Do we go to heaven when we die? What does the Bible say?
Do those who accept Jesus and give themselves to the Lord actually
go to heaven immediately when they die? The biblical truth may
surprise you.
What awaits us after death? Many Christian denominations teach a “heaven or hell” afterlife. What does the Bible really teach about this subject?
Nestled in a passage that discusses the role Jesus Christ played in
willingly offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, this statement
is made: “And as it is appointed for men to die once …” (Hebrews 9:27).
Since death awaits us all, what happens after death is certainly worth considering!
Death is like sleep
In several locations the Bible likens death to sleep. Notice the apostle Paul’s comforting instruction to the believers in Thessalonica:
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who
have fallen asleep [those who had died], lest you sorrow as others who
have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians
4:13-14).
Before continuing with this passage, we need to address two matters:
How is death similar to sleep? And second, if God is bringing these
people “with Him,” from where is He bringing them?
Death is similar to sleep in that no conscious thought occurs when
one has died. Two statements in the book of Ecclesiastes tell us of this
reality:
“For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5).
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there
is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are
going” (verse 10).
Psalm 146:4 adds: “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth;
in that very day his thoughts perish” (King James Version). Once death
occurs, human consciousness ends. Nothing’s going on in the mind.
After his children had died suddenly, his possessions were taken
away, and he was afflicted with “painful boils from the sole of his foot
to the crown of his head” (Job 1:7), Job accurately summed up the
nature of death while longing for it: “Why did I not die at birth? Why
did I not perish when I came from the womb? … For now I would have lain
still and been quiet, I would have been asleep” (Job 3:11-13).
Returning with Jesus?
We have established that death is like a sleep in that a person is
not actively engaged in any activity—no conscious thoughts, no labor, no
anything. Now, let’s return to our second question regarding 1
Thessalonians 4:14: From where does God bring these people who “sleep
in Jesus” (i.e., people who are dead)? Some would say He brings them
from heaven. Is this what the Bible teaches?
Jesus Christ said in John 3:13: “No one has ascended to heaven but He
who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”
That seems clear! Why is it so hard for so many to believe?
People who have died are not awake in heaven! They are “sleeping” or
resting in their graves. The remaining verses of 1 Thessalonians 4
confirm this. Notice:
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede
those who are asleep [are dead]. For the Lord Himself will descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the
trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians
4:15-16). When Jesus Christ returns,
the dead will “rise.” For one to “rise,” one would have to come up from
somewhere. If one had died and gone to heaven already, then the
individual wouldn’t be rising from the grave when Christ returns. He or
she would be descending from heaven, yet this is not what Paul taught
the Thessalonians.
This teaching of our being raised from the grave at Jesus Christ’s
return is reiterated in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: “Behold, I tell you a
mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet
will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed.”
Jesus Christ Himself also taught the principle of being raised up in
John 6:39-40: “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all
He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the
last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who
sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will
raise him up at the last day.”
It is appointed for all of us to die, but when Jesus Christ returns
to the earth at the last day, the followers of Jesus Christ who have
died will be raised from their graves and given eternal life.
While it may be comforting to those struggling to cope with the death
of loved ones to think of them as looking down from heaven, this belief
is unbiblical and false. Instead, God’s Word comforts us with the fact
that there is no suffering in the grave. And since there is no thought
for those in the grave (Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10),
there can be no awareness on their part of the passage of time. When
they are resurrected, it will be as though they have awakened from
sleep.
We can take great comfort in knowing that when they awaken, they will
rise in a much different world, a world that Jesus Christ and the
resurrected saints will be ruling (read more about this by searching our
section on the Kingdom of God).
Why isn’t this taught?
Why do many churches not understand this basic teaching? In part,
they try to explain away these clear verses by bringing up other
passages that seem to contradict scriptural teaching on the subject.
One is the story of Lazarus and the rich man—a story often misinterpreted. To read more on this subject, see our article on “Lazarus and the Rich Man.”
Secondly, they refer to Jesus Christ’s statements to the “thief on
the cross” who was crucified alongside Him: “And Jesus said to him,
‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise’” (Luke
23:43). From this statement, people say, “See, Christ tells the man that
he will be with Christ in Paradise that day!”
There are two reasons why we should not draw this conclusion when reading this passage:
Jesus Christ very clearly stated He would be in the grave three
days and three nights upon His death (Matthew 12:39-40). The grave is
not paradise.
In the original manuscripts of the New Testament,
punctuation was not used. Punctuation has been added by translators to
try to provide clarity. The passage could also be translated,
“Assuredly, I say to you today [comma], you shall be with Me in
Paradise.”
To put it in the vernacular, Christ could have been saying, “I’m
telling you today that one day you’re going to be with Me in Paradise.”
Translated this way, with the comma after the word “today” instead of
before it, the passage fits with the other teachings of the resurrection
found in Scripture.
The Bible speaks of other resurrections that lead us to discussions
surrounding the subjects of heaven, hell and the Kingdom of God, which
are beyond the scope of this brief article. We invite you to learn more
about these subjects in the related articles in this section.
Seeking God’s truth
Are you really seeking to understand the truths contained in God’s
Word? As you learn more about these and other truths in the Bible, what
will you do about it? It really does matter what you believe, and it
really does matter how you live based on what you believe.
Christ made this statement to His disciples: “But the hour is coming,
and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit
and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit,
and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John
4:23-24).
For Christ to say there would be true worshippers, it is implicit
that He was saying there would also be false worshippers. Sadly, there
are many well-intentioned but false worshippers in the world today—those
who are not worshipping God in truth.
Accept the challenge of seeking God’s truth! Pray for God to guide you in your pursuit of His truth. And as you learn it, be sure to live it. That’s the surest way to life, hope and truth!
Learn more about this vital subject in our free booklet The Last Enemy: What Really Happens After Death?
This life is all too fleeting, and we naturally want there to be
something more. But how can we really know what happens beyond the great
gulf of death? Chances are you’ve never found a convincing answer. Is
death just a terrifying reality to be feared, or are there hopeful,
satisfying answers?
Download our free e-book “The Last Enemy” today and learn what the Bible teaches about:
Do we have an immortal soul?
What are the meanings of the four words translated as hell in the Bible?
Do good people go to heaven to sit on clouds and play harps all day?
Why does the Bible say all who are in the graves will be resurrected?
What will happen to those who die without ever knowing God’s truth?
How should we deal with the grief of losing a loved one?
Share with your friends!
This life is all too fleeting, and we naturally want there to be
something more. But how can we really know what happens beyond the great
gulf of death? Chances are you’ve never found a convincing answer. Is
death just a terrifying reality to be feared, or are there hopeful,
satisfying answers?
Download our free e-book “The Last Enemy” today and learn what the Bible teaches about:
Do we have an immortal soul?
What are the meanings of the four words translated as hell in the Bible?
Do good people go to heaven to sit on clouds and play harps all day?
Why does the Bible say all who are in the graves will be resurrected?
What will happen to those who die without ever knowing God’s truth?
How should we deal with the grief of losing a loved one?
“Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,
which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12
“
ISAIAH 41:10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for ... www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Isaiah-41-10/
'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I
am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I
will uphold you with My ...
BIBLE VERSES ABOUT AFRAID www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Afraid-/
Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed: for the ... Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me.http://christianliving2.blogspot.com
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen
thee;...
kingjamesbibleonline.org
a Meaningfull Life is not being rich,being popular, being highly educated or being perfect . 5t Is about being real, being humble , being strong and being able to share ourselves and touch the lives of others. It Is only then that we could have a full, happy and contented life.
This concept is good except on thang. We have not confessed our sins to Jesus Christ . We need Jesus in order to comform this. with out him we can not.Jesus can make you do all the thank above. If you only trust him.! Come too Jesus today. http://christianliving2blogspot.com
We are living in a time where lawlessness is increasing, YHVH’s law is being replaced with man’s law more and more. We have recently seen a re-writing of the ten commandments; it is called “the ten for churches.” YHVHs Ten Commandments were
re-written “to put them in the context of modern-day living.There are already 600 churches in Britain that have adopted these. They have, for example, replaced the commandment not to commit adultery with “affair-proof your relationships”! What an abomination. It is a watered-down, anything-goes replacement of the original command. YHVH’s word is timeless and should not be changed (Deut 4:2). It is easy enough to understand: “do not commit adultery” still means “do not commit adultery.” We are not going to expand on this further; but for those interested, we have posted a link to the article.
How can I recognize a false teacher / false prophet? www.gotquestions.org/false-teachers.html Answer: Jesus warned us that “false Christs and false prophets” will come and will ... The best way to guard yourself against falsehood and false teachers is to ... Answer: Jesus warned us that “false Christs and false prophets” will come and will attempt to deceive even God’s elect (Matthew 24:23-27; see also 2 Peter 3:3 and Jude 17-18). The best way to guard yourself against falsehood and false teachers is to know the truth. To spot a counterfeit, study the real thing. Any believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and who makes a careful study of the Bible can identify false doctrine. For example, a believer who has read the activities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:16-17 will immediately question any doctrine that denies the Trinity. Therefore, step one is to study the Bible and judge all teaching by what the Scripture says.
Jesus said “a tree is recognized by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). When looking for “fruit,” here are three specific tests to apply to any teacher to determine the accuracy of his or her teaching:
16 signs of a true prophet - presents of God ministry www.remnantofgod.org/Trueprophets.htm Age makes NO difference in being a prophet. 16. Matthew 24:24-25, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before."
1. Deuteronomy 18:21-22, "And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him."
The true Prophet of the Lord predicts that which does come to pass. If the Prophet's predictions fail, they are exposed as NOT of God.
2 Numbers 12:6, "And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream."
The true Prophet of the Lord will receive visions or dreams from the Lord
3. Numbers 24:4 "He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:"
Numbers 24:16, "He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:"
When in "vision" their eyes will be open
4. Daniel 10:17, "For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me."
When in "vision" a true Prophet will NOT breath. "Inspiration" = God Breathed, Therefore, since the Almighty is breathing through the Prophet communicating His Truth, the Prophet has no need to breath
5. Daniel 10:17, "For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me."
The true Prophet will collapse with absolutely no strength in him/her
6. Daniel 10:18, "Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,"
Once "touched in the "vision" the Prophet receives supernatural strength.
7. Jeremiah 28:9, "The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him."
A true Prophet will be 100% accurate. there is absolutely no margin for error.
8. 2 Peter 1:20, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."
A true Prophet NEVER gives his private interpretation. He only shares what the Lord reveals. Scripture defines Scripture, not man.
9. 2 Peter 1:21, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
A true Prophet only prophecies in the name of the Lord. He only seeks to glorify the Lord. He will never seek glory to himself. NEVER!
10. 1 Corinthians 14:3-4, "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church."
A true Prophet will look to edify, comfort, and uplift the Church body by his testimony as well as exhort them.
11. Isaiah 8:20, "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
A true Prophet keeps God's Law, and abides by the testimony of the Bible Prophets as well. If a Prophet does not agree with the Bible Prophet's or does not keep God's Ten Commandments, he is a false Prophet.
12. 1 John 4:1-3, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
A true Prophet believes and preaches the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He will preach Jesus as God who came to Earth and put on humanity in order to redeem us all.
13. Matthew 7:15-20, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
A true Prophet will show good works, and have identifiable fruits of a Christian. He/she will have abundant BIBLICAL fruits!
14. Exodus 15:20, "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances."
Judges 4:4, "And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time."
2 Chronicles 34:22, "And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect."
Luke 2:36, "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;"
Acts 21:8-9, "And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy."
Gender makes no difference. Women can, and have been prophet's as well.
15. Acts 2:17-18, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:"
Age makes NO difference in being a prophet.
16. Matthew 24:24-25, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before."
Performing miracles proves nothing. Learn more at..http://www.remnantofgod.org/Trueprophets.htm
True or false prophet? 4 ways to tell for sure - Stand Up For ... standupforthetruth.com/.../true-or-false-prophet-4-simple-ways-to-tell-fo... Dec 13, 2011 - The Bible says in Matthew 24:24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Jesus Himself makes it so clear in His warnings of this. That's why we need to weigh everything that is said
True or false prophet? 4 ways to tell for sure
false prophet 4 ways to tell for sureTrue prophets point to Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, many false ones use Him to claim He points the world to them and their blogs, websites, or whatever ministry they happen to have.
The Bible says in Matthew 24:24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” Jesus Himself makes it so clear in His warnings of this. That’s why we need to weigh everything that is said. Here are a few more verses all throughout the Old and New Testament that warn about false prophets.
So how are we to make sure we are not deceived by false prophets? Thankfully, God is not a God of confusion. There are four simple ways to tell true from false:
If the prophet or prophetess
1. …has prophesies that aren’t 100 percent accurate 100 percent of the time (or are manipulated to come “true”) = False.
2. …points to any “Jesus” other than the biblical one = False.
3. …uses supernatural or occultist techniques used in his or her prophecy = False.
4. …has a rebellious, unrepentant spirit = False.
All FOUR of these tests should be applied, as many false prophets can pass two or three of them. If he or she fails at any one of these, = FALSE.
What if somebody prophesies something and it comes true? Should you listen to them? Check out what Deuteronomy says in Chapter 13 verse 1:
If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.
So the Bible is saying that just because someone prophesies the future—it doesn’t mean they are a true prophet. Further, it says God will allow certain prophets to arise who are false who will perform signs and wonders, to test you to find out if you love Him. Then you are to test these prophets by their DOCTRINE! If they are preaching a different Christ or it doesn’t matter—you are not to listen to them.
Thoughts? I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments section. Related articles
Judging, exposing error, naming names: Is it right? (standupforthetruth.com) A missive against false teachers (standupforthetruth.com) Getting the call (standupforthetruth.com) NAR is another name for Dominionism (standupforthetruth.com) What about IHOP? (standupforthetruth.com) Unity Around What? (standupforthetruth.com) Fasten Your Seatbelts! (standupforthetruth.com) Are You a Berean – Or a Fool? (standupforthetruth.com)
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In
chapter one we made frequent references to the holy prophets. This
raised a very important question; “What do we mean when we speak of
prophets, and who are prophets?” We must find what the Bible says about
this subject.
The first person in the Bible to be called a prophet
was Abraham, the “Father of the Faithful.” It is important to notice
also, that it was God who gave him this title. The story is found in Genesis 20:6-7.
A heathen prince had taken Abraham’s wife, and God commanded him to
restore her, saying of Abraham, “he is a prophet. . . .” (the Hebrew
word is “nabi” as it is also in Arabic). Without doubt there were other
men before
Abraham who were prophets. Enoch was one, for instance
(compare Genesis 5:24 with Jude 14).
But Abraham was the first person to be designated a prophet by the
clear Word of God. Many God-appointed prophets arose after Abraham. They
were chosen from many walks of life. Moses was adopted in infancy by an
Egyptian princess and thus received a prince’s education. (Read in your
Bible, for example, Exodus 2:5-10; Acts 7:21-22.)
Ezekiel and Jeremiah were priests as well as prophets. David was first a
shepherd, then warrior, king and poet and a prophet as well. Amos was a
herdsman (Amos 1:1). Elisha was a plowman (1 Kings 19:15-21). Daniel was a government administrator (Daniel 2:48).
From such diverse backgrounds, God chose His prophets. Their influence
and authority did not come from their rank, education, wisdom or wealth,
but entirely from the fact that God chose them to be His messengers. So
we may define a prophet as one appointed by God Himself to be His
messenger. Now we must examine the Bible to expand this brief
definition. Notice first that God chose His messengers. The following
Scriptures demonstrate this:
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go out from your
country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I
will show you. Then I will make you into a great nation, and I
will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will
exemplify divine blessing. I will bless those who bless you, but
the one who treats you lightly I must curse, and all the families of the
earth will bless one another by your name.” So Abram left, just as the
Lord had told him to do, and Lot went with him. (Now Abram was
seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.)(Genesis 12:1-4).
Now Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro his
father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far
side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. The Angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. He
looked—and the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed!
So Moses thought, “I will turn aside to see this amazing sight. Why
does the bush not burn up?” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside
to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses,
Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” God said, “Do not come near here.
Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing
is holy ground.” He also said, “I am the God of your father, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his
face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, “I have
surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard
their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. I have
come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring
them up from that land to a land that is both good and large, to a land
flowing with milk and honey, to the region of the Canaanites, Hittites,
Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. And now, indeed, the cry
of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the
Egyptians oppress them. So now, go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to
bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” Moses said to God, “Who
am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites
out of Egypt?” He replied, “Surely I will be with you, and this will be
the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of
Egypt, you and they will serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:1-12).
Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as
he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for
your servant is listening!” The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about
to do something in Israel; when anyone hears about it, both of his ears
will tingle.” (1 Samuel 3:10-11).
The Lord said to me, “Before I formed you in your
mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I
appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.” I answered, “Oh, Lord
God, I really do not know how to speak well enough for that, for I am
too young. The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go to
whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you. Do not be afraid of
those to whom I send you, for I will be with you to rescue you,” says
the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and
said to me, “I will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak
for me. Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to
announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn
down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.” (Jeremiah 1:5-10).
God in His wisdom chose men who would obey Him
faithfully and He gave them authority to speak on His behalf. Prophets
were not chosen or elected by men, and they were not permitted to
inherit the title or regard it as an official post to be filled by a man
specially trained for it.
Notice also that God told them what to do. We may find example of the work of a true prophet in a number of references as follows. Their work was:
1. To reveal the nature and attributes of God to men.
The following Scriptures show this:
The Lord spoke face to face with you at the
mountain, from the middle of the fire. (I was standing between the Lord
and you then to reveal to you the message of the Lord, because you were
afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said: “I am the
Lord your God, he who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the
place of slavery. You must not have any other gods besides me. You must
not make for yourself an image of anything in heaven above, on earth
below, or in the waters beneath. You must not worship or serve them, for
I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish the sons, grandsons,
and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me, but I show
covenant faithfulness to the thousands who choose me and keep my
commandments.” (Deuteronomy 5:4-10).
The Lord spoke to Moses: “Speak to the whole
congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be holy because
I, the Lord your God, am holy. Each of you must respect his mother and
his father, and you must keep my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God. Do
not turn to idols, and you must not make for yourselves gods of cast
metal. I am the Lord your God.’” (Leviticus 19:1-4).
And God spoke all these words: “I, the Lord, am
your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the house of
bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for
yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven
above, or that is on earth under it, or that is in the water below. You
shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a
jealous God, who visits the iniquity of fathers on children, even to
the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but who extends
faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my
commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,
for the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes his name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it. For six days you may labor and
do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your
God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your
daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle,
or your resident foreigner who is in your gates. For in six days the
Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them,
and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and sanctified it. Honor your father and your mother, that
your days may be long in the land the Lord your God is giving to you.
You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not
steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You
shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your
neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his
ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
3. To call the people back to obedience to God’s laws.
Read 2 Chronicles 24:19— The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him. They warned the people, but they would not pay attention.
The Lord said to Jeremiah: “Stand in the gate of
the Lord’s temple and proclaim this message: ‘Listen, all you people of
Judah who have passed through these gates to worship the Lord. Hear what
the Lord has to say. The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says:
Change the way you have been living and do what is right. If you do, I
will let you continue to live in this land. Stop putting your confidence
in the delusive belief that says, “We are safe! The temple of the Lord
is here! The temple of the Lord is here! The temple of the Lord is
here!” You must change the way you have been living and do what is
right. You must treat one another fairly. Stop oppressing foreigners who
live in your land, children who have lost their fathers, and women who
have lost their husbands. Stop killing innocent people in this land.
Stop paying allegiance to other gods. That will only bring about your
ruin. If you do all this, I will let you continue to live here in this
land which I gave to your ancestors as a lasting possession. “‘But just
look at you! You are putting your confidence in a false way of thinking
that will not help you at all. You steal. You murder. You commit
adultery. You lie when you swear on oath. You sacrifice to the god Baal.
You pay allegiance to other gods that you do not really know. Then you
come and stand here in my presence in this house I have claimed as my
own and say, “We are safe!” You think you are so safe that you go on
doing all those hateful sins! Do you think this house I have claimed as
my own is to be a hideout for robbers? You had better take note! I have
seen for myself what you have done! says the Lord.’”
5. To warn them of Divine judgment upon sin, both personal and national.
So the Lord says concerning King Jehoiakim of
Judah, “None of his line will occupy the throne of David. And his dead
body will be thrown out to be exposed to scorching heat by day and frost
by night. I will punish him and his descendants and the officials who
serve him for the wicked things they have done. I will bring on them and
the citizens of Jerusalem and the people of Judah all the disaster that
I threatened to do to them. I will punish them because I threatened
them but they still paid no heed.”
6. To foretell future events which God had willed.
The Lord spoke to Jeremiah. He said, “The Lord
God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘Write everything that I am about
to tell you in a scroll. For I, the Lord affirm that the time will come
when I will reverse the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah,’ says
the Lord. ‘I will bring them back to the land I gave their ancestors and
they will take possession of it once again.’”
7. To foretell the coming of the Messiah, the Savior.
For a child has been born to us, a son has been
given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Extraordinary
Strategist, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
8. To record the history of God’s dealings with men.
Then Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the
Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and to all
Israel’s elders. He commanded them: “At the end of seven years, at the
appointed time of the cancellation of debts, at the Feast of Temporary
Shelters, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in
the place he chooses, you must read this law before them within their
hearing. Gather the people—men, women, and children, as well as the
resident foreigners in your villages—so they may hear and thus learn
about and fear the Lord your God and carefully obey all the words of
this law. Then their children, who have not known this law, will also
hear about and learn to fear the Lord your God for as long as you live
in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
9. To record the Word of God in the Holy Scriptures.
The following are examples of this:
And the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a
memorial in the book, and rehearse it in Joshua’s hearing; for I will
surely wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under the heavens.” (Exodus 17:14).
And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words,
for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and
with Israel.” (Exodus 34:27).
So on that day Moses wrote down this song and
taught it to the Israelites, and the Lord commissioned Joshua son of
Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will take the Israelites to the
land I have promised them, and I will be with you.” When Moses finished
writing on a scroll the words of this law in their entirety, he
commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant, “Take
this scroll of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of
the Lord your God. It will remain there as a witness against you” (Deuteronomy 31:22-26).
The Lord spoke to Jeremiah in the fourth year
that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah. He said, “Get a
scroll. Write on it everything I have told you to say about Israel,
Judah, and all the other nations since I began to speak to you in the
reign of Josiah until now. (Jeremiah 36:1-2).
The Lord spoke to Jeremiah after Jehoiakim had
burned the scroll containing what Jeremiah had spoken and Baruch had
written down. He said, “Get another scroll and write on it everything
that was written on the original scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah
burned.” (Jeremiah 36:27-28).
This list is by no means complete but it shows the
importance of the work of a prophet. Even the humblest and most ordinary
men became important, influential and authoritative in Israel when
called to be prophets. Some prophets were called to challenge the whole
nation (1 Kings 18:21), or to rebuke evil kings (1 Kings 21:17-24; Daniel 5:17-28) and many were given power to perform miracles to support their authority. An example of this is in Exodus l7:5-6 And
the Lord said to Moses, “Go over before the people; take with you some
of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your rod with which you
struck the Nile and go. I will be standing before you there on the rock
in Horeb, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it so
that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in plain view of the
elders of Israel. In the nation of Israel, prophets were more important than kings, warriors or priests.
Because the prophets were so influential, it is not
surprising that early in history, false prophets appeared, pretending to
be God’s messengers in order to support their own ambitions for power,
authority and personal advancement. Because of this, God gave clear
instructions to the people to examine the credentials of all who claimed
to be prophets. These Divine instructions are found in Deuteronomy 18:9-22. This paragraph is so important that the student should read it before going any further with this lesson. Here it is:
When you enter the land the Lord your God is
giving you, you must not learn the abhorrent practices of those nations.
There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or
daughter in the fire, anyone who practices divination, an omen reader, a
soothsayer, a sorcerer, one who casts spells, one who conjures up
spirits, a practitioner of the occult, or a necromancer. Whoever does
these things is abhorrent to the Lord and because of these things the
Lord your God is about to drive them out from before you. You must be
blameless before the Lord your God. Those nations that you are about to
dispossess listen to omen readers and diviners, but the Lord your God
has not given you permission to do such things. The Lord your God will
raise up for you a prophet like me from among you—from your fellow
Israelites; you must listen to him. This accords with what happened at
Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the Lord your God: “Please
do not make us hear the voice of the Lord our God any more or see this
great fire any more lest we die.” The Lord then said to me, “What they
have said is good. I will raise up a prophet like you for them from
among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he
will speak to them whatever I command. I will personally hold
responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet
speaks in my name. “But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my
name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name of
other gods, that prophet must die. Now if you say to yourselves, ‘How
can we tell that a message is not from the Lord?’— whenever a prophet
speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not
spoken it; the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear
him.”
Notice that God warned the people that all pagan
practices and customs were strictly forbidden. In particular, God warned
them not to seek help or guidance through occult practices like
divination, witchcraft or necromancy (the belief that spirits of dead
people can be used to obtain help). We are expressly told, Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord.
As these practices were strictly forbidden, how were the people of
Israel to obtain help and guidance? God gave them a clear answer; Iwill raise up for you a prophet like me from among you.
. . . God would not permit pagan methods of seeking help, but He would
appoint His own prophets through whom He would speak and guide those who
desired to know the truth. From this important Scripture we find
certain definite rules by which the people could know a true prophet
sent by God.
A TRUE PROPHET SPEAKS IN THE NAME OF JEHOVAH
We have already explained that this name of God,
used so frequently in the Bible, was spelled by the Hebrew consonants
Y.H.W.H. and was probably pronounced Yahweh, but is found in our English
Bibles either as Jehovah or more often as Lord. In the passage just
quoted we find 10 occurrences of this Divine title. God, speaking
through Moses, made it clear that only those prophets who spoke in the
name of Jehovah were to be accepted.
A TRUE PROPHET WILL BE CHOSEN BY GOD FROM ONE OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL
Verse 18 says he shall be from among their fellow Israelites. Moses was speaking to Israelites and it is clear that he said that God would raise up a prophet from among you (verse 15). This same expression (fellow Israelites) is found in Deuteronomy 3:18 and Deuteronomy 17:15
where God said that the future kings of Israel must be chosen from
among their brethren—they were not to set a foreigner over them as their
king. Thus it is clear the prophet must be an Israelite.
A TRUE PROPHET WILL SPEAK THE WORDS WHICH JEHOVAH PUTS INTO HIS MOUTH (VERSE 18)
God’s message is often rejected by sinful men
because God demands obedience to His Word, but a true prophet will not
try to make his message popular. A false prophet however appeals to
popular enthusiasm. Notice the example in Isaiah 30:8-11 where the people ask the false prophets to prophesy nice things—Now
go, write it down on a tablet in their presence, inscribe it on a
scroll, so that it might be saved for a future time as an enduring
witness. For these are rebellious people—they are lying children,
children unwilling to obey the Lord’s law. They say to the visionaries,
“See no more visions!” and to the seers, “Don’t relate messages to us
about what is right! Tell us nice things, relate deceptive messages.
Turn aside from the way, stray off the path. Remove from our presence
the sovereign king of Israel.” Jeremiah shows us that a true prophet does not invent his message—he is inspired by God— Then
the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I
will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak for me.” (Jeremiah 1:9).
A TRUE PROPHET WILL BE VINDICATED BY THE FULFILLMENT OF HIS MESSAGE (VERSE 18)
Again Jeremiah gives a clear illustration of this. Read Jeremiah 14:14-16:
Then the Lord said to me, “Those prophets are
prophesying lies while claiming my authority. I did not send them. I did
not commission them. And I did not speak to them. They are just
prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, and
the delusions of their own mind. I did not send those prophets, though
they claim to be prophesying in my authority. They may be saying, ‘No
war or famine will happen in this land.’ But I, the Lord, say this about
them: ‘War and starvation will kill those prophets.’ And the people to
whom they are prophesying will die through war and famine. Their bodies
will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem and they won’t even be
buried. That will happen to the men and their wives, their sons, and
their daughters. For I will pour out on them the destruction they
deserve.”
God had told Jeremiah to announce that Jerusalem
would be captured by the Babylonian army, as a punishment for the sins
of the people. False prophets opposed Jeremiah and denied his words,
suggesting that he was a traitor. But God said that the false prophets
themselves would die by the sword of the Babylonians. This was literally
fulfilled, and thus the words of Jeremiah were proved to be God’s
message, while the popular message of the false prophets was shown to be
lies, even though they had dared to use the name of Jehovah. A similar
incident is seen in 1 Kings 22:5-28
where Micaiah was sent to prison for speaking God’s word, but the king
who foolishly believed the words of the false prophets was killed in
battle.
A FALSE PROPHET MUST BE PUT TO DEATH FOR TEACHING REBELLION AGAINST JEHOVAH, THE GOD OF THE ISRAELITES
This commandment is found in the following Scriptures:
Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams
should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, and the sign or
wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, “Let
us follow other gods”—gods whom you have not previously known—“and let
us serve them.” You must not listen to the words of that prophet or
dreamer, for the Lord your God will be testing you to see if you love
him with all your mind and being. You must follow the Lord your God and
revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve
him, and remain loyal to him. As for that prophet or dreamer, he must be
executed because he encouraged rebellion against the Lord your God who
brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from the place of
slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the Lord
your God has commanded you to go. In this way you must purge out evil
from within (Deuteronomy 13:1-5)
But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in
my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name
of other gods, that prophet must die (Deuteronomy 18:20)
The severity of this penalty emphasizes how
dangerous false prophets are. No matter how important a person might be,
or however closely he might be related to the king or anyone who might
help decide his fate, he was to be treated as a traitor if he dared to
speak a message that turned people away from the worship of Jehovah.
In all these verses notice the constant emphasis on the words, the Lord (Jehovah) your God.
Pagan nations had degraded the meaning of the word God (Elohim) to
include their idols, and so God the Creator stated that henceforth He
would be known by His personal name, Jehovah. Not only was this a
distinguishing feature of the worship of the One True God, but we find
that the oft-repeated expression the name of the Lord was a Hebrew idiom which means “in the authority of the Lord” and “in the character of the Lord.”
Thus a prophet who spoke in the name of Jehovah was speaking by the
authority of Jehovah and in the character of Jehovah. Jehovah is holy,
therefore the message must be holy in character and the messenger must
likewise display the holiness of life which would be evidence of his
truthfulness.
All prophets were to be tested thus concerning the
origin of their words, and the meaning and the purpose of their
teaching. That teaching must come from Jehovah; it must be true to the
earlier revelation of the character of Jehovah, and it must be designed
to encourage men to be faithful to Jehovah. Put these points together
and you will find God’s method for testing the credentials of a true
prophet:
1. He must be a true Israelite.
2. He must speak in the name of the Lord (Jehovah).
3. He must call men to living obedience to Jehovah and worship of Jehovah.
4. He must be tested and vindicated by the
fulfillment of predictions made by him in the name of Jehovah, by the
authority of Jehovah and in keeping with the character of Jehovah.
This explains why the prophets of the Old Testament
and the apostles in the New Testament were members of the Hebrew
(Israelite) people. Apart from these Biblical prophets and apostles, no
man has ever been known to fulfill the Divine requirements laid down in
the above verses. Many men have claimed to be leaders, teachers and
prophets, but when we examine their credentials, we find that they were
not members of the Hebrew race, nor did they speak in the name of
Jehovah.
Thus the Bible alone contains the authentic
teachings of God’s chosen messengers, prophets and apostles, and
although the message of the Bible is not a popular one that appeals to
the hearts of proud men, it is the Word of God and shows the way to
eternal life.
There is one final comment which is of vital
importance to this study. We have noted that God revealed the criteria
for the recognition of a true prophet. But the verses in Deuteronomy 18
go further than that. They contain a definite prediction of the coming
of a specific prophet. The Jews always understood this verse to be a
clear promise concerning the coming Messiah. This is clear from the
following verses. Read for example John 1:19-23 and note that when John the Baptist began to preach, he was asked, “Are youthe Prophet?” Now
this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and
Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed—he did
not deny but confessed—“I am not the Christ!” So they asked him, “Then
who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!” “Are you the
Prophet?” He answered, “No!” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell
us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say
about yourself?” John said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the
wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet
said.” Also in John 6:14 we see how the people, impressed by the power of Jesus, said, Now
when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus performed, they
began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet who is to
come into the world.” In John 7:40 again the people said, When they heard these words, some of the crowd began to say, “This really is the Prophet!”
It is clear that the Jewish people expected a precise and personal
fulfillment of this prophecy and when John the Baptist appeared they
thought he was The Prophet, but John humbly disclaimed that honor, and directed their attention to Jesus—(Now
they had been sent from the Pharisees.) So they asked John, “Why then
are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the
Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands
one whom you do not recognize, who is coming after me. I am not worthy
to untie the strap of his sandal!” These things happened in Bethany
across the Jordan River where John was baptizing. On the next day
John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world! This is the one about whom I said,
‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, because he existed
before me.’” (John 1:24-30).
The people then recognized Jesus as the Prophet. The people were right
in thus recognizing Jesus as The Prophet. The Apostle Peter clearly
taught that the great prediction was completely fulfilled in Jesus
Christ. We read Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may
be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of
the Lord, and so that he may send the Messiah appointed for you—that is,
Jesus. This one heaven must receive until the time all things are
restored, which God declared from times long ago through his holy
prophets. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from among your brothers. You must obey him in everything he
tells you. Every person who does not obey that prophet will be destroyed
and thus removed from the people” And all the prophets, from Samuel and
those who followed him, have spoken about and announced these days You
are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your
ancestors, saying to Abraham, “And in your descendants all the nations
of the earth will be blessed.’ God raised up his servant and sent him
first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you from your
iniquities.” (Acts 3:19-26).
This one short paragraph then in Deuteronomy 18
contains remarkable truth. It sets out for all time the criteria for
the recognition of a true prophet, and also a prediction of the coming
of The True Prophet, a prediction which was finally and perfectly
fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ. When Jesus came to the Jews, He
fulfilled all the conditions of the prediction in Deuteronomy and thus
His disciples accepted Him as the promised Prophet and Messiah. So
certain is this fact that the Apostle Peter said, Every personwho does not obey that prophet will be destroyed and thus removedfrom the people.’ (Acts 3:23). This is a solemn warning to those who reject the claims of Jesus Christ.
In the modern world, atheism is making a bold
attempt to banish all thought of God from the minds of men. By teaching
that men and apes evolved from a common ancestor, atheists try to prove
that all ignorance, superstition, witchcraft and religion are related to
man’s primitive state. They blandly assume that science has banished
all such ignorant beliefs and demand that God must be rejected along
with fairies and goblins. Yuri Gagarin, the Russian cosmonaut, joked
that up in space he saw no sign of God. What did he expect to see? Was
his concept of “God” that of an old gentleman sitting on a cloud? But is
God like that? What is God like?
THE BIBLE DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO PROVE THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
It does not need to, because it is in itself the
record of the way God has revealed Himself to mankind. Thus it begins
with a positive statement of the fact that there is a God and states
that those who come to God must believe in Him. It says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Now
without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who
approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who
seek him. (Hebrews 11:6).
The Bible begins with the statement that God is the Almighty Creator. The account of the creation of our world is found in Genesis 1:1-28.
You should read this in your Bible. This short paragraph contains an
implicit denial of all subsequent deviations from the truth about God.
It refutes ATHEISM which says there is no God. It refutes POLYTHEISM
which says there are many gods. It refutes PANTHEISM which says that the
universe is “God.” It refutes HUMANISM which worships man himself. It
refutes ASTROLOGY which says that the stars affect destiny, whereas in
fact they are only part of God’s inanimate creation.
FROM THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN LIFE, MEN KNEW GOD
The evolutionary theory claims that because the
primitive ape-man creatures were afraid of the forces of nature they
began to imagine all kinds of unseen spirits and gods in their
environment. As their knowledge increased they developed the “god idea”
until eventually the concept of One God emerged. The Bible refutes this
idea emphatically. Romans 1:18-25 says: For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their
unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is plain to them,
because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the
world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have
been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been
made. So people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did
not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in
their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.Although they claimed to be wise, they became foolsand
exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal
human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. Therefore God
gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor
their bodies among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie
and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is
blessed forever! Amen. This very important statement shows plainly
that, from the very beginning men knew God but they turned away from
Him. Thus false religion and idolatry is not a primitive fear-concept,
but a later development which arose when men deliberately exchanged
truth for error.
From the beginning, God the Creator revealed Himself to man. God talked with Adam (Genesis 1:28), with Noah (Genesis 6:13), with Abraham (Genesis 12:1).
You might wish to look up these references in your Bible and see what
God said to them. Man’s rebellion and disobedience has resulted in a
distortion by him of the pure knowledge of the One True God. By the time
of Abraham, idolatry was almost universal. God called Abraham to leave
his own country with its idolatry and corrupt culture to journey to the
land of Canaan, where he was to found a new nation devoted to the
worship of the One True God. Here is the record of that call: So
Abram left, just as the Lord had told him to do, and Lot went with him.
(Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.)And
Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions they
had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they
left for the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan. Abram
traveled through the land as far as the oak tree of Moreh at Shechem.
(At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) The Lord appeared to
Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So Abram
built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. Then he moved
from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent,
with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to
the Lord and worshiped the Lord. (Genesis 12:4-8).
The Divine plan of course, required a considerable period for its
development. The family of Abraham first grew to be a tribe but by the
time of Moses; it had become a nation.
THE FIRST WRITTEN LAWS CONCERNING THE WORSHIP OF GOD WERE GIVEN TO MOSES
At this point, please read the following verses:
I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you from
the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. You shall have no other
gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any
likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on earth under
it, or that is in the water below. (Exodus 20:2-4).
Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
Be very careful, then, because you saw no form
at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. I
say this so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the
form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male
or female, any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, any
insect on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters of the earth. When
you look up to the sky, see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly
creation—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord
your God has assigned them to all the people of the world. (Deuteronomy 4:15-19).
These three paragraphs give the oldest and clearest
statement of the Unity of God to be found anywhere in all the history of
man. By the time of Moses (about 400 years after Abraham) the human
race had so completely turned to the worship of false gods that it
became necessary that the One True God should be clearly distinguished
from the countless false gods and idols of the pagan world. That is why
God, through Moses, revealed that His name was YAHWEH (actually in
Hebrew, only the consonants are given, as in Arabic script, so that the
name of God appears as Y-H-W-H). In Exodus 3:15 we find the following words: God
also said to Moses, “You must say this 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, and this is my
memorial from generation to generation.’” Also in Exodus 6:2-3 we read: God
spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham,
to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘the Lord’ I was
not known to them.” From this time onwards, the whole of the Old Testament plainly teaches that Yahweh is the One True God. Now read 1 Kings 18:39.
The contest between the prophets of the pagan god Baal and Elijah the
prophet of God was tremendous. The result was that the people cried out,
The Lord [Yahweh] is the true God! The Lord is the true God! All
other gods, by whatever name they were called, were false. Along with
the revelation of the Name of God, there was given a strong safeguard to
protect this great truth from corruption. Idols and images and “aids to
worship” were completely forbidden. To keep this great truth alive God
chose the people of Israel as His channel of Divine revelation—they were
the “People of Yahweh, the people of the One True God.” Unfortunately,
they did not always maintain this privileged position, but often lapsed
into idolatry themselves. For this God punished them repeatedly.
THE BIBLE REVEALS THE NATURE OF GOD BY WHAT HE DOES
The Bible purposely does not give a systematic
description of what God is. Man is finite and cannot possibly understand
a God who is infinite. Any description of God must therefore be
inadequate. Because of this, God chose a way to reveal the mystery of
His nature well within our grasp. He has revealed His nature by His
acts. Thus the Bible is a written account of the way God has acted down
the centuries.
1. God in Creation
The Bible tells us that the universe is the work of
God. True science confirms this. With the telescope we study the
immensity of space with its galaxies and star-systems or through the
microscope we marvel at the intricate pattern of life scaled down to the
minutest dimensions. We discover creatures so small they can find a
mighty ocean in a single drop of water! We wonder at the exactness of
natural laws, and at the miracle of design and beauty in every part of
nature. We realize something of the greatness and the wisdom and power
of the Creator. His work of creation teaches us that God is perfect in
wisdom, intelligence and power.
2. God in Providence
Abraham is a classic example of God’s love and care
for the individual. God called him to obedience and faith, and in the
constantly recurring crises of life, Abraham learned the reality of the
love and care and provision of God. The whole story of Abraham (Genesis 12-25) is recorded for our benefit. Read it in your Bibles
3. God in History
One of the ways the people of Israel recalled the greatness of God was by reciting what He had done in their national history. Psalms 78, 105 and 106 are good illustrations of this. Here is just one example taken from Psalm 78. Read this whole psalm in your Bible and look up the other two as well.
He did amazing things in the sight of their
ancestors, in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. He divided the
sea and led them across it; he made the water stand in a heap. He led
them with a cloud by day, and with the light of a fire all night long.
He broke open rocks in the wilderness, and gave them enough water to
fill the depths of the sea. He caused streams to flow from the rock, and
made the water flow like rivers. Yet they continued to sin against him,
and rebelled against the Sovereign One in the desert. They willfully
challenged God by asking for food to satisfy their appetite. They
insulted God, saying, “Is God really able to give us food in the
wilderness? Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out, streams gushed
forth. But can he also give us food? Will he provide meat for his
people?” When the Lord heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out
against Jacob, and his anger flared up against Israel, because they did
not have faith in God, and did not trust his ability to deliver them (Psalm 78:12-22).
Study what God has revealed about His own nature and His will, and compare the accounts of what He has done. You will find a thrilling combination of factors which display the glory of God. Here are a few of them:
God is One—Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.(Deuteronomy 6:4).
God is Living—The Lord is the only true
God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. When he shows his
anger the earth shakes. None of the nations can stand up to his fury. (Jeremiah 10:10).
God is Self-existing—God said to Moses, “I AM that I AM.” And he said, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14).
God is Eternal—O sovereign Master, you
have been our protector through all generations! Even before the
mountains came into existence, or you brought the world into being, you
were the eternal God. (Psalm 90:1-2).
God is Almighty—When Abram was
ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the
Sovereign God. Walk before me and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1).
God is Changeless—“Since, I, the Lord, do not go back on my promises, you, sons of Jacob, have not perished. (Malachi 3:6).
God is Omnipresent—“Do you people think
that I am some local deity and not the transcendent God?” the Lord asks.
“Do you really think anyone can hide himself where I cannot see him?”
the Lord asks. “Don’t you know that I am everywhere?” the Lord asks. (Jeremiah 23:23-24). Where
can I go to escape your spirit? Where can I flee to escape your
presence? If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were
to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be. If I were to fly away on the
wings of the dawn, and settle down on the other side of the sea, even
there your hand would guide me, your right hand would grab hold of me.
If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me, and the light
will turn to night all around me,” even the darkness is not too dark for
you to see, and the night is as bright as day; darkness and light are
the same to you. (Psalm 139:7-12).
God is Holy—They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who leads armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” (Isaiah 6:3).
God is Love—In a far-off land the Lord
will manifest himself to them. He will say to them, “I have loved you
with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to
you.” (Jeremiah 31:3).
God is Merciful—And the Lord passed by
before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and
gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and
faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and
transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the
children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7).
God is Just—Far be it from you to do
such a thing—to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and
the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge of the whole
earth do what is right? (Genesis 18:25).
This list merely introduces the vast subject of the
nature of God. It is only by regularly and systematically reading the
Bible that we really learn the greatness and majesty of God. Read
carefully the following quotations. They reach great heights of poetic
beauty as they describe the greatness and glory of God:
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is
an eternal God, the creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or
weary; there is no limit to his wisdom. (Isaiah 40:28).
This is what the true God, the Lord, says—the one
who created the sky and stretched it out, the one who fashioned the
earth and everything that lives on it, the one who gives breath to the
people on it, and life to those who live on it: “I, the Lord, officially
commission you; I take hold of your hand. I protect you and make you a
covenant mediator for people, and a light to the nations, to open blind
eyes, to release prisoners from dungeons, those who live in darkness
from prisons. I am the Lord! That is my name! I will not share my glory
with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols.” (Isaiah 42:5-8).
For this is what the Lord says, the one who
created the sky—he is the true God, the one who formed the earth and
made it; he established it, he did not create it without order, he
formed it to be inhabited—“I am the Lord, I have no peer. I have not
spoken in secret, in some hidden place. I did not tell Jacob’s
descendants, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I am the Lord, the one who speaks
honestly, who makes reliable announcements. Gather together and come!
Approach together, you refugees from the nations! Those who carry wooden
idols know nothing, those who pray to a god that cannot deliver. Tell
me! Present the evidence! Let them consult with one another! Who
predicted this in the past? Who announced it beforehand? Was it not I,
the Lord? I have no peer, there is no God but me, a God who vindicates
and delivers; there is none but me. Turn to me so you can be delivered,
all you who live in the earth’s remote regions! For I am God, and I have
no peer. I solemnly make this oath—what I say is true and reliable:
‘Surely every knee will bow to me, every tongue will solemnly affirm’” (Isaiah 45:18-23).
These spiritual concepts were written by the prophet
Isaiah about 2,500 years ago. Obviously there was nothing primitive or
defective in the knowledge of God Isaiah and the other prophets brought
to men.
4. God as a God of Love
Many people have misunderstood what is meant by the
fact that God is a God of love. Because He is love, many have thought
that God is indulgent of human sin, that He does not care whether or not
men break His laws. God is love, but He is also absolutely holy
and sin is an insult to Him and an outrage against His nature. Some have
imagined that God’s love and mercy are contradictory to and
incompatible with His holiness and justice. This is not so. God in His
justice and holiness cannot treat sinners indulgently. Sin must be
punished unless it is forgiven in a way which is fully consistent with
both the justice and the mercy of God. This is the message of the
gospel! God has revealed a way in which a sinner can be forgiven and
cleansed from his sin and thus enjoy the love and grace of God.
Holiness, as an attribute of God, is not abstract purity-merely the
absence of evil. It is a positive quality which reaches out to mankind. God is love, and therefore He does not want to punish sinners, and God is holy,
and therefore He desires to restore sinners to a state of holiness and
purity, fit for His eternal presence. The gospel tells us that God truly
loves sinful people and has provided a salvation which transforms men
and women into “sons of God,” thus enabling them to share His eternal
glory. Study this quotation from Romans 8:29-30: Those
whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and
sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called,
he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
This revelation of the character and attributes of
God is found in the Bible and nowhere else! As you continue your studies
you will, we trust, come into this glorious fellowship with the God
who, though so great in power and majesty, desires to save the weakest
and worst sinners and make them His worshippers. Learn more by clicking this link:Learn more by clicking this link:
re-written “to put them in the context of modern-day living.There are already 600 churches in Britain that have adopted these. They have, for example, replaced the commandment not to commit adultery with “affair-proof your relationships”! What an abomination. It is a watered-down, anything-goes replacement of the original command. YHVH’s word is timeless and should not be changed (Deut 4:2). It is easy enough to understand: “do not commit adultery” still means “do not commit adultery.” We are not going to expand on this further; but for those interested, we have posted a link to the article.
word is “nabi” as it is also in Arabic). Without doubt there were other
men before
seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.) (Genesis 12:1-4).