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The Damnation of the Law - Church of God and Christ
Galatians The Damnation of the Law Have I become your enemy because I tell the truth The New Pact kainos diatheke The Church of God and Christ ekklesia theos christos NB! The translation of THE PACT tries to keep unnecessary capitalization of substantives to a minimum. Substantives such as pharisee and sadducee are not capitalized. — Why should they be? The Damnation of the Law Have I become your enemy because I tell the truth Cover, front page A section of the Galatian highland, — the mound outside of Lystra. Galatians, and Galatians with Commentaries, and Galatians with the Greek text. Transliterated after Strong’s Hebrew / Greek The Church of God and Christ ekklesia theos christos Distribution: www.jordly.com ISBN: Softcover 978-82-8310-016-7 Ebook 978-82-8310-017-4 New, revised edition Copyright © Arne Jordly, 2014 All rights reserved 3 4 Contents An Orientation .............................................................................. Page 005 Introduction to THE PACT ........................................................ “ 006 The Books of the First Pact ......................................................... “ 007 The Books of the New Pact .......................................................... “ 008 Paul’s Books in Correct Order .................................................... “ 009 About God’s Pact ......................................................................... “ 010 The History of the New Pact ....................................................... “ 011 Overview of Chapters in Galatians ........................................... “ 012 Overview of Paragraphs in Galatians ....................................... “ 012 Overview of Paragraphs with Commentaries in Galatians .... “ 013 Galatatians .................................................................................. “ 014 Galatians with Commentaries ................................................... “ 022 Galatians with the Greek Text .................................................. “ 058 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians ................................. “ 095 The Church of God and Christ ................................................. “ 114 The Teaching of the Trinity ....................................................... “ 116 A Comment to the Teaching of the Trinity .............................. “ 118 Is God Christ ............................................................................... “ 121 Three Words ............................................................................... “ 172 5 A Satan’s Lie! .............................................................................. “ 176 Dead in the Flesh — Alive in the Spirit .................................... “ 188 The Realm of God ....................................................................... “ 198 God’s Throne ............................................................................... “ 205 The Sons of the Realm ................................................................ “ 208 God’s Heavenly Priesthood ........................................................ “ 212 The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah ............................. “ 220 The Restoration ........................................................................... “ 235 The False Prophet, the Lawless, Antichrist and the Beast ...... “ 239 The Mark of God — the Mark of the Beast ............................. “ 246 The First Resurrection ............................................................... “ 249 The New Creation ...................................................................... “ 254 God’s Law — Moses’ Law — Christ’s Law ............................ “ 257 Gr. aggelos — Angel or Messenger .......................................... “ 262 Eternal, Eternity ......................................................................... “ 266 The Man Jesus Christ ................................................................ “ 268 Christ — the Hourglass of the World ...................................... “ 269 Father in the Heavens ................................................................ “ 270 6 AN ORIENTATION The basis of the Jews’ hatred against Paul Note that Paul in 1TH 02:15 calls the Jews ‘adversaries of all men.’ His statement has been somewhat softened compared to the Greek text which in this case is more direct than most English translations. Paul says further that they will be caught up with God’s wrath, which is the final extermination of antichrists, of all who deny Christ. And that is fair enough if the belief in Christ is a condition of a life in ages. (JOH 17:03) And then the extermination of the ungodly is the only alternative both to Jews and Greeks alike. God does not discriminate or show favoritism. This is strongly contrary to common Christian preaching maintaining that all physical Jews will be saved, but the Bible does not say anything about that unless you interpret ROM 11:26-27 in that direction. If so, it builds on a lack of understanding. ROM 11:26-27, THE PACT: ‘In this way all of Israel will be rescued, as it is written: ‘When the Deliverer comes fro Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. For such is the pact I have made with them when I cut them off from their sins.’ ISA 59:20-21 I cannot find such a statement here. On the contrary, they will be cut off from their sins just like anybody else. What does jew (jehowdah) mean? It means ‘one who praises Jehovah,’ and it is in this spiritual meaning the New Pact often uses the word Jew, ref. Romans 02:28-29. What does israel mean? It means ‘one who has fought with God and won (his blessing),’ and it is in this spiritual meaning the New Pact often uses the word israel, ref. Romans 09:06, 11:26 and Galatians 06:16. Again: It does not say in the Bible that all physical Jews will be saved. If so, it would directly contradict the message of the Bible. But — when the physical Jews attacked Paul in Jerusalem (Acts chapters 21 and 22) they were aware that he had written this. And it was just as provoking to the Jews of that time as it is to many Jew-loving Christians of today! 7 THE PACT The New Pact The Greek Scriptures A little about THE PACT, a biblical translation with headlines and commentaries: This translation of the New Pact (The New Testament) is independent of any religious organization whatsoever. Its only goal is to present the absolute truth of the Bible based on the original Greek text without any kind of prejudiced interpretations. The translation also places great emphasis on creating a modern and easily understood English language, and at the same time wishing to get away from ingrown religious words and expressions which to many modern people seem empty. In many countries there has developed a special religious vocabulary. Often such a language is a hindrance to a deeper understanding of the text. When referring to other translations sources of origin will be presented, also when referring to the original text. It is shocking how consciously many biblical translators try to manipulate the readers’ attitudes in a special direction. But this word of truth I would like to underline: If someone has been raised on lies and twisted truths, it is often the raw, pure and uncompromising truth that is rejected as false! In addition to a complete edition of the New Pact I have also worked out simple and readily understood commentaries to each of the Pacts 27 books. It is my goal that no one will be able to say that the word of God is difficult to understand after having read my extensive, but easily understood commentaries. Here you will not find much fabling — only clear and sober facts! Do I thereby claim that my commentaries are infallible? Of course not! I humbly ask that anyone who reads these commentaries, must himself soberly evaluate them compared to the Pact’s (the Bible’s) additional contents. Because many say: ‘I interpret the Bible this way,’ and ‘I interpret the Bible that way.’ Such interpretations are often deceptive, because there exists only one biblical truth! Therefore it is important to suck in the contents of the Bible exactly the way it was written, and learning to understand the Bible the way God presents it. The message of the Bible is God’s Pact with man — and often this message is contrary to our traditions! One more thing: God’s Pact, the Bible, may be raw, and I present nothing in silver wrappings. The way the text was written in the original language, is also how it should be translated! With best regards from Arne Jordly 8 The First Pact, the Hebrew Scriptures — 39 books Number 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Data THE PACT Standard GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUT 1SA 2SA 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH EZR NEH EST JOB PSA PRO ECC SON ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOE AMO OBA JON MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth First Samuel Second Samuel First Kings Second Kings First Chronicles Second Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Gensesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Book of Joshua Book of Judges Book of Ruth First book of Samuel Second book of Samuel First book of Kings Second book of Kings First book of Chronicles Second book of Chronicles Book of Ezra Book of Nehemiah Book of Esther Book of Job Book of Psalms Book of proverbs Ecclesiastes Book of Solomon The prophet Isaiah The prophet Jeremiah Lamentations of Jeremiah The prophet Ezekial The prophet Daniel The prophet Hosea The prophet Joel The prophet Amos The prophet Obadiah The prophet Jonah The prophet Micah The prophet Nahum The propher Habakkuk The prophet Zephaniah The prophet Haggai The prophet Zechariah The prophet Malachi 9 The New Pact, the Greek Scriptures — 27 books Number Data THE PACT Standard 40 41 42 43 44 45 MAT MAR LUK JOH ACT 1TH Matthew Mark Luke John Acts First Thessalonians 46 (07) 2TH Second Thessalonians 47 (08) GAL Galatians 48 (09) 1CO First Corinthians 49 (10) 2CO Second Corinthians 50 (11) ROM Romans 51 (12) EPH Ephesians 52 (13) PHI Philippians 53 (14) COL Colosseans 54 (15) 55 (16) PHL HEB Philemon Hebrews 56 (17) 57 (18) TIT 1TI Titus First Timothy 58 (19) 2TI Second Timothy 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 JAC 1PE 2PE 1JO 2JO 3JO JUD REV Jacob Peter’s first letter Peter’s second letter John’s first letter John’s second letter John’s third letter Judas Revelation The Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Mark The Gospel of Luke The Gospel of John Acts First Thessalonians, Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians Second Thessalonians, Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians Galatians, Paul’s letter to the Galatians First Corinthians, Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians Second Corinthians, Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians Romans, Paul’s letter to the Romans Ephesians, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians Philippians, Paul’s letter to the Philippians Colosseans, Paul’s letter to the Colosseans Paul’s letter to Philemon Hebrews, Paul’s letter to the Hebrews Paul’s letter to Titus First Timothy, Paul’s first letter to Timothy Second Timothy, Paul’s second letter to Timothy NB! James’ letter Peter’s first letter Peter’s second letter John’s first letter John’s second letter John’s third letter NB! Jude’s letter Revelation (01) (02) (03) (04) (05) (06) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) 10 Paul’s 14 Books in Correct Order Chron. THE PACT 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 First Thessalonians Second Thessalonians Galatians First Corinthians Second Corinthians Romans Ephesians Philippians Colosseans Philemon Hebrews Titus First Timothy Second Timothy Year 51 52 54 55 55 56 60 60 61 61 61 64 64 65 Unchron. Standard 06 04 05 03 07 08 09 01 02 13 14 12 10 11 Romans First Corinthians Second Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colosseans First Thessalonians Second Thessalonians First Timothy Second Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews In the column to the left Paul’s letters are presented in the order he wrote them. The number to the right of the text shows in what year the letter was written. In the column to the right you see the order in which every translation presents Paul’s letters. Read Paul’s letter in the order he himself wrote them, and you will find out how much easier and more natural it becomes to form a picture of Paul’s preachings and missionary journeys: The inhabitants in the city of Thessalonica developed a strained relation to the Christians. Paul and his fellow worker Silas were at the end chased from the City. They fled to Corinth. From this it is natural that Paul worries about the church there, and maybe he also feels a need to encourage them. Therefore he wrote his two first letters to the church in Thessalonica. Thereafter he wrote to the Galatians, naturally enough, for it was in Galatia he had established his first churches during his first missionary journey. He wrote the next three letters to the churches in Corinth and Rome while he was in Ephesus and Corinth. After this Paul wrote more letters during his imprisonment in Rome at the end of the 50s and at the beginning of the 60s. Of these Hebrews is considered to be the last, about the year 62. After his release Paul was a free man only a few years, and he used that time to visit churches and co-workers. And he writes his two next letters to Titus and Timothy. But then he was thrown in prison again. There Paul writes his very last letter to closest co-worker Timothy. In reality it was a farewell letter to him! And — what could be more natural than Paul taking leave of his closest co-worker when he now feels that he is nearing the end? This you can see in his last letter to Timothy — it is a rather sad farewell. Many had left Paul in favor of their worldly desires. Shortly thereafter Paul was executed on the command of Emperor Nero. 11 About God’s Pact THE PACT (The Scripture, the Holy Scripture, the Bible) is the book containing God’s word to all mankind. And God’s word is God’s pact with man. This Pact is divided into two major parts: 01. The First Pact based on the law God gave to the sons of Israel through Moses, and the New Pact built on Jesus’ sacrifice of redemption and his commandments of love. 02. The New Pact applies to all people. It is the New Pact that gives the whole world a hope of ageous life through the faith in Jesus Christ — in the heavens and on the earth. Read MAT 05:05, PSA 37:11 and PSA 37:29. Not until the apostle John during the years 96 to 98 had fulfilled his scriptures — Revelation, (96) the Message and his three short letters, God’s pact with all men was complete, ref. 1CO 13:10. Why THE PACT and not the Bible or the Testaments? In the Hebrew scriptures God’s word is by God himself referred to as his pact with man as many as 264 times, the first time in GEN 06:18. In 1CO Paul calls the law the First Pact. And in LUK 22:20 Jesus himself establishes the New Pact with mankind. This is affirmed by Paul in First Corinthians 11:25. It is of course not wrong using the traditional descriptions ‘Bible’ or ‘Testament’ about the word of God, but still, what could be more natural than to call the word of God the same as he himself called it? — God’s pact with man. Therefore THE PACT! God’s pact with the sons of Israel and all man consists of 66 short books put on paper by about 40 different scribes from about the year 1500 B.C.E. to about the year 100 C.E. (B.C.E. = Before the Common Era, C.E. = The Common Era). The First Pact consists of 39 books written down by at least 30 scribes from about the year 1500 to about the year 440 B.C.E. The period after the Jews returned from Babylon, the about 450 last years before Christ, are not mentioned in the Bible. It is this period that is roughly the time of the Jews, until around three and a half years after Jesus’ resurrection, ref. Daniel 09:20-27. The New Pact consists of 27 books written by 8 different scribes from about the year 40 to about the year 100 C.E. All of God’s pact, the First and the New, is breathed in by God. (2TI 03:16) When the New Pact was complete, the beast, Rome under Emperor Constantin, rose from the abyss to change the Bible to a tool of a mundane state. (REV 11:07) 12 The History of the New Pact The column to the left is abbreviations of the 27 books of the New Pact. When refering to biblical verses, THE PACT uses these abbreviations. The next column contains the books’ title, and then place and year of where and when it was written. Abbreviations MAT MAR LUK JOH ACT 1TH 2TH GAL 1CO 2CO ROM EPH PHI COL PHL HEB TIT 1TI 2TI JAC 1PE 2PE 1JO 2JO 3JO JUD REV Title Matthew Mark Luke John Acts First Thessalonians Second Thessalonians Galatians First Corinthians Second Corinthians Romans Ephesians Philippians Colosseans Philemon Hebrews Titus First Timothy Second Timothy Jacob First Peter Second Peter First John Second John Third John Judas Revelation Written Judea Rome Rome Ephesus Rome Corinth Corinth Antioch Ephesus Macedonia Corinth Rome Rome Rome Rome Rome Macedonia Macedonia Rome Jerusalem Babylon Babylon Ephesus Ephesus Ephesus Judea Patmos Written about year 40 65 62 98 60 51 52 52 55 55 56 60 60 62 62 62 64 64 65 62 64 64 98 98 98 65 96 Those of Paul’s letter that are written in Rome, were written during his first imprisonment there. Also his closest co-workers, Luke and Mark, stayed in Rome at that time. That is where they wrote down their stories about Jesus. The last letter Paul wrote, was to his closest friend and co-worker Timothy. In all probability this letter was written during his last imprisonment in Rome under Emperor Nero. 13 An Overview of Chapters in Galatians Book 08 (47): GAL — Galatians Chapter 01 02 03 04 05 06 Text Page Introduction Message and Faith The Promises Are through Christ Freedom in Christ The Flesh Strives against the Spirit What You Sow, You Shall Reap 014 015 016 018 019 020 An Overview of Paragraphs in Galatians Paragraph Text Page GAL 01:01-05 “ 01:06-09 “ 01:10-17 “ 01:18-20 “ 01:21-24 GAL 02:01-10 “ 02:11-21 GAL 03:01-09 “ 03:10-14 “ 03:15-18 “ 03:19-25 “ 03:26-29 GAL 04:01-07 “ 04:08-20 “ 04:21-31 GAL 05:01-15 “ 05:16-18 “ 05:19-21 “ 05:22-26 GAL 06:01-05 “ 06:06-10 “ 06:11 “ 06:12-16 “ 06:17 “ 06:18 Greetings Only one message A Christ’s slave I first went to Jerusalem — — then to Syria and Cilicia About the message About faith The right faith Under the damnation of the law The pact with Abraham The law — a schoolmaster Heirs with Christ Freed from the law False preachers The First and the New Pact Love through faith Live by the spirit The acts of the flesh The acts of the spirit Share the burdens Do good to all With my own hand Warnings The Lord Jesus’ mark A short farewell 014 015 015 015 015 015 016 016 017 017 017 018 018 018 019 019 020 020 020 020 020 021 021 021 021 14 An Overview of Paragraphs with Commentaries in Galatians Paragraph Text GAL 01:01-05 “ 01:06-09 “ 01:10-17 “ 01:18-20 “ 01:21-24 GAL 02:01-10 “ 02:11-21 GAL 03:01-09 “ 03:10-14 “ 03:15-18 “ 03:19-25 “ 03:26-29 GAL 04:01-07 “ 04:08-20 “ 04:21-31 GAL 05:01-15 “ 05:16-18 “ 05:19-21 “ 05:22-26 GAL 06:01-05 “ 06:06-10 “ 06:11 “ 06:12-16 “ 06:17 “ 06:18 Greetings Only one message A Christ’s slave I first went to Jerusalem — — then to Syria and Cilicia About the message About faith The right faith Under the damnation of the law The pact with Abraham The law — a schoolmaster Heirs with Christ Freed from the law False preachers The First and the New Pact Love through faith Live by the spirit The acts of the flesh The acts of the spirit Share the burdens Do good to all With my own hand Warnings The Lord Jesus’ mark A short farewell COM. # COM. 001 “ 002 “ 003 COM. 004 “ 005 “ 006 “ 007 “ 008 COM. 009 “ 010 COM. 011 “ 012 “ 013 “ 014 “ 015 COM. 016 “ 017 “ 018 “ 019 COM. 020 “ 021 “ 022 “ 023 “ 024 “ 025 Page 023 024 026 026 027 028 029 031 032 033 035 038 041 043 045 047 049 050 051 051 053 053 053 056 057 Important to get a clear view of Paul’s life and teaching! We have seen that Paul wrote his first two letters to the church in Thessalonica toward the end of his second missionary journey while he was still staying in Corinth together with his closest co-workers. The cause of his writing his first two letters to the Thessalonians, was the severe persecutions this church was exposed to. Paul has now ended his second missionary journey and returned to Antioch in Syria, the major city of preaching the message about Christ to those of the peoples. After his return he is made aware that the situation in Galatia has taken a turn for the worse — the Jews are following in Paul’s footsteps and tries to convert the Galatians to Judaism (proselytes). Usually Paul uses scribes to write his letters, but this letter is so important to have delivered to the churches there that he sits down and writes it with his own hand — in big letters. Paul either had a poor eyesight or was extremely near-sighted. 15 08 Galatians Disregarding the special conditions that prevailed around the church in Thessalonica, and Paul’s worrying about them because of the hard persecutions they were exposed to, what could be more natural than Paul writing his next letter, the Pact’s book number 47, to the churches in Galatia that he established during his first missionary journey? The churches were centrally positioned in Galatia, and the peoples there consisted of Jews as well as of ethnics, especially Celts and Gauls. Asia, today’s Turkey, was at that time subject to the Romans. Paul begins his message to the Galatians by explaining his own position as apostle, not chosen by men, but by God the Almighty through Jesus Christ. ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ (ACT 09:04) The main message in the letter to the Galatians is the grace of God and rescue through Christ’s sacrifice of redemption and not through acts based on the law. In the letter to the Galatians Paul also explains the relationship between the First Pact symbolized by the slave woman Hagar and the New Pact symbolized by the free woman Sarah, mother of the promise. It is here Paul says that the whole law is fulfilled through one word: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (GAL 04:21-31) He emphasizes that there is only one true faith and warns against false preaching, especially the claim from the Jews that also the Christians had to be circumcised. As a result the question of circumcision was debated among the elders in Jerusalem. (ACT 15:01-29) In chapter 05 Paul preaches the free- dom of the Christians in Christ, bought free from the law. He also explains the good fruits of the spirit in contrast to the evil acts of the flesh. It is generally thought that Paul wrote this letter in about the year of 54, but there are disagreements as to where it was written, whether it was in Corinth or in Antioch in Syria which was Paul’s major basis. It is still probable that the letter was written shortly before he went on his third missionary journey some years later. And then he left from Antioch. Therefore it is reasonable to believe that he wrote the letter before he went to the churches in Galatia in the year of 55. Regardless, the letter is a response to the false and intense proclamations of the Jews about circumcision. The letter to the Galatians is Paul’s only letter to many churches in one district, to the churches in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, and not to a single church or co-worker. In addition his letter to the Hebrews is the only one written to a single group, the Jews. GAL 01 Introduction GAL 01:01-05. Greetings 01 From Paul, an apostle, not by men or for men, but by Jesus Christ for God, our Father, he who raised him up from the dead. 02 To all the brothers in the churches of Galatia: 03 Grace and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 04 He has given himself for our sins and shall free us from the present wicked time according to the will of God, our Father. 05 The glory is his in ages. Amen. 16 Galatians GAL 01:06-09. Only one message 06 I am surprised that you so soon turned away from him who called you to the grace of Christ, and to a different message that is in reality no message. 07 But there are some who confuse you, because they want to turn you away from the message about Christ. 08 But if any of us, or even a messenger from the heavens, should preach a message to you that is at strife with the one I preached to you, then he shall be condemned! 09 I have told you before and I also say it to you again now: He who proclaims a message to you that is at strife with that which I preached and delivered to you, shall be condemned! GAL 01:10-17. A Christ’s slave 10 Is it from people I seek recognition, or is it from God? Is it people I like to please? If it were people, then I am not a slave under Christ. 11 You will know, brothers, that the message I proclaimed, is not of men. 12 I have not received it from any man. And neither has it been taught to me, but revealed to me by Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my previous way of life under Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the churches of God and tried to destroy them. 14 Under Judaism I tried to present myself as the one who surpassed many of my contemporary countrymen and behaved more eagerly than they according to the traditions of my forefathers. 15 But because it pleased God, he chose me in my mother’s womb and called me by his grace. 16 When he revealed his Son to me, in order that I should preach the message about him to the peoples, I did not first seek advice from those of flesh and blood. 17 Neither did I go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me, but I went to Arabia before I again returned to Damascus. GAL 01:18-20. I went first to Jerusalem — 18 Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter. I stayed with him for fourteen days. 19 Of the other apostles I saw no one, except Jacob, the Lord’s brother. 20 It is with great pleasure I write this, and, see! — before God, because I do not lie! GAL 01:21-24. — then to Syria and Celicia 21 Then I went to the districts of Syria and Cilicia. 22 Nobody knew my appearance in the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They had only heard that he who previously persecuted them, now preached the faith he previously had tried to eradicate. 24 And they praised God for it. GAL 02 Message and Faith GAL 02:01-10. About the message 01 So, fourteen years later, I went up to Jerusalem again together with Barnabas. I also brought with me Titus. 02 I went up there because of a revelation. I presented before them the message I had preached among the peoples the way I saw it, because maybe I had run the course in vain. 03 But not even Titus, who was a Greek, was forced to be circumcised. 04 But some false brothers had come in among us. They had sneaked in to spy on the Galatians freedom we had in Christ, because they wanted to turn us into slaves. 05 But we did not give in or submit to this for a moment, in order that the message should stand firm with you. 06 But those who were considered to be prominent — whether they were of high rank or not of high rank means nothing, because God does not give a man based on appearance, and those who were considered to be prominent, did not contribute to anything. 07 On the contrary. They realized that the message to the uncircumcised had been entrusted me and to the circumcised Peter. 08 Because he who gave power to the apostle Peter among the circumcised, he also gave power to me among the peoples. 09 As Jacob, Caiphas and John, who were considered to be among the pillars, realized what I had received, they gave Barnabas and myself the right hand of their fellowship. We were to preach to those of the peoples and they to the circumcised. 10 We just had to remember the poor, something I was also eager to do. GAL 02:11-21. About faith 11 When Peter came to Antioch, I went against him, straight to his face, because he behaved against his better judgement. 12 Because before some came down here from Jacob, he ate with those of the peoples. But after they came, he pulled back and separated himself from them in fear of the circumcised. 13 The rest of the Jews were also hypocrites together with him, so that even Barnabas got carried away with their hypocrisy. 17 14 When I saw that he did not act correctly according to the truth of the message, I said to Peter before all of them: ‘If you who are a Jew, act like one of the peoples, and not like a Jew, how can you demand that the peoples shall follow the customs of the Jews?’ 15 For we who have the nature of the Jews, are not sinners like the peoples. 16 We know that no man is justified by the acts of the law, but through our faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore also we believe in Jesus Christ, in order that we shall be justified through the faith in Jesus Christ, and not by acts of the law. Because through acts of the law no flesh has become justified. 17 But if also we who try to become justified in Christ, also are found as sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? — It can never happen! 18 If someone wants to rebuild what has been torn down, does he not then make himself into a lawbreaker? 19 Under the law* I was dead, but under the law** I shall live for God. *Moses’ law **Christ’s law 20 Now I have been impaled* together with Christ. Then I no longer live for myself, but for Christ. The life I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, he who loved me so dearly that he gave himself for me. *Gr. stauroo = impale 21 I do not set the grace of God aside, because if justification* came from the law, then Jesus died in vain. *getting the sonship, that is being adopted as God’s heavenly sons GAL 03 The Promises Are through Christ GAL 03:01-05. The right faith 01 You foolish Galatians! Some have 18 Galatians bewitched you so that you will not obey the truth — you who before your eyes have received Jesus Christ presented as the One who was impaled* for you. *Gr. stauroo = impale 02 Only this I want to know from you: Did you get the spirit through acts of the law, or through what you have heard and through your faith? 03 Are you so foolish that after having started in the spirit, you want to finish in the flesh? 04 Have you gone through all this for nothing? — If then it has been for nothing? 05 Because — do you execute the working power of the spirit through acts of the law, or through what you have heard and through your faith? 06 This is how it was with Abraham: ‘He believed in Jehovah and was therefore counted as righteous.’ GEN 15:06 07 Understand, therefore, that he who believes, is a son of Abraham. 08 But in the Scripture God foresaw that those of the peoples should be justified through faith. Therefore he preached the message in advance to Abraham: ‘Through you all peoples on the earth shall be blessed.’ GEN 12:03 09 Those who believe, will be blessed through the faith of Abraham. GAL 03:10-14. Under the condemnation of the law 10 He who puts his trust in acts of the law, is under condemnation, because this is how it is written: ‘Condemned is he who does not keep all what is written down in the scroll of law and acts according to it.’ DEU 27:02 11 No one is justified through the law after God’s manifest, for: ‘The righteous shall live in faith.’ HAB 02:04 12 But the law is not of faith. Because: ‘The man who wants to do according to it, must live by it.’ LEV 18:05 13 But Christ bought us free from the condemnation of the law through his becoming a condemnation for us, for it is written: ‘Condemned are all who are hanged on a tree.’ DEU 21:23 14 Abraham’s blessing happened so that those of the peoples through Christ would get the spirit they were promised through their faith. GAL 03:15-18. The pact with Abraham 15 Brothers, I speak about what is of men, because when a man has entered into a pact with anybody, then no one will deduct from it or add anything to it. 16 To Abraham and those of his semen the promises were spoken. But he did not say ‘semens,’ as if to many, but to one: ‘To those of your semen,’ which is Christ. 17 What I mean is: The pact, which was established by God [through Christ], the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, cannot make it invalid or liquidate it. 18 Because if the inheritance was by law, it can no longer be a promise. But through his grace God gave Abraham the inheritance through the promises. GAL 03:19-25. The law — a schoolmaster 19 Then why did the law come? It was introduced because of the transgressions until the time when the Semen was to come, he whom the promises were about. And the law was presented by the Messenger’s hand to a mediator. Galatians 20 But a mediator is not for one, even if God is one. 21 Is the law therefore at strife with God’s promises? That could never happen, for if the law had the power that is necessary to give life, then justification would have come through the law. 22 The Scripture has laid everything under sin, so that the promise through faith in Jesus Christ would fall on those who believe. 23 Before the faith came, we were kept in custody under the law so that we would be subject to it until the faith was revealed. 24 In this way the law became like a schoolmaster for us until Christ, so that we would be justified by faith. 25 But because the faith has come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster. GAL 03:26-29. Heirs with Christ 26 We are all sons of God through our faith in Jesus Christ. 27 Because he who is baptized to Christ, has clothed himself in Christ. 28 Then it is not Jew or Greek, slave or free, [male or female,] because then we are all one in Christ. 29 And if you are of Christ, you are of Abraham’s semen and heirs according to the promises. GAL 04 Freedom in Christ GAL 04:01-07. Freed from the law 01 What I can say with pleasure is that as long as the heir is an infant, there is no difference between him and a slave, even if he is to become master over them all. 02 He is under guardians and managers until that time which has been predetermined by his father. 19 03 Such it is also with you. As long as you are infants, you are in slavery under the basic forces of this world. 04 When time had been fulfilled, God sent his Son. And it happened under the law. 05 But he was to buy free those under the law so that we would get the sonship. 06 And because you are sons, God sent his Son’s spirit in your hearts, that which calls out: ‘Abba! Father!’ 07 Then you are no longer slaves, but sons. And because you are sons, you are also God’s heirs [through Christ]. GAL 04:08-20. False preachers 08 When you did not know God, you were slaves under such who by nature were not gods. 09 But now you have learned to know God, and what is even greater — you are known by God! How can you then return to those weak and poor basic forces? — Or do you again want to be under the slavery? 10 For you pay close attention to days, months, seasons and years. 11 I am afraid that I might have striven in vain with you! 12 Brothers, I ask you to be as I am. Because I have become like you, and no one among you have done me anything wrong. 13 As you know it was with weakness in the flesh I have previously preached the message to you. 14 And my weakness in the flesh you neither despised nor rejected me for, but you received me as a God’s messenger — as if I were the Christ Jesus. 15 But where has the great pleasure you had then, gone to? For I can testify that if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 20 Galatians 16 Have I now become your enemy because I tell you the truth? 17 They are zealous to win you over, but not to the good. Because they want to keep you apart from us so that you may be zealous for them. 18 It is good to always be zealous for that which is of the good, and not only when someone is present with you. 19 My little children whom I again have birth pains with until Christ takes shape in you: 20 I wish I could be present with you so that I could use a different tone. But I am at a loss concerning you. GAL 04:21-31. The First and the New Pact 21 So tell me, you who want to be under the law: Do you keep the law? 22 Because it is written that Abraham had two sons — one with the slave girl, the other with her who was free. 23 The salve girl gave birth in the flesh, but the free bore according to the promise. 24 This is symbolic, because they were of the two pacts. The first, she who gave birth at the mountain Sinai, bore in slavery. She was Hagar. 25 This Hagar by mount Sinai in Arabia corresponds with the Jerusalem that is now with her children in slavery. 26 But the Jerusalem up there, is free and will become the mother of all. 27 For it is written: ‘Rejoice, you who are barren and unable to bear children. Break out in shouts, you who have no birth pains, for she who was barren, has many more children then she who had a man.’ ISA 54:01 28 And you, brothers, as Isaac, are children of the promise. 29 He who was born of the flesh, per- secuted he who was of the promise. That is also how it is now. 30 About this the Scripture says: ‘Throw out the son of the slave girl, because her son shall not inherit together with the son of the free.’ GEN 21:10 31 Therefore, brothers, you are not children of the slave girl, but of the free. GAL 05 The Flesh Strives against the Spirit GAL 05:01-15. Love through faith 01 Stand firm in the freedom Christ has freed us to, and do not again get entangled in the yoke of slavery. 02 See! — I, Paul, say that if you let yourselves become circumcised, Christ has been of no use to you! 03 I again testify to all men that if you let yourselves become circumcised, you will be obligated to keep the whole law. 04 For you nullify Christ, you who want to be justified through the law. You have fallen out of his grace! 05 In the spirit we hopefully wait for the justice of the faith. 06 Because in Christ being circumcised or not being circumcised means nothing; only the faith which leads to love. 07 You ran fast! But who prevented you from listening to the truth? 08 For the persuasion to this is not from him who called you. 09 A little sourdough saturates the whole batch. 10 But I have the confidence in you through the Lord that you will not change your understanding, and that those who confuse you, will get their punishment, regardless of who they are. 11 Brothers, if I still preach the circumcision, why am I then persecuted? Galatians For then the pole* as a stumbling block has been cleared away. *Gr. stauros = pole 12 I wish that they cut it off, these who set themselves up against us. 13 Because you, brothers, are called to freedom. But do not make this freedom an opportunity for the flesh. Be each other’s slaves in love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled through one word: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ LEV 19:18 15 But if you bite and eat at each other, see to it that you do not eat each other up! GAL 05:16-18. Live by the spirit 16 This I say: Live by the spirit, so that you shall not satisfy the desires of the flesh. 17 Because the desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These are opposing each other, so that no one shall do what he wants. 18 But if you are guided by the spirit, you are not under the law. GAL 05:19-21. The acts of the flesh 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: They are such as fornication, sexual immorality and unworthy indulgence. 20 They are idolatry, acts of magic, hatred, envy, anger, scheming, party activity, and the forming of sects. 21 They are also antagonism, murder, alcoholism, riots, and the like. I have both said and told you before, that those who practice these, shall not inherit the Realm of God. GAL 05:22-23. The fruits of the spirit 22 The fruits of the spirit, on the contrary, are love, joy, peace, patience, ten- 21 derness, benevolence, meekness and self restraint. 23 Against such there is no law. 24 Those who are of Christ, have impaled the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 And if you want to live by what is of the spirit, you must also comply with what is of the spirit. 26 Let us not become self-centered so that we will not provoke and envy each other. GAL 06 What You Sow, You Shall Reap GAL 06:01-05. Share the burdens 01 Brothers, if some are caught in a sin, you who are of the spirit, shall admonish him with a mild spirit. But watch out so that you yourselves are not tempted! 02 Carry each other’s burdens, because then you fulfill the law of Christ. 03 If some one thinks he is something, but without being it, he deceives himself. 04 Each must evaluate his own work, because then he may boast of what he is himself, and not of what others are. 05 Each must carry his own burden. GAL 06:06-10. Do good to all 06 He who is taught the word, must share all his good things with he who teaches. 07 But do not be deceived, for God will not be blasphemed. What a man sows, he will also reap. 08 He who sows what is of the flesh, will reap the destruction of the flesh, and he who sows what is of the spirit, will by the spirit reap ageous life. 09 Do not get tired of doing good, for at the set time we shall reap if we do not give up. 22 Galatians 10 Let us therefore, while we still have the opportunity, do good to all, and especially to those who belong to the faith. GAL 06:11. With my own hand 11 Note that I have written to you in big letters — with my own hand! GAL 06:12-16. Warnings 12 It is such that want to look good in the flesh who want to force you to become circumcised, just so that no one shall persecute them because of Christ’s pole.* *Gr. sturos = pole, stick 13 Because nobody, not even among the circumcised, obeys the law. They want you to become circumcised so that they may boast about you in the flesh. 14 May it never be that I boast about anything but the Lord Jesus’ pole.* For he has impaled what is of this world for me, and me for what is of this world. *Gr. stauros = pole 15 For in Jesus Christ being circumcised or not being circumcised means nothing, but becoming the new creation. 16 To those who hold on to this guideline; peace and mercy be with you, and with God’s Israel. GAL 06:17. The Lord Jesus’ mark 17 Finally, may no one be bothered by my weakness, for I carry the Lord Jesus’ mark on my body. GAL 06:18. A short farewell 18 Brothers, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. 23 About Paul’s 14 Letters Not in a single translation of the word of God have Paul’s letters been placed in the order he wrote them. If this not always causes confusion, it still becomes much simpler to relate to Paul’s establishment of those churches he later addressed his letters to, if the letters are placed in consecutive order. Here follows an overview of the order Paul wrote his letters. THE PACT has chosen to present them in the same order. In the column to the right follows the order in which other translators have chosen to present Paul’s books, letters, epistles, writs. Overview of Paul’s 14 Letters Chron. THE PACT 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 First Thessalonians Second Thessalonians Galatians First Corinthians Second Corinthians Romans Ephesians Philippians Colosseans Philemon Hebrews Titus First Timothy Second Timothy Year 51 52 54 55 55 56 60 60 61 61 61 64 64 65 Year Others 56 55 55 54 60 60 61 51 52 64 65 64 61 61 Romans First Corinthians Second Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colosseans First Thessalonians Second Thessalonians First Timothy Second Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews 08 Galatians with Commentaries Disregarding the special conditions that prevailed around the church in Thessalonica, and Paul’s worrying about them because of the hard persecutions they were exposed to, what could be more natural than Paul writing his next letter, the Pact’s book number 47, to the churches in Galatia that he established during his first missionary journey? The churches were centrally positioned in Galatia, and the peoples there consisted of Jews as well as of ethnics, especially Celts and Gauls. Asia, today’s Turkey, was at that time subject to the Romans. Paul begins his message to the Galatians by explaining his own position as apostle, not chosen by men, but by God the Almighty through Jesus Christ. ‘Saul, Saul, 24 Galatians with Commentaries why do you persecute me?’ (ACT 09:04) The main message in the letter to the Galatians is the grace of God and rescue through Christ’s sacrifice of redemption and not through acts based on the law. In the letter to the Galatians Paul also explains the relationship between the First Pact symbolized by the slave woman Hagar and the New Pact symbolized by the free woman Sarah, mother of the promise. It is here Paul says that the whole law is fulfilled through one word: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (GAL 04:21-31) He emphasizes that there is only one true faith and warns against false preaching, especially the claim from the Jews that also the Christians had to be circumcised. As a result the question of circumcision was debated among the elders in Jerusalem. (ACT 15:01-29) In chapter 05 Paul preaches the freedom of the Christians in Christ, bought free from the law. He also explains the good fruits of the spirit in contrast to the evil acts of the flesh. It is generally thought that Paul wrote this letter in about the year of 54, but there are disagreements as to where it was written, whether it was in Corinth or in Antioch in Syria which was Paul’s major basis. It is still probable that the letter was written shortly before he went on his third missionary journey some years later. And then he left from Antioch. Therefore it is reasonable to believe that he wrote the letter before he went to the churches in Galatia in the year of 55. Regardless, the letter is a response to the false and intense proclamations of the Jews about circumcision. The letter to the Galatians is Paul’s only letter to many churches in one district, to the churches in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, and not to a single church or coworker. In addition his letter to the Hebrews is the only one written to a single group, the Jews. GAL 01 Introduction GAL 01:01-05. Greetings 01 From Paul, an apostle, not by men or for men, but by Jesus Christ for God, our Father, he who raised him up from the dead. 02 To all the brothers in the churches of Galatia: 03 Grace and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 04 He has given himself for our sins and shall free us from the present wicked time according to the will of God, our Father. 05 The glory is his in ages. Amen. COMMENTARY 001: Paul finished writing his first two letters to the church in Thesslonica while staying in Corinth during the one and a half years he stayed there toward the end of his second journey before he returned to Antioch. The next letter he writes, is to the Galatians with Commentaries 25 churches in Galatia, centrally situated in the Galatian highlands. Some claim he wrote also this letter in Corinth, but in all probability he wrote this letter in Antioch in Syria on his own before he set out on his third and last missionary journey. The three churches in Galatia were the first three churches he established on his first journey, the churches in Antioch in Pisidia, in Iconium and Lystra. And he started his third and last missionary journey by visiting these three churches in opposite order, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. And in Lystra they met Timothy, a young, eager disciple who then decided to join them. And they, Paul, Silas and Timothy, continued westward on foot across the province of Galatia until they reached the province of Asia on the west coast. Have you ever heard the expression ‘on the stilts of the apostles?’ It means to walk. This is where they received the calling not to preach in northern Asia, but to continue to Macedonia. This you may read about in Acts chapter 16, verses 12-16. And on this trip Paul brings his third letter which he probably presents in both Lystra and Iconium before he leaves it with the church in Antioch. And as usual Paul starts his letter by introducing himself before presenting his greetings. And also this time he starts by indirectly referring to what he experienced on the road to Damascus. He says that he is not an apostle by men or for men. And what is the difference? Yes, he was not chosen to his work to serve men, and it was not through the influence of men he took on this work, but directly from God through Christ. We see in verse 04 that Jesus’ acts were according to the will of God. He concludes his introduction by stating that the honor for all this belongs to God in ages. GAL 01:06-09. Only one message 06 I am surprised that you so soon turned away from him who called you to the grace of Christ, and to a different message that is in reality no message. 07 But there are some who confuse you, because they want to turn you away from the message about Christ. 08 But if any of us, or even a messenger from the heavens, should preach a message to you that is at strife with the one I preached to you, then he shall be condemned! 09 I have told you before and I also say it to you again now: He who proclaims a message to you that is at strife with that which I preached and delivered to you, shall be condemned! COMMENTARY 002: It was during the establishment of these churches that the Jews stared persecuting Paul. They preached that also those of the peoples would have to become circumcised if they wanted to be rescued. And it was this question Paul traveled all the way to Jerusalem to discuss with the elders there, even if he states that he had received the information through a revelation, directly from Christ, that is. It was at the same time important to Paul to be able to present the authority of the original apostles in 26 Galatians with Commentaries this mater. And through the resolution in Jerusalem where both Jacob, Jesus half brother, the elders and the whole church were gathered, he had this confirmed in writing. (ACT 15:22-29) But we see that this false preaching by the Jews in the province of Galatia still continued. And it was to dam up against this false teaching Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians. And he was crass and direct! So, what was Paul’s major message to the Galatians in this letter? Yes, after a short introduction he gets straight to the point attacking those who are conducting the false preaching: ‘Even if we, or a messenger from the heavens, should preach another message to you than what we have preached, he shall be condemned!’ (In his own German translation Martin Luther changed the text of this verse.) In addition Paul says in verse 06 that their message is actually not a message at all, but a distortion of the message that he and his co-workers preached about Christ! Does that mean that they are still going to be condemned? Clearly, because Paul condemns them in the following verse. In addition both a new message and a distorted message actually becomes a different message form what was originally preached. And it was especially the law and the circumcision there were contentions about. But why was that so important? After all, the circumcision was not originally part of Moses’s law, but a pact God had entered into with Abraham directly! Then we need to understand that this pact was about the bringing forth of Jesus as the Rescuer of this world. The pact was renewed with king David, and the pact of the circumcision had never applied to anybody but the sons of Israel, or the Jews, because it was from them Jesus was to be born. Then, when Jesus was born, this pact had been fulfilled, and then there was no longer a need to continue this tradition, not even for the Jews. And, as mentioned, those of the peoples had never been part of this pact that God made with Abraham. ‘The rescue comes from the Jews,’ says Jesus. (JOH 04:22) Jesus then refers to himself as a Jew. Gr. ethnos = people, tribe, ethnic group (not heathen, pagan or Gentile) We see how important it was for Paul to be able to present a correct understanding of the message about the Lord Jesus Christ. True, this question was also important in general, because these wrong teachers maintained that this was a question of rescue or no rescue, a life in ages of an extermination in ages. Do we have a clear parallel to this in today’s situation? Yes, the teaching of the trinity is also a man-made dogma, the S-Athanasian, which has become directional to most so-called Christian churches of today. Also this teaching claim that we must believe its contents in order to be rescued! And that in spite of the fact that it makes both God and Christ liars! (Read point 24 and then compare to John 14:28). Therefore it is just as important in today’s situation to watch out for wrong teachings, because who among men have received God’s authority do decide who will be rescued or not? (2TH 02:09-10) You may study the teaching of the trinity from page 116 in this book. Galatians with Commentaries 27 GAL 01:10-17. A Christ’s slave 10 Is it from people I seek recognition, or is it from God? Is it people I like to please? If it is people, then I am not a slave under Christ. 11 You will know, brothers, that the message I proclaimed, is not of men. 12 I have not received it from any man. And neither has it been taught to me, but revealed to me by Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my previous way of life under Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the churches of God and tried to destroy them. 14 Under Judaism I tried to present myself as the one who surpassed many of my contemporaries and behaved more eagerly than they according to the traditions of my forefathers. 15 But because it pleased God, he chose me in my mother’s womb and called me by his grace. 16 When he revealed his Son to me, in order that I should preach the message about him to the peoples, I did not first seek advice from those of flesh and blood. 17 Neither did I go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me, but I went to Arabia before I again returned to Damascus. COMMENTARY 003: At the beginning of this letter Paul gives a lot of information that Luke has left out in Acts. When we read Luke we get the impression that Paul started his preaching a short time after he had met the resurrected Jesus on the way to Damascus, but he himself tells that he first went to Arabia, most likely another place in Syria which was also part of Arabia at that time. He stayed there a long time, about three years, according to himself. Then he moved about in the regions of Syria and Cilicia. Paul was born in Tarsus in Cilicia, so after he had traveled about in Arabia, he returned home to Tarsus. There he stayed for a period of about ten years, and even if Paul was not very active during this period the years 36-46 are still mentioned as his first period of service. When you read this introduction that Paul gives about himself, you also see how clearer it becomes when you read Paul’s letters in the order he wrote them. GAL 01:18-20. I went first to Jerusalem — 18 Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter. I stayed with him for fourteen days. 19 Of the other apostles I saw no one, except Jacob, the Lord’s brother. 20 It is with great pleasure I write this, and, see! — before God, because I do not lie! COMMENTARY 004: Only after Paul had stayed in Damascus for three years, he went to Jerusalem for the first time after his conversion. There he met, in addition to Jacob, only Peter whom he stayed with for two weeks. (ACT 09:26-39) 28 Galatians with Commentaries Paul says that it is with great pleasure he presents this information — with God as witness, because all this is true! Luke’s version of this compared to Paul’s version is the closest I have come to the Bible contradicting itself. Is it so that Luke tries to elevate Paul here, while Paul himself puts it straight? GAL 01:21-24. — then to Syria and Celicia 21 Then I went to the districts of Syria and Cilicia. 22 Nobody knew my appearance in the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They had only heard that he who previously persecuted them, now preached the faith he previously had tried to eradicate. 24 And they praised God for it. COMMENTARY 005: Later Paul went to Syria and Cilicia. And he could do so without being recognized, because ‘nobody knew my face.’ But the message had preceded him, and the brothers knew that he had ben converted ad now preached the message about Christ. In most translations it says that ‘they praised God because of me.’ In the Greek text it only says: doxazo theos = they praised God, but it implies that they praised God for what had happened. The Christians had one nuisance less to worry about. GAL 02 Message and Faith GAL 02:01-10. About the message 01 So, fourteen years later, I went up to Jerusalem again together with Barnabas. I also brought with me Titus. 02 I went up there because of a revelation. I presented before them the message I had preached among the peoples the way I saw it, because maybe I had run the course in vain. 03 But not even Titus, who was a Greek, was forced to be circumcised. 04 But some false brothers had come in among us. They had sneaked in to spy on the freedom we had in Christ, because they wanted to turn us into slaves. 05 But we did not give in or submit to this for a moment, in order that the message should stand firm with you. 06 But those who were considered to be prominent — whether they were of high rank or not of high rank means nothing, because God does not give a man based on appearance, and those who were considered to be prominent, did not contribute to anything. 07 On the contrary. They realized that the message to the un circumcised had been entrusted me and to the circumcised Peter. 08 Because he who gave power to Peter among the circumcised, also gave power to me among those of the peoples. Galatians with Commentaries 29 09 As Jacob, Caiphas and John, who were considered to be among the pillars, realized what I had received, they gave Barnabas and myself the right hand of their fellowship. We were to preach to those of the peoples and they to the circumcised. 10 We just had to remember the poor, something I was also eager to do. COMMENTARY 006: Fourteen years later Paul again went up to Jerusalem, this time together with Barnabas and Titus. This time he went there as a reaction to a revelation he had received about the circumcision, namely that those of the peoples were not subjected to God’s pact with Abraham about the circumcision. Paul says that not even the foremost among the apostles had anything to do with this. They had to accept that Paul had been chosen by God to preach the message about Christ to those of the peoples in the same way Peter had been chosen to proclaim the message among the circumcised, the Jews. And you clearly see this when you read Acts. There the first 12 chapters are about Peter and his preaching to the Jews. The remaining 15 chapters are about Paul and his preaching to those of the peoples. Even Jacob, Caiphas (Peter) and John, who were considered pillars, had nothing to add to this, except that Paul must not forget the poor. And this meeting between Paul and the church in Jerusalem about the circumcision is spoken of as the resolution in Jerusalem, or the Jerusalem-decision. NB! Be aware that this resolution has nothing to do with rescue or destruction, but includes directions to a respectful co-existence between the Christian Jews and the Christians of the peoples. Unifying these two groups was not an easy task. You may read about this in ACT — The Beast from the Abyss, in 15:06-29. GAL 02:11-21. About faith 11 When Peter came to Antioch, I went against him, straight to his face, because he behaved against his better judgement. 12 Because before some came down here from Jacob, he ate with those of the peoples. But after they came, he pulled back and separated himself from them in fear of the circumcised. 13 The rest of the Jews were also hypocrites together with him, so that even Barnabas got carried away with their hypocrisy. 14 When I saw that he did not act correctly according to the truth of the message, I said to Peter before all of them: ‘If you who are a Jew, act like one of the peoples, and not like a Jew, how can you demand that the peoples shall follow the customs of the Jews?’ 15 For we who have the nature of the Jews, are not sinners like the peoples. 16 We know that no man is justified by the acts of the law, but through our faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore also we believe in Jesus Christ, in order that we shall be justified through the faith in Jesus Christ, and not by acts of the law. Because through acts of the law no flesh has become justified. 30 Galatians with Commentaries 17 But if also we who try to become justified in Christ, also are found as sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? — It can never happen! 18 If someone wants to rebuild what has been torn down, does he not then make himself into a lawbreaker? 19 Under the law* I was dead, but under the law** I shall live for God. *Moses’ law **Christ’s law 20 Now I have been impaled* together with Christ. Then I no longer live for myself, but for Christ. The life I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, he who loved me so dearly that he gave himself for me. *Gr. stauroo = impale 21 I do not set the grace of God aside, because if justification* came from the law, then Jesus died in vain. *getting the sonship, that is being adopted as God’s heavenly sons COMMENTARY 007: Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain that the proclamation of the message about Jesus was directed from Jerusalem. As proof of this claim they refer to the resolution in Jerusalem. For this reason they call the church in Jerusalem ‘the governing body in Jerusalem,’ and then as a parallel to their own ‘governing body in Brooklyn.’ So is not quite the case. But, fair enough, the preaching to the Jews had its origin in Jerusalem. The Lutheran Church even claim that Jacob, Jesus’ half brother, was the first bishop in Jerusalem. But the church has no biblical coverage for such a claim. Jacob is never mentioned as a bishop in the Bible, but is referred to as ‘one of the elders,’ or as ‘the brother of the Lord.’ The preaching to the peoples originated in Antioch in Syria with Paul as the major force. And we see in verse 11 that also Peter had come to Antioch. As long as Peter was alone there, he ate together with those of the peoples, but after Jacob, the brother of the Lord, had sent some Jews down there, Peter changed his attitude and would rather have nothing to do with those of the peoples, the way the law originally demanded. He started eating with the Jews only. Paul calls such a division between Christian Jews and Christians of the peoples hypocrisy. He says that Peter ‘behaves to the judgement.’ What does he mean with that? If Peter had died just there and then, would he then have been lost in ages? No, but maybe he could have lost the election to a heavenly glory. Yet, this is speculation, because God had chosen him to a special work together with Jesus, both on the earth and later in the heavens. Paul confronts Peter with this, in verse 14, and we see that there developed a strained relation between Peter and Paul. It easily becomes that way between leaders in both their fields. In verse 17 Paul calls Peter’s behavior ‘an indisputable sin.’ Paul also shows that Peter must unclothe himself of the law abiding Jew in favor of the grace in Christ — a pretty tough behavior by Paul. Note that Paul in verse 17 refers to ‘that which has been torn down.’ It is then the law he aims at — the whole law without exception! But, what about the ten commandments? — Those of the peoples have never been subjected to any part of Moses’ law — including the ten commandments! Galatians with Commentaries 31 The church that today is the most law-oriented are the Adventists, disregarding Judaism, ref. the commandment of the Sabbath. The Adventists claim that only the ceremonial laws were fulfilled through Christ, and also that the rest of the law is still in effect, for instance the ten commandments which they call ‘the law of the commandments.’ They neither accept that Moses’ law was only given to ‘the sons of Israel and the strangers who lived among them.’ These are dogmas that all build on ‘revelations’ which their false prophetess Ellen Gould White claims to have had into heaven. There is no biblical coverage of such a claim. Read DEU 05:10-22 and you will see how clearly it says there. And note verse 03 especially. There it says: ‘Not with our fathers did Jehovah enter into this pact, but with us who are here today — with all among us who are alive.’ In LEV 05:10-22 it says: ‘And this shall be a law for them in ages: On the tenth day in the seventh month you shall fast and not do any kind of work, ‘neither you who are born in the land nor any foreigner who lives in the land.’ And the foreigners living in the land, are such who have accepted the order of the Jews and converted to Judaism. They are called proselytes. This did not apply to such who were just temporary guests. In EXO 12:44 it says: ‘Every slave who has been bought for money, you shall first circumcise. Then he may eat of it.’ And this lamb symbolized Christ. In LEV 17:12 it says: ‘Therefore I said to the sons of Israel: No one among you shall eat blood. And neither any strangers (foreigners) who live among you, shall eat blood.’ Also here we see that the commandment only applies to the sons of Israel and the foreigners that lived among them. The blood was holy to the Jews until Christ, but in the same way as with the circumcision, it only applied until the pact had been fulfilled. And after Jesus having shed his blood, also this pact had been fulfilled. In DEU 14:21 it says: ‘You are not to eat any self-dead animals. But you may give it to a stranger who is inside your gates so that he may eat of it. Or you may sell it to a foreigner. Because you are a holy people to Jehovah your God. —’ Also in these cases we see that the commandment of the blood only applied to the sons of Israel and the strangers who lived among them. The blood was holy to the Jews until the death of Jesus, and in the same way as the circumcision it was only valid until the pact had been fulfilled. And as you see in verse DEU 14:21 the foreigners could eat as much blood as they wanted also before the pact was fulfilled, because they only became subjected to the pact, the New Pact, through Jesus. And this clearly refers to the blood, because a self-dead animal has not been slaughtered and therefore has all its blood in it. Here Jehovah’s Witnesses are guilty of a total confusion when they even deny their own children a blood transfusion, often with death as a result. And thereby the child becomes an offering to God — based on a formidable religious misconception! In addition Jesus says in MAT 09:13, THE PACT: ‘Try to understand what this means: I want mercy, not sacrifice. —’ And in verse 21 Paul says: ‘I will not set the grace of God aside, because if righteousness could have been achieved through the law, then Christ died in vain.’ — Was not that clear speech? 32 Galatians with Commentaries GAL 03 The Promises Are through Christ GAL 03:01-05. The right faith 01 You foolish Galatians! Some have bewitched you so that you will not obey the truth — you who before your eyes have received Jesus Christ presented as the One who was impaled* for you. *Gr. stauroo = impale 02 Only this I want to know from you: Did you get the spirit through acts of the law, or through what you have heard and through your faith? 03 Are you so foolish that after having started in the spirit, you want to finish in the flesh? 04 Have you gone through all this for nothing? — If then it has been for nothing? 05 Because — do you execute the working power of the spirit through acts of the law, or through what you have heard and through your faith? 06 This is how it was with Abraham: ‘He believed in Jehovah and was therefore counted as righteous.’ GEN 15:06 07 Understand, therefore, that he who believes, is a son of Abraham. 08 But in the Scripture God foresaw that those of the peoples should be justified through faith. Therefore he preached the message in advance to Abraham: ‘Through you all peoples on the earth shall be blessed.’ GEN 12:03 09 Those who believe, will be blessed through the faith of Abraham. COMMENTARY 008: Paul is again crass. He calls the Galatians fools and wants to know if they had not had Christ preached as the one who died on the pole. He also wants to know how they had received the power of the Holy Spirit. Was it not through their belief in Christ? Are you such fools that you do not understand this? Have you not started to wander in the power and the acts of the spirit? And then they fall back to the acts of the flesh, the acts of this world? Has it all been in vain? Then Paul refers to Abraham, the man of faith. It was because of his faith Abraham was chosen to bring the semen forward to Jesus. ‘Through you all peoples shall be blessed.’ And this blessing again referred to Christ. It is only he who believes in the acts of Jesus who will become rescued through Abraham. What will then be the fate of such who do not believe in the acts of Jesus, for instance the Jews and the Muslims? Or Buddhists and Hindus? Or people from the Western world rejecting Jesus and his acts? Will all these people have to suffer a destruction in ages? This is a big question that few Christians can give a proper answer to. I will explain all of this in detail, which is God’s total plan for man through the establishment of the Realm of God, in EPH — One Unity under Christ. There you will also get the full explanation of what Paul keeps referring to as the ‘mystery of the message.’ Galatians with Commentaries 33 Does this mean that all righteous Christians will have a heavenly glory together with Abraham? No, Abraham is not in the heavens no matter how you interpret the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. How can I say something like that? It is simple: Jesus says so himself in John 03:13, THE PACT: ‘Because nobody has ascended to the heavens except he who descended from the heavens, and that is the Son of Man [who is from the heavens].’ Think a little now: — Paul says that if the law led to rescue, then Jesus died in vain. It is the same with God’s faithful from the First Pact. If they came to heaven when they died, also then Jesus died in vain! GAL 03:10-14. Under the condemnation of the law 10 He who puts his trust in acts of the law, is under condemnation, because this is how it is written: ‘Condemned is he who does not keep all what is written down in the scroll of law and acts according to it.’ DEU 27:02 11 No one is justified through the law after God’s manifest, for: ‘The righteous shall live in faith.’ HAB 02:04 12 But the law is not of faith. Because: ‘The man who wants to do according to it, must live by it.’ LEV 18:05 13 But Christ bought us free from the condemnation of the law through his becoming a condemnation for us, for it is written: ‘Condemned are all who are hanged on a tree.’ DEU 21:23 14 Abraham’s blessing happened so that those of the peoples through Christ would get the spirit they were promised through their faith. COMMENTARY 009: Here it is clear that he who wants to follow the law, must do so fully. And even then obedience toward the law will not lead to a heavenly glory together with God and Christ. Why not? It is simple: The law does not include the grace of God through Christ. Only through the fact that Jesus has bought free man from the condemnation of the law, has it become possible to achieve a heavenly glory — and then not through acts based on the law, but through the belief in Jesus’ acts, his sacrificial blood. Those people who did not manage to keep the law fully and wholly, are condemned under the law. They could not achieve a society with God. And this condemnation included a death sentence to all of them. Many were hanged on a tree. But also Jesus was hanged on a tree, and he had his relation in order with God. Yes, it is quite clear that Jesus was not exposed to God’s condemnation. What he did was according to God’s will. No, the condemnation Jesus was exposed to, was the condemnation of the Jews. And through this condemnation Jesus took on him the condemnation of man and in that way bought man free from the condemnation of the law — the Jews from the law of Moses and those of the peoples from the law of God: ‘From dust you were taken, and to dust you shall return.’ (GEN 03:19) 34 Galatians with Commentaries GAL 03:15-18. The pact with Abraham 15 Brothers, I speak about what is of men, because when a man has entered into a pact with anybody, then no one will deduct from it or add anything to it. 16 To Abraham and those of his semen the promises were spoken. But he did not say ‘semens,’ as if to many, but to one: ‘To those of your semen,’ who is Christ. 17 What I mean is: The Pact, which was established by God [through Christ], the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, cannot make it invalid or liquidate it. 18 Because if the inheritance was by law, it can no longer be a promise. But through his grace God gave Abraham the inheritance through the promises. COMMENTARY 010: Here Paul shows an example from out daily lives: When someone has entered into an agreement, nobody will present additional demands after the agreement has been fulfilled. And that is also how it is with God’s pact with Abraham. And that was fulfilled through Christ. Then it is unthinkable to try and prolong parts of this agreement such as the circumcision and the holiness of the blood — yes, even the very law of Moses, ref. the Jews. The law was also fulfilled through Christ. And here comes the direct explanation that this agreement, pact, was about Christ. In verse 08 Paul refers to Abraham’s blessing: ‘Through you all peoples on the earth shall be blessed.’ Now, right away, read Genesis 13:15. There it says: ‘For all the earth that you see, I give to you and those of your semen in ages.’ Do you see how clearly it says that Jesus shall govern the earth? In verse 16 Paul explains this quite clearly. And I repeat for you to remember and understand: ‘To Abraham and those of his semen the promises were spoken. But he did not say ‘semens’ as if to many, but to one: ‘To those of your semen,’ who is Christ. Yes, her we see that the very promise is through Christ, and it is only through Christ and his work this blessing will come into power! When we read what Moses wrote, there are many who do nor discern that Abraham’s blessing is about Christ. Many preach that the blessing was that Abraham would become the forefather of many peoples under this world’s order. After all he became the forefather of the Jews through Sarah and most Arabs through Hagar. And if that were not enough, he is also considered the forefather of the Indians, the Chinese and the rest of the Asian peoples through his last woman, Keturah. (GEN 25:01-06) NB! It is verse 06 that shows that Abraham’s sons with Keturah went East. And he deliberately sent them away from Isaac who was the son of the promise. In verse 05 it says that Abraham ‘gave all he had to Isaac.’ This has a spiritual meaning because Isaac was the son of the promise. Galatians with Commentaries 35 And it says in verse 06 that Abraham gave gifts to the sons he had with the cowomen he had, also to Ismael with the slave woman Hagar, and to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Median, Ishback and Shuah, the sons he had with Keturah. ‘While he was still alive,’ it says, he sent them, (the sons of Keturah) away from is son Isaac, to the land in the East.’ When we think of Abraham as the father of both the Jews and the Palestinians, that could not possibly have been the blessing. Considering the animosity between them, this would be more a curse! No, the blessing is through Christ. Paul also considers that the law which came 430 years after God’s promise to Abraham, cannot set this promise out of power. Because if the inheritance had been made dependant upon the law, it would no longer have been a promise. But through his grace God gave the inheritance to Abraham and those of his semen, which is through Christ. Has it occurred to you that Abraham himself until now has not received any of the promises God gave him? But they are being repeated throughout the Bible, such as in Psalms 37:11. There it says: ‘Blessed are the meek because they shall inherit the earth.’ And this is the promise that applies to Abraham. Jesus confirms this in Matthew 05:05. It is also repeated in PSA 37:29, and then even clearer: ‘Blessed are the righteous, for they shall inherit the earth and live on it in ages.’ Only then will God’s promise to Abraham become a reality to Abraham himself! And now read John 03:13 one more time! Ok, to save you from having to look it up, I will include it: ‘Because nobody has ascended to the heavens except he who descended from the heavens, and that is the Son of Man.’ So many Christians refuse to believe what Jesus says her! Can anyone believe in Jesus if they refuse to believe what he says? GAL 03:19-25. The law — a schoolmaster 19 Then why did the law come? It was introduced because of the transgressions until the time when the Semen was to come, he whom the promises were about. And the law was presented by the Messenger’s hand to a mediator. 20 But a mediator is not for one, even if God is one. 21 Is the law therefore at strife with God’s promises? That could never have happen, for if the law had the power that is necessary to give life, then justification would have come through the law. 22 The Scripture has laid everything under sin, so that the promise through faith in Jesus Christ would fall on those who believe. 23 Before the faith came, we were kept in custody under the law so that we would be subject to it until the faith was revealed. 24 In this way the law became like a schoolmaster for us until Christ, so that we would be justified by faith. 25 But because the faith has come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster. 36 Galatians with Commentaries COMMENTARY 011: Why did God give the law? Paul says that it ‘was introduced because of the many transgressions until the Semen had come, he who was the promise.’ The purpose of the law was to keep the Jews within a certain moral fencing until Christ had come. But after Christ had come, the law did no longer serve a purpose, because then all who were to be rescued, live in the faith in Jesus Christ and in pact with God’s spirit — and through grace! That is what Paul refers to as ‘the circumcision of the heart.’ What does it mean that the law was brought into effect by the Messenger through a mediator? Yes, when we read in Exodus how for instance the stone tablets with the ten commandments were produced directly by the Messenger, it is an example that the ten commandments were brought to power by the Messenger, who was the Messiah. In EXO 31:18 it says: ‘When Jehovah had finished speaking to him on the mountain Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets of the testimony, the stone tablets that were written with God’s own finger.’ Here we may rest assured that it was not God himself who wrote the tablets, but they were written with God’s power. And who was the Messenger who performed the task? Yes, he was the foremost among God’s messengers, Michael, the Messiah, who represented God directly. (JOH 01:03, 1CO 10:04) Read also about the Messenger who came to Abraham together with two other messengers (GEN chapter 18) There Abraham argues directly with Jehovah, but we know that nobody can see God and live, so it was again the foremost among God’s messengers, Michael, who represented Jehovah directly. And this he did so convincingly that the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, believe that Jesus’ heavenly name is Jehovah. Many have problems accepting that Jesus’ heavenly name is Michael, but the understanding of this is in the very name: Hebr. michael = (he who is) like god (the Almighty) There is only one foremost messenger in the Bible. He is also spoken of a chief and great prince. He is only mentioned by name in five verses in all of the Bible: DAN 10:13, DAN 10:20, DAN 12:01, JUD 01:09 and REV 12:07. We see in verse 19 that the messengers are being presented in the plural. Therefore we may ascertain that the foremost among the messengers, Michael, also had his helpers. But who was the mediator? He was Moses. (EXO 20:19, REV 12:07) And therefore we know for sure that under the First Pact Moses was the mediator between God and man. In Deuteronomy 18:15 Moses writes: ‘A prophet like myself Jehovah your God shall raise up among you from your brothers. Him you shall listen to.’ And this prophet was Christ. Therefore Moses was the mediator between God and man of the First Pact, that which we know did not lead to fulfillment. And he who represented God, was always Michael. Galatians with Commentaries 37 Christ is the mediator between God and man in the New Pact. In First Timothy Paul writes: ‘Because there is one God and one Mediator between God and man — and that is the Man Jesus Christ.’ Here it says straight that Jesus is a man, and that is universally accepted. Is it then possible that Jesus may also be God the Almighty? ‘A prophet like myself,’ says Moses. Was Moses God the Almighty? No, there has to be a limit! In 1CO 15:45 Jesus is called ‘the last Adam.’ Was Adam God the Almighty? No, there has to be a limit! The allegation that Jesus is God the Almighty is, and always will be, totally absurd! The word that in First Timothy is translated man is the Greek antropos. It is the same word that together with the Greek word huios is being translated the Son of Man. And now you may start counting all the times Jesus in the Bible is spoken of as a man. Can you, if only once, find a verse where Jesus is spoken of as God the Almighty? Think! Check it out yourself! Do not blindfoldedly believe in all the unhealthy preaching you are being presented with from different churches and religious societies! Go home and check it out with the Bible to see if it is correct! What does it mean in verse 20 that ‘the mediator does not only represent one part, even if God is one? Yes, it means that Moses as mediator represented both God and the sons of Israel. But God being one, or the only One, refers to the sovereign position he has in relation to the Pact — and all of the creation. In most cases during previous times the commandments went directly from God to the people, but in Exodus chapter 32 when Aaron had made the golden calf, we see that Moses is also the mediator in favor of the sons of Israel when God wants to destroy them there and then! But Moses makes him change his mind — for his name! In verse 09:14 it says, and it was written by Moses: ‘Then Jehovah regretted the wickedness he had said he would do to his people.’ And that was because of Moses’ argument in favor of the sons of Israel. In the same was Jesus today argues with God in favor of all man — not with words, but with his own sacrificial blood. And also Christ has made God change his mind. Instead of exterminating them (GEN 03:19) he who has faith in Jesus’ acts has received an offer of a life in ages — a few in the heavens, but the very most on the earth! Remember God’s judgement of sin in Genesis 03:19. ‘Because from dust you were taken, and to dust you shall again return!’ It is only the priests or ministers who say: ‘And from dust you shall again be resurrected.’ And this was a lie until the death of Jesus Christ. It only became true after his resurrection! In verse 21 Paul asks if the law opposes God’s promise to Abraham. And he gives the answer himself: ‘That can never happen!’ But if the law had the power to make alive, which is to give a life in ages as God’s adopted sons and Jesus’ heavenly brothers, then the righteousness, the Ream of God, would have been a result of the law. 38 Galatians with Commentaries Then our rescue would have been without the grace of God and without Jesus’ sacrifice. And we know that this is not the case! He further says that in the Scripture everything is subjected to sin. And that was because the promise that is given through the belief in Christ, would be won by those who believe. This also means that, contrary to the preaching of some churches, there exists no collective rescue. There is no use in a law, a dogma, a church, a congregation, an assembly or an organization as a tool of rescue. There is only one mediator between God and man, and he is the Christ. And if you refuse to believe in him, you have actually sentenced yourself! In John 08:15 Jesus says: ‘I judge nobody.’ But already in John 09:39 he says: ‘To judgement I have come into this world.’ Is Jesus here directly contradicting himself? No, it is definitely no contradiction, but it takes a deeper understanding of the Bible to be able to explain it. Read JOH — Jesus’ New Commandment. Paul says that the law was supposed to function as a schoolmaster. The word in Greek is paidagogos which actually means child raiser. But after the faith (Christ) has come, they were no longer under the schoolmaster, the child raiser. That is how simply this is explained. That some still let themselves be mislead to be subjected to the law, if only by one single point, is incredible! Then they must have fallen into a fox trap, because Jacob, Jesus’ half brother, says in JAC 02:10, THE PACT: ‘Because he who wants to keep the law, but stumbles at just one point (of the law), becomes guilty according to the whole law,’ref. the commandment of the Jews according to the circumcision, and the Adventists commandment of the Sabbath! ‘Then they have fallen out of God’s grace,’ says Paul in Galatians 05:04. Once more — can it be said any clearer than this? I have experienced that Adventists refuse to read Paul, because they claim that he was inspired by Satan when he wrote some of his text. And then they refer to sections where Paul directly contradicts their false prophetess Ellen Gould White. They claim that what Ellen G. White says, correspond with what Jesus has said, and that Paul contradicts them! Maybe it is the other way around? That what Paul writes agrees with what Jesus said, and that Ellen G. White contradicts them. But — there is no blindness more effective than willed blindness. GAL 03:26-29. Heirs with Christ 26 We are all sons of God through our faith in Jesus Christ. 27 Because he who is baptized to Christ, has clothed himself in Christ. 28 Then it is not Jew or Greek, slave or free, [male or female,] because then we are all one in Christ. 29 And if you are of Christ, you are of Abraham’s semen and heirs according to the promises. Galatians with Commentaries 39 COMMENTARY 012: ‘We are all the sons of God through the faith in Jesus Christ.’ NB! Some translations wrongfully write the children of God here, but let me applaud the New International Version for getting it right this time. Who are the sons of God? T01. The first God created was the foremost among the messengers, Michael. And Michael, later the Messiah, being God’s only generated Son, means that Michael was the only one that God created, generated, by himself. Everything else, including all heavenly beings were after that created by God’s work manager Michael, but through the power of God. (JOH 01:03, PRO 08:30) KJ-611 has left out the title here, but NIV writes ‘craftsman’ and NWT writes ‘master worker.’ The Good News Translation writes architect, which is solid proof that they have not understood this. God is the architect, Michael the builder. NB! Many religious persuasions are very careful to underscore that Michael was neither created, made nor done, but born in the same was as Adam. And that is correct because God says on many occasions about Jesus: ‘You are my Son. Today I have born you.’ (HEB 01:05) Okey, but I do not think anybody imagines God nine months pregnant? Then we understand that this is a picture of how close God and Christ really are, because Michael is the only one God has ever born. But in the original text it neither says born or created, but generated. And that explains quite a bit! Everything else was done, or created, or born by God through Michael’s co-operation. Michael did not become the Messiah, the Anointed, until after the fall, in Genesis 03:15. Now read Proverbs 08:01-06. But be careful not to pick a false translation. T02. All other heavenly creatures, who also are spoken of as God’s sons (GEN 06:01) were created by Michael through God’s power, among them also Satan, the black sheep of the family. You may read the life’s story of Satan in Ezekiel 28:11-19. In verse 15 it says about Satan: ‘You were perfect in all you wanderings from the day you were born.’ Also read Job 01:06. About Satan it says that also he was created. In other words he was not as close to God as his only generated son Michael, but his original glory was extraordinary. In the heavenly organization he was even above Michael! How can I know that everything was created by Michael through the power of God? Yes, both in Matthew 26:62 and in Mark 14:62 Jesus says: ‘From now on (sometime in the future) you shall see the Son of Man sit by the right hand of the Power and come in the clouds of the heavens.’ In Greek the name of the Power, which is God, is called dunamis. And every time Jesus does any of his wonders, or powerful acts, the word for powerful is dunamis. And this clearly indicates that the power is from God. T03. All men who have accepted the message about Jesus. (GAL 03:26) NB! Many translations have submitted to what in many of today’s societies is politically correct and write the gender neutral children instead of sons in this verse, as in many others, but in this verse it causes a special confusion. 40 Galatians with Commentaries GAL 03:26, S H G: pas huios theos pistis christos iesous Transliterated: all son god faith christ jesus NB! The word huios always refer to one of the male gender, an offspring of the male gender, but not only of humans. It mean son, foal, colt, etc., but is never gender neutral. THE PACT: ‘You are all sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus.’ The reason why it is so important to translate huios correctly, is that almost all of the Bible is about these God’s sons, those who are to become members of God’s heavenly priesthood, the Melchizedec. (Hebrews chapters 07-10) I have mentioned on many occasions that there are two groups who will be rescued from Satan to a life in ages — one small group to the heavens and the rest, men and women, on the earth. Individuals from both these groups are spoken of as sons of God, but we still see that the heavenly, those in the spirit, get a closer relationship to God than the earthly, those of the soul. ‘Because he who is baptized to Christ, has clothed himself in Christ.’ What does this verse mean? Paul uses baptism as a picture here. When you submerge in water, it symbolic of having put aside your sinful lifestyle. When you then ascent fro baptism, the water you are then surrounded with is symbolically considered as if you were dressed in new clothes. And thereby you acknowledge that you will be subjected to Jesus and his acts fully and wholly. This picture applies to all of Gods sons, the heavenly and the earthly. ‘Then it is no longer a question of Jew or Greek, slave or free, [male of female] because then you all become one in Christ.’ We see one more time that Jesus eradicates divisions between men. ‘All become one in Christ.’ Does this also apply to women? ‘And if you belong to Christ, you are of Abraham’s semen and heirs according to the promise.’ Yes, but does it also apply to women?’ The promise does not separate between a heavenly or an earthly glory. A life in ages applies to both groups. But only few among those who become part of the New Pact get a heavenly hope. And we have read that Jesus clearly states that Abraham is not one among those, even if he died before God established the First Pact with the sons of Israel. Yes, we all know that Abraham is not in the heavens. So where is he than, because we also know that he is not in hell. It is with Abraham as with all others who have died in preparation of the second resurrection — he is resting in his grave together with his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, his wife Sarah, his daughter-in-law Rebecca and his granddaughter-in-law Leah where they all subconsciously are waiting for the second resurrection to a life in ages on the earth and only existing in God’s memory. And yes, also all women are included in this resurrection! Galatians with Commentaries 41 In Genesis 13:15, THE PACT, God said to Abraham: ‘All the earth that you see, I will give to you and those of your semen in ages.’ To the elect, the holy, for instance the apostles, Paul and many other faithful men under the New Pact the situation is totally different. The inheritance that they are destined for, is not a life in ages on the earth, but an election to God’s heavenly priesthood with Christ as their Highest Priest. Many discuss how many promises Abraham actually got. He got four promises, and they are all connected to the birth of Jesus. T01. The first promise was Isaac, because without Isaac Abraham’s semen could not have lead to the birth of Christ. T02. The second promise was the very birth of Christ, because without the birth of Christ, nobody could have been resurrected to a life in ages. T03. God’s third promise to Abraham was that all mankind was to be resurrected on the earth with a possibility of having a life in ages without sin, death and misery, ref. Adam and Eve. And this resurrection includes all women as well as men, both righteous, those who believed in God when they died, and all the unrighteous, those who did not believe in God when they died. (ACT 24:15) There is only one exception: Those who have blasphemed the Holy Spirit will not get a resurrection, but remain dead forever. They have already received the second death. This mostly refers to the next age, but also to some in this age who have experienced God’s direct power: Adam and Eve, the offsprings of the sons of God, the Nephilim, who lived at the time of Noah, Korah and the ones who rebelled against Moses in the desert, many of the pharisees who experienced the direct power of God, but rejected it, and finally the one whom Jesus himself called the son of perdition, Judas from Iscariot, just to mention some. Can you think of any other persons or groups? Read Acts 05:01-11. T04. God’s fourth promise to Abraham was that a very special group of righteous men were to be resurrected to a heavenly glory together with Christ. It is this group of one hundred and forty-four thousand plus the One, Jesus, who make up the Realm of God. It is this group the Bible is mostly about, because this was something new and unheard of. They are a new creation — men of flesh and blood who are being resurrected to become spiritual persons together with Christ. Some preachers who have not understood this, or who keep rejecting it, claim that Abraham only got one promise — the birth of Christ. That is also partly correct, because all the other promises refer to Christ and would have come to nothing if not for the birth of Jesus. In other words — God’s pact with Abraham was the bringing forth of the Christ. But God also gave promises directly to Abraham, promises which Abraham did not receive before he died. Therefore we understand that God is obliged to resurrect Abraham to keep his word. And there is no doubt that this will happen! How come? All of God’s prophecies have come true so far, and I see no reason why they will not also come true in the future. Much is happening right now. Most future prophecies have been given through Christ, he who is the Promise. And through Christ all of God’s faithful servants may achieve a life in ages, some in the heavens and the rest on the earth! (MAT 05:02, MAT 05:05) 42 Galatians with Commentaries GAL 04 Freedom in Christ GAL 04:01-07. Freed from the law 01 What I can say with pleasure is that as long as the heir is an infant, there is no difference between him and a slave, even if he is to become master over them all. 02 He is under guardians and managers until that time which has been predetermined by his father. 03 Such it is also with you. As long as you are infants, you are in slavery under the basic forces of this world. 04 When time had been fulfilled, God sent his Son. And it happened under the law. 05 But he was to buy free those under the law so that we would get the sonship. 06 And because you are sons, God sent his Son’s spirit in your hearts, that which calls out: ‘Abba! Father!’ 07 Then you are no longer slaves, but sons. And because you are sons, you are also God’s heirs [through Christ]. COMMENTARY 013: Now you need to sharpen your wits a little, because now we are approaching what Paul often, for instance in ROM 16:29 and EPH 03:02, calls a mystery, God’s mystery or the mystery of the message. These are the same as the heavenly mystery that is being mentioned in Galatians as well as in Corinthians and Romans until we get the whole explanation in Ephesians, in EPH — One Unity under Christ. The Jews were under the First Pact fully aware of God’s pact with Abraham, but they only had a feeble understanding that this had anything to do with a life in ages in the heavens. Not even the pharisee and teacher Nicodemus had any idea of such an existence. (JOH 03:10-12) This surprised Jesus, and he asked him a bit condescendingly: ‘Are you a teacher of Israel and do not understand this?’ Paul explains this in a picture from everyday life: As long as a child is a child, it is in relation to an inheritance no difference between the child of a slave and the child of the landlord, even if the child of the landlord later will become the owner of the whole property. Because a child (the Jews) was subject to guardians and managers (the law) until the day comes when the owner of the house (God) decides that the child (the sons of God) are to take over the inheritance (a life in ages through the faith in Christ). Only on the day God decides do they become the children of God, which are all sons, made heirs together with Christ. And then it is no longer an earthly inheritance Paul refers to, but an existence in a heavenly glory in ages! ‘So it is also with us. When we were children, we were slaves subjected to the principles of the world. But when the time was fulfilled, God sent his Son, born by a woman and subject to the law. He was to buy free those who were subjects to the law so that we would get full rights as sons.’ Galatians with Commentaries 43 Only when these faithful Christians are accepted by God, will they be adopted as God’s sons and become Jesus’ brothers and co-heirs to the heavenly section of the Realm of God. They then will become God’s government over the earth as Jesus’ copriests, co-rulers and co-judges. (1CO 15:26, 2TI 02:11-12 and REV 20:06) Does this apply to all Christians? No, only those 144.000 who get to take part in the first resurrection, that in the spirit equal to Jesus’ resurrection. And they have a special task to perform. They are during the thousand years to rule together with Christ until he again will hand over the power to God the Almighty. (1CO 15:26) Well into God’s ages they will constitute God’s heavenly government together with Christ. GAL 04:06, THE PACT: ‘And because you are sons, God sent his Son’s spirit in your hearts, that which calls out: ‘Abba! Father!’ Now read Matthew 05:03, THE PACT. It says: ‘Blessed are those who have a poor spirit (those in need of spiritual fill-up), because the Realm of the heavens is theirs.’ And these who need a spiritual fill-up call ‘Abba! Father!’ ‘Therefore you are no longer slaves (subjected to the law), and because you are sons (bought free by Christ), you have also become heirs.’ And when they get to take part in the first resurrection, that of the spirit, they have a special task to perform. They are to rule together with Christ during the thousand years as God’s adopted sons and Jesus’ heavenly brothers. Only then do they get the inheritance! — Was this difficult? No, but think a little on your own: If they are to be Jesus’ co-priests there will also have to be a congregation. Who are they? And if they are to be Jesus’ co-rulers, they will have to have somebody to rule over. Who are they? And if they are to be Jesus’ co-judges, there must be somebody to judge. Who are they? NB! Note that Paul in verse 06 says that God has laid the spirit of his Son in their hearts, so that they will call ‘Abba! Father!’ Jesus also called ‘Abba! Father!’ when he prayed to God in Gethsemane. (MAR 14:36) GAL 04:08-20. False preachers 08 When you did not know God, you were slaves under such who by nature were not gods. 09 But now you have learned to know God, and what is even greater — you are known by God! How can you then return to those weak and poor basic forces? — Or do you again want to be under the slavery? 10 For you pay close attention to days, months, seasons and years. 11 I am afraid that I might have striven in vain with you! 12 Brothers, I ask you to be as I am. Because I have become like you, and no one among you have done me anything wrong. 44 Galatians with Commentaries 13 As you know it was with weakness in the flesh I have previously preached the message to you. 14 And my weakness in the flesh you neither despised nor rejected me for, but you received me as a God’s messenger — as if I were the Christ Jesus. 15 But where has the great pleasure you had then, gone to? For I can testify that if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I tell you the truth? 17 They are zealous to win you over, but not to the good. Because they want to keep you apart from us so that you may be zealous for them. 18 It is good to always be zealous for that which is of the good, and not only when someone is present with you. 19 My little children whom I again have birth pains with until Christ takes shape in you: 20 I wish I could be present with you so that I could use a different tone. But I am at a loss concerning you. COMMENTARY 014: ‘Before you learned to know God —’ In John 17:03 it says, THE PACT: ‘And this as a life in ages: ‘To know you, the only true God, and Jesus, he whom you have sent.’ And thereby we also understand how important it is to know Jesus. In this verse NWT writes: ‘This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.’ ‘Taking in knowledge of someone’ is something totally different from knowing someone. In my younger days I took in a lot of knowledge about John F. Kennedy, my greatest inspiration in life, and also about Elvis Presley, the greatest entertainer in my life, but that does not mean I knew them! I never caught as much as a glimpse of any of them. In Jeremijah 01:05 Jehovah says: ‘Before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I knew you. —’ In Romans 09:11 it says that God chose Jabob before the children (Esau and Jacob) were born. Before they had done neither good nor bad, God chose Jacob. In Matthew 07:23, NIV, it says about those who were rejected by God: ‘I have never known you.’ How may that be understood when it says that God knows all, even the child in its mother’s womb. This translation is directly contrary to what Paul says at the beginning of this verse: ‘Before you learned to know God.’ This verse is by NIV and most other translations wrongly translated. In the Greek text it says the opposite: ‘You have never known me.’ Only then does it agree with the rest of the Bible. How may such mistakes come about? It is quite understandable, because there is only a limited use of personal pronouns in the ancient Greek language! The two words translated ‘I do not know you,’ but which correctly translated is ‘you have never known me,’ are oudepote ginosko = never know — they him or he them? And then we also understand why this discrepency has been able to sneak into the word of God. Galatians with Commentaries 45 When Paul further says in the same verse ‘that they were slaves under such that by nature were not gods,’ we understand that he refers to the former idolatry of the Galatians, ref. Acts 14:08-19. Hoe could they fall back on idolatry and wrong teachings after they had learned to know God? ‘Do you wish to become subject to slavery once more’ — the law or idolatry? ‘Because you carefully keep track of days, months and years.’ And that is why Paul says: ‘I am afraid I have striven in vain with you.’ And why does Paul say so? Yes, he refers to formalities under the law, for instance the commandment of the Sabbath. Such requirements are no longer needed to be met in relation to the freedom the Christians now have through Christ. And why is that so important? Paul says in Galatians 05:03 that he who wants to become circumcised, in other words subjected to one point of the law, becomes guilty according to all of the law. And then he says something that especially Adventists should take to heart: ‘Then you have fallen out of the grace.’ And Jacob says the same in JAC 02:10. And then we understand why it is so important! And then Paul presents the well known recommendation: ‘Become as I am.’ Does not that sound a bit blown up? How would we have reacted if some visitor walked about telling people to ‘become as I am?’ I must admit that at times I have had some problems with some of Paul’s statements, such as this one. But then I must, in the name of justice, mention that what Paul here refers to, is the way he relates to his Christian faith. He does not refer to his own personality, but tries to be an example to those among the peoples who have received Christ. And in that way his words are in the clear. Yet, in relation to the un-circumcised Paul could not say ‘become as I am,’ because as a Jew and a pharisee Paul was without doubt circumcised. In verses 13 and 14 Paul refers to a physical weakness he has to contend with. He does not directly say what this weakness is, but at the same time he keeps leaving tracks behind him. One such track we find in Galatians 06:11. I also explained this under COMMENTARY 001 in First Thessalonians. Paul also returns to the same question in Second Corinthians 12:07-10. I will, to the best of my ability, explain in detail then. In verses 15, 16 and 17 Paul refers to the initial happiness the Galatians showed when they received the message about Christ. And then he warns the Galatians against such who tries to lay those in Galatia who have come to believe in Christ, in under the law, or ‘under the condemnation of the law,’ to quote Paul. Their motives have stronger traits of own interests that love of God’s truth through Christ. Paul worries about these churches, because he experiences that they are not solidly anchored in Christ. They are therefore easily influenced by different teachings than what Paul and his co-workers preached. Paul says that he would like to use a milder tone to them, but he is confused concerning them! What happened to these churches? Yes, the were all dissolved. Paul says in his last letter to Timothy, in 01:15, THE PACT: ‘You know that all in Asia have truned their backs on me, also Fygelus and Hermogenes.’ 46 Galatians with Commentaries GAL 04:21-31. The First and the New Pact 21 So tell me, you who want to be under the law: Do you keep the law? 22 Because it is written that Abraham had two sons — one with the slave girl, the other with her who was free. 23 The salve girl gave birth in the flesh, but the free bore according to the promise. 24 This is symbolic, because they were of the two pacts. The first, she who gave birth at the mountain Sinai, bore in slavery. She was Hagar. 25 This Hagar by mount Sinai in Arabia corresponds with the Jerusalem that is now with her children in slavery. 26 But the Jerusalem which is up there, is free and will become the mother of all. 27 For it is written: ‘Rejoice, you who are barren and unable to bear children. Break out in shouts, you who have no birth pains, for she who was barren, has many more children then she who had a man.’ ISA 54:01 28 And you, brothers, as Isaac, are children of the promise. 29 He who was born of the flesh, persecuted he who was of the promise. That is also how it is now. 30 About this the Scripture says: ‘Throw out the son of the slave girl, because her son shall not inherit together with the son of the free.’ GEN 21:10 31 Therefore, brothers, you are not children of the slave girl, but of the free. COMMENTARY 015: Paul shows that not even those who wish to remain under the law, keep the law. It was then as it often is today — we have difficulties adjusting to the word of God. And therefore many adjust the word of God to suit their own lifestyles. ‘God is love, and only love,’ say the homosexuals. They do not want to know the difference between God’s love and their own desires. Then Paul refers to Abram and his first two sons, one, Ishmael, with the slave woman Hagar and one, Isaac, the son of the promise, with the free woman Sarah. The slave woman Hagar then represented the law, the child raiser. The other son, Isaac, represented the promise through Christ. And it was through this promise man would get his freedom a life in ages through Christ, some on the earth, among others Abraham, and others in the heavens, among others Paul and those who received the word under the New Pact. And even if Hagar was of Arab descent, Paul compares her with the Jerusalem that is now, which is the physical Jerusalem that is now — unfree and subjected to the law, as it still is. ‘But the Jerusalem which is up there, is free. She is our mother.’ In this verse Paul refers to his heavenly hope, ref. the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:08. The words woman and mother are often used metaphorically in the Bible. The woman is someone that some things originate from, and mother as someone some things belong to. And here Paul refers to his heavenly acceptance. Galatians with Commentaries 47 Verse 27 shows that the blessing after all was given to Sarah when she finally had Isaac, even if she had been sterile all her life. Because it was through Sarah’s off-spring, Christ through Isaac, that all who receive him, will get a life in ages. When we read in GEN 21:09-10 how Ishmael kept mocking Isaac, and that Sarah demanded from Abraham that he would throw out the slave woman and her son, this clearly refers to the spiritual: ‘The slave woman shall have no inheritance with my son Isaac.’ Paul ends this chapter to the brothers in Galatia by confirming that they are the sons of the free woman. And this was the main message from Paul through all of this letter: ‘Turn away from the slavery of the law to the freedom you have been bought free to through Jesus’ sacrificial blood.’ GAL 05 The Flesh Strives against the Spirit GAL 05:01-15. Love through faith 01 Stand firm in the freedom Christ has freed us to, and do not again get entangled in the yoke of slavery. 02 See! — I, Paul, say that if you let yourselves become circumcised, Christ has been of no use to you! 03 I again testify to all men that if you let yourselves become circumcised, you will be obligated to keep the whole law. 04 For you nullify Christ, you who want to be justified through the law. You have fallen out of his grace! 05 In the spirit we hopefully wait for the justice of the faith. 06 Because in Christ being circumcised or not being circumcised means nothing; only the faith which leads to love. 07 You ran fast! But who prevented you from listening to the truth? 08 For the persuasion to this is not from him who called you. 09 A little sourdough saturates the whole batch. 10 But I have the confidence in you through the Lord that you will not change your understanding, and that those who confuse you, will get their punishment, regardless of who they are. 11 Brothers, if I still preach the circumcision, why am I then persecuted? For then the pole* as a stumbling block has been cleared away. *Gr. stauros = pole 12 I wish that they cut it off, these who set themselves up against us. 13 Because you, brothers, are called to freedom. But do not make this freedom an opportunity for the flesh. Be each other’s slaves in love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled through one word: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ LEV 19:18 15 But if you bite and eat at each other, see to it that you do not eat each other up! 48 Galatians with Commentaries COMMENTARY 016: Paul continues his argumentation against those who want to place the believers in Galatia under the law: ‘Christ had freed us. Do not again get entangled in the yoke of slavery. If you let yourselves become circumcised, Christ is of no value to you! For he who becomes circumcised, is obliged to keep the whole law!’ And if you eagerly defend keeping just one of the commandments of the law, for instance the commandment of the Sabbath, you are obliged to keep the whole law. And then you have fallen away from the grace of Christ! And this he repeats in verse 04: “You nullify Christ, you who try to be justified through the law. You have fallen out of his grace!’ And we know that only through the grace of God through Christ is it possible to achieve a life in ages!’ These were harsh words. But a very current problem to be presented, because there are so many who, in one way or another, voluntarily subject themselves to the law thinking they are doing the right thing. But, the law has never been intended to us of the peoples, but to the sons of Israel, later the Jews, only. Do I have any examples from the present that somebody chooses to lay themselves under the law? Many! Do you believe in Jesus? Do you also believe what he says? Well, it is he himself who says so in a parable in MAT 21:33 and MAR 12:01 — as always in a parable. The vineyard he refers to is the Jewish nation, and the fence that he built around it, is the law. The most current is probably where there is religious education in the schools, the pupil have to learn all the commandments by heart until their heads are spinning, and as if that were not enough, Luther has added his own explanation to each and all of them without having understood that the law, including the ten commandments, have only applied to the Jews. And being freed from the damnation of the law, is part of a Christian’s freedom in Christ. Some examples are even more scary, because all of today’s priesthoods build on the First Pact. After Jesus had effectively abolished the Levite priesthood, the only one ever established by God, and neither God nor Christ ever established another church. From now on there were to be established churches, assemblies, of elders only based on the New Pact. Therefore every existing priesthood today is, knowingly or unknowingly, based on the First Pact, the Law. After Jesus had effectively abolished the Levite priesthood (MAT 21:43) he established the Church of God and Christ with elders to replace the priesthood. And those are the only priesthood and the only church ever established by God and Christ. The only priesthood that has validity in today’s situation is the spiritual priesthood, God’s heavenly priesthood, the Melchizedec which was established on the day of the Pentecost in the year 33. — Read Hebrews chapters 07-08. I have previously mentioned the eagerness of the Adventists to keep the Sabbath, and that in spite of the fact they know that they are then acting according to the First Pact. it is the same abut their refusal to eat meat products and pork. I was once invited to a staunch Adventist for a Sun—, eh, Sabbath dinner consisting of vegetables Galatians with Commentaries 49 only, and it tasted excellent. But his major concern was that the fence around his veranda had not been built according to the specifications of the law. Well, I did not even know there were specifications for veranda fences in the law, but this guy was planning to tear it down and rebuilt it according to these specifications. In reality the Adventists do not separate between the provisions of the law and the freedom in Christ. But the Bible is clear here: The First Pact through Moses was for the sons of Israel, the New Pact through Christ is for all mankind. Again: The ten commandments have never applied to any of the peoples! (DEU chapter 05.) To all, and after Jesus also including the Jews, now applies Jesus’ two commandments of love, the first relating to God, the second to our neighbor, the common man and woman. When Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment of the law, God’s law, he answered: ‘The first of all the commandments is this: Listen, Israel, to Jehovah your God. Jehovah is the only One. And you shall love God of all your heart, of all your soul, of all your mind and with all you strength. That is the first commandment.’ (DEU 06:04-05, MAR 12:29) And the other that stands equal to this, is: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. No commandment is greater than these.’ (LEV 19:18, MAR 12:31) NB! The ancient Greek word for love is agape. Its meaning does not contain any strong feelings like the English word love, but is more based on a wish of righteous principles between God and Man, and between the common man and woman. In verse 07 Paul says: ‘You ran fast!’ What does he mean by that? He refers to their being so quick to leave the message he had preached to them and to turn to the message of the Jews. Through some examples I have shown that people are quick to do the same even today. But at the same time, were there anybody hindering them from holding on to the truth about Jesus? Definitely not Paul! In verse 09 Paul warns that just a little pinch of sourdough may saturate the whole dough. And when we read 2TI 01:15 we understand that exactly that turned out to be the final result. But Paul is confident that those behind the different message that confuses them, will have their punishment. — Do we know how it went? Have they got their punishment yet? Paul refers to the fact that it is through Jesus’ pole, which is Jesus’ acts, that leads to these persecutions. And he hopes that those who let themselves become circumcised, actually become castrated! And he refers to one of the new commandments: ‘Love your neighbor as your self.’ (LEV 19:18) And this commandment he calls ‘the fulfillment of the law!’ Jesus refers to the fulfillment of the law on many occasions. He says for instance in Matthew 05:15 that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. If something has been fulfilled, does it then still exist? Actually not, then only the result remains! Paul warns those who bite after each other not to consume each other! 50 Galatians with Commentaries GAL 05:16-18. Live by the spirit 16 This I say: Live by the spirit, so that you shall not satisfy the desires of the flesh. 17 Because the desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These are opposing each other, so that no one shall do what he wants. 18 But if you are guided by the spirit, you are not under the law. COMMENTARY 017: Now we have come to Paul’s well known all to ‘wander in the spirit.’ And if we wander in the spirit, we get the power to resist the desires of the flesh. Does this apply to everybody, or only to those who have received the Holy Spirit. The desires of the flesh are the opposite of the qualities of the spirit, which are such as love and righteousness. By following the spirit, God’s ways, this becomes a counterweight to your own desires. And if we are lead by God’s spirit, God’s ways, we are not under the law. What law? Any law, because God himself is of course writhing his own laws, and if we follow God’s laws automatically, follow the spirit, then we do not need another law, such as the law of Moses. And that is correct, because the law was introduced to keep the sin in check. It was a paidagogos, a child raiser. Again: ‘If you are guided by the spirit, you are not under the law.’ Who are guided by the spirit. Well, we know about the apostles. They received enough of God’s power to resist sin, but yet not always to conquer it. We know that the spirit is not given by measure, so what about the rest of us who have not received the spirit in abundance? Let me give a few examples: You desire a great career resulting in fame and fortune. To achieve your goals you may in many instances go on accord with yourself and you own conscience! Just think of those who are struggling to have a career in Hollywood. How much misery most not many of them tackle on their way to success! I guess it was the singer Chair, the previous half of Sonny and Chair, who said that most leading female roles go through the bedroom of the producer. On a buss ride from Los Angeles to Miami I was sitting right next to one such Hollywood struggler. After having bragged about Hollywood, he asked if we could share a meal at the next bus stop. I asked him if he had not made it Hollywood, and these were his exact words: ‘More than once I had to sell my ass just to survive!’ One of the foremost industrial leaders in the U.S. once said: ‘When a woman suddenly gets promoted, we know that she has been in bed with the boss.’ But the fact that such promotions today happens to more men that women, nobody speaks loudly about. But it was such processes that turned many of the famous Hollywood stars such as Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift and Anthony Perkins into homosexuals. And even with splendid Hollywood careers behind them, some, such as Rock Hudson, died of AIDS. If I am not mistaken, so did also the two others. Wandering in the spirit would have been a hindrance to such careers. Galatians with Commentaries 51 Just a couple of more examples: In Germany the Chancellor Angela Merkel is a Christian democrat. How would she be able to govern Germany is she were to follow Christian principles? No, it would have been impossible! But how many voted for her because she was a Christian democrat? Not few! In Norway they had a Prime Minister belonging to the Christian Peoples Party. Well, he is even a minister. Yet the government he was the leader of, constantly reduced the welfare of those suffering most in the first place, such as limiting their welfare. And that he did while increasing his own retirement welfare by as much as a whole annual salary for a common worker! He has pursued a policy that in direct contradiction to his own promises have created more poverty, just like the Republicans in the U.S. and both the Conservatives and the Socialists in England. And this he did as the country is overflowing with milk and honey. He was often on TV bragging that he had introduced a so-called poverty package. Yes, he did indeed. His socalled package increased the woes of the poor. I could have given dozens of examples, but this is not a political statement. I am just showing that you cannot combine neither a business or political career and at the same time wander in the spirit. This Prime Minister is a Christian, a member of the Christian People’s Party, and even a minister. But does he wander in the spirit? Think now. Can a Prime Minister avoid political struggles? Does he not sometimes have to play hard ball? And in relation to others does he not also present a huge portion of self elevation? Does he not consider himself much better than other politicians such as Carl I. Hagen? Does not such behavior also contain a solid portion of self-righteousness? Is it identical to wandering in the spirit? These were only a few provoking examples. If you consider this, referring to every day life, you will see thousands. GAL 05:19-21. The acts of the flesh 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: They are such as fornication, sexual immorality and unworthy indulgence. 20 They are idolatry, acts of magic, hatred, envy, anger, scheming, party activity, and the forming of sects. 21 They are also antagonism, murder, alcoholism, riots, and the like. I have both said and told you before, that those who practice these, shall not inherit the Realm of God. COMMENTARY 018: Here Paul reels off a lot of qualities that are of the flesh — a natural sinful human being of flesh and blood. But he does not by far mention all. He just gives examples. But Paul’s conclusion is crystal clear: Those who practice such acts, shall not inherit the Realm of God! And which of these acts are in today’s situation most prevalent? It is not without reason he mentions fornication first, because in that field the Bible is so much stricter than what we today are aware of. So many, even among the clergy, do not know the 52 Galatians with Commentaries difference between godly love and homosexual desires! The common cry is: ‘God is love!’ True, but he has set a condition of his love: That we do his will! Jesus says in MAT 05:27-28, THE PACT: ‘You have heard it said to those from the old days: Do not fornicate.’ (EXO 20 :12) But I tell you: He who looks at a woman with desire, has already committed fornication with her in his heart.’ GAL 05:22-23. The fruits of the spirit 22 The fruits of the spirit, on the contrary, are love, joy, peace, patience, tenderness, benevolence, meekness and self restraint. 23 Against such there is no law. 24 Those who are of Christ, have impaled the flesh with its passions and de-sires. 25 And if you want to live by what is of the spirit, you must also comply with what is of the spirit. 26 Let us not become self-centered so that we will not provoke and envy each other. COMMENTARY 019: Here Paul reels off those qualities that are a result of wandering in the spirit. And here it is not by chance that he mentions love first. There is no need of any laws for those who wander in the spirit, he says — naturally, because they possess such that the law, the child raiser, is trying to result in. But note: Paul claims that those who belong to Christ, have nailed the flesh and its desires to the pole together with Christ.’ And who belongs to Christ? Is it only a small, chosen group, or are they all who believe in him? If you look around you and evaluate many of the Christians today, do they wander in the spirit? Or are you a good Christian if you go to church every Sunday? GAL 06 What You Sow, You Shall Reap GAL 06:01-05. Share the burdens 01 Brothers, if some are caught in a sin, you who are of the spirit, shall admonish him with a mild spirit. But watch out so that you yourselves are not tempted! 02 Carry each other’s burdens, because then you fulfill the law of Christ. 03 If some one thinks he is something, but without being it, he deceives himself. 04 Each must evaluate his own work, because then he may boast of what he is himself, and not of what others are. 05 Each must carry his own burden. COMMENTARY 020: Paul says that those who are spiritual, of the spirit, shall guide those who are sinners. And when you are spiritual, you wander in the spirit. Those of the spirit are to guide between right and wrong, but must be careful not to be tempted himself. Galatians with Commentaries 53 And this is what we have seen so much of lately: People who are weak and need guidance and support, are themselves being exploited in the gravest manner — exactly by those whom they trusted. The pharisees devoured the houses of the widows, said Jesus. And modern soul-comforters exploit the weakness of women to sexual relations. Betrayal of trust is in reality the worst of all crimes, because against such crimes there is no defense — neither for the victim nor the offender. It is exactly the opposite of what Jesus showed as the right way. And here Paul repeats it: ‘Carry each other’s burdens. Then you fulfill the law of Christ.’ And the law of Christ is this: ‘A new commandment I give you. As I have loved you, you shall love each other.’ (JOH 13:34) How did Christ love us? He loved man so dearly that he gave is own life, temporarily, so that man would not be forever dead, but have a life in ages. And that also the brothers are to do for each other? — Who is a brother? Well, this is Jesus’ new commandment — a part of the law of Christ. ‘If some one thinks he is something, without being it, he deceives himself.’ This is a self-evident statement, but at the same time not so easy to grasp. Perer made that mistake when he denied Jesus. He though he was stronger than he was. But we are not to compare ourselves with other. We must on our own evaluate what we are good for, soberly, or we may end up deceiving ourselves strongly! Because: ‘Each must carry his own burden.’ But, did not Paul in verse 02 say that we were to carry each other’s burdens? How does that agree with this verse? One preacher when preaching over this paragraph always skipped the last verse here. When I asked why he did that, he answered: ‘I cannot tell people to carry each other’s burdens, and then minutes later tell them they are actually on their own!’ But this is no contradiction. In a way it is a word play, and Paul has many of those. But, let us make an example so that we may better understand it: When a person loses that very special one that he loves so dearly, the grief may be heavy. Then a Christian, based on Jesus’ commandment, is to help carry the burden of this person by being there for him in his grief and sharing his burden. But even if we may be there for him, or her, sharing his burden, we cannot take away the grief. That burden he must carry himself. GAL 06:06-10. Do good to all 06 He who is taught the word, must share all his good things with he who teaches. 07 But do not be deceived, for God will not be blasphemed. What a man sows, he will also reap. 08 He who sows what is of the flesh, will reap the destruction of the flesh, and he who sows what is of the spirit, will by the spirit reap ageous life. 09 Do not get tired of doing good, for at the set time we shall reap if we do not give up. 10 Let us therefore, while we still have the opportunity, do good to all, and especially to those who belong to the faith. 54 Galatians with Commentaries COMMENTARY 021: As you see you commit yourself through proper knowledge. Then you must be willing to share your good with he who teaches. But how may even the teacher be lead astray in such situations? Well, he may demand so much for his services that it will lead him astray, and at the same time be a hindrance to him who is being thought. If someone openly overcharges you, will you then have faith in that person? I think not. And therefore he will receive wages as deserved. He who sins, sows in the flesh, will reap decay, a death in ages. But he who sows in the spirit, he who does what is right according to God’s will, shall receive a life in ages. ‘At the set time we shall reap,’ be rescued to a life in ages — either in the heavens or on the earth. ‘If we do not give up,’ says Paul. And that agrees with what Jesus said in MAT 24:13, THE PACT: ‘He who endures until the end, shall be rescued.’ ‘Let us therefore keep on doing good while we still have the opportunity, and especially to those belonging to the faith.’ GAL 06:11. With my own hand 11 Note that I have written to you in big letters — with my own hand! COMMENTARY 022: Paul usually had helpers, scribes, to write his letters. (ROM 16:22) But the letter to the Galatians is an exception. That he wrote with his own hand — in big letters. Why in big letters? GAL 06:12-16. Warnings 12 It is such that want to look good in the flesh who want to force you to become circumcised, just so that no one shall persecute them because of Christ’s pole.* *Gr. stauros = pole, stick 13 Because nobody, not even among the circumcised, obeys the law. They want you to become circumcised so that they may boast about you in the flesh. 14 May it never be that I boast about anything but the Lord Jesus’ pole.* For he has impaled what is of this world for me, and me for what is of this world. *Gr. stauros = pole, stick 15 For in Jesus Christ being circumcised or not being circumcised means nothing, but becoming the new creation. 16 To those who hold on to this guideline; peace and mercy be with you, and with God’s Israel. COMMENTARY 023: What does it mean to ‘look good in the flesh?’ Is it the same as being beautiful? No, it refers to making a good impression upon people of this world. And it is on their own initiative these Jews keep traveling around trying to lay those who believe in Jesus, under the law and in that way making proselytes of them, which is the same as Galatians with Commentaries 55 converting them to Judaism. And, as we know, the Jews have not even accepted that the Messiah has yet come in the flesh. They are still waiting for him! And, yes, they have a long wait ahead of them! And therefore the Jews became the first big antichrist — refusing to believe that Jesus was the Messiah born in the flesh. (1JO 02:18) This is what Paul refers to when he says that ‘no one shall persecute them because of Christ’s pole. But not even the Jews kept the law! That is what also Jesus refers to in Matthew 23:01-03 when he says that the teachers of the law and the pharisees sit in Moses’s chair. And therefore the people are to do as the pharisees say, but without following their acts. It is nothing new that there may be a big difference between life and teachings. In verse 15 Paul says that he have nothing to boast about of his own, from when he was under the law as a pharisee, but only about Jesus’ pole, God’s grace. Together with Christ he has been nailed to the pole — symbolically of having rejected that which is of this world. ‘For in Jesus Christ being circumcised or not being circumcised means nothing, but becoming the new creation.’ What is the new creation? If you have converted to Christ, become a Christian, and have started to wander in the spirit to the best of your ability, have you then become a new creation? No, but that is how it is usually being preached, and that may to some extent be correct if you think of it symbolically. But it actually has a concrete meaning: Jesus has been a Man in the flesh, and he dies. But the fact that he was raised to a spiritual existence in God’s heavens is pretty clear in the Bible. (ACT 10:40, 1PE 03:18-19, 1CO 15:45, etc.) And Jesus being spoken of as a Firstfruit clearly refers to his spiritual resurrection to a life in ages in God’s heavens. There were many in the Bible who were risen from the dead before Jesus, ref. Lazarus. But he was not risen to a life in ages. Lazarus just continued living on the earth until he again had to die because of Adam’s disobedience. But he did not because of that become a new creation. But when God rose up Jesus from the flesh to a spiritual existence, this was something that had never happened before! Jesus became the first of the new, spiritual creation! And Paul is convinced that he is to have a death and a resurrection equal to that of Jesus. He died in the flesh, but was resurrected in the spirit. (1PE 03: 18) In that way also Paul becomes one of the new creation as a firstfruit together with Christ. (REV 14:04) When will that happen? Who is it all about? Does it apply to all believers? Or is it just for a few elect? Are these the ones that the Bible, both in the First and the New Pact, are referred to as ‘the holy of the highest God (DAN 07:27) and whom in the New Pact are spoken of as ‘the holy?’ (ROM 15:25-26) Note that Paul in verse 16 refers to two groups: T01. Those who adhere to this rule. T02. God’s Israel. 56 Galatians with Commentaries Most preach that the first group are all Christians, which may be correct. Other preach that the other group refers to tody’s Jews. That is not the case. God’s Israel is the same group that get a spiritual resurrection as God’s adopted sons and Jesus’ heavenly brothers. They are the same that God has set his seal on: Those who belong to God. (2CO 01:22, EPH 01:13) When they are spoken of a s Israel, it does not refer to those who are today’s Israel in the flesh, but to such who are Israel in the spirit. And to understand that, you need to know the very meaning of the word israel, which is : he who has fought with God and won (his blessing), ref. Jacob. Many preach that Jacob won over God in this case, but that is a ridiculous claim which cannot be true. You may read about when Jacob fought with Jehovah’s messenger, he who represented God directly, on GEN 32:22-32, and won. But he did not fight against God. He fought with God to get his blessing. And it was God’s messenger who gave him his new name, Israel. Because he knew that if he had God’s blessing, Esau who came against him with 400 men, would not be allowed to kill him. And that Jacob received, and instead of killing him, Esau’s meeting with Jacob became a brotherly reunion. Hebr. israel = he who fought with God (and received his blessing). A true Israelite is then not always someone who physically lived in ancient Israel, or in Judea at the time of Jesus, or in today’s mundane Israel, but someone who has fought with God and won, no matter where in the world he may live! — Does that seem far fetched? No, this is clearly the message of the Bible! We have a similar situation with the word Jew in Romans 02:28-29. There Paul says: ‘For a true Jew is not one who is a Jew in the flesh, and a true circumcision is not one done of th flesh, such as cutting off the skin of the head of a boy’s penis. No, a true circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not by the letter, the law.’ He who is circumcised in that way, will get his praise from God, and not from man. Here Paul says that a true Jew is not one who is a physical Jew, outwardly, but one who is it in the spirit, inwardly. We see that what used to be in the letter, is now elevated to a spiritual level through Christ. And again, to understand this properly, it is important to know the meaning of the word jew. When Leah got her fourth son by Jacob, she became very happy. ‘Now I will praise Jehovah!’ she exclaimed, and therefore she named her fourth son Jehowdah. (GEN 29:35) Hebr. jehowdah = Jew, praise to Jehowah, who praises Jehovah, Genesis 29:35, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: ‘harah ‘owd yalad ben ‘amar pa’am ‘attah yadah yehovah ‘al’ken qara’ shem yehuwdah ‘amad yalad In this verse from the Hebrew text we find both the name of jehovah = I shall fulfill, and the name jehowdah = he who praises Jehovah = Jew. And this verse is also solid proof that the only correct version of God’s proper name is Jehovah. NB! The pronunciation in German ‘j(eh) ode’ is today almost identical the the original, the way it was almost 4000 years ago! Galatians with Commentaries 57 Then a true Jew is one who praises Jehovah regardless of ethnicity or where he lives in the world — and regardless of nationality. I imagine an ironic situation: A Palestinian who worships God and respects Jesus in the spirit, is a true Jew, but an orthodox Jew who stands nocking his head against the wailing wall, is not a true Jew as long as he keeps rejecting that Jesus was God’s Messiah! We understand that after Jesus’ resurrection it is not the physical that counts as much as the spiritual. But, does that apply to all? Just by looking around you, you know the answer! GAL 06:17. The Lord Jesus’ mark 17 Finally, may no one be bothered by my weakness, for I carry the Lord Jesus’ mark on my body. COMMENTARY 024: This short verse has given me much headache, because most translations have such a crazy text here that I was unable to understand it. NIV writes: ‘Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the mark of Jesus.’ Can you make any sense out of this? KJ-1611writes: ‘From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in by body the mark of the Lord Jesus.’ Uff da! The same text. Somebody must have copied somebody! But can you make sense of it? I could not. But then I set my hopes to NWT: NWT: ‘Henceforth let no one be making trouble for me, for I am carrying on my body the brand mark of a slave of Jesus.’ Uff da! This was even worse with the same lack of logic in an elaborated text far beyond that of the original! I include the Greek text of this verse, then the word by word translation and finally a readable translation into English: SHG: loipoy medeis medeis kopos -parecho bastazo soma stigma kurios iesous Trans.: final no one no one bother weakness carry body mark lord jesus THE PACT: ‘Finally, may no one be bothered by my weakness, for I carry the Lord Jesus’ mark on my body.’ You see from the Greek text that this is a correct translation. And it is not really difficult if you just follow the original Greek text instead of copying the mistakes of King James, but King James have for some reason become the Bible of the bibletranslators. ‘Let nobody be bothered by my weakness.’ And what was Paul’s weakness? Remember he stresses that he has written this letter with his own hand and in big letters. And probably it was also written unevenly, because Paul was either vision impaired or very shortsighted. That is what he refers to when he says that he hopes that they would not be too bothered by this. And this was also the thorn in the flesh that Paul again refers to in Second Corinthians. You will have a more detailed explanation 58 there. But why is this important? Imagine Paul’s situation: He is now in Antioch in Syria in the year 54, the center of the preaching of the message about Jesus, and planning his third and last missionary journey. Paul has some time ago returned from Corinth after his second journey. Then he learns about the situation of the churches in Galatia that he and his co-workers, at the risk of their lives, established during Paul’s first journey. (Acts chapters 13 and 14) He gets upset, which you can hear from his letter, he sits down and writes this letter to them with his own hand — and in big letters. (Verse 11) He begs and threatens, and he argues with great knowledge. But this letter is yet simple compared to many of his other letters. ‘Hold on to the correct teaching!’ So, would it not have been rather haughty of him to finish his letter with ‘from now on nobody must bother me any more?’ And on top of everything put the blame on Jesus! And who has bothered him? No one! I have had a negative picture of Paul because of this, but luckily it started to improve after I started digging deeper into the Greek text. And today I believe nothing unless I first check it with the original text. There are so many wrong translations in addition to willed falsifications! What does Paul refer to in this verse? He refers to his own handwriting — ‘in big letters.’ And there is every indication that Paul had an impaired vision, and that this was the weakness he referred to. And this was a sign that he belonged to Christ. Paul tells that he has asked Jesus to take away this impairment, but then Jesus kept answering: ‘My grace is enough for you.’ (2CO 12:07-10) After Jesus struck Paul blind on the way to Damascus, his vision was only partly restored. ‘I will show him how much he will have to suffer because of my name!’ (ACT 09:16) GAL 06:18. A short farewell 18 Brothers, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. COMMENTARY 025: What does it mean that the grace of the Lord Jesus Crist may be with their spirits? This simple and short sentence may not be so easy to understand unless you have accepted that there in fact is a spiritual resurrection. And this is the first resurrection over which the second death has no power. (REV 20:06) For that to be possible to someone, the grace of Jesus is a necessity. And this is what Paul refers to. But the grace of the Lord Jesus is also a necessity of the second resurrection, the universal resurrection on the earth. (ACT 24:15) Remember, after Adam’s sin God sentenced everybody to death — the second death! (GEN 03:09) And without Jesus there would have been no resurrection — neither the first nor the second! 08 Galatians with the original text and transliterated (word by Galatians with the Greek Text 59 word) translations Here is the Greek text from the most recognized of all original texts, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek. It is translated directly from the ancient Greek, Koiné, word by word, that is transliterated, to modern English. First is presented the Greek text word by word. Then follows the meaning of each word in English. And finally comes the translation itself. Why is it done like that? Yes, there are great controversies about the contents of the Bible, and much of it is consciously falsified to comply with the teachings of the Pope or Luther’s own interpretations. If you are one of a growing number who is unwilling to accept such falsifications, but want to know the truth directly from the text that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul and the others, wrote, you may look it up there. But if some also start rejecting the original text, you know that they are not interested in the truth. For many, yes, the very most, are afraid to read the Bible of fear that what they read may shake their already deep-rooted attitudes. But nothing can be better than to know what is right or wrong based on the Bible — and then with the original text as solid proof. Because it is a fact that if we use the oldest, the original, text, as basis of our understanding of the Bible, it is impossible to get closer to the original source. Strong’s Hebrew / Greek uses Latin letters in their original text. Arne Jordly GAL 01 Introduction GAL 01:01-05. Greetings GAL 01:01 SHG: paulus apostolos anthropos oude anthropos iesous christos theos pater Trans.: paul apostle man nor man jesus christ god father ho egeiro nekros who raise dead THE PACT: From Paul, an apostle, not by men or for men, but by Jesus Christ for God, our Father, he who raised him up from the dead. GAL 01:02 SHG: pas adelphos ekklesia galatia Trans.: all brother church galatia THE PACT: To all the brothers in the churches of Galatia: 60 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 01:03 SHG: charis eirene theos pater kurios iesous christos Trans.: grace peace god father lord jesus christ THE PACT: Grace and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. GAL 01:04 SHG: ho didomi heautou hamartia exairo ho enistemi ponerus aion kata Trans.: who give self sin free what present wicked age after thelema theos pater will god father THE PACT: He has given himself for our sins and shall free us from the present wicked age according to the will of God, our Father. GAL 01:05 SHG: hos doxa aion aion amen Trans.: who glory age age amen THE PACT: The glory is his in ages. Amen. GAL 01:06-09. Only one message GAL 01:06 SHG: thaumazo houto tachos metatithemi kaleo en charis iesous christos Trans.: amaze this soon turn away call by grace jesus christ heteros euaggelion hos allos different message what other THE PACT: I am surprised that you so soon turned away from him who called you to the grace of Christ, and to a different message that is in reality no message. GAL 01:07 SHG: tis tarasso thelo metastrepho euaggelion christos Trans.: some confuse wish turn away message christ THE PACT: But there are some who confuse you, because they want to turn you away from the message about Christ. GAL 01:08 Galatians with the Greek Text 61 SHG: -ean e aggelos ouranos euaggelizo euaggelizo para hos Trans.: if or messenger on high preach message against what euaggelizo anathema preach condemn THE PACT: But if any of us, or even a messenger from the heavens, should preach a message to you that is at strife with the one I preached to you, then he shall be condemned! GAL 01:09 SHG: proereo proereo kai lego arti palin ei_tis euaggelizo ei_tis Trans.: pre-say pre-say also say now again if any peach if any euaggelizo para paralambano anathema preach against deliver condemn THE PACT: I have told you before and I also say it to you again now: He who proclaims a message to you that is at strife with that which I preached and delivered to you, shall be condemned! GAL 01:10-17. A Christ’s slave GAL 01:10 SHG: arti peitho anthropos e theos e Trans.: now recognition man or god or aresko anthropos please man anthropos ei man if eti now doulos christus slave christ THE PAC: Is it from people I seek recognition, or is it from God? Is it people I like to please? If it is people, then I am not a slave under Christ. GAL 01:11 SHG: gnorizo adelphos euaggelion ho euaggelizo kata anthropos Trans.: know brother message that preach after man THE PACT: You will know, brothers, that the message I proclaimed, is not of men. GAL 01:12 SHG: oude paralambano anthropos oute didasko apokalupsis iesous christos Trans.: no receive man or teach reveal jesus christ 62 Galatians with the Greek Text THE PACT: I have not received it from any man. And neither has it been taught to me, but revealed to me by Jesus Christ. GAL 01:13 SHG: akouo anastrophe pote ioudaismos ioudaismos kata -huperbole Trans.: hear lifestyle before judaism judaism in full measure huperbole dioko ekklesia theos portheo full measure persecute church god destroy THE PACT: For you have heard of my previous way of life under Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the churches of God and tried to destroy them. GAL 01:14 SHG: prokopto ioudaismos ioudaismos huper polus sunolikiotes mon Trans.: present judaism judaism surpass many contemporary my genos huparcho perissoteros perissoteros zelotes paradosis patrikos countrymen behave much more much more eager tradition forefather THE PACT: Under Judaism I tried to present myself as the one who surpassed many of my contemporary countrymen and behaved more eagerly than they accord-ing to the traditions of my forefathers. GAL 01:15 SHG: hoto eudokeo theos ho aphorizo meter koilia kaleo charis Trans.: because please god who choose mother womb call grace THE PACT: But because it pleased God, he chose me in my mother’s womb and cal-led me by his grace. GAL 01:16 SHG: apokalupto huios euaggelizo en ethnos eutheos prosanatithrmi Trans.: reveal son preach among ethnic first seek advice sarx haima flesh blood THE PACT: When he revealed his Son to me, in order that I should preach the message about him to the peoples, I did not first seek advice from those of flesh and blood. Galatians with the Greek Text 63 GAL 01:17 SHG: oude anerchomai hierosoluma apostolos pro aperchomai eis arabia Trans.: neither go up jerusalem apostle before go to arabia hupostrepho palin damaskos return again damascus THE PACT: Neither did I go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me, but I went to Arabia before I again returned to Damascus. GAL 01:18-20. I went first to Jerusalem — GAL 01:18 SHG: epita kata treis etos anerchomai hierosoluma historeo petros Trans.: so after three year go up jerusalem acquaint peter epimeno stay dekapente hemera fourteen day THE PACT: Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter. I stayed with him for fourteen days. GAL 01:19 SHG: heteros apostolos eido ou ei_me iakobos kurios adelphos Trans.: other apostle see no but only jacob lord brother THE PACT: Of the other apostles I saw no one, except Jacob, the Lord’s brother. GAL 01:20 SHG: hedista hos grapho idou enopion theos pseudomai Trans.: great pleasure that write see before god lie THE PACT: It is with great pleasure I write this, and, see! — before God, because I do not lie! GAL 01:21-24. — then to Syria and Celicia GAL 01:21 SHG: epeita erchomai eis klima suria kilikia Trans.: then go to district syria cilicia THE PACT: Then I went to the districts of Syria and Cilicia. 64 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 01:22 SHG: agnoeo prosopon ekklesia ioudaia ho christos Trans.: know face church judea that christ THE PACT: Nobody knew my appearance in the churches of Judea that are in Christ. GAL 01:23 SHG: akouo monon dioko pote nun euaggelizo pistis hos pote portheo Trans.: hear only persecute before now preach faith that before destroy THE PACT: They had only heard that he who previously persecuted them, now preached the faith he previously had tried to eradicate. GAL 01:24 SHG: doxazo theos Trans.: praise god THE PACT: And they praised God for it. GAL 02 Message and Faith GAL 02:01-10. About the message GAL 02:01 SHG: epeita dekatessares etos dia anabaino palin hierosoluma barnabas Trans.: so fourteen year after go up again jerusalem barnabas sumparalambano titos kai bring titus also THE PACT: So, fourteen years later, I went up to Jerusalem again together with Barnabas. I also brought with me Titus. GAL 02:02 SHG: anabaino apokalupsis anatithemi euaggelion hos kerusso en ethnos Trans.: go up revelation present message that preach among ethnic kata -idios dokeo mepos mepos pos trecho trecho kenoo after self think so that so that maybe run run in vain Galatians with the Greek Text 65 THE PACT: I went up there because of a revelation. I presented before them the message I had preached among the peoples the way I saw it, because maybe I had run the course in vain. GAL 02:03 SHG: oude titos ho en hellen anagkazo peritemno Trans.: neither titus who be greek force circumcise THE PACT: But not even Titus, who was a Greek, was forced to be circumcised. GAL 02:04 SHG: dia pseudadelphos pseudadelphos pareisaktos pareisaktos hostis Trans.: because false brother alse brother come come these pareiserchomai pareiserchomai kataskopeo eleutheria hos echo christos iesous sneak in sneak in spy freedom that have christ jesus katadouloo katadouloo make slave make slave THE PACT: But some false brothers had come in among us. They had sneaked in to spy on the freedom we had in Christ, because they wanted to turn us into slaves. COMMENT: These false brothers were such who held on to the law, specially about the circumcision. They wanted to keep te old order. This is what Paul refers to when he says they wanted to make then slaves, not under Christ, but under the law. GAL 02:05 SHG: hos eiko eiko hupotage hora aletheis euaggelion diameno Trans.: that yield yield submit hour truth message stand firm THE PACT: But we did not give in or submit to this for a moment, in order that the message should stand firm with you. GAL 02:06 SHG: dokeo tis hopoios -pote diapheroo oudeis diapheroo theos Trans.: consider any prominent either high rank no high rank god lambano ou anthropos prosopon dokeo prosanatithemi prosanatithemi oudeis give no man face consider contribute contribute nothing 66 Galatians with the Greek Text THE PACT: But those who were considered to be prominent — whether they were of high rank or not of high rank means nothing, because God does not give a man based on appearance, and those who were considered to be prominent, did not contribute to anything. COMMENT: Here Paul refers to the meeting in Jerusalem about the circumcision where only Jacob is mentioned by name among the prominent. You may read about this meeting the way Luke presents it in Acts 15:01-28. And there you also get the reaction from the elders to Paul’s question. GAL 02:07 SHG: tounantion eido euaggelion akrobustia pisteuo peritome petros Trans.: contrary see message uncircumcise entrust circumcise peter THE PACT: On the contrary. They realized that the message to the uncircumcised had been entrusted me, and to the circumcised Peter. GAL 02:08 SHG: energeo energeo petros apostolos peritome kai energeo eis ethnos SHG: power power peter apostle circumcise also power among ethnic THE PACT: Because he who gave power to the apostle Peter among the circumcised, he also gave power to me among the peoples. GAL 02:09 SHG: iakobas kaiaphas ioannes ho dokeo stulos ginosko didomi didomi Trans.: jacob caiphas john who consider pillar know get get barnabas dexios dexios koinonia ethnos peritome barnabas right right fellowship ethnic circumcise THE PACT: When Jacob, Caiphas and John, who were considered to be among the pillars, realized what I had received, they gave Barnabas and myself the right hand of their fellowship. We were to preach to those of the peoples, and they to the circumcised. GAL 02:10 SHG: monon mnemoneuo ptochos autos -touto hos kai spoudazo poieo Trans.: only remember poor self this what also eager do THE PACT: We just had to remember the poor, something I was also eager to do. Galatians with the Greek Text 67 GAL 02:11-21. About faith GAL 02:11 SHG: hote petros erchomai antiocheia anthistemi prosopon hoti ataginosko Trans.: when peter come antioch oppose face for anti knowledge THE PACT: When Peter came to Antioch, I went against him, straight to his face, because he behaved against his better judgement. GAL 02:12 SHG: pro tis erchomai iakobos sunestio ethnos hote erchomai hupostello Trans.: before any come jacob eat with ethnic when come pull back aphorizo heautou phobeo peritome separate self fear circumcise THE PACT: Because before some came down here from Jacob, he ate with those of the peoples. But after they had come, he pulled back and separated himself from them in fear of the circumcised. GAL 02:13 SHG: loipoy ioudaios sunupokrinomai kai hoste barnabas kai sunapago Trans.: rest judean* be hypocritic also this barnabas also carry away sunapago hupokrisis carry away hypocrisy *one who is born or live in Judea, or one born by a Jewish woman THE PACT: The rest of the Jews were also hypocrites together with him, so that even Barnabas got carried away with their hypocrisy. COMMENT: Barnabas was a Levite born on Cyprus. (ACT 04:36) So, Barnabas being born by Levite woman, the Jewish genealogies are always considered through the woman, not the man, was a Jew. And as a Levite Barnabas may also have had the possibility of becoming a priest according to the Levite order. And here we see that Barnabas felt closer to the customs of the circumcised than to those of the peoples. It was written in the law of Moses that the descendants of Israel were not to eat together with the uncircumcised. But after Christ this separation was abolished. (GAL 03:28) And this is an example how easy it is to fall back on ingrown traditions that you have been brought up with, even if these tradition are not according to God’s commandments through Christ, ref. child baptism, confirmations, church weddings, etc. Because even if we know that child baptism is against the law of God, we still baptize our children — in the name of God and Jesus. The fear of hell still lingers with us! 68 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 02:14 SHG: hote eido orthopodeo orthopodeo pos aletheia euaggelion epo petros Trans.: when see do right do right after truth message say peter emprosthen pas ei before all if huparcho ioudaios zao ethnikos ethnikos ioudaikos tis exist judean live ethnic ethnic jewish any anagkazo ethnos zao ioudaizo demand ethnic live jewish THE PACT: When I saw that he did not act correctly according to the truth of the message, I said to Peter before all of them: ‘If you who are a Jew, act like one of the peoples, and not like a Jew, how can you demand that the peoples shall follow the customs of the Jews?’ GAL 02:15 SHG: ioudaios phusis hamartolos ethnos Trans.: jew nature sinner ethnic THE PACT: For we who have the nature of the Jews, are not sinners like the peoples. GAL 02:16 SHG: eido anthropos dikaioo ergon nomos pistis iesous christos kai Trans.: know man justify act law faith jesus christ also echo pisteuo iesous christos dikaio pistis christos ergon nomos ergon have faith jesus christ justify faith christ act law act nomos o -pas sarx dikaioo law no all flesh justify THE PACT: We know that no man is justified by the acts of the law, but through our faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore also we believe in Jesus Christ, in order that we shall be justified through the faith in Jesus Christ, and not by acts of the law. Because through acts of the law no flesh has become justified. GAL 02:17 SHG: ei zeteo dikaioo christos kai heurisko hamatolos are christos Trans.: if seek justify christ also find sinner be christ diakonos hamartia me -ginomai me -ginomai servant sin never happen never happen Galatians with the Greek Text 69 THE PACT: But if also we who try to become justified in Christ, also are found as sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? — It can never happen! GAL 02:18 SHG: ei oikodomeo palin hos kataluo sunistao emautou parabates Trans.: if build again what tear down turn self lawbreaker THE PACT: If someone wants to rebuild what has been torn down, does he not then make himself into a lawbreaker? COMMENT: What has been torn down, is the old law of Moses. And he who tries to rebuild what has been torn down, becomes a lawbreaker in relation to the law of Christ, the only law that applies after Jesus’ resurrection. GAL 02:19 SHG: dia nomos apothnesko nomos zao theos Trans.: by law dead law live god THE PACT: Under the law* I was dead, but under the law** I shall live for God. * Moses’ law **Christ’s law COMMENT: This about the law confuses many, because when they hear the word law, they think about Moses’ law. That is not how it is. The Bible refers to the law in three basic phases: 01. From Adam til Moses the chosen, ref. Adam and Abraham, were directly subjected to God’s law. 02. After Moses received a more extensive and detailed law, the descendants of Israel became subjected to Moses’ law. And that is how it was until Christ. 03. After Christ we were all subjected to Christ’s law, also the Jews who stand nodding their heads at the wailing wall. They are trying to preserve what has been torn down. Yet, every law is from God, but all in its right time. The law that Paul was dead under, was the law of Moses, but the law that he shall life under for God, is the law of Christ. And therefore, the way Paul writes this, becomes a game of words. There are many of those in the Bible, and many of them are complicated. But we must understand them to translate them correctly. You may read in more detail about God’s law, Moses’ law and Christ’s law on page 254. There you may also read about ‘your mother’s law.’ Because of all the confusion about this, I will give some clarifying examples. But her Paul gave a good one. 70 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 02:20 SHG: susstauroo christos de zao ouketi christos zao hos nun zao sarx zao Trans.: impale with christ so live longer christ live that now live flesh live pistis huios theos ho agapao paradidomi heautou faith son god who love give self THE PACT: Now I have been nailed to the pole together with Christ. Then I no longer live for myself, but then I live for Christ. The life I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, he who loved me so dearly that he gave himself for me. GAL 02:21 SHG: atheteo charis theos ei dikaiosune nomos ara christos apothnesko Tras.: set aside grace god if justification law true christ die dorean in vain THE PACT: I do not set the grace of God aside, because if justification* came from the law, then Jesus died in vain. *getting the sonship, that is being adopted as God’s heavenly sons GAL 03 The Promises Are through Christ GAL 03:01-05. The right faith GAL 03:01 SHG: anoetos galatos tis baskaino peitho aletheia kata hos opthalmos Trans.: foolish galatian some bewitch obey truth before that eye iesous christos prographo prographo prographo stauroo en jesus christ present present present impale for THE PACT: You foolish Galatians! Some have bewitched you so that you will not obey the truth — you who before your eyes have received Jesus Christ presented as the One who was nailed to the pole for you. GAL 03:02 SHG: toto monon thelo manthano lambano pneuma ergon nomos e akouo pistis Trans.: this only wish know receive spirit act law or hear faith Galatians with the Greek Text 71 THE PACT: Only this I want to know from you: Did you get the spirit through acts of the law, or through what you have heard and through your faith? GAL 03:03 SHG: houto anoetos enarchomai pneuma nun epiteleo epiteleo sarx Trans.: you foolish start spirit now end end flesh THE PACT: Are you so foolish that after having started in the spirit, you want to finish in the flesh? GAL 03:04 SHG: echo pascho tosoutos tosoutos eike eige kata eike Trans.: have suffer all this all this no use if after no use THE PACT: Have you gone through all this for nothing? — If then it has been for nothing? GAL 03:05 SHG: oun epichoregeo pneuma energeo dunamis en ergon nomos e akoue pistis Trans.: so execute spirit work power by act law or hear faith THE PACT: Because — do you execute the working power of the spirit through acts of the law, or through what you have heard and through your faith? GAL 03:06 SHG: kathos abraham pisteuo theos logizomai dikaiosune Trans.: how abraham believe god* consider righteousness *Jehovah in the Hebrew text THE PACT: This is how it was with Abraham: ‘He believed in Jehovah and was therefore counted as righteous.’ GEN 15:06 COMMENT: This is a direct quote from Genesis 15:06. I include it in Hebrew: SHG: aman yehovah chashat tsedaqak Trans.: believe jehovah consider righteousness English: He believed in Jehovah and that was considered as righteousness. We see that in the original text it says Jehovah while in the translations they write God even if it is a direct quote. We are very gullible if we believe this is just a mishap. It is so consistently carried through in all of the Bible that the only correct expression is conscious falsification. What could be the purpose of that? — To prove that they are dishonest? 72 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 03:07 SHG: ginosko ara pistis houtos huios abraam Trans.: understand therefore believe this son abraham THE PACT: Understand, therefore, that he who believes, is a son of Abraham. COMMENT: Here both KJ-1611 and NIV write children where the text says sons. This is also a conscious falsification to hide the fact that the major message of the Bible is about the establishment of a heavenly priesthood of men without blemish, (LEV 21:17-24) the heavenly division of the Realm of God. Gr. huios = son. The basic meaning is offspring of the male gender and may also be used about, for instance a foal, a colt, etc. Huios can never mean child, children, but son. Gr. teknon = child. This word is gender neutral and may be used about both sons and daughters. GAL 03:08 SHG: graphe proeido theos dikaioo ethnos ek pistis proeuaggelizo-mai Trans.: scripture presee god righteous ethnic by faith pre-preach message proeuaggelizo-mai proeuaggelizo-mai abraam pas ethnos enenlogeo pre-preach message pre-preach message abraham all ethnic bless THE PACT: But in the Scripture God foresaw that those of the peoples should be justified through faith. Therefore he preached the message in advance to Abraham: ‘Through you all peoples on the earth shall be blessed.’ GEN 12:03 GAL 03:09 SHG: hoste pistis eulogeo pistos abraam Trans.: who believe bless faith abraham THE PACT: Those who believe are blessed through the faith of Abraham. GAL 03:10-14. Under the condemnation of the law GAL 03:10 SHG: hosos ergon nomos hupo katara grapho epikatartos pas emmeno pas Trans.: who act law under condemnation write condamn all keep all ho grapho biblion nomos poieo what write scroll law do Galatians with the Greek Text 73 THE PACT: He who puts his trust in acts of the law, is under condemnation, because this is how it is written: ‘Condemned is he who does not keep all what is written down in the scroll of law and acts according to it.’ DEU 27:02 GAL 03:11 SHG: oudeis oudeis dikaioo nomos para theos delos dikaios zao pistis Trans.: no one no one justify law after god manifest righteous live faith THE PACT: No one is justified through the law after God’s manifest, for: ‘The righteous shall live in faith.’ HAB 02:04 GAL 03:12 SHG: nomos pistis anthropos poieo zao Trans.: law faith man do live THE PACT: But the law is not of faith. Because: ‘The man who wants to do according to it, must live by it.’ LEV 18:05 GAL 03:13 SHG: christos exagorazo katara nomos ginomai katara grapho Trans.: christ buy free condemnation law become condemnation write epikatartos pas kremannumi epi xulon condamn all hang on tree THE PACT: But Christ bought us free from the condemnation of the law through his becoming a condemnation for us, for it is written: ‘Condemned are all who are hanged on a tree.’ DEU 21:23 GAL 03:14 SHG: eulogia abraam ginomai eis ethnos en Trans.: blessing abraham happen so ethnic by iesous christos lambano jesus christ receive epaggelia pneuma dia pistis promise spirit through faith THE PACT: Abraham’s blessing happened so that those of the peoples through Christ would get the spirit they were promised through their faith. GAL 03:15-18. The pact with Abraham 74 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 03:15 SHG: adelphos lego kata anthropos homos anthropos diatheke kuroo Trans.: brother speak about man even man pact enter oudeis oudeis atheteo e epidiatassomai epodiatassomai no one no one deduct or add add THE PACT: Brothers, I speak about what is of men, because when a man has entered into a pact with anybody, then no one will deduct from it or add anything to it. GAL 03:16 SHG: de abraam sperma epaggelia rheo lego sperma polus heis sperma Trans.: now abraham semen promise speak say sperm many one semen hos christos who christ THE PACT: To Abraham and those of his semen the promises were spoken. But he did not say ‘semens,’ as if to many, but to one: ‘To those of your semen,’ which is Christ. COMMENT: This verse may confuse a little, because many believe that God’s promise to Abraham and those of his semen, refer to his becoming the father of many nations, both the Jews and the Arabs, and also to the sons of the East by Keturah. But the way some of these nations oppose each other as enemies, that would have been more a curse than a blessing. The promises to Abraham show directly to Christ and the righteous who shall have a life in ages — a few in the heavens, the rest on the earth. NB! Be aware that of the promises God gave Abraham, Abraham has not himself received a single one. Because the promises to Abraham were through Christ, and he has not yet taken control over the earth. (DAN 02:44) Only after his resurrection on the earth God’s promises to Abraham will be fulfilled. Oh, by the way, Abraham did get one promise fulfilled while on the earth. Which one was that? GAL 03:17 SHG: touto lego diatheke prokuroo prokuroo theos christos nomos tetrakosioi Trans.: this say pact confirm confirm god [christ] law four hundred tetrakosioi triakonta etos mete ou akuroo katargeo apaggelia akuroo katargeo four hundred thirty year after no invalid liquidate promise invalid liquidate Galatians with the Greek Text 75 THE PACT: What I mean is: The Pact, which was establishes by God [through Christ],* the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, cannot make it invalid or liquidate it. *added GAL 03:18 SHG: ei kleronomia nomos ouketi eti epaggelia theos charizomai abraam Trans.: if inheritance law longer be promise god by grace abraham apaggelia promise THE PACT: Because if the inheritance was by law, it can no longer be a promise. But through his grace God gave Abraham the inheritance through the promises. COMMENT: How many promises did god give Abraham? In addition to the promise of Isaac he got two, one with an oath, the other was just a promise. The promise confirmed by an oath was about those who were to get a heavenly resurrection as God’s adopted sons and Jesus heavenly brothers. This oath God gave Abraham after he had been willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac, ref. Jesus. He had then proven his faithfulness. This you may read about in Genesis 22:14-15. But Abraham also got another promise from God — a promise to inherit the earth. This promise you find in Genesis 13:14-15. It says: ‘Then Jehovah said to Abraham after Lot had left his: ‘Lift your eyes from where you stand and look to the north, to the south, to the east and to the west. All the earth that you now see I will give to you and those of your semen in ages.’ Think now: What country has such borders — from horizon to horizon in every direction? It shows as much of the earth as Abraham could see from where he stood. And this is the promise that Abraham himself will enjoy after his resurrection. This promise most Christians do not want to hear so much about. And therefore the Christians concentrate on God’s heavenly promise, and not the promise that is about the earth. It is also repeated in most translations that they write the land here, and not the earth, and they also write the promise instead of promises. Fait enough, when the promise refer to Christ, it is correct to write the promise, but when referring to Abraham’s promises, the only correct text is to present it in the plural. GAL 03:19-25. The law — a schoolmaster GAL 03:19 SHG: tis oun nomos prostithemi charin parabasis achri -hou sperma Trans.: why then law add because of transgression until when semen 76 Galatians with the Greek Text erchomai hos epaggello epaggello diatasso aggelos cheir mesites come who promise promise prescribe messenger hand mediator THE PACT: Then why did the law come? It was introduced because of the transgressions until the time when the Semen was to come, he whom the promises were about. And the law was presented by the Messenger’s hand to a mediator. COMMENT: The Messenger who presented the law was Michael, the Messiah in his pre-earth existence. The mediator was Moses, and therefore the law of Moses. (EXO 20:18-21) Hebr. michael = (he who is) like God. Hebr. erets = earth, land, region, district NB! There is no separation between earth and land neither in Hebrew nor Greek! GAL 03:20 SHG: de meistes heis theos heis Trans.: but mediator one god one THE PACT: But a mediator is not for one, even if God is one. COMMENT: Paul refers to God’s sovereign position as the only true God — ‘Jehovah is the only One.’ (DEU 06:04) Yet Moses became an effective mediator between God the Almighty and the sons of Israel in the wilderness. When Aaron made the golden calf to the sons of Israel as an idol in the wilderness, he ignited God’s wrath to the extent that God wanted to exterminate every single one of them. But then Moses stepped forward and made God change his mind. (Exodus chapter 32) And after this God entered into the First Pact with the sons of Israel. GAL 03:21 SHG: nomos oun kata epaggelia theos me -ginomai me -ginomai ei loven Trans.: law then against promise god never happen never happen if law didomi ho dunamai echo zoopoieo zoopoieo ontos dikaiosune give what power have give life give life really justification en nomos through law THE PACT: Is the law therefore at strife with God’s promises? That could never happen, for if the law had the power that is necessary to give life, then justification would have come through the law. Galatians with the Greek Text 77 GAL 03:22 SHG: graphe sugkleio pas hupo hamartia epaggelia pistis iesous christos Trans.: scripture embrace all under sin promise faith jesus christ didomi pisteuo give believe THE PACT: The Scripture has laid everything under sin, so that the promise through faith in Jesus Christ would fall on those who believe. GAL 03:23 SHG: pro pistis erchomai phroureo hupo nomos sugkleio Trans.: before faith come custody under law embrace pistis mello faith stay apokalupto reveal THE PACT: Before the faith came, we were kept in custody under the law so that we would be subject to it until the faith was revealed. GAL 03:24 SHG: hoste nomos paidagogos christos dikaioo pistis Trans.: so law child raiser christ justify faith THE PACT: In this way the law became like a schoolmaster for us until Christ, so that we would be justified by faith. GAL 03:25 SHG: pistis erchomai ouketi eti hupo paidagogos Trans.: faith come longer any under child raiser THE PACT: But because the faith has come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster. GAL 03:26-29. Heirs with Christ GAL 03:26 SHG: pas huios theos pistis christus iesous Trans.: all son god faith christ jesus THE PACT: We are all sons of God through our faith in Christ Jesus. 78 Galatians with the Greek Text COMMENT: Almost all translations write children where the original text writes sons. There can be little doubt that this is conscious biblical falsifications. An honest exception is the New World Translation by Jehovah’s Witnesses. There the translation write sons where the original text writes som. GAL 03:27 SHG: hosos baptizo eis christos enduo christos Trans.: those baptize to christ clothe christ THE PACT: Because he who is baptized to Christ, has clothed himself in Christ. GAL 03:28 SHG: ou ioudaios oude hellen ou doulos oude eleutheros ou arrhen* oude Trans.: no judean nor greek nor slave nor free or male nor thelus** pas heis christos ieasous female all one christ jesus *he who is strong to lift **she who is sucked THE PACT: Then it is not Jew or Greek, slave or free, [male or female,] because then we are all one in Christ. GAL 03:29 SHG: ei christos ara Trans.: if christ be abraam sperma kleronomes kata epaggelia abraham semen heir arving after promise THE PACT: And if you are of Christ, you are of Abraham’s semen and heirs according to the promises. GAL 04 Freedom in Christ GAL 04:01-07. Freed from the law GAL 04:01 SHG: hedista lego kleronomos chronos nepios diaphero oudeis doulos Trans.: pleasure say heir time infant difference no slave kurios pas lord all THE PACT: What I can say with pleasure is that as long as the heir is an infant, there is no difference between him and a slave, even if he is to become master over them all. Galatians with the Greek Text 79 GAL 04:02 SHG: hupo epitropos oikonomos achri prothesmios prothesmios pater Trans.: under guardian manager until pre-determin pre-determin father THE PACT: He is under guardians and managers until that time which has been predetermined by his father. GAL 04:03 SHG: kai houto hote nepios Trans.: also these while infant douloo huper stoicheion kosmos slavery under basic force world THE PACT: Such it is also with you. As long as you are infants, you are in slavery under the basic forces of this world. GAL 04:04 SHG: hote pleroma chronos erchomai theos exapostello exapostello huios Trans.: when fulfill time come god send out send out son ginomai ginomai hupo nomos happen happen under law THE PACT: When time had been fulfilled, God sent his Son. And it happened under the law. GAL 04:05 SHG: exgorazo hupo nomos apoplambano huiothesia huiothesia Trans.: buy free under law take part in sonship sonship THE PACT: But he was to buy free those under the law so that we would get the sonship. GAL 04:06 SHG: hoti huios theos exapostello exapostello pneuma huios eis humon Trans.: because son god send out send out spirit son in your kardia crazo abba pater heart call abba father THE PACT: And because you are sons, God sent his Son’s spirit in your hearts, that which calls out: ‘Abba! Father!’ 80 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 04:07 SHG: hoste ei ouketi eti doulos huios ei huios kai kleronomos theos Trans.: then if longer yet slave son if son also heir god [dia christos] [through christ] THE PACT: Then you are no longer slaves, but sons. And because you are sons, you are also God’s heirs [through Christ].* *added GAL 04:08-20. False preachers GAL 04:08 SHG: alla tote eido theos douleuo phasis me theos Trans.: all then know god slave nature no god THE PACT: When you did not know God, you were slaves under such who by nature were not gods. GAL 04:09 SHG: nun ginosko theos de mallon ginosko theos pos epistepho palin asthenes Trans.: now know god so reater know god how turn again weak ptochos stoicheion hos thelo palin -anothon douleuo poor basic power that wish again anew slavery THE PACT: But now you have learned to know God, and what is even greater — you are known by God! How can you then return to those weak and poor basic forces? — Or do you again want to be under the slavery? GAL 04:10 SHG: paratereo hemera men kairos eniantos Trans.: keep track day month season year THE PACT: For you pay close attention to days, months, seasons and years. GAL 04:11 SHG: phobeo mepos kopiao kopiao eike Trans.: fear maybe strive strive in vain THE PACT: I am afraid that I might have striven in vain with you! Galatians with the Greek Text 81 GAL 04:12 SHG: adelphos deomai adikeo oudeis oudeis Trans.: brother ask do wrong no one no one THE PACT: Brothers, I ask you to be as I am. Because I have become like you, and no one among you have done me anything wrong. GAL 04:13 SHG: eido hoti dia astheneia sarx euaggelizo euaggelizo proteron Trans.: know that with weakness flesh preach message preach message before THE PACT: As you know it was with weakness in the flesh I have previously preached the message to you. GAL 04:14 SHG: peirasmos sarx exoutheneo oude ekptuo dechomai aggelos theos christos Trans.: suffering flesh despise or reject receive messenger god christ iesous jesus THE PACT: And my weakness in the flesh you neither despised nor rejected me for, but you received me as a God’s messenger — as if I were the Christ Jesus. GAL 04:15 SHG: tis oun makarismos martureo martureo ei Trans.: how then great pleasure testify testify if dunatos exorusso possible tear out humon opthalmos didomi your eye give THE PACT: But where has the great pleasure you had then, gone to? For I can testify that if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. GAL 04:16 SHG: hoste ginomai humon ecthros aletheia aletheia Trans.: now become your enemy truth truth THE PACT: Have I now become your enemy because I tell you the truth? GAL 04:17 SHG: zeloo zeloo kalos alla thelo ekkleio zeloo Trans.: zealous zealous good because wish separate zealous 82 Galatians with the Greek Text THE PACT: They are zealous to win you over, but not to the good. Because they want to keep you apart from us so that you may be zealous for them. GAL 04:18 SHG: kalos zeloo zeloo pantote kalos monon en -ho pareimi Trans.: good zeleous zelous always good only when somebody present THE PACT: It is good to always be zealous for that which is of the good, and not only when someone is present with you. GAL 04:19 SHG: teknion teknion hos odino odino palin echri christos morpho Trans.: little child little child who birthpain birthpain again unto christ shape THE PACT: My little children whom I again have birth pains with until Christ takes shape in you. GAL 04:20 SHG: thelo pereimi arti allasso phone aporeo aporeo Trans.: wish present so that change voice uncertain uncertain THE PACT: I wish I could be present with you so that I could use a different tone. But I am at a loss concerning you. GAL 04:21-31. The First and the New Pact GAL 04:21-31 SHG: lego thelo hupo nomos akouo nomos Trans.: say wish under law hear law THE PACT: So tell me, you who want to be under the law: Do you keep the law? GAL 04:22 SHG: grapho abraam echo duo huios heis paidiske heis eleutheros Trans.: write abrahan have two son one slavegirl one free THE PACT: Because it is written that Abraham had two sons — one with the slave girl, the other with her who was free. GAL 04:23 SHG: paidiske gennao sarx eleutheros apaggello Trans.: slavegirl bear flesh free promise Galatians with the Greek Text 83 THE PACT: The salve girl gave birth in the flesh, but the free bore according to the promise. GAL 04:24 SHG: hostis allegoreo houtos duo diatheke mia oros sina gennao douleia Trans.: this symbolic these two pact first mount sinai bear slavery hostis agar this hagar THE PACT: This is symbolic, because they were of the two pacts. The first, she who gave birth at the mountain Sinai, bore in slavery. She was Hagar. GAL 04:25 SHG: ho hagar oros sina arabia sustoicheo hierousalem ho nun Trans.: this hagar mount sinai arabia correspond jerusalem that now douleuo teknon slavery child THE PACT: This Hagar by mount Sinai in Arabia corresponds with the Jerusalem that is now with her children in slavery. GAL 04:26 SHG: hierousalen ano eleutheros hostis meter pas Trans.: jerusalem up there free this mother all THE PACT: But the Jerusalem which is up there, is free and will become the mother of all. GAL 04:27 SHG: grapho euphraino steiros tikto rhegnumi rhegnumi boao odino eremos Trans.: write rejoice barren bear break out break out shout pain barren polus mallon teknon e echo aner many more child than have man THE PACT: For it is written: ‘Rejoice, you who are barren and unable to bear children. Break out in shouts, you who have no birth pains, for she who was barren, has many more children then she who had a man.’ ISA 54:01 84 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 04:28 SHG: de adelphos isaak teknon epaggallia Trans.: so brother isaac child promise THE PACT: And you, brothers, as Isaac, are children of the promise. GAL 04:29 SHG: tote gennao kata sarx dioko kata pneuma kai houto nun Trans.: this bear after flesh persecute after spirit also this now THE PACT: He who was born of the flesh, persecuted he who was of the promise. That is also how it is now. GAL 04:30 SHG: alla tis lego graphe ekballo paidiske huios huios kleronomeo Trans.: and this say scripture throw out slavegirl son son inherit huios eleutheros son free THE PACT: About this the Scripture says: ‘Throw out the son of the slave girl, because her son shall not inherit together with the son of the free.’ GEN 21:10 GAL 04:31 SHG: ara ara adelphos teknon paidiske eleutheros Trans.: therefore therefore brother child slavegirl free THE PACT: Therefore, brothers, you are not children of the slave girl, but of the free. GAL 05 The Flesh Strives against the Spirit GAL 05:01-15. Love through faith GAL 05:01 SHG: steko oun eleutheria hos christos eleutheroo eleutheroo enecho palin Trans.: stand then freedom that christ free free entangle again zugos douleia yoke slavery Galatians with the Greek Text 85 THE PACT: Stand firm in the freedom Christ has freed us to, and do not again get entangled in the yoke of slavery. GAL 05:02 SHG: ide paulos lego ean peritemno christos pheleo oudeis Trans.: see paul say if circumcise christ use nothing THE PACT: See! — I, Paul, say that if you let yourselves become circumcised, Christ has been of no use to you! GAL 05:03 SHG: marturomai palin pas anthropos peritemno opheiletes poieo holos nomos Trans.: testify again all man circumcise guilty do whole law THE PACT: I again testify to all men that if you let yourselves become circumcised, you will be obligated to keep the whole law. GAL 05:04 SHG: christos katargeo katargeo katargeo hostis dikaioo nomos ekpipto charis Trans.: christ nullify nullify nullify who justify law fall out grace THE PACT: For you nullify Christ, you who want to be justified through the law. You have fallen out of his grace! GAL 05:05 SHG: pneuma apekdechomai elpis diakosune pistis Trans.: spirit wait hope justice faith THE PACT: In the spirit we hopefully wait for the justice of the faith. GAL 05:06 SHG: iesous christos oute peritone ischuo tis oute akrobustia pistis Trans.: jesus christ no circumcision mean any no uncircumcise faith energeo agape work love THE PACT: Because in Christ being circumcised or not being circumcised means nothing; only the faith which leads to love. GAL 05:07 SHG: trecho kalos tis anakopto peitho aletheia Trans.: run good who prevent obey truth 86 Galatians with the Greek Text THE PACT: You ran fast! But who prevented you from listening to the truth? GAL 05:08 SHG: ho peismone kaleo Trans.: that persuation call THE PACT: For the persuasion to this is not from him who called you. GAL 05:09 SHG: mikros zume zumoo holos phurama Trans.: little sourdough saturate whole dough THE PACT: A little sourdough saturates the whole batch. GAL 05:10 SHG: peitho en kurios oudeis allos proneo tarasso bastazo Trans.: confidence in lord no other understanding bother receive krima hostis -an judgement whoever be THE PACT: But I have the confidence in you through the Lord that you will not change your understanding, and that those who confuse you, will get their punishment, regardless of who they are. GAL 05:11 SHG: adelphos ei eti kerusso peritomne tis eti dioko dioko Trans.: brother if still preach circumcision why still persecute persecute ara skandalon stauros katargeo real stumbling stone pole take away THE PACT: Brothers, if I still preach the circumcision, why am I then persecuted? Because then the pole as a stumbling block has been cleared away. GAL 05:12 SHG: ophelon kai apokopto apokopto anastatoo Trans.: wish also cut off cut off oppose THE PACT: I wish that they cut it off, these who set themselves up against us. Galatians with the Greek Text 87 GAL 05:13 SHG: adelphos kaleo eleutheia monon aleutheia aphorne sarx agape Trans.: brother call freedom only freedom opportunity flesh love douleuo allelon allelon slave another another THE PACT: Because you, brothers, are called to freedom. But do not make this freedom an opportunity for the flesh. Be each other’s slaves in love. GAL 05:14 SHG: pas nomos pleroo Trans.: all law fulfill heis rhema agapao plesion heautou one word love neighor self THE PACT: For the whole law is fulfilled through one word: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ LEV 19:18 GAL 05:15 SHG: ei dakno katesthio allelon plepo analisko allelon allelon Trans.: if bite eat another see eat up another another THE PACT: But if you bite and eat at each other, see to it that you do not eat each other up! GAL 05:16-18. Live by the spirit GAL 05:16 SHG: lego de peripateo pneuma teleo epithumia sarx Trans.: say this wander spirit satisfy desire flesh THE PACT: This I say: Live by the spirit, so that you shall not satisfy the desires of the flesh. GAL 05:17 SHG: sarx epithumeo kata pneuma pneuma kate sarx tauta antikeimai Trans.: flesh desire against spiritt spirit against flesh then oppose allelon allelon hina me poieo thelo another another so no do wish THE PACT: Because the desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These are opposing each other, so that no one shall do what he wants. 88 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 05:18 SHG: ei ago pneuma hupo nomos Trans.: if lead spirit under law THE PACT: But if you are guided by the spirit, you are not under the law. GAL 05:19-21. The acts of the flesh GAL 05:19 SHG: de ergon sarx phaneros hosti moicheia porneia akatharsia Trans.: then act flesh obvious like fornication sexual immorality unclean aselgeia indulgence THE PACT: The acts of the flesh are obvious: They are such as fornication, sexual immorality and unworthy indulgence. GAL 05:20 SHG: eidololathreia pharmacheia echthra eris zelos thumos eritheia Trans.: idolatry act magic hatred contention envy anger scheming dichostasia hairesis party divisions sect formation THE PACT: They are idolatry, acts of magic, hatred, envy, anger, scheming, party activity, and the forming of sects. COMMENT: If you consider carefully now, you will see that today’s Christianity consists of all this, especially party divisions and sect formations. In today’s society the various religious parties are opposing each other as more bitter enemies that the roughest political adversaries. And new sects and divisions are growing up faster than mushrooms. If you read Revelation chapters 17-19 you will see that God shall put an end to all such activities. And even if today’s churches may be free of idolatry and magic acts, none of then can claim that they are free of quarrels and scheming. GAL 05:21 SHG: phthmos phonos methe komos toitos homoios hos prolego Trans.: antagonism murder killing drunkedness riot like that presay prolego kai proepo prolego prasso toitous kleronomeo basileia theos presay also presay presay practice such inherit realm god Galatians with the Greek Text 89 THE PACT: They are also antagonism, murder, alcoholism, riots, and the like. I have both said and told you before, that those who practice these, shall not inherit the Realm of God. COMMENT: What does it mean to inherit the Realm of God? Yes, indeed, there are contentions about this! And the fablers go out of their way! And that may not be so strange, because this is very nuanced, and after almost two thousand years of wrong teachings, it is understandable that many Christians are struggling with this. But yet it is very clear, based on the Greek text: Those who inherit the Realm of God, are the same who take part in the first resurrection as God’s adopted sons and Jesus’ heavenly brothers. They are to be Jesus’ co-priests, co-rulers and co-judges during the thousand years — they are God’s universal government. And they are to rule over the earth! (REV 05:09-10) After God’s priesthood with Jesus as the Highest priest have been gathered in full number, 144.000, then Jesus together with God’s holy shall eradicate all devilry from the earth. That is called the great tribulation. But the Realm of God consists of two division, that of the heavens and that on the earth! The resurrection to a possible life in ages on the earth, is the second, the universal, resurrection. Those who have taken part in the first resurrection and those who have been given a life in ages after the second resurrection will constitute one unity under Christ. (EPH 01:10) Together they make up the Realm of God. GAL 05:22-23. The fruits of the spirit GAL 05:22 SHG: korpos pneuma agape chora eirene makrothumia chrestotes Trans.: fruit spirit love joy peace patience tenderness agathosune pistis praiotes egkrateia benevolence faith mildness self restraint THE PACT: The fruits of the spirit, on the contrary, are love, joy, peace, patience, tenderness, benevolence, meekness and self restraint. GAL 05:23 SHG: kata toioutos ou nomos Trans.: against such no law THE PACT: Against such there is no law. 90 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 05:24 SHG: christos stauroo sarx pathema Trans christ impale flesh passion epithumia desire THE PACT: Those who are of Christ, have impaled the flesh with its passions and desires. GAL 05:25 SHG: ei zao pneuma kai stoicheo pneuma Trans.: if live spirit also comply spirit THE PACT: And if you want to live by what is of the spirit, you must also comply with what is of the spirit. GAL 05:26 SHG: kenodoxos kenodoxos kenodoxos prokaleomai allelon allelon phthoneo Trans.: self-center self-center self-center provoke another another envy allelon allelon another another THE PACT: Let us not become self-centered so that we will not provoke and envy each other. GAL 06 What You Sow, You Shall Reap GAL 06:01-05. Share the burdens GAL 06:01 SHG: adelphos ean anthropos prolambano paraptoma ho pneumatikos Trans.: brother when man catch sin who spiritual katartizo toioutos pneuma praiotes skopeo seautou me kai peirazo guide these spirit mild watch self no also tempt THE PACT: Brothers, if some are caught in a sin, you who are of the spirit, shall admonish him with a mild spirit. But watch out so that you yourselves are not tempted! GAL 06:02 SHG: bastazo allelon allelon baros houto anapleroo nomos christos Trans.: carry another another burden thus fulfill law christ Galatians with the Greek Text 91 THE PACT: Carry each other’s burdens, because then you fulfill the law of Christ. GAL 06:03 SHG: ei tis dokeo tis medeis phrenapatao heautou Trans.: if any think something nothing deceive self THE PACT: If someone thinks he is something, but without being it, he deceives himself. GAL 06:04 SHG: hekastos tis dokimazo heautou ergon tote echo kauchema heautou Trans.: each that evaluate self work then have praise self monos heteros only other THE PACT: Each must evaluate his own work, because then he may boast of what he is himself, and not of what others are. GAL 06:05 SHG: hekastos tis bastazo idios phortion Trans.: each must carry own burden THE PACT: Each must carry his own burden. GAL 06:06-10. Do good to all GAL 06:06 SHG: kathecheo rhema koinoneo katecheo pas agathos Trans.: teach word share teach all good THE PACT: He who is taught the word, must share all his good things with he who teaches. GAL 06:07 SHG: planao theos mukteriso hos -ean anthropos speiro kai therizo Trans.: deceive god mock that what man so also reap THE PACT: But do not be deceived, for God will not be blasphemed. What a man sows, he will also reap. 92 Galatians with the Greek Text GAL 06:08 SHG: speiro sarx sarx therizo phthora speiro pneuma pneuma therizo Trans.: sow flesh flesh reap destruction sow spirit spirit reap zoe aionios life age THE PACT: He who sows what is of the flesh, will reap the destruction of the flesh, and he who sows what is of the spirit, will by the spirit reap ageous life. COMMENT: There is such a terrible confusion about God’s spirit, the Spirit, or the Holy Spirit. The spirit is that which exudes from God, and he who sows what is of God, shall have a life in ages. It is not more difficult than that. THE PACT usually writes spirit without a capital letter, because there are so many spirits, the good from God and the evil from Satan, and some good and some bad from man. Then it becomes confusing to write spirit with a capital letter if the spirit is fro man, maybe good, maybe bad, or even neutral. THE PACT writes the Holy Spirit in capital first letters because that is unequivocally from God. THE PACT also writes God’s spirit with a capital letter of the word God. Here the spirit is clearly from God. But the spirit in general may either be from God or from Satan, or from man. The spirit is what exudes from someone From God exudes everything good and fro Satan everything evil. And that of Satan the Greek text describes as demons, evil spirits or unclean spirits. And remember that after the fall man was no longer in God’s image, because Adam took to him of Satan’s spirit when he ate from the tree of knowledge. After this man became bastards with some good in them and some evil, in variable balance. So therefore the spirit in lower case letters only Many snuff at this and claim that man is still in God’s image! But — think a little: Can you imagine God as an images of sin? God creating Adam in his image means that Adam was created without sin in a spiritual image of God. Adam is by Paul called the first Adam and Jesus the second Adam (1CO 15:45) because these two men are the only ones who were created, or born, without sin. Both of these are in the Bible each separately called the son of God, but Adam only once, in Luke 03:38. GAL 06:09 SHG: ekkakeo kalos poieo idios kairos therizo ekluo Trans.: tire good do right time reap weaken THE PACT: Do not get tired of doing good, for at the set time we shall reap if we do not give up. Galatians with the Greek Text 93 GAL 06:10 SHG: echo ara -oun kairos ergazomai agathos pas malista oikeios pistis Trans.: have opportunity the time work good all special belong faith THE PACT: Let us therefore, while we still have the opportunity, do good to all, and especially to those who belong to the faith. GAL 06:11. With my own hand GAL 06:11 SHG: eido pelikos pelikos gramma echo grapho emos cheir Trans.: see large large letter have write my hand THE PACT: Note that I have written to you in big letters — with my own hand! COMMENT: Why is it so very special that Paul wrote to the Galaians with his own hand? After all at that time they neither had type writers of PC’s. Paul wrote this after he had returned to Antioch from Corinth after his second journey probably just before he started on his third journey. And then he was alone. Therefore he wrote the letter with his own hand. And, as a result of having an impaired vision, he had to write in big letters. Usually Paul had scribes who wrote his letters while he dictated to them, ref. Romans 16:22. GAL 06:12-16. Warnings GAL 06:12 SHG: hosos thelo euprosopeo euprosopeo sarx anagkazo epitomno monon Trans.: those wish look good look good flesh force circulcision only hina -me dioko dioko stauros christos because no persecute persecute pole christ THE PACT: It is such that want to look good in the flesh who want to force you to become circumcised, just so that no one shall persecute them because of Christ’s pole. GAL 06:13 SHG: oude autos peritemno phulasso nomos thelo peritemno kaukaomai Trans.: no self circumcise keep law wish circumcise rejoice humerteros sarx you flesh 94 Galatians with the Greek Text THE PACT: Because nobody, not even among the circumcised, obeys the law. They want you to become circumcised so that they may boast about you in the flesh. GAL 06:14 SHG: me -ginomai me -ginomai kauchaomai ei_me stauros kurios iesous Trans.: never happen never happen boast if not pole lord jesus christus hos kosmos stauroo kosmos christ who world empale world THE PACT: May it never happen that I boast about anything but the Lord Jesus’ pole. For he has impaled what is of this world for me, and me for what is of this world. GAL 06:15 SHG: christos iesous oute peritome ischuo tis oude akrobustia kainos Trans.: christ jesus neither circumcise mean any nor uncircumcise new ktisis creation THE PACT: Because in Jesus Christ being circumcised or not being circumcised means nothing, but becoming the new creation. COMMENT: You do not become a new creation just because you receive Christ. And neither are you being born anew! The new creation is when a man of flesh and blood dies, and then get a spiritual resurrection as a spiritual creation. That is the new creation, because such a creation has never been before. Jesus was the first. In the heavens there have all the time been spiritual beings, ref. God’s heavenly messengers. And on the earth there have always been creations of flesh, blood and bones, souls, and among them man is the foremost. But never before has a man of flesh blood and bones been risen to become a spiritual creation. And those who get to take part in the first resurrection as God’s adopted, heavenly sons and Jesus’ heavenly brothers together with Jesus then become the new creation. — Was not that all right? GAL 06:16 SHG: hosos stoicheo toutoi kanon eirene epi eleos israel theos Trans.: who hold these guideline peace on mercy israel god THE PACT: To those who hold on to this guideline; peace and mercy be with you, and with God’s Israel. Galatians with the Greek Text 95 COMMENT: Few understand, and even fewer will accept, that ‘God’s Israel’ has nothing to do with the mundane, physical state of Israel. Paul here refers to the spiritual Israel, those who take part in the first resurrection. And then the word is being used in its correct meaning: He who has fought with God (not against) and won (his blessing). And now you also understand how important it is to know the correct meaning of each name in the Bible, especially from the First Pact. GAL 06:17. The Lord Jesus’ mark GAL 06:17 SHG: loipoy medeis medeis kopos -parecho bastazo soma stigma kurios iesous Trans.: rest no one no one bother weakness carry body mark lord jesus THE PACT: Finally, may no one be bothered by my weakness, for I carry the Lord Jesus’ mark on my body. GAL 06:18. A short farewell GAL 06:18 SHG: adelphos charis kurios iesous christos humeteros pneuma amen Trans.: brother grace lord jesus christ your spirit amen THE PACT: Brothers, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. NB! Paragraphs, verses, expressions and words in [square brackets] have been added in translations. 96 Verses in Galatians that are often wrongly translated in English and American versions: Here follows an overview of biblical verses in Galatians that are either directly wrongly translated or that are twisted to the extent that they do not give a correct understanding of the word of God. I use the original King James version of 1611, originally a Catholic translation, and the New International Version, at present the best selling U.S. translation, and in many cases also the New World Translation by Jehovah’s Witnesses, as reference Bibles. Their text will then be compared to the original text, and finally to the translation of THE PACT. At the end follow comments to the text. Here much dynamite is buried, because much of this is so solidly entrenched in Christianity that it is often the unmistakable truth that is rejected as false teaching. But one thing is for sure: If you are going to get a factual and correct understanding of the Bible, it is a basic prerequisite that it has been correctly translated! SHG = Strong’s Hebrew / Greek THE PACT, GAL 01:05. ‘The glory is his in ages. Amen.’ NIV: ‘— to whom be the glory forever and ever.’ KJ-1611: ‘To whom be glory for ever and ever.’ NWT: ‘— to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.’ SHG: hos doxa aion aion amen Trans.: whose glory age age amen THE PACT: ‘The glory is his in ages.’ COMMENT: I have mentioned it before that English and American translations are often closer to the original text than many international versions. There the words used are often eternal, eternity which are definitely not a biblical concept, but solidly established in many Catholic and Lutheran translations. Eternal refers to a time that is never ending, and the expression through all eternity is construes by translators. Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians 97 The word in Greek is aion, which simply means time, age, but then to an age of long duration. But definitely not forever or never ending. So, what is correct? Then we need to check the original text, and therefore that is included. The word that is being translated eternal or forever is aion which simply means time, age, but of a long duration. As an adjective it is aionios. But we do not have a corresponding adjective in English, but aionios is connected to the long time. The closest I have come to this concept is ageous which in neither quite correct. Here is an overview of correct translations of the Greek words aion and aionios: Gr. aion = time, age (implicitly a very ling time or age, but yet not an age without end. Gr. aionios = that of time, age. Correct translation of aion is therefore age or ages, and not eternal, eternity. When the word aion is used twice after each other, it is often translated through all eternity. Correct translation is through ages, or through age and ages. About aionios, the adjective that is tied to the long time, a good word would be timous, but that already has a slightly different use. Therefore the word ageous is the closest I can come to a correct translation, although it is not 100% correct. And therefore it is even more important having a correct understanding of the concept. The construes word eternal has in the Bible developed the meaning of without end, never ending or forever. But the word aion only refers to a time of long duration, but does never contain the concept of never ending. This we understand even better when we know that aion also refers back in time, but no longer than back that to Adam. This is repeated throughout all of the Bible. The word eternal is not as widely used in English and American translations as for instance in Danish and Norwegian translation, but it is still being used. KJ-1611 writes eternal 47 times in 47 verses and eternity only 1 time. NIV writes eternal 81 times in 80 verses and eternity 3 times in 3 verses. In the Greek text the adjective that refers to the long time, aionios, is being used 71 times in 69 verses. In the Greek text the substantive that refers to the long time, aion, is being used 129 times in 103 verses. The word aion is being used two times after each other 22 times in 22 verses. Then some translators write through the eternity of eternities. 98 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians The fact that the nubmer of time these words are being uses, shows that the tranlators are not so careful how they transfer word compared to the original text. THE PACT write the words aion and aionios as many times as they are being used in the Greek text. That has been done so that the translation will not seem confusing to an occasional reader, but clarifying. THE PACT follows a clear principle in its translation: ‘Right is right.’ Tampering with the word of God is of Satan. THE PACT, GAL 01:24. ‘And they praised God for it.’ NIV: ‘And they praised God because of me.’ KJ-1611: ‘And they glorified God in me.’ NWT: ‘So they began glorifying God because of me.’ SHG: doxazo theos Trans.: praise god THE PACT: And they praised God for it.’ COMMENT: It may very well be that the Galatians praised God because of Paul. And it may well be that they glorified him. But it does not say so in this verse. The word doxa is special. It may mean glorify, praise, honor, etc. But how can it at the same time it may mean heaven, ocean and gold? The original meaning is: that which it shines from. And then you understand. Can it also mean silver? That is possible, but then it must not be confused with gold. Silver in Greek is argon, which a little by little has developed to mean money. THE PACT, GAL 02:09. ‘When Jacob, Caiphas and John, —’ NIV: ‘James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.’ KJ-1611: ‘And when James, Caiaphas , and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.’ Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians 99 NWT: ‘ — yes, when they came to know the undeserved kindness that was given to me, James and Caiaphas and John, the ones who seemed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of sharing together, that we should go to the nations and they to those who are circumcised.’ NB! The wrong use of names and words have been enhanced. SHG: iakobas kaiaphas ioannes ho dokeo stulos ginosko didomi didomi Trans.: jacob caiphas john who think column learn receive receive barnabas dexios dexios koinonia ethnos peritome barnabas right right fellowship ethnic circumcise NB! Note that the Greek text write Jacob about Jesus’ half brother, and not James. In King James of 1611 Jacob’s name was changed to James in honor of King James who supported this translation. Again: Tempering with the word of God is of Satan. THE PACT: As Jacob, Caiphas and John, who were considered to be among the pillars, realized what I had received, they gave Barnabas and myself the right hand of their fellowship. We were to preach to those of the peoples and they to the circumcised. COMMENT: The Greek word ethnos has entered into everyday speech. WE often hear talk about ethnic origin, which refer to what group of people some belong to. This word had through the centuries been wrongly translated heathen in the Bible. But a heathen is someone subjected to idolatry who know neither God nor Christ. Peoples is correct here, not Gentile or heathen or nation. Maybe it would be advantageous to write ethnics, and we would see that the Bible does not separate distinctively between the peoples and the Jews, because also the Jews are an ethnic group, and are as an exception also referred to as an ethnic group, and then it would be insane to translate heathen. Translators then mostly write people referring to the Jewish people. And that agrees with the facts, because also the Jews have an ethnic origin. But this is being translated confusingly different in the various translations. King James write heathen as many as 150 times in 145 verses. NIV writes heathen only one time, and then referring to such who do not know God. They write Gentile 11 times in 11 verses. — I have often wondered about the origin of the word Gentile. NWT wrongly writes nations here, but there is a great difference between a nation, a political unit, or a people, an ethnic unit. THE PACT consistently writes peoples where the Greek text writes ethnos, also when ethnos refers to the Jews. And then we understand that by writing heathens, we paint ourselves into a corner. 100 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians THE PACT, GAL 02:18. ‘If someone wants to rebuild, —’ NIV: ‘If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker.’ Uff da! What a silly translation. What was destroyed, was the law, and it was not Paul who did that, but Jesus through his sacrifice! KJ-1611: ‘For if I build again things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.’ Uff da! Same confusion. But now at least we know where NIV has its text from. NWT: ‘For if the very things that I once threw down, I build up again, I demonstrate myself to be a trasgressor.’ Uff da! So also NWT has its text from King James. And King James has it from the Bible of the Pope, LXX, which also has exactly the same text, but in Latin. NB! You will see this clearly if you read this verse in context with the rest of the contents. GAL 02:18 SHG: ei oikodomeo palin hos kataluo sunistao emautou parabates Trans.: if build again what tear down turn self lawbreaker THE PACT: If someone wants to rebuild what has been torn down, does he not then make himself into a lawbreaker? COMMENT: What has been torn down, is the old law of Moses. And he who tries to rebuild what has been torn down, ref. the Jews, becomes a lawbreaker in relation to the law of Christ, the only law that applies after Jesus’ resurrection. And who was it that tore down the entire temple order in three days? Was it Paul? No, here each has translated ‘with his head under his arm, and his arm in a sling.’ (Oystein Sunde) No, he who did this, was Jesus Christ! Claiming it was Paul, becomes insane. THE PACT, GAL 02:19. ‘Under the law I was dead, —’ NIV: ‘For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.’ KJ-1611: ‘For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.’ NWT: ‘As for me, through law I died toward law, that I might come alive toward God.’ Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians 101 SHG: dia nomos apothnesko nomos zao theos Trans.: by law dead law live god THE PACT: Under the law* I was dead, but under the law** I shall live for God. *Moses’ law **Christ’s law COMMENT: This about the law confuses many, because when they hear the word law, they think about Moses’ law. That is not how it is. The Bible refers to the law in three basic phases: 01. From Adam til Moses the chosen, ref. Adam and Abraham, were directly subjected to God’s law. 02. After Moses received a more extensive and detailed law, the descendants of Israel became subjected to Moses’ law. And that is how it was until Christ. 03. After Christ we were all subjected to Christ’s law, also the Jews who stand nodding their heads at the wailing wall. They are trying to preserve what has been torn down. Yet, every law is from God, but all in its right time. The law that Paul was dead under, was the law of Moses, but the law that he shall life under for God, is the law of Christ. And therefore, the way Paul writes this, becomes a game of words. There are many of those in the Bible, and many of them are complicated. But we must understand them to translate them correctly. THE PACT, GAL 03:06. ‘This is how it was with Abraham: —’ NIV: ‘Consider Abraham: ‘He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ KJ-1611: ‘Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ NWT: ‘Just as Abraham ‘put faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’ SHG: kathos abraham pisteuo theos logizomai dikaiosune Trans.: how abraham believe god* consider righteousness *Jehovah in the Hebrew text 102 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians THE PACT: This is how it was with Abraham: ‘He believed in Jehovah and was therefore counted as righteous.’ GEN 15:06 COMMENT: This is a direct quote from Genesis 15:06. I include it in Hebrew: SHG: aman yehovah chashat tsedaqak Trans.: believe jehovah consider righteousness English: He believed in Jehovah and that was considered as righteousness. We see that in the original text it says Jehovah while in the translations they write God even if it is a direct quote. We are very gullible if we believe this is just a mishap. It is so consistently carried through in all of the Bible that the only correct expression is conscious falsification. What could be the purpose of that? — To prove that they are dishonest? THE PACT, GAL 03:07. ‘Understand, therefore, that he —’ NIV: Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.’ KJ-1611: ‘Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.’ NWT: ‘Surely you know that those who adhere to faith are the ones who are sons of Abraham.’ SHG: ginosko ara pistis houtos huios abraam Trans.: understand therefore believe this son abraham THE PACT: Understand, therefore, that he who believes, is a son of Abraham. COMMENT: Here both KJ-1611 and NIV write children where the text says sons. This is also a conscious falsification to hide the fact that the major message of the Bible is about the establishment of a heavenly priesthood of men without blemish, (LEV 21:17-24) the heavenly division of the Realm of God. Gr. huios = son. The basic meaning is offspring of the male gender and may also be used about, for instance a foal, a colt, etc. Huios can never mean child, children, but in defense of such falsifications that is claimed by an increasing number. Gr. teknon = child. This word is gender neutral and may be used about both sons and daughters. Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians 103 Again and again you see that the translators write children where the original text says sons. And this is done consciously from beginning to end. And not even the original text is totally free of this falsification. And do not believe in such who try to explain this away by claiming that huios may mean both child and son. That is a bluff! The word for child is teknon. Huios, on the other hand, can only means son, whether of man or animals, because the basic meaning of this word is offspring of the male gender. And thereby it may also mean foal, colt, etc., but never child. Why is this so important? Hold on to something solid, because the Bible is mostly about a priesthood of men without blemish. These are Jesus’ heavenly brothers and God’s adopted sons, the holy, the elect, the bride, members of the Melchizedec priesthood, those whom God has set his seal on, etc. These are the ones that God has chosen to a heavenly existence and who will take part in the first, the heavenly, resurrection. Jesus explains this in detail to Nicodemus in John, chapter 03. The Bible is crystal clear here, by Satan, how eager the power people of Christianity are to explain this away. And when they go so far that they consciously falsify the word of God ti hide God’s truth, we understand that they will not shy away from any means to hide this fact! Be aware that Abraham received two promises, and only one with ab oath. This you may read about in Genesis, chapter 22. There it is all the time referred to the Semen, whicg is Christ. And also be aware that this oath applies to the members of God’s heavenly priesthood who are to rule over the earth together with Christ. (REV 05:10) But Abraham also got another promise that was given without an oath, and also these shall be blessed through the Semen, Christ. That you may read about in Genesis 13:14-15. There it says, THE PACT: ‘After Lot had left him, Jehovah said to Abraham: ‘Lift your eyes from the place where you stand to the north, to the south, to the east and to the west. For all the earth that you now see, I will give to you and those of your semen in ages.’ Many claim that this is the promise of the land Israel. That is not correct. Neither Israel nor any other country has border such as those described in this verse. This is God’s promise to Abraham, that those who are of his semen, those who believe in Jesus, shall inherit the earth and live on it in ages.’ (PSA 37:11, PSA 37:29, MAT 05:05, EPH 01:10, with many, many more.) THE PACT, GAL 03:16. ‘To Abraham and those of his semen —’ ‘The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say ‘and to his seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.’ 104 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians KJ-1611: ‘Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.’ NWT: ‘Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. it says not ‘And to seeds,’ as in the case of many such, but as in the case of one: ‘And to your seed, which is Christ.’ SHG: de abraam sperma epaggelia rheo lego sperma polus heis sperma Trans.: now abraham semen promise speak say sperm many one semen* hos christos who christ *actually, sperm THE PACT: To Abraham and those of his semen the promises were spoken. But he did not say ‘semens,’ as if to many, but to one: ‘To those of your semen,’ which is Christ. COMMENT: This verse may confuse a little, because many believe that God’s promise to Abraham and those of his semen, refer to his becoming the father of many nations, both the Jews and the Arabs, and also to the sons of the East by Keturah. But the way some of these nations oppose each other as enemies, that would have been more a curse than a blessing. The promises to Abraham show directly to Christ and the righteous who shall have a life in ages — a few in the heavens, the rest on the earth. NB! Be aware that of the promises God gave Abraham, Abraham has not himself received a single one. Because the promises to Abraham were through Christ, and he has not yet taken control over the earth. (DAN 02:44) Only after his resurrection on the earth God’s promises to Abraham will be fulfilled. Oh, by the way, Abraham did get one promise fulfilled while on the earth. Which one was that? THE PACT, GAL 03:17. ‘What I mean is: The pact, which —’ NIV: ‘What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God, and thus do away with the promise.’ KJ-1611: ‘And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before by God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.’ Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians 105 NWT: ‘Further, as to the covenant previously validated by God, the Law that has come into being four hundred and thirty years later does not invalidate it, so as to abolish the promise.’ SHG: touto lego diatheke prokuroo prokuroo theos christos nomos tetrakosioi Trans.: this say pact confirm confirm god [christ] law four hundred tetrakosioi triakonta etos mete ou akuroo katargeo apaggelia akuroo katargeo four hundred thirty year after no invalid liquidate promise invalid liquidate THE PACT: What I mean is: The Pact, which was establishes by God [through Christ],* the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, cannot make it invalid or liquidate it. *added COMMENT: We again see that the translators refer to the promise in the singular, whicch then refer to the Semen, which is Christ. Transcribers have even been so eager to include this that they wrongfully have added [through Christ] in the text — even in the original text! And let it be clear once and for all: When the promise refer to the Semen, which is Christ, it is of course to be in the singular. But the very promises do not directly refer to Christ They refer to what will be the result of Jesus’ acts: A heavenly priesthood of men without blemish, the 144.000, the Realm of God, (the promise given with an oath), who together with Christ are to help reestablish what Adam destroyed through his disobedience, a life in ages on the earth ti righteous people (the general promise). These are the two promises God gave Abraham, and when the text refers to them, they are of course to be presented in the plural, the promises, rf. also verse 29. THE PACT, GAL 03:18. ‘Because, if the inheritance —’ NIV: ‘For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.’ KJ-1611: ‘For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more a promise: But God gave it to Abraham by promise.’ NWT: ‘For if the inheritance is due to law, it is no longer due to promise, whereas God has kindly given it to Abraham through a promise.’ SHG: ei kleronomia nomos ouketi eti epaggelia theos charizomai abraam Trans.: if inheritance law longer be promise god by grace abraham apaggelia promise 106 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians THE PACT: ‘Because if the inheritance was by law, it can no longer be a promise. But through his grace God gave Abraham the inheritance through the promises.’ COMMENT: How many promises did god give Abraham? In addition to the promise of Isaac he got two, one with an oath, the other was just a promise. The promise confirmed by an oath was about those who were to get a heavenly resurrection as God’s adopted sons and Jesus heavenly brothers. This oath God gave Abraham after he had been willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac, ref. Jesus. He had then proven his faithfulness. This you may read about in Genesis 22:14-15. But Abraham also got another promise from God — a promise to inherit the earth. This promise you find in Genesis 13:14-15. It says: ‘Then Jehovah said to Abraham after Lot had left his: ‘Lift your eyes from where you stand and look to the north, to the south, to the east and to the west. All the earth that you now see I will give to you and those of your semen in ages.’ Think now: What country has such borders — from horizon to horizon in every direction? It shows as much of the earth as Abraham could see from where he stood. And this is the promise that Abraham himself will enjoy after his resurrection. This promise most Christians do not want to hear so much about. And therefore the Christians concentrate on God’s heavenly promise, and not the promise that is about the earth. It is also repeated in most translations that they write the land here, and not the earth, and they also write the promise instead of promises. Fait enough, when the promise refer to Christ, it is correct to write the promise, but when referring to Abraham’s promises, the only correct text is to present it in the plural. THE PACT, GAL 03:24. ‘In that way the law became a schoolmaster —’ NIV: ‘So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified in Christ.’ KJ-1611: ‘Wherefore the law was a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.’ NWT: ‘Consequently the law became our tutor leading us to Christ, that we might be declared righteous due to faith.’ SHG: hoste nomos paidagogos christos dikaioo pistis Trans.: so law child raiser christ justify faith Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians 107 THE PACT: ‘In this way the law became like a schoolmaster for us* until Christ, so that we would be justified by faith.’ *who are us? COMMENT: The word paidagogos means child raiser, but is being translated in so many ways. Well, translations become of lesser importance if we know what the text says in Greek, for instance gehenna, which refers to the garbage dump south of Jerusalem, and not hell. THE PACT, GAL 03:26. ‘We are all sons of God —’ NIV: ‘You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ, —’ NB! Honor to NIV. They got it right this time. But why not do it right all the time? KJ1611: ‘For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.’ NB! Uff da! Here you have the same falsification as before. It is done consciously and consistently! NWT: ‘You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus.’ SHG: pas huios theos pistis christus iesous Trans.: all son god faith christ jesus THE PACT: We are all sons of God through our faith in Christ Jesus. COMMENT: So many translations write children here when the original text writes sons. There is no doubt that this is conscious biblical falsification. Two honest exceptions here are both NIV and NWT. They write sons where the Greek text writes sons. The Bible os crystal clear that those who are to inherit the Realm of God are sons. The major heir have always been sons, ref. heirs to the throne. And the Bible is clear that those who shall inherit the Realm of God, will be a priesthood without blemish. (LEV 21:17-24) And when Jesus began the election of his this priesthood, he confirmed it by choosing twelve men. And it you carefully evaluate who received the Holy Spirit, the members of this priesthood, you will see that not one of them was a woman. Then the Holy Spirit was given in a stronger measure on the day of the Pentecost on the year 33, only eleven of the apostles, plus Matthias, present. (ACT 01:26, ACT 02:01) But then there is a verse that seem to contradict all this, because already two verses later, THE PACT, it says: ‘Then it is not Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, because then we are all one in Christ.’ 108 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians This is a good example of how detailed the Bible is, because when it comes to the election of God’s heavenly priesthood, there is no doubt that there are men, sons. But we have already seen that Abraham had two promises, and one of these was about those who are to inherit the earth. (MAT 05:05) Therefore, if both promises are seen as one under Christ, (EPH 01:10) it is equal for men and women, except that the women are not included as members of God’s priesthood, the promise given with an oath. They are only included in the general promise that applies to those who get a life in ages on the earth. And in that way also women become heirs. if not God would have been unjust, at least seen by those who are in the flesh. Jehovah’s Witnesses have misunderstood this and claim that also the election to the priesthood is the same for men and women. But they always write sons in the text, and claim that even if it says sons in the text, it also include women, because they will have a change of gender ‘on the way up!’ A woman from Kopervik on Karmoy, Norway, Othalia Mydland, is by Jehovah’s Witnesses considered as one of the 144.000 heavenly priests. Therefore she was given her own apartment at the Jehovah’s Witness’ complex outside of Oslo where she lived until her death. If this were the case, why are then Jehovah’s Witnesses such intense adversaries of female ministers in the Lutheran Church? NB! In verse 26 it is correct to include female if it refers to Abrams promise only. But Paul only writes about those who are included in the first promise that God gave with an oath, so therefore it is much more probable that ‘male or female’ have been added during copying the way also daughter has been in Second Corinthians 06:18. But there it is easier to prove because it is a direct quote from Second Samuel 07:14 in the First Pact where it only says sons, while in the Greek translation it says ‘sons and daughters’ the way it is being presented in all translations. THE PACT consistently writes sons where it says sons in the original text, which is also the case with Second Samuel 07:14 — originally. Long live God’s faithful men — and women, in their quest for gender equality! Soon God will be presented as a woman and men are to bear children! In some Norwegian translations brothers have already become siblings, and sons have already been children for a long time. And you will see the dark in their eyes if you try to tell them! Oh, I feel like telling a joke: One minister of the Norwegian government belonging to the Socialistic Leftist Party recommended that the teaching about reproduction should be left out from classes about sexual education, because the teaching of reproduction was discriminatory against lesbians and homosexuals — yes, against lesbians and homosexuals! Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians 109 THE PACT, GAL 03:29. ‘And if you are of Christ, —’ NIV: ‘If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.’ KJ-1611: ‘And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.’ NWT: ‘Moreover,* if you belong to Christ, you are really* Abraham’s seed, heirs with reference to a promise.” *Here NWT adds moreover and really which are not from the Greek text. It seems a bit fetched. SHG: ei christos ara Trans.: if christ be abraam sperma kleronomes kata epaggelia abraham semen heir after promise THE PACT: And if you are of Christ, you are of Abraham’s semen and heirs according to the promises. COMMENT: Many believe that when it says ‘if you are of Christ,’ that it refers to them. But it is not so that whatever the Bible says applies to he who at any time may read it. Jesus, and here Paul, keeps referring to ‘those who are of Christ,’ and then it only applies to each and every one who have been chosen as members of God’s heavenly priesthood. And here Paul confirms that they are heirs to the Realm of God. All of these will take part in the first, the spiritual, resurrection in the same way also Jesus did. The rest of us, men and women, will have a resurrection on the earth. In other words we will not be part of the promise God gave Abraham with an oath. We will be part of God’s general promise of a life in ages on the earth the way God’s original plan was with Adam. We will be part of the second resurrection, the earthly, that of the soul. THE PACT, GAL 04:01. ‘What I can say with pleasure, is —’ NIV: ‘What I am saying is that as long as a heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns* the whole estate.’ *not at the present, but in the future KJ-1611: ‘Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord* of all; —’ *not at the present, but in the future NWT: ‘Now I say that as long as the heir is a babe he does not differ at all from a slave, lord of all things though he is,* —’ *not at the present, but in the future 110 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians SHG: hedista lego kleronomos chronos nepios diaphero oudeis doulos Trans.: pleasure say heir time infant difference no slave kurios pas lord all THE PACT: ‘What I can say with pleasure is that as long as the heir is an infant, there is no difference between him and a slave, even if he is to become* master over them all.’ *refers to the future COMMENT: Here Paul talks about an infant, and not a child or a babe. He who is an infant as a slave, does not separate much from the infant of the heir, but they do as they grow up, because at the right time the heir is inaugurated as the master of all. And Paul refers to those who are to be Jesus’ heavenly co-rulers. They have all omitted that Paul says this with pleasure? Why? As infants, with reference to their earthly existence, they have no preference over any of the others who are in the flesh. But as heirs they will all become rulers with Christ after they become inaugurated, when Jesus takes them to him. And this is a pleasure to Paul. This is all he lives for! THE PACT, GAL 04:04. ‘When time had been fulfilled, —’ NIV: ‘But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, —’ KJ-1611: ‘But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, —’ NWT: ‘But when the full limit of the time arrived, God sent forth his Son, who came to be out of a woman, and who came to be under law, —’ SHG: hote pleroma chronos erchomai theos exapostello exapostello huios Trans.: when fulfill time come god send out send out son ginomai ginomai hupo nomos happen happen under law THE PACT: When time had been fulfilled, God sent his Son. And it happened under the law. Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians 111 COMMENT: KJ-1611 and NIV, as well as NWT, have all included the sentence ‘born of a woman,’ in one form or another. As you can se, that has not been included in the Greek text. So, where have they got it from? Yes, old King James of 1611 has of course included it: ‘Made of a women, made under the law.’ And then it is fair to conclude that also the Pope has included it in his Latin translation, the Vaticanus or the LXX. I see this as solid proof that both NIV and NWT have indiscriminately just copied the text from King James. If not, they would not both have added the same sentence in the same position. Such coincidences do not occur! It may seem logical, but totally unnecessary to include such an addition, because what alternative is there to a man in the flesh being born by a woman? Uff da! Some times — Well, it should strengthen the respect of the Greek text that it is not included there. THE PACT, GAL 04:05. ‘But he was to buy free those under the law, —’ NIV: ‘— to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.’ KJ-1611: ‘To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.’ NWT: ‘— that he might release by purchase those under law, that we, in turn, might receive the adoption as sons.’ SHG: exgorazo hupo nomos apoplambano huiothesia huiothesia Trans.: buy free under law take part in sonship sonship THE PACT: ‘But he was to buy free those under the law so that we would get the sonship.’* *adopted as sons COMMENT: Praise to all three translations in English for having got this correct. I have said it before, and I repeat: English translations are closer to the original text than most Scandinavian texts which all write, with an honest exception of the New World Translation by Jehovah’s Witnesses, childship, being adopted as children. But I did not have to look far to find an English translation that writes the same. The Good News Translation says: ‘— to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might become God’s children.’ This is all inclusive, and with a translation like this, nobody can understand its real meaning! And that’s the purpose! 112 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians THE PACT, GAL 04:14. ‘And my weakness in the flesh, —’ NIV: Even though my illness* was a trial to you, did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead you welcomed me as if I were and angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.’ *what illness? KJ-1611: ‘And my temptation* which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor reject, but received me as angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.’ *what temptation? NWT: ‘And what was a trial* to you in my flesh, you did not treat with contempt or spit at in disgust; but you received me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus.’ *what was a trial to them in Paul’s flesh? SHG: peirasmos sarx exoutheneo oude ekptuo dechomai aggelos theos christos Trans.: suffering flesh despise or reject receive messenger god christ iesous jesus THE PACT: And my weakness* in the flesh you neither despised nor rejected me for, but you received me as a God’s messenger — as if I were the Christ Jesus. *what was Paul’s weakness? COMMENT: A new example of an endless angel-confusion! Paul does not here refer to himself as a heavenly being, but to himself as an intermediary of the message about Christ — an earthly messenger. He shows that his reception among them was so overwhelming that it was as if he were the Crist Jesus. How does this agree with his beeing a heavenly being, an angel? it is sad, but when the translators thing it is about a heavenly being, they write angel. But when they know it is about an earthly messenger, they correctly write messenger. But in Greek the word is the same, aggelos. Gr. aggelos = messenger. And this applies whether the aggelos is a heavenly or an earthy messenger. It is never correct to translate aggelos with angel! But it makes it more exiting and it does tickle the ears! (2TI 04:03) By the way, what suffering in the flesh did Paul refer to? Paul had such an impaired vision that he was barely able to read and write. Therefore he has only written one of his fourteen letters, this very one to the Galatians! (GAL 06:11) The fact that Paul’s letters were written by scribes, one of them being Luke, another was Tertius, you will have confirmed in Romans 16:22. Paul write that he on several occasions had asked Jesus to rid him of this handicap, but then Jesus had answered: ‘My grace is enough for you.’ (2CO 12:07-10) Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians 113 Jesus was indeed aware that Paul had tendencies to become haughty or blown up — much because of his fantastic election directly by God through Jesus, and all the revelations he received, also directly from God through Jesus. Such experiences might go to the head of anybody. Remember that he had previously been a pharisee. ‘I will show him how much he will have to suffer because of my name.’ (ACT 09:16) THE PACT, GAL 05:19. ‘The acts of the flesh are obvious: —’ NIV: ‘The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; — KJ-1611: ‘Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanliness, lasciviousness , —’ NWT: ‘Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanliness, loose conduct, —’ SHG: de ergon sarx phaneros hosti moicheia porneia akatharsia Trans.: then act flesh obvious like fornication sexual immorality unclean aselgeia indulgence THE PACT: The acts of the flesh are obvious: They are such as fornication, sexual immorality and unworthy indulgence. COMMENT: The word sarx is used 150 times in 129 verses in the Greek text. Paul writes sarx as many as 16 times in his short letter to the Galatians. NIV then transtate this word with many different explanations, in this verse sinful nature. THE PACT consistently writes flesh, and strangely this word cause offence with many Christians. It sort of becomes too direct. On a few occasions I have been thoroughly corrected because of this. But why is it so offensive to use the word flesh instead of different expressions such as sinful nature? After all, flesh has a closer meaning to the text than sinful nature, and the goal of THE PACT is to present the word of God as correctly as possible, but in a modern, readable English. I include the 16 times Paul writes sarx in Galatians: GAL 01:16, 02:16, 02:20, 03:03, 04:13, 04:14, 04:23, 04:29, 05:13, 05:16, 05:17, 05:19, 05:24, 06:08, 06:12, and 06:13. He who wants to know what is correct , may check it out there. They sometimes overdo it, because not all that man represents, is sinful. The word sarx, flesh, refers to a man, or a woman, of flesh and blood, but does not always refer to what is sinful. 114 Wrongly Translated Verses in Galatians THE PACT, GAL 06:17. ‘Finally, may no one be bothered —’ NIV: ‘Finally, let no one cause me trouble,* for I bear on my body the mark of Jesus.’ *what was this? A threat? KJ-1611: ‘From henceforth let no man trouble* me: for I bear in my body the mark of the Lord Jesus.’ *wow! The same threat, heh? NWT: ‘Henceforth, let no one be making trouble* for me, for I am carrying on my body the brand marks of a slave of Jesus.’ *the same threat as before SHG: loipoy medeis medeis kopos -parecho bastazo soma stigma kurios iesous Trans.: rest no one no one bother weakness carry body mark lord jesus THE PACT: Finally, may no one be bothered by my weakness, for I carry the Lord Jesus’ mark on my body. COMMENT: Why was nobody to bother Paul because of his mark? No, the way they write makes no sense. Paul refers to his impaired vision and the fact that he writes unclearly and with big letters. And the mark of Jesus that he carried on his body, is his very impaired vision that Jesus gave him as a result of Paul being blinded on the road to Damascus. Paul had asked Jesus many times to be freed from this handicap, but then Jesus had answered: ‘My grace is enough for you!’ (1CO 12:0710) He then refers to his election as a member of God’s heavenly priesthood, which indeed was more than Paul deserved! ‘I will show him how much he will have to suffer because of my name.’ (ACT 09:16) Besides, Jesus knew how blown up Paul could be at times, which Paul himself refers to in 2CO 12:07. And then about NWT that has given in to the desire of sprucing up the text a little, and actually not so little either. Paul’s impaired vision was not a brand mark. Also the word slave has been added. It says nothing about ‘the brand mark of a slave’ in the text. And neither does it agree with reality! What could be the purpose of this? Sprucing it up so that it will not be so recognizable when compared to King James? It is hard to say, but it is regrettable no matter who does it. It even makes the text less readable. 115 The Church of God and Christ The first time we hear about the Church of Christ in the Bible is in Matthew 16:18. There Jesus says to Peter, THE PACT: ‘And I tell you, Peter, that on this rock I will establish my church. Not even the gates to the grave shall overcome it.’ After this Jesus gave Peter the keys to the Realm of the heavens, and Peter used these keys as the three first churches of God and Christ were established — first among the Jews, (Acts chapter 02) then among the Samaritans (Acts chapter 08) and finally among those of the peoples. (Acts chapter 10) After this we do not hear about the church of Christ until Paul in Romans 16:16 writes: ‘Greet each other with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.’ These are the only two times we hear about the church of Christ in the Bible, and only once by name. But — note that Paul speaks of them in the plural! And when did Christ establish his church? Yes, it happened on the day of the Pentecost in the year 33 when the 12 apostles, and only the apostles, received of the Holy Spirit. Peter then used the first key to the Realm of the heavens. In the Bible we hear twelve times about the Church of God. Luke mentions it in Acts, in verses 12:05 and 20:28.* *the Lord, here being Jesus In Acts 02:47 we read: ‘They praised God and had the grace of the whole people. And day by day the LORD (the Father, God, Jehovah) added those to the church who were to be rescued.’ We also see that it is God himself who adds to the church, and nobody else! — Not the leaders of the church itself, not the leader of the congregation or organization, but God himself! And is that not credible? It is of little use being written down on this or that membership list if we do not have our relation in order with God! Being included in a church or organization is in other words not according to the word of God. See if you can find something like that in the Bible. You cannot, because it is of men! And therefore the Church of God and Christ does not have registered members. And it rejects any form of state support. Paul uses the expression Church of God ten times in the following verses: First Corinthians 01:02, 10:32, 11:16, 11:22, and 15:09. In Second Corinthians in verses 01:01, in Galatians 01:13, in First Thessalonians 01:04, in Second Thessalonians 01:04, and finally he writes the Church of God in First Timothy 03:05. 116 The Church of God and Christ In First Corinthians 01:10-17 Paul warns seriously about Christians splitting up into different churches! In verse 11 he writes, THE PACT: ‘Because I have been told, brothers, by Chloe, that there are quarrels among you. In verse 12 he writes: What I refer to is this; that each and every one among you say: ‘I am with Paul!’ Or: ‘I am with Apollos!’ Or: ‘I am with Caiphas!’ Or: ‘I am with Christ!’ Verse 13: Is Christ divided? Was Paul impaled for you? Or where you baptized to Paul’s name?’ And really: Is that not exactly what all have done? Some say they are with the Pope (the Catholics). Others say they are with Luther (the Lutherans), others with Joseph Smith (the Mormons) etc., almost incessantly. Is not that in direct opposition to God’s plan? Because — when did Christ establish the Catholic church? The Lutheran church? Or the Baptists? The Adventists? Jehovah’s Witnesses? What about all the other churches? Has God and Christ ever during the whole history of Christianity established any other church but the Church of God and Christ? Can you show one single example? In Galatians 05:19-21 Paul warns seriously against splitting up into religious parties. In first Corinthians 03:01-04 he says that such acts is a result of our worldly nature, the flesh. In the First Pact God established one priesthood, the Levite. This priesthood rejected Jesus as God’s Son. ‘He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.’ (JOH 01:11) And therefore Jesus rejected the whole priesthood and replaced it with a church of common people, both of Jews ans the peoples. That church is the Church of God and Christ. These two are the only priesthood (HEB 05:05) and the only church God and Christ have ever established! But: Is God’s church and Christ’s church the same? Yes, it is. Both in Colosseans 01:08 and 02:19 Jesus is spoken of as the head of the church. In First Corinthians 11:02 Paul writes that God is Christ’s head — in this and every relation! Remember that it was God who sent of his Holy Spirit — in Jesus’ name! (JOH 14: 26) In First Corinthians Paul underlines that it is God who elects to rescue. Therefore there is no doubt that the Church of God and Christ is the only church established by God and Christ, and that so far back as on the day of the Pentecost in the year 33! — long before the Catholic church, the Lutheran church, the Adventists, the Pentecostals or Jehovah’s Witnesses — or any other church! 117 A direct transcript from The teaching of the trinity The dogmatics for laymen The Book of Concordance The Lutheran Writs of Confessions by Dr. Philos Olav Valen-Senstad, 1957, page 43 and 44. On the three-personal God’s oneness. The Athanasian confessions written against the Arians, theses 1-26. 01. Anyone who wants to be saved, must before anything else hold on to the common (communal) Christian faith. . 02. He who does not adhere to it, fully and unviolated, shall without doubt go into eternal perdition. 03. The common Christian faith is then this, that we honor the one God of the Trinity and the Trinity of the one God. 04. And neither mix the persons nor separate the one being. 05. Because the person of the Father is one, the person of the Son another, and the person of the Holy Spirit yet another. 06. But the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one single deity — equal in glory, and of the same eternal majesty. 07. The way the Father is, so is the Son and so is the Holy Spirit. 08. The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated and the Holy Spirit is uncreated. 09. The Father is unmeasurable, the Son is unmeasurable and the Holy Spirit is unmeasurable. 10. The father is eternal, the Son is eternal and the Holy Spirit is eternal. 11. Yet there are not three eternals, but one eternal. 12. In the same way there are neither three uncreated, nor three unmeasurable, but there is one uncreated and one unmeasurable. 118 The Teaching of the Trinity 13. In the same way the Father is Almighty, the Son is Almighty and the Holy Spirit is Almighty. 14. Yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. 15. The same way the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God. 16. And yet there are not three Gods, but one single God. 17. In the same way the father is Lord, the Son is Lord and the Holy Spirit is Lord. 18. Yet there are not three Lords, but one single Lord. 19. Because when the Christian truth is professed, we speak in the singular of each person as God and Lord, because the common faith forbids us to speak about three Gods or three Lords. 20. The Father is neither made, created nor born by anyone. 21. The Son is alone from the father, neither made nor created, but born. 22. The Holy Spirit is of the father and the Son, neither made nor created, but exuded. 23. Therefore there is one Father, not three Fathers — one Son, not three Sons — one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. 24. In this Trinity nothing is first or last, nothing greater or lesser. 25. But all three persons are equally eternal among each other, and of equal greatness, inasmuch as what has been professed above, through everything, it is both the Trinity of the oneness and oneness of the Trinity that must be honored. 26. Therefore, he who wants to be saved must hold on to this about the Trinity! (The rest, theses 27-40, see the following chapter 5, A). 119 A Comment to the Teaching of the Trinity. Did you understand anything of this? No, and neither did I. Nor anybody else. Those who defend this unbiblical philosophy state clearly that it cannot be understood — but it must be believed! This is what you claim to believe in when you profess to the teaching of the Trinity. And this is a part of the writs of confession of Lutheran Churches, the official teaching of the Trinity. The deception in relation to the word of God speaks for itself here, but I will still comment on this point by point: Point 01. Who among these philosophers has been given the authority by God to determine who will be saved or who will be condemned in ages? (MAT 07:01-02) And what is the common (communal) Christian faith? The Catholic Church? Or state run Lutheran churches such as the Norwegian Church or the Church of England? Point 02. This unbiblical teaching must therefore be held on to fully and unviolated, or you will without doubt ‘go into eternal perdition.’ Where in the Bible does it say so? Point 03. This nobody understands. Point 04. This nobody understands. Point 05. Yes, this is known teaching, also by churches outside the Catholics and the Lutherans, especially by the Pentecostals who often speak about ‘the third person of the Godhead.’ Where in the Bible does it say so? Point 06. Here they claim that the Father and the Son are equal in glory and of the same eternal majesty. What does Jesus say in John 14:28? ‘— If you love me, you will be pleased that I go to my Father, for my Father is greater than I.’ Who is lying? Consider the consequences. Could it be true that in order to be saved without doubt, you will first have to make Jesus a liar? Could it perhaps be the other way around? Point 07. We have to get away from the unbiblical nonsense that the Holy Spirit is a person! In John 20:22 Jesus breathed on the disciples saying: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ Was it then a person he breathed into them? Point 08: Okey. Point 09: Not many can explain this. Point 10. Fair enough. 120 A Comment to the Teaching of the Trinity Point 11. If there is only one eternal, who of the three eternals in Point 10 will then vanish? Point 12. This nobody understands. Point 13. I know that you have heard about God the Almighty. But have you ever heard about the Son Almighty or the Holy Spirit Almighty. Such claims are pure blasphemy. Point 14. In relation to the previous point, can you find a clearer contradiction than this? Point15. God means mighty, so it will be difficult to reject both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are mighty, but they can never become God the Almighty! Point 16. Yes — bull’s eye! God says the same on many occasions, among others in Deuteronomy 06:04-05. Jesus confirms this in Mark 12:29 and Jacob (James) in 02: 19) But it says exactly the opposite in Point 15! Point 17. Both God and Christ are referred to as Lord in the Bible, and many others, for instance Sarah who calls Abraham ‘my lord.’ The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, has never been referred to as Lord in the Bible. Can you put my claim to shame? Point 18. Again, this is the exact opposite claim of what they presented in Point 17! Point 19: And there they contradicted themselves again! Point 20. Correct! God is without beginning or end! It says so among other places in Nehemjah 09:05. Point 21. Correct! Jesus is God’s only generated Son! (JOH 03:16) Point 22. Correct! Hat trick! And thereby they actually explain that the Holy Spirit is God’s and Christ’s common power and personality. The Holy Spirit has never been a person! Point 23. Correct again! Point 24. And then they repeated the bluff they presented in Point 06 which is directly contrary to Jesus’ teaching! Point 25. First they repeat the previous lie one more time, and then they continue with a lot of nonsense to explain away the previous lie! A Comment to the Teaching of the Trinity 121 Point 26. Now I panicked! There are some people who claim that I will be lost in ages! And to them that means that I will burn in hell! Listen to what God says about judging others, in Matthew 07:01-02. ‘Do not judge so that you shall not be judged. For with the same judgement you give others, you yourselves will be judged also.’ What is correct? Point 20. The Father is neither made, created or born my anyone. Point 21. The Son alone is of the Father, neither made not crated, but born. Point 22. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son, neither made nor created, but exuded. These three point make up the full and whole truth! The rest is not much more than home brewed philosophy. COMMENT TO POINT 20: Here it says that the Father is of undetermined origin. He makes up a power that has always been and always will be, from ages to ages. COMMENT TO POINT 21: Here we see that the Son is born by the Father. He is God’s only generated Son! Can they then be of the same origin? Have you ever heard of a Father and Son being of the same origin, meaning born at the same time? COMMENT TO POINT 22: This is also correct, because the Holy Spirit is a picture of the common power and personality that exudes from God and Christ. And thereby it should be perfectly clear that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but a power and a guidance to a right lifestyle based on God’s norm. All of these other points make up direct falsifications and are a philosophical nonsense only fit to confuse people! They are also directly contradictory and indeed blasphemous. They also make Jesus a liar, because Jesus said when he died, in MAT 27:46. ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ And in John 14:28 he says directly: ‘— If you love me, you will be pleased that I go to my Father, for my Father is greater than I.’ Now read Point 24 of this fable! 122 The first of four cornerstones to a mature understanding of the Bible: Is God Christ? All translations from Greek to English are based on Strong’s Hebrew / Greek. We are here directly addressing the central question of the teaching of the trinity: Some claim that when Mary from Magdala and the other women after Jesus’ resurrection threw themselves before his feet (and worshiped him), (MAT 28:09. Also see Luk 24:52) Christ proves that he is God the Almighty. Because in the Scripture it says: ‘The Lord your God you shall worship, and only him shall you serve.’ (LUK 04:08 after a quote from DEU 06:13) This is the same basic argumentation that the Catholics are using in their elevation of the virgin Mary, namely: God is the Christ and Mary is Christ’s mother. And thereby virgin Mary also becomes the Mother of God! See ROM 01:25 and 2TH 02:09. 01. The Greek word being used in the original text is proskuneo. Proskuneo = revere, honor, fall down before one’s feet. The word has developed from the basic meaning of ‘licking one’s master’s hand’ (like a dog). In the Greek scriptures the word is being used 60 times in 54 verses, but not once meaning worship. The word for worship is proseuchomai which is used only 10 times in the Greek text. Proskuneo is used to show reverence, to honor, both God and Christ, and any other person who deserves honor, of course where the honor belongs to the person honored. (REV 10:25, 19:10 and 22:08) When the word proskuneo is being translated worship, this does not correspond with its original meaning in Greek. Luke 04:08, NIV: ‘For it is written: “The Lord your God you shall worship and only him shall you serve.’” Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: grapho proskuneo theos monos latreuo Here proskuneo is being translated with worship in line with a long standing biblical tradition. But the meaning of the word from Greek to English is: proskuneo, proskoo-neh’o; meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand; to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (lit. or fig.) prostrate oneself in homage, (do reverence to, adore): --worship. 02. Another form of worship / praise is eulogio. Another word being used in the Greek text is eulogeo. (LUK 24:53) If we compare LUK 24:52 to LUK 24:53 (see table) we see that the original text uses the word eulogio in connection with worship and praise to God. And thereby these two verses clearly separate between God and Christ in choosing of words, even if this is not done consistently in the Greek text. Is God Christ 123 The word eulogio is also being used in the meaning to bless, not only about the blessings that come from God, but also when the blessing are directed at God. The word is also used about Christ, but then implying that all true blessings comes from God the Almighty and not directly from his Son Jesus Christ, but through him. LUK 24:53, New International Version: ‘And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.’ Greek: enanti hieron aineo eulogio theos amen The original meaning of the word from Greek to English: eulogio, yoo-log-eh-o; to speak well of, i.e. (religiously) to bless (thank or invoke benediction upon, prosper): bless, praise. 03. The word for call upon, invoke is epikaleomai. This word is in the Greek text used about both God and Christ, all according to whom one is calling upon. Some claim that this word only refers to God, but that is not the case. (ACT 07:59, ROM 10:12) The word also means to call (give name) in addition to surname, nickname. The meaning of the word from Greek to English: epokaleomai, ep-ee-kal-eh-omahee, to entitle, by impl, to invoke (for aid, worship, testimony, decision, etc.): appeal (unto), call (on); surname. 04. The word for the true service to God is latreuo. The meaning of the word from Greek to English: latreuo, lat-ryoo’o; from latris (a hired meni-al); to minister (to God), i.e. render religious homage: - serve, do the service, wor-ship(-per). 05. The word for the practical service / help is diakoneo, ref. the difference between service to God / church service and between priest / deacon. The meaning of the word from Greek to English: diakoneo, dee-ak-on-eh-o; to be an attendant, i.e. wait upon (menially or as a host, friend or (fig.) teacher; techn. to act as a Chr. deakon: — (ad-) minister (unto), serve, use the office as a deacon. Even if it may be of interest to distinguish between the meaning of the words proskuneo, eulogeo and epikaleomai in reference to the service, these words are not decisive in the relationship between God and Christ. Because Jesus does not quote his Father backwards. He does not say: ‘Jehovah your God you shall serve, and him alone you shall wor- 124 Is God Christ ship,’ as many interpret this verse. No, in Matthew 04:10 he says: ‘Jehovah your God you shall honor, and him alone you shall serve.’ Therefore the word serve is decisive in the relation between God and Christ, because if the word serve is being used equally about both God the Almighty and Christ, the argument that God is Christ have a sounder foundation, because he allowed himself to be served / worshiped. And then the word serve will be decisive in our understanding of the relationship between God and Christ. The Greek word for serve is latreuo. It is being used 21 times in 20 verses in the Greek text. This word is only used in the meaning of serving / worshiping God, and never about Jesus Christ. True, the word is in ACT 07:42, ROM 01:25 and HEB 08:05 used of what is not directed at God the Almighty, but then clearly implicating that this is a false service / worship to God the Almighty. But still, can this be correct? Because already in the next verse, in MAT 04:11, it says about Jesus ‘that messengers came and served him.’ Correct, but this is a different form of service. The word being used here is not latreuo, but diakoneo. (See overview) NIV correctly writes attend. The word latreuo represents the true service to God, while the word diakoneo refers to the practical service of help, attention. Again: Compare the true service to God, the service by a priest to the service of a deacon. NB! It may be confusing to the reader that the translations do not consistently separate between the original meaning of these words, because in the Greek text it is quite clear. And therefore the basic biblical truths presented by God through Moses, confirmed by Jesus Christ and repeated by Jesus’ half brother Jacob, is irrefutable: ‘Jehovah your God is the Only One!’ (JAC 02:19) A. God’s clear commandment to Moses in DEU 06:13, THE PACT: ‘Jehovah your God you shall honor, and him alone you shall serve! This is also confirmed by Jesus to Satan in MAT 04:10 and LUK 04:08. B. What did Jesus answer when he was asked which was the first commandment of the law? “The greatest commandment of the law is this: ‘Listen, Israel, to Jehovah your God! Jehovah is the Only One. And you shall love Jehovah your God of all your heart, of all your soul, of all your mind and with all your strength.’ This is the greatest commandment.” C. And Jesus’ half brother Jacob says in JAC 02:19? ‘You believe that God is the Only One. And rightly so! That also the demons believe, and they shiver.’ Is God Christ 125 CONCLUSION: The word latreuo is only used about the true (or false) service to God, and never, not in a single instant, about Jesus Christ! The word is in every instant reserved for God the Almighty and never refers to Jesus as part of any godhead! Therefore it is clear that the teaching of the trinity, as presented by the Pope, Luther and the proponents of this teaching, never has been, and neither ever will be, part of the basic truths of the Bible. In addition it is a fact that the philosophy of the trinity was not part of the Christian teaching until 390 years after Christ (after the synod in Cartaghena) when the Roman Emperor demanded such an addition after Christianity having become the state religion of the Roman Empire. (And we all know from a situation with state churches that the word of God must ‘give up’ in relation to the power of the state, ref. the question of abortion, female and / or homosexual priests / ministers and church servants. This the Emperor demanded in order to calm uproars in pagan provinces, especially in Egypt, where the inhabitants refused to accept a religion with only one God, an particularly not the God of Israel! All of the religions consisted of different forms of triads. (Not based on biblical, but historical, information.) It is quite clear that the teaching of the trinity, this Greek (pagan) philosophy (Platon) has never been a part of Jesus’ teaching. On the contrary, Jesus says on many occations that his Father is greater than himself, ref. MAT 24:36, JOH 05:19, JOH 14:28, 1CO 05:28. Compare with the claim from the proponents of the trinity that God and Jesus are of the same greatness. Can it be true worship making liars of both God the Almighty and his only generated Son Jesus Christ? About the pharisees and the high priests: First they killed God’s only generated Son, Jesus Christ. And then they worshiped God. — Can such a worship generate blessings? What then about Jesus’ statement in JOH 10:30, NIV: ‘I and the Father are one?’ Read John 17:21 carefully, and never forget it! There it says: ‘I ask that they must all be one with us, the way you, Father, is with me and I with you, that also they must be one with us, so that the world will believe that you have sent me.’ Does the fact that ‘all believers are to be one with God the way Jesus is one with God,’ that they then turn into God the Almighty? Of course not! Not more than Christ. It means that God, Christ and the church shall constitute one unity in the same faith, ‘so that the world will believe that you have sent me.’ 126 Is God Christ ‘Only God shall you serve.’ Through the teaching of the trinity it is being preached that God the almighty, his only generated Son Jesus Christ, and their common personality and being, the Holy Spirit, is one and the same person. But at the same time they are three different persons! In Second Thessalonians Paul warns strongly against this teaching. He calls it ‘the miraculous lie!’ And he does for real know what he is talking about, because if this is not a miraculous lie, there exists no miraculous lie! And in his second and last letter to his closest friend and co-worker, Timothy, Paul writes in 2TI 04:04, THE PACT: ‘They shall turn their ears away from the truth and turn to myths.’ This deception has made it common to impale God instead of Jesus. This is especially true of the ministers of the Norwegian church through their teaching of the trinity. A female minister* who preached that it was God who died on the cross, explained it this way when she was asked who then rose God from the dead: ‘As the Almighty God he did of course have the power to raise himself up from the dead. And it is self evident that he ruled from the heavens while he lay dead in the grave.’ *a quote from the female chaplain Valborg Sinnes in her office at Sveio City Hall Tuesday 05-25-2004, at 12:10 just before she went for lunch. In Matthew 04:10, THE PACT, Jesus says to Satan: ‘Jehovah, your God, you shall honor, and only him shall you serve.’ The word for service in Greek is latreuo. It is in the Greek text only used about God the Almighty, and never about his only generated Son Jesus Christ. If you care to study the overview on the next page, you will see how clearly the Bible separates between God and Christ — without exception! Is God Christ 127 An overview of special words separating God from Jesus in the Bible. 01. Proskuneo = honor, is being used 60 times in the following 54 verses in the Greek text. It may be used about anybody who deserves honor, whether it be God, Christ or a hobo in the street. MAT 02:02, 02:08, 02:11, 04:09, 04:10, 08:02, 09:18, 14:33, 15:25, 18:26, 20:20, 28:09, 28:17. MAR 05:05, 15:09. LUK 04:07, 04:08, 24:52. JOH 04:20, 04:21, 04:22, 04:23, 04:24, 09:38, 12:20. ACT 07:43, 08:27, 10:25, 24:11. 1CO 14:25. HEB 01:06, 11:21. REV 03:09, 04:10, 05:14, 07:11, 09:20, 11:01, 11:16, 13:04, 13:08, 13:12, 13:15, 14:07, 14:09, 14:11, 15:04, 16:02, 19:04, 19:10, 19:20, 20:04, 22:08, 22:09. 02. Diakoneo = attend, help, is being used 40 times in 32 verses in the Bible. It is never used directly about God, but of any secondary service whether to God or to any other person. MAT 04:11, 08:15, 20:28, 25:44, 27:55. MAR 01:13, 01:31, 10:45, 15:41. LUK 04:39, 08:03, 10:40, 15:41. JOH 12:02, 12:26. ACT 06:02, 19:22. 2CO 03:03, 08:19, 08:20. ROM 15:25. PHL 01:13. HEB 06:10. 1TI 03:10, 03:13. 2TI 01:18. 1PE 01:17. 03. Eulogeo = bless, is used 42 times in the following 40 verses of the Greek text. MAT 05:44, 14:19, 21:09, 23:39, 25:34, 26:26. MAR 06:41, 08:07, 10:16, 11:09, 11:10, 14:22. LUK 01:28, 01:42, 01:64, 02:28, 02:34, 06:28, 09:16, 13:35, 19:38, 24:30, 24:50, 24:51, 24:53. JOH 12:13. ACT 03:26. 1CO 04:12, 10:16, 14:16. GAL 03:09. ROM 12:14. EPH 01:03 HEB 06:14, 07:01, 07:06, 07:07, 11:20, 11:21. JAC 03:09. 04. Sebomai = fear, respect, is being used 10 times in the following verses in the Greek text. MAT 15:09. MAR 07:07. ACT 13:43, 13:50, 16:14, 17:04, 17:17, 18:07, 18:13, 19:27. 05. Epikaleomai = call on, surname, nickname, is being used 38 times in the following 32 verses of the Greek text. MAT 10:03. LUK 22:03. ACT 01:23, 02:21, 04:36, 07:59, 09:14, 09:21, 10:05, 10:18, 10,32, 11:13, 12:12, 12:25, 15:17, 15:22, 22:16, 25:11, 25:12, 25:21, 25:25, 26:32, 28:19. 1KO 01:02, 01:23. 2CO 01:23. ROM 10:12, 10:13, 10:14. HEB 11:16. 2TI 02:22. 1PE 01:17. 128 Is God Christ 05. Latreuo = serve, is being used 21times in the following 20 verses of the Greek text. MAT 10:03. LUK 01:74, 02:37, 04:08. ACT 07:07, 07:42, 24:14, 26:07, 27:23. ROM 01:09, 01:25. PHI 03:03. HEB 08:05, 09:09, 09:14, 10:02, 12:28, 13:10. REV 07:15, 22:03. NB! The word latreuo is in the Greek text being used about God the Almighty only, and never about his only generated Son Jesus Christ. And neither is it being used in connection with anybody else in the Bible. It is reserved for God the Almighty only, and therefore clearly separates between God and Christ. 06. Proseuchomai = pray (of, to, for), is being used 90 times in the following verses in the Greek text. MAT 05:44, 06:05, 06:06, 06:07, 6:9, 14:23, 19:13, 23:14, 24:20, 26:36, 26:39, 26:41, 26:42, 26:44. MAR 01:35, 06:46, 11:24, 11:25, 12:40, 13:18, 13:33, 14:32, 14:35, 14:38, 14:39. LUK 01:10, 03:21, 05:16, 06:12, 06:28, 09:18, 09:28, 09:29, 11:01, 11:02, 18:01, 18:10, 18:11, 20:47, 22:40, 22:41, 22:44, 22:46. ACT 01:24, 06:06, 08:15, 09:11, 09:40, 10:09, 10:30, 11:05, 12:12, 13:03, 14:23, 16:25, 20:36, 21:05, 22:17, 28:08. 1TH 05:17, 05:25, 2TH 01:11, 03:01, 1CO 11:04, 11:05, 11:13, 14:13, 14:14, 14:15. ROM 08:26. EPH 06:18. PHI 01:09, COL 01:03, 01:09, 04:03. HEB 03:18. 1TI 02:08. JAC 05:13, 05:14, 05:17, 05:18. JUD 01:20. NB! The word proseuchomai is in the Greek text being used about God the Almighty only, and never about his only generated Son Jesus Christ. And neither is it being used in connection with anybody else in the Bible. It is reserved for God the Almighty only, and therefore clearly separates between God and Christ. Is God Christ 129 ‘How can one God at the same time be three persons?’ av Finn Myklebust 01: It has not been given to one single man to understand or explain God. 02: We experience his power and love, and in our restless world experience his care and leadership. The only picture we can form of God, is that which he reveals in his word. But the Bible does not give a complete explanation, an answer under which we may place a double line, but suffices in revealing what man is in need of. 03:We believe in a threefold God, a concept unknown in the Bible, but which covers the understanding of the Scripture that God gives. Some claim that this understanding is pagan in its origin, because the expression is not from the Bible. 04: But if we use the word ‘Millennium’ of a biblical period of thousand years, it is not thereby said that it is contrary to the word of God. 05: The Father has most likely always been considered as God. But the teaching that Christ and the Holy Spirit also were God, caused great divisions at the beginning of the 4th Century. 06: Arius, one of the leaders of the church in Alexandria, claimed that Christ was a created being and that the Holy Spirit only was God’s power and influence. This quarrel lasted for centuries and created such deep divisions that we can find some of his followers to this day. In other words the problem is not that the Father is God, but which place Christ and the Holy Spirit have as part of the Godhead. We will therefore seek to define the standing of the Son and the Holy Spirit according to what is revealed in the word of God. 07: Already in the first chapter of the Bible there is an indication of a Godhead. ‘And God said: “Let us make people in our picture.”’ Gen. 1,26. Here we need to pay attention to two matters. For one that the name God, from the Hebrew Elohim is in the plural. Secondly it is followed by us and our. The same is the case in Gen. 3,22. 08: ‘See, man has become like one of us.’ Some will claim that the form here is the royal We, but the Gospel after John tells that at least one person was present at the creation: ‘He was in the beginning with God. All has been created through him; without him nothing has come into being of all that has come into being.’ Joh. 1,2.3. 09: One text that has created problems to many, is Deu 6,4. ‘Hear, Israel! The Lord is one.’ If he is one, how can he then be three? This thought may be illustrated based on God’s declaration to the first couple of peoples, Adam and Eve, that they were to 130 Is God Christ be ‘one flesh.’ Gen. 2,24. It is the same Hebrew word echad that is being used, and it is in both cases an expression of a joined unit. It is interesting to note the wording of the Great Commission where Jesus says that the baptism shall be performed in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matt. 28,19. One would think that name in this case would be presented in the plural in the original text, but Jesus refers to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as one when he refers to them in the singular. 10: The writers of the New Testament made no secret of Christ’s deity. Paul says: ‘In him all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.’ To those of his time Jesus over and over again referred to his godly origin. In many instances his words were perceived as blasphemy because he forgave sin, accepted worship and wanted to make himself like God. In sharp contrast to Christ stands the angel Gabriel and the apostles who refused to accept worship, but instead referred to him who was the true God. 11: Especially the pharisees and the teachers of the law were after Jesus because of his claim of being divine. ‘Before Abram was I,’ (Joh. 8,58) Jesus said to the Jews. This caused a dramatic scene where his countrymen seized stones to kill him. This reaction was not at random, because Jewish law demanded the death penalty for blasphemy. (3. Mos. 24, 10-16, 23) The reason for this was that Jesus used a Greek expression which in Septuagint (LXX - Greek translation of the Old Testament) was in use as Jehovah. 12: Through their reaction the Jews showed that they considered Jesus’ words as blasphemy. Because he claimed to have abilities that only belonged to God. A similar situation is reported in Joh. 10,33, where it says that they wanted to stone him because he pretended to be God. 13: Another clear proof that Christ is God we find when we compare the Old with the New Testament. When the Septuagint-translation came in about the year 200 B.C., the divine names Jehovah and Elohim were translated respectively Kurios and Theos. Jesus used these names about the Father. In Joh. 17,3 he calls the Father Theos, and in Luk. 10:21 Kurios. But the same titles also others use about Christ. The angels that sang to the shepherds, call him Christ Lord. Luk 2,11. Thomas the doubter exclaims: ‘My Lord and my God!’ Joh. 20,28. To underscore this truth Jesus says: ‘You call me Master and Lord, and you do so rightfully, because that I am.’ 14: This becomes even more interesting when we compare a number of texts in the New Testament which are quotes from the Old. Satan was about to tempt Jesus, and in order to stop him, Jesus speaks: ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Matt. 4,7. Here he quotes Deu. 6,16. The words Lord and God corresponds with Jehovah and Elohim, names and titles that belong to the Godhead. Is God Christ 131 15: If Christ was not God, he could never have used Jehova and Elohim about himself. 16: If we compare Psa. 45,7.8 with Heb. 1,8.9 we find that Christ is spoken of as God, and that statement comes from the Father. And here Christ through his title is mentioned as the self-existing God. We can easily understand why the Pharisees asked Jesus to admonish the disciples who called: ‘Blessed in the name of the Lord is the King, he who comes!’ But Jesus answered: ‘If they are silent, the stones shall call out!’ Luk. 19,38.40 And they called what was true. It was the Pharisees who were wrong, because he really was God. John writes: ‘He is the true God and the eternal life.’ 1. Joh. 5,20. 17: Some claim that Jesus is God because the Father resurrected him to it, but maintains that he was not God from eternity. This does not correspond with the following statement from Isaiah: ‘You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant, the one that I have chosen, so that you shall know and believe in me, and understand that before me no God has come into being, and after me no one shall come.’ Isa. 43,10. 18: But how can Christ be the ‘only begotten’ (Joh.3, 16) and the ‘firstborn?’ (Col. 1, 15). Christ was born when he became man, the only one of his kind. There exists no others like him; he is the only God who became a human being. When he is referred to as the ‘firstborn,’ this has a special meaning in all of the Bible. It was he who had the special right to receive the double part of the inheritance. Neither David nor Ephraim were firstborn, but they are referred to as such. (Psa. 89,28, Jer. 31,9) If he were the first one to be created, the situation would have been different, because what has been created is different from the Creator, but what has been born, is of the same kind. 19: There are many interesting things enlightening the relationship between God and Christ and Christ as a human being. But what about the Holy Spirit as a Deity? We meet the Holy Spirit for the first time during creation, where he is hovering above the waters, (Gen. 1,2) and we meet him in the last chapter of the Bible when he comes to man with his last request. (Rev. 22,17) The Bible tells that Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And when Jesus was baptized, we meet the third person of the Godhead, and time and time again Jesus refers to him. 20: Many have considered the Holy Spirit a being without personality, but only as one divine whom the Father used to exert his will. The Bible, on the other hand, describes the Holy Spirit in a different way. The key to the personality of the Holy Spirit we find through Jesus’ farewell speech to the disciples: ‘I shall ask the Father, and we will give you a different spokesperson.’ Joh. 14,16. The expression ‘a different spokesperson’ is an interesting statement: The Holy Spirit is a ‘spokesperson’ and the connection tells what the expression contains. The word ‘spokes- 132 Is God Christ person’ comes from the Greek prekletos which means ‘one who is at equal standing with.’ In Joh. 2,1 also Jesus is referred to as a ‘spokesperson,’ and the Holy Spirit who is of the same kind as Jesus, is on an equal footing with him. The Greek word allos which is translated another, means of the same kind. And the Holy Spirit is therefore of the same kind as Christ. Note that in the same text is used the personal pronoun him. The Holy Spirit is spoken of as an independent person, and not just as a power or influence. Paul gives proof of the qualities of the Holy Spirit by determining that he is in possession of intellect, (1. Cor. 2,11) will, (1. Cor. 12:11) and feelings. (Eph. 4,30) These qualities can only be attached to persons. In addition to this we find that he acts as a personality when he speaks, (Hebr. 10,15) teaches, (Joh. 14,26) testifies, (Joh. 15,26) convinces, (Joh. 11,8) guides, listens and preaches, (Joh. 16,13) hinders and denies, (Act. 16,6.7) determines, (Act. 15,28) inaugurates, (Act. 20:28) interacts with (Rom. 8,26). These qualities belong to a concious personality and not just a power or influence. If we compare the acts of the Holy Spirit with what Jesus is concerned with, we understand that he is a spokesperson like Jesus Christ. Augustin says: ‘Go to Jordan, and you will see the trinity.’ 21: Through Jesus’ baptism we meet the Son in the shape of a human who receives God’s spirit and hears the words of the Father about love. The same offer is given to men who enters into a covenant with God, because they are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 22: We cannot understand God, but he who wants to, will experience that his plan and thoughts are perfect. 133 An answer to ‘How can one God at the same time be three persons?’ by Arne Jordly I thank you for your writ about the TRINITY. But I would like to give a reply to the claims that the writ about the TRINITY by Finn Myklebust presents. The author Finn Myklebust’s claims are written in bold letters. Paragraph 01: It has not been given to one single man to understand or explain God. Agreed! The only book we can relate to in that respect is the Bible, the word of God. There God himself explains who he is and what he represents. He says: ‘Listen, Israel, to Jehovah, your God! Jehovah is the Only One!’ This is the greatest commandment! (MAR 12:29) And this refers to God’s direct speech to Moses in Deuteronomy 06:04. ‘Listen, Israel, to Jehovah, your God! Jehovah is the Only One!’ See also Jacob (James) 02:19. Paragraph 02: We experience his power and love, and in our restless world experience his care and leadership. The only picture we can form of God, is that which he reveals in his word. But the Bible does not give a complete explanation, an answer under which we may place a double line, but suffices in revealing what man is in need of. Fair enough! But to what use is it if God in the Bible gives a limited explanation of whom he is if we refuse to believe even that? It seems to me that God’s own statement that ‘Jehovah is the Only One’ is such a good beginning and so clear that we do not need any further ‘exhaustive explanation’ or deeper understanding. The only thing to do with such a clear statement, if we refuse to believe it, is to try and explain it away. But why would anybody wish to do that? Paragraph 03: We believe in a threefold God, a concept unknown in the Bible, but which covers the understanding of the Scripture that God gives. Some claim that this understanding is pagan in its origin, because the expression does not excist in the Bible. It is not because the word treefold, or TRINITY, does not exist in the Bible I believe it is wrong teaching. It is because what it contains does not comply with the total contents of the Bible. In addition it also have a pagan origin. It never was part of Christ’s teachings, and 134 Is God Christ neither did it become part of the the creed of any of the churches until after the synod in the year 390 after Christ, and then by a command from Emperor Constantin who had made Chistendom into the state religion of the Roman Empire in the year 321. The TRINITY was introduced because those of the peoples, and especially the Egyptians, who at that time were subject to the Romans, rebelled against worshiping the God of the Jews. In addition all of their pagan religions consisted of triads, pagan deities. Only after the trinity had been introduced as part of the Christian teaching, they calmed down, ref. also the abolishment of the Sabbath. We all know from our own conditions that when the state exerts its power, the will of God must ‘give in,’ ref. free abortions, female ministers, homophile and lesbian ministers and deacons, etc. In just few years all this will be accepted practice in the Lutheran church and maybe also in other Christian societies. And those who dare to speak against it, will be branded as wrong teachers (heretics) and expelled! Paragraph 04: But if we use the word ‘Millennium’ of a biblical period of thousand years, it is not thereby said that it is contrary to the word of God. Yes, that is true, but under the clear condition that the word ‘Millennium’ is not being twisted to mean something different than what the Bible teaches. Paragraph 05: The Father has most likely always been considered as God. But the teaching that also Christ and the Holy Spirit also were God, caused great divisions at the beginning of the 4th Century. Can there be any doubt that the Father is God? But the claim that Christ, the Son, is also God, the Father, is blasphemous. Lately it has, especially in charismatic movements, but also in Lutheran churches, resulted in a great number of preachers standing forth impaling God, and not Christ. It is also the same approach that has led to the Mary-worship, based on this argument: God is Christ, and Mary is Christ’s mother. And thereby Mary also becomes God’s mother. Have you not noticed all the ‘Mother of God’ churches spread throughout all of the Catholic world? (Please check Romans 01:25) Consider also that in the relation God / Christ Christ is the creation and God the Creator. Besides, does it not ring a bell when you hear that this was not an actual topic until ‘at the beginning of the 4th Century?’ Paragraph 06: Arius, one of the leaders of the church in Alexandria, claimed that Christ was a created being and that the Holy Spirit only was God’s power and influence. This quarrel lasted for centuries and created such deep divisions we can find some of his followers to this day. In other words the problem is not that the Father is God, but which place Christ and the Holy Spirit have as part of the Is God Christ 135 Godhead. We will therefore seek to define the standing of the Son and the Holy Spirit according to what is revealed in the word of God. Whether Christ was done, created, born or generated becomes nothing but quibbles. It may also be of secondary interest what a church leader in Alexandria meant about this about 1700 years ago. But what God himself says about this, it will be very difficult to explain away! ‘You are my Son, today I have born you.’ ACT 13:33, a quote from PSA 02:07) Can Father and Son be the same? Is not the trinity what Paul in Second Thessalonians 02:09 speaks of as ‘the miraculous lie?’ Maybe this Arius knew what he was talking about, after all? Why would it be a problem that the Father is God? And how can it be a problem that Christ is God’s only generated Son, when God himself says that so is the case? (JOH 03:16) And why is it so difficult to accept what Jesus reveals about himself that he and the Father have the same spirit (personality)? Because this is what is revealed in the word of God. John 20:22, THE PACT: When he (Christ) has said this, he breathed on them and said to them: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ Was it then an unknown person he breathed into them? Of course not. There has got to be a limit! See ACT 01:04 and JOH 17:21) Paragraph 07: Already in the first chapter of the Bible there is an indication of a Godhead. ‘And God said: “Let us make people in our picture.”’ Gen. 1,26. Here we need to pay attention to two matters. For one that the name God, from the Hebrew Elohim, is in the plural. Secondly it is followed by us and our. The same is the case in Gen. 3,22: This became terribly much biblical fabling. The fact that ‘elohyim’ (no capital letters in the Hebrew language) is being used in the plural is just a way of showing respect, often called ‘the royal plural.’ Paragraph 08: 08: ‘See, man has become like one of us.’ Some will claim that the form her is the royal We, but the Gospel after John tells that at least one person was present at the creation: ‘He was in the beginning with God. All has been created through him; without him nothing has come into being of all that has come into being.’ Joh. 1,2.3. Correct, in John 01:03, THE PACT, is says: ‘Everything came into being through him, for without coming into being through him, nothing came into being. ‘And here it says ‘him,’ not ‘them.’ And thereby we see clearly to whom God is speaking, and you shall add a lot between the lines if you will try to place God’s Holy Spirit into all this, after first having made it into a person. Is it not called the Holy Spirit? 136 Is God Christ Paragraph 09: One text that has created problems to many, is Deu. 6,4: ‘Hear, Israel! The Lord is one.’ If he is one, how can he then be three? This thought may be illustrated based on God’s declaration to the first couple of peoples, Adam and Eve, that they were to be ‘one flesh.’ Gen. 2,24. It is the same Hebrew word echad that is being used, and it is in both cases an expression of a joined unit. It is interesting to note the wording of the Great Commission where Jesus says that the baptism shall be performed in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matt. 28,19. One would think that name in this case would be presented in the plural in the original text, but Jesus refers to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as one when he refers to them in the singular. This is a strange argumentation! First he builds on his own unbiblical claim that God is three persons and present it as an undisputed biblical fact. And thereby God’s own claim that he is the Only One, is turned into a lie! Yes, here we have the word of Finn Myklebust against the word of God. But who is best qualified to know this, Finn Myklebust or God the Almighty? ‘If he is one.’ Why should God not be the Only One when he himself says so? Is perhaps Finn Myklebust in possession of some knowledge about this that God the Almighty does not have access to? In addition Finn Myklebust argues against himself when he refers to the word echad. Everybody understands that when God says to Adam and Eve that they are to be ‘one flesh,’ he does not thereby recreate these two separate persons into one and the same person! It can only mean that they are to be one close unity! (Actually it refers to the act of having sex, but that is a different question.) So also with God the Almighty and his only generated, or only begotten, Son Jesus Christ! Again John 01:21 becomes very clear here. And after having read John 17:21 one question emerges: ‘Are we to believe the Bible, or do we know this better ourselves? Does God not know what he is talking about so that Finn Myklebust needs to correct him? Of course Jesus speaks of himself, his Father and their common spirit as one unity. ‘I and my Father are one.’ (JOH 10:30) But he not even hints, never in the whole Bible, that they thereby are one and the same person. Now read John 17:21, with consideration, and never forget it, because then it becomes totally clear! Oh, by the way, here is the content of John 17:21, THE PACT: ‘I pray that they all must be one with each other the way you, Father, is with me, and I with you. I pray that also they will be one with us, so that the world will believe that you have sent me.’ Does the fact that all Christians are to be one with God mean that they thereby become God the Almighty? Of course not! No more than Christ! But in this relation all are to be one with each other the same way they are also to be one with God and Christ. And thereby we understand, if we want, that it is being one unity in the same spirit it refers to. Is God Christ 137 Paragraph 10: The writers of the New Testament made no secret of Christ’s’ deity. Paul says: ‘In him all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.’ To those of his time Jesus over and over again referred to his godly origin. In many instances his words were perceived as blasphemy because he forgave sin, accepted worship and wanted to make himself like God. In sharp contrast to Christ stands the angel Gabriel and the apostles who refused to accept worship, but instead referred to him who was the true God. Why should anybody try to make Christ’s deity a secret? The fact that he was the Son of God was after all his major message, but he never claimed, or even hinted, that he was God the Almighty. On the contrary! He stressed on many occasions that he was the Son of God and that his Father was greater than he. Among the many hundred verses in the Bible where Jesus said this, is Mark 13:32, THE PACT: ‘But the day and the hour nobody knows, not even the messengers in the heavens, and not even the Son, but only my Father.’ In John 14:28 Jesus says, quite clearly, among other statements: ‘I go to my Father, because my Father is greater than I.’ Why is it so difficult to believe these clear statements that Jesus presents? Is it because he is such a terrible liar? Then to the worship. I am uncertain where it says that Gabriel refused to receive worship, because Gabriel is only mentioned four times in the Bible, and only twice in the New Pact, in Luke 01:19 and LUK 01:26. Possibly it is a reference to the case in Revelation 19:10 where John wanted to honor, throw himself before the messenger in reverence, but was warned against doing so. Yes, here we are exposed to many misunderstandings. The Greek word in this case is proskuneo. In Matthew 28: 09 it is written about the women who met him after his resurrection, that they came forth and seized his feet (and worshiped him). The major meaning of the word proskuneo is ‘to throw oneself before one’s feet i reverence,’ and not worship. We may show reverence, or honor, whomever we want; God, Christ or a hobo in the street, but under the clear condition that the one we show reverence to, is the one who deserves reverence, honor. Their showing reverence to Christ, and his allowing them to do so, does not, by far, prove that he is God the Almighty. It says: ‘Jehovah your God you shall honor (proskuneo), and only him shall you serve (latreuo).’ (MAT 04:10) it is therefore the word serve, latreo in Greek, which here refers to the service that is to benefit God only, because the word latreuo only refers to God the Almighty in the Greek text, and not in one single instance about anybody else, including Jesus Christ, messengers or disciples! (Se the overview on page 43) He who cares to study it, will learn how clearly the Greek text separates between God the Almighty and his only generated Son Jesus Christ. I include the Greek text from Matthew 04:10, from Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: 138 Is God Christ tote lego iesous hupago hupago satanas: grapho proskuneo kurios theos then say jesus disappear disappear satan write honor lord God monos latreuo only serve THE PACT: Then Jesus said: “Disappear, Satan, for it is written: ‘The Lord* God you shall honor, and only him shall you serve.’ *Jehovah I include the full meaning of the words proskuneo and latreuo in English: 4352. proskuneo, pros-koo-neh'-o; from G4314 and a prob. der. of G2965 (mean. to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (lit. or fig.) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):--worship. 3000. latreuo, lat-ryoo'-o; from latris (a hired menial); to minister (to God), i.e. render religious homage:--serve, do the service, worship (-per). NB! The explanation before the sign :-- refers to the original and correct meaning of the word. The words after the sign :-- refers to the way the word is usually translated in English versions. Check them out in detail. Paragraph 11: Especially the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were after Jesus because of his claim of being divine. ‘Before Abram was I,’ (Joh. 8,58) Jesus spoke to the Jews. This caused a dramatic scene where his countrymen seized stones to kill him. This reaction was not at random, because Jewish law demanded the death penalty for blasphemy. (3. Mos. 24, 10-16, 23) The reason for this was that Jesus used a Greek expression which in Septuaginta (LXX - Greek translation of the Old Testament) was in use as Jehovah. Jesus all the time maintained that he was the Son of God, and never, not in a single instance, that he was God the Almighty! It was Jesus’ repeated claim that he was God’s heavenly Son, the Pharisees rejected! Jesus having claimed anything else is a ridiculous thought, especially based on the clear understanding by the Jews that God is the Only One. It was part of their daily prayer since their escape from Egypt! It is also so that the biggest obstacle to the Jews converting to Christianity, is the teaching of the trinity. This is the Greek text to Johannes 08:58, THE PACT: John 08:58, SHG: iesous epo amen amen lego prin abraam eimi Transliterated: jesus say truely truly say before abraham be I Is God Christ 139 In English, THE PACT: Jesus said to them: “This truth I tell you: I have been from before Abraham was.’ Not in a single instance does the original text use a word that the Jews have a reason to dislike, except for the fact that Jesus had been from before Abraham was, in other words as God’s heavenly Son. Claiming anything else is ridiculous, and bringing the Septuagint-translation into this, only causes confusion. In addition the claim is irrelevant. Besides: Septuagint is a translation from Hebrew to Greek. There are not many people who can understand that, both the ancient Hebrew and the Ancient, extinct Greek! Maybe Finn Myklebust is an exception? The Greek expression for the actual meaning of God’s name Jehovah in EXO 03:14 is hayah hayah (I shall fulfill, I shall fulfill). But some claim that God’s proper name is Greek, ego eimi, I am, and that every time Jesus says ego eimi, he claims to be God the Almighty. That is and will always be a biblical falsification of dimensions! God’s proper name has never been Greek! Paragraph 12: Through their reaction the Jews showed that they considered Jesus’ words as blasphemy. Because he claimed to have abilities that only belonged to God. A similar situation is reported in Joh. 10,33, where it says that they wanted to stone him because he pretended to be God. The claim that Jesus ‘pretended to be God the Almighty,’ is a direct lie! What the Pharisees wanted to stone him for, was his clear statement the he was the Son of God! Read John 10:25, just 8 verses previous. By the way, here is John 10:25, THE PACT: ‘I have told you this, but you do not believe me. The acts that I do in the name of my Father, testify about me.’ Paragraph 13: Another clear proof thar Christ is God we find when we compare the Old with the New Testament. When the Septuagint-translation came in about the year 200 B.C., the divine names Jehovah and Elohim were translated respectively Kurios and Theos. Jesus used these names about the Father. In Joh. 17,3 he calls the Father Theos, and in Luk. 10:21 Kurios. But the same titles also others use about Christ. The angels that sang to the shepherds, call him Christ Lord. Luk 2,11. Thomas the doubter exclaims: ‘My Lord and my God!’ Joh. 20,28. To underscore this truth Jesus says: ‘You call me Master and Lord, and you do it rightfully, because I am.’ This paragraph is teaming with incorrect assertions. Jehovah is never translated Kurios. The Hebrew name corresponding with kurios in the Hebrew text is adinai, the Hebrew word for lord. The rest is so insane that it is almost impossible to re- 140 Is God Christ spond to it. ‘My Lord and my God,’ is nothing but an expression that neither tells who is God the Almighty or who is not God! And when Jesus says that they call him ‘Master and Lord,’ you need to stretch the truth quite far if you try to interpret this to mean that Jesus himself claims to be God the Almighty! Yes, one must resort to many tricks when one wants to explain away the clear truths of the Bible! Here is the Greek text of JOH 17:03, THE PACT: Strong’s H / G: houtos zoe aionios ginosko monos alethinos theos iesous THE PACT: this life age know only true god jesus christos hos apostello christ who send out THE PACT: And this is a life in ages, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, he whom he has sent out.’ What is so strange about Jesus calling his Father God? Besides, can you find a biblical verse that separates clearer between God and Christ than this? And here is the Greek text to LUK 10:21, SHG: hora iesous agalliao pneuma epo exomo-logeo pater kurios ouranos ge moment jesus delight spirit say praise word father lord on high earth apokrupto tauta sophos sunetos apokalupto nepios nai narkissos pater houto hide this wise learned reveal infant yes self pleasure father this ginomai eudokia emprosthen happen price before THE PACT: Simultaneously, jubilant in the spirit, Jesus said: ‘I acknowledge, Father, Lord of the heavens and the earth, that you have kept this hidden from the wise and knowledgeable, but revealed to those who are like newborn. For truly, glorious Father, what has happened, is of great pleasure to you!’ Yes, in this verse Jesus calls God Father twice. In addition he refers to his Father as the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Again you will have to stretch the truth quite far if you want to make this out to be Jesus himself claiming to be God the Almighty! Paragraph 14: This becomes even more interesting when we compare a number of texts in the New Testament which are quotes from the Old. Satan was about to tempt Jesus, and in order to stop him, Jesus speaks: ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Matt. 4,7. Here he quotes Deu. 6,16. The words Lord and God Is God Christ 141 corresponds with Jehova and Elohim, names and titles that belong to the Godhead. In this claim there is again a formidable biblical confusion. Jehovah is God’s proper name, not a title the way Lord is. And again: It is not God’s proper name that in the original text is ‘the Lord,’ but the Hebrew name adonai. (Something totally different is the fact that modern translators have ceased using God’s proper name Jehovah and replaced it with LORD in every relation.) But here is the great confusion: When Jesus says that ‘you shall not put the Lord (in the Hbrew text ‘adonai jehovih) it is of course not himself he speaks of, but his Father, God the Almighty! Christ has never used God’s proper name Jehovah about himself! Any examples of that does not exist in a single instance in all of the Bible! Jesus’ proper name in Hebrew is Jehowshuvah, the short version being Joshua, which means Jehovah’s Rescuer. Se the article Three Words. I include proof of my claims also from the Hebrew text: Genesis 15:02, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: 'abram 'amar 'adonay yehovih mah nathan halak 'ariyriy ben mesheq bayith huw' 'eliy'ezer dammeseq NB! This is the first time the expression the Lord Jehovah is used in the Bible. It is being used in as many as 304 times in 294 verses. The most common way of spelling God’s proper name is Jehovah, (used 6528 times in 5522 verses) and not Jehovih. But this is a rule of sound which is used when Jehovah (God’s proper name) is being used in connection with the title adonai. New International Version translates the expression ‘adonai jehovih’ with ‘the Lord God.’ As you see they have omitted God’s proper name. The New World translation by Jehovah’s Witnesses writes ‘the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.’ They themselves have added the word ‘sovereign.’ Paragraph 15: If Christ were not God, he could never have used Jehovah and Elohim about himself. True. And he never did. Paragraph 16: If we compare Psa. 45,7.8 with Heb. 1,8.9 we find that Christ is spoken of as God, and that statement comes from the Father. And here Christ through his title is mentioned as the self-existing God. We can easily understand why the 142 Is God Christ Pharisees asked Jesus to admonish the disciples who called: ‘Blessed in the name of the Lord is the King, he who comes!’ But Jesus answered: ‘If they are silent, the stones shall call out!’ Luk. 19,38.40 And they called what was true. It was the Pharisees who were wrong, because he really was God. John writes: ‘He is the true God and the eternal life.’ 1. Joh. 5,20. Psalms 45:07:08, THE PACT: PSA 45:07. ‘Your throne, God, is forever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your Realm. PSA 45:08. Therefore has God, your God, anointed you with the oil of joy before your brothers.’ Here we see clearly and plainly that David refers to God the Almighty as also Jesus’ God. Hebrews 01:08-09, THE PACT: HEB 01:08. To the Son he says: ‘Your throne is from God through age and ages, and your scepter shall be a scepter of righteousness. HEB 01:09. For you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, and therefore will God, your God, anoint you with the oil of joy before your co-heirs.’ PSA 45:07-08 NB! Here NIV writes companions instead of co-heirs. They do not see the full perspective of the Realm of God. But they are not the only ones who got this wrong. Most translations based on the teaching of the trinity write ‘To the Son he says: Your throne, God, is forever.’ Yes, this translation unequivocally makes Jesus into God the Almighty! That is of course not the case! See the Greek text of this phrase. And here is the Greek text: huios thronos theos aion aion rhabdos euthutes rhabdos basileia son throne god age age scepter righteousness septer realm If you care to study the original Greek text, translated from Hebrew, you will clearly see that correct translation is: ‘But about the Son: God is your throne through age and ages —’ Here we clearly see that Solomon corresponds with Paul in Hebrews, and rightfully so! Hebrews is a direct quote from Psalms! One cannot change the contents just because it is translated from a different language! NB! Some are so preoccupied with the philosophy of the trinity that they indescriminately translate the Bible to comply with their own faith instead of adhering to the original text — and often their meanings are directly contrary to the original text! Is God Christ 143 Then to First John 05:20, THE PACT: ‘And we know that the Son of God has come and that he has given us understanding so that we may know the True One. And we are in him, the True One, we who are in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the ageous life.’ Many of the worst fablers use this verse as an indisputable proof that God is Christ. They believe that he in the last sentence shows back to Jesus Christ because those are the previous words. That is definitely not grammatically correct, because a personal pronoun can not refer back to a compliment, in him, the True. No, he reflects back to the True One, the three last words in the first line. Then correct meaning is as follows: ‘We know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we may know the True One (God),’ — — — ‘he who is the true God and life in ages.’ This is such a clear fact that most who use this verse as proof that God is Christ, when confronted with it, stop using it and rather concentrate on finding another one that is more diffuse. Paragraph 17: Some claim that Jesus is God because the Father resurrected him to it, but maintains that he was not God from eternity. This does not correspond with the following statement from Isaiah: ‘You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant, the one that I have chosen, so that you shall know and believe in me, and understand that before me no God has come into being, and after me no one shall come.’ Ez. 43,10. Yes, here the Almighty God says quite clearly that before him there has not been an almighty God, and after him there will not come one! Where does that place Christ? As God’s Son, of course! And here the Bible is totally clear! By the way, if God raised Christ from the dead, how could he then possibly be Christ? Can a dead wake up a dead? And when did God die? On the pole? (ACT 10:40, 13;30, ROM 04:24. GAL 01:01 and 1PE 01:21) Can God die? Paragraph 18: But how can Christ be the ‘only begotten’ (Joh.3, 16) and the ‘firstborn?’ (Col. 1, 15). Christ was born when he became man, the only one of his kind. There exists no others like him; he is the only God who became a human being. When he is referred as the ‘firstborn,’ this has a special meaning in all of the Bible. It was he who had the special right to receive the double part of the inheritance. Neither David nor Ephraim were firstborn, but they are referred to as such. (Psa. 89,28, Jer. 31,9) If he were the first one to be created, the situation would have been different, because what has been created is different from the Creator, but what has been born, is of the same kind. 144 Is God Christ This is not correct! Whether Jesus in John 16:03 is referred to Gud’s only Son or God’s only begotten Son may be equally correct, but then based on a fully mature understanding of the Greek word monogenes. What does it mean? Yes, it means the only generated from, which again means that Christ was the first God created without participation from anybody else, And thereby he is the firstborn. After this everything was created by Christ with God’s power. (JOH 01:03) Therefore Christ (Michael) is also referred to as the first and the last, (REV 02:08) because nobody else have been directly born, created, made, done, etc, by God directly! Unless what God says in PSA 02:07, in ACT 13:33, in HEB 01:05 and in HEB 05:05 is a pure lie! Is God such a big liar? The rest of this argumentation by Finn Myklebust is pure fabling which the author himself must explain, if possible. The Greek word translated only or only begotten is monogenes, the only generated from. It is being used 16 times in the following 09 verses; LUK 07:12, LUK 08:42, LUK 09:38, JOH 01:14, JOH 01:18, JOH 03:16, JOH 03:18, HEB 11:17, and 1JO 04:19. Read these verses consecutively and you will see something. The word is being used about Christ as God’s only Son, but also about the son of the widow in Nain. And in Hebrews also Isaac is referred to as Abraham’s only son. How are we to understand that? After all, Abraham has seven more sons besides Isaac, one with Hagar and six with Ketura. Why is Isaac then Abraham’s only generated son? Paragraph 19: There are many interesting things enlightening the relationship between God ans Christ and Christ as a human being. But what about the Holy Spirit as a Deity? We meet the Holy Spirit for the first time during creation, where he is hovering above the waters, (1. Mos. 1,2) and we meet him in the last chapter of the Bible when he comes to man with his last request. (rev. 22,17) The Bible tells that Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And when Jesus was baptized, we meet the third person of the Godhead, and time and time again Jesus refers to him. All of the first chapter of Genesis is about the physical creation, and nothing else! ‘The spirit of God hovering above the waters,’ simply means that there was a wind across the earth! It is in the interpretation of verses like these that the worst fablers reach their ultimate capacity. The Hebrew word for ‘spirit’ is ‘ruwah’ Its major meaning is breath, wind, storm, stench, etc. In Genesis 27:27 the word ruwah is translated smell. NB! Please do not confuse this with the fact that in John 03:08 the Greek word for spirit, pneuma is wrongly translated wind. I include a transcript from Strong’s Hebrew / Greek as proof of the meaning of the Hebrew word ruwah: Is God Christ 145 From Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: Genesis 01:02. <307. ruwach, roo'-akh; from H7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; fig. life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extens. a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (includ. its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, X vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y). Paragraph 20: Many have considered the Holy Spirit a being without personality, but only as one divine whom the Father used to exert his will. The Bible, on the other hand, describes the Holy Spirit in a different way. The key to the personality of the Holy Spirit we find through Jesus’ farewell speech to the disciples: ‘I shall ask the Father, and we will give you a different spokesperson.’ Joh. 14,16. The expression ‘a different spokesperson’ is an interesting statement: The Holy Spirit is a ‘spokesperson’ and the connection tells what the expression contains. The word ‘spokesperson’ comes from the Greek prekletos which means ‘one who is at equal standing with.’ In Joh. 2,1 also Jesus is referred to as a ‘spokesperson,’ and the Holy Spirit who is of the same kind as Jesus, is on an equal footing with him. The Greek word allos which is translated another, means of the same kind. And the Holy Spirit is therefore of the same kind as Christ. Note that in the same text is used the personal pronoun him. The Holy Spirit is spoken of as an independent person, and not just as a power or influence. Paul gives proof of the qualities of the Holy Spirit by determining that he is in possession of intellect, (1. Cor. 2,11) will, (1. Cor. 12:11) and feelings. (Eph. 4,30) These qualities can only be attached to persons. In addition to this we find that he acts as a personality when he speaks, (Hebr. 10,15) teaches, (Joh. 14,26) testifies, (Joh. 15,26) convinces, (Joh. 11,8) guides, listens and preaches, (Joh. 16,13) hinders and denies, (Act. 16,6.7) determines, (Act. 15,28) inaugurates, (Act. 20:28) interacts with (Rom. 8,26). These qualities belong to a conscious personality and not just a power or influence. If we compare the acts of the Holy Spirit with what Jesus is concerned with, we understand that he is a spokesperson like Jesus Christ. Augustin says: ‘Go to Jordan, and you will see the trinity.’ Jesus only spoke in pictures and parables. (Mark 04:33-34) And he acted in signs. (MAT 14:14-21, MAT 14:22-33, MAT 21:18-19) When Jesus in John 20:22 breathed on the disciples and said: ‘receive the Holy Spirit,’ was it then a person he breathed into the disciples? Of course not! Then it becomes easier to understand, but maybe harder to accept for many, that when Jesus speaks about his own and his Father’s common spirit, he speaks in pictures, parables. That would have been easier to understand if the word spokesman would be replaced with a different word such as a guide, because the word spokesman makes most readers think of a person without reflecting on the fact that it is a parable. 146 Is God Christ But, all biblical fabling aside, the Holy Spirit never has been and never will be a concrete person, but God’s and Christ’s common spirit (personality and power), no more and no less. (Galatians 05:16-26) It should be unnecessary to go any deeper into this, because either you are meek enough to adjust your faith to the word of God, or you will believe that you know this best yourself. A situation that may clearly illustrate this, may be: When Christ in John 01:29 and in John 01:36 is spoken of as the Lamb, do you then envision him on four legs eating grass? Everybody understands that this is figurative speech. So it is also with helper, spokesman or spokesperson! Finally, who is this Augustin? Is he someone who has a greater biblical credibility than God the Almighty? Read Colosseans 02:08. Paragraph 21: Through Jesus’ baptism we meet the Son in the shape of a human who receives God’s spirit and hears the words of the Father about love. The same offer is given to men who enters into a covenant with God, because they are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. How can Jesus receive the spirit of the Father and hear the voice of the Father if he himself is the Father? Not only is it impossible, but will not such a claim be ‘a miraculous lie?’ (2TH 02:09-12) Paragraph 22: We cannot understand God, but he who wants to, will experience that his plan and thoughts are perfect. Well, we finally agree on something! In conclusion: What is the Holy Spirit? In these two following verses Jesus explains quite clearly what it means to receive the Holy Spirit. Then the question is: Are we to believe Jesus, or are we to believe all these religious fablers standing forth making Jesus a liar? Luke 24:49, THE PACT: ‘And see — I am sending my Father’s promise over you. But wait in the city [Jerusalem] until you are immersed with the power from the heavens.’ And the power was the Holy Spirit! Acts 01:08, THE PACT: ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes over you. Then you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and all over Judea and Samaria, and to the most remote places on the earth.’ And the power was the Holy Spirit! Is God Christ 147 BY THE WAY — Who raised Christ up from the dead? Himself? Read Acts 10:40, 13:40, Romans 04:24, Galatians 01:01, Colosseans 02:12, First Peter 01:21. Whom did he call on when he died? Himself? Matthew 27:46. Whom did he pray to in Gethsemane? Himself? Was it then nothing but a fool’s play? Can Christ have been that false? Matthew 26:39. Can Christ have born himself? If ‘yes,’ can he then be God’s only generated Son? John 03:16. When Christ sat himself at his Father’s right hand, was it then himself he sat down beside? Luke 22:69, Hebrews 10:12. When Christ after the thousand years shall surrender the Realm to his Father, who is it then he surrenders the Realm to? Himself? First Corinthians 15:24. Can father and son ever be more of fewer than two? If ‘yes,’ will not such a claim be ‘a miraculous lie?’ Second Thessalonians 02:09. The answer to the original question ‘How can one God at the same time be three persons?’ Therefore becomes quite simple: It is not only impossible, but it is also a claim that is directly contrary to the word of God. A quote from Jesus Christ: ‘Listen, Israel, Jehovah your God is the Only One! This is the greatest commandment.’ Mark 12:29. 148 An Answer to the Claim That God Is Christ Most biblical verses are from THE PACT. by Arne Jordly 01. Isaiah 09:06, New International version: ‘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. [* Or <Wonderful, Counselor>] NB! This translation causes confusion and is a direct result of the teaching of the trinity: And it is reduculous! A Son can never be an everlasting Father. ISA 09:06 from Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: yeled yalad ben nathan misrah shekem shem quara’ pele’ ya’ats gibbowr ‘el ‘ad ‘ab sar shalowm The meaning of the word ‘el in detail from Hebrew to English: ‘el, ale; (abbr. for eloyhim = God) strength; as adj. mighty; espec. the Almighty (but used also of any deity):--God (god), godly, great, idol, might(-y) one); power, strong. Compare names in -el. The meaning of the word God (god) from Hebrew to English: Note that the word god means mighty. It is used about God the Almighty and about everybody else who is mighty, i.e. many idols. And of course is Christ mighty, but he will never become God the Almighty. Note that there are no capital letters in the ancient Hebrew language! PSA 82:06, NIV: ‘I said, `You are ‘gods;’ you are all sons of the Most High.’ Christ being wonderful Councelor is correct, and now we also understand that he is one who is mighty, a mighty god, because he is one of God’s many sons! Here NIV has not only a correct, but a very good translation. The meaning of the word ‘ab in detail from Hebrew to English: ‘ab, awb; a prim. word; father (in a lit, and immed., or fig. and remote application): chief, (fore-)father, patrimony, principal. Comp. names in Abi-. Through translating from Hebrew to English we see that the word for father, ‘ab, not only means father, but has many other meanings such as chief, master. Then master is without doubt the correct translation here, and not father. How do I know this? Yes, Jesus says so himself in Matthew 23:09-10, THE PACT: MAT 23:09. ‘Call nobody on earth ‘father,’ for the One is your Father, he wo is in the heavens. MAT 23:10. And call nobody ‘master,’ for only one is your Master, and he is the Christ.’ Is God Christ 149 And now you understand why so many are using this verse, in a twisted translation, as proof that God is Christ, or Christ God. Who was Abimelek? He was the foremost, the master, the king of the Philistines. (GEN 20:02) Then the correct translation of this verse becomes: ‘A Child is us born, a Son is given to us. The dominion will be on his shoulders, and his names are to be: Wonderful Counselor, mighty god, everlasting Master and Prince of Peace.’ One thing I can guarantee: The Bible never contradicts itself! When it seems that way, it is always our own understanding that is inadequate! Note that ‘nobody on earth’ is to be called ‘father,’ ref. ‘the Great Father in Rome.’ 02. Romans 09:04-05, THE PACT: ROM 09:04. ‘Because it was the Israelites who had the sonship (the adoption as sons), the glory, the pacts, the giving of the law, the service to God and the promises. This belonged to our fathers, and from them has Christ descended in the flesh. — ROM 09:05. He who is above all, God, be praised in ages! Amen. There is a great controversy over the translation of these verses, again because of the confusion through the teaching of the trinity. NIV, New International Version, USA 1984, has translated the last of these verses in tree alternatives. It is the first and only time I have seen a biblical translation in three alternatives: ‘Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised.’* Amen. (or: ‘Christ, who is over all. God be forever praised!’ Or: ‘— Christ. God, who is over all be forever praised!) Of course, all three versions cannot be correct! Then what is correct? Here follows first the original Greek text of the short verse Romans 09:05, and then the text transliterated — translated word by word: Romans 09:05, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: ROM 09:05. ho epi pas theos eulogetes aion amen Transliterated: he over all god praise age amen Again, THE PACT: ‘He who is over all, God, be praised in ages. Amen.’ It should be unnecessary to underscore that this translation corresponds with the basic thruth of the Bible that God the Almighty is without beginning or end, and that Jesus Christ is his only generated Son. It is quite incomprehensible that a short and simple text like this should cause confusion, except for the teaching of the trinity. 150 Is God Christ 03. Colosseans 01:16-20, THE PACT: COL 01:16. ‘For through him everything was created, both the heavens and the earth, both that which is invisible and visible, whether it be thrones or dominions, masters or authorities. COL 01:17. He came into exsistence before anything else. And everything exists through him. COL 01:18. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn of all the dead, and he is exalted above all. COL 01:19. Because it was to his* pleasure that everything that was of him* should dwell in him.** *God **Christ COL 01:20. He* shall create peace through his** blood on the pole, and he* shall reconcile all with himself* through him** — whether it is on the earth or in the heavens.’ *God **Christ The fact that some are using these verses as proof that God is Christ, is incomprehensible! Every part of every sentence separates quite clearly between God and Christ. When it is written that ‘all who was of him was to dwell in him,’ this is often interpreted that God himself says that he is Christ. But what about this part of the sentence: ‘— an reconcile all with himself through him?’ Can this mean that God himself is Christ? Well, see! — then most of them keep silent! 04. Colosseans 02:08-09, THE PACT: COL 02:08. ‘Watch out so that nobody will catch you with teachings of wisdom and empty deceit, such that rest on the basic forces of this world* and not on Christ. *the basic forces of this world, GAL 04:03. COL 02:09. Because in him all that is fully divine, is presented bodily.’ The fact that ‘in him (Jesus) all that is divine, is presented bodily,’ cannot possibly make Jesus into God the Almighty. It simply means that what God represents Jesus now represents as a man in the flesh, bodily. Understanding Jesus is the nearest we can get to understanding the invisible God. Read Galatians 04:04, THE PACT: ‘When the time had been fulfilled (when the right time had come) God sent his Son. And it happened under the law.’ Can it be said any clearer than this? And does not Paul refer to such doctrines as the teaching of the trinity when he warns against ‘teachings of wisdom and empty deceit, such that rest on the basic forces of this world and not on Christ?’ He also calls it ‘the miraculous lie.’ (2TH 02:09) 05. Hebrews 01:04-09, THE PACT: HEB 01:04. ‘He has become more worthy than the many messengers, because he has inherited a more prominent name than them. HEB 01:05. Because to whom among the messengers did God ever say: ‘You are Is God Christ HEB 01:06. HEB 01:07. HEB 01:08. HEB 01:09. 151 my Son, today I have born you.’ And further: ‘I will be a Father to him, and he will be a Son to me.’ PSA 02:07, 2SA 07:14 And later, when God leads his Firstborn into the inhabited earth, he says: ‘Let all God’s messengers honor him.’ About the messengers he says: ‘I have created my messengers as spirits and my servants as flaming fire.’ To the Son he says: ‘Your throne is from God through age and ages, and your scepter shall be a scepter of righteousness. For you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, and therefore will God, your God, anoint you with the oil of joy before your co-heirs.’ The first emphasized text speaks for itself. How anybody can use this as proof that God is Christ, is beyond comprehension, because here God says exactly the opposite, not just once, but twice! But in verse 08 and 09 in many translations God himself calls Jesus God. Those translations have been altered to comply with the teaching of the trinity. I will present the original text and take a closer look at it: I will limit my self to presenting God’s direct speech. From Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: SHG: huios thronos theos aion aion Trans.: son throne god age age THE PACT: The Son’s throne is from God i age and ages. In order to evaluate what is correct translation from Greek to English, it is important to know the Greek’s limited use of the definite article, auxiliaries, prepositions and personal pronouns. HEB 01:07-09, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: 07 aggelos lego hos poieo aggelos pneuma leitourgos phlox pur 08 huios thronos theos aion aion rhabdos euthutes rhabdos basileia 09 agapao dikaiosune miseo anomia dia touto theos theos chrio elaion agalliasis para metochos THE PACT: 07 About the messengers he says: ‘I have created my messengers as spirits and my servants as flaming fire.’ 08 To the Son he says: ‘Your throne is from God through age and ages, and your scepter shall be a scepter of righteousness. 09 For you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, and therefore will God, your God, anoint you with the oil of joy before your co-heirs.’ Paul refers to PSA 45:07-08, ref. MAT 26:06-13 By the way, let me mention that correct translation of metochos in this case is cohairs, participants, and not companions. Writing companions takes away a correct 152 Is God Christ understanding from the reader. In some Scandinavian translations they even write enemies. And who are Christ’s co-heirs? From Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: metochos, met'-okh-os; participant, i.e. (as noun) a sharer; by impl. an associate: -fellow, partaker, partner. It is reasonable to believe that those who have translated this text, have not understood who are Jesus’s co-heirs, or they deliberately try to hide it. 06. PSA 45:08, New International Version: ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.’ I refer to point 05. If this text refers to God, it is correct. But if this refers to Christ, correct translation must be: ‘Your throne is from God.’ The correct understanding with the rest of the Bible is: Everything is from God and of God, and his throne is forever. But he has delegated all of his power to his heavenly Son Michael, and therefore also Michael’s throne is from God in age and ages. This verse has many contradicting translations often twisted to comply with the teaching of the trinity. 07. Exodus 03:14, New International Version: EXO 03:14. ‘God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.* This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.’ [* Or <I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE>] EXO 03:15. God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, `The LORD,* the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you.` This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. [* The Hebrew for <LORD> sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for <I AM> in verse 14.] They claim that the name of God ‘sounds like and may be derived from a the Hebrew word for ‘I am’ in verse 14. What word does NIV refer to? No, they do not say. And neither do they know, but this is quite common religious teaching which original purpose was only intended to creat confusion about the meaning of God’s name. I therefore include Exodus 03:14 in Hebrew: Is God Christ 153 EXO 03:14, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek. ‘elohiym ‘amar mosheh hayah hayah ‘amar koh ‘amar ben yisra’el hayah shalach I have never experienced so much biblical fabling about anything as when it comes to the meaning of God’s proper name JHVH, Jaweh, Jave or Jehovah, maybe with the exception of the ascention. But note that all original texts use the form Jehovah. When God the Almighty himself explains the meaning of his name Jehovah, he says to Moses that it is hayah hayah. He repeats it, or says it twice. The word hayah is used 1116 times in 1114 verses in the Hebrew text, and never in the meaning of ‘I Am.’ Its correct meaning is: I shall fulfill (what) I shall fulfill. From Hebrew to English: hayah, haw-yah; a prim. root; to exist, i.e. be or become, (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, altogether, be(come, accomplished, committed, like) break, cause, come (to pass), continue, do, faint, fall, follow, happen, have, last, pertain, quit(one) self, require, use. As you can see from the translation to English, the main meaning of the word hayah is to do, let happen, complete, fulfill, finish. God’s proper name is the only one in all of the Bible that is a verb and not a substantive. As you see from the bold text in English, the word is always an active verb, and never a copula or auxiliary. And therefore God’s proper name can never be ‘I Am.’ The translation ‘I Am’ is based on the Greek expression ego eimi, but God’s proper name has never been Greek. There had got to be a limit! The reason the Jews got such a respect for the name Jehovah that they stopped speaking it, was because every time the Jews were exposed to a period of judgement God always stood forth as Jehovah — he who fulfills! 08. John 08:54-59, THE PACT: JOH 08:54. ‘Jesus answered: ‘If I honor myself, my honor is without value. But I honor my Father, he whom you say is your God. JOH 08:55. But you do not know him. And if I said I did not know him, I would have been a liar like you! But I do know him, and I keep his word. JOH 08:56. Your father Abraham was jubilant to see my day. For he got to see it, and it pleased him.’ JOH 08:57. Then the Jews said to him: ‘You are not yet fifty years, and you have seen Abraham!’ JOH 08:58. But Jesus answered: ‘This truth I tell you: From before Abraham am I (have I been).’ JOH 08:59. Then they picked up stones which they threw at him. But Jesus managed to hide and got out of the temple. He went between them, and in that way he got away.’ 154 Is God Christ ‘From before Abraham am I.’ This short sentence is by many used as an undeniable proof that Jesus himself says that he is God the Almighty. And who can deny it when he says so himself? After all he is using Gods name ‘I Am’ about himself. So is not the case. What Jesus tells the pharisees, is quite simply that he has been, existed, since long before Abraham was born. But now you also understand why it is so important to the champions of the trinity to make God’s proper name Jehovah into ‘I Am.’ This is a gross falsification of the word of God. And again: The ancient Greek language Koiné has a very limited use of auxiliaries, but it is correct to say that ‘before God I am,’ because Jesus still is. And this corresponds with the contents of the text, because what Jesus here refers to, is his preearth existence. In conclusion: I know how saturated Christian preaching is by the teaching of the trinity, but it is far from a biblical teaching. And therefore I strongly warn against this Greek, pagan philosophy which was not part of ‘Christian teaching’ until 300 years after Jesus death and resurrection. 09. First John 05:20, THE PACT: ‘And we know that the Son of God has come, and that he has given us understanding so that we may know the True One. And we are in him, the True One, we who are in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the ageous life.’ Many use this verse as proof that God the Almighty is Jesus Christ. They believe that he in the last line refers to Jesus Christ. But that is not grammatically correct, because a personal pronoun can not reflect to a compliment, in this case in his Son Jesus Christ. He neither reflects on the True One in the previous line, which is also a complement. No, he in the last line reflects back to the True One which are the two last words in the first line. When learning this, which is an indisputable fact, the most stiff-necked proponents of the trinity give up using this verse as proof that God the Almighty is the Christ, and instead start using verses that are not as evident. One question in relation to this: Why use a few, unclear biblical verses as basis for such an important part of your belief, when there are dozens, not to mention hundreds, that are totally clear? 10. John 01:01-02, THE PACT: JOH 01:01. ‘In the beginning was the Word, the Word was from God, and the Word became god.* *mighty JOH 01:02. He was in the beginning with God.’ To get to the correct meaning of these two verses, we need to dig deep into the original text. In addition it is useful to have a knowledge of basic grammar. We also need to understand the true meaning of the word god. Is God Christ 155 JOH 01:01, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: arche logos logos theos logos beginning word word god word (In the) beginning (was the) Word, (the) Word (was from) God, (and the) Word theos (became) god.’ If we also translate the true meaning of the word god, a fully correct translation becomes: ‘In the beginning was the Word, the Word was from the Mighty One and the Word became mighty.’ JOH 01:02, transliterated, (translated word by word) huotos ache theos this beginning god He (was at the ) beginning (with) God. As you see we must add both auxiliaries and propositions to translate this into a readable English. The ancient Greek language neither contains the indefinite article. And if we read verses 01 and 02 with consideration, we see that ‘he was with God is written twice consecutively. Based on this a correct translation will be: In the beginning was the Word, the Word was from God, and the word became a god. He was in the beginning with God.’ (It is little probable that the writer has meant to write that he was with God twice when the major message was that Christ came from God. Here I also write in verse 01 ‘that the Word became god, or a god.’ Can that be correct? We shall see. In Acts 28:06 it says: ‘They waited for him to start swelling or to suddenly fall over dead! When they had waited a long time for this without anything unusual happening to him, they changed their mind and said that he was a god.’ I include the two last words of this sentence inn Greek: lego theos. These two words are translated: ‘— and said he was a god.’ Do you see that the indefinite article is missing in both verses, both in John and Acts, but that in the translations it is included about Paul, but not about Christ? One thing is for sure: It must either be left out or included in both verses! But because there is no indefinite article in Greek, but there sure is in English, it ought to be included in both verses. Is not the indefinite article left out in John 01:01, and the word god capitalized because we are to believe that God is Christ when we know that the Word is Christ? And has it not been omitted in Acts because it would be absurd to claim that Paul was God the Almighty? This is definitely a clear and conscious falsification of the word of God! 156 Is God Christ 11. Revelation 01:11, THE PACT: ‘It said: [I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last.] What you will see, you shall write down in a scroll and sent it to the seven churches that are in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodikea.’ If you now check with the New International Version, you will see that the text in square brackets is omitted there. But in many translations it is included. It is my disrespectful claim that this has clearly been added in order to make Christ into God the Almighty, because in the verse the messenger speaks on behalf of Christ. But it is not always evident whom the messenger speaks on behalf of in Revelation, because the messenger sometimes speaks on behalf of God and sometimes of Christ. For instance, in verse 22:13 who does the messenger speak on behalf of, God or Christ? 12. John 10:30, THE PACT: ‘I and my Father are one.’ This verse is often used by the Pentecostals and the Baptists as proof that God and Christ are one and the same. But remember that in English numbers are not conjugated among the genders, so one is correct in every situation. That is part of the construction of the language. But the real meaning of this verse is clearly understood in John 17:21. ‘I pray that they all must be one with each other the way you, Father, is with me and I with you. I prey that also they will be one with us, so that the world will believe that you have sent me.’ If this may be interpreted to mean that God and Christ are one and the same, it also means that everybody who comes to faith becomes the same as God the Almighty. Then we are back to before God generated Christ! 13. Revelation 22:12-15, THE PACT: REV 22:12. ‘See! — I come in haste! And I have my reward with me to give each one in return according to his deeds. REV 22:13. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. REV 22:14. Blessed is he who does according to the commandments, because he shall have the right to the tree of life and come in through the gate to the city. REV 22:15. But outside are the dogs, the magicians, the whoremasters, the murderers and the idolaters — and everyone who loves to practice falseness.’ This has been a difficult text for me, because I have not been able to clearly distinguish if Alpha and Omega refer to God the Almighty or Jesus Christ. But I am aware that the messenger speaks on behalf of both God and Christ, and that Alpha and Omega refers to God the Almighty who is without beginning or end. But also Christ is Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, but in different ways than God. Firstly when he was generated as God’s Son, because after the birth of Michael, he who is Is God Christ 157 like God, everything else was created through Christ. Christ is also the First and the Last that God resurrected from the dead. Because after God had raised him up he gave him the keys to death and the grave so that everybody except Christ himself will be resurrected by God the Almighty. But even if this paragraph may be a bit unclear to me, I cannot let this unclear verse override all the hundreds of times where the Bible is totally clear about this. Then I have to relate to Psalm 119:160: ‘The sum of your word is the truth, in ages are all your righteous judgements.’ In conclusion: I have for years tried to understand the teaching of the trinity to arrive at the undisputed truth about this, because it has always seemed a bit diffuse to me, to put it mildly. Already as a teenager I rejected the teaching of the trinity, because when my minister to my confirmation tried to tell me differently, I answered in an immature way: ‘That is just silly, all that.’ He smiled a bit condescendingly at me, but I see now that I was right. The childish intuition that made me reject this, is in full accord with the rest of the Bible. About Jehovah’s Witnesses: The only religious organization that has rejected this unbiblical philosophy, are Jehovah’s Witnesses. And thereby Jehovah’s Witnesses have cut themselves off from becoming part of the common Christian teaching. About the Adventists: Originally also the Adventists rejected this pagan and ungodly philosophy, but in order to be accepted among the common Christian churches the Adventits have now come to terms with this. This has caused deep divisions within the Adventist Church, and many still reject it. But the leadership within the Adventist Church are now stiffneckedly adhering to this false teaching. The Adventists also had another problem in being accepted among the common churches: Their clear understanding of the soul as something mortal of flesh and blood, and not something invisible that will either come to heaven or go to hell when a human being dies. This teaching the Adventists were not willing to give up, and it was then accepted as a compromise as long as they were officially willing to accept the teaching of the Trinity. And that is how they bargained with the word of God. The teaching of a hell burning in ages is usually no longer preached actively neither by the Catholic nor the Protestant churches, but they have still avoided taking a diract confrontation with this disgustingly wrong teaching! 158 God’s name and and ‘I Am.’ by JOHN E. MEVIK, KLEPPESTOE, from Dagen October 9th, 2003. In many, not to say the most, biblical translations there is an underlying message about Jesus’ statements about himself in John’s Gospel (JOH 04:26, 08:24, 08:28, 08:58, 18:05, 18:06, 18:08) that ‘I am,’ Greek ‘ego eimi,’ is some sort of rendition of the name of God that we find in Exodus 03:14, which in most translations is written like this: ‘Then God said to Moses: ‘I am who I am.’ And he said: ‘You shall say to the children* of Israel: I AM has sent you.’ *correct: sons In some translations there is a footnote* to the expression ‘I am who I am,’ with the following explanation: Hebrew: ‘I Am,’ the name of the LORD: JHWH. What may surprise many is that both the footnote and the translation of Exodus 03:14 are directly wrong. Repeated word by word from Hebrew verse 14 is like this: Then God said to Moses: ‘I will be the way I will be.’ And he said: ‘This you shall say to the children* of Israel: ‘I will be’ has sent me to you.’ The actual Hebrew word in that verse is AHJH (pron. ehjai), which is 1. person singular, imperfectum of the verb to be. The same word we also find in verse 12 (which strangely has been translated correctly in Bibles that otherwise write verse 14 wrongly): ‘And he said: “Truly, I will be with you —”’ *sons The Hebrew word that Gus is using about himself, is in other words AHJH and not JHWH. The meaning of God’s name, JHWH, we do not quite know what means, according to knowledgeable Hebrew theologians, except that it is an expression for the Absolute Existing, He-who-is-through-eternity. Exodus 03:14 therefore expresses: ‘Then God said to Moses: ‘I will be.’ (Implied: with you in all other ordeals). ‘And he said: ‘This you shall say to the children* of Israel: ‘I (implied: the God who always will be with his people) will be has sent me to you.’ This is the meaning of the content that we usually find in Jewish Bibles, among other The Chumash, released my Mesorah Publications LTD, New York, 1994, pages 302-305, ref. also Exodus 03:12 where the same word is used, and where it explicitly says that God will be with his people. It is also in verses 12 and 14 that God actually says who he is, while he in verse 15 tells Moses his name: ‘Then God said to Moses: ‘This you shall say to the children* of Israel: THE LORD (JHWH) has sent me to you. This is my name through eternity.’ God’s name (JHWH) is in other words not ‘I Am.’ (The explanation in Exodus 03:14 is the closest we can come to what the name means). Is God Christ 159 God’s name can therefore not be connected to the expression ‘I Am,’ Greek ‘ego eimi,’ in the New Testament. The expression occurs 48 times in the New Testament and is usually translated ‘it is I.’ (see i.e. JOH 09:09, MAT 14:27, 26:22 and 26:25. When Jesus uses the expression in JOH 04:26, 08:24, 8:28, 08:58, 13:19, 18:05, 18:06 and 18:08 it actually means the same, that is ‘it is I.’ meaning ‘it is I who am the Messiah,’ or ‘I am him — the Messiah.’ (Note the connection in which the expression is being presented.) The so-called mysterious ‘I am’ in the message after John which supposedly made the guardsmen and the servants of the High Priests and Pharisees fall to the earth, is in other words no mysterious proclamation of the godname, a sesam, sesam, but a straight forward and usual way of ‘it is me’ in Greek. 160 ‘I Am ’ — Jesus’ divine formula of presentation by Gunnar Johnstad, 1. amanuensis at NLA, from Dagen, the 30. of October 2003. In a contribution in Dagen on the 9. of October John Mevik comments on the understanding and the translation of the so-called ‘I Am’ - words in the Gospel of John (Greek: egi eimi) where they are represented in an absolute way without being followed by a predicate or a compliment, in contrast to the seven ‘I Am’ words in the Gospel which have a closer determination: ‘I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world,’ etc. It is about the verses of JOH 08:24, 08:28, 08:58, 13:19, ref. 04:26, 06:20, 06:20 and 18:05-06. The absolute ‘I AM’ - words Mevik means that they must be understood on the basis of the Godname JHWH in Exodus 03:14 the way it is in many biblical translations, among others Norsk Bibel (NB88) which translates, as an example, JOH 08:20 the following way: ‘When you have elevated the Son of Man, you will understand that I am who I am.’ Mevik has in the relation to this a biblically interesting and challenging commentary to Exodus 03:14. He maintains that the translation of this ‘in the very most Bibles is incorrect.’ This claim may and ought to be discussed, but I will not comment on it here. Instead I will comment on Meveiks understanding of the absolute ‘I Am’ - words in John’s Gospel. He understands it as a common, daily expression of identification, being ‘it is me’ (with an explicitly understood predicate: ‘It is I who am the Messiah,’ and that they here, like in other places in the in the Gospel where the Greek words ego eimi are used, i.e. in Joh 09:09, it must be understood as a straight forward way of saying ‘it is I.’ Mevik does not mention in his contribution the Bible Society’s translation (NO 78 / 85) of the words ‘I Am’ in the Gospel of John. But with his understanding of these words as an everyday expression he will have to disagree with the translation that has been chosen there, because the ‘I am’ in John 08:24, 08:28 and 13:19 are not presented as a formula of identification ‘it is I,’ but with the expression ‘I am He.’ The translation ‘I am He’ marks that they do not consider the closest background for these words to be found in Exodus 03:14, even if one may consider also this text as an important background, but in the second part of the book of Isaiah, ISA 40-55. Here the words ani hu are being used repeatedly in the Hebrew text. It means ‘I am He,’ but it is traditionally translated ‘I am God’ in Norwegian translations, or it is nearly made invisible. One exception is the Bible, the Word of God, also called the Norwegian King James translation, which consistently translates ani hu with ‘I Am He.’ Is God Christ 161 The Hebrew ani hu is on its own a variation of the formula ‘ani JHWH’ which occurs hundreds of times in the OT, ref. for instance ISA 45:18, HOS 13:04 and JOE 02:27. ‘I Am’ in Isaiah 40-55. The ani hu and ani JHWH in Isaiah 40-55 works as a divine presentation formula: God speaks this way when he confronts his people and represents himself as their only God. Now it is of decisive importance to the understanding of the john’ish ‘I Am’ - words to know how the ani hu is translated in the pre-Christian Greek translation of the Old Testament, Septuagint, because it is this Greek bible John mainly uses when he quotes from or refers to the OT. The situation is then that Septuagint in many places in the Book of Isaiah, among others in ISA 41:04, 43:10, 43:25, 46:04, 48:12 and 52:06, translates the Hebrew ani hu with the Greek ego eimi, in other words with the same words that are being used in the original text of John 08:24, 08:28 and 13:19. In the Greek Bible the absolute ego eimi - words seem to be used in a double function: It is on the one side used to present the God of Israel as their only true Rescuer and Lord, ref. ISA 43:10-11, and at the same time they function as a divine name. One such case is ISA 43:25 where the Hebrew text says: I Am ‘I Am He’ who deletes your misdeeds (my translation), to Greek in a way that be repeated in this way in English: I Am ‘I Am He who deletes your misdeeds.’ It is the same situation in ISA 51:12 where the Greek translation says: ‘I am the ‘I Am He’ who comforts you.’ The special formula ani hu with variations also has an important position in Jewish liturgies of festivities and is then used as a regular devine name functioning as a godproclamation. NO 78 / 85 is not alone in translating the absolute ‘I Am’ - words in the Gospel of John in light of the places in the Book of Isaiah where the Greek text translates the Hebrew formula ani hu with ego eimi. A number of recent biblical translations do the same. I also mean that in addition to the pure philosophical aspects there may also be other reasons why this is a natural interpretation, but it will lead too far going into that here. The OT’s divine ‘I.’ If the ‘I Am’ - words of the fourth Gospel are translated on the basis of the above mentioned places from the Book of Isaiah, it is the OT’s divine ‘I’ we meet in the mouth of Jesus. Jesus uses the ‘I Am’ about himself in a way that was unthinkable by the scribes of his time; God’s holy ‘I’ about himself. His ‘I’ is synonymous with 162 Is God Christ the divine ‘I’ of the OT. This is, by the way, in line with a number of other words by Jesus where he in a sovereign way takes the divine ‘I Am’ in his mouth, such as in Matthews 11:28-30. John the Evangelist is known to consciously use a number of expression with a double meaning, as in JOH 03:08 where he uses the Greek word pneuma meaning both spirit and wind, and in JOH 03:14 where he uses a word meaning both lifting up and elevate. It is well possible at the ‘I Am’ - words in the Gospel of John have a double sound to them: They may on one hand function as Jesus’ everyday self-identification, and translating them with ‘it is I’ is fully possible. On the other hand they may at the same time function as a divine formula of presentation and revelation, and that will necessitate a translation which to a greater extent preserves the majestic ‘I Am.’ No ‘mystical presentation.’ To those familiar with biblical traditions, this last divine dimension in Jesus’ ‘I Am’ will hardly be seen as especially mysterious, or as ‘a mystical proclamation,’ to use Mevik’s words. Many will easily have understood what it is all about, and that Jesus here spoke with an expression which God - and only him - uses in the Book of Isaiah and which qualifies Jesus’ ‘I Am’ as God’s ‘I Am,’ ref. Jesus words about his being a life’s unit with the Father in JOH 10:30, ‘I and the Father are one.’ Many understood that Jesus did something unheard of when he took the divine ‘I Am’ in his mouth as a name the Father had given him, ref. JOH 17:12. This was a straight forward blasphemous statement that according to the law of Moses was to be punished by death. Therefore Jesus’ audience reacted in line with the situation as a reaction to his word: ‘Before Abraham, Am I.’ And therefore they took up stones to throw at him. (JOH 08:58-59) The ‘I Am’ - words in John is christology in a condensed and exceptionally deepplowing way! 163 An answer to ‘ego eimi — I Am.’ by Arne Jordly Jesus had on many occasions tried to explain to the disciples that he would soon be leaving them, and this caused sadness ans sorrow among them. Then Jesus in John 14:28, THE PACT, says to the disciples: ‘You have heard that I say: I go away, but I shall come back for you. If you love me, you will be pleased that I go to my Father, because my Father is greater than I.’ This Jesus said just before his death in the year 33, almost 2000 years ago. One thousand and twenty five years later, in 1957, Dr, Philos Valen-Senstad writes in his doctrine of the trinity, point 24: ‘In this trinity nothing is first or last, nothing greater or lesser.’ This statement is clearly in direct contradiction to what Jesus said to his disciples just before he died. So, whom are we to believe? Are we to believe our Rescuer Jesus Christ or are we to believe the philosopher Valen-Senstad? Sad to say all of the Lutheran Church and the peoples living under the Lutheran doctrines have taken a position against Christ in favor of Valen-Senstad! And this is why such a great part of all Lutherans believe that God the Almighty and Jesus Christ is the same person — in direct opposition to the message of the Bible! They have come so far astray that they even impale God the Almighty! This philisophy that Jesus himself says that he is God the Almighty every time he refers to his own person, the so-called absolute ‘I Am,’ is one of mankind’s greatest misconceptions. Because, if Jesus, directly in indirectly, would have claimed to be God the Almighty, the Jews would have been in their full right when they wanted to stone him to death, because this was clearly in agreement with Moses’ law. (DEU 18:15) What Jesus struggled to make the priesthood understand, and accept, was the fact that he was God’s heavenly Son, the promised Messiah. The pharisees tried to distort this to make it sound as if he claimed to be God the Almighty. But most Lutherans side with the pharisees and claim that Jesus rightfully maintained to be God the Almighty. They then refer to the false accusation against him by the Jews and twist it into the truth! Read John 14:31-33, THE PACT: ‘Then the Jews again took up stones to stone him with.’ But Jesus answered them: ‘Many good deeds from my Father I have shown you. For which of these deeds do you want to stone me?’ The Jews answered him, saying: ‘For a good deed we will not stone you, but because of your blasphemy, and because you who are a man, make yourself into God the Almighty!’ Can you in any way interpret this in such a way that Jesus himself, directly or indirectly, here claims to be God the Almighty? Then to the verses in John where assistant professor Gunnar Johnstad claims that Jesus himself says that he is God the Almighty; verses JOH 04:26, 06:20, 08:24, 08:28, 08:58, 13:19 and 18:05-06: 164 Is God Christ 01. JOH 04:26, THE PACT: And Jesus said: ‘I who speak to you, I am he.’ JOH 04:26, NIV: Then Jesus declared: ‘I who speak to you am he.’ JOH 04:26, SHG: iesous lego: laleo eimi Trans.: jesus say speak I am Here Jesus is conversing with the Samaritan woman. In the previous verse she says to Jesus: ‘I know that the Messiah shall come — he who is to be called the Christ. And when he comes, he shall explain everything.’ And then Jesus answers: ‘I who speak to you, I am he.’ Here it takes a lot of fabling making Jesus into God the Almighty! What Jesus confirms to this woman, is that he is the Prophet whom God shall raise among his people, (DEU 18:15) God’s Anointed, in Hebrew the Messiah, in Greek the Christ. The prophecy of God’s Anointed, the Messiah, runs like a thread through all of the First Pact, and then as the One God will send as a mediator between God and Man (1TI 02:05) in order to bring mankind back into a right relation with God — that which Adam destroyed through his disobedience! Do you now realize how easy it is to be confused by human philosophy and false teaching? 02. JOH 06:20, THE PACT: But he said: ‘Do not be afraid.’ JOH 06:20, NIV: He said to them: ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ JOH 06:20, SHG: lego: phobeo The word lego in Greek is here a typical example of the personal pronoun being hidden in the verb, lego = he said. Here this is easily confirmed when you see the two words lego: phobeo in Greek. Only THE PACT is correct here! Again: Note that ‘I am’ is not used in this verse at all. It has been added by the zealous translators of the original King James version and then copied by later translators. And on this non-existent ‘I Am’ philosophers have created that Jesus here confirms that he is God the Almighty. — There has got to be a limit in falsifying the Bible, even to philosophers! This is the story of when Jesus came walking on the water and scared the wits out of the disciples. In Matthew 14:26 it says that they thought he was a ghost! Then it is not so strange that he tried to calm them down by comforting them: ‘Do not be afraid.’ That Jesus in this situation, and contrary to the Bible, should feel the need to tell them that he was God the Almighty, becomes a contention so absurd that it is almost inconceivable that normal people with wits and understanding have been led this far astray — many of them by their own homemade philosophy! Is God Christ 165 NB! Again note that it neither says ‘it is I’ nor ‘I Am He’ in this verse. It has been added by champions of the ungodly teaching of the trinity who later have built an extensive philosophy around this falsification! 03. J0H 08:24, THE PACT: ‘Therefore I said that you would die in your sins. And if you will not believe that I am he whom I say I am, you shall remein dead in your sin.’ JOH 08:24, New International Version: ‘I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.’ JOH 08:24, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: epo apothnesko humon hamartia ean pisteo eimi apotnesko human hamartia say die your si if believe I am die your sin And whom did Jesus claim to be? God’s only generated Son, the Messiah, of course! Already in verse 26 he refers to the fact that ‘he who has sent me, is true!’ Also note what he says about such who will not believe that he is God’s only generated Son: ‘They shall die in their sin!’ But in the Greek text he says something more: If they will not believe that he is the One he says he is, they shall remain dead in their sins. He then refers to the second death. In other words, such people will not get a ressurection! They will remain dead in their sins! 04. JOH 08:28, THE PACT: At that same time Jesus said: ‘When the Son of Man (does he here refer to God the Almighty?) has been lifted up, you will understand that I am the One I say I am. Because I do nothing on my own. But my Father has taught me to say this.’ In reality: Can Jesus be his own Father? JOH 08:28, NIV: So Jesus said: ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has thought me.’ This is also correct. JOH 08:28, SHG: tate apo iesous: hotan hupsos huios antropos oun: ginosko eimi poieo oudeis emauto pater didasko laleo tauta This is from the same discussion with the pharisees where Jesus refers to his death on the pole (Greek: stauros = pole, stich; stauroo = impale). Then they will have to acknowledge that he is Jesus Christ, God’s heavenly Son, the promised Messiah. And here he clearly states that he does nothing according to his own wish, but only what his heavenly Father, God the Almighty, has thought him. Should this indicate that Jesus is God the Almighty? No, such a claim is pure blasphemy! o they think they will be blessed through making both God and Christ into liars? 166 Is God Christ 05. JOH 08:58, THE PACT: ‘This truth I tell you: From before Abraham am I.’ JOH 08:58, NIV: ‘I tell the truth,’ Jesus answered,’ before Abraham was born, I am.’ JOH 08:58, SHG: iesous epo: amen lego prin abraham eimi This verse is special because it is the object of an incredible biblical fabling. Many claim that Jesus here says directly that he is God the Almighty. That is far from the case! Jesus here refers to his pre-earth existence as God’s heavenly Son, the promised Messiah. Most Scandinavian translations have falsified this, but not the American New International Version. But of course the original text is correct! Why? After all the translations are not so far apart. In Scandinavian translations correct grammar is: ‘From before Abraham have I been.’ And if this verse had been correctly translated based on Scandinavian grammar, we would have been freed from all this fabling! But, sad to say, it is not in everybody’s interest to present the truth! Many, such as Catholic priests and Lutheran ministers, depend on preaching the official teaching of the trinity to keep their jobs! Some of them even believe it! Why is correct translation have been and not am? Scandinavian languages are constructed so that if they refer to something back in time, they say have been even if the situation continues, and Jesus, after all, still exists! But that is not the way it is in English, and neither in Greek. There correct text is am as long as the situation continues. Therefore it is correct in both Greek and English to write I am. But in Scandinavian languages the correct text is I have been. A little example: In Norwegian Bondevik would have said: ‘I have been Prime Minister for three years even if he is still the Prime Minister. That is correct grammar. But that is not how it is in English, and neither in Greek. In English Bush would have said: ‘I am President for three years.’ Then we understand that his presidential period is not over. If he had resigned after three years, he would have said: ‘I have been President for three years.’ And then most English speaking persons would have known that he is no longer the President. Here English and Greek grammar are synoptic. Therefore Jesus says according to correct Greek and English grammar: ‘From before Abraham am I.’ And no one will deny that Jesus still exists, even if he here refers to his heavenly position as God’s first creation in the universe. Correct English is therefore: ‘From before Abraham am I.’ With correct Scandinavian grammar all Scandinavian languages will write: ‘From before Abraham have I been.’ Is God Christ 167 This is nothing but elementary grammar which most of us learned in elementary or junior high. But maybe this is too elementary for an assistant professor of philosophy? Many put all understanding aside when they open up the Bible, because then it is time for fables! And that is why they call it philosophy. Do you not realize how many times God in the Bible warns against this word’s wisdom? He calls it stupidity! (1CO 01:19-21) 06. JOH 13:19, THE PACT: ‘When I say this before it happens, it is because when it happens, you shall know that I am he.’ JOH 13:19, NIV: ‘I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.’ Confusing! They had it correct before. JOH 13:19, SHG: arti lego pro ginomai hotan ginomai pisteuo eimi Through capitalizing ‘He’ here NIV falls into the same quagmire as the teachers of the trinity trying to make Jesus into God the Almighty. But here Jesus tells the disciples about Judas’ treason against him, which shocked the disciples because Judas was one of them. Jesus refers to the prophecy in Psalms 41:09. He says that he tells them beforehand so that they will know that it is him this prophecy is all about, he whom Judas lifts his heel against. It really takes a lot of philosophy to twist this into Jesus claiming to be God the Almighty! If you study the Greek text a bit closer, you will see that it does not say ego eimi there, but only eimi. This is because the personal pronoun ego is only used in Greek if the the ego is to be accentuated, which is not the case in this verse nor in any of the other verses throughout the whole Bible! The personal pronoun is understood through the conjugation of the verb. So strictly speaking it does not say He in the Greek text; the last word of the English translation. It may be interesting to know that when translating from Greek to English you need to use more than double the number of words. The Greek text consists of about 90 000 words, but to translate into English you need more than 200 000 words. One reason for this is that many of the short words such as prepositions and personal pronouns are presented through the conjugation of the verb and are therefore omitted in the text. The ancient Koiné does neither contain the indefinite article, something the wrong translations of JOH 01:01 have not taken into consideration. 07. JOH 18:05-06, THE PACT: JOH 18:05. They replied: ‘Jesus from Nazareth.’ And Jesus said: ‘I am he.’ And Judas, he who was to surrender him, came together with them. JOH 18:06. When Jesus said: ‘I am he,’ they pulled back from him and fell to the ground. 168 Is God Christ JOH 18:05-06, New International Version: JOH 18:05. ‘Jesus of Nazaret,’ they replied. ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) JOH 18:06. When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground. JOH 18:05-06, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: JOH 18:05. apikrinimai iesous nazareth iesous lego: eimi ioudas kai ho paradidomi histemi JOH 18:06. oun epo: eimi aperchomai eis ho opiso pipto chamai Also this seventh and last time where it is claimed that Jesus says that he is God the Almighty, is easy to understand for he who wants to understand the biblical truth and put all philosophy and fabling aside. The Priests and the soldiers led by Judas are out looking for Jesus to arrest him. Jesus, who knew that he had to suffer this, then stood forth asking them: ‘Whom are you looking for.’ They answered: ‘Jesus from Nazareth.’ Jesus then confirms that he is Jesus from Nazareth by saying: ‘I am he,’ or ‘He is I.’ Either way is correct grammar, but it has nothing to do with Jesus saying he is God the Almighty or not saying he is God the Almighty. He simply confirms in a neutral way that he is Jesus from Nazareth! After all, none of them were looking for God the Almighty. So simple and so clear is the biblical truth! But people who, based on their own philosophy, wishes to present Jesus as God the Almighty must resort to many tricks and distortions to try and make their philosophy fall in place. And in contradiction to God’s truth they lead many people astray! And they feel so clever in doing it! Listen to what Jesus says in John 17:03, THE PACT: ‘And this is a life in ages: To know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, he whom you have sent.’ Firstly, if God sent Christ, can then Christ be God? Secondly, can you say that you really know two persons if you do not even know the difference between them? So back to the beginning of this writ: The Rescuer Jesus Christ says that his Father is greater than he. The philosophy of the trinity by Valen-Senstad turns Jesus into a liar by contradicting him and saying that he is just as great as God the Almighty, yes, in fact he says that he is God the Almighty! (Point 24 and point 11 and 16) Whom are we to believe, our Rescuer Jesus Christ or the philosopher of the Norwegian State Church Valen-Senstad? Or are we to believe assistant professor Gunnar Johnstad who is so pleased with his own philosophy that he calls it ‘christology in a condensed and deep-plowing way?’ Excuse me, but in relation to the biblical truth such claims are and will remain nothing but philosophical rubbish! Is God Christ 169 But how can I explain this: When Jesus confirmed to the Jews who he was, they fell to the ground in reverence. Does not this clearly show that they considered him to be God the Almighty? No, such a claim would have been ridiculous and blasphempous to all Jews! Most Jews considered Jesus to be nothing but the son of Joseph the Carpenter. But many who had experienced his many good deeds from his Father, had a profound respect for him. This can refer to nothing but that respect. It was mostly the priests and the pharisees, the Jewish leadership, who wanted to get rid of Jesus, because to them he was a threat! And why was he a threat to them? They were all worried about their positions of power! And is not that how it also is today? But most people, the Jews in general, showed a great respect for Jesus and his many good deeds to them. So their falling to the ground in reverence has nothing to do with their believing that he was God the Almighty! There has got to be a limit even to philosophers. In Ephesians 01:17 it says that God is also Christ’s God, the same way he is our God. Jesus confirmed this when he died on the pole: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Or — was it all nothing but a fool’s play? Did he call upon himself? Many champions of the trinity claim that is was God who died on the pole. Such a claim becomes ludicrous, yes, pure blasphemy, because if you use common sense instead of philosophical nonsense, the consequences of such a claim must be that a dead rose a dead from the grave! Can that have happened? No, it says quite clearly that it was God the Almighty who raised his only generated Son Jesus Christ from the dead! Read Acts 02:24, 10:40, 13:30, Galatians 01:21 and First Peter, among many others! Can you, after having read these biblical verses, still maintain that it was God the Almighty who died on the pole / cross? 170 All verses in John where Jesus says ‘I am.’ An answer to a feature by assistant professor at NLA, Gunnar Johnstad, in the newspaper Dagen on the 30. of October 2003. By Arne Jordly In a feature in Dagen John Mevik comments on the understanding of the translation of the so-called ‘I Am’ - words in the Message after John (Greek: ego eimi) where it is presented in an absolute form without following predicates or compliments, separating the seven ‘I Am’ - words in the same message which has a closer definition: ‘I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world,’ etc. The absolute ‘I Am’ - verses in John refers to 04:26, 06:20, 08:24, 08:28, 08:58, 13:19 and 18:05-06. Here assistant professor Gunnar Johnstad claims that Jesus uses the expression I am only seven times in addition to the seven times he uses the absolute I am without following predicate or compliment. Does Jesus only say I am 14 times in the messagre after John? We shall see. And what about the other messages? Not a single time? Not once? All these verses are presented from the Greek text, from Strong’s Hebrew / Greek. Where NIV is not using I am where it is being used in the Greek text, is accsentuated with a star and separate comment. Verses that make up the so-called absolute I am are numbered and emphasized. All references are from THE PACT. NO VERS TEXT 01 02 03 04 JOH 04:26 JOH 06:35 JOH 06:48 JOH 06:51 05 JOH 07:28 06 JOH 07:29 07 JOH 07:33 08 JOH 07:34 09 10 11 JOH 08:12 JOH 08:16 JOH 08:18 01 And Jesus said: ‘I who speak to you, I am he.’* 02 ‘I am the bread of life. —’ 03 ‘I am the bread of life. —’ 04 ‘I am the living bread that has come down from the heavens. —’ ‘— So you know me and you know where I came* from.’ *where I am from ‘I know him, because I come* from him, and it is he who has sent me.’ *I am from him ‘Yet another short time I will be* among you. And then I will go away to him who has sent me.’ *I am among you ‘— for where I am going to be,* you cannot come.’ *where I am ‘— I am the light of the world. —’ ‘I am not alone about it. I am with my Father about it, —’ ‘I am not the one to testify* about myself. But my Father, he who has sent me, testifies about me.’ *I am a witness Is God Christ 12 JOH 08:23 13 JOH 08:24 14 JOH 08:28 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 JOH 08:58 JOH 09:05 JOH 10:07 JOH 10:09 JOH 10:11 JOH 10:14 JOH 11:25 JOH 12:26 JOH 13:13 24 JOH 13:19 25 JOH 13:33 26 JOH 14:03 27 28 JOH 14:06 JOH 14:09 29 30 31 32 JOH 15:01 JOH 15:05 JOH 16:32 JOH 17:11 33 34 JOH 17:14 JOH 17:16 171 ‘— I am from up there. You are of this world, but I am not of this world.’ 02 ‘— And if you will not believe that I am he* whom I say I am, you shall remain dead in your sins.’ *He with a capital letter is a falsification 03 ‘— When the Son of Man has been lifted up, you will understand that I am the one* I say I am.’ *He with a capital letter is a falsification 04 ‘From before Abraham was, I am.’ ‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ ‘I am the gate of the sheep.’ ‘I am the door, —’ ‘I am the good shepherd, —’ ‘I am the good shepherd, —’ ‘I am the resurrection to life, —’ ‘— and where I am, shall also my servant be.’ ‘For you call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speek correctly, because that I am.’ 05 ‘— because when it happens, you shall know that I am he. *He with a capital letter is a falsification Children, I will stay* with you for a little while, as I said to the Jews. —’ *I am with you And when I have* gone and prepared a place for you, I will return and take you with me, —’ *when I am gone ‘I am the way to the truth and to life, —’ How long have I been* with you? And then you do not know me, Philip? —’ *I am, because Jesus is still with them, even if only for a short time. NB! Here ‘I am’ has by NIV been translated with ‘I have been,’ in full accordance with correct grammar. Why, then, has NIV not translated JOH 08:58 in the same way when it says the same in the Greek text? ‘I am the true vine, —’ ‘I am the vine, you are the branches, —’ ‘— Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.’ ‘I will no longer stay* in the world. *Here Jesus uses the expression I am in Greek, because he is still in this world, if only for a short time. The Greek text is constantly consistent here, even if translators may not be. Remain or stay is still grammatically correct based on a modern English usage. ‘— as neither I am of this world.’ ‘— as neither I am of this world.’ 172 Is God Christ 35 JOH 18:05 36 JOH 18:08 37 JOH 18:37 06 They replied: ‘Jesus from Nazareth.’ And Jesus said: ‘I am he.’* *He with a capital letter is a falsification 07 ‘I have told you that I am he.’* *He with a capital letter is a falsification ‘— I am king, —’ NB! Pay special attention to verse 06:20. New International Version has translated it in this way: ‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’ This is the eighth so-called absolute time Jesus says I Am. And based on this assistant professor Gunnar Johnstad claims that Jesus is God the Almighty. That cannot possibly be correct because the short sentence ‘it is I’ has been added during translation. It does not exist in the Greek text. There it only says: ‘Do not be afraid.’ In Greek: lego: phobeo. Jesus uses the expression I Am, Greek eimi, and not ego eimi, as many as 41 times in the message after John, and not just 14, of which 7 are the so-called absolute ‘I am,’ as assistant professor Gunnar Johnstad claims through his philosophy. Jesus does not say ego eimi one single time in the Greek text, because I am in Greek is eimi. The personal pronoun is hidden in the verb. But ego eimi is also being used in the ancient Greek language when the ego is to be accentuated. An example: ‘I am clever, not you.’ And from there the expression an egotist. In every other situation the personal pronoun ego is hidden in the conjugation of the word eimi. Will you still claim that Jesus has ever presented himself as God the Almighty? 173 Three Words yehovah, yehuwdah, yehowshuwa' Word 01: yehovah Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: Genesis 02:04. 'el-leh towledah shamayim 'erets bara' yowm yehovah 'elohiym 'asah 'erets shamayim Genesis 02:04, NIV: ‘This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, — COMMENTARY: The first time God’s proper name Jehovah is being used in the Bible, is in Genesis 02:04. As you see God’s name Jehovah is not being used in the translation of the New International Version. It is translated Lord, but written in capital letters LORD. God’s name is neither being used in any other English or American translations unknown for what reason. One honest exception is the New World Translation by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Does the name Jehovah mean Lord? Not at all! The meaning of God’s proper name is as follows: Yehovah, yeh-ho-vaw'; from (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah. COMMENTARY: Yes, this was an explanation as to who Jehovah is, but not the full meaning of his name. It was not until in Exodus 03:14, when Moses asked whom he was to tell had sent him, that God explained the meaning of his name. Exodus 03:14, SHG: 'elohiym 'amar mosheh hayah hayah 'amar koh 'amar ben yisra'el hayah shalach Exodus 03:14-15, New International Version: EXO 03:14. God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.* This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.`" [* Or <I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE>] EXO 03:15. God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD,* the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you.` This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.’” [* The Hebrew for <LORD> sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for <I AM> in verse 14.] 174 Three Words Here is the explanation of the meaning of God’s name Jehovah: hayah, haw-yaw'; a prim. root; to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):– beacon, X altogether, be (-come, accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), continue, do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, X use. COMMENTARY: Note that the word ‘hayah’ is being used in as many as 1114 verses in the First Pact. It is only when it is being used twice after each other that it makes up the full meaning of God’s proper name Jehovah. And note the bold text. Here it says that the meaning of God’s name can never be an auxiliary, but always an active verb. Therefore the meaning of God’s name cannot be ‘I am,’ which is a passive auxiliary, but ‘to do, fulfill or accomplish.’ By using the word ‘hayah’ twice after each other, it is repeated and strengthened, so that the full meaning of God’s proper name, Jehovah, is: ‘I shall fulfill, I shall fulfill,’ Or even more thorough: ‘I shall fulfill what I have determined to fulfill.’ The claim that the meaning of God’s name is based on the Greek ego eimi does therefore not agree with reality. God’s name has never been Greek! But what about the forms of Jahve or Javeh? Even if it is maintained that the form Jahveh is preferred by Jewish traditions, none of these two forms are being used in the original text, ref. Strong’s Hebrew / Greek. God’s proper name, Jehovah, is used as many as 6528 times in 5522 verses in the Hebrew text. The short version of God’s name, yahh, is used as many as 52 times in 48 verses. And the expression Jehovah God, yehovah elohiym, is uses as many as 915 times in 838 verse and the expression the Lord Jehovah, yehovih adonai, 299 times in 289 verses. Note that the spelling of God’s name then is yehovih. This is because of a Hebrew sound rule when the word yehovah is used together with the word adonai, lord, meaning the Lord Jehovah, in Hebrew adonai Jehovih. Word 02: yehuwdah Strong’s Hebrew / Greek: Genesis 29:35. harah 'owd yalad ben 'amar pa'am 'attah yadah yehovah 'al ken qara' shem yehuwdah 'amad yalad New International Version: GEN 29:35. She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. [<Judah> sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for <praise.>] COMMENTARY: This is the first time the word yehowdah is used in the Bible. Judah, Hebr. yehowdah, was Jacob’s fourth son with Leah, and Leah chose this name because now ‘I will praise Jehovah.’ And thereby she named her fourth son Judah, Three Words 175 Hebr, yehowdah, which means ‘one who praises Jehovah.’ Here we lose all details if we just translate yehowdah with ‘praising the Lord.’ The contention that the name sounds like the Hebrew name for praise is then at the best a way of explaining away the name Jehovah, and at worst it is a direct lie! The word Jew is derived from this word, because all physical Jews are descendants from Judah. It has the exact same meaning, although in Hebrew written with some different letters. The first time the word yehowdah (yehudiy) is uses as a reference to a people, the Jews, is in Esther 02:05. Esther 02:05. shuwshan biyrah 'iysh yehuwdiy shem mordekay ben ya'iyr ben shim'iy ben qiysh ben-yemiyniy 3064. Yehuwdiy, yeh-hoo-dee'; patron. from H3063; a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or desc. of Jehudah (i.e. Judah):--Jew. The New International Version: EST 02:05. ‘Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, —’ [the grandson of Kish. Mordecai was most likely of King Saul’s semen, ref. 1SA 09:01-02. Word 03: yehowshuwa’ Strongs hebrew / greek: Mattew 01:21. tikto tikto huios kaleo onoma iesous sozo laos hamartia 2424. Iesous, ee-ay-sooce'; of Heb. or. [H3091]; Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Isr.:--Jesus. THE PACT: MAT 01:21. She will have a Son and you shall give him the name Jesus* because he will save his people from their sins. *Iesous, Gr. = Jehowshua (Joshua), Hebr. = Jehovah’s Rescuer. COMMENTARY: Yes, here we see the Greek version of the name Jesus, Iesous. But it was not the Greek version the messenger Gabriel (God’s strong man) commanded them to call Jesus, but the Hebrew version. And it was just because of the meaning of that word in Hebrew that Gabriel told Joseph what name to give Jesus, which was the long version yehowshuva, most often abbreviated Joshua, which translated from Hebrew to English means Jehovah’s Rescuer. And then we understand why this messenger brought this command to Joseph after having received the information from God the Almighty. 176 Three Words We also know Joshua as the one who led the Sons of Israel into the promised land. This Joshua was a model after Jesus, Joshua, who to an even grater extent was to lead his people into ‘the promised land.’ The first time we hear the name yehowshuwa in the Bible is in Exodus 17:09. Exodus 17:09, SHG: mosheh 'amar yehowshuwa' bachar 'enowsh yatsa' lacham 'amaleq machar natsab 'al ro'sh gib'ah matteh 'elohiym: yad yehowshuwa', yeh-ho-shoo'-ah; or Yehowshu'a, yeh-ho-shoo'-ah; Jehovah saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader:– Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua. CONCLUSION: Note that these three words have the same basic origin! In Hebrew both the word Jesus and the word Jehowdah (Jew) have the name Jehovah in them. Therefore it is not difficult to understand that the word Jehovah is the original version of God’s proper name simply because it has the same basis as the two other words that there are no contention about. Then it also becomes easier to understand Paul’s statement in Romans 02:29 about who is a true Jew, in other words ‘someone who truly praises Jehovah,’ and in Philippians 02:09 where Paul says about Jesus: ‘Therefore has God elevated him and given him the name (the act) above all names.’ And the name was Jehowshua, Jehovah’s Rescuer. By replacing God’s proper name Jehovah with Lord one will lose a correct and detailed understanding of this. Every interpretation of the Bible which is not based on a correct understanding, is false teaching! 177 The second of four cornerstones to a mature understanding of the Bible: A Satan’s Lie! Straight to the point: What is a soul? Is it visible or invisible? Can it die, or is it immortal? Here you will find an explanation so thorough that if you are willing to accept the biblical facts, you will never more let yourself be confused about this! In the Hebrew scriptures the word soul (Hebr. nephesh) is being used as many as 749 times, the first time in Genesis 01:20 where all the creatures teaming in the sea are spoken of as souls. THE PACT writes soul in total accordance with the original text. Both KJ-1611 and NIV have omitted the word soul and write creature. And in this way they are instrumental in hiding the real meaning of the word soul to the reader. GEN 01:21, NIV: ‘So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.’ GEN 01:21, SHG: ‘elohiym bara’ gadowl tamiyn kol chay nephesh Transliterated: god create great seacreature all living soul ramas mayim sharats sharats sharats miyn kol kanaph miyn move (swim) sea shoal shoal shoal species all wing species ‘elohiym ra’ah gadowl god see good GEN 01:21, THE PACT: ‘Then God created the great sea creatures and all living souls that swim in shoals in the sea, according to their species, and all winged birds according to their species. And God saw that it was good!’ I will not include all the 749 times nephesh (soul) is being used in the Hebrew text, but I will present the word in those verses that are most important for a correct understnding. In the Greek text the word psuche (soul) is being used 105 times; the first time in Matthew 02:20 where the boy Jesus is referred to as a soul. 178 A Satan’s Lie! MAT 02:20, NIV: ‘— and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead.’” MAT 02:20, SHG: lego egeiro paralambano paidion paidion meter poreuomai Transliterated: say rise take child child mother go eis ge israel thnesko ho zeteo paidion paidion psuche to land israel dead who seek child child soul MAT 02:20, THE PACT: ‘He said to him: ‘Get ready! Take with you mother and child and return to the land Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s soul, are now dead.’ I will use NIV as an example. In the First Pact the Hebrew word for soul, nephesh, is used 749 times in 672 verses. In its translation of the First Pact NIV only write soul 105 times in 94 verses and always where it is not quite clar what the soul is — something invisible and immortal hocus-pocus that runs out of us when we die, or the living being itself. In the New Pact the Greek word for soul, psuche, is used 110 times in 108 verses. In its translation NIV only writes soul 19 times in 17 verses, and always where it is not quite clear what the soul is — something invisible and immortal hocus-pocus that runs out of us when we die, or the living being itself. Why, then, is it so difficult to accept a correct understanding of this word? Is it not because the common interpretation of the soul as something invisible and immortal represents Satan’s first lie? — How come? Listen to what Satan said to Eve in GEN 03:04: ‘You will not at sall die.’ It is this statement Jesus refers to when he in JOH 08:44 calls Satan ‘the father of lies,’ because this was this world’s very first lie! And for mankind to believe this lie Satan has invented the myth of the immortal soul. It is also this Paul refers to when he in First Timothy 04:07 asks ut to ‘reject ungodly myths as nonsense from old women.’ JOH 08:44, THE PACT: ‘Because you have the Devil for a father, and you long to do your father’s will. He was a mankiller from the beginning, and he did not keep to the truth, because there was no truth in him. When he tells lies, he speaks of himself, for he is the father of lies.’ Contrary to Satan, what did God say about death after Eve had believed in Satan’s lie and also enticed Adam to do the same? GEN 03:19, THE PACT: ‘With sweat in your face you shall eat your bread until you are back in the earth, A Satan’s Lie! 179 because from it you were taken! From dust you were taken and to dust you shall return! Here God explains to the last grain of dust what it means to die! And without doubt it is much more pleasant to believe in Satan’s cunning lie than in God’s stone hard, but clear, condemnation! What really happens when a man goes into decay? Is it true that we return to earth? Yes, indeed! It has now been scientifically proved what components a body returns to when it goes into decay — we return to many of the components that earth, mud and clay consist of! In Derek M. Marley’s booklet Dead, then what? (page 12-13) this is presented in an interesting way. And I quote as closely to the original text as possible: ‘In an average man of 75 kilos there is enough water to fill a barrel of 50 liters, enough fat to make seven pieces of soap, enough carbon to make seven pencils, enough phosphorus to make 2200 matches, enough magnesium to salt in your porridge, enough iron for an average size nail, enough calcium to lime a small lawn and enough sulphur to delouse a dog.’ And all these ingredients are found in the earth! Then back to Genesis 02:07. It says: ‘And Jehovah God formed man from the dust of the earth and blew the breath of life in through his nose, so that the man became a living soul.’ It says that Adam became a living soul, not that he got a living soul! But here NIV is guilty of two major falsifications: First they skip the first word of this sentence, Jehovah. And then they wrongly translate the last word of the verse to being where the Hebrew text says soul. It is a good example of people adhering to Satan’s first lie! And in that way they hide the fact that the souls is the very living being, man or animal — any living creature on this earth that needs blood to sustain life whether that blood is white, red or blue! Most clearly you see this in GEN 09:04, THE PACT: ‘But flesh of a soul with its blood in it, you shall not eat.’ Any clearer than this it cannot be said that a soul consists of flesh and blood! And nothing consisting of flesh and blood can be neither invisible nor immortal! Also here NIV confuses the reader: ‘But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood in it.’ GEN 09:04, SHG: basar nephesh dam achal Transliterated: flesh (meat) soul blood devour GEN 09:04, THE PACT: But flesh of a soul with its blood in it, you must not eat. Do you now realize how consciously NIV avoids using the word soul in verses where it is clear that the soul is either a person or an animal of flesh and blood? And they 180 A Satan’s Lie! are not alone. Most translators eagerly adhere to Satan’s first lie! And because of this most people believe that the soul is something invisible and immortal that people walk around with inside themselves! That is nothing but an ungodly myth! It is a Satan’s lie! The immortal soul’s eternal torment in an everlasting burning hell! Where does hell fit into all this? Well, that is evident, because without an immortal soul there cannot be an eternal torment — long lasting, maybe, but not forever! And thereby no eternal torment in a burning hell! So, where do the doctrine of hell come from? Well, first it builds on a lack of understanding that when Jesus explained something, he always explained in pictures! Besides, it was not in the interest of the Pope, the origin of this false teaching, to correct this. Because of mankind’s fear of ending up in hell, the money binges of the Pope were filled to the rim. The priests traveled around selling forgiveness of sins, absolution, to the ignorant people of the Middle Ages — and they could charge almost anything for a so-called letter of absolution! And this people believed in! I have many times called this the world’s greatest business idea! Read Second Thessalonians 02:01-12. From the Hebrew Scriptures In the Hebrew scriptures we read about the Valley of Ben Hinnom (Hinnom’s sons’ Valley) 13 times in 11 verses. I include all of these verses so that you will clearly understand the picture Jesus refers to when he talks about this: 01. JOS 15:08, NIV: ‘Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.’ Here we see that this valley is situated near what at that time was Jebus, a city of the Jebusites, the group of people that lived in the city of that district. And that city later became Jerusalem. Ben Hinnom’s Valley is in other words situated just south of Jerusalem. 02. JOS 18:16, NIV: ‘The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel.’ Here Joshua describes the borders of the region allotted to Israel’s son Judah, later called Judea. A Satan’s Lie! 181 03. 2KI 23:10, NIV: ‘He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in* the fire to Molech.’ [* Or <to make his son or daughter pass through>] Now we are beginning to see the contours of the ‘hell’ which Jesus referred to in is parables. It was here the Canaaneans had their places of sacrifice where they sacrificed their firstborn sons on the fire of the altar to the idol Molech. In other words this was an altar to the idol Molech where they sacrificed human beings — their firstborn sons. This was a pagan ritual, probably a misunderstanding of God’s command that all who opened the womb, all firstborn sons, were to belong to him. (EXO 13:02) This was in anticipation of God’s firstborn Jesus Christ. And it was in order to fulfill this commandment Jesus was taken to Jerusalem as a boy and presented in the temple. (LUK 02:22) Have you read God’s promise to Abraham that he was only to take over the land when the evil of the sons of Canaan had reached its full measure? (GEN 15:16) And these child offerings developed to such an extent that the time was well ripe when the sons of Israel entered the region and drove the original inhabitants away — those who were not killed. Only a few were allowed to remain, and then as servants. 04. 2CH 28:03, NIV: ‘He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD* had driven out before the Israelites.’ *JHVH We see that King Ahaz followed the customs of the pagans, the Canaaneans. He did what was evil in the eyes of Jehovah. 05. 2CH 33:06, NIV: ‘He sacrificed his sons in* the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD,* provoking him to anger.’ [* Or <He made his sons pass through>] *JHVH Again we see that this valley was the place of much idolatry and sorcery, all which were evil in the eyes of Jehovah. And the king representing this evil is now Manasseh. It says that he drove Jehovah to anger. And this king, as many of the kings of Israel, was one of Jesus’ forefathers. Especially therefore Jehovah was angered. 06. NEH 11:30, NIV: ‘Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, in Lachish and its fields, and 182 A Satan’s Lie! in Azekah and its settlements. So they were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.’ Here we hear about some of the sons of Israel and where they settled — all the way from Beersheba in the north to the Valley of Ben Hinnom in the south. 07. JER 07:31, NIV: ‘ They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire - something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.’ God states in a clear way that such child offerings had never been in his mind. This was not the way it was to be just because all the firstborn were to belong to him! They were, of course, not to be sacrificed in the fire, but just presented before God the way Jesus was when he was twelve years old. 08. JER 07:32, NIV: ‘So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD*, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.’ *JHVH This prophecy by Jeremiah had been fulfilled at the time of Jesus. Those who did not get a burial place in any other place, were buried here, ref. the two robbers who died together with Jesus. They were simply thrown into the fire without any form of funeral! The valley was also the place of a great slaughter when King Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem. 09. JER 19:02, NIV: ‘— and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, —’ And the proclamation was a message of doom by God over the sons of Israel. And this refers to King Nebuchadnezzar’s second attack on Jerusalem where the last king of King David’s semen was captured and led to Babylon together with his eight sons. They were all slaughtered by King Nebuchadnezzar. 10. JER 19:06, NIV: ‘So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD,* when people will no longer call this place Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.’ *JHVH And this happened after the Jews returned from Babylon. But as we shall see, the valley retained it original name in the Greek language. A Satan’s Lie! 183 11. JER 32:35, NIV: ‘They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters* to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.’ [* Or <to make their sons and daughters pass through [the fire]>] This was the last of the 11 verses where the expression ben Hinnom’s Valley is used in the First Pact. As you see it was clearly a pagan place of sacrifice of living human beings, mostly children, in the fire. It is this picture Jesus refers to in his parables! This valley was declared unclean by the godfearing King Josiah. (2KI 23:10) As time passed it developed into the garbage dump of Jerusalem. And that was the situation at the time of Jesus when also the two robbers where thrown into Gehenna. NB! I have chosen to include only the verses where the Valley of Ben Hinnom, the valley of the sons of Hinnom, is mentioned directly. But to get a full understanding of the picture Jesus is using, it may be smart to read some verses both before and after. From the Greek Scriptures We will further take a closer look at the Greek scriptures and those verses where Jesus uses this constantly burning garbage dump as a picture. In Greek this valley was called Ge-Hinnom or Geenna (Gehenna). It is referred to in 12 verses in the New Pact. I will first present the text of the New International Version and then compare it to the text of THE PACT. 01. MAT 05:22, NIV: ‘But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother* will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca,+` is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!` will be in danger of the fire of hell.* *correct: Gehenna [* Some manuscripts <brother without cause>] [+ An Aramaic term of contempt] I will also present the Greek text of this first verse: MAT 05:22, SHG: lego pas -ho orgizo adelphos eike eike enochos Transliterated: say all who angry brother no cause no cause guilty krisis hos -an epo adelphos rhaka enochos sunedrion hos -an epo moros judgment who that say brother raca guilty sanhedrin who that say moron enochos genna pur guilty gehenna fire 184 A Satan’s Lie! MAT 05:22, THE PACT: ‘But I say: Anyone who gets angry with a brother for no reason and calls his brother ‘raca’ is guilty before the Sanhedrin. And he who calls him a moron, is guilty to the fire of Gehenna.’* *the garbage dump south of Jerusalem Yes, here we see for the first time that the Valley og Ben Hinnom, Hebr. and GeHinnom or Gehenna, Greek, is made into a burning hell! And let us get it straight right away — the word hell does not exist in any original biblical connection! It has been construed! And, as you can also see, it is not the name of a condition — it is a place name. It is the name of the valley south of Jerusalem that was made into the garbage dump of the city! We will take a closer look at the other places where Ge-Hinnom, or Gehenna, has been made into a burning hell: 02. MAT 05:29, NIV: ‘If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.’* *correct: Gehenna MAT 05:29, THE PACT: ‘If your right eye leads you to stumble, then gauge it out and throw it away. For it is better to lose a part of your body than to be thrown into Gehenna.’* * the garbage dump south of Jerusalem 03. MAT 05:30, NIV: ‘And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.’* *correct: Gehenna MAT 05:30, THE PACT: ‘And if your hand leads you to stumble, then cut it off and throw it away. For it is better to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into the fire of Gehenna.’* *the garbage dump south of Jerusalem 04. MAT 10:28, NIV: ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body* in hell.** *prevent anybody from getting a life in ages **correct: Gehenna MAT 10:28, THE PACT: ‘Do not be afraid of those who can only destroy the body, but not the soul. Rather pay respect to him who can throw both body and soul in Gehenna.’* *the garbage dump south of Jerusalem A Satan’s Lie! 185 05. MAT 18:09, NIV: ‘And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.’* *correct: Gehenna MAT 18:09, THE PACT: ‘And if your eye tempts you to stumble, then tear it out and throw it away. For it is better to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of Gehenna.’* *the garbage dump south of Jerusalem where the fire was always sustained 06. MAT 23:15, NIV: ‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell* as you are.’ *correct: sons of Gehenna — such who are destined to be discarded by God MAT 23:15, THE PACT: ‘Grieve, you teachers of the law and you pharisees — you hypocrites. For you travel across sea and dry land to convert a proselyte,* and when you find him, you make him a son of Gehenna** twice as strongly as you are yourselves.’ *one who has been converted to Judaism **the garbage dump south of Jerusalem. Sons of Gehenna are such who will be discarded by God. 07. MAT 23:33, NIV: ‘You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?’* *correct: Gehenna MAT 23:33, THE PACT: ‘You snakes. You brood of vipers. How can you escape the judgement of Gehenna?’* *the grabage dump south of Jerusalem. The judgement of Gehenna = being discarded by God as waste. 08. MAR 09:43, NIV: ‘If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell,* where the fire never goes out, —’ *correct: Gehenna MAR 09:43, THE PACT: ‘If your hand makes you stumble, cut it off. For it is better to wander into ageous life as a cripple, than to have two hands and be thrown into the fire of Gehenna* which is never quenched.’ *the garbage dump south of Jerusalem where the fire was always sustained 09. MAR 09:45, NIV: ‘And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.’* *correct: Gehenna 186 A Satan’s Lie! MAR 09:45, THE PACT: ‘And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. For it is better to wander into a life in ages as a cripple, than to legs and be thrown into the fire of Gehenna* which is never quenched.’ *the garbage dump south of Jerusalem where the fire was always sustained 10. MAR 09:47, NIV: ‘And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.’* *correct: Gehenna MAR 09:47, THE PACT: ‘If your eye makes you stumble, then tear it out. For it is better to wander into the Realm of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of Gehenna.’* *the garbage dump south of Jerusalem 11. LUK 12:05, NIV: ‘But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.* Yes, I tell you, fear him.’ *correct: Gehenna LUK 12:06, THE PACT: ‘Let me show you whom you ought to fear: Fear him who, after he has killed, also have the right to throw you into Gehenna.’* *the garbage dump south of Jerusalem 12. JAC 03:06, NIV: ‘The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.’* *correct: Gehenna JAC 03:06, THE PACT: ‘Also the tongue is like a fire — like a world of injustice. The tongue as a limb may contaminate the whole body and set the ways of nature on fire! Itself it will be put on fire in Gehenna.’ * *the garbage dump south of Jerusalem NB! I have added a footnote showing the real meaning of these verses. Therefore I am convinced that you will see this picture quite clearly. From today’s situation: Think a little of garbage dumps and how factual Jesus’ use of these parables really are when compared to today’s situation: Outside of every town or city, even villages, it has been necessary to establish garbage dumps. And the authorities have usually chosen valleys for such dumps, and that is how it is to this day. A Satan’s Lie! 187 But because of environmental considerations the garbage is no longer burned. Instead it is often covered by fertile soil. Then when the valleys are all filled up, there are in many places established great golf courses over the fillings. Or, as in other places, they are being used for industrial sites. In Jerusalem, when something was no longer worth holding on to, they said: ‘Throw it on the fire of Gehenna.’ And that is still the situation in many places even today. When something is no longer useful, people all over the world keep saying: ‘Throw it in the garbage!’ They said the same in Jerusalem: ‘Throw it on the fire of Gehenna!’ And in some places the garbage is still being nourished with sulphur or other liquids to keep the fire burning and to prevent it from being quenched! When you see this, you also see how factual the Bible really is! But, sad to say, many so-called Christians have through their own philosophy made it into an incredible fable! From today’s churches: Is the soul as invisible and immortal as it has been through centuries of false teachings? Is hell still burning as strongly as it has been ever since the Pope invented these ungodly doctrines? The Pentecostals are by all measure the church which today preaches the teaching of the immortal soul and the everlasting torment in an everlasting burning hell with, literally speaking, most burning effort. Most of those whom I have talked to, refuse to listen to any other presentation. They chose to call every effort to present this in accord with the Bible, wrong teaching. So there the soul is as immortal as ever and hell burning as strong as ever — if not even stronger! The Catholic Church has not officially discarded the teachings of the immortal soul and the eternally burning hell, because that would cause them to lose credibility, in their own opinion. But even if the Popal church has not officially quenched the fire of hell altogether, it is at least burning much weaker than before. The Lutheran Church has had a similar development as the Catholic Church. It has not taken a clear confrontation with this abomination, but it is quite clear that also there the fire of hell is about to die out. It is no longer actively preached! But it is still being defended. At a church meal one Lutheran minister admitted that hell was no longer preached in the Lutheran Church. But he still maintained that infants who die unbaptized, will without doubt go straight to hell! 188 A Satan’s Lie! The Adventists are in some areas quite clear, yes, clearer than many of the others, and the teaching of the immortal soul and the burning hell are two such areas. They have long past rejected the immortal soul and quenched the fire of hell, even it they are not actively preaching their positions on this. Either they shy away from unpleasant confrontations or it is old news to them, I think. Jehovah’s Witnesses must be mentioned especially in this context, because they are the ones who have struggled hardest go get rid of this religious abomination! And they have been strongly critisized and condemned because of this — by the priesthoods! But ‘honor him who honor is due,’ and in this situation that is Jehovah’s Witnesses. All honor to them for having been at the forefront in opposing this horrible wrong teaching and for having been able to quench the papal misconception of the immortal soul’s everlasting torment in an everlasting burning hell! NB! New International Version consistently writes ‘causes you to sin.’ The Greek word is skandalizo which means to stumble. In other words: If you have been exposed to a scandal, you have stumbled. The word is today widely used in everyday English. CONCLUSION: The teaching of the immortal soul’s everlasting torment in an everlasting burning hell is not consistent with a loving God. It has never been a biblical teaching, naturally, because it builds on Satan’s first lie: ‘You shall not at all die!’ (GEN 03:04) Satan trying to create a wrong picture of God, is understandable, but that sensible Christians can believe this Satanic myth, is harder to comprehend. Read Secong Timothy 04:04-05. Can you think of any reason why it is so important to so many ‘Christians’ to preserve the abominable wrong teaching about hell? Can it be that they walk about rejoicing over an unpopular neighbor’s future misery while they themselves feel so pleased thinking that they will get away? A common question by many of these Christians is: ‘If there is no hell, why should we then be Christians? What would we then be struggling for?’ And this question proves that they have got it all wrong! Is being a Christian a struggle to avoid hell? Or is it a desire to be part of God’s future glory? 189 The third of four cornerstones to a mature understanding of the Bible: Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit A quote from WWW, While We Wait by John and Elin Berglund, Adventists, no. 15, 2. quarter 1996, third column, at the bottom of page 07: ‘Enoch, Moses and Elijah were surely there, because they were taken to the heaven as a firstfruit from the earth. The same are the many who were risen through Jesus’ death. Matt, 27:52. Maybe they are the 24 elders that John got to see?’ About Enoch I allow myself being doubtful to such speculative claims because they do not build on the Bible’s clear presentation of what happened. Let us take Enoch first. It says nowhere that he was taken into the heaven, neither in the First Pact nor in the New Pact. In GEN 05:24 it says that ‘God took him away.’ In Hebrews 11:05, THE PACT, it says: ‘By faith Enoch was taken away so that he would not see death. He was not found because God had taken him away.’ (GEN 05:24) It never says that he was taken up to the heavens. Besides, if these people from the First Pact were firstfuits, how can Jesus then be the Firstfruit hundreds of years later? (1CO 15:20, 1CO 15:23) I phrase from a country song: ‘Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die!’ I will rephrase this: ‘Everybody wants to believe in Jesus, but nobody wants to believe what he says.’ What am I referring to? Yes, in John 03:13 Jesus says it straight: ‘Nobody has ascended to the heavens except he who descended from the heavens, and that is the Son of Man.’ From the genealogies in Genesis 05:18-24, NIV: ‘When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.’ 1MO 05:24, hebr. - chanowk haqak 'elohiym 'elohiym laqach laqach:H3947 . 3947. laqach, law-kakh'; a prim. root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive , reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win. 190 Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit HEB 11:05, THE PACT: ‘By faith Enoch was taken away so that he would not see death. He was not found, because God had taken him away. But before he was taken away, he had received testimony that he pleased God.’ (GEN 05:24) JUD 01:14-15, THE PACT: ‘Enoch, the seventh after Adam, prophesized about these when he said: See! — the LORD* comes with tens of thousands** of his holy to pass judgement on them all and to punish the ungodly of all their ungodly acts, and of all the harsh words these sinners in their ungodliness have spoken against him!’ *JHVH **the 144 000 Neither Judas, Jesus’ half brother, says that Enoch was taken up to heaven. But here it is quite clear that Enoch prophesized against all the evil that prevailed on the earth, already that early in time, that which the offsprings of the godsons, the Nephilims, (GEN 06:04-06) represented. It was to exterminate this evil God sent the flood. But this is all that is said about Enoch in the Bible, and not in a single place in these verses is it mentioned or indicated that he was ‘taken up to heaven.’ It only says that ‘he was taken away.’ Many then interpret this to mean that he was taken alive up to heaven, but that cannot possibly be the case. Paul says in First Corinthians 15:50 that ‘flesh and blood cannot inherit the Realm of God.’ And again: If Enoch had been taken up to the heavens, he would have been the Firstfruit, and not Christ. About Moses DEU 34:05-07, New International Version: DEU 34:05. ‘And Moses the servant of the LORD* died there in Moab, as the LORD* had said. *correct: Jehovah DEU 34:06. He buried him* in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. [* Or <He was buried>] DEU 34:07. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.’ NB! Note that it says that Jehovah buried Moses, not that he took him up to heaven. JUD 01:09, THE PACT: And when the foremost of the messengers, Michael, resisted the Devil and quarreled over Moses’ body, he did not dare bring slanderous accusations against him, but said: ‘Jehovah will rebuke you!’ JUD 01:09, NIV: ‘But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’’ Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit 191 Neither Judas, Jesus’ half brother, says that Moses was taken up to heaven. If so was the case, the foremost messenger Michael, could not have quarreled with the Devil over Moses’ body, even if Moses’ spirit could have had a heavenly resurrection. But anybody claiming anything like that, cannot possibly have understood the meaning of Jesus’ sacrificial death! About Elijah 2KI 02:11, NIV: ‘As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.’ Here it undeniably and in clear text says that ‘Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.’ But which heaven? God’s dwelling? Or just the skies? What about the horses and the chariot? Were also they taken up to heaven, God’s dwelling? Of course not. And neither was Elijah! Second Chronicles 21:12, NIV: ‘Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa, king of Judah.’ Here it is clear that King Jehoram received a letter from the prophet Elijah. The question is: ‘Did Jehoram receive this letter before or after Elijah was taken ‘up to the heaven?’ The text and the genealogies of the kings show that that King Jehoram received this letter six to seven years after Elijah ‘was taken up to the heaven,’ and then it could not possibly be ‘God’s dwelling’ he had been taken up to. And here the argument that ‘nothing is impossible to God,’ is far from valid, because anything like that would clearly be contrary to God’s plan and will! When this letter was sent, Elijah was in Judah, in the south, but when he was ‘taken up to heaven,’ he was in the north, in Israel. He was ordered to deliver a message about King Ahaziah’s death. One reason why many get confused here, is that Elijah in all probability was taken ‘up to the heaven’ under King Jehoram, but not the same Jehoram that he later sent a letter to, because also the king of Israel, Ahazia’s successor, was named Jehoram at that time. And it says clearly in Second Chronicles 21:05 that it was the king of Judah who received the letter. And this happened six to seven years after Elijah ‘was taken up to the heaven.’ What happened to Elijah? He was of course transferred by God in the same way Philip was transferred after he had baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, ref. ACT 08:3940. The Bible is, here as in many other situations, self-explanatory if people were only willing to take it to heart. 192 Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit Still, can this be correct? because in Matthew 08:11-12 Jesus says, THE PACT: MAT 08:11. ‘I tell you: Many will come from east to west to lean at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Realm of the heavens. MAT 08:12. But the sons of the Realm shall be thrown into the deepest darkness where they will weep and gnash their teeth.’ Yes, this undeniably seems like a contradiction until you realize the throughout all of the Bible Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are used as a picture of God’s chosen, among many places in GEN 50:24, EXO 02:24, 03:15, 06:03, 06:08, etc. Then it becomes clear! But what about the Transformation? Did not the disciples then get to ‘see into the heaven?’ They received a vision, no more and no less, the same way John got his revelation. Moses represents the law and Elijah the prophets. It was this vision that specifically confirmed Jesus statement that he fulfills both the law and the prophecies, among other places in Matthew 11:13. And then also that became clear! About Christ In addition to these stories how can I maintain this with such certainty? Yes, I have Jesus’ direct words that so is the case! JOHN 03:13, THE PACT: ‘Nobody has ascended to the heavens except he who descended from the heavens, and he is the Son of Man [who is from the heavens].’ Why is it so difficult to believe what Jesus says in the Bible? Is it not because most people place their own philosophical abilities above the simple biblical truth? Why not just grab and hold on to what it says? And further in JOH 14:06, THE PACT: ‘I am the way to the truth and to life, because nobody comes to my Father except through me.’ And here Jesus refers to his sacrificial death. But I am aware of the many attempts to explain away the content of this verse, and thereby many are led astray. Then to the Firstfruit — 1CO 15:20, THE PACT: But now Christ has risen from the dead as the Firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep. Here it says clearly that Christ is the Firstfruit, and nobody from the First Pact is ever in the Bible spoken of as a heavenly firstfruit. — and Jesus’ sacrificial death Matthew 27:50-53, THE PACT: MAT 27:50. ‘Jesus again called out in a loud voice and gave up the spirit. MAT 27:51. And, see — the curtain in the sanctuary tore in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks cracked! Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit 193 MAT 25:52. The tombs opened and many bodies of the holy who had fallen asleep, were risen. MAT 25:53. They came out from their tombs after their resurrection and went into the holy city. This has been confirmed by many.’ It does not say anywhere that they went into heaven! On the contrary. It says that they went into the city of Jerusalem, and that it was confirmed by many! Those who were resurrected from the grave were not risen to a life in ages, but to live further on the earth until they again would have to die as a result of Adam’s disobedience, ref. the resurrection of Lazarus. How can I say that? Yes, it says that the bodies of the dead were risen! In addition Jesus is the Firstfruit, because God did not use formerly deceased or robbers to open the Realm of the heavens to mankind. Then Jesus died in vain! In the same way: If God’s faithful men from the First Pact entered the heavens when they died, Jesus might as well have stayed where he was, because also then he died in vain! The curtain in the sanctuary tearing in two by his death, shows that the Realm of the heavens was no longer closed to man, the members of the heavenly Melchizedec priesthood. But what about Jesus? Was he not resurrected in the body? Of course not, because then he could not have been the Firstfruit! All the others who were risen from the dead, were risen to a further life on the earth until they again had to die because of Adam’s sin. But Jesus was not risen in the body! He died in the flesh, but was made alive in the spirit! In First Peter 03:18, THT PACT, it says: ‘Because also Christ suffered once for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to lead us forward to God. He died in the flesh, but was made alive in the spirit.’ Also read First Corinthians where it says, THE PACT: ‘So it is written: The first Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.’ This is the key to a complete understanding of Jesus’ resurrection. When God rose him from the dead as the Firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep, he rose him in the spirit to a life in the heavens in ages. (1CO 15:20) And no one before him had been risen from the dead in the spirit to a heavenly life in ages! This means that Christ had the quality of a messenger and could materialize in the same way. His resurrection became in that way an example of both the heavenly, the first, and the earthly, the second, resurrection. The heavenly: He rose in the spirit, invisible, with the ability to go through matter and with the ability to materialize and dematerialize, among many other places in LUK 24:31 and LUK 24:36. 194 Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit The earthly: He was visible of flesh and blood just like a human being, ref. among many other places in LUK 24:39. Here it says flesh and bones, and not blood. Some of the worst fablers claim that Jesus her maintains to be a vampire because he is without blood. And that coincides with his death on the pole, because it says ‘that he gave his blood for man!’ Uff da! When the messenger in ACT 01:11 says that Jesus is to return in the same way he was taken up, it does of course mean the he will return in the same way he was taken up, in the spirit. But he was materialized, because if he had not been materialized before the disciples, they would have been without knowledge about his ascension. And thereby it becomes easy to understand, but maybe more difficult to accept, the further consequences of this. A correct understanding of the Bible demands that you adjust your faith according to the Bible — not the Bible according to your faith. And that is decisive, because most are brought up on the Pope’s and Luther’s many misunderstandings and lack of knowledge. Luther was born and raised as a Catholic, and toward the end of his life he wanted to become reconciled with the Catholic Church. But he died being excommunicated. The reason so many European countries chose to convert to Protestantism was not because of any fundamental difference in teaching. But many rulers of that time saw it as a golden opportunity to place the church under the state. And state ownership has always appealed to socialistic Scandinavian countries because it will give more power to those who are already powerful. And power corrupts! In biblical connection this make up ‘the prostitute’s ride on the beast.’ (REV 17:0106) The prostitute is a picture of a false Christianity. The beeast is a picture of the mundane state. Greek: therion = beast (that which tears apart) The beast is a symbol of a military power. Why do you think England has chosen the lion as its national symbol? The US has the bald eagle, Russia the bear and China the dragon. Coincidental? You may read the explanation of the great prostitute and her ride on the beast in Revelation, in REV — The Locusts from the Abyss. NB! The table on the following page shows that Elijah was not taken up to heaven lik so many claim. It shows that he was in Judah many years after he had been ‘taken up to heaven.’ Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit 195 From the Study Bible by editor Thoralf Gilbrant, copyright 1998, page 1140. An overview of kings and prophets in Israel and Judah from 931-721 År JUDAH PROPHETS ISRAEL PROPHETS 931 927 913 910 909 895 886 885 887 882 874 872 853 852 848 841 841 835 814 798 796 793 790 753 752 752 751 742 740 732 721 Rehoboam, 17 years Shishak’s invasion Abijah, 03 years Asa, 41 years Zerah’s invation Jehoshaphat, 25 year Jehoram, 8 år Ahaziah, ca. 1 year Athaliah, 6 years Joash, 40 years Amasiah, 29 years Asariah, 52 years. Jotham Zedekiah, 29 years Semajah Iddo Asarjah Hamani Jehu Jehaziel, Elizser Samaria, capital Jojahdas Zechariah Isaiah - Jeroboam, 22 år Nadab, 2 år Basea, 24 år Ela, 2 år Simri, 7 dager Omri, 12 år Akab, 22 år Akasjah, 2 år Jehoram, 12 år Jehu, 28 år Jojahkas, 17 år Joas, 16 år Jeroboam, II, 41 år Sakarjah, 6 mndr. Sallum, 1 mnd. Menahem, 10 år Pekajah, 2 år Pekajah, 20 år Hosea, 9 år Akia Jehu Micah Elijah Elisha, Joel Jonah Amos Hosea Obed Samaria taken by Sargon II. People of Israel led to Assyria, 721 b. Chr. A direct copy from the Study Bible About Elijah: Fra Second Kings 02:01-15, New International Version 2KI 02:01, ‘When the LORD* was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. *JHVH 196 2KI 02:02. 2KI 02.03. 2KI 02:04. 2KI 02:05. 2KI 02:06. 2KI 02:07. 2KI 02:08. 2KI 02:09. 2KI 02:10. 2KI 02:11. 2KI 02:12. 2KI 02:13. 2KI 02:14. 2KI 0215. Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the LORD* has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD* lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. *JHVH The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the LORD* is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “but do not speak of it.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the LORD* has sent me to Jericho.” And he replied, “As surely as the LORD* lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. *JHVH The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD* is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “but do not speak of it.” *JHVH Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the LORD* has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the LORD* lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on. *JHVH Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours - otherwise not.” As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. “Where now is the LORD,* the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. *JHVH The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.’ Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit 197 All of this paragraph is packed full with symbolism. Not only is much of the First Pact written in pictures, but it also contains a great number of examples. Elijah was an example of John the Baptist (MAT 17:10-13) while Elisha was an example of Christ, which you may understand when you read about Elisha’s wish and his taking over Elijah’s cloak while he at the same time received double of Elijah’s spirit. Much of the understanding of the First Pact is also in the meaning of the very name which at all times refers to the acts: elijah = my God is Jehovah, el being the short version of God in Hebrew, while jah is the short version of God’s proper name Jehovah, Jah. hallelujah = praise Jehovah elisha = my God is rescue. You can tell from the name that it is reaching forward toward Christ. Then to the claim that Elijah was taken up to ‘the heaven.’ It cannot possibly be correct because some 6-8 years later Elijah sent a letter to King Jehoram of Judah. And thereby we can confirm with great certainty that Elijah was, through the power of God, moved from one place to another on the earth, from Jordan to where God wantd him to prophesize. Many translators, especially from the US, write stormwind or whirlwind. This would have become even clearer if they had written tornado. Do you then not envision a powerful tornado with the ability to move both cars, and even whole houses, before they are set down maybe many kilometers away. And that is exactly what happened to Elijah! But in formal order and by God’s power. And this happened in the south under King Jehoram. If so were the case that Elijah was taken to the heavens, what then about the horse and chariot? Did also they come to heaven? Is it Elijah’s horse and chariot that are to drive around on streets of gold in ages? It is a basic prerequisite to understanding the Bible that you are aware of, and accept, that there can be nothing material in a spiritual existence! Then to the situation when Elijah sent a letter to King Jehoram of Judah. From Second Chronicles 21:12-15, New International Version. 2CH 21:12. ‘Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: “This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa, king of Judah. 2CH 21:13. But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your father's house, men who were better than you. 198 2CH 21:14. 2CH 21:15. 2CH 21:16. 2CH 21:17. Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit So now the LORD* is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. *JHVH You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.`" The LORD* aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites. They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king's palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,* the youngest.’ [* Hebrew <Jehoahaz,> a variant of <Ahaziah>] This happened 6-8 years after Elijah had been ‘taken up to the heaven.’ So if that was the case, could he then have sent a letter to King Jehoram of Judah 6-8 years later? And — would Jesus then have been the Firstfruit? But how can we know that Elijah sent this letter after he had been ‘taken up to the heaven?’ Then you must study the table on page 116 and use that as a basis for your calculations. It may take some time, but it is worth the effort if yu really want a basic knowledge about this. In addition, are there any examples from the Bible that are so clear that we unequivocably can understand this? Do we have a proof? Yes, if we are only willing to stop fabling on our own, but factually keep to the message of the Bible, it is always selfexplanatory. And then we must go to Acts and the apostle Philip: From Acts 08:39-40, THE PACT: ACT 08:39. ‘When they came out of the water, the spirit of the LORD* took Philip away so that the eunuch no longer could see him. *JHVH ACT 08:40. But Philip was found in Azotus where he went about preaching the message in all the towns he passed through until Caesarea.’ Here we see that God directly moved Phillip so that he could continue his preaching where God chose him to preach. The same happened to Elijah who was near the Jordan when he was moved, and who later continued prophesizing in the southern kingdom of Judah, ref. the letter he sent to King Jehoram of the southern kingdom. And again: There can be nothing of matter in a spiritual existence. Therefore Jesus died in the flesh, as a human being, but was risen in the spirit as a spiritual person and a Firstfruit of God. He became the first of the new creation. (2CO 05:17) 199 The fourth of four cornerstones to a mature understanding of the Bible: The Realm of God Is the Realm of God in the heaven? If so, only in the heavens? Is also the earth part of God’s Realm? Or only the earth? Is the Realm of God Christ? (MAT 12:28, LUK 11:20) or is the Realm of God something totally different — only a feeling we bear within ourselves? (KJ-1611, NIV 17:21) But is it so important to understand this? Everybody understands the rescue, the grace, the blood and Jesus’ death on the pole. Is that not enough? Just hearing the words is enough to make some Christians faint! Hear what Jesus says about this in Matthew 13:19, THE PACT: ‘When someone hears the word of the Realm and does not understand it, it is because the Devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. These are the seeds that fell along the road.’ In MAT 13:23 Jesus draws this conclusion: ‘But he who received seeds in good soil, is he who hears the word and understands it. He bears fruit and gives yield; one a hundred times, one sixty times, one thirty.’ Also hear what Jesus says in MAT 24:14, THE PACT: ‘Therefore the message of the Realm shall be proclaimed across all of the populated world. It will be a testimony to all peoples. Then the end will come.’ And then we are beginning to understand how important it is to understand the message of the Realm of God. It was that Jesus preached! (LUK 04:43) And note that Jesus’ death was no goal in itself, but a means of establishing the Realm of God. In the Sermon on the Mount, in MAT 05:03, THE PACT, Jesus says: ‘Blessed are those who have a poor spirit, because the Realm of the heavens is theirs.’ Yes, here some will get the Realm of the heavens as their possession. But already in MAT 05:05 Jesus says: ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’ Do we understand this? No, not yet, but it is beginning to dawn upon us that some will be in the heavens while others will stay on the earth. And the fact that some will inherit the earth, refers to Psalm 37:11. In Psalm 37:29 it is even clearer: ‘The righteous shall inherit the earth an live on it forever.’ From this we may draw the conclusion that this the men of God from the First Pact were aware of, but that some would be owning the heavens, is something new that Jesus tells, something few have been aware of before although it was one of God’s promises to Abraham. If we do not see this clearly yet, at least we se that some will own the heavens and others will inherit the earth. And then we have to be talking about two separate groups. And, really, is that not also the way it is today? 200 The Realm of God But it does say straight in the Bible that there will be ‘new heavens and a new earth.’ How does that fit into this? Then we must not forget the last four words of this verse: ‘Where justice shall live.’ (2PE 03:13) And that is what is new: Satan’s rebellion against God in the heavens will be crushed (REV 12:07-12) and all the devilry among people on earth shall vanish! In MAT 06:09-13 Jesus teaches the disciples to pray. And even if you may have said Father in the Heavens thousands of times, maybe you have not thought thoroughly through what it means? ‘Father in the heavens, let your name be holy. Let your Realm come, and let your will happen on the earth and in the heavens.’ In MAT 28:18 Jesus says: ‘I shall receive all authority in the heavens and on the earth.—’ Can the Realm of God then have come? No, not until Jesus has received all power in the heavens — and on the earth! We did read in Father in the Heavens that God’s will shall happen both in the heavens and on the earth. Now it is getting clearer that the Realm of God will make up both the heavens and the earth: ‘Let your will happen on the earth and in the heavens.’ We read further: In John, chapter 10, Jesus tells the disciples the well known parable of Jesus being the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep. But in verse 16 he says something that ought to make everybody open their eyes: ‘But I also have other sheep that are not of this pen. Also them I must lead and they will hear my voice. But there is to be one flock and one shepherd.’ Here Jesus explains to the disciples, as always in pictures, about the heavenly, but he says that he also have another pen with ‘other sheep’ which he will be a shepherd to. Is the other pen of sheep those who are to inherit the earth? It may seem so, even if Jesus does not say it straight. But is there any place in the Bible where this is said so straight forward that all doubt me be swept aside? The answer is ‘yes.’ Two verses stand out here: We read further until we get to Acts 03:21. There it says about Jesus, THE PACT: ‘He is the One whom the heavens shall receive until the time comes when God shall restore all that he has spoken of through the mouths of the prophets from the beginning of this age.’ Here we see that something is to be restored. And a prerequisite of something being restored, is that it has been lost or destroyed. Has man ever had anything in the heavens that has been lost or broken? Of course not! What about the earth? Quite clearly! Because of Adam’s disobedience we have lost the possibility of having a life in ages as perfect individuals without sin, need, death and misery. It is therefore without doubt what Adam squandered on the earth Jesus is to restore. And through his sacrificial death he has made the restoration ready for anyone who wants to accept it! The Realm of God 201 We still have a far way to go. But what prophecies is it referred to? Almost all, because all prophecies have statements about the establishment of the Realm of God on the earth, but because the very most believe that they come to heaven when they die, they do not understand this and believe that it refers to a new time of greatness for the state of Israel. That is not correct! Read PSA 37, PSA 72, PSA 96, PSA 98, Ezekiel 37, Hosea 14, Joel 03:23-26, Amos 09:11-15, Obadjah 17:21, Mika 07:14-20, and more. Just keep your mind open when you read. We keep on reading until we get to Ephesians: Then there is no longer any doubt of what is the Realm of God. Read all of the first chapter, but pay special attention to EPH 01:10, THE PACT: ‘But there will be one administration, because when the time has been fulfilled, he shall bring everything together as one under Christ, both that which is in the heavens and that which is on the earth.’ And only then has the Realm of God been established! Then it finally became clear: The Realm of God will be one unity under Christ, both that which is in the heavens and that which is on the earth. But, note that the expressions ‘the Realm of God’ and ‘the Realm of the heavens’ are being used alternatively, and then sometimes about the heavens and other times about both the heavens and the earth. It is only Matthew who uses the expression ‘the Realm of the heavens.’ Fine! Now we know that the earth and the heavens together make up the Realm of God, and that both the heavens and the earth will be one unity under Christ. But who are ‘the poor in spirit’ who shall own the heavens and who are the ‘meek’ who shall inherit the earth? Who will make up God’s heavenly pen, and who are ‘the other sheep’ who shall make up the other pen? On the earth Let us stay down to earth and take a look at the earth first. A natural question to ask is: What had the earth been like if Adam had not sinned; been disobedient to God? Yes, he would have still be walking the earth and been as youthful as he was when God blew the breath of life in through his nose so that he became a living soul! He would have had a life in ages on the earth without sin, need, death and misery. That is what he squandered, and that is what is going to be restored! First and foremost: All who have died before Jesus suffered death for the sins of man, will be resurrected on the earth. None of them will be resurrected in the spirit to a life in ages in the heavens. How can I say so? Yes, because also Jesus says so in JOH 03:13, and that so clearly that no one need to be in doubt how to understand it: ‘Nobody has ascended to the heavens except he who descended from the heavens, and he is the Son of Man.’ Rejecting such a clear statement as this, is the same as making Jesus a liar which many Christians keep doing. Peter confirms the same 202 The Realm of God in his speech to the Jews after God had established his first church in Jerusa-lem, the Church of God and Christ. (ACT 02:34) He says: ‘David did not ascend to the heavens.’ Jesus says the same about John the Baptist: ‘Among men born by women there has never been anyone greater than John. And still, the very smallest in the Realm of the heavens is greater than he.’ (MAT:11:11) Here Jesus clearly shows that John died under the First Pact. It is also so that those resurrected from the dead, including Lazarus, were only risen to life in the body, not in the spirit. That means that they all continued living on the earth until they again had to die because of Adam’s sin. Only after the curtain had tore in two from top to bottom by Jesus’ death, it symbolized that the access to the Realm of God was now open to man, specifically to members of the heavenly priesthood, the Melchizedec. (MAT 57:51) In First Corinthians 15:20, THE PACT, it says: ‘But now Christ has been risen from the dead. He is the Firstfruit of all who have fallen asleep.’ This means in clear text that of all people who have fallen asleep, Jesus is the first who have been resurrected in the spirit to a life in the heavens. In 1PE 03:18, THE PACT, it says: ‘— He died in the flesh, but was made alive in the spirit.’ And in ACT 10:40, THE PACT, it says: ‘But God rose him up on the third day and allowed that he became visible.’ And everybody understands that if Jesus had been resurrected as a human being, it would not have been necessary for God to let him become visible. We of the flesh have only one way to appear — visibly! A question: If it were so that God’s faithful men and women were taken to the heavens before Jesus’ death, what was then the purpose of his dying? Would his sufferings on the earth then have been necessary? Those among the Jew who knew the Scripture were only aware of the earthly resurrection. Listen to what Martha says in JOH 11:24 when Jesus says about Lazarus: ‘He will be risen.’ Martha says to him: ‘I know that he will be risen during the resurrection on the last day.’ Then Jesus in verse 26 says something strange to her: ‘He who lives and believes in me, shall never in ages die! Do you believe this?’ There are consequently a group of people who shall never die! Who are they? Yes, they make up a group that come out of the great tribulation and will enter straight into the thousand years without first having to die. You may read about that group in Revelation 07:09-17. In addition all who are resurrected on the earth on the day of judgement, those who on that day are found worthy to a life in ages under the rule of the Realm of God, will continue to live on the earth. Everybody understands that no one can first be risen to a life in ages in the spirit (the first resurrection, REV 20:06) and thereafter be The Realm of God 203 resurrected to the judgement on the earth. (ACT 24:15) Those who are risen on the earth, get to take part in the second resurrection. Many of these will make the same choice Adam did and be exterminated once and for all. (REV 20:07-10) That is the second death. Those who will not suffer the second death, will live in ages on the earth. AGAIN: Nobody can first be risen to a life in ages in the heavens and then be resurrected to the judgement on the earth! In the heavens We know that Jesus ascended to the heavens and that he is the Firstfruit of all who have fallen asleep. And he shall rule over the earth and the heavens during the thousand years, which is basically the day / time of the Lord. The thousand years make up the day of judgement. It is during this period the dead will be resurrected from the graves, and the judgement is about who will be eradicated or who will be allowed to live in ages on the earth. During this period Jesus shall rule as Highest Priest, Sovereign King and Supreme Judge according to the order of Malchizedec, GEN 14: 18-24, HEB chapters 07-08. But — is Jesus to rule alone as Highest Priest, Sovereign King and Supreme Judge during the thousand years? No, he has chosen a special group of righteous persons, men without a blemish, as his spiritual co-priests, corulers and co-judges. Then back to Ephesians, chapter 01, verse 10. And we continue directly to verses 13 and 14. It says, THE PACT: EPH 01:13. ‘Also you, after you heard the word of truth, that which is the message of your rescue, you who also believed in him, were set seal on by the Holy Spirit, the spirit of promise. EPH 01:14. It is the pawn to our inheritance until the redemption of his bought property in praise of his glory.’ Here we hear about a group that has been set seal on. Who are they? Oh, by the way, what does it mean that they have been set seal on? Yes, God’s seal proves that they belong to God. But who are they? And how many? Nobody knew the number of those who were set seal on, until John got to see it in Revelation. Now if we go to Revelation 07:04, it is a direct continuation of where Paul ended: ‘And I heard the number of those who had been set seal on: One hundred and forty-four thousand of all of the Children of the tribes of Israel were set seal on.’ And then John lists the names of the tribes which the 144.000 come from. Many are caught up in the expression ‘Israel’s tribes’ children’ and claim that this is only for the Jews. Nothing could be further from the truth, because Jesus has rejected the Jews, not as individuals, but as a chosen group. (MAT 21:43) There is no longer a chosen, earthly priesthood like the Levites, only the spiritual, heavenly, the 204 The Realm of God Melchizedec, with Jesus as Highest Priest. But all agree that we shall all before the judgement. In MAT 19:28 Jesus also calls all who are to be judged ‘the twelve tribes of Israel.’ In addition the twelve tribes that are listed in Revelation, are not identical to Israel’s twelve physical tribes, e.g. was Joseph not one of the original tribes, and neither was Levi, the priests. Ephraim and Dan have also been left out. Then we understand that they are prophetic pictures. The number twelve in the Bible always symbolizes that of the heavens and is always a picture of that which is a total, ref. a dozen. There were twelve tribes, twelve disciples, twelve gates to Jerusalem, and the number 144 is divisible with twelve, etc. In addition to these 144.000 who had been set seal on, there is also one more who has been set seal on, Jesus Christ! (JOH 06:27) And in Revelation 14:01, THE PACT; it says: ‘I saw, and, see! — a Lamb standing on Mount Zion! Together with him stood the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had the name of the Father written on their foreheads.’ And in REV 14:03, only two verses later, it says directly that only these 144.000 have received a heavenly election: ‘And nobody could learn this song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who are bought free from the earth.’ Any clearer than this it cannot be said! What is then the purpose of raising up a limited number of 144.000 to a spiritual life in ages? Both Paul and John, and especially Jesus, explains this clearly. MAT 19: 28, THE PACT: ‘— when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, also you shall sit on twelve thrones and judge Israel’s twelve tribes.’ Here we see that they have been chosen to be Jesus’ co-judges on the day of judgement. Paul confirms this in 1CO 06:02: ‘— Do you not know that the holy shall judge the world?’ —’ And to his good friend and co-worker, Timothy, Paul writes in Second Timothy 02:12, THE PACT: ‘— If we persevere, we shall also rule with him.’ And here we see that Paul is aware that they are also to be Jesus’ co-rulers. In REV 03:21 Jesus says through one of the messengers: ‘He who overcomes, I will give to sit with me on my throne, as also I have overcome and sat down on my Father’s throne.’ And now, read carefully what it says in Revelation 05:09-10, THE PACT: REV 05:09. ‘And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals. For you have been slaughtered and have with your blood bought us free to our God from each tribe and tongue, from each people and nation. REV 05:10. You have made us kings and priests before our God, and we shall rule over the earth.’ Think now. If all were in the heavens, how could then anybody rule over the earth? In Revelation 20:04, we also see that the holy shall judge and rule with Christ during the thousand years, which is the day of judgement. ‘— they are made alive, and they shall rule with Christ for a thousand years.’ The Realm of God 205 CONCLUSION: The Realm of God consists of both the heavens and the earth. What was destroyed when Adam sinned, will be restored on the earth by Christ. To assist in the process God has chosen 144.000 faithful servants to be his co-priests, co-rulers and co-judges after the order of Melchizedec during the thousand years. Zion is a picture of Christ’s power center the way Zion also made up King David’s power center. The New Jerusalem, ref. Jerusalem, is Christ’s dominion together with the 144.000 who shall rule from the heavens and carry out their righteousness all across the earth. (REV 21:22-27) After the thousand years are over Christ will again hand the power over to God the Almighty. (1CO 15:20-28) Only after the thousand years are over, Satan will again be let loose for a short time until he is exterminated by God himself. (REV 20:07) And then God has confirmed his statement: ‘The revenge is mine!’ (DEU 32:35) After this those who have been obedient to God, will get a life in ages on the earth. ‘Being made alive again’ means given life in ages. And then we are back to where Adam was before he sinned! The Realm of God rules! 206 God’s Throne Jesus often talked about ‘my Father’s throne’ when he was on the earth, the first time in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 05:35. Many then envision God sitting on a physical throne, but God is of spirit with a spiritual existence in the heavens. And it is self-evident that in a spiritual existence there can be nothing material, like a physical throne. As always Jesus speaks in pictures. An earthly throne is where the power originates from, and Jesus uses this picture to explaining God’s power. What is then God’s throne? Yes, Jesus explains this straight forward the very first time he uses the expression, in MAT 05:35. There he says: ‘For the heavens are God’s throne, the earth is his footstool and Jerusalem the Great King’s city.’ Here Jesus says it straight forward that the heavens are God’s throne. And then we understand, if we want to, that the throne is a picture of the power that God exerts directly from the heavens. When Jesus in Revelation 03:21 says that ‘I have sat myself on my Father’s throne,’ he refers to his heavenly existence and the power he will exert as the Highest Priest of all the universe. But Jesus says something more in REV 03:21. He says: ‘He who overcomes, I will let him sit with me on my Father’s throne, the way I have overcome and sit on my Father’s throne.’ Here we see that also those who overcome, those who persevere with God and Christ, (MAT 24:13) will get a heavenly existence together with God and Christ, and also they will be directly subject to God’s power through Christ. Jesus confirms that all the apostles were elected to a heavenly existence when he in MAT 19:28 says to them: ‘This truth I tell you: In the resurrection when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, also you who have followed me, shall sit on twelve thrones and judge Israel’s twelve tribes.’ When Jesus uses the expression ‘sit on twelve thrones,’ he refers to the disciples’ heavenly existence where they, together with Christ, will be directly subjected to God’s power as Jesus’ co-judges and co-rulers. NB! Note the expression ‘Israel’s twelve tribes.’ If we know that we all are to stand before the judgement, we also understand that the expression is a picture of that which is total. Israel consisted of twelve tribes , ref. REV 07:04. The number twelve is always symbolic of that which is of the heavens. It was not coincidental that Jesus elected twelve apostles. Knowing that Judas was to betray him, he could have chosen thirteen, but then the symbolism would have been incorrect. It was also a prophecy that had to be fulfilled. Jesus here refers to the twelve thrones belonging to the twelve apostles. When he said this before Judas betrayed him, he referred to a prophecy by David that Judas was to be replaced with another apostle, Mattias. (PSA 109:08, ACT 01:26) In ad- God’s Throne 207 dition we also know of two other heavenly thrones, those of God and Christ. Does then the heavenly exist of a total of fourteen thrones? No, we read from REV 04:04 where it says: ‘In a circle around the throne there were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw the twenty four elders sitting there, clothed in white kirtles. And they had crowns* of gold on their heads.’ *stephanos = garland Now maybe you begin to see that the Jewish priesthood had been divided in the same way, as an example of the heavenly. (HEB 08:05) And if the Levite priesthood had not been rejected, all these twenty-four thrones would have been occupied by Levite priests, but as you see they are not twenty-four priests, but twenty-four elders. And thereby we also understand that they were elected according to the New Pact. Twelve of them are Jesus apostles. Can we, without fabling, but quite factual and concrete, find out who the other twelve are? Yes, to a great extent we can! We know that Jesus will be sitting on the throne together with God. The proof of that was that when he was on the earth, he was directly subjected to God’s power. It was through God’s power he forgave sins, raised the dead, healed the sick, doctored the mentally ill (symbolically: drove out demons), fed thousands of people with a few pieces of bread, etc. All of this were only examples of the power he will be exerting as the Highest Priest of the universe when he has established the Realm of God. Then he will exterminate all such sufferings, no longer as examples, but once and for all — for everybody! And Jesus’ co-rulers in that process are the twenty-four elders. Also they will be directly subjected to God’s power, in other words sit on twentyfour thrones together with Christ. But — do we have any examples of that from the earth? Yes, Jesus’ twelve apostles had this power directly from God, even if they did not possess it equally. ‘God does not give the spirit by measure.’ (JOH 03:24) — So far the apostles. But do we know of anybody else? Yes, Paul was one of them. Also he was directly subjected to God’s power almost to the same extent Jesus was. In the same way people got well just by touching Jesus’ clothes, they also got well by touching Paul’s clothes even it he did not wear them. (ACT 19:12, THE PACT 19:18) And he prophesized and spoke in tongues. And he received some great revelations from God. But all this was only examples of the power he will exert together with Jesus as a High Priest of the Melchizedec priesthood! Now maybe you begin to see that all these twenty-four elders have the same ability, the power to perform God’s powerful acts? And after all the twenty-four were chosen, this ability was to end. Man would no longer have the ability to speak in foreign languages, prophesize or perform powerful acts such as raising the dead. In First Corinthians 13:08 Paul says this straight, THE PACT: ‘Love shall never come to an end! But the prophetic gifts shall cease, (we have already received all the revelations God is willing to give us about his plan through Paul’s prophecies and 208 God’s Throne John’s revelation) tongues shall be silent (it is no longer necessary to speak in foreign tongus the way it was at the beginning of Christianity. It was through the power of God people started believing in Jesus) and knowledge shall end.’ And then Paul is not talking about the knowledge of the word of God. That is only to increase. Here Paul refers to the special ability to perform powerful acts. Is so-called Christians would only accept the knowledge from the Bible, we would no longer have this unworthy fablings about healings, people who claim they have the ability to raise the dead, etc. If that had been the case, we could have discontinued all of our health care systems! We all know that is not the case! It is nothing but unworthy playacts trying to resemble Jesus. But all that they are fabling about, will be a reality after the Realm of God has been established! Only then will Isaiah’s beautiful prophecy (ISA 53:04), which Matthew refers to in MAT 08:17, become a reality. ‘He took upon him our diseases and our infirmities.’ Everybody knows it is not like that today. Sickness, need, death and misery prevail! I have mentioned Paul? Can you think of anybody else who were subject to God’s power at the beginning of Christianity? I may mention Cornelius, the first Christian among the peoples. (ACT 10:44-48) What about Stephen, the first martyr? (ACT 07: 54-60) What about Timothy? Luke? Mark? The magician Simon from Samaria? (ACT 08:09-13) Any of the popes? Martin Luther? Were any of them women? — When you understand the expression ‘God’s throne,’ you are able to evaluate who were directly subject to God’s power. Do we know all twenty-four? NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! NB! In Acts 19:11 NIV writes: ‘God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, —’ Here they are guilty of a sin of omission by not translating this verse fully! And thereby they are also partly guilty of the confusion that prevails around this! KJ-1611 as well as NWT are guilty of the same omission! Here is the Greek text from Strong’s Hebrew / Greek. ACT 19:11, (19:17, THE PACT): theos poieo ou* -paradidomi -tugchano dunamis cheir paulus Translit.: god do no one get perform power hand paul *Ou is a small word with an important meaning. It is always in the negative. Correct translation, THE PACT: ‘God made it so that no one could perform powerful acts except by Paul’s hands.’ And that is totally different from NIV’s translation. It also agrees with what Paul writes in 1CO 13:08. Such translations have a great responsibility that charismatic halfwits are running around convincing themselves and others that they have the ability to heal and to raise up the dead. It is the world’s most extensive and most unworthy playact! 209 The Sons of the Realm The expression ‘the sons of the Realm’ is quite special in biblical relations. The expression is only used by Matthew, and only in two verses, in Matthew 08:12 and 13:38. There is a great confusion about this, and therefore I include the translations of both KJ-1611 and NIV, and also the New World Translation. MAT 08:12, King James - 1611: ‘But the children* of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ *correct: sons MAT 08:12, New International Version: ‘But the subjects* of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ *correct: sons MAT 08:12, New World Translation: ‘— whereas the sons of the of the kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness outside. There is where their weeping and gnashing of teeth will be.’ Only the New World Transtation has a correct text here, by correctly writing sons. This verse is so important in getting a correct understanding of God’s plan and will that I also include the Greek text and the translation of THE PACT: MAT 08:12, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek, SHG, gresk: huios basileia* ekballo eis exoteros skotos ekei klauthmos brugmos odous son realm throw in utmost darkness where weep gnash teeth MAT 08:12, THE PACT: ‘But the sons of the Realm shall be thrown into the deepest darkness where they will weep and gnash their teeth.’ Both King James and NIV has omitted translating sons here. King James write children, which is incorrect. NIV is even further off and writes subjects. Who are these sons who are to be thrown into the darkness? They are the priests of the Levite priesthood who, after having rejected Christ, will not be taken into consideration when God establishes his Realm. They broke the original pact with God and rejected his Son Jesus. Therefore they were in return rejected by God. ‘He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.’ (JOH 01:11) And his own were the members of the Levite priesthood. He had been pre-determined by God to be their Highest Priest in ages. 210 The Sons of the Realm When God establishes his Realm through the Melchizedec priesthood, it was God’s original plan that they would be chosen from the Levite priesthood, but that was not to be. They broke the pact and were found unworthy. The First Pact did not lead to the goal. But when we come to Matthew 13:38, it says, KJ-1611: ‘The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one]; —’ MAT 13:38, NIV: ‘The field is the world, and the good seeds stands for the sons* of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons* of the evil one, —’ *here NIV correctly writes sons MAT 13:38, NWT: ‘— the field is the world; as for the fine seed, these are the sons* of the kingdom; but the weeds are the sons* of the wicked one, —’ *NWT has a correct text here by writing sons MAT 13:38, Strong’s Hebrew / Greek agros kosmos kalos sperma huios basileia* zizanion huios poneros** field world good seed son realm weed son evil *sons of the Realm **sons of the evil One MAT 13:38, THE PACT: ‘The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the Realm and the weeds are the sons of the evil One.’ As you may have noticed that versions of many Greek words are also used in English. Maybe you have also noticed the ancient Greek is without auxiliaries, prepositions and personal pronouns? We see that both NIV and NWT correctly write sons here, while KJ-1611 incorrectly sticks to children. Why? Why do they twist this when it is so evident that the correct word is sons? Now compare these two verses. Many claim that these two verses contradict each other, but that is not the case. When the Bible seems contradictory, it is always our understanding that falls short — until the day when we do understand. THE PACT: Verse 01, MAT 08:12. ‘But the sons of the Realm shall be thrown into the deepest darkness where they will weep and gnash their teeth.’ Verse 02, MAT 13:38. ‘The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the Realm and the weeds are the sons of the evil One.’ The Sons of the Realm 211 In verse 01 who are the sons of the Realm who shall be thrown into the deepest darkness? In verse 02 who are the sons who make up the good seeds? Yes, this does seem like a huge contradiction, because in verse 01 the sons of the Realm are to be thrown into the deepest darkness, but in verse 02 they shall make up the good seeds. How can this harmonize with the rest of the Bible? No, this is far from simple, and that is also one of the reasons of the many confusing and contradictory translations. Or seeing it from the opposite side: It is the many confusing translations that create such great confusion among true believers. But let me make it clear: When King James consistently writes children where the Greek text writes sons, it is a conscious attempt to hide the fact that all of the Bible is about these sons and the One, Jesus Christ. They are the ones to make up the Realm of the heavens or the Realm of God. Here is the explanation: In the First Pact God chose the Levites as his earthly priesthood. It was then God’s intention to choose those who were to make up his heavenly priesthood, the Melchizedec, from the Levite priesthood. This priesthood was only to consist of men without blemish, (LEV 21:16-24) an example of Jesus who was without blemish and who was chosen to be the Highest Priest of this priesthood throughout ages. But the Levite priesthood broke God’s pact and also refused to accept Christ as their Highest Priest. And therefore this priesthood was rejected. In Matthew 21:43 Jesus tells the priests: ‘The Realm of God will be taken away from you and given to the peoples who will produce its fruits.’ In that way the members of the original priesthood, the Levites, were thrown into the deepest darkness! Consequently God rejected his original priesthood, and after this, a new earthly priesthood has never been established neither by God nor Christ! Paul says that no no can take such an honor by himself, but he must be chosen by God the way Aaron was. (HEB 05:04) Based on this we may surely confirm that none of today’s priesthoods are established by God! Both the Catholic and the Lutheran, or any other earthly priesthood, are according to this false priesthoods who have taken this honor by themselves. Such priesthoods are not from God, but of men! But what is then God’s plan? Has it been changed? No, after Jesus had rejected the Levite priests God started electing members to his heavenly priesthood from common people, from carpenters, farmers and fishermen, ref. the twelve apostles. To replace the rejected priesthood, God established a new church on the day of the Pentecost in the year 33 when the twelve apostles received the Holy Spirit. After this there has only been one church, the Church of God and Christ. And from this church God will now, through Christ, choose his heavenly priesthood. (ACT 02:47) And today this is the only valid church in an endless confusion of churches! 212 The Sons of the Realm In this church only God chooses who are to become members or not, (ACT 02:47) and therefore it is also God alone who can expel. There is no so-called chapter of excommunication in the Bible. (Jehovah’s Witnesses, MAT 18:15-20). From this church God will now chose his heavenly, the Melchizedec, priesthood. It was in order to elect this priesthood God entered into a New Pact with all mankind through Christ. And it was this election Jesus started when he elected the twelve apostles! Read the parable of the Mustard Seed in Matthew 13:31-32. Earlier the priesthood was separated from the common people, but from now on the sons of the Realm and the sons of the evil One will grow up together, in Matthew 13: 24-30, ref Christians and worldly. And God himself elects whom among the Church of God and Christ will belong to this priesthood, the holy, the elect, those with God’s seal on them, the 144.000. Only these will get a spiritual resurrection to a life in ages in God’s heavens. They will become God’s adopted sons and Jesus heavenly brothers! They are the sons of the Realm! (ROM 08:15-17, REV 20:06.) It is this priesthood that is now chosen as the sons of the Realm, the good seeds. Also this priesthood will consist of men without blemish, because — how many women did Jesus elect among his apostles? And now you understand why it is so insane to write children or subjects where it says the sons of the Realm in the original text. You also see that the question of women priests and ministers, or not, is irrelevant, because God does not choose the members of this priesthood based on political equal rights! And whether a false priest is a man or a woman is irrelevant to God! And neither is he about to change his plan to comply with the many false teachings of the Pope, Luther or any other churches! Read about the Melchizedec priesthood in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, chapters 05-09. Finally, many claim that the Bible is discriminating against women. Sush a claim is also discriminating against the Bible, because it is not only based on a negative attitude, but also on a total lack of understanding of the message of the Bible. A question: If a journalist is making a report from a football / soccer match where twelve men are playing against twelve men, is it then discriminating against women not to mention any women in that match? 213 God’s Heavenly Priesthood Introduction: We know from Genesis that God created Adam in his picture (as a human being without sin) so that he would live on the earth in ages. (GEN 02:16-17) But Satan managed to thwart that plan. (GEN 03:04-08) Right after God made a new plan to restore that which Adam had destroyed: He would send his only generated Son to the earth so that he would make up a worthy sacrifice to take away this world’s sin, that which was a result of Adam’s disobedience. (GEN 03:15, ACT 03:21) In order to make the restoration God decided to elect a heavenly priesthood which, together with his Son, would get the major responsibility to carry this through. We will follow the development of this priesthood from its very beginning on the earth to its establishment in the heavens. This is to be God’s own priesthood with Jesus as the Highest Priest in ages. This priesthood is referred to by many names in the Bible: The holy, the elect, those who are set seal on, God’s Israel, etc. Paul consistently preached about this priesthood, but he did not know how many they were. Only when the apostle John received his revelation, did God made it known how many they were. (REV 07:04) Paul calls this priesthood a mystery. From the First Pact: The First Pact was entered into with the Sons of Israel at Mount Sinai after Moses had led the sons of Israel out from their captivity in Egypt. In Exodus 19:04-06 God says to the sons of Israel, NIV: EXO 19:04. ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. EXO 19:05. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, EXO 19:06. you* will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.` These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.’* [* [5, 6] Or <possession, for the whole earth is mine. [6] You>] ‘You are to be kings and priests before me — a holy people. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.’* *correct: sons of Israel Exodus, 19:07-08, New International Version: EXO 19:07. ‘So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD* had commanded him to speak. *JHVH EXO 19:08. ‘The people all responded together, ‘We will do everything the LORD* has said.’ So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.* *JHVH 214 God’s Heavenly Priesthood Let us carefully study the words God said to the sons of Israel: ‘If you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. You are to be kings and priests before me — a holy people.’ Many think that this is God’s election of the Jews as his own people, but that is only partly correct. It may be that a whole people is elected as holy, but can a whole people be kings and priests? If they are kings, who are they to rule over? And if they are priests, who will then be their congregation? We have now found the first thin tread to God’s priesthood in ages! In verse 06 it is not first and foremost the sons of Israel who are to be a holy people, but those among the people who are chosen as members of God’s heavenly priesthood. And to be an example of this priesthood, the Melchizedec, God established the Levite priesthood, the only priesthood God has ever established on the earth! — We are now to follow this thin thread all the way until we see the establishment of the Realm of God. As a token of God’s pact the sons of Israel received the law. And through keeping every commandment of the law one of the tribes of Israel’s sons, the Levites, were to be chosen to this priesthood. First they got the ten commandments, Israel’s constitution. And later God gave them the rest of the law. This law was to apply to all of Israel’s twelve tribes, but would have a special significance to the Levites. To be chosen as a future heavenly priest they had to keep the commandments of the law. The next that happens is that Moses is commanded to built a sanctuary for Jehovah. This command you find in Exodus 25:08-09, NIV: EXO 25:08. ‘You are to build a sanctuary to me, so that I can live among them! EXO 25:09. Make this tabernacle* and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.’ *tent Here Moses gets the drawings of the sanctuary, God’s plan of the heavenly. It may not be easy to see this from what we have read so far, but as opposed to those who were subject to the First Pact, we also have the New Pact. And Paul explains in Hebrews 08:04, THE PACT: ‘— see to it that you do everything according to the model I showed you on the mountain.’ Paul also gives a closer explanation to this in Hebrews, chapter 08. Do not get confused here. It is not so that there is a sanctuary in the heavens, but it is the heavens that are this sanctuary. So what Moses got a drawing of from God through Michael, was the heavenly organization itself! And it was necessary for God to show Moses how the new creation, the members of the Melchizedec priesthood, would fit into this. God’s Heavenly Priesthood 215 And one of the commands Moses were given on Mont Sinai, was to make clothes to the priests — exactly the way God had determined. (EXO 28:01) And coincidental with this God establishes his earthly priesthood as an example of the heavenly, the Levite priesthood as compared to the Melchizedec priesthood. And God said to Moses, NIV: ‘Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites,* along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests.’ And both Moses and Aaron were Levites, so when God chose Aaron as his first High Priest, was this the very beginning of the Levite priesthood. In Exodus 29:01-37 you may read about the inaugural ceremonies for Aaron and his sons. After the exodus from Egypt almost all of this book is about the establishment of the Aaronite, or the Levite, priesthood, later identical to the Jewish priesthood. And that is not coincidental, considering the great importance this priesthood was intended for. *correct: sons of Israel From Hebrews I showed how clearly it is presented that the tent in the wilderness constituted a picture of God’s heavenly order. (HEB 08:05) But already at the end of Exodus God says so directly. And if we have an observant spirit when we read this, we will understand it. Exodus, 40:13-15, New International Version: EXO 40:13. ‘Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. EXO 40:14. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. EXO 40:15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come.’ And it goes without saying that this priesthood was to consist of men only — Aaron and his sons (descendants of the male gender). And here God also explains to them about the election to the heavens, which they were aware of, because the promises had already been given to Abraham. You may read about the regulations of this priesthood in Leviticus 21:15-24. There you will clearly see that this priesthood will consist of men without a blemish only — an example of Christ and the heavenly. The fact that only Levites were to make up this priesthood, is evident in Numbers, Chapter 03:09-10, New International Version: NUM 03:09. NUM 03:09. ‘Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites** who are to be given wholly to him.* [* Most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text; some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 8: 16) <to me>]’ *correct: sons of Israel 216 God’s Heavenly Priesthood Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death.’ Only Aaron and his sons could approach the sanctuary. If anyone else would only approach, they would be put to death. It says in verse 09 that ‘the Levites were to be given to Aaron and his sons. They are the sons of Israel who are to be given wholly to him.’ NUM 03:10. In Number 03:40-41, New International Version: NUM 03:40. ‘The LORD** said to Moses, ‘Count all the firstborn Israelite males* who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. *correct: sons of Israel **JHVH NUM 03:41. Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites,* and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.* I am the LORD.’** *correct: sons of Israel **JHVH NB! Many translations sometimes write sons where it is evident that it is a male, and sometimes children, where it is not so evident that it is about males. The word in both cases is huios. Its basic meaning is ‘offspring of the male gender.’ It can never correctly be translated child. Child in Greek is teknon. NIV is guilty of the same sin. And where it says the sons of Israel they consistently write Israelites. It is evidently done on purpose, but it is still hard to understand the purpose of it. The way it is written is also the way it should be translated. It should never be a question of what is politically correct based on gender equality! In Numbers it becomes ever clearer that the priests were to be Levites. In NUM 18: 02, NIV; it says: ‘Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the Tent of the Testimony.’ The fact that the Levites were to be elected to a heavenly priesthood is also indicated through the fact that when the sons of Israel captured the promised land, the Levites did not get their own land. They were spread around in all the tribes to serve them, and often they had to settle outside the city walls. Before the sons of Israel were allowed to get access to the promised land, Moses repeats the law and all the regulations to them. This you may read about in Deuteronomy, the law a second time. And from Deuteronomy we have the symbolism of the celebration of both Easter and Pentecost. Many believe that the Pentecost was celebrated for the first time when the first twelve of God’s elect received the Holy Spirit, but so is not the case. Most know that the celebration of Easter was a symbolic celebration until the coming of the Messiah, and that the Easter lamb that is slaughtered, is a picture of Christ, God’s Lamb. And the lamb was to be a firstborn animal of the male gender as a symbolism of Christ as the Firstfruit, a male without blemish! God’s Heavenly Priesthood 217 But few have grasped that also the Pentecost is an ancient Jewish holiday. At the Pentecost there was also to be a sacrifice, a firstfruit of wheat. And the sheaves of wheat that were to be offered were a picture of those who would make up the members of God’s heavenly priesthood! Pentecost means fifty, and when God introduced this holiday almost 4000 years ago, it was determined in detail that there would pass fifty days from the Passover to the Pentecost. In DEU 16:08-09, NIV, it says: DEU 16:08. ‘For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the LORD* your God and do no work. *JHVH DEU 16:09. Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.’ And the offering of the standing grain, a firstfruit of wheat, symbolizes the 144.000, the heavenly priesthood as a firstfruit with Christ. All this coincides with Jesus death and resurrection. He was the Firstfruit. But those who were elected to his heavenly priesthood, the ears of wheat, are also called a firstfruit with Christ. It says so directly in Revelation 14:03-04. And this is so important to a full understanding of God’s plan that I include both verses, THE PACT: REV 14:03. ‘They sing a new song before the throne, before the four creatures and the elders. And nobody could learn this song except the one hundred and forty-four thousands who had been bought free from the earth. REV 14:04. These are those who have not made themselves unclean with women,* for they are like virgins. And they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These are those who are bought free from men to be a firstfruit for God and the Lamb.’ *unclean with women is a picture of idolatry And throughout all of the First Pact it is underscored by God that every firstborn and every firstfruit is to belong to him. And then the symbolism always refers to Jesus and the 144.000, the holy, the elect, those who have been set seal on, the firstfruit with Christ, God’s Israel, etc. But God had also warned this priesthood against what would happen if they broke the pact, the First Pact. In DEU 28:63-64 ir says, NIV: DEU 28:63. ‘Just as it pleased the LORD* to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess. *JHVH DEU 28:64. Then the LORD* will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods - gods of wood and stone, gods which neither you nor your fathers have known.’ We all constantly hear that we have a loving God. His pleasure in revenge nobody seems to be willing to talk about. But here you have it directly from God — if you are disobedient, it will please him to ruin and destroy you! And this is exactly what happened to the Jews both when they were abducted to Babylon and to Rome. 218 God’s Heavenly Priesthood The prophecy of the Realm of God The establishment of the Realm of God has been described in detail by the Prophet Isaiah in chapter 66:07-09, New International Version: ISA 66:07. ‘Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. ISA 66.08. Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. ISA 66:09. Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?’ says the LORD.* ‘Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?’ says your God. *JHVH This is the prophetic description of when God receives the elect and establishes his Realm in the heavens. The capital of this Realm is the New Jerusalem. The power center is Zion. In biblical relations the woman is often a picture of someone that something stems from, naturally. And the child is a picture of something new. NB! This parable has nothing to do with Jesus’ mother Mary or the boy Jesus. You may read about this and how it happened in detail in Revelation, chapter 12. And, yes, it has already taken place! Jesus is now the Sovereign Ruler in the heavens. But the Realm of God has not yet been established on the earth! But if you keep your eyes open, you will se that the process is well on its way! The temple Finally in connection with the First Pact I want to show a simple little verse in First Kings 06:07 which explains this in a fantastic way. Read it and see if you understand it. But you need to be very observant in the spirit to see it properly. 1KI 06:07, NIV: ‘In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.’ The house that was built was the very temple of King Solomon. And the temple was identical to the tent in the wilderness both symbolizing the heavenly organization. The stones that were finished in the quarry, are those who through God’s law and upbringing were found worthy to a heavenly existence in ages. The quarry is this world, and the stones that were hoisted in place without a sound of chisel or iron tools, refer to the invisible and soundless resurrection of God’s heavenly priesthood. These are the stones that Jesus referred to when he says that ‘the stone (Christ) that the builders (the Levite priesthood) rejected, has become the very headstone (the heavenly Highest Priest). MAT 21:42, MAR 12:10, LUK 20:17, 1PE 02:07. God’s Heavenly Priesthood 219 From God’s establishment of the Levite priesthood and until Christ, the heavenly Highest Priest in ages, almost 2000 years passed. The prophecies about Christ are about to be fulfilled and God is ready to start harvesting the heavenly firstfruit. That is why he sent his Son, the High Priest, to the earth. His purpose was, and still is, to restore that which Adam destroyed through his disobedience. But: ‘Christ came to his own, (the priests) but his own did not receive him.’ (JOH 01:11) This was already foreseen by God, and therefore Jesus could start electing the first twelve members of this priesthood when he chose the twelve apostles, the first twelve of the firstfruit with Christ. From the New Pact: We know from reading the New Pact that Jesus’ relation with the priests were problematic. No matter what acts he performed, they refused to accept him as the promised Messiah, God’s Son and their own heavenly High Priest. They said: ‘We know that God spoke to Moses. But where this man (Jesus) comes from, we do not know.’ (JOH 09:29) Based on the fact that the priests rejected him as the promised Messiah, Jesus did not have much choice but to reject the whole priesthood, in MAT 21:43, THE PACT: ‘Therefore I tell you that the Realm of God shall be taken away from you and given to the peoples who will produce its fruits.’ But this did not come as a surprise neither to God nor Christ. The decadence and self-elevation of the priests is a known situation. They had already broken the Pact even before Moses returned from the mountain and through their rejection of Jesus, he right away started electing members to the priesthood from common people, the disciples. The Jewish priesthood was rejected once and for all! The holy would now be elected from faithful, common people. After this God never established another priesthood. Therefore all of today’s priesthoods, including the Jewish, are false priesthoods! From now on the heavenly priesthood is elected from common, righteous people! And the first twelve who were chosen to this priesthood, were Jesus’ twelve apostles! Jesus confirms this in Luke 22:27-30 when he says, THE PACT: LUK 22:27. ‘Who is the greatest, he who leans at the table or he who serves? Is it not he who is leaning at the table? Yet I am among you as a servant. LUK 22:28. But you have stood with me during my trials. LUK 22:29. Therefore I leave the Realm to you in the same way my Father has left the Realm to me. LUK 22:30. You shall eat and drink at my table in my Realm. And you shall sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’ 220 God’s Heavenly Priesthood In JOH 06:27 John writes that God has set his seal on him. And God having set his seal on him, means that he belongs to God. Is it only Jesus who will belong to God? No, in Ephesians 01:13-14 it says, THE PACT: EPH 01:13. ‘Also you, after you heard the word of truth, that which is the message of your rescue, you who also believed in him, were set seal on by the Holy Spirit, the spirit of promise. EPH 01:14. It is the pawn of our inheritance until the redemption of his bought property in praise of his glory.’ Here we see that Paul talks about those whom God has set his seal on. They are the same who are called the elect, the holy. But nobody knew how many they were until it was revealed to John in the vision he received on Patmos. If you will now read what Paul writes, and then go directly to Revelation 07:04 it is almost as John continues where Paul left off: ‘And I heard the number of those who were set seal on. One hundred and fortyfour thousand from all of the tribes of Israel’s sons were set seal on.’ In First Thessalonians Paul explains in detail how the first resurrection will take place. But I will not present the whole explanation here. You will find a thorough review in 1TH — The First Resurrection. The very establishment of the Realm of God in the heavens you may read about in Revelation, chapter 12. And in Revelation 05:09-10 your get the conclusion of all of God’s plan, because then the holy, those whom God has set his seal on, the elect, the chosen, the 144.000, God’s Israel, sing a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals. For you have been slaughtered and have with your blood bought us free to our God from each tribe and tongue, from each people and nation. You have made us kings and priests before our God. And we shall rule over the earth!’ Do you now remember the beginning of God’s plan in Exodus 19:06? ‘You shall be kings and priests for me — a holy people.’ Finally: Can you think of a simple reason why today’s Christianity shows such an unlimited hatred toward God’s holy, the 144.000? 221 The Age (Day) of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah The seven ages of the Bible All of the Bible has been divided into seven ages only. And that is by far a coincident, because in biblical relations the number seven always refer to that which is of the earth. And then the number seven does not always concretely mean seven, but is a picture of that which is total — usually that which is of God, but it is not consistent. It may also refer to that which is of Satan, but it always refers to, when the number is used metaphorically, that which is total, ref. the seven world powers, the seven beasts, which again is a picture of the political and military systems which these seven world powers represent. The last of these seven world powers, the angloamerican, is now. When for instance the seventh day is holy, set aside, then also that is a total, but of God. And when the Bible has been divided into seven ages, also that order is of God. Few realize that the Bible has been divided into seven ages. Therefore there is a lot of fabling about the last ages. But when the Bible refers to the last ages, it does not refer to the so-called end time, but to the last three of the Bible’s seven ages. And only the last three ages of the Bible have been given names. They are the age of the Jews, the age of the peoples and the age of the Lord. In order to make the first four ages more readily understood I have also named those ages, but then it is important to know that it has been done for practical reasons. It is not an attempt to present these names as biblical. The very ages are biblical, but not the names are not, ref. the Millennium, which is not a biblical term. The Bible writes ‘the thousand years.’ The transition of one age to the next in the Bible, refers to drastic events in world history based on God’s plan to restore that which Adam destroyed when he broke God’s commandment. All of the Bible is about that! And here you get God’s plan presented in chronological order with correct references to current verses. 01. The first age of the Bible: The first prehistoric age Naturally the first age of the Bible starts with Adam and the creation. And then it did not tale long until the world was subject to sin, the disobedience against God. John writes in First John 03:04, THE PACT: ‘All who sin are also lawbreakers, for he who break the law,* sin. And breaking the law leads to breaking the law.’ In other words, one sin leads to another. But which law did Adam break? After all he was not subjected to the law of Moses. Quite correct! He was subjected to God’s law directly and not through a middle man. 222 The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah In Genesis 02:16-17, NIV, it says: ‘”And the LORD* God commanded the man,** “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge, because when you eat from it, you will surely die.” *Jehovah in the Hebrew text **Adam in the Hebrew text And this was the law of God Adam broke when he lead the world into sin. And as a result of this sin developed until sin was so extensive that God regretted having crated man! And as a result he sent the flood to exterminate all devilry from the earth. Only eight righteous souls survived. And when that happened, it was the end of the first age which lasted from the year 01 to the year 1656. The flood happened in the tenth generation after Adam, in the year 1656. This you may figure out on your own if follow the Bible’s overview of genealogies . And those who are mentioned, are always the ones leading the semen forward to Christ. — Now the first of the seven ages of the Bible is over. 02. The second age of the Bible: The second prehistoric age Back to square one! Now Noah is in almost the same situation that Adam was in1656 years ago. And God commands Noah to propagate the world and become the ruler of it. And this time it works, temporarily, because God has now ended the possibility that caused the godsons to inhabit the earth and multiply with the beautiful women of the earth, those whom they desired. And it was the offspring of these godsons and the beautiful women of the earth that God sent the flood to exterminate. (GEN 06:0108) But it was only a matter of time until sin again started to develop. Then comes next stage of God’s total plan. IN the year 2048 after Adam Abraham is born. He was a righteous man whom God had a very special plan for. The birth of Abraham separates between the second age and the third age of the Bible’s seven ages. And the third age is the age of the patriarchs. The bible does not tell very much about the time between Noah and Abraham, but time passes and God all the time chooses the most righteous people to lead the semen forward to Christ. 03. The third age of the Bible: The age of the patriarchs Now God makes a big step in the direction of carrying through his new plan. And what is that? All of the Bible is about God’ new plan to restore that which was lost through Adam’s disobedience: A life in ages on the earth without sin, sorrow, misery and death totally in line with God’s original plan — in other words without sin. And that is the very reason he chooses Abraham asking him to leave his father’s house and go to a strange land that God will show him. And because of Abrahams faithfulness God gives hin two promises, ne as a promise. The second was also a promise but confirmed with an oath. The first promise Abraham received was this, in GEN 13:14-15, NIV: ‘The LORD* said to Abraham after Lot had departed from him: “Lift up your eyes from where you are and see north and south, east and west. All the land** that you see I will give you and your offspring forever.” *Jehovah **earth The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah 223 It is God’s promise to Abraham that he and his offspring, those from his semen through Christ, shall live on the earth in ages. And when Jesus dies, he died just as clearly for the great, white flock as he died for the few chosen who will have a spiritual resurrection to the heavens. When you read Ephesians 01:10 you will see how clearly is says so there: ‘But there will be one administration, because when the time has been fulfilled, he shall bring everything together as one under Christ, bith that which is in the heavens and that which is on the earth.’ If you read the two verses, GEN 13:14-15, with consideration, you will see that they have nothing to do with the borders of Israel, but refer to all that Abraham was able to see of the earth, from horizon to horizon in every direction. And it is life on earth in ages that in reality is the restoration. (ACT 03:21) The promise Abraham got with an oath, you may read about in Genesis 22:15-18. This also refers to Christ, but now to the small flock that will rule with Christ from the heavens during the thousand years. They are a firstfruit with Jesus and will have a heavenly resurrection, the holy, the elect, the 144.00. (REV 14:01-05) There is a great contention about the 144.000, much because it is part of the teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But here the Bible is quite clear, because the Levite priesthood was an example of the heavenly priesthood. And if you study carefully the divisions of the Levite priesthood of men without blemish, you will see that the Melchizedec priesthood is divided after the same pattern. So whether you accept or reject this is a question of how honest you want to be to the word of God, and finally toward yourself. And it is not so that you need to take care of your childhood faith. If it is wrong, it is important that you reject it! I also know a Muslim who is faithful to his childhood teaching. And if you had been born in Rome, your childhood teaching would most likely have been Catholicism! And if you had been borne on Fiji about two hundred years ago, you would have had no problems with cannibalism. So you see that having a clear conscience is no God-gift. It only reflect the way you were brought up. The age of the patriarchs extend somewhat further than just to the very patriarchs, who are usually considered to be Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons. But then follows God’s plan of a reign through judges. And this is how it remains until the sons of Israel starts complaining and would rather have a rule through kings. And God accepts this. And thereby the Benjamite Saul was inaugurated as king of Israel’s twelve tribes. He ruled for about 40 years. But there were few blessings during his kingdom because he was not directly chosen by God. And neither was he of the tribe of Judah as King David was. ‘The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it* belongs, and the obedience of the nation is his.’ And we shall see that this prophecy to only referred to the kings of Israel, who were all descendants of Judah, but directly to Christ and 224 The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah his heavenly kingdom in ages. And based on this prophecy we also see that God had anticipated the Israelites wanted a kingdom. And for this kingdom to function according to his plan, God chose a young shepherd as future king of the Israelites, David. And through the inauguration of David as king of Israel, we enter into the fourth and last age that has not been named in the Bible, the age of kings. 04. The fourth age of the Bible: The age of the kings The inauguration of David as king sets a clear division of the development in Israel, because the rule of King David was an example of Jesus’ heavenly reign, in the same way that also the Levite priesthood was an example of Jesus’ heavenly priesthood. It is with basis in the reign of King David Jesus refers to the heavenly Mount Zion and the New Jerusalem. But the Jews were not aware that the establishment of David’s kingdom was an example of Jesus’ heavenly kingdom, his presence. They took it literally and thought Jesus would physically reestablish David’s kingdom on the earth so that the Jews would then enter into a new era of greatness. But remember what Jesus said to Pilate: ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ (JOH 18:36) He said the same to his apostles. The house of David continued to rule over Israel, some good, some bad, until the last independent king of Israel, Jehoiakin, was abducted to Babylon by King Nedbukhadnezar in the year 607 B.C.E. True, Jerusalem was besieged on two separate occasions, but it was on this occasion the kingdom of David ended. Also true, another person of the hose of David, Hezekiah, gained the throne, but then as deputy king under Nebukhadnezar. And therefore did the kingdom of David end in the year 607 B.C.E. And after this Israel did not get its independence until 1948 when the U.N. accepted the establishment of the mundane state of Israel. But note that when that happened, it did not include all of Jerusalem. ‘Jerusalem shall lie downtrodden until the age of the peoples have expired.’ (LUK 21:24, THE PACT) Israel did not get full control of Jerusalem until after the 6-day war in 1967. Then Jerusalem had been under foreign rule for as long as 2574 years! And based on Luke, even if he does not refer to a specific year, at least we know that when this happened, the age of the peoples have already expired and the day, age, of the Lord begun. — But how far are we into the day of the Lord when this happens? 05. THE AGE OF THE PEOPLES, the first period After the kingdom of David had been laid in shambles by King Nebukhadnezar, we enter into the age of the peoples, and the example of this is Nebukhadnezar himself. It is also he who is the example of the age of the peoples. And now we have entered into the age of the peoples, and thereby ‘the last ages.’ And then we understand that ‘the last ages’ are in no way identical to the so-called end time. This is exciting, so now it is important to stay alert, because now King Nebukhad- The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah 225 nezar will make up the example of the age of the peoples, and we will see that with Nebukhadnezar as an example we will be able to figure out the age of the peoples from the first to the last year. And then we must be aware that a biblical year, or time, is always 360 days. They did not use our calendar at that time. The story about Nebukhadnezar we find in Daniel. And in Daniel chapters 04 and 05 we read about the dream of the king and Daniel’s explanation of the dream. No sooner had Daniel explained the dream before the king lost his mind and thought he was an animal. And for seven years he ate grass together with the animals. And these seven years are a picture of the peoples’ rule over Israel. And if you do something as simple as figuring one day for one year, which is a biblical norm of the figuring of prophecies, a norm that is especially used as a norm of punishment of disobedience to God. In Numbers 14:34, NIV, it says: ‘For forty years — one year for each of the forty days you explored the land — you will suffer for sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ After the same principle of punishment, and Nebukhadnezar’s conquering of Israel was nothing but a punishment of Israel’s disobedience, you will see that the time after the kingdom of david and until Jesus establishes hin Realm in the heavens, passes 360 days x 07 days is 2520 days, but based on God’s standard of punishment, it is 2520 years. And if you figure 2520 years from the year 607, you come to 1913. When realizing this I became pretty dumbfounded, because I only lacked one year for this to agree with Jehovah’s Witnesses understanding that Jesus took power in the heavens in 1914. Then I put it aside for a while, but it kept popping up in my mind. Why was I one year short? Or, why did Jehovah’s Witnesses have one year too many? Have they just added one year to compensate for the so-called zero-problems? And when I asked, nobody could explain the extra year. And then I realized that the zero-problems did not exist! Correct year is 1913, not 1914. But Jehovah’s Witnesses have considered the zero-problems and just added one year! And they say that then it also coincides with the outbreak of the First World War. ‘Peace was taken away from the earth.’ (REV 06:04) But there are no such problems as ‘the zero-problems.’ The age of the peoples reaches as far as to 1913. And then we enter into the age, or day, of the Lord, which is Jesus’ presence when he starts exerting his power from the heavens over the earth. But, if the age of the peoples is the third last and the day of the Lord the very last, what has then happened to the second last age, the age of the Jews? Then it is imperative to know that these ages do not follow in correct succession, because the age of the Jews runs parallel with the age of the peoples for a period of 490 years, from the year 455 B.C.E. and until the year 36 C.E. The age of the Jews is thoroughly explained in Daniel’s prophecy about the seventy 226 The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah weeks. It is not difficult to understand, but it may seem confusing that two separate prophecies are intertwined into one and the same prophecy. What then makes it difficult, is the fact that the prophecy that has been intertwined in the same prophecy as the prophecy about the age of the Jews, is about the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70. I include the whole prophecy of the age of the Jews, the seventy weeks, but the part that is about the destruction of Jerusalem, I include in square brackets. And afterward I present each prophecy separately. Then you will see that it is relatively simple to understand, but all according to how much biblical knowledge you are sitting on. NB! If you over a longer period of time have been subjected to a confusion from other churches in this field, you will probably have difficulties discerning it. Because it is not the very word of God that is the most difficult to understand for a reader of the Bible, but sorting from the Bible all the wrong teachings that we have been raised with, especially by the catholic and the Protestant churches. If the message of the Bible had been presented correctly without the influence of the Pope and Luther, most people would have understood the Bible — believe it or not! 06. THE AGE OF THE JEWS (The seventy weeks) Daniel 09:24, NIV: ‘ Dan 9,24. "Seventy `sevens`* are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish+ transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.** [* Or <`weeks`>; also in verses 25 and 26] [+ Or <restrain>] [** Or <Most Holy Place>; or <most holy One>] Dan 9,25. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree* to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One,+ the ruler, comes, there will be seven `sevens,` and sixty-two `sevens.` It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. [* Or <word>] [+ Or <an anointed one>; also in verse 26] Dan 9,26. 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.] NB! Refers to the destruction of Jerusalem. [* Or <off and will have no one>; or <off, but not for himself>] Dan 9,27. He will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.`* In the middle of the `seven`+ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah 227 [And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.**"++] NB! Refers to the destruction of Jerusalem. [* Or <`week `>] [+ Or <`week `>] [** Or <it>] [++ Or <And one who causes desolation will come upon the pinnacle of the abominable [temple], until the end that is decreed is poured out on the desolated [city]>] NB! Refers to the destruction of Jerusalem. This is about the poorest translation I have read of these verses, and definitely the most confusing, but I will try to work with it. In order to make the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah easier to follow, I extract the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem and presents it as a separate prophecy. And I will explain that first. [The people (the Roman army) of the ruler (the Roman Emperor) who will come will destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the temple). The end (the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70) will come like a flood: (the Roam army flooded all of Judea with its soldiers. Among town that were destroyed in the flood were Bethsaida and Korazin) War will continue until the end, and desolations (the destruction of Jerusalem) have been decreed (firmly decided).] [And on a wing [of the temple] (wrongly translated. The text refers to a holy ground outside Jerusalem),he will set up an abomination (the Roman army) that causes desolation (the destruction of Jerusalem), until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.**"++] Again, to make it a bit clearer: The people (the Roman army) of a ruler (the Roman Emperor) shall destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the temple). The end shall be like a flood (the Roman army spread all over Judea like a flood). Until the end (until Jerusalem and the temple have been destroyed) there shall be war (the Roman army was fighting in Egypt and Judea at the same time. And in Judea not only Jerusalem was destroyed, but also many other towns around Judea and Galilee, for instance the home towns of Peter and Jacob, Philip and Matthew, ref. Jesus’ condemnation of these towns in in Matthew 11:20-24). The destruction have been firmly decided (the destruction of Jerusalem was God’s punishment on the Jews for having killed Jesus, ref. Jesus’ judgement on Jerusalem in Luke 21:20-24. Jesus cried over the city, because he knew there was no way back). And then to the prophecy of the seven weeks: Dan 9,24. "Seventy `sevens`* are decreed for your people and your holy city to fiish+ transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.** 228 The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah This first verse is a general description of what is to happen. How long is seventy weeks, or seventy ‘sevens?’ The Bible follows the same principle as before, one day is one year. The 7 days are 7x7 = 49 years. Sixty-two weeks x 7 = 434 das = 434 years. and 1 week is 7 days = 7 years, all together 490 weeks = 490 years. During this time they are to finish transgression, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seel up vision and to anoint the most holy.’ All these expressions refer to the last week when Jesus will have to suffer death resulting in al this happening: Forgiveness of sin, everlasting righteousness, end of prophecies and the anointment of the holy.’ But anointing the holy does not refer to the temple in Jerusalem. That has been anointed, established since centuries. The holy which is now established is God’s heavenly order. When the curtain tore in the temple, it showed that the most holy, the very heavens, were now available to those who were chosen to a heavenly glory, the members of the Melchizedec priesthood which the Levite priesthood had been an example of. Dan 9,25. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree* to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One,+ the ruler, comes, there will be seven `sevens,` and sixty-two `sevens.` It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. Here comes a decisive statement: ‘From the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem is sent out —’ When was that? Then we must go to the prophet Nehemjah who refes to the twentieth year of King Antaxerxes’ rule, and based on historical facts that happened in 457 B.C.E. But the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was not issued until two years later when Antaxerxes in Nehemjah 02:08 sent a letter to Nehemjah that he would receive timber to from the king’s forests to this. And then started the first week in the year 455 B.C.E. And to rebuild the walls and the gates took 49 years, the first week. Then we have come to the year 406 B.C.E. And this period, the roughly 450 years before the coming of the Christ, is not mentioned in the Bible. Life just went on in anticipation of the Messiah. And a little by little life in Jerusalem began to return to normal even if the times were difficult. The Jews were surrounded by enemies. And as a total now passes 484 years, the first 49 years and the other 62 x 7 years = 434 years. And now there is only one week, seven years, left of the age of the Jews, from the year 29 to the year 36 C.E. Dan 9,26 After the sixty-two `sevens,` the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. We know that the Anointed is the Messiah, or the Christ. Therefore this refers to Jesus’ death. He was cut off, had to suffer death, and in that way he was left with nothing. And then, in the next and last verse, we get the conclusion: The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah 229 Dan 9,27. He will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.` In the middle of the `seven`+ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. Here we may clearly see that this refers to Jesus’ death. During the last week, the last seven, and this was after the first 7 x 7 =49 and the 62 x 7 is 434, the total of 490 less 49 plus 434 totals 483 which only leave one seven, one week left. And that week refers to Jesus acts on the earth. Then in the middle for ths week, this seven, Jesus dies. His period of active service was only 3,5 year. And when Jesus dies we have reached spring, Easter in the year 33. That is when Jesus confirms God’s covenant with the many. Both of God’s promises to Abraham are now about to come true through Christ. In the middle of the week, through his death, Jesus put an end to sacrifice and offerings, the symbolic sacrifice and offerings of animals, because now the real sacrifice had taken place! And we know that after three nights and three days he was resurrected. Then Jesus had, symbolically, torn down the temple. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection it no longer had a purpose. It had outplayed its role. If not, God would never have allowed it to be destroyed! But there are still 3,5 years left of the age of the Jews. What happens then? Yes, after Jesus’ death we hear about the apostles’ preaching to the Jews, and only to the Jews. And during this period Peter was the most dominant figure. It is now he stats using the keys to the Realm of God. (MAT 16:19) Jesus had said earlier that he would build, confirm his church through Peter, the rock. And that he did as the the Holy Spirit was poured out, first on the Jews, (Acts, chapter 02) then on the Samaritans, (Acts, chapter 08) and finally on those of the peoples. (Acts, chapter 10) And Peter was always part of it, because if Peter was not active in this, nobody received the Holy Spirit. Only when Peter used the third and the last key to the Realm of the heavens, and he did so when the first among the peoples, the centurion Cornelius, received the Holy Spirit in the fall of the year 36, 3,5 years after Jesus; death, was the end of the age of the Jews. Before that the message about Christ had been reserved to the Jews only. But after that the preaching continued to the peoples through the apostle Paul. And after this the age of the peoples stood forth much clearer than before! 05b. THE AGE OF THE PEOPLES, the second and last period. And then continued the preaching to those of the peoples. And this happened during the time when it had become evident that the Jews had rejected Jesus as their Rescuer. And it is all the tine the establishment of the Realm of God, the election of the members to God’s heavenly priesthood that is the major point. Unlike common teaching Jesus’ death was no goal in itself, but a means to the establishment of the Real of God. And Jesus underscores time and time again the reason he was sent, was to preach the Realm of God. In Luke 05:43 he says so straight: ‘I must bring the message of the Realm of God to other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’ And even if this statement is easily understood, few Christians accept it! But Jesus 230 The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah also says something in reference to his rejection of the Jews: ‘The Realm of God shall be taken away from you and given to those of the peoples who will bear its fruits.’ (MAT 21:43) So, what about the Jews? Did Jesus completely reject them? No, not at all, says Paul. This only refers to the Levite priesthood, and not to individuals. But they no longer have a monopoly on the election to God’s heavenly priesthood. They have now been placed equal to those of the peoples as individuals. But their hearts had become hardened against Jesus so that the very most of them continued to reject Jesus as God’s heavenly Son, their own Rescuer. And that is how it is to this day. They reject the prophecies of Daniel and are still waiting for the first coming of their Messiah! The process of electing righteous people as members of God’s heavenly priesthood continued all the time until the end of the age of the peoples. This is quite a lottery to man, because out of all the millions on the earth, only an average of about 70 person are elected each year. And only God knows who they are! But the election still continues now that we are far into the age of the Lord. But before that, at the beginning of the day of the Lord, something drastic happened in the heavens which also had great consequences on the earth! What was that? 07. THE DAY OF THE LORD, the seventh and last age of the Bible That is when Jesus rides out on the white horse in the heavens! (REV 06:02) And in the wake of the white horse, also the red, the black and the pale horses rode out, representing death, war and famine on the earth. And all these horses are still riding, and will continue to ride until the Realm of God has been established also on the earth. And this process that now happens, refers to the direct establishment of the Realm of God in the heavens. (EPH 01:10) The details of what happened in the heavens when Jesus rode out on the white horse, you may read about in Revelation chapter 12, verses 07-12. Then he goes to war against Satan and throws him out of the heavens together with his demons! And the Devil was thrown down to the earth with great wrath, because he knows that he only has a short time left. And then the old order of the world was turned upside down and the First World War broke out. And since ten there has been talk about nothing but wars, misery and immorality on the earth! Well, to such was the situation also before, but not closely to the extent that it has developed afterward. Also people who will not accept the story about Jesus, most historians, basically agree that the world changed character after 1913. I think it was Winston Churchill who said that the world will never be the same as it was before the First World War! And this development only increases form year to year. All the horses keep riding, and the influence of evil gets stronger and stronger. Satan is now opposing the establishment of the Realm of God on the earth and keeps fighting to gain an ever stronger influence on every individual on the earth. It is an intense and long lasting spiritual battle, but according to the Bible, Jesus will prevail at the end. (REV 20:01-03) The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah 231 But there is joy in the heavens because Satan has been thrown out. And only now starts the direct spiritual gathering of the members of God’s heavenly priesthood, of the first division, those who have been waiting for this in their graves! In John 14:02, THE PACT, Jesus said to the apostles: ‘My Father’s house is a dwelling for many. If not, I would have told you. I go there to prepare a place for you.’ Why did Jesus have to wait for almost two thousand years before he could take the apostles and all the other righteous members of his priesthood to him — all those who have been waiting in their graves for a longer or sorter time? That builds on a prophecy by King David in Psalm 110:01, THE PACT: ‘Sit by my right hand until I have put your enemies as footstool under your feet.’ This prophecy is also referred to by Matthew in MAT 22:44, in Mark 12:36 and in Luke 20:42, and again by Luke in Acts 02:34, and finally by Paul in HEB 01:13. He had to wait until God had made his enemies as footstool before his feet. That happened when Satan and his demons were thrown down to the earth. Only then could he take them to him in a spiritual resurrection, a resurrection equal to his own. And that is how he returned to them, to each and every one of them. Jesus will never return to earth as a physical human being, a soul of flesh and blood! I have so many times wondered why Christians who say that they believe in Jesus, keep rejecting so much of what he has said. Can they then really believe in him? Hear what he himself says about this: ‘Just a little while longer and those of this world shall never see me again. But you (the members of his heavenly priesthood) shall see me. For I live, and you shall live.’ (JOH 14:19) Only at the end of Revelation, in 21:27 do we learn why Jesus had to wait so long before he could take them to him. ‘But there will never come anything into it (the new, heavenly Jerusalem) that is unclean, or anyone who commits abominations, and neither anybody who lies, but only those who are inscribed in the book of life by the Lamb.’ And then we understand why God did not allow Jesus to take them to him until after he, by the power of God, had thrown out Satan and his demons, because they were the cause of abominations and lies. They were all unclean and were not written down in the book of life by the Lamb. And then begins the first resurrection of those who are dead in Christ, those who will make up God’s heavenly priesthood. (1TH 04:16) After Jesus has taken to him all of his heavenly priesthood, the elect, the chosen, those whom God has set his seal on, the holy, the one hundred and forty-four thousand, the ,embers of the Melchizedec priesthood, etc., begins the very wedding feast, because it is this group who is metaphorically called the bride, which refers to their closeness to Christ. He is like a bridegroom to them, and they are like a bride to him. And then starts the extermination of all the devilry on the earth, which is the very wedding feast! Also then 232 The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah starts Jesus’ presence together with all his holy. At the same time begins the harvesting of the great, white flock, (REV 07:09-17) those who live and enter into the thousand years without having to die first. (JOH 11:26, REV 07:14) Think also of Noah and his righteous sons and their women as examples. 07b. THE DAY OF JEHOVAH = GOD THE ALMIGHTY’S GREAT DAY OF WRATH The word is now developing in line with God’s new plan, the restoration of what Adam destroyed through his disobedience. And through all of the Bible we hear about a day of wrath. ref. Job 20:28, PSA 110:05, ISA 13:13, LAM 01:12, LAM 02: 21, LAM 02:22, EZE 07:19, SEP 08:18, SEP 02:02, SEP 02:03, REV 06:17, and more. Jesus has now taken to him all of his heavenly priesthood, the bride, and the wedding feast may now begin, metaphorically of God and Christ now making their presence felt on the earth and starting to establish the Realm of God also im the earth as in the heavens. (MAT 06:10) And in the same way that it happened in the heavens when Jesus exterminated all devilry in the heaven and took the power there, the same will now take place on the earth. And then all ungodliness on the earth will be exterminated. It is scary, but it says in Isaiah that the inhabitants on the earth will be as rare as gold from Ophir. ‘I will make man scarcer that pure gold, more rear than the gold of Ophir.’ (ISA 13:12, NIV) It is this process Paul now tells the Thessalonians about as the day of Jehovah, the terrible. But Paul does not go into details as he only refers to those of the first resurrection. And when this day happens on the earth, they are all experienced a heavenly glory. And in the Bible a day may be very long, because a biblical day has nothing to do with 24 hours. A biblical day refers to a period of time, long or short. But Paul does not explain in detail. On the contrary he says time and moment it is no use talking about, because this day will come as a thief — suddenly and without forewarning! Also Jesus said that nobody knows that day except God — ‘not the messengers in the heavens, and not even the Son, but only my Father.’ (MAR 13:32) Also in Revelation 10:04 it is confirmed that this will be hidden to the very most, because it is this period with extensive upheavals on the earth that is spoken of as the seven thunders: ‘After the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write it down. But I heard a voice from the heavens saying: ‘Set seal on what the seven thunders have spoken, and do not write it down.’ So this will not be revealed to man. But, of course, those who have understood this, will realize it when it happens. And therefore Paul says: ‘But you, brothers, are not in the dark so that this day will come over you like a thief.’ (1TH 05:04) In other words, some will understand this based on the signs God has given us through the whole Bible. (REV 01:03) And Paul gives some weak hints: ‘When some say ‘peace and security,’ a sudden destruction comes over them like the labor pains come over a woman who gives birth! And they shall not escape! The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah 233 NB! If you read translations that say ‘peace and no danger,’ or ‘peace and safety,’ you will have no chance of understanding it, because you will not realize it when it happens. Not only that, but you have to stay alert to it all the time, and keep an open eye on world developments. (REV 01:03) And do not forget what it says there, if it is correctly translated, because that is a precondition of understanding it! It says, THE PACT: ‘Blessed is he who reads and listens to the words of this prophecy, and holds on to what is written in it, because his own* time is near.’ *God’s And keep your ears open, because here comes the decisive explanation of what happens, and also what has happened: When in world development has anybody talked about ‘peace and security?’ Or has in not happened yet? Yes, it has! When the Soviet Union fell, the American president George Bush, a representative of the seventh and the last beast, was constantly talking about ‘peace and security.’ I was staying in the U.S. at that time, so I heard his statements, but without putting too much into them at hat time. But this is what he said, word by word, in English: ‘We are now entering a period of peace and security.’ And he repeated it on many occasions: ‘We are now entering a period of peace and security.’ But that is when a sudden destruction would come over them! And ironically it was the son of president Bush, George Walker Bush, who was to experience this destruction when the twin towers collapsed through a terrorist act in New York City. And today nobody disagreed that this was a history-making incident in world history, because then started the socalled fight against terrorism. ‘They did not escape.’ But this was only the beginning, because it would be like the ‘pains of a woman in labor.’ And the expression is not incidental, because the woman is a picture of someone that something exudes from, and what is now about to be born on the earth, is the Realm of God. NB. There is an extensive prophecy about the establishment of the Realm of God in the heavens in Isaiah. You may read about it in Isaiah 66:05-13. It also says that ‘they shall not escape,’ and that is correct, because through the fight against terrorism, they have been held responsible of their evil acts! When Prime Minister Tony Blair was to justify the attack on Iraq and Saddam Hussein (So’damn Insane in the U.S.) together with the Americans, he used one major reasoning: ‘We need peace and security.’ ‘We need peace and security.’ ‘We need peace and security.’ And he used the expression three or four times in the same speech as a reason for going to war against Iraq. I happened to listen to his speech on BBC through a program send sent in Norwegian broadcasting called Alltid nyheter, Always News. It was around midnight, and I sat straight up in bed. Could this be incidental? I did not think so, because I recognized the phrase from the Bible and remembered the statements by President George Bush. And both Blair and Bush were major representatives of the seventh and the last beast. And we know what happened. The beast went to war against Iraq, a war which continues to this day and keeps rapidly spreading in one form or another — in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and so on. 234 The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah Some claim that the Americans lost this war. What rubbish! They won the very war against So’damn Insane in just a few weeks. But they failed to achieve the peace. It is impossible to impose peace on someone who wants war. And they are still fighting even more intensely than before — with or without the presence of the Americans and the British. And the war is spreading, slowly, but surely, across the rest of the world, ref. Africa — Nigeria, the Central Republic of Congo — and Asia, in Indonesia, now Burma and also in the Philippines. What about Norther Ireland? Have they achieved a lasting peace? Hostilities between Catholics and Protestants may flair up at any moment. We are now in the process that the Bible refers to as ‘the day of Jehovah, or the day for God the Almighty’s great wrath. How long it will take before it reaches its final climax is hard to say, but in these days it may be wise to keep an eye on the development word wide, also in Africa and Asia. And not in the least on Iran! Remember that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu has said that after the agreement between the west and Iran the world has become a more dangerous place. But it is hard to say where the final showdown will take place, between Iran and the west (religious) or between China and Japan including the west (territorial). The former president of Iran has said that Iran will bomb Israel into extinction and Great Britain to Alaska. Is that statement still valid? — Well, we are heading for exciting times. And do not forget that God also uses the forces of nature — hurricanes, typhoons, earth quakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, etc., in this fight. It is this relatively short period that is called the day of Jehovah. For some time it runs parallel with the day of the Lord in the same way the age of the Jews for some time ran parallel with the age of the peoples. We have witnesses the establishment of the Realm of God in the heaven, and we have seen the beginning process of the establishment of the Realm of God on the earth. How long it will take we do not know, but we do know that it will happen during the period when the seventh and the last beast rules the world, ref. Daniel 02:44, THE PACT: ‘In the days of these kings (Great Britain and the United States, the Anglo-American world power, the seventh and the last beast) God shall establish a Realm which never in ages will be destroyed. The Realm will never be left to any other people (no one can conquer it).’ It will break and destroy all the other kingdoms, but will itself be standing in ages.’ And then we are entering the thousand years We have seen that the great, white flock will enter into the thousand years without first having to die. And after an almost total destruction of man-made structures on the earth, atomic plants and so on, those who have survived God’s great wrath, will ha quite a cleaning-up job to do, just like Noah and his descendants. And just like Noah ans his sons, they will continue to bear children, but these children will not The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah 235 dieduring their younger years unless for a special reason, such as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. And remember, even if the great white flock will number millions, they will be scarce compared to today’s population. And it will take some time to clean up the mess after Bush, Blair and Bondevik. And then, toward the end of the thousand years starts the second resurrection of those who will remain on the earth. These will, after their resurrection, not bear children. In that respect they will become like the messengers in the heavens. (MAT 22:30) They have been risen to the possibility of a life in ages. The first will be the last, so the last to be resurrected was the first to die, Abel. And the resurrection of Abel will constitute the end of the Thousand Years. Then we are back to where Adam was before he sinned, and God’s original plan, with some variations, has been restored. Only after the thousand years are over, Jesus will again hand over the power to God the Almighty. (1CO 15:20-28) And then God shall release Satan for short time from his captivity. And he shall again, true to his personality, deceive those who live on the earth. (REV 20:07) And that is the final judgement: Will you now, after you have directly experienced God’s power, side with Satan the way Adam did? Over Satan and his demons, and the people who make the wrong decision, God will let it rain fire from the heavens and destroy them all! What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of this. And then Satan and his followers, both those of the spirit and those of the soul, have all been exterminated once and for all. ‘Vengeance is mine.’ DEU 32:35) But those who side with God ans Christ in the final showdown, will now become part of God’s righteousness on the earth in age and ages. And then, not after their resurrection, but after they have been through the judgement, they will be made alive, get a life in ages. (REV 20:05) Think now: If Adam had not sinned, where would he have been? In the heavens as so many claim? After he sinned, did God tell him: ‘Adam, you have been bad! But I will reward your disobedience with eternal life in the heavens.’ No, God said differently, in GEN 03:19, THE PACT: ‘In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread until you return to the earth. because from that you were taken, and to earth you shall return.’ Again: But think carefully now: Where would Adam have been if he had not sinned? Where are he and Eve now? In the heavens? In the grave? Or exterminated? God has now finished all of his plan to restore what Adam destroyed through his disobedience. (ACT 03:24) And it has been a long lasting process. Think carefully one more time: Why did it take so long? 236 The Restoration We know from the Bible that the first man God created, was Adam, and that God’s plan with Adam was that he and all his descendants were to live on the earth in ages. But God’s condition was that Adam was obedient to God, and that he was not. He sinned, and God sentenced him to death! (Genesis 03:19) And thereby a life in ages on the earth without sin, sorrow and misery was lost to all mankind! But, will it always be that way? No, in Acts 03:21 we read: ‘He (Jesus) is the one whom the heavens shall receive until the time comes when God shall restore all that he has spoken of through the mouths of his prophets since the beginning of ths age.’ The word restore is a key here, because a prerequisite that anything is to be restored, is that something must have been lost or destroyed. And what have we lost? A life in the heavens in ages? No, men of flesh and blood have never had anything to do in the heavens! But we have lost what Adam destroyed through his disobedience. This is what is to be restored! And to carry through his new plan for man, God sent his only generated Son to the earth so that he would become a corresponding ransom (Gr. antilutron = corresponding ransom, lutron = ransom) of sin — a perfect man without sin — the way Adam was before his sinned. Therefore Jesus had to suffer for our sins. And through his sacrificial death as a man of flesh and blood, he has now become the Mediator between God and man. In First Timothy 02:05 it says: ‘For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men — and he is the Man Jesus Christ.’ Jesus gave his sin-free body as a sacrifice so that we men would get our relation with God back in order and thereby have a future in ages on the earth without sin, sorrow and misery! The Bible is clear on this. It says directly that God’s final solution is that everything is to become one unity under Christ — both what is in the heavens and what is on the earth! (Ephesians 01:10) Just imagine what Jesus teaches us to pray for in Father in the heaven, Matthew 06:10. ‘Let your Realm come, and let your will happen on the earth and in the heavens.’ ‘Let your Realm come.’ And what will happen then? Yes, then ‘your will shall happen on the earth and in the heavens.’ And what is the will of God? That men shall be obedient without sin exactly the way he had planned from the beginning! Satan’s cunning plan will not succeed! One single verse is important here, because it explains everything in a nutshell! ‘But according to his promise we look forward to new heavens and a new earth where justice shall live.’ (2PE 03:13) Many hysterical preachers claim the world will burn up completely, but note that it also says heavens, and no one in his right mind would believe that God will destroy his own existence? We find the correct explanation in the last four words which are usually omitted by the howlers when this verse is being quoted — ‘where justice shall live!’ The Restoration 237 And we all understand that there cannot possibly exist righteousness neither on the earth nor in the heavens if everything is to be destroyed! What are then the new heavens? It refers to two relations: 01: There will be justice in God’s heavens after Satan and his demons have been thrown out. (REV 12:07-09) 02: The Greek word ouranos, which is usually translated heaven in the singular, but which THE PACT consistently write in the plural, actually means that, or those, that is / are elevated. And who are elevated under this world’s system? Yes, kings, presidents, priesthoods, judicial systems, judges, etc. — all that is elevated above the common man and woman. All these are the ones that will become new on the earth — and contrary to today’s corrupt system, they are to exert justice upon the earth. Do we know who they are? No, but chances are that God’s faithful servants, such as John the Baptist, will be this world’s leaders after their resurrection. Remember that Jesus said John was the greatest born by a woman, and that greatness has to refer to something better than being beheaded by King Herod. The Greek word for earth is ge — that which is flat. And what is flat in this relation, are the common men and women. The new that is to come, contrary to the way it is today, is that all of mankind who gets access to the Realm of God, shall exert justice toward one another! Then there has been established new heavens and a new earth — where justice shall live! The Realm of God has then become a reality! So simple and so easily understood is actually God’s plan for man. But, is it God’s plan that Jesus must carry through his new plan all alone? No, to aid in this work, God will through Christ elect a special group of righteous persons, men without blemish, who will get a spiritual resurrection with Christ. This is the first resurrection which the second death has no power over. In Revelation 20:06 it says: ‘Blessed and holy are those who get to take part in the first resurrection. Over them the second death has no power, because they will become priests before God and Christ, and they shall rule with Christ for thousand years.’ Think now: If they are to be priests, who will be their congregation? And if they are to rule with Christ, whom will they rule over? It can only be one group: Those who are risen from the graves to the judgement on the earth. Because, if the dead will be physically risen from their graves, it must be on the earth because that is where they lie buried. This is the second resurrection. The Bible does not say much about it, but you may read about the second resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous in Acts 24:15. How does this agree with the teaching of the Pope and Luther that the unrighteous 238 The Restoration shall burn in hell after their death? It does not agree with the Bible which clearly says that those who have died the first death because of Adam’s disobedience, have been bough free from their sins. (ROM 06:07, 1CO 05:05, ISA 22:14) They lie in the grave in expectation of the resurrection to the judgement on the earth. And what is the judgement? Jesus says in John 08:15. ‘I judge nobody.’ But in John 09:19 he says: ‘To judgement I have come into this world —’ Does Jesus contradict himself? No, the judgement is the choice we make ourselves after the resurrection and after the thousand years when Satan is again released. Will we then side with God and Jesus’ — or Satan? He who sides with Satan the way Adam did, will suffer the second death the way Adam and Eve have already done, but he who accepts Jesus, will receive a life in ages — on the earth. (MAT 05:05, PSA 37:11, PSA 37:29) In that way the final judgement will be based on our own choice, and not on Adam’s. That is the way of God, the only righteous way! These holy who get to take part in the first, the spiritual, resurrection, are also spoken of as sealed in the Bible. (EPH 01:13) Many have wondered whom those who God has set his seal on, may be. It is this, together with the fact that the heavenly election will no longer take place through the Jewish priesthood, the Levites, Paul on many occasions, among others in Romans 16:25-27, calls ‘the mystery of God’s message.’ Only in Revelation did John learn how many they were. God refers to them as ‘the one hundred and forty-four thousand who have been bought free from the earth.’ (REV 07:04, 14:03. And nobody else but these one hundred and forty-four thousand have been bought free from the earth! The rest of us, both righteous and unrighteous, will have a resurrection of the soul, Gr. psuchikos, on the earth. Read Acts 24:15 until you know it by heart. It is one of the Bible’s many important verses! Is it only these one hundred and forty-four thousand that are spoken of as sealed, belonging to God, in the Bible? No, there is one more — Christ. These one hundred and forty-four plus the One, Christ, shall make up God’s government, which is the Realm of God (MAT 19:28) during the restoration (Gr. apokastasis) of what Adam destroyed for us human beings — a life in ages on the earth — without sin, sorrow and misery and death. The Greek word apokastasis is used only this one time in the Greek text. It means to restore, reconstruct, reestablish. Jesus proved through his acts on the earth that he had of God’s power to carry through all this, because if we sum up all the powerful (Gr. dunamis = power) Jesus did, the sum of them equals the taking away of Adams sin. He forgives sin, raises up dead, heals sick, feeds the hungry, make blind see, etc. And all this was the result of Adam’s sin! (In Matthew 26:64 and Mark 14:64 the Power is God the Almighty.) If you add up Jesus’ acts on the earth, you will see that the sum of all he did, is a The Restoration 239 picture of the very restoration! He did not do it to show how clever he was or how merciful he was. No, he showed through his acts that he was directly subject to God’s power, that which is a total necessity to manage the restoration! The same were many of the disciples after they received the Holy Spirit on the day of the Pentecost in the year 33 the same way Jesus did when he was baptized. The dove and the tongues of fire were only the visible proof that they were now accepted by God and had received the part of God’s power which was necessary to carry through the work they had been chosen to! Have you never wondered who the chosen are when reading the Bible? Because, would it have had any purpose preaching the word if all had been chosen beforehand? Are you one among the many who deny the one hundred and forty-four thousand? Do you think they are a symbolic figure? Do you think it applies to Jews only because it says ‘the twelve tribes of Israel?’ Then you owe it to yourself to study this a little closer. Those who will stand before the judgement, are also called ‘the twelve tribes of Israel.’ (MAT 19:28) Is it only Israel who is to stand before he judgement? Note also that the twelve tribes in Revelation are not identical to the twelve physical tribes of Israel. The number twelve is always symbolic of that of the heavens, for instance when Jesus chose the twelve apostles. But they were still concretely twelve individuals. The number one hundred and forty-four thousand is dividable by twelve, symbolic of the heavenly, but the number itself is still a concrete number. Why were there twelve gates into Jerusalem? Why is the New Jerusalem 12.000 stadia (2200 km.) by 12.000 stadia by 12.000 stadia? These one hundred and forty-four who are chosen by God because of their righteousness and faithfulness, are to serve God as Jesus’ co-priests, co-rulers and co-judges after the Realm of God has been established — the new, heavenly Jerusalem that shall make up a righteous government over the earth — in age and ages! Then there have been established ‘new heavens and a new earth — where righteousness shall live.’ God’s original plan has been restored and the Realm of God has become a reality through Christ and his heavenly priesthood, the one hundred and forty-four thousand! (2PE 03:13, REV 21:01-07) If you get to be part of this, either in the heavens or on the earth, only then you can say: ‘Now I have been rescued from Satan’s grip!’ 240 The False Prophet, the Lawless, Antichrist, and the Beast THE FALSE PROPHET We will check thoroughly what forces the false prophet, the lawless, the antichrist and the beast represent in the Bible. And then we might just as well clarify sooner rather than later that the false prophet is not a specific person or group. The false prophet is a personified expression of any false prophets or prophecies ref. the Bible’s extensive use of pictures. In the same way neither the lawless is a specific person or group, but a personification of all who do not follow God’s law, but use the word of God falsely to their own advantage, ref. so called Christian politicians and extreme Islamists. Basically the same goes for antichrist and the beast. Yet I underscore that these expressions may also refer to individuals and groups, then based on the fact every system consists of single individuals forming greater groups. In Deuteronomy Moses explains what signifies a false prophet: In DEU 18:15, NIV, he says: ‘ The LORD (Jehovah in the Hebrew text) your God will raise up a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.’ This is one of the Bible’s many prophecies about Christ. And here we learn that God himself shall raise him up as a prophet. Based on this we may draw the conclusion that both Moses and Jesus were sent out as prophets directly by God, and they are then examples of the true prophets, ref. also many other prophets called by God under the First Pact. But those who have read some about the prophets, know that under the First Pact also false prophets stood forth, such who were not sent by God. False prophets, such who are not sent by God, Moses explains how to distinguish in Deuteronomy 18:20-22, NIV: ‘But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. 21 You may say to yourselves, How do we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD. (Jehovah in the Hebrew text) 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD (Jehovah in the Hebrew text) does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD (Jehovah in the Hebrew text) has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.’ Do we have any examples from our own time of such whom God here warns against? Yes, by the numbers. And that specifically refers to prophecies about Jesus second coming, and that in spite of the fact that the Bible, actually Jesus himself, says that day and hour (of Jesus’ second coming) nobody knows, not even the messengers in the heavens, nor the Son, but only God.’ (MAR 13:32) The False Prophet, the Lawless, Antichrist and the Beast 241 The false prophetess of the Adventists, Ellen Gould White proclaimed Jesus coming in the year 1844, but when nothing happened, she has in the book Toward the Climax of History tried to explain away why it did not happen. She says that through another vision into the heavens she saw Jesus move from the Holy Place to the Holiest Place in the heavens. And that was what confused her. And in that has she even clearer exposed her false prophecies, because there is no physical temple in the heavens. The temple on earth was a direct picture of the heavens, and there can be nothing material in a spiritual existence! She also claims that on another occasion she could see directly into the heavens, and then she saw a special light surrounding the commandment of the Sabbath on the stone tablets. The commandment to keep the Sabbath holy was introduced in the Garden of Eden, she proclaims. The very most of this is at best free imagination. The teaching of the Adventists is identical to Ellen Gould White’s false prophecies, and where she contradicts the Bible, they stress that all of Ellen G. White’s prophecies are correct and given in pictures directly by God, ref. Revelation 02:20. Long live all these willed misconceptions! I find it strange. Jehovah’s Witnesses are also guilty of extensive prophesizing about Jesus second coming. First he was to come in 1914, then in 1918, in 1954 and finally in 1975. But nothing happened. They also have a house standing empty in California, an inheritance, where they will receive the prophet Jeremiah when he returns. Their own great prophet is the Watchtower organization in Brooklyn, and a Jehovah’s Witness cannot preach anything from the Bible unless it has first been explained by ‘the holy in Brooklyn,’ the so-called Governing Body. If they are shown that any of their preaching does not agree with the Bible, such as the holiness of the blood, they answer with consideration: ‘I have the great faith in the wise and faithful slave (the Watchtower organization in Brooklyn) that he will give the proper food at the right time.’ But that does not always happen. Clearly contrary to the Bible they also claim that their organization in Brooklyn is ‘God’s own organization of rescue on the earth.’ The Bible clearly shows that there is only one mediator between God and man, and that is the Man Jesus Christ. (1TI 02:05) Any collective rescue does not exist, and therefore Jehovah’s Witnesses does not have an ‘organization of rescue on the earth.’ The Mormons also have their own great prophet, Joseph Smith. He claims that he physically met both God and Christ on a mountain ridge in upstate New York, and that a God’s messenger later came and showed him where some golden plates lay buried. And these plates were the manuscript to the Book of Mormon which Joseph Smith, at that time 14 years of age, was ordered to translate from an ancient language into U.S. English. And when this work of translation was finished, the plates disappeared in a mysterious way. The Mormons also claim to believe in the Bible, and they conduct long, superficial studies of the Bible. And when the Bible does not agree with the Book of Mormon, it is always the book of Mormon that is correct, 242 The False Prophet, the Lawless, Antichrist and the Beast they claim, because that came last. They also claim that God sends them prophets to this day, even if the Bible says differently! Read Hebrews 01:01-02, with consideration, and you will see that God does not send prophets today. Paul also confirms in First Corinthians 13:08 that the prophetic gift will cease. But why? That is obvious. We have received all the prophecies we need in order to understand God’s total plan through Paul and John! What will finally happen to such false prophets and their descendants? It says in Revelation 20:10 that the false prophet will be thrown into the sea of fire, metaphorically for being eradicated. And again: The false prophet is a personification of everybody, individuals or groups, that do false prophecies without being chosen to such a task by God. When the Realm of God has been established, all such falseness shall no longer exist. Are there any other great false prophets that have stood forth down the years? Yes, the greatest of them all is the Muslim’s own Muhammed — ‘the prophet Muhammed.’ This was only a few examples of the greatest among the false prophet. If you consider it carefully, I am sure you can think of many. Today they grow up like mushrooms all over the world. — By the way — what about the Pope or Luther? THE LAWLESS Second Thessalonians 02:08-09, THE PACT: ‘Then the lawless shall be revealed, he whom the Lord will destroy with the breath of his mouth and exterminate when he* makes his presence known. The presence of the lawless is of Satan’s work with all his power, his signs and miraculous lies.’ *the Lord Jesus These are the only two times in the Bible that the expression the lawless is being used. Most think, especially the Adventists, that this refers directly to the Pope and the church of the Pope, and if you read all of chapter 02 it may seem to be true. But even if the lawless directly refers to the Pope in this chapter, it is still so that the lawless is a personalized expression of each single person or group that represents something that is against God’s law, from Adam to Christ. The Catholic Church is the largest of all churches. How may it then be the lawless? That is basically simple, because through all the history of the power of the Pope it has represented an official teaching that directly contradicts the word of God. It is enough just to mention dogmas like the trinity, the immortal soul’s eternal torment in hell, the invisibility of the soul, purgatory, etc. But furthest away from the word of God, is the practice of absolution, being able to buy yourself free from sin. In addition I could have reeled off almost incessantly, ref. the misuse of quire boys by homosexual priests to their sexual satisfaction while pretending to live in celibacy. The False Prophet, the Lawless, Antichrist and the Beast 243 During the later years, on the other hand, the Pope is more faithful to the teachings of the Bible than the Lutheran Church, ref. the Pope’s attitude toward prevention, abortion, women priests, gay priests and same sex marriages, hiring homosexuals in the church, etc. Right now the Lutheran Church is having two extensive political debates that relates to the word of God — 01) The question if the house of God is to be run by a mundane state with worldly, yes even atheistic ministers as head of the church. 02) The question of same sex marriages. In Norway the bishops voted unanimously to allow homosexuals to marry in the church. If you have kept an open eye to these debates you may have noticed that it is not at all a question of what is right and wrong according to the Bible. The Bible has not been mentioned once, not even by so-called Christians. This is a clear example of the works of the lawless which we have just read is of Satan! Many of these church leaders do not even know that the Bible is the word of God. Here is a quote from one of them: ‘The Bible is no cookbook. We must create a religion that most people will accept!’ Antichrist The word antichrist is being used four times in the Bible, and only by the apostle John. 01: First John 02:18, THE PACT: ‘Little children, we are in the last ages and you know that antichrist will come. But already now there are many antichrists.’ 02: First John, 02:22, THE PACT: ‘Who is the liar? Is it not he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is an antichrist, and he disowns both the Father and the Son.’ 03: First John 04:03, THE PACT: ‘Every spirit that does not confess that Jesus has not come in the flesh, is not of God. This is antichrist that you have heard will come, and that already now is in the world.’ 04: Second John, 01:07, THE PACT: ‘Many deceivers have gone into this world. They are such who profess that Jesus has not come in the flesh. They are deceivers and antichrists.’ NB! It is wrong writing antichrist with a capital A. Antichrist is not a person. Many interpreters confuse the lawless and antichrist and make them into one and the same person, a great and powerful Jew who will rule the world from a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. (A charismatic interpretation.) Such interpretations are usually great misinterpretations. By the way, you cannot interpret the Bible the way you see fit. If you do not understand what you read, be careful not no make up your mind on false pretenses. Rather leave the question until sometime later. 244 The False Prophet, the Lawless, Antichrist and the Beast The beast Gr. theirion = beast (that which tears apart) Gr. tetrapous = animal (four-legged) The beast is being mentioned throughout all of the Bible, both in the First and the New Pact. It is always a picture of a worldly, political unit, a military power (that which tears apart). The Bible presents seven major beasts which have all influenced God’s plan, and the prophet Daniel presents five of them. But in Revelation 17:10 the apostle John writes: ‘There are seven kings. (the major powers of the beast) Five have fallen. (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medio / Persia and Greece) One is now. (the Roman Empire) Another (the seventh and the last) has not yet come, but when he comes, he will only last a short time. (the Anglo / American world power).’ We who live today, can say: ‘There are seven kings. Six have fallen, and the seventh and the last is now.’ Also something as simple as this causes divisions, and Ellen G. White has interpreted antichrist to be the Pope in person and at the same time she interprets the beast from the sea in Revelation Chapter 13 to be the Pope. And she has skipped the two first beasts altogether. The reason may be that Daniel starts his prophecy of the beasts with the third (the head of the golden statue) which is Nebukhadnezar, the king of Babylon. Revelation also refers to ten beasts, and it is a common interpretation that they refer to Rome tractate and the establishment of EU, which originally consisted of ten states. That is not correct. The number ten in Revelation is not a concrete number, but a sign. It refers to that which is total, in other words all the kingdoms that are in addition to the seven. Ten fingers, for instance is our total number of fingers. The number ten in Revelation is always a sign of that which is total and of the earth. By the way, the Rome tractate today consists of more that 30 states, but that they close their eyes to. Besides, God never reestablishes something that has been tried and discarded of like the Roman Empire. They have outplayed their role. The purpose of studying the false prophet, the lawless, antichrist and the beast in such detail, is to learn how to distinguish between these four biblical, personified powers so that we may avoid being subjected to all the confusing proclamations in these eras. And remember: These are four separate powers that may sometimes represent the same, but far from always. And we will learn to separate them through concrete examples. The false prophet being a personification of every person or group giving false prophecies the very most have accepted, except those who are subject to special doctrines. It is a clear message of the Bible that during the last days all prophecies are to take place through Christ and the two last prophets that were chosen by Christ, Paul and John. And after having received both the First and the New Pact, we have The False Prophet, the Lawless, Antichrist and the Beast 245 also received a total picture of God’s plan. Any prophecies beyond these we no longer need, ref. Hebrews 01:02. How, then, may we distinguish between the false prophet and the lawless, and between antichrist and the beast? Let us study a few examples: John writes in 2JO 01:07 that an antichrist is one who denies that Christ, the Anointed, has come in the flesh, that is as God’s heavenly Son being born as a man. In 1JO 04:04 he writes that antichrist already now (almost two thousand years ago) had come to the world. Who is, based on this, the very first antichrist? That should not be very difficult, because the Jews denied from the very beginning that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Therefore the Jews were the first big antichrist. And they have remained a big antichrist to this day! Also every single person who rejects that Jesus has come in the flesh, as a man, for instance such who claim that he is God the Almighty, or only a half-god, are according to this antichrists. What about the Muslims? Yes, the Muslims deny that Jesus was God’s heavenly Son, the Messiah. They accept him as a regular prophet — one much lesser than Muhammed. And therefore the Muslim teaching is today’s biggest antichrist — one who denies that Jesus is the Son of God who has come in the flesh, that is as a man. The biggest antichrist that ever existed was communism, a political direction that rejected the existence of both God and Christ. But it happened to communism what will happen to all anichrists — they will be terminated! — Also the Jews? Yes, if they do not repent. Actually, in the eyes of God Judaism has already been terminated. What about Hitler? Was he an antichrist? No, far from it! He stands together with the Pope as a concrete picture of the lawless! Why? Yes, because Hitler denied neither God nor Christ. On the contrary, he used the Bible as a tool to achieve political power. One reason why the Germans got such strong faith in Hitler, was the he, with reference to the thousand years in the Bible, promised the Germans peace and prosperity for thousand years! He also chose one of the Pope’s cardinals, von Popen, as his second in command. This was the stroke of a genius, because thereby the Pope terminated his support of the German Center Party and gave his full support to Hitler and his national-socialists. Contrary to God’s law he used God’s word to further his own political progress. And throughout all of the war the Pope was faithful to Hitler almost as one unity. Think carefully now: Have we ever in England or the United States had any political leaders who have used the word of God to achieve his own political power? 246 The False Prophet, the Lawless, Antichrist and the Beast What about the reelection of George W. Bush? He did not win his reelection because of the war in Iraq or the great economy, but because he stood forth as a staunch Methodist. When John Kerry tried the same, he looked silly. Then George W. Bush represented both the false prophet, the lawless and the beast, but he was far from being an antichrist. What about the Jews? Were they a beast? Yes, also in Judea there were leaders with military forces, ref. the great uprising in 67, and that in spite of Judea being subject to Roman rule, one of the world’s major seven beasts in the Bible. We have seen that the Jews were an antichrist. And we know how Jesus rebuked their leaders for their lawlessness. Therefore we may safely say that Judea at the time of Jesus constituted both the lawless, antichrist and the beast. Are the Muslims a beast? No, not as a religious group. As a religious group they are an antichrist, the false prophet, Muhammed, and the lawless. Only when these forces make up a political unit, do they also represent the beast. A Muslim state, such as Saudi-Arabia, or the state os Iran, symbolizes today the beast and at the same time they are an antichrist, a lawless and a false prophet through their belief in Muhammed. Neither communism as an ideology was a beast, but an antichrist. Only when this ideology became a political and military unit, for instance the Soviet-Union or Cuba, did they make up a beast, and because they rejected all of God’s laws, they also became two major lawless. Do we know any other groups that today have great influence in their opposition to the word of God? What about the humanistic-ethesists? It speaks for itself. They have no political state and therefore do not represent the beast. And they are not conducting false prophesies. But they reject both God and Christ and consistently refuse to follow God’s laws. Therefore they are a big antichrist and an equally big lawless. When we a little by little become comfortable with distinguishing between the false prophet, the lawless, antichrist and the beast, it also becomes possible to understand the Revelation’s reference to the beast and the mark of the beast. And also who worship the mark of the beast and what consequences it will have for them. Read therefore also the Mark of Cain, the Mark of God and the Mark of the Beast. The Bible is a sober and factual book. Heed therefore Paul’s warning in being sober in everything you do. (Second Timothy 04:05, THE PACT.) 247 The Mark of God — The Mark of the Beast There is a great confusion over what the many marks of the Bible represent. This is a simple examination of these marks, with reference to the related biblical verses. This is not a full explanation of these marks. My thinking is that you will read all the verses that I refer to, and that you read both some of text before the verses and also some of the verses that follow. THE MARK OF CAIN: The first time we hear about a mark in the Bible, is in Genesis 04:05 after Cain has slain Abel. And God said to Cain: ‘Therefore he who kills Cain will be revenged seven times.’ And Jehovah set a mark on Cain so that those who met him, would not slay him. What mark did God set on Cain? When young I thought that maybe God made Cain a leper so that no one dared come near him. But that did not agree with Cain taking women and having many children. Then, after having gone through all the marks that exist in the Bible, I realized that God did not set a visible mark on Cain, but that God himself took the mark of Cain on his forehead — he remembered Cain and placed him under his protection. THE MARK OF REMEMBRANCE: Then we come to Exodus 13:01-10 where God commands the sons of Israel to celebrate the Passover, the Pascha, every year in remembrance of the exodus from Egypt. In verse 09 it says: ‘This is to be a sign to you on your hand and a mark of remembrance between you eyes (on the forehead), so that the law of Jehovah will remain in your mouth.’ Based on this we understand that the mark between their eyes, on their forehead, means that this they must remember, and the sign on their hands mean that they must act accordingly. And this was a command to the sons of Israel only. We of the peoples have never been part of this, neither the exodus nor the celebration! Well, we celbrate Passover, Easter, but it has never been a commandment from God! THE MARK OF COMMANDMENTS: Deuteronomy chapter 06 is about the greatest commandment. In verse 08 Moses writes: ‘You shall bind them (the words God commands) as a sign around your hand and they are to be marks of remembrance between your eyes.’ Again God commands the sons of Israel that the words he has given them shall be like ‘marks of memory between your eyes,’ they were to remember them, and ‘bind them as a sign around their hands,’ in other words act accordingly.’ And again we see that the mark on the forehead refers to remembrance and the sign on their hand were to lead to action. That is how factual it is. But there is a lot of fabling over it! 248 The Mark of God — the Mark of the Beast THE MARK OF GOD: We have now come to Ezekiel chapter 09. The Babylonian army stands outside of Jerusalem and is ready to conquer the city. And this was God’s punishment on the Jews because they had drifted so far away in relation to God’s commandment and pact they had entered into with God. About 90% of the inhabitants in Jerusalem were killed by the Babylonians. But some rescued their lives and was taken to Babylon as prisoners. And among them were Daniel and his friends. And then we read in verse 09 that Jehovah said to one of his messenger, most likely Michael: ‘Go through the city and place a mark on those people who sigh and moan over all the wickedness thet is being done in her (Jerusalem’s) midst.’ And then God’s messenger is commanded to kill indiscriminately and without mercy, in order to exterminate all the ungodliness from Jerusalem. But in verse 06 God commands: ‘But do not get near anyone who has the mark on them!’ And those who had God’s mark on their forehead were without exception such who lived according to God’s law and sought his righteousness. These were spared! And this time we see that the mark on their forehead was given to such who remembered God’s law and lived according to God’s commandments! THE MARK OF THE BEAST: Then we do not hear of any more marks until we get to Revelation. But then it is not the mark of Cain we hear about, nor the mark of God. And neither do we hear about such who will get God’s protection, but about such who God is to condemn. But why? Yes, these have taken the mark of the beast on their forehead and in their hands — they think and act fully in line with what the beast represents — contrary to God’s commandments! And who is the beast? Yes, the beast in biblical relation is metaphorical of a political unit with a military power. The Greek word for beast is therion, that which tears to pieces. Just an animal in Greek is tetrapous, a four-legged. And in Revelation the beast especially refers to the seventh and last of the world’s political powers which have an influence on the carrying through of God’s plan. This kingdom, the Anglo / American world power acts contrary to God’s plan. Like all the other beasts it does not represent God, but this world’s mundane interests. In Revelation 13:16-18, THE PACT, it says: ‘It (the beast) made it so that everybody, little or great, received a mark on his right hand and on his forehead. And nobody could buy or sell unless they had the mark of the beast, or its name, or the number of its name. Here is the wisdom: He who has insight, can count the number of the beast, because it is a name from men. And the number is six hundred and sixty six.’ ‘Nobody can buy or sell unless he has the number of the beast.’ This verse has made many worried, and many have wondered how that would manage to live rightly before God and at the same time get something to sustain their lives — the most necessary. The Mark of God — the Mark of the Beast 249 Taking the mark of the beast is the same as to subject oneself to what the beast represents. And what do you need to do in today’s societies if you want to start selling or buying, in other words start a business? Yes, you have to register and get a business registration number. And if you start a business without first being registered, it will not take long before the beast comes and stops you. In worst cases you may even have to go to jail. And that is nearly a world wide situation today. I ran a small hotel in the U.S. There you may not even open a bank account unless you can show the registration number of your business. ‘I need your business identification number, please.’ To open this account I had to wait until I was registered as a business. — I had to take the mark of the beast to be able to start a business! Is it that way for private individuals also? Yes, it is increasingly so. It is no longer enough to give your name when you enter a public office, see a doctor, hospital, bank, etc. If you cannot show your name and personal number you may easily experience being rejected. Myself I have been asked to present my personal number just to buy a personal computer and printer. And just paying cash was not good enough. The reason being that then the warranty would not be valid. I bought PC and printer elsewhere. Some time ago I tried to open a bank account for a small, unregistered congregation. I was then informed that it was impossible. It would have to be registered as a church. The only way to get around it, was to use my own name and personal number. I thanked ‘no.’ It was another example of having to take the mark of the beast. Finally, note that it is not those who have to take the mark of the beast under pressure, that will be lost, but such who worship the mark of the beast, those jubilant over what the beast represents. Do you know anybody like that? What about top politicians, those who created this system? There has got to be some of them both in Great Britain and the United States! And in Norway! Maybe George W. Bush? Tony Blair? Kjell Magne Bondevik? — Bush, Blair and Bondevik! Yes, they all love the beast! In Jacob 04:04, THE PACT, it says: ‘You ought to know that friendship with the world, is animosity against God. Because he who wants to be a friend of this world, becomes God’s enemy.’ That sounds tough! Why? Simple. What this world represents is of Satan! — Uff da! They are such who will be among the many who are destroyed when God decides that enough is enough and exterminates all devilry from the earth before he establishes his own rule. (DAN 02:44) But there is no talk about a torment in ages in a burning hell. There is only talk about a death without resurrection — the second death! 250 The First Resurrection The people at the time of Jesus were aware that there would take place a resurrection from the dead. In John 11:11 Jesus says about Lazarus: ‘Lazarus is asleep.’ The word for sleep is koimao, to be in a coma. And that is how Jesus considers the first death, that which all must suffer because of Adam’s sin. And from this first death there will take place a resurrection, ref. those who Jesus used as examples by waking them up, temporarily, from the dead. Luke writes in Acts, a quote from Paul, that there will take place a resurrection of ‘both the righteous and the unrighteous.’ In other words: All are to be resurrected to the judgement on the earth. This is the second resurrection which will take place after the first resurrection has taken place. The second resurrection, that of the soul, will take place on the earth. In Revelation 02:11, 20:06, 20:14 and 21:08 we read about the second death. What is the difference between the first and the second death? It is factual and easily understood the way the Bible presents it, but there is an extensively confusing preaching in this respect. The simple explanation is this: Adam broke God’s law, and therefore god sentenced him to death together with his woman Eve. And thereby all mankind was subjected to this death. But it is undeniably unreasonable strict that all of mankind would have to die because of one man’s disobedience about 6000 years ago. And therefore God sent Christ to annul this sentence on mankind so that the would be a resurrection from the first death. What about the second death? To suffer the second death we must unequivocally have been subjected to God’s power and rejected it. We have then blasphemed the Holy Spirit and must suffer a death in ages, not because of Adam’s disobedience, but because of our own. That is the second death which Adam and Eve have already suffered. From the second death there will be no resurrection. But there will also be a first and a second resurrection. A small group of righteous men without blemish will be resurrected to a spiritual, heavenly existence. They will be a firstfruit with Christ as his heavenly brothers and God’s adopted sons, the holy, the elect, the sealed, the one hundred and forty-four thousand, etc. And it is only this group, a priesthood of men without blemish, who will take part in the first resurrection. And it will happen in two divisions, first those who have been waiting in their graves in anticipation of this, those who have dies in Christ. After this comes ‘those those who live and are left until Jesus’ presence. They are not taken up to the heavens as a special group, but God through Jesus takes them to him one by one as they die. It is this first resurrection Paul explains about to the Thessalonians in his fort writ to them, in chapter 04, verses 13-18. I give the explanation to this verse by verse based on THE PACT’s proper use of prepositions and personal pronouns: The First Resurrection 251 1TH 04:13-18. The first resurrection 13 I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep. Do not grieve like the others who are without hope. 14 Because if we believe that Jesus died and was risen again, then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ, shall be brought together with him by God. 15 This we say with the Lord’s word: Those who live and are left during the presence of the Lord, shall not come before those who have fallen asleep. 16 Because the Lord himself will descend from the heavens with a call, with the voice of the foremost messenger as if it were God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 After that those who live and are left, will be taken up together with us in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words. Verse 13, THE PACT: ‘I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep. Do not grieve like the others who are without hope.’ What Paul says here, does not apply in general to all who have died, fallen asleep in the first death, but to a determined group elected faithful God’s servants, those who will become embers of God’s heavenly priesthood, the Melchizedec. It was this priesthood Jesus started the election of when he chose the twelve apostles: And believe it or not, but it is the election of this group, plus Christ, the whole Bible is about — the one hundred and forty-four thousand, those whom God has set his seal on (REV 07:01-08) plus the one in addition whom God has set is seal on, Jesus Christ. (JOH 06:27) It says, THE PACT: ‘Work not for the food that gets devoured, but for the food that endures to a life in ages, that which the Son of Man gives you. Because God, my Father, has set his seal on him.’ And it is only Jesus together with the 144.000 God has set his seal on, which is the proof that they belong to him, ref. cattle branding in the Wild West. And the very proof of this election was their receiving of the Holy Spirit to a lesser or greater degree. (JOH 03:34, EPH 01:13-14) Those who get to be part of the second resurrection, that of the soul, with a possibility to live in ages on the earth, are only mentioned with few references in the Bible, such as in Acts 24:15. But when Paul refers to such who are without hope, he refers to those who will not take part in the first resurrection. Verse 14, THE PACT: ‘Because if we believe that Jesus died and was risen again, then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ, shall be brought together with him by God.’ Here Paul sets one condition to take part in the first resurrection: You must believe that Jesus died and was resurrected! The those who have died with, or to, Christ, will be brought together with Jesus by God. And be aware that not everybody who has 252 The First Resurrection died, not even the best Christians, who have fallen asleep with Christ. It applies only to those who are chosen to a heavenly glory as members of God’s heavenly priesthood, a priesthood of men without blemish. (LEV 21:17-24) Verse 15, THE PACT: ‘This we say with the Lord’s word: Those who live and are left during the presence of the Lord, shall not come before those who have fallen asleep.’ First a controversial question: When is the presence of the Lord? Jesus’ presence, his spiritual attention toward the earth, began after he had thrown Satan out of the heavens, and lasts until he again hands over the power to God the Almighty at the end of the thousand years. At the beginning of this period he also takes to him his heavenly priesthood, the bride. The first he took to him after he had thrown Satan out of the heavens, were all who had fallen asleep in their graves. It is this attention toward the earth, and Jesus’ thousand year long heavenly rule over the earth that is called the wedding feat n Matthew. But at the beginning of Jesus’ heavenly rule this priesthood is not in full number. And that is why the first resurrection happened in two stages, because the presence of the Lord did not start until Satan had been thrown out of the heavens. This you may read about in Revelation 12: 07-12. But those who were living at that time, shall not come before those who have fallen asleep, literally from the Greek text, ‘fallen into a coma.’ Paul claims that he says this with the Lord’s word, and in all probability the Lord here is Jesus. The New World Translation write Jehovah here, but the one who always spoke to Paul, was Jesus. NB! Almost every translation writes ‘the coming of Jesus’ instead of ‘the presence of Jesus,’ and then the reader will not have a snowball’s chance of understanding it! It is sad, but honesty to the word of God is not a common feature among Christians! Verse 16, THE PACT: ‘Because the Lord himself will descend from the heavens with a call, with the voice of the foremost messenger as if it were God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in Christ shall rise first.’ This is powerful! Now the Lord himself, Jesus in his heavenly existence, shall descend from the heavens to wake up ‘those who have dies in Christ.’ This is what is Jesus’ second coming for this special group, and it was this Jesus promised the apostles, and only the apostles, when he in John 14:19, THE PACT, said to them: ‘Just a short while and those of this world shall never see me again. But you shall see me. For I live, and you shall live.’ Here Jesus says it straight that those of this world shall never see him again, but only those who get to take part in the first resurrection. It is a bit sad, bus few preachers realize that the are making Jesus a liar The First Resurrection 253 when they proclaim Jesus’ second coming in the flesh. Why would he do that? Did he not finish his work the first time when he was on the earth? (JOH 19:30) There is little doubt that these happenings may be dated based on Daniel’s prophecies. The year is 1913, which I explain in the article The Age of the Lord — the Day of Jehovah. Why did the first group have to wait in their graves for so long? Then we must go all the way to Revelation 21:27, THE PACT, for the answer: ‘But there will never come anything into it (the New Jerusalem) that is unclean or anyone who commits abominations, and neither anybody who lies, but only those who are inscribed in the book of life by the Lamb.’ And this condition was not fulfilled until Satan and his demons had been thrown out of the heavens and down to the earth. (REV 12:07-12) Only then had God put his enemies as footstool under his feet. And remember that in Matthew 05:35 the earth is spoken of as God’s footstool. This resurrection happens at the same time for all who have died in Christ, those who have been resting in their graves for a shorter or longer time. And thereby the first phase of the first resurrection have been completed. How many these are, we do not know, but we do know that both phases will all together be 144.000 — plus the One. Let us also take a closer look at the number 1444.000 whic so many reject as symbolic. And they are partly right, because the number 12 is always symbolic of the heavens. Also when Jesus chose his twelve apostles, the number was symbolic of the heavens. But the 12 apostles were still 12 physical persons. So it is also with the 144. 000, which is 12.000 x 12.000 =144.000. False interpreters claim that the 144.000 only apply to the 12 tribes of Israel, because they refer to the physical 12 tribes of Israel. But that is not correct. The 12 tribes in Revelation are not identical to the 12 tribes of Israel, because neither Levi nor Joseph were of the 12 tribes of Israel. ‘The 12 tribes of the sons of Israel’ is a picture of that which is total. Or will you also deny that everybody shall stand before the judgement? Then you will see that those who are to stand before the judgement are also referred to as ‘the twelve tribes of Israel.’ (MAT 19:28) And therefore it cannot possibly be so that this only applies to the physical Israel. It is a picture of what is total! In Revelation 05:10 it says that those who are bought free from the earth, are of ‘every tribe, tongue and people.’ Therefore, those who claim that this only refers to Israel, are consciously making God a liar! And please remember the real meaning of Israel — he who fought with God and won (his blessing). Verse 17, THE PACT: ‘After that those who live and are left, will be taken up together with us in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we shall always be with the Lord.’ 254 The First Resurrection Now we have come to those who are still alive during Jesus’ presence, which is after 1913. As those who have been chosen as members of God’s heavenly priesthood, the Mechizedec (Hebrews chapters 07 and 08) now die, they do not have to wait in the grave to be resurrected, because now there is nothing unclean in the heavens. Satan and his demons have been thrown out. Then God through Christ takes them to him as their bodies die, but their personality does not die, because at the same moment their souls die, they are resurrected in the spirit. They are then united with all who have already taken part in the first resurrection, and in that way they will always be together with the Lord in a spiritual existence. And when the last of these die and is resurrected, the first resurrection has been completed. They have now become God’s adopted sons and Jesus’ heavenly brothers. In this short letter, Paul’s first to the Thessalonians, he uses the word brother as many as 18 times. And that is not by chance. The Bible also writes sons were most translations write children. And now some translators have come so far astray that they have started writing siblings where the Greek text writes brothers. And this they do for two specific reasons: 01: To consciously hide that the Bible is about a heavenly priesthood of men without blemish and make it gender neutral. 02: To adjust the Bible to the modern day policies of gender equality. After this God and Christ will direct their attention, their spiritual presence, toward the earth. And then a process similar to what happened in the heavens, will also take place on the earth. The ungodly, those who are of Satan, will be exterminated and Satan laid in chains. This is what is called ‘the great tribulation.’ And those who survive, the righteous, the great, white flock, will then enter into the thousand years without first having to die, ref. Noah and is sons. But those who survive the great tribulation on the earth, will not get a life in ages until they have passed the last test after Satan again, for a shot time, has been released from his captivity. Those who stand the test after the thousand years are over, both those of the great, white flock and those being risen from the dead in the second resurrection, will then ‘be made alive,’ (REV 20:05) receive a life in ages. Then we are back to where Adam was before he sinned and the restoration of God’s original plan has been fulfilled! Verse 18, THE PACT: ‘Therefore encourage each other with these words.’ 255 The New Creation Galatians 06:15, THE PACT: ‘Because in Jesus Christ being circumcised or nor being circumcised means nothing, but becoming the new creation.’ Second Corinthians 05:17, THE PACT: ‘Therefore, if so is that anybody is in Christ, he shall become a new creation. The old is gone, for see! — all becomes new.’ Do you become a new creation when you accept Jesus? Is it then so that all who believe in Jesus walk about as new creations? Many preachers claim that becoming the new creation is identical to the conversion to Christ. Then you become a new creation, because then you begin to live by what is of the spirit, in other words according to what God represents. And we have seen what changes that is supposed to give: Love, goodness, consideration, care, etc. Is it so that all Christians become better people after they have accepted Jesus? Do not as many of the world fulfill these qualities as Christians? Or is it automatically so theat Christians become better people after they have received Jesus in their hearts? No, they are far from becoming a new creation, but continue in the same shape as before, even it the few honest among them make strenuous efforts to live better lives. They try to follow what is the will of God, in other words they wander by what is of the spirit. But it is not so, yes, amen, that all who convert becomes better persons of that reason. I have noticed that just as often Christians use Jesus as a cover of their evil acts, so-called ‘Sunday Christians.’ Claiming that such persons have become new creations would be a claim hard to accept. GOD’S WORK OF CREATION: The basis of man’s existence, the way the Bible describes it, is the power that exudes from God as a spiritual person. And be then aware that a person is not only identical to an earthly being of flesh, blood and bones, but also include spiritual beings. When God is presented as a person, it does not only refer to his power, but to God as a separate spiritual being. What this separate being would look like if we got to se him in a physical picture, nobody knows, but common sense tells us that a heavenly, spiritual being cannot physically look like a person of flesh, blood and bones. And be aware that when it says in Genesis that God created Adam in his picture, it does not refer to Adam’s physical appearance, but to his spirituality as a sin-free person. After Adam sinned nobody but Jesus has been created in God’s picture — as a human being free of sin. (1CO 15:45) After Adam’s fall we have all become bastards with a little bit of God and a little bit of Satan in us. Consequently we see that those of the heavens, the spirituals, are one creation and those of the earth of flesh blood and bones, those of the soul, are a totally different creation. And when God created Adam, also he was a new creation, because anything like Adam the universe had never experienced before. But time took its course, and 256 The New Creation today nobody would even consider calling a human being a new c reation. But are these two forms of creation, except for animals, that this universe has ever seen? No, the world has also been exposed to a third for of creation, the giants of old times, the Nephilimes. The way this is being presented by Moses is that some of the sons of God, heavenly beings, saw that the daughters of the earth were attractive and took in marriage those that they desired. That means that they at that time had the ability to materialize in the same way as the messengers that visited Abraham. And taking in marriage sooner or later leads to offsprings, But this offspring was contrary to God’s work of creation. They were of Satan’s demons and therefore became full of devilry. They were through and through evil. And it was in order to exterminate this ungodly evil God send the great flood. And thereby the universe was back to the two original creations that were of God — the heavenly spirituals and those of the soul on the earth. All this you may read about in Genesis chap. 06. When Adam through his disobedience against God had laid the whole world under sin, God, together with Michael, the Messiah in his pre-earthly existence, made a new plan to reestablish what had been destroyed through Adam — a life in ages on the earth without sin, death and misery. And under this new order not only Christ and the heavenly messengers were to be God’s servant the way it was under the First Pact. No, God decided that together with Christ he would elect a group of righteous persons, a priesthood of men without blemish, (Leviticus 21:17-24) who were to become Jesus’ co-priests, co-rulers and co-judges in the process leading to the reestablishment of what Adam had destroyed, had been fulfilled. It was the election of this priesthood Jesus started when he chose the twelve apostles, all of them men without blemish, physical handicaps. The Levite priesthood had been an example of this heavenly priesthood, the Melchizedec. And if you study the structure of the Levite priesthood, you will see that its service was divided into 24 shifts of two weeks each. And after lengthy studies of the heavenly priesthood you will see that it has the same division made up of one hundred and forty-four priests divided into twelve divisions. And twelve times two is twenty-four. it is this priesthood that is the bride, and it is only these one hundred and forty-four thousand that get to take part in the first, the spiritual, resurrection to a heavenly existence. They then get the sonship, in other word they are being adopted as God’s heavenly sons and Jesus heavenly brothers. And their being men without blemish, is a picture of Jesus’ perfection and their own justification, cleansing, by God through Jesus’ blood. These one hundred and forty-four thousand, plus the One whom God has set his seal on, are to belong to God. And God having set his seal on Christ, you will have confirmed in John 06:27. And this is the only place in the Bible where it says so straight. Ad God having set his seal on the one hundred and forty-four thousand you will have confirmed directly in Revelation 07:04. And believe me or let it be, or even better — The New Creation 257 find out for yourself, it is the election to this heavenly priesthood, the members of the Realm of God, that the Bible is all about. The rest of us, men as women, who will not have a heavenly existence, are through all of the Bible referred to as subordinate, ref. JOH 10:16, JOH 11:24, ACT 24:14, and clearest of all in REV 07:09-17. We on the earth will then become subjects under this heavenly priesthood, this Realm and this group of judges under God’s final order! THE NEW CREATION: But how will these people, the one hundred and forty-four thousand, be transformed from human beings to spiritual, heavenly beings? it is not so easy to understand, and the Bible refers to it as a mystery, but simply explained it happens a man of flesh, blood and bones, one who has lived on the earth, after his physical death, that f the soul, will have a resurrection in the spirit the same way Jesus did. Peter writes about Jesus tat ‘he died in the flesh, but was made alive in the spirit.’ (1PE 03:18) And then we understand that the one hundred and forty-four thousand will have the same resurrection! In that way, together with Jesus, they have become God’s new creation! It is they who die as souls of flesh, blood and bones, but are resurrected in the spirit. as heavenly beings. And this is something that has never happened before! It is also this that the Bible refers to as the rescue. And now you also understand what it means to be born from above the way Jesus tells Nicodemus in John cap. 03. But be aware! There are many wrong translations in this chapter, for instance in verse 08 it is not supposed to say ‘wind,’ but ‘those of the spirit.’ And then you see that Jesus explains the first resurrection to Nicodemus. ‘ JOH 03:10-12, THE PACT: 10 ‘(What!) Are you a teacher of Israel and do not understand this! 11 For this truth I tell you: I speak of what you know and testify to what you have seen, and you do not accept my testimony! 12 When I speak to you about earthly matters, you do not believe me. How will you then believe me when I speak about heavenly matters!’ Do you believe Jesus on this? You may read about the first resurrection in First Thessalonians 04:13-18 and in First Corinthians 15:20-28. — By the way, I have included it from page 249 in this book — with a thorough explanation! It is a bit sad that so many Christians reject God’s solution and rather believe the Pope, or Luther or their own interpretations. And that is a bit hard to understand, because then they knowingly and willingly deceive themselves! I quote Jesus : ’Do you not understand this!’ 258 God’s Law — Moses’ Law — Christ’s Law THE LAW OF GOD: ROMANS 07:08. THE PACT: ‘And sin took advantage if the commandments and awoke all kinds of desires in us. Because without law sin is dead.’ Here many translations write the law, and in that way referring to the law of Moses. But here Paul refers to law in general. NIV: ‘But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.’ That last sentence was a bit unclear, but at least here NIV presents sin in general. KJ-1611, writes: ‘But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of conqupiscence.* For without the law, sin was dead.’ Here King James wrongfully write the law, and in that way referring to the law of Moses. But the law of Moses did in no way originate sin. That the law of God did, ref. Adam. *desire So, what does it mean that ‘sin took advantage of the commandment?’ It almost speaks for itself, but may yet be a bit difficult to understand off hand. Because the way it is today, it also was at that time, for it is part of human nature that when we are told not to do something, that is exactly what we yearn to do! I was once attending a thorough study of Paul’s letter to the Romans in a small church in Bergen, Norway. Then the teacher used King James’ translation and kept referring to the law, the law of Moses. ‘Without the law sin is dead.’ I was somewhat skeptical to that and sat thinking: ‘Yes, tell that to Adam! He was not under Moses’ law, but was still judges by God. Maybe the teacher grasped by skepticism, because he suddenly asked me by name: ‘Arne, did you understand this?’ ‘No,’ I answered, ‘because how could God then judge Adam to death? Adam was not under Moses’ law.’ This not only confused him, but irritated him to the extent that he mumbled something about staying alert during classes. But he did not give a plausible explanation to the question I was pondering. What law, then, was it that gave God the right to sentence Adam to death? And do not just tell me that God can do whatever he wants! No, God sentenced Adam to death based on the law he himself had given him directly! And it was only Adam who received this law, before God created Eve. But also Eve was under the same law, because she had been told by Adam. ‘And Jehovah God commanded Adam and said: “Of every tree in the garden you may freely eat. But from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you must not eat, because the day you eat of that, you shall truly die!”’ Not only did God give his law to Adam, but he also warned him what the consequences of breaking his law would be! And then it agrees with: ‘Without law sin is dead.’ Because if God had not warned Adam not to God’s Law — Moses’s Law — Christ’s Law 259 eat from the tree of knowledge, he would have had no basis of judging him. And that is also how it is in every-day life. You do not get a ticket for driving too fast on a German motor way, because there are no speed limits there. This principle has also been laid down in the constitution of most democracies. Something totally different is the fact that governments break their own constitution without it causing any consequences to them, for instance when a minister from the Socialistic Leftist Party in Norway, Oystein Djupedal, introduced a prohibition against private schools, and also included those who had already been granted such a permission from the previous government. And now Siv Jensen from the Progress Party wants to change the law so that the Muslin terrorist mulla Krekar may be expelled from the country, and then directly contrary to the statute in the constitution of giving new laws retroactive effects. To me such incidences are just proofs of how factual the Bible is even in daily relations around us. It is only so sad that (un)knowledgeable people have turned this factual book into a fabel! One more thing: At that time God had not laid down a commandment against incest, because if he had done so, the early inhabitants of this world could not have propagated, because the sons and daughters of Adam had to copulate with each other in order to fulfill God’s commandment of increasing in number to lay the world under them. (GEN 05:04) In Genesis 01:28 God said to Adam and Eve, KJ-1611: ‘And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish in the sea, and over the fowl in the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.’ Also Abraham lived in an incestuous relationship with his half-sister Sarah. In Genesis 20:12 Abraham says to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines: ‘Besides, she is also in reality my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my woman.’ Only under Moses there was introduced an official prohibition against incest. Who else but Adam and Eve were directly subjected to God’s laws? The First Pact has many examples of individuals subjected to the law of God, and one of them was Noah with his family. But he was obedient to God’s law, NIV: ‘Make yourself an ark of cypress wood, make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.’ And in verse 15: ‘This is how you are to build it: —’ And then Noah is explained how he is to build the ark; an instruction he followed to the last detail. And because Noah obeyed God’s law, he and his family were rescued from the flood and subjected to God’s blessings. But what about all the others who had not heard God’s commandment and were drowned during the flood? It took 70 years to build the ark, and during all of that time Noah and his sons preached God’s plan of a flood, but nobody believed them. Because until then it had not rained on the earth! And because of their lack of faith, they were all destroyed. This is an example of the destruction under the great tribulation. ‘But the way at was at the time of Noah —’ (MAT 24:36-44) 260 God’s Law — Moses’s Law — Christ’s Law And then we move forward to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons, the patriarchs. All the time God addressed Abraham with one law after the other. But Abraham did not only get commandments. He also received promises of what his rewards would be as a result of his obedience, but these promises will not be fulfilled to Abraham until after the second resurrection on the earth. True, Abraham’s one promise referred to Christ, and that has been fulfilled. But Abraham himself did not live to experience that, and neither will he experience it until after his resurrection on the earth, the resurrection of the soul. Many keep fabling that Abraham is already in the heavens, much because of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. And thereby they clearly demonstrate their own lack of understanding the word of God, because if God’s faithful men and women from the First Pact went to heaven when they died, then Jesus died in vain. Besides, only the priests had access to the very holy, so when the curtain tore in two, it tore for the priests only. In addition they also make Jesus a liar, because this is what he said: ‘Nobody has ascended to the heavens except he who descended from the heavens, and he is the Son of Man.’ I cannot help but wonder if these bible-fablers at all believe in Jesus. Because, can you believe in someone when you will not believe what he says? Instead they keep making him a liar by contradicting him! Neither Isaac, Jacob or the sons of Jacob were subjected to the law of Moses — nor the Hebrews who were under slavery in Egypt. But those who were chosen by God, did get his commandments directly from God through the Messenger — Michael. THE LAW OF MOSES: Then we have come to Moses, and also he was directly subjected to the law of God until the day he stood forth as the mediator between God and the sons of Israel. But then he had already received the ten commandments on the mountain, and from then on also he became subjected to the law of Moses — through God. And note one more thing: All the time we keep hearing about those who are chosen by God, but we hear little about judgement at this time, because without law there are few to judge except those who opposed God directly, such as Korah* in the desert, and that they were all subject to God’s general judgement through Adam — death! *bald But those who have died because of Adam, will get a resurrection on the earth, the second resurrection of the soul. They are not automatically resurrected to a life in ages, but to the judgement. And the judgement is the decision they make themselves after Satan has been freed from his imprisonment after the thousand years are over. ‘I* have this faith in God, which also these** have, that there shall be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.’ *Paul **those who wanted to kill him (ACT 24:15) NB! Note the text in this verse. It does not say that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the saved. It says that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous God’s Law — Moses’s Law — Christ’s Law 261 and the unrighteous! And who are the righteous? They are those who have believed in God, ref. Abraham. And then it almost speaks for itself that the unrighteous are those who have not believed in God. How does this agree with those who stand howling that if you do not believe in God and die tonight, you will wake up in hell tomorrow! But if you are good, you will wake up in heaven. Such teaching are not from God! It is pure Satanism! What then about Abraham? And David? (ACT 02:34) According to God’s plan both Abraham and David will rest in their graves all the time until the end of the thousand years. And by then they will only exist in God’s memory — in pact with God’s plan for the resurrection! What happens when you sow potatoes? Yes, then the sowed potato must first die for new potatoes to grow forth. And then it is not so that the farmer remembers every potato that he sowed, but he knows that alle the potatoes are subject to the forces of nature so that they will grow up and give new fruits. And a human being who is laid in the grave and goes into decay, basically consists of the same ingredients as a potato or a seed. And in that way they exist in God’s memory until they are resurrected. Why were the sons of Israel subjected to Moses’ law? Paul asks the same question in Galatians 03:19, and in the same paragraph, from 19-25, he gives the answer. The law was generally given to all of Israel’s descendants, but when the Bible refers to the sons of Israel, it especially refers to the Levite priesthood, the example of the heavenly. But as we know the law did not lead to the goal and the curtain did not tear until Jesus’ death. But then the Levites had already been rejected and God and Christ were about to establish a new order in replacement of the priests. And it was to replace the Levite priests he started the election of the apostles. But God’s new plan did not go into effect until the day of the Pentecost in the year 33 when the twelve apostles, the first members of God’s heavenly priesthood, received the Holy Spirit in form of tongues of fire. Only then did God accept the election of the apostles as worthy together with Jesus Christ. And after this God has never established a new priesthood! (HEB 05:04) And neither has he established a different church than the Church of God and Christ. (ACT 02:47, 1CO 01:10-17, 3CO 03:01-04) NB! Note that the Levites did not make up one of Israel’s twelve tribes, and therefore did not get their own land area. They settled outside the city gates around all the twelve tribes, which is symbolic of their heavenly election. And this is one example that it is important to have an understanding of from the First Pact in order to understand the New and also to be able to understand the key of the Bible, Revelation. THE LAW OF CHRIST: And then we have come to Christ, and after his resurrection we are all subject to his law, also those who were under Moses’ law. And Christ’s law only Paul refers to in the Bible, and only twice, in Galatians 06:02 and in First Corinthians 09:21. Paul writes in Galatians: ‘Carry each others’ burdens because then you fulfill the law of 262 God’s Law — Moses’s Law — Christ’s Law Christ.’ Is it enough just to carry each others’ burdens? No, the law of Christ may best be summed up through the commandment ‘you shall love your neighbor like your self.’ This commandment was also part of the First Pact, in Leviticus 19:18, but did not become central until after Jesus’ death. Then this commandment became the commandment that all of the New Pact builds on. It is mentioned in Matthew 19:19 and 22:39, in Mark 12:31, Luke 10:22, Romans 13:09, Galatians 05:14 and JAC 02:08. And under this commandment there is no mention about ‘you shall not, you shall not,’ because if you love your neighbor like your self, you will not kill him, steal from him, fornicate with his woman, etc. We then understand that Christ’s law is very simplified compared to the law of Moses, but yet builds on the same basics as the law of Moses. In addition Jesus ended many of the commandments of the First Pact. He first refers to the First Pact, and then he says: ‘But I tell you: —’ And then he liquidates many of the commandments from the First Pact. One example is enough: In Matthew Jesus refers to the law of an eye for an eye, —. (EXO 21:24) Then he says: ‘But I say: —’ And then he often rejects one of the old commandments and replaces it with one of his own. And in Matthew 28:20, the Great Commission, he says: ‘— and tech them to keep everything I have commended you.’ But Jesus also gave a new commandment that does not build on the law: ‘As I have loved you, you shall love each other.’ (JOH 13:34) And he then refers to his death with himself as an example of how far the Christian brothers are to go when carrying each others’ burdens. The worst fablers keep saying that ‘God is the same today as he was yesterday.’ Yes, but his plans for man have not always been the same, and it keeps changing as the reestablishment of what Adam destroyed through his disobedience, runs its course. The development through God’s law, first directly, then through Moses as a mediator of few, and finally through Christ as a mediator for many, shows this. And we know that the final solution will happen through Christ — first the establishment of a heavenly, a spiritual priesthood and realm that are to rule over the earth. That is the first resurrection. And when that has been completed, God has fulfilled the promise he gave to Abraham with an oath. But this promise Abraham will not be directly part of. Only when the second resurrection takes place on the earth will the promise that was given without an oath become a reality to Abraham — the resurrection on the earth. And when Abraham toward the end of the thousand years has been resurrected on the earth, has God fulfilled his promise to Abraham. After this God shall release Satan for a short time, but then he will exterminate all who side with Satan with a fire from the heavens. And then Satan is thrown in the sea of fire — metaphorically of his being exterminated. And then we are back to where Adam was before he sinned! Only then has the reestablishment been completed. (ACT 03:21) And thereafter we shall live under Christ in ages — on the earth! 263 Gr. aggelos — Angel or Messenger The Greek word aggelos has caused confusion in almost every translation. I have only read one translation that has used the word correctly, which I think is the American New Living Bible. So, what is the confusion all about? Yes, when the translators think that the word refers to a heavenly being, they translate angel. But when aggelos is about an earthly person, they write messenger. And this leads to some strange translation which I will here show some examples of. THE PACT has chosen to write messenger in every verse where aggelos is being used in the Greek text. In that way THE PACT will not interpret the contents before translating, but unconditionally stick to the correct meaning of the word aggelos which in no instance means angel, but messenger. Here are some examples from the New International Version compared to THE PACT: MAT 01:20, NIV. ‘But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: “Joseph, son of David —’ THE PACT: ‘He kept pondering over this. And, see! — a LORD’s* messenger appeared before him in a dream! He said to him: “Joseph, son of David, —’ NIV writes angel. THE PACT writes messenger. And probably this messenger was a heavenly being, but still — it was a dream. Note also that NIV writes Lord, and not LORD as they usually do when LORD refers to God. So therefore they think that this messenger is a Christ’s messenger. That is not the case. MAT 11:10, NIV, about John the Baptist. ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ THE PACT: ‘And, see — I will send my messenger before you —’ Here everybody understands that John the Baptist is not a heavenly being. Therefore they write messenger. I once explained to a Jehovah’s Witness that the Greek text also writes aggelos about John, and that the word aggelos means messenger. Then he sniffed contemptuously and exclaimed: “Hahh! The angel John! That is the stupidest I have ever heard!” In MAT 13:39 NIV writes: ‘— and the harvesters are angels.’ What kind of harvesting do the angels do? THE PACT: ‘— and the harvesters are the messengers.’ 264 Gr. aggelos — Angel or Messenger What kind of harvesting do the harvesters do? Yes, they walk about preaching in the same way Jesus sent out the twelve and the seventy. And then we understand that the harvesters are those who preach the message. Invisible ‘angels’ do not walk about preaching! A Jehovah’s Witness once explained very naively: ‘You know, we Jehovah’s Witnesses are being lead by angels. We have one in each church.’ She was not aware that when preaching the message, she herself was that ‘angel.’ HEB 13:02, NIV: ‘Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.’ Wow! Read this one again! Where is the logic? Every time I read this verse I must smile a little. Because, is it possible to entertain someone you do not even know is visiting? And on top of everything someone invisible! A Pentecostalist took this so literally that he added an extra plate every time he set the table. I wonder if he ever experienced that some of his food vanished into thin air? — Then, how is this to be understood? Yes, but here it is not enough just to exchange angel with messenger, because it stays almost as confusing. No, here we must study how it is written in the original text without letting ourselves be confused by heavenly beings. Then we see that the whole verse has been wrongly translated simply because the original translators of KJ-1611 thought they were dealing with invisible beings. But — when translators do not understand the contents, they should at least adhere to the original text! THE PACT: ‘And do not forget your hospitality, because by it some of you shall receive strange messengers so that you will not remain ignorant.’ And who are the ‘strange messengers?’ Yes, they are such who walk about preaching the message, ref. the apostles at the time of Jesus and Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons today. If you just shut your door in their faces, you will be the one who remain ignorant. It is always good to learn, anyway. ‘Knowledge is no heavy burden. It is the lack of knowledge that may be heavy,’ says an old proverb. Just because I have opened up and discussed with Jehovah’s Witnesses and listened to the Mor-mons, I know when the are correct according to the Bible — and when they are gravely wrong! For instance are Jehovah’s Witnesses way off in relation to eating blood products and refusing blood transfusions. But they have understood that both the heavens and the earth will be one unity under Christ. (EPH 01:10) Neither the Pope nor Luther understood that. And when the Mormons naively preach that 14 year old Joseph Smith met both God and Jesus on a hillsid in Upstate New York, most of us understand that it is free fantasy. Well, right or wrong, it is safe to know. I will include one more example that makes me want to smile a little when I read it. And each of the messages of the seven churches in Asia begins in the same way. Gr. aggelos — Angel or Messenger 265 I will only use the first as an example: REV 02:01, NIV. ‘To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: —’ Who is ‘the angel of the church in Ephesus?’ Is it true as Jehovah’s Witnesses and some charismatics claim that they have an angel in each church? Yes, but none of them are heavenly beings! Everybody understands, after some consideration, that John cannot sent letters to heavenly beings and then later have them read the letter in the churches! Uff da. Who is then ‘the angel’ of the church in Ephesus? Yes, without exception he who presents the message to the congregation whether he does it from the pulpit or from any other position in the church! In this case the messenger (angel) is he who reads the message that John wrote to each of the seven churches in Asia. He was of course no invisible being! And it is the same with the ‘angels’ that make up the harvesters. They are no invisible beings! There has got to be a limit! The picture Jesus is using in Matthew 13:39 is that the time from the death of Jesus and to the establishment of the Real of God on the earth, is a ‘harvesting.’ In Matthews 09:37 and in Luke 10:02 Jesus says: ‘The harvesting is extensive, but the workers are few.’ Here the harvesting is a picture of the extensive work of preaching the message, but the workers, those who walk about teaching, are few. When you are aware of this about ‘angels,’ it is not difficult to understand, but many who thrive on biblical misunderstandings will still stiff-neckedly deny that it is correct. But in order that you may feel very secure about this, if you are among those who doubt or do not wish to accept facts, you will find an overview of all the verses where the word aggelos is being used in the New Pact. It is not the greatest of all questions, but it may be good to have misunderstandings clarified — no matter what! Now, in First Corinthians 11:10, which ‘angel’ is it that demands such respect that a woman is forced to cover her head in church? What is the purpose of reading the Bible if we distort and twist what it says there? Or are you one of those who are under the crazy notion that you may interpret it as you see fit? 266 Gr. aggelos — a heavenly angel, an earthly messenger — or both? The word aggelos, Gr. = (angel), messenger The word aggelos is being used 185 times in the New Pact. Under COMMENTARY 52 in HEB — God’s Heavenly priesthood I explain correct use of this word while at the same time referring to some senseless translations. Here is an overview of all the verses in the New Pact where the Greek word aggelos is being used. MAT, 19 times: 01:20, 01:24, 02:13, 02:19, 04:16, 11:10, 13:39, 13:41, 13:49, 16:27, 18:10, 22:30, 24:31, 24:36, 25:31, 25:41, 26:53, 28:02, 28:05 MAR, 06 times: 01:02, 01:13, 08:38, 12:25, 13:27, 13:32 LUK, 26 times: 01:11, 01:13, 01:18, 01:19, 01:26, 01:28, 01:30, 01:34, 01:35, 01:38, 02:09, 02:10, 02:13, 02:15, 02:21, 04:10, 07:24, 07:27, 09:26, 09:52, 12:08, 12:09, 15:10, 16:22, 22:43, 24:23, JOH 04 times: 01:51, 05:04, 12:29, 20:12 ACT, 20 ganger: 05:19, 06:15, 07:30, 07:35, 07:38, 07:53, 08:26, 10:03, 10:07, 10:22, 11:13, 12:07, 12:08, 12:09, 12:10, 12:11, 12:23, 23:08, 23:09, 27:23 2TH, 01 time: 01:07. GAL, 03 times: 01:08, 03:19, 04:14 1CO, 04 times: 04:09, 06:03, 11:10, 13:01. 2CO, 02 times: 11:14, 12:07 ROM, 01 time: 08:38. COL, 01 time: 02:18 HEB, 12 times: 01:04, 01:05, 01:06, 01:07, 01:13, 02:02, 02:05, 02:07, 02:09, 02:16, 12:22, 13:02 JAC, (JAM), 01 time: 02:25. 1PE, 02 times: 01:12, 03:22. 2PE, 02 times: 02:04, 02:11, JUD, 01 time: 01:06 REV, 70 times: 01:01, 01:20, 02:01, 02:08, 02:12, 02:18, 03:01, 03:05, 03:07, 03:14, 05:02, 05:11, 07:01, 07:02, 08:02, 08:03, 08:04, 08:05, 08:06, 08:07, 08:08, 08:10, 08:12, 08:13, 09:01, 09:11, 09:13, 09:14, 09:15, 10:01, 10:05, 10:07, 10:08, 10:09, 10:10, 11:01, 11:15, 12:07, 12:09, 14:06, 14:08, 14:09, 14:10, 14:15, 14:17, 14:08, 14:19, 15:01, 15:06, 15:07, 15:08, 16:01, 16:03, 16:04, 16:05, 16:08, 16:10, 16:12, 16:17, 17:01, 17:07, 18:01, 19:17, 20:01, 21:09, 21:12, 21:17, 22:06, 22:08, 22:16 267 Eternal, eternity, through eternity, through all eternity, through eternities of eternities The Greek word aion = time, age The translation of the word aion, Gr. = age, creates great confusion in biblical relations. It is in most versions translated eternal. In Eglish it is also being translated forever. ever lasting, etc. In many verses aion, Gr. is also translated age or ages. But in English it is difficult to find a proper adjective to the word age. The word aion in Greek does not contain the meaning without end, endless, as we usually connect with the word eternal. Aion simply means time, of undetermined or variable length. Aion always refer to a longer period of time, an epoch, but it is not always endless the way we cinsider the meaning of the word eternal. A clear example of this is the translation of Matthews 12:32, THE PACT: ‘He who speaks words against the Son of Man, shall be forgiven, but he who speaks against the Holy Spirit, shall not be forgiven neither in this age* nor in the one to come.” *aion King James of 1611 writes: ‘— in this world or the world* to come,’ indicating a new world. That is far from correct, because the original text writes age, an epoch. *aion When we know the message of the Bible that this age under Satan shall come to an end, but without destroying the world as such, we understand that the word aion, Gr. (often translated eternal) not always mean without end (eternal, eternity). In some verses the word aion is used only once. THE PACT then writes age where aion is used in the original text. In many verses aion is being used twice after each other. THE PACT then consistently wries age and ages, and not eternal which is a construed word in biblical relations. Gr. aion = age Gr. aion aion = age and ages Gr. aionios = ageous (a longer period) It is hard to find a good adjective here. Check how aion = age, is being translated in your Bible. Where it says aion aion, age and ages, in the original text, some translators strengthen its contents by writing through eternities of eternities, but without being consistent. 268 Here follows an overview of all verses in the New Pact where the word aion, Gr. is being used: *= 02 times after each other AION, Gr. = time, age, (eternal, eternity). Used 129 times in 103 verses in New Pact. MAT 06:13, 12:32, 13:22, 13:39, 13:40, 13:49, 21:19, 24:03, 28:20 MAR 03:29, 04:19, 10:30, 11:14 LUK 01:33, 01:55, 01:70, 16:08, 18:30, 20:34, 20:35 JOH 04:14, 06:35, 06:51, 06:58, 08:35, 08:51, 08:52, 09:32, 10:28, 11:26, 12:34, 13:08, 14:16 ACT 03:21, 15:18. GAL 01:04, 01:05* 1CO 01:20, 02:06, 02:07, 02:08, 03:18, 08:13, 10:11 2CO 04:04, 09:09, 11:31 ROM 01:25, 09:05, 11:36, 12:02 EPH 01:21, 02:02, 02:07, 03:09, 03:11, 03:21,* 06:12 PHI 04:20.* KOL 01:26 HEB 01:02, 01:08,* 05:06, 06:05, 06:20, 07:17, 07:21, 07:24, 07:28, 09:26, 11:03, 13:08, 13:21* TIT 02:12 1TI 01:17, 06:17. 2TI 04:10, 04:18* 1PE 01:23, 01:25, 04:11,* 05:11.* 2PE 02:17, 03:18 1JO 02:17. 2JO 01:02, JUD 01:13, 01:25 REV 01:25,* 01:06, 01:18,* 04:09,** 04:10,* 05:13,* (05:14, bare KJ*), 07:12,* 10:06,* 11:15,* 14:11,* 15:07,* 19:03,* 20:10,* 22:05* *= 2 times after each other in the same verse, ** = 4 times 269 The Man Jesus Christ In the New Pact the word man is being used as many as 560 times in 503 verses; in Matthew 117 times in 105 verses. Jesus calls himself the Son of Man as many as 33 times in 32 verses in Matthew alone. When he in MAT 04:04 says that ‘man does not live by bread alone,’ he refers to himself, but the statement is also in general of all people. In addition also Peter refer to Jesus as a man in MAT 26:72 and 26:74. ‘I do not know this Man.’ In MAT 09:08 Jesus is spoken of as a man by those who witnessed his powerful acts. Gr. anthropos = man, human being Gr. huios = son, foal (actually male offspring and is used both about animals and humans, but never gender neutral) Gr. teknon = child (is being used as gender neutral about the offsprings of man) Jesus is spoken of as a man, or calls himself the Son of Man in the following verses in the message after Matthew alone: 04:04, 08:20, 09:06, 10:23, 11:19, 12:08, 12:32, 12:40, 13:37, 13:41, 16:13, 16.27, 16:28, 17:09, 17:12, 17:22, 18.11, 19:28, 20:18, 20:28, 24:27, 24:30, 24:37, 24:39, 24:44, 25:13, 25:31, 26:02, 26:24,* 26:25 and in 26:64. *twice Jesus is never spoken of as God the Almighty in the Bible! God presents him as the first of his work of creation (COL 01:15, REV 03:14) and the foremost among his servants, among many other places in ACT 03:13, 03: 26, 04:27 and 04:30. Jesus is also presented as God’s foremost servant in MAT 12:15-21 which refers to Isaiah 42:01-04. Can the created be the Creator, and can a Lord be the same as his servant? In First Timothy 02:05 it says: ‘For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, and that is the Man* Jesus Christ.’ *Gr. anthropos = man, human being 270 Christ — the Hourglass of the World Millions of years ago God generated Michael, later the Messiah, as the first of his work of creation. (COL 01:15, REV 03:14) After this Michael, through God’s authority, created everything that was later created. And therefore the Messiah is called ‘the first and the last’ because God has only generated him. Everything else came into being through Christ — through the power of God. (JOH 01:03) Finally God created adama, the man of earth, Adam. ‘Let us create a man in our picture —’ (GEN 03:21) And God’s plan was that Adam was symbolically to eat from the tree of life — be obedient to God — and live on the earth in ages — without sin. But Adam fell and God’s original plan was destroyed! Therefore God decided that what Adam had destroyed Michael, the Messiah, the Christ, or Jehowshuwah, or Joshua, would reestablish. (GEN 03:15, ACT 03:21) And all of the First Pact is about the bringing forth of the Semen which God called him in Genesis 03:15. No matter what would happen, the Semen, which is Christ, was to be brought forth. Just imagine the hourglass! The time until the birth of Christ is nearing and Jesus is finally born. The first half of the hourglass has run out! After this we even get a new calendar. And through Jesus’ death and resurrection both the law and the prophecies were fulfilled! Yes, Jesus said it best himself when he breathed his last: ‘It has been fulfilled.’ But that cannot possibly be correct! Just imagine Revelation and the prophecies that John writes about there! Not a single prophecy of Revelation had been fulfilled by Jesus’ resurrection! And the same with Paul! Correct! But all the prophecies that were not fulfilled by Jesus’ resurrection, will yet be fulfilled through Christ, but now as the ruler of the heavens and the earth. In addition: It was Jesus himself who chose John when he elected him as one of his apostles. And it was also Jesus who chose Paul, directly, when on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians there. Turn the hourglass! When the hourglass has run out this time we have entered God’s ages — we are back to were Adam was before he sinned. And all of the law and the prophecies have been fulfilled through Christ! And John the Baptist, ‘the greatest born by a woman,’ who died under the First Pact, has been resurrected to a life in ages on the earth! Only then may we learn why God did not rescue him from Herod. He will without doubt be resurrected to one of the greatest assignments on the earth! (HEB 11:35) 271 Father in the Heavens MAT 06:09-13 pater ho ouranos pat-ayr ho oo-ran-os’ Father in the heavens father you on high hagiazo onoma hag-ee-ad’-zo on’om-ah let your name be holy. hallow name basilaia erchomai bas-il-i-ah er’-khom-ahee Let your Realm come, realm come thelema ginomai thel’-ay-mah ghin’-om-ahee and let your will be done will happen ge ouranous ghay oo-ran-os on earth and in the heavens. earth on High didomi semeron did’-o-mee say-mer-on Give us today give today semerom epiosios artos say’-mer-on ep-ee-oo’-sees ar’-tos the bread we need for this day, today needing bread aphiemi opheilema af-ee’ay-mee of-i-lei’ma and forgive us our debts forgive debt aphiemi opheiletes af-ee’ay-mee of-i-let’ace the way we forgive our debtors. forgive debtors eisphero eis peirasmos ice-fer’-o eis pi-ras-mos’ Let us not be led into temptations, lead temptation rhuomai poneros hroo’-om-ahee pon-ay-ros’ but free us from the evil One. free evil [sou basileia [soo bas-il-i’-ah [For the Realm is yours , [your realm dunamis doxa doo’-nam-is dox’-ah the power and the glory power glory aion amen] ahee-ohn’ am-ane’] in ages. Amen.] (i) time amen]
