

As you journey through these pages of Scripture you will find that there are many people groups not mentioned or otherwise noted here. That does not mean they did not exist but rather that they are not germane to the record of God’s direct plan which He is revealing. Keep in mind that such revelation of Himself and His master plan of redemption form the main theme of all you will be encountering. It is imperative that you maintain the focus upon these themes in order to obtain the most benefit from these Scriptures.

You ought to know that the entirety of The Old Testament writings point forward unto the coming of The Messiah. Enfolded in these writings are all of the necessary characteristics to identify the Messiah of God who was yet to come. These will be fully revealed and made manifest in The New Testament Scriptures. Keep in mind also that when you read these Old Testament passages, which are referred unto repeatedly by Jesus The Christ, The Apostles, and the New Testament authors who penned the words of God which we have today, you are reading the Bible which they knew. It will serve you well if you maintain the perspective that these teachings were the Revelation from God with which the New Testament era worshippers of God lived in accordance.

It is also imperative that you understand the relationship between the authors of The Old Testament books unto each other to avoid confusion. The order of books which we use today is structured in such a way that the content of The Prophets writings are grouped together for ease of use by those who read them. The “wisdom books” which include the writings of Solomon also are separated for the same reason. Know however that these all have a place in the timeline of the historical books, so that one will find that certain Prophets of God represented God unto certain Kings of Israel, and Judah, during a given time period. All of these writings in The Old Testament are woven intricately together to present ONE UNIFIED work unto us. As one reads through these pages it is best to approach what is presented as a literal account. Most especially is this true when reading the Prophets. In the event that something is to be understood as a pictural or figurative account that will be made clear in the context of the writings which are being examined.

Let me mention a bit about that term “context”, for it is very important to understand. The context involves knowing who is being addressed in what is being read. It also involves recognizing who is speaking and what they are directly addressing in what is being said. One should take into account how the passage at hand fits with the writings immediately before and after it, as well as how it fits within the entirety of the book and the Old Testament in general.

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Prophetic Pronouncements Found In The Scriptures Concerning Individual Cities

In ancient days there was a most prominent city known as Tyre which took pride in its established presence as an invincible fortress. No one had been able to conquer and subdue this bastion due to the truth that there were actually two parts to the place known as the city of Tyre. One portion was found on the Mediterranean coastline which was located approximately sixty miles to the northwest of Jerusalem, while the second part of this city was actually located about half a mile out from the coastline and was in fact an island unto itself. In the event of threat arising from the land the populace of Tyer would take ships out to the island and remain there until the threat no longer posed a danger unto them. Then it was a simple matter to return home and begin commerce anew for the people of Tyre. Despite this seemingly impregnable situation, the prophet Ezekiel predicted that this city would be totally and permanently destroyed. It is written.

“And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[2] Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste:
[3] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.
[4] And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.
[5] It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.
[6] And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
[7] For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.
[8] He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee.
[9] And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.
[10] By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach.
[11] With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.
[12] And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.
[13] And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.
[14] And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
[15] Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?
[16] Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee.
[17] And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!
[18] Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.
[19] For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee;
[20] When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living;
[21] I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord GOD. “

(Ezekiel chapter 26)

Take note that there are several detailed parts to this prophecy. Among these we find the following items.

  • Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon would come upon the city and destroy it.
  • Tyre was to be scraped clean and flat like the top of a rock.
  • There would be other nations involved in the total destruction of Tyre.
  • Tyre would be used as a place for fishermen to spread their nets.
  • The very stones and timbers of Tyre would be laid in the sea.
  • The city of Tyre would never again be rebuilt when this was totally fulfilled.

Did these things actually come to pass? Emphatically yes, they did! Ezekiel wrote these words approximately in the year of 590 B.C. Four years later, in the year of 586 B.C. the armies of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon laid siege to the coastal city and after thirteen years conquered it and laid waste to it. So, it came to be that the coastal city of Tyre, referred to by the title Tyrus in Ezekiel’s writing, ceased to be a viable city in the year of 573 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar could not, however, conquer the island city.

For the next two centuries or more that portion of Tyre would continue to exist in the secure protection of the surrounding sea. However, God had decreed the total destruction of the city. Even though it was not brought about by the armies of Babylon the prophecy of Ezekiel had said that it would happen and that there would be other nations involved in the doing of it. In the year of 332 B.C. the doom of this once great center of commerce in the ancient world was sealed when Alexander The Great appeared upon the scene. History records that the people of Tyre in their arrogance infuriated the great Greek leader and as a result he was intent upon destroying them entirely.

Alexander laid siege to the island city by using the rubble of the coastal city to build a causeway from the land unto the island. Literally he scraped the ground flat in order to acquire every scrap of material which he could garner and threw it into the sea thereby building a land bridge which can be seen on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea even unto this day. The destruction of the island city was total as it suffered the wrath of Alexander The Great. That city, neither the land nor island portions of it, has never been rebuilt and unto this day fishermen dry and repair their nets where the mighty Tyre once stood just as had been predicted by Ezekiel the Prophet of God.

Another bastion city of the ancient world, of which you may have heard, was also addressed in the prophetic writings found in the Scriptures. That city is Jericho. After the city fell to the armies of Israel Joshua foretold that it would be rebuilt by one man. When that man began to rebuild Jericho his oldest son would die and when he finished the rebuilding he would lose his youngest to death. It is written.

“And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
[27] So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.”

(Joshua 6:26-27)

These words were spoken by Joshua approximately in the year of 1450 B.C. The city of Jericho would not be rebuilt until the year of 930 B.C. We are told that there was a man who started to lay the foundations of that city in that year named Hiel, who was from Bethel. When he began construction of the foundations, his oldest son who was named Abiram died. Upon the completion of the gates of this city his youngest son, known as Segub, died. It is written.

“In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.”

(I Kings 16:34)

To this point only prophecies concerning cities from the Old Testament period have been examined. Lest one think that only such dwellings of antiquity are so addressed I invite you to turn your attention unto a city which is still very much among the great metropolises of the world today. That city is Jerusalem. The Scriptures have much to say concerning this city, but perhaps no prediction about it is more widely known than that which Jesus, The Christ, gave unto his followers when they remarked how beautiful the temple which stood in its midst was to behold. It is written.

“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
[2] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
[3] And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

(Matthew 24:1-3)

“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
[42] Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
[43] For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
[44] And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”

(Luke 19:41-44)

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
[21] Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
[22] For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
[23] But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
[24] And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

(Luke 21:20-24)

In the year of 70 A. D., forty years after this prophecy was given, the Roman General Titus compassed the city of Jerusalem with an army of 80,000 men. History tells us that he began his siege of the city of Jerusalem, due to a major revolt which had arisen five years prior, in February of that year. The conditions of life inside Jerusalem became horrific and brought about such atrocities as women killing and eating their own children. It is recorded that grown men fought to the death for the possession and ability to eat the dung of the birds due to intense starvation among the people. In September of that year Titus broke down the walls of the city and began his slaughter in earnest. Over five hundred thousand inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem were murdered by the legions of Titus.

It is said that someone started a rumor that the stones of the temple within the city were cemented together with gold and that the legions, in their lust and greed toppled every single stone in an effort to find it. When none was discovered the rage of Rome was heightened so that the very ground under the place where the magnificent temple had stood was plowed up in an effort to prevent it from ever again being put to useful purposes by the Jews. To this day Jerusalem still is not under the total control of the Jewish people. The temple mount, where the magnificent edifice that was eradicated by the Roman Legions commanded by Titus once stood, is currently occupied by the Dome of The Rock and the al Aqsa Mosque. The Jews do not have control of their own temple site. Clearly the times of the Gentiles which Christ spoke of has not yet come to an end in Jerusalem.

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Prophecies Concerning The Messiah of God

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An Introduction To The Study Of The Bible Part III

There is no other stronger proof that The Scriptures originate with God Himself than the existence of fulfilled prophetic pronouncements throughout world history. I make this statement knowing full well that such a bold claim is certain to be examined as though it were placed under a microscope to make absolutely certain that such really is the case. Such exacting attention to detail is to be expected, and rightfully so. Yet The Christian ought to never fear to make this claim, for God Himself demands such accuracy in every case where a Prophet sent by Him spoke in The Old Testament. It is written.

“And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
[6] And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
[7] My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
[8] With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

(Numbers 12:5-8)

To begin to understand why this is true it is necessary to understand the function of the Old Testament Prophetic office as revealed in the book itself rather than define it by some other means. A prophet was not one who simply foretold the future, but rather he was one who told forth that message which God instructed him to speak. In the course of speaking for God, and conveying the message he was sent to deliver, there would frequently be involved predictions given by God through him. Some were local and concerned specific individuals and places as well as the time of occurrence. Others were to declare an event yet far into the future which would involve places that did not yet exist and people who were not yet born. In every case that someone claimed Prophetic authority, the test of their claim was a 100% accuracy rate concerning everything they said every time they spoke. It was also necessary for everything which such a one spoke to align completely with all the prior revealed communication from God. The penalty for failure in either of these tests was death. It is written.

“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
[2] And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
[3] Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
[4] Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
[5] And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.”

(Deuteronomy 13:1-5)

And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
[18] I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
[19] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
[20] But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
[21] And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
[22] When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously:

(Deuteronomy 18: 17-22)

In all of this it is important to note that there is a definite context which places the prophetic pronouncement being examined within the message being delivered on behalf of God. We today are given the opportunity to look back at many of these pronouncements and see through the lens of historical record that those which were to have been fulfilled to date have everyone come to pass as foretold. Let us examine a some of these. Since these are numerous and can be categorized in various manners let us linger here and not merely skim over this foundation of our faith. Let us begin with Prophetic Pronouncements concerning individual people found in The Scriptures. Please click the link below and follow on in this important journey.

Prophetic Pronouncements Concerning Individual People

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An Introduction To The Study Of The Bible Part II

The Holy Bible is a book of dual authorship. It is a writing which involves a partnership between man and his God which produced one unified set of volumes that could never have been produced by man alone under any natural circumstances. Let us consider why such a bold statement is true, shall we? Let us begin with the unity which runs unwavering throughout the entirety of The Scriptures from Genesis chapter one to Revelation chapter twenty-two. Throughout these sixty-six books, one will find that the singular purpose which binds them tightly together is the expression of God’s revelation concerning Himself unto humanity.

While there are some allusions as to the use of secondary means through which this is partially achieved, the main theme of The Scriptures is God’s revelation of Himself through Jesus, The Christ. When examining this concept, it is critical to be able to demonstrate the truth of it from the claims of Scripture itself. To do this I urge you to consider carefully the following passages from the Bible.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[2] The same was in the beginning with God.
[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
[4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
[5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
[7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
[8] He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
[9] That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
[10] He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
[11] He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
[12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
[13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
[15] John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
[16] And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
[17] For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
[18] No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

(John 1:1-18)

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
[40] And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

(John 5:39-40)

“I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
[44] How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
[45] Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
[46] For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
[47] But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?“

(John 5:43-47)

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
[2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
[3] Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;[4] Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.“

(Hebrews 1:1-4)

“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”.

(II Peter 1:16)

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
[2] Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
[3] Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
[4] John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
[5] And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
[6] And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
[7] Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
[8] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
[9] I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
[10] I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
[11] Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.“

(Revelation Chapter One: verses 1-11)

Here then is the message which God intends to convey unto humanity. How He would choose to do this is the question at hand. Earlier I made the assertion that this was a book of dual authorship. God chose to speak unto, and thereby through, men to deliver His revelation in written form. This interaction is known as inspiration. It is to be noted that God did not simply dictate the words which were to be recorded, but rather worked within the limitations of the style and the vocabulary of each man He chose to write each portion of Scripture.

Understand that the Scriptures were penned by over 40 different authors from every background of life. These would include Kings, fishermen, Medical Doctors, farmers, tax collectors, religious leaders, and men from a host of other professions and vocations. Most of these men never had the privilege of meeting each other. Some wrote during a period of exile. Others wrote as eyewitnesses to the Living God upon the earth. At times these men wrote of things which they did not personally comprehend in their entirety due to the fact that God gave The Scriptures unto all men for all ages. One by one they were chosen to interact with God and pen that which He gave them to write so that those who came before us, we ourselves, and all who come after us, would know that what we read therein is still relevant unto the day in which we live.

The process of penning the Divine revelation from God which was put down by their hands took over 1500 years to complete. In addition, there is a 400-year period of silence between the last book of The Old Testament and the first of The New Testament. Consider the possibility of any book of purely human origin being penned under such circumstances. Consider carefully the possibility of such a work maintaining the consistent, accurate adherence to one singular theme. In pondering these things concerning the authoring of this book there is yet one thing more that causes a person to affirm that it is Divine in its creation. That factor is the absolute and irrefutable accuracy of every prophetic pronouncement found within it.

When one hears the term “Prophecy” there is most often a mental equation made with fortune telling. It is therefore vital to understand the role of a Prophet of God and what such a one actually did in fulfilling that role. In order to see how this separates The Scriptures from all other spiritual or religious writings I invite you to click the link below as we continue this introduction to Biblical Study.

Introduction to Bible Study Part III

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