Dennis1209

The apostle Paul was unique: Paul compared himself to other apostles in various ways, often emphasizing his unique position and experiences. He defended his apostleship through the miracles he performed, which were considered signs of apostolic ministry. He referred to himself as "one born at the wrong time," suggesting an abnormal manner of becoming an apostle, which he saw as proof of his apostleship. 1 Corinthians 15:8 (KJV) And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. He included himself among a wider group of apostles beyond the Twelve, mentioning his experience of seeing the risen Christ after the ascension. I believe Paul was personally mentored by Jesus Himself at or around Mount Sinai (Jebal Musa) for three years. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. We assume this sojourn in Arabia, lasting as long as three years (1:18), probably started shortly after Paul’s conversion in about the year A.D. 32 (Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead at about the year A.D. 30, and a number of events occurred in the early Christian church between that time and Paul’s conversion).[1] Galatians 1:17-18 (KJV) Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. Paul was the only one given the honor and privilege to reveal essential mysteries about the church, the Rapture, and the Resurrection. Paul’s writings have been obfuscated by the father of lies through other religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam (72 virgins, other ways to heaven, etc.). Today, humanity has an aversion and hatred of absolutes, and where our morals and values originate. The mantra and character today are that we are our own gods. The earth dwellers today choose darkness over truth. Paul was given to the Gentiles. Galatians 2:7-8 (KJV) But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) [1] W. Harold Mare, New Testament Background Commentary: A New Dictionary of Words, Phrases and Situations in Bible Order (Ross-shire, UK: Mentor, 2004), 291.

Hi Ya, I suppose our doctrines vary on a few points. I would also like to add @AdHoc to the conversation, he has been as quiet as a church mouse lately. Let’s talk about Hell as you mentioned, better translated hades. Acts 2:27 (KJV) Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. We remember the conversation between Abraham (Abraham’s bosom), a place of comfort, and the rich man, a place of torment, separated by a great divide. This is not a parable, most agree a parable never uses real people. Therefore, there were, or still are two sides of Hades. Many contend, as I do, the comfort side was cleaned out at Christ’s resurrection. Matthew 27:52-53 (KJV) And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Ecclesiastes 12:7 (KJV) Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. The apostle Paul mentioned a change in where as souls and spirit reside from the resurrection of Christ. Thus, in the Christian era, Abraham’s bosom is bypassed 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (KJV) Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Now let us talk about Hades, not to be confused with the Lake of Fire. An analogy of Hades would be a jail, where the accused are confined and held awaiting their trial, hearing, conviction, and punishment. Note: Satan, the Antichrist, and False Prophet have already been condemned without a trial. The Lake of Fire is the prison sentence, the second death penalty, for all of eternity. With that thought, how does God’s omnipresence factor in? I propose that in these areas, God’s omnipresence is vacated; after all, what is Hell? Hell, and the Lake of Fire by definition, are the absence of God, no communication or possibility of prayer, continual pain and torment, zero blessings, and no hope, redemption, or second chances. However, I will not disagree with you, God’s omnipresence is everywhere, all the time. All the commentaries I read state that God’s omnipresence is even in Hell. Perhaps I should reconsider my hermeneutics.

Hi Marilyn, Thank you for your response. I am enjoying the comparison of our biblical views and examining your interpretation, as my perspective might be flawed, and I am seldom adamant on secondary issues (iron sharpens iron). In my previous post(s), I used the words' heaven' and 'kingdom' rather loosely. I think it would go a long way to define "what makes Heaven, Heaven." Rather than render my definition like I usually do, I am going to quote a combination of Adrian Rogers, C.H. Spurgeon, and Joseph Exell, excellent and well-known theologians, and scholars. What makes Heaven truly Heaven is not primarily its physical attributes but rather the presence of God and Jesus Christ. Being with Christ is "the glory of heaven" and "the magnetism of heaven". Heaven's greatest joy is being in the company of Christ, "Heaven without Christ would be but an empty place." Heaven is characterized by the perfect fulfillment of God's will. In Heaven, God's will is done voluntarily, consciously, totally, joyously, universally, and uninterruptedly. This perfect obedience and alignment with God's will is what creates the heavenly state. Additionally, Heaven is described as a place of close, uninterrupted fellowship with God, contrasting with the limited and intermittent experiences of God's presence that believers have on earth. It's worth noting that while some articles mention physical descriptions of Heaven from biblical sources, such as "streets made out of gold" or "vessels for the storage of rainwater," these are not presented as the essence of what makes Heaven, Heaven. From the above, and my thoughts, where Jesus physically is, on His throne, rules, and reigns, that is a description of Heaven, Heaven coming to earth. Do you agree or disagree with the definition of Heaven presented? From the book, 'Dennis-Second Opinions,' Chapter One, How Do You Eat an Elephant? One bite at a time. 😊 I would like to discuss the rest of the views we are talking about after I get your view of what defines the first and third Heaven.

Good morning from up above, Marilyn. I would like to hear your scriptural evidence on why you believe our eternal destination is in heaven, and not on the earth if you will. My exegesis is as follows: From the beginning, as intended and created, man was created out of the earth, on the earth, and for the earth, given care, and dominion over the earth (a special place created for us). God’s eternal plan was subverted by temptation and one man’s sin. Nonetheless, God’s original plan will come to fruition in the future. God has not changed His mind. In the garden, the responsibility was to tend the fruit and pulse (gardening) to feed themselves (with exceptions, there are no free meals). In this regard and related, let me pose an interesting question, angel food (manna). I suspect manna is a heavenly seed or grain, ground up and prepared for bread. Is angel food created ex nihilo, or do angels too work for and tend their bread? Admittedly, at one time I thought Christians (the church age) would spend eternity in Heaven, the dwelling place of God the Father. John 1:18 (KJV) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 6:46 (KJV) Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Exodus 33:20 (KJV) And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. In my view, the kingdom of God is where Christ physically manifests, rules, and reigns supreme. Therefore, Heaven is coming to earth, and the new refurbished earth for eternity. John 14:2-3 (KJV) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. As the 2nd Temple period Jewish wedding custom exactly mirrors the process of the Rapture, an addition is being built to the Father’s house for the bride, and Groom, coming to earth. When a son got married, it was common for him to build a dwelling place on his father’s property, with each new building enlarging the family. This addition to the Father’s house is the New Jerusalem, I do believe. I suspect we will see heaven possibly for seven years, from the Rapture, until we follow Christ back to earth at His second coming. Revelation 3:21 (KJV) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. I interpret this to mean, Jesus is speaking of His relationship to His Father, and sharing His throne.

I agree. Short of documenting historical records and statistics for natural disasters and nature revolting, linearly coming on like birth pains, with some highs and lulls (divers places). It is undeniable that the media is emphatically proclaiming and using accurate terminology, such as 'never seen,' 'unprecedented,' 'historical,' 'once in a lifetime,' and 'a 500-year event,' etc. Scripture is jumping off the pages of the Bible today, and I could bore you to tears citing examples; it cannot be overlooked. I truly believe time is short. Even the biblical River Euphrates, as predicted, is at historical low levels and drying up. In places, the residents now call it the Euphrates Creek. Many historical sites and biblical relics are being discovered.

Good morning, This subject has always fascinated me, and I have devoted a great deal of study to it. First, a little disclaimer. Like everyone else, I form my beliefs based on the inerrant, infallible word of God first and foremost and my interpretation thereof. We all do not interpret scripture the same, and I never claim my view is the correct one. The modern Western mind does not think or believe in the same way as the ancient Eastern mind. With Israel as ground zero, is it a coincidence writing is from left to right to Israel's west and right to left east of there, as one of many examples? However, it is reasonable to deduce that the Earth had a protective canopy of some sort, which filtered out the harmful light band. Today, we know the detrimental effects of UV light and radiation, harming our DNA and causing cancer and other health effects sooner rather than later. I speculate it was a canopy of ice encompassing the entire planet. The Lord drastically reduced human longevity from centuries to a maximum of 120 years (Genesis 6:3 (KJV) And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.) by these means. I think the latest revision of human longevity is: Psalm 90:10 (KJV) The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (70-80 years). Examining the attached longevity chart below, God did not immediately reduce longevity to a maximum of 120 years but instead did so sequentially through generations. At one time, our planet had to be close to a uniform temperature. All the flora and trees discovered under the ice caps at the North Pole and Antarctica bear witness to this, along with the mammoth fossil record of flora and fauna. An old, detailed, extremely geographically accurate, and precise map was discovered of an ice-free Antarctica. The only possible way a cartographer could do it is if the coasts and land were ice-free. Another question related to the Great Deluge is how and why the poles accumulated so much ice, miles thick in places, and what caused the ice age. It is another interesting study, too lengthy to delve into in this post. I reason that there were no earthquakes before Noah's flood, and the mountains were molehills compared to today, now having tectonic activity resulting from the Earth's crust fracturing and releasing the aquifers under pressure from the deep. From that, and the Genesis account of God making dry land, the Earth's surface is now ¾ water. As the Bible states, the Earth was watered by a mist. God caused the crystalline ice canopy to turn into water. Rain was never seen before this event, resulting in rain for forty days and nights. I suspect most of the deluge was the result of the Earth's mantle breaking up. With the aid of modern technology, including ground penetrating radar (GPR) and sonar, these cracks in the Earth's mantle are now documented and mapped. For fossilization to occur, it must happen rapidly, not taking a long time. There are many examples of recent fossilization, the process, and the short time it takes. There are at least two schools of thought regarding the fossil record: the old earth theory, which posits a previous creation destroyed by judgment, and the Noah's Flood account. My view is that Noah's flood is responsible for the fossil record. The record shows flora and fauna of mammoth size, including dinosaurs, dragonflies with three-foot wing spans, pterosaurs, and more. Insects have exoskeletons that they breathe through. The atmospheric oxygen content and atmospheric pressure limit their size, and reptiles continue to grow throughout their entire lives. It seems reasonable to surmise that before Earth's breakup, the atmospheric conditions were much different than today, possibly related to the breakup of the theorized protective canopy. Here is something to ponder and chew on: Was the stature of humans proportional to their environment? Imagine swatting off mosquitos the size of baseballs, ticks sucking ounces of blood, a biting horsefly the size of a cantaloupe, etc. I cannot prove it, but I surmise humanity had to be larger in stature than after the deluge. If that thought is actual, then it gives another perspective for: Genesis 6:4 (KJV) There were giants in the Earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. What are your thoughts and views?

Howdy! Opinion – My World View We are on the same sheet of music, so to speak. Luke 17:26 (KJV) And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. To be brief, I think the implication of the verse above goes beyond the traditional view. Why did Jesus have to go many centuries back to cite His example? There was something unique that must have transpired (i.e., Gen. 3:15, Gen.6:1-4, DNA, genetic makeup). If my exegetical view and many others are correct, compare our day with the days of Noah's generations, plural. I maintain Noah was perfect in the sense his genome was generationally uncontaminated. Today, we have DNA tinkering and splicing to alter human and animal biology; what is the prime ulterior motive to cross the "kind" barrier God established? I suspect the primary Modus Operandi is greed, war, and global control. Think about the ramifications of soldiers with the eyes of an eagle, hearing like an owl, stamina of a wolf, strength of a bear, superior endurance, needing less food and sleep. Can a country survive an onslaught of this kind of technology without keeping up? Crispr-cas9 tinkering kits are available to any mad scientist or wan-a-be Dr. Jekyll. The official announcements made for super-soldiers and a space force do not involve skeletal suits like those seen in Iron Man, as Wikipedia and others suggest. If anyone believes that, I am proud to announce I am selling the Washington phallus. It is too lengthy to discuss, but how did Nazi Germany suddenly advance 50 years in technology seemingly overnight? I mentioned the LHC, where it is geographically located, and the pretense of what they are trying to accomplish in the hope of discovering the God particle. Again, too lengthy to delve into: based on the biblical narrative and Hebrew word meanings, I suspect Nimrod "became" a Nephilim. There is an interesting story that I cannot prove or disprove, and it may be made up; however, what I have read comes from credible sources. It is alleged that during the Gulf War, Nimrod's tomb was discovered, and the body was still entombed there. A special American secretive operation was conducted, and Nimrod's body was quickly whisked away and taken somewhere; if true, why. To paraphrase Sen. John Kennedy and others, if it is a conspiracy theory, it is likely true. I am amazed at what has been discovered during these congressional inquiries, investigations, and testimonies. The coverups, lies, false information, and deceptions, everything from COVID-19 to UFOs (UAPs), now suddenly pose a national security risk and aviation hazard. The ongoing investigations, testimony, changes in reporting, engaging, policies, and procedures. I believe this is the first rung of disclosure and has everything to do with Matthew 24 and the deceptions Jesus warns about four times for emphasis. Notice the arrogance and stupidity of the criteria and sources outlined below; they are investigating. The spiritual and dimensional are blatantly and obviously omitted. Prelimary-Assessment-UAP-20210625.pdf For those who believe in the government, I am also selling the White House and renting out the Lincoln bedroom. Adjective: extraterrestrial. 1. Originating or located or occurring outside Earth or its atmosphere Noun: extraterrestrial 1. A form of life assumed to exist outside the Earth or its atmosphere. [WordWeb.info] A person can get a Ph.D. in astrobiology; what have they found, and what are they studying? Does anyone remember the panic in New York City on October 30, 1938, with Orson Welles's radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds?" Today, ho-hum, nothing to see here, citizen, move on. We have been radically conditioned through decades of exposure to superheroes and demi-gods (comic books, radio broadcasts, TV movies, documentaries, and programs, as well as SETI, etc.). Our Bibles, pseudepigrapha, ancient texts, Jewish texts, ancient cultures, and ancient engraved stones have a lot to say about what we refer to as UFOs. What better explanation for the sudden disappearance of millions of people off the planet?

I say God created the "nations" in the sense of birds of a feather flocking together, as in the same language grouping and migrating-dispersing together, eventually forming nations and borders. These groups took their idols, false deities, and beliefs with them. I am not precisely sure what you are asking, but I will take a guess, filled with people. God's command to "fill the earth" in Genesis 1:28 is primarily understood as a blessing for humanity to populate the world through reproduction. This directive was given to both Adam and Eve, and later to Noah and his family after the flood. In Genesis 6, when mankind filled the earth with violence instead of God's rule, God responded with judgment through the flood. God's ultimate plan involves fulfilling His original creation intentions through a righteous humanity, which is achieved through Jesus Christ. Related to this, I have pondered other thoughts, namely confinement, location, and dwelling. We were created out of the earth, on the earth, and for the earth. With the biblical narrative, I infer that planet Earth will be our eternal home. Still, many other planets could be inhabited out there, not to mention the dimensions that the spiritual realm encompasses. In the end, all things will be made anew. John 14:2 (KJV) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. MANSION ~ ② a place in which one stays, dwelling(-place), room, abode[1] Revelation 3:12 (KJV) Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. Revelation 21:2 (KJV) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I have long assumed the holy city, the New Jerusalem, will be our eternal home and abode. The statement "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" certainly sounds like this is the NT Church of Christ only. God's chosen people as a nation will be given a large chunk of land for their own, with the borders outlined in Gen. 15:18 and Numbers 34:1-5. I assume that will be their dwelling place. I suspect most of us are curious and wonder what our eternal abode will be like. We know it will be beautiful beyond description. The KJV describes our eternal abode as a mansion. In my mind, when I picture a mansion, I think of dozens of spacious and luxurious rooms where the wealthy and elite dwell. One day, with nothing better to do and too much time on my hands, I thought I would do a rough calculation of the size and volume of the possible size of my mansion (room). It somewhat follows the Drake Equation if you are familiar with it, inserting unknowns. I calculated the volume of the New Jerusalem to be 1,500 x 1,500 x 1,500 miles. Scientific guesses of how many people ever lived (108 billion people). Wide is the way, and narrow is the gate of 10% of people with saving faith and some other considerations. My Drake-Dennis calculation came out to the size of a large master bedroom. Yeah, I know; I lost a few marbles along the way, and over the years, that is why I maintain a good supply of Reynolds Wrap hats to wear behind the keyboard. 😊 [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 658.

This is not a comment, it is a doctrinal dissertation, LOL. Of course, my thoughts are open to biblical exegesis, and one shoe does not fit all. Our biblical worldview centers on the three questions. Many Rabbis and Jewish scholars attest that the reason the world is as evil as it is is the culmination of three events: Adam's original sin, Genesis 6:1-4, and the Tower of Babel. God created the nations (Gen. 10) at Babel as a response to human rebellion led by Nimrod. It is interesting and noteworthy how Nimrod became (gibbōr). adj. strong, mighty; n. masc. warrior, mighty man.[1] After the flood, humanity was commanded to spread across the earth, but instead, they congregated to build a city and a tower (known as a ziggurat) to make a name for themselves (what sort of name?). The dozens of ancient global megaliths that cannot be duplicated today might be associated with this rebellion, and worshipping false gods. Was it intelligence, technology, or superhuman that built the megaliths, pre- or post-flood? This act was a defiance against God's will. In response, God confused their languages, forcing them to scatter across the world as He had originally intended. In effect, God disinherited the nations (Deut. 32). God then allotted these newly formed nations to members of His divine council, referred to as "sons of God" (bēn ʾĕlōhîm, who were supernatural, but they corrupted themselves). This divine allocation is an explanation for why different nations came to worship other gods, demigods, and Titans. However, this was not God's original plan but rather a judgment. God later initiated a plan to bring the nations back into His family, starting with His covenant with Abraham. God chose a people set apart from the nations to be His own through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Every ancient culture retained and recorded a global flood story, as well as stories about demigod-Titans. History is littered with the recordings and traditions, Epic of Gilgamesh, I Enoch, Herodotus, Josephus, etc. But wait, there is more. Are we to assume these people were as dumb as rocks, trying to build a ziggurat (skyscraper) to reach heaven on the flat plains of Shinar (a biblical high place)? No, they were trying to establish communication and favor related to the demi-gods of old: Genesis 6:4 (KJV) There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. I find CERN and the Large Hadron Collider interesting, particularly in their search for the "God particle" and the statement made by a former director. To paraphrase, perhaps we can send or receive a message to another dimension. There is an occult statue of Shiva, the Destroyer, in front of CERN Headquarters, featuring occult symbolism and video footage of occult rituals performed there. The geographic location selected for the LHC is perplexing. This location sits atop the French-Swiss border and is historically steeped in the occult. If it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck. Do the devils have seed? Genesis 3:15 (KJV) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Let me propose a question for you regarding your question number three, which relates to the church and being grafted in. What if Israel had accepted Jesus as their Messiah? Interesting thoughts and conversation, eh? [1] Tamra Hernandez, “Men,” in Lexham Theological Wordbook, ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

The Boy Scout Oath, or Promise, reflects a commitment to biblical principles and values. Sixty years on, I can still quote most of them. I want to talk about the Boy Scout Motto: Be prepared. I believe we have the God given right to defend ourselves, our families, and those not capable of defending themselves. I believe it is wise and prudent to be semi-prepared for unseen circumstances before it is too late. The severe thunderstorm and tornado season (2025) has been especially devastating for many in Tornado Ally and Dixi Ally. Not to mention a year later western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and other areas are still reeling from Hurricane Helene. From experience (2009) and what I learned, the government cannot and will not cater to your needs and well-being; that is a personal responsibility. What you have and prepared for is all you have. From personal experience, when the power grid goes down for an extended period, for whatever reason, life as we know it drastically changes, becomes uncomfortable, and can become dangerous and deadly. A little preplanning and thought go a long way in alleviating much of the pain and suffering, and the opportunity to share with those in need is enhanced by slipping a Bible Salvation Tract into the ice and commodities. Examining historical records, flooding, wildfires, mudslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms are being described as historic, unprecedented, never-before-seen, once-in-a-lifetime events, or even 500-year occurrences. In other words, disasters are picking up in frequency and intensity, birth pains sound familiar, not to mention potential terrorism. The Mississippi-New Madrid fault zone now has geologists very concerned with what is happening (fracturing beneath the bed). Not to mention their escalating concern about the changes in the Yellowstone Park caldera. It is not if, but when. We do not realize how soft we have become until the electrons stop flowing into our homes, businesses, and infrastructure. In the small village where I lived before retirement, the water continued to flow, but we had a boil alert (we were all on electricity). It was cold showers every day for a couple of weeks, and July temperatures of 95-100 degrees. If that was not inconvenient enough, the sewer lift pumps lacked emergency backup power. Toilets and drains were exploding into homes, spewing sewage everywhere. After enough trees and debris were removed from the roads to allow for venturing out, the local Quick Trips and gas stations eventually obtained backup generators and reopened. All of them were a madhouse, cars lined up for blocks, cash only, fights breaking out. The ice deliveryman was sold out from the delivery truck. Now living in the boondocks, I have a well and septic system, so I don't worry about the sewer system exploding. However, without electricity, there is no well water. We don't realize how much water we use until it's gone. Unrelated to water usage, and due to my wife’s disability, I installed two handicap toilets that happen to use only one gallon of water per flush, instead of the standard four gallons. That turns out to be a blessing. I guess the point of my rant is that the more stocked up on the essentials of life as we are accustomed to, the less miserable our families will be when unfavorable circumstances arrive. Plus, the blessing of forethought, probably being able to help your church family and neighbors. From the Book of Dennis, 2 Opinions: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 😊

Well stated, and since biblical numbers are part of the thread, I’d like to piggyback on the theme. Numbers are another proof that our Bible is divinely inspired. As I progressed in my biblical studies, it took me a while to realize the symbology and significance of biblical numbers beyond their numerical value and Hebrew-Greek name meanings. The most significant numbers appear to be one, three, seven (600 times), ten, and twelve. Numbers in the Bible often carry symbolic significance beyond their literal value. The number seven, appearing approximately 600 times in Scripture, is particularly important and is often associated with completeness or totality[1][2]. Other numbers with symbolic meanings include three (completeness or divine fullness), four (completeness in relation to range or extent), ten (often used as a round number of indefinite magnitude), and twelve (associated with the people of God)[2][3]. These numbers appear in various contexts throughout the Bible, such as in the Book of Revelation, which frequently uses the number seven[2]. Some numbers are used in graded or climactic series, as seen in various Old Testament passages[1]. While some biblical numbers are precise, others are symbolic or hyperbolic, such as the "thousand thousands" mentioned in Daniel's dream[1]. It's important to note that the interpretation of numbers in the Bible, especially in genealogies and chronologies, requires careful consideration of ancient Near Eastern practices and the primary function of such lists in establishing identity rather than precise chronology[4]. ONE: Unity, Trinity, One man’s sin, one Man’s sacrifice. TWO: Union, Division, and Witnessing. THREE: Resurrection; Divine Completeness, perfection, Trinity. (1 John 5:7) FOUR: Creation, World. FIVE: Grace, or God’s goodness. SIX: Weakness of man, number of man; evils of Satan, manifestation of sin. SEVEN: Completeness, Spiritual, Perfection. EIGHT: New birth, New Creation, or new beginning. NINE: Fruit of the Spirit, Divine completeness from the Lord. TEN: Testimony, Law and Responsibility. ELEVEN: Judgment or Disorder. TWELVE: Governmental perfection. THIRTEEN: Depravity and Rebellion. FOURTEEN: Deliverance or Salvation. FIFTEEN: Rest. SIXTEEN: Love. SEVENTEEN: Victory. EIGHTEEN: Bondage. NINETEEN: Faith. TWENTY: Redemption. TWENTY-ONE: Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin. TWENTY-TWO: Light. TWENTY-THREE: Death. TWENTY-FOUR: The Priesthood. TWENTY-FIVE: The forgiveness of sin. TWENTY-SIX: The Gospel of Christ. TWENTY-SEVEN: Preaching of the Gospel. TWENTY-EIGHT: Eternal life. TWENTY-NINE: Departure. THIRTY: The Blood of Christ, dedications, mourning. THIRTY-ONE: Offspring. THIRTY-TWO: Covenant. THIRTY-THREE: Promise. THIRTY-FOUR: Naming of a son. THIRTY-FIVE: Hope. THIRTY-SIX: Enemy. THIRTY-SEVEN: The Word of God. THIRTY-EIGHT: Slavery. THIRTY-NINE: Disease. FORTY: Trials; Probation, Testings. FORTY-TWO: Israel’s oppression, Lord’s advent. FORTY-FIVE: Preservation. FIFTY: The Holy Spirit. SIXTY: Pride. SIXTY-SIX: Idol worship. SEVENTY: Universality, Israel, and her Restoration. ONE HUNDRED: God’s election of Grace, Children of Promise. ONE HUNDRED-NINETEEN: The Resurrection Day, Lord’s Day. ONE HUNDRED-TWENTY: Divine period of probation. ONE HUNDRED-FORTY-FOUR: The Spirit guided life. ONE HUNDRED-FIFTY-THREE: Fruit bearing: The mention of 153 fish in John 21:11 has sparked numerous interpretations and speculations. This detail is part of a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to his disciples, where he miraculously provides them with an abundant catch after a night of unsuccessful fishing[1][2][3]. While some view the number as simply a precise count to lend authenticity to the account[1], others see deeper symbolism. Various allegorical explanations have been proposed, often involving gematria (deriving meaning from numerical values of letters) or references to ancient beliefs about fish species[1][2]. One interpretation suggests the number represents the universality of the church's mission, symbolizing all nations or types of people to be "caught" by the disciples as "fishers of men"[1][2][4]. However, there is no consensus on the exact symbolism, if any was intended[2][5]. Regardless of its specific meaning, the miraculous catch of 153 fish is generally understood to emphasize Jesus' power over nature and provide further evidence to the disciples of his extraordinary nature and resurrection[3]. TWO HUNDRED: Insufficiency. SIX HUNDRED: Warfare. SIX HUNDRED-SIXTY-SIX: The number of the Beast, Antichrist. EIGHT HUNDRED-EIGHTY-EIGHT: The first Resurrection Saints. THOUSAND: Divine completeness and Glory of God.1 1 Biblical Mathematics, How to Count the Bible, Ed. F. Vallowe

Matthew 25:13 (KJV) Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. So that we do not miss this, Mark and Luke also record Jesus’s words. Watch, therefore, is a command: what are we to watch for? I propose prophecy coming about, and the signs of the times outlined in 2 Tim. 3:1-7, Eze. 38-39, Isa. 17, Jer. 49, and elsewhere. For the end times to occur, there had to be a nation of Israel to be reestablished again in a single day (May 14, 1948). There has to be a way and means to livestream the death and resurrection of the Two Witnesses globally in real-time, allowing all to witness the event and send presents quickly to anyone on the planet. These and many other implications are not coming; they are here. Hebrews 10:25 (KJV) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. In short, if Christians know their Bible, do not grow weary and leave the faith church, and are paying attention, they will see the day fast approaching. I see “the Day” rapidly approaching. We should be doubling down, spreading, and sharing the Good News like never before, while we still have the opportunity. It goes without saying that those “left behind” will go through the worst time ever in human history, or ever will be, hell on earth.

The global alignments, alliances, treaties, technology, and the human heart has rapidly aligned with prophetic scripture, so fast, no one can keep up with the significance of these alignments (i.e. Dan. 12:4, Ezek. 38-39, 2 Tim. 3:1-6, Isa. 17, Jer. 39, etc.). Our generation is the first time in history that all biblical prophecy has come together, and I believe May 14, 1948, was the day God’s hourglass was turned over. There has to be a nation of Israel for the Book of Revelation and prophecy to be fulfilled. Matthew 24:33 (KJV) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. All these things Jesus brought to our attention have come to pass or are rapidly escalating. Jesus mentioned deception four times to grab our attention. Everywhere we look, there is deception, lies, and cover-ups. [Major media, government(s), churches, blood sucking poly-ticks, pharmacy.] I do not know how much the Lord will allow me to witness, but if my physical tent wears out, He calls me home, or it be the Rapture, either way, I will be meeting Jesus face-to-face very soon. Oh, what a glorious day that will be. Someone ought to pen a hymn on that subject. 😊

At my age, I recall my first computer, manufactured centuries before DOS by the Antikythera Company, which broke and was outdated, lacking technical support, warranty repairs, and upgrades. So, I upgraded and opted for a modern Chinese string and bead computer. In my day, climate change and going green were not an issue, so plop goes the computer, LOL. I hope you get another one soon Kwik.

Benifits - Convienance - Snares If I am an example, you all are experiencing it. Everything from my life insurance to my banking has transitioned to paperless services for your convenience, allowing us to serve you better. To check any records, obtain monthly statements and transactions, update or change something, etc., consider the difficulty of not having a smart computer and/or a smartphone. It is now undeniable that the world is transitioning to a cashless system, requiring innovative electronics and connections to participate in society and thrive. How hard will it be to turn someone off for not complying with their continuing changes of terms of service (TOS), whereas you are no longer a valued customer but subservient to them and the system? It no longer requires a vivid imagination or a conspiracy theory to see how the beast system is developing and implemented. Knowledge and technology are no longer developing linearly over centuries, but now in just weeks. RFID chips containing all personal information, the size of a grain of rice, and GPS tracking, smartphones downsized and worn as wristwatches. How much longer before that smartwatch (for your convenience) is downsized to a grain of rice and implanted? Today, many crimes are being solved through the use of smartphones and DNA evidence. Law enforcement and the government maintain and collect DNA databases. Join the military, send Ancestry.com your DNA, get arrested, and they have your biological marker. Unless the power source is removed, you are automatically being tracked by your smartphone and recorded; that’s a fact, Jack. The old technology of debit and credit cards being chipped will soon become obsolete. No more USB ports, forgetting, breaking, charging, or stealing a smartphone/wristwatch. It will conveniently stay charged by either of the two most sensitive and convertible temperature changes (delta T) of the body, such as the forehead or the back of the hand. By-pass the self-checkout scanners and walk out the door. You and your items will be scanned, and your personal identification account will be debited or credited. Does this still sound like a fairy tale, conspiracy theory, or someone wearing a Reynold’s Wrap pointed hat? I will omit the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) as we speak, much less the near future capabilities and adaptations. It is now a national concern and priority between our current government administration and hostile countries. Are we witnessing the prelude to the beast system? I contend, no doubt. If you think your assistants (Siri, Alexa, Gemini, Co-Pilot, Cortana, etc.) are not constantly listening in, think again. We have many experiences and tests that go beyond suspicion.

Good morning from up above, where the weather and everything else rotate correctly (circular reasoning). 😊LOL You are correct, the festivals were given to God’s chosen people (a chosen people for His own through Abraham, after disinheriting the nations) to celebrate and observe. Are we not also grafted into those feasts by the blood of Christ? 1. Redemption, the purchase price, Kinsmen Redeemer. 2. Sanctification, burial, baptism. 3. Harvest, Christ first of the harvest. 4. Pentecost, receiving the Holy Spirit. 5. Saved, Rapture, harvest. I see a prophetic timeline in the feasts for Israel and the church, with the next prophetic event fulfilling the Rapture of God’s children of all time. I would also call the feasts the redemptive plan and story. The sacrificial system will be restored in Christ's millennial reign, and that seems odd given Christ’s atonement. I think that will be a memorial and celebration of the above, looking back in time at what Christ did for Israel and us, its meaning, and God’s plan and purpose for redemption foretold. As always, I am not dogmatic in my views.

As my citation indicates, I believe I gleaned and copied the following from Marilyn sometime back. Where she and I may differ is that the church is grafted into the first five feasts. I suspect Yom Kippur is representative of a remnant of Israel being saved as a nation. I think Tabernacles (the Wedding Feast) is for the church, and saved Israel are guests and attendants, as represented by the Ten Virgins parable. Could be wrong. But anyway, @Marilyn C did a nice job putting it together. The way in which Jesus fulfilled the Jewish feasts is a fascinating study. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Jewish prophet Amos records that God declared He would do nothing without first revealing it to His servants, the prophets (Amos 3:7). From the Old Covenant to the New, Genesis to Revelation, God provides picture after picture of His entire plan for mankind and one of the most startling prophetic pictures is outlined for us in the Jewish feasts of Leviticus 23. The Hebrew word for “feasts” (moadim) literally means “appointed times.” God has carefully planned and orchestrated the timing and sequence of each of these seven feasts to reveal to us a special story. The seven annual feasts of Israel were spread over seven months of the Jewish calendar, at set times appointed by God. They are still celebrated by observant Jews today. But for both Jews and non-Jews who have placed their faith in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, these special days demonstrate the work of redemption through God’s Son. The first four of the seven feasts occur during the springtime (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Weeks), and they all have already been fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. The final three holidays (Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles) occur during the fall, all within a short fifteen-day period. Many Bible scholars and commentators believe that these fall feasts have not yet been fulfilled by Jesus. However, the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) for all believers in Jesus Christ is that they most assuredly will be fulfilled. As the four spring feasts were fulfilled literally and right on the actual feast day in connection with Christ’s first coming, these three fall feasts, it is believed by many, will likewise be fulfilled literally in connection to the Lord’s second coming. In a nutshell, here is the prophetic significance of each of the seven Levitical feasts of Israel: 1) Passover (Leviticus 23:5)—Pointed to the Messiah as our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) whose blood would be shed for our sins. Jesus was crucified during the time that the Passover was observed (Mark 14:12). Christ is a “lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19) because His life was completely free from sin (Hebrews 4:15). As the first Passover marked the Hebrews’ release from Egyptian slavery, so the death of Christ marks our release from the slavery of sin (Romans 8:2). 2) Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6)—Pointed to the Messiah’s sinless life (as leaven is a picture of sin in the Bible), making Him the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus’ body was in the grave during the first days of this feast, like a kernel of wheat planted and waiting to burst forth as the bread of life. 3) First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10)—Pointed to the Messiah’s resurrection as the first fruits of the righteous. Jesus was resurrected on this very day, which is one of the reasons that Paul refers to him in 1 Corinthians 15:20 as the “first fruits from the dead.” 4) Weeks or Pentecost (Leviticus 23:16)—Occurred fifty days after the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and pointed to the great harvest of souls and the gift of the Holy Spirit for both Jew and Gentile, who would be brought into the kingdom of God during the Church Age (see Acts 2). The Church was actually established on this day when God poured out His Holy Spirit and 3,000 Jews responded to Peter’s great sermon and his first proclamation of the gospel. 5) Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24)—(Rosh Hashanah)The first of the fall feasts. Many believe this day points to the Rapture of the Church when the Messiah Jesus will appear in the heavens as He comes for His bride, the Church. The Rapture is always associated in Scripture with the blowing of a loud trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:52). 6) Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27)—(Yom Kippur)Many believe this prophetically points to the day of the Second Coming of Jesus when He will return to earth. That will be the Day of Atonement for the Jewish remnant when they “look upon Him whom they have pierced,” repent of their sins, and receive Him as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 11:1–6, 25–36). 7) Tabernacles or Booths (Leviticus 23:34)—Many scholars believe that this feast day points to the Lord’s promise that He will once again “tabernacle” with His people when He returns to reign over all the world (Micah 4:1–7). Should Christians celebrate these Levitical feast days of Israel today? Whether or not a Christian celebrates the Jewish feast days would be a matter of conscience for the individual Christian. Colossians 2:16–17 tells us, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Christians are not bound to observe the Jewish feasts the way an Old Testament Jew was, but we should not criticize another believer who does or does not observe these special days and feasts (Romans 14:5). While it is not required for Christians to celebrate the Jewish feast days, it is beneficial to study them. Certainly, it could be beneficial to celebrate these days if it leads one to a greater understanding and appreciation for Christ’s death and resurrection and the future promise of His coming. As Christians, if we choose to celebrate these special days, we should put Christ in the center of the celebration, as the One who came to fulfill the prophetic significance of each of them.[1] [1] Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2014–2021). `The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are my feasts.` (Lev. 13: 2) Convocations - an assembly, a rehearsal of the past, but looking to the future fulfillment. These have special dates and help us to work out God`s timeline for Israel and their eventual National Deliverance. As we learn the times and dates concerning the 7 years and beyond, we can have a good idea of when the rapture will be - before the beginning of the 7 years. Passover This commemorated Israel`s deliverance from Egypt. Each family celebrated the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, and symbolically re-enacted the first Passover as they ate their own special meal. The celebration continued for seven days as they commemorated the Exodus and wilderness wanderings by eating unleavened bread, recalling the haste with which they left Egypt, when they did not have time to let the bread rise. (Ex. 12: 11 - 30, Lev. 23: 4 - 8, Num. 28: 16 - 25, Matt. 26: 17). The Firstfruits is also celebrated with the barley harvest at the end of the seven-day Passover festival. (Lev. 23: 9 - 14). The Feast of Weeks. This Festival is seven weeks after Passover, when the Jews celebrate the gathering in of the wheat harvest. The priests offered symbolically two loaves made from new flour of the new harvest. The Feast later became associated with the giving of the Law, (two tablets) to Moses as Mount Sinai in that month. (Lev. 23: 9 - 22, Deut. 16: 9 - 12). Trumpets A time of reckoning with God. This two-day celebration marked by the blowing of trumpets to greet the civil New Year, was also the beginning of the most solemn month of the year. The Israelites prepared themselves for Yom Kippur, (Day of Atonement which comes ten days later) by praising God, whose standard they had failed to meet, and recounting His greatness, love and mercy. (Lev. 23: 23 - 25, Num. 1 - 6). Day of Atonement Yom Kippur, the most holy day in the Jewish year. Here Israel confessed the nation`s sins, and asked forgiveness and cleansing. A scapegoat was sent into the desert carrying symbolically the people`s sin. The High Priest entered the Most Holy Place of the temple on this day alone with blood and fire from the altar. (Lev. 16, 23: 26 - 32, Num. 29: 7 - 11). Tabernacles Commemorated Israel`s wanderings in the wilderness. It is a joyful harvest festival. During the seven-day celebration the people thanked God for protecting them in the wilderness and for the harvest. For seven days they lived in shelters made of branches, to remind them of their time living in tents in the wilderness. (Lev. 23: 33 - 44, Num. 29: 12 - 40, John 7: 2).1 1 Marilyn C (Worthy Forum)

Good morning, I agree that extrabiblical texts and pseudodepigrapha are not inerrant, are not part of our canon, and were not inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, they are essential for studying cultural and historical background and understanding biblical texts. Herodotus, Josephus, I Enoch, and especially the Qumran Dead Sea Scrolls give us insight into what was thought, taught, and believed during the 2nd Temple period. The ancient Eastern mind and the modern Western mind do not think, believe, and reason alike. To understand history and the Bible better, we must enter their minds, thoughts, and beliefs. I could cite many examples, but I will use one for brevity. I will fear no evil, the shadow of death is an actual place, the territory of Og, King of Bashan, in the shadow of Mount Hermon. Historical writings are littered with what the Jews believed about what happened at Mt. Hermon, who descended atop the mountain, and the consequences. We get brief accounts in Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 6:1-4. It clarifies why and where some biblical events occurred that were not fully explained in scripture. For instance, why did Jesus leave Caesarea Philippi (home of the god Pan) with Peter, James, and John in tow? As the crow flies over rugged terrain, they travel about 17 miles NE to the middle of nowhere wilderness. Why did Jesus select this particular spot for His transfiguration? What was there at the time of Jesus’s transfiguration, what remains to this day, and the ruins and rubble of what ancient pagan temple? Matthew 16:18 (KJV) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. These gates of hell are offensive blockades and barriers that will not prevail against Christ and His church. Why was it necessary that Moses and Elijah be at Christ’s transfiguration, and what did they talk about? What was Peter, James, and John’s role in being there and witnessing? Can we draw any reasonable biblical conclusions?

Yep, the Bible’s admonition: Acts 17:11 (KJV) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Noble: Open-minded (BDAG)

The whole Bible points to sin and the need for reconciliation. The central message of the Bible in both the NT and OT points to God, through His Son Jesus Christ, and the need for a kinsman redeemer. The Law and the sacrificial system could save no one. 1 John 4:10 (KJV) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. If my memory serves, God is named in every book of the Bible, except Esther. Esther in type points to the Kinsmen Redeemer, the central message.

I am not being irreverent when I say the Bible was ahead of its time. It is a love story written to man by an omniscient God. Not to offend flat-earth theorists, but for an extended period of history, people and sailors thought that if they went far enough, they would drop off the face of the Earth, that the sun rotated around the Earth, etc. Discovering the shape of the Earth is as simple as placing a stick in the ground, marking the top of the shadow, and repeating the process every hour for a half circle. According to secular “best guesses,” human knowledge has doubled every century or so. According to the Bible, there will come a time when: Daniel 12:4 (KJV) But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. The Industrial Revolution sparked and was the beginning of what Daniel envisioned. No one would understand Daniel’s vision until it arrived. The Bible is not a science or physics book. Yet, it contains science and physics, much of it only coming to light in the last few centuries, some recently, as with the discovery of deep-sea springs by technology-deep-sea immersible. The Book of Job and others have science written into them: Ecclesiastes 1:7 [rains, mountains; and evaporation] Isaiah 55:10 [hydro cycle and recycling] Psalm 135:7 [evaporation to the atmosphere] Jeremiah 51:16 [thunderstorms and rain] Jeremiah 10:13 [thunderstorms; rain and evaporation] Job 36:26-28 [precipitation] Psalm 33:7 [ocean reservoirs and life cycle] Job 38:22 [treasures of snow and hail] Psalm 147:16 [snow and frost] Job 28:24-26, Job 38:16 [hydrology balance and sea springs] Job 26:10; Job 38:12-14; Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 40:22 [Geology and the shape of the Earth] Job 26:7; Job 38:6 [magnetic and gravitational forces] Job 14:18 [sand, erosion of rock for nutrients] Job 38:29-30 [ice age, glaciers, stages of water] Job 40; Job 41 [dinosaurs] Genesis 1:26; Genesis 11:6 [the complex human mind] Genesis 1:11; Genesis 1:24-27; Job 30:3-8 [chemical nature of flesh; no cave men but the degeneration of man] Colossians 1:17; Psalm 19:6; Job 38:34-35 [physics, electrical transmission and radio] Revelation 11:9-11 [television, smart phones, satellites] Nahum 2:3-4; Daniel 12:4; Isaiah 31:4-5 [automobiles, airplanes, technology] Genesis 10:25 [continents, land masses, islands] 1 Timothy 4:8 [physical exercise] Exodus 20:11 [who made the heavens, Earth, seas, and all that is] From my previous post, the question remains: How and where do we fit in the many global precision megalithic structures, undersea mega cities, the Antikythera mechanism, and the accurate 500-year-old geographical map of an ice and snow-free Antarctica?

Just thoughts and questions Some think that the constellations once told the story of creation, the Gospel message, or both, and were perverted by Satan and his minions. It is generally agreed that the myth of demigods and Titans simultaneously surfaced in every primary culture globally, separated by vast distances with no direct contact or trade. These same nations-cultures also retained the global flood story. In addition, many global precision megalithic structures defy human understanding of who and how they were built, and cannot be replicated today. How does that happen? I believe Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 6:1-4 are literal, not a metaphor, the Nephilim (fallen ones), who were also giants, not the Seth-Canaan view. Extra-biblical texts and pseudepigrapha are not scripture, but if they are believable, they give additional information on how the world became so corrupt. Jewish belief and tradition held that 200 Watchers descended to the top of Mt. Hermon (associated with Gen. 6:1-4), the exact spot in the wilderness that Jesus chose for His transfiguration. If the pseudodepigraphical Book of I Enoch is to be believed, in exchange for their daughters, one of several things they taught humanity was astrology, not astronomy. I suspect that at the Tower of Babel, dispersion into nations, they all took that demonic knowledge with them. How else can paragraph one above be explained? Another interesting question is how one obtains a PhD in astrobiology. What is there to study? ----------------------------------------- According to the Bible, God created the stars along with the sun and moon to serve specific purposes for Earth and humanity[1][2]. The stars were made to provide light on Earth, particularly at night, and to help mark signs, seasons, days, and years[2]. They also serve to declare God's glory and demonstrate His creative power[1][2]. The Bible emphasizes that stars are not to be worshipped, as was common in ancient Near Eastern cultures, but are subordinate to God and under His control[3]. The creation of stars is described as an effortless act for God, with Genesis adding their creation almost as an afterthought: "He made the stars also"[2]. The Bible often uses stars symbolically, representing vast numbers (as in God's promise to Abraham) or as poetic imagery in battles and praise[1][3]. While the beauty and wonder of stars are acknowledged, the Bible consistently portrays them as part of God's creation, subject to His will and serving His purposes for Earth and its inhabitants[1][2][3]. [1] Leland Ryken et al., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 813. [2] Stuart Burgess, He Made the Stars Also: What the Bible Says about the Stars (Epsom: Day One Publications, 2001), 15. [3] J. E. Hartley, “Star,” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988), 611. The stars have indeed told stories throughout human history, both in scientific and cultural contexts. Astronomically, the H-R diagram reveals the life cycles of stars, showing how their sizes, temperatures, and brightness change over time[1]. In various cultures, stars have been used to create narratives and symbols. Biblical texts mention stars in both literal and metaphorical ways, such as representing angels or significant figures[2]. Ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Phoenicians developed extensive astronomical knowledge, often linking celestial bodies to deities[3]. Some scholars suggest that before written scriptures, the naming and grouping of stars into constellations served as a way to preserve religious and cultural narratives[4]. However, it's important to note that many of these stories and interpretations are based on cultural beliefs rather than scientific observations[2][3][5]. [1] “Star,” in Compton’s Encyclopedia (Chicago, IL: Compton’s Encyclopedia, 2015). [2] James Hastings et al., Dictionary of the Bible (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1909), 876. [3] John M’Clintock and James Strong, “Star,” in Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1880), 990. [4] Ethelbert W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible: Being the Authorized Version of 1611 with the Structures and Notes, Critical, Explanatory and Suggestive and with 198 Appendixes, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2018), 15. [5] Thomas E. McComiskey, “Astronomy,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 227.

This is an interesting question that I never noticed before. I have always assumed Job was a very early book by an unknown author. Based on God's questions to Job, I surmise that enormous dinosaurs and ice-age glaciers still lingered around, and Job witnessed them. It seems God asks Job what he sees, not what was. You are correct, the Greeks named the Pleiades and Orion after their myths, which poses an interesting dilemma. According to sources I checked, it is estimated that the Greek empire came into existence somewhere around 800 B.C.E.. The time of Job's life and the composition of the Book of Job may shed some light on the question as mentioned below: The exact date of the Book of Job's composition remains uncertain, with scholars proposing various timeframes. While some suggest it could have been written as early as the time of Moses or by Job himself, there is no solid evidence for these claims[1]. Conservative scholars often place its writing around 950 BC, during King Solomon's reign, which was considered the golden age of biblical Wisdom Literature[1]. However, linguistic evidence points to a later date, possibly in the 6th century BC or after[2]. The book's events are believed to have occurred much earlier, possibly around 2000 BC during Abraham's time[1][3]. The earliest known mention of Job in ancient literature appears in the book of Ezekiel, written in the early 6th century BC, indicating that the story was known by then, at least in oral form[3]. Some scholars argue for a post-exilic date (after 538 BC) based on linguistic features and theological concepts[2][3][4]. Despite the range of proposed dates, the book's author remains unknown[1][3]. [1] Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995). [2] James L. Crenshaw, "Job, Book of," in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 863. [3] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016). [4] Elmer B. Smick, "Job," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988), 851.

Earlier, I presented a chain of what I consider some American heroes of the faith in recent history. I neglected to mention our preachers, their wives, and how much they do for us, which sometimes we fail to recognize, appreciate, and thank them. Through a congregation of collective churches, through our tithes and offerings, we financially support our missionaries in America and abroad. Serving the Lord, sharing the Gospel, many or most sacrifice their well-being, comforts, income, health, and lives to serve our Lord. I’d say that qualifies as heroes of the faith. On a personal level, my Christian grandparents were my example and heroes. Without them, I may never have heard the Gospel and known Jesus's love and been saved.

I would nominate Edward M. Kimball. Who is he, and how did our Lord mightily use him in a chain of great heroes in the faith? The great evangelist Billy Graham attended Bob Jones University when it was in Cleveland, TN. In 1936. Billy was converted in 1934 during a twelve-week revival by a man named Mordici Ham. Billy Graham Mordici Ham - Ham, Rev. Mordecai F., a prominent and useful minister in Southern Kentucky, was born in Allen County of that State, April 30, 1816. He united with Trammels Fork Baptist church, in his neighborhood, in April, 1838; was licensed to preach in 1842, and ordained in 1843, at which time he became pastor of Bethlehem, the oldest and largest church in his county, and has continued to serve in that capacity to the present time. He has preached statedly to four churches, and, on account of the scarcity of preachers in his region, has sometimes supplied as many as six. He has received into the churches he has served over 2000 members, by experience and baptism. Mr. Ham has performed considerable missionary labor, and has, with the assistance of his co-laborers, formed several new churches. For some years he has been collecting at his own expense a library for the use of young ministers in his locality. He has expended several hundred dollars in this enterprise, and has commenced the formation of a valuable library, especially rich in the subject of Baptist history. He has been eighteen years moderator of Bays Fork Association. His only son, Rev. Tobias Ham, is a young preacher of excellent promise.1 At the age of eight years old, he was influenced in a 1924 meeting by a preacher named Billy Sunday. Mordici Ham Billy Sunday was a famous baseball player of his day and turned evangelist. “Nowadays we think we are too smart to believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus and too well educated to believe in the Resurrection. That’s why people are going to the devil in multitudes.” “Center fielder Billy Sunday made a three-base hit at Farwell Hall last night. There is no other way to express the success of his first appearance as an evangelist in Chicago.” So reported the local press about Sunday’s first public appearance as a preacher in the late 1880s. “His audience was made up of about 500 men who didn’t know much about his talents as a preacher but could remember his galloping to second base with his cap in hand.” This was just the beginning for Sunday. Until Billy Graham, no American evangelist preached to so many millions, or saw as many conversions—an estimated 300,000. From baseball to the Y “I never saw my father,” Sunday began his autobiography, for his father had died of pneumonia in the Civil War five weeks after Sunday’s birth. In fact, his early childhood in an Iowa log cabin was enveloped by death—ten deaths before he reached the age of 10. His mother was so impoverished, she sent her children away to the Soldier’s Orphans Home. Sunday survived only with the support of his brother and his love of sports, especially baseball. His professional baseball career began with the Chicago White Stockings in 1883 (he struck out his first 13 at bats); he moved to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and in 1890, to the Philadelphia Athletics, where he was batting .261 and had stolen 84 bases when he quit. Ever since his conversion to Christianity at the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago in 1886, he had felt an increasingly strong call to preach. The YMCA finally convinced him to leave baseball to preach at their services (which meant a two-thirds cut in pay). He moved on to work with two other traveling evangelists, then was invited to conduct a revival in Garner, Iowa. From then on, he was never without an invitation to preach, at first holding campaigns in midwestern towns and then, after World War I, preaching in Boston, New York, and other major cities. Much of his success was due to his wife, Helen Amelia Thompson. She organized the campaigns and did much of the advance work. She even tried to better Billy’s vocabulary in her letters to him, deliberately including words he would have to look up. Prancing and cavorting Sunday’s preaching style was as unorthodox as the day allowed. His vocabulary was so rough (e.g., “I don’t believe your own bastard theory of evolution, either; I believe it’s pure jackass nonsense”), Christian leaders cringed, and they often publicly criticized him. But Sunday did not care: “I want to preach the gospel so plainly,” he said, “that men can come from the factories and not have to bring a dictionary.” Sunday was master of the one-liner, which he would use to clinch his practical, illustration-filled sermons. One of his most famous: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.” He used his whole body in his sermons (and other nearby objects, such as his chair, which he would sometimes fling around while preaching). As one newspaper wrote, “Sunday was a whirling dervish that pranced and cavorted and strode and bounded and pounded all over his platform and left them thrilled and bewildered as they have never been before.” He concluded his sermons by inviting people to “walk the sawdust trail” to the front of the tabernacle to indicate their decision for Christ. Unusual for American evangelists, Sunday also addressed social issues of the day. He supported women’s suffrage, called for an end to child labor, and included blacks in his revivals, even when he toured the deep South. This made him enemies, as did his support of Roman Catholics (whom he considered fellow Christians) and Jews. On one of the hottest topics of the day, evolution, he walked a tightrope: he had no sympathy for evolution, but neither did he warm up to Genesis literalists. However, he was never a friend of liberals: “Nowadays we think we are too smart to believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus and too well educated to believe in the Resurrection. That is why people are going to the devil in multitudes.” And he firmly stood against card playing, movie going, and Roaring ’20s fashions. “It’s a damnable insult some of the rigs a lot of fool women are wearing up and down our streets,” he said. His favorite vice was “Mr. Booze.” In fact, his preaching was instrumental in getting Prohibition passed. “To know what the devil will do, find out what the saloon is doing,” he said repeatedly. “If ever there was a jubilee in hell it was when lager beer was invented.” After World War I (which he raised millions of dollars to support), Sunday’s influence decreased. Radio, movies, and other entertainments drew masses away from the preacher, though he never lacked for speaking engagements. “I’m against sin,” he once said. “I’ll kick it as long as I have a foot. I’ll fight it as long as I have a fist. I’ll butt it as long as I have a head. I’ll bite it as long as I’ve got a tooth. And when I’m old and fist-less and footless and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition.”2 Billy Sunday Who influenced Billy Sunday to accept the Lord? John Wilbur Chapman influenced Billy Sunday. Chapman grew up attending Quaker Day School and Methodist Sunday School. At age 17, he made a public declaration of his Christian faith and joined the Richmond Presbyterian Church. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lake Forest College and his seminary degree from Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed his ordination into the ministry 13 April 1881, while still attending Lane. He was later awarded a doctorate in divinity from the College of Wooster and an LL.D. from Heidelberg University. Chapman took on several pastorates before shifting to the evangelistic circuit. He began preaching with the legendary D.L. Moody in 1893, as well as leading many evangelistic events of his own. While not personally responsible for his conversion, Chapman was a strong influence on the ministry of Billy Sunday [Wikipedia]. Other sources credit Chapman with converting Billy Sunday. John Wilber Chapman Who brought the Gospel to J.W. Chapman? Dwight Lyman Moody: When Moody turned 17, he moved to Boston to work (after receiving many job rejections locally) in an uncle's shoe store. One of the uncle's requirements was that Moody attend the Congregational Church of Mount Vernon, where Dr. Edward Norris Kirk served as the pastor. In April 1855 Moody was converted to evangelical Christianity when his Sunday school teacher, Edward Kimball, talked to him about how much God loved him. His conversion sparked the start of his career as an evangelist. Moody was not received by the church when he first applied in May 1855. He was not received as a church member until May 4, 1856. According to Moody's memoir, his teacher, Edward Kimball, said: I can truly say, and in saying it I magnify the infinite grace of God as bestowed upon him, that I have seen few persons whose minds were spiritually darker than was his when he came into my Sunday School class; and I think that the committee of the Mount Vernon Church seldom met an applicant for membership more unlikely ever to become a Christian of clear and decided views of Gospel truth, still less to fill any extended sphere of public usefulness. Dwight Lyman Moody J.W. Chapman was attending Lake Forest College in the late 1870’s, and heard a man named Dwight L. Moody, a famous minister. After hearing Moody preach, Chapman received the Gospel after Moody personally spoke to him. So, who won D.L. Moody to the Lord? Edward Kimbell: You may recognize the names of the great men of God above, but who was Edward Kimbell? He was just a Sunday School teacher and a timid person. Some – like Samson and Caleb – most people have heard of. Others, like Onesimus and Bezalel – many have not. But each life tells a story of the grace of God that points us to the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite “minor characters” in American history is a man named Edward Kimball. There are not many people who could tell you the historical significance of Edward Kimball. After all, he is so un-famous that he does not even have his own Wikipedia page. But through his simple service to God, he has had a worldwide impact. In 1854, Kimball was a Sunday School teacher in Detroit, and one day he went to visit a 17-year-old boy who was in his Sunday School class who had little interest in God or religion. During his visit with this young man at his job in a shoe shop, he led the boy into a relationship with Christ. That young man was D.L. Moody, who went on to become one of the greatest evangelists in the world, sharing the gospel with 100 million people, as well as founding Moody Bible Institute and The Moody Church in Chicago. But the story does not end there. Through his ministry, Moody was responsible for a London pastor named F.B. Meyer coming to faith. Meyer was responsible for J. Wilbur Chapman coming to faith, and Chapman influenced Billy Sunday, another prominent evangelist of the 20th century. Billy Sunday was integral in a man named Mordecai Ham coming to faith. And Mordecai Ham was the preacher responsible for leading a young man named Billy Graham to Christ. And that, my friends, is a spiritual legacy. Edward Kimball’s story reminds us to never underestimate the influence you can have on the world by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with just one life. Edward M. Kimball Some of us have probably at least heard of Billy Graham, Mordici Ham, Billy Sunday, J.W. Chapman and D.L. Moody; but whoever heard of the Sunday School teacher Edward Kimbell? Talk about a chain producing fruit! When Edward Kimbell stands before Jesus at the Bema Seat of Christ, millions and millions of souls will be standing with these ministers. And it will go all the way back to this unknown timid Sunday School teacher no one ever heard of. 1 William Cathcart, ed., The Baptist Encyclopædia (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1881), 491. 2 Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, “Introduction,” 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 74–75. 3 www.christianitytoday.com