Only churches that can defend Biblical faith will survive. The Bible clearly presents the following as historical events that we need to defend as miraculous events of God’s making:
God created the universe in six twenty-four-hour days simply as a pattern for how man is to live. Six days we are to work and the seventh day is a day of rest and a day to worship our Creator God.
Adam and Eve were created in God’s image to be in a relationship with Him. Death and separation from God were God’s judgment as a result of Adam and Eve’s SIN (rebellion against God’s command).
Just 1600 plus years after creation sin had become such a problem that God judged humankind’s SIN again this time with a worldwide flood destroying all humankind and animal kind except those on Noah’s Ark.
God established the nations when He confused the languages at the Tower of Babel.
God established His nation; Israel was established for God’s purposes and it is yet to fully achieve those purposes. The fact that it was rebirthed as a nation in 1948 is a sign God is in control of His Story.
JESUS enters history (B.C. and A.D. ) to provide humankind with a way back into a right relationship with God. He paid the price for our rebellion against God. The penalty for rebellion was death and Jesus died on our behalf so that all those that accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour are born again with the Holy Spirit to enable them to live a Christian life and be assured of resurrection to eternal life. First, the resurrected Saints will serve with Jesus for 1000 years (Millennial Kingdom) on this earth. Then the White Throne judgment, after which, there will be a new heaven and new earth where only the righteous dwell.
God has given us His Word by inspiring His prophets and apostles to write the Bible. Its authenticity is proved by the fact that much of it is now fulfilled prophecies and we are now seeing many end times prophecies being fulfilled in our time.
Fortunately, God has established the following ministries to equip us to defend all of these seven historical truths:
In particular, I personally recommend and use the Creation Magazine when I talk to a non-believer who raises evolution as an objection to accepting Biblical truth. Become a subscriber; go to http://www.creation.com
Can I suggest you watch out for a post I intend to do entitled Answering the Skeptics: No Evidence for God.
“If there is no absolute beyond man’s ideas, then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups whose moral judgments conflict. We are merely left with conflicting opinions.” —Francis Schaeffer
What did Jesus say when Pontius Pilate asked if he was a king? “ ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate.
“Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’” John 18:37
Of all truths in the universe, the most important is the truth of who Jesus is. After all, Truth is not merely an impersonal moral standard. It is a living Person who loved us so much He bears on His hands eternal scars because He rescued us.
“Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life”John 6:47
The phrase “Truly I tell you” appears 79 times in Scripture, 78 times spoken by Jesus. He is the Truth, and He tells the truth. We can fully trust everything He says. His promises are written in blood.
Truth claims are exclusive. Jesus didn’t say He was a truth, but “the truth”. If someone says Jesus isn’t the primary truth, then either he’s wrong or Jesus is.
If we grasp this truth, we’ll undergo the ultimate paradigm shift: without Christ, any sacrifice we make is worthless. We are miserable without Jesus. Nothing we have can satisfy us. And even if it did, we couldn’t hold on to it.
When we hear Jesus tell us to take up our crosses and follow Him and say we should lose our lives for His sake, we’re tempted to think, “Too hard, I will never be happy.” But in fact, Jesus is saying our short-term sacrifices for Him are a means to an end, and that end is true and abundant life: “Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).
Scripture is full of disheartening diagnoses, including that “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” Jeremiah 17:9
But the Great Physician must tell us this hard truth so we can say,
“Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10).
The Physician also promises,
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Words that at first may sting us deeply don’t mean we are without hope, only that we cannot cure ourselves. But God has provided the cure:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Eternal life is not found by believing in just any god but by believing in the “only true God.” False gods, both religious and secular, litter the landscape. “Jesus prayed, ‘Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent’” (John 17:3). The only true God is the one who sent the only true Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus gives us more than eternal existence. He gives us eternal life: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:4-6
This great truth all hinges on the person and work of none other than Jesus.
God’s best and most perfect gift to us is Jesus Himself.
“All things were created through him and for him…and in Him, all things hold together” Colossians 1:16-17
How can we be anything less than optimistic? Our optimism is based squarely on realism: Jesus is real, atonement is real, resurrection is real, and Jesus soon coming Millennial Kingdom is real. The Gospel really is “good news.”
“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6
Overall, there were reports of 69 tornadoes across eight states including Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. More than 400,000 homes and businesses were without power as of 7 a.m. EDT Saturday, according to poweroutage.us.
Power Outages across the midwest
Homes were ripped off their foundations, storefronts shattered, vehicles tossed like Matchbox cars and, in Belvidere, Illinois, the roof of a theater collapsed during a concert, killing one person and injuring 28.
Seven people died in Tennessee’s McNairy County. At least five people lost their lives in Arkansas, where there was extensive damage in the Little Rock metro area. Two deaths were reported in Crawford County, Illinois, and three were confirmed in Indiana’s Sullivan County. One person died in Madison County in northern Alabama and one in Pontotoc County, Mississippi.
Coralville, Iowa tornado damage
The toll appeared to be highest in Arkansas, where officials in Pulaski County announced a confirmed fatality in North Little Rock. There were also four deaths in Wynne, Arkansas. At least 40 people were injured in the Little Rock area, and five of them were in critical condition.
One person was also killed when the roof collapsed at the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois. Two others died in Illinois, three deaths were confirmed in Indiana, and one in Alabama. Dozens of homes have been wiped out, storefronts destroyed and vehicles, including semitrailers, tossed like toys.
The storms were part of an outbreak of severe thunderstorms that took aim at a wide area of the Midwest and South.
This follows massive earthquakes that have killed thousands of people in Turkey and Syria and previously in Haiti in 2020 and 2021.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake kills up to 5,000 people across Turkey and Syria
The most powerful earthquake in nearly a century struck Turkey and Syria on Monday morning (afternoon AEDT), levelling buildings and causing tremors felt as far away as Greenland. It was quickly followed by a powerful 7.6 quake and dozens of after-shocks that wiped out entire sections of major Turkish cities in a region filled with millions who have fled the civil war in Syria and other conflicts.
A global food crisis
Conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes, and soaring fertilizer prices are combining to create a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. As many as 828 million people are unsure of where their next meal is coming from. We have a choice: act now to save lives and invest in solutions that secure food security, stability, and peace for all, or see people around the world facing rising hunger.
An expected 345.2 million people are projected to be food insecure in 2023 – more than double the number in 2020. This constitutes a staggering rise of 200 million people compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. More than 900,000 people worldwide are fighting to survive in famine-like conditions. This is ten times more than five years ago, an alarmingly rapid increase. An immediate response is needed. The global community promised to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
Signs of the End of the Age
“There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Mark 13:8b
“There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Matthew 24:7
“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences.“Luke 21:11
The Coming of the Son of Man
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31
This post follows my post The Power of Humility, posted five days ago. Humility is relying on God, rather than on ourselves, in the sure knowledge that He gives the grace (the ability to succeed) to the humble (James 4:6). When we see God act, it increases our sense of security and makes us aware of His presence with us. We become aware that the One acting on our behalf is giving us the very thing which we have been unable to grasp for ourselves. It is the meek (humble) who will inherit the land, rather than those whose hope is based on power, rights, skills, or privilege.
“But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” Psalms 37:11
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5
To act meekly, trusting God alone, is profoundly counter-cultural and very different from seeking to reach our ‘full potential’ as independent autonomous entities. Pride engenders self-reliance; humility frees us from total dependence on our insights and abilities.
Humility is sometimes portrayed as involving the adoption of a negative view of ourselves, but in fact, humility releases us to be who we really are, without the need for pretense. It engenders self-acceptance and saves us from having to construct a false self to convince ourselves and others that we are worthy of acceptance, love, and admiration. Our true self is potentially less impressive than we would like to be but is more peaceful, less self-absorbed, and easier to be with. Thomas Merton puts the heart of the matter quite succinctly: ‘In order to become myself I must cease to be what I always thought I wanted to be’. We do not need to aspire to be more gifted, good-looking, athletic, or intelligent than we already are. Humility is a great blessing, as it frees us from the need to be defensive about our shortcomings. It releases us from our desire to dominate others so that we feel superior; we don’t have to impress friends and colleagues to get the recognition we crave.
Humility, accepting our limitations, enables God to work through us more effectively and it puts us in good company. The Gospels, Mark’s in particular, intentionally highlight the way the disciples always seemed to get hold of the wrong end of the stick, often compounding their incompetence by suggesting a foolish course of action. When Jesus speaks metaphorically they take it literally and vice versa. The good news is that if God could use them so powerfully, despite their obvious limitations, then he can use us as well. His power really is made perfect in our weakness.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
Walking humbly with your God now will prepare you for reigning with Jesus in His soon-coming Millennial Kingdom. It no doubt will determine the role that Jesus assigns to you.
Humility creates community. Rather than being a sign of weakness, being humble requires a certain strength. Humility takes much more courage than pretending that we are something we are not.
In the Millennium glorified believers will mediate Jesus’ rule throughout the earth acting as civil and criminal magistrates and judges and spiritual guides and leaders in all aspects of the Kingdom: worship, politics, health, education, business, art, sport etc.
If you think it is the norm that men and women are fully interchangeable, that marriage is open to any combination, and that killing babies is just peachy, then you will fit in just fine with the Victorian Labor Party, the Herald Sun, and all those of the secular left.
Late last year in the Herald Sun there was a horrific hatchet job on the newly elected Liberal politician Moira Deeming. Her crimes, she thinks it is a crime for babies to be murdered in the thousands; marriage is between a man and a woman; and males cannot become females and vice versa. Oh, and worse yet, she is a biblical Christian! So crucify her already. We can NOT allow such horrible people to be anywhere near our political process. Sack her now!!
As a former high school teacher, Ms. Deeming has critiqued the education sector in Victoria since her win at last year’s state election. In one email, Deeming said that she did not win her Liberal preselection on “merit”, rather it was an act of divine intervention. “I did not win (Liberal Party preselection) on merit … I won because God arranged it,” she said.
Now her own Liberal party wants her sacked despite the fact she was the only new liberal candidate to win a seat at the last election. Liberal leader John Pesutto put forward an expulsion motion condemning Ms Deeming for allegedly organizing, promoting, and attending the anti-trans rights rally headlined by controversial British activist Posie Parker. Ms. Deeming addressed the Let Women speak event on March 20, which saw anti-transgender inclusionary activists and LGBTQI+ advocates clash before Nazi sympathizers hijacked the event. Ms. Deeming publicly denied any extremist associations and condemned the demonstrations.
A two-hour Liberal Party meeting at Parliament House on Monday resulted in a nine-month suspension for Ms Deeming. It is a sad day for free speech and a sad day for women – women Moira was seeking to champion. For daring to let women speak, she is now in the political wilderness – at least for three-quarters of a year.
This is just one more example to confirm the Biblical prophecies that in the end times prior to Jesus’ return there will be increased persecution of Christians, in fact as the following prophecy indicates Christians will be hated and eventually killed because they will not take the mark of the Beast (Antichrist).
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13
Are you and your church ready for what is coming? You cannot say God did not warn you. As I have said many times on this website, there are over 1800 Biblical prophecies of Jesus’ second coming. There were 300-plus prophecies of Jesus first coming to earth and the Pharisees and Sadducees totally missed it. Sadly, there are many more prophecies of His second coming and the church at large is missing it. For the last 12 years the Lord has prompted me and many other Christians to get back to God’s Word. I was fortunate that almost 40 years ago now God connected me with Creation Ministries (CMI); they helped me overcome my stumbling block; belief in evolution that is taught as fact in our schools and universities. CMI showed me that the scientific evidence supported Creation and the Biblical account of history far better than evolution and billions of years. The geologic evidence supports catastrophe not slow gradual change of uniformitarianism. Millions of dead things, buried quickly all over the world as evidenced by fossils and fossil fuels; coal, oil, and natural gas are evidence of the truth of Noah’s flood, The first time God poured out His wrath upon the world. The time is coming soon when He will pour out His wrath again with the Trumpet and Bowl judgements. The world needs to be told this is coming. It is called apocalyptic evangelism.
My first post on Fear of the Lord listed many Scriptures on the blessings we can expect if we fear the Lord. I was blown away by how many there are. Moreover, they are so important I decided to list them below this post just in case you missed reading them. Even if you did read them it is worth reading them again, they are so encouraging.
The Bible makes it clear we are all called to “Fear of the Lord“. As we are told in the Psalms the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10
“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
What promises? In the preceding verses, we were told that when we repented of our sins and were baptized; dying to self, being born again by the Holy Spirit. we are now “the temple of the Holy Spirit“. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to live a holy life.
“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” 1 Samuel 12:24
This scripture was spoken by Samuel to the people of Israel. Jesus had not paid the price for our sins back then so Samuel was speaking to people who had not received the Holy Spirit and yet expected the people to serve Him because of the miracles He had performed to establish them as His nation in the Promised Land.
“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” Luke 12:5
BLESSINGS FOR THOSE THAT FEAR THE LORD
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!Psalms 34:9The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,” Psalms 25:14 “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” Psalms 103:11 “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” Psalms 147:11 “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.” Psalms 33:18 “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” Psalms 103:13 “And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.” Luke1:50 “O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” Psalms 34:9 “He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.” Psalms 145:19 “Surely his salvation is near to them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.” Psalms 85:9 “The fear of the Lord leads to life: and he that has it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.” Proverbs 19:23 “The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear him, and delivers them.” Psalms 34:7 “You that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.” Psalms 115:11 “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” Proverbs 14:26-27 “The fear of the Lord prolongs days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.” Proverbs 10:27 “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.” Proverbs 22:4 “Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.” Proverbs 15:16 “Oh, how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for them that fear you; which you have wrought for them that trust in you before the sons of men!” Psalms 31:19 “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord; that walks in his ways. For you shall eat the labour of your hands: happy shall you be, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house: your children like olive plants round your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that fears the Lord. The Lord shall bless you out of Zion: and you shall see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, you shall see thy children’s children, and peace be upon Israel.” Psalms 128:1-6My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:2-5
Those that fear the Lord will be raptured, glorified and return with Jesus to rule and reign with Him during His Millenial reign on this earth.
God gave all of his prophets a picture of the future that God had in store for them. There are at least 1800 prophecies of Jesus’ second coming. God wanted to prepare us for the soon coming time of tribulation when God will purify His church as He allows Satan to rule and reign for 3 1/2 years through the Antichrist (see 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 below).
In the case of the O.T. prophets, they were given the future of their nation Israel that God had established for His purposes. They all saw their prophesied Messiah (Jesus) ruling the nations from a magnificent Jerusalem in the land of Israel with the borders that God had specified to Abraham. This is Jesus’ Millennial reign on this earth prior to its destruction, the second resurrection, the White Throne judgement, and finally the new heaven and new earth where only the righteous dwell. It is a transition period, we have had 6000 years of Satan’s rule and we will soon have 1000 years with Jesus ruling and reigning the nations with the glorified Saints.
The Saints will be resurrected and those living raptured just prior to God pouring out His wrath upon the earth with the Trumpet and Bowl judgements. As I have covered before, a number of times, the rapture occurs after the celestial signs at the end of the sixth year (sixth seal) of the final seven years (70 the Week of Daniel). The wrath of God lasts one year and ten days, the length of time of a Jewish year that precedes a Jubilee year. God’s wrath at the time of Noah’s flood also lasted one year and ten days.
The N.T. apostles were given prophecies like the two below, to Peter and Paul. Jesus gives us far more detailed information in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24 & 25, Luke 21, Mark 13) and Revelation. I will cover those in a future post.
“You should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” 2 Peter 3:2-7
“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God… And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.“ 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12
Further to my post on March 14th: BIBLICAL HISTORY: 1. IMPACT OF WORLDWIDE FLOOD ON NATIONS AND 2. GOD ESTABLISHES HIS NATION – ISRAEL, which included an article by Gavin Cox that revealed the Egyptians revered the eight people (Noah’s family) that survived the flood as God’s. They were referred to as the OGDOAD. Bearing in mind Noah’s sons lived for another 500 years post-flood, is it any wonder they were considered God’s by the post-flood people who had life spans up to 120 years. “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.“ Genesis 6:3.
Moreover, the Ogdoad, these eight people that came off the Ark were the source of all information that came from the pre-flood people who built cities, worked with iron and bronze, and played musical instruments.
“Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of all those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. Zillah also bore Tubal-Cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron.” Genesis 4:21-22
Additional proof is provided by the Ben Ben stones taken from the top of pyramids seen here in the Cairo Museum. The Benben sacred stone represents the primeval mound, the first land that appeared from the primeval ocean, called the Nun. It was upon this land that the eight ‘gods’ (OGDOAD) sprang into being; four males and their wives, headed by the chief god ‘Nu’ which is phonetically similar to Noah.
The pyramids were themselves extensions of the Benben. We know this to be a fact linguistically because the Egyptian word for pyramid is bnbn.t which is the female version of the bnbn sacred stone.
This explains the size and shape of the pyramids. They were a constant reminder to the Egyptians of the worldwide flood and the rebirth of the world from the deified eight occupants of Noah’s Ark.
This post will show that Ham, Noah’s third son was the Egyptian God Horus. It is part 1 of a two-part series by Gavin Cox.
One of the most famous and ancient of Egypt’s many deities was Horus, the falcon sun god. In two articles Gavin explore 12 key motifs of the life of Ham (Noah’s third son) drawn from the Genesis text. He then compares them to Horus drawn from Egyptian evidence, concentrating on the oldest evidence first.
Part 1 looks at the following motifs: 1) Ham is 11th from Adam; 2) the etymology of Ham’s name; 3) Ham came from a family of eight, and 4) Ham is the youngest of three brothers. These comparisons support the thesis that Ham was deified by the pagan Egyptians as Horus.
Egypt is eponymously called “the land of Ham” (Noah’s third son) in the Psalms (105:23, 27; 106:22) and “tents of Ham” (Psalm 78:51). Ham and Mizraim (Ham’s third son) appear together in Psalm 105:23 as designations for Egypt: “… Israel came to Egypt (miṣrāyim); Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham (ḥām).”
‘Mizraim’ is the common name for Egypt throughout Scripture. Ham was a first-hand witness of the Flood, and likely lived to a similar age as his brother Shem (500 years post-Flood, Genesis 11:11). Via Noah’s teaching, Ham knew about creation and the pre-Flood world, a knowledge that he would naturally pass to his descendants. All this became paganized by the Egyptians. Ham’s great post-Flood lifespan, involvement in re-establishing of post-Flood civilization, and knowledge of the pre-Flood world, likely meant he had divine status conferred upon him by the Egyptians.
Twelve key motifs of Ham’s life
Twelve key motifs of Ham’s life extracted from Genesis 5–11 (listed in table 1) will be compared to Horus. If Ham was deified as Horus, then the latter will likely reflect these motifs in some discernible, though paganized way. Article 1 will explore motifs 1–4, Article 2 motifs 5–12.
Both articles will set out to explore these connections, concentrating on the oldest Egyptian textual evidence in each case. Before this, a brief discussion of who Horus was is in order.
Introducing Horus—the falcon-solar deity
Horus is one of Egypt’s oldest and most important deities, attested to from at least the beginning of the Dynastic Period, where the familiar form of the Horus falcon appears on the Narmer Palette (figure 1).
Figure 2. Horus statue in black granite, Temple of Horus, Edfu.
Horus appears in Old Kingdom Pyramid Texts (OK PTs), along with his sons, father, and mother (see part 2). Horus is depicted as a falcon (figure 2) or falcon-headed man, who was considered a creator god, as well as a form of the sun. His father was Osiris/Geb, with a notable brother, Seth. Much could be written regarding Horus; however, my two articles will be limited to a discussion of Horus’s possible connection to Ham, Noah’s third son.
Eleventh from Adam: Ham cf. Horus
The Genesis 5:1-32 chronogenealogies place Ham (with his brothers) 11th from Adam. Can a similar chronological relationship be discerned in Egyptian mythology, regarding Horus?
Gavin’s previous article made the case that Atum is the Egyptians’ paganized memory of Adam. Although the Ennead was considered a unified group (typically of nine), evidence suggests (e.g. PT-600§1655), that they were simultaneously considered consecutive offspring of Atum.4 All had long life spans like Noah’s sons.
Like biblical Ham, Horus is synonymous with concepts of; a) (physical) “violence” (tkk); b) (earthy) “blackness” (km)/“darkness” (kk)/“twilight” jḫḫ.w; and c) (sun’s) “heat” (bḫḫ.w).
Family of eight—Horus cf. Ham
Genesis (6:18, etc.) informs us that Ham belonged to a family of eight—comprising four males and their wives. Ancient Egypt had a group of eight gods—comprising of four males and their wives (the Ogdoad) whose names (see later) appear in OK PTs. In previous articles,25 I concluded this group represented the paganized memory of Noah’s family. The question to be asked is, if Horus is the deified Ham, is he also connected to a family of eight? The evidence presented below suggests he was. Specifically, the Ogdoad, whose names include the couple Kek and Keket (kk and kk.t).11
Like the semantic meaning of Ham, as discussed above, Horus is also connected by similar concepts: “attacker” (tkk), “darkness/twilight” (kk, jḫḫ.w) and phonetically similar bḫḫ.w “heat”. Ogdoad kk can be understood semantically from words containing the phonetic root kk, (compare ḫḫ). Thus, a shared semantic range exists between biblical Ham, Horus, and Ogdoad couple kk(.t).
Additional textual and pictorial evidence connecting Horus to the Ogdoad comes from the Hunefer BOD vignette. As Ham came from Noah’s family of eight, Horus also comes from a group of eight gods.
Scripture states Noah had three sons: Ham “his youngest” (Genesis 9:24) and “Shem … brother of Japheth the elder” (Genesis 10:21 YLT). Here Scripture employs the adjective: קָטָן (qāṭān) HALLOT-8338 ‘small, youngest’ to describe Ham. Can similar relationships be discerned in Horus’s family? The following evidence suggests this is so.
Horus had a brother, Seth, (both sons of Osiris) with whom he struggled violently for political dominion (see part 2, motif 8). A closely aligned god called Thoth is described as a brother of either Seth, or Horus in the PTs, and one example in the Coffin Texts of Horus, Seth, and Thoth being described as brothers. In BOD, Thoth shares the same father (Osiris) as Horus and Seth. When these examples are considered, then Horus is comparable to Ham in having two other brothers, and himself being described as the ‘youngest’.
Conclusion
This article has looked at four motifs from Ham’s life and compared them to Horus, the Egyptian falcon sun-deity. We have found positive connections in the following areas: motif 1. Ham was 11th from Adam. The case can be made that Horus is 11th from Atum when Osiris as the fatherly bystander is included from evidence in PTs regarding the Great Ennead. Motif 2. The etymology of Ham’s name includes concepts of (physical) “violence”, (earthy) “blackness/darkness”, and (sun’s) “heat”. These concepts compare favourably with divine epithets of Horus. Motif 3. Ham came from a family of 8—four males and their wives. The case is made here that Horus ascended from the Ogdoad, who are four males and their wives. Specifically, Horus is connected to Ogdoad member kk (darkness) in which case kk follows the natural ascension of darkness to light, to transform into Horus as the sun. Motif 4. Ham was the youngest of three brothers, Shem, and Japheth. The case can be made that Horus is the “child” who has a notable brother, Seth, and closely aligned to Thoth, another brother-(like) god. The connections are intriguing and so merit further study. Part 2 will analyze motifs 5–12.
The history of the world that is taught to our children in schools and universities is made up, based on the presupposition that the world evolved from pond scum. God told us in advance that the world would deny the truth about His world so that we can know He is in total control of all history from its watery beginning to its fiery end.
“I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”2 Peter 3:1-7
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20
This scripture reveals why God pours out His wrath, and on whom it is poured, the ungodly. Moreover, God poured out His wrath once before on this earth and destroyed all mankind except Noah’s family of eight people. Despite the evidence of billions of dead things preserved in the rocks and abundant fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas which could only have been formed due to catastrophic burial by fast-flowing water, still the world denies it ever happened. God knew they would and he had Peter prophesy that this is what they would do two thousand years beforehand.
“I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these, the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” 2 Peter 3:1-7
In all of the 1800+ Bible prophecies of Jesus’ Second coming to earth, one of the prominent ones is that Jesus told us that the world will be like it was before God poured out His wrath on earth for the first time with Noah’s worldwide flood.
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:36-39
“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”Matthew 24:30-31
“For the Lord, himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Concerning The Fear of the Lord, God has spoken to the Timothy 2 Team (www.Timothy2.org) in this way: “The Fear of the Lord has all but left My Church. It must return if the ‘Church’ is to stand. It must return if the ‘Church’ is to make a difference. I am about to judge My ‘Church’, and the first thing that will be judged is the lack of The Fear of the Lord!”
The Dictionary says: “Fear: Awe or reverence for God, to have reverential regard for, as to fear the Lord.” The Bible says: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil….” Proverbs 8:13 “…by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.” Proverbs 16:6 “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech, I hate. Proverbs 8:13 “He that walks in his uprightness fears the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despises him.” Proverbs 14:2 “Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”Proverbs 3:7 “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job 28:28
Each of us must ask ourselves this question: Do I really hate evil; have I really departed from evil, or is there a compromise in my own life? Have I allowed the values of the world to become my values? When I discover evil in my own life, do I confront it and get rid of it, or do I make excuses for it? Do I encourage purity and The Fear of the Lord in the lives of those for whom I am responsible to teach and disciple? These are very serious questions. We cannot be in bed with evil and claim to fear the Lord.
The Lord has commanded in Leviticus 19:2 “You shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.” But the only way that we can live an untainted life in a world filled with darkness is by walking in the Fear of the Lord. It is “The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord” that produces holy and righteous living in us. Also, it is through the Fear of the Lord that we gain access to an intimate relationship with God: Psalms 24:3-4 “Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart…” Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?Deuteronomy 10:12-13
“You shall not fear other gods, but you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”2 Kings 17:39
“The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.Psalms 19:8-9
What tremendous blessings are in store for those who choose to walk in the Fear of the Lord!
“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in thefear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.” Isaiah 11:2-3
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13
Note the six attributes of the Spirit of the Lord (Holy Spirit) given by Isaiah: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, and the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. The seventh attribute is given by Jesus in the N.T., the Spirit oftruth. When the Bible speaks of the Seven Spirits of God it is referring to these seven attributes.
God the Holy Spirit is also known as “The Seven Spirits of God”. (Revelation 1:4, 5) Since there is only ‘one’ Holy Spirit, God shows us that the “Seven Spirits” are actually seven ‘Attributes’ of the Holy Spirit.
When we are born again Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity to indwell our spirit which was God’s plan from the beginning: Proverbs 20:27 says: “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,“, Our spirit is the lamp of the Lord which requires oil, the Holy Spirit, to function properly. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, the Holy Spirit departed their spirits immediately so they died spiritually and then died physically some nine hundred years later.
As we have just covered, the primary attribute of the Holy Spirit is Fear of the Lord. Now that the Holy Spirit has been restored to our spirit as our Counsellor, Teacher and Comforter, all seven attributes of the Holy Spirit are available to us.
“The Seven Spirits of God” are made available to us through the ‘Fullness’ of the Holy Spirit. This is not to be confused with the ‘Charisma Gifts’ or the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’. Rather it is walking in the ‘Fullness’ of “The Seven Spirits of God”.
EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO FEARED THE LORD
ABRAHAM: “He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now, I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”Genesis 22:12
HEBREW MIDWIVES OF MOSES TIME Read Exodus 1:15-21 for the full story. “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.” Exodus 1:17
ISRAEL “And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord,and his servant Moses.” Exodus 14:31
“And he [Saul] took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.” 1 Samuel 11:7, see 1 Samuel 11:1-7
THE EARLY CHURCH
“And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.” Acts 2:43 “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.Acts 9:31
BLESSINGS FOR THOSE THAT FEAR THE LORD
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! Psalms 34:9The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,” Psalms 25:14 “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” Psalms 103:11 “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” Psalms 147:11 “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.” Psalms 33:18 “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” Psalms 103:13 “And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.” Luke1:50 “O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” Psalms 34:9 “He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.” Psalms 145:19 “Surely his salvation is near to them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.” Psalms 85:9 “The fear of the Lord leads to life: and he that has it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.” Proverbs 19:23 “The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear him, and delivers them.” Psalms 34:7 “You that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.” Psalms 115:11 “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” Proverbs 14:26-27 “The fear of the Lord prolongs days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.” Proverbs 10:27 “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.” Proverbs 22:4 “Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.” Proverbs 15:16 “Oh, how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for them that fear you; which you have wrought for them that trust in you before the sons of men!” Psalms 31:19 “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord; that walks in his ways. For you shall eat the labour of your hands: happy shall you be, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house: your children like olive plants round your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that fears the Lord. The Lord shall bless you out of Zion: and you shall see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, you shall see thy children’s children, and peace be upon Israel.” Psalms 128:1-6My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:2-5
There are more, many more perhaps I will do another post on the Fear of the Lord.
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 