I agree Gerald, "as Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" ( Genesis 6:8), so we find that the same LORD has always been a gracious God to all. The Nature of God has never changed: God has always shown and given Grace to those whose hearts are obedient and turned towards Him, and now so much more in Christ that all may hear of and accept His great Salvation.
But none, not a one, has ever been accepted or saved on the basis of their obedience to the Law, for "by the law is the knowledge of sin" ( Romans 3:20). The Law was given only to Israel, as His chosen people, that they may know who this God is & His Holy requirements for them, as He rescued them from their bondage in Egypt. Not only the Law, but of circumcision, were the impositions placed upon them which truly separated His people from all others.
The Law couldn't save them then or now, and yes, it ought to have convicted them of their sin and inability to obey and please God under it. But they rejected God's free offer of salvation in Christ Jesus, as most do now, preferring to bask under the Law and their election in hope of God's Approval and Acceptance. What a sad and dreadful day when they see the One "whom they have pierced" coming in the clouds ( Zechariah 12:10), realizing that all this while they held onto a false belief and hope. Blessings.
I understand this is debated, but this is my understanding.
1 Peter 3:18-20: 18, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit. This was a once-and-for-all sin offering, as mentioned in Romans 8:3 and Hebrews 9:11-14, to bring us to God so that God can now dwell with humanity through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is God who quickens the dead, as stated in Romans 4:17, by the Spirit. Jesus, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit. Jesus was dead for three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, the grave/tomb. He was quickened, which means brought back to life, when He was resurrected in His glorified body. Jesus is the first begotten of the dead, Revelation 1:5, the Firstfruits of them that slept, 1 Corinthians 15:20. Sleep, the Greek word koimao, meaning to put to sleep, be dead.
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. By the same Spirit that quickened Jesus, Jesus went and preached/proclaimed to these spirits in prison.
Who are these spirits who were disobedient in the time of Noah? Angels are spirits, Psalm 104:4, Hebrews 1:7. Devils/demons are spirits, familiar spirits, evil spirits, unclean spirits. Humans have a spirit, but are never called spirits. Humans are mortal; the soul who sins will die, and the dead know not anything. Immortality is a gift from God, and in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we find our hope for eternal life.
We see this long-suffering in Genesis 6:1-8. 120 years were given for repentance, but we see that only eight souls were saved by the water.
We see two places where angels are chained in darkness: 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 1:6. To me, this is a prison, a confinement area, as we see in Revelation 9, 11, 17, and 20. These angels did not keep their original estate or position and left their own dwelling place. These angels were disobedient to God, as seen in Genesis 6:1-2. There are fallen angels, demons, and devils on this earth, but what these angels did was so terrible that God locked them in the bottomless pit until the great day of judgment.
In Ephesians 4:8-10, there is another reference; verses 9-10 are debated depending on the manuscript. They say that before Jesus ascended to heaven, He first descended to the lower parts of the earth. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18, which describes the ark ascending to Mount Zion, leading captivity captive, symbolizing deliverance. Also, in Judges 5:12, part of Deborah's song, it states, "led thy captivity captive," meaning victory over oppression.
The same theme appears in Ephesians 4:8, victory over sin, death, and the grave through the life, sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as referenced in Galatians 1:4 and 1 Corinthians 15:52-55. We also see the gifts given in Ephesians 4:11, Romans 12:4-8, and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
When Jesus was resurrected, God placed Him above all, as shown in Philippians 2:9-11, Ephesians 1:19-21, and 1 Peter 3:22. Satan, just like the leaders of Jerusalem, thought that when the Messiah came, He would immediately deliver them and establish His kingdom at that time, the expectation not yet fulfilled. When Satan influenced Judas to betray Jesus to death, he thought he had won.
If you look at Matthew 24:22 it says "And except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh saved: but for the elect's sake those days days shall be shortened. This verse shows that the days of tribulation were shortened for gods elect. You will find in revelation chapter 9:5 that the time was reduced to a five month period. As far as generations that are mentioned in the bible in Genesis 6:3 God gives man 120 years that is a generation. Also in psalm 90:10 it discusses a lifespan of (70 years ) with "by reason of strength " potentially reaching fourscore years" (80 years). There is also the 40 year generation mentioned in the bible as a symbolic period of testing, trial, or probation, or as a generation. My personal opinion is that psalm 90:10 gives the correct generation for the parable of the fig tree which was set out in 1948. Psalm 90 was attributed to have been written by Moses making it one of the oldest psalms. In psalm 90 it talks about a life span reaching 80 years but if you think about it Moses lived to be 120 years old. We do not know the exact day or hour of Christ' return but by the signs true believers should be able to determine the season. What season are we in? The harvest season May thru September 5 months. Some of the signs that are mentioned in the bible are 1. (Increased knowledge and travel Daniel 12:4) 2. False prophets and teachings Matthew 24:5) 3. (Global unrest Matthew 24 6-8) 4.(Apostasy Revelation 3:16) 5.(Fig tree Parable Matthew 24:32) these are some of the signs that lets us know what season we are in. Matthew 24:32 states ( Now learn a parable of the fig tree.) Christ made it very clear that we are to learn this parable. When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves ye know that summer is nigh. this verse teaches us just as the budding of a fig tree signals the approach of summer the signs mentioned in Matthew 24 indicates Christ second coming is near even at the door. Mark 4:13 unlocks the fig tree parable.
Yes Keygbo, biologically speaking, the word "Son only has one definition (a) male descendant". But 'son' doesn't always refer to biological descendency. Take for examples: Genesis 6:2, Job 1:6, Romans 8:14, "sons of God". In just these three examples, these "sons" have no biological connection to God. The first to either angels or the descendants of Seth; the second to angels/heavenly beings; and the third to those who are born again, led of God's Spirit & adopted into God's family. All these are God's sons, or sons of God.
And then we can take the idioms, "son of the road, or son of the soil". I'm sure you've heard of these not oft used expressions. Most would believe that if those phrases were used for a particular person, then it is understood that neither the road nor the soil gave birth to sons. Likewise, Revelation 1:5 speaks of Jesus being "the prince of the kings of the earth". I suspect that you wouldn't now believe that Jesus, as a prince, had his descendency in an earthly king (or, multiple kings). So yes, biologically, the son of an earthly king would be called a prince, but metaphorically, this is not so as there is no descendency to a human king - just a title.
Lucifer, or 'shining one' was given to the king of Babylon who lived & ruled by that satanic spirit. Sure, Satan was never called Lucifer, but he, as did the king, were described with the same phrase: "the shining one, son of the morning". So whether Satan is referred to as "the prince of the power of the air" ( Ephesians 2:2) or the "prince of darkness" (taken loosely from Ephesians 6:12), these both describe the same devil, one who has power over his demons that move about freely in the world and in the air, as well as to the devil & his demons who brings darkness to people's minds & spirits, keeping them in captivity to sin, yet making them believe that they are in light, joy & hope ( 2 Corinthians 11:14). And he is called a prince, meaning that he is the ruler, yet having no king above him.
The Covenant: God's chosen people in regard to the nation of Israel
God chose a lineage for His people that would eventually have a descendent that would be the Messiah; listed with both Mary's lineage and that of Joseph albeit it wasn't through his offspring. We see that with Noah only he ad his family were saved. We read in Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
I would argue that this meant that his DNA was not corrupted with the offspring of the Nephilim with women and their offspring.
Again; this ensures God's covenant with man would be exlusively for men not of offspring of corrupted angelic and human children. Satan no doubt either wanted to totally corrupt every man so that either Messiah couldn't come and God would have to destroy everyone which apparently he came within millimeters of accomplishing. God of course gave all the instructions to Noah; who we read got drunk after planting a vineyard following the flood; so clearly he wasn't perfect. Many tend to read that he was a preacher of righteousness and assume it was him seeking repentance; I would argue it was a declaration of victory as they were unsaveable ( 2 Peter 2:5); and that fits right in with those sons of disobedience preached to by Christ in 1 Peter 3:19.
Let us take pause and thank God for His tender mercies and longsuffering. Some are in ignorance as to the fact that powerful entities and principalities are controlling the world and their minds leading them to destruction; others worship demons and Satan himself thinking somehow it is worth the favors they gain temporarily in this world.
As we go on to the story of the tower of Babel ( Gen. 11:1-9) we see how the world nearly came to an end with the attempt of a one world government before the time of prophetic fulfillment; thus God confused their languages; and I would argue broke the continents to today's location ( Gen. 11:19).
As my last posting stated unregenerate man in the accounts of the Kings of Israel and in fact from Genesis to Revelation demonstrates nothing but evil. Genesis 6:5 shows that the ACTIONS of men when they were fully demonstrated led to judgment as it will when the wickedness is fully ripe such as with grapes when they are treaded under the winepress of God's wrath in Revelation 19 and other prophetic related scriptures.
As C.S. Lewis indicated Christ was either a lunatic; a liar or THE TRUTH. His words are piercing; but so is all scripture describing the state of man who desperately needs a Savior. Bad news has to be understood before the Good News in regard to our state; not that every detail needs to be understood but enough exposed; which only the Spirit can reveal to a man.
Thus scripture is either a great moral lesson or THE truth for someone; it is either an entertaining mystical adventure or it leads us to the conclusion that it is either heaven or hell for us. The natural tendency is to use scripture to justify ourselves; we have all heard the analogy "I am better than Hitler; or a serial killer; blah blah". We could say the "Devil made me do it" rather than attesting to the cause of our misery is our own sin that allows the enemy to wreak havoc on our lives. The Devil can be allowed to do all sorts of things but can't force us to sin. Truth be told we are in sin all the time if we aren't alive in Christ but the enemy wants to find a way to kill steal and destroy. We dare not take Satan as a joke either but scripture makes a true believer victorious and courageous (bold as a lion) ( Prov. 28:1). Preaching to myself here...
My final thought at present is that for the Ephesians 6 type believer we wield the sword of power based on Scripture; not on some esoteric experience. Only when the Lord is truly showing us something that is scriptural does it benefit us; the Word helps us to see what is of God; man or Satan.
As my last posting stated unregenerate man in the accounts of the Kings of Israel and in fact from Genesis to Revelation demonstrates nothing but evil. Genesis 6:5 shows that the ACTIONS of men when they were fully demonstrated led to judgment as it will when the wickedness is fully ripe such as with grapes when they are treaded under the winepress of God's wrath in Revelation 19 and other prophetic related scriptures.
As C.S. Lewis indicated Christ was either a lunatic; a liar or THE TRUTH. His words are piercing; but so is all scripture describing the state of man who desperately needs a Savior. Bad news has to be understood before the Good News in regard to our state; not that every detail needs to be understood but enough exposed; which only the Spirit can reveal to a man.
Thus scripture is either a great moral lesson or THE truth for someone; it is either an entertaining mystical adventure or it leads us to the conclusion that it is either heaven or hell for us. The natural tendency is to use scripture to justify ourselves; we have all heard the analogy "I am better than Hitler; or a serial killer; blah blah". We could say the "Devil made me do it" rather than attesting to the cause of our misery is our own sin that allows the enemy to wreak havoc on our lives. The Devil can be allowed to do all sorts of things but can't force us to sin. Truth be told we are in sin all the time if we aren't alive in Christ but the enemy wants to find a way to kill steal and destroy. We dare not take Satan as a joke either but scripture makes a true believer victorious and courageous (bold as a lion) ( Prov. 28:1). Preaching to myself here...
My final thought at present is that for the Ephesians 6 type believer we wield the sword of power based on Scripture; not on some esoteric experience. Only when the Lord is truly showing us something that is scriptural does it benefit us; the Word helps us to see what is of God; man or Satan.
And theearthwas without form, andvoid; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The second was Noah's food.
Genesis 6:17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring afloodof waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
The third is the church age and the Rapture inwhich was revealed to Apostle Paul in a revelation and we are living in it right now.
Jesus stop reading in the middle of the verse. Did Jesus Christ keep the third Gap Theory a secret ?
Luke 4:18-19
18 The Spirit of the Lordisupon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Note: Jesus was reading Isaiah 61:1-2 , but stop in the middle of chapter 2. Jesus knew the Church of Grace was going to begin.
What Jesus said that day was important in describing the times in which he ministered, but he closed the book before he finished the sentence in Isaiah.
Equally important as what he read before he sat down, was what he purposely did not read all of the verses
The sentence inIsaiah 61:2continues:
"and the day of vengeance of our God" - Isaiah 61:2
Why did Jesus Christ keep the resurrection a secret from the Twelve Disiples ? ? ?
Mark 9:9-10
9And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
10And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
For mythoughtsare not yourthoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith theLord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and mythoughtsthan yourthoughts.
The believer should use scriptures to back up scriptures and try not to use our thoughts as much as possible.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity everythoughtto the obedience of Christ;
We are getting closer to Noah's days with evil thoughts continually.
Genesis 6:5
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of thethoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Not everyone is going to know the Bible and also know the Hebrew and Greek to translate the words.
1 Corinthians 8:2
And if any manthinkthat he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
If we think we know it all, it could make us fall .
1 Corinthians 10:12
Wherefore let him thatthinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
If we think we are something when we are nothing , we deceive ourselves.
Galatians 6:3
For if a manthinkhimself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Apostle Paul tells us what we should be thinking .
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,thinkon these things.
May we all think about the gospel of grace for Salvation.
Grace is nothing new in the New Testament. The Old Testament has men that found grace . Noah found grace.
Genesis 6:8
But Noah foundgracein the eyes of the LORD.
Jacob found grace.
Genesis 33:10
And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have foundgracein thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.
Joseph of the Twelve Tribes of Israel found grace.
Genesis 39:4
And Joseph foundgracein his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
Moses found grace.
Exodus 33:12
And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also foundgracein my sight.
The best one of them all is Jesus Christ was full of grace.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full ofgraceand truth.
Jesus Christ is Grace.
John 1:17
For the law was given by Moses, butgraceand truth came by Jesus Christ.
Ray , in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 please believe the gospel of grace
Should, we today repent of our sins for Salvation ? Before I knew the gospel of grace in Apostle Paul's epistle, I was a master of repentance. I would run toward the altar and kneel .I would do it before I went to bed. I even repented for other people's sins. Repentance was written on my forehead. By the way, repentance means change of mind .
God changes His mind.
Amos 7:6
TheLordrepentedfor this: This also shall not be, saith the LordGod
God changes His mind.
Jonah 3:10
AndGodsaw their works, that they turned from their evil way; andGodrepentedof the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
God changes His mind.
Genesis 6:6
And it repented theLordthat he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Through out the Bible, Jews are required to repent because they always got into trouble.
Apostle Peter would tell the Jews to repent, they killed Jesus.
Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Ray, in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 may God open our eyes to the Gospel
Here's what I have on how many of each type of animal went into the ark with Noah,
In Genesis 6:19 it reads "And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
Genesis 7:2-3 reads "Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
So, was there two of each animal or seven of each animal that were to be brought to the ark?
The seven of each animal were clean animals-to be used for sacrifice as well as for food.
The remainder of the animals that went to the ark included a male and a female.
This is explained in Genesis 7:8-9. "Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah."
This is what I've gathered from Scripture and the only way I have heard it explained.
Preconceived notions doesn't always come from denominations and man's tradition passed down over the years. It can come from self ambition and bad hermeneutics.
However you can certainly hinder your spiritual growth and understanding if you solely rely on clippings of the early church and internet findings. (NOT SAYING IT'S ALL BAD) But that's not feeding and studying the word. It's studying history.
AGAIN, It's not bad to know the history but it's not to be a substitute or an atlas to the truth in the word of God.
There has been division in the church on several topics since the Apostles. Paul speaks of this in Acts 20:39-30.
Praise the Lord for your testimony " Wildflower 724" . It's amazing that we go through life and still have sin because of our sin nature body that one day will be changed into a body like Jesus Christ . Even Apostle Paul had a sin nature body, but the Holy Spirit helped him write the 13 books of the Bible.
If a person wants to get saved, they must have a change of heart , but it's the path to Salvation. Faith in believing in the finished work of the cross resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is Salvation.
Repent means change of mind because God doesn't have sin in Him.
Genesis 6:6
And itrepented theLordthat he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Even Apostle Paul changed his mind also.
2 Corinthians 7:8
For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do notrepent, though I didrepent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
Thanks for your reply, I know many have the understanding the sons of God in Genesis 6 are the line of Seth and the daughters of men are of Cain and those not following God. I will just give a little of my understanding not in debate.
Scripture tells us there were Nephilim/giants in the world before and after the flood Genesis 6:42 Samuel 21:16Joshua 12:4Numbers 13:33Deuteronomy 2:19-21Amos 2:9 Also in Joshua 13, 15, 17, 18, 2 Samuel 21 and 1 Chronicles 20 Also, in the Old Testament, there is the Rephaim or Rephaites, and the context describes them as giants. so, where did they come from?
2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1: 6 tell us of a group of angels who left their first estate and are locked in darkness. Many other fallen angels we battle including Satan are on this earth 2 Corinthians 11:14-15. But these angels are locked in darkness until judgment, and we see in Revelation 9:11 they have a king. These angels had to do something far greater than rebelling against God, my understanding is they adulterated God's creation, we see how corrupt it got.
We know from Jude and 2 Peter angels sinned, kept not their first estate, and left their habitation. Estate means condition, status, and dominion, and habitation means residence or dwelling place. I understand how many takes Matthew 22:30 and Mark 12:25 but Jesus is not referring to sex He is saying when we are resurrected, we will be like the angels in heaven who are immortal. We are mortal, we have to marry and reproduce when we are resurrected, we will be raised immortal same as the angels no more need to marry and reproduce, and we will be on the earth not heaven.
We see angels come down on earth that have bodies, they can eat and drink, Genesis 18:1-8 and other places like Hebrews 13:2. To me the angels who left their estate is where these giants came from, and we see when Israel went into the promised land God wiped out the giants or had them kill them all even the children.
We know Seth is the line that goes all the way to the Messiah Jesus therefore when Seth had Enosh, this line was the only one walking and calling on the name of God. We see Enoch and Noah walked with God but by the time of Noah all had corrupted themselves, whether they had created false gods, we are not told but their imaginations were evil.
I may have a different understanding of the sons of God, we see in Luke 3:38 that Adam was called the son of God because he was a direct creation of God, he had no human father. Jesus is the Son of God and through Jesus, we can become sons and daughters of God, but I have not found where men are called sons of God.
If we take the sons of Seth as sons of God, would we not have to take the daughters of men the daughters of Cain or all the other men who did not call on the name of God? They all are from Adam and Eve would not all the daughters be fair? The flood was 1656 or 2256 years from Adam, and it says when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them. So, this was long before the flood.
We see in the Bible the sons of God are referring to angels as we see in Job 1:6-12Job 2:1 and Job 38:7. I have not found where men were called sons of God until after the Messiah Jesus and those who believe in Him can become sons of God.
We know there are fallen angels like Satan and others on this earth but there are other angels God has locked in chains of darkness I suppose is the bottomless pit until judgment, 2 Peter 2:4Jude 1:6. My understanding is these are the sons of God who corrupted and polluted God's creation that He destroyed all but eight. We see this happened again after the flood as told in Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also, after that, as we see in Scripture some tall as cedars, Amos 2:9.
Yes, He only drove them out to prevent them from eating from the tree of life and live for ever in a sinful condition. But He didn't remove His presence from them. In Genesis 4:26 says, "... then began men to call upon the name of the LORD." or "then begun men to be called with the name of the Lord" What does that mean? In Genesis 6:2 it says, "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.". The scriptures call the descenants of Seth as "sons of God" while calling all the other as "children of men"
Concluding thoughts for now on the enemy of our souls.
I will attempt to wrap this up for now; although admittedly this is a subject which could easily call for many more postings. God in His infinite yet mysterious plans allowed for a created being to usurp 1/3 of the angels; and to deceive most of mankind throughout history. ( Matthew 7:13-14). Through the offspring mentioned in Genesis 6 he produced numerous giant beings (I can't see it being any other explanation) and therefore only Noah and his family were saved at the flood as it seems all the rest of mankind was corrupted genetically and by default morally beyond repair. (see Genesis 6:9 on Noah being "perfect in his generations"). He also later attempted the same thing on a more limited scale after the flood; resulting in Israel wiping out all the giants (with Goliath being the last one in the surrounding nations Israel had to conquer). Satan continued to attempt to wipe out all of God's people by the ordinance of Haman to wipe out all the Jews which was thwarted in Esther; the Holocaust and will almost succeed in Armageddon when half of Jerusalem is taken before Christ returns. He is the god of this world and Jesus didn't argue with him having control as a "usurper" type leader of all the Kingdoms of the world. Satan also will be given the limited short space of the last half of the Tribulation to more or less control the world but again he will fail to totally destroy the earth because God Himself makes the time short (see Matthew 24:22). Again; God is the one who allows these things; including the "strong delusion" He sends to decieve all those who didn't LOVE the truth but enjoyed unrighteousness ( 2 Thess. 2:11-12 rough translation). Once again at the end of the Millennium he has the final stand; which ends in his judgment cast into hell; and a mass of people as the sand of the sea; amazingly perishing despite seeing Christ on earth and living a utopian existance in the millennium.
As it was in days of Noah,so it will be in the days of the Son of man.They ate,drank,married,gave in marriage,until the day Noah entered the ark,the flood came and destroyed them all.So"This was the"modus vivendi" in Noahs'days.
We would say it was the same 'modus vivendi' of society in recent times,say around 1950-1985,it was similar to society in the days of Noah.It was common to eat and drink with development of large malls around the world at that time,it was common the celebration of weddings,existence of strong family ties,but as time went by,it began to deteriorate morally as in the time of Noah,when the sons of GOD mixed their seed with seed of the evil ones,giving rise to a corrupt and evil society- Genesis 6:2-3, due to the proliferation of adulterers and adulteresses.And the punishment came,yes,the flood came and only 8 people were saved by the Ark.
Comparing the society of Noah's days with a posterior society of Sodom and Gomorrah,at the time of Lot,let's see the differences,according Scriptures:
Luke 17:28-30 reveal:
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day (in the current time) when the Son of man is revealed.
society of Noah's day..........................society of Sodom/Gomorrah
they ate and drank ..............................they ate and drank
they married and gave in marriage ....they bought and sold,they planted and built
Men of Sodom were wicked,immoral exceedingly,and sinners before the Lord- Genesis 13:13.There was no marriage,society was polluted of prostitutes,sodomites/ effeminate(gays),society was infested of prostitution and great sinners. The same occurs today. Lot was vexed with filthy conversations seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds- 2Peter 2:7-8 & Jude 1:6-7.
Look at earlier postings about ideas related to genetic DNA manipulation to render someone not human and therefore unredeemable. This would explain the wholesale destruction of all men except for Noah and his immediate family who was said to be "perfect" in his generations. ( Gen. 6:9). This would almost certainly have a primary reference to his genetic line not being contaminated with the sons of the giants or "men of renown" mentioned in Genesis 6:4. Christ came to redeem men not hybrid creatures and naturally angels that fell would also be unredeemable. Whether this business would be sold as an "evolutionary leap" or promise immortality or both is uncertain; but the "strong delusion" ultimately is sent by God; therefore men will worship the Beast and of course Satan who empowers him. The idea of rebellion comes to mind with what Cain did; and the original concept of the tower of Babel will come to its fruition "bringing the whole world together" in unity; so to speak.
The Tribulation likely begins with one man controlling all of the earth's wealth. That is seen in prophecies in Daniel 11:38 and prophecies such as him "dividing the land for gain" ( Daniel 11:39). See also Habukkuk 2:9 and the whole chapter there to see the consolidation of wealth. Despite his control of the 10 nation beast empire; we see in Revelation that the nations from the east and north amass to go after him. (sixth trumpet starting Revelation 9:13.) Therefore, he may have control over everyone economically but nations will still fight him. By Armageddon in Meddigo at least it appears all are damned after they are enticed to gather by the 3 demons from the frog like spirits coming from the "unholy" trinity. After fighting each other they turn and fight Christ which of course is futile. THose in the Ezekiel 38 campaign however have one sixth remain; I am guessing some don't have the mark and make it into the Millennium. I may discuss that later.
The sin of the sons of God having relations with women ( Gen. 6:2) and the resulting hybrid offspring seems to be clear as written; although some take it as some symbolic event. People often try to make a spurious claim of these being offspring of Cain and ignore the fact that all mankind was judged at the flood except for Noah and his immediate family (who I would say Genesis 6:9 indicates that his seed wasn't corrupted as the rest of mankind when it mentions that he was "perfect in his generations")
Science seems to indicate several mass extinctions separated by aeons of time; the greatest of which I believe is stated to be in the Cambrian mass extinction event the better part of 1 billion years ago; and the later one wiping out the dinosaurs and other creatures some 65 million years or so. What it can't explain; of course is how undigested food is found in dinosaurs that were obviously frozen to death in mass graves along with other complexities where trees; and catastrophic destruction of trees and other evidence clearly indicating a mass inundation of flood waters. As I alluded to in the first post today there is more than ample evidence of giant and advanced structures (pyramids in various countries; Balbak (or however it is spelled) and other giant sized structure found in islands in the Mediterranean and elsewhere in the world such as Stonehenge which defy explanation as to how the stones were moved and how they were cut to reflect advanced technology and often tied in with regular astronomical events with the direction they are facing.
Christians at least up until recently have understood that man's evil resulted in collateral damage to the rest of creation which continues to groan up until today ( Romans 8:19-22). It would seem that the last evil Satan is going to bring to pass after the mass appeal of alternate sexual lifestyles is a merging with AI. This guarantees damnation as Revelation promises.
Perfect people in the bible, do they exist or is Jesus the only perfect one? We hear so much about how only Jesus is perfect from almost every Christian and yet, they can not find any scripture or any verse to back up their false claim. The apostle Paul said this:
Titus 1:16] They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Christanity rebells when they have to be perfect thry immediately pass it on to Jesus when Jesus preached in Matthew 5:48 we (human beings) have to be perfect even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect. Why does Christanity argue agianst Jesus? Because they were never told the truth. Let's look in the bible to find more perfect people before, during and after, Jesus. Adam and Eve were in Genesis 1&2 before thry heard another gospel in Genesis 3 from Rev Serpant/Rev Devil.
Before: Genesis 6:9] These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Genesis 17:1] And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Deuteronomy 18:13] Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
Job 1:1] There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2nd Chronicals 16:9] For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Psalm 37:37] Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
During Jesus:
Matthew 1:[19] Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
Hey, greetings.. sorry for the intrusion, but Jesus did not go to hell, or anywhere else while dead. This is a common misunderstanding of the biblical text in Peter. If you notice in Peter 3:18... being put to death in the flesh, but quickened (made alive) by the Spirit.. the subject is the spirit, the next words are.. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared... notice Genesis 6:3.. And the Lord said, My Spirit..(Spirit) will not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be 120 years. So.. the Spirit of God was "preached" through Noah to the "disobedient" to call them to repentance for 120 years while preparing the ark. There is no abode of the dead until the judgement. The word prison is used to illustrate the state of being bound, similar to the use of .. "chains under darkness" in Jude. It is understood that hades is a term commonly used for
Hey, greetings.. I just wanted to chime in, sorry for the intrusion. Jesus didn't go preach to anyone while dead. This is a rather "popular misunderstanding" of the biblical text. If you notice in 1 Peter 3:18 ... while speaking of Christ, says..For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:.. the subject is (The Spirit).. verse 19, By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; v 20Which sometime were disobedient,when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared.. Genesis 6:3, MY Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he is also flesh; yet his days shall be 120 yrs... so Noah "preached" to the disobedient people through the same "Spirit" for 120 years to repent while preparing the ark.
Christ was the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Rev 13:8
Hebrews 4:2,3 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Romans 3:10,11 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
And I Chris, find no Biblical support for your understanding of the Salvation of Old Testament Believers.
What you have said is not supported when comparing scripture with scripture throughout the WHOLE Bible. And your understanding does not address the many verses I have quoted regarding this subject and stems, I believe and am sorry to say, from a failure to recognize that that the Bible Alone and in its Entirety is, in fact, the ONE TRUE GODPEL OF SALVATION.
When you say that the Holy Spirit was not active in Salvation during the OT you are in essence saying that God was not active in Salvation.
When you say that the there was some efficacy toward Salvation in the sacrifices of the OT it is like saying that there is some efficacy in water baptism during the Church Age toward Salvation. And that is a Gospel of Grace plus Works which CANNOT save.
Noah was a sinner, just like everyone that God saves during the NT. "But Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD." Genesis 6:8; just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. And when Noah died physically, his body returned to the dust and he went to be with Christ in Heaven in his soul existence, just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. He did not go to a place called Hades. Why? Because God had given him a new Resurrected Soul when God saved him, just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. And the basis for Noah's Salvation was the Atonement of Christ, God Himself, Just like every true believer throughout the history of the world.
So once again, Chris, there is one and only one Salvation. One and only one True Gospel. And that gospel is circumscribed by the Bible ALONE and it's ENTIRETY.
Since I have some time to spare; and this probably won't be a high response posting; I'll make a few observations.
Noah was 600; and one could argue it is a typology of the 6000 years of the earth's existence before the Tribulation; followed by the 1000 years of the Millennium by 2 Peter 3:8.
In the time before the flood known as "Antidiluvian"; clearly men lived longer than afterwards. Thus; Adam and many of his progeny lived for 900 plus years; interestingly no one made it quite to 1000; which may be reserved to those who survive in the Millennium due to long life spans once again at that time with a paradise type of earth; albeit still with fallen men (see Isaiah 65:20). There was therefore the likelihood that many were only 2 or 3 generations from Adam by the time the flood came along; so that secondhand accounts of God's story of creation would leave wicked men without excuse. Enoch lived interestingly enough 365 years then was taken; perhaps somehow indicating a day symbolizing a year (although the old calendar was 360 days old); God also told Noah that He would only contend with men 120 years in Genesis 6:3 which could indicate their future lifespan limit; or the time left before the flood from that point.
In any case; God is longsuffering not wishing anyone to perish. ( 2 PEter 3:9). It is interesting that this verse is right after the one above that I quoted; and certainly explains why He waited so long to judge. Noah was a "preacher of righteousness" ( 2 Peter 2:5) but the narrative shows that only 8 were saved in the boat; and they were his immediate family. Sodom's destruction also followed a similar vein; in that case only Lot; his 2 daughters and wife came out of the city; and his wife turned back and was destroyed. In the flood; Nephilim would have contaminated man's bloodline as I see it from Genesis 6:9 that explains why no one else COULD be saved. His patience is seen with Sodom as well ( Gen. 18:32).
But none, not a one, has ever been accepted or saved on the basis of their obedience to the Law, for "by the law is the knowledge of sin" ( Romans 3:20). The Law was given only to Israel, as His chosen people, that they may know who this God is & His Holy requirements for them, as He rescued them from their bondage in Egypt. Not only the Law, but of circumcision, were the impositions placed upon them which truly separated His people from all others.
The Law couldn't save them then or now, and yes, it ought to have convicted them of their sin and inability to obey and please God under it. But they rejected God's free offer of salvation in Christ Jesus, as most do now, preferring to bask under the Law and their election in hope of God's Approval and Acceptance. What a sad and dreadful day when they see the One "whom they have pierced" coming in the clouds ( Zechariah 12:10), realizing that all this while they held onto a false belief and hope. Blessings.
Part 1
I understand this is debated, but this is my understanding.
1 Peter 3:18-20: 18, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit. This was a once-and-for-all sin offering, as mentioned in Romans 8:3 and Hebrews 9:11-14, to bring us to God so that God can now dwell with humanity through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is God who quickens the dead, as stated in Romans 4:17, by the Spirit. Jesus, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit. Jesus was dead for three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, the grave/tomb. He was quickened, which means brought back to life, when He was resurrected in His glorified body. Jesus is the first begotten of the dead, Revelation 1:5, the Firstfruits of them that slept, 1 Corinthians 15:20. Sleep, the Greek word koimao, meaning to put to sleep, be dead.
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. By the same Spirit that quickened Jesus, Jesus went and preached/proclaimed to these spirits in prison.
Who are these spirits who were disobedient in the time of Noah? Angels are spirits, Psalm 104:4, Hebrews 1:7. Devils/demons are spirits, familiar spirits, evil spirits, unclean spirits. Humans have a spirit, but are never called spirits. Humans are mortal; the soul who sins will die, and the dead know not anything. Immortality is a gift from God, and in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we find our hope for eternal life.
We see this long-suffering in Genesis 6:1-8. 120 years were given for repentance, but we see that only eight souls were saved by the water.
See part 2
We see two places where angels are chained in darkness: 2 Peter 2:4-5 and Jude 1:6. To me, this is a prison, a confinement area, as we see in Revelation 9, 11, 17, and 20. These angels did not keep their original estate or position and left their own dwelling place. These angels were disobedient to God, as seen in Genesis 6:1-2. There are fallen angels, demons, and devils on this earth, but what these angels did was so terrible that God locked them in the bottomless pit until the great day of judgment.
In Ephesians 4:8-10, there is another reference; verses 9-10 are debated depending on the manuscript. They say that before Jesus ascended to heaven, He first descended to the lower parts of the earth. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18, which describes the ark ascending to Mount Zion, leading captivity captive, symbolizing deliverance. Also, in Judges 5:12, part of Deborah's song, it states, "led thy captivity captive," meaning victory over oppression.
The same theme appears in Ephesians 4:8, victory over sin, death, and the grave through the life, sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as referenced in Galatians 1:4 and 1 Corinthians 15:52-55. We also see the gifts given in Ephesians 4:11, Romans 12:4-8, and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
When Jesus was resurrected, God placed Him above all, as shown in Philippians 2:9-11, Ephesians 1:19-21, and 1 Peter 3:22. Satan, just like the leaders of Jerusalem, thought that when the Messiah came, He would immediately deliver them and establish His kingdom at that time, the expectation not yet fulfilled. When Satan influenced Judas to betray Jesus to death, he thought he had won.
See part 3
And then we can take the idioms, "son of the road, or son of the soil". I'm sure you've heard of these not oft used expressions. Most would believe that if those phrases were used for a particular person, then it is understood that neither the road nor the soil gave birth to sons. Likewise, Revelation 1:5 speaks of Jesus being "the prince of the kings of the earth". I suspect that you wouldn't now believe that Jesus, as a prince, had his descendency in an earthly king (or, multiple kings). So yes, biologically, the son of an earthly king would be called a prince, but metaphorically, this is not so as there is no descendency to a human king - just a title.
Lucifer, or 'shining one' was given to the king of Babylon who lived & ruled by that satanic spirit. Sure, Satan was never called Lucifer, but he, as did the king, were described with the same phrase: "the shining one, son of the morning". So whether Satan is referred to as "the prince of the power of the air" ( Ephesians 2:2) or the "prince of darkness" (taken loosely from Ephesians 6:12), these both describe the same devil, one who has power over his demons that move about freely in the world and in the air, as well as to the devil & his demons who brings darkness to people's minds & spirits, keeping them in captivity to sin, yet making them believe that they are in light, joy & hope ( 2 Corinthians 11:14). And he is called a prince, meaning that he is the ruler, yet having no king above him.
God chose a lineage for His people that would eventually have a descendent that would be the Messiah; listed with both Mary's lineage and that of Joseph albeit it wasn't through his offspring. We see that with Noah only he ad his family were saved. We read in Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
I would argue that this meant that his DNA was not corrupted with the offspring of the Nephilim with women and their offspring.
Again; this ensures God's covenant with man would be exlusively for men not of offspring of corrupted angelic and human children. Satan no doubt either wanted to totally corrupt every man so that either Messiah couldn't come and God would have to destroy everyone which apparently he came within millimeters of accomplishing. God of course gave all the instructions to Noah; who we read got drunk after planting a vineyard following the flood; so clearly he wasn't perfect. Many tend to read that he was a preacher of righteousness and assume it was him seeking repentance; I would argue it was a declaration of victory as they were unsaveable ( 2 Peter 2:5); and that fits right in with those sons of disobedience preached to by Christ in 1 Peter 3:19.
Let us take pause and thank God for His tender mercies and longsuffering. Some are in ignorance as to the fact that powerful entities and principalities are controlling the world and their minds leading them to destruction; others worship demons and Satan himself thinking somehow it is worth the favors they gain temporarily in this world.
As we go on to the story of the tower of Babel ( Gen. 11:1-9) we see how the world nearly came to an end with the attempt of a one world government before the time of prophetic fulfillment; thus God confused their languages; and I would argue broke the continents to today's location ( Gen. 11:19).
As C.S. Lewis indicated Christ was either a lunatic; a liar or THE TRUTH. His words are piercing; but so is all scripture describing the state of man who desperately needs a Savior. Bad news has to be understood before the Good News in regard to our state; not that every detail needs to be understood but enough exposed; which only the Spirit can reveal to a man.
Thus scripture is either a great moral lesson or THE truth for someone; it is either an entertaining mystical adventure or it leads us to the conclusion that it is either heaven or hell for us. The natural tendency is to use scripture to justify ourselves; we have all heard the analogy "I am better than Hitler; or a serial killer; blah blah". We could say the "Devil made me do it" rather than attesting to the cause of our misery is our own sin that allows the enemy to wreak havoc on our lives. The Devil can be allowed to do all sorts of things but can't force us to sin. Truth be told we are in sin all the time if we aren't alive in Christ but the enemy wants to find a way to kill steal and destroy. We dare not take Satan as a joke either but scripture makes a true believer victorious and courageous (bold as a lion) ( Prov. 28:1). Preaching to myself here...
My final thought at present is that for the Ephesians 6 type believer we wield the sword of power based on Scripture; not on some esoteric experience. Only when the Lord is truly showing us something that is scriptural does it benefit us; the Word helps us to see what is of God; man or Satan.
As my last posting stated unregenerate man in the accounts of the Kings of Israel and in fact from Genesis to Revelation demonstrates nothing but evil. Genesis 6:5 shows that the ACTIONS of men when they were fully demonstrated led to judgment as it will when the wickedness is fully ripe such as with grapes when they are treaded under the winepress of God's wrath in Revelation 19 and other prophetic related scriptures.
As C.S. Lewis indicated Christ was either a lunatic; a liar or THE TRUTH. His words are piercing; but so is all scripture describing the state of man who desperately needs a Savior. Bad news has to be understood before the Good News in regard to our state; not that every detail needs to be understood but enough exposed; which only the Spirit can reveal to a man.
Thus scripture is either a great moral lesson or THE truth for someone; it is either an entertaining mystical adventure or it leads us to the conclusion that it is either heaven or hell for us. The natural tendency is to use scripture to justify ourselves; we have all heard the analogy "I am better than Hitler; or a serial killer; blah blah". We could say the "Devil made me do it" rather than attesting to the cause of our misery is our own sin that allows the enemy to wreak havoc on our lives. The Devil can be allowed to do all sorts of things but can't force us to sin. Truth be told we are in sin all the time if we aren't alive in Christ but the enemy wants to find a way to kill steal and destroy. We dare not take Satan as a joke either but scripture makes a true believer victorious and courageous (bold as a lion) ( Prov. 28:1). Preaching to myself here...
My final thought at present is that for the Ephesians 6 type believer we wield the sword of power based on Scripture; not on some esoteric experience. Only when the Lord is truly showing us something that is scriptural does it benefit us; the Word helps us to see what is of God; man or Satan.
God does things in three's .
The first is the earth was made void.
Genesis 1:2
And theearthwas without form, andvoid; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The second was Noah's food.
Genesis 6:17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring afloodof waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
The third is the church age and the Rapture inwhich was revealed to Apostle Paul in a revelation and we are living in it right now.
Jesus stop reading in the middle of the verse. Did Jesus Christ keep the third Gap Theory a secret ?
Luke 4:18-19
18 The Spirit of the Lordisupon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Note: Jesus was reading Isaiah 61:1-2 , but stop in the middle of chapter 2. Jesus knew the Church of Grace was going to begin.
What Jesus said that day was important in describing the times in which he ministered, but he closed the book before he finished the sentence in Isaiah.
Equally important as what he read before he sat down, was what he purposely did not read all of the verses
The sentence inIsaiah 61:2continues:
"and the day of vengeance of our God" - Isaiah 61:2
Why did Jesus Christ keep the resurrection a secret from the Twelve Disiples ? ? ?
Mark 9:9-10
9And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
10And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
Ray, in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Isaiah 55:8-9
For mythoughtsare not yourthoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith theLord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and mythoughtsthan yourthoughts.
The believer should use scriptures to back up scriptures and try not to use our thoughts as much as possible.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity everythoughtto the obedience of Christ;
We are getting closer to Noah's days with evil thoughts continually.
Genesis 6:5
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of thethoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Not everyone is going to know the Bible and also know the Hebrew and Greek to translate the words.
1 Corinthians 8:2
And if any manthinkthat he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
If we think we know it all, it could make us fall .
1 Corinthians 10:12
Wherefore let him thatthinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
If we think we are something when we are nothing , we deceive ourselves.
Galatians 6:3
For if a manthinkhimself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Apostle Paul tells us what we should be thinking .
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,thinkon these things.
May we all think about the gospel of grace for Salvation.
Ray, in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Please think about the gospel.
Grace is nothing new in the New Testament. The Old Testament has men that found grace . Noah found grace.
Genesis 6:8
But Noah foundgracein the eyes of the LORD.
Jacob found grace.
Genesis 33:10
And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have foundgracein thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.
Joseph of the Twelve Tribes of Israel found grace.
Genesis 39:4
And Joseph foundgracein his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
Moses found grace.
Exodus 33:12
And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also foundgracein my sight.
The best one of them all is Jesus Christ was full of grace.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full ofgraceand truth.
Jesus Christ is Grace.
John 1:17
For the law was given by Moses, butgraceand truth came by Jesus Christ.
Ray , in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 please believe the gospel of grace
Should, we today repent of our sins for Salvation ? Before I knew the gospel of grace in Apostle Paul's epistle, I was a master of repentance. I would run toward the altar and kneel .I would do it before I went to bed. I even repented for other people's sins. Repentance was written on my forehead. By the way, repentance means change of mind .
God changes His mind.
Amos 7:6
TheLordrepentedfor this: This also shall not be, saith the LordGod
God changes His mind.
Jonah 3:10
AndGodsaw their works, that they turned from their evil way; andGodrepentedof the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
God changes His mind.
Genesis 6:6
And it repented theLordthat he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Through out the Bible, Jews are required to repent because they always got into trouble.
Apostle Peter would tell the Jews to repent, they killed Jesus.
Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Ray, in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 may God open our eyes to the Gospel
I agree in all that you have said.
Here's what I have on how many of each type of animal went into the ark with Noah,
In Genesis 6:19 it reads "And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
Genesis 7:2-3 reads "Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
So, was there two of each animal or seven of each animal that were to be brought to the ark?
The seven of each animal were clean animals-to be used for sacrifice as well as for food.
The remainder of the animals that went to the ark included a male and a female.
This is explained in Genesis 7:8-9. "Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah."
This is what I've gathered from Scripture and the only way I have heard it explained.
Preconceived notions doesn't always come from denominations and man's tradition passed down over the years. It can come from self ambition and bad hermeneutics.
However you can certainly hinder your spiritual growth and understanding if you solely rely on clippings of the early church and internet findings. (NOT SAYING IT'S ALL BAD) But that's not feeding and studying the word. It's studying history.
AGAIN, It's not bad to know the history but it's not to be a substitute or an atlas to the truth in the word of God.
There has been division in the church on several topics since the Apostles. Paul speaks of this in Acts 20:39-30.
And John in 1 John 4:3.
Blessings.
If a person wants to get saved, they must have a change of heart , but it's the path to Salvation. Faith in believing in the finished work of the cross resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is Salvation.
Repent means change of mind because God doesn't have sin in Him.
Genesis 6:6
And itrepented theLordthat he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Even Apostle Paul changed his mind also.
2 Corinthians 7:8
For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do notrepent, though I didrepent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
Thank you for your testimony in Christ Jesus....
Ray
Thanks for your reply, I know many have the understanding the sons of God in Genesis 6 are the line of Seth and the daughters of men are of Cain and those not following God. I will just give a little of my understanding not in debate.
Scripture tells us there were Nephilim/giants in the world before and after the flood Genesis 6:4 2 Samuel 21:16 Joshua 12:4 Numbers 13:33 Deuteronomy 2:19-21 Amos 2:9 Also in Joshua 13, 15, 17, 18, 2 Samuel 21 and 1 Chronicles 20 Also, in the Old Testament, there is the Rephaim or Rephaites, and the context describes them as giants. so, where did they come from?
2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1: 6 tell us of a group of angels who left their first estate and are locked in darkness. Many other fallen angels we battle including Satan are on this earth 2 Corinthians 11:14-15. But these angels are locked in darkness until judgment, and we see in Revelation 9:11 they have a king. These angels had to do something far greater than rebelling against God, my understanding is they adulterated God's creation, we see how corrupt it got.
We know from Jude and 2 Peter angels sinned, kept not their first estate, and left their habitation. Estate means condition, status, and dominion, and habitation means residence or dwelling place. I understand how many takes Matthew 22:30 and Mark 12:25 but Jesus is not referring to sex He is saying when we are resurrected, we will be like the angels in heaven who are immortal. We are mortal, we have to marry and reproduce when we are resurrected, we will be raised immortal same as the angels no more need to marry and reproduce, and we will be on the earth not heaven.
We see angels come down on earth that have bodies, they can eat and drink, Genesis 18:1-8 and other places like Hebrews 13:2. To me the angels who left their estate is where these giants came from, and we see when Israel went into the promised land God wiped out the giants or had them kill them all even the children.
God bless,
RLW
We know Seth is the line that goes all the way to the Messiah Jesus therefore when Seth had Enosh, this line was the only one walking and calling on the name of God. We see Enoch and Noah walked with God but by the time of Noah all had corrupted themselves, whether they had created false gods, we are not told but their imaginations were evil.
I may have a different understanding of the sons of God, we see in Luke 3:38 that Adam was called the son of God because he was a direct creation of God, he had no human father. Jesus is the Son of God and through Jesus, we can become sons and daughters of God, but I have not found where men are called sons of God.
If we take the sons of Seth as sons of God, would we not have to take the daughters of men the daughters of Cain or all the other men who did not call on the name of God? They all are from Adam and Eve would not all the daughters be fair? The flood was 1656 or 2256 years from Adam, and it says when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them. So, this was long before the flood.
We see in the Bible the sons of God are referring to angels as we see in Job 1:6-12 Job 2:1 and Job 38:7. I have not found where men were called sons of God until after the Messiah Jesus and those who believe in Him can become sons of God.
We know there are fallen angels like Satan and others on this earth but there are other angels God has locked in chains of darkness I suppose is the bottomless pit until judgment, 2 Peter 2:4 Jude 1:6. My understanding is these are the sons of God who corrupted and polluted God's creation that He destroyed all but eight. We see this happened again after the flood as told in Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also, after that, as we see in Scripture some tall as cedars, Amos 2:9.
God bless,
RLW
Yes, He only drove them out to prevent them from eating from the tree of life and live for ever in a sinful condition. But He didn't remove His presence from them. In Genesis 4:26 says, "... then began men to call upon the name of the LORD." or "then begun men to be called with the name of the Lord" What does that mean? In Genesis 6:2 it says, "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.". The scriptures call the descenants of Seth as "sons of God" while calling all the other as "children of men"
Thank you as well. GBU
I will attempt to wrap this up for now; although admittedly this is a subject which could easily call for many more postings. God in His infinite yet mysterious plans allowed for a created being to usurp 1/3 of the angels; and to deceive most of mankind throughout history. ( Matthew 7:13-14). Through the offspring mentioned in Genesis 6 he produced numerous giant beings (I can't see it being any other explanation) and therefore only Noah and his family were saved at the flood as it seems all the rest of mankind was corrupted genetically and by default morally beyond repair. (see Genesis 6:9 on Noah being "perfect in his generations"). He also later attempted the same thing on a more limited scale after the flood; resulting in Israel wiping out all the giants (with Goliath being the last one in the surrounding nations Israel had to conquer). Satan continued to attempt to wipe out all of God's people by the ordinance of Haman to wipe out all the Jews which was thwarted in Esther; the Holocaust and will almost succeed in Armageddon when half of Jerusalem is taken before Christ returns. He is the god of this world and Jesus didn't argue with him having control as a "usurper" type leader of all the Kingdoms of the world. Satan also will be given the limited short space of the last half of the Tribulation to more or less control the world but again he will fail to totally destroy the earth because God Himself makes the time short (see Matthew 24:22). Again; God is the one who allows these things; including the "strong delusion" He sends to decieve all those who didn't LOVE the truth but enjoyed unrighteousness ( 2 Thess. 2:11-12 rough translation). Once again at the end of the Millennium he has the final stand; which ends in his judgment cast into hell; and a mass of people as the sand of the sea; amazingly perishing despite seeing Christ on earth and living a utopian existance in the millennium.
Luke 17:26-27
As it was in days of Noah,so it will be in the days of the Son of man.They ate,drank,married,gave in marriage,until the day Noah entered the ark,the flood came and destroyed them all.So"This was the"modus vivendi" in Noahs'days.
We would say it was the same 'modus vivendi' of society in recent times,say around 1950-1985,it was similar to society in the days of Noah.It was common to eat and drink with development of large malls around the world at that time,it was common the celebration of weddings,existence of strong family ties,but as time went by,it began to deteriorate morally as in the time of Noah,when the sons of GOD mixed their seed with seed of the evil ones,giving rise to a corrupt and evil society- Genesis 6:2-3, due to the proliferation of adulterers and adulteresses.And the punishment came,yes,the flood came and only 8 people were saved by the Ark.
Comparing the society of Noah's days with a posterior society of Sodom and Gomorrah,at the time of Lot,let's see the differences,according Scriptures:
Luke 17:28-30 reveal:
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day (in the current time) when the Son of man is revealed.
society of Noah's day..........................society of Sodom/Gomorrah
they ate and drank ..............................they ate and drank
they married and gave in marriage ....they bought and sold,they planted and built
Men of Sodom were wicked,immoral exceedingly,and sinners before the Lord- Genesis 13:13.There was no marriage,society was polluted of prostitutes,sodomites/ effeminate(gays),society was infested of prostitution and great sinners. The same occurs today. Lot was vexed with filthy conversations seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds- 2Peter 2:7-8 & Jude 1:6-7.
Look at earlier postings about ideas related to genetic DNA manipulation to render someone not human and therefore unredeemable. This would explain the wholesale destruction of all men except for Noah and his immediate family who was said to be "perfect" in his generations. ( Gen. 6:9). This would almost certainly have a primary reference to his genetic line not being contaminated with the sons of the giants or "men of renown" mentioned in Genesis 6:4. Christ came to redeem men not hybrid creatures and naturally angels that fell would also be unredeemable. Whether this business would be sold as an "evolutionary leap" or promise immortality or both is uncertain; but the "strong delusion" ultimately is sent by God; therefore men will worship the Beast and of course Satan who empowers him. The idea of rebellion comes to mind with what Cain did; and the original concept of the tower of Babel will come to its fruition "bringing the whole world together" in unity; so to speak.
The Tribulation likely begins with one man controlling all of the earth's wealth. That is seen in prophecies in Daniel 11:38 and prophecies such as him "dividing the land for gain" ( Daniel 11:39). See also Habukkuk 2:9 and the whole chapter there to see the consolidation of wealth. Despite his control of the 10 nation beast empire; we see in Revelation that the nations from the east and north amass to go after him. (sixth trumpet starting Revelation 9:13.) Therefore, he may have control over everyone economically but nations will still fight him. By Armageddon in Meddigo at least it appears all are damned after they are enticed to gather by the 3 demons from the frog like spirits coming from the "unholy" trinity. After fighting each other they turn and fight Christ which of course is futile. THose in the Ezekiel 38 campaign however have one sixth remain; I am guessing some don't have the mark and make it into the Millennium. I may discuss that later.
The sin of the sons of God having relations with women ( Gen. 6:2) and the resulting hybrid offspring seems to be clear as written; although some take it as some symbolic event. People often try to make a spurious claim of these being offspring of Cain and ignore the fact that all mankind was judged at the flood except for Noah and his immediate family (who I would say Genesis 6:9 indicates that his seed wasn't corrupted as the rest of mankind when it mentions that he was "perfect in his generations")
Science seems to indicate several mass extinctions separated by aeons of time; the greatest of which I believe is stated to be in the Cambrian mass extinction event the better part of 1 billion years ago; and the later one wiping out the dinosaurs and other creatures some 65 million years or so. What it can't explain; of course is how undigested food is found in dinosaurs that were obviously frozen to death in mass graves along with other complexities where trees; and catastrophic destruction of trees and other evidence clearly indicating a mass inundation of flood waters. As I alluded to in the first post today there is more than ample evidence of giant and advanced structures (pyramids in various countries; Balbak (or however it is spelled) and other giant sized structure found in islands in the Mediterranean and elsewhere in the world such as Stonehenge which defy explanation as to how the stones were moved and how they were cut to reflect advanced technology and often tied in with regular astronomical events with the direction they are facing.
Christians at least up until recently have understood that man's evil resulted in collateral damage to the rest of creation which continues to groan up until today ( Romans 8:19-22). It would seem that the last evil Satan is going to bring to pass after the mass appeal of alternate sexual lifestyles is a merging with AI. This guarantees damnation as Revelation promises.
Titus 1:16] They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Christanity rebells when they have to be perfect thry immediately pass it on to Jesus when Jesus preached in Matthew 5:48 we (human beings) have to be perfect even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect. Why does Christanity argue agianst Jesus? Because they were never told the truth. Let's look in the bible to find more perfect people before, during and after, Jesus. Adam and Eve were in Genesis 1&2 before thry heard another gospel in Genesis 3 from Rev Serpant/Rev Devil.
Before: Genesis 6:9] These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Genesis 17:1] And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Deuteronomy 18:13] Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
Job 1:1] There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2nd Chronicals 16:9] For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Psalm 37:37] Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
During Jesus:
Matthew 1:[19] Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
See part 2
- A Creature of God
Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he
them."
-Performance Issues
i.Low resistance to temptation
Genesis 3:13 "And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the
serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."
ii.High level of corruption
Genesis 6:12 "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon
the earth."
Puzzle
In light of these issues, what is the meaning of "in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."?
"the grave".
Christ was the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Rev 13:8
Hebrews 4:2,3 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Romans 3:10,11 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
And I Chris, find no Biblical support for your understanding of the Salvation of Old Testament Believers.
What you have said is not supported when comparing scripture with scripture throughout the WHOLE Bible. And your understanding does not address the many verses I have quoted regarding this subject and stems, I believe and am sorry to say, from a failure to recognize that that the Bible Alone and in its Entirety is, in fact, the ONE TRUE GODPEL OF SALVATION.
When you say that the Holy Spirit was not active in Salvation during the OT you are in essence saying that God was not active in Salvation.
When you say that the there was some efficacy toward Salvation in the sacrifices of the OT it is like saying that there is some efficacy in water baptism during the Church Age toward Salvation. And that is a Gospel of Grace plus Works which CANNOT save.
Noah was a sinner, just like everyone that God saves during the NT. "But Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD." Genesis 6:8; just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. And when Noah died physically, his body returned to the dust and he went to be with Christ in Heaven in his soul existence, just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. He did not go to a place called Hades. Why? Because God had given him a new Resurrected Soul when God saved him, just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. And the basis for Noah's Salvation was the Atonement of Christ, God Himself, Just like every true believer throughout the history of the world.
So once again, Chris, there is one and only one Salvation. One and only one True Gospel. And that gospel is circumscribed by the Bible ALONE and it's ENTIRETY.
Noah was 600; and one could argue it is a typology of the 6000 years of the earth's existence before the Tribulation; followed by the 1000 years of the Millennium by 2 Peter 3:8.
In the time before the flood known as "Antidiluvian"; clearly men lived longer than afterwards. Thus; Adam and many of his progeny lived for 900 plus years; interestingly no one made it quite to 1000; which may be reserved to those who survive in the Millennium due to long life spans once again at that time with a paradise type of earth; albeit still with fallen men (see Isaiah 65:20). There was therefore the likelihood that many were only 2 or 3 generations from Adam by the time the flood came along; so that secondhand accounts of God's story of creation would leave wicked men without excuse. Enoch lived interestingly enough 365 years then was taken; perhaps somehow indicating a day symbolizing a year (although the old calendar was 360 days old); God also told Noah that He would only contend with men 120 years in Genesis 6:3 which could indicate their future lifespan limit; or the time left before the flood from that point.
In any case; God is longsuffering not wishing anyone to perish. ( 2 PEter 3:9). It is interesting that this verse is right after the one above that I quoted; and certainly explains why He waited so long to judge. Noah was a "preacher of righteousness" ( 2 Peter 2:5) but the narrative shows that only 8 were saved in the boat; and they were his immediate family. Sodom's destruction also followed a similar vein; in that case only Lot; his 2 daughters and wife came out of the city; and his wife turned back and was destroyed. In the flood; Nephilim would have contaminated man's bloodline as I see it from Genesis 6:9 that explains why no one else COULD be saved. His patience is seen with Sodom as well ( Gen. 18:32).