Dr. Arno Penzias, who discovered the background radiation pointing to the Big Bang, is not to be lumped with the so called uneducated by today's educated elite: http://www.evolutionnews.org/2007/06/would_dr_arno_penzias_nobel_la003733.html
Here is more on Arno Penzias' denial of tenure: http://www.discovery.org/a/4064.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Another Perfect Stranger
Another Perfect Stranger is an even better movie than the prequal i.e. The Perfect Stranger.
Enjoy.......
Enjoy.......
The Perfect Stranger
The Perfect Stranger is an excellent movie which demonstrates how Christ relates to us.
Please enjoy..........
Please enjoy..........
Friday, May 6, 2011
NEED GOD? WHAT IF I DONT? BY RAVI ZACHARIAS
Ravi Zacharias is a contemporary Christian apologist whose messages are poignant yet from a warm and compassionate individual who knows his stuff.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Those basic questions!
The basic questions hindering belief in the God of the Bible are theological before scientific. This means (it is my belief, among other believers) the true problem with faith in God stems from misunderstandings about God’s nature. What is our reference point about the most fundamental issue of mankind? For our purposes we’ll use the Old and New Testament of the Jews: for Christians, the most reliable being the King James Bible. (Unless you know about the history of how we obtained this book, it will be difficult to see why I esteem it most worthy).Theology deals with the study of God and His character. When someone asks why God did such and such a thing, usually morals come into it.
I recently was approached with something like this: Why did God create Adam and Eve? Put them in a garden and tell them they cannot eat of some tree which He created and punish them when they did so? On top of that, why did He create Adam and Eve so that they would make God angry, in the first place? And, furthermore, why did He create the serpent responsible for them being punished?
Wow! If you are not prepared to deal with this sort of hammering, you’ll want to simply reply that you don’t know, and do not question God. First of all, we may agree that the main issue against God is perhaps moral, over scientific ( I can even insert, historical, as well). The first roadblock for all who inquire after the God of the Scriptures is summed up by Paul who says that to those who are not saved and do not believe, the Gospel is foolish.
Let’s read from his own words: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Cr 2:14).“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (1Cr 1:23). At this point I will encourage the reader to seek out more existing cross references in the Bible. This is how one gets a better understanding of its message.
The next question that follows is “how do I believe?” My response is that you must be sincerely wishing to learn about God and something about yourself. However, God must be first, from now on. The worldly POV promotes self: it is in advertisements and outer-fringe cults. Actually, both seem to meet at this one point: You are deserving, special, and even divine. The latter New Age element is slowly being slipped in today’s marketing campaigns and is even fueled by some governments; celebrities are reinterpreting the Gospel for selfish reasons. The problem is all this will push God out of your life if you let it. If one wishes to know God before all else he will eventually get a better understanding of his own self in the bargain. Why speak thus? Because knowing God can only come from knowing Jesus Christ. And to know Him, is to have a personal relationship with Him; for, you see, I am writing of a relationship, and that true Christianity is about relationships. I am unable to have any sort of understanding of God if I do not know Jesus Christ, aside from knowing myself. The problem is who really knows himself? Socrates said to ‘know thyself’. Sounds reasonable enough; but as time progresses we have come to a conclusion that our bodies are all we are. We spend thousands of dollars and thousands of hours on bodily maintenance, but that’s all. Let’s see what the Bible might say on this matter: Psa 139:23-24, as written by David, states, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet, centuries before the time of Jesus says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9). In context to this and other passages by Jeremiah, it is best to understand he was lamenting the destruction of Israel by the Babylonians, who was sent by God to “give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer 17:10). By now there can be seen 2 ways to interpret knowing thyself: bodily and spiritually. For the Biblical writers, spirituality is referring to morals and the way to talk of this we refer to one’s heart. Also, apart from God there is only nature, and the natural inclinations of one’s heart. Paul also states, “We are confident, and willing to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2Cr 5:8). Please do not misconstrue this last passage for taking one’s own life to be with God, because for those who come to believe in Christ, Paul insists, “What? Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1Cr 6:19-20). So now we can determine 2 things about ourselves, 1) when talking about knowing ourselves we are looking at our hearts: the whole body, where resides our aspirations and our drives; 2) apart from God we are wicked by nature.
To see how mankind is wicked by nature we need to press on with those fundamental questions. At the outset you might have gotten into this discussion before with a terse answer like, “Mankind is wicked because they did not obey God.” Yes, in a word this is definitely true. Let’s look closer by answering the query as to God’s intent upon creating at all, let alone, Adam and Eve. God creates because God wishes to have a relationship with His creation. Why? Because “God is love” (1st Jn 4:8). If we read the whole passage we see that “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is Love”. This illustrates how to better understand ourselves we need to bring God into the picture. Also, in order to have a more fulfilling love for one another we need to love God; and it may be easier to win someone to Christ through love. “But ye love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind to the unthankful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).
Why the forbidden fruit deal? “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”(Gen 2: 16-17). The reason for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ties in with the rest of the picture: A loving God and benefactor, man created in his image, a partner for good company, a vast creation with other life forms…and the tree of everlasting life. The serpent was also made by Him. If we study these various things God has made we can generate 2 categories: the things in favor of and the things contrary to God’s approval for Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve have each other, they can eat of all the fruit in their midst, including the tree of everlasting life, and what is more they have communion with God Himself in the garden. Conversely, there is the serpent and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Since there are 2 categories of things we can safely say we see the dawn of freewill and the beginnings of potential love reciprocated by Adam and Eve leaning toward God and His word. So, there is now distinction of with and without God’s company, for here is the kicker: Since God is all perfect and nothing is greater, His word is Himself. Now, we are going to jump to the nature of His awesome character in His Son: Jesus Christ, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jhn 1:1).Then just a few passages down, John says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). In the Greek this is the Logos. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, which in turn makes Him God. To illustrate: If I say the word cat, no cat will appear, but you may get an image in your mind of one. If God says the same word, there really is indeed a cat present. So, if God’s word is perfect and just, and is indeed God, to not incline to its instruction is turning one’s back on God. Just as we must take witness of the Gospel, or the good news of Jesus Christ lest we perish; Adam and Eve perishes due to not taking heed of God’s word. If God made Adam and Eve devoid of freewill, there can be no such thing as a relationship imbued with returning love; for is this not the same thing as making Adam and Eve incapable of disobeying God’s word? Just as God chose to create, we can choose to seek Him. So, where there is freedom there is love’s fuller potential to live out its forms.
God did create man knowing man will turn from Him, but not so that He may become angry. We can look at why God does become angry: Is it fair to say since He is God He cannot have any emotions? If God shows no emotions, followed by consequences, how do we 1) understand Him, and 2) grow? If God unleashed just an infinitesimal degree of angst toward us there would be nothing left! It is plain to see He is instructing and preparing Adam and Eve, and future mankind. Basically, we had it made: Paradisiacal conditions, companionship with the source of everything, and all the time in the world. However, we turned away, and continue to do so today as many will reject Jesus Christ for more knowledge of the world. There is a trace of the Eden condition still with us as people seek natural remedies for life’s ills, vegetarian diets, etc. The 60’s revolution with slogans like ‘flower power’ was a warped attempt at “Getting back to the Garden” (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young). If all our Bibles and good pastors were gone, we could not do any better.
As for the serpent there is a double entendre with regard to him as he is really Lucifer-turned-Satan cast from the presence of God in heaven: “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, and carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Eze 28:13-15). Why create that? This is getting to the core of all theological questions, because the first turning away from God is Luciferian.The tree of everlasting life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are opposites and so were the ones behind them: God and Satan. The former tree is also a symbol of Jesus Christ. Jesus says,” Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (Jn 6:47). The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a symbol of sin. This is because in order for us to understand evil a created thing must perform it: only God can know the difference of good and evil without having to undertake doing evil (He is Just). For the rest of us a created thing must usher this in so as to make it knowable. There was no iniquity found in Adam and Eve (creations); however, in Lucifer (another creation), iniquity is found. It is difficult to say Lucifer had a choice, but we know from Scripture that the first man and woman did.
Adam and Eve are now subject to problems as God ‘punishes’ them (Gen 3). What He does is put them in a state that will enable all of mankind an ability to achieve a better relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, who is made sin (just as we are in sin from our first parents).“For He hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteous of God in him” (2Cr 5:21). For, they originally sought after knowledge apart from God the Father, only to allow us to become better acquainted with life through knowing the Son, Jesus Christ. At the Second Coming we are told that we will be with Him in a new heaven and earth. “And I [John] saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, their God.” (Rev 21: 1-3)
I recently was approached with something like this: Why did God create Adam and Eve? Put them in a garden and tell them they cannot eat of some tree which He created and punish them when they did so? On top of that, why did He create Adam and Eve so that they would make God angry, in the first place? And, furthermore, why did He create the serpent responsible for them being punished?
Wow! If you are not prepared to deal with this sort of hammering, you’ll want to simply reply that you don’t know, and do not question God. First of all, we may agree that the main issue against God is perhaps moral, over scientific ( I can even insert, historical, as well). The first roadblock for all who inquire after the God of the Scriptures is summed up by Paul who says that to those who are not saved and do not believe, the Gospel is foolish.
Let’s read from his own words: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Cr 2:14).“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness” (1Cr 1:23). At this point I will encourage the reader to seek out more existing cross references in the Bible. This is how one gets a better understanding of its message.
The next question that follows is “how do I believe?” My response is that you must be sincerely wishing to learn about God and something about yourself. However, God must be first, from now on. The worldly POV promotes self: it is in advertisements and outer-fringe cults. Actually, both seem to meet at this one point: You are deserving, special, and even divine. The latter New Age element is slowly being slipped in today’s marketing campaigns and is even fueled by some governments; celebrities are reinterpreting the Gospel for selfish reasons. The problem is all this will push God out of your life if you let it. If one wishes to know God before all else he will eventually get a better understanding of his own self in the bargain. Why speak thus? Because knowing God can only come from knowing Jesus Christ. And to know Him, is to have a personal relationship with Him; for, you see, I am writing of a relationship, and that true Christianity is about relationships. I am unable to have any sort of understanding of God if I do not know Jesus Christ, aside from knowing myself. The problem is who really knows himself? Socrates said to ‘know thyself’. Sounds reasonable enough; but as time progresses we have come to a conclusion that our bodies are all we are. We spend thousands of dollars and thousands of hours on bodily maintenance, but that’s all. Let’s see what the Bible might say on this matter: Psa 139:23-24, as written by David, states, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet, centuries before the time of Jesus says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9). In context to this and other passages by Jeremiah, it is best to understand he was lamenting the destruction of Israel by the Babylonians, who was sent by God to “give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer 17:10). By now there can be seen 2 ways to interpret knowing thyself: bodily and spiritually. For the Biblical writers, spirituality is referring to morals and the way to talk of this we refer to one’s heart. Also, apart from God there is only nature, and the natural inclinations of one’s heart. Paul also states, “We are confident, and willing to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2Cr 5:8). Please do not misconstrue this last passage for taking one’s own life to be with God, because for those who come to believe in Christ, Paul insists, “What? Know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1Cr 6:19-20). So now we can determine 2 things about ourselves, 1) when talking about knowing ourselves we are looking at our hearts: the whole body, where resides our aspirations and our drives; 2) apart from God we are wicked by nature.
To see how mankind is wicked by nature we need to press on with those fundamental questions. At the outset you might have gotten into this discussion before with a terse answer like, “Mankind is wicked because they did not obey God.” Yes, in a word this is definitely true. Let’s look closer by answering the query as to God’s intent upon creating at all, let alone, Adam and Eve. God creates because God wishes to have a relationship with His creation. Why? Because “God is love” (1st Jn 4:8). If we read the whole passage we see that “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is Love”. This illustrates how to better understand ourselves we need to bring God into the picture. Also, in order to have a more fulfilling love for one another we need to love God; and it may be easier to win someone to Christ through love. “But ye love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind to the unthankful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).
Why the forbidden fruit deal? “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”(Gen 2: 16-17). The reason for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ties in with the rest of the picture: A loving God and benefactor, man created in his image, a partner for good company, a vast creation with other life forms…and the tree of everlasting life. The serpent was also made by Him. If we study these various things God has made we can generate 2 categories: the things in favor of and the things contrary to God’s approval for Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve have each other, they can eat of all the fruit in their midst, including the tree of everlasting life, and what is more they have communion with God Himself in the garden. Conversely, there is the serpent and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Since there are 2 categories of things we can safely say we see the dawn of freewill and the beginnings of potential love reciprocated by Adam and Eve leaning toward God and His word. So, there is now distinction of with and without God’s company, for here is the kicker: Since God is all perfect and nothing is greater, His word is Himself. Now, we are going to jump to the nature of His awesome character in His Son: Jesus Christ, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jhn 1:1).Then just a few passages down, John says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). In the Greek this is the Logos. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, which in turn makes Him God. To illustrate: If I say the word cat, no cat will appear, but you may get an image in your mind of one. If God says the same word, there really is indeed a cat present. So, if God’s word is perfect and just, and is indeed God, to not incline to its instruction is turning one’s back on God. Just as we must take witness of the Gospel, or the good news of Jesus Christ lest we perish; Adam and Eve perishes due to not taking heed of God’s word. If God made Adam and Eve devoid of freewill, there can be no such thing as a relationship imbued with returning love; for is this not the same thing as making Adam and Eve incapable of disobeying God’s word? Just as God chose to create, we can choose to seek Him. So, where there is freedom there is love’s fuller potential to live out its forms.
God did create man knowing man will turn from Him, but not so that He may become angry. We can look at why God does become angry: Is it fair to say since He is God He cannot have any emotions? If God shows no emotions, followed by consequences, how do we 1) understand Him, and 2) grow? If God unleashed just an infinitesimal degree of angst toward us there would be nothing left! It is plain to see He is instructing and preparing Adam and Eve, and future mankind. Basically, we had it made: Paradisiacal conditions, companionship with the source of everything, and all the time in the world. However, we turned away, and continue to do so today as many will reject Jesus Christ for more knowledge of the world. There is a trace of the Eden condition still with us as people seek natural remedies for life’s ills, vegetarian diets, etc. The 60’s revolution with slogans like ‘flower power’ was a warped attempt at “Getting back to the Garden” (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young). If all our Bibles and good pastors were gone, we could not do any better.
As for the serpent there is a double entendre with regard to him as he is really Lucifer-turned-Satan cast from the presence of God in heaven: “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, and carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Eze 28:13-15). Why create that? This is getting to the core of all theological questions, because the first turning away from God is Luciferian.The tree of everlasting life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are opposites and so were the ones behind them: God and Satan. The former tree is also a symbol of Jesus Christ. Jesus says,” Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (Jn 6:47). The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a symbol of sin. This is because in order for us to understand evil a created thing must perform it: only God can know the difference of good and evil without having to undertake doing evil (He is Just). For the rest of us a created thing must usher this in so as to make it knowable. There was no iniquity found in Adam and Eve (creations); however, in Lucifer (another creation), iniquity is found. It is difficult to say Lucifer had a choice, but we know from Scripture that the first man and woman did.
Adam and Eve are now subject to problems as God ‘punishes’ them (Gen 3). What He does is put them in a state that will enable all of mankind an ability to achieve a better relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, who is made sin (just as we are in sin from our first parents).“For He hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteous of God in him” (2Cr 5:21). For, they originally sought after knowledge apart from God the Father, only to allow us to become better acquainted with life through knowing the Son, Jesus Christ. At the Second Coming we are told that we will be with Him in a new heaven and earth. “And I [John] saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, their God.” (Rev 21: 1-3)
Monday, March 14, 2011
Perpetual Motion
Perpetual Machines
Imagine a machine which does not require energy from outside of itself for it to operate and runs forever, a device that generates perpetual motion. With such an invention we would solve all of our energy needs. Nuclear power is in appearance a perpetual energy source, however this is only a resemblance with flaws resulting in nuclear wastes and still the need to extract energy from dense materials like uranium.
People have been trying to solve the riddle of perpetual motion for as long as we can recall. Leonardo da Vinci made drawings of odd machines which look like perpetual devices. These are beautiful drawings; however, these still do not meet the needed criteria for a bonafide perpetual motion device. Richard Feynman developed the Brownian ratchet, a model that extracts thermal energy from its environment. However, this is not the classic perpetual machine as it needs energy from outside itself to function.
The fact is, there is no such thing. The Laws of Thermodynamics are violated by all of our models. Sure, scientists probably are still trying but we will need more knowledge about reality itself to solve this riddle. Whatever this knowledge is it would have to enter into the realm of metaphysics: i.e. the study of the supernatural. This is something mainstream science will not touch.
Another observation addresses the interdependency of all phenomena. Everything in existence relies on the preexistence of something else. Also, any existing thing needs an environment to exist, starting from its beginning. A tree cannot come to be without earth,water, gases, and sunlight. From a seed it grows out of the ground, to process the sunlight with the aid of carbon dioxide. The seed comes from a parent tree, which also comes from still another tree. The tree did not and cannot come out of itself, or better yet create itself without any help. Yes it can reproduce copies of itself with the needed material surrounding it before and during its own existence, but that is all it can really do. This same rule applies to all things. If it is inanimate it needs the preexistence of the material of which it’s made, and it needs an environment to not only contain it, but sustain it, as well. Water must have a certain room temperature for it to remain as water, alter the temperature and you either will yield gas in the form of steam, or fog, or a solid in the form of ice. Now you got an example of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics. The energy from which water is made is changed, but it is not destroyed. It cannot be completely destroyed, or annihilated. To approach this from a philosophical point of view, the fact that it exists means it cannot un-exist. Also, its existence is dependent upon the preexistence of time. This means existence is not reversible. If the thing we are addressing is living, we are going to witness the Law of Biogenesis at work. Attributed to Louis Pasteur, the law states life can only come from life, not from lifeless materials. This is all we really see, the rest is speculation, no matter how convincing the model of abiogenesis.
Edwin Hubble using the Doppler Redshift confirmed that our universe began in time. Hubble’s Law explains how the stars show a redshift thereby demonstrating that our universe is expanding. Imagine a dark colored balloon with white dots expanding; this is commonly known as the Big Bang. Basically since it is expanding it must have at one point started to do so, hence it is a created phenomena. Our universe did not exist forever; it has a beginning. Also, our universe cannot create itself.
Solomon writes in Psalm 102:25-27: Of old thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but you shall endure: yes, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shall thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou [art] the same, and thy years shall have no end. In Psalm 104:2 Solomon writes: He wraps himself in light as a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent.
Our world shows the tracings of a beginning. Laws which govern our world point to an inability for perpetual existence as well as auto creation, or spontaneous generation serving as a proper explanation for our reality coming into being. Also, with the impossibility of perpetual motion seen at our level hints to the logical conclusion that the universe, the greatest thing that we can say exists and that did in fact have a beginning, too, cannot generate perpetual activity. It also is not a perpetual machine. Our universe must require something far greater than itself in order to exist at all. Some of us believe this to be God.
Imagine a machine which does not require energy from outside of itself for it to operate and runs forever, a device that generates perpetual motion. With such an invention we would solve all of our energy needs. Nuclear power is in appearance a perpetual energy source, however this is only a resemblance with flaws resulting in nuclear wastes and still the need to extract energy from dense materials like uranium.
People have been trying to solve the riddle of perpetual motion for as long as we can recall. Leonardo da Vinci made drawings of odd machines which look like perpetual devices. These are beautiful drawings; however, these still do not meet the needed criteria for a bonafide perpetual motion device. Richard Feynman developed the Brownian ratchet, a model that extracts thermal energy from its environment. However, this is not the classic perpetual machine as it needs energy from outside itself to function.
The fact is, there is no such thing. The Laws of Thermodynamics are violated by all of our models. Sure, scientists probably are still trying but we will need more knowledge about reality itself to solve this riddle. Whatever this knowledge is it would have to enter into the realm of metaphysics: i.e. the study of the supernatural. This is something mainstream science will not touch.
Another observation addresses the interdependency of all phenomena. Everything in existence relies on the preexistence of something else. Also, any existing thing needs an environment to exist, starting from its beginning. A tree cannot come to be without earth,water, gases, and sunlight. From a seed it grows out of the ground, to process the sunlight with the aid of carbon dioxide. The seed comes from a parent tree, which also comes from still another tree. The tree did not and cannot come out of itself, or better yet create itself without any help. Yes it can reproduce copies of itself with the needed material surrounding it before and during its own existence, but that is all it can really do. This same rule applies to all things. If it is inanimate it needs the preexistence of the material of which it’s made, and it needs an environment to not only contain it, but sustain it, as well. Water must have a certain room temperature for it to remain as water, alter the temperature and you either will yield gas in the form of steam, or fog, or a solid in the form of ice. Now you got an example of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics. The energy from which water is made is changed, but it is not destroyed. It cannot be completely destroyed, or annihilated. To approach this from a philosophical point of view, the fact that it exists means it cannot un-exist. Also, its existence is dependent upon the preexistence of time. This means existence is not reversible. If the thing we are addressing is living, we are going to witness the Law of Biogenesis at work. Attributed to Louis Pasteur, the law states life can only come from life, not from lifeless materials. This is all we really see, the rest is speculation, no matter how convincing the model of abiogenesis.
Edwin Hubble using the Doppler Redshift confirmed that our universe began in time. Hubble’s Law explains how the stars show a redshift thereby demonstrating that our universe is expanding. Imagine a dark colored balloon with white dots expanding; this is commonly known as the Big Bang. Basically since it is expanding it must have at one point started to do so, hence it is a created phenomena. Our universe did not exist forever; it has a beginning. Also, our universe cannot create itself.
Solomon writes in Psalm 102:25-27: Of old thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but you shall endure: yes, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shall thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou [art] the same, and thy years shall have no end. In Psalm 104:2 Solomon writes: He wraps himself in light as a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent.
Our world shows the tracings of a beginning. Laws which govern our world point to an inability for perpetual existence as well as auto creation, or spontaneous generation serving as a proper explanation for our reality coming into being. Also, with the impossibility of perpetual motion seen at our level hints to the logical conclusion that the universe, the greatest thing that we can say exists and that did in fact have a beginning, too, cannot generate perpetual activity. It also is not a perpetual machine. Our universe must require something far greater than itself in order to exist at all. Some of us believe this to be God.
Third Part of My Response to The Movie Zeitgeist
Noah
These three things separate the Biblical account of the Flood from the others.
1) The Genealogy of Adam to Noah prophesies the work of Jesus.
2) The avian account of the raven and the 3 trips of the dove refers to both the work of Jesus and the triune nature of God.
3) The course of Satan’s attack and God’s counter attack is seen in a single chapter of Genesis.
What’s in a name?
God says he will confound the wise, making them look like fools.
I am the Lord that maketh all things …That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;[Isaiah 44:25]
No matter what is before such a person there always has to be another explanation.
There is a lot in a name:
Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah are introduced in the book of Genesis. This list is the complete patriarchal blood line from Adam to Noah.
When Methuselah was born the people should have started asking questions since his name in Hebrew means: His death shall bring (Some translations also include water, too). What, pray tell could this mean? Needless to say this man lived so long that Lamech came and went while Methuselah still lived. Now, here you would really think that people would start to ask questions, for Lamech’s name means: Despair, and despairing, etc. Get the picture?
It was that same year of Methuselah’s death that the waters of the Flood came. We have still to see what’s latent for those who will spend the time to find. If we translate the names of the rest of the lineage from Adam to Noah, we get: Adam-Man, Seth- Appointed, Enosh-Mortal, Kenan-Sorrow, Mahalalel-The Blessed God, Jared- Shall come down, Enoch-Teaching, Prophesying, Methuselah- His Death Shall Bring, Lamech-The Despairing, and Noah- Rest, or Comfort.
Man is Appointed Mortal Sorrow. [But] The Blessed God Shall Come Down Teaching [that] His Death Shall Bring The Despairing Rest [or Comfort].
This is exactly what Christ would do about 2000 years later. (Find it in Genesis 7)
Birds of the Arc
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters [were] on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.
And he stayed yet other* seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth [was] an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.
And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first [month], the first [day] of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.[Genesis 8:6-13]
First bird- the raven
Noah sends a raven out first in order to locate any carrion as the waters began to descend. Ravens eat flesh. They are among the unclean creatures because of their diet.
And these [are they which] ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they [are] an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;
Every raven after his kind; [Genesis 11:13-15]
The raven symbolizes the death of Christ in context. We all are made unclean in the sense that we ate something against God’s will. Christ gives of himself as we take Him into us to be saved from death. He even offers his body and blood to us at Passover. This is necessary to usher in the work of Christ.
Ravens feed the prophet Elijah bread and flesh. Elijah has the power (from God) to control rain; he gives life back to the dead, and he ascends to heaven (The last two are curious traits shared by none other than Jesus). His name means “YAH IS MY GOD”
[See I Kings 17, 2 Kings 2:8]
Second bird-the dove
Doves are clean according to the dietary laws given by God to Moses, and were thereby acceptable for sacrifice (Genesis 15:9, Leviticus 5:7 and 12:6-8, Luke 2:22-24).
Jesus is worthy and is sacrificed for our transgressions.
The dove becomes a symbol of The Holy Spirit –
And when Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16-17)
The dove is the symbol of peace. Noah gets the message of ‘flood’s over’ as the dove returns with the olive branch. [Gen 8:11]
Noah sends out a dove. The bird comes back. After another 7 days, Noah sends the same bird out again. This time the dove comes back with an olive branch.
After again another 7 days the same dove does not return.
The dove symbolizes the triune nature of God:
The Father-dove’s first flight.
The Son- dove’s second flight
The Holy Ghost- dove’s third flight. Jesus Christ is resurrected on day three. Seven is the numerical reference to God and His work. God creates everything in six days; whereas he reflects on the seventh.
Raven ► Death of Christ
7 days ► Number symbol of God/His work
Dove/ First flight ► God the Father
7days►Number symbol of God…
Dove/ Second flight/olive branch ► God the Son
7days ► Number symbol of God…
Dove/ Third flight/ ‘disappears’ or ‘gone away’ ► The Holy Spirit
Or it can be read as:
Raven ► Death of Christ
Dove/ First flight ► God the Father
7days►Number symbol of God/His work, The Crucifixion
Dove/ Second flight/olive branch ► God the Son
7days ► Number symbol of God/ His work, The Resurrection
Dove/ Third flight/ ‘disappears’ or ‘gone away’ ► The Holy Spirit
Jesus, either way, is present in the text.
The three flights of the one dove both symbolize God and Jesus and binds them together as one in the symbol. 1. Jesus was dead for three days. 2. God has three qualities in Him; each is no less than the one-Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
The recurring number seven is spaced between each bird’s flight beginning with the raven. Seeing as this number is a reference to God and His work Jesus was born to die, by the will of God and is one with God. The second flight this dove comes back with the olive leaf bears the very type of plant from which comes anointing oil. Jesus is God’s anointed. In addition, he is crucified on a ‘tree’ in the form of a cross. Jesus is also the vine with us as the branches.
Jesus’ tomb found empty after the third day is expressed by the dove’s final and third flight. When Jesus ascends to Heaven the Holy Ghost is given to the believers at Pentecost.
*the wording is peculiar, here. “…waited yet other seven days” first appears between raven and dove. Highly speculative, this may yet imply something even more.
Noah’s sons
Ham is cursed due to sexual ridicule of his father Noah at Noah’s most vulnerable moment. Ham and his offspring are to serve his 2 brothers, Japheth and Shem and their offspring.
Here the O.T. reveals how Egypt and Babylon make the best fertilizer for rebellion against the will of God through self-worship, perversion, sorcery and astrology.
It also shows where Gnosticism comes from. Gnosticism means ‘hidden knowledge’, but not the knowledge of God-theology, being the study of God- but knowledge to be as God through self-serving means. Remember the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 9 also reveals how people can dwell with God through a blessing as Jesus comes from the line of Shem.
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham [is] the father of Canaan.
These [are] the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
And Noah began [to be] an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid [it] upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces [were] backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
And he said, Cursed [be] Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.[Genesis 9:18-27]
This is the war map of Satan
Ham is cursed ► Mizraim ► Egypt tries to crush the Jews.
Also, Cush ► Nimrod ► Babel. ► Babylon tries to rule over the Jews.
This is God’s counter-move.
Ham (Egypt) must serve Shem (Israelites) or fall.
Cush (Babylon) must do likewise, or fall.
Japheth (Gentiles) will live with Shem (Israelites ► Jesus Lord) in his tent (tabernacle/tent/home/heaven)
Satan must bow down to God or fall.
Ditto.
All the people not of the Jews [may] live with the Jews with Christ the Lord in His Mansion.
Trouble for Ham/Egypt
He sent Moses his servant; [and] Aaron whom he had chosen.
They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.
Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, [and] lice in all their coasts.
He gave them hail for rain, [and] flaming fire in their land.
He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and [there was] not one feeble [person] among their tribes.
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.
[Psalms 105: 26,-38]
Primary source in Exodus.
Trouble for Cush/Babylon
Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:[Jeremiah 51:55]
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. [And] the king spake, and said to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom
Then came in all the king's wise [men]: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
A servant of God, Daniel, interprets the dream
And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
[Daniel 5]
In light of the Eden account here is a more complete war map of Satan.
Adam/ Eve►cursed►death►Cain kills Abel ► Ham-cursed► Mizraim ► Egypt tries to crush the Jews.
Also,Ham► Cush ► Nimrod ► Babel. ► Babylon tries to rule over the Jews ►currupt the world of men (gentile and Jew)
A parallel course of attack is always present since Eden.
Cain-cursed*►Enoch► offspring of Enoch►Lemech► corruption of the pre-Flood Creation►Ham-cursed… ► Saul, first king of the Jews who seeks the death of David (bloodline of Jesus)► Herod** who seeks the death of Jesus.
[* all curses go to offspring.]
[** Herod is a direct offspring of the Edomites. They assisted Nebuchadnezzar (Babylonian King) to slaughter the Jews. Esau is Edom. Esau gives up his birthrights to Jacob, his brother, and loses his chance to become Israel. Instead, Jacob becomes Israel.]
Lemech says something very revealing: I killed a man who wounded me and since my father is revenged, I will be even revenged seventy-seven fold. [Genesis 4: 23,24].
This wounding business is a direct echo of the serpent’s cry of being cursed/wounded starting in the garden.
Now, up until the fulfillment of the Revelation Satan goes after the offspring of Eve who will one day finish him. He tries to wipe out the line of Shem(Jews) in Egypt. Corrupt the line of Shem in Babylon…Kill the anointed (Jesus) not once, but twice. He thinks Jesus will come back as an infant. Hence so many infanticide cases escalating to date.
The world prior to the flood became so corrupt from the offspring of Cain, God knew best by choosing still another son for Adam: Seth.
God’s counter move:
New beginning in the form of a post-Flood creation ►Noah►Seth►paternal bloodline from him, starting with Adam to Noah►Japheth/Shem► Abraham ► David►Solomon ► Jesus, a reconcilement of man with God.
A final note:
Astrology as the main source for the Biblical text
Let them[stars] be for signs and seasons, days and years [Genesis 1:14]
From a Biblical perspective, God’s fingerprint should be found in the world, the stars, the land, waters, stories…
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:18-21).
As a Christian I embrace the idea that Virgo the virgin predates the Virgin Mary, that there are three stars that predate the 3 kings in search of Jesus, that Draco the Dragon predates Lucifer and that the 2 fishes of Pisces predates Jesus and his miracle of feeding a whole multitude with only 2 fish.
With understanding, we can also embrace how there are over 200 flood stories that ‘suspiciously’ points to Noah. The Truth should be spread out all over the face of the earth, but is only in fragments without the Bible to pull it all together.
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve
And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.
And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide [it] among yourselves:
For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
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.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me [is] with me on the table.
[Luke 22:1-21]
The man with the pitcher of water can easily refer to Christ.
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.[john 4:14]
The promise is a gift from God, as Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well.
The man with the pitcher of water can also, and simultaneously, refer to God.
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.[John4 : 10]
The room is an upper room. It’s large and is completely ready for the feast to take place.
It becomes a symbol for heaven.
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.[John 14:2]
Bethlehem
Bethlehem - house of bread.
Jesus is born there.
Jesus is the bread of life.
And Jesus said unto them, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst…. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. [John 6:35, 51.]
The [wedding] feast in heaven
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. [ Matthew 8:11]
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.[Matthew 22:2-4]
Old Testament:
Isaiah 54:5 -- For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His Name, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called.
Isaiah 62:5 -- And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
New Testament:
Romans 7:4 -- Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
2 Corinthians 11:2 [Paul reminded the church in Corinth that they were married to Jesus.] For I am jealous over you with Godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Revelation 19:7-9 -- Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.
* Notes for Noah section: Is there seven days before the first flight of the dove? The Genesis text doesn’t say this flat out. However, I cannot help but see the connection. There is discrepancy over translation throughout the Bible from the Hebrew and Aramaic, Greek to English. Nevertheless, there seems to be an uncanny protective mechanism in the Bible that never fails. I’m familiar with the question regarding Jesus’ claim of being dead for three days to rise on the third: From Friday to Sunday is not three days. This is too obvious to overlook. A problem starts with assuming a total number of hourly units for us being 24hrs per day as how the Hebrew thought back then. Days and nights are made separate, and is often shown in the Bible: “Forty days and forty nights” serves as a good example. Also, according to Jewish custom each new ‘day’ starts at nightfall, not at the24th hour. Therefore, Their Friday starts at our Thursday, so to speak. If something falls on a part of the day, it serves a total unit, as well. Sure, it is a little confusing; it is this type of ‘problem’ which will most probably reveal more connections between O.T and N.T.
So how can Jesus be crucified on a Friday and resurrect on Sunday and still fulfill His own prophesy of a three day interval?
Jesus was crucified and was dead for 3 days, a unit that compares to the span of their day; He arose on the 3rd day. Night/day(Jewish Thursday at nightfall brings in their Friday) night/day (Saturday) night/day (Sunday).
The binding point is how the question of the dove’s first flight following seven days parallels the question of the number of days, or day units, Jesus is considered dead, prior to His resurrection.
The units:
Hebrew: night/day/night/day/night/day/night ► English: [day=day and night] /day/day/day.
For the average English-speaking listener, a Friday crucifixion to a Sunday resurrection is just two days.
For the Hebrew-speaking listener, there are three ‘days’ involved, here.
The comparison:
DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3
THUR
starts at
sundown
on Wed. THUR
ends at
sundown
FRI
starts at
sundown
on Thu. FRI
ends at
sundown
SAT
starts at
sundown
on Fri. SAT
ends at
sundown SUN
starts at
sundown
on Sat. SUN
ends at
sundown
Night Day Night Day Night Day
Crucifixion Sabbath He is Risen
Raven ► Death of Christ
7 days ► Number symbol of God/His work [?]
Dove/ First flight ► God the Father
7days►Number symbol of God…
Dove/ Second flight/olive branch ► God the Son
7days ► Number symbol of God…
Dove/ Third flight/ ‘disappears’ or ‘gone away’ ► The Holy Spirit
These three things separate the Biblical account of the Flood from the others.
1) The Genealogy of Adam to Noah prophesies the work of Jesus.
2) The avian account of the raven and the 3 trips of the dove refers to both the work of Jesus and the triune nature of God.
3) The course of Satan’s attack and God’s counter attack is seen in a single chapter of Genesis.
What’s in a name?
God says he will confound the wise, making them look like fools.
I am the Lord that maketh all things …That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;[Isaiah 44:25]
No matter what is before such a person there always has to be another explanation.
There is a lot in a name:
Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah are introduced in the book of Genesis. This list is the complete patriarchal blood line from Adam to Noah.
When Methuselah was born the people should have started asking questions since his name in Hebrew means: His death shall bring (Some translations also include water, too). What, pray tell could this mean? Needless to say this man lived so long that Lamech came and went while Methuselah still lived. Now, here you would really think that people would start to ask questions, for Lamech’s name means: Despair, and despairing, etc. Get the picture?
It was that same year of Methuselah’s death that the waters of the Flood came. We have still to see what’s latent for those who will spend the time to find. If we translate the names of the rest of the lineage from Adam to Noah, we get: Adam-Man, Seth- Appointed, Enosh-Mortal, Kenan-Sorrow, Mahalalel-The Blessed God, Jared- Shall come down, Enoch-Teaching, Prophesying, Methuselah- His Death Shall Bring, Lamech-The Despairing, and Noah- Rest, or Comfort.
Man is Appointed Mortal Sorrow. [But] The Blessed God Shall Come Down Teaching [that] His Death Shall Bring The Despairing Rest [or Comfort].
This is exactly what Christ would do about 2000 years later. (Find it in Genesis 7)
Birds of the Arc
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters [were] on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.
And he stayed yet other* seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth [was] an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.
And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first [month], the first [day] of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.[Genesis 8:6-13]
First bird- the raven
Noah sends a raven out first in order to locate any carrion as the waters began to descend. Ravens eat flesh. They are among the unclean creatures because of their diet.
And these [are they which] ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they [are] an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;
Every raven after his kind; [Genesis 11:13-15]
The raven symbolizes the death of Christ in context. We all are made unclean in the sense that we ate something against God’s will. Christ gives of himself as we take Him into us to be saved from death. He even offers his body and blood to us at Passover. This is necessary to usher in the work of Christ.
Ravens feed the prophet Elijah bread and flesh. Elijah has the power (from God) to control rain; he gives life back to the dead, and he ascends to heaven (The last two are curious traits shared by none other than Jesus). His name means “YAH IS MY GOD”
[See I Kings 17, 2 Kings 2:8]
Second bird-the dove
Doves are clean according to the dietary laws given by God to Moses, and were thereby acceptable for sacrifice (Genesis 15:9, Leviticus 5:7 and 12:6-8, Luke 2:22-24).
Jesus is worthy and is sacrificed for our transgressions.
The dove becomes a symbol of The Holy Spirit –
And when Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16-17)
The dove is the symbol of peace. Noah gets the message of ‘flood’s over’ as the dove returns with the olive branch. [Gen 8:11]
Noah sends out a dove. The bird comes back. After another 7 days, Noah sends the same bird out again. This time the dove comes back with an olive branch.
After again another 7 days the same dove does not return.
The dove symbolizes the triune nature of God:
The Father-dove’s first flight.
The Son- dove’s second flight
The Holy Ghost- dove’s third flight. Jesus Christ is resurrected on day three. Seven is the numerical reference to God and His work. God creates everything in six days; whereas he reflects on the seventh.
Raven ► Death of Christ
7 days ► Number symbol of God/His work
Dove/ First flight ► God the Father
7days►Number symbol of God…
Dove/ Second flight/olive branch ► God the Son
7days ► Number symbol of God…
Dove/ Third flight/ ‘disappears’ or ‘gone away’ ► The Holy Spirit
Or it can be read as:
Raven ► Death of Christ
Dove/ First flight ► God the Father
7days►Number symbol of God/His work, The Crucifixion
Dove/ Second flight/olive branch ► God the Son
7days ► Number symbol of God/ His work, The Resurrection
Dove/ Third flight/ ‘disappears’ or ‘gone away’ ► The Holy Spirit
Jesus, either way, is present in the text.
The three flights of the one dove both symbolize God and Jesus and binds them together as one in the symbol. 1. Jesus was dead for three days. 2. God has three qualities in Him; each is no less than the one-Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
The recurring number seven is spaced between each bird’s flight beginning with the raven. Seeing as this number is a reference to God and His work Jesus was born to die, by the will of God and is one with God. The second flight this dove comes back with the olive leaf bears the very type of plant from which comes anointing oil. Jesus is God’s anointed. In addition, he is crucified on a ‘tree’ in the form of a cross. Jesus is also the vine with us as the branches.
Jesus’ tomb found empty after the third day is expressed by the dove’s final and third flight. When Jesus ascends to Heaven the Holy Ghost is given to the believers at Pentecost.
*the wording is peculiar, here. “…waited yet other seven days” first appears between raven and dove. Highly speculative, this may yet imply something even more.
Noah’s sons
Ham is cursed due to sexual ridicule of his father Noah at Noah’s most vulnerable moment. Ham and his offspring are to serve his 2 brothers, Japheth and Shem and their offspring.
Here the O.T. reveals how Egypt and Babylon make the best fertilizer for rebellion against the will of God through self-worship, perversion, sorcery and astrology.
It also shows where Gnosticism comes from. Gnosticism means ‘hidden knowledge’, but not the knowledge of God-theology, being the study of God- but knowledge to be as God through self-serving means. Remember the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 9 also reveals how people can dwell with God through a blessing as Jesus comes from the line of Shem.
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham [is] the father of Canaan.
These [are] the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
And Noah began [to be] an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid [it] upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces [were] backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
And he said, Cursed [be] Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.[Genesis 9:18-27]
This is the war map of Satan
Ham is cursed ► Mizraim ► Egypt tries to crush the Jews.
Also, Cush ► Nimrod ► Babel. ► Babylon tries to rule over the Jews.
This is God’s counter-move.
Ham (Egypt) must serve Shem (Israelites) or fall.
Cush (Babylon) must do likewise, or fall.
Japheth (Gentiles) will live with Shem (Israelites ► Jesus Lord) in his tent (tabernacle/tent/home/heaven)
Satan must bow down to God or fall.
Ditto.
All the people not of the Jews [may] live with the Jews with Christ the Lord in His Mansion.
Trouble for Ham/Egypt
He sent Moses his servant; [and] Aaron whom he had chosen.
They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.
He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.
Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, [and] lice in all their coasts.
He gave them hail for rain, [and] flaming fire in their land.
He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and [there was] not one feeble [person] among their tribes.
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.
[Psalms 105: 26,-38]
Primary source in Exodus.
Trouble for Cush/Babylon
Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:[Jeremiah 51:55]
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. [And] the king spake, and said to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom
Then came in all the king's wise [men]: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
A servant of God, Daniel, interprets the dream
And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
[Daniel 5]
In light of the Eden account here is a more complete war map of Satan.
Adam/ Eve►cursed►death►Cain kills Abel ► Ham-cursed► Mizraim ► Egypt tries to crush the Jews.
Also,Ham► Cush ► Nimrod ► Babel. ► Babylon tries to rule over the Jews ►currupt the world of men (gentile and Jew)
A parallel course of attack is always present since Eden.
Cain-cursed*►Enoch► offspring of Enoch►Lemech► corruption of the pre-Flood Creation►Ham-cursed… ► Saul, first king of the Jews who seeks the death of David (bloodline of Jesus)► Herod** who seeks the death of Jesus.
[* all curses go to offspring.]
[** Herod is a direct offspring of the Edomites. They assisted Nebuchadnezzar (Babylonian King) to slaughter the Jews. Esau is Edom. Esau gives up his birthrights to Jacob, his brother, and loses his chance to become Israel. Instead, Jacob becomes Israel.]
Lemech says something very revealing: I killed a man who wounded me and since my father is revenged, I will be even revenged seventy-seven fold. [Genesis 4: 23,24].
This wounding business is a direct echo of the serpent’s cry of being cursed/wounded starting in the garden.
Now, up until the fulfillment of the Revelation Satan goes after the offspring of Eve who will one day finish him. He tries to wipe out the line of Shem(Jews) in Egypt. Corrupt the line of Shem in Babylon…Kill the anointed (Jesus) not once, but twice. He thinks Jesus will come back as an infant. Hence so many infanticide cases escalating to date.
The world prior to the flood became so corrupt from the offspring of Cain, God knew best by choosing still another son for Adam: Seth.
God’s counter move:
New beginning in the form of a post-Flood creation ►Noah►Seth►paternal bloodline from him, starting with Adam to Noah►Japheth/Shem► Abraham ► David►Solomon ► Jesus, a reconcilement of man with God.
A final note:
Astrology as the main source for the Biblical text
Let them[stars] be for signs and seasons, days and years [Genesis 1:14]
From a Biblical perspective, God’s fingerprint should be found in the world, the stars, the land, waters, stories…
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:18-21).
As a Christian I embrace the idea that Virgo the virgin predates the Virgin Mary, that there are three stars that predate the 3 kings in search of Jesus, that Draco the Dragon predates Lucifer and that the 2 fishes of Pisces predates Jesus and his miracle of feeding a whole multitude with only 2 fish.
With understanding, we can also embrace how there are over 200 flood stories that ‘suspiciously’ points to Noah. The Truth should be spread out all over the face of the earth, but is only in fragments without the Bible to pull it all together.
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve
And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.
And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide [it] among yourselves:
For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
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.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me [is] with me on the table.
[Luke 22:1-21]
The man with the pitcher of water can easily refer to Christ.
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.[john 4:14]
The promise is a gift from God, as Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well.
The man with the pitcher of water can also, and simultaneously, refer to God.
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.[John4 : 10]
The room is an upper room. It’s large and is completely ready for the feast to take place.
It becomes a symbol for heaven.
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.[John 14:2]
Bethlehem
Bethlehem - house of bread.
Jesus is born there.
Jesus is the bread of life.
And Jesus said unto them, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst…. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. [John 6:35, 51.]
The [wedding] feast in heaven
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. [ Matthew 8:11]
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.[Matthew 22:2-4]
Old Testament:
Isaiah 54:5 -- For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His Name, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called.
Isaiah 62:5 -- And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
New Testament:
Romans 7:4 -- Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
2 Corinthians 11:2 [Paul reminded the church in Corinth that they were married to Jesus.] For I am jealous over you with Godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Revelation 19:7-9 -- Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.
* Notes for Noah section: Is there seven days before the first flight of the dove? The Genesis text doesn’t say this flat out. However, I cannot help but see the connection. There is discrepancy over translation throughout the Bible from the Hebrew and Aramaic, Greek to English. Nevertheless, there seems to be an uncanny protective mechanism in the Bible that never fails. I’m familiar with the question regarding Jesus’ claim of being dead for three days to rise on the third: From Friday to Sunday is not three days. This is too obvious to overlook. A problem starts with assuming a total number of hourly units for us being 24hrs per day as how the Hebrew thought back then. Days and nights are made separate, and is often shown in the Bible: “Forty days and forty nights” serves as a good example. Also, according to Jewish custom each new ‘day’ starts at nightfall, not at the24th hour. Therefore, Their Friday starts at our Thursday, so to speak. If something falls on a part of the day, it serves a total unit, as well. Sure, it is a little confusing; it is this type of ‘problem’ which will most probably reveal more connections between O.T and N.T.
So how can Jesus be crucified on a Friday and resurrect on Sunday and still fulfill His own prophesy of a three day interval?
Jesus was crucified and was dead for 3 days, a unit that compares to the span of their day; He arose on the 3rd day. Night/day(Jewish Thursday at nightfall brings in their Friday) night/day (Saturday) night/day (Sunday).
The binding point is how the question of the dove’s first flight following seven days parallels the question of the number of days, or day units, Jesus is considered dead, prior to His resurrection.
The units:
Hebrew: night/day/night/day/night/day/night ► English: [day=day and night] /day/day/day.
For the average English-speaking listener, a Friday crucifixion to a Sunday resurrection is just two days.
For the Hebrew-speaking listener, there are three ‘days’ involved, here.
The comparison:
DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3
THUR
starts at
sundown
on Wed. THUR
ends at
sundown
FRI
starts at
sundown
on Thu. FRI
ends at
sundown
SAT
starts at
sundown
on Fri. SAT
ends at
sundown SUN
starts at
sundown
on Sat. SUN
ends at
sundown
Night Day Night Day Night Day
Crucifixion Sabbath He is Risen
Raven ► Death of Christ
7 days ► Number symbol of God/His work [?]
Dove/ First flight ► God the Father
7days►Number symbol of God…
Dove/ Second flight/olive branch ► God the Son
7days ► Number symbol of God…
Dove/ Third flight/ ‘disappears’ or ‘gone away’ ► The Holy Spirit
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Second Part of My Response to Movie Zeitgeist
This is the following text that you can read after considering my first post.
Please, read with an understanding that my words are not of my own contrivance, but from inspired men of God spanning at least four thousand years of our history.
SLepore
Spiritual Warfare
What many today refuse to acknowledge is the existence of a Creator and that this being is spiritual by nature. However, what is even more pertinent is this being’s lack of any whim in His actions and absence of anything short of going against Himself and anyone who seeks Him. Nevertheless, what this does not mean is that whenever someone simply starts believing in a Creator and even begins praying to their concepts of a Creator that only the real McCoy will answer. Why? Because there is a spiritual battle occurring outside of the direct sight of man. This stems from two most basic worldviews: 1) First comes the supernatural world, God the creator and designer. This supernatural being is a spirit. A spirit is an intelligent being, which exists outside of time and space and yet can interact with the latter if it chooses. From the Creator all else flows, or comes into existence and is with purpose. 2) First comes the material world by a manner that excludes the presence of a creator/designer. It can be eternal, which means it does not have a beginning. The supernatural is modeled after man’s nature and his needs in order to cope with the natural world.
Let’s even simplify it some more:
Viewpoint # 1 From the Supernatural comes the Natural / God ► man.
Viewpoint # 2 From the Natural comes the Supernatural / man ► God.
There is a third viewpoint that poses as an alternate solution but really is the second viewpoint in disguise: Pantheism, commonly known as Gnosticism. This concept merely equates the created with the creator. This is masked within the saying “God is everything and everything is God” So; there really are only the two viewpoints.
These viewpoints are our world-views. It is this, which will determine the course of a man’s life, ultimately.
The Bible teaches about a spiritual warfare.
[3] For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
[4] (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)[5] Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ [2nd Corinthians 10].
[10]Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. [11]Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12]For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. [Ephesians 6:10-12]
It starts shortly after the beginning of the world as God punishes the sin of Adam and Eve, sending them out of Eden. He prophesies the struggle between Jesus and Satan.
[15]And I will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman, and between thy seed[antichrist-666]and her seed[Jesus]; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. [Genesis 3:15]
It is important to make note that a woman bears an egg, not a seed. From a skeptical world-view, this poses a problem in the text. Looking at it in the light of what it is really saying Mary bears the miracle of the virgin birth, hence the masculine seed application.
When, earlier, Satan causes doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve, as they decide to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil the two infect their oneness with life. However, I am not writing of that life in how we today see it. God is Life. We see nature as life. This is the difference! God is one. Adam and Eve is one with Him in the garden of a perfection invisible to our eyes and minds. The other tree, the tree of life, is a symbolic prefiguring of Jesus on the cross and as the vine, with us as the branches.
[1]I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. [2] Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. [3] Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.[John 15]
Jesus’ crucifixion is laden with O.T. prophesy.
27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet[*], They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. [Matthew 27:35]
[*]Psalm 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look [and] stare upon me. 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Satan is the one-time most beautiful of the angels and is Lucifer. This alludes to the Day Star, or Morning Star in Isaiah 14:12.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Such a passage can fall in context with Babylon. This makes sense as will be seen in the section of Noah.
Jesus is found in the same O.T. manuscript:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.[Isaiah9:6,7]
After the expulsion from Eden, God slays an animal possibly reminiscent to a ram or sheep for its hide. Since this animal is from Eden it is perfect and without blemish. God covers the pair with this hide. This unblemished creature had to shed its blood for the sin of Adam/Eve. God says in Genesis 3:15 there is a conflict between Satan and Eve’s offspring. Both are hurt, Satan in the head and Jesus in the heel. The lowest part of Jesus is bruised whereas the highest part of Satan is. The heel is referring to Christ’s flesh. Also, the ground is place of our feet and this is symbolic of the earth and place of all flesh. This is the playground of Satan. It is also God’s footstool. It is at the foot of His throne.
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?[Isaiah 66:1]
The whole issue regarding the need for the shedding of innocent blood of an unblemished offering stems from the fact that Adam and Eve are now both physically and spiritually dead. Originally they were whole, made perfect in God’s eyes. They dwelt with Him and had no fear of death- remember the tree of life. Unfortunately Adam and Eve are made divided. They are separate from God and everlasting life because in their veins courses that dividing factor exemplified as 2 things-the knowledge of 1.good and 2.evil.
Whereas, before, they were one with God and they were single, whole. Now, their blood is cursed and God announces it. He did not put this on them. Adam and Eve put that curse in their mouths with their own hands. God is the first messenger and Satan the liar. So, the blood is worthless and now Adam and Eve are made a duality of sorts with respect to conflicting flesh and spirit. Their flesh now bears the blood of death and so they are ‘already’ dead. The only way to fix this is by the letting of innocent blood of an unblemished, perfect sacrifice. Otherwise, Adam and Eve would have to let out all their blood. The O.T is filled with such animal sacrifices. However, Jesus put an end to this with Himself as the perfect retributive solution set in motion since the incident in Eden.
Indeed, the animal sacrifices of practically every known ancient people in light of the Gospel parallels the story of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. The very need to ‘sacrifice to the gods’ testifies much.
Abel imitates God’s example with his animal offering from one of his sheep (he was a shepherd). Cain tries with a vegetal offering, which precariously resembles his parent’s efforts in hiding themselves in vegetation, whereas God puts animal hide to use. As a result more innocent blood is shed as Cain who is made angry of God’s favorite choice kills his brother.
Please, read with an understanding that my words are not of my own contrivance, but from inspired men of God spanning at least four thousand years of our history.
SLepore
Spiritual Warfare
What many today refuse to acknowledge is the existence of a Creator and that this being is spiritual by nature. However, what is even more pertinent is this being’s lack of any whim in His actions and absence of anything short of going against Himself and anyone who seeks Him. Nevertheless, what this does not mean is that whenever someone simply starts believing in a Creator and even begins praying to their concepts of a Creator that only the real McCoy will answer. Why? Because there is a spiritual battle occurring outside of the direct sight of man. This stems from two most basic worldviews: 1) First comes the supernatural world, God the creator and designer. This supernatural being is a spirit. A spirit is an intelligent being, which exists outside of time and space and yet can interact with the latter if it chooses. From the Creator all else flows, or comes into existence and is with purpose. 2) First comes the material world by a manner that excludes the presence of a creator/designer. It can be eternal, which means it does not have a beginning. The supernatural is modeled after man’s nature and his needs in order to cope with the natural world.
Let’s even simplify it some more:
Viewpoint # 1 From the Supernatural comes the Natural / God ► man.
Viewpoint # 2 From the Natural comes the Supernatural / man ► God.
There is a third viewpoint that poses as an alternate solution but really is the second viewpoint in disguise: Pantheism, commonly known as Gnosticism. This concept merely equates the created with the creator. This is masked within the saying “God is everything and everything is God” So; there really are only the two viewpoints.
These viewpoints are our world-views. It is this, which will determine the course of a man’s life, ultimately.
The Bible teaches about a spiritual warfare.
[3] For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
[4] (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)[5] Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ [2nd Corinthians 10].
[10]Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. [11]Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12]For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. [Ephesians 6:10-12]
It starts shortly after the beginning of the world as God punishes the sin of Adam and Eve, sending them out of Eden. He prophesies the struggle between Jesus and Satan.
[15]And I will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman, and between thy seed[antichrist-666]and her seed[Jesus]; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. [Genesis 3:15]
It is important to make note that a woman bears an egg, not a seed. From a skeptical world-view, this poses a problem in the text. Looking at it in the light of what it is really saying Mary bears the miracle of the virgin birth, hence the masculine seed application.
When, earlier, Satan causes doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve, as they decide to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil the two infect their oneness with life. However, I am not writing of that life in how we today see it. God is Life. We see nature as life. This is the difference! God is one. Adam and Eve is one with Him in the garden of a perfection invisible to our eyes and minds. The other tree, the tree of life, is a symbolic prefiguring of Jesus on the cross and as the vine, with us as the branches.
[1]I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. [2] Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. [3] Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.[John 15]
Jesus’ crucifixion is laden with O.T. prophesy.
27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet[*], They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. [Matthew 27:35]
[*]Psalm 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look [and] stare upon me. 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Satan is the one-time most beautiful of the angels and is Lucifer. This alludes to the Day Star, or Morning Star in Isaiah 14:12.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Such a passage can fall in context with Babylon. This makes sense as will be seen in the section of Noah.
Jesus is found in the same O.T. manuscript:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.[Isaiah9:6,7]
After the expulsion from Eden, God slays an animal possibly reminiscent to a ram or sheep for its hide. Since this animal is from Eden it is perfect and without blemish. God covers the pair with this hide. This unblemished creature had to shed its blood for the sin of Adam/Eve. God says in Genesis 3:15 there is a conflict between Satan and Eve’s offspring. Both are hurt, Satan in the head and Jesus in the heel. The lowest part of Jesus is bruised whereas the highest part of Satan is. The heel is referring to Christ’s flesh. Also, the ground is place of our feet and this is symbolic of the earth and place of all flesh. This is the playground of Satan. It is also God’s footstool. It is at the foot of His throne.
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?[Isaiah 66:1]
The whole issue regarding the need for the shedding of innocent blood of an unblemished offering stems from the fact that Adam and Eve are now both physically and spiritually dead. Originally they were whole, made perfect in God’s eyes. They dwelt with Him and had no fear of death- remember the tree of life. Unfortunately Adam and Eve are made divided. They are separate from God and everlasting life because in their veins courses that dividing factor exemplified as 2 things-the knowledge of 1.good and 2.evil.
Whereas, before, they were one with God and they were single, whole. Now, their blood is cursed and God announces it. He did not put this on them. Adam and Eve put that curse in their mouths with their own hands. God is the first messenger and Satan the liar. So, the blood is worthless and now Adam and Eve are made a duality of sorts with respect to conflicting flesh and spirit. Their flesh now bears the blood of death and so they are ‘already’ dead. The only way to fix this is by the letting of innocent blood of an unblemished, perfect sacrifice. Otherwise, Adam and Eve would have to let out all their blood. The O.T is filled with such animal sacrifices. However, Jesus put an end to this with Himself as the perfect retributive solution set in motion since the incident in Eden.
Indeed, the animal sacrifices of practically every known ancient people in light of the Gospel parallels the story of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. The very need to ‘sacrifice to the gods’ testifies much.
Abel imitates God’s example with his animal offering from one of his sheep (he was a shepherd). Cain tries with a vegetal offering, which precariously resembles his parent’s efforts in hiding themselves in vegetation, whereas God puts animal hide to use. As a result more innocent blood is shed as Cain who is made angry of God’s favorite choice kills his brother.
First Part of My Response to Movie Zeitgeist
This is something I wrote as a response to the movie Zeitgeist. I hope you like it (at least enough to see things aside from the nonbeliever's point of view for but a moment in your busy day).
There is more to this article I will post later.
Slepore
This letter responds to the movie: Zeitgeist- Part One: The Greatest Story Ever Told.
The author is of the Christian faith, which may cause any reader to discount this work’s objectivity and its claims. Let it be known that one must do their own research in a matter of such importance, especially where matters of the supernatural is concerned.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. [2 Tim. 3:16-17.]
The first part of the movie attempts to illustrate in a manner of about 40 minutes the false claims of Christianity. Now, and as is usually the case, it is only the Christians who will defend God aside from Christ. It is not that He needs any defense from us, but rather, it is the reverse, since if someone is blocked from a true hearing of the real Gospel this person will not have a chance to be with God in the end.
In defending the claims set down in the New Testament, one must needs include an accurate follow-up of the Old Testament. There are so many people who believe in the latter, but seldom do you hear a peep from them, with the exception of some Muslims. You will not hear anything whenever evolutionists add to their claims to God’s work and creation. You will not hear a peep from them whenever such documentaries like ‘Zeitgeist’ clearly attack the authenticity of the O.T. The governments can do whatever they please and you will only hear silence, accept where land or money is concerned. However, the scriptures don’t mean anything in themselves to any religious group as does the Bible to its devoted readers. I know this may sound like a silly, myopic claim, but it does not compare with the conclusions made by the creators of ‘Zeitgeist’.
This movie opens with a clip from a speech that says religion is created to control the masses. It then follows with a skit from George Carlin, distorting the claims of the Bible by gluing this to corrupt men who pose as Christians.
Following this, astrology serves as being the main source for the inception of the O.T. and N.T. A list of pre-Christian deities is compared to Jesus from all over the world. Then, it takes one Christ-type among many in the O.T.to further the claim that Jesus is a fraud.
First, this film makes a similar stand certain men have done in the past, and with dire results. Elimination of faith in a greater good/power than men themselves is exactly what Communist engineers like Karl Marx, Vladimir Lennon and Mao Zedong have done. See what follows in our case if such philosophy fools influential parties with money and power.
"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness."
- Karl Marx
George Carlin is an entertainer. The day when such role models are to replace that place in our hearts and minds reserved for our Creator is the day we are all going to be mere butts of a joke.
The circle sectioned off into four equal parts serves as the map of the zodiac. Sure, it has a cross at the center as the two dividing lines meet there at a 90-degree angle. Sure, there are 12 houses each assigned a mythological entity seen in the constellations. Sure, there may be some valid connections numerically speaking between the constellations and the Bible. However, I don’t feel that the pursuit of knowledge is the goal, here. It is something that uses whatever will serve its purpose in attacking Christ. It is something that wants to put man at the center, and this may sound innocently heroic for the cause of man’s place in the cosmos at its face-value, but again what men will place themselves at the center where God aught to be?
Horus, Attis, Krishna, Dionysus, and Mithra predate Jesus’ story. Among the several traits shared , a virgin birth, 12/25 birthday, 12 disciples, and a resurrection, are the most common. Less common are titles such as Lamb of God, The Light (Horus) and Alpha and Omega and God’s only begotten son (Dionysus). Therefore, curious, I read up on Horus only to find out the film’s claims are nowhere near as clear-cut as it seems. Horus is not called the Redeemer, nor is he called the Judge of men. Osiris, is. I looked at Dionysus, too. The maker’s of ‘Zeitgeist’ tend to funnel their data to serve their aims. Many accounts of our Greek god of wine tell of his birth from Zeus’ leg. This clearly cannot be where a begotten offspring in a true sense comes as Dionysus is stitched up in his father’s leg as a protection of a fire which destroys his mother. In addition, often is he connected with this more than his birth from Semele, while still other accounts from Persephone, or both! The real birth date of Jesus Christ falls on our month of September. One clue is the shepherds tending their flock: it would not be around the time of January as there would be no grass for the sheep-yes it was cold at this time and shepherds have more important things to do than lead their flocks to a plain of nothing! The title of God’s only begotten son cannot be taken seriously because anyone even moderately versed in Bulfinch’s Mythology know how many offspring Zeus has! Also, the only disciples Dionysus seems to have are a flock of scantily clad maenads (female denizens of nature).
However, even if some of this was true after a comparative survey of available sources does this mean that the Bible is a fraud?
The movie fails to mention Carl Jung’s research in the connection of dreams and myths. Also, without any scruples owed to the truer definition of ‘myth’ as collections of human experience, embedded into our collective subconscious (aka archetypes) the makers of ‘Zeitgeist’ merely wipe the slate clear of this area so rich in content in order to validate their iconoclast position.
The thorns of Jesus’ crown trace back to the sun’s rays, His appearance in the clouds to the sun’s course in the sky, obscured by clouds, according to the film. The time of Moses is compared to the Age of Taurus at its end to usher in the Age of Aries. The worship of the golden calf in the Genesis account and the shofar of the Hebrews point to astrology-based origins that invalidate God as authority, since this is handed over to the stars. Well, who put the stars in such a precise order, in the first place? I would assume there would be nothing in the constellations but stories for long-extinguished campfires. The fish references where Christ feeds five thousand people with two fish compares to the sign of Pisces and so does the age of Pisces with Jesus’ recorded birth. Bethlehem, place of Jesus’ birth means ‘house of bread’, all Bible scholars worth listening to know this. ‘Zeitgeist’ claims no geological Bethlehem and real person in Jesus Christ. The problem is not in the stars, but in the minds of the makers of ‘Zeitgeist’. There cannot be a real, historical Jesus because this would pose real problems for a man-centered-philosophy. Imagine, what would we do if the heavens really do declare the handy works of God? If one goes to Israel and to Jerusalem, they will be able to stand where Jesus stood, where he was scourged and crucified and where he was laid in the tomb. Even the Jewish communities there acknowledge such sites as well as the actual place where David flees from Saul, Engeddi, to name a few places of undisputed quality.
The Age of Aquarius follows Pisces and compares to Luke 22:10, where the man with a pitcher of water shows the apostles to an upper-room. Perhaps David knew this already, but his conclusions are opposite of the film:
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. [Psalm 19:1]
There is more to this article I will post later.
Slepore
This letter responds to the movie: Zeitgeist- Part One: The Greatest Story Ever Told.
The author is of the Christian faith, which may cause any reader to discount this work’s objectivity and its claims. Let it be known that one must do their own research in a matter of such importance, especially where matters of the supernatural is concerned.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. [2 Tim. 3:16-17.]
The first part of the movie attempts to illustrate in a manner of about 40 minutes the false claims of Christianity. Now, and as is usually the case, it is only the Christians who will defend God aside from Christ. It is not that He needs any defense from us, but rather, it is the reverse, since if someone is blocked from a true hearing of the real Gospel this person will not have a chance to be with God in the end.
In defending the claims set down in the New Testament, one must needs include an accurate follow-up of the Old Testament. There are so many people who believe in the latter, but seldom do you hear a peep from them, with the exception of some Muslims. You will not hear anything whenever evolutionists add to their claims to God’s work and creation. You will not hear a peep from them whenever such documentaries like ‘Zeitgeist’ clearly attack the authenticity of the O.T. The governments can do whatever they please and you will only hear silence, accept where land or money is concerned. However, the scriptures don’t mean anything in themselves to any religious group as does the Bible to its devoted readers. I know this may sound like a silly, myopic claim, but it does not compare with the conclusions made by the creators of ‘Zeitgeist’.
This movie opens with a clip from a speech that says religion is created to control the masses. It then follows with a skit from George Carlin, distorting the claims of the Bible by gluing this to corrupt men who pose as Christians.
Following this, astrology serves as being the main source for the inception of the O.T. and N.T. A list of pre-Christian deities is compared to Jesus from all over the world. Then, it takes one Christ-type among many in the O.T.to further the claim that Jesus is a fraud.
First, this film makes a similar stand certain men have done in the past, and with dire results. Elimination of faith in a greater good/power than men themselves is exactly what Communist engineers like Karl Marx, Vladimir Lennon and Mao Zedong have done. See what follows in our case if such philosophy fools influential parties with money and power.
"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness."
- Karl Marx
George Carlin is an entertainer. The day when such role models are to replace that place in our hearts and minds reserved for our Creator is the day we are all going to be mere butts of a joke.
The circle sectioned off into four equal parts serves as the map of the zodiac. Sure, it has a cross at the center as the two dividing lines meet there at a 90-degree angle. Sure, there are 12 houses each assigned a mythological entity seen in the constellations. Sure, there may be some valid connections numerically speaking between the constellations and the Bible. However, I don’t feel that the pursuit of knowledge is the goal, here. It is something that uses whatever will serve its purpose in attacking Christ. It is something that wants to put man at the center, and this may sound innocently heroic for the cause of man’s place in the cosmos at its face-value, but again what men will place themselves at the center where God aught to be?
Horus, Attis, Krishna, Dionysus, and Mithra predate Jesus’ story. Among the several traits shared , a virgin birth, 12/25 birthday, 12 disciples, and a resurrection, are the most common. Less common are titles such as Lamb of God, The Light (Horus) and Alpha and Omega and God’s only begotten son (Dionysus). Therefore, curious, I read up on Horus only to find out the film’s claims are nowhere near as clear-cut as it seems. Horus is not called the Redeemer, nor is he called the Judge of men. Osiris, is. I looked at Dionysus, too. The maker’s of ‘Zeitgeist’ tend to funnel their data to serve their aims. Many accounts of our Greek god of wine tell of his birth from Zeus’ leg. This clearly cannot be where a begotten offspring in a true sense comes as Dionysus is stitched up in his father’s leg as a protection of a fire which destroys his mother. In addition, often is he connected with this more than his birth from Semele, while still other accounts from Persephone, or both! The real birth date of Jesus Christ falls on our month of September. One clue is the shepherds tending their flock: it would not be around the time of January as there would be no grass for the sheep-yes it was cold at this time and shepherds have more important things to do than lead their flocks to a plain of nothing! The title of God’s only begotten son cannot be taken seriously because anyone even moderately versed in Bulfinch’s Mythology know how many offspring Zeus has! Also, the only disciples Dionysus seems to have are a flock of scantily clad maenads (female denizens of nature).
However, even if some of this was true after a comparative survey of available sources does this mean that the Bible is a fraud?
The movie fails to mention Carl Jung’s research in the connection of dreams and myths. Also, without any scruples owed to the truer definition of ‘myth’ as collections of human experience, embedded into our collective subconscious (aka archetypes) the makers of ‘Zeitgeist’ merely wipe the slate clear of this area so rich in content in order to validate their iconoclast position.
The thorns of Jesus’ crown trace back to the sun’s rays, His appearance in the clouds to the sun’s course in the sky, obscured by clouds, according to the film. The time of Moses is compared to the Age of Taurus at its end to usher in the Age of Aries. The worship of the golden calf in the Genesis account and the shofar of the Hebrews point to astrology-based origins that invalidate God as authority, since this is handed over to the stars. Well, who put the stars in such a precise order, in the first place? I would assume there would be nothing in the constellations but stories for long-extinguished campfires. The fish references where Christ feeds five thousand people with two fish compares to the sign of Pisces and so does the age of Pisces with Jesus’ recorded birth. Bethlehem, place of Jesus’ birth means ‘house of bread’, all Bible scholars worth listening to know this. ‘Zeitgeist’ claims no geological Bethlehem and real person in Jesus Christ. The problem is not in the stars, but in the minds of the makers of ‘Zeitgeist’. There cannot be a real, historical Jesus because this would pose real problems for a man-centered-philosophy. Imagine, what would we do if the heavens really do declare the handy works of God? If one goes to Israel and to Jerusalem, they will be able to stand where Jesus stood, where he was scourged and crucified and where he was laid in the tomb. Even the Jewish communities there acknowledge such sites as well as the actual place where David flees from Saul, Engeddi, to name a few places of undisputed quality.
The Age of Aquarius follows Pisces and compares to Luke 22:10, where the man with a pitcher of water shows the apostles to an upper-room. Perhaps David knew this already, but his conclusions are opposite of the film:
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. [Psalm 19:1]
Is the Bible a reflection of the stars or the reverse? The entire creation ultimately points to not only a god, but the God of the Bible and in particular, Jesus Christ. What is more, we can see from the world how God is expressed from the altruism of the pelican who will surrender herself for the life of her offspring to the very stars that, yes, declare a specific creator that we will all acknowledge in the end. Further more just as we may find Jesus in the stars of creation we find Him in practically every page of the sixty six books which make up our King James bible:
Thirty-nine books make up the King James O.T. The first five books make up the Pentateuch, the books attributed to Moses.
Jesus declares the books of the Jews that today make up our O.T. speak of Him.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
[John 5:39]
Are we to assume that Constantine and his men at the Council of Nicaea stuck this in here, along with everything else; is this chance?
And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
I receive not honour from men.
[John 5:38-41]
No, Jesus, you do not, and certainly not from the makers of “Zeitgeist”!
Thirty-nine books make up the King James O.T. The first five books make up the Pentateuch, the books attributed to Moses.
Jesus declares the books of the Jews that today make up our O.T. speak of Him.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
[John 5:39]
Are we to assume that Constantine and his men at the Council of Nicaea stuck this in here, along with everything else; is this chance?
And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
I receive not honour from men.
[John 5:38-41]
No, Jesus, you do not, and certainly not from the makers of “Zeitgeist”!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)