I have typed a little on this question in one of my previous blogs. But, because it is such a commonly asked question, I figured I would dedicate a whole blog on answering it.
Although I don't think this is a genetic fallacy, I think it can be irrelevant to a certain point. Unless the debate topic is around this issue and this issue only, it can be considered irrelevant in a discussion. Let's say I am debating an Atheist on the Kalam Cosmological argument. He or she then decides to say "well, if God created everything, then who created God?". The Theist does not have to answer that question, because it really doesn't have anything to do with the issue or the topic we are debating. When it comes to God, we do not need an explanation for the explanation. Let me explain. Image you worked for Nasa and you found structures on Mars that appeared to be built. Without a doubt, these things show intelligent design. You could either say these structures formed on there own, or that someone or something put them there. If you are on the side of logic, you will realize that these structures were obviously built and put there. Now, we can already conclude that someone or something did indeed put those structures there. Of course we want to know more about whoever created these structures. But at least we know they exist. There origins are not a concern right now. Now, speaking of the Kalam Cosmological argument, some Atheists will try to use this argument against the Theist. They might say "if everything that begins to exist, needs a cause, then what caused God?". Remember the premises of the Kalam cosmological argument. Everything that BEGINS to exist must have a cause. The answer I am mainly going to focus on is that God did not begin to exist, rather, He is eternal. God is not subjected to time. This is why the Bible says God is the same as yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). This makes God eternal.
I think the question "who created God?" fails on a couple points however. It assumes that God does need to be created. I want to ask, why does He need to be? We apply this logic, by observing the world around us. We see things existing because they have a cause. But this is not the case for God. He is outside the universe. He needed to be in order to create it. So the whole "everything needs to be created or have a cause in order to exist" logic cannot apply to something which is outside of our universe. We live in a universe full of causes. But again, God being outside of our universe, does not need a cause to exist.
I also just wanted to add that God, by definition, is the greatest conceivable being ever. He would not be God, if there was a higher power then Him. And infinite regression explains why there couldn't of been a god creating a god who created a god and so on. God had to of either started somewhere, or He has to be eternal. I find it hard to believe that God could some how just magically pop into existence. It seems like the most logical answer to give is that He is eternal.
Conclusion: Asking "who created God?" can be irrelevant, but even if it wasn't, it is a fallacy. It assumes God needs to be created, when in fact, He doesn't. The best answer I can give is that God is eternal.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
An interesting fulfilled prophecy
There are quite a few fulfilled prophecies foretold in the Bible that came to pass in actual history, and recorded down. Such as the future of Israel, the wars, the Messiah, the destruction of the temple, etc. But something that has caught my attention is a prophecy foretold by Amos.
"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day" - Amos 8:9
Not only do the gospels record this, but secular sources talk about this event too.
"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." - Matthew 27:45
"And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour." - Mark 15:33
"And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. " - Luke 23:44
Amos does talk about the sun going down at noon, instead of just darkening. However, he could of been speaking in some sort of figure of speech. But even if Amos did not give a prophecy, this event that took place after Jesus' death is still recorded in secular sources.
Thallus wrote a history of the eastern Mediterranean world since the Trojan War. Thallus wrote his regional history in about AD 52. Although his original writings have been lost, he is specifically quoted by Julius Africanus, a renowned third century historian. Africanus states, "Thallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away the darkness as an eclipse of the sun—unreasonably as it seems to me." Apparently, Thallus attempted to ascribe a naturalistic explanation to the darkness during the crucifixion.
Phlegon was a Greek historian who wrote an extensive chronology around AD 137
"In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 33) there was ‘the greatest eclipse of the sun’ and that ‘it became night in the sixth hour of the day [i.e., noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea."
Phlegon provides powerful confirmation of the gospel accounts. He identifies the year and the exact time of day. In addition, he writes of an earthquake accompanying the darkness, which is specifically recorded in Matthew’s Gospel
"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;" - Matthew 27:51
Seems to me that the Gospels are reliable.
"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day" - Amos 8:9
Not only do the gospels record this, but secular sources talk about this event too.
"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." - Matthew 27:45
"And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour." - Mark 15:33
"And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. " - Luke 23:44
Amos does talk about the sun going down at noon, instead of just darkening. However, he could of been speaking in some sort of figure of speech. But even if Amos did not give a prophecy, this event that took place after Jesus' death is still recorded in secular sources.
Thallus wrote a history of the eastern Mediterranean world since the Trojan War. Thallus wrote his regional history in about AD 52. Although his original writings have been lost, he is specifically quoted by Julius Africanus, a renowned third century historian. Africanus states, "Thallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away the darkness as an eclipse of the sun—unreasonably as it seems to me." Apparently, Thallus attempted to ascribe a naturalistic explanation to the darkness during the crucifixion.
Phlegon was a Greek historian who wrote an extensive chronology around AD 137
"In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 33) there was ‘the greatest eclipse of the sun’ and that ‘it became night in the sixth hour of the day [i.e., noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea."
Phlegon provides powerful confirmation of the gospel accounts. He identifies the year and the exact time of day. In addition, he writes of an earthquake accompanying the darkness, which is specifically recorded in Matthew’s Gospel
"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;" - Matthew 27:51
Seems to me that the Gospels are reliable.
Did Jesus say if you ask for anything you will recieve?
I first came across this argument in the "God is imaginary" videos. They basically brought up that Jesus said if you ask for anything you will receive it. So, they challenged everyone to pray to Jesus and ask Him appear to us. But is this true? Is this what the Biblical passage suggests?
First, I hope those videos were asking for Christians to do this. Because, would Jesus really appear like to that an Atheist? I don't think so. He definitely has better ways of revealing Himself to people. An Atheist really has no business asking something like that of God. There is a Biblical verse that says not to tempt God, or put Him to the test. This applies to Christians too. But lets take a look at what Jesus really meant. It is obvious that what He was saying is directed towards Christians.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" - Matthew 7:7
Jesus was speaking to a specific audience on specific issues. It seems to me this has nothing to do with the power of prayer, but rather, it has to deal with salvation. Just what did Jesus have in mind when he brought up asking for things? Do you think a Christian should ask for a million dollars? Do you think God will just give it to you? God knows us all. And unless we use that money to do good, then God would not allow it I don't think. If it doesn't glorify Him, then He will not grant it. This is what Matthew 7:7 is trying to imply. As I said, God knows us. So would He give a million dollars to a greedy person? Someone who would spend it on him or herself? I don't think so. Jesus was talking about salvation. Ask, and it will be given to you. If you ask to be saved, it will happen. If you ask God to help you out, it will happen to you. And indeed all of this does. I've often heard stories of people, who were poor, prayed to God and they say they won the lottery. Now, all of this could be lies or a huge coincidence. However, God does indeed help people financially. God does answer prayers. God answers every prayer with a yes, no, or wait. So, the Atheist doesn't know if God answered the prayer or not. And if God said no, then He has every right to say no. He must have a good reason to say no. There are just some things you can't ask for. Asking for God not exist would not happen, even if you ask it in Jesus' name. You see, would a true born again Christian ask any of this? No. Jesus was obviously speaking to a specific audience. And Jesus does give to those who ask.
God bless.
First, I hope those videos were asking for Christians to do this. Because, would Jesus really appear like to that an Atheist? I don't think so. He definitely has better ways of revealing Himself to people. An Atheist really has no business asking something like that of God. There is a Biblical verse that says not to tempt God, or put Him to the test. This applies to Christians too. But lets take a look at what Jesus really meant. It is obvious that what He was saying is directed towards Christians.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" - Matthew 7:7
Jesus was speaking to a specific audience on specific issues. It seems to me this has nothing to do with the power of prayer, but rather, it has to deal with salvation. Just what did Jesus have in mind when he brought up asking for things? Do you think a Christian should ask for a million dollars? Do you think God will just give it to you? God knows us all. And unless we use that money to do good, then God would not allow it I don't think. If it doesn't glorify Him, then He will not grant it. This is what Matthew 7:7 is trying to imply. As I said, God knows us. So would He give a million dollars to a greedy person? Someone who would spend it on him or herself? I don't think so. Jesus was talking about salvation. Ask, and it will be given to you. If you ask to be saved, it will happen. If you ask God to help you out, it will happen to you. And indeed all of this does. I've often heard stories of people, who were poor, prayed to God and they say they won the lottery. Now, all of this could be lies or a huge coincidence. However, God does indeed help people financially. God does answer prayers. God answers every prayer with a yes, no, or wait. So, the Atheist doesn't know if God answered the prayer or not. And if God said no, then He has every right to say no. He must have a good reason to say no. There are just some things you can't ask for. Asking for God not exist would not happen, even if you ask it in Jesus' name. You see, would a true born again Christian ask any of this? No. Jesus was obviously speaking to a specific audience. And Jesus does give to those who ask.
God bless.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
God's omipotence
In this blog, I will be focusing on one of the Judeo-Christian God's omni attributes. His omnipotence.
Many have accused of God being not all powerful, and give examples on things that are impossible, so therefore, God cannot exist. But I think this argument fails to begin with because it assumes the Christian God can do everything. And if God can't do these things, then why does that mean He doesn't exist? I see no reason why to even assume that. But the fact is, the Christian God can't do everything. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) meaning God cannot sin also. It's not that He chooses not to. It's just that He cannot do these things. He is so holy and so good, that He cannot be evil, lie or sin. God cannot make Himself not all powerful, no matter how powerful He is. Because by definition, He is all powerful! So He cannot become not all powerful. God cannot create a rock too powerful for Him because, again, by definition He is all powerful.
But, then why does the Bible say anything is possible through God? What does the Bible mean when it says that? It doesn't take a genius to say, it means anything is possible through God. And I don't deny that. But the Greek word used to describe God's omnipotence is "Adunateo" which means " not to have strength, power or ability to be weak". This is all the verses that say anything is possible though God is suggesting. God can do anything within His own power and nature. He can do anything that His logical nature will allow Him to do. Now of course people will jump all over this and say "being all powerful means you can't have limits!" and I agree. But I think God is all powerful in a different sense. God cannot violate logic. Sense God is a God of logic, He cannot go against who He is.
And no, I do not believe God is bound by something or limited. Logic is not something that God "created" and it is not something that can be violated. It just is. Logic is only a reflection of a mind. That mind if God. So He is not bound by something He created. The question is though, can God create a square circle? The answer is no, because it simply is not logically possible no matter how powerful you are. So when the Bible says anything is possible through God, I think it is implying that anything is possible through God, that is logical. Because something illogical is impossible and we can't even begin to think of how it would work. Again, logic is something that cannot be violated. But to basically sum it all up. The Christian God can't do everything. He cannot do illogical things. He can however, do anything logical.
Conclusion: God can do anything that is logically possible. And because of this, He has unlimited power. You cannot do something illogical, because it simply doesn't exist. Since God is a God of logic, He can only do that which His powers will allow Him to do. That being the true definition of omnipotence.
Many have accused of God being not all powerful, and give examples on things that are impossible, so therefore, God cannot exist. But I think this argument fails to begin with because it assumes the Christian God can do everything. And if God can't do these things, then why does that mean He doesn't exist? I see no reason why to even assume that. But the fact is, the Christian God can't do everything. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) meaning God cannot sin also. It's not that He chooses not to. It's just that He cannot do these things. He is so holy and so good, that He cannot be evil, lie or sin. God cannot make Himself not all powerful, no matter how powerful He is. Because by definition, He is all powerful! So He cannot become not all powerful. God cannot create a rock too powerful for Him because, again, by definition He is all powerful.
But, then why does the Bible say anything is possible through God? What does the Bible mean when it says that? It doesn't take a genius to say, it means anything is possible through God. And I don't deny that. But the Greek word used to describe God's omnipotence is "Adunateo" which means " not to have strength, power or ability to be weak". This is all the verses that say anything is possible though God is suggesting. God can do anything within His own power and nature. He can do anything that His logical nature will allow Him to do. Now of course people will jump all over this and say "being all powerful means you can't have limits!" and I agree. But I think God is all powerful in a different sense. God cannot violate logic. Sense God is a God of logic, He cannot go against who He is.
And no, I do not believe God is bound by something or limited. Logic is not something that God "created" and it is not something that can be violated. It just is. Logic is only a reflection of a mind. That mind if God. So He is not bound by something He created. The question is though, can God create a square circle? The answer is no, because it simply is not logically possible no matter how powerful you are. So when the Bible says anything is possible through God, I think it is implying that anything is possible through God, that is logical. Because something illogical is impossible and we can't even begin to think of how it would work. Again, logic is something that cannot be violated. But to basically sum it all up. The Christian God can't do everything. He cannot do illogical things. He can however, do anything logical.
Conclusion: God can do anything that is logically possible. And because of this, He has unlimited power. You cannot do something illogical, because it simply doesn't exist. Since God is a God of logic, He can only do that which His powers will allow Him to do. That being the true definition of omnipotence.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Why won't God heal amputees?
This has become a big hype all over the internet. As a result from that, it's been used by Atheists against Christians as a "proof" that God does not exist. But, I think the Atheists makes many mistake in trying to use this argument against the Christian.
First, why should God heal amputees? Where in the Bible does it promise God ever will heal amputees? Is He obligated into doing anything for anyone? I don't think so. By asking the question "why won't God heal amputees", you are already assuming that God must or should when in fact, He doesn't.
Second, the Atheist puts God in a box. This kind of ties in with what I said above. It's all assumptions. You assume God should do such a thing, but if He doesn't, that means He doesn't exist. If He doesn't do what you think He should, if it is outside of your box, then He doesn't exist. This is a terrible mistake. God exists outside of that box, and if you can't think outside of the box, then don't bother even asking a question about it!
But why? Why doesn't God heal amputees? I do think this is a pretty tough question, regardless of the things I have said above. Have you ever thought about how that person got that amputee? Did He deserve it? At first, you may think that is cruel of God. But all of these are possibilities. It's actually are fault we become amputees. Should God honestly do anything about it? What about that classic saying "everything happens for a reason"? Should a perfect and holy God help imperfect sinners such as ourselves? And don't you think it would be too easy for God to just simply heal an amputee? People around him would catch on. It would be all over the news and everything. Does God want to reveal Himself to people like that? That easy? I think not.
Although it is a tough question, I don't think it is all that much of a problem for the Christian. There is quite a few reasons on why God doesn't heal amputees.
First, why should God heal amputees? Where in the Bible does it promise God ever will heal amputees? Is He obligated into doing anything for anyone? I don't think so. By asking the question "why won't God heal amputees", you are already assuming that God must or should when in fact, He doesn't.
Second, the Atheist puts God in a box. This kind of ties in with what I said above. It's all assumptions. You assume God should do such a thing, but if He doesn't, that means He doesn't exist. If He doesn't do what you think He should, if it is outside of your box, then He doesn't exist. This is a terrible mistake. God exists outside of that box, and if you can't think outside of the box, then don't bother even asking a question about it!
But why? Why doesn't God heal amputees? I do think this is a pretty tough question, regardless of the things I have said above. Have you ever thought about how that person got that amputee? Did He deserve it? At first, you may think that is cruel of God. But all of these are possibilities. It's actually are fault we become amputees. Should God honestly do anything about it? What about that classic saying "everything happens for a reason"? Should a perfect and holy God help imperfect sinners such as ourselves? And don't you think it would be too easy for God to just simply heal an amputee? People around him would catch on. It would be all over the news and everything. Does God want to reveal Himself to people like that? That easy? I think not.
Although it is a tough question, I don't think it is all that much of a problem for the Christian. There is quite a few reasons on why God doesn't heal amputees.
Friday, April 10, 2009
The parallels in the Old Testament and Jesus
In this blog, I will be showing the parallels found in the Old Testament, and how they relate to Jesus. These, are considered prophecies, and many miss them.
Genesis 46 talks about how Joseph, was rejected by his own brothers, became a savior and then was acknowledged by his brothers. Much like how Christ was rejected by His own people, accepted by gentile nations and then finally, His own people will really see that He is indeed, the Jewish messiah.
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." - Matthew 12:40
Jesus said, that as like Jonah, He will be in the "heart of the earth". I think Jesus was speaking symbolically about the state of death, when trying to compare it the story of Jonah. Jonah was in the stomach of a giant fish for three days. Just like Jesus was dead, for three days.
The whole story of the Passover, was all a foreshadowing of what Christ will come to do. The Israelites would cover the entrance of there home with the blood of the lamb, so that the angel of death would passover them. Jesus Christ, was declared the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. His blood, covers us and atones us, so that the wrath of God, will passover us. In fact, the whole sacrificial services to atone for sin were all foreshadows of what Jesus would do. Jesus Christ, was crucified on the day of passover. He was found without guilt, just like the Passover lamb is found without any defects.
The 4 cups of wine, drank on passover point to Jesus. Jesus said in Luke 20:20 "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." They were having a passover meal here. Jesus showed, that the 4 cups of wine drank on passover, point to Him.
The unleavened bread also points to Jesus. Jesus was unleavened, or without sin. He was made, without sin. The bread, is also bruised, like Jesus was. Jesus said in Luke 22:19 "This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." He made it clear that the whole unleavened bread ritual, was a foreshadow of who He is.
Jews today, break the unleavened bread, and hide it. On the third cup, just like the third day, they go and find it again.
Conclusion: Jesus fulfilled the Jewish laws, festivals, feasts and rituals. All of those, who were set up by God, was a foreshadow of who Christ would be. Showing that Jesus, is indeed, the Jewish messiah.
God bless.
Genesis 46 talks about how Joseph, was rejected by his own brothers, became a savior and then was acknowledged by his brothers. Much like how Christ was rejected by His own people, accepted by gentile nations and then finally, His own people will really see that He is indeed, the Jewish messiah.
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." - Matthew 12:40
Jesus said, that as like Jonah, He will be in the "heart of the earth". I think Jesus was speaking symbolically about the state of death, when trying to compare it the story of Jonah. Jonah was in the stomach of a giant fish for three days. Just like Jesus was dead, for three days.
The whole story of the Passover, was all a foreshadowing of what Christ will come to do. The Israelites would cover the entrance of there home with the blood of the lamb, so that the angel of death would passover them. Jesus Christ, was declared the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. His blood, covers us and atones us, so that the wrath of God, will passover us. In fact, the whole sacrificial services to atone for sin were all foreshadows of what Jesus would do. Jesus Christ, was crucified on the day of passover. He was found without guilt, just like the Passover lamb is found without any defects.
The 4 cups of wine, drank on passover point to Jesus. Jesus said in Luke 20:20 "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." They were having a passover meal here. Jesus showed, that the 4 cups of wine drank on passover, point to Him.
The unleavened bread also points to Jesus. Jesus was unleavened, or without sin. He was made, without sin. The bread, is also bruised, like Jesus was. Jesus said in Luke 22:19 "This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." He made it clear that the whole unleavened bread ritual, was a foreshadow of who He is.
Jews today, break the unleavened bread, and hide it. On the third cup, just like the third day, they go and find it again.
Conclusion: Jesus fulfilled the Jewish laws, festivals, feasts and rituals. All of those, who were set up by God, was a foreshadow of who Christ would be. Showing that Jesus, is indeed, the Jewish messiah.
God bless.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Messianic prophecy
In this blog, I will be showing you prophecy concerning the messiah, whom I believe Jesus and only Jesus fulfilled.
Prophecy about Jesus' birth:
Virgin birth:
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." - Genesis 3:15
Now, at first glance, we will say this is a miracle birth prophecy, because women don't have a seed. But, the Bible does talk about women and there seed. However, I believe this is still a virgin birth prophecy because of simply what it says. This seed of a woman, will crush the head of the serpent (Satan). Jesus Christ did this. He triumphed over sin and death.
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." - Isaiah 7:14
There has been much dispute about this prophecy. The word for virgin is translated "almah" which means young maiden. However, Jewish culture viewed virgins as young maidens. In fact, young maidens were called virgins, because it was against the law to be involved in sexual intercourse with anyone outside of marriage. The Jewish writers who translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek, even recognized this young maiden to be a virgin. There still is however, disagreement with this passage. If we read the rest of the story, we see that the Lord will give a sign to King Azah in his lifetime. At least, it appears that is what the Bible is saying. The chances of this being a prophecy about Jesus is very high, still.
The messiah would be born in Bethlehem:
"Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." - Micah 5:1-2
The ruler of Israel will come from Bethlehem. The Bible makes it clear this ruler is the messiah. But there is actually a parable between Jesus and this prophecy. When the Jewish high priest was about to preform an animal sacrifice, he would walk all the way to Bethlehem, pick out a lamb or something, and then bring it back to Jerusalem. He would then inspect it to make sure the sacrifice was good. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He then rode into Jerusalem riding on a donkey (as Zechariah 9:9 foretold) bringing salvation and atonement. Just like the lamb the high priest brought in through the gates. The high priest was bringing atonement and salvation through the city each time this happened. Did you know why there were so many people at the gate waiting? It was because the high priest was bringing the lamb. But do you know who was right behind him? Jesus Christ, the lamb that takes away the sins of the world! Jesus was then found with no guilt in Him. A perfect sacrifice.
Prophecy concerning Jesus' life:
say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert." - Isaiah 35:4-6
In this prophecy, Isaiah says that there will be a time where God comes and will heal the eyes of the blind will be open along with the ears of the deaf. Jesus Christ, who claimed to be God fulfilled this.
God promised another prophet like Moses:
In Deuteronomy 18:15-18, we see God promising another prophet like Moses.
"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die. The LORD said to me: "What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him."
Jesus, like Moses escaped death at birth. Jesus, like Moses brought a covenant. They both preformed miracles. So, even if a Jew refuses to believe Jesus was God incarnate, we can surely show him/her that Jesus is indeed a prophet and a messenger.
The messiah would be called God:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6
I think this verse ties in with the Isaiah 7:14 prophecy. Here, we have a child that is to be called God. Jesus Christ, claimed to be God, and indeed He is the prince of peace. Since Jesus is the messiah, we can clearly see that the messiah would be called God.
The messiah would be rejected, beaten and pierced for our iniquities:
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." - Isaiah 53:3
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:4-5
Actually, the whole chapter of Isaiah 53 talks about Jesus. Jesus, was indeed beaten and rejected. God laid the sins of humanity on Him, and atonement was made.
"For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet." - Psalm 22:16
Crucifixion wasn't even known at the time this Psalm was written, and already, it talks about a servent who will be pierced. Now, many have tried to make rebuttals concerning this prophecy, saying that is is mistranslated. IT doesn't really say pierced. However, they don't realize that the hands and feet are still involved. Not only that, but it describes them as lions. What would a lion do if it bit your hands and feet?
Psalm 22 is a giant prophetic poem describing Jesus. While Jesus was on the cross, He quoted the first verse in Psalm 22. He did this, to prove He was the messiah. This whole Psalm is a giant messianic prophecy. Everything in it, is a scene of the crucifixion!
The messiah would be cut off:
"After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed." - Daniel 9:26
Daniel said that the messiah would be cut off and after that, the temple would be destroyed. The temple was destroyed 40 years after Jesus' death, in 70 A.D. So, the messiah had to of came before 70 A.D. Jesus Christ not only claimed to be the messiah, but proved it. Only 40 years later, the temple was destroyed. Either Jesus is the messiah or there is none.
Zechariah foreshadowed Jesus being sold for 30 pieces of silver:
I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"-the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter." - Zechariah 11:12-13
Zechariah foreshadows about Jesus' crucifixion:
"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." - Zechariah 12:10
Conclusion: These are only just a few out of many prophecies foretold in the Tanakh that Jesus and only Jesus fulfilled. All of the rituals, festivals and practices found in the Torah were all foreshadows of what Jesus would do. He fulfilled it all! Jesus Christ is the Jewish messiah.
God bless.
Prophecy about Jesus' birth:
Virgin birth:
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." - Genesis 3:15
Now, at first glance, we will say this is a miracle birth prophecy, because women don't have a seed. But, the Bible does talk about women and there seed. However, I believe this is still a virgin birth prophecy because of simply what it says. This seed of a woman, will crush the head of the serpent (Satan). Jesus Christ did this. He triumphed over sin and death.
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." - Isaiah 7:14
There has been much dispute about this prophecy. The word for virgin is translated "almah" which means young maiden. However, Jewish culture viewed virgins as young maidens. In fact, young maidens were called virgins, because it was against the law to be involved in sexual intercourse with anyone outside of marriage. The Jewish writers who translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek, even recognized this young maiden to be a virgin. There still is however, disagreement with this passage. If we read the rest of the story, we see that the Lord will give a sign to King Azah in his lifetime. At least, it appears that is what the Bible is saying. The chances of this being a prophecy about Jesus is very high, still.
The messiah would be born in Bethlehem:
"Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." - Micah 5:1-2
The ruler of Israel will come from Bethlehem. The Bible makes it clear this ruler is the messiah. But there is actually a parable between Jesus and this prophecy. When the Jewish high priest was about to preform an animal sacrifice, he would walk all the way to Bethlehem, pick out a lamb or something, and then bring it back to Jerusalem. He would then inspect it to make sure the sacrifice was good. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He then rode into Jerusalem riding on a donkey (as Zechariah 9:9 foretold) bringing salvation and atonement. Just like the lamb the high priest brought in through the gates. The high priest was bringing atonement and salvation through the city each time this happened. Did you know why there were so many people at the gate waiting? It was because the high priest was bringing the lamb. But do you know who was right behind him? Jesus Christ, the lamb that takes away the sins of the world! Jesus was then found with no guilt in Him. A perfect sacrifice.
Prophecy concerning Jesus' life:
say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert." - Isaiah 35:4-6
In this prophecy, Isaiah says that there will be a time where God comes and will heal the eyes of the blind will be open along with the ears of the deaf. Jesus Christ, who claimed to be God fulfilled this.
God promised another prophet like Moses:
In Deuteronomy 18:15-18, we see God promising another prophet like Moses.
"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die. The LORD said to me: "What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him."
Jesus, like Moses escaped death at birth. Jesus, like Moses brought a covenant. They both preformed miracles. So, even if a Jew refuses to believe Jesus was God incarnate, we can surely show him/her that Jesus is indeed a prophet and a messenger.
The messiah would be called God:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6
I think this verse ties in with the Isaiah 7:14 prophecy. Here, we have a child that is to be called God. Jesus Christ, claimed to be God, and indeed He is the prince of peace. Since Jesus is the messiah, we can clearly see that the messiah would be called God.
The messiah would be rejected, beaten and pierced for our iniquities:
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." - Isaiah 53:3
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:4-5
Actually, the whole chapter of Isaiah 53 talks about Jesus. Jesus, was indeed beaten and rejected. God laid the sins of humanity on Him, and atonement was made.
"For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet." - Psalm 22:16
Crucifixion wasn't even known at the time this Psalm was written, and already, it talks about a servent who will be pierced. Now, many have tried to make rebuttals concerning this prophecy, saying that is is mistranslated. IT doesn't really say pierced. However, they don't realize that the hands and feet are still involved. Not only that, but it describes them as lions. What would a lion do if it bit your hands and feet?
Psalm 22 is a giant prophetic poem describing Jesus. While Jesus was on the cross, He quoted the first verse in Psalm 22. He did this, to prove He was the messiah. This whole Psalm is a giant messianic prophecy. Everything in it, is a scene of the crucifixion!
The messiah would be cut off:
"After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed." - Daniel 9:26
Daniel said that the messiah would be cut off and after that, the temple would be destroyed. The temple was destroyed 40 years after Jesus' death, in 70 A.D. So, the messiah had to of came before 70 A.D. Jesus Christ not only claimed to be the messiah, but proved it. Only 40 years later, the temple was destroyed. Either Jesus is the messiah or there is none.
Zechariah foreshadowed Jesus being sold for 30 pieces of silver:
I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"-the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter." - Zechariah 11:12-13
Zechariah foreshadows about Jesus' crucifixion:
"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." - Zechariah 12:10
Conclusion: These are only just a few out of many prophecies foretold in the Tanakh that Jesus and only Jesus fulfilled. All of the rituals, festivals and practices found in the Torah were all foreshadows of what Jesus would do. He fulfilled it all! Jesus Christ is the Jewish messiah.
God bless.
Does the Bible say the earth is immovable and the sun revolves around it?
This is yet another installment to my science vs Bible blogs. I will be examining if the Bible really does teach this or not.
First, does the Bible say the Earth is immovable? In order to answer these questions of course, we must read the language it was written in.
"The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is established, that it cannot be moved." - Psalm 93:1
This is in the book of Psalms, so lets look at the Hebrew this was written in.
In each of these cases the word moved is translated from the Hebrew mote. According to Strong it means: "to waver; to slip, shake, or fall." So the word has nothing to do with being absolutely motionless, but a steadiness in motion and permanence. This is because saying that something does not "waver, slip, shake, or fall" does not eliminate other forms of motion. And indeed, the Earth is fixed in the relationship around the orbit of the sun. The Earth does not fly out of orbit, or does not fall down. It is fixed.
Now, unto the second part of this blog. Does the Bible suggest that the sun revolves around the earth? In order to answer most questions like these, we must read the context it was written in.
"And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day." - Joshua 10:13
Keep in mind the Bible was written during certain times in history by a certain culture. It is possible that the Hebrews believed the sun revolved around the Earth, and simply recorded what they thought happened. Because indeed, even if God stopped the Earth's rotation that day, the sun would appear to not be moving from Earth's perspective. How God performed this miracle is unknown, but some have even proposed the idea that this is poetic because the Israelites were fighting so hard that it seemed like it was two days.
However, I think there are good reasons to actually believe this happened. Many cultures and legends seem to be based on this event. For example, there is a Greek myth of Apollo’s son, Phaethon, who disrupted the sun’s course for a day. The New Zealand Maori people have a myth about how their hero Maui slowed the sun before it rose, while the Mexican Annals of Cuauhtitlan (the history of the empire of Culhuacan and Mexico) records a night that continued for an extended time. There are other stories like these that talk about the longest day and the day when the sun didn't set. It's quite amazing indeed!
God bless.
First, does the Bible say the Earth is immovable? In order to answer these questions of course, we must read the language it was written in.
"The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is established, that it cannot be moved." - Psalm 93:1
This is in the book of Psalms, so lets look at the Hebrew this was written in.
In each of these cases the word moved is translated from the Hebrew mote. According to Strong it means: "to waver; to slip, shake, or fall." So the word has nothing to do with being absolutely motionless, but a steadiness in motion and permanence. This is because saying that something does not "waver, slip, shake, or fall" does not eliminate other forms of motion. And indeed, the Earth is fixed in the relationship around the orbit of the sun. The Earth does not fly out of orbit, or does not fall down. It is fixed.
Now, unto the second part of this blog. Does the Bible suggest that the sun revolves around the earth? In order to answer most questions like these, we must read the context it was written in.
"And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day." - Joshua 10:13
Keep in mind the Bible was written during certain times in history by a certain culture. It is possible that the Hebrews believed the sun revolved around the Earth, and simply recorded what they thought happened. Because indeed, even if God stopped the Earth's rotation that day, the sun would appear to not be moving from Earth's perspective. How God performed this miracle is unknown, but some have even proposed the idea that this is poetic because the Israelites were fighting so hard that it seemed like it was two days.
However, I think there are good reasons to actually believe this happened. Many cultures and legends seem to be based on this event. For example, there is a Greek myth of Apollo’s son, Phaethon, who disrupted the sun’s course for a day. The New Zealand Maori people have a myth about how their hero Maui slowed the sun before it rose, while the Mexican Annals of Cuauhtitlan (the history of the empire of Culhuacan and Mexico) records a night that continued for an extended time. There are other stories like these that talk about the longest day and the day when the sun didn't set. It's quite amazing indeed!
God bless.
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