Main Timeline Chart
Biblical history from the beginning of time.
gapto insert the idea of long ages spanning millions or billions of years. ^^ Another way the Bible is attacked is to mix up passages that use symbolic and figurative language with literal language. They say look, the psalmist said,^^
He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moveda[/bible/web/19-ps.html#ps104:5|Ps 104:5|(|).]^^ They then go on to say that the statement is scientifically false, because the earth moves around the sun, and from that imply that the early chapters of Genesis must also be symbolic or figurative language. Whether they know it or not they are being deceitful and dishonest.^^
If we say that we believe the Bible to be the Word of God, we must say that about the whole of the Bible, and when the Bible presents itself to us as history, we must accept it as history. I would contend the early chapters of Genesis, the first three chapters of Genesis, are given to us as history. We know that there are pictures and symbols in the Bible, and when the Bible uses symbols and parable it indicated that it is doing so, but when it presents something to us as history, it requires us to accept it as history.- (MLJ) ||||text-start] 6_[See also:] a_[/bible/web/43-john.html#john1:1-5 |John 1:1||,] a_[/bible/web/51-col.html#col1:15-17 |Col 1:15||,] a_[/bible/web/58-heb.html#heb11:3 |Heb 11:3||] ~ {gen1:6} ![/charts/images/day2.png] ^bc*[Day 2 - Sky/Atmosphere|text-blue] d[The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. a[/bible/web/19-ps.html#ps19:1-2|Ps 19:1-2|(|)] | The atmosphere is needed with perfectly balanced gas levels for plants, animals and humans to survive. God created the perfect environment on earth to sustain life before He created that life. ^^ Other planets, like Mars, have not been designed to sustain life and obviously don't need an atmosphere like earth has. The bright minds of our day imagine they can somehow fix the planet Mars to sustain life. True to their big-bang ideology they imagine that setting off nuclear bombs on the surface will somehow fast-track a life-sustaining environment, all by random chance. Those whose minds are down to earth know that explosions only cause ruin, destruction and desolation. Controlled imagination can be a good thing, but an uncontrolled imagination may end you up in a mental asylum. ^^ The Genesis account of creation brings with it control and order. The imagination is under the constraints of the words that have been written. Most designers and manufacturers create a user-guide of their product, to guide and constrain the end user, so their minds are not all over the show. Is it not plausible that the Designer and Manufacturer of the universe would also provide mankind with a user-guide, so that our minds are not all over the show trying to work things out for ourselves? God has not been indifferent to us, but has provided for us. Only a fool flaps around for years on end trying to fix something, when a six-step user-guide is lying right next to them. With the user-guide the problem is solved in five or ten minutes.^^ All the theories of macro-evolution are examples of uncontrolled imaginations. They are all over the show with imaginary made-up stories about the past. We are constantly hearing that some
new find is causing scientists to rethink their theories of evolution. It is a forever changing field as they discover something new that shows up major cracks in their theories. ||||] ~ {gen1:9} ![/charts/images/day3.png] ^bc*[Day 3 - Land and vegetation|text-green] d[Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. a[/bible/web/01-gen.html#gen1:26|Gen 1:26|(|)] | The plants and vegetation were created a day before the sun came into existence. The sun is absolutely vital for vegetation to survive, so the sun being created within the next 24 hours is a logical step in the process. The vegetation was needed to control the balance of gases in the atmosphere and for the animals and mankind to have food to eat. This was before mankind fell into sin and the creation came under the curse. ^^ Everything about the creation account is logical and true to life. You first prepare the motorcar body before you install the life (motor) into it. You first assemble all the computer hardware together before you install the life (software) into it. An aeroplane is first designed and built before the life (passengers) goes into it. ^^ At the beginning everything was put together by God in perfect order and harmony. He set the pattern for us to follow in His footsteps. We are made in the image of God, and even though we have become evil, still imitate Him in many ways.^^ There are many that object to the Bible, specifically to the first eleven chapters of Genesis, saying that it is not a scientific textbook. The only reason they say these things is because they want to rewrite the history of the universe according to man's ideas and reject God's revelation of historical events. You cannot test things that occurred in the past scientifically, so this whole argument against the Bible is false. In other words you cannot re-create the past to subject it to the scientific method. With science you can only test things in the present and from that speculate what might have happened in the past. ||||text-start|] ~ {gen1:14} ![/charts/images/day4.png] ^bc*[Day 4 - Sun, moon and stars|text-red] d[It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in a[/bible/web/23-isa.html#isa40:22|Isa 40:22|(|)] | There was no "big-bang" explosion. We all know from everyday life that uncontrolled explosions don't make anything, but a big mess. Scientists assume many things that they have never observed. They have never observed the universe being compressed into a tiny ball and then exploding, but they run off and tell everyone it is a fact. They refuse to consult the user-guide and keep claiming they have the true history of the universe with many made-up stories, claiming them to be proven science. In reality they are being very religious by propagating their own beliefs that the masses are expected to receive by faith. ^^ But the many trillions of stars came into existence on the forth day at God's command. This was all done for the purpose of governing the night and the day and to declare the glory of God. It is a display of God's perfect power, design and handiwork. With God there is no difference in effort whether He makes one star or a trillion stars. It is all done by His miraculous and eternal power. We know this from the information that God gave to Moses and which was written down and preserved through the centuries by the Israelites. ^^ Many object to the fact that the sun came after light was created on the first day. They say 'how can you have light without the sun?' I guess light must also exist before I screw in a lightbulb. The lightbulb is designed to govern the light and emit it according to the design. Water must come before the hosepipe. The hosepipe is made to govern and control the water being pumped through it. In the same way light must exist, with all its properties, before the sun could emit the light. So, yes, God got the order correct. ^^ Some may be asking,
why didn't God create the sun, moon and stars before the earth?In the creation account the stars are almost
by the wayin the whole scheme of things. The earth is the centre of God's purpose for creating the universe in the first place. Mankind was made in God's image and is the highlight of His creation. I guess God ordered the creation days to make that very clear. People also need to be reminded that it is not the creation that is to be worshiped, but the Creator. ^^ The universe only exists because of God's plan to create mankind in His own image on the earth. We must also remember that Jesus, the only Son of God, became a man. Yes, the Creator of the universe Himself took on humanity. As it is written,^^
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word became flesh, and lived among us. a[/bible/web/43-john.html#john1:1-5|John 1:1|(|,] a[/bible/web/43-john.html#john1:14|John 1:14||)].^^ The big-bang theory, that is widely taught as an established fact, cannot exist alongside God's Word. They are opposite beliefs and opposed to each other. Many scientists will make natural processes that they observe their god, but we believe in the God who supernaturally created the universe. ^^ Is it any wonder that modern cosmology is a breading ground for atheism? They are working hard to push God out of the picture. They want to depict mankind as insignificant and nothing special, a product of random chance. As to be expected they leave people without God and without hope in this world. ^^ We always need to remember that modern man is not clever enough to piece together the history of how the Egyptian pyramids were built. Yet they seem to be certain about how the universe was built. Big lies are being propagating in order to keep God out the picture. They neither want to glorify Him as God or give thanks to him a[/bible/web/45-rom.html#rom1:18-32|Rom 1:18|(|)]. They are plagiarists of the highest order, as they use God's handiwork for their own swelling arrogance and intellectual pride. ||||] 6_[See also:] a_[/bible/web/19-ps.html#ps19:1-3|Ps 19:1||,] a_[/bible/web/23-isa.html#isa42:5|Isa 42:5||,] a_[/bible/web/23-isa.html#isa44:24|Isa 44:24||,] a_[/bible/web/23-isa.html#isa51:13|Isa 51:13||,] a_[/bible/web/24-jer.html#jer10:12|Jer 10:12||,] a_[/bible/web/24-jer.html#jer51:15|Jer 51:15||,] a_[/bible/web/38-zech.html#zech12:1|Zech 12:1||] ~ {gen1:20} ![/charts/images/day5.png] ^cb*[Day 5 - Sea and flying creatures|text-cyan] d[There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number - living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. a[/bible/web/19-ps.html#ps104:25-26|Ps 104:25|(|)] | We have all seen those pictures of fish crawling out of the ocean. The news article will read something like "Our ancestors’ transition out of the water and onto the land was a pivotal moment in evolution." It is taken as an established fact, and the masses are required to believe it. ^^ In reality, however, we find that sea creatures and birds function according to their design. Those that are designed to live in water are able to live in water. Those that can fly in the air are designed so they can fly in the air. It is all very simple, actually. God made them according to their kinds to function in the way He designed them. As always, the creation account in the Bible is true to logic and observable real-time evidence. ^^ Some will say that Genesis 1 is just allegory and a form of poetry. They think that saying "let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky" cannot be literally true. I mean, who has ever seen birds literally flying in the sky? ^^ The Genesis account is speaking about physical things that we can see, hear, touch, taste and smell today. It is all so literal, it is all so simple, but the academia is unable to tolerate this kind of simplicity. To pass their exams they are required to be very wordy and have highfalutin ideas. ^^ The sin of intellectual pride has run rampant in our modern world. It quickly turns bright and clever minds into utter fools, who can spew out nonsense from dawn to dusk, and leave the world in a Godless and hopeless condition. ||||] ~ {gen1:24} ![/charts/images/day6.png] ^cb*[Day 6 - Land animals and mankind|text-brown] d[But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. a[/bible/web/41-mark.html#mark10:6-8|Mark 10:6|(|)] | On day 6 the animals were created according to their kinds. This would have included the dinosaurs, but they weren't called dinosaurs back then. The Bible has a description of
behemoth, who sways his huge tail like a cedar tree. His strength is in his thighs and he has great power in the muscles of his belly. Then we have a description of
leviathanwhich is probably also a description of a dinosaur. a[/bible/web/18-job.html#job40:15-41:34|Job 40:15|(|)]^^ The world generally hates the idea of dinosaurs living with mankind because of the widespread belief that dinosaur's lived many millions of years ago, long before man had supposedly evolved. They derive their history by the order that fossils are buried in rock layers, imagining these rock layers being slowly formed over millions of years. The global flood in the days of Noah is generally dismissed as a myth, even though it accounts for the neat layers of sedimentary rocks.^^ But the flood is the reason we have billions of dead things buried in rock layers, laid down by water, all over the earth. At that time, the whole geology of the earth was changed, as the mountains rose up, the sea valleys sank down to the place God appointed for them. God set a land boundary that the waters can never pass over again a7[/bible/web/19-ps.html#ps104:6-9|Ps 104:6|(|)]. The terrain of the earth had a complete makeover during the year-long flood. This is why you find fossils of marine life at the top of the highest mountain ranges.^^ When God created mankind on the earth He created them perfect and not as we experience things today. On day 6 God formed Adam directly from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life. God then created Eve directly from Adam’s own body and brought them together in marriage. They were created in God’s image, male and female he created them. There was total perfection and they felt no shame. There was no rebellion or hatred towards God, but only perfect harmony and love. There was no curse, there was no death or sorrow or pain.^^ So then, the history of the earth is rightly divided into pre-fall, post-fall/pre-flood and post-flood eras. ^^ With the origin of mankind we have a great conflict between the history according to evolution and the history given in the Bible. Death, survival of the fittest and random chance are foundational to evolutionary theories. The theories cannot exist without an endless cycle of death. God's word on the other hand reveals to us that death and suffering entered into creation at a point in time after Adam's rebellion against God. This history can never be known unless written documents had been passed down to us. ^^ We are currently living in and observing a cursed creation, far from the perfection that existed before the fall. Any attempt to re-create historical events at the beginning from what we observe today will always be incorrect. All the ideas about pre-Adamic man are false because they are digging up fossils buried after the fall of Adam. This is unfortunately what happens when people refuse to read and believe the User-Guide. They flap around like fish out of water, forever learning but never being able to come to the knowledge of the truth a[/bible/web/55-2tim.html#2tim3:7|2Tim 3:7|(|).] ||||] ~ {gen2:1} ![/charts/images/day7.png] ^cb*[Day 7 - Sabbath Rest|text-purple] d[It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. a[/bible/web/02-exod.html#exod31:17|Exod 31:17|(|)] | Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall 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, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. a[/bible/web/02-exod.html#exod20:8-11|Exod 20:11|(|)]^^ Here we have the six days of creation written into the law as a sign between God and His people forever. God resting on the seventh day was to be imitated under the law given to Moses. ^^ The six day creation and the seventh day rest was written by God onto the stone tablets, also known as the ten commandments, at mount Sinai. Now, the law is a very literal document. It is never to be taken symbolically. Words mean what they mean in the literal sense. Their lives depended on their understanding of the words written, so they could never trifle with the meaning of words. ^^ Today however, the meaning of the words written in God's law are under attack. This is what happens when people try to import human philosophy and a faulty understanding of history into the Bible. Today you never stop hearing this new testament verse quoted,^^ "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day a[/bible/web/61-2pet.html#2pet3:7-9|2Pet 3:7|(|)]." ^^ This scripture verse is generally quoted to get away from any idea of a literal 24 hour day. A literal reading of
dayin the ten commandments and Genesis 1 is an embarrassment to evolutionary theories. It is taken as an insult to man's intellectual pride and cleverness.^^ But the Word of God is like a hammer that breaks a rock into pieces. It brings the pride of mankind low into the dust. The loftiness of man is humbled as the LORD alone is exalted. a[/bible/web/24-jer.html#jer23:28-29|Jer 23:29|(|, ] a[/bible/web/23-isa.html#isa2:11-12|Isa 2:11||)]^^ The creation account given in God's word exalts and praises Him alone. Human philosophy on the other hand always tends to exalt the pride of mankind. People make great and swelling claims for human knowledge and in the process suppress the knowledge of God. Either the Creator or the creature is worshipped. You cannot have both existing together a[/bible/web/45-rom.html#rom1:18-32|Rom 1:18|(|).] In a similar way Jesus also said that we cannot love God and love money at the same time a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt6:24|Matt 6:24|(|).] ||||] ^6_[See also:] a_[/bible/web/02-exod.html#exod20:9-11|Exod 20:11||] ![/charts/images/adam-and-eve.png] ^bc*[Adam|text-brown] d[From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. a[/bible/web/44-acts.html#acts17:26-28 ~ {acts17:25} p[start] ~ ![/bible/images/one-blood.png] ^b6[From one man came all nations of men] ^a6[/articles/70-how-did-race-develop-blog.html |See article|||+|Issue of Race] |Acts 17:26|(See: |)] | The conflict between the many theories of evolution and the Bible is not a conflict between science and the Bible. It is a conflict between two separate accounts of history. In the Bible we have written historical documents that have been passed down to us from thousands of years ago, but with evolution it is based on the struggle to interpret the past by studying what is observed in the present.^^ Evolutionists do not have any written documentation that has come down to them about the past, but they tend to study fossils buried in rock layers. From that they have developed a belief system of minute, gradual changes over millions and billion of years. They say that these minute changes of natural selection has made everything we see in the world today. Because they reject the Bible, they also reject any idea of a worldwide flood that rapidly deposited the rock layers we observe today.^^ Two separate world-views have arisen out of these conflicting accounts of history. The one is man-made and relies completely on mankind's study and the ideas of the day. These beliefs are then passed onto the masses as fact and proven science. The other is given by God, written in plain language, and passed down to us in the Bible. ^^ When people design and make things they normally create a user-guide so the product can be easily understood by others. It is logical that the Creator of the universe would give us a user-guide or assembly-diagram of His creation. Do you really think that God would leave mankind to himself, with all the sweat and toil of digging in the dirt, in a futile attempt to piece together the history of the universe and the origin of man? Imagine a medical doctor sending you home to do your own research, when he has examined you and has the diagnoses of your disease with him. Would that be considered loving and kind for him to make you sweat and toil with anxiety, in order to do your own research?^^ But God has been very loving and kind by providing us with a detailed user-guide of the history of the universe and the origin of man. Yet many scientists have rejected God's written record of history, and have ended up with many made-up stories spoken in the name of science. These stories keep changing as they constantly find "new evidence" that always seems to rewrite their understanding of the past. God's word on the other hand is as solid as a rock. It never changes from generation to generation. Many toil and strive against the Biblical record, as they try to change the meaning of words. They tend to hate the phrase "six-days" and are forever trying to read into the Bible the popular theories of the day. ^^ Although those who believe in evolution claim to be wise, they have become fools, and have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the worship of man's faulty knowledge, in all his swelling arrogance and intellectual pride. With conceit they deny God the credit that is due to him. They have burnt the user-guide, so to speak, in order to propagate their own beliefs and tell their own stories. The have dug their own broken cisterns that cannot hold any water. a[/articles/10-what-is-an-evangelical-creation-not-evolution-blog.html|Read more...|(|)|+|Creation, not Evolution] ||||text-start|] h[
There is no one righteous; no, not one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.
Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.
The poison of vipers is under their lips.
Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. The way of peace, they haven’t known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.a[/bible/web/45-rom.html#rom3:10-18|Rom 3:10|(|)] ^^ As to be expected, one of the most contentious subjects known to mankind is the origin of death. The whole theory of evolution wants to paint death as the norm, that has been going on since a single cell organism
billions of yearsago, as the story goes. Death is not an enemy to the evolutionist, but it is his trusted friend. Without an endless cycle of death and survival of the fittest his theory cannot stand. He refuses to acknowledge the fall of man and God's curse on creation. He has rejected knowledge, dug his own cisterns that cannot hold water, and embraced the status quo as the eternal norm. ^^ To the believer, however, death is an enemy that came in because of Adam's sin. It was not part of the original perfect creation. Death is mourned in the world because it is an enemy. By design it is not mean't to be here. It is oppressive and something that almost everyone tries to avoid. ^^ The last enemy that God will destroy through Christ is death a[/bible/web/46-1cor.html#1cor15:22-26|1Cor 15:26|(|)]. Christ Jesus defeated death at the cross and he will defeat death finally, once and for all, at the future resurrection. Jesus said,^^
Don't marvel at this, for the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgement.a[/bible/web/43-john.html#john5:28-29|John 5:28|(|)]^^ To the believer in Jesus the death of this body is a passing through into the presence of the LORD. For the unbelieving, and those who practice evil and falsehood, death is a terrible thing. For those who are not clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and who remain stiff-necked and rebellious against God and His Son, death will end in what is called the second death. This is the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. a[/bible/web/66-rev.html#rev20:11-15|Rev 20:15|(|)] ^^ So then, the Bible teaches us that the creation started off in a state of perfection. Animals and humans were given fruit and plants to eat. There was no hunting of animals for food. That would have been unthinkable. There was no tooth in nail fighting between the animals. The lion would lay down with the lamb. There was no bloodshed of any kind. There was total perfection where Adam and his wife felt no shame. There was no rebellion or hatred towards God, but only perfect harmony and love. There was no curse, there was no death or sorrow or pain. ^^ But evil entered into God's perfect creation through Eve being deceived by Satan. This brought a curse upon creation and subsequently death and decay. Adam would no longer live forever, but be subject to aging and death. He would now earn his bread and butter through sweat and toil. The perfect rest he had in God was gone as sin became the dominating force in the soul. The power of sin was in charge as it inflamed lusts of every kind in his body. O what a wretched man he had become. He was now a slave to the wiles of the devil. He now had a practical knowledge of evil as shame filled every fibre of his being. He lost direct access to God and was driven out of the garden. The path back to God could never be gained by his own effort. The damage done was impossible for Adam to fix. Only God could provide a fix for mankind's sin and estrangement. ^^ Scientists go wrong when they are ignorant of history, forgetting that death came in as an enemy when the whole creation came under the curse of sin, subjecting it to bondage and decay. At that time God gave our first parents the promise that the seed of the woman would one day crush Satan's head. A Saviour was to be born who would overcome the curse and defeat sin and death, and the fires of hell, for all those who believe. ||||text-start|] ![/charts/images/seed.png] ^bc*[The Promise|text-yellow] d[But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. a[/bible/web/48-gal.html#gal4:4-5|Gal 4:4|(|)] | The promise of a Saviour has run right through history, from the very beginning in the garden of Eden. The Gospel did not begin with the birth of Jesus around 2000 years ago. The Gospel began at the beginning, on the same day that Adam and Eve fell into sin. This would have been around 6000 years ago when working the genealogies back to Adam.^^ Those who believe that mankind has evolved up from a common ape-like ancestor over millions of years are in a dilemma. They arrive at all the wrong conclusions about God. They imagine that heaven watched with indifference at the plight of man for hundreds of thousands or millions of years, and only acted for the first time 2000 years ago. Their
death and destruction, survival of the fittestscheme fails them dismally and they grumble against God. They never stop to consider that they are the ones who are at fault for embracing a history that they made up out of their own imaginations, and one that God did not give them. How insolent it is to make up our own stories and then blame God for things. ^^ It is terrible that so many Christians have embraced the philosophy of "microbe to man" evolution. They have believed the lie that not holding to the latest stories coming from scientists and the news media will put a stumbling block in the way of "scientifically-minded" people wanting to come to faith. They claim that six-day creation is not an essential doctrine for the Christian faith, even though the Bible declares it. They never stop to consider that they are busy destroying the very foundations of the Gospel. The unintended consequence of this is to drive people away from the Bible and leave the world with the wicked idea that the Bible cannot be trusted. ^^ But we know from the written record (Bible) that God created the world perfect and declared it all very good a[/bible/web/01-gen.html#gen1:31|Gen 1:31|(|).] We know that our first parents conceived evil and bitter thoughts towards God and rebelled against Him. We know that God acted on the same day to cover up their nakedness and shame a[/bible/web/01-gen.html#gen3:21|Gen 3:21|(|).] God focused their minds and faith onto the Redeemer who would be born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the curse of the law. ^^ The believers who lived before Christ came into the world believed God's promise, and their faith was credited to them as righteousness a[/bible/web/45-rom.html#rom4:3|Rom 4:3|(|, ] a[/bible/web/59-jas.html#jas2:23|Jas 2:23||)]. The believers who lived after Christ had come into the world also believe in God's promise and their faith is credited to them as righteousness. Christ Jesus at a certain point in history came to do the work that was necessary for sin to be atoned for. He came for those believers who had lived before Him and He came for those believers who lived, and will live, after Him. As it is written,^^ God presented him (Christ Jesus) as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus a[/bible/web/45-rom.html#rom3:25-26|Rom 3:25|(|).] ^^ The promise of salvation through faith in the LORD Jesus Christ is sent out into the whole world. Yet many reject the message and put themselves into the judgement of their sin and the fires of hell.^^ This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed a[/bible/web/53-2thess.html#2thess1:6-10|2Thess 1:6|(|).] ||||text-start|] ![/charts/images/cain.png] ^bc*[Cain|text-red] d[Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. a[/bible/web/62-1john.html#1john3:12|1John 3:12|(|)] | Cain was a man who was religious. Like so many, his practice of religion did nothing to change the state of his evil heart. He became murderous while practicing his religion. It was all outward form and ritual without any sense of repentance and a need for God's grace and mercy. ^^ Cain approached God on his own terms with his own efforts. He imagined that God would be pleased with the way he was doing things. There was no sorrow over his sin. He may have even thanked God that he was not like many of the others in his family.^^ Religious people were the ones who gave Jesus the most trouble. They were known as the Pharisees, Sadducees and teacher of the law. The were exactly like Cain, filled with jealousy towards Jesus and wanted to murder Him. The Pharisees had all the education, rules and regulations, but Jesus had the life of God living in Him and flowing from Him. Jesus said of them,^^ For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments, and love the place of honour at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men. But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt23:1-12|Matt 23:1|(|).] ^^ There has always been conflict between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, between the religion of Cain and the faith of Abel. This conflict existed between Ismael and Isaac - the child born in the natural way and the child born through the promise.^^ We find this conflict at it greatest between the religious Pharisees and the faith of Jesus. This conflict is always between mankind's made-up religions and those who have faith in the Word of God.^^ Even in the field of historical "science", the belief or religion of evolution persecutes and ridicules those who have faith in what is written in the Bible. Its the same conflict everywhere. The one is striving by its own efforts and the other is resting in the promises of God. The one who strives to lift up his own ideas hates the one who abases himself and lifts up the LORD God to the highest place of worship.^^ The man who comes with his own pride and ideas is rejected by God, but the man who comes to God through faith in the promise is accepted a[/bible/web/42-luke.html#luke18:9-14|Luke 18:9|(|).] The one is cursed and the other is blessed a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt25:41-46|Matt 25:41|(|).] The one is filled with jealousy and hatred and the other is filled with love a[/bible/web/44-acts.html#acts7:54-60|Acts 7:54|(|).] ^^ So then, the religion of works and faith in the promise runs right through the Bible. Humanity is divided into these two groups. Even when people do not belong to a formal religion they are still practicing some for af religion, whether it be belief in oneself or in mankind as a whole. It may be the love of money or the love of self a[/bible/web/55-2tim.html#2tim3:1-9|2Tim 3:1|(|).] ||||text-start|] ![/charts/images/pope.png] ^bc*[Religion of Works|text-blue] d[For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the fulfilment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes a[/bible/web/45-rom.html#rom10:1-4|Rom 10:1|(|).] | False religion tends to be made up of man-made rules a[/bible/web/41-mark.html#mark7:5-14|Mark 7:5|(|).] It is often directed towards the one true God, but it seeks to worship Him according to its own terms and ideas. The focus is entirely on externals and no attention is given to the thoughts and desires of the heart a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt23:25-28|Matt 23:25|(|).] We find this in the time of Jesus with the Pharisees, Sadducees and teachers of the law a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt15:7-9|Matt 15:7|(|).] They thought that they were well pleasing to God with all their made-up rules, traditions and false interpretation of the Scriptures, but all their efforts were rejected by the Son of God as being a lie a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt22:29|Matt 22:29|(|).] ^^ You will find these things in many of world religions. In Roman Catholicism you have church traditions that have come in and present themselves as something that God requires. At some point they decided to make Mary a mediator between the person and Jesus, when the Bible is clear that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between man and God a[/bible/web/54-1tim.html#1tim2:5-6|1Tim 2:5|(|).] They pray to the saints and believe that forbidding marriage is something good and holy. They teach these things as being the way to achieve higher levels of holiness, or to gain merit with God. The apostle Paul calls them doctrines of demons a[/bible/web/54-1tim.html#1tim4:1-5|1Tim 4:1|(|).] Many things have been added that were never taught or even mentioned by Jesus or the apostles - all man-made rules and traditions that Christ Jesus condemned in the Pharisees a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt23:13-39|Matt 23:13|(|).] ^^ So then, false religion normally teaches that if you follow certain rules, teachings or traditions then God will be pleased. Cain was the first example of someone practicing false religion. The Bible does not say, but you may find that he was trying to build up credit with God by following his religious rituals, or doing things for the purpose of putting on a show for others to see a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt23:5-7|Matt 23:5|(|, ] a[/bible/web/42-luke.html#luke18:11-12|Luke 18:11||).] ^^ There was nothing in Cain's religion that humbled him as a wretched sinner before God, nor did he feel the need for grace and mercy from God. When his sacrifices were rejected he became angry, filled with the desire for murder. He was way too proud to see that all his religious efforts were worthless. Bitterness and jealousy filled Cain's soul as he plotted and planned to kill his younger brother Abel, whose sacrifices were acceptable to God. He was a slave to his own lusts, that were dragging him down the path to the eternal fires of hell a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt23:33-36|Matt 23:33|(|).] ^^ Those who work hard for God's approval or the approval of other people will always hate those who are resting and trusting in the promises of God. They become jealous when they see others, who appear to be idle, finding acceptance and approval with God while they are so busy striving and working, trying to be moral and religious a[/bible/web/42-luke.html#luke15:25-31|Luke 15:25|(|).] ^^ The Pharisees, like Cain, were full of restless evil when Jesus walked on this earth. They could never stop trying to set traps for Him a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt22:17-22|Matt 22:17|(|).] Like Cain, they did this so they would have an excuse to kill Him a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt12:14|Matt 12:14|(|).] When they did kill Jesus (who was raised from the dead on the third day), the nation ended up calling curses down upon themselves a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt27:25|Matt 27:25|(|).] They would never find rest and continued on with their murderous desires for the saints (followers of Jesus) as the years went by. ^^ Cain became a restless wanderer on the earth. The land was cursed under his feet and he remained a fugitive for the rest of his life a[/bible/web/01-gen.html#gen4:11-12|Gen 4:11|(|).] There is no rest for the wicked and those who practice false religion will be forever restless, never knowing the blessed Sabbath rest and acceptance with God a[/bible/web/58-heb.html#heb4:9-11|Heb 4:9|(|).] They approach God on the wrong terms with hearts full of vanity and pride a[/bible/web/03-lev.html#lev10:1|Lev 10:1|(|).] With all the painful striving and self-flagellation they put into their religion they expect God to be happy with them, but always end up running into the brick wall of rejection. All their religious efforts are only fuel for the fire a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt23:37-39|Matt 23:37|(|).] ||||text-start|] ![/charts/images/satan.png] ^bc*[Satan and Demons|text-red] d[Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. a[/bible/web/60-1pet.html#1pet5:8|1Pet 5:8|(|)] | Satan tempts Adam and Eve^ In the Bible we read that Satan has enormous power and authority in the world. He was able to defeat our first parents, Adam and Eve, when they were in a state of perfection. He deceived them and threw them down into sin and death. He convinced them through lies to rise up against their Creator, and they believed him, even when they were sinless without any wants or evil desires (Gen 3:1-6).^^ We are not told why Satan was present in the garden at the beginning. All we know is that he was an angelic being whom God created, and at some point he became evil and rebelled against God. He led a rebellion in heaven amongst the angels and caused a large number of them to be cast out of heaven (Luke 10:18). He in turn enticed Adam and Eve to also rebel against God. Satan has been present in the world, and will continue to be until the very end, when he and his demons will be cast into the lake of fire (Matt 25:41).^^ He is also called "the dragon," "the old serpent" (Rev 12:9; Rev 20:2); "the prince of this world" (John 12:31; John 14:30); "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2); "the god of this world" (2Cor 4:4); "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Eph 2:2). The distinct personality of Satan and his activity among men are thus obviously recognized. He tempted our Lord in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11). He is "Beelzebub, the prince of the devils" (Matt 12:24). He is "the constant enemy of God, of Christ, of the divine kingdom, of the followers of Christ, and of all truth; full of falsehood and all malice, and exciting and seducing to evil in every possible way." His power is very great in the world. He is a "roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1Pet 5:8). Men are said to be "taken captive by him" (2Tim 2:26). Christians are warned against his "devices" (2Cor 2:11), and called on to "resist" him (Jas 4:7). Christ redeems his people from "him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb 2:14). Satan has the "power of death," not as lord, but simply as executioner. - (Easton Bible Dictionary) ^ Satan afflicts Job So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to his head a[/bible/web/18-job.html#job2:7|Job 2:7|(|).] ^^ We read of Satan rising up against Job and sending the most horrific trials upon him. Satan had control over the weather, whole groups of people and could cause painful sores to rise up all over Job's body (Job 1:12-19, Job 2:6-8). Satan was also able to control Job's wife, as she tried her best to entice him to curse God and die (Job 2:9-10).^^ We are never told why God allowed Satan to test Job in the way he did. When God finally answered Job we are left to conclude that the reasons were beyond his understanding. God answers Job's questions with questions that he is unable to answer (Job 38:1-3, Job 40:1-7). Job comes to see that he is very limited and very small in comparison with God. He comes to see that all his many questions were foolish and he felt ashamed of himself (Job 42:1-6).^^ The account of Job does show us how terrible life can become if Satan is let loose. It shows that God is holding back evil more than we can ever imagine. It shows that suffering in this world cannot always be linked to some sin we are committing, as Job was a man that feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:8). The conduct of Job's friends teach us that wise and clever men can misjudge a situation and arrive at all the wrong conclusions (Job 42:7-9). We are to be humble before God and not lean on our own understanding (Prov 3:5-6). In fact overanalysing the ways of God by human understanding always leads to the wrong conclusions. This is why having debates on stage about God in front of audiences is not a good idea.^^ One could say that "Job was put through hell", but this was not anything compared to the hell that Jesus spoke about. Hell is a place and state where evil is not restrained by God. Every horror imaginable and unimaginable is let loose upon the person in hell. Jesus described it as a place where "the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48). If you delight in evil here on earth, God will finally remove his restraining power and give you evil unrestrained in hell. There will be such panic and terror that Jesus described it as "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt 8:12, Matt 13:42). It will be a terror beyond anything imaginable, with no hope of escape - blackest darkness with total, utter and complete isolation from any comfort or compassion (Jude 1:13). Your cries of agony will never be heard. No one will ever come to rescue you. It will be a complete and total abandonment that will never end.^^ God has made the escape from hell through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and faith in Him. Call on the name of the LORD and you will be saved.^ Pharaoh's sorcerers and magicians perform miracles by Satan's power ^ Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments a[/bible/web/02-exod.html#exod7:11|Exod 7:11|(|).] ^^ Magicians and sorcerers are able to produce miracles with their secret arts. This was the working of Satan's power to deceive Pharaoh, and cause him to become stubborn, and refuse to let God's people go free (Exod 7:11, Exod 7:22, Exod 8:7).^^ At a later time under the law given to Moses the practice of sorcery and other occult practices were forbidden (Exod 22:18, Lev 19:31).^^ In the New Testament the practice of sorcery is shown as a work of the sinful nature (Gal 5:19-21). When people believed in the LORD Jesus they always renounced sorcery and occult practices like that (Acts 19:18-20).^ Satan's dispute over the body of Moses ^ We are told that Satan had a dispute with the archangel Michael over the body of Moses. Michael, being of lesser authority and power, needed to invoke the name of the LORD to resist Satan. Jude, in his letter, condemns those in the church who speak arrogantly and abusively against the devil (Jude 1:8-10).^ King Saul and the tormenting spirit ^ Now the LORD’s Spirit departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him a[/bible/web/09-1sam.html#1sam16:14|1Sam 16:14|(|).] ^^ King Saul was put through tremendous torment by the forceful working of an evil spirit on his body. He was thrown into fits of rage but found some relief through the medication of the day - sweet sounding music (1Sam 16:15-17). From this we can see they also had their "psychiatrists" for treating spiritual disorders. Music therapy was probably the normal treatment of the day for people tormented by evil spirits. We can see from the accounts of David playing his harp that it was highly effective in bringing relief (1Sam 16:23).^^ If Saul had been living in the 21st century he may have been prescribed anti-psychotic medication to disable his brain and body and control the symptoms of rage, helping him to feel better. If he were to receive a diagnoses it would probably be something like "Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED)". The cause of the disorder would probably be given as "unknown". The suggestion of a demon behind the disorder would be unthinkable by todays standards. If a psychiatrist had to suggest a demon behind the condition they may be in danger of loosing their license to practice. The "truth" is determined by the scientific consensus of the day and not by the actual objective truth. The masses are falsely led to believe that if scientists just try hard enough and for long enough they will arrive at the truth.^^ With all the talk in the world today about everyone having free-will, we see that Saul did not have it. He was governed by an external power that would come upon him and seize him. The one moment he is making oaths not to put David to death and the next moment he his hurling his spear at him (1Sam 19:6-10). By this time it seems that the music therapy was not having much effect on the situation anymore. When a demon has been exerting force on the body for a long time it does permanent damage to the body making healing far more difficult.^^ King Saul finally turned to the practice of sorcery and divination for guidance (1Sam 28:6-9). Saul had abandoned God and His word a long time before and now God was not listening to his prayers anymore. The practice of consulting the spirit world (demons appearing as angels of light) has run right through human history. Later on we find apostle Paul needing to deal with a girl who had a spirit of divination, earning money from fortune-telling. She was sharing her "light" with everyone and kept shouting out the same phrase for days on end (Acts 16:16-19). Paul became annoyed, commanded the spirit to come out and ended her career as a fortune-teller. We also see that the church is crowded with false prophets making predictions in the name of the LORD, that seldom, if ever, come true. This practice also tends to earn them a lot of money and fame.^ David was tempted by Satan to count his fighting men ^ Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel a[/bible/web/13-1chr.html#1chr21:1|1Chr 21:1|(|).] ^^ Satan rose up against Israel and tempted David, with great success, to count his fighting men in rebellion against God. Even after the king was warned not to do it he still persisted. The Israelites were well aware that victory did not come because of the size of their army, but because the LORD was with them. David had turned to thinking about physical might rather than God's might. When Gideon went to war against the Midianites God reduces his army down to 300 fighting men against a Midianite army of around 135000 (Judg 7:2-9, Judg 8:10). ^^ When we turn to the same account in second Samuel we read that God was angry with Israel (2Sam 24:1-4). This anger was because of Israel's unfaithfulness to Him. There is no contradiction as God merely used Satan as His rod of discipline or judgment. God is longsuffering, but there comes a point of judgment where He hands people over to sin and all its terrible consequences. Satan in this case was the instrument of God's judgement. When we read the Bible we always need to keep in mind that often many years or decades of rebellion go by before God acts and sends judgment. God prefers to show mercy and compassion and that people turn from their sins (Jas 2:13).^ The lying spirit in the false prophets ^ A spirit came out and stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will entice him' a[/bible/web/11-1kgs.html#1kgs22:20-23|1Kgs 22:20|(|).] ^^ An evil spirit became a lying spirit in the mouths of the false prophets to entice Ahab to go to war and to bring down judgement upon him for all the evil he had done. King Ahab was very evil along with his wife Jezebel. The time was ripe for God to put him to death and an evil spirit was used to bring it about (1Kgs 22:20-40).^^ The death-penalty for certain types of evil is something that has become very unpopular in the world. People have become so mixed up in their thinking that they imagine putting a serial-killer to death is a terrible thing that amounts to murder. This is another reason why many have turned away from the Bible. They hate the idea that evil is punished and purged with a death sentence. The thing that is forgotten is that the whole of humanity is suffering the death penalty for sin. We are all facing death at some point, that will become the second death in the lake of fire for those who remain stubborn and refuse God's way of escape and free gift of eternal life. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, as it is written, ^^ "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son a[/bible/web/43-john.html#john3:14-21|John 3:14|(|)."] ^ Satan accusing Joshua the high priest ^ He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the LORD's angel, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary a[/bible/web/38-zech.html#zech3:1-2|Zech 3:1|(|).] ^ Jesus tempted by Satan after fasting for 40 days ^ Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt4:1|Matt 4:1|(|).] ^^ Jesus was subjected to the most intense temptations by Satan in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11). When his body was hungry and worn out the tempter came to Him with subtle and evil suggestions. At every turn the Son of God resisted Satan and would not surrender His will to the enticements of the devil. Where Adam and Eve failed Jesus overcame. The LORD Jesus Christ alone was able to put an end to sin, bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy (Dan 9:24, 2Cor 1:20).^^ Jesus was tempted in every way that we are but was without sin (Heb 4:15). God is not like a manager of a company sitting in his office looking at His labourer's sweating in the heat of the day. No, no! He took on human flesh, was born of a woman, and was subjected to everything and more of what we go through. More than that, He gave Himself up to death to free us from the power of death (Phil 2:7-8). He suffered in our place (Isa 53:4-5, Matt 20:28). He took the punishment for our sin that we may become the righteousness of God (Rom 1:17, Rom 3:21, Rom 4:5-9, Rom 4:22, Rom 5:18, Rom 9:30, Rom 10:4, 1Cor 1:30, 2Cor 5:21, Gal 3:6).^^ Repent and believe the Good News.^ Jesus and His authority over evil spirits ^ They were all amazed, so that they questioned amongst themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!" a[/bible/web/41-mark.html#mark1:27-28|Mark 1:27|(|).] ^^ Disorders caused by evil spirits were common when Jesus walked on the earth. We know so much about them because the evil spirits would manifest when Jesus was nearby - the Light exposed the darkness (Luke 4:33-37). Jesus had power to cure them and some of these healings were written down and recorded in the Gospels. People would bring the sick out of their homes to where Jesus was, so the healings were often on public display (Matt 12:22-23). ^^ The "common" people did not have to ask Jesus for a diagnoses or inquire of Him what was wrong with their loved one. They all knew and understood the symptoms of a demon manifesting in the body. There was no billion dollar pharmaceutical industry putting out propaganda about chemical-imbalances and things like that. Their minds were free to take things at face-value and arrive at logical conclusions. The outward physical observable state of the person determined what spirit was at work. The surprise and wonder to the people was that there was actually someone who could cure these conditions (Mark 1:27-28). The Holy Spirit on the other hand will produce life in the body of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).^^ When the evil spirits were about to be cast out they would normally manifest and take control over the normal functioning of the body. The Bible talks about the demon seizing the person. When the person was in this state they were said to be possessed or demonised. They would often cry out at the top of their voice or be thrown into an epileptic fit on the ground (Mark 1:34, Mark 9:20). Sometimes the person under the power of a devil would become excessively violent and need to be restrained in some way. The person under the power of a devil would sometimes become supernaturally strong (Luke 8:29, Acts 19:15-16). ^^ In the gospels we see cases of evil spirits causing deformities or infirmities in the body, like making the person bent over or making them blind or mute (Luke 13:10-17). Unclean spirits were able to work on the physical body to mimic or cause actual biological disorders and bring with them great suffering. Jesus was able to heal all these illnesses, normally with a word or command.^ The disciples of Jesus given power to heal ^ He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness a[/bible/web/40-matt.html#matt10:1|Matt 10:1|(|).] ^^ For the disciples of Jesus to heal people and cast out demons they needed to have the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:17-21). This power and authority was given to them by Jesus (Matt 10:8, Luke 9:1-2). This was not a guarantee of success, as we find in Scripture an instance where the disciples were not able to heal (Matt 17:19-21). This was due to the strength of demon and their lack of faith and prayer to deal with evil spirits of this kind (Mark 9:29). The demon had ingrained itself in the body over a long period of time, making healing more difficult (Mark 9:21). Jesus gave them a lesson on faith so that the impossible could become possible through God's power (Matt 17:20).^^ Due to various reasons the disciples of Jesus found that there was no set formula or ritual that would guarantee them success. Their success was tied up with their relationship and reliance on God. God is able to give and hold back His power as He chooses.^^ We even find that Jesus was held back from healing people because of their lack of faith (Matt 13:57-58, Mark 6:4-6). This was the case in His hometown where people did not receive Him and believe in Him. God in turn held back His blessing and power. You could say that their spiritual health, or lack of it, in that instance was affecting their physical health. ^ Satan enters into Judas ^ Satan entered into Judas, who was also called Iscariot, who was counted with the twelve a[/bible/web/42-luke.html#luke22:3|Luke 22:3|(|).] ^^ Satan entered into Judas to give him the power and confidence that was needed to betray Jesus into the hands of the religious leaders. Satan was the driving force or power behind Judas' sin. Satan works in people and controls them to bring about his evil desires in the world. The world is under the control of the evil one. Judas was never considered as being sick or ill by an evil spirit, but he was still under Satan's control in his thoughts and desires.^^ Sicknesses caused by evil spirits will tend to make the person dysfunctional. Judas was able to function very well under the power of evil possessing him. He was able to work out his devious plan with skill and precision. A sick person on the other hand may become catatonic, agitated, severely depressed, filled with terror or become delusional. A sick person may not be able to function normally in society.^ Satan sifts Simon Peter ^ The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat a[/bible/web/42-luke.html#luke22:31-32|Luke 22:31|(|).] ^^ Simon Peter was easily sifted by Satan and he quickly denied knowing Jesus (Matt 26:73-75). It was all Satan's power working on his body and mind and also working through the people around him. Here we have a person who is totally devoted to Jesus, doing the complete opposite of what he wanted to do when Satan came against him. He didn't stand a chance against the power of Satan, but God kept him from falling completely and granted him repentance (Luke 22:32-34, Luke 22:61-64).^^ You could say "the devil made him do it", but we are always responsible for our own actions. The truth is that the devil took hold of the sin that was in him and roused it up, giving it great power and thereby taking control over him (Jas 1:13-15).^ Satan working a powerful delusion ^ Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders a[/bible/web/53-2thess.html#2thess2:8-10|2Thess 2:8|(|).] ^^ We read about a powerful delusion that is let loose on the earth in the last days (2Thess 2:1-12). This delusion is the working of Satan to deceive those who delight in wickedness and bring them to justice and eternal punishment. God does this because people refuse to love the truth and be saved, so He hands them over to their own evil desires. All the blocks and restraining power that keeps them from running headlong into evil are removed (2Thess 2:7). They revel in their new-found freedom, enjoying and boasting about their lusts, but it is all a delusion. Their consciences are not bothered anymore by the message of the Bible and there is no fear of God, or the punishment of hell. ^^ God is only spoken of as a "God of love" and every other attribute of God revealed in Scripture is ridiculed or dismissed. All the God ordained boundaries for marriage, sex and many other things are removed as people are driven along by their evil desires. Pride and confidence in man rises to epidemic proportions. Mankind sees himself as a god where nothing is impossible for him. The true God as revealed in the Bible is replaced by the worship of man and his own abilities. During this time the man of lawlessness rises up in the temple (church) proclaiming himself to be God (2Thess 2:8). We see religious leaders rise up proclaiming themselves to be infallible and on equal terms with Christ. They call themselves "holy father". They take on titles that are reserved for God alone, and ones that Christ Jesus forbade them to use (Matt 23:9).^^ The slippery slope starts with denying God as creator (Rom 1:20). Man then starts to boast about himself (Rom 1:22). It then moves onto the worship of idols and then into sexual immorality with the desire for unnatural relations (Rom 1:23-27). From there it moves on to general evil in all areas of life (Rom 1:28-32).^ Satan tempts Ananias and Sapphira, which led to their death ^ Satan tempted and overcame Ananias and his wife in the early church. They sold a property and lied about the amount. They kept back part of the money and gave the rest, while pretending to be giving the full amount a[/bible/web/44-acts.html#acts5:1-11|Acts 5:1|(|).]^ Satan, or the god of this age, blinds people to the truth ^ Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who are dying, in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them a[/bible/web/47-2cor.html#2cor4:3-4|2Cor 4:3|(|).] ^^ Satan actively keeps people from hearing and understanding the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is done in an almost limitless number of ways.^ The apostles heal many ^ The apostles tended to be the ones who healed people from diseases and torment by evil spirits (Acts 5:16-17, Acts 19:11-12). This function, it seems from Scripture, was later given over to the elders in the churches using the anointing of oil and prayer of faith (Jas 5:14-18). James wrote this instruction to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations - basically to all church congregations everywhere (Jas 1:1). This makes perfect sense as the apostles were not present everywhere and neither were they going to live forever. It was a bit like Moses handing the function of being a judge over to many assistants as all the people coming to him were too much for him to deal with (Exod 18:17-24). ^^ We need to keep in mind that following the method prescribed by Scripture does not automatically determine the outcome. It depends on a lot of things. If the elders praying for you are just going through the motions and don't have the required faith then you probably won't be healed. The disciples of Jesus found this out when trying to heal a boy with a demon (Matt 17:15-21). Some other references to Satan in the New Testament ^ Jesus was accused by the religious leaders of of driving out demons by Satan's power (Matt 12:25-29, Mark 3:23, Luke 11:18).^^ Jesus refers to Peter as "Satan" when Peter tried to deter Him from going to the cross (Matt 16:23, Mark 8:33).^^ Paul's commission to open up people's understanding so that they can turn from Satan to God (Acts 26:17-18).^^ Paul's rebuke and judgement on Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:8-11).^^ A spirit of divination driven out of a girl (Acts 16:16-19).^^ Paul's encouragement to people in Rome (Rom 16:20).^^ A man handed over to Satan for discipline (1Cor 5:4-5).^^ Avoiding the temptations of Satan in marriage (1Cor 7:5).^^ A call to avoid extremes so that Satan will not get the upper hand (2Cor 2:8-11).^^ False teachers in the church working in the same way as Satan does (2Cor 11:13-15).^^ The apostle Paul was given a thorn in the flesh (or messenger of Satan) to torment him and to keep him from becoming conceited (2Cor 12:7-9).^^ Satan blocked the apostle Paul from traveling to Thessolonica (1Thess 2:18).^^ Paul handing over members in the church to Satan to discipline them (1Tim 1:20).^^ Apostle Paul referring to people in the church who were following Satan (1Tim 5:15).^^ Leaders in the church must never be recent converts, else the devil will cause them to fall (1Tim 3:6).^^ Satan holds the power of death (Heb 2:14).^^ Believers called to submit to God and resist the devil (Jas 4:7).^^ The devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour (1Pet 5:8).^^ Children of the devil (1John 3:8). ||||text-start|]
NOTE: The above chart is still in the process of being annotated and being made interactive.
When we open the Bible in the book of Genesis we are confronted immediately with God and the historical events of creation that took place over a timeframe of a week. There is never any hint of some uncontrolled explosion or long-drawn-out evolutionary process, but only of the Creator working with absolute perfection - like a master potter beginning with a lump of unformed clay, ready to create a masterpiece (The earth was without form, and void...and the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters - Gen 1:2).
At the beginning there was no death, decay or corruption. There is never any mention of God using a process of "death and destruction" or "survival of the fittest" to arrive at perfection. There was no "geological column" consisting of billions of dead creatures buried in layers of rock. Those things came in later after Adam sinned and further down the line to the world-wide flood. So then, the creation week was all perfect and very good and reflected God's absolute power, glory and holiness. (see comparison table)
The history of creation is so important that the whole gospel message rests entirely on it. How and why death entered the world is inseparably linked to the death of the Son of God and the reasons why He had to suffer death to rescue people from their sins. Any attempt to change the history of the Bible to align with the ever-changing philosophies of what they call science is an attack on the gospel of Jesus Christ (See article).
When we open the Bible in the New Testament we are brought face to face with the literal historical account of the LORD Jesus Christ - His origins, His person and the works He did for the salvation of mankind. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." - John 1:14
So then, the creation, the fall and origin of sin and death, the promise, the world-wide flood, the origin of nations and languages, the call of Abraham, the giving of the law, the prophets, the Son of God clothing Himself in human nature and being born into this world, His crucifixion on a Roman cross, His physical bodily resurrection, His physical bodily ascension were all literal events that took place in the history of the world. The Christian faith in rooted very firmly in events that took place on the concrete plane of history.
The Bible is not a book of philosophy or for postulating theories. God has not left the human race to spend their time scratching their heads about where they came from. God did not hide the truth for all the centuries only until modern man arrived on the scene. No, no. He has spoken plainly and directly about our origins and it has been recorded in writing for thousands of years.
Having said that it needs to be stressed that the Bible also speaks of events that will happen in the future, like the second visible coming of Jesus Christ, the final judgement and the final state of each person, whether it be in heaven or in hell.
The message of the Bible remains the most urgent message for every person in the world to hear, to believe it and to submit themselves to its message.
Biblical history from the beginning of time.
Biblical history of the six-day Creation.
Biblical history of the Fall of Man.
Biblical history of the Flood.
Biblical history of the Exodus from Eqypt.