Does 1 Chronicles 16:30 teach a Flat Earth?

Evolutionists claim that 1 Chronicles 16:30 teaches that the earth is flat. Let's drill down and the verse and see what it says:

חילו מלפניו כל־הארץ אף־תכון תבל בל־תמוט

Tremble before Him, all the earth; Indeed, the world (תבל - tebel: a poetic word meaning the inhabited world) is firmly established, it will not be moved (shaken, overthrown). 1 Chronicles 16:30

The conxtext (1 Chron 16:8-36), shows that this is a psalm of thanksgiving thanking God for all his provisions, one of which is a world in which we can live that is stable, it cannot be moved, shaken, or overthrown. God has established a fixed order (cf Jer 31:35-36), He is fully in control.

This verse certainly says nothing about the earth being flat. Silly Evolutionists.

Summary of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Position

Theology is just a filing cabinet with which to organize the Biblical Data. Any theological position that does not fit the Biblical Data must either be revised or discarded. The Pre-Tribulational Rapture position is the only one that fits the Biblical Data. Here is the essence of how it coordinates the Biblical data:

Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people (the Jews) and your holy city (Jerusalem), to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place Dan 9:24

Sixty nine of these weeks have passed (7 + 62):

So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince (Jesus Christ) there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; Dan 9:25

Thus one week still remains. This "week" is a seven year period belonging to the JEWS (your people--Dan 9:24). The interventing period (the Church Age) between the 69th and 70th week is a GENTILE period in the "Times of the Gentiles":

and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21:24

The Gentile Church Age ends abruptly with the Rapture and then Daniel's 70th Jewish week occurs. You can see this timetable clearly reflected in the book of Revelation. The Greek word for Church (ἐκκλησία - ekklesia) is mentioned numerous times in the first three chapters of Revelation. Then, suddenly, at the very end of chapter three, the Church (ἐκκλησία - ekklesia) is not mentioned again until the very end of Revelation, Chapter 22 verse 16.

This is because the Church is gone, raptured. Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation describe the "Seven Churches." Seven is the Biblical number of completion--these two chapters summarize the entire Church Age which ends at Rev 3:22--it is completed--the number seven:

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches Rev 3:22

Rev 4:1 then reads:

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here...

This is directly parallel to 1 Thess 4:16

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God,

The "voice" of both verses is the same voice. The "shout" in 1 Thess 4:16 is "Come up here" in Rev 4:1--the "like a trumpet " in Rev 4:1 is the "trumpet of God" of 1 Thess 4:16. This is the Rapture of the Church.

The Church does not return to the Earthly scene until Rev 19:14:

And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses

The Church is part of these armies.

Rev 22:16 is the summary statement to the Church:

I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

Thus Jesus is commanding us in the Church Age to take a very very close look at the Book of Revelation, and when we do, we see that the Church is raptured prior to the start of the Tribulation, and  does not go through the horrible judgements described in Chapter 4 and following.

Question on the Etymology of Nehushtan

He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. 2 Kings 18:4

Question: Is NEHUSHTAN in 2 Kings 18:4 above derived from two root words NAKHASH and SATAN?

Interesting theory. In 2 Kings 18:4 it says that the children of Israel were calling the נחש הנחשת (nachash haNechoshet) or bronze serpent נחשתן (nechustan). I would posit that this name change may have come about from first starting to call it נחשת-תן (nechoshet-tan) תן (tan) being another word for serpent, thus still "bronze serpent" but with a different word for serpent. Over time, נחשת-תן (nechoshet-tan) contracted to נחשתן (nechushtan).

However, since they were worshipping it (burning incense = worship), certainly HaSatan (השטן) Satan was involved but given the fact that HaSatan (השטן) has tav instead of tet for the T sound, and, more importantly, that it has sin for the S sound and not Shin, it probably is not related to נחשתן (nechustan).

Holocaust Denial and Denial of the Crucifixion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

There are people who deny the Holocaust. They do so based on presuppositions. Their presuppositions are more important to them than the evidence. Those who deny the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are doing exactly the same thing. They allow anti-supernaturalist or other presuppositions to prevent them from accepting the evidence of the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ--including the fact that He predicted it all in advance. The evidence for this fact is just as strong as the evidence for the Holocaust. The only difference is that the Holocaust is a recent event so there are living witnesses while the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are events of antiquity. However, both facts are equally supported by eyewitness accounts.

For example, Peter while addressing a large crowd in Jerusalem said:

22“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24“But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. Acts 2:22-24

Note that Peter was an eyewitness of these events and was able to state to the crowd "just as you yourselves know" and "you nailed to a cross...and put Him to death." And what was the response of the crowd to what Peter said:

37Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37

Luke, who wrote the books of Acts as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke, states his method for writing these books:

1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. Luke 1:1-4

Note that Luke recorded "eyewitness" accounts and that he "investigated everything carefully from the beginning."

One of the eyewitness accounts Luke records is that of the men on the road to Emmaus:

18One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21“But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22“But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24“Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” Luke 24:18-24

Note the Cleopas said: “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” Clearly it was known by all in Jerusalem that Jesus was crucified, died and was resurrected.

Luke further adds that Jesus presented proof of His resurrection for a period of forty days:

1The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Acts 1:1-3

Thus the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact of history, supported by eyewitness accounts, just as the Holocaust is.

Did the Witch of Endor really bring up Samuel?

I think there can be no doubt that it was Samuel that appeared to Saul in 1 Sam 28:7-19 and not a demon imitating Samuel. From the description in the passage, it seems that the Witch of Endor was used to seeing demons in disguise when she conjured up departed spirits.

However, on this occasion, she seems to have been shocked and unprepared for what she saw:

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul.” 1 Sam 28:12

She seems to have recognized that this really was Samuel and somehow also at the same time realized that the man in disguise was King Saul--probably from taking a closer look at him based on her surprise at actually having brought up Samuel.

I would say that the Lord simply allowed Samuel to come from Paradise and appear to Saul and pronounce the judgement on Saul in verses 15-19. It seems possible that the departed righteous dead can appear to the living based on these passages:

Luke 16:27-31 Lazarus and the Rich Man:
27“And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him (Lazarus) to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30“But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31“But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

2 Kings 13:21 Elisha's Tomb:
Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

Matt 27:52-53 - At Jesus' Resurrection:
52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

All Israel will be Saved

A user on Youtube named ShalomIsrael60 left these comments on my Channel Page:

PLEASE DO THE JEWISH PEOPLE A FAVOR, YOU ARE NOT JEWISH, YOU ARE

A CHRISTIAN USING JEWISH WORDS AND OUR CUSTOMS, YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS, JEWS DON'T BELIEVE IN JESUS, I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK YOUR A MESSIANIC JEW, YOUR A CHRISTIAN, YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN THE MUSLIMS THAT WANT TO CONVERT US TO ISLAM, AND YOU WANT TO CONVERT US OVER TO JEWISH, SO AGAIN YOUR BAN IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL AS TROUBLE MAKERS, WE DON'T WELCOME YOU AND WE DON'T WANT YOU, SPREAD THE WORD OF JESUS TO THE MUSLIMS, BUT DON'T POSE AS JEWS, BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE THINK YOU ARE JEWISH AND THAT GIVES US A BAD NAME. AND IF YOUR EXCUSE IS THAT YOU COME FROM JEWISH MOM OR GRANDMOTHER AND YOUR STILL JEWISH YOUR NOT, ONCE YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS YOU LOSE YOUR RIGHTS AS A JEW GO READ HISTORY      to which I replied: So sad to see such a negative comment from someone that has "I stand with Israel" as their avatar. I also stand with Israel. All Jews need to read HaBrit HaChadashah (the New Testament) and consider the claims of Yeshsua (Jesus) as Messiah. To let prejudice, propoganda, and misinformation prevent a reading of the greatest book to come from the Jews makes no sense...

There certainly are some Jews, like ShalomIsrael60, who believe that to be Jewish means to reject Jesus. However, in the future they will repent and realize the huge mistake they have made:

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. Zech 12:10

There are many many Jews who accept Jesus as the Jewish Messiah today--and the Jews corporately will accept Him in the future:

25For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

26and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
"THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,
HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB."

27"THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM,
WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
Romans 11:25-27

Israel, Egypt, and Assyria as a Triad?

Click Map to Enlarge

23In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
24In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” Isaiah 19:23-25

The prophecy concerning Egypt and Assyria in the future is very interesting. I think these nations are mainly being used to represent all Gentile nations in that, at the time Isaiah wrote, Israel was right in the middle of these two super-powers, Assyria to the North and West and Egypt to the South and West. Thus, Assyria, Israel, and Egypt as a triad functioning together in unity is being used as a figure to represent the Millennium when there will be peace among all nations. At the time Isaiah wrote, these three nations hated each other and were constantly at war with each other. In the Millennium, the three will be united with each other and at peace--representing the peace of all the nations in the Millennium, which will be the result of Jesus Christ, ruling them with a rod of iron (Psalm 2, Psalm 110).

Of course, in the Millennium, Islam will be totally and utterly destroyed--it being (in my opinion), the final One World Religion of Antichrist, who will have ruled his kingdom from Babylon--and forced those in the Great Tribulation to convert to Islam. Jesus Christ will utterly destroy the Islamic hordes at Armageddon and Islam will be wiped off the face of the earth prior to the start of His Millennial reign. This will be a huge blessing to Israel and the surrounding nations--who will then all worship the Lord Jesus Christ, who will then not only be known as the Suffering Servant of His First Advent, but also as the Conquering Warrior-King of His Second Advent.

Reply to a KJVOer (King James Version Only)

We can still agree on the doctrines contained in the Bible even if we do not agree on the mechanics of how God provides the Bible to us in the English language.

If you will accept a friendly critique of the KJVO position from the perspective of a polyglot (I speak 11 languages), translations never convey the exact meaning of the original text--you always lose something in translation. Additionally, you bring over the presuppositions of the translator which contaminate the translation.

Thus a translation can only give you the sense of what is being communicated. For analysis of the text, you must go the original language of writing--these are the languages in which inspiriation by the Holy Spirit occured via the hands of the inspired writers.

The KJV is a good translation (with an interesting manuscript theory) but that is all it is--a translation. Many (many) times the KJV translation simply does not communicate in English the thought being communicated in the original languages, either because of archaic language (the English language has changed considerably since 1611) or because of translator error or bias.

This is how I see it, as someone who specializes in this area. However, the important thing is not to let one's Bible version preference get the way of true Christian Unity as Jesus said:

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. John 17:21.

The Minimalist Gospel

John appears to me to give the most concise presentation of the precise information that must be communicated and believed in order for the recipient to have eternal life.

That is: Something Jesus Christ did is enough to save me.

It is the transference of faith that saves:

From: something I do saves me (my good works must outweigh my bad works, etc..)
To: something Jesus Christ did saves me.

Most importantly, I do not necessarily need to know or understand the "something" of what Jesus Christ did in order to have eternal life.

This is the Minimalist Gospel.

For example, the gospel can simply be presented as: "Look to Jesus Christ, the Lifted Up One and Live"
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. John 3:14-15.

I actually give this presentation here:

Here is an excellent article which gives a more detailed presentation of the Minimalist Gospel--this is a position hated and attacked by many Christians (e.g., "Easy Believism") but I feel very strongly that it is the essence of the Gospel, with all the superfluities stripped away.

http://www.faithalone.org/journal/2000ii/Hodges.htm

Seraphim as Angels?

In Numbers 21:6 Yahweh sent הנחשים השרפים (HaNachasim HaSeraphim) "Burning Serpents" among the people.

In Numbers 21:8 God tells Moses to make a שרף (Seraph) and set it on a pole.

In Numbers 21:9 Moses makes a נחש נחשת (Nechash Nechoshet) "a Bronze Serpent" and sets it on a pole.

Thus, it appears that both נחש (Nechash) "Serpent" or שרף (Seraph) "Burning One" can be used as a synecdoche for these "Burning Serpents."

What is the connection between the use of the שרף (Seraph) in Numbers 21 and elsewhere where it means a Burning (and Flying) Serpent and the use in Isaiah 6:2 and 6:6 where it is used of Angels?

Certainly it simply means that these Angels (who I submit are Cherubim) are "Burning" in the sense of the following verses:

Exodus 3:2: The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

Heb 1:7 (which is a quotation from Psalm 104:4): And of the angels He says, "WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE."

Certainly there is no distinct order of Angels called שרפים (Serpaphim)? These are simply כרובים שרפים (Kerubim Serpahim) "Burning Cherubs."

The obvious connection here is Satan. He is a נחש-כרוב-שרף (nechash-kerub-seraph) a "Burning (flying) Serpent-Angel"...

Are שרפים (Seraphim) really different than כרבים (Cherubim)?

This is an interesting question because the majority view of commentators is that שרפים (Seraphim) and כרבים Cherubim are two different orders of angels.

However, this appears to me to be clearly incorrect. שרף (seraph) in the Hebrew simply means "burning", "a burning one", "a burner".

This is clear from Num 21:6

The LORD sent burning serpents (הנחשים השרפים haNachashim haSeraphim) among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

The "burning" serpent probably called thus because of their fiery red color or because of the burning inflammatory effect of their bite, or both.

and from Num 21:8-9:

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a burner (שרף seraph), and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." Num 21:8

And Moses made a bronze serpent (נחש נחשת nachash nachashet) and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

Note that God told Moses to make a Seraph and he made a Nachash--Moses certainly did not think God was asking him to make an angel...

The only use of (שרף seraph) as referring to angels is in Isaiah 6:

Seraphim (שרפים) stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. Isaiah 6:2

Then one of the seraphim (שרפים) flew to me with a hot coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. Isaiah 6:6

However, these two uses should simply be translated "Burning Ones" or "Burners." They are simply Cherubim, the same as described in Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10.

These Cherubim are "burning" probably in the same sense that the Angel of the Lord was in Exodus 3:2

The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

and in Heb 1:7 (which is a quotation from Psalm 104:4):

And of the angels He says, "WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE."

The connection between a Seraph (burning) Cherub and a Seraph (burning) Serpent is of course Satan, who is both a Cherub ("the annointed covering Cherub" Ezekiel 28:14) and a Serpent ("the Serpent of old who is the Devil and Satan" Rev 12:9)