Speaking truth in 😍 love

Speaking the truth in love … grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ—Eph. 4: 15.

THE Truth is always to be spoken humbly and lovingly, but nevertheless fearlessly. Those who are true disciples of Jesus Christ "walk in the light, as he is in the light." "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked" (1 John 1:7; 2:6; Eph. 5:8).

Thus they become "established in the present truth" (2 Pet. 1:12; Col. 2:7), and enjoy the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to those who really believe on Him and hold to His Word of Truth: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31, 32). 

As we study God's Word and are thus enabled more and more to renounce Satan's errors and to come into the unity of the faith, we are activated by God's holy Spirit and desire to share the beauties of God's great Plan of salvation with others. God tells us "He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully" (Jer. 23:28). The true servant of God is not at liberty to preach anything but the Truth. If he is a professed minister of the Gospel when the Truth reaches him, he is not to continue to preach error just because the congregation he is serving does not want the Truth.

Such a faithful servant of God by his uncompromising attitude most likely would lose his standing and his honor among men. But all this is not to be considered, for he would gain instead the greater favor and blessing of the Lord.

In order to be a servant pleasing to the Lord, one who can be effectively used of Him, one must speak the Truth in love. When one has just entered the family of God, less should reasonably be expected of him than after he has been for some time in the family. We as God's children are to grow in the likeness of our dear Elder Brother, our Pattern, our Head (Rom. 8:29). We are to "grow up into him in all things." We are to recognize that He is the Head of the Church, and that if we are to conform our lives to Him, we must be developed along the lines of His character and example. 

People can't change the truth but the truth can change people.

LEVITES - TYPE AND ANTITYPE

My dear Brethren; –  Grace and peace through our Beloved Master!

“And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of the firstborn among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine.... I am the Lord” – Num. 3:12,13. With this terse statement by Jehovah God was laid the foundation for the first system of an organized religious system for God's faithful people. Previously, the head of each house was mainly his own priest; he built his altars, and offered his own sacrifices for himself and for his house. (See Gen. 22:9) But, with the call of the Levites things would be decidedly differ­ent; and as time developed the religious routine did indeed become most pronouncedly different.

As all Bible Students know, the Levites were the descendants of Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob –  the “thirteenth” tribe of Israel. This oddity developed when they were called out from among their brethren to perform the various services of the newly‑formed religious system that was to regulate them after their deliver­ance from bondage in Egypt. Thenceforth, the names of Joseph and Levi were no longer counted among the twelve tribes, these two having been supplanted by the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. Here comes the logical query, Why were the Levites thus chosen and separated out from among the other tribes? The episode in Ex. 32:25-­29 may give us the answer: “When Moses saw that the people were naked... then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him .... Moses said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord (margin).” But now that the Levites had been separated from their brethren, they in turn experienced a distinct cleav­age into priests and Levites. “Thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death,” the Lord had told Moses (Num. 3:10 – see also Num. 18:1‑8). Then in turn Aaron's house was given two clear separations – Aaron the high priest, and his four sons, Eleazar, Ithamar, Nadab and Abihu, as the underpriests (Ex. 28:1‑2). Each of these had their specialized services to perform; and the rebellion of Nadab and Abihu from their proper place had brought about their death (Lev. 10:1‑8), leaving then but two underpriests, Eleazar and Ithamar, the elder of which was to advance to the office of high priest as a matter of succession, and the same with his eldest son after him – much the same as the kingship in England and other monarchies. None of the Levites –  Priests or lesser Levites – were to have any inheritance in Canaan land when Israel took over there: “Unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance.” (Josh. 13:33)

Just how pronounced was the distinction between priests and lesser Levites is set forth in Num. 3:9: “Thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given unto him.” (See also Num. 8:19) When we consider the service of the Tabernacle and all the ceremonial features related thereto, it becomes clearly apparent that it would have been impossible for Aaron and his sons to perform even a small part of it; thus, the necessity for the help of the lesser Levites – a point that will have consideration in viewing the antitype of this arrangement.

Were the six days of creation literal days of twenty-four hours each

The word "day" as used in the Scriptures, signifies a fixed period of time. We read of a forty year day; "the day of temptation in the wilderness." (`Heb. 3:8,9`.) Again, we have the Scriptural statement that "One day with the Lord is as a thousand years." (`2 Pet. 3:8`.) A year is frequently spoken of as a day; as, "I have appointed thee each a day for a year." (`Eze. 4:6`.) Furthermore the entire Gospel Age is called "The day of salvation." –`2 Cor. 6:2`. When considering the statements of Genesis respecting the six creative Days or periods, or epochs, we should not limit our thoughts to a twenty-four hour day, but examine the subject and see what period of time is signified. 

Please explain how God rested on the 7th creative day.

Jehovah God rested his work of creation, ceased to prosecute it, because in his wisdom he foresaw that his designs could best be executed by another means. God saw best to permit his creature Adam to exercise his free will and fall under temptation into sin and its legitimate penalty, death–including a long period, 6,000 years of dying and battling, as a convict, with evil environment. God saw best to permit him thus as a convict to do a part of the subduing of the earth; that to bring it as a whole toward its foretold Paradisaic condition would be profitable to man under the circumstances; that it would be expedient that man realize the principles underlying divine righteousness and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and be thus prepared for the grace to be brought to the world in due time.

What does it mean to be “fearfully made?” – Psalm 139:14

In the King James Version (KJV) Bible the whole scripture Psalm 139:14 reads:  "I will praise thee:  for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:  marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

The Old Testament scriptures were originally written in Hebrew, later translated into English and other languages.  The word translated "fearfully" in this scripture comes from the Hebrew word yârê.  That is #3372 in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.  Sometimes yârê is translated "reverence," such as in Leviticus 19:30 – "Ye shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary:  I am the LORD."  To be reverent means, according to Webster, "to regard with profound respect and honor."    The meaning of Psalm 139:14 seems to be that we are so amazingly made that we should have a reverent fear of the Lord who created us.

Our Heavenly Father does not want us to have a timid or cowardly fear of Him or anyone else.  The Apostle Paul states in II Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  New International Version Bible (NIV) 

We also know that "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"  Palm 111:10 (NIV)  Another place in the Bible where yârê is used is in Psalms 66:5, 6.  The King James rendering is:  "Come and see the works of God:  he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.  He turned the sea into dry land:  they went through the flood on foot:  there did we rejoice in him."  At first that sounds a little frightening, but the scripture shows that the "terrible" demonstration of God's power resulted in the Israelites being rescued and that they were joyous.  The NIV translates verse 5 as:  "Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf."  One of Webster's definitions of "awe" is:  "reverent wonder tinged with fear inspired by the sublime."

When we see God's creation on earth and in the whole universe, we are filled with great wonder at His mighty power, majesty, and wisdom.  We see that He loves us and has provided all these things for us to enjoy, even though the earth is in an imperfect state at this time.  We recognize our own smallness and imperfection, and we fear to displease such a great God.  But this fear should bring us closer to God, instead of driving us away from Him.  It makes us want to have Him as our Father, and we want to praise and honor and serve Him.

Who made God?

We, as thinking intelligent creatures, believe that everything has a beginning and has an end. The scriptures speak of beginnings, and the most popular is the first verse of the first book of the Bible, Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”.  Whatever mechanism God used, this is the creation of everything in our known universe.

But God has no beginning and has no end. This is a difficult concept indeed. It may be easy to understand that God doesn’t have an end, but how can God have no beginning?

One possible understanding may be again from Genesis 1:1. Prior to the creation of the physical universe, there was no time (as we perceive it). Time, itself, was created when the universe was created. Look up the definition of time in any dictionary and you will find something similar to, “..an interval between any two successive events”. So, before Genesis 1:1, there were no events, therefore there was no such thing as time.

Our understanding of the nature of God comes from the scriptures like Isaiah 55:9 which says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Just as humans are on a higher life nature than the microscopic amoeba, we have to understand that God is on a much higher life nature than humans. We cannot fully comprehend what his Divine Nature is like. But looking at our universe which he created, that alone shows the power and glory of his nature.

Moses asked God to show himself, but God said “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” Exodus 33:20. God’s Divine Nature is of such immense glory, that it outshines any light, and therefore cannot be viewed by humans. Similarly, humans cannot even comprehend the dimensions of the Divine Nature. God in His Divine Nature existed before the beginning of time.

Who Made God? The answer is “no one”. God always was, is, and will be. Both Christian believers and non-believers have to agree that “Something” has always been around. Non-believers have to believe that something always existed to cause the formation of the universe. Christian believers have to believe that God always existed. He created the universe.

I think it’s easier to believe that God has always existed.

Does God exist?

This question may be on the minds of a lot of people these days. Looking at the trouble that is happening around the world makes people ask “if God exists, why would he let this happen? If God exists, why is he so quiet?” After all, it has been over 2000 years since the last physical miracle of God…or has it?

A strong current miracle is prophesied in our Lord’s Great Prophecy. The Apostles (who knew that their Lord was to leave their midst) asked Jesus for the “signs of his returning”.

Christ’s response included: Matthew 24: 32  “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:” Christians in general recognize the Fig Tree is referencing Israel. The miracle that  happened occurred in 1948, when Israel was granted the right to be a nation again. Soon after the crucification of Christ, the Israelites were thrust out of their land, scattered around the world. The miracle is that they came back as a nation 1845 years later.

This modern miracle is a strong proof that not only God Exists, but that he is still in control.

If God exists, then why isn’t He healing this sin-sick world?

We have all prayed, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When Christ establishes God’s kingdom on earth, tremendous miracles of joy and gladness will fill the earth. All will be resurrected (John 5:28, 29), all will be receive perfect health (Isa. 35), all will know God (Jer. 31: 33, 34). “I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts,; and will be their God…and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me…” All mankind will then KNOW God exists!

God is the Creator of Everything!!! So why did he create Lucifer? Even though Lucifer was created to worship God. Did not God know that Lucifer would turn against him

Rev. 19:6, "…Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" Yes, our Father is omnipotent, all powerful, all seeing.

But, He is a Father, not a robot-builder. His creation was given the power of choice, along with all other powers and privileges attached to their level of being. Not only was man given the freedom to choose right and wrong,(Deuteronomy 30:19, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.")but so were the angelic beings.

Ezekiel 28:15 tells us why Lucifer made his choice. "You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you." Vs. 17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of you splendor."  Isa. 14 elaborates on Lucifer's pride, verses 12-21, but I will only cite 12-14, "How you are fallen from Heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High:"

We see the motivation, so why did God create him in the first place? Because Lucifer could have decided NOT made that choice. Lucifer was a beautiful and beloved child of the Father. When we have children, sometimes we can see ahead that they will make bad choices. As free moral agents, we cannot stop them, although we can make efforts to educated them along the way. Not until they have crossed an ultimate line, do we become estranged from them.  

God could have created us all without the ability to choose our course. But then what would love mean? He wanted a universal family of loving, righteous beings and has provided a plan for its accomplishment.

Had Lucifer not sinned, there is no way to conclude that someone in the human or angelic races may not have made such a choice at some time.

We hope this is of some help to you.

Was Adam the first man?

Yes, Adam was the first man. Genesis 2:7,8, "And the LORD God formed man (the Hebrew word is Adam) of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." 

Adam was a special creation because he was created in God's image. Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Adam did not look like God. He was like His wonderful Creator in that he could reason, be just, love, and exercise benevolent authority. God made man in His character likeness and put him in charge of managing the earth.

Who are those beings that the God Father talked to when He created humans?

In Genesis 1:27, God said “Let us make man in our image…” God was talking to the Logos (Jesus’ name before he became a human) and the angelic family. God is the great architect of His plan and He used the Logos and the angels to help carry out the work of the natural creation. “…there is but one God, the Father, of whom (as the architect) are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom (as the instrumentality of creation) are all things, and we by him.” 1 Corinthians 8:6 (KJV). 

The Gospel of John also supports that the Word (Logos in Greek) directed the creation of all things. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; the Word also was a god. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.” John 1:1-3 (RVIC)  

The angels were created before the natural universe and they helped the Logos with the creative work. When God spoke with Job, we receive more insight into the angels’ status and their great joy in the creative process. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.

 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7 (NKJV) The sons of God were all the angels. (They could not have been man because man had not been created.) 

The concept of “our image” does not refer to a body image. It refers to a character image. God is all loving, all just, all wise, and all powerful. Man was created with love and justice written in his heart. Romans 2:14, 15, “Gentiles…by nature do the things in the law…who show the work of the law written in their hearts…” Man was also given intelligence (developing into wisdom) and power or dominion over the animals and plants. He was given management of the earth.

Why is the God of the Bible the supreme God?

While some worship idols, images created by human hands, Paul declares, “…no idol is anything in the world…there is no God but one.”  (1Corinthians 8:4 ASV).  In 1 Corinthians 8:6, he continues by proclaiming that there is one God (chief, supreme being), the Father (not 2 or 3), and one Lord Jesus who made all things with God’s power.  God’s character and attributes are revealed in creation. Psalms 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Supreme wisdom and supreme power are manifested as who but an all powerful God could intelligently create the universe? Additionally, God’s love and justice may be recognized in the creation of man. When God created the living human race, justice would require that air, food, and water be provided for life. But God’s love made a huge variety of food which is delicious, colorful, aromatic, nutritious, and satisfying to eat. The fact that He designed and created the vast universe and all creatures informs us of His omniscience, omnipotence, absolute justice, and supreme love. The human mind cannot comprehend how God can give life, yet needs nothing to exist, and exists outside of time (which He created). 

Exodus 3:14 (NASB) states, “…I AM WHO I AM…” which is a translation of the Hebrew word “Jehovah.” Jehovah, reigns supreme because He is the self-existing one, on whom all our existence depends. In Exodus 6: 3 (KJV) God tells Moses, "And I appeared unto Abraham…by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known…" By this name, God was known to His people, the Israelites. Moses said to the people, "Hear, O Israel:  Jehovah our God is one Jehovah…thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart…” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ASV).  The King James Version states, “…The LORD our God is one LORD.” Usually, whenever the Hebrew word is Jehovah, the KJV translates it as LORD in all capital letters.

“LORD…before the mountains were brought forth, or…thou…formed the earth…from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2 KJV). Our supreme heavenly Father, the embodiment of love, justice, wisdom and power, is the one, true God.  He assures us of His love in James 1:17 (Weymouth), “Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light.  In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.” His ways and thoughts are necessarily higher than ours (see Isaiah 55:9).  Surely, only a righteous, benevolent, supreme God would lovingly assure his human family, “For I know the plans I have for you,” … “plans to prosper youand not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).      

“But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide forever; And thy memorial name unto all generations.” (Psalms 102:12 ASV). 

In reference to Genesis 2 verses 10-14, where are the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates today and which countries are Havilah, Cush and Assyria?

The scholarly community is divided as to where these ancient rivers and countries are located. The following answer presents one view:

There are more than one land of Havilah and of Cush respectively mentioned in the Bible, wherein lies the confusion.  However, the verses in Genesis cited above give us a clue as to which area is delineated.  The garden of Eden, it is generally accepted, was located in the Armenia/Azerbaijan region, located in the Republic of Georgia, i.e.,the Caucasus Mountains,  north eastern Turkey and north west Iran.  The word Cush means blackness.  The black races generally inhabit southern Iraq, south India and Africa.  But Nimrod was also black, being a Cushite, and he built the city of Babel, or the city of Cush, in what is today northern Iraq.  Hence the land of Cush, translated Ethiopia in verse 13, cannot refer to Ethiopia in north east Africa, also black, but to Northern Iraq in Asia, within what was later the Assyrian empire .  Furthermore, verse 11 mentions that there is “good gold” in the area of Havilah.  The second-largest gold deposits in the world are found near the delta of the southeast Caucasus Mountain range (the first being in South Africa, far from Eden).  We can then be assured that the Bible is speaking of this region in what is the general area of the Republic of Georgia.

Since the world experienced a devastating flood which destroyed a good part of the land geography, some scholars believe it is impossible now to determine exactly which today are the four rivers mentioned in Genesis, as their source has been obliterated.  Many agree the river Hiddekel is the Tigris river that empties into the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates has a similar starting point.  A discerning look at a map of the area will reveal that the Pishon is likely the Araxes or Araks river, that “compasseth the  land of Havilah,” the gold mines in the area of the Republic of Georgia, and empties into the Caspian Sea.  A closer look may suggest that the Gihon river which “compasseth the …land of Ethiopia [Cush],” Northern Iraq and Northwest Iran, may be the Safid-Rud river, which also empties into the Caspian Sea.  It may be noted that the history of Adam and the human race parallels that of the river that arose in Eden.

Are we to accept the Bible account of the miracles that were performed in olden times? Why are not miracles performed in our day?

This is an age of miracles, with messages being flashed thousands of miles through space, and under the seas, and around the globe. 

Marvelous discoveries and wonderful inventions are being made almost daily. Some of the achievements of our times almost eclipse those of former days, even the miracles of which we read in the Scriptures. As a matter of fact, miracles are transpiring all about us continually. 

The reproduction of living organism, either animal or vegetable, is beyond our comprehension, as well as beyond our power–hence miraculous. We can see the exercise of life principle, but can neither understand it nor produce it. Two seeds are planted side by side; the conditions, air, water, and soil are alike; they grow we cannot tell how, nor can the wisest philosopher explain this miracle.

 These seeds develop characteristics that are exactly opposite, though the conditions were the same. The Creator who formed all of the marvels that we see about us in the material world, would surely be able to perform the miracles narrated in the Bible, and therefore, we need have no doubts as to their authenticity.

On which dates does the Bible tells us to celebrate Christmas and Resurrection (Easter)?

Christmas and Easter are both Christian traditions that attempt to focus on Jesus. The Christmas holiday is the fixed date of December 25. The Easter holiday is the tradition of placing Jesus’ resurrection on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. But neither tradition is Biblical.

Easter’s origin was most likely a polytheistic celebration ushering in the goddess of spring, Eastre, with a pagan festival. Easter evolved into the tradition of celebrating Christ’s resurrection. Christ’s true resurrection was on a Sunday three days after the Jewish Passover (see below).

Christmas evolved into the tradition of celebrating the birth of the Son of God. This, too, has a pagan origin that likely originated from the celebration of the winter solstice and of Saturn (the god of sowing and the return of the Sun). There is no direct Bible date given for Jesus’ birth. We can approximate his birth day as some time in the fall (September or October?).

The only Biblical celebration that Christians were instructed to follow (which is coincidently close to Easter) is the memorial of Jesus’ death. The Memorial was to replace the Jewish Passover. Jesus instituted this remembrance in Luke 22:19, “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” The Apostle Paul further confirms this new memorial feast in 1 Corinthians 5:7,8, “…For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast…” The implication is that since the Passover was an annual celebration, this Memorial is the new yearly celebration.

The yearly Jewish Passover commemorates the Israelites’ release from Egyptian bondage. The Jewish people were to kill a lamb (picturing Jesus’ death) and sprinkle its blood on the door posts of their house. The blood was a sign to the death angel to pass over that house. Thus their firstborn were spared death, while the firstborn of all the Egyptians were slain. The Passover date is specified in Exodus 12:6 as the 14th day after the first new moon following the spring equinox.

Even after knowing the origins of these traditions, I still appreciate that the world thinks about Jesus on these occasions. Christmas and Easter may not be Biblical holy days but it is always wonderful to remember Jesus’ birth and death.

What are the 1260 days in Revelation 11 verse 3, and 12 verse 6?

The 1260 days represented a 1260 year (a year for a day, Numbers 14:34) period from AD539 to AD1799 which led to the beginning of the Times of the End (Daniel 12). The 1260 years is the period of Papacy’s power. Papal domination kept the masses in ignorance, superstition and servility. The 1260 year period started when the Popes began to exercise civil authority and power in 539 and ended in 1799. The French Revolution was the rise of the people, who were demanding civil rights and were rebelling against domination.

1799 marked the beginning of the time of the end. Daniel 12:4 gives two signs of the end times, “…the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Increased travel (many running to and fro) began with the steam boat in 1807, steam locomotive 1830, and has led up to our modern automobiles, jet planes, and rocket ships. All knowledge began to multiply in the early 1800s. Specific Bible knowledge was also increased with the establishment Bible Societies in the 1830s. Today, mankind’s knowledge is doubling every five years.

The Woman (True Church) of Revelation 12:6 was in hiding (wilderness- away from Papacy) during the 1260 years and began to manifest herself with the reformers after 1799. The two witnesses in Revelation 11:3 are the Old and New Testament which sustained the True Church.

False prophets and false Messiahs will appear performing great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Matt. 24:24). What does that mean?

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:24

There have been many false prophets and false christs who have stated they were the mouthpieces of Jesus. As Jesus foretold, “…many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’…”

The Pope is himself one of these false prophets. The following is a quote from Pope Leo XIII in the Encyclical Letter of June 20, 1894, page 304: “We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” No man holds the place of God! That is a false claim.

But who are “the very elect” mentioned at the end of verse 24? The elect are believers who faithfully obey God and develop the fruits of the spirit. Not all who profess Jesus will be faithful, only a little flock. 2 Peter 1:10, “…brethren (saved believers in Christ)give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail.” As the Apostle Paul writes, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” 1 Corinthians 9:27. 

Just before Christ establishes His kingdom on earth, deceptions will increase. Some believe that God may allow materialization of the fallen angels (imprisoned in the Earth's atmosphere after the Flood). This possibility is speculative. These demons may be able to create signs and wonders so impressive, that were it not for God’s power, they could even deceive the last members of the church on earth.

To summarize, the last members of the body of Christ are allowed to go through sifting experiences, but if they stay close to His word, they will discern these manifestations as lying wonders coming from the adversary, Satan.

Is Easter a pagan holiday? Should Christians celebrate it?

Yes, Easter has pagan roots. The Saxon fertility goddess, Ēostre or Ostara, was celebrated at a festival in the springtime, around the time of the Passover.  As pagans came into the church and converted to Christianity, Church leaders saw no problem permitting customs from this pagan holiday that aligned with the Christian holiday to be included in the customs that were observed.  Easter bunnies – a pagan fertility symbol — and Easter baskets are not found in the Bible. 

A second problem linked to the Passover observance was that until the fourth century, the church strictly followed the Jewish calendar for the date of the Memorial of Jesus's death (antitypical Passover) AND for the Week of Unleavened Bread that followed.  This was the holiest season of the year.  We learn this from the History of Eusebius.  However, in the fourth centurythe church decided it had the authority to change the calculation for the date from the Passover method (Exodus 12:1). The idea was to change the date so that the remembrance of the crucifixion would ALWAYS be on a Friday and the remembrance of the Resurrection would ALWAYS fall on a Sunday.  

While we cannot support this change, any memorial of our Lord’s resurrection will always be precious to His people. To those who correctly appreciate the matter, every Sunday is an “Easter” Sunday, because every Sunday commemorates our Lord’s resurrection. 

During New Testament times, the early church would meet together on Sunday. Acts 20:7, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them…” It would only be natural to rehearse and celebrate the miraculous events of that Sunday when the disciples found Jesus’s tomb to be empty. Thus, the first day of the week became a traditional time for Christians to worship God.

However, the one celebration which Jesus did establish and command His followers to keep was one that commemorated His death. Jesus instituted a memorial of His imminent death right after He and His disciples kept the Passover feast (see Matthew 26:26-28). The Apostle Paul further explained in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Jesus’s sacrifice as the antitypical passover lamb helps us to understand when and how frequently we are to drink the cup and eat the unleavened bread commemorating His death. Just as the typical Passover was celebrated yearly on the 14th. of Nissan, so Christians are to commemorate our Lord’s death as the antitypical passover Lamb on the 14th. of Nissan after sunset.

Did Mary the mother of Jesus die? And why do Catholics pray to and through Mary?

Mary certainly died. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:22, “…in Adam all die…” Since Mary was part of the Adamic race, she did die. The last mention of her in the Bible does confirm that she continued as a believer with other Christians in the early church.   Acts 1:14, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

The worship of Mary by Catholics began in the early 400’s.  They see her as a pathway to Jesus, a sympathetic listener and giver of graces. In their strictest doctrine, Mary is not seen as a deity but as a “Queen of Heaven” to bring petitions to God and Jesus. Sadly, this is not in agreement with what the Bible teaches. We are instructed that the only correct way to pray to God is through Jesus.  John 14:6, “…no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” 1 Timothy 2:5, “…one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

It should be noted that although Catholic doctrine does not give Mary God-like status, many Catholic traditions and individuals do pray to her and look for miracles through Mary.  Might not this be considered a form of idol worship? God tells us in  Leviticus 26:1, “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven images, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.” In the New Testament, we are told to keep away from idols:  1 John 5:21, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

We, sinners, know we are guilty, and it scares us to come before the Holy God of the Universe. This is a correct feeling. That’s why God provided a Savior for us. Jesus loved us so much that He died for us. We don’t need Mary to intercede for us with our wonderful Savior! So, let’s follow the Bible’s instructions and pray to God through the merit of Jesus Christ. “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13 (NASB)

Babylon is located in Iraq in Old Testament. In the New Testament, where is the "mystery, Babylon" in Revelation 17-5?

The name written on the forehead of the woman riding the scarlet colored beast did not represent a location nor did it refer to literal Babylon located in Iraq in ancient times.  Rather it was part of a title,  “MYSTERY: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”. The title symbolically identified the woman.

All of Revelation is filled with signs, symbols, and pictures from the vision the Apostle John received on the isle of Patmos. These visions were delivered to him by Our Lord Jesus, Himself.  Given the symbolic nature of the book, you can see the Revelation 17vision does not refer to a literal woman riding a scarlet colored beast, nor was her head literally inscribed with a title, nor was that Babylon a literal city.  The woman is a symbol.

Where else in the Scriptures do we find a woman as a symbol?  In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins given by our Lord in Matthew 25. Here the true bride of Christ is represented as the wise virgins who go out to meet the bridegroom.  They represent the pure church, the true church. In the opposite sense, the woman in Revelation 17:5 represents a false and evil church as shown by her description. She was arrayed in purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls.  Does this remind you of any church you may know that displays various forms of wealth in both person and ritual?  In her hand was a golden cup full of the abominations and filthiness of her fornication.  Who was she fornicating with?  Rev 17:1,2 says that she was a prostitute and had committed fornication with the “kings of the earth!”  Since the time of our Lord’s first advent, has there been a church which has made strong alliances with the kings of the earth, the earthly governments throughout history?

Why does her title include the name, Babylon?  Smith’s Bible Dictionary tells us that Babylon is the Greek form of Babel.  You may recall the account of the tower of Babel in the Old Testament where God confused the language of the people so that they could not complete the construction of the tower.  Indeed, the name Babylon means the same as its real reference, that is, confusion.   

This false church system carries in her hand, a cup that was once filled with truth, but now is contaminated with a wide array of confusing doctrines. Those doctrines are designed to intoxicate those who drink it.  As error was spread, ambition replaced the spirit of humility and loyalty to God and she desired the conditions that would give her greater power and influence in the world.  Revelation 18 describes in detail the destruction of this false system. 

Are the Great Crowd the same as all the people in Paradise Earth?

Just as the Anointed 144,000 (the Little Flock) are selected “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev 5:9 NWT), so are the Great Crowd (Rev 7:9).  Neither of these two groups are the world, but they are both taken “out of” the world.  This larger group (the world) from which these two classes are taken “out of” is described in Daniel 7:14, ” And to him there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him. His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be brought to ruin” (NWT).

This larger group is also described as the “nations” who live in the city (Rev 21:24), yet the Great Crowd is never said to enter the city, but “…they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple;” (Rev 7:15NWT).  The Great Crowd is brought before the Jehovah’s throne for service.  In contrast, the world of mankind (both raised from the dead and surviving Armageddon) are brought before the throne for judgment during the thousand year kingdom (Rev 20:12; Matt 25:31,32; Dan 7:9,10).  The Great Crowd is not the world of mankind on Paradise Earth.

The evidence points to three distinct kingdom classes 1) the Anointed Little Flock of 144,000, 2) the Great Crowd and 3) the world of mankind.

The fact that both the World (Rev 22:14) and Great Crowd (Rev 7:9) are described as wearing white robes does not prove they are the same group.  The Anointed 144,000 have white robes too (Rev 3:5; 19:8 –note that justification and righteousness are from same Greek root word Strong’s 1344).  All who become justified have white robes, because white robes are a symbol of justification/righteousness (Isa 61:10).  Anyone without a white robe (justification) has no standing with God (Matt 22:11-13).  At the time of the earthly Paradise, the world will “wash” their robes (Rev 22:14 – present tense in Greek), but the Great Crowd will already have clean robes (Rev 7:14 “washed” – Greek past tense).