Was Jesus baptized into the holy spirit in John 1:33 or is John describing the same baptism into the body of Christ that 1 Corinthians 12:13 describes?

The relevant Greek word in John 1:33 is "en," which is frequently rendered "in" but can also mean "with." Thus, we see disparity in the translations of this text. "[Jesus] is he which baptizeth with [en] the holy spirit." The meaning is the same either way it is rendered. Baptism means immersion, so whether we read that Jesus immerses us "in" the holy spirit or "with" the holy spirit, the meaning is the same. The believer will be immersed into, or inundated with, the holy spirit.

The same word "en" is used in the companion text, Matthew 3:11. "I indeed baptize you with [en] water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with [en] the Holy Ghost, and with fire." The word "en" in both uses in this text refers to the medium that persons would be immersed into. (The "fire" in this case was the fire ending the Jewish Age, as Matthew 3:10 suggests. Believers would receive the holy spirit, the balance of the nation would experience the fiery judgments of the Roman campaign against Israel.)

The holy spirit is the medium into which believers are immersed. No text speaks of the holy spirit as anything like a "person" that accomplishes an act of baptism upon people. The holy spirit is simply as Ephesians 4:30 describes it, the spirit, or influence, or power, of God acting upon believers. Therefore, in answer to your question, John 1:33 is describing the same baptism into the body of Christ that 1 Corinthians 12:13 describes.

“And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man.” (`Isa. 4:1`.) What is the meaning of this Scripture?

In the symbolisms of the Scriptures a "woman" represents a church. Just as the Church of Christ is said to be the "Bride, the Lamb's Wife." The false churches or anti-Christian religious systems are symbolized as wicked women. (`Rev. 17:5`.) The number seven is always representative of fullness, or completion, in the expressions of the Bible. Therefore, we have the picture before our minds of a time when the full number, or all of the churches (in this case the false churches) would be seeking to be called by the name of the "one man"–Christ–in order that their reproach might be taken away. These churches, which in reality are worldly organizations, as they are filled with a worldly spirit, and supported by worldly individuals, are being reproached more and more because of their worldliness; and recognizing this, they are strenuously claiming to be "Christian Churches." The "seven Women" are taking hold of the "One Man," but He does not recognize them, as He has but the one Bride, the true Church.

What does it mean: “shall Michael stand up” from Daniel 12:1, and also can you explain verse 1-3?

“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting [an indeterminate period of time] contempt [judgment].  And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:1-3 KJV)

Michael (which signifies “who is God,” or one representing God), we believe, is the name here applied to our great Redeemer, Jesus. The words “shall Michael stand up” refer to our glorified Lord Jesus who takes the reigns of power at the end of this Gospel Age in order to establish his Messianic Kingdom on earth. The expression “stand up” is also found in Daniel 11:2, 3, 7, 20, and 21and refers to taking authority or a position of authority.

Who are the delivered people whose names are found written in the book? What is the book and when will these people be delivered? Daniel was told that Michael would stand “for the children of thy people.” The “children of thy people” are the Lord’s people, whether they are natural Israelites or spiritual Israelites.  They would be those who express faith in God and his promises.  The expression “every one shall be written in the book” is, most likely, a metaphor, or figure of speech, which Daniel would have been familiar from Moses’ conversation with God in Exodus 32:32-33. To be “written in the book” is, therefore, a general symbol of those considered worthy by God. When will they be delivered? In the context of Daniel 12:1 they (the spiritual and earthly classes) will be delivered from the troubles and distress of nations that will occur during the close of the Gospel Age and the beginning of the Millennial Age.

You asked who the wise were in verse 3 and when they would shine as the brightness of the firmament (the sun). We believe that the wise are spiritual Israel, the “little flock” or the completed bride of Christ in glory. They have been resurrected to “everlasting life” (verse 2) because they submitted their wills to
God during the Gospel Age and were found worthy to be part of the heavenly bride of Christ.

When will they shine (admonish or teach)? They will shine after the time of trouble when the multitudes that are asleep in death will awaken on earth to a period of judgment.

Lastly, you wanted to know who would turn many to righteousness and shine like the stars forever and ever. The “stars” that would turn many to righteousness could be a second symbol for the saints or bride of Christ (the wise that shine like the brightness of the firmament), mentioned above, or the stars could be the earthly Ancient Worthy class mentioned in Hebrews 11, who, we believe, will lead the world toward righteousness in the Kingdom with direction from the saints above.

Danial chapter 2 talks about kingdoms. What does Head, shoulders, knees and toes represents?

The Head represents the Kingdom of Babylonia lead by King Nebuchadnezzar. The chest and arms of silver represent the Medo-Persian Empire whose last leader was Darius III. The belly and thighs of bronze represents the Grecian empire lead by Alexander the Great. The legs of iron represent the Roman Empire. And the feet of iron and clay could also represent the Roman Empire, or the Holy Roman Empire.

The first three interpretations are taken straight from the bible. There are two other visions in Daniel (in Ch. 7 and Ch. 8) that follow this same exact pattern and are explicitly interpreted:

1. In Dan 2:37-38, the head of gold (which corresponds to the lion in chapter 7) is identified as Babylon.
2. In Dan 8:20, the chest and arms of silver (which corresponds to the bear in chapter 7 and the ram in chapter 8) is identified as Medo-Persia.
3. In Dan 8:21, the belly and thighs of bronze (which correspond to the leopard in chapter 7 and the goat in chapter 8) are identified as Greece.
4. The legs of iron and feet of clay and iron can be identified as Rome when you look at the history of who took over after Greece fell.

How will I know of the second coming of Jesus?

In the “Lord’s Great Prophesy” of Matthew 24 & Luke 21, our Lord outlined both the historical events that would lead up to his return as well as the signs that would indicate he was here. He also referred to the book of Daniel in Matthew 24:15. Hence, more corroborating prophecies about Jesus’s return may be found in Daniel. The following are some highlights of Jesus’s second presence:

1.  The nation of Israel restored.  Matthew 24:32, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near……Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place.”  The fig tree is symbolic of the nation of Israel.  The nation of Israel was cast off by our Lord at his first coming, and the passage indicates they will be regathered and restored at his second coming.  (See Jeremiah 24:4-7.) 

2.  Jerusalem no longer occupied. “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled,” Luke 21:24. The capital of Israel, Jerusalem, is now in the hands of the Jews after centuries of foreign occupation.

3.  A time of trouble never before seen.  “For then will be great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.  And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”  Matthew 24:21-22   With the advent of the nuclear age, man is now in the position to completely destroy himself. Thank God we are promised that this will not be permitted although the trouble will be unparalleled in human history.

4. Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased. The events of Daniel 12:4 take place when Michael the archangel stands up in the time of the end. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 also mentions “the voice of the archangel” which is heard at the time of Jesus’s return.  Thus, Thessalonians links the prophecy of Daniel with the return of the Lord. Two signs of Jesus’s return would be great knowledge and travel. Remarkably, no other time in human history has seen exponential increases in knowledge. Today, mankind’s knowledge doubles every five years.  Additionally, man’s ability to travel, traverse the globe, and venture into space is astounding.

5.  Most humans will not have any faith in God.   Luke 18:8 says, “Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”  We live in a time when blind creedalism steeped in superstition and arrogant higher learning reject the Bible. People want concrete evidence. Or people behave according to “what feels right.” (See also 2 Timothy 3:1-8.)

 As was said, these are just a few highlights.

How old is the earth? Biblical Calculation

We know from biblical chronology that Adam was created approximately 6,000 years ago. Therefore, the earth would have to be older than 6,000 years. In fact, we believe that the earth is very old. Scientists used to think the earth was about 100 million years old. They now theorize that it is about 4.5 billion years old. We quote from Wikipedia:

“The moon, as another extraterrestrial body that has not undergone plate tectonics and that has no atmosphere, provides quite precise age dates from the samples returned from the Apollo missions. Rocks returned from the moon have been dated at a maximum of around 4.4 and 4.5 billion years old. Martian meteorites that have landed upon Earth have also been dated to around 4.5 billion years old by lead-lead dating.

“Altogether, the concordance of age dates of both the earliest terrestrial lead reservoirs and all other reservoirs within the solar system found to date are used to support the hypothesis that Earth and the rest of the solar system formed at around 4.53 to 4.58 billion years ago.”

We also know that dinosaurs that roamed the earth for thousands and thousands of years were long gone when God created Adam.  Scientists theorize that dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago, millions of years before many of the mammals that we are familiar with today came into existence.

The above having been said, we do not know how old the earth actually is. Genesis, chapter 1 gives us God’s account of its creation in “six days.”  These “days” were obviously very long periods of time and could have been of varying lengths as well (billions, millions or thousands of years).

Is the earth only a little older than 4,000 years?  No it is much older, since Bible chronology tells us that human kind has been on the earth for 6,000 years and there is scientific evidence that animals have been here much, much longer.

Please explain Psalm 8:5. Has God created us only a little lower than Himself or the angels?

This is a scripture that needs thoughtful consideration.  The translators of the various Bible versions seem to disagree somewhat as to exactly what the scripture says. 

The King James reads:  "For thou hast made [man] a little lower than the angels…" 

The Jerusalem Bible reads:  "Yet you have made him little less than a god…" with a footnote that says:  "The author is thinking of man in comparison with the mysterious beings that constitute the court of Yahweh [God]… the 'angels.' "

The New International Version says:  "a little lower than the heavenly beings," with a footnote:  Or "than God."

The differences in these Bibles is due to the Hebrew word elohim, which has been translated in the KJV  as "angels,"  "God (or gods)"  or "judges," depending on the context.

We know from looking around at God's wonderful creation that He is far greater than we are.  From contemplating the infinite number of stars in the universe to exploring the secrets of the microscopic realm, we realize that we cannot compare ourselves to God's almighty wisdom and power.

The scriptures confirm this.  God asked Job, "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?  Tell me, if you understand."  (Job 38:4)  And throughout chapter 38 God reminds Job how small he is.  Psalm 104 praises the power and majesty of God, and Isaiah 55:9 emphasizes the superiority of God:  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  

So, it seems that this scripture tells us that God made us "a little lower than the angels," not Himself.  The angels themselves are mighty messengers and helpers of God, spirit beings that have greater powers than we have.  But they all obey, worship, and serve our God. If our Heavenly Father has created man only a little less than angels, how much greater must God be than allbeings.  And yet He cares for us.  "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;"  Psalm 103:11

Yet, in some ways God has made us also like Himself.  He has given man language, which lets him reason at a level much higher than the other creatures on earth. Man can also speak, read, and write, which lets him communicate information and feelings.   Man has a sense of social justice and love, even though these are imperfect since Adam's sin.  And God originally gave man dominion over His creation.

After Adam's fall, man's dominion over God's creation became corrupted by sin and selfishness.  Man has thrown off the balance of nature, shown cruelty to other humans, as well as to animals, and caused species to become endangered or even extinct.  "The earth mourns and withers….  The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes…  Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt…"  (Isaiah 24:4-6, RSV)

But Jesus came to die for and to ransom Adam and the whole human race.  God has promised a "new heavens and a new earth."  (Isaiah 65:17, Rev. 21:1)  When mankind comes back in the resurrection, and God's judgments are in the earth (Psalm 96:13; Isaiah 26:9), they will learn righteousness.  If they then obey God, the Lord will bring them up to perfection and restore the dominion as it was under Adam.