"Did Jesus appear In The Old Testament?" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

Did Jesus appear In The Old Testament?

Monday, May 8th, 2006

• Old Testament

Q. Hi! I have found your site to be a great tool in my bible study. I love the way you back up your articles by quoting the chapter and verses in the bible, allowing a person to look them up and see for ourselves!  I have a question. Can you point out some of the Old Testament “appearances” of Jesus Christ? Or am I misunderstanding something?

A. Be glad to. Generally speaking when you see the phrase “the angel of the Lord” (rather than “an angel of the Lord”) accompanied by a physical presence, you’re seeing an Old Testament appearance of Jesus. There are really too many to list here, but if you go to www.biblegateway.com, select keyword search from the left hand menu, and type “the angel of the Lord” into the search box, you’ll find several pages of references. As you read them, you’ll see that many are Old Testament appearances of Jesus Christ. You’ll know by the fact that He’s usually either accepting worship, forgiving sin, executing judgment, or speaking prophecy in these appearances.

"Info On The Author, Please" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

Info On The Author, Please

Tuesday, May 9th, 2006

• Current Events
• Prayer
• Spiritual Life

Could you provide a little background information on yourself?

Q. Could you provide a little background information on yourself? I am wondering if you are formally trained in scripture or self-educated; if you have worked as a pastor/minister or if your on-line ministry is and always has been your focus.

Have you always been a christian, or did you come to Christ later in your life?

God has given you such wonderful gifts of understanding, insight and clarity that are of such benefit to all of us who have found your website.

A. On the top menu bar is the link “about.” Click on it and you’ll find my bio. All of your questions are answered there, except for the one about my education.

I have no formal seminary training. When I came to the Lord at age 40, and discovered that my gift was teaching, I complained to the Lord that I didn’t have time to stop everything and go back to school, and couldn’t He just open my head and pour the scriptures in.

In response, He arranged for my job to require about 4 hours a day of driving and then hooked me up with a ministry that supplies bible studies on tape by the best teachers alive today. Over the next 2 years I devoured thousands of these tapes while driving, covering nearly every book in the Bible. 

Then He arranged for me to meet most of these teachers personally and pick up what I’d missed on the tapes. Finally, He gave me a supernatural ability to comprehend and communicate what I’d learned.

I guess you could say He answered my prayer, but in such a way that I would always be sure that He gets the credit, not me.

"Can Nephilim Be Saved?" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

Can Nephilim Be Saved?

Wednesday, May 10th, 2006

• Nephilim
• Old Testament
• Salvation

My question regards the Nephilim. Are these “hybrids” without a soul and therefore condemned from birth?

Q. I’m loving the new column “Ask a Bible Teacher.” From the response you’re receiving I think I’m not alone.

My question regards the Nephilim. Are these “hybrids” without a soul and therefore condemned from birth? Since they are partially human genetically, is there an opportunity for salvation for them or their ancestry, for instance Goliath (obviously he was not a believer but someone like him)?

A. While there’s no clear passage on the general fate of the Nephilim, most scholars would agree that salvation is not an option for them. Of course, all those of Noah’s day perished in the flood, since none got on the ark.

A family of Nephilim, called Rephaim or Rephadim (of whom Goliath was one) were traditionally referred to as “soulless ones” in ancient times.

And it’s pretty clear from Scripture that not only the Jews but also the descendants of Esau and Lot along with the Philistines were commanded by God to rid their lands of the Nephilim. So I don’t think God liked them at all. My article entitled “The Nephilim” describes this and other aspects of the Nephilim in more detail.

"No Rapture?" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

No Rapture?

Wednesday, May 10th, 2006

• Bible Accuracy
• Israel
• Prophecy
• Rapture

Q. I was speaking with a Messianic Jewish friend of mine about his interpretation of end times prophecy and he stated that it is his belief that there will be no gathering up (rapture) of the Church but rather all people will experience a new exodus in which the old law will be re-instituted to the letter (even including sending unclean people out of the camp).

He sited for this argument Matthew 24 where Jesus made mention of the believers of the tribulation having to leave immediately and how they should pray that it not be winter.

I re-read those passages and it does appear that he has a strong arguement there. I’m aware that the key to prophecy is determining the intended audience, but I can see how you can make an argument for either tribulation saints, Jewish people or the Church itself. Can you expand on this at all? I’d appreciate it. Thanks

A. If you’re referring to Matt 24:16-20 your friend’s argument only makes sense as far as Old Covenant Jews living in Israel when the anti-Christ makes his appearance are concerned. Judea was the first century name for Israel, and only Old Covenant Jews are forbidden from traveling on the Sabbath. 

Even if you don’t believe in a rapture, there is no such travel restriction on Messianic Jews, tribulation saints or the Church, all of whom also happen to be scattered all over the Earth.

The same event is referenced in Revelation 12:14 where language reminiscent ofExodus 19:4 is used. 

There the context is also Israel, being referred to as the woman who gave birth to the child who will rule the Earth. It was Israel who gave birth to the Messiah, not the Church.

"Is Lucifer Satan?" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

Is Lucifer Satan?

Thursday, May 11th, 2006

• Bible Accuracy
• Interpreting Verses
• Israel
• Old Testament

Q. I was referred to your website from a friend and was reviewing some of your answers to your readers as well looking through your book. In one of your answers and in your book Children’s Stories of the Bible (The Adult Version) you state that Satan is Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12. I was rather shocked at this because the word Lucifer is not in any manuscript.

I have copied a quick study on this from a scholar that I read and would like to share with you. After you review this, please explain to me how and why you believe Lucifer is Satan and how that name is used when it is not in any manuscript? I would like a different opinion on this so I know all sides.

A. It’s important when interpreting Scripture to consider the whole passage to establish its context. Isaiah 14 speaks of a future time when Israel will be restored. Verses 3-11 mention the King of Babylon, and could apply to Nebuchadnezzar but seem to go well beyond an earthly context. The specific passage you refer to runs from verse 12 thru verse 20 and alludes to a supernatural being who has fallen to Earth and laid low the nations after a failed attempt to place his throne above the stars of God and make himself like the Most High, which is a name God.

The scholar you refer to apparently considered only the portion of verse 12 referring to Lucifer. He says the name Lucifer in the KJV translation of verse 12 was meant to refer to the Planet Venus, but Venus neither fell to Earth nor laid low the nations, as the rest of verse 12 explains, and the preponderance of personal pronouns in the overall passage requires that it refer to a person not a thing.

It’s true that Lucifer is a word of Latin origin and doesn’t appear in the Hebrew scriptures. The Hebrew of Isaiah 14:12 is heylel ben shachar which means “the shining one” and comes from a root meaning to boast or be boastful. The sense of the word is to call attention to oneself (be in the spotlight) through boasting.

Verses 13 and 14 contain the so-called “five I wills”, a foolish boast wherein the person being called boastful in verse 12 boasts that he’ll become “like the Most High,” in other words, like God. These boasts outline Satan’s plan and purpose in rebelling against God. No other supernatural personage has ever attempted such a thing. Verses 15-20 describe the consequences he’ll suffer.

A literal reading of the entire passage shows that attributing it to the Planet Venus is impossible, and supports my interpretation.