BibleWords

There was no time before Gen.1:1 so the idea of a timeline before then is not possible. Gen. 1:1 tells us “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” There was no beginning before this beginning. That’s the point, this was the beginning of everything. There is nothing to surmise or believe before this time. Before this beginning only God existed in the person of the Trinity. Nothing, not even empty space existed, because that would be something. God existed without limits. The ideas of a preexisting earth is nowhere to be found in Scripture. The idea of a gap between Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 1:2 is completely false and not found anywhere in the Bible. This teaching came about from Christians who felt pressured by the evolution crowd and wanted to somehow unite once and for all Biblical doctrine with evolution. One of the influencers of this teaching, I am sorry to say, was C.I. Scofield in his notes on this Scripture. He was fine on many things and people loved the Scofield Reference Bible. But he veered way off here. Many , I’m sure base their beliefs off of his primary notes. Nothing existed before Gen. 1:1, just God.

No, I have a plan from a Hebrew word for the Day book that had this plan in the back of book.

The Bema seat, or Judgement Seat Of Christ, absolutely happens immediately after the pre-trib rapture. Rev. 4:1 is indicating the rapture and the church is not mentioned again on earth after that until Christ comes to set up His Millennial Kingdom, bringing His church with Him. The white robes given to believers following the rapture are given at the Judgement Seat Of Christ. These are the wedding garments in preparation for the wedding of Christ to His bride. Then follows the marriage supper of the Lamb, typified by the traditional Jewish wedding in the Father’s house. John 14:1-4 All of this happens in heaven after the rapture. Seven years of tribulation on earth, while believers are at the wedding and marriage supper in heaven in the Father’s house. Then Jesus will come again to set up His Kingdom on earth, bringing His church with Him. The church is not appointed for the time of God’s wrath.

I know many may disagree but proof is only important to the person in doubt. God never asks us to believe after proof. He tells us to believe when we have no proof. Faith is not needed when proof is present. When Thomas doubted Jesus after His resurrection, insisting on proof by touching the nail prints and pierced side, Jesus told Thomas to touch Him and believe. But it came with another truth from Jesus. “Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, you have believed: blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 God doesn’t have to be proved. That’s what faith is. Even so, sometimes He let’s us have proof, sometimes He does not.

Amen

I am reading it right now in chronological order. I also read certain subject matter anywhere in Scripture. Since I teach Sunday School I also read the planned lesson text. I also read and prepare my sermon text for preaching on Sunday morning. I love to read my Bible on my phone during the day also.

Come to Jesus.

Do not believe the thoughts that Satan is putting in your mind. As a pastor I have had someone come to me with the same fear. That’s what is, a fear. It is a deception from the devil even though right now you can’t see that. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

Welcome. Jesus loves you more than you know. Jesus sacrificed His life so you could be saved. Come to Jesus by faith.

You asked if the dragon in Rev 20:2 is “dinosaur thing” or symbol of something else”. Neither. This is literally the devil. Not a symbol. Not a dinosaur. It is not a stretch to believe that satan appears as a dragon. That would not be symbolic. He is not symbolic of himself. We know that this is satan himself. This verse clearly says so. It says that this is the devil. Literally. You asked the same thing about Rev. 12. Same answer. Literal the devil himself, not symbolic. Read verse 9. He is referred to here as the great dragon, that ancient serpent called the devil, and Satan. This is literally about the devil. Both of these passages are literal.

The Bible is giving us a literal look at the creation week. It was 6 days of creation with 1 day of rest. They were 24 hour days with evening and morning. Sound biblical interpretation requires us to interpret plainly and fairly. We take all the other mentions of “days” in Genesis literally. We don’t seem to have a problem believing that when a day is mentioned anywhere else it means a literal day. Why do we have a problem with Genesis 1?

Couldn’t have said it better. That is exactly what I have always said. Foreknowledge always comes before predestination. Yes all children under the age of accountability go to heaven.

Nope, I believe our Heavenly Father directs our path. Ps. 23:4–“Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Only when anti-Christ is here. Rev. 13:11-16 tells of another beast which arises out of the sea. He has various powers among which is the power to require people take the mark of the beast or not be able to buy or sell. This cannot happen until after the rapture because these two beasts are present after the tribulation has begun. They must be present to enforce this law. Since the tribulation has not begun and the beast and anti-christ are not in power no one can take this mark today.

I think it would not change meanings. I was just reacting to the idea that John was watching the ascension and immediately received the revelation. It was actually several years later on Patmos. Some believe John was around 90 years old at the time.

The thought that John was given this prophecy “the moment Jesus ascended into the throne room” is absolutely incorrect as John was on the island of Patmos when he received this vision. The whole vision was connected and given at one time, on the island of Patmos. Rev. 1:9

We know that Adam and Eve were created adults. No mention of their “age” even though they were technically brand new. God gave Eve to Adam as his wife (mate) which indicates adulthood.

John 1:12– To as many as received Him, He gave the power to become the sons of God.

Ok, I see we are at a seeming impasse. Let’s consider only one example of the Scriptures. Just one. Ps. 90:10 is a fair example. “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.” Some who use the allegorical method of interpretation would say there are symbols, types, and shadows in this psalm. Literal interpretation would say this is a psalm about the brevity of life using some figures of speech but meaning contained within the plain words. For instance, “days of our years” might be interpreted by allegory as a longer period of time than simply days. Literalists would say, day means day, or at best series of days, but nevertheless a lifetime of days. Not any symbolism at all. Literal. ”Threescore and ten”, or 70 years might mean “something perfect” to the allegorist since seven is the number of perfection. The literalist would say it means 70 years. “Reason of strength” might mean someone who is saved to the allegorist since Phil. 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. The literalist would say it means healthy and strong in latter years. No hidden meaning. “Fourscore years” or 80 years might mean extended life in salvation beyond 70 mortal years to the allegorical interpretation. The literalist would say 80 means 80. Years means years. Not symbolic. “Yet is their strength labour and sorrow” might mean persecution and trials for believers to the allegorist. To the literalist this means normal hardship at an old age. This could be applied to either Christian or unbelievers. ”For it is soon cut off, and we fly away” might mean the rapture of believers to an allegorist. To some this is certainly what they believe. Just because the words “we fly away” are used they declare that this is a picture of the rapture. Of course it is not. The literalist would say that this is describing the brevity of life, then death. “We fly away” obviously describes the spirit of man going back to God who gave it. Ecc. 12:7 This psalm is about the brevity of life. There is not a double meaning here. The plain sense of Scripture here is a literal meaning. When we spiritualize Scripture we can come up with all sorts of meaning that was never meant.

The history is originally the Bible.

No. When you say the early church I assume you mean the first century church or the original church. They were not catholic or any denomination. They were actually largely Jewish. Some gentiles. They had no organized denominational affiliation at all. Peter, was not the first pope as catholic doctrine would have us to believe. The church has perpetually been present since the day of Pentecost but no, not catholic.

Amen and amen

I agree so much with you that unbelief in Christ is the initial sin to repent of. I am not sure the lost could even begin to remember all their sins. Of course the Holy Spirit brings them to our memory after salvation. Interesting thing, the Bible never really gives us a model of what we call an alter call. Not sure they ever had any such exact thing. Nothing wrong with it, but just saying. They did much of their witnessing/preaching out and about and one on one. The church I pastor still gives alter calls but regular life is where I feel evangelism really is effective.

Why do you say that everything in Scripture is symbolic? Blind men being healed doesn’t always symbolize spiritual blindness. Jesus has power over death with or without a symbol. Creation is itself the reality, it isn’t a symbol. The fish do not symbolize fishermen, they symbolize fish. Who says the rapture symbolizes victory over death? No, the resurrection is victory over death. God is in no way obligated to fit man’s logic. Miracles are not meant to be logical. That’s why they are miracles. They are by definition not logical. They are the power of God. So are you saying that these secret mystical meanings are strung all throughout the Scriptures and are decoded by a choice few to whom they are revealed? Spiritualizing Scripture is not sound biblical interpretation. Figures of speech do exist in literal interpretation but we cannot simply allegorize the entire Bible to our own fanciful desires.

Figure of speech. The six days of creation were definitely 24 hour days as the terms “evening and morning” indicate. We translate the other Genesis accounts as literal days when they are mentioned. Why would this be any different? Literal days. No reason to think otherwise.