In the last post, we discussed the gifts the Magi gave to Jesus. But when were these gifts actually given? Even though most Christmas stories have the Magi arriving with the shepherds to view the baby Jesus, we find from Scripture that the Magi actually came much later (Mt 2:11). We also know that the early Catholic Church recognized this distinction by celebrating Epiphany (the arrival of the Magi, the three kings) in January. How much later did they actually arrive? Well, let’s see if we can piece all the clues together.

Many say that Christmas was created to provide a Christian alternative for a pagan holiday, but is that the whole story? Maybe. Maybe not. Let’s investigate.

Frederick Larsen (1) has given a lot of evidence on specific dates for the events of Jesus’ early life. I won’t go into all that he has done. It’s fascinating, so I hope you check it out in more detail.

Based upon several Biblical passages, (Gn 49:9; Rv 12:1-5) and the conjunction of specific planets or stars (Jupiter, Regulus, and Venus), it is likely that Jesus’ conception was in September of 3 BC. This puts the event around Rosh Hashanah of that year. Very apropos, don’t you think? This holiday is also called Feast of Trumpets in Scripture (Lv 23:24-15) and was a memorial feast of the blowing of trumpets to ask God to remember His covenant with Israel.2 The conception of the Messiah would indeed represent God remembering his people after the 400 years of prophetic silence.

If this is true, it would put his birth nine months later in June of 2 BC. This also coincides with a triple conjunction of Jupiter with Regulus, and Jupiter then continuing its journey for a rendezvous with Venus, noted as the Mother planet. With the naked eye, these stars would appear as one star – one very bright star. In addition, this would put Christ’s birth near the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (or Pentecost). This holiday has marked many paradigm shifts in scripture: (2) e.g. giving of the Law, and the beginning of the church. And now, we see this fits with his birth as it was certainly a paradigm shift for Israel. We don’t have time to get into all of that here, but look at his teachings and the Jewish leaders’ response as well as his initial gospel to Israel.

Now, if we follow Larsen’s logic of when the star was over Bethlehem and appeared to “stay” (i.e., as Jupiter entered retrograde motion), it would put their visit at Bethlehem on December 25, 2 BC. Isn’t that interesting? The first gifts were given when we actually give gifts to each other. Somewhat serendipitous? Maybe.

This also helps us understand why Herod killed everyone in Bethlehem two years old and younger. While the above information would show that Jesus was only six months old at this time, we need to realize the signs in the stars occurred nine months earlier which would make the total time to be slightly under two years. Herod, and the wise men, may have been unsure if the initial signs were of conception or of birth. Herod was making sure of either in case it was the later.

I find it interesting and awesome that all that happened in the birth of Christ match the meaning of the different Jewish festivals upon which they occurred around, and although December was chosen to celebrate his birth as an alternative to a pagan holiday, it still has a Biblical significance showing us when those first gifts were actually given. Sometime serendipity isn’t serendipity at all.

Have a joyous New Year.

1Frederick A. Larsen, “The Star of Bethlehem.” Sound Enterprises, Inc., http://www.bethlehemstar.net/

2Robert R. Congdon, An Appointment with God: The Feasts of the Lord (Bloomington, IN: CrossBooks, 2009).

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

You may have heard the story many times about the three wise men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. We’ve had previous discussions about was it really three, when they came, and how much of an uproar did they really cause when they met Herod. Yet, I want to focus on the gifts they gave. We read the following in Scripture: “And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh” (Mt 2:11).

I’m sure those are not really the gifts you’re hoping for on Christmas morning. Although, gold wouldn’t be so bad, right? But what would you do with frankincense and myrrh? Maybe you’ve heard, “gifts for a king” as the explanation. But why? True, they are all expensive and that is what one would expect someone to give to a king – expensive gifts. Yet, there is more to it than just that. Gold, of course, can, and does, represent his kingly stature. For indeed, he was to become the King of kings (Rv 17:14; 19:16). Frankincense was a spice used in incense and was used in the preparation of the incense used by the priests for worshipping God in the temple (Ex 30:34). Myrrh was a spice used for many things, but also commonly used on the dead for burial (Jn 19:39).

These gifts represented the three stations Christ would fulfill: prophet, priest, and king. Well, this is the order that we normally think, and it is the order in which Christ fulfilled these stations. Yet, this is the reverse order the Magi gave the gifts. Is that significant? I think so. Christ was a prophet at his first coming (Dt 18:15; Mt 13:57, 14:5, 21:11; Lk 1:76, 4:24; Jn 4:19, 6:14, 7:40), and like most prophets, he was killed. Myrrh was used to anoint his dead body for burial. Today, he is our high priest (Hb 4:14-15; 8:1 – 9:28). Therefore, frankincense was a very suitable gift. He is coming back as a king and will reign (Rv 17:14; 19:16). Gold was a very suitable gift to represent this.

Yet, as we stated, the gifts were given in the reverse order of how Christ fulfilled, and will fulfill, them. That is because the gift of king was given first. That is what the angel Gabriel proclaimed to Mary (Lk 1:31-33), that is what John the Baptist proclaimed and offered to the people (Mt 3:1-2), and that is what Christ first offered at the beginning of his ministry (Mt 4:17). Gold – his kingship – was offered first. It was rejected by many people and the leaders of Israel. Therefore, what was offered first became what will be given last. But that did not alter God’s perfect plan because we still benefited as he offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins and now intercedes for us. Yet, this first offer is still offered to us. Yet now, we must first accept the myrrh and frankincense in order to have the gold. Are you willing? Will you accept the myrrh – his sacrifice for your sins? Will you accept the frankincense – have him be your high priest to intercede for you before God the Father? It is only then you can accept the gold – have him as your king and watch him become the King of kings. Christmas is touted to be about peace. That can only happen when you accept the gold, but you must first accept the myrrh. The order of the gifts was important, but the fulfillment of those gifts are even more important. Will you accept them?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

This is the monologue that I wrote and then gave tonight at our Christmas Eve service at our church. I thought I would share it with you. I hope you are blessed by it.

Can you believe that? Almost being fired for delivering news we have all waited for for centuries. I mean, who else should be more excited than me about this, but them? I thought that was why my great grandfather, by grandfather, my father, and I have worked as shepherds for the temple.

My father taught me it was an honor to watch over the sheep that produce lambs for temple sacrifice. We have always taken great pride in ensuring the animals are without any blemish because we want only the best to be offered to Yahweh. The Torah commands it. We obey. That’s what the priests teach us and repeat to us almost every time we bring them the lambs.

“We can’t afford to offer anything with any hint of sickness, deformity, or blemish,” they say. “It’s your job to ensure that,” they drill into us.

And we do! I can’t remember a single time I had to be reprimanded for bringing in a bad lamb or goat.

I learned from my father and grandfather what to do. And I was determined to do it even better. I was going to be known for the quality of my work. I would watch each ewe carefully for when they showed signs of being ready to deliver. I would bring them to Migdal Eder, our watchtower for the flock just outside Bethlehem, when they got near their time for delivery so I could watch them closely. As soon as the lamb was born, I would grab it, wrap, and swaddle it so neither the mother could accidently kick or step on it nor the lamb somehow injure itself. The swaddling cloths would cause the lamb to calm. After it calmed down, I would place it in the stone manger and examine every square inch of its body to ensure it was a lamb worthy of temple sacrifice: free from any blemish or malady. I had to watch all the lambs born for an entire year to ensure they fed properly, didn’t become too rambunctious, or do anything that could potentially harm or mar them in any way. Even if I do say so myself, that’s a lot of hard work. And I take great pride in it. Doing otherwise yielded harsh consequences.

Oh, I saw how these “benevolent” priests could get so riled when things didn’t go their way. I was determined not to go through their scolding. They can be brutal. After all, wasn’t it only a couple months ago they were commending me on the quality of sheep they got from me for Passover? Now, today, they tell me I must be drunk because I saw hallucinations, and if I don’t stop spreading these false rumors, they will not only fire me but excommunicate me. And maybe even my entire family from the temple! I can’t bring such a disgrace to my family.

But I can’t deny what happened and what I saw either.

There we all were, sitting around the campfire as the sheep had finally settled down. All of a sudden, the dark, night sky burst into glorious light. It was a light almost like that of the sun, but different somehow. I was able to look at it. The light began to move, and I realized it wasn’t light after all, but an angel! I didn’t know what was happening and wanted to run, but my feet wouldn’t move. I was terrified, I tell you. But the angel spoke. Such a calming tone yet commanding somehow.

“Don’t be afraid,” the angel said. “I bring you good news of great joy which is for all people. Born to you, even today, in the City of David is a Savior, the Christ, the Messiah you have been waiting for. Here is a sign for you: you will find him as a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in the manger.”

Then, suddenly, the night sky exploded with light. Many, many angels seemed to be everywhere around us! Each shining like a glorious star—and singing. I can still hear them:

“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”

We all were stunned, standing there looking into the sky with mouths partially open. I don’t know how long it lasted. It seemed like an eternity and like a split second at the same time. Then, just as suddenly as they appeared, they vanished.

The darkness enveloped us once again.

We all just stared at each other for several seconds.

Benjamin broke the silence and said, “What just happened?”

“A miracle,” Elimelech added.

I then chimed in, “Let’s go see.”

“See what?” Benjamin asked. Benjamin has always been a little slow on the uptake, granted, but I just couldn’t believe him.

“See what? The baby, the Messiah, of course.”

“Let’s do it,” Eldad replied, “but where?”

Maybe they were still too stunned, but I know they heard the same words as I did.

“Why, Midgal Eder, of course. Where else has a manger we know about?”

So, we left Simon and Jesse with the sheep as the rest of us headed to the watchtower.

As we approached Migdal Eder, we saw a small fire going, so we knew someone was using the watchtower. The timing for birthing of the lambs was practically over so we only had some supplies and a few animals there at the time. When we poked our heads in, a woman and man looked at us, at first startled, but the mother then smiled at us—almost like she knew we would be coming. She was somewhat rocking the baby as it lay in the stone manger; she waved for us to come closer.

The man spoke first. “I am Joseph. This is my wife, Mary. And this . . .”

Mary picked up the infant so I could see his face, “is our son.”

I think I gasped. It was such a special moment.

Now any baby is cute, but this one—well, he was different. His eyes were so mesmerizing. Looking into his eyes was like looking into eternity. I can’t really explain it, but I just knew he was special—he was the One Israel had been waiting for. With eyes like that, yes, he was the One.

“What is his name?” I asked.

The mother smiled and said, “Jesus.”

I grinned. “The Lord Saves.”

Mary nodded. “He will save his people from their sins.”

My eyes began to water. “My name is Joshua,” I said.

Mary smiled again. “Then you both have something in common already. Your names are similar to each other,” she said as she placed her son back in the manger.

I nodded again—overcome with emotion.

I looked down at the infant in the stone manger, and I gasped again. He looked just like a newborn lamb I would wrap in swaddling cloths inspecting it for blemishes to ensure it would be suitable for sacrifice. It hit me like a ton of bricks. This is the One who would save his people from their sins. Sin requires sacrifice. This meant he would, somehow, become the sacrifice for Israel. How he would do that I had no idea but knew he would. This One had come to be born to die.

My eyes watered again, and I looked at Mary who seemed to know what I was thinking. She gave a slight nod as her eyes watered as well.

It then struck me what Joseph had said. “If you are married, how can you be the virgin to give birth to our promised Messiah as prophesied by the great prophet Isaiah?”

Mary touched my shoulder and looked into my eyes. “I assure you; the Holy Spirit has conceived this child. Joseph and I have not yet been together.”

When I looked at Joseph, he nodded. “I took her as my wife to protect her.”

I nodded as I knew immediately what he meant. Knowing the wrath the priests could bring upon someone, I knew he had likely saved her from being stoned to death. But I just knew the high priest would welcome this one with open arms. After all, this baby was fulfilling prophecy, several in fact, and the Sanhedrin certainly believed in prophecy, or so I thought.

I told Joseph and Mary all that had happened: about the angel and what he said, about the angels singing, and the bright star I had noticed.

“Oh,” she said, “I don’t think many even look up to notice the star. How did you notice it?”

I laughed. “A shepherd has two things to do,” I said. “Tend sheep during the day and look at the stars at night. And I’m certainly not going to count sheep at night to go to sleep. I spend all day counting sheep. I’d rather just look at the stars until I fall asleep.”

Both Mary and Joseph thought that a little funny.

We stayed a little longer and then left the couple there with their infant so they could have privacy and get some sleep themselves.

I had a hard time sleeping that night, though. What would the priests say? Would we still have a job if the true sacrifice was already with us?

But I learned something. Greed trumps prophecy. I overhead some of the priests say that if the people heard what I had just told them, then they may stop buying sheep for sacrifice. They definitely didn’t want that to happen. Then, as I said earlier, they threatened me to remain silent. I eventually told them what they wanted to hear: I would not spread false rumors.

But what I saw and heard was not false. No! It was truth!

Truth is something to be shared. And that is what I will do! I will share the truth because it is the truth that will set one free. So, I will go and spread truth. After what you’ve heard from me, I hope you will do the same. Until we meet again. Shalom.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Well, if you remember events of a decade ago, the world, according to many, was supposed to have ended on December 21, 2012, at 11:11 UTC. That would have been at 6:11 am where I live (EST).  Interestingly, I had my clock alarm set for 6:30. I figured if something cataclysmic would happen, that would be my alarm instead. However, for some reason I woke up at 6:09 am. OK, I thought, I will just sit here for two minutes . . . three . . . four . . . five. Ok, time for my shower.

So, why were some so sure of the end of the world? Oh, and why did so many think that Bugarach in the French Pyrenees was the parking lot for alien UFOs and the place where they would be saved by these aliens when the end of the world happened? Also, there were thousands of visitors at the Mayan ruins in Mexico at this time. So, why is it so easy for people to believe these types of things than it is for people to believe what the Bible says? Mankind is a strange creature. We pride ourselves for being so intelligent but yet we can get so easily duped.

We missed the signs. Yet, this is not really an uncommon phenomenon. It was even true the very first Christmas. There were many Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah’s birth was going to happen and if you had asked most Jews did they believe these prophecies to be true they would have stated a resounding yes. But, if you had asked them would it occur in their lifetime, most probably would have said no or just shrugged. Why? Well, believing something and expecting something are two different things. They believed, or wanted to believe, but they did not make it personal and were not expectant. What about the Jewish leaders? They should have known all the specific prophecies and even of Daniel's prophecy where at least the year of the coming Messiah could be known somewhat accurately. Shouldn’t they have known?  Well, when positions of spiritual authority turn into political positions and become “jobs,” a lot is lost. There is too much one must do to be sure their “job” is not taken away, there are many people with whom they need to meet and placate. Therefore, the component of spiritual overseer becomes diluted with managerial responsibilities. They also knew but were not expecting.

However, the clues of the Messiah’s birth were not really buried either—at least not to those who were observant. Let’s look at a few that the Jewish leaders at least should have recognized:

 1. Daniel’s prophecy (Dn 9:25-26). He prophesied when the Messiah would be revealed to his people. Now there is of course some knowledge of events that were needed, but the Jewish leaders, whose job it was to know their scriptures, could have figured out a general timeframe of when the Messiah would be expected; they should have been anticipating his arrival. However, they were not. Jesus even stated that it saddened him they were not expecting him (Lk 19:41-42).

 2. The Magi came to Jerusalem (Mt 2:1-12). This created quite the stir. When asked about the birth of the Messiah, it was the chief priests who told Herod and the Magi of the prophecy in Micah that he would be born in Bethlehem (Mi 5:2). The Magi went, the chief priests stayed. Doesn’t that strike you as odd? If the Magi thought the awaited Messiah had been born, why didn’t the chief priests go and find out? Both the chief priests and the Magi knew of the prophecy. The difference was that the Magi acted upon what they knew but the chief priests did not.

 3. The shepherds (Lk 2:8-21). These were not just ordinary shepherds but those who tended the sheep for the temple sacrifices. Therefore, they were under the supervision of the temple priests. Undoubtedly the shepherds told the priests what they saw, and I would think the priests would have told the chief priests. Why didn’t they put two and two together? They would also have known of Micah’s prophecy of the Messiah’s coming would be announced at Migdal Eder (the watchtower of the flock; Mi 4:8).

What about this Christmas? Are you missing the signs of the meaning of Christmas? Are you getting distracted by the business and commercialization of the season? Go back to the first few chapters of Matthew and Luke to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. It will make a big difference and reignite the true holiday spirit.

Are there other signs we are missing? Well, the Bible does state that Jesus Christ will return one day and does provide signs for us to look for (Mt 24-25 plus others). Are we ignoring them? Are we believing them but not expecting them? Many say they believe but are not expecting that it can happen in their lifetime, and so are not living with anticipation. Jesus expected the Jews to be anticipating his first coming (Lk 19:42). He expects us to be anticipating his second coming (2Tm 4:8). Are you learning and looking for the signs? Don’t make the mistake the Jewish leaders made: the prophecy was made so long ago that they were not expecting it to occur in their lifetime. Just remember, the older the prophecy, the more likely for it to occur during your lifetime.

This Christmas look toward the signs that most people have missed. It is there where you will find the true meaning of Christmas. I hope your Christmas is a very blessed one this year. And remember, you survived the false end of the world, be sure you’re ready to survive the real one! That is only possible by understanding the true meaning of Christmas.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

For about three centuries after the birth of Jesus Christ, his birthday was not celebrated. The early church focused more on Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection as that was considered more important because believing this act of Christ was payment for mankind’s sin, for any individual’s sin, and was how one was able to have eternal life. That was certainly more important than when Christ was physically born. One can’t argue with that point.

However, as the early church became more organized and developed into what became the Catholic Church, church leaders looked for ways to turn people toward Christian ways and away from pagan ways. However, this had both positive and negative consequences. The pro of this was that it gave a positive slant to a pagan holiday and allowed traditions to become more Christianized. However, the negative is that this was an attempt to force people to accept Christianity by changing their traditions rather than reaching the hearts of people to change their internal focus which would then affect their outward actions. So what resulted was a blend of Christian customs and traditions with and pagan customs and traditions into the same holiday.

The first claim that Christ’s birthday was on December 25th seems to have occurred in 221 AD. Yet, there was still no real celebration. The first recorded celebration of December 25th as Christ’s birthday was in the Calendar of Filocalus in 354 AD. Furius Dionysius Filocalus was the leading scribe or calligrapher during this period—just after the reign of Constantine. Another date celebrated by some was January 6th, called Epiphany, meaning the manifestation of God to man. Eastern orthodox Christians said this was proven at his baptism and western Christians said this was proven at the visit of the Magi. The time between December 25th and January 6th became known as the 12 days of Christmas.

Although church officials knew that Jesus was not born in winter, why did they choose December 25th as the day to celebrate Christ’s birth? Well, most cultures had a pagan celebration of the winter solstice. The early celebrations, like Saturnalia, also had human sacrifice, licentious rites, drunkenness, and all sorts of abbreviate behavior. Therefore, it is not far reaching to understand why the church officials wanted to turn this type of celebration around. However, as usual, many of the pagan rituals became part of the Christian celebration, although they usually became tamer and over time lost their original intent and meaning.

So, if Christ was not born in December, when was he born? Scripture tells us that the angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish girl named Mary who was betrothed to Joseph, but they were not yet married (Lk 1:26-27). However, it was Jewish custom for the official marriage to occur sometime later but even at this stage even though there was no cohabitation they were considered legally married and a formal divorce was necessary to break the marriage covenant. Gabriel told Mary she would bear a son with the help of the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35) and her son would be the Messiah, she should name him Jesus, and he would be equal in state to God, would one day sit on the throne of David (Lk 1:30-33), and would save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21). Jesus being equal with God is a fulfillment of many Old Testament scriptures (2Sa 7:8-16; 1Ki 2:24-25; Ps 2:1-12; Ps 89:14, 19-29, 35-37; Ps 110:1-7; Ps 132:11-12; Is 9:6-7; Is 11:1-5, 10; Jr 23:5-6).

Isaiah had prophesied the Messiah would be born to a virgin (Mt 1:23; Is 7:14). In Isaiah, the word “almah” which is the more precise and accurate Hebrew word for virgin and Matthew uses the Greek word “parthenos” which is always interpreted “virgin.” Although this did fulfill prophecy and people were expectant of a coming true Messiah, having a child without a man would seem physically impossible and so God appeared to Joseph in a dream to let him know of Mary’s truthfulness (Mt 1:18-25). Because Christ had no human father, he became the word of God to mankind and was equal to God (Jn 1:1). Joseph therefore claimed the pregnancy as his own, initiated cohabitation, but did not have intercourse with Mary until after Jesus’ birth (Mt 1:24-25).

Rick Larson in his DVD Star of Bethlehem gives compelling evidence to the date of Christ’s conception. At the time of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, in September of 3 BC, the planet Jupiter (known as the king planet) made a very close conjunction with the star Regulus (known as the king star), and over the next couple of months Jupiter actually made three conjunctions with Regulus. Not only that, but this occurred in the constellation of Leo which is the constellation representing a lion, both a symbol of Judah and of royalty as well as of the coming conquering Messiah; it would fulfill the prophecy of Isaac to Judah (Gn 49:9) as these three conjunctions would be occurring around the feet of Leo within this constellation. In addition, the constellation Virgo at the time of Rosh Hashanah in 3 BC would occur during the daytime, i.e., clothed in the sun, as described in Revelation, with the new moon at her feet (Rv 12:1-5). Rosh Hashanah was also known as the Feast of Trumpets (Lv 23:24-25) which was a memorial feast of the blowing of trumpets to ask God to remember His covenant with Israel.  Therefore, the conception of the Messiah would indeed represent God remembering His people after the 400 years of prophetic silence.

Therefore, if conception was in September of 3 BC, then Christ’s birth would occur around 9 months later: June 2 BC. There are two other events that also help us to see that this is likely the date of Christ’s birth. Again, the stars tell the story. After the triple conjunction of Jupiter with Regulus, Jupiter continued its journey for a rendezvous with Venus, the Mother planet. With the naked eye, they would appear as one star—one very bright star. This would have occurred on June 2 BC. This was also around the time of Shavuot which has been the festival around different paradigm shifts. It was this time that God made the covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai (Ex 19) and the time the Holy Spirit was given to the first Christians (Ac 2)—both paradigm shifts of how God intervened with His relationship to mankind. Christ’s birth would certainly fit into this category as well.

Next time we will look further at how the star played a role in Christ’s birth and the place of Christ’s birth.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We’ve gone through several blog posts on this topic. We now come to the end of this particular series. Here is a summary of what we have discussed.

•Sheol / Hades was originally for both righteous (those who accepted their coming Messiah by faith as the payment for their sins) and unrighteous; temporary; both face future resurrection at different times

•Sheol / Hades was divided into at least three sections

Upper Part: Righteous were in a place of comfort; after crucifixion, Christ went here for 3 days and was then resurrected to overcome death; he then took the occupants to heaven

•Lower Part – Pit: Wicked were in a place of punishment/torment; they remain there today

•Abyss: Certain angels were in a type of ‘prison’ known as Tartarus; currently still there

•Gehenna is equivalent to the Lake of Fire mentioned in Scripture; occurs after Great White Throne Judgment at the end of Christ’s Millennial Reign on earth and equates to our concept of “eternal hell”

•Paradise is anywhere Jesus Christ is in His glorified state

•Enoch, Moses & Elijah were the only ones taken to Heaven prior to Christ’s first coming and they served as hope and assured those looking forward to their Messiah’s coming they would one day be with Him

•Today the righteous go directly to heaven and are with Christ who has chosen to always be in glorified human form to identify with us for eternity

•Christians today will be resurrected at the Rapture or be changed to their glorified state and return with Christ at the end of the Tribulation Period

•Christ will reign on earth for 1000 years in a theocracy; the curse will be lifted; he will reign with righteousness and justice (i.e., an iron scepter); all creatures live in harmony, both those glorified and non-glorified will live together, those glorified will help Christ rule and administer His kingdom; those born will have free will; Israel will lead earth in worship of Christ; temple will be built to show what Christ did, to show what death is, and to atone for sin until those accept Christ through faith, and cleanse inanimate objects used in worship of a holy God

•Satan is released at the end of the Millennium; he uses human nature against mankind and gets many followers; they attack Jerusalem and are destroyed.

•The current heaven and atmosphere are destroyed by fire

•The unrighteous are resurrected and face the Great White Throne Judgment and are cast into the Lake of Fire (eternal hell)

•New Heaven and atmosphere are created; the New Jerusalem descends out of heaven to earth

•Those already glorified enter into eternity as glorified beings

•It is likely those humans in the Millennium will enter eternity as human and become the nations mentioned in Rv 21; they may be able to have children

•The propensity to sin is removed (perhaps like what Christ did for angels)

•Nations will bring God’s glory to him; likely meaning that science and life will continue similarly as we know it but credit for all discoveries will be given to Christ

•All our talents and gifts Christ has given us today will be used for his honor and glory

If this is the first of these posts you have read, I hope you will go back through each one to better understand each of the above bullets. I hope you can see that God cares for us and loves us. Although his love will continue forever, his longsuffering and mercy will not last forever. That is why he gives us so much warning and never gives up on us. He is coming. I trust you will be ready. He definitely wants you to be.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Let’s finish up our topic on contrasting heaven and hell with two final posts. We have spent several posts on understanding both hell and heaven. While there is a lot more that could be presented, I think we have covered some significant topics. I thought we would do some review via a question and answer session. See if you can answer the questions before reading the answers. Review the previous posts for the supportive scriptures.

1. The Bible is not consistent in stating what happens to someone when they die. Therefore, can we really know what happens after death?

A. There is a progression over history as to what happens to those who die

a. Prior to Christ’s death: All dead resided in Sheol

b. After Christ’s resurrection: Righteous in Heaven; Unrighteous remain in Sheol

2. What do we mean by “righteous”?

A. Those who accept Christ by faith

a. Prior to Christ’s first coming, those who accepted by faith that their coming Messiah would be the sin sacrifice for their sins and that would be their only merit to enter Heaven

b. After Christ’s first coming, those who accept by faith that Christ paid the penalty for their sin on the cross and only through Him do we have merit to enter Heaven

3. Doesn’t the Old Testament supports soul sleep? No one is conscious until they are resurrected, right?

A. Many scriptures contrast death to the living which can sometimes feel there is no consciousness there; yet, there are many scriptures that allude to being with loved ones, activity, and speaking that occurs in Sheol.

4. Isn’t it true that there is no torment or flames in Sheol? Doesn’t only the parable by Christ in New Testament state torment or flame?

A. There are passages in the Old Testament that do refer to flames and/or torment in Sheol for those who were labeled ‘wicked’

a. There is no torment mentioned for those labeled ‘righteous’

b. Yet, neither are there passages that consider Sheol to be a paradise for the righteous

5. If God is going to send people to an eternal hell, why wouldn’t there be more verses in the Bible that are clearer on this topic?

A. God expects people to understand the subtleties in scripture

a. It was a concept understood by Jewish society and therefore did not need emphasis

b. Only when one tries to justify their own will can the scriptures be ignored

6. Isn’t sending people to hell outside of God’s character of love?

A. We should not confuse ‘love’ with ‘longsuffering’

a. God loves everyone but mankind also has responsibility

b. Is love true love if only one-sided?

c. Can one hate God and not reverence Him and yet claim it is unjust to receive consequence?

d. You can rest on God’s love or His justice. God has never been ‘fair’ because it is not a Biblical concept.

7. What is the purpose of the Rapture?

A. God removes the Church so He can “remember” his covenant with Israel.

a. This is the prophetic significance of Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets)

b. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb cannot occur until the entire Church is with Him

c. Another concept of the Rapture would the The Receiving: that is, the receiving of the bride (the church) by Christ (the groom)

8. What is the purpose of the Tribulation? Why does this have to occur?

A. The main purpose is so God can work with Israel once again.

a. It is a final fulfillment of Dt 28 & 29

b. It is global because Jews and those of Israeli descent are worldwide today

c. This time fulfills scripture of how God will again bring Judah and Israel back together into one nation

d. This time forces Israel to do what his loving prodding could not: accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah before He returns to the earth.

e. God’s will still prevails even when Satan is supposedly in control

9. How do we know Christ’s Millennial Kingdom will be an actual physical kingdom?

A. Not only Revelation, but many passages in the Old Testament refer to this time and describe it as a physical kingdom.

a. This re-establishes the theocracy that was lost by Adam and proves why Christ is superior to Satan

b. This allows Israel to become the kingdom of priests to the world originally offered to them

c. This further tests humanity and proves that their rebellion has nothing to do with Satan

10. Why would Christ’s Millennial Kingdom need to come to an end if it is supposed to be so wonderful?

A. Christ’s earthly reign is not perfect. It is a theocracy containing sinful people.

a. Sin has to be removed in its entirety before a perfect kingdom can be established

b. Therefore, the earth and all those not responding to Christ must be removed

c. A sinless earth and heaven is created, populated by sinless people

d. However, it is likely there will still be humans without the propensity to sin present who will continue to “inherit the earth”; and maybe even the universe

I hope this helps you understand the Bible presents a cohesive message and not a hodgepodge of ideas to be interpreted any way one wishes. God has a plan and you are a part of it.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Hanukkah begins at sundown on November 28th this year. What is the significance of this Jewish holiday and is it in the Bible? Well, first of all, it is not part of the festivals that God gave to the Israelites when they left Egypt and, therefore, does not have a prophetic significance for the nation of Israel that those seven festivals/holidays possess. However, the holiday is Biblical in that it is mentioned in the Bible, and it actually does have some prophetic significance. Let’s investigate further.

The first Hanukkah occurred between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament—called the Silent Years. However, that does not mean there was not a lot going on during this time. This period of history was prophesied by Daniel.

In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, Daniel was in the palace at Susa along the Ulai River (Dn 8:1-2), a tributary of the Tigris River, and approximately 200 miles east of Babylon. Daniel had a vision in which he saw a ram with two horns, with one horn higher than the other, which pushed north, south, and west without anyone being able to resist its power (Dn 8:3-4). He then saw a he goat with one large horn in the middle of its forehead which was in the west and pushed eastward so swiftly its feet did not seem to touch the ground (Dn 8:5). This he goat smote the ram, broke off the ram’s two horns, and utterly destroyed the ram (Dn 8:6-7). The he goat became very strong but then the one horn was broken off and 4 horns took its place (Dn 8:8). Then out of one of the horns came another smaller horn which became mighty and pushed south, east, and toward Israel. It then became very boastful and tried to magnify himself as great as God Himself and the daily sacrifice was taken away from the temple for 2,300 sacrifices at which time the temple was again cleansed (Dn 8:9-14). The daily sacrifice was made both morning and evening (Ex 29:38-39); therefore, this number of sacrifices would represent 1,150 days, or just slightly over 3 years.

Daniel tried to understand this vision but could not, but then the angel Gabriel came forward and explained it to him (Dn 8:15-17). The ram was the kingdom of Media and Persia, and the he-goat was Greece (Dn 8:20-21). Alexander the Great conquered the then known world very quickly with little resistance and did all of this by the age of 32, but then died in Babylon in 323 BC. When he died, his kingdom went into civil war until 315 BC when four of his generals divided Alexander’s kingdom up among themselves:  (1) Ptolemy Lagi ruled over Egypt, Palestine, and Arabia. He was assisted by a general named Seleucus, who had originally been given Babylon, but who was later forced out by Antigonus. (2) Antigonus controlled Syria, Babylonia, and central Asia. (3) Cassander ruled over Macedonia and Greece. (4) Lysimachus was the ruler of Thrace and Bythinia. However, civil war continued among the generals until the battle of Ipsus in 301 BC which left the kingdom into, again, 4 major parts but somewhat different rulers:  Empire of the Ptolomies (mainly Egypt but also included Israel and southern Syria), Empire of Seleucids (mainly Persia), Empire of Lysimichus (mainly Asia Minor), Empire of Greece and Macedonia ruled by Antigonus II Gonatas.

The Seleucid Empire gained control of Palestine in 198 BC during the Seleucid reign of Antiochus III the Great who took control over from Ptolemy V Epiphanes (meaning “illustrious one”). In 190 BC Antiochus the Great had a major battle with Rome and had to pay dearly for the defeat including his son Antiochus IV being taken to Rome. When Antiochus the Great died, Seleucus IV took the throne. To pay Rome, he taxed his subjects heavily. In Israel, Onias the High Priest resisted the Seleucids, but his brother Jason tried to get on their good side so that he could usurp his brother and become High Priest. In 175 BC, Antiochus IV murdered Seleucus IV and took control. He named himself Antiochus Epiphanes and took Jason up on his offer, removed Onias from the position as High Priest, and instated Jason in that position. Later, Menelaus offered Antiochus IV more money so Jason was out and Menelaus was in. Those of the Hasidim (“the pious ones”) who were trying to live righteously were outraged at these events and labeled Antiochus IV “Epimenes” (“the madman”). Antiochus IV tried to retake Egypt from the Ptolomies, but at one point Rome forced him to retreat which enraged him greatly and he took his frustration out on Jerusalem. This was not entirely rash as he hated the Jews because most were resistant to him. He tore down part of the city wall, defiled the temple by having sex with prostitutes within the temple and punished many of the Jews for their practices and later offered a pig on the temple altar, and set up a statue of Zeus within the temple. According to 1 Maccabees, this occurred on the 15th day of the 9th month (Kislev) (i.e., December 15, 168 BC). This was the final straw that started the Maccabean Revolt.

Antiochus Epiphanes’ persecution on the Jews escalated. One army delegation was sent to the village of Modein, about 17 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Mattathias Maccabaeus, the leader and priest of the city was expected to offer a sacrifice to honor Antiochus’ pagan gods. When Mattathias refused, another Jewish man agreed to do so fearing for the people’s lives. Mattathias in a zealous rage killed the man before he could make the sacrifice and then killed the army soldiers. The revolt had begun. This continued for 3 years under the leadership of Mattathias’ five sons: John, Simon, Judas, Eleazer, and Jonathan. According to 1 Maccabees, on the 25th day of the 9th month (Kislev) (i.e., December 25, 165 BC), slightly over 3 years after Antiochus Epiphanes had defiled the temple’s altar, Judas Maccabaeus was able to free Jerusalem from Seleucid control.  This period of time between the desecration and cleansing of the temple equates exactly to the time specified in Daniel’s vision (Dn 8:14). The Greek calendar had an intercalary month every other year with each regular year containing 360 days (30 days per month). Therefore, two years with intercalary months and one regular year plus 10 days equals exactly 1,150 days. It is interesting, yet prophetic confirming, that although Daniel did not know or use the Greek calendar when he had the vision, God knew the future and knew what type of calendar would be used during the fulfillment of the prophecy given.

Judas Maccabaeus had the temple rededicated and this event became known and celebrated as Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Lights or the Feast of Dedication (Jn 10:22). Antiochus Epiphanes then sent his general Lysias with instructions to wipe out the Jews. Lysias with 120,000 men and 32 war elephants met Judas Maccabeus and his small band of rebels 10 miles southwest of Jerusalem and Judas’ men were unable to prevail. However, Lysias received word that the Seleucid capital was under siege so he made an agreement with Judas that the Jews could worship as they pleased if they continued to remain politically loyal to the Seleucid empire and Judas agreed. As recorded in 1 Maccabees, the news of the failed conquest put Antiochus Epiphanes in such shock that it made him physically ill, and he never recovered even though it seems that in the end he regretted his actions and felt that his dying was payment for what he had done.

Gabriel also told Daniel that this vision he had experienced was also of the last days (Dn 8:17). Therefore, it seems that Antiochus Epiphanes was a prototype of the Antichrist yet to come. They have many similarities: both will have power over the earth, be satanically influenced, will wage war with the holy people and cause them to be destroyed in the name of peace, will desecrate the temple, and will proclaim himself to be as God and therefore be at war with God Himself, but will not ultimately succeed (Dn 8:24-25). Daniel was told that these events would not occur for some time, but the vision affected him so greatly he was physically sick for some days but then recovered and went about his daily work (Dn 8:26-27).

Jesus also speaks of this in what has become known as his Olivet Discourse (Mt 24-25). His disciples had asked him what the signs of the time would be when he would set up his earthly kingdom. Jesus was telling them of what to expect to happen shortly before his second coming. For one of these signs, Jesus spoke of an end-time vision given to Daniel (Mt 24:15) where an "abomination that causes desolation" (Dn 9:27) will be set up within the temple—a similar event that Antiochus Epiphanes performed earlier in history. This would be a sign of much suffering to come for Israel and those able should flee for their lives. Therefore, it seems the first Hanukkah was prophetic for what will occur during the time known as the Great Tribulation when the Antichrist will cause such great suffering on this earth.

Hanukkah is mentioned one other place in the Bible and is called the Feast of Dedication (Jn 10:22). It was called Feast of Dedication because the temple was cleansed and rededicated to God on that first Hanukkah. Tradition has it that there was just enough olive oil for the temple menorah for one day, but it lasted for eight days to give the priests time to prepare more consecrated olive oil for the temple. Whether this miracle occurred or not I am not sure anyone really knows, but it does demonstrate that God provides. Actually, this was the message that Jesus had on that Hanukkah when he taught the people and the Jewish leaders at the temple that day. Jesus stated that God had provided for his people and sent them the Messiah to whom they had looked for millennia. Jesus told them that his works proved from where he came, he would provide eternal life to all those who would believe in him, and he and the Father were one and the same (Jn 10:25-30). There is no other way these claims could be true if he and God were not equal. He even proved to them that even David knew that his Messiah would be equal to God Himself (Jn 10:34-38; Ps 82:6). Unfortunately, the Jewish leaders would not believe. They had just lit the menorah which gave light but could not see the light that was right in front of them. Let us not do the same.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

As was stated in the last post, there was an English translation of the Bible before the King James Bible, so why was that and how did the Bible come about anyway? Well, let’s explore. This will be an abbreviated version, but more information can be found at English Bible History.

Well . . . to begin we must go back a long way—to the time of Moses. Moses is the one who wrote the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch (around 1450 BC). Then over the next millennia we have the remainder of the Old Testament written. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew on scrolls. There were Hebrew scribes whose sole purpose was to transcribe the scripture from one scroll to another. They were so meticulous that if a mistake was made, even if one letter touched another, they would take out that part of the scroll and then take out the next portion of the scroll because that part had touched a mistake. Although that sounds like overkill, it shows the seriousness they took in making sure their transcriptions were accurate. It also shows how meticulous they would be to ensure they did not make a mistake. It is not a surprise then, that when the Dead Sea scrolls were found, what is in our current Bible today from Isaiah is identical in almost every detail to the scrolls found.

There are many writings, called the Apocrypha, which were usually kept with the Old Testament scriptures, but most Jews considered them more like popular writings, not really inspired scripture. What we know today as the 39 books of the Old Testament were considered the inspired scriptures.

In the New Testament when we read of the people talking about “the scriptures” they are referring to the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures considered inspired (not the Apocrypha). That is because what we now know as the New Testament was not part of the scriptures at that time in history. The New Testament books, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, and Jude, were completed by 95 AD. Since Greek was the language of the day, the New Testament was written in Greek. Again, these letters which became our scripture were written on scrolls.

We must thank Athanasius of Alexandria, who lived in the 4th century, for our current New Testament. He waged a spiritual war against those who, in his statements, wanted to dilute the gospel by trying to include non-inspired writings into the scriptures. While he agreed that many of them were worth reading, he did not feel they should be included in a combined cannon of scripture. He also fiercely fought against Arianism which taught Jesus Christ had a beginning and was not equal with God Himself. This doctrine almost caused a split within the Christian realm. This was the time of Emperor Constantine who wanted a united Christian church and thereby called together 1800 bishops (of which only 300 came—it seems Christian apathy is nothing new!) to Nicaea which has become known as the council of Nicaea. From this meeting came the official rejection of Arianism and the recognition of the 27 books of our present New Testament. Although the book of Revelation remained controversial until the 10th century! The downside was that Constantine instituted a more organized government of the church and became the foundation for the Roman Catholic Church. I say downside because this started a slippery slope where fewer and fewer people had more and more power and control which decreased the chance of having check and balances in place around how scripture should be interpreted. This is not about bashing on the Catholic Church. It is just a matter of history. The Protestants have some skeletons in their closet as well.

In 382, Jerome translated the Greek New Testament and Hebrew Old Testament into Latin, the official language of the organized church. This became known as the Latin Vulgate. He included the Apocrypha as well although he did denote these books were likely not inspired scripture. Over the next 100 years, the Bible was translated into over 500 languages. However, over the next 100 years, there was only one: the Latin Vulgate. The Roman Catholic Church had outlawed any other version of the Bible, and anyone caught with any other version could be executed. As with any institution, any time there is a human in power it can lead to corruption. Remember the saying, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. As is always the case, those in power must be extra vigilant of their responsibility before God.

Unfortunately, even the church was, and is, not immune to this problem. Since only the priests of the church were trained in Latin, the common people were totally dependent upon the church for interpretation of what the Bible said to them. Thereby, many corrupt practices were instituted by those in power to increase the wealth of the institutional church. This diluted the actual spiritual influence on the people. As the Roman Catholic Church influenced more and more civilizations, the institutional church forced morality outwardly rather than changing people inwardly and then allowing their believe in God to change them outwardly. This is how it was for most of the Dark and Middle Ages.

The only major non-Catholic influence during this time was on the Scottish Isle of Ionia when a man by the name of Columba started a Bible College. Tradition has it that it may have had its beginning from the influence of Joseph of Arimathea. John Wycliffe was from this background and an Oxford professor who was a major force of the Reformation in the 1300’s whose purpose was to get the Bible back into the hands of the masses in their own native tongue. He had many English manuscripts produced from translations using the Latin Vulgate. One of his followers, John Hus, continued his work. However, the Roman Church had him burned at the stake in 1415 using Wycliffe’s translations as kindling for the fire! Huss stated that the Church would not be able to suppress this forever and would lose within 100 years.

Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1450’s and his first publication was the Latin version of the Bible. This paved the way for others to get Bibles to the masses more quickly. This invention became what allowed the Reformation to become so successful. In the 1490’s Thomas Linacre and John Colet, both Oxford professors taught themselves Greek so they could read the New Testament in its original language. They found many errors in the Latin Vulgate, but the Roman Catholic Church was still adamant that one could only read the Bible in Latin even though it was not its original language. Colet began translating directly from Greek into English and passing it out to the masses. His church service grew to 20,000 people! He barely escaped execution. Who you know has always seemed to matter!

Building on the experience of these two, Erasmus then had a Greek—Latin parallel Bible printed. However, this Latin translation was from the original Greek. This further highlighted the errors that had been propagated from the transcriptions made from the Latin Vulgate and pointed to the fact that one must constantly go back to the original language to prevent inaccuracies. However, the Roman Catholic Church was not sympathetic and refused to recognize this version of the Bible.

William Tyndale in England and Martin Luther in Germany were contemporaries with a similar mission in mind. True to Hus’ prophecy, it was about 100 years later, on Halloween in 1517, that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses of Contention on the church’s door in Wittenberg, Germany. Also, in 1517, the Roman Catholic Church had 7 families burned at the stake because they taught their children to recite the Lord’s Prayer in English rather than in Latin. Although Luther was almost martyred and later exiled, he was able to publish a German translation of Erasmus’ Greek-Latin New Testament into the most widely used German dialect in 1522 (later got the entire Bible published in German in 1530). Tyndale wanted to do the same; visited Luther in 1525 and by the end of that year was able to publish the Tyndale New Testament and at the same time eluding capture and execution.

The Bishop tried to burn them as fast as he could confiscate them, but they were so popular they spread everywhere and even found its way to King Henry VIII. While King Henry was not really that interested in the Christian cause, this did lead him to devise a plan of his own. Because the Pope would not allow him to divorce his wife and marry his mistress, he devised a plan to accomplish this with the church’s blessing. He married her anyway, removed England from the jurisdiction of Rome and made himself head of state and head of the church, which became known as the Anglican Church or Church of England. And, just for spite, he funded the printing of English Bibles.

However, when Queen “Bloody” Mary came to the English throne she was determined to return England under Roman Catholicism and began persecuting and executing Reformers by burning them at the stake. Many fled to Switzerland. The church in Geneva was sympathetic to the Reformers’ cause and the members put together an English scholarly translation that instituted chapters and verses in order to follow public reading better and many margin notes so families could train their families. The Geneva Bible was published in 1560 and became the first English study Bible. About this time the reign of England was now under Queen Elizabeth I who was now head of the Anglican Church. She was more tolerant to the printing of English Bibles and the Geneva Bible became the most popular.

By the 1580’s the Roman Catholic Church gave up the fight to prevent the printing of English Bibles and so printed one of their own. It was a translation of the Latin Vulgate and the Apocrypha which included the errors of the Latin Vulgate Erasmus has already pointed out.

After the death of Queen Elizabeth came King James I. The leaders of the Anglican Church did not like all the marginal notes in the Geneva Bible as they felt them too controversial. They wanted a version without all the marginal notes. Therefore, they approached the king to have another translation made which would remove all the scholarly notes that were in the Geneva Bible. The King James Version was published in 1611. However, it took decades for the King James Version to become accepted and more popular than the Geneva Bible. As stated in my last post, the Puritans used the Geneva Bible and not the King James Bible.

The first Bible printed in America was a copy of the King James Bible. It was printed by Robert Aitken in 1782 because there was an embargo on English goods coming into America, and he was commissioned by the United States Congress. Of note, it was not until 1880’s that the Apocrypha were not part of each and every printing of the Bible. The American Bible Society agreed to their removal in 1885.

The apocryphal books are as follows (you can view them from The Official King James Bible Online):   

1 Esdras   

2 Esdras   

Tobit    

Judith   

Additions to Esther    

Wisdom of Solomon     

Ecclesiasticus    

Baruch    

Letter of Jeremiah    

Prayer of Azariah    

Susanna   

Bel and the Dragon    

Prayer of Manasseh    

1 Maccabees     

2 Maccabees     

The apocryphal books were not considered part of the canon of scripture by the Jews or the early church. Although printed in the Bibles prepared by the Reformers, they were printed between the Old and New Testament and always kept apart from the canon of scripture. They are interesting and have historical significance but have many teachings that are contrary to the inspired canon of scripture.

I hope you have found this brief history educational and explore further on your own. God Bless!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us. So, let’s look back to see how this holiday came into being. American Thanksgiving has its roots back to the year 1620 and to a group of individuals who wanted the freedom to worship God as they felt scripture dictated rather than how a government dictated. At that time in history, the Church of England was the same as the government of England because King James I was the head of both. A group of individuals, known as Separatists, believed that the king’s decisions were not equal to those of scripture and scripture was the higher authority. However, the English government believed not to agree with the king in all religious matters was treason. Some of these individuals wanted a place where they would not be persecuted for how they chose to worship God. We have come to know these particular Separatists as Pilgrims.

They originally had two ships: the Speedwell and the Mayflower. The Speedwell could not make the trip so all 102 of them left for North America in the Mayflower. They were to head to a place previous Pilgrims had landed: in the northern part of Virginia Territory near what is today New York. However, they arrive off the coast of what we know today as Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 66 days later than expected and with much sickness. Their first winter was disastrous; they lost more than one –half of their number. Forty-one of them, led by William Bradford, signed the Mayflower Compact where they committed themselves to God and to the advancement of the Christian faith and to create a settlement there rather than trying to find the place of their original destination. Even though so many of their group died, they were committed to continue on. As if in confirmation of their decision, their first meeting of a Native American was one of the Abenaki Indian tribe who actually understood English. This native later returned with Squanto of the Pawtuxet tribe who also spoke English and taught them how to plant and harvest corn, how to collect maple sap, fish, and avoid poisonous plants. He also helped them forge a peace treaty with the local Wampanoag tribe, a peace treaty that lasted for nearly 50 years.

That next Fall, they and their new allies of the Wampanoag tribe gathered together and had a feast for 3 days. It is not known exactly what this feast consisted of, but it is known that the Pilgrims went on a “fowling” mission and the Native Americans brought deer. It is likely that the meal was of what the Native Americans would eat and prepare. From that time forward, various settlements and then various states would hold periodic days of thanksgiving and fasting but none of these were coordinated among these groups and/or states. Sarah Josepha Hale, a noted magazine editor and author, lobbied for 36 years to Senators and Congressmen to make a national holiday for such an event. Not until 1863 did this happen when President Abraham Lincoln, at the height of the Civil War, declared the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1941, moved the holiday up a week to try to spur the economy but met great public opposition. Therefore, in 1943 he assigned Thanksgiving Day to be the fourth Thursday in November. As time went on, traditions became associated with Thanksgiving: parades and eating turkey and cranberry sauce. It has become a time for family to get together and enjoy each other’s company.

The ideals that the Pilgrims used to start building this great nation of ours was commemorated in an 81-foot-high monument, commissioned by the Pilgrim’s Society, now called the National Monument to the Forefathers, located on Allerton Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It is the world’s largest solid granite monument. Its concept began in 1820 with planning started in 1850. Its cornerstone was laid in 1859 with its construction completed in 1888 and dedicated in 1889. The sculpture was designed by Hammatt Billings, a Boston architect, illustrator and sculptor. His original idea was to have it being 150 feet high but was scaled back. Here are its major features:

The base is octagonal but has four major buttresses that project out from the center. On these are figures that represent the principles upon which the Pilgrims founded their Commonwealth. The central and highest figure is that of Faith with her right hand pointing toward heaven and her left hand clutching the Bible. The other four figures starting from the east going counter-clockwise are principles which are produced from Faith: Liberty, Morality, Law and Education. Under Liberty is Tyranny Overthrown and Peace; under Morality stands Prophet and Evangelist; under Law stands Justice and Mercy; and under Education are Youth and Wisdom. On the face of each of the buttresses, under the figures, are marble scenic reliefs from Pilgrim history: Landing (under Freedom), Embarcation (under Morality), Treaty (under Law), and Compact (under Education). On the faces of the main pedestal are inscriptions. On the right and left panels are the names of those who came over in the Mayflower. The front panel has the following inscription:

National Monument to the Forefathers. Erected by a grateful people in remembrance of their labors, sacrifices and sufferings for the cause of civil and religious liberty.

On the rear is a quote from Governor William Bradford:

“Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing and gives being to all things that are; and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all praise."

This monument was built to remind us all of the principles upon which the Pilgrims used to lay the foundation for what was to become the United States of America. It was formed so that we would never forget the Pilgrims or upon what the nation’s foundation was built. This monument has been featured in the film Monumental which traces the history of the Pilgrims, the reason for their coming to America and the Biblical ideals they upheld to establish the foundation of a great nation.

Therefore, this Thanksgiving, if you are a citizen of the United States, give thanks for our founding fathers and the ideals on which they based our country's foundation. It has made our country to be great. Then pray that you will continue to uphold these principles. What if you are not a citizen of the U.S. and perhaps your country was not founded on such principles? Then you can start at home with these principles. After all, our country was not a country when the Pilgrims began laying the foundation. They were just a group of families, but they had a profound vision for their descendants’ future. You can do the same and start with your own family. The first Thanksgiving was small and has grown into a great nation. Your small family can also grow into a large influence of countless future generations. They started in their own families with faith in God, liberty for everyone, morality to God's standards, and education of their children in all of these principles in their own family and then instituted these ideals into the nation's foundation. We can continue to do the same. God blessed their efforts; he will also bless ours. I trust your Thanksgiving this year is one of proud reflection and thanks.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

With Thanksgiving approaching, this movie came back to my memory. It’s hard to believe a whole decade has passed since it came out! I think it is time for us to remember the message of the movie. If you haven’t seen it, now is the time to do so. If you have, now is the time to view it again.

This movie got me to thinking: if the Puritans were like us today, would the United States of America ever have happened? When I think about all the roadblocks they encountered, how did they know it was still God’s will to press onward? It seems they not only had a plan for their immediate future, but they also had a vision for their descendants. They considered their lives only steppingstones to the final goal. Do we have that same vision, that same tenacity, today?

Look at the roadblocks which they encountered:

1. King James I was the one who commissioned the translation of the Bible into English and was called the “Defender of the Faith” by those who translated the Bible. Yet, the Anglican Church of England was the very source which was condemning those who then wanted to live by the words of that very same Bible as committing treason because they expected the king and the clergy to actually obey what God’s word literally said. Isn’t that ironic? Actually, the Puritans rejected the King James Bible and used the Geneva Bible which they felt was more scholarly in translation. Interesting fact: America was founded with the use of the Geneva Bible and not the King James Bible.

2. The Puritans, part of the Separatists (who wanted to be separate from the Church of England), did not believe the king should be head of the church and should be subject to God’s laws just like everyone else. Therefore, to be against the Church of England was to be against the king and, thereby, was viewed by the monarchy as an act of treason. The Puritans had to meet secretly. They looked for a place where they could worship God as the Bible declared. The Puritans were really a local body of believers who sought to worship God with freedom from persecution.

3. They bought passage on a boat to Holland, but the captain double-dipped in his profits and sold out the Pilgrims to the English authorities who put them in prison. Amazingly, this did not deter them but made their resolve stronger. They then found passage on another boat; the men separated themselves from the women and children as a measure to try to keep them safe and all were to meet at a rendezvous point to get on the boat. However, the women’s raft landed on a sandbar, and they were therefore caught by the English officials. The men made it to Holland, and it took about another year to get their families to Holland.

4. The Puritans were committed to help their countrymen understand the truth of God’s word and started printing materials and smuggling them back into England. However, English officials eventually found the source and had the printing press destroyed.

5. They eventually got back to England and purchased two boats: the Speedwell and the Mayflower to sail them to America. However, after they left England, the Speedwell began to take on significant water so they had to return to England. Then some of them had to stay behind while the rest went to America on the Mayflower. This ship had been used to carry wine from one city in England to another. It had never sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. A journey that was supposed to take 3 weeks took 8 weeks (66 days). Over 100 people were in a space not designed for even half that number. The seas were rough, and people got sick not only from the motion of the boat but from all of the waste smell as well. In addition, the ship almost sank due to a major beam cracking; they were able to brace it with a huge screw that the Pilgrims happened to bring along with them. Providential don't you think?

6. Once they arrived, it was late in the Fall, and they had to endure a winter without much preparation. Over half of their number died that winter. Yet, the next spring when the captain was going to return to England, he begged them to return with him, yet they all refused. Not one went back to England. Wow! What resolve! Despite all of their troubles and setbacks, they still felt they were on God’s mission for their lives and for the future of their descendants. William Bradford even taught himself Hebrew so he could read God’s word in its original language to understand God even better. Amazing!

See all the setbacks? What would we have done? What would you have done? Would you have said, “Obviously, God does not want us to do this; after all, look at all of the closed doors.” However, they did not. They maintained their resolve. They maintained their vision. They did not doubt God’s blessings. Over half their number died and yet they did not doubt. See what a small thread our nation was built upon? Yet, what character upon which our nation was built! There is no doubt as to why they came when one reads the Mayflower compact that they all established: “For the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith…” Our roots and heritage were definitely built upon religious freedom. Yet, weren’t they for separation of church as state? Actually, no. They were against the king being the head of the church and dictating how one could worship. They were not against a Christian-influenced government. Why? Because they believed faith in God was the foundational principle for life. Only from that view point can one establish a moral character. It is a character built from within that has a positive effect on society – not a government dictating one’s actions. They then can teach their children these sample principles to propagate this faith, morality, and strong character. Then, and only then, can they have true freedom. A freedom that can then cause prosperity because people are self-motivated, look out for the betterment of their fellow man, and look to do what is right. Not a right in their own eyes, but what is right in God’s eyes.

Even if we look at our founding fathers, who today, our schools teach were atheists and deists. But really? Were they? Of course not everyone was Christian, but the majority were. Most of those who signed the Declaration of Independence had a seminary degree. The first Bible printed in America was commissioned by Congress—yes Congress! It was printed for use in schools—yes, in schools! And it was printed to be used by individuals in their homes. Why? Our founding fathers and the government they established recognized the fact that in order for the Constitution to work, people had to have a basic sense of morality and be able to have integrity, character and self-control. That is the type of people the Constitution was to govern. The values upon which it was based cannot be forced on someone. These values must be within the country’s people. What better way to ensure that than to have people understand what God expects from His creation? These are the people who made America great. These are the principles upon which America was founded that made it great. Are you going to continue to make it great?

This Thanksgiving, thank God for the Puritans and our founding fathers who gave all they had not only for themselves but for their descendants as well so that future generations could have a country where freedom is proclaimed to all. Let’s not take our freedom lightly. And let’s not let it be taken away. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

It would seem life in the Eternal State may be similar to what life was like during the Millennium: Christ will continue to rule, Israel will continue to lead in worship, those glorified will continue to help rule, nations will still exist, and the people will continue to worship Christ with tribute of his glory. It is possible that now the whole universe will be open for exploration and bringing praise to God. All the talents and skills of each individual will be used to bring glory and honor to our King. However, there will also be key differences. The propensity to sin will be removed, the entire Trinity will dwell with mankind, and a New Jerusalem will descend out of heaven to earth and there will be no need for a temple (Rv 21-22).

This New Jerusalem will be huge and magnificent. It is possible that the new earth will be much larger than the earth today. That we don’t know, but we have been given the dimensions of this fabulous city: 1500 miles square. On today’s earth, if the current Jerusalem is its center, the city would stretch from the northern boundary of Turkey to the southern boundary of Egypt, and from Greece to parts of Iran. It would take up about two-thirds of the area of the continental United States. Some say it is cube shaped. Others, it is pyramid shaped. It may even be shaped like a ziggurat. No matter its exact shape, it will be magnificent.

Its streets will be of pure gold, a river (termed River of Life) will flow from God’s throne and the Tree of Life will be back again. Both the water from this river and the fruit of this tree will be the life sustainer of the nations of the earth. The city is composed of many precious stones, and most will be clear as crystal. The streets are of gold so pure they are transparent. God’s throne will be at the peak of the city. God’s Shekinah glory will radiate from there and through all the crystalline structures and streets of gold creating a glorious, colorful, and wondrous beauty. It is likely the river flowing from God’s throne will be like a huge waterfall through the middle of the city. Spray from it will create rainbows of color as the light refracts through the water droplets. It will truly be a wonder of the new world. If on today’s earth, and assuming no obstructions of the horizon, the city’s light would be seen from Alaska to South Africa, and from the east coast of the Americas to Japan. Of course, with God’s Shekinah glory being there, its light could extend much further.

As you can see, this will be the epitome of wonderful and this brief description will pale in comparison to how wonderful it will really be. Yet, I think you would agree this is not something to take lightly. Therefore, if you have not made Christ the Hope of your eternal future, you still have time. Don’t waste it but make haste. Such a glory should not be missed!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

So, what happens when Christ’s Promised Kingdom, the Millennium, his 1,000-year reign, is over? We saw the initial part of that in our previous post: Satan is released (Rv 20:7) and he, along with those who have rejected Christ, wages war against Christ in Jerusalem. They are utterly defeated (Rv 20:8-9). The Great White Throne Judgment is held and Satan and all those who have rejected Christ are cast into the Lake of Fire (Rv 20:10-15). The current heaven and earth are destroyed with fire, and God creates a new heaven and earth (Is 65:17; 2Pt 3:10; Rv 21:1). Sin is thereby removed forever (Rv 21:27). The sea is no longer part of the new age (Rv 21:1). God dwells with his people.

When God states he will create a new heaven, what exactly is he meaning? There are three types of heavens referred to in scripture. The first is the atmosphere (Is 55:10), the second is outer space where the stars and galaxies reside (Dt 4:19), the third (also called heaven of heavens) is where the omnipresent God’s presence is perfectly displayed (2Ch 6:18; Ps 11:4; 2Co 12:2). It is possible that God creates an entirely new universe, but since the first heaven is tightly bound to the earth, saying “new heaven and earth” likely means the earth and its atmosphere.

So, who will enter the Eternal State? There are two main groups. First, those who were part of the 1st resurrection will enter. These include those resurrected or transformed at the Rapture, Old Testament saints, and Tribulation saints (and who had been serving/ruling with Christ during the Millennium). They all will continue to serve/rule with Christ throughout eternity. The second group are those who accepted Christ as Savior during the Millennium. These will not be transformed into a body like Christ, but into a body like Adam and Eve had at the beginning. They will eat of the Tree of Life and drink of the River of Life to sustain their eternal state. They may be able to have children since Adam and Eve were able to have children. While this is not explicitly stated or explained in scripture, it may likely be implied since “nations” still exist during the Eternal State (Rv 21:24, 26; 22:2).

What will people do for an eternity? Because of the large number of people, there will be the need for a lot of administration. Who is specifically identified? The Bride (New Testament Saints, i.e., the Church) will assist in administration and offer eternal testimony to God’s attributes of grace and love. (Rv 2:26-27; 3:21; 20:6). The Resurrected Saints (Old Testament and Tribulation) are identified as friends and attendants of the Bridegroom (Mt 25:1, 10). They will rule over Israel and the nations. Israel itself will be the head of the nations and be God’s witness helping the nations worship the Lord (Jr 31:36; 33:17-26). Then there are kings & nations identified. Administered by kings, the nations will carry on activities and productions throughout eternity and bring the glory and honor they find in their daily tasks and discoveries back to God for display when they visit the new Jerusalem (Rv 21:24-26).

These are the people identified, but what will they actually do? Let’s explore that next time.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Through previous posts we have stated that Satan would be in the Abyss during the 1,000 years of Christ’s Kingdom (Rv 20:2). He will not be roaming the earth during this time and not be able to influence anyone born during this time. One would think this would make everything wonderful without problems. Unfortunately, that is not true and not what Scripture tells us. One reason for this is it will show the human race we cannot blame our disobedience on Satan alone. Those born during this time will also have the propensity to sin, just as we do today. The difference is that Satan uses this propensity against us today. Although that will not happen during the time of Christ’s kingdom, it does not mean people will always be obedient.

Scripture tells us Christ will rule with an iron scepter (Ps 2:9; Rv 2:27). This means those who disobey or become rebellious will be dealt with swiftly and justly. There is no need for a judiciary system with a trial and jury. Christ knows all, including our thoughts, so he can administer justice swiftly. Scripture doesn’t state how he will do this, but it may be those deemed rebellious will be immediately teleported into his presence for immediate questioning and/or sentencing. It is likely those who rebel, at least openly, will be the exception to the rule as, I’m sure, most will be appreciative of the wonderful world Christ will have created. Yet, then, just as today, many will resent being under the rule of someone else.

Once Satan is released, it seems he can get an innumerable force to turn against Christ (Rv 20:7-8). This likely means many who were not openly, but inwardly, rebellious, will more easily fall prey to Satan’s deceit. This will likely take time. It could take months or even years for Satan to gain all his forces to come against Christ in Jerusalem, the ruling capital city (Rv 20:9). The time between the end of the Millennium, or Christ’s Kingdom, and the Eternal state, when sin and human propensity to sin will forever be removed (Rv 21:27), will not be immediate.

Scripture does tell us the result of the rebellion of those who follow Satan and Satan himself. As they come against Jerusalem with an innumerable force, God, the Most Holy One, will destroy all with fire which will fall from heaven and destroy them all (Rv 20:9). Satan will then be sentenced forever to the Lake of Fire (Rv 20:10). God will also judge everyone who has rebelled against Him over the history of the earth and they, too, will be sentenced to the Lake of Fire (Rv 20:11-15). This is known as the second resurrection. All those of this resurrection are judged and sentenced to the Lake of Fire because they were not recorded in the Book of Life (Rv 20:15).

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the last post, we looked at some of the events that start the Millennium, or Christ’s Kingdom. Many are surprised that the New Testament contains little about this future time of earth’s history. We go to the Old Testament to really understand what will occur. It seems the Old Testament prophets spent a lot of time focusing people's attention to this future time. Part of this was because God wanted Israel and Judah to know that even though He was going to allow them to go into captivity, that was not the end for them. His dealing with them, and their future hope was still just as real as ever. Even though they had given up on God, God was never going to give up on them. Don't you just love a God like that? We can falter and forget, but he is just the opposite. Whatever he says and promises will come to past just as He has promised. Nothing is too hard for him and time changes nothing for Him. Below are some of those findings which he has promised to us about our future.

Many scriptures state that we will be involved as judges, priests, and rulers (Rv 2:26, 20:4-6; Dn 7:18, 22, 27; 1Co 6:2-3; 2Tm 2:12; Ro 8:17). As priests we will likely oversee, lead, and teach about Christ and his redemptive work and make intercession for them (Is 2:3, 66:18-20). Those who accept Christ will be brought as an offering to Christ (Is 66:20). I think this means they will present themselves to Christ as a willful whole burnt offering, meaning they publicly dedicate their lives to him. As judges and rulers we will likely oversee the work needed to restore justice over every sphere of life and help establish the world government under Christ’s rule by helping to establish judges and governors or actually performing in such a capacity (Is 9:7, 11:3-5, 10:22, 28:17, 32:16, 42:1-4; Jr 30:21; Is 24:23, 32:1; Ek 45:8-9; Mt 19:28; Lk 19:12-28, 22:30; Zc 14:9; Ek 37:13-28; Rv 19:16).

We will likely be involved with overseeing what is rebuilt and restoring God’s order to the agriculture, atmosphere, and animal life (Rv 20:1-6; Is 2:1-4, 9:6-9, 11:1-16, 51:1-8, 60-62, 65:17-25; Ps 2:6-12, 110:1-7; Dt 8, 28; Mt 5:5, 6:10, 17:11, 19:28, 28:19; Ac 1:6, 3:21). All elements of life will continue but will be focused on the order that Jesus Christ establishes. We will be part of overseeing all these aspects of daily life. All our skills, talents, and personality we currently have will be used by, and for, Christ.

While Scripture states life will be more agrarian, I don’t think that means less technology. I believe the two will be incorporated and blended so that life can become less complicated but also easier at the same time. For instance, while more people will likely farm, there will likely be no harmful insects or weeds. The ground will produce in abundance. Yet, I feel we will have non-pollution technology to harvest and distribute the crops throughout the world for the people of the earth.

Israel will lead the world in the worship of God. Yet, those who came back with Christ will help to teach the world his scripture. They will also help those born during this time to understand Christ, what he did for them, and help them accept him as their King, Lord, and Hope of their eternal future.

I hope this whets your appetite to understand more about this time of our future history. It will be spectacular. Whatever you learn, multiply that wonder by at least a thousand-fold. We can’t imagine how wonderful this time will be for those who know him.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We mentioned in the last post that Rosh Hashanah (i.e., Feast of Trumpets) marks the beginning of the Tribulation Period as this is when God once again deals with Israel as a nation based upon his covenant with them. The entire period lasts for seven years. Judah and Israel are brought back together forcefully (Jr 33:7) due to the persecution by the Antichrist (Rv 6:9; 13:7) who is trying to establish his rule during this time (Rv 13:8). Once the seven years are up and Jerusalem is pushed to the brink of being destroyed (Zc 13:8-9; 14:2), Israel finally calls upon God for their salvation (Zc 12:10; 13:9). He hears and his long-awaited return finally occurs (Zc 14:3). We saw in the last post this is marked by the Day of Atonement because the remnant of Israel will be saved and recognize Christ as their true Messiah (Zc 12:10).

In the book of Daniel are a few unique and curious verses: From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance (Dn 12:11-13). What is being told to Daniel here? If the entire Tribulation is seven years (and scripture usually has a month as 30 days), then that would be 2,520 days. We know the Antichrist will set up an image of himself in the temple at the middle of this time (3.5 years, or 1,260 days; Mt 24:15, Rv 13:14). Of course, it would take time to set up such an image. If we assume such a feat would take a month to do, then that period plus the last half of the Tribulation Period would be 1,290 days as stated in these verses in Daniel. Once Christ returns, it will likely take time to get things organized for the Kingdom to officially start and be governed. If we allow 45 days for that, then the 30 days we just talked about, the 3.5 years of the last half of the Tribulation Period, and the 45 days to establish the Kingdom, then that yields 1,335 days as stated in these verses of Daniel.

To break this down, we have the following:

•From the time of the Antichrist’s decision to stop sacrifices to the erection of his image in the temple: 30 days.

•From the time of the erection of the Antichrist’s image in the temple to the return of Christ: 1,260 days. Cumulative number of days; 1,290.

•From the time of Christ’s return to the establishment of his Promised Kingdom: 45 days. Cumulative number of days; 1,335.

Let’s break down this last bullet. The transition from the old order to the new order will likely take 45 days.  During this period several events will take place:

•The angels will be judged. ( 1Co 6:3, Mt 25:41)

•The survivors will be judged (Mt 25:31-46)

•Assignments for the saints will be set in motion (Dn 12:13, Jr 30:9, Mt 19:28)

•Nations, property, and laws will be established for the next 1000 years (Zc 14:17-21).

In addition, Christ’s return prepares the area geographically as well. A great earthquake occurs when Christ returns (Zc 14:4; Rv 16:18). The Mount of Olives is split in two and the rift runs toward Jerusalem and merges with a rift that is running from south to north through the Tyropoeon valley (Zc 14:10). This is the valley between the area of Jerusalem which housed the older part of the city, sometimes called the City of David, as well as the Temple, and the newer part of the city more toward the west of that valley. This causes a scarp face to form which pushes the western portion of the city upwards. Jerusalem then becomes the tallest point on earth as the great earthquake causes other mountains to fall and many islands to disappear (Rv 16:20). In addition, Jerusalem is split into three portions (Rv 16:19). This rift that runs south to north also causes the Euphrates River to flow into the Jordan River which floods the Dead Sea and turns it into a living sea (Ek 47:8-9). From the scarp face and under where the temple is built is a river that flows from it (Ek 47:1-2), down the scarp face, and into the Jordan River, with a portion flowing into the Dead Sea and a portion flowing around the scarp face into the Mediterranean Sea (Zc 14:8). The whole area becomes lush and green (Ek 47:7, 12; Zc 14:10) and fishing is done from the once Dead Sea with En Gedi becoming a great seaport (Ek 47:10). The curse on the Earth is lifted and the whole Earth becomes a land of plenty (Is 51:3; Ek 36:35; Ac 3:19).

Can you imagine being a part of this? It will be truly spectacular. What a way to begin the Promised Kingdom. Can you imagine living in a utopian society for one-thousand years? Can you picture it? Can you hardly wait?!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We have previously talked about whether Christians should celebrate Jewish holidays that are biblically based. Now let’s turn the table and talk about whether Christians should celebrate a secular holiday that, shall we say, has a tainted history? Well, before we go too far, let’s understand something about the history of Halloween.

It seems that Halloween has its roots with the Celtic druids of France, Great Britain and Ireland. The druids were the priests of their society and officiated at Samhain (pronounced “sah” “win”). This holiday on October 31st was the last day of their year with their New Year beginning on November 1st. This was the end of their harvest season and the beginning of their winter. It was believed that this was the day of the year where the spirits of the dead could re-enter the domain of the living. It seemed to be a time of celebration but of fear as well. People would darken their homes, put food outside the door to appease the spirits and to prevent them from doing mischief to their house. A bonfire was also made, and the remnants of the fire taken back to their homes in carved out turnips or gourds to relight their fireplace. This may be the genesis of the Jack-o-lantern. To also confuse the spirits and protect themselves they would change their dress—even men dressing as women and vice versa. Our dressing in costumes is likely the remnants of this practice. Some think the bonfire would attract insects which would then attract bats and is how bats became associated with our Halloween. Some believed that fairies were about and giving gifts of food would appease them and cause them to not be mischievous toward them.

There were also animal as well as human sacrifices made. Some say it was the weak animals that were sacrificed because they would not likely make it through a harsh winter. However, that would not explain the human sacrifices; there is also some evidence that the human sacrifices may have been voluntary. This would indicate that this was part of some type of worship practice. Others feel that these practices go all the way back to the time of Nimrod where most of the idol worship originated. From this time came Baal worship and Molech worship which involved human sacrifice (Lv 18:21; 2Ki 23:10; Jr 32:35). Therefore, Samhain may have been some type of a later version of these forms of worship.

When Rome conquered the Celts in the first century, other practices became intertwined with the Celtic Samhain celebration. Rome had two celebrations in late October: Feralia (which was a day to honor the dead) and a festival for Pomona, the goddess of trees and fruit. Pomona’s symbol was the apple. Therefore, it is likely that bobbing for apples came from the incorporation of the festival for Pomona and Samhain.

In the late 1st century, the Catholic Church moved All Saints Day, a day to recognize all the deceased saints and martyrs, from May 13th to November 1st as a way to change the pagan holiday into a religious holiday. This day became known as All Hallows or Hallowmas, and so October 31st became known as All Hallows Eve and later to Halloween (a shortened form of evening is e’en). Then at the beginning of the 2nd century, November 2nd was made All Souls Days to honor everyone who had died. The poor in England started going door to door on All Souls Day to ask for food handouts. They were given “soul cakes” which were pastries given in exchange for the person to promise to pray for their dead loved ones. It became common for children to participate in this practice. Going from door to door and the idea of mischievous fairies being appeased with gifts of food was likely combined to form our present-day trick-or-treating.

When Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, All Hallows was not celebrated since it was believed that all Christians were saints. However, most people still celebrated many of the practices associated with this holiday.

In early America, Halloween was not celebrated, and the Puritans refused to celebrate such a pagan holiday. However, in the early 1800’s there was a large influx of Irish due to the potato famine. Most of these were of Catholic origin and the celebration of Halloween started to be practiced and became very popular. Over time the practices that we know today were developed. Due to its prevalence, the pumpkin replaced the more typical gourd. By the 20th century, Halloween was commercialized and today has reached a popularity that is almost equivalent to that of Christmas. It has reached the status of the second largest commercial holiday with almost $7 billion spent annually on candy, costumes, and party supplies.

So, back to our original question: should a Christian celebrate Halloween? There is one spectrum of thought that one should not because it has such a dark, Satanic origin. Then, there are those that say that since Halloween today has no resemblance to its origin and is all about kids having fun, so why not? Personally, our family does not celebrate Halloween. It not because I feel it is wrong to do so but I just don’t like what it represents or its history. I feel that the holiday still celebrates some of the gruesome aspects along with the sweet and innocent, and I just don’t like that aspect. We do have to understand that there are those who use this holiday to celebrate its dark roots and even Satan himself. This is also the time of year that more and more gruesome horror films are created and shown. Haunted houses, while many consider fun, celebrate this gruesome aspect and try to make it fun. I personally have an issue with that and even the concept of trick-or-treat seems wrong to me. Are you really going to pull a trick on someone who does not give you candy? Maybe I’m just being too literal here. Also, it scares me to have to be so concerned these days about the candy the kids receive. I prefer to do something safer under better supervision. I just feel there are too many negatives with this holiday for me and my family to enjoy it in the way that most do today.

However, I have no problem or bad feeling against those who decide to celebrate Halloween. I think this falls into the category of Christian liberty. It boils down to why you are celebrating the holiday. If you celebrate it as a fun time for children and only focus on the positive aspects, then go ahead. That being said, if it is for children, then once you are old enough that you no longer need an adult with you to go about trick-or-treating, then I personally believe you are too old to continue to do so. It is then time for some more age-appropriate entertainment. There are many positive ways to celebrate this holiday for teens and adults.

There is a lot that is negative about this holiday, but there are positives also. Find positive things you can do with your family and have fun with your family. Make it a time of being together—ever how you decide to do so. However, when your children are old enough, explain to them the history of the holiday and help them put this holiday in a proper perspective. It is always better to know what you are celebrating (as well as what you are not celebrating) and why.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In our last post, we mentioned that the Rapture was an initiation point for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rv 19:7-9) and had no connection to the Jewish timeline throughout Scripture (Ro 11:25). I thought we would spend a little more time on that.

The picture of today’s post represents the gap we are talking about. Each of the Jewish Feasts (or festivals) had a prophetic significance. We have discussed some of this in previous posts, but I will summarize them here. The first four have been fulfilled and we know that because Scripture tells us so.

Pesach (Passover): This was on the 14th day of the first month (Lv 23:5). We know that Christ was crucified on Passover (Lk 23:54) and that he was the Passover sacrifice (1Co 5:7) to which this festival points.

Matzah (Unleavened Bread): This was a feast that started the day after Passover and lasted a week (Lv 23:6). Leaven (yeast) was purged from each and every home (Ex 12:15). Leaven is symbolic of sin (1Co 5:6-8). This represents that the death of the Passover sacrifice (representative of Christ) removes sin from our lives.

Bikkurim (Firstfruits): This was on the 2nd day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or the third day after Passover. The first gleaning of the barley harvest was brought as a sacrifice (an unleavened barley loaf). This is representative of Christ being the firstfruit of the resurrection (1Co 15:23) and was raised on Firstfruits (Ac 10:40).

Shavuot (Pentecost): This was the 50th day after Firstfruits (Lv 23:15-16) where the first gleaning of the wheat harvest was brought as a sacrifice (two loaves of leavened wheat; Lv 23:17). This is representative of the giving of the Holy Spirit (Ac 2:1-4) which then joined both Jew and Gentile (Cl 3:11) – whomever accepted Christ as their Savior. It came to represent the Age of Gentiles (i.e., the Church Age; Ro 11:25).

These four are fulfilled and are now part of our past. The other three cannot be fulfilled until the Age of Gentiles (the Church Age) is completed. The Rapture (Receiving of the Bride) is the perfect event for this to be accomplished. The Church is removed from the Earth and God can then focus his attention back on Israel as a nation.

Rosh Hashanah (Trumpets): Although known as the Jewish New Year, it was on the 1st day of the seventh month in Scripture (Lv 23:23-24). It was known as a feast of memorial or remembrance (Lv 23:24; Nu 10:10). In other words, to sound the trumpets to request God to remember his covenant with Israel. There are at least three examples of this (2Ch 5; Er 3; Ne 8). Why? The Day of Atonement where judgment was to be imputed was coming. Individuals could not trust in their own merit, they needed to rely on the covenant God made with Israel in order to stand before a Holy God. This feast will be fulfilled when the Tribulation Period begins as God will deal with Israel as a nation once again and bring both Jew and Israelite back to Israel as a nation (Jr 33:7).

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): This was on the 10th day of the seventh month (Lv 23:27): the day the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of Israel (Lv 16). The sacrifice again points to Christ as our atoning sacrifice (1Jn 2:2). This will be fulfilled upon Christ’s 2nd coming as all of Israel will then be saved (Zc 13:1; Ro 11:26).

Sukkot (Tabernacles): This was on the 15th day of the seventh month and lasted for a week (Lv 23:34). The people lived in booths (Lv 23:42) and were to rejoice (Lv 23:40; Dt 16:14-15) which demonstrated God’s provision and strength (Ne 8:10) to them during the nation’s journey to their Promised Land (Ps 27:5, 31:20; Is 4:6) and pointed to the time when their coming Messiah would dwell with them (Is 35; Zc 12:10-13:1, 14:16). This will be fulfilled as Christ dwells with his people and rules over the earth for 1,000 years (Rv 20:4).

The gap between these feasts (festivals) of those which have already been fulfilled and those not yet fulfilled has been called the Age of Gentiles or the Church Age (Ro 11:25). From an Israel perspective, the clock stopped when the Church was initiated and the nation of Israel was set aside, for a time, until the Church is removed. The timeline then starts up again because Israel is once again God’s focus.

From this you can see why the Rapture is not part of Jewish prophecy but a key part of Scripture prophecy as it is the turning point of God’s focus being on the Church to being back on the nation of Israel.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The Church, or those who put their faith in Jesus Christ as the payment for their sins and their eternal future, is known as the Bride of Christ (Ep 5:24-27; 2Co 11:2). Now, to picture how we fit into this analogy, we need to understand the Jewish concept of a wedding. After all, as we have stated many times, the Bible is written from a Jewish perspective. There are three main components to a Jewish wedding. Let’s explore those:

First Part: Betrothal Period. A marriage contract was signed by the parent of the bride and the bridegroom. The parents of the bridegroom, or the bridegroom himself, would pay a dowry to the bride or her parents. This first part of the marriage between Christ and the Church is completed when each believer places his or her faith in Christ as their Savior. The dowry (the blood of Christ) was paid by the bridegroom (Christ) to the bridegroom’s parent (God the Father) on behalf of the bride. As the Church is composed of individuals, the bride is still being formed as believers put their faith in their bridegroom. Yet, at some point in the future, the bride will be considered complete (Ro 11:25). The second part of the wedding will then commence.

Second Part: Receiving the Bride. The groom went to get the bride after a period of time – usually occurring a year or so later. One reason for this was to be sure the bride was pure and a virgin. If the woman was not a virgin, it would become evident within the year. At some undisclosed time, the bridegroom, accompanied by his male friends, would go to the house of the bride (typically somewhere around midnight) and take her and her bridesmaids to the bridegroom’s home via a parade through the city. This will be completed at the Rapture (a sudden catching up; 1Co 15:51-52; 1Th 4:13-18) when the bridegroom (Jesus Christ) returns for his bride (the Church).

Third Part: Wedding Supper. A wedding supper was held, which could go on for days. This is fulfilled as described in Revelation (Rv 19:7-9), most likely in heaven after the Rapture and before Christ returns to Earth.

Attendees to the Wedding Feast: not everyone was invited. There were three main groups: the bridegroom, the bride, and the attendants. So, from this analogy, who will those be? The Bridegroom is none other than Jesus Christ; the Bride is the Church (these will now have their glorified bodies); the attendants are the Old Testament saints (these will not yet have glorified bodies but be whatever bodies souls have as we discussed in our previous post).

I know there is a lot of controversy around the Rapture event. Yet, as we see above, it does fit into the wedding scenario and would help to fulfill Rv 19 in heaven at the same time as the Tribulation Period is happening on Earth. It also allows it to last for an extended period of time similar to a normal Jewish wedding feast. There are also some other characteristics about the Rapture we should consider. It is an imminent event. There is nothing that must happen before this event can happen. All other events are tied to a Jewish timeline. This event is not tied to a Jewish timeline (nothing has to occur prior to this event occurring). This event is for the Church and does not involve the nation of Israel. Actually, this event happens so God can once again deal with the nation of Israel (more on that later). You can see how this really ties into the idea of the bride not knowing when her bridegroom would come for her.

The Rapture occurs at the end of the “Age of Gentiles”: “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in” (Ro 11:25). The Feast of Pentecost represents this time period; two trumpet blasts occurred on this feast day (one to initiate it and one to complete it). Three types of sacrifices were made at Pentecost (Nu 10:10): the burnt offering with a trumpet blast, followed by a sin offering, followed by a fellowship offering with a trumpet blast. Isn’t that what we do currently? We accept Christ as our Savior (offering ourselves to him as a whole burnt offering), we continuously confess our sins (1Jn 1:9), and we will be with him and fellowship with him forever after the Rapture. What is the Rapture but the beginning of our eternal fellowship with Christ.

So, what will our new bodies at the Rapture be like? The intermediate bodies of those who died and are already in heaven are upgraded, or the souls receive a glorified body that will be like that of Christ (Pp 3:20-21; 1Jn 3:2). It would seem that our future glorified body will need a physical body to be transformed (1Co 15:52). Perhaps that is why righteous souls are said to be raised as they are already with Christ in a non-glorified state. Otherwise, why would a glorified body not be given at time of death? Why do the righteous souls have to come back for a body? This is a mystery that the scriptures do not explain. Yet, in the light of a Jewish wedding, it may be to fulfill the presentation of the bride to the bridegroom. The why is perhaps not that important as the sureness of the event is what matters. We do get some clues to the characteristics of our future glorified state. Our glorified bodies will be solid (Thomas was able to feel the scars of Jesus’ body; Jn 20:27), they will be similar to our natural body (Jesus was recognized and bore scars; Jn 20:20) yet these bodies can also look dissimilar (disciples on road to Emmaus did not recognize him; Lk 24:13-16), they can materialize and rematerialize (Jesus appeared in a closed room; Jn 20:19, and he disappeared from the disciples sight; Lk 24:31), and the physical realm has no power over these types of bodies (Jesus defied gravity in his ascension; Ac 1:9). I’m sure that is just the beginning! Great things await us. Are you excited!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In a previous post, we discovered that the righteous in Sheol were relocated to Heaven after Christ’s resurrection. What does that mean for those who die today?

According to Scripture, the righteous go straight to heaven. The apostle Paul stated, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven…was caught up to paradise…” (2Co 12:2-4). This was important for Paul to experience this because it put him as an eyewitness to the fact the righteous today (i.e., those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ for their eternal future) go straight to heaven confirming the fact that the righteous were transferred from Sheol to Heaven. As we stated before, Paul called it paradise because Jesus Christ now resides there. Just as Enoch, Moses, and Elijah served as a tangible hope for the Old Testament saints that their future with their Messiah was secure, Paul’s experience serves as our hope we will also one day be with Christ. This is why Paul also stated, “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2Co 5:8).

We are talking about the righteous here, but what about the unrighteous? They still go to Sheol (Hades). There is nothing in Scripture to suggest they have changed their location. Actually, Scripture states they will remain there until their final judgment: “…death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done” (Rv 20:13).

What are people like in heaven? Scripture seems to suggest souls have similarities with a type of body. In Revelation, when the souls of those martyred for the cause of Christ were described, Scripture states they were able to speak, wore white robes (which would indicate some type of solid body), were told to wait and, therefore, were able to understand, reason, and comprehend time (Rv 6:9-11). This description is not the same as the resurrected body they will receive later. This description in Revelation is either talking of an intermediate, temporary body, or this is the normal characteristic of souls. It could even be that souls in our world appear as spirits but may not appear so in the spiritual world.

Of course, Christ is in Heaven today. Christ has three roles:

•Prophet – His role on earth during his first coming: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among your own brothers. You must listen to him” (Dt 18:15).

•Priest – His current role as our high priest and mediator: “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess” (Hb 3:1). The author of Hebrews also states, “…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hb 7:24-25).

•King – His future role after his second coming: “…He will rule them [the nations] with an iron scepter…on his robe and on his thigh he as the name written: King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rv 19:15-16).

We also need to understand that Christ coming to earth changed him forever. Prior to his coming to earth the first time, Christ was a spirit: “God is a spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:24). John also stated, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (Jn 1:1-2).

Christ’s birth made him human. Yet, he was unique: 100% human, 100% God: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

Christ’s resurrected body is still that of a man (100% man; 100% God): “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Lk 24:39).

Christ is forever man (100% man; 100% God) to identify with us: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1Tm 2:5).

Christ agreed to change his relationship with God the Father forever – for us! How amazing it that! That really shows how much he loves us. Would you do that for someone? That would be a really hard decision, to be willing to give up so much for someone else. Yet, that is what Christ did for us. Can you now see why Sheol for the righteous was relocated? He loved us so much and wants to be with us, but the only way he could do that was to pay the sin debt and, by doing so, stopped being a spirit so he could save us and identify with us forever. We can never say he is cold and indifferent and doesn’t care. No one cares more than He does for us.

Next time we’ll look at heaven between now and our Savior’s second return. Stay tuned.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens