Ken Hart's Bible Study Guides for 1st Qtr 2013

ORIGINS

Contents

Lesson #1 for January 5, 2013: Jesus, Creator of Heaven and Earth

Lesson #2 for January 12, 2013 Creation, Forming the World

Lesson #3 for January 19, 2013 Origins The Creation Completed

Lesson #4 for January 26, 2013 Origins Creation, A Biblical Theme

Lesson #5 for February 2, 2013 Origins: Creation and Morality

Lesson #6 for February 9, 2013 Orgins: Creation and the Fall

Lesson #7 for February 16, 2013 Origins: Through a Glass, Darkly

Lesson #8 for February 23, 2013 Jesus: Provider and Sustainer

Lesson #9 for March 2, 2013 Marriage: A Gift from Heaven

Lesson #10 for March 9, 2013 Stewardship and the Environment

Lesson #11 for March 16, 2013 Sabbath: A Gift from Eden

Lesson #12 for March 23, 2013 Origins Creation and the Gospel

Lesson #13 for March 30, 2013 Creation, Again Origins

Appendix

Great Controversy in Scriptures

SOME QUOTATIONS FROM ELLEN WHITE REGARDING --THE PLAN OF SALVATION IN THE SETTING OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY

Origins

Jesus, Creator of Heaven and Earth

Lesson #1 for January 5, 2013

Scriptures: [Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3; Psalm 19:1-3; John 1:1-3,14; Colossians 1:15,16; John 2:7-11.][1]

1.    Read Genesis 1:1[2]. What is implied by this verse? Is it true that something that is created is always lesser than or inferior to the Thing which created it? Therefore, is God greater than the universe? Does He actually exist in every part of the universe at one time? Is the God that you worship and have come to understand from the biblical narrative greater than the universe?

2.    Human beings have created massive and powerful things out of other things. Are human beings greater than nuclear weapons? Pyramids? Massive buildings? Space shuttles? Can any of those things move on their own? Can they reproduce?

3.    God who is capable of existing in every part of the universe at the same time must be incredibly powerful and great. Why would He care about our little planet-the one spot of sin in the universe? Why would He condense Himself into the body of a baby boy and live the life which He did, dying that awful death at the end when He could have instantly just eliminated our world and started over? How is/was God’s creation related to His redemptive activities?

4.    A careful reading of Isaiah 40-55[3] teaches us that there are two identifying marks of the true God: 1) His ability to create out of nothing, (Psalms 33:6,9)[4] and Psalms 2[5]) His ability to predict the future far in advance. (Daniel 2,7,8,9)[6] Is it any surprise that since Satan cannot do either of those things, he has done everything possible to attack the record of God’s creation in Genesis 1-11[7] and God’s predictions of the future far in advance-especially those in the book of Daniel? Genesis and Daniel have been attacked more than any other books in the Bible.

5.    What are the implications of the fact that our Creator God has taken such personal responsibility for us even in our sins? Did He really need to come and die because a relatively small group of individuals living on this small blue marble of a planet rebelled against Him?

6.    Even the angels were surprised and amazed that God would do such a thing. The heavenly intelligences were prepared for a fearful manifestation of Almighty power. Every move was watched with intense anxiety. The exercise of justice was expected. The angels looked for God to punish the inhabitants of the earth...The heavenly universe was amazed at God’s patience and love. To save fallen humanity the Son of God took humanity upon Himself. Review and Herald, July 17, 1900; (4RH 201:1:4-201:2:1) Compare Desire of Ages 37[8]

7.    One of the major challenges of this series of lessons is to look seriously at the two major explanations for origins. Fiat (the ability to command something to happen and it does happen) or divine creation versus the Big Bang and evolution. We will look at four aspects of this question as we move along. There are: 1) Arguments in favor of a divine creation; 2) Arguments against a divine creation; 3) Arguments in favor of the Big-Bang-evolution; 4) Arguments against a Big-Bang-evolution.

8.    It was not until the days of Charles Darwin that it was even possible to suggest that there might have been a mechanism for the origin of our species other than divine fiat creation. It was not until late in the 20th century when the Big Bang theory began to be propounded that there was any other possible explanation for the origin of the universe. However, as a result of a lot of astronomical studies-particularly from the Hubble space telescope-the evidence that the universe had a beginning has become so powerful that virtually all scientists accept it. This is based on the fact that the universe is expanding. So, it must have had a start.

9.    What are the implications of saying that the universe had a beginning? Often, those who reject the idea of God as Creator have tried to mock Christians asking where God came from. But, that question can be thrown back at them in this form: If God does not exist as Creator, then where did the Big Bang come from? Neither creationists nor Big-Bang evolutionists have an ultimate answer to either of those questions. We just do not know.

10.    Read Hebrews 11:3[9]. As creationists, we believe that God created our entire universe ex nihilo. Ex nihilo means “out of nothing.” The story is told of an evolutionists who challenged God. So, one day, God spoke to him saying: “You believe that it is possible to produce life in all its forms through the processes of evolution and survival of the fittest. Could you show me how that works? Can you create anything at all through that process?” The scientist smiled and said, “Let me show you.” He reached down and grabbed a handful of dirt and started off toward his laboratory. Then God said, “Wait! Hold on just a minute! Get your own dirt!”

11.    Einstein is credited with putting together or discovering the famous formula, E=MC^2. This formula suggests that it takes an enormous amount of energy to produce even a small amount of matter. As human beings, we have partially proven this theory by the production of bombs which use nuclear fusion and/or fission and electricity from nuclear reactions. By very complicated nuclear reactions, we have been able to destroy a small amount of matter and produced enormous amounts of energy in a destructive form. But, in the creative process, God took enormous amounts of energy and produced matter. Only God knows how to reverse that E=MC^2 equation.

12.    Read Romans 4:17[10]. Scan through Isaiah 40-55.{footnote link in paragraph 4 above} Do you believe and accept the idea that only God could create our universe? Do we believe that He created it out of nothing?

13.    Read Psalm 19:1-3[11] and Romans 1:19,20[12]. Is it clear to you that God can be seen through what He has made? Do you get a clear picture of God from what you see in nature?

14.    Scientists have become more and more sophisticated in their study of nature. All scientists work with the same data. Creationists interpret it one way, evolutionists another. They have demonstrated that all matter as we know it is made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. These subatomic particles are put together in a marvelously balanced way, or we could not exist. There must be an attraction and a repulsion of the sub-atomic particles in order for them to exist. And those two forces must be very carefully balanced. If the attractive forces were too strong, only large atoms could form; there would be no hydrogen. Of course, without hydrogen there would be no water and no possibility for life as we know it. If the repulsive forces within atoms were too strong as compared to the attractive forces, only small atoms could form. There would be no oxygen or carbon. Once again, no life would be possible.

15.    But, the attractive and repulsive forces within atoms are only part of the story. When atoms are put together as molecules, they also have attractions and repulsions. Otherwise, it would be impossible for atoms to react together through chemical processes to make other substances. This balance of forces is so remarkable that many scientists have admitted that there must be an Intelligent Design and an intelligent Being behind the design.

16.    A recent survey of science has suggested that there are at least 49 such exactly balanced forces-or else, life could not exist.

17.    The possibility that this did or could have happened by accident is astronomically small.

18.    Life as we know it on this small blue planet is dependent on temperature, distance from the sun, the tilt of the earth, the speed of our rotation, the composition of our atmosphere, and the nature of water in addition to many other factors that make it virtually impossible that it could have happened by accident. Think of all the trouble God went through to design a planet just suited for us.

19.    Read Jeremiah 51:15,16[13] and Psalm 33:6,9[14]. In addition to the incredible wisdom required to put together a world like ours-not to mention the universe-God also had to have incredible power to do it. He created merely by speaking. For example, look at water. Like other molecules, as water cools from steam to liquid and down to 4°C, it occupies progressively less space; it becomes more dense. However, as it freezes to solid ice, it expands so that ice floats, unlike other substances in which the frozen or solid form is even more dense than liquid and sinks. Fortunately, for a small range of temperatures from 4°C down to water’s freezing point at 0°C, instead of shrinking water expands before it forms into crystalline ice. Because of this very unusual characteristic of water, cold but non-freezing water sinks to the bottom and ice floats, and the coldest water is not on the bottom. If these unusual features of water were not true, ice would sink to the bottom of oceans and lakes and be covered by almost freezing water; and quickly, those bodies of water would freeze over from the bottom and may stay frozen, perhaps all year or longer, and life here on Earth would be impossible.

20.    Our atmosphere is made of 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. There are also a number of other elements and molecules present in very small quantities. When lightning occurs in connection with rain, the powerful electric forces in the lightning break apart a lot of nitrogen and oxygen molecules. Many of those free nitrogen and oxygen atoms combine and produce millions of tons of fertilizer every year. Far more fertilizer is produced by lightning than by all the fertilizer factories in the world. If this were not true, the ground would long since have lost its fertility; life as we know it could not exist. Who do you suppose figured that out!

21.    The story goes on and on. God created every form of energy, matter, fuel, the stars, and galaxies. He created the laws that control all of nature including gravity.

22.    This is one point that many scientists choose to overlook or ignore. The truth is that God created not only nature but all the laws of nature. He is the one who makes all things work as they do according to natural or really supernatural processes. So, when studying nature, scientists are really studying God’s laws. But, God is not limited by the laws of nature that we understand. Without a doubt, there are many laws about which we do not know anything yet. More than that, should He choose to do so, God can enter our world and supernaturally do things outside of natural law.

23.    One of the fundamental laws of nature is the law of conservation of matter and energy. That law states that the total amount of matter and energy in the universe must remain constant. By definition, that law makes creation impossible. But, it also makes the Big Bang impossible!

24.    Is it possible for our feeble intellects to even comprehend all of this? How do we take in the idea that a God who is that big wants us to call Him “Father,” even “Daddy”? (Romans 8:15[15])

25.    Read John 1:1-3,14; Colossians 1:15,16; and Hebrews 1:1,2. These verses make it very, very clear that the God who is/was the Creator of the universe is the same Person who came down to our world and lived as a human being. Try to think of the implications of the God of the universe becoming a tiny little baby boy. While that baby boy was born in a way familiar to us, He had already existed for eternity past as the Creator-God of the entire universe.

26.    We can get a picture of what that God was and is like by our study of Scripture- especially our study of the life of Jesus. Paul called Jesus the “firstborn” of creation. That is not to imply that Jesus was born and did not exist before that. The word prototokos means a “Big Brother” who is the Head of the family. That was an idea very familiar to the Jews in His day.

27.    In light of all of this, how would you answer the question, “What is your God like?” Where would you go for evidence? The answer is the Bible. God chooses to allow us freedom.

28.    Read John 2:7-11; 6:8-13; 9:1-34[16]. John tells us that his Gospel was written specifically to provide the evidence for our faith. (John 20:21)[17] Through these three miracles-1) turning water into wine, 2) feeding some 20,000 people from five loaves and two fish, (Why hadn’t that boy eaten his lunch?) and 3) healing a man born blind-Jesus demonstrated even while here on this earth His creative power. In each case Jesus performed an ex nihilo creation. We might think that creating wine out of water is not so difficult to understand. Grapevines do most of that work every year. Of course, the grapevine needs a lot of other chemicals in addition to water to make its juice. Creating fish and bread is a little more complicated, but we might come to understand, more or less, how that process works. But, think of the incredible creative power Jesus had to exercise to make the man born blind able to see. The occipital portion of his brain had never had the experience of vision-putting together the nerve impulses into patterns that are recognizable. His brain had to be rewired and perhaps his eyes had to be fixed in order for him to see. But, even if the eyes were working and the nerves were working, where did he get the memory to know what he was looking at?

29.    Do we believe that God actually has the power to rewire our brains? Even to instill all the memory patterns necessary for vision to be functional?

30.    These miracles might stimulate faith in our thinking. But, there is a danger in making miracles the main basis for our faith. Television evangelists claim to perform miracles all the time. And then, they teach many things about God which are not true!

31.    God wants us to base our faith on solid evidence that we have carefully evaluated and checked out. See Steps to Christ p. 105.

32.    Ellen White says: “The theory that God did not create matter when He brought the world into existence is without foundation. In the formation of our world, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. [He may have used it, but He was not indebted to it.] On the contrary, all things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, are not only the work of His hand; they came into existence by the breath of His mouth. [Psalm 33:6,9]-Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, pp. 258, 259.

33.    In order to try to explain how humans evolved, scientists have invoked a lot of very lucky accidents called “anthropic coincidences.” In light of all we have studied even briefly in this lesson, is it possible that we are the result of a lot of very lucky coincidences?

34.    There are many Christians who believe that God must somehow have used the processes of evolution in His creative endeavors. If God is as wise and powerful as we believe He is and if He could have created a Big Bang, why not just create the universe as we know it?

35.    How should we respond to all of this information? Should our response be like that of Isaiah’s in Isaiah 6? What makes God, God? If He was indeed the Creator, as we believe, He had to be there before anything else.

36.    If God created everything, does that automatically give Him sovereign rights over everything? Couldn’t a sovereign God who is truly all-powerful have prevented sin? Why didn’t He? Remember that it is His creative power that keeps us alive every day. So, how should we react in the presence of such a God? Awe and worship are the only appropriate responses.

Origins Creation, Forming the World

Lesson #2 for January 12, 2013

Scriptures: [Genesis 1:1-13; Isaiah 45:18; 1 John 1:5; Revelation 22:5; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Peter 3:5; Job 38:4-7.][18]

1.    Our focus for this study will be on the first three days of creation week. This is the period of time some scholars have called the “forming” of the earth.

2.    We have suggested on previous occasions that there are many, many scientific variables that need to be exactly right for life to exist on this earth. Doesn’t that suggest design and purpose? Or, does that suggest accidental evolution? When God decided to create this world, He chose to take seven days to do it. He could have done it in a matter of seconds; but, for the benefit of the beings of the onlooking universe, He did it step-by-step. The first three days were spent forming the earth. The next three days were spent “filling” it. He even created the days.

3.    Many modern Christians with a scientific bent are inclined to believe in “theistic evolution.” They believe that God somehow set things in place; and then, those things gradually evolved. Does this imply that God somehow created things with an inherent purpose built in? The theistic evolutionists would like us to believe that God does not impose His will on us in any way.

4.    So, how would you decide if nature has a built-in “purpose”? Pure evolutionists say everything developed by pure chance. Theistic evolutionists say that God “built in” a purpose; and then, evolution happened. But, few of them seem to know how it actually worked. Of course, creationists believe that God created everything just the way He designed it to be.

5.    Read Genesis 1:1-2[19]. What kind of earth existed here before God began the process of creating our world? From the text, it seems that it was “unformed, unfilled, dark, and wet.” A lot of scientific exploration and billions of dollars have gone into the exploration of the moon and Mars and other planets to try to discover the presence of water. The reason water is so important is that it is impossible to imagine life as we know it without the presence of water. So, what was here before God began the creative process as described in Genesis 1[20]?

6.    Read [Revelation 12:9; Genesis 3:1; Luke 10:18; and John 1:1-3][21]. It should be clear that Satan was here on this earth in the Garden of Eden to tempt Eve almost immediately after human beings were created. He must have been here before this world was created. Revelation 12:9 suggests that he was cast down from heaven. To what was he cast down?

7.    What other beings were present when God began to create this earth? Read Job 38:4-8[22]. See the handout “The Great Controversy in Scripture” {Go to Table of Contents in this Document to access it immediately with Bible Quotes} on the www.theox.org website at https://www.theox.org/images/images_A2115/GrtContinScripture.pdf

8.    Is it possible that God created the rocks and maybe even the water here on this earth a long time before He created the world as we know it? The Bible does not tell us exactly when the earth as opposed to the world was created. In biblical terminology, the word earth (Greek: gae) means the rock surrounding the ball of molten metal. The world (Greek: cosmos) means the biosphere and the things that live on the surface of this earth. Did God necessarily create the earth and the world at the same time? What covered the earth before God created the earth?

9.    Who were the other beings described in Job 38?[23] Read Job 1:6; 2:1[24]. There are apparently other beings living on other worlds throughout the universe. We do not know if they live on worlds suitable for our habitation or not. It is possible that there are different kinds of beings living in very different kinds of worlds. We must not limit God’s creative ability in any way.

10.    One thing is very clear: God made our world to be inhabited by beings like us. (Isaiah 45:18)[25] Clearly, God stated that the earth, before He began His work with it, was unfit for habitation. It is important for us to recognize that even if the earth was created long before this world, God was not in any way dependent upon pre-existing matter in His creative process. (8T 258.4 (1904); MH 414.3; FLB 24.3) It is possible that God used some matter that He had previously created when He made our world or just possible that He created entirely new matter. In either case, it was matter that He Himself had created at one time or another.

11.    Read Genesis 1:3-5[26]. What do you think happened when God said, “Let there be light”?

12.    It should be clear that the creation of our world was not the first “light” that had been seen or created. If there was no light, that would suggest that there were no previous stars, suns, or even God Himself. [(John 1:4-8; 8:12; 9:5; Revelation 22:5)][27] Of course, we understand that God is not necessarily dependent on our particular spectrum of light to lighten other places in the universe. We know that other stars and nebulae emit energy in other wavelengths that our eyes cannot see; but, it is possible that there are other beings who can see those wavelengths. Could it be that the creation of “light” might mean that God either started our earth spinning so we would have a day and night cycle, thus producing “light” for the formerly dark side of the earth for the first time, or that it was at this time that God was preparing to make a group of creatures with eyes that are sensitive to this particular wavelength? Our eyes are only sensitive to approximately one “octave” of wavelength. Our moon does not spin relative to our earth; the heavier side always faces our earth.

13.    Since it is quite clear that life was not created for the first time when our earth was created, what is the meaning of these verses? The day and the night as we know them are created by the spin of our earth. Is it possible that God set our earth spinning at that point in time, thus creating day and night? Clearly, God named light “day” and darkness “night”; thus implying that since He created them, He is in charge of them.

14.    Anyone who has stood outside on a clear night realizes that there are many other sources of light besides our sun. It is possible that this earth was surrounded by thick clouds before God began His creative action here. In many places God Himself is described as light. [(1 John 1:5; Revelation 21:23; 22:5[28])] There are some other possible explanations for those words as well.

15.    Read Genesis 1:6-8[29]. What is a “firmament” or an “expanse”? The ancient peoples to whom Moses was writing could not comprehend the idea that something could sit in space without being held up or supported by something solid. Thus, they believed that there must be some kind of solid substance out there in space holding up the stars and even the birds.

16.    What was actually created on the second day? It seems clear that it was our atmosphere. The word firmament comes from the word raqia and means “to stamp out” or “pound into a thin sheet” often referring to metal which is pounded thin to cover another substance such as an idol. [(Exodus 39:3; Isaiah 40:19; Jeremiah 10:9; and Numbers 16:39)][30] The idea is that God spread out a thin (17 km at the equator and 7 km at the poles) “expanse” of air/atmosphere to cover our earth. According to their ancient beliefs, it was to provide some means of “supporting” the things that were out there: from the birds in the air to the astronomical bodies in space.

17.    It is clear that God proceeded very methodically in His creation process. He left nothing to chance. Step-by-step He began with the most basic of elements and produced our world. Once again, we see a clear design and purpose in everything that God does.

18.    Read Genesis 1:9-13[31]. From these verses it seems clear that originally our world was completely covered with water. On the third day, God raised up continents and deepened other areas on this earth to contain the runoff water. Thus, God produced the third division in His creative process. The first division was between light and darkness, the second between water above and water below, and the third between dry land and seas. Once again, we find that God “named” everything He produced. What does named imply?

19.    On the third day, God not only created the dry ground but also the green grass, the herbs, the fruit trees, the decorative trees, and presumably all vegetable and plant life on that same day.

These were to be sources of food for the creatures He was later going to create.

20.    When studying the layers of the earth, geologists notice that below the Cambrian layer there are almost no forms of life. Then suddenly, above that level there are many kinds of life. What do you think? Considering: 1) all the different fossil forms that have been discovered, and 2) the fact that even today certain species of animals and plants are disappearing from our planet, were there more differences in life forms back in the beginning? Or, are there more differences in life forms today? Many species are disappearing from our earth today. That contradicts evolution.

21.    Even from the very lowest layers in the geologic column or from the earliest times in history, we see an incredible diversity of life forms. That is not a picture suggesting a single ancestor giving rise to several different forms which eventually led to more forms. For example, does it even make common sense to believe that the incredible variety of fruits and vegetables happened by chance?

22.    Try to imagine the variety of fruits that must have been available to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. How did they decide what to eat? Remember that vegetables were not added to their diet until they were outside the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:18) When Adam and Eve were required to leave the Garden of Eden, what did they eat? Did the necessary plants just suddenly appear in the territory around them? Were those plants mature and ready to be eaten? Was this a completely new diet? Or, did Adam and Eve carry with them seeds from the Garden of Eden?

23.    Whatever happened-and we hope one day to see the whole history in 3-D living color—it is clear that all was created by God’s omnipotent power. He spoke and it happened. [(2 Corinthians 4:6; Psalms 33:6,9; and Isaiah 55:11)][32]

24.    Even in the New Testament, there are many references to the history of creation. Read 2 Peter 3:5[33]. Those who choose to believe an evolutionary explanation for the origins of things on this earth have to deny the clear testimony of Scripture from beginning to end.

25.    There are many cultures around the world that have creation stories of various kinds. But, the biblical account as written down by Hebrew prophets is the only one where God simply spoke and it happened without any violence or resistance. Does it seem logical to you that a God of love and kindness and grace and peace would choose to create our world through violence and conflict as suggested by the non-biblical accounts?

26.    The Bible clearly teaches that death is the result of sin. [(Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23)][34] How could that be true if God’s means of creating our world was through competition, elimination of the weak by the strong, and all the death and suffering that are part of the evolutionary process? It is really not feasible to harmonize the teachings of the Bible with evolutionary theory.

27.    If possible, look again at the handout “The Great Controversy in Scripture” for plenty of evidence that many parts of our universe including intelligent beings from other areas of the universe existed before our world was created. Satan is the one who brought conflict, sin, death, and trouble to our planet. For those of us who understand the great controversy as presented in Scripture, it is possible to explain the existence of an evil world despite having a good God.

28.    However, the Earth as originally created was not tainted by evil in any way. As the earth came forth from the hand of its Maker, it was exceedingly beautiful. Its surface was diversified with mountains, hills, and plains, interspersed with noble rivers and lovely lakes; but the hills and mountains were not abrupt and rugged, abounding in terrific steeps and frightful chasms, as they now do; the sharp, ragged edges of earth’s rocky framework were buried beneath the fruitful soil, which everywhere produced a luxuriant growth of verdure. There were no loathsome swamps or barren deserts. Graceful shrubs and delicate flowers greeted the eye at every turn. The heights were crowned with trees more majestic than any that now exist. The air, untainted by foul miasma, was clear and healthful. The entire landscape outvied in beauty the decorated grounds of the proudest palace. The angelic host viewed the scene with delight, and rejoiced at the wonderful works of God.-Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 44.

29.    Many of a scientific bent in our generation make fun of Genesis 1-11[35] because they say it is too simplistic. I would like to pose a question to those who think like that. Suppose theoretically that God miraculously gave Moses a full knowledge of all the scientific information that we now know and even more details about the steps God went through in creating our world. Moses lived at a time when the first alphabet had just been created. Language was very simple. Even if Moses understood how God had done each step in the creative process, it would have been impossible for him to tell anyone! We must remember that everything that was written was written in context. That is the primary determinant of how it was written.

30.    Does the orderliness of the creative process tell us anything about God’s plans for our lives even today? Can we understand God’s plan for our lives today?

31.    Instead of creating millions or even billions of human beings to fill this earth, God created one male and one female. He instructed them to multiply and fill the earth. What does that teach us about God’s plan for human families. Does your understanding of the creation story impact your life today in any significant way?

32.    Apparently, Charles Darwin got his initial idea about the evolutionary process from his visit to the Galapagos Islands. After a careful study of what actually happened on the Galapagos, David L. Hall stated: “The God of the Galapagos is careless, wasteful, indifferent, almost diabolical. This is not the sort of God to whom anyone would be inclined to pray.”

33.    Are there any limits on God’s creative power? Does God limit His creative power in order to allow us human freedom? Does God always respect our freedom? Are there times when God finds it necessary to violate human freedom? Has He ever done that? What about the flood? What about the firstborn in Egypt?

34.    Some would suggest that while God has the power to create, He is so limited by His desire to allow freedom that we, in effect, are given the power to self-create and self-determine. Can you find support for this idea in Scripture?

35.    One other fairly old idea is the theory described as deism. Deism suggests that God created everything long ago like winding up a clock and then set it going on its own. Deists say that after that initial experience, God has had little to do with events here on this earth.

36.    What would be the point of praying to a God who had turned over His responsibilities for this earth to those who live here?

37.    We believe in a God who hears and answers prayer. That presupposes a God who cares and who is willing to intervene when necessary in the events of earth. Would you want to be saved and taken to heaven if God were capricious and untrustworthy? If God chose to create as theistic evolutionists say, He did so through the use of violence and death. Would that make you want to love Him more? Would a Sabbath day’s rest in celebration of creation have been meaningful if we were celebrating violence and death in a long-term evolutionary process? Would it be fair to God for God to condemn us for exercising violence if that is one of His chief means of creating?

Origins The Creation Completed

Lesson #3 for January 19, 2013

Scriptures: [Genesis 1; Psalms 8:3; Romans 8:19-22; Leviticus 11:14-22; Genesis 2:1-3; Mark 2:27, 28.][36]

1.    In last week’s lesson, we talked about the formation of our world. (Days 1-3) In this week’s lesson, we talk about how God filled the world with living creatures and then rested. (Days 4-7)

2.    As we all know, there is no astronomical or other scientific basis for the seven-day week. Basically, months follow the phases of the moon. One year is the time for Earth to orbit around the sun. Individual days are determined by the spinning of Earth. But, there is no astronomical basis for our week. Why did God choose to make a seven-day cycle and call it a week? The Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20 makes it clear that God intended for six days to be set aside for human labor, but the seventh day was to be preserved as a rest day and a day of celebration in worship of God. Had the Sabbath been universally kept, man’s thoughts and affections would have been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and worship, and there would never have been an idolater, an atheist, or an infidel. (GC 437.2)

3.    Even before we were created, God recognized that man would need this time of rest and time for building a relationship with Him. (Mark 2:27,28)[37] How does He exercise that Lordship? Once again, we notice that God carefully worked everything out to meet our needs.

4.    Read Genesis 1:14-19[38]. Did God really create the sun, the moon, and the stars on the fourth day? As we suggested last week, days one through three were in preparation for days four to six. If light was created on the first day, what was the source of that light? The common sources of light for our world today are the sun, the moon, and the stars. More than that, there is a special challenge for those who want to make each “day” into a long period of time. If plants were created on the third day but the sun and the moon were not created until the fourth “day,” what sort of light sustained those plants for the proposed long periods of time until the fourth “day”? Furthermore, what was the basis for the evenings and mornings of the first three days if the sun was not created until the fourth day? Unfortunately, we have no independent observer to answer these questions for us. We have already mentioned that God is Light. (Revelation 21:23)[39] Perhaps God’s presence during the light time of the day provided the light for the first three days. Another possibility is that on the fourth day, God assigned their major functions to the sun, the moon, and the stars. (Psalm 8:3)[40] Hebrew scholars such as C. John Collins say that the wording of Genesis 1:14 could allow for either of these possibilities. (See C. John Collins, Genesis 1-4: A Linguistic, Literary, and Theological Commentary [Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P&R Publishing Company., 2006], p. 57.)

5.    A third possibility that might be easier to understand is that the sun and the moon were already in existence, but they were obscured by clouds or possibly volcanic dust and were not fully visible until the fourth day.

6.    Are we willing to live with the idea that we do not know all the answers? Think of all the scientific mysteries present even today for which we do not have complete answers. We do not throw out science just because we do not have all the answers! We should not throw out the Bible just because it does not give all the answers.

7.    Read Genesis 1:20-23[41]. Once again, we notice a very orderly, precise description of the creation process. Nothing was left to chance. We also notice that the events of day two seem to be clearly in preparation for these events on day five. It is important to notice in this narrative that both the water creatures and the creatures of the air were created in plurality. There is nothing at all to suggest that originally there was only a single individual or pair of creatures which gave rise to many different types later. It is interesting to notice that whatever form those original creatures were created in, they had the capacity to produce many variations down through the years through microevolution. Consider all the different types of dogs that have been developed. There are more than 400 named breeds of pigeons. There are thousands of different types of dogs. There are 27 breeds of goldfish. Clearly, God made provision for a variety of creatures.

8.    While evolutionists suggest that the first creatures developed in the sea and finally crawled out onto dry land as amphibians and later developed into reptiles and birds, we note that birds have a number of amazing adaptations that are not seen in any other creatures. Bird feathers are lightweight and strong; stiff, yet flexible. The individual portions of each feather are held together by tiny barbs that brace the feather. Lungs of birds were designed for very rapid intake of oxygen. Even their bones have air sacs which can provide additional surface areas for absorption of oxygen. And at the same time, birds have bones much lighter than land animals’ bones, and that makes them so that they can fly. Does that suggest an evolutionary origin?

9.    Read Genesis 1:24-31[42]. Land animals and humans were created on the sixth day. Once again, we notice that the land created on the third day with its vegetation provides for creatures which were created on the sixth day (and for the birds created on the fifth day). We also notice that just as God created a variety of forms on the fifth day, He created animal life: domestic and wild, large and small on the sixth day. And each of those creatures was clearly capable of producing a variety of offspring.

10.    One of the expressions in Genesis 1 that has created considerable discussion is the expression “according to their kind.” (Genesis 1:11,21,24-25)[43] This has often been explained as a description of fixed “kinds,” perhaps genuses according to our modern scientific taxonomy. In ancient Greek philosophy, it was believed that God originally created “types” as a non-changing ideal. Each individual would then be an imperfect expression of that original “type.” But, that is clearly not consistent with what we read in Scripture. For example, there were the results of sin. Romans 8:19-22[44] and Ellen White talk about the threefold curse on the earth as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin, then Cain’s murder of Abel, and then the flood. (4SG 121; 1BC 1085.6) Were the parasites and predators which cause so much suffering and violence in our world today present in their current form back at creation? Have lions always been carnivores?

11.    Read [Genesis 6:20; 7:14; and Leviticus 11:14-22][45]. These verses can help us to understand that kinds as used in the writings of Moses to mean something more like “groups.” What were created on the sixth day were a wide variety of creatures, each with pluripotentiality.

12.    Human beings were also created on the sixth day. Later, we will study the detailed accounts of the creation of Adam and Eve.

13.    The entire sequence was then followed by a day of rest. Of course, God did not rest because He was tired. Rather, He rested because He was finished with His work. The Hebrew word used for rest is Shabath which, of course, is the word from which we derive our word Sabbath. God set aside and blessed this seventh day because He intended for it to be a continuous time of celebration with His children. In this context, it is important to notice that the Sabbath was made for us (Mark 2:27,28[46]) and not because God had some special need. This should be immediately obvious from the fact that our particular seven-day cycle and each individual day are determined by our relationship to our sun and not related to any other astronomical phenomenon in any other part of the universe that we know about. Additionally, Sabbath was man’s second day.

14.    God not only set aside the Sabbath as a memorial of creation but also later added many more reasons for us to celebrate on that day. The Sabbath also was to be a celebration of freedom from slavery; (Deuteronomy 5:15[47]) celebration of God’s plan of salvation signified by the death of Jesus and His resting in the grave over the Sabbath (Luke 23:56[48]); and finally, celebration of or anticipation of our future home in heaven and the new earth where we will continue to worship on the Sabbath. (Isaiah 66:23[49]) How would God like us to celebrate all of that?

15.    Read Genesis 1:5,8,31[50]. One of the biggest questions that has been raised about the events of creation in recent times is the issue about how long were each of those “days.” There is nothing in the original text to suggest that those days were anything different from the 24-hour days that we have today. There was evening, the dark part of the day, and morning, the light part of the day. They made up each 24-hour period. If we really believe that God is omnipotent and that He could have created our world with the snap of His fingers, why do we have a problem with His creating what He did on each day of creation week? Surely, in the brief space of the creation account in Genesis 1, the repeated use of the expression “there was evening and there was morning” should teach us that these were ordinary 24-hour days.

16.    Read Leviticus 23:3[51]. Such verses as this should emphasize and reinforced the idea that they were days of standard, ordinary length. There is no evidence that the ancient Hebrews had any question about those seven days of creation week being anything other than days of ordinary length. Even many scholars who question other aspects of the creation account will admit that the wording in Genesis 1 implies literal days.

17.    So, how should we deal with the wording of Genesis 1[52]? If we feel confident in dismissing the obvious meaning of the wording, what are we implying? Are we suggesting that our knowledge and our wisdom take precedence over God’s Word?

18.    Read [Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8[53]]. These passages suggest that time is no limitation for God. One day in His sight could just as well be a thousand years. These verses have nothing to do with Genesis 1 and certainly do not help those who think that billions of years were needed for the evolutionary process!

19.    If those six days of creation week were, in actual fact, long time periods, then we should see in the fossil record a matching succession. The first fossils should be plants, then there should be fossils of water animals and air animals, and finally, we should find land animals. But, this is not the sequence we see in the rocks. Water creatures come before plants. Land creatures come before air creatures. The fossils of fruit trees and other flowering plants come after these others. The only point of similarity in the sequences is that humans appear last in both accounts.

Of each successive day of creation, the Sacred Record declares that it consisted of the evening and the morning, like all other days that have followed.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 112.

But the infidel supposition, that the events of the first week required seven vast, indefinite periods for their accomplishment, strikes directly at the foundation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. It makes indefinite and obscure that which God has made very plain. It is the worst kind of infidelity; for with many who profess to believe the record of creation, it is infidelity in disguise.—Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, p. 91.

20.    Even if you believe in some nonliteral interpretation of Genesis 1, it should be clear that in the act of creation, nothing was left to chance. There was no common ancestry of species. Darwinian evolution is in blatant contradiction with Genesis, even at its most basic level.

21.    Remember that science with all its ongoing discoveries and changes in beliefs has only a fallen, sin-polluted world to study. Is that important to remember in our understanding of origins?

22.    Let us try to summarize what we have learned in this lesson. The real issue is one of interpretation. Will we allow Scripture to speak to us in its own terms? Or, are we going to insist that we will reinterpret Scripture in our terms? Evolutionists have created a new “religion.”

23.    There are many examples of modern groups trying to reinterpret Scripture to better fit their own ideas. What does this tell us about their priorities? Let us look at some examples. A large group of Christians have interpreted the biblical terms for fire, hell, eternal, everlasting, and God’s wrath to support the idea of an eternally-burning hell. The truth as supported by many passages in Scripture is very different. Are we going to allow modern understandings of certain words to reinterpret Scripture into something it never intended to say?

24.    As our lesson suggests, reinterpretation has been used to support the idea of Sunday sacredness. Once again, the Bible is clear if we read it while interpreting Scripture using only other Scripture.

25.    Anyone who has seriously looked at modern science realizes that it is continually in flux and change. Some new discovery comes out and whole areas of supposed knowledge have to change to account for the new discovery. What does that tell us about the permanency of scientific knowledge? By contrast, the Bible says that God does not change. (Malachi 3:6) His Word, written thousands of years ago, has not changed either. Why is it that we now want to treat God’s Word as flexible and changeable, and many want to treat scientific knowledge as inflexible and permanent? This is directly contradicted by the facts.

26.    So, should we read the Genesis 1 account as a historical, literal account of seven consecutive, contiguous days? Or, should we read it as some allegorical or poetic presentation? Or, something very different?

27.    The first question we should ask is: What did the biblical writers intend by what they wrote? There are two major answers to this question when we look at the Hebrew text.

First, when the Hebrew word for day (yom) appears in the Old Testament with an ordinal number (first, second, et cetera), the combination always depicts a literal day. Additionally, the presence of evening-morning vocabulary in Genesis 1 makes it hard to escape the obvious: the author clearly intended us to read the account as a basic chronological history with real days like the days that we experience now.

Second, there is a Hebrew construction called the “waw consecutive,” which is a hallmark of Hebrew historical narrative. (Waw is a conjunction that is generally the equivalent of “and” or “but” in English. The consecutive waw is used in a story that is reporting sequences of consecutive events in historical narratives.)—Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, Origins, page 38.

28.    There are many stories in the Bible which are regarded as historical narratives. They use the same kind of language when talking about days and sequences that are used in Genesis 1. Hebrew scholars agree that the original intention of Moses was that Genesis 1 be considered as historical narrative.

29.    Look at another example where by their interpretation of Scripture Jews and Christians have turned things upside down. The Bible makes it very clear that sin is deadly. [(Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23)][54] By contrast, God is love; One to be loved. (1 John 4:8,16[55]) Thus, a careful biblical interpretation should lead us to love God and fear sin. But, when we look at the world around us-even the Christian world-what we find is that people love their sins and fear God. How does that happen?

30.    Are we going to allow God to speak to us in His terms, interpreting according to the way He intended? Or, are we going to superimpose our own ideas as more valid than the literal, historical narrative of Scripture?

Origins Creation, A Biblical Theme

Lesson #4 for January 26, 2013

Scriptures: [Genesis 2; Matthew 19:4-6; Psalm 8; Job 38:1-21; 42:1-6; Isaiah 45:18; Acts 17:22-31][56].

1.    This lesson will explore how the stories and the events recorded in Genesis 1-4 impacted the rest of Scripture and how later prophets and apostles referred to those Genesis events. Did later Bible writers believe the stories in Genesis 1-4[57]?

2.    As Seventh-day Adventists, we have claimed the three-angels’ messages as our final truth to spread to the world. Notice that the first angel begins with the challenge for us to worship God “who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:6,7[58], NIV)

3.    The Scriptures as we have them today were written over a period of about 1600 years. There is no way that the writers could have collaborated together to try to promote some false teaching. Is it possible that Moses had such an influence on later writers that they quoted him even without believing that what he said was true? If you believe that Genesis 1-11 are nothing more than myth, you must then remove huge sections of the Bible as being unreliable or even untrue. If you claim to believe the Bible, you are committed to believing the Genesis stories. Can we believe history is true even if we cannot repeat it?

4.    Both Bible-believing Christians and evolutionists have the same hard evidence at which to look. Creationists interpret it one way; evolutionists interpret it another way. Never allow an evolutionist to claim that he believes in science and creationists have only faith in an old book, the Bible. What evolutionists believe is their religion. We need to match science with science and match religion with religion. That is the only fair way to compare evidence.

5.    There are many references later in Scripture to Genesis 1:1 -2:3. Some are indirect, (2 Corinthians 4:6[59]) but others are very direct. (Hebrews 4:4[60]) Should it matter to us that Jesus and the biblical prophets and apostles all spoke of creation as a historical fact?

6.    Many modern scholars, skeptics, and theologians believe that the book of Genesis was put together from a number of different sources and edited numerous times to produce the book which we now have. They talk about “E sources” based on the biblical name for God, Elohim. And they talk about “J sources” based on the biblical name Jehovah. They firmly believe that Genesis 1 was written by one author while Genesis 2-especially starting with verse 4-was written by a completely different author, and they believe that those two accounts cannot be fully reconciled with each other. It is interesting to notice in that respect that in Matthew 19:4-6[61] Jesus just puts the two together as if they are one story! Is it even possible that Jesus was just ignorant?

7.    Is it essential in our Christian beliefs to regard all parts of Scripture as equally inspired? Could a passage be “partly inspired”? Could we discount the truthfulness or reality of Genesis 1-11 and still regard the rest of Scripture us fully inspired? Can we chop up Scripture and decide what we will believe and what we will reject?

8.    Read Genesis 2[62]. What are we supposed to learn from this chapter? It states that all living creatures-not just Adam-were made from the soil. (Genesis 2:19[63]) Before God began creating, was there a “drought” on this earth? (Genesis 2:5[64]) Humans were to be in charge of everything else. We were made in God’s image. Adam and Eve were instructed not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The source of our life and the nature of our reality are spelled out. A body formed from the ground, possibly from clay or clods, was then “breathed into life” by the Spirit or breath of God. Thus, human beings began to live.

9.    Look at some other passages in Scripture to see what they might tell us about creation. Psalm 8[65] tells us that God made the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars. He made human beings to be just like Himself and to rule over the earth. As a result, all of us are to worship Him.

10.    Read Psalm 104[66]. Notice that the author not only mentioned many of the same things that are mentioned in Genesis 1 but also mentioned them in the same order, clearly suggesting that he was fully aware of the writings of Moses and Genesis 1. First, there was light and heavens and the earth, the sea, and its boundaries; then, land; then, all living plants, the sun, moon, and stars; and thus, days and years and night; and then, there were countless creatures to fill the earth.

11.    There are many other passages in the Psalms which clearly indicate that the authors believed in creation. See [Psalm 24:1,2; 33:6,9; 74:16,17; 89:11][67]. Notice specifically that Psalms 33:6,9[68] say that God created things merely by speaking them into existence. How should we relate to that kind of awesome power?

12.    Read [Job 1 & 2; 38:1-21][69]. It is important to notice that Job 38-41[70] are God’s speech to Job. Job finished speaking in Job 29-31; he described largely his former experience with God. He begged for God to speak to him once again. He pleaded for a return to their former relationship. Then, in Job 32-37[71], Elihu spouted off with his ignorant accusations against Job. Clearly, he thought that even in his youth he knew better than Job. Then, God responded with the verses for our study today. Are these verses primarily a response to Job? Or, to Elihu? Or, to Job’s other three friends? Is it possible that in his speech, Job was not adequately recognizing the sovereignty and creative power of God? In those first few verses, we notice several very important points. God created the world when we were not there. He decided on the size of it, the shape of it, and how it should be supported in space. God’s other children-sometimes described as the stars or heavenly beings-rejoiced when they saw this earth and humans being created. This clearly places Job 38 in the context of the great controversy. How much difference did the fact that the whole universe was watching make in how God created this earth?

13.    It is very important to notice that Job’s talk, finally recognizing humbly the truthfulness of his position in Job 42:1-6[72], was followed immediately by God’s statement that Job had said of Him what was right! And God said it twice! (Job 42:7,8[73]) So, why do Job 38-41[74] and Job 42:16[75] seem to suggest that Job was in the wrong even though the final conclusion clearly says that Job was right?

14.    Isaiah 40-55[76] are very interesting chapters pointing out that there are two very important qualities of God that set Him apart from all imitators: 1) His ability to create out of nothing, and 2) His ability to predict the future-even far in advance. As we look at the book of Job, we notice that at the beginning God predicted that Job was upright and righteous. Then and there, God declared that he would remain so. (Job 1:8; 2:3)[77] In Job 4, the Devil claimed that no human being can be upright in God’s sight and that he will be able to break down anyone who makes such a claim. When God responded (Job 38-41) after all of the discourses throughout much of the book, He specifically dealt with His creative ability. Then, in Job 42:7,8[78], He demonstrated that He had correctly predicted the future of Job. In the beginning, Job was declared upright; at the end, Job was praised for speaking the truth about God. Notice that Job was completely humble before God, he claimed God as his Friend, and he continued to deny having done anything wrong.

15.    Job had not really said anything about creation. So, why did God respond by talking about creation? Clearly, God was telling Job that there was a lot going on behind the scenes that he did not know about or understand. Think of how much better we should understand matters of creation today, considering all the science that has been developed and explained since the days of Job. Furthermore, we are living after the cross and after the life of our Savior Jesus Christ, and we should be able to understand the plan of salvation much better than Job did. What kind of relationship could Job have had with God? How did he maintain such a relationship when he had no church, no Bible, no pastor, and was living so long ago in history? We know the story of Jesus. God wants us to tell the truth about Him!

16.    Read Isaiah 45:18[79]. Clearly, God intended for this earth to be inhabited by creatures like us. No other planet in our solar system is fit for human habitation. Three quarters of our world is covered with water, an essential element for human life. Our air is a safe mixture of 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen. Other planets even in our solar system are very hot, and their air consists primarily of carbon dioxide or helium.

17.    Furthermore, our earth, with its temperature modulating atmosphere suitable for terrestrial life, does not get too hot or too cold except possibly at the poles. As we have suggested before, there are many, many other factors that make this planet suitable for human habitation.

18.    What else did the prophets say about creation? Look at [Isaiah 44:24; 45:12; Jeremiah 51:15,16; Amos 4:13; Jonah 1:9; and Zechariah 12:1][80]. In these verses we see that the prophets recognized that God created everything in the universe and that He created us. He created stars; He created mountains, day, night, land, and sea, and gave life to human beings. More than that, He communicates with human beings. He has made His thoughts known to us. What are the implications of having such a Creator as a Friend?

19.    If we as a human race are just the final step in an evolutionary process, then we have nothing to look forward to in the future. When we die or are torn apart by superior beings, that will be the end of our existence. How does that make you feel? Isn’t it so much better to realize that the God who created us also has a wonderful plan for our future?

20.    There are also great passages in the New Testament talking about creation. Read Acts 17:22-31[81]. Paul was raised in a society where everyone believed in the authenticity of the Hebrew Scriptures. Then, for the first time he was matching wits with Epicureans and Stoics who had little or no knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures. So, Paul went back to a common ancestry-the fact that we all exist. Read specifically Acts 17:25,28[82]. Paul claimed that the unknown God that they were worshiping gives us life and breath and everything else. He gives us the capacity to live and move and exist.

21.    Consider some other New Testament passages which show a clear belief in the creation story: [Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 2:27,28; Luke 3:38; John 1:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 1:1,2; 4:4; James 3:9; 2 Peter 3:5; Jude 11,14][83]. And it was not only the New Testament writers that gave reverence to God for His creative abilities, but also the angels in heaven reverence Him: [Revelation 4:10,11; 10:5,6; and14:6,7][84].

22.    So, why is it so hard for scientists to wrap their minds around the idea of creation? There are a couple of major reasons why science has a problem with the creation story. 1) The creation story is a singularity. A singularity is an event which happens only once. One cannot go back and redo it and test it again and again under different circumstances to see exactly how it works. 2) A second reason why creation is a problem for scientists is that if the creation story is true-as we believe-it was completely supernaturally caused. Scientists do not have the ability to redo the experiment. And science as now practiced does its best to rule out any supernatural cause. Scientists want to be in charge of every experiment!

23.    So, what will we choose? Will we choose to believe in the supernatural action of God? Or, to accept the questions and doubts raised by scientists?

24.    Men will endeavor to explain from natural causes the work of creation, which God has never revealed. But human science cannot search out the secrets of the God of Heaven, and explain the stupendous works of creation, which were a miracle of almighty power, any sooner than it can show how God came into existence.—Ellen G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, p. 89.

25.    Having now reviewed the teachings of all of Scripture, is there any evidence that the Bible writers disagreed in their understanding of our origins? Jesus Himself clearly endorsed the authority of Moses (Luke 16:29-31[85]) and fully believed the story of creation. (Mark 2:27,28; Matthew 19:4-6)[86]

26.    Again scan through Genesis 1-4. These four chapters describe the beginnings of almost everything that we know as human beings. Described there are God, the creation of our earth, the sun, moon, and stars, implying the creation of our universe. Also described are the creation of life and this world as we know it. There is the beginning of sin and the beginning of the plan of salvation. (Genesis 3:15[87]) These four chapters define who God is, who man is, and what our relationship to each other should be. They define the ideal nature of reality. Man is given a role in ruling over and caring for this earth.

27.    A brief explanation is given of what went wrong and how God deals with sinners, and there is a hint of God’s plan of salvation. That is a pretty good start for just four chapters! More than that, in Genesis 4[88] we have the first explicit use of the term, sin. (Genesis 4:7[89]) Notice that sin is not just a missing of the mark or wrong choice; it is an enslaving power. This theme is spelled out considerably more in Romans 3-6[90]. If we question the veracity of Genesis 1-4[91], can we honestly believe in all the prophets and apostles and even Jesus Himself who stated that those chapters are truthful? Does God give us the option of superimposing our will and our choices above His Word and His will?

28.    So many Christians-even of those who believe in the creation account-have not thought through what the implications of creation are. Many others deny the truthfulness of the creation account, and they have not thought through the implications either. What are the implications of believing or not believing in the creation account? What does this imply about our understanding of inspiration?

Origins: Creation and Morality

Lesson #5 for February 2, 2013

Scriptures: [Genesis 2:16,17; Genesis 1:26-28; James 3:9; Acts 17:26; Proverbs 14:31; Matthew 5:44-48; Revelation 20:11-13][92].

1.    In this lesson we will discuss creation and whether or not God as our Creator has the right to tell us what to do. What are God’s “rights”? What are human “rights”?

2.    Read Genesis 2:16,17[93]. Human beings love to talk about their rights. Many would like to feel completely free to do whatever they want to do. The Magna Carta signed in 1215 and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen proclaimed in 1789 are just a couple examples of demands by so-called subjugated populations for the exercise of their “inalienable rights.” Do we as human beings have some inalienable rights?

3.    What is the relationship between “rights,” “privileges,” and “responsibilities”? The story of ancient Israel as chronicled in the Old Testament is a long history of a group of people claiming their privileges or rights while trying to avoid as far as possible their responsibilities. Is that phenomenon still taking place in our world today? Some politicians wish that they could somehow magically solve all problems by the cast of a vote. If we could, would we vote to make all of ourselves millionaires? Why do we limit voting rights to certain groups? Are we hoping that they will act responsibly when they cast their votes?

4.    Think about where we came from. Did God literally come down to planet earth and mold Adam from the dirt? Some translators have suggested that instead of dust it should say clay or perhaps clods which would certainly be easier to mold. How precise an image of Adam did God make before He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life? (Genesis 2:7[94]) Was it a perfect image? How intimately does God want to be involved with His children here on this earth? Imagine His descending upon Mount Sinai and all that happened there and then feeding the Israelites daily for 40 years besides looking after their clothes and their sandals so they would not wear out. (Deuteronomy 8:4[95])

5.    Turning back to the experience of Adam and Eve, what was the purpose of that tree of knowledge? Why did God allow it to be in the garden? What did God tell them about that tree? As far as we know, no death had occurred prior to that moment-this is a direct contradiction to the theory of evolution. But, God said that sin and disobedience would prove deadly. Did God go on to explain? Did He just say, “Father knows best”? Did God have a right to tell Adam and Eve what they could and could not do? Is that why He told them what not to do? Was the tree a test? Or, was it a protection, the only place where Satan was allowed to approach them? When children are small, their parents tend to give them lots of direction. As they become older especially as teenagers, children tend to defy that direct guidance by their parents. Parents tend to respond by saying, “So long as you are living in my house and eating my food and dependent upon me for your necessities, then my rules apply.” Is that fair?

6.    Does God have the right to tell us what to do? What might be the basis for such a right? Read [Psalm 95:6,7; 100; and Acts 17:25,28][96]. And note these words from Ellen White: “Every pulsation of the heart is a rebound from the touch of the finger of God.” (RH, December 2, 1890 par. 15) If God is the One who gave us life and sustains our lives every moment, does that give Him the right to tell us what to do? These verses suggest that God is good. He gives us not only life but also purpose and shows us the way of love. We need to thank Him for what He does for us. What should be our response? Obedience?

7.    Read Genesis 1:26-28. What is implied by the idea that we are made “in the image of God”? God goes beyond that by sharing some of His dominion with us. We are to care for the animals, the birds, and the fish.

8.    Notice, too, that God purposed to make man in “our” image-that is, an image involving the plurality of the Godhead. Then He made humans male and female. The image of God is not fully expressed in an individual but in relationship. As the Godhead is manifest in three Persons in relationship, the image of God in humans is expressed in relationship of male and female. The ability to form relationships is part of the image of God. Relationships, of course, imply responsibility and accountability, which means morality. Hence, right here we are given a strong hint as to how morality finds its basis in the Creation story. Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, Origins, p. 40

9.    If God is a three-part Unity, and if the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in perfect harmony, and furthermore, if we are to be like Them, what does that imply about our lives and our relationships? If God is love, (1 John 4:8,16[97]) are we to be “love” also? If God is totally respectful toward us and even allows us the freedom to reject Him, should we be respectful of others around us?

10.    None of us who are literate in the fields of physics, chemistry, and biology would deny that human beings are made of inanimate materials. Electrons, protons, and neutrons are what our bodies are made of. We could go further and say that our bodies are made up of molecules: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, hormones, etc. So, how does it happen that the same (or similar) chemicals are “amoral” when they make up animals, plants, beatles, fleas, or even snakes while we as human beings are expected to be moral and responsible beings? Is there an essential difference in the matter that makes up human beings as compared to those other creatures? What does it mean to be made “in the image of God”?

11.    Read Genesis 2:23[98]. As Christians, we recognize that the entire human family has descended from Adam as an individual and from Adam and Eve as the original couple. They were the parents to all of us. As recorded in Genesis, the name that Adam gave his wife is derived from the Hebrew word that means “to live” and means something like “life-giver.” Thus, it is literally true that we are all part of one family. More than that, we have just one Father in heaven. (Acts 17:26; Matthew 23:9)[99] Should that imply human equality? [Proverbs 14:31 and 22:2][100] point out that we are all made by the same God who is the Father of us all. What does that imply about how we should act?

12.    Unfortunately, after the entrance of sin, we have come to recognize that we are all born sinners. We are born inherently selfish. As infants, all we concern ourselves with is our immediate needs. There is no planning for the future. But, as we grow up and hopefully mature in every way, we begin to see beyond the immediate future.

13.    Satan’s approach has always been an intensely selfish one. Like him, many human beings today only think of immediate gratification and do not want to think about future consequences or responsibilities.

14.    Unfortunately, down through the generations following the experience at the tower of Babel, human beings have been divided politically, nationally, ethnically, and economically. Various groups and individuals have tried to bridge some of these gaps with mostly poor results. What should be the role of Christians in dealing with rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, neighbor and foreigner? Do some people have the “right” based on “social Darwinism” to dominate others because they are richer or stronger or more politically connected?

15.    If God intended for us to be like Him in many ways, the most important of which is to be like Him in character, then we need to understand what His character is like. For starters, read Matthew 5:44-48[101]. That is very difficult for selfish human beings. What is implied by loving our enemies and being perfect (mature)? Do you have to be perfect to love your enemies? Or, if you love your enemies, are you perfect? And what about the good Samaritan. (Luke 10:29-37[102]) What are we supposed to learn from him?

16.    The ultimate example of unselfish behavior is found in Philippians 2:1-8[103]. Imagine the King and Sovereign of the universe coming down, living as a human being, and finally, dying the death of a common criminal-a “Traitor” against the Roman Empire.

17.    Isn’t it clear by now what an incredible contrast there is between Satan’s rules and God’s rules? God calls us to exercise love and care for the weak. Satan calls for us to be selfish and to exploit the weaker among us. If we came up through a process of “natural selection,” wouldn’t it be just natural for us to continue to act in that way?

18.    The Bible says that a day of reckoning is coming for everyone. Read [Ecclesiastes 12:13,14; Revelation 20:11-13; Matthew 12:36,37; 25:31-40][104]. In light of these passages, it must be exceedingly clear that while we are saved by faith, (Acts 16:31[105]) that faith-our relationship with our Father God-will result in certain kinds of actions. And those actions will be the basis on which God judges. Does that scare you?

19.    One day, everyone who has ever lived will face God’s judgment. At the third coming, the entire human race from Adam and Eve to the last person living, along with Satan and all his angels, will stand before the judgment seat of God. What do you expect to happen at that point? Apparently, based on His showing of the panorama and all the details of the great controversy, (Great Controversy 666-672[106]) God’s case will be so compelling that even the Devil will be down on his knees admitting that God is right. (Philippians 2:10,11[107])

20.    So, what are God’s requirements? Has God laid on us some impossible demands? Should we fear Him because we are perpetually incapable of doing what He has asked us to do? When speaking to the children of Israel, Moses said God’s commands were not too difficult. (Deuteronomy 30:11[108]) More than that, Ellen White said repeatedly that God never asks us to do anything which is not for our best good. (Review and Herald, June 12, 1855 par. 7.; April 12, 1887 par. 9; 1 Notebook Leaflets 79.1; Spaulding and Magan Collection 242.21; 1T 120.2; 4bSG 7.4) So, what is the problem? If we recognize that what God wants for us is for our best good, shouldn’t we always be willing to do His will, knowing it is for our best?

21.    If Adam was our first ancestor, how do we explain all those fossils that people have dug up around the world? If the Scriptures are true, then they cannot be ancestors of Adam. So, how do we explain the existence of those fossils?

First, the humanlike fossils might be forms of humans with normal intelligence but with growth patterns unlike any present-day human. A second possibility is that the fossils may have been degenerate due to their own lifestyle or environmental stress or other factors. A third possibility is that they may be the results of Satan’s direct attempts to corrupt Creation in ways we do not understand. Another possibility is that they were not humans but were similar in morphology. Different people may prefer different explanations but, because we do not have direct evidence to settle the matter, it is best to avoid being dogmatic in our speculations. Fossils do not come with labels attached that say, “Made in China 500 million years ago” or the like. Our understanding of earth history, which varies greatly among scientists, provides a frame of reference within which we interpret fossils, but we do not have proof of our interpretations. They are, in the end, only that: interpretations, nothing more. Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, Origins, p. 44

22.    And what are the implications of following a Darwinian understanding of human origins? People like Adolf Hitler with his theories about a dominant race forced our world into a horrible war. And the results are most dramatically seen at places like Dachau and Auschwitz. Is there any doubt that was Satanic in origin?

23.    In light of all this, where did our morality come from? The only safe answer is that we got it from our Father in heaven. But, notice some other explanations that have been given by people who do not choose to believe God’s Word.

Julian Huxley argued that morality is itself a product of evolution; thus, “any standards of rightness and wrongness must in some way be related to the movement of that process [evolution] through time.”-T. H. Huxley and Julian Huxley, Touchstone for Ethics: 1893-1943 (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1947), p. 131.

24.    Consider these contrasting words from Ellen White: “The first great moral lesson given Adam was that of self-denial. The reins of self-government were placed in his hands. Judgment, reason, and conscience, were to bear sway.”-The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, February 24, 1874.

25.    So, which would you choose? A world dominated by Darwinian practices in which the strong are constantly dominating the weak and even eliminating them from the competition? Or, a world dominated by God’s principles of love and caring for the weak?

26.    Look at two more issues which are very important in this whole scenario. Judeo-Christian ethics and our belief that we are all made in the image of God necessitate our regarding human life with sanctity. (Genesis 9:4-6[109]) They also necessitate our making moral choices based on the best understanding of the value of not only things but also of individuals. In a burning house we have to choose which to rescue: the baby or the dog.

27.    Does our political system follow the example of Satan? Or, the example of God? When we vote at the polls, is our primary consideration self-interest? Do we always vote to raise taxes on someone else but not on ourselves? As noted above, Adam and Eve were to serve and protect nature. (Genesis 2:15[110]) Human dominion was not to be exercised at the expense of the animal world.

28.    So, what are the ultimate implications of all this? If we are living God-fearing, loving, unselfish lives as opposed to living out Darwinian principles, what difference would that make in our homes? At work? Even in our surrounding communities? What would happen if all Seventh-day Adventists would begin to live truly unselfish, Godlike lives in our world?

Origins Creation and the Fall

Lesson #6 for February 9, 2013

Scriptures: [Genesis 3:1-15; Matthew 4:3-10; Colossians 2:20-23; John 3:17; Revelation 14:6,7.][111]

1.    If everything had continued as God planned, we would all still be living in the Garden of Eden. But, of course, we know that is not what happened. This lesson will trace the early history of sin and its effects throughout the universe-especially here on this earth.

2.    As we know, sin began in the mind of Lucifer the covering cherub in the most holy place in heaven next to God’s throne. (Letter 114, 1903; 7BC 973.3-5) How such a thing could have happened is beyond our comprehension. Inspiration tells us that Lucifer desired a position and authority equal to Christ who stood,[112] figuratively speaking, on the other side of God’s throne. (Isaiah 14:12-15[113]; Ezekiel 28:12-15[114]; 4SP 17-24; Patriarchs and Prophets 35-43[115])

3.    Then, there was war in heaven. (Revelation 12:7-9[116]) What kind of weapons did they use? Was it a war of ideas? Satan and his angels were defeated and thrown down to this earth. (Revelation 12:10-12[117]) Looking back on what happened to him, Satan was very distressed. He called a passing angel and asked to be granted an interview with Christ. He claimed to be repentant and asked to be reinstated in heaven. Christ wept at Satan’s request but said that was impossible because rebellion was still within him. (ISpirit of Prophecy 29.2)

4.    Soon thereafter, God implemented His plans to create this world. Of course, Satan had already expressed his desire to be a part of the creation committee. (1SP 17.2-18.1) Thus it was that God prepared a world specifically designed to help answer Satan’s accusations in the great controversy. Human beings were a new and distinct order of beings. (1BC 1081.3) For the first time, God made creatures with the ability to procreate. They would thus be responsible for the little creatures they had produced and be better able to understand God’s challenges in dealing with His children. Furthermore, in their joint responsibilities, they would need to learn to understand each other and work together as equals. It is God’s plan that we learn to work together and get along with other people who may not think exactly the same way we do. We will need to do that in heaven.

5.    Immediately, Satan demanded to have access to the new creatures. Thus, God placed a tree of knowledge of both good and evil in the Garden of Eden. This was not primarily for the purpose of tempting Adam and Eve or even to test them-although those things are true. It was primarily to provide protection for Adam and Eve. Satan was not allowed to pursue them wherever they went in the garden. (1SP 34.2) Satan was confined to that one tree.

6.    Satan told his followers that he would convince Adam and Eve to follow them in rebellion. He believed that God would provide a plan for Adam and Eve to return to favor with God; and then, he hoped that plan might include Satan and his followers as well. (1SP 30.4)

7.    He [Satan] shuddered at the thought of plunging the holy, happy pair into the misery and despair that he himself was enduring. (1SP 32.1) Satan realized that he must use very subtle means to bring down Adam and Eve.

8.    God assembled the angelic host to take measures to avert the threatened evil. Two angels were sent to Adam and Eve to explain everything to them. Adam and Eve had many questions, and those were discussed in detail. The angels sadly reported to them the history of Satan and his rebellion and fall. They warned the pair not to disobey God and, thus, plunge themselves into hopeless despair. (1SP 32.3-33.1) Did God and those angels give our first parents sufficient warning? Did Adam and Eve really understand what would happen to them if they sinned? Had anyone or any creature died up to that point?

Origins - #6 - page 1 of 4

9.    The angels warned Adam and Eve that Satan was determined to get them. They specifically warned Eve not to separate from her husband as she went about her daily activities. If separated from each other, they would be in greater danger. (1SP 34.2)

10.    Satan knew that he was limited to just that one tree in the garden. He knew that if he appeared as a commanding soldier or even as an angel, they would be wary. So, he assumed the form of a serpent. In those days, serpents had wings and could fly. (1SP 35.1)

11.    Eve, unconsciously at first, separated from her husband in her activities. When she became aware that they were separated, she thought she was okay and continued with her work. Did Adam realized that they were separated? Did he do anything? Suddenly, she found herself looking up with mingled curiosity and admiration at the forbidden tree. The tree looked lovely. There was no obvious evidence that it was dangerous. She wondered why God had so decidedly prohibited their eating or even touching it. Suddenly, the serpent speaking with the voice of Satan said, “Has God told you not to eat of any tree in the garden?” Eve was surprised and shocked to see a serpent speaking. (1SP 35.2)

12.    She had no idea that this could be the Devil speaking through the snake. Satan implied that if Adam and Eve would only eat the fruit, they would enter a higher plane of existence, being equal in knowledge to God Himself. He suggested doubts about the fact that Adam and Eve were already created in the image of God. He wanted to create doubt in her mind.

13.    What was it about the fruit of the tree that looked good to Eve? There must have been hundreds of trees with different types of fruit. Did every type of fruit look good to her? Did she somehow think that it would be good to eat? Maybe, even better than others? Eve had never before been lied to. How was she supposed to know that the serpent was lying? Eve’s sin was not so much in believing the serpent but in distrusting the word of God. Before she took the fruit, did she carefully think through God’s warnings sent by the angels?

14.    Shouldn’t God have allowed Adam and Eve to live in the garden for some time before He placed the tree of knowledge there so they could perhaps be more experienced before facing the Devil? In His foreknowledge, God knew exactly what Satan was going to do. Shouldn’t He have warned Eve about the snake?

15.    It was never God’s plan that any human being should have any knowledge of evil. Satan insinuated that God had lied to them and was trying to keep them subordinate. (1SP 37.1)

16.    In support of his claims, the serpent told Eve that because of eating the fruit, he himself had learned how to talk. He had eaten of the fruit and found it not only harmless but delicious and exhilarating. (1SP 37.2)

17.    Then he handed her some of the fruit, and she took it. He reminded her that she had been told by God not to even touch it lest she die. And since she did not feel any harm from touching it, she proceeded to eat the fruit. (1SP 37.2) Then, she picked more of the fruit for herself and ate it. She imagined herself entering a higher level of existence. She quickly took some more fruit and sought out her husband. (1SP 38.1)

18.    Sadness came over the face of Adam. He was afraid and astonished. He knew that Eve had sinned and specifically broken God’s command. Now, he was faced with a terrible dilemma. Eve was a part of himself. He did not want to lose her. He decided to eat the fruit so that if Eve died, he would die with her. He could not perceive in her any signs of death. (1SP 39.2)

19.    Eve made the mistake that so many of her modern descendants have made. She should have said to the serpent: “What you say is amazing. It is impressive to see that you have learned to speak. But, this tree has been here as long as I can remember. Let me discuss these issues with my husband and with God. If the fruit would be such a benefit to us, I will come back and have some tomorrow.”

20.    Then, Adam and Eve realized that the clothing of light that they had previously had was gone. They felt they were naked and tried to make coverings for themselves.

21.    When God came down to speak with them, they tried to hide. God called out to them and asked several questions. Why did God ask those questions? Didn’t He already know the answers? Why did God choose to present Himself as if He had the same limitations as human beings?

22.    All heaven was in agitation. They were afraid that by reaching out and taking fruit from the tree of life, sin would be perpetuated forever. (1SP 42.2)

23.    And then, the blame game started. Adam blamed Eve; Eve blamed the serpent and, in effect, blamed God for creating that serpent.

24.    Why did Adam immediately start blaming Eve? Why did Eve blame the serpent and God? That was a brand new approach to dealing with life. Was blaming others an inherently, naturally selfish approach which started immediately when they sinned? The serpent was apparently just a tool in this whole process. Was he treated fairly?

25.    Look at Genesis 3:15 (GNB): “I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring’s heel.” Christians have suggested that Genesis 3:15 was the first hint of a gospel message? What is it about that verse that is good news or gospel? Was God saying that humans would always hate snakes? Or, that they would hate the Devil who was behind the snake? Today, does it seem like humans hate the Devil and the sin that he causes? What was implied by the crushing of the snake’s head? Humans have been killing snakes from that day until this. Is that what God had in mind? Certainly, we have not crushed Satan! How do you think Adam and Eve understood those words? Did God go on to explain everything to them in more detail?

26.    Notice that before God said anything to Adam or Eve about what were going to be the consequences of their sin, He suggested that eventually they would “crush” the one who deceived them. The good news came before the bad news. Was that the first time God had told Satan what his fate would be? What did Satan think would be the result of his being thrown out of heaven?

27.    Read Genesis 3:16[118], (GNB): “And he said to the woman, ‘I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him.’” Was Eve’s mistake at the tree the real reason why women have pain during childbirth? Since no children were born in the garden, we do not have any record of any woman having painless childbirth. Did God intend for Eve to be “subject” to her husband? Or, did God just know that men being naturally a little larger and stronger would force their wives to be in subjection?

28.    Read Revelation 12:17[119], (GNB): “The dragon was furious with the woman and went off to fight against the rest of her descendants, all those who obey God’s commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus.” Is this a repetition of the statement in Genesis 3:15? Clearly, Satan has been especially determined to deceive or destroy God’s faithful children. We are the ones who know about his activities! Why do you think so many in our world today do not even believe Satan exists? Is that a triumph for Satan’s deceptions?

29.    Seventh-day Adventists have believed that Revelation 12:17 applies especially to them. Aren’t we the ones who keep the commandments of God or at least claim to? Aren’t we the ones who have “the faith of Jesus” or perhaps are “faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus”? Is that what would be required to crush Satan’s head? If we were fulfilling all of God’s plans for us as represented by Revelation 12:17 and 19:10[120], would Jesus be able to come back very soon? Are we supposed to contribute to “crushing” Satan’s head? (2 Peter 3:12[121])

30.    In your mind, what is the most important aspect of the gospel? Is it that somehow we will succeed in crushing Satan? Or, that we will eventually have the opportunity of living together with God and developing a fuller and more complete understanding of His character and His love for us? Is all of that implied in Genesis 3:15 and Revelation 12:17?

31.    Isn’t the gospel more than just freedom from condemnation? If God removes the death sentence which is a natural consequence of sin, (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23)[122] has He changed the rules of the game? Or, will sin always result in death? If we are not to die, what will happen to us? If we never die, isn’t that implying that we will live forever with God?

32.    Read Revelation 14:6,7[123]. These verses imply that the God who created everything deserves our worship and praise. And that message is supposed to spread all over the earth until it reaches everyone. Is it good news to know that God’s judgment is coming? What is the “eternal message of good news” that we are supposed to be announcing to the whole earth? Is it the truth about God’s character, His government, and how He runs the universe? Or, is it primarily that we will crush the head of Satan?

33.    How often are we deceived by our senses? Apparently, Eve was deceived by what appeared to be delicious fruit which had seemingly given the serpent the ability to speak. We have often suggested that “seeing is believing.” Is that a reliable statement? What will Satan do at the end of time to deceive our senses? In our day, why is Satan apparently trying to convince people that he does not even exist? If you do not believe the Devil exists and then he or one of his agents appears and performs apparently unexplainable miracles, the only option you have is to attribute those miracles to God. That is exactly what Satan wants.

34.    So, how do we protect ourselves against the deception of the senses? “None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great [594] conflict.” (GC 593.2)

35.    Eve was attracted by the fruit and tree and deceived by a speaking serpent. Why is sin attractive to us? What makes sin attractive in our day? Can we reduce our attraction to sin in any way? Is sin nothing more than an appeal to our selfishness? Satan wants us to believe that a brief period of sinful pleasure cannot be so serious.

36.    What should be our ultimate criteria for deciding what is truth? If we cannot trust our senses, what can we trust? No doubt, through the serpent Satan implied to Eve that since everything God had created was good, then surely this tree must be fine. Satan deceived Eve into thinking that by eating of the fruit, she could grow closer to and more like God. Will Satan use those kinds of arguments against us at the end of time? In what ways might he suggest that we can come closer to God? Could it be through experiences such as speaking in tongues? Through experiencing apparent miracles which are actually happening through the power of Satan?

37.    Our experience at the end is going to be something like Jesus’ experience on the cross. Every sensation and physical input suggested that He had been abandoned and that He was going to be dying and remaining dead forever. His only safety was in trusting His Father’s Word that had been given Him earlier. Have we reached the place where God’s Word is so important to us and so well known that when even the slightest hint that departs from that Holy Word is suggested to us, we will reject it? What kind of temptations do you expect Satan to come up with in his final attempt to deceive God’s true people? Will we be among the deceived?

Origins Through a Glass, Darkly

Lesson #7 for February 16, 2013

Scriptures: [Job 41:11; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20; Genesis 3:17; John 12:31; 1 Corinthians 1:18-21.][124]

1.    In this lesson we will focus on two different types of revelation. General revelation is the study of what we can learn about God through looking at nature. Special revelation is the study of what we learn about God from His divine intervention in or to humanity through prophets, apostles, and especially through the life and death of His Son, Jesus.

2.    Up until the middle of the 19th century, scientists basically believed that they were studying God’s handiwork in nature. They believed that the orderliness of God’s creation allowed the study of science. If God had not created an orderly universe, there would be no science.

3.    But, in the middle of the 19th century partly as a result of the oppressive activities of the predominant Christian church, philosophers and scientists were seeking some way to explain origins apart from God. Today, many-probably a majority of-scientists believe that science and the Bible are in conflict with each other.

4.    How much does God intend for us to learn through nature and science? Enoch, Noah, Job, and Abraham did. Is all the evil that we see in our natural world a result of Satan’s activity? Or, is some of it the result of God’s activity? If God is our Creator, does that give Him authority over us? To what extent does that make Him responsible for everything that is happening in our world? Do we really believe that God created everything?

A scientist once challenged the need for God; he argued that he could create humanity just as well as any God could. God said, “OK, go ahead and do it.”

The scientist began to gather some dirt, but God said, “Wait a minute. Make your own dirt!”

5.    Of course, this story is only hypothetical. But, it illustrates a major point. What should we learn from the fact that God has created everything? [(Psalm 24:1,2; Job 41:11; Psalm 50:10; Isaiah 43:1,2; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20)][125] In virtually all areas of human endeavor, it is recognized that creatorship implies ownership. That is why we have elaborate systems for copyrights and patents.

6.    God created not only all the material from which our universe is made but also designed it specifically how He wanted it. Out of it He made every creature, including us. This does not make God responsible for evil. A God of love had to allow us the freedom to make our own choices. In order to choose to love, we must also have the capacity to hate. As a result of freedom, first of all Lucifer and then all the rest of us have followed him in our rebellion against God. God’s response was the plan of redemption. Now we belong to God twice: He created us, and He redeemed us.

7.    Read Genesis 3:17; 4:10-14; 5:28,29[126]. Did God curse Cain and the ground? “In the days of Noah a double curse was resting upon the earth in consequence of Adam’s transgression and of the murder committed by Cain.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and

Prophets, p. 90.1. First of all, God told Adam that he would have to work hard to produce enough food for himself and his family. More than that, he would have to fight with thorns and thistles. As a result of Cain’s sin, God told him: “If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.” (Genesis 4:12) Of what did these two curses consist? Did God intentionally make things difficult for us?

8.    What additional curse came through the flood? Clearly, the topography of our world was completely changed by the flood. While we do not know exactly what the surface of the earth looked like before the flood or even immediately after the flood, many parts of our world have become uninhabitable and the soil unproductive as a result of soil erosion and leaching and other factors which we may not recognize. Can we still see the evidence in our world of God’s curse on the ground? Did that curse extend to human beings as well? Why did God do that? Would that make it very difficult for us to clearly distinguish between problems that are a result of God’s curse and the problems that are a result of Satan’s activities and sin?

9.    One clear evidence of how things have changed is in the natural watering system which existed before the flood. There was no rain, but water came up from beneath the ground. (Genesis 2:4-6)[127] Think how different our world would be today if all parts including places like the Sahara Desert were naturally watered by dew or springs that came up from underneath.

10.    Whatever these curses consisted of, Romans 8:19-22[128] tells us that the groaning of all creation will be removed when the great controversy is over.

11.    Read [Job 1:7; 1 Peter 5:8].[129] There is no question that Satan is active and determined to succeed against all odds. When the great controversy is finally over, Satan will be dead.

12.    Read [John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12][130]. Jesus and Paul have made it clear that the one who claims to be the ruler of this world has been judged. However, that does not remove the fact that we are battling against a formidable foe. Remember what happened to Job.

13.    Read Romans 5:12[131]. Notice that because we are sinners following the example of Satan, we will die. Why do we commit sin? Read James 1:13-15[132]. Most of the sins in this world come about because of our selfish and evil desires. Many of them probably came just from plain old evil habits. Other evils are brought about because of the deterioration that has happened in the human race from Adam’s day until this. Many sins are also a result of the direct temptations of Satan and his angels. And there are probably some sins we commit because we want to, even without any temptation being presented to us. Have you seen the destructive influence of Satan in your own life? What was the result?

14.    In the last 200 years, the amount of information in the form of knowledge has literally exploded. However, all of this knowledge has not necessarily produced wiser people. We may even understand things better, but that does not necessarily make us wiser.

15.    Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-21; 3:18-21[133]. What do these verses teach us about human knowledge and wisdom? As we mentioned earlier, many of the early scientists such as Newton, Kepler, and Galileo were firm believers in God. They were certain that their scientific studies were simply ways of helping to explain the work of God. Kepler once wrote, “O God, I think Thy thoughts after Thee.” What do you think would happen if some scientist today made such a statement?

16.    Many scientists believe that they now have an explanation for the origin of the universe and the origin of the human race without any supernatural activity by God. Some are now going an extra step and trying to explain the so-called “miracles” in the Bible, saying they are as a result of natural forces. They claim that the Red Sea was parted in the days of Moses by a powerful wind, etc. Scientists have even suggested that some of the visions in the Bible-for example when Moses was with God on the mountain-were actually cases where Moses was taking some kind of hallucinogenic substance and saw all those things simply as hallucinations. How would you respond to someone who suggested such an explanation? Was the nation of Israel a result of hallucinations of Moses?

17.    Read Psalm 8[134]. Clearly, David believed that because God created the universe, He is sovereign above all. More than that, He cares for us and gives us dominion over the other creatures on our earth.

18.    We can learn something of God’s power and His glory by studying the universe He created. Read Psalm 19:1-4.

19.    The Hubble telescope has just begun to reveal to us how small we are compared to the size of the universe. Why would a God who could create all of that and, no doubt, has millions and billions of creatures on other worlds care about this tiny rebellious marble?

20.    But, nothing we can learn from nature comes close to the truths that we can learn by a careful study of the life and death of Jesus. And Jesus was just like His Father. (John 14:9[135]) Notice these words from Ellen White:

Science, so-called, and religion will be placed in opposition to each other because finite men do not comprehend the power and greatness of God.

These words of Holy Writ were presented to me, “Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”

[Acts 20:30][136] This will surely be seen among the people of God.—Ellen G. White, Manuscript 16,1890; Medical Ministry 98.1; Evangelism 593.1; LDE 176.3.

21.    So, the world we live in and the world which scientists are studying today has experienced not only deterioration as a result of our sin but also the threefold curse of God. How different is it from the world which God originally created. Science only has the capacity to study the present world, and it only has human understanding to evaluate it. How can that be a safe criteria for disbelieving the Word of God? In light of all this, is it possible to reconcile Scripture and true science? From the Christian perspective, how would you define science? What does God want us to learn from general revelation and what should we learn from special revelation? Are there some areas where there is an overlap?

22.    Many theologians and philosophers have tried to explain how it is possible for a good God to create a bad world. Can we explain that to the satisfaction of those who might ask us?

23.    Our world, even the natural world, is so full of violence and killing. Carnivores could not exist without killing other animals. Soon after the Protestant Reformation took place, there was a lot of discussion about natural theology and how it fits with divine revelation. It was at that time that the distinction between special revelation and general revelation was clarified. The issue is: How do we interpret general revelation and special revelation?

24.    But, we know that even in the awful times that will take place just before the second coming of Christ, God will intervene to protect His people. Have you ever had an experience where God has apparently intervened, perhaps even as a result of some terrible event, to work something out for good? (See Romans 8:28[137]) Primitive people who were animists worshiping various aspects of nature often had the idea that whatever “god” was out there was quite capricious. Death could come at any moment. God’s blessing might be shining upon a person at one moment and calamity the next.

25.    Darwinists are not much better off. How could a person worship a god who was in any way responsible for a plan known as “survival of the fittest”? Earlier, we quoted David L. Hall from his article “The God of the Galapagos,” in which he said, “The God of the Galapagos is careless, wasteful, indifferent, almost diabolical.”

26.    By contrast, Christian believers see a basic order in the universe. They see a rational structure in nature. And they believe that the basic order and natural structure are a result of the Mastermind behind it all. In fact, the order depended upon by scientists for their study implies an orderly Creator.

27.    Fortunately, those of us who understand something about the great controversy realize that there is a good explanation for the problems we see in the world around us. God is not responsible for evil, but He is responsible for the freedom that allows evil to exist. In our day, we are seeing the final results of thousands of years of evil. In effect, sin is going to seed. Mass murders, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes all suggest that our earth is coming to an end.

28.    Why do you think God gave the three curses we mentioned earlier? Were they intended to be disciplinary? Did God plan that thistles and thorns would be disciplinary? Paul used to talk about a “thorn in the flesh.” Of course, that was no literal thorn but some kind of a physical problem which he repeatedly asked God to remove but which God refused to remove. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10[138]) Are thistles and thorns here to teach us an important lesson?

29.    We have looked over the history of how sin began on this earth. With His foreknowledge, God could have done many things to prevent it. He could have specifically told Eve that she would be addressed by a talking serpent. He could have physically prevented her from getting too close to the tree. When Eve wandered away, He could have told Adam to go get her, etc. Why didn’t God do any of those things?

30.    Freedom-and love-are so important to God that He would rather die than give them up or compromise them in any way. Are we glad that He has done that? Do you wish that God were more manipulative in our world? Or, are you happy for the freedom God has given us?

31.    A lot of things may be confusing and even deceitful in our world. That is Satan’s way. But, that does not mean that while we are looking through a glass, darkly, (1 Corinthians 13:12)[139] the truth is not there for us to discover and study.

Jesus, Provider and Sustainer

Lesson #8 for February 23, 2013

Scriptures: [Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:16,17; Job 42; Matthew 5:45; 6:25-34; 10:28.][140]

1.    In this lesson we will review the fact that God not only created everything but also He continues to sustain it. He allowed Job to suffer terrible reverses at the hand of the Devil; but then He restored his health, wealth, and status, and gave him a new set of children. Despite all this, Job’s relatives and friends still believed that God had caused all that trouble. (Job 42:11[141]) Did they know about Job 1&2? God sends the sunshine and the rain on the good and the bad. (Matthew 5:45[142]) He cares for even the small plants. So, should we be worried about His care for us? And ultimately, He takes personal responsibility for our salvation.

2.    The Scriptures picture God as constantly involved with the care and keeping of all that He has created. (Philippians 4:19,20[143]) His creation is like a finely-tuned, beautiful musical instrument that God uses to produce an inspired melody. Even in the worst possible situations, God works for good. (Romans 8:28[144]) Is that true about Jesus as well? Look at His life!

3.    And to prove His love and care for each of His creatures throughout the universe, He came and lived and died even the death of a common criminal on a cross (Philippians 2:8) to demonstrate the truth about His character and government.

4.    Read Colossians 1:16,17[145]. Seventh-day Adventists believe that God not only created our universe but also created all the laws of physics, chemistry, biology, etc. that keep it running and functioning in consistent ways. Without that consistency, science would be impossible.

The apostle Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, declares of Christ that “all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; and He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16,17, R.V., margin. The hand that sustains the worlds in space, the hand that holds in their orderly arrangement and tireless activity all things throughout the universe of God, is the hand that was nailed to the cross for us.—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 132.

5.    Scientists can describe gravity precisely, but they do not know why it works. Our very lives are totally dependent upon God’s constant activity. [(Job 12:10; Daniel 5:23; Acts 17:25,28[146])]

Every pulsation of the heart is a rebound from the touch of the finger of God. He watches over us by day, and under his wings we find shelter by night.

His preserving care is over us, whether we wake or sleep. He is as a sentinel to guard us from Satan’s power, or we should be taken captive by him. Jesus is our constant friend. We are to look to him moment by moment, and by looking to him we are to live. (RH, December 2, 1890 par. 15; cf. Ed 130.5)

6.    God did not create our world or the universe and then leave it to its own fate as suggested by deists. We do not have any existence apart from God. We are dependent continuously on His divine power. True Bible believers cannot accept deism. God existed before and independent of every part of His universe. It all depends upon Him. God and the universe are not one and the same as suggested by pantheism, nor does God live in every part of the universe as if that were His own body as in panentheism. We were created for and by Him, and He is the One who sustains our lives. (1 Corinthians 8:6[147])

7.    God not only created us in the beginning but also He re-creates us through the process of salvation to be in union with Himself. [(2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10)][148] And by this second creation, He expects us to do the good works for which we were created.

8.    But, if God is totally in charge of the universe and He determines even whether we live or die, how our heart beats, and how our lungs breathe, is there any free will and free choice left? Without freedom and free choice, it would be impossible to love. In order to truly love, we must also be able to hate or to be apathetic. A God of love would never create the universe with intelligent creatures not capable of loving Him back. (1 John 4:8,16[149])

9.    God not only created us but also He sustains us by providing the food, the nourishment, and everything needed for our continued happy existence. (Genesis 1:29,30[150]) Animals were supposed to eat plants while human beings were to eat grains, nuts, and fruits. And when God was done creating here on this world, He declared everything to be very good.

10.    God not only provided a plethora of beautiful life-sustaining trees producing delicious fruit, but also He gave Adam and Eve a garden in which to live with the tree of life in the center so they could live in companionship with Him forever.

11.    But, God also created the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Although Satan was allowed to claim that tree as his domain, he does not even have the ability to create a tree! Of course, that tree was placed there to give Adam and Eve a choice. Satan sinned without a tree. What more could God possibly have done for them? But, all of that was spoiled by sin. The Garden of Eden was removed from this earth at the time of the flood, but it is coming back!

At the end of one thousand years, Jesus, the king of glory, descends from the holy city, clothed with brightness like the lightning, upon the mount of olives-the same mount from whence he ascended after his resurrection. As his feet touch the mountain, it parts asunder, [Zechariah 14:4[151]] and becomes a very great plain, and is prepared for the reception of the holy city in which is the paradise of God, the garden of Eden, which was taken up after man’s transgression.

Now it descends with the city, more [84] beautiful, and gloriously adorned than when removed from the earth. (3SG 83,84[152]) [Note that reference in brackets is supplied]

12.    That garden is still awaiting the time when we will live there. Nature is a power, but the God of nature is unlimited in power. His works interpret his character. Those who judge him from his handiworks, and not from the suppositions of great men, will see his presence in everything. —Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, March 13, 1884.

13.    How much of that natural beauty and loveliness that was in the Garden of Eden is still in our world today? Were the flowers any prettier? We cannot deny the fact that a lot of evil can also be seen in our world. There is so much pain and suffering not only for humans but also for animals because of floods, hurricanes, droughts, earthquakes, etc.; and these are generally thought not to be the result of man’s activity or of sin, but they are called “acts of God.”

14.    Review the story of Job. Just about everything awful that one could imagine happened to him. (Job 1 &2[153]) For a period of time, Job was almost a kind of pawn in the great controversy. When the “experiment” was over and God’s point had been proven and the Devil was defeated, God once again blessed Job with many blessings-a new family and more riches than he had before. What should that teach us about God’s relationship with His children here on this earth? Satan directly challenged God’s ability to correctly judge the character of men. God said Job was a righteous man, (Job 1:8; 2:3[154]) and Satan declared that was impossible. (Job 4:17-19[155]) God proved that He was a correct Judge of righteousness. (Job 42:7,8[156]) The real truth about Job’s relationship with God can be seen in Job 29-31[157]. Job’s story is very unusual. Very few of us will ever be asked to be a key player like Job in the great controversy between God and Satan. How many of us would continue to trust God under Job’s circumstances? Most of us go merrily on sinning without even being pushed or tempted by Satan. (James 1:13-15[158])

15.    While our understanding of the great controversy gives us a fairly clear picture of the overall pattern and results of evil, it is not always easy to explain what is behind each individual evil event. Did Job ever find out why those things happened to him? Did he ever read or hear what is told in Job 1 &2? Why did God give the answers He did to Job in Job 38-41? At least at that point, He did not specifically answer Job’s questions. Did God do so later?

16.    Read [Matthew 5:45 and Psalm 65:9,10][159]. If God were merely a human, He might be inclined to take it out on His enemies! But, what we read in Scripture is that God sends His rain and sunshine on everyone. How does that fit with stories we have heard about times when fires have gone around the properties of Christians? But, what about Revelation 12-14[160]?

17.    How much does God use or control the forces of nature? Read [Genesis 8:1; Exodus 10:13; Numbers 11:31][161]. In evaporating the waters of the flood, in the ten plagues of Egypt, and in specific events in connection with the Exodus, God used the wind to accomplish His purposes. Does God still have that ability? Do you know of instances in which God has used the forces of nature to accomplish His will in more modern times? How does all this fit with Romans 8:28[162]? At the end, will there be 144,000 “Jobs”?

18.    There are many so-called scientists who want to explain every miracle in the Bible as just a natural occurrence. What is wrong with that approach? If God uses nature, is that a miracle?

19.    Read 2 Kings 20:9-11[163]. Our day and night cycles, and thus, our times of the day, are determined by the spinning of the earth. How could God have turned the spinning of the earth back by that amount without massively disrupting things on earth? To us, it looks impossible. This side of heaven, we may never be able to explain how God did that. But, we need to remember Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” We need to come to know God well enough so that we trust Him even regarding things which we cannot fully understand.

20.    It seems natural for human beings to be worried. However, Jesus Himself provided us with a very good antidote to that problem. Read Matthew 6:25-34[164]. While we know that-largely due to human activities-species are being lost around the world at an increasing rate, it is still true that God is sustaining the plants and animals just as He sustains us. What should we learn from that? When we see so-called “acts of God,” how are we supposed to respond? Are such things truly acts of God? Or, are they cases where God is slowly removing His sustaining power and allowing Satan to have more and more control over things here on this earth? Satan certainly has that capacity. Remember Job 1. In light of all this, in what sense is it true that if we put God first, He will take care of everything? In some cases, might answers not come until we are in God’s kingdom?

21.    Many years ago when I entered Loma Linda University School of Medicine, the dean welcomed us by saying that half of what they would teach us was wrong! They just did not know which half! This has been proven again and again by changing understandings of disease processes, etc. So, why is it that we tend to think of science as definitive and proving various things? Actually, science very infrequently “proves” anything. But, it is so natural to think that “seeing is believing.”

Yet men of science think that they can comprehend the wisdom of God, that which He has done or can do. The idea largely prevails that He is restricted by His own laws. Men either deny or ignore His existence, or think to explain everything, even the operation of His Spirit upon the human heart; and they no longer reverence His name or fear His power. They do not believe in the supernatural, not understanding God’s laws or His infinite power to work His will through them. As commonly used, the term “laws of nature” comprises what men have been able to discover with regard to the laws that govern the physical world; but how limited is their knowledge, and how vast the field in which the Creator can work in harmony with His own laws and yet wholly beyond the comprehension of finite beings!—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 114. (Compare 8T259-261[165])

22.    While it is true that more and more of the phenomena that we see in nature are being explained by science, there are still many things which science cannot explain. Any Bible-believing Christian should recognize that no human being or even group of human beings will ever be able to fully understand all that God is capable of doing.

23.    How many ways can you think of in which God used natural law to accomplish His purposes? And what about all the “natural laws,” that is, laws that God has created to control the forces of nature but which we do not yet understand. Can God, at times, use those laws to accomplish His purposes.

24.    Read 1 Kings 19:11,12[166]. Could God actually send the wind, earthquake, and fire just to impress a truth on one of His discouraged and doubting children? Does God prefer to use that “still, small voice” of reason?

25.    Is it just as important for us to believe in God’s sustaining power as it is to believe in His creative power? How does your understanding of God’s sustaining power impact your relationship with Him?

26.    Think over everything you know about God’s relationship to this earth and natural processes. Does God act in capricious, random, unexplainable ways? Or, in orderly ways? How does that contrast with the usual understanding of the evolutionary process? Is there any possible way to integrate these two views that seem so opposed to each other?

27.    In the history of our world and in what is happening now even in the forces of nature, do you see a pattern that suggests that we are moving closer and closer to the end of this world’s history?

28.    Is it clear to you that God is continuously active in sustaining our world? The theories of deism, pantheism, and panentheism are not really compatible with the biblical picture.

29.    The story of George Mueller who started those large orphanages in southern England and sustained them throughout his life by cooperation with a miracle-working God should remind us that God’s power has not in any way lessened with the passage of time. There are many examples in the Bible in which God specifically acted to care for His children. Think of David when he was fleeing from Saul, and Paul on his missionary journeys.

30.    Are we afraid of admitting to our non-Christian friends that we believe in the active intervention of God in our world? Are we embarrassed to think that we might be dependent upon God? Why is it that human beings hate to feel dependent?

31.    In light of all we have studied so far, is it reasonable to believe that God is in some way bound by His laws as we understand them? Or, is God completely independent of natural laws? Can’t God act in whatever way He chooses? Is it possible that even in performing so-called miracles, God is simply using natural laws which we have not yet come to understand?

32.    If God is going to be our Savior, He/They must not be bound by the evil forces in our world. You cannot save someone on a sinking ship if you are going down yourself!

33.    Trusting in God is not a mistake. He is above, beyond, and independent of the forces which seem to be so destructive in our world. Why is it sometimes easy to depend and trust on God while at other times it seems very difficult? How does it affect your trust in God to hear of miracles or at least unexplained events in history that take place in connection with the trusting faith of one of God’s children?

Origins

Marriage: A Gift from Heaven

Lesson #9 for March 2, 2013

Scriptures: [Genesis 2:18-25; Mark 10:7-9; Ephesians 5:21-25; Matthew 5:27-30][167].

1.    This lesson will focus on relationships. We will specifically focus on the relationship we call marriage. When God wants to create one million angels, He creates one million angels. But, when He decided to have this world filled with human beings, He made just two. Why the difference? Human beings were “a new and distinct order of beings.” (RH Feb. 11, 1902; 1BC 1081.3; SD 7.2) God intended for us to have children out of a loving marriage relationship. The process of giving birth to those children and caring for them and training them to be responsible adults is a very important lesson for us in our understanding of God’s challenges in dealing with us as His children.

2.    A happy marriage and a loving home are an incredible blessing. Statistics show that less than 10% of the population in the United States have reached such a high ideal. Divorces have gone past the 50% level. Thus, more often, marriages lead to pain and anger rather than joy and peace. That was certainly not God’s original intention.

God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the institution has for its originator the Creator of the universe. ‘Marriage is honorable’ (Hebrews 13:4); it was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that, after the Fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man’s social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 46.

3.    When God created our world step-by-step, He pronounced each step good. At the end, He said it was all, “Very good.” But, after creating Adam, there was something that was “not good.” (Genesis 2:18) A careful look at Genesis 2:7,18[168] makes it clear that every creature was made from the soil except Eve. Why that difference? When Adam recognized his great need because he was alone, God put him into a deep sleep, (Genesis 2:21) took a rib from his side, and formed Eve out of that rib.

4.    We need to learn several important things from Genesis 2:18-25[169]. The Godhead-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-work in perfect unity and harmony, and They have done so throughout eternity. God is love, and love can only be expressed in relationships. Did God ask Adam to name the animals so that he would recognize the need for a companion more deeply than he had before? When he woke up and saw Eve, Adam’s response indicates how excited he was about having a companion. Before she was created, he could speak to God and the angels, but he had no one like himself with whom to communicate.

5.    It is interesting to note that while Adam apparently named all the animals-which presumably included the great apes-he did not find any creature that was “like himself.” This is in stark contrast to the notion among evolutionists that we are just a more sophisticated great ape. No great ape was suitable as a companion for Adam. And a great ape certainly would not be a suitable companion for one of us.

6.    Why do you think God chose to create Eve from a rib of Adam? Did Adam need that rib? Certainly, God could have just spoken Eve into existence. He could have formed Eve out of the soil just as He did every other creature including Adam. But instead, He removed a rib from Adam and made Eve out of it. (PP 46.2[170]) What is the significance of that? Adam was expected to recognize Eve as a part of himself. They were not two individuals created separately that were somehow supposed to come together; they were indeed one. Were the angels jealous? Satan was! The fact that Eve was made from a rib taken out of Adam was significant when Adam later considered whether or not to join Eve in sin. God had provided for Adam in every possible way. Somehow, God could have provided for Adam if he had chosen to remain faithful. Instead, looking at Eve as part of himself, Adam could not bear the thought of being separated from her. Thus, our two first parents fell into sin together. Read Genesis 2:23-25[171]. Since Adam was asleep when Eve was created, how did he know that she had been taken from him? Was there a scar left on his side? I am sure God is better than any plastic surgeon. God must have told Adam exactly how Eve was created. Adam did not think he needed any introduction. He immediately recognized that Eve was to be his mate and his equal. They were both naked, but they felt completely comfortable with each other. And the entire universe was watching.

7.    But, this ideal marriage did not last. When sin entered our world, everything that God intended for us was spoiled in one way or another. Careful students of the Bible will recognize that the two institutions which we still have as blessings from God extending from the Garden of Eden are the seventh-day Sabbath and marriage. What a wonderful thing it would be if all-or at least all Christians-could have marriages as God originally intended. Wouldn’t the world flock to our doors to find our secret?

8.    By contrast, author William Faulkner once called marriage a “failure” and wrote that, “The only way to get any peace out of it is.. .to keep the first one [wife] and stay as far away from her as much as you can, with the hope of someday outliving her.” What does this say to you about the current state of marriage?

9.    In Jesus’ day, He repeated the instructions given by God in Genesis through Moses. (Mark 10:5-12[172]; compare Genesis 2:22-25[173].) Divorce was not acceptable in Moses’ day. Why do you think it specifically mentions that the husband should leave his father and mother, but it says nothing about the wife leaving hers? Is it because in the cultural norms of Jesus’ day it was expected that the wife would leave her home and become a part of the husband’s family? A marriage needs to be between one man and one woman, and they need to learn how to manage their affairs together. They do not need the helpful or harmful influence of in-laws or parents. Leaving one’s parents would certainly suggest that the new couple should be financially independent and be expected to make their own mutual marriage decisions.

10.    Cleaving suggests that husband and wife should talk together, develop a very close communication, and thus, establish a growing love relationship. The new couple needs to develop a unity. They need to work on cooperating together to build a relationship like the relationships in heaven. And, finally, they need to wait to enter into the marriage relationship until they are prepared to make a lifetime commitment.

11.    Finally, in the original words of Genesis, young men are told to become one flesh with their wives in the marriage relationship. Becoming one flesh suggests that the culmination of this relationship should be a sexual union which is pure. In the polytheistic pagan societies surrounding Palestine even in Jesus’ day, sexual promiscuity was rampant. Do you think that had anything to do with Jesus’ repetition of the instructions from Genesis?

12.    Paul was the apostle who talked the most about marriage. [Ephesians 5:21-25 and Colossians 3:18,19][174] are perhaps the clearest verses in which a good marriage is described.

Why is it that so often we start reading from verse 22 instead of reading verse 21? What does it really mean to submit yourselves to one another? However, it is interesting to notice that the instructions given to husbands are somewhat different from the instructions given to wives. Why do you think that is? What would it mean for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church? Would that be true self-sacrificing love? And what does it mean for wives to submit themselves completely to their husbands? Unfortunately, if we are to look at the way the church submits itself to Christ in our day, it is not such a good example! Would you say the standard for men is higher? Or, is the standard for women higher?

13.    Why is it so hard for human beings to develop the kind of ideal marriage that God represents in Scripture? Is it because of our native selfishness?

14.    Read Matthew 5:27-30[175]. These verses should scare everyone. In our society so-called sex appeal is used to sell almost everything. Whether it is a laundry soap or a new car, sexually attractive women or men are used to catch our attention. What do you think Jesus would say about that advertising trend? In this context, why did He speak so strongly about cutting out our eyes and cutting off our hands? Does that seem extreme? Of course, we know that it is not the eye that is at fault, and it is not the hand that is at fault.

If all who profess to obey the law of God were free from iniquity, my soul would be delivered; but they are not. Even some who profess to keep all the commandments of God are guilty of the sin of adultery. What can I say to arouse their benumbed sensibilities? Moral principle, strictly carried out, becomes the only safeguard of the soul.—Ellen G. White, Counsels on Health, pp. 621,622.

15.    As sinful human beings, we must struggle between that very high moral standard on the one hand and the way Jesus dealt with the woman caught in adultery on the other. (John 8:1-11; compare Luke 8:1-3)[176] How can we fit these two extremes together? Is it possible for us-like God-to hate the sin but love the sinner? How do we accomplish that?

16.    Throughout the Bible, marriage is used to describe the relationship between God and His covenant people. Unfortunately, that relationship was usually in a bad condition. Is God trying to get us to learn to live with someone who thinks differently than we do? We will certainly have to do that in heaven! Read [Exodus 34:15,16 and Ezekiel 16; 23].[177]

17.    In Moses’ day, sexual intimacy and the reproductive capacity were worshiped almost as if they were magic. The fertility cult religions grew out of those ideas. God recognized what an incredibly evil influence those religions were going to have on His people when they got mixed up in them. The truth of that prophecy in Exodus 34[178] was seen before the children of Israel got out of the desert! (See Numbers 25[179]) And 24,000 people died.

18.    Read [Ephesians 5:28-32 and Revelation 19:5-9[180]]. Surely, these texts suggest to us something of the ideal marriage. How does Christ treat His true people? Shouldn’t the husband treat a faithful wife that way?

19.    What do we as Seventh-day Adventist Christians need to do to avoid the immoral mess which is engulfing our world? How can we make choices and live lives that demonstrate to the world the power of a true Christian life?

20.    Once again, we should note the stark contrast between the ideals suggested by the creation story and the very different morality implied by evolution. There is nothing in the evolutionary process to suggest that we should avoid sexual immorality. In fact, animals and birds have a wide variety of “mating systems.” Some types of fish even change sex when necessary. Many animals, birds, and fish are polygamists. Others are very promiscuous. Is it any wonder that people who believe we have descended from these creatures feel comfortable in moving around between partners! Evolution gives us no basis for sexual morality. Can you find any basis in Darwinian evolution for practicing moral sexuality?

In both the Old and the New Testament, the marriage relation is employed to represent the tender and sacred union that exists between Christ and His people. To the mind of Jesus the gladness of the wedding festivities pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day when He shall bring home His bride to the Father’s house, and the redeemed with the Redeemer shall sit down to the marriage supper of the Lamb.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 151.

21.    Can you think of any good examples from the Bible of true, loving marriage relationships? We have talked a lot about Adam and Eve, but what about Abraham and Sarah and Boaz and Ruth?

22.    As local Adventist congregations, should we seek out ways to strengthen marriage ties and raise the standard of morality among our members as an example to the world around us?

23.    Have we developed a clear understanding of God’s original design for marriage? If human marriage is supposed to be carried out in a pattern following the example of Christ’s love and care for the church, what can we learn from Philippians 2:5-9[181]?

24.    Before sin entered our world, Adam and Eve were perfectly happy to live together as equals. After sin entered, a slightly different standard was set up. As you now understand them, what is implied by those new standards? No doubt, each marriage develops a little differently from every other marriage. None of us is exactly like any other person. But, there are certain principles in Scripture as to how the marriage relationship is supposed to grow.

25.    God created us in His image, male and female. (Genesis 1:27,28[182]) This means that the male partner-usually exemplifying more strength, decisiveness, and assertiveness-is to learn from his wife-who exemplifies more of the caring, softness, concern, and love that are more characteristic of the female side-and she is to learn from him. Each partner is to learn from the other until together they grow to be more like God.

26.    Read Genesis 3:16[183]. What did God mean when He told Eve, “You will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him.”

Had the principles enjoined in the law of God been cherished by the fallen race, this sentence, though growing out of the results of sin, would have proved a blessing to them; but man’s abuse of the supremacy thus given him has too often rendered the lot of woman very bitter, and made her life a burden.—Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 115.

27.    Husbands, do you love your wife with self-emptying, self-sacrificial love? Have you learned to love her as Christ loved the church? Wives, have you learned how to relate to your husband in a submissive but loving way to soften and nurture his love for you?

28.    Are both husbands and wives following this incredibly important divine direction so that we can enjoy the kind of marriages God designed we should experience?

Origins - #9 - page 4 of 4

Origins:Stewardship and the Environment

Lesson #10 for March 9, 2013 Scriptures: [Psalm 8; Genesis 2:15; Revelation 4:11; Exodus 20:8-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20[184].]

1.    As we look at our world today, it is very clear that rapidly expanding human populations are decimating habitats for other creatures and damaging the environment. Is global warming a real fact? Why are the polar ice caps apparently melting away? Will this have long-term implications for the human race? What should be man’s relationship to his environment?

2.    If we scan through the Bible looking for environmentally-related passages, we notice several significant things including that in the original creation, it was God’s intention that nothing-not even a plant-would perish. Human beings were given permission to eat fruits, nuts, and grains produced by plants in the field and by trees; animals were designed to eat green leaves and herbs while not destroying the plants. (Genesis 1:29,30[185])

3.    Jesus Himself said that God cares even for the sparrows. [(Matthew 10:29-31; Luke 12:6,7[186])] By contrast, look at Job 1&2[187]. As soon as God allowed Satan to have access to Job and his environment, he destroyed everything he possibly could!

4.    There are those who would argue that given what we know about the seven last plagues and the second coming and then the third coming, there is no question that our world is headed for destruction. At the time of the third coming, all traces of sin, sickness, death, etc. will be completely destroyed in the “cleansing flames” that burn up the corpses of the wicked. (Isaiah 66:24[188]; GC 673.1[189]; 4SP 489.1[190]) So, if the entire world is to be destroyed in the end and if we are to get a “new heaven and a new earth,” (Revelation 21:1[191]) why waste a lot of time and effort trying to preserve our world now? God is going to remake it like the Garden of Eden anyway. In light of all of that, how should we relate to our environment? As we multiply, will we expand to other planets?

5.    First of all, we should recognize that everything was created by God in the beginning. We know that we have deteriorated a great deal since that first creation.

God endowed man with so great vital force that he has withstood the accumulation of disease brought upon the race in consequence of perverted habits, and has continued for six thousand years. This fact of itself is enough to evidence to us the strength and electrical energy that God gave to man at his creation. It took more than two thousand years of crime and indulgence of base passions to bring bodily disease upon the race to any great extent. If Adam, at his creation, had not been endowed with twenty times as much vital force as men [139] now have, the race, with their present habits of living in violation of natural law, would have become extinct. (3T 138.2)

6.    We know that animals have deteriorated a great deal also. The sizes of many animals that died in the flood are a clear evidence that we are shrinking in size and power. To what extent is this the result of our misuse of, or abuse of, our environment or even of each other and other creatures?

7.    Read Psalm 8; Genesis 1:26. What is implied by the phrase, “dominion over” all other creatures that God gave to Adam and Eve? We have already noted that God did not intend for even a plant to die. So, man’s dominion could not have included killing any of God’s other creatures. Genesis 2:15[192] suggests that man was supposed to “care for” and “protect” the other creatures in his environment. Of what do you think Adam’s dominion consisted? Was he to control the animals? To use them in any way to assist him in his labor? Or, did it mean that since human beings do not have horns, tusks, or claws, God put a natural respect for man in animals so that we would not be attacked? Or, is it possible that those horns, tusks, and claws, etc. were not there in the Garden of Eden because they would not have been needed for fighting or protection?

8.    Seventh-day Adventists have taken the three angels’ messages as our final assignment in preparing the world for the second coming. It is very instructive to note that these three angels’ messages included respect and honor for the Creator of “heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!” (Revelation 14:6,7[193]) But, then followed very severe warnings for those who do not respect God’s creation and His laws and a description of what will finally happen to them.

9.    Read Psalm 50:10. What is implied by the fact that every beast of the field and the cattle on a thousand hills belong to God? Is God telling us not to abuse other creatures made by His hands? Can we truly honor and glorify God’s name and at the same time abuse the things that He has made? (Revelation 4:11) Very specific instructions are given in both the Old Testament and the New Testament about how we should care for domesticated animals. (Exodus 20:8-11; 23:5,12; Proverbs 12:10; Luke 14:5) Ellen White had some very strong words on the same subject.

It is because of man’s sin that “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together.” Romans 8:22. Suffering and death were thus entailed, not only upon the human race, but upon the animals. Surely, then, it becomes man to seek to lighten, instead of increasing, the weight of suffering which his transgression has brought upon God’s creatures. He who will abuse animals because he has them in his power is both a coward and a tyrant. A disposition to cause pain, whether to our fellow men or to the brute creation, is satanic. Many do not realize that their cruelty will ever be known, because the poor dumb animals cannot reveal it. But could the eyes of these men be opened, as were those of Balaam, they would see an angel of God standing as a witness, to testify against them in the courts above.

A record goes up to heaven, and a day is coming when judgment will be pronounced against those who abuse God’s creatures. (PP 443.1[194])

10.    Cruelty to animals has also been associated with certain personality disorders in humans.

11.    So, what should be the balance between our care of the environment-and God’s creatures in that environment-and our concern for human beings and their salvation? God supports human need, not his greed! We will not be saved because we have been particularly kind to animals. And the gospel will not be finished because we support the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals!

12.    Some evolutionists have gone so far as to say that there is essentially no difference between human beings and animals. They say that human beings have just gone down a different evolutionary path from their animal friends.

One philosopher has even argued that a chicken, or even a fish, has more “personhood” than does a fetus in the womb or even a newborn infant. However ridiculous these ideas might sound, they can be derived with a fair amount of logic from an atheistic evolutionary model of human origins. (Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Monday, March 4, 2013)

13.    So, what was God’s original intention concerning the way humans should relate to the animal kingdom? [(Genesis 3:21; Exodus 29:38; Leviticus 11:3)][195]

14.    Our world is loaded with resources which can be used by human beings for their own benefit. Does the fact that such resources exist imply that God created them for our use and benefit? Does that include our using them in whatever way we want even for personal pleasure or gain of wealth?

15.    Many ancient cultures had great respect for the animal kingdom among which they lived. They even worshiped certain creatures because of their strength, wisdom, or even perhaps their ability to fly or proliferate. American Indians are well known for their respect of the environment.

16.    Read [Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15[196]]. Why the change between Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5? Is it that our recognition of God as the Creator of everything is really not that important? Or, was God through Moses just adding to the many reasons why we should worship God on the seventh-day Sabbath? More on that next week.

17.    Does our treatment of other people say anything about our respect for God’s creation? According to 1 Corinthians 6:19,20[197], we should even respect our bodies because they are temples for the Holy Spirit. There is a mountain of scientific evidence and a great deal of discussion even in the writings of Ellen White to suggest that what happens in our bodies affects our minds. Since our minds are the only instruments God has given us for thinking about Him, we need to do our utmost to care for our minds in every way possible.

Let none who profess godliness regard with indifference the health of the body, and flatter themselves that intemperance is no sin, and will not affect their spirituality.

A close sympathy exists between the physical and the moral nature. The standard of virtue is elevated or degraded by the physical habits. . . . Any habit which does not promote healthful action in the human system degrades the higher and nobler faculties.—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Jan. 25, 1881.

18.    Having recognized that every good gift comes from God, (James 1:17[198]) what should be our attitude toward stewardship? Certainly, we should recognize that everything within our grasp-even those things which we think we have worked hard to obtain-are nevertheless God’s property. This includes a whole host of things and not just our money. Do we honestly recognize that we ourselves and all that we “possess” belong to God? Do we treat our bodies and our possessions as if they belong to God? God has a work for each one of us to do.

To His servants Christ commits “His goods”-something to be put to use for Him. He gives “to every man his work.” Each has his place in the eternal plan of heaven.

Each is to work in co-operation with Christ for the salvation of souls. Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God.—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 326, 327.

19.    So, what should be the guiding principle in our lives?

Christ’s followers have been redeemed for service. Our Lord teaches that the true object of life is ministry. Christ Himself was a worker, and to all His followers He gives the law of service-service to God and to their fellow men. Here Christ has presented to the world a higher conception of life than they had ever known. By living to minister for others, man is brought into connection with Christ. The law of service becomes the connecting link which binds us to God and to our fellow men.—Ellen G, White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 326.

20.    Are there some criteria by which we should determine the relative value of God’s creatures and creations? While plants are presumably given to us by God as a source of food, we certainly would not say the same about other human beings. A famous Australian by the name of Peter Singer raised some very serious questions when he wrote in his book:

Far from having concern for all life, or a scale of concern impartially based on the nature of the life in question, those who protest against abortion but dine regularly on the bodies of chickens, pigs and calves show only a biased concern for the lives of members of our species. For on any fair comparison of morally relevant characteristics, like rationality, self-consciousness, awareness, autonomy, pleasure, pain, and so on, the calf, the pig, and the much-derided chicken come out well ahead of the fetus at any stage of pregnancy-while if we make the comparison with a fetus of less than three months old, a fish would show more signs of consciousness.—Peter Singer, Writings on an Ethical Life (New York: The Ecco Press, 2000), p. 156. But, that fetus has enormous potential!

21.    As a Seventh-day Adventist Church organization, we have taken a firm stand on how we should relate to our environment. See adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main-stat5.html

22.    We immediately recognize that no matter how well we care for our environment, this side of the third coming we will never be able to return to the ideal state which existed in the Garden of Eden. If we do our best, can we even slow down the deterioration now taking place in our environment?

23.    There are some among Adventists who believe that the first six of the seven last plagues are examples of what will happen when our environmental decay reaches a point of no return and God allows the Devil to take control of our world. Does that seem reasonable to you?

24.    While Adam and Eve were, in fact, given dominion over the earth and over its creatures, they were also told that there were some limitations to their dominion. They were not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:17[199]) Human beings were supposed to serve and protect the garden and not to exploit and destroy.

25.    If we as Seventh-day Adventists believe that Jesus could potentially return very quickly, should we focus on finishing the gospel? Or, protecting the environment? Environmental changes on any massive scale take fairly lengthy periods of time. Should we just focus on the second coming?

26.    In His prayer in John 17[200], Jesus suggested that we should come into relationship with God just as They are in relationship with Each Other. Earlier, He had stated that love to God and love for our fellow human beings are the two most important commandments. (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:2833; Luke 10:25-28) In light of such instructions, how should we relate to those around us?

27.    One excellent example of how a righteous person should treat others in a difficult situation is given to us by Joseph who was engaged to Mary. When he found out she was pregnant, he did everything possible in his human wisdom to minimize Mary’s shame. Of course, when he found out the truth, he took her as his wife.

28.    Considering all of the above, what has been the general attitude of Jews and Christians toward the environment?

In 1973, Lynn White Jr. published a scathing article, “The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis,” in Western Man and Environmental Ethics: Attitudes Toward Nature and Technology (Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1973), pp. 18-30. White contended that Christian theology, based heavily on the concept of Creation dominion, provided a theological basis for the promotion of an exploitative view of man’s relationship to nature, hence our current eco-crisis.

White’s article did accomplish some good by touching off a chain of reactions within Christianity, including among Evangelicals, causing those Christians to seek to refute White and proponents of an exploitational view, while arguing for a stewardship model of environmental care based in Creation. It is true that some exploitationist theology appears in Christian history, especially during the Industrial Revolution. However, most of the pro-exploitation expositors made poor use of biblical data when framing their arguments. It is likely, however, that the majority of Jews and Christians have not held such views. (Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, page 122)

29.    Men and women were created in the very image of God while the animals were not. We share with the animals the ability to procreate, a power which Satan desperately coveted but does not have. It is also true that because we were created in the image of God, He has given us a relative superiority to the animals. In times of real need, human beings were allowed to consume animal flesh. (Genesis 9:5,6[201]) But, if Christians and Jews are to follow the clear instructions in the fourth commandment by allowing their animals to rest one day a week, shouldn’t that teach us respect for domesticated animals and other creatures?

30.    We live in a world almost dominated by technology. How does the use of technology for accomplishing many difficult tasks change our relationship to the animals who once did those tasks for us?

31.    Once again, we need to ask ourselves: If God created us and if we belong to Him, what responsibilities does that place upon us? How does that, or how should that, impact our relationship with other human beings and especially to God’s other creatures?

Origins

Sabbath: A Gift from Eden

Lesson #11 for March 16, 2013

Scriptures: [Genesis 2:1-3; Job 38:7; Hebrews 4:3,4; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Ezekiel 20:12; Mark 2:27,28; 2 Peter 3:3-7.][202]

1.    In this lesson we will focus on some of the many reasons why we celebrate the Sabbath. That first Sabbath in the Garden of Eden was certainly a day of celebration for the entire universe. Look what had been accomplished during the preceding week. It was a celebration of God’s seventh day. It was our first full day. It was a celebration of all that God had accomplished throughout the universe, and everyone was celebrating. Certainly, it was not limited to one group of people or one nation, and it should never be called “the Jewish Sabbath.”

2.    If we can fully understand all that God intended for the Sabbath to mean, it should be no surprise that we will continue to celebrate the Sabbath for the rest of eternity. Thousands of years later from the top of Mount Sinai, God reminded us that we keep the Sabbath because of what He did at creation. Coming out of more than 100 years of slavery, the Hebrew people had almost forgotten what God had done for them and what He wanted from them.

3.    Read Genesis 2:1-3[203]. Having created a marvelous new world with the crown jewel called the Garden of Eden, God stopped His work to celebrate. And that same Garden of Eden has been preserved and will become the centerpiece of God’s future home forever here on planet earth. Realizing all of that, what possible reason could there be for not celebrating? The seventh-day Sabbath is very clearly a reminder of God’s action in our world. And there was no reason for the Sabbath to be created if those first six days were not true 24-hour days like the ones we know every day. And as we have studied in the past, that truth is recognized throughout all of Scripture. (See Hebrews 4:3,4[204]) There is no hint in Scripture of theistic evolution.

4.    Why do so many doubt the seven-day creation week? They demand scientific evidence that the record is true. There is no such thing as scientific evidence for something that happened in the past. There are only two ways that a six-day creation week could be “proven”: show a video, or do it over again. In either case, the skeptics would claim that the evidence was not enough or that it had been altered! (Macroevolution cannot be proven either!)

The word of God, like the character of its Author, presents mysteries that can never be fully comprehended by finite beings. But God has given in the Scriptures sufficient evidence of their divine authority. His own existence, His character, the truthfulness of His word, are established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. True, He has not removed the possibility of doubt; faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration; those who wish to doubt have opportunity; but those who desire to know the truth find ample ground for faith.—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 169. (Compare Steps to Christ 105[205])

5.    Skeptics say that the first 11 chapters of Genesis talk of things which are in the impenetrable past. Thus, they call them myths-they cannot be verified. So, why do we choose to believe those records as established facts? Do we have adequate reasons for our faith? Can God be trusted? Do we believe the biblical record? Or, should we believe the Devil’s claims? Why is he called the “father of lies”? (John 8:44[206]) The Sabbath was established specifically to allow us time to evaluate all the evidence that God has so generously provided.

Had the Sabbath been universally kept, man’s thoughts and affections would have been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and worship, and there would never have been an idolater, an atheist, or an infidel. The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign of loyalty to the true God, “Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” [Revelation 14:7[207]] It follows that the message which commands men to worship God and keep His commandments will especially call upon them to keep the fourth commandment. (GC 437.2)

6.    There are those who try to cast doubt on the importance of the fourth commandment as recorded in Exodus 20:8-11[208] by quoting Deuteronomy 5:12-15[209]. When Moses repeated the command to keep the Sabbath, he gave a different reason for doing so. Why did he do that? Had Moses forgotten what God had told him at Sinai? At the end of Deuteronomy, we are told: “Moses was 120 years old when he died; he was as strong as ever, and his eyesight was still good.” (Deuteronomy 34:7[210], GNB) With that kind of ringing testimony, how could we doubt Moses’ memory? What happened in Deuteronomy 5 was that Moses was adding to the reasons why we should keep sacred the seventh-day Sabbath. God is not only the One who created us, but also He is the One who saves us, delivers us, and redeems us. He had just liberated the children of Israel from Egypt. Why shouldn’t they celebrate that on the Sabbath? Moses was reminding the children of Israel that they belonged to the Lord, first by creation, but then also by redemption. God not only created but also He predicts the future. (Isa. 40-55)

7.    Read [Ezekiel 20:12 and Exodus 31:13[211]]. In these verses it should be clear that God has wonderful plans for us. He wants each one of us to be a part of His personal private property. He wants to make us holy to become more and more like Himself. What is needed to bring that about? Faith is our part; transformation and sanctification are God’s part as He works with us and in us. [(Exodus 19:5,6; 1 Peter 2:9; Deuteronomy 4:20; 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Titus 2:14)][212]

8.    But, that is not the last time God has given us additional reasons to celebrate the Sabbath. After dying that terrible death of separation and crucifixion on Calvary, Jesus was laid in the grave while all in the universe were already celebrating. But, God chose to allow Him to lie there in the grave over the Sabbath hours to give additional meaning to its sacredness. Salvation will eternally be linked with the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath.

9.    As we have noted in previous lessons, our very existence, even our ability to take a breath and for our hearts to keep beating are dependent upon God’s power. (Acts 17:25,28[213]) Every Sabbath, we are to celebrate that fact. Jesus Himself made it clear that the Sabbath was made for us. (Mark 2:27,28[214]) And Jesus reminds us that as our elder Brother, the Firstborn of the human race, He is Lord also of the Sabbath, a time of special association with Him.

10.    Think of all you know about the conflicts that Jesus entered into over the keeping of the Sabbath. It is important to notice that there is never a mention of whether or not the Sabbath is a valid celebration of God’s sovereignty. The many conflicts He entered into—in opposition particularly to the Pharisees-were always about how to keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath is intended to be a day of blessing in celebration of the relief of pain and suffering and certainly not as an excuse for prolonging suffering. He showed us how to keep the Sabbath.

11.    Read [Matthew 12:9-13; Luke 13:10-17; and John 5:1-17[215]]. Each of these miracles was performed on the Sabbath, and these were individuals who had suffered with their problems for long periods of time. These miracles were not “emergency surgery”! Jesus intentionally performed these miracles on the Sabbath as a way of saying to us exactly what He wants us to be doing on the Sabbath. So, how do you keep the seventh-day Sabbath? How should we celebrate God’s creation? We cannot perform miracles, but we can relieve suffering.

12.    Would it be a correct understanding of God’s plan for the Sabbath to have us not only worship Him but also to work for the poor and the sick and to study our Bibles with others to improve our mutual knowledge about God and even to witness to others about our faith?

13.    Read 2 Peter 3:3-7[216]. Was God through Peter trying to give us a glimpse of what the arguments of skeptics would be in our day? It is hard to imagine how the arguments of evolutionists could have been more clearly stated in Peter’s day! They deny the flood, and they deny the creation story. Of course, the bottom line is that they deny God’s direct miraculous interventions in the events of our world. And as we know historically, the same people deny virtually any miraculous occurrence throughout Scripture. It is pretty clear that by denying one miracle in Scripture, one is on a slippery slope to denying all the other miracles.

14.    Read Revelation 14:6-12[217]. What is God’s response at the end of time to all this skepticism and doubting? God has chosen a people to give to the world His last final terrible warning about the consequences of sin. We are to remind the world that God is Creator. The fact that we recognize Him as our Creator makes it easier for us to look forward to His final actions in the history of our world. Surely, no one would suggest that the events in the book of Revelation could all take place without God’s intervention in any way!

15.    So, what about it? Is the Seventh-day Adventist Church-are we-clearly giving the three angels’ messages to the world? Do we owe it to the world to tell them about the judgments that are coming? Are we embarrassed to speak up for the truth of the Sabbath—to speak up on behalf of the God we worship? We need to remember that the good news is not about us, or even about our church; the good news is about God! And there are plenty of good things we can say about God.

16.    And so, at the end of time, we will see that there will be two days proposed on which men are to worship. On the one hand, the Sabbath-linked to all that God has accomplished throughout history-versus Sunday which is the substitute day of worship on the other. Satan knows that any group of people who correctly and fully celebrate the seventh-day Sabbath will be able to resist his power. No wonder he works so unceasingly at attacking the validity of the seventh-day Sabbath. The Devil certainly understands that if he can lead us to doubt the truthfulness of a seven-day creation week and especially if he can get us to doubt the entire creation story, our reasons for keeping the Sabbath are seriously compromised.

17.    Read Psalm 92[218]. Do we give praise to God and celebrate every week when the Sabbath arrives? Or, are we more thankful when it is over? What do we learn from this Sabbath Psalm? The author was clearly celebrating the Sabbath day. He was praising and thanking God for His loving kindness and faithfulness and the fact that He would sustain the righteous and eventually eliminate the wicked. In this context, it is important to notice that God’s judgment is not just against the wicked but it is in favor of the righteous. (Compare Daniel 7:20-28[219]) Do you think that the psalmist was thinking about our time when he said that the righteous will flourish, but the wicked will perish? Or, is that a celebration of the future judgment? How many things can you think of as reasons why we should celebrate the Sabbath? Is this a special family day for you? Is it a time when you can lay aside you weekly responsibilities? Is it a time when you can worship the God you love? Is it a time when you can get out of doors and perhaps enjoy the God that created the nature around us?

18.    In the three angels’ messages, God is reminding us of where we came from, of the creation story, and of the history of sin which began even before our world was created with rebellion in heaven followed by the creation of this earth and the tragedy of sin. We are encouraged to see God’s action behind all of human history, and that should cause us to think of the great controversy. When we look around us, it may appear that the Devil is winning; but, taking a longer view of history, we are guaranteed that God has won and will win in the end.

In the annals of human history the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will. (Education 173.2)

19.    Surely, it was no accident that Charles Darwin wrote his book on the origin of species in the very year, 1844, when hundreds of thousands of people were looking forward to the second advent of Jesus. From that day to this, there has been a conflict-a war-over ideas. How could some of us who should believe in creation ever adopt the ideas of evolution?

20.    As science gets ever more detailed in its description of how a cell works and the intricate mechanisms that make life possible, it becomes more and more difficult to believe that all of that could have happened by accident. Theistic evolution which claims to be based on science is finding that science is making it impossible to believe in theistic evolution.

21.    So, what was God’s original plan for the Sabbath? How did they celebrate the Sabbath in the Garden of Eden? Was that a time when God came down to spend some extra quality time with His two new children? If that was the case, don’t you think that must have been the best day of the week for Adam and Eve? If God is a God of love, (1 John 4:8,16[220]) wouldn’t it seem very natural that He would create beings designed for intimate fellowship with Himself? Do you find each Sabbath day that you are more in tune with God? The Sabbath is so much more than just a day to collapse and recuperate from a too-busy week. The Sabbath should be the queen of the week. It should be a time for us to rethink our priorities. It should be a time for us to embrace the truths that we hold founded on Genesis 1-11 and not to be relegating them to some kind of myth or fable status. Or, do you think it is possible to eliminate Genesis 1-11 and still believe in the rest of Scripture?

22.    Sometimes it is suggested that the seven-day week was designed into our very DNA. That is, we need one day a week to collapse and rest to recover from what we have done the rest of the week. But, we were created for intimate fellowship with God and not just for maximum production efficiency. Why would anyone want to give up a time of fellowship with God?

23.    In those Sabbath celebrations in Eden, do you think some of the angels came along with God to celebrate with Adam and Eve? Did the angel choir sing for them? We need to remember that the Sabbath was our first full 24-hour day. Adam and Eve were not there during the first 5^ days of creation week. By faith, they had to accept God’s explanation of what had happened. When they looked around at the beautiful Garden of Eden, did they have any questions about God’s ability to create such a garden in a brief period of time? Did they have any problem accepting God’s explanation of the how, when, or why of their Edenic home?

24.    Look at the Christian world around you. How do they celebrate their Sunday as compared to how you celebrate your Sabbath? Do you celebrate your Sabbath from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night? Are you thankful for every minute you have with the Lord during those sacred hours? How do your Christian friends celebrate their Sunday? Do they rush home from church to watch the football game? Is Sabbath a way to enhance our intimate fellowship with God?

25.    The celebration of the Sabbath should begin each Sunday and build all week long toward the actual day. Are we living and acting all week long like the kind of people who are God’s faithful people? Christian growth and development are what is needed for us to overcome our natural selfishness and the desire to lord it over others. Hasn’t every one of us who has brothers or sisters experienced sibling rivalry? We need to grow up and become mature enough to reach out to others in love and care instead of enhancing our superiority over them at every opportunity as suggested by the evolutionary process. Which day will you choose? And, why?

Origins Creation and the Gospel

Lesson #12 for March 23, 2013

Scriptures: [Genesis 3:21; Psalm 104:29,30; John 1:4; Romans 5:6-11; Galatians 3:13; Matthew 27:46[221]].

1.    This lesson will focus on the relationship—similarities and possible differences-between the original creation and God's ability to “create in us a new heart.” (Psalm 51:10[222])

2.    When we talk about the death of Jesus and what it accomplished, we tend to use a lot of cliches. What does it mean to say, “Jesus became sin for us”? (2 Corinthians 5:21[223]) We know for certain that Jesus did not actually become a sinner. What is the difference between “becoming sin” and “becoming a sinner”? The Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide states, “By His death, Jesus restored the relationship between God and humanity that had been broken by the sin of Adam and Eve.” And the obvious question is: How does the death of Jesus restore our relationship? Does the blood of Jesus work in some mystical way? Does the blood of Jesus-His sacrificial death-pay a legal penalty? Or, does the blood of Jesus and His sacrificial death teach us some important things about God, about Satan, and about reality that allow that relationship to be reestablished?

3.    Which do you think was/is more difficult: To create Adam and Eve in the beginning? Or, to create a new heart in a sinner? Each requires Divine action.

4.    In the Garden of Eden, Eve was deceived and was led into sin. While she had been told that it was wrong to eat of the fruit of the tree, the lying serpent convinced her that it was all right. By contrast, Adam did not hear the words of the lying serpent and ate the food intentionally. Who was more guilty: Adam or Eve? Eve chose the lie/fruit. Adam chose to be with Eve.

5.    Read Genesis 3:8-15[224]. What can we learn from God's approach to Adam and Eve after their sin? He could have just let them die because they had sinned. Or, He could have said, “They are only beginners, let us forgive them and let them stay in the garden.” Instead, He approached them in a careful, even humble, way, asking questions and getting them to recognize their mistakes. Unfortunately, as sinners often do, they each tried to blame someone else. Did that make their case worse? Where do our sins usually come from? (James 1:13-15[225])

6.    As a result of Adam's and Eve's sin, some fairly radical changes happened to the environment of the earth when they left the garden.

In humility and unutterable sadness they bade farewell to their beautiful home and went forth to dwell upon the earth, where rested the curse of sin. The atmosphere, once so mild and uniform in temperature, was now subject to marked changes, and the Lord mercifully provided them with a garment of skins as a protection from the extremes of heat and cold. (Patriarchs and Prophets 61.5)

7.    Read Genesis 3:21[226]. Where did God get the animal skins that He used to make garments for Adam and Eve? How did He actually do that? Were the skins sewn together in some way? Were animals actually killed-maybe as sacrifices-or did God create the skins? In our day, fresh animal skins quickly become very brittle and hard and are really not suitable to wear as clothing. Did God have to dry and cure and tan the skins? How long did that take? And surely, one set of animal skins did not last forever. Did He teach Adam and Eve how to make clothing out of animal skins? Did God assist Adam in sacrificing that first lamb? Or, did an angel do it? Was that the first time for the universe to see death? Did Adam and Eve feel uncomfortable wearing the skins of the animals that they had killed? When they thought about those skins, of what did it remind them? Of their sin? Of God's plan of salvation? Of the time when they had to kill the animal?

8.    One of the most important points to remember in studying the subject of creation versus evolution is the point that no one but God can give life. Modern-day scientists have sought in many ways to attempt to reproduce the life which God created, and they have not been able to. Read [Genesis 2:7; Psalm 104:29,30; John 1:4; Acts 17:24,25,28[227]]. Our daily, hourly, even minute-by-minute lives depend upon God. Human beings have become very good at killing, but we are no good at all when it comes to giving life back again.

9.    What is so special about life? It is a chemical compound or even a group of atoms and molecules working together in a certain very sophisticated way? Once again, read Isaiah 59:2[228]. Why is it that when we are separated from God we die? When a person is born, does God create out of nothing?

10.    When Adam and Eve sinned, God had three choices: 1) He could have allowed them to die of their sin as He had warned in Genesis 2:17[229]. 2) He could have said that their sin was a mistake and perhaps punish them or discipline them and allow them to stay in the garden. Or, 3) He could do what He did do, suggesting that Adam and Eve really did not understand-and for that matter neither did the entire universe-the implications of sin and death.

11.    God and the angels had tried their best to explain to Adam and Eve what would happen if they ate of the fruit. Were those explanations not adequate? Why did God give Adam and Eve another chance?

12.    Read Romans 5:6-11[230]. “While we were yet enemies. . . ,” God Himself stepped into the picture. He explained that some very important lessons needed to be learned. We need to understand why and how sin leads to death. But, more than that, we need to understand how the death of Jesus can put us right with God again. In what way does that death help to reconcile us to God?

13.    When someone wrongs someone else, as human beings we usually expect the one in the wrong to approach the one he has wronged and asked for forgiveness. But, in this most important of all cases, God did not wait for us to ask for forgiveness. He came down to this earth; and while we were yet sinners, He died on our behalf. It is hard to imagine a better illustration of divine love. Was that the main message God wanted to portray? Is it possible for us to exercise that kind of agape love?

The scenes of Calvary call for the deepest emotion. Upon this subject you will be excusable if you manifest enthusiasm. That Christ, so excellent, so innocent, should suffer such a painful death, bearing the weight of the sins of the world, our thoughts and imaginations can never fully comprehend. The length, the breadth, the height, the depth, of such amazing love we cannot fathom.-Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 213.

14.    What important lessons are we supposed to learn from the experiences of Gethsemane and Calvary? Is it easy for sinful human beings to learn those lessons?

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross. (DA 83.4)

15.    Read Galatians 3:13[231] and Deuteronomy 21:22,23[232]. It is interesting to notice that Galatians 3:13 suggests that it is a curse to be hanged on a tree. Deuteronomy 21:22,23 suggests that a body hanging on a post overnight would lead to a curse on the land. Of course, Christ did not remain on the cross overnight. He was already dead before sunset.

16.    However, Josephus and others explained that something like that happened in A.D. 70 at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. When deserters tried to escape from Jerusalem, they usually were caught and crucified outside the city wall where those from the inside could watch. Eventually, so many died and were crucified there was not even room enough to walk between the crosses. Imagine the curse that rested on the city and the land as a result of that! Wait until the end!

17.    We know that Christ was not a sinner. He never committed a single sin. So, what was it that He took upon Himself on the cross? Was it the guilt of our sins? Or, the responsibility? Does God take responsibility for sin because He allowed human freedom?

Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the condemnation of the law.

The guilt of every descendant of Adam was pressing upon His heart. The wrath of God against sin, the terrible manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of His Son with consternation. All His life Christ had been publishing to a fallen world the good news of the Father's mercy and pardoning love. Salvation for the chief of sinners was His theme. But now with the terrible weight of guilt He bears, He cannot see the Father's reconciling face. The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. So great was this agony that His physical pain was hardly felt. (DA 753.1)

18.    And what was that terrible agony that Christ suffered? From eternity past, the Father and the Son have been One. They had never experienced separation in any sense. But, with the death of Jesus, they experienced the “sundering of the divine powers.” (Ellen G. White, Manuscript 93, 1899) What does that tell us about the death of the wicked in the end?

19.    Many Christians have come to be afraid of God and His judgments while secretly enjoying sin. Is the good news-the gospel-that Christ has died as our Substitute and Surety? Did He take our sins upon Himself? The New Testament teaches us that by His death on the cross, Christ will eventually eliminate sin, sinners, and death. But, if death was a part of God's way of creating our world through theistic evolution, how can we say that death is the last enemy? (1 Corinthians 15:26[233]) Wouldn't that suggest that the ideas of theistic evolution are in direct opposition to the gospel?

20.    Those who believe that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit cooperated in creating our world in the beginning should not have any trouble in believing that They can now recreate us and give us new hearts and right spirits. [(Psalm 51:10; Ezekiel 11:19,20; 36:26,27; Colossians 3:10; and 2 Corinthians 5:17[234])]

21.    Is it easier to make something brand new out of raw materials? Or, easier to remake something that has been smashed and broken? If we believe that God has the power to completely heal us and make us like newborn babes when we are born again, why do we hesitate to let Him do that? Does it require the destruction or the abandonment of our old ways of thinking and the establishment of a whole new way of thinking? Would that be described as a change in paradigm? How difficult is it for us to change our paradigm?

22.    We certainly should recognize that God's power and glory are incomprehensible to finite, sinful human beings. Look at some examples of this from the writings of Ellen White:

In that thick darkness God's presence was hidden. He makes darkness His pavilion, and conceals His glory from human eyes. God and His holy angels were beside the cross. The Father was with His Son. Yet His presence was not revealed. Had His glory flashed forth from the cloud, every human beholder would have been destroyed. And in that dreadful hour Christ was not to be comforted with the Father's presence. He trod the wine press alone, and of the people there was none with Him.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 753,754.

23.    While we recognize that God's glory was veiled to the point where not even Jesus could detect His presence, every eye in the entire universe outside of this world was glued on what was happening in Gethsemane and on Calvary.

He was to work no miracle for Himself, but angels protected His life till the time came when He was to be betrayed by one of His disciples, till He was to give His life on Calvary's cross, and Satan stirred up the minds of men to think that the angels of heaven were indifferent. But every one was watching the contest with interest.

From the moment that Christ knelt in prayer on the sod of Gethsemane till He died on the cross and cried out, “It is finished,” the angels and all the universe of God looked on with the greatest interest. When those words were spoken, the plan was completed-the plan whereby Satan's power should be limited and broken, and whereby Christ should finally die. And when Christ rose from the dead His triumph was complete. Satan knew that his battle with Christ was lost, but yet he is at enmity with God.—Manuscript 8, 1888. (1888 126.4)

24.    If our world was created by a haphazard, completely chaotic, chance process and there was no supernatural or other logical, reasonable orderly process involved, then what basis is there for saying that any event that takes place is a sin?

25.    Atheists, agnostics, and evolutionists are hoping to avoid any future judgment by God. Critics who are trying to devalue the significance of the death of Jesus sometimes argue that Jesus knew even as He was dying on that crucifixion Friday that He would rise again on Sunday. Such a death-being only temporary-would be no big problem. In contrast, notice these words from Ellen White:

As Christ felt His unity with the Father broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be unable to endure the coming conflict with the powers of darkness. In the wilderness of temptation the destiny of the human race had been at stake. Christ was then conqueror. Now [687] the tempter had come for the last fearful struggle.

For this he had been preparing during the three years of Christ's ministry. Everything was at stake with him. If he failed here, his hope of mastery was lost; the kingdoms of the world would finally become Christ's; he himself would be overthrown and cast out. But if Christ could be overcome, the earth would become Satan's kingdom, and the human race would be forever in his power. With the issues of the conflict before Him, Christ's soul was filled with dread of separation from God. Satan told Him that if He became the surety for a sinful world, the separation would be eternal. He would be identified with Satan's kingdom, and would nevermore be one with God. (DA 686.5)

Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice.

He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal.

Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father's wrath upon Him as man's substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God. (DA 753.2)

26.    If you believe in theistic evolution or even full Darwinian evolution and you are not certain if God has created anything, can you be certain that He can give you a new heart and a right spirit? And how can God accuse us of doing something disorderly and thus sinful if the whole creative process was one disorderly, chaotic mess?

27.    And what would a blood sacrifice do to somehow remedy the problems created by all of this chaos? Is this a case of God demanding a blood sacrifice? And if God does not exist or even is far removed from the events on this earth, there is no way He could demand anything. Creationists know that God not only exists but also He is love, (1 John 4:8,16[235]) and He wants nothing but the best for His children. So, God has made a provision whereby through looking at the life and death of Jesus we can make an intelligent choice about what we want to do with our lives.

28.    If we believe that evolution is the explanation for our origins, can evolution also result in our salvation? Can we claw our way up to heaven? Will some future generation of human beings evolve into saints? Is that what seems to be happening as we look at the world around us? If such a thing is possible, then, of course, there was no reason for Jesus to come and die that awful death. There would be no angry God demanding the payment of a penalty. And to whom would the payment be made? What does it take for justice to be satisfied? Could God have just forgiven Adam and Eve? Of course, that would imply that His previous statement about sin leading to death was wrong! Has G od lied to us?

29.    In this lesson we have studied some of the details of how God has attempted to balance righteousness and justice on the one side with grace and mercy and forgiveness on the other. Is that picture clear in your mind? Could you explain it all to someone else?

Creation, Again Origins

Lesson #13 for March 30, 2013

Scriptures: [Revelation 21:1-5; Genesis 3:19; 1 Corinthians 15:52-58; Genesis 6:11-13; Isaiah 11:6-9; John 14:1-3[236]].

1.    In this lesson we will discuss what needs to happen in order to eliminate sin and sinners and all traces of evil and to create a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness.

2.    Read 2 Peter 3:10-13[237]. These verses seem to suggest that the heavens and the earth will be destroyed and replaced. How complete will the destruction of our earth be? In the history of the final events through the second and third coming, at what point will these new heavens and new earth be re-created? Since the New Jerusalem is to come down and settle on a plain created by the splitting of the Mount of Olives, does that seem like God will have created a new earth? (Zechariah 14:4[238])

3.    As you look forward to life in heaven and the new earth, what do you look forward to the most? Think of all the things so common and dominant in our world that you will be happy to leave behind: death, sin, murder, adultery, lying, stealing, deceit, selfishness, etc. Can you even imagine a world without those?

4.    But, these ideas pose a huge problem for those who do not believe God created our heavens and our earth back in the beginning. If theistic evolution is true, will God need to start all over again through a whole new evolutionary process in order to reestablish a new world? If that is the case, how could this earth be saved to be a part of it? And if God can re-create the heavens and the earth, why not admit that He created it the first time?

5.    Surely, we do not believe any of the so-called evolutionary processes will be present in the new earth. And if we indeed believe in the Darwinian evolutionary idea, when we die there could be no resurrection because there would be no God.

6.    Read Revelation 21:1-5[239]. What do you like best in these verses? Clearly, death, disease, and sin were never intended to be a part of human existence. Now that God has succeeded in His great plan of redemption, it will be possible to eliminate these things forever.

7.    And if God is not going to come again and re-create our heaven and our earth saving the righteous and eliminating sin and sinners, what was the point of His coming the first time?

8.    Read Genesis 2:2; 3:19[240]. The Scriptures state very plainly that Adam-and for that matter, all the other creatures on earth except Eve-was created from dirt. Some Hebrew scholars have suggested that the word should be clods or even clay. But, there was another part to the lives of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden that is perhaps even more important. They had daily access to the tree of life. What do we know about that tree of life?

Here we saw the tree of life and the throne of God. Out of the throne came a pure river of water, and on either side of the river was the tree of life. On one side of the river was a trunk of a tree, and a trunk on the other side of the river, both of pure, transparent gold. At first I thought I saw two trees. I looked again, and saw that they were united at the top in one tree. So it was the tree of life on either side of the river of life. [Revelation 22:2[241]] Its branches bowed to the place where we stood, and the fruit was glorious; it looked like gold mixed with silver. Early Writings 17.1

9.    There are places on this earth where it is possible to drive a car through an opening in the base of a large tree. But, I doubt that anyone has seen a river running through the middle of a tree. There is no evidence that the original tree of life in the Garden of Eden had a river through it. Furthermore, if the tree of life is to provide fruit for all of the righteous, it will have to be enormously fruitful. Once again, we see that the glimpses we have of heaven cannot possibly explain everything that will take place there.

10.    Read Job 19:26[242]. No doubt, Adam’s body has deteriorated, and the individual atoms and molecules have been separated and recycled probably millions of times. But, that is no problem for God. He can re-create Adam just as he was before. Surely, it is clear that the resurrection is just as much an act of creation as was the original creation.

11.    Read 1 Corinthians 15:51-58[243]. God will give us new bodies that will never have an ache or pain or disease or death. Death will be destroyed-thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14,15[244])

12.    Have you ever heard a scientific explanation of the resurrection? Science has nothing to say on the subject. And if there is no resurrection, there is nothing beyond this life. Do people who believe in theistic evolution consider this detail?

13.    Read Genesis 1:27,28[245] and John 12:31[246]. Adam was created to be the head of this world’s family. He was a direct son of God (Luke 3:38[247]) and should have gathered with the sons of God in the councils of heaven. (Job 1&2[248]) But, Adam yielded his dominion to Satan who has claimed ever since that he is the ruler of this earth. But, Christians know that Jesus came and lived and died to defeat Satan and to take away his claim to this earth. [(Matthew 28:18; Revelation 12:10; John 12:31[249])] Christ’s victory on the cross guarantees us that truth and righteousness will finally be victorious over sin and death. More than that, the righteous will judge with God in heaven. [(2 Timothy 2:11,12; Revelation 5:10; 20:4-6; 1 Corinthians 6:2,3[250])] But, the righteous will certainly not spend all their time sitting on thrones, judging the wicked.

All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God’s redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar-worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed soul. With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings.—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 677.

14.    What will be the result of our having open and free communion with angels and even God Himself? What will it be like to talk to our guardian angels?

15.    In the world as we know it, predation and the “food chain” are an essential part of the balance of nature. But, clearly, this was not the case in the Garden of Eden. Nothing there was to die. What are the implications of nothing ever dying? Will we be allowed to pick flowers and put them in our homes? Will we ever want to replace them? What will happen to the ones that we remove? There are many animals here on this earth and especially things like insects that reproduce at an unbelievably rapid rate. One scientist calculated what would happen if a single pair of flies had enough food and if nothing killed them and if all of their offspring survived as well as all of the offspring of their offspring. Assuming every fly survived over the next six months, the earth would be covered with flies 49 feet thick! Clearly, God will have to put the brakes on some of that reproduction!

16.    Ellen White spoke about three curses that affected our earth in the early days: 1) The curses that resulted from the sins of Adam and Eve; 2) The curse that resulted from Cain’s killing Abel; and 3) The curse that resulted from the flood. What do we know about the earth and its inhabitants before the flood? (Genesis 6:11-13; 9:2-4[251]) People had become incredibly wicked. After the flood, human beings were allowed to eat meat-however, as far as possible with the blood removed. Did consumption of that meat have something to do with the very rapid decline in the length of human lives? Animals were afraid of human beings, and we assume that man’s dominion over the animals was considerably diminished. But, that will not be the case in the new earth. (Isaiah 65:25; 11:6-9[252]) No doubt, since we were small children, we heard and were taught about the time when we would be able to pet the lions and play with all kinds of animals without any danger to ourselves. Some very beautiful pictures have been painted by artists trying to imagine what that peaceful world will be like.

17.    As we know, “Before the entrance of sin, Adam enjoyed open communion with his maker.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, page 7. When sin entered our world, drastic changes took place in this arrangement. Read [Genesis 3:24; Exodus 33:20; Deuteronomy 5:24-26[253]]. As a result of sin, God’s glory became deadly to us. What actually happened that caused this incredible change? Was there a basic change in our physiology? We are told that at the second coming, “The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked.” (Desire of Ages 107.4) How is that possible? What is different about the very nature of our beings that will lead some to die in God’s glory while it gives others eternal life?

18.    Read John 14:1-3[254] and Revelation 22:3-5[255]. The great news for the righteous is that God has gone to prepare places for us. Once again, we will be able to hold direct communion with Him and see Him face-to-face. Finally, God’s original plan for the human race will be fulfilled.

And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise. . .

The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 678.

19.    As we look at some of the verses in the Bible describing our future home, is it really possible for us to imagine what it will be like? We cannot even imagine what the Garden of Eden was like! Paul and the other apostles suffered a lot in their lives here on this earth. But, they looked forward to a life which they believed would be so glorious that the trials and troubles of this earth would not even come to mind.[(Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:16,17[256])]

20.    Can we really picture in our minds what the new earth will be like? Our minds can only imagine things with which we are somewhat familiar. We use ideas and mental pictures that have been stored in memory to try to imagine what things will be like in the future. But, the truth is the we have never seen anything even close to the glorious new earth which will be our future home. Primarily for this reason, it is very difficult for us to picture what it will be like.

21.    Christians have said repeatedly in the past that if we want to live in heaven, heaven must live in us now. What does that imply?

22.    In any way, will we be afraid of God? Would you feel comfortable going up to God and giving Him a big hug? Try to imagine what it will be like to meet with God at least every Sabbath and to discuss what you have learned and discovered in the previous week and to have Him suggest some exciting new discoveries for the following week? Will we be able to see with our own eyes into the subatomic world and watch atoms and molecules in their activity? Will we be able not only to see but also to travel to the most distant portions of the universe? When we suggest that God will destroy the heavens and the earth and make them new, does that involve only our solar system?

23.    Heaven will be a place where everyone is loving and kind and always looking out for others. Selfishness will be totally alien to that environment. And what would happen if sinners were allowed to enter heaven?

Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme torture. His accusations against the mercy and justice of God are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. And now Satan bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence. (GC 670.2)

Satan is allowed a thousand years on this earth between the second and third comings to begin to realize what his rebellion has cost him and others. Revelation 21:1-5[257] give us two links back to the creation story in the Garden of Eden: 1) The “serpent,” and 2) A world in total destruction which is “without form and void.” (Genesis 1:2[258]) Revelation 6[259] seems to be a reversal of Genesis 1[260]! If you can, try to imagine the thoughts that will go through the mind of Satan during those thousand years. By contrast, try to imagine the experience of the righteous holding unlimited communion with God. Can we even take it in?

Origins - #13 - page 4 of 4

Great Controversy In Scripture

1.    The Bible teaches that there are other beings in the universe besides humans:

A.    God (and Christ) existed before this earth was created: Ps. 90:2[261]; Jn 1:1-3[262]; Jn 17:24[263]; Heb1:8-10[264]; 1 Pet 1:20[265]; Eph 1:4, 5[266]; Col. 1:15-17[267]

B.    Angels - More than 300 references in the King James Version : Psalms 91:11[268]; Hebrews 1:4-2:2[269];Exodus 23:23[270]; 1 Chronicles 21:16[271]; 2 Samuel 24:16-17[272]

C.    Satan/Devil - Ezekiel 28:13[273]; Revelation 12:7-12[274]; Genesis 3:1-4[275]; Approximately 200 references in King James Version ; See handout on Satan.

D.    Other Beings : Job 1:6[276]; Job 2:1[277]; Job 38:4-7[278]; Daniel 9:21[279]; Acts 12:7[280]; Hebrews 13:2[281]; compare Revelation 22:16[282]; 2 Peter 1:19[283]; 1 Corinthians 4:9[284]; Ephesians 1:9-10; 3:9-10[285]; Colossians 1:19-20[286]

2.    Satan wanted to take the place of God: Isaiah 14:12-14[287]; Ezekiel 28:11-15[288]; Matthew 4:8-9[289]

3.    God has said that sin (which began with Satan) will lead to death: Genesis 2:17[290]; Romans 6:23[291]

4.    Satan has accused God of being a liar: Genesis 3:1-5[292]; Job 1:6-12[293]; Job 2:1-6[294]

5.    Sometime before this earth was created, war arose in heaven: Revelation 12:1-12[295]; Ezekiel 28:12-16[296]

6.    Satan and his followers were excluded from heaven: Luke 10:18[297]; John 8:44[298]; John 12:31[299]; Col. 2:15[300]; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 12:7-12

7.    When Satan lost his battle to overthrow God in heaven, he came to this earth to tempt us: Revelation 12:7-10[301]; Genesis 3:1-4[302]; Ezekiel 28:12-16[303]

8.    Satan claims to be the master of this world. He claims that this world belongs to him: Job 1 & 2[304]; Matthew 4:8,9[305]; 1 Kings 22[306]; 2 Chronicles 18[307]; John 12:31[308]; John 14:30[309]; John 16:11[310]; 2 Cor.4:4[311]; Eph. 2:1,2[312]; Eph. 6:16[313]; 1 John 5:19[314]

9.    Satan claims that we are his because we have sinned and he has the right to destroy us: Zechariah 3:1-5[315]; Jude 9[316]

10.    God promised to demonstrate the truthfulness of his statement in Genesis 2:17[317]: Genesis 3:15[318]; Romans 3:1-4[319]; Romans 3:25-27[320]

11.    The whole rest of the universe is watching us to see what is going to happen: 1 Corinthians 4:9[321]; Ephesians 1:7-10[322]; Eph. 3:9-10[323]; Colossians 1:19-20[324]

12.    Christ promised that he would deal with the sin problem. In order to do that he must deal with Satan’s lies as well as our misbehavior: Romans 8:3[325]; Romans 3:4[326]

13.    Christ died for sinless angels too, because they were the first ones to hear Satan’s accusations against God: Ephesians 1:7-10[327]; Eph. 3:7-10[328]; Colossians 1:19-20[329]; John 12:32[330] ( GNB )

14.    God needs to clear his own name in order to win in the great controversy: (See handout Ezekiel #3:For My Own Name’s Sake)

15.    Ezekiel 20 and 36[331] are very instructive chapters. They should be read carefully and the implications considered. Please note this particular theme:

In Egypt: Read Ezekiel 20:4-7[332] about how God tried to help Israel in Egypt, then note:

Ezekiel 20:8,9 : 8 “But they defied me and refused to listen. They did not throw away their disgusting idols or give up the Egyptian gods. I was ready to let them feel the full force of my anger there in Egypt. 9 But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name , for in the presence of the people among whom they were living I had announced to Israel that I was going to lead them out of Egypt... ( GNB )

In the wilderness: Read Eze 20:10-12[333], then note:

Ezekiel 20:13-14 : 13 “But even in the desert they defied me. They broke my laws and rejected my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They completely profaned the Sabbath.

I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and to destroy them. 14 But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name among the nations which had seen me lead Israel out of Egypt ... (See Exodus 32:7-14[334])

The second generation in the wilderness: Read Eze. 20:15-20[335], then note:

Ezekiel 20:21-22 : 21 “But that generation also defied me. They broke my laws and did not keep my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They profaned the Sabbath. I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and to kill them all. 22 But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name among the nations which had seen me bring Israel out of Egypt ...

After the Babylonian captivity: Read Eze. 20:37-42[336], then note:

Ezekiel 20:43-44 : 43 “‘Then you will remember all the disgraceful things you did and how you defiled yourselves. You will be disgusted with yourselves because of all the evil things you did. 44 When I act to protect my honor, you Israelites will know that I am the LORD, because I do not deal with you as your wicked, evil actions deserve.’ The Sovereign LORD has spoken.” (GNB)

Right throughout Israelite history God has had to act, not primarily for the “salvation” of his people but for the honor of his own name! The great controversy is not so much about how God saves you and me but about how God answers Satan’s accusations against his character and government.

Note especially that the purpose of the Sabbath is to remind us of this particular very important truth. The Sabbath is to be a time when we get to know our God and are reminded of our relationship with him. (Ezekiel 20:12[337]; Eze. 20:20[338]) We need to understand his character and as much about him as possible and not just the right name by which to refer to him.

If the Sabbath is not being used for this purpose, then as far as God is concerned we are profaning it. (Ezekiel 20:13-21[339])

In Ezekiel 36 after all of Israel is in captivity, he explains further:

Ezekiel 36:20-22: 20 Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, These are the people of the LORD, but they had to leave his land.’ 21 That made me concerned for my holy name, since the Israelites brought disgrace on it. The everywhere they went. 22 Now then, give the Israelites the message that I, the Sovereign LORD, have for them: What I am going to do is not for the sake of you Israelites, but for the sake of my holy name , which you have disgraced in every country where you have gone. 23 When I demonstrate to the nations the holiness of my great name-the name you disgraced among them-then they will know that I am the LORD ... (28) You will be my people, and I will be your God... 32 Israel, I want you to know that I am not doing all this for your sake ... 36 Then the neighboring nations that have survived will know that I, the LORD, rebuild ruined cities and replant waste fields.

I, The LORD, have promised that I would do this-and I will. ( GNB )

This is why Ezekiel repeats the phrase “Then they will know that I am the LORD” or “for my own name’s sake” or something similar at least 46 times in his book. (See handout Ezekiel #3: “ For My Own Name’s Sake” )

Isaiah also realized and stated that God’s reputation was the key issue in Scripture:

Isaiah 48:11:

What I do is done for my own sake—

I will not let my name be dishonored or let anyone else share the glory that should be mine and mine alone.” ( GNB )

Daniel 9:14-19 : Daniel recognized that God must do something for his own reputation.

Summary: There has been a continuous war going on in our universe since before this earth was created. Lucifer, one of God’s foremost angels, began to have rebellious ideas in heaven. After some time he managed to get more than one-third of the angels to side with him against our wonderful Father-Creator-God. Thus “war” began in heaven. Finally, Lucifer, now turned into God’s “adversary” or “Satan”, was excluded from heaven and came down to our earth to cause trouble here. He convinced our first parents to join him in rebellion. From that day to this, we have been surrounded and controlled by sin. Down through the years Satan has been quite successful in convincing most of us that God is really a lying tyrant whose behavior is often “severe, exacting, revengeful, arbitrary” “stern”, “harsh”, “inflexible”, “unforgiving” and “implacable”—“One to be feared, dreaded and even hated”. ( Signs of the Times , January 20, 1890; Bible Training School, November

1, 1908; Review and Herald , November 17, 1891; Christian Education 73; EW 218; GC 534-536)

Jesus Christ was born into this sinful, rebellious world to fully and finally answer Satan’s charges—he came to “deal with sin”. (Romans 3:25-27; Romans 8:3) Now God is waiting for us here on this earth to discover and understand the fact that he has won this “great controversy”. He is waiting for a time when enough of us have “gotten the message” so that through the gift of the empowering Holy Spirit they can spread this truth throughout the world just before he returns in glory to redeem his faithful, trustworthy friends. Sin and those who refuse to separate themselves from sin will come to a final end and this world will once again be a peaceful, safe place to live for the rest of eternity.

© Copyright 1999-2008, Kenneth Hart info@theox.org

SOME QUOTATIONS FROM ELLEN WHITE REGARDING: THE PLAN OF SALVATION IN THE SETTING OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY

The Bible-all of it-is the authoritative source of truth.

1.    “The Bible, and the Bible alone, is to be our creed.” Review and Herald Dec. 15, 1885 (1RH574:2:1); Selected Messages, bk. 1, 416; See also 5MR 49; 3SM 21

2.    “Every chapter and every verse of the Bible is a communication from God to men.” Patriarchs and Prophets 504 (1890); 4T449; Gospel Workers (1892) 140; AG 350

This includes the book of Revelation with its picture of the war that began up in Heaven.

3.    “The last book of the New Testament Scriptures is full of truth that we need to understand. Satan has blinded the minds of many so that they have been glad of any excuse for not making the Revelation their study.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers 116; The Signs of the Times, July 4, 1906; Christ’s Object Lessons 133; Lift Him Up 378; Maranatha 30

“The very name <Revelation’ contradicts the statement that it is a sealed book. <Revelation’ means that something of importance is revealed.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers 113; Acts of the Apostles 584; Manuscript Releases, vol 18, 22

“One thing will certainly be understood from the study of Revelation...A wonderful connection is seen between the universe of heaven and this world.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers 114; Manuscript Releases, vol 18, 15

“The universe is looking upon the controversy that is going on upon the earth.” Review and Herald, February 18, 1890 (2RH 368:3:4); Testimonies to Ministers 116,113,114,119 Maranatha 23; Selected Messages, bk. 1, 415; The EGWhite 1888 Materials, p. 534

The Bible should be studied as a whole.

4.    “Make the Bible its own expositor, bringing together all that is said concerning a given subject at different times and under varied circumstances.” Review and Herald, October 9, 1883; The Signs of the Times, May 19, 1887; Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 42,43

5.    “The Bible is its own expositor. Scripture is to be compared with scripture. The student should learn to view the word as a whole, and to see the relation of its parts. He should gain a knowledge of its grand central theme, of God’s original purpose for the world, of the rise of the great controversy, and of the work of redemption...He should see how this controversy enters into every phase of human experience; how in every act of life he himself reveals the one or the other of the two antagonistic motives; and how, whether he will or not, he is even now deciding upon which side of the controversy he will be found.” Education 190 (1903); Counsels to Teachers 462; Lift Him Up 115; Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, 346; compare #47

The plan of salvation involves the whole universe.

6.    “Through the plan of salvation, a larger purpose is to be wrought out even than the salvation of man and the redemption of the earth. Through the revelation of the character of God in Christ, the beneficence of the divine government would be manifested before the universe, the charge of Satan refuted, the nature and result of sin made plain, and the perpetuity of the law fully demonstrated.” The Signs of the Times, February 13, 1893 and December 22, 1914; The Messenger June 7, 1893; Bible Echoes July 15, 1893; That I May Know Him 366

7.    “But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded; but it was to vindicate the character of God before the universe. To this result of His great sacrifice-its influence upon the intelligences of other worlds, as well as upon man-the Saviour looked forward when just before His crucifixion He said: <Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me.’ John 12:31, 32. The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man would not only make heaven accessible to men, but before all the universe it would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan. It would establish the perpetuity of the law of God and would reveal the nature and the results of sin.” Patriarchs and Prophets 68,69 (1890); Reflecting Christ 60 (1985)

8.    “By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to angels...Not alone for His earthborn children was this revelation given. Our little world is the lesson book of the universe. God’s wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which <angels desire to look,’ [1 Peter 1:12] and it will be their study throughout endless ages.” The Desire of Ages 19 (1898); Reflecting Christ 15 (1985)

9.    “To the angels and the unfallen worlds the cry, “It is finished,” had a deep significance. It was for them as well as for us that the great work of redemption had been accomplished....Not until the death of Christ was the character of Satan clearly revealed to the angels or to the unfallen worlds. The archapostate had so clothed himself with deception that even holy beings had not understood his principles. They had not clearly seen the nature of his rebellion.” The Desire of Ages 758 (1898)

The security of the universe was even more important than the salvation of man.

10.    “It was in order that the heavenly universe might see the conditions of the covenant of redemption that Christ bore the penalty in behalf of the human race. The throne of Justice must be eternally and forever made secure, even tho the race be wiped out, and another creation populate the earth. By the sacrifice Christ was about to make, all doubts would be forever settled, and the human race would be saved if they would return to their allegiance. Christ alone could restore honor to God’s government. The cross of Calvary would be looked upon by the unfallen worlds, by the heavenly universe, by Satanic agencies, by the fallen race, and every mouth would be stopped....Who is able to describe the last scenes of Christ’s life on earth, His trial in the judgment hall, His crucifixion? Who witnessed these scenes?-The heavenly universe, God the Father, Satan and his angels.” The Signs of the Times, July 12, 1899 (4ST 44:1:2)

Christ died for sinless angels too.

11.    “That which alone can effectually restrain from sin in this world of darkness, will prevent sin in heaven. The significance of the death of Christ will be seen by saints and angels. (QOD 680)...The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan. Angelic perfection failed in heaven (BTS December 1, 1907)...The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.” The Signs of the Times, December 30, 1889; (2ST 345:1:1); SDA Bible Commentary, vol.

5, p. 1132, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7a, p. 252; Our High Calling 45; The Home Missionary May 1,1897

Why the angels needed the message of the cross.

12.    “For centuries God looked with patience and forbearance upon the cruel treatment given to his ambassadors, at his holy law prostrate, despised, trampled underfoot. He swept away the inhabitants of the Noachian world with a flood. But when the earth was again peopled, men drew away from God, and renewed their hostility to him, manifesting bold defiance. Those whom God rescued from Egyptian bondage followed in the footsteps of those who had preceded them. Cause was followed by effect; the earth was being corrupted.

“A crisis had arrived in the government of God...All heaven was prepared at the word of God to move to the help of his elect. One word from him, and the bolts of heaven would have fallen upon the earth, filling it with fire and flame. God had but to speak, and there would have been thunderings and lightnings and earthquakes and destruction.

“The heavenly intelligences were prepared for a fearful manifestation of Almighty power. Every move was watched with intense anxiety. The exercise of justice was expected. The angels looked for God to punish the inhabitants of the earth...”

“The heavenly universe was amazed at God’s patience and love. To save fallen humanity the Son of God took humanity upon himself.” Review and Herald, July 17, 1900; (4RH 201:1:4-201:2:1) compare Desire of Ages 37

13.    “For centuries God bore with the inhabitants of the old world. But at last guilt reached its limit...He came out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth, and by a flood cleansed the earth of its iniquity.

“Notwithstanding this terrible lesson, men had no sooner begun to multiply once more, than rebellion and vice became widespread. Satan seemed to have taken control of the world. The time came that a change must be made, or the image of God would be wholly obliterated from the hearts of the beings He had created. All heaven watched the movements of God with intense interest. Would He once more manifest His wrath? Would He destroy the world by fire? The angels thought that the time had come to strike the blow of justice, when, lo, to their wondering vision was unveiled the plan of salvation.” MS 22, January 10, 1890; The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials 569,570

14.    “Before Christ’s first advent, the sin of refusing to conform to God’s law had become widespread. Apparently Satan’s power was growing; his warfare against heaven was becoming more and more determined. A crisis had been reached. With intense interest God’s movements were watched by the heavenly angels. Would He come forth from His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity? Would He send fire or flood to destroy them? All heaven waited the bidding of their Commander to pour out the vials of wrath upon a rebellious world. One word from Him, one sign, and the world would have been destroyed. The worlds unfallen would have said, ‘Amen. Thou art righteous, O God, because Thou hast exterminated rebellion.’” The Signs of the Times, August 27, 1902; Reflecting Christ 58; compare The Youth’s Instructor, July 29, 1897; That I May Know Him 19

The Controversy is over the character of God.

15.    “From the beginning it has been Satan’s studied plan to cause men to forget God, that he might secure them to himself. Hence he has sought to misrepresent the character of God, to lead men to cherish a false conception of Him. The Creator has been presented to their minds as clothed with the attributes of the prince of evil himself-as arbitrary, severe, and unforgiving-that He might be feared, shunned, and even hated by men. Satan hoped to so confuse the minds of those whom he had deceived that they would put God out of their knowledge.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 738; In Heavenly Places, 8; Review and Herald February 15, 1912

16.    “It is beyond the power of the human mind to estimate the evil which has been wrought by the heresy

of eternal torment. The religion of the Bible, full of love and goodness, and abounding in compassion, is darkened by superstition and clothed with terror. When we consider in what false colors Satan has painted the character of God, can we wonder that our merciful Creator is feared, dreaded, and even hated? The appalling views of God which have spread over the world from the teachings of the pulpit have made thousands, yes, millions, of skeptics and infidels.

“The theory of eternal torment is one of the false doctrines that constitute the wine of the abomination of Babylon, of which she makes all nations drink. Revelation 14:8; 17:2.” The Great Controversy 536 (1888); 4SP 356 (1884)

17.    “Satan has ascribed to God all the evils to which the flesh is heir. He has represented him as a God who delights in the sufferings of his creatures, who is revengeful and implacable. It was Satan who originated the doctrine of eternal torment as a punishment for sin, because in this way he could lead men into infidelity and rebellion, distract souls, and dethrone the human reason.

“Heaven, looking down, and seeing the delusions into which men were led, knew that a divine Instructor must come to earth. Men in ignorance and moral darkness must have light, spiritual light; for the world knew not God, and he must be revealed to their understanding. Truth looked down from heaven, and saw not the reflection of her image; for dense clouds of moral darkness and gloom enveloped the world, and the Lord Jesus alone was able to roll back the clouds; for he was the light of the world. By his presence he could dissipate the gloomy shadow that Satan had cast between man and God. Darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people. Through the accumulated misrepresentations of the enemy, many were so deceived that they worshiped a false god, clothed with the attributes of the satanic character.” Review and Herald, November 17, 1891 (2RH 529:3:1,2); FE 176,177; Counsels to Teachers 27; CE 73,74

Christ came primarily to reveal the truth about God.

18.    “The law of Jehovah was burdened with needless exactions and traditions, and God was represented

as severe, exacting, revengeful, and arbitrary. He was pictured as one who could take pleasure in the sufferings of his creatures. The very attributes that belonged to the character of Satan, the evil one represented as belonging to the character of God. Jesus came to teach men of the Father, to correctly represent him before the fallen children of earth. Angels could not fully portray the character of God, but Christ, who was a living impersonation of God, could not fail to accomplish the work. The only way in which he could set and keep men right was to make himself visible and familiar to their eyes.

“Christ exalted the character of God, attributing to him the praise, and giving to him the credit, of the whole purpose of his own mission on earth,-to set men right through the revelation of God. In Christ was arrayed before men the paternal grace and the matchless perfections of the Father. In his prayer just before his crucifixion, he declared, “I have manifested thy name.” “I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” When the object of his mission was attained-the revelation of God to the world,-the Son of God announced that his work was accomplished, and that the character of the Father was made manifest to men.” The Signs of the Times, January 20, 1890 (2ST 351:2:0-3:1); compare ST December 4, 1893; Manuscript Releases, vol 18, 359; RH August 14, 1900; YI November 21, 1883

To see Christ is to see the Father.

19.    “Had God the Father come to our world and dwelt among us, humbling Himself, veiling His glory, that

humanity might look upon Him, the history that we have of the life of Christ would not have been changed....In every act of Jesus, in every lesson of His instruction, we are to see and hear and recognize God. In sight, in hearing, in effect, it is the voice and movements of the Father.” Letter 83, 1895; That I May Know Him 338; 21MR 393.1

God does not ask us to believe without evidence.

20.    “God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthfulness of His word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith.” Steps to Christ 105 (1892); Education 169; 9MR 202

21.    “I am afraid of anything that would have a tendency to turn the mind away from the solid evidences of the truth as revealed in God’s Word. I am afraid of it; I am afraid of it. We must bring our minds within the bounds of reason, lest the enemy so come in as to set everything in a disorderly way. There are persons of an excitable temperament who are easily led into fanaticism; and should we allow anything to come into our churches that would lead such persons into error, we would soon see these errors carried to extreme lengths, and then because of the course of these disorderly elements, a stigma would rest upon the whole body of Seventh-day Adventists.” MS 115, 1908; Selected Messages, Bk. 2 p. 43; Bk. 3, p. 373

Jesus persuades by truth and evidence, not personal authority and power.

22.    “Jesus did not first reveal himself in his true character to them, and then open the Scriptures to their minds; for he knew that they would be so overjoyed to see him again, risen from the dead, that their souls would be satisfied. They would not hunger for the sacred truths which he wished to indelibly impress upon their minds, that they might impart them to others, who should in their turn spread the precious knowledge, until thousands of people should receive the light given that day to the despairing disciples as they journeyed to Emmaus.

“He (Jesus) maintained his disguise till he had interpreted the Scriptures, and had led them to an intelligent faith in his life, his character, his mission to earth, and his death and resurrection. He wished the truth to take firm root in their minds, not because it was supported by his personal testimony, but because the typical law, and the prophets of the Old Testament, agreeing with the facts of his life and death, presented unquestionable evidence of that truth. When the object of his labors with the two disciples was gained, he revealed himself to them that their joy might be full, and then vanished from their sight.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3 p. 214; The Signs of the Times October

6, 1909; 4ST 492:3:2 (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1125; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7a, p. 245); 6Red 32

The Holy Spirit also persuades by truth and evidence.

23.    “The Holy Spirit will not compel men to take a certain course of action. We are free moral agents; and

when sufficient evidence has been given us as to our duty, it is left with us to decide our course.” Fundamentals of Christian Education 124; CE 116; Review and Herald July 17, 1888

24.    “‘To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them’ (Isaiah 8:20). Even the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart is to be tested by the Word of God. The Spirit which inspired the Scriptures, always leads to the Scriptures.” General Conference Daily Bulletin, April 13, 1891; Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 43; The EGWhite 1888 Materials, p. 901

Love and Trust-the things that God desires the most-cannot be commanded or produced by force or fear.

25.    “The earth was dark through misapprehension of God. That the gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God, Satan’s deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan. This work only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the world’s dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, <with healing in His wings.’ Mal. 4:2.” The Desire of Ages 22 (1898); Reflecting Christ 23; AG 23

26.    “In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence

of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom.” The Desire of Ages 466 (1898); Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 571

27.    “The shortness of time is urged as an incentive for us to seek righteousness and to make Christ our friend. This is not the great motive. It savors of selfishness. Is it necessary that the terrors of the day of God be held before us to compel us through fear to right action? This ought not to be.” Review and Herald Aug. 2, 1881; 1RH 273:1:6; That I May Know Him 320; Lift Him Up 98; The Signs of the Times, March 17, 1887; The Bible Echoes June 25, 1894

There is no need to be afraid of God.

28.    “We are not to regard God as waiting to punish the sinner for his sin. The sinner brings the punishment upon himself. His own actions start a train of circumstances that bring the sure result. Every act of transgression reacts upon the sinner, works in him a change of character, and makes it more easy for him to transgress again. By choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from the channel of blessing, and the sure result is ruin and death.” Letter 96, 1896; Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 235; FLB 84; 6BC 1085,1110; 1MR 130,131; The EGWhite 1888 Materials, p. 1576

29.    “God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but

He leaves the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown.” The Great Controversy 36 (1888); 4SP 36,37 (1884)

30.    “This is not an act of arbitrary power on the part of God. The rejecters of His mercy reap that which they have sown. God is the fountain of life; and when one chooses the service of sin, he separates from God, and thus cuts himself off from life. He is <alienated from the life of God.’ Christ says, <All they that hate Me love death.’ Ephesians 4:18; Proverbs 8:36. God gives them existence for a time that they may develop their character and reveal their principles. This accomplished, they receive the results of their own choice. By a life of rebellion, Satan and all who unite with him place themselves so out of harmony with God that His very presence is to them a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy them.” The Desire of Ages 764 (1898)

God does not desire obedience that springs from fear or obligation.

31.    “The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a sense of obligation merely-because he is required to do so-will never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. When the requirements of God are accounted a burden because they cut across human inclination, we may know that the life is not a Christian life. True obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right because it is right-because right doing is pleasing to God.” Christ’s Object Lessons 97,98 (1900)

32.    “A sullen submission to the will of the Father will develop the character of a rebel. By such a one service is looked upon as drudgery. It is not rendered cheerfully, and in the love of God. It is a mere mechanical performance. [If he dared, such a one would disobey. His rebellion is smothered, ready to break out at any time in bitter murmurings and complaints.] Such service brings no peace or quietude to the soul.” MS 20, 1897 (MR # 970); Signs of the Times, July 22, 1897 (3ST 400:2:1) -section in [. . .] omitted in That I May Know Him p. 120; 12MR 236

God has made emergency use of law because we needed it.

33.    “If man had kept the law of God, as given to Adam after his fall, preserved in the ark by Noah, and observed by Abraham, there would have been no necessity of the ordinance of circumcision. And if the descendants of Abraham had kept the covenant, which circumcision was a token or pledge of, they would never have gone into idolatry, and been suffered to go down into Egypt, and there would have been no necessity of God’s proclaiming his law from Sinai, and engraving it upon tables of stone, and guarding it by definite directions in the judgments and statutes given to Moses.

“Moses wrote these judgments and statutes from the mouth of God while he was with him in the mount. If the people of God had obeyed the principles of the ten commandments, there would have been no need of the specific directions given to Moses, which he wrote in a book, relative to their duty to God and to one another. The definite directions which the Lord gave to Moses in regard to the duty of his people to one another, and to the stranger, are the principles of the ten commandments simplified, and given in a definite manner that they need not err.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, p. 299,300 (1864); 1SP 264; The Signs of the Times June, 17, 1880; compare PH 064 p. 19 (1875)

33.b.    “If man had kept the law of God, as given to Adam after his fall, preserved by Noah, and observed by Abraham, there would have been no necessity for the ordinance of circumcision. And if the descendants of Abraham had kept the covenant, of which circumcision was a sign, they would never have been seduced into idolatry, nor would it have been necessary for them to suffer a life of bondage in Egypt; they would have kept God’s law in mind, and there would have been no necessity for it to be proclaimed from Sinai or engraved upon the tables of stone. And had the people practiced the principles of the Ten Commandments, there would have been no need of the additional directions given to Moses.” Patriarchs and Prophets 364 (1890)

34.    “But in heaven, service is not rendered in the spirit of legality. When Satan rebelled against the law of Jehovah, the thought that there was a law came to the angels almost as an awakening to something unthought of. In their ministry the angels are not as servants, but as sons. There is

perfect unity between them and their Creator. Obedience is to them no drudgery. Love for God makes their service a joy.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing 109

35.    “I am asked concerning the law in Galatians. What law is the schoolmaster to bring us to Christ? I answer: Both the ceremonial and the moral code of ten commandments...” Selected Messages Bk.

1,    p. 233 (1900); 6BC 1109,1110; The EGWhite 1888 Materials, p. 1575; 1MR 130,131

“The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). In this scripture, the Holy Spirit through the apostle is speaking especially of the moral law.” Selected Messages Bk, 1 p. 234 (1900); 6BC 1110; The EGWhite 1888 Materials, p. 1575; 1MR 131

God values nothing higher than our freedom, dignity and individuality.

36.    “Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator-individuality, power to think and to do. The men in whom this power is developed are the men who bear responsibilities, who are leaders in enterprise, and who influence character. It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought...Instead of educated weaklings, institutions of learning may send forth men strong to think and to act, men who are masters and not slaves of circumstances, men who possess breadth of mind, clearness of thought, and the courage of their convictions.” Education 17,18 (1903); Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, 361; Mind, Character, and Personality, vol.

2,    423; Reflecting Christ 155

37.    “It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn from the Scriptures what is truth, and then to walk in the light and encourage others to follow his example. We should day by day study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought and comparing scripture with scripture. With divine help we are to form our opinions for ourselves as we are to answer for ourselves before God.” The Great Controversy 598 (1888); 4SP 416 (1884); Maranatha 94; Reflecting Christ 116; RH June 28, 1906 and September 10, 1914

Jesus will come when His people are ready.

38.    “The long night of gloom is trying; but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master should come, so many would be found unready. God’s unwillingness to have His people perish has been the reason for so long delay.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 193 (1868); Evangelism 694; Maranatha 56; LDE 37; Ph 098 p. 16

39.    “Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads-it is not any seal or mark that can

be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved-just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon the land, to give us warning, that we may know what is coming” (MS 173, 1902). S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 4, p. 1161; LDE 219; Maranatha 200; FLB 287; 1MR 249,250; 10MR 252

Where on earth are God’s friends?

40.    “Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from God that exist in the churches which constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ’s true followers are still to be found in their communion.” The Great Controversy 390 (1888); FLB 285; LDE 198

What difference does it make to know the truth about God?

41.    “The reason why it seems so difficult to win souls for Christ, is that Satan is continually engaged in misrepresenting the character of God to the human mind. Christ came to reveal the Father to the world in his true character, that the false conceptions which men entertained of the divine character might be swept away.” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 31, 1892 (2RH 573:2:2); compare GC 569; 4SP 385

42.    “We are not to think of God only as a judge, and to forget him as our loving Father. Nothing can do our souls greater harm than this; for our whole spiritual life will be molded by our conceptions of God’s character.”Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 5, 1887 (RH 126:1:2); Our High Calling 176; That I May Know Him 262

43.    “Jesus said: ‘This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.’ All that was done and said had this one object in view,-to rivet truth in their minds that they might attain unto everlasting life. Jesus did not come to astonish men with some great announcement of some special time when some great event would occur, but he came to instruct and save the lost.” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 22, 1892 (2RH 553:3:1); Selected Messages, bk. 1, 186-187; 6BC 1052; The EGWhite 1888 Materials, p. 958

44.    “It is growth in knowledge of the character of Christ that sanctifies the soul. To discern and appreciate the wonderful work of the atonement, transforms him who contemplates the plan of salvation. By beholding Christ, he becomes changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. The beholding of Jesus becomes an ennobling, refining process to the actual Christian. He sees the Pattern, and grows into its likeness, and then how easily are dissensions, emulations, and strife adjusted. The perfection of Christ’s character is the Christian’s inspiration. When we see him as he is, desire awakes to be like him, and this elevates the whole man; for “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 26, 1890 (2RH421:3:2) Reflecting Christ 304; That I May Know Him 166; The EGWhite 1888 Materials, p. 695

45.    “Men put God out of their knowledge and worshiped the creatures of their own imagination; and as the result, they became more and more debased. The psalmist describes the effect produced upon the worshiper by the adoration of idols. He says, “They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.” Psalm 115:8. It is a law of the human mind that by beholding we become changed. Man will rise no higher than his conceptions of truth, purity, and holiness. If the mind is never exalted above the level of humanity, if it is not uplifted by faith to contemplate infinite wisdom and love, the man will be constantly sinking lower and lower. The worshipers of false gods clothed their deities with human attributes and passions, and thus their standard of character was degraded to the likeness of sinful humanity. They were defiled in consequence.” Patriarchs and Prophets 91 (1890)

46.    “It is a law both of the intellectual and the spiritual nature that by beholding we become changed. The

mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell. It becomes assimilated to that which it is accustomed to love and reverence. Man will never rise higher than his standard of purity or goodness or truth. If self is his loftiest ideal, he will never attain to anything more exalted. Rather, he will constantly sink lower and lower. The grace of God alone has power to exalt man. Left to himself, his course must inevitably be downward.” The Great Controversy p. 555 (1888); Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, 331; Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 418

47.    “Merely to hear or to read the word is not enough. He who desires to be profited by the Scriptures must meditate upon the truth that has been presented to him. By earnest attention and prayerful thought he must learn the meaning of the words of truth, and drink deep of the spirit of the holy oracles. (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 11/10/1891; Bible Echoes 10/1/1892; FE 169,170; CE 100,101; compare The Signs of the Times, 1/30/1893 and 9/26/1895)

“God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through the study of Scriptures.” Christ’s Object Lessons 59,60 (1900); AG 34 compare FLB 223.3; MH 466.0

48.    “The effort to earn salvation by one’s own works inevitably leads men to pile up human exactions as a barrier against sin. For, seeing that they fail to keep the law, they will devise rules and regulations of their own to force themselves to obey. All this turns the mind away from God to self. His love dies out of the heart, and with it perishes love for his fellow men. A system of human invention, with its multitudinous exactions, will lead its advocates to judge all who come short of the prescribed human standard. The atmosphere of selfish and narrow criticism stifles the noble and generous emotions, and causes men to become self-centered judges and petty spies.

“The Pharisees were of this class. They came forth from their religious services, not humbled with a sense of their own weakness, not grateful for the great privileges that God had given them. They came forth filled with spiritual pride, and their theme was, “Myself, my feelings, my knowledge, my ways.” Their own attainments became the standard by which they judged others. Putting on the robes of self-dignity, they mounted the judgment seat to criticize and condemn. (ST 12/17/1894)

“The people partook largely of the same spirit, intruding upon the province of conscience and judging one another in matters that lay between the soul and God. It was in reference to this spirit and practice that Jesus said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” That is, do not set yourself up as a standard. Do not make your opinions, your views of duty, your interpretations of Scripture, a criterion for others and in your heart condemn them if they do not come up to your ideal. Do not criticize others, conjecturing as to their motives and passing judgment upon them.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 123,124

For more information contact: khart@sachs.llu.edu

December 11, 2005

Though all these evidences have been given, the enemy of good blinded the minds of men, so that they looked upon God with fear; they thought of [11] Him as severe and unforgiving. Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief attribute is stern justice-one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He pictured the Creator as a being who is watching with jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men that He may visit judgments upon them. It was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing to the world the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men.--SC 11 (1892). {1MCP 250.1}

Our Creator justly claims the right to do as He chooses with the creatures of His hand. He has a right to govern as He will, and not as man chooses. But He is not a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He is the very fountain of love, the giver of blessings innumerable. It should cause you the deepest grief that you have disregarded such love, and have not let gratitude and praise well up in your hearts for the marvelous goodness of God. We do not deserve all His benefits; but they are [315] continued to us, notwithstanding our unworthiness and cruel ingratitude. Then cease to complain as though you were bond servants under a hard taskmaster. Jesus is good. Praise Him. Praise Him who is the health of your countenance, and your God. {5T 314.4}

Many conceive of the Christian's God as a being whose attribute is stern justice,--one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. The Creator has been pictured as a being who is watching with jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men, that He may visit judgment upon them. In the minds of thousands, love and sympathy and tenderness are associated with the character of Christ, while God is regarded as the law-giver, inflexible, arbitrary, devoid of sympathy for the beings He has made. {BTS, November 1, 1908 par. 1} Never was there a greater error. Nature and revelation alike testify of God's love. It is from Him that we receive every good gift. He is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. {BTS, November 1, 1908 par. 2}

1-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe,

Hebrews 11:3 It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

Psalm 19:1 How clearly the sky reveals God's glory! How plainly it shows what he has done! 2 Each day announces it to the following day; each night repeats it to the next. 3 No speech or words are used, no sound is heard;

John 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. 14 The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.

Colossians 1:15 Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things. 16 For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him.

John 2:7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill these jars with water." They filled them to the brim, 8 and then he told them, "Now draw some water out and take it to the man in charge of the feast." They took him the water, 9 which now had turned into wine, and he tasted it. He did not know where this wine had come from (but, of course, the servants who had drawn out the water knew); so he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone else serves the best wine first, and after the guests have drunk a lot, he serves the ordinary wine. But you have kept the best wine until now!" 11 Jesus performed this first miracle in Cana in Galilee; there he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

2-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe,

3-Isaiah 40:1 "Comfort my people," says our God. "Comfort them! 2 Encourage the people of Jerusalem. Tell them they have suffered long enough and their sins are now forgiven. I have punished them in full for all their sins." 3 A voice cries out, "Prepare in the wilderness a road for the Lord! Clear the way in the desert for our God! 4 Fill every valley; level every mountain. The hills will become a plain, and the rough country will be made smooth. 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it. The Lord himself has promised this." 6 A voice cries out, "Proclaim a message!" "What message shall I proclaim?" I ask. "Proclaim that all human beings are like grass; they last no longer than wild flowers. 7 Grass withers and flowers fade when the Lord sends the wind blowing over them. People are no more enduring than grass. 8 Yes, grass withers and flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever." 9 Jerusalem, go up on a high mountain and proclaim the good news! Call out with a loud voice, Zion; announce the good news! Speak out and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah that their God is coming! 10 The Sovereign Lord is coming to rule with power, bringing with him the people he has rescued. 11 He will take care of his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs together and carry them in his arms; he will gently lead their mothers. 12 Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls or measure the sky with his hands? Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup or weigh the mountains and hills on scales? 13 Can anyone tell the Lord what to do? Who can teach him or give him advice? 14 With whom does God consult in order to know and understand and to learn how things should be done? 15 To the Lord the nations are nothing, no more than a drop of water; the distant islands are as light as dust. 16 All the animals in the forests of Lebanon are not enough for a sacrifice to our God, and its trees are too few to kindle the fire. 17 The nations are nothing at all to him. 18 To whom can God be compared? How can you describe what he is like? 19 He is not like an idol that workers make, that metalworkers cover with gold and set in a base of silver. 20 Anyone who cannot afford silver or gold chooses wood that will not rot. He finds a skillful worker to make an image that won't fall down. 21 Do you not know? Were you not told long ago? Have you not heard how the world began? 22 It was made by the one who sits on his throne above the earth and beyond the sky; the people below look as tiny as ants. He stretched out the sky like a curtain, like a tent in which to live. 23 He brings down powerful rulers and reduces them to nothing. 24 They are like young plants, just set out and barely rooted. When the Lord sends a wind, they dry up and blow away like straw. 25 To whom can the holy God be compared? Is there anyone else like him? 26 Look up at the sky! Who created the stars you see? The one who leads them out like an army, he knows how many there are and calls each one by name! His power is so great - not one of them is ever missing! 27 Israel, why then do you complain that the Lord doesn't know your troubles or care if you suffer injustice? 28 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God; he created all the world. He never grows tired or weary. No one understands his thoughts. 29 He strengthens those who are weak and tired. 30 Even those who are young grow weak; young people can fall exhausted. 31 But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.

Isa 41:1 God says, "Be silent and listen to me, you distant lands! Get ready to present your case in court; you will have your chance to speak. Let us come together to decide who is right. 2 "Who was it that brought the conqueror from the east and makes him triumphant wherever he goes? Who gives him victory over kings and nations? His sword strikes them down as if they were dust. His arrows scatter them like straw before the wind. 3 He follows in pursuit and marches safely on, so fast that he hardly touches the ground! 4 Who was it that made this happen? Who has determined the course of history? I, the Lord, was there at the beginning, and I, the Lord, will be there at the end. 5 "The people of distant lands have seen what I have done; they are frightened and tremble with fear. So they all assemble and come. 6 The skilled workers help and encourage each other. 7 The carpenter says to the goldsmith, "Well done!' The one who beats the idol smooth encourages the one who nails it together. They say, "The soldering is good' - and they fasten the idol in place with nails. 8 "But you, Israel my servant, you are the people that I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham, my friend. 9 I brought you from the ends of the earth; I called you from its farthest corners and said to you, "You are my servant.' I did not reject you, but chose you. 10 Do not be afraid - I am with you! I am your God - let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect you and save you. 11 "Those who are angry with you will know the shame of defeat. Those who fight against you will die 12 and will disappear from the earth. 13 I am the Lord your God; I strengthen you and tell you, "Do not be afraid; I will help you.' " 14 The Lord says, "Small and weak as you are, Israel, don't be afraid; I will help you. I, the holy God of Israel, am the one who saves you. 15 I will make you like a threshing board, with spikes that are new and sharp. You will thresh mountains and destroy them; hills will crumble into dust. 16 You will toss them in the air; the wind will carry them off, and they will be scattered by the storm. Then you will be happy because I am your God; you will praise me, the holy God of Israel. 17 "When my people in their need look for water, when their throats are dry with thirst, then I, the Lord, will answer their prayer; I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them. 18 I will make rivers flow among barren hills and springs of water run in the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water and the dry land into flowing springs. 19 I will make cedars grow in the desert, and acacias and myrtles and olive trees. Forests will grow in barren land, forests of pine and juniper and cypress. 20 People will see this and know that I, the Lord, have done it. They will come to understand that Israel's holy God has made it happen." 21 The Lord, the king of Israel, has this to say: "You gods of the nations, present your case. Bring the best arguments you have! 22 Come here and predict what will happen, so that we will know it when it takes place. Explain to the court the events of the past, and tell us what they mean. 23 Tell us what the future holds - then we will know that you are gods! Do something good or bring some disaster; fill us with fear and awe! 24 You and all you do are nothing; those who worship you are disgusting! 25 "I have chosen a man who lives in the east; I will bring him to attack from the north. He tramples on rulers as if they were mud, like a potter trampling clay. 26 Which of you predicted that this would happen, so that we could say that you were right? None of you said a word about it; no one heard you say a thing! 27 I, the Lord, was the first to tell Zion the news; I sent a messenger to Jerusalem to say, "Your people are coming! They are coming home!' 28 When I looked among the gods, none of them had a thing to say; not one could answer the questions I asked. 29 All these gods are useless; they can do nothing at all - these idols are weak and powerless."

Isa 42:1 The Lord says, "Here is my servant, whom I strengthen - the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased. I have filled him with my Spirit, and he will bring justice to every nation. 2 He will not shout or raise his voice or make loud speeches in the streets. 3 He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp. He will bring lasting justice to all. 4 He will not lose hope or courage; he will establish justice on the earth. Distant lands eagerly wait for his teaching." 5 God created the heavens and stretched them out; he fashioned the earth and all that lives there; he gave life and breath to all its people. And now the Lord God says to his servant, 6 "I, the Lord, have called you and given you power to see that justice is done on earth. Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples; through you I will bring light to the nations. 7 You will open the eyes of the blind and set free those who sit in dark prisons. 8 "I alone am the Lord your God. No other god may share my glory; I will not let idols share my praise. 9 The things I predicted have now come true. Now I will tell you of new things even before they begin to happen." 10 Sing a new song to the Lord; sing his praise, all the world! Praise him, you that sail the sea; praise him, all creatures of the sea! Sing, distant lands and all who live there! 11 Let the desert and its towns praise God; let the people of Kedar praise him! Let those who live in the city of Sela shout for joy from the tops of the mountains! 12 Let those who live in distant lands give praise and glory to the Lord! 13 The Lord goes out to fight like a warrior; he is ready and eager for battle. He gives a war cry, a battle shout; he shows his power against his enemies. 14 God says, "For a long time I kept silent; I did not answer my people. But now the time to act has come; I cry out like a woman in labor. 15 I will destroy the hills and mountains and dry up the grass and trees. I will turn the river valleys into deserts and dry up the pools of water. 16 "I will lead my blind people by roads they have never traveled. I will turn their darkness into light and make rough country smooth before them. These are my promises, and I will keep them without fail. 17 All who trust in idols, who call images their gods, will be humiliated and disgraced." 18 The Lord says, "Listen, you deaf people! Look closely, you that are blind! 19 Is anyone more blind than my servant, more deaf than the messenger I send? 20 Israel, you have seen so much, but what has it meant to you? You have ears to hear with, but what have you really heard?" 21 The Lord is a God who is eager to save, so he exalted his laws and teachings, and he wanted his people to honor them. 22 But now his people have been plundered; they are locked up in dungeons and hidden away in prisons. They were robbed and plundered, with no one to come to their rescue. 23 Will any of you listen to this? From now on will you listen with care? 24 Who gave Israel up to the looters? It was the Lord himself, against whom we sinned! We would not live as he wanted us to live or obey the teachings he gave us. 25 So he made us feel the force of his anger and suffer the violence of war. Like fire his anger burned throughout Israel, but we never knew what was happening; we learned nothing at all from it.

Isa 43:1 Israel, the Lord who created you says, "Do not be afraid - I will save you. I have called you by name - you are mine. 2 When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel, who saves you. I will give up Egypt to set you free; I will give up Ethiopia and Seba. 4 I will give up whole nations to save your life, because you are precious to me and because I love you and give you honor. 5 Do not be afraid - I am with you! "From the distant east and the farthest west I will bring your people home. 6 I will tell the north to let them go and the south not to hold them back. Let my people return from distant lands, from every part of the world. 7 They are my own people, and I created them to bring me glory." 8 God says, "Summon my people to court. They have eyes, but they are blind; they have ears, but they are deaf! 9 Summon the nations to come to the trial. Which of their gods can predict the future? Which of them foretold what is happening now? Let these gods bring in their witnesses to prove that they are right, to testify to the truth of their words. 10 "People of Israel, you are my witnesses; I chose you to be my servant, so that you would know me and believe in me and understand that I am the only God. Besides me there is no other god; there never was and never will be. 11 "I alone am the Lord, the only one who can save you. 12 I predicted what would happen, and then I came to your aid. No foreign god has ever done this; you are my witnesses. 13 I am God and always will be. No one can escape from my power; no one can change what I do." 14 Israel's holy God, the Lord who saves you, says, "To save you, I will send an army against Babylon; I will break down the city gates, and the shouts of her people will turn into crying. 15 I am the Lord, your holy God. I created you, Israel, and I am your king." 16 Long ago the Lord made a road through the sea, a path through the swirling waters. 17 He led a mighty army to destruction, an army of chariots and horses. Down they fell, never to rise, snuffed out like the flame of a lamp! 18 But the Lord says, "Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. 19 Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already - you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there. 20 Even the wild animals will honor me; jackals and ostriches will praise me when I make rivers flow in the desert to give water to my chosen people. 21 They are the people I made for myself, and they will sing my praises!" 22 The Lord says, "But you were tired of me, Israel; you did not worship me. 23 You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep; you did not honor me with your sacrifices. I did not burden you by demanding offerings or wear you out by asking for incense. 24 You didn't buy incense for me or satisfy me with the fat of your animals. Instead you burdened me with your sins; you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed. 25 And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you. 26 "Let us go to court; bring your accusation! Present your case to prove you are in the right! 27 Your earliest ancestor sinned; your leaders sinned against me, 28 and your rulers profaned my sanctuary. So I brought destruction on Israel; I let my own people be insulted."

Isa: 44:1 The Lord says, "Listen now, Israel, my servant, my chosen people, the descendants of Jacob. 2 I am the Lord who created you; from the time you were born, I have helped you. Do not be afraid; you are my servant, my chosen people whom I love. 3 "I will give water to the thirsty land and make streams flow on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on your children and my blessing on your descendants. 4 They will thrive like well-watered grass, like willows by streams of running water. 5 "One by one, people will say, "I am the Lord's.' They will come to join the people of Israel. They each will mark the name of the Lord on their arms and call themselves one of God's people." 6 The Lord, who rules and protects Israel, the Lord Almighty, has this to say: "I am the first, the last, the only God; there is no other god but me. 7 Could anyone else have done what I did? Who could have predicted all that would happen from the very beginning to the end of time? 8 Do not be afraid, my people! You know that from ancient times until now I have predicted all that would happen, and you are my witnesses. Is there any other god? Is there some powerful god I never heard of?" 9 All those who make idols are worthless, and the gods they prize so highly are useless. Those who worship these gods are blind and ignorant - and they will be disgraced. 10 It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god! 11 Everyone who worships it will be humiliated. The people who make idols are human beings and nothing more. Let them come and stand trial - they will be terrified and will suffer disgrace. 12 The metalworker takes a piece of metal and works with it over a fire. His strong arm swings a hammer to pound the metal into shape. As he works, he gets hungry, thirsty, and tired. 13 The carpenter measures the wood. He outlines a figure with chalk, carves it out with his tools, and makes it in the form of a man, a handsome human figure, to be placed in his house. 14 He might cut down cedars to use, or choose oak or cypress wood from the forest. Or he might plant a laurel tree and wait for the rain to make it grow. 15 A person uses part of a tree for fuel and part of it for making an idol. With one part he builds a fire to warm himself and bake bread; with the other part he makes a god and worships it. 16 With some of the wood he makes a fire; he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, "How nice and warm! What a beautiful fire!" 17 The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, "You are my god - save me!" 18 Such people are too stupid to know what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth. 19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, "Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!" 20 It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all. 21 The Lord says, "Israel, remember this; remember that you are my servant. I created you to be my servant, and I will never forget you. 22 I have swept your sins away like a cloud. Come back to me; I am the one who saves you." 23 Shout for joy, you heavens! Shout, deep places of the earth! Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest! The Lord has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel. 24 "I am the Lord, your savior; I am the one who created you. I am the Lord, the Creator of all things. I alone stretched out the heavens; when I made the earth, no one helped me. 25 I make fools of fortunetellers and frustrate the predictions of astrologers. The words of the wise I refute and show that their wisdom is foolishness. 26 But when my servant makes a prediction, when I send a messenger to reveal my plans, I make those plans and predictions come true. I tell Jerusalem that people will live there again, and the cities of Judah that they will be rebuilt. Those cities will rise from the ruins. 27 With a word of command I dry up the ocean. 28 I say to Cyrus, "You are the one who will rule for me; you will do what I want you to do: you will order that Jerusalem be rebuilt and that the foundations of the Temple be laid.' "

Isa 45:1 The Lord has chosen Cyrus to be king. He has appointed him to conquer nations; he sends him to strip kings of their power; the Lord will open the gates of cities for him. To Cyrus the Lord says, 2 "I myself will prepare your way, leveling mountains and hills. I will break down bronze gates and smash their iron bars. 3 I will give you treasures from dark, secret places; then you will know that I am the Lord and that the God of Israel has called you by name. 4 I appoint you to help my servant Israel, the people that I have chosen. I have given you great honor, although you do not know me. 5 "I am the Lord; there is no other god. I will give you the strength you need, although you do not know me. 6 I do this so that everyone from one end of the world to the other may know that I am the Lord and that there is no other god. 7 I create both light and darkness; I bring both blessing and disaster. I, the Lord, do all these things. 8 I will send victory from the sky like rain; the earth will open to receive it and will blossom with freedom and justice. I, the Lord, will make this happen." 9 Does a clay pot dare argue with its maker, a pot that is like all the others? Does the clay ask the potter what he is doing? Does the pot complain that its maker has no skill? 10 Do we dare say to our parents, "Why did you make me like this?" 11 The Lord, the holy God of Israel, the one who shapes the future, says: "You have no right to question me about my children or to tell me what I ought to do! 12 I am the one who made the earth and created human beings to live there. By my power I stretched out the heavens; I control the sun, the moon, and the stars. 13 I myself have stirred Cyrus to action to fulfill my purpose and put things right. I will straighten out every road that he travels. He will rebuild my city, Jerusalem, and set my captive people free. No one has hired him or bribed him to do this." The Lord Almighty has spoken. 14 The Lord says to Israel, "The wealth of Egypt and Ethiopia will be yours, and the tall men of Seba will be your slaves; they will follow you in chains. They will bow down to you and confess, "God is with you - he alone is God. 15 The God of Israel, who saves his people, is a God who conceals himself. 16 Those who make idols will all be ashamed; all of them will be disgraced. 17 But Israel is saved by the Lord, and her victory lasts forever; her people will never be disgraced.' " 18 The Lord created the heavens - he is the one who is God! He formed and made the earth - he made it firm and lasting. He did not make it a desolate waste, but a place for people to live. It is he who says, "I am the Lord, and there is no other god. 19 I have not spoken in secret or kept my purpose hidden. I did not require the people of Israel to look for me in a desolate waste. I am the Lord, and I speak the truth; I make known what is right." 20 The Lord says, "Come together, people of the nations, all who survive the fall of the empire; present yourselves for the trial! The people who parade with their idols of wood and pray to gods that cannot save them - those people know nothing at all! 21 Come and present your case in court; let the defendants consult one another. Who predicted long ago what would happen? Was it not I, the Lord, the God who saves his people? There is no other god. 22 "Turn to me now and be saved, people all over the world! I am the only God there is. 23 My promise is true, and it will not be changed. I solemnly promise by all that I am: Everyone will come and kneel before me and vow to be loyal to me. 24 "They will say that only through me are victory and strength to be found; but all who hate me will suffer disgrace. 25 I, the Lord, will rescue all the descendants of Jacob, and they will give me praise.

Isa 46:1 "This is the end for Babylon's gods! Bel and Nebo once were worshiped, but now they are loaded on donkeys, a burden for the backs of tired animals. 2 The idols cannot save themselves; they are captured and carried away. This is the end for Babylon's gods! 3 "Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all who are left of my people. I have cared for you from the time you were born. 4 I am your God and will take care of you until you are old and your hair is gray. I made you and will care for you; I will give you help and rescue you. 5 "To whom will you compare me?" says the Lord. "Is there anyone else like me? 6 People open their purses and pour out gold; they weigh out silver on the scales. They hire a goldsmith to make a god; then they bow down and worship it. 7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they put it in place, and there it stands, unable to move from where it is. If any pray to it, it cannot answer or save them from disaster. 8 "Remember this, you sinners; consider what I have done. 9 Remember what happened long ago; acknowledge that I alone am God and that there is no one else like me. 10 From the beginning I predicted the outcome; long ago I foretold what would happen. I said that my plans would never fail, that I would do everything I intended to do. 11 I am calling a man to come from the east; he will swoop down like a hawk and accomplish what I have planned. I have spoken, and it will be done. 12 "Listen to me, you stubborn people who think that victory is far away. 13 I am bringing the day of victory near - it is not far away at all. My triumph will not be delayed. I will save Jerusalem and bring honor to Israel there."

Isa 47:1 The Lord says, "Babylon, come down from your throne, and sit in the dust on the ground. You were once like a virgin, a city unconquered, but you are soft and delicate no longer! You are now a slave! 2 Turn the millstone! Grind the flour! Off with your veil! Strip off your fine clothes! Lift up your skirts to cross the streams! 3 People will see you naked; they will see you humbled and shamed. I will take vengeance, and no one will stop me." 4 The holy God of Israel sets us free - his name is the Lord Almighty. 5 The Lord says to Babylon, "Sit in silence and darkness; no more will they call you the queen of nations! 6 I was angry with my people; I treated them as no longer mine: I put them in your power, and you showed them no mercy; even the aged you treated harshly. 7 You thought you would always be a queen, and did not take these things to heart or think how it all would end. 8 "Listen to this, you lover of pleasure, you that think you are safe and secure. You claim you are as great as God - that there is no one else like you. You thought that you would never be a widow or suffer the loss of your children. 9 But in a moment, in a single day, both of these things will happen. In spite of all the magic you use, you will lose your husband and children. 10 "You felt sure of yourself in your evil; you thought that no one could see you. Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray, and you said to yourself, "I am God - there is no one else like me.' 11 Disaster will come upon you, and none of your magic can stop it. Ruin will come on you suddenly - ruin you never dreamed of! 12 Keep all your magic spells and charms; you have used them since you were young. Perhaps they will be of some help to you; perhaps you can frighten your enemies. 13 You are powerless in spite of the advice you get. Let your astrologers come forward and save you - those people who study the stars, who map out the zones of the heavens and tell you from month to month what is going to happen to you. 14 "They will be like bits of straw, and a fire will burn them up! They will not even be able to save themselves - the flames will be too hot for them, not a cozy fire to warm themselves by. 15 That is all the good they will do you - those astrologers you've consulted all your life. They all will leave you and go their own way, and none will be left to save you."

Isa 48:1 Listen to this, people of Israel, you that are descended from Judah: You swear by the name of the Lord and claim to worship the God of Israel - but you don't mean a word you say. 2 And yet you are proud to say that you are citizens of the holy city and that you depend on Israel's God, whose name is the Lord Almighty. 3 The Lord says to Israel, "Long ago I predicted what would take place; then suddenly I made it happen. 4 I knew that you would prove to be stubborn, as rigid as iron and unyielding as bronze. 5 And so I predicted your future long ago, announcing events before they took place, to keep you from claiming that your idols and images made them happen. 6 "All I foretold has now taken place; you have to admit my predictions were right. Now I will tell you of new things to come, events that I did not reveal before. 7 Only now am I making them happen; nothing like this took place in the past. If it had, you would claim that you knew all about it. 8 I knew that you couldn't be trusted, that you have always been known as a rebel. That is why you never heard of this at all, why no word of it ever came to your ears. 9 "In order that people will praise my name, I am holding my anger in check; I am keeping it back and will not destroy you. 10 I have tested you in the fire of suffering, as silver is refined in a furnace. But I have found that you are worthless. 11 What I do is done for my own sake - I will not let my name be dishonored or let anyone else share the glory that should be mine and mine alone." 12 The Lord says, "Listen to me, Israel, the people I have called! I am God, the first, the last, the only God! 13 My hands made the earth's foundations and spread the heavens out. When I summon earth and sky, they come at once and present themselves. 14 "Assemble and listen, all of you! None of the gods could predict that the man I have chosen would attack Babylon; he will do what I want him to do. 15 I am the one who spoke and called him; I led him out and gave him success. 16 "Now come close to me and hear what I say. From the beginning I have spoken openly and have always made my words come true." (Now the Sovereign Lord has given me his power and sent me.) 17 The holy God of Israel, the Lord who saves you, says: "I am the Lord your God, the one who wants to teach you for your own good and direct you in the way you should go. 18 "If only you had listened to my commands! Then blessings would have flowed for you like a stream that never goes dry. Victory would have come to you like the waves that roll on the shore. 19 Your descendants would be as numerous as grains of sand, and I would have made sure they were never destroyed." 20 Go out from Babylon, go free! Shout the news gladly; make it known everywhere: "The Lord has saved his servant Israel!" 21 When the Lord led his people through a hot, dry desert, they did not suffer from thirst. He made water come from a rock for them; he split the rock open, and water flowed out. 22 "There is no safety for sinners," says the Lord.

Isa 49:1 Listen to me, distant nations, you people who live far away! Before I was born, the Lord chose me and appointed me to be his servant. 2 He made my words as sharp as a sword. With his own hand he protected me. He made me like an arrow, sharp and ready for use. 3 He said to me, "Israel, you are my servant; because of you, people will praise me." 4 I said, "I have worked, but how hopeless it is! I have used up my strength, but have accomplished nothing." Yet I can trust the Lord to defend my cause; he will reward me for what I do. 5 Before I was born, the Lord appointed me; he made me his servant to bring back his people, to bring back the scattered people of Israel. The Lord gives me honor; he is the source of my strength. 6 The Lord said to me, "I have a greater task for you, my servant. Not only will you restore to greatness the people of Israel who have survived, but I will also make you a light to the nations - so that all the world may be saved." 7 Israel's holy God and savior says to the one who is deeply despised, who is hated by the nations and is the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you released and will rise to show their respect; princes also will see it, and they will bow low to honor you." This will happen because the Lord has chosen his servant; the holy God of Israel keeps his promises. 8 The Lord says to his people, "When the time comes to save you, I will show you favor and answer your cries for help. I will guard and protect you and through you make a covenant with all peoples. I will let you settle once again in your land that is now laid waste. 9 I will say to the prisoners, "Go free!' and to those who are in darkness, "Come out to the light!' They will be like sheep that graze on the hills; 10 they will never be hungry or thirsty. Sun and desert heat will not hurt them, for they will be led by one who loves them. He will lead them to springs of water. 11 "I will make a highway across the mountains and prepare a road for my people to travel. 12 My people will come from far away, from the north and the west, and from Aswan in the south." 13 Sing, heavens! Shout for joy, earth! Let the mountains burst into song! The Lord will comfort his people; he will have pity on his suffering people. 14 But the people of Jerusalem said, "The Lord has abandoned us! He has forgotten us." 15 So the Lord answers, "Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you. 16 Jerusalem, I can never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of my hands. 17 "Those who will rebuild you are coming soon, and those who destroyed you will leave. 18 Look around and see what is happening! Your people are assembling - they are coming home! As surely as I am the living God, you will be proud of your people, as proud as a bride is of her jewels. 19 "Your country was ruined and desolate - but now it will be too small for those who are coming to live there. And those who left you in ruins will be far removed from you. 20 Your people who were born in exile will one day say to you, "This land is too small - we need more room to live in!' 21 Then you will say to yourself, "Who bore all these children for me? I lost my children and could have no more. I was exiled and driven away - who brought these children up? I was left all alone - where did these children come from?' " 22 The Sovereign Lord says to his people: "I will signal to the nations, and they will bring your children home. 23 Kings will be like fathers to you; queens will be like mothers. They will bow low before you and honor you; they will humbly show their respect for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord; no one who waits for my help will be disappointed." 24 Can you take away a soldier's loot? Can you rescue the prisoners of a tyrant? 25 The Lord replies, "That is just what is going to happen. The soldier's prisoners will be taken away, and the tyrant's loot will be seized. I will fight against whoever fights you, and I will rescue your children. 26 I will make your oppressors kill each other; they will be drunk with murder and rage. Then all people will know that I am the Lord, the one who saves you and sets you free. They will know that I am Israel's powerful God."

Isa 50:1 The Lord says, "Do you think I sent my people away like a man who divorces his wife? Where, then, are the papers of divorce? Do you think I sold you into captivity like a man who sells his children as slaves? No, you went away captive because of your sins; you were sent away because of your crimes. 2 "Why did my people fail to respond when I went to them to save them? Why did they not answer when I called? Am I too weak to save them? I can dry up the sea with a command and turn rivers into a desert, so that the fish in them die for lack of water. 3 I can make the sky turn dark, as if it were in mourning for the dead." 4 The Sovereign Lord has taught me what to say, so that I can strengthen the weary. Every morning he makes me eager to hear what he is going to teach me. 5 The Lord has given me understanding, and I have not rebelled or turned away from him. 6 I bared my back to those who beat me. I did not stop them when they insulted me, when they pulled out the hairs of my beard and spit in my face. 7 But their insults cannot hurt me because the Sovereign Lord gives me help. I brace myself to endure them. I know that I will not be disgraced, 8 for God is near, and he will prove me innocent. Does anyone dare bring charges against me? Let us go to court together! Let him bring his accusation! 9 The Sovereign Lord himself defends me - who, then, can prove me guilty? All my accusers will disappear; they will vanish like moth-eaten cloth. 10 All of you that honor the Lord and obey the words of his servant, the path you walk may be dark indeed, but trust in the Lord, rely on your God. 11 All of you that plot to destroy others will be destroyed by your own plots. The Lord himself will make this happen; you will suffer a miserable fate.

Isa 51:1 The Lord says, "Listen to me, you that want to be saved, you that come to me for help. Think of the rock from which you came, the quarry from which you were cut. 2 Think of your ancestor, Abraham, and of Sarah, from whom you are descended. When I called Abraham, he was childless, but I blessed him and gave him children; I made his descendants numerous. 3 "I will show compassion to Jerusalem, to all who live in her ruins. Though her land is a desert, I will make it a garden, like the garden I planted in Eden. Joy and gladness will be there, and songs of praise and thanks to me. 4 "Listen to me, my people, listen to what I say: I give my teaching to the nations; my laws will bring them light. 5 I will come quickly and save them; the time of my victory is near. I myself will rule over the nations. Distant lands wait for me to come; they wait with hope for me to save them. 6 Look up at the heavens; look at the earth! The heavens will disappear like smoke; the earth will wear out like old clothing, and all its people will die like flies. But the deliverance I bring will last forever; my victory will be final. 7 "Listen to me, you that know what is right, who have my teaching fixed in your hearts. Do not be afraid when people taunt and insult you; 8 they will vanish like moth-eaten clothing! But the deliverance I bring will last forever; my victory will endure for all time." 9 Wake up, Lord, and help us! Use your power and save us; use it as you did in ancient times. It was you that cut the sea monster Rahab to pieces. 10 It was you also who dried up the sea and made a path through the water, so that those you were saving could cross. 11 Those whom you have rescued will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief. 12 The Lord says, "I am the one who strengthens you. Why should you fear mortals, who are no more enduring than grass? 13 Have you forgotten the Lord who made you, who stretched out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations? Why should you live in constant fear of the fury of those who oppress you, of those who are ready to destroy you? Their fury can no longer touch you. 14 Those who are prisoners will soon be set free; they will live a long life and have all the food they need. 15 "I am the Lord your God; I stir up the sea and make its waves roar. My name is the Lord Almighty! 16 I stretched out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations; I say to Jerusalem, "You are my people! I have given you my teaching, and I protect you with my hand.' " 17 Jerusalem, wake up! Rouse yourself and get up! You have drunk the cup of punishment that the Lord in his anger gave you to drink; you drank it down, and it made you stagger. 18 There is no one to lead you, no one among your people to take you by the hand. 19 A double disaster has fallen on you: your land has been devastated by war, and your people have starved. There is no one to show you sympathy. 20 At the corner of every street your people collapse from weakness; they are like deer caught in a hunter's net. They have felt the force of God's anger. 21 You suffering people of Jerusalem, you that stagger as though you were drunk, 22 the Lord your God defends you and says, "I am taking away the cup that I gave you in my anger. You will no longer have to drink the wine that makes you stagger. 23 I will give it to those who oppressed you, to those who made you lie down in the streets and trampled on you as if you were dirt."

Isa 52:1 Jerusalem, be strong and great again! Holy city of God, clothe yourself with splendor! The heathen will never enter your gates again. 2 Shake yourself free, Jerusalem! Rise from the dust and sit on your throne! Undo the chains that bind you, captive people of Zion! 3 The Sovereign Lord says to his people, "When you became slaves, no money was paid for you; in the same way nothing will be paid to set you free. 4 When you went to live in Egypt as foreigners, you did so of your own free will; Assyria, however, took you away by force and paid nothing for you. 5 And now in Babylonia the same thing has happened: you are captives, and nothing was paid for you. Those who rule over you boast and brag and constantly show contempt for me. 6 In time to come you will acknowledge that I am God and that I have spoken to you." 7 How wonderful it is to see a messenger coming across the mountains, bringing good news, the news of peace! He announces victory and says to Zion, "Your God is king!" 8 Those who guard the city are shouting, shouting together for joy. They can see with their own eyes the return of the Lord to Zion. 9 Break into shouts of joy, you ruins of Jerusalem! The Lord will rescue his city and comfort his people. 10 The Lord will use his holy power; he will save his people, and all the world will see it. 11 Be sure to leave Babylonia, all you that carry the Temple equipment. Touch no forbidden thing; keep yourselves holy and leave. 12 This time you will not have to leave in a hurry; you will not be trying to escape. The Lord your God will lead you and protect you on every side. 13 The Lord says, "My servant will succeed in his task; he will be highly honored. 14 Many people were shocked when they saw him; he was so disfigured that he hardly looked human. 15 But now many nations will marvel at him, and kings will be speechless with amazement. They will see and understand something they had never known."

Isa 53:1 The people reply, "Who would have believed what we now report? Who could have seen the Lord's hand in this? 2 It was the will of the Lord that his servant grow like a plant taking root in dry ground. He had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him. 3 We despised him and rejected him; he endured suffering and pain. No one would even look at him - we ignored him as if he were nothing. 4 "But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne. All the while we thought that his suffering was punishment sent by God. 5 But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received. 6 All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved. 7 "He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; he never said a word. Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, he never said a word. 8 He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die, and no one cared about his fate. He was put to death for the sins of our people. 9 He was placed in a grave with those who are evil, he was buried with the rich, even though he had never committed a crime or ever told a lie." 10 The Lord says, "It was my will that he should suffer; his death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness. And so he will see his descendants; he will live a long life, and through him my purpose will succeed. 11 After a life of suffering, he will again have joy; he will know that he did not suffer in vain. My devoted servant, with whom I am pleased, will bear the punishment of many and for his sake I will forgive them. 12 And so I will give him a place of honor, a place among the great and powerful. He willingly gave his life and shared the fate of evil men. He took the place of many sinners and prayed that they might be forgiven."

Isa 54:1 Jerusalem, you have been like a childless woman, but now you can sing and shout for joy. Now you will have more children than a woman whose husband never left her. 2 Make the tent you live in larger; lengthen its ropes and strengthen the pegs! 3 You will extend your boundaries on all sides; your people will get back the land that the other nations now occupy. Cities now deserted will be filled with people. 4 Do not be afraid - you will not be disgraced again; you will not be humiliated. You will forget your unfaithfulness as a young wife, and your desperate loneliness as a widow. 5 Your Creator will be like a husband to you - the Lord Almighty is his name. The holy God of Israel will save you - he is the ruler of all the world. 6 Israel, you are like a young wife, deserted by her husband and deeply distressed. But the Lord calls you back to him and says: 7 "For one brief moment I left you; with deep love I will take you back. 8 I turned away angry for only a moment, but I will show you my love forever." So says the Lord who saves you. 9 "In the time of Noah I promised never again to flood the earth. Now I promise not to be angry with you again; I will not reprimand or punish you. 10 The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end; I will keep forever my promise of peace." So says the Lord who loves you. 11 The Lord says, "O Jerusalem, you suffering, helpless city, with no one to comfort you, I will rebuild your foundations with precious stones. 12 I will build your towers with rubies, your gates with stones that glow like fire, and the wall around you with jewels. 13 "I myself will teach your people and give them prosperity and peace. 14 Justice and right will make you strong. You will be safe from oppression and terror. 15 Whoever attacks you, does it without my consent; whoever fights against you will fall. 16 "I create the blacksmith, who builds a fire and forges weapons. I also create the soldier, who uses the weapons to kill. 17 But no weapon will be able to hurt you; you will have an answer for all who accuse you. I will defend my servants and give them victory." The Lord has spoken.

Isa 55:1 The Lord says, "Come, everyone who is thirsty - here is water! Come, you that have no money - buy grain and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk - it will cost you nothing! 2 Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry? Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all. 3 "Listen now, my people, and come to me; come to me, and you will have life! I will make a lasting covenant with you and give you the blessings I promised to David. 4 I made him a leader and commander of nations, and through him I showed them my power. 5 Now you will summon foreign nations; at one time they did not know you, but now they will come running to join you! I, the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel, will make all this happen; I will give you honor and glory." 6 Turn to the Lord and pray to him, now that he is near. 7 Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive. 8 "My thoughts," says the Lord, "are not like yours, and my ways are different from yours. 9 As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours. 10 "My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide seed for planting and food to eat. 11 So also will be the word that I speak - it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do. 12 "You will leave Babylon with joy; you will be led out of the city in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into singing, and the trees will shout for joy. 13 Cypress trees will grow where now there are briers; myrtle trees will come up in place of thorns. This will be a sign that will last forever, a reminder of what I, the Lord, have done."

4-Psalms 33:6 The Lord created the heavens by his command, the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word. 9 When he spoke, the world was created; at his command everything appeared.

5-Psalms 2:1 Why do the nations plan rebellion? Why do people make their useless plots? 2 Their kings revolt, their rulers plot together against the Lord and against the king he chose. 3 "Let us free ourselves from their rule," they say; "let us throw off their control." 4 From his throne in heaven the Lord laughs and mocks their feeble plans. 5 Then he warns them in anger and terrifies them with his fury. 6 "On Zion, my sacred hill," he says, "I have installed my king." 7 "I will announce," says the king, "what the Lord has declared. He said to me: "You are my son; today I have become your father. 8 Ask, and I will give you all the nations; the whole earth will be yours. 9 You will break them with an iron rod; you will shatter them in pieces like a clay pot.' " 10 Now listen to this warning, you kings; learn this lesson, you rulers of the world: 11 Serve the Lord with fear; tremble 12 and bow down to him; or else his anger will be quickly aroused, and you will suddenly die. Happy are all who go to him for protection.

6-Daniel 2:1 In the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had a dream. It worried him so much that he couldn't sleep, 2 so he sent for his fortunetellers, magicians, sorcerers, and wizards to come and explain the dream to him. When they came and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, "I'm worried about a dream I've had. I want to know what it means." 4 They answered the king in Aramaic, "May Your Majesty live forever! Tell us your dream, and we will explain it to you." 5 The king said to them, "I have made up my mind that you must tell me the dream and then tell me what it means. If you can't, I'll have you torn limb from limb and make your houses a pile of ruins. 6 But if you can tell me both the dream and its meaning, I will reward you with gifts and great honor. Now then, tell me what the dream was and what it means." 7 They answered the king again, "If Your Majesty will only tell us what the dream was, we will explain it." 8 At that, the king exclaimed, "Just as I thought! You are trying to gain time, because you see that I have made up my mind 9 to give all of you the same punishment if you don't tell me the dream. You have agreed among yourselves to go on telling me lies because you hope that in time things will change. Tell me what the dream was, and then I will know that you can also tell me what it means." 10 The advisers replied, "There is no one on the face of the earth who can tell Your Majesty what you want to know. No king, not even the greatest and most powerful, has ever made such a demand of his fortunetellers, magicians, and wizards. 11 What Your Majesty is asking for is so difficult that no one can do it for you except the gods, and they do not live among human beings." 12 At that, the king flew into a rage and ordered the execution of all the royal advisers in Babylon. 13 So the order was issued for all of them to be killed, including Daniel and his friends. 14 Then Daniel went to Arioch, commander of the king's bodyguard, who had been ordered to carry out the execution. Choosing his words carefully, 15 he asked Arioch why the king had issued such a harsh order. So Arioch told Daniel what had happened. 16 Daniel went at once and obtained royal permission for more time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant. 17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. 18 He told them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy and to ask him to explain the mystery to them so that they would not be killed along with the other advisers in Babylon. 19 Then that same night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision, and he praised the God of heaven: 20 "God is wise and powerful! Praise him forever and ever. 21 He controls the times and the seasons; he makes and unmakes kings; it is he who gives wisdom and understanding. 22 He reveals things that are deep and secret; he knows what is hidden in darkness, and he himself is surrounded by light. 23 I praise you and honor you, God of my ancestors. You have given me wisdom and strength; you have answered my prayer and shown us what to tell the king." 24 So Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had commanded to execute the royal advisers. He said to him, "Don't put them to death. Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means." 25 At once Arioch took Daniel into King Nebuchadnezzar's presence and told the king, "I have found one of the Jewish exiles who can tell Your Majesty the meaning of your dream." 26 The king said to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar), "Can you tell me what I dreamed and what it means?" 27 Daniel replied, "Your Majesty, there is no wizard, magician, fortuneteller, or astrologer who can tell you that. 28 But there is a God in heaven, who reveals mysteries. He has informed Your Majesty what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you the dream, the vision you had while you were asleep. 29 "While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about the future; and God, who reveals mysteries, showed you what is going to happen. 30 Now, this mystery was revealed to me, not because I am wiser than anyone else, but so that Your Majesty may learn the meaning of your dream and understand the thoughts that have come to you. 31 "Your Majesty, in your vision you saw standing before you a giant statue, bright and shining, and terrifying to look at. 32 Its head was made of the finest gold; its chest and arms were made of silver; its waist and hips of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 While you were looking at it, a great stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it, struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, and shattered them. 35 At once the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold crumbled and became like the dust on a threshing place in summer. The wind carried it all away, leaving not a trace. But the stone grew to be a mountain that covered the whole earth. 36 "This was the dream. Now I will tell Your Majesty what it means. 37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of all kings. The God of heaven has made you emperor and given you power, might, and honor. 38 He has made you ruler of all the inhabited earth and ruler over all the animals and birds. You are the head of gold. 39 After you there will be another empire, not as great as yours, and after that a third, an empire of bronze, which will rule the whole earth. 40 And then there will be a fourth empire, as strong as iron, which shatters and breaks everything. And just as iron shatters everything, it will shatter and crush all the earlier empires. 41 You also saw that the feet and the toes were partly clay and partly iron. This means that it will be a divided empire. It will have something of the strength of iron, because there was iron mixed with the clay. 42 The toes - partly iron and partly clay - mean that part of the empire will be strong and part of it weak. 43 You also saw that the iron was mixed with the clay. This means that the rulers of that empire will try to unite their families by intermarriage, but they will not be able to, any more than iron can mix with clay. 44 At the time of those rulers the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. It will never be conquered, but will completely destroy all those empires and then last forever. 45 You saw how a stone broke loose from a cliff without anyone touching it and how it struck the statue made of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God is telling Your Majesty what will happen in the future. I have told you exactly what you dreamed, and have given you its true meaning." 46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed to the ground and gave orders for sacrifices and offerings to be made to Daniel. 47 The king said, "Your God is the greatest of all gods, the Lord over kings, and the one who reveals mysteries. I know this because you have been able to explain this mystery." 48 Then he gave Daniel a high position, presented him with many splendid gifts, put him in charge of the province of Babylon, and made him the head of all the royal advisers. 49 At Daniel's request the king put Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the affairs of the province of Babylon; Daniel, however, remained at the royal court.

Daniel 7:1 In the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylonia, I had a dream and saw a vision in the night. I wrote the dream down, and this is the record 2 of what I saw that night: Winds were blowing from all directions and lashing the surface of the ocean. 3 Four huge beasts came up out of the ocean, each one different from the others. 4 The first one looked like a lion, but had wings like an eagle. While I was watching, the wings were torn off. The beast was lifted up and made to stand up straight. And then a human mind was given to it. 5 The second beast looked like a bear standing on its hind legs. It was holding three ribs between its teeth, and a voice said to it, "Go on, eat as much meat as you can!" 6 While I was watching, another beast appeared. It looked like a leopard, but on its back there were four wings, like the wings of a bird, and it had four heads. It had a look of authority about it. 7 As I was watching, a fourth beast appeared. It was powerful, horrible, terrifying. With its huge iron teeth it crushed its victims, and then it trampled on them. Unlike the other beasts, it had ten horns. 8 While I was staring at the horns, I saw a little horn coming up among the others. It tore out three of the horns that were already there. This horn had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting proudly. 9 While I was looking, thrones were put in place. One who had been living forever sat down on one of the thrones. His clothes were white as snow, and his hair was like pure wool. His throne, mounted on fiery wheels, was blazing with fire, 10 and a stream of fire was pouring out from it. There were many thousands of people there to serve him, and millions of people stood before him. The court began its session, and the books were opened. 11 While I was looking, I could still hear the little horn bragging and boasting. As I watched, the fourth beast was killed, and its body was thrown into the flames and destroyed. 12 The other beasts had their power taken away, but they were permitted to go on living for a limited time. 13 During this vision in the night, I saw what looked like a human being. He was approaching me, surrounded by clouds, and he went to the one who had been living forever and was presented to him. 14 He was given authority, honor, and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races, and languages would serve him. His authority would last forever, and his kingdom would never end. 15 The visions I saw alarmed me, and I was deeply disturbed. 16 I went up to one of those standing there and asked him to explain it all. So he told me the meaning. 17 He said, "These four huge beasts are four empires which will arise on earth. 18 And the people of the Supreme God will receive royal power and keep it forever and ever." 19 Then I wanted to know more about the fourth beast, which was not like any of the others - the terrifying beast which crushed its victims with its bronze claws and iron teeth and then trampled on them. 20 And I wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the horn that had come up afterward and had made three of the horns fall. It had eyes and a mouth and was boasting proudly. It was more terrifying than any of the others. 21 While I was looking, that horn made war on God's people and conquered them. 22 Then the one who had been living forever came and pronounced judgment in favor of the people of the Supreme God. The time had arrived for God's people to receive royal power. 23 This is the explanation I was given: "The fourth beast is a fourth empire that will be on the earth and will be different from all other empires. It will crush the whole earth and trample it down. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will appear; he will be very different from the earlier ones and will overthrow three kings. 25 He will speak against the Supreme God and oppress God's people. He will try to change their religious laws and festivals, and God's people will be under his power for three and a half years. 26 Then the heavenly court will sit in judgment, take away his power, and destroy him completely. 27 The power and greatness of all the kingdoms on earth will be given to the people of the Supreme God. Their royal power will never end, and all rulers on earth will serve and obey them." 28 This is the end of the account. I was so frightened that I turned pale, and I kept everything to myself.

Daniel 8:1 In the third year that Belshazzar was king, I saw a second vision. 2 In the vision I suddenly found myself in the walled city of Susa in the province of Elam. I was standing by the Ulai River, 3 and there beside the river I saw a ram that had two long horns, one of which was longer and newer than the other. 4 I watched the ram butting with his horns to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stop him or escape his power. He did as he pleased and grew arrogant. 5 While I was wondering what this meant, a goat came rushing out of the west, moving so fast that his feet didn't touch the ground. He had one prominent horn between his eyes. 6 He came toward the ram, which I had seen standing beside the river, and rushed at him with all his force. 7 I watched him attack the ram. He was so angry that he smashed into him and broke the two horns. The ram had no strength to resist. He was thrown to the ground and trampled on, and there was no one who could save him. 8 The goat grew more and more arrogant, but at the height of his power his horn was broken. In its place four prominent horns came up, each pointing in a different direction. 9 Out of one of these four horns grew a little horn, whose power extended toward the south and the east and toward the Promised Land. 10 It grew strong enough to attack the army of heaven, the stars themselves, and it threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them. 11 It even defied the Prince of the heavenly army, stopped the daily sacrifices offered to him, and ruined the Temple. 12 People sinned there instead of offering the proper daily sacrifices, and true religion was thrown to the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did. 13 Then I heard one angel ask another, "How long will these things that were seen in the vision continue? How long will an awful sin replace the daily sacrifices? How long will the army of heaven and the Temple be trampled on?" 14 I heard the other angel answer, "It will continue for 2,300 evenings and mornings, during which sacrifices will not be offered. Then the Temple will be restored." 15 I was trying to understand what the vision meant, when suddenly someone was standing in front of me. 16 I heard a voice call out over the Ulai River, "Gabriel, explain to him the meaning of what he saw." 17 Gabriel came and stood beside me, and I was so terrified that I fell to the ground. He said to me, "Mortal man, understand the meaning. The vision has to do with the end of the world." 18 While he was talking, I fell to the ground unconscious. But he took hold of me, raised me to my feet, 19 and said, "I am showing you what the result of God's anger will be. The vision refers to the time of the end. 20 "The ram you saw that had two horns represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia. 21 The goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the prominent horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that came up when the first horn was broken represent the four kingdoms into which that nation will be divided and which will not be as strong as the first kingdom. 23 "When the end of those kingdoms is near and they have become so wicked that they must be punished, there will be a stubborn, vicious, and deceitful king. 24 He will grow strong - but not by his own power. He will cause terrible destruction and be successful in everything he does. He will bring destruction on powerful men and on God's own people. 25 Because he is cunning, he will succeed in his deceitful ways. He will be proud of himself and destroy many people without warning. He will even defy the greatest King of all, but he will be destroyed without the use of any human power. 26 This vision about the evening and morning sacrifices which has been explained to you will come true. But keep it secret now, because it will be a long time before it does come true." 27 I was depressed and ill for several days. Then I got up and went back to the work that the king had assigned to me, but I was puzzled by the vision and could not understand it.

Daniel 9:1 Darius the Mede, who was the son of Xerxes, ruled over the kingdom of Babylonia. 2 In the first year of his reign I was studying the sacred books and thinking about the seventy years that Jerusalem would be in ruins, according to what the Lord had told the prophet Jeremiah. 3 And I prayed earnestly to the Lord God, pleading with him, fasting, wearing sackcloth, and sitting in ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed the sins of my people. I said, "Lord God, you are great, and we honor you. You are faithful to your covenant and show constant love to those who love you and do what you command. 5 "We have sinned, we have been evil, we have done wrong. We have rejected what you commanded us to do and have turned away from what you showed us was right. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our rulers, our ancestors, and our whole nation. 7 You, Lord, always do what is right, but we have always brought disgrace on ourselves. This is true of all of us who live in Judea and in Jerusalem and of all the Israelites whom you scattered in countries near and far because they were unfaithful to you. 8 Our kings, our rulers, and our ancestors have acted shamefully and sinned against you, Lord. 9 You are merciful and forgiving, although we have rebelled against you. 10 We did not listen to you, O Lord our God, when you told us to live according to the laws which you gave us through your servants the prophets. 11 All Israel broke your laws and refused to listen to what you said. We sinned against you, and so you brought on us the curses that are written in the Law of Moses, your servant. 12 You did what you said you would do to us and our rulers. You punished Jerusalem more severely than any other city on earth, 13 giving us all the punishment described in the Law of Moses. But even now, O Lord our God, we have not tried to please you by turning from our sins or by following your truth. 14 You, O Lord our God, were prepared to punish us, and you did, because you always do what is right, and we did not listen to you. 15 "O Lord our God, you showed your power by bringing your people out of Egypt, and your power is still remembered. We have sinned; we have done wrong. 16 You have defended us in the past, so do not be angry with Jerusalem any longer. It is your city, your sacred hill. All the people in the neighboring countries look down on Jerusalem and on your people because of our sins and the evil our ancestors did. 17 O God, hear my prayer and pleading. Restore your Temple, which has been destroyed; restore it so that everyone will know that you are God. 18 Listen to us, O God; look at us and see the trouble we are in and the suffering of the city that bears your name. We are praying to you because you are merciful, not because we have done right. 19 Lord, hear us. Lord, forgive us. Lord, listen to us, and act! In order that everyone will know that you are God, do not delay! This city and these people are yours." 20 I went on praying, confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel and pleading with the Lord my God to restore his holy Temple. 21 While I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came flying down to where I was. It was the time for the evening sacrifice to be offered. 22 He explained, "Daniel, I have come here to help you understand the prophecy. 23 When you began to plead with God, he answered you. He loves you, and so I have come to tell you the answer. Now pay attention while I explain the vision. 24 "Seven times seventy years is the length of time God has set for freeing your people and your holy city from sin and evil. Sin will be forgiven and eternal justice established, so that the vision and the prophecy will come true, and the holy Temple will be rededicated. 25 Note this and understand it: From the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until God's chosen leader comes, seven times seven years will pass. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, and will stand for seven times sixty-two years, but this will be a time of troubles. 26 And at the end of that time God's chosen leader will be killed unjustly. The city and the Temple will be destroyed by the invading army of a powerful ruler. The end will come like a flood, bringing the war and destruction which God has prepared. 27 That ruler will have a firm agreement with many people for seven years, and when half this time is past, he will put an end to sacrifices and offerings. The Awful Horror will be placed on the highest point of the Temple and will remain there until the one who put it there meets the end which God has prepared for him."

7-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day. 6 Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" - and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. 7 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day. 9 Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" - and it was done. 10 He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. 11 Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" - and it was done. 12 So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. 13 Evening passed and morning came - that was the third day. 14 Then God commanded, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin; 15 they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth" - and it was done. 16 So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; he also made the stars. 17 He placed the lights in the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw. 19 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fourth day. 20 Then God commanded, "Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds." 21 So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw. 22 He blessed them all and told the creatures that live in the water to reproduce and to fill the sea, and he told the birds to increase in number. 23 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fifth day. 24 Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small" - and it was done. 25 So God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw. 26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. 29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came - that was the sixth day.

Gen 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working. 4 And that is how the universe was created. When the Lord God made the universe, 5 there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land; 6 but water would come up from beneath the surface and water the ground. 7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. 9 He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. 10 A stream flowed in Eden and watered the garden; beyond Eden it divided into four rivers. 11 The first river is the Pishon; it flows around the country of Havilah 12 (Pure gold is found there and also rare perfume and precious stones.) 13 The second river is the Gihon; it flows around the country of Cush. 14 The third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria, and the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it. 16 He told him, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, 17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day." 18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." 19 So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. 20 So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him. 21 Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. 22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

Gen 3:1 Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 2 "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, 3 "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. 5 God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad." 6 The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it. 7 As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves. 8 That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. 9 But the Lord God called out to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked." 11 "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?" 12 The man answered, "The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it." 13 The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it." 14 Then the Lord God said to the snake, "You will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse: From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. 15 I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel." 16 And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him." 17 And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you. 18 It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants. 19 You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again." 20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all human beings. 21 And the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, "Now these human beings have become like one of us and have knowledge of what is good and what is bad. They must not be allowed to take fruit from the tree that gives life, eat it, and live forever." 23 So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden and made them cultivate the soil from which they had been formed. 24 Then at the east side of the garden he put living creatures and a flaming sword which turned in all directions. This was to keep anyone from coming near the tree that gives life.

Gen 4:1 Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, "By the Lord's help I have gotten a son." So she named him Cain. 2 Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer. 3 After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. 4 Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? 7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it." 8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out in the fields." When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him. 9 The Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?" 10 Then the Lord said, "Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. 11 You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him. 12 If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth." 13 And Cain said to the Lord, "This punishment is too hard for me to bear. 14 You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me." 15 But the Lord answered, "No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge." So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him. 16 And Cain went away from the Lord's presence and lived in a land called "Wandering," which is east of Eden. 17 Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the ancestor of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother was Jubal, the ancestor of all musicians who play the harp and the flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal Cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me: I have killed a young man because he struck me. 24 If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain, Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kills me." 25 Adam and his wife had another son. She said, "God has given me a son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed." So she named him Seth. 26 Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord's holy name in worship.

Gen 5:1 This is the list of the descendants of Adam. (When God created human beings, he made them like himself. 2 He created them male and female, blessed them, and named them "Human Beings.") 3 When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was like him, and he named him Seth. 4 After that, Adam lived another 800 years. He had other children 5 and died at the age of 930. 6 When Seth was 105, he had a son, Enosh, 7 and then lived another 807 years. He had other children 8 and died at the age of 912. 9 When Enosh was 90, he had a son, Kenan, 10 and then lived another 815 years. He had other children 11 and died at the age of 905. 12 When Kenan was 70, he had a son, Mahalalel, 13 and then lived another 840 years. He had other children 14 and died at the age of 910. 15 When Mahalalel was 65, he had a son, Jared, 16 and then lived another 830 years. He had other children 17 and died at the age of 895. 18 When Jared was 162, he had a son, Enoch, 19 and then lived another 800 years. He had other children 20 and died at the age of 962. 21 When Enoch was 65, he had a son, Methuselah. 22 After that, Enoch lived in fellowship with God for 300 years and had other children. 23 He lived to be 365 years old. 24 He spent his life in fellowship with God, and then he disappeared, because God took him away. 25 When Methuselah was 187, he had a son, Lamech, 26 and then lived another 782 years. He had other children 27 and died at the age of 969. 28 When Lamech was 182, he had a son 29 and said, "From the very ground on which the Lord put a curse, this child will bring us relief from all our hard work"; so he named him Noah. 30 Lamech lived another 595 years. He had other children 31 and died at the age of 777. 32 After Noah was 500 years old, he had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gen 6:1 When people had spread all over the world, and daughters were being born, 2 some of the heavenly beings saw that these young women were beautiful, so they took the ones they liked. 3 Then the Lord said, "I will not allow people to live forever; they are mortal. From now on they will live no longer than 120 years." 4 In those days, and even later, there were giants on the earth who were descendants of human women and the heavenly beings. They were the great heroes and famous men of long ago. 5 When the Lord saw how wicked everyone on earth was and how evil their thoughts were all the time, 6 he was sorry that he had ever made them and put them on the earth. He was so filled with regret 7 that he said, "I will wipe out these people I have created, and also the animals and the birds, because I am sorry that I made any of them." 8 But the Lord was pleased with Noah. 9 This is the story of Noah. He had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Noah had no faults and was the only good man of his time. He lived in fellowship with God, 10 11 but everyone else was evil in God's sight, and violence had spread everywhere. 12 God looked at the world and saw that it was evil, for the people were all living evil lives. 13 God said to Noah, "I have decided to put an end to all people. I will destroy them completely, because the world is full of their violent deeds. 14 Build a boat for yourself out of good timber; make rooms in it and cover it with tar inside and out. 15 Make it 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16 Make a roof for the boat and leave a space of 18 inches between the roof and the sides. Build it with three decks and put a door in the side. 17 I am going to send a flood on the earth to destroy every living being. Everything on the earth will die, 18 but I will make a covenant with you. Go into the boat with your wife, your sons, and their wives. 19 Take into the boat with you a male and a female of every kind of animal and of every kind of bird, in order to keep them alive. 20 21 Take along all kinds of food for you and for them." 22 Noah did everything that God commanded.

Gen 7:1 The Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with your whole family; I have found that you are the only one in all the world who does what is right. 2 Take with you seven pairs of each kind of ritually clean animal, but only one pair of each kind of unclean animal. 3 Take also seven pairs of each kind of bird. Do this so that every kind of animal and bird will be kept alive to reproduce again on the earth. 4 Seven days from now I am going to send rain that will fall for forty days and nights, in order to destroy all the living beings that I have made." 5 And Noah did everything that the Lord commanded. 6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came on the earth. 7 He and his wife, and his sons and their wives, went into the boat to escape the flood. 8 A male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, whether ritually clean or unclean, 9 went into the boat with Noah, as God had commanded. 10 Seven days later the flood came. 11 When Noah was six hundred years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month all the outlets of the vast body of water beneath the earth burst open, all the floodgates of the sky were opened, 12 and rain fell on the earth for forty days and nights. 13 On that same day Noah and his wife went into the boat with their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives. 14 With them went every kind of animal, domestic and wild, large and small, and every kind of bird. 15 A male and a female of each kind of living being went into the boat with Noah, 16 as God had commanded. Then the Lord shut the door behind Noah. 17 The flood continued for forty days, and the water became deep enough for the boat to float. 18 The water became deeper, and the boat drifted on the surface. 19 It became so deep that it covered the highest mountains; 20 it went on rising until it was about twenty-five feet above the tops of the mountains. 21 Every living being on the earth died - every bird, every animal, and every person. 22 Everything on earth that breathed died. 23 The Lord destroyed all living beings on the earth - human beings, animals, and birds. The only ones left were Noah and those who were with him in the boat. 24 The water did not start going down for a hundred and fifty days.

Gen 8:1 God had not forgotten Noah and all the animals with him in the boat; he caused a wind to blow, and the water started going down. 2 The outlets of the water beneath the earth and the floodgates of the sky were closed. The rain stopped, 3 and the water gradually went down for 150 days. 4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh month the boat came to rest on a mountain in the Ararat range. 5 The water kept going down, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains appeared. 6 After forty days Noah opened a window 7 and sent out a raven. It did not come back, but kept flying around until the water was completely gone. 8 Meanwhile, Noah sent out a dove to see if the water had gone down, 9 but since the water still covered all the land, the dove did not find a place to light. It flew back to the boat, and Noah reached out and took it in. 10 He waited another seven days and sent out the dove again. 11 It returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the water had gone down. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent out the dove once more; this time it did not come back. 13 When Noah was 601 years old, on the first day of the first month, the water was gone. Noah removed the covering of the boat, looked around, and saw that the ground was getting dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. 15 God said to Noah, 16 "Go out of the boat with your wife, your sons, and their wives. 17 Take all the birds and animals out with you, so that they may reproduce and spread over all the earth." 18 So Noah went out of the boat with his wife, his sons, and their wives. 19 All the animals and birds went out of the boat in groups of their own kind. 20 Noah built an altar to the Lord; he took one of each kind of ritually clean animal and bird, and burned them whole as a sacrifice on the altar. 21 The odor of the sacrifice pleased the Lord, and he said to himself, "Never again will I put the earth under a curse because of what people do; I know that from the time they are young their thoughts are evil. Never again will I destroy all living beings, as I have done this time. 22 As long as the world exists, there will be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night."

Gen 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth. 2 All the animals, birds, and fish will live in fear of you. They are all placed under your power. 3 Now you can eat them, as well as green plants; I give them all to you for food. 4 The one thing you must not eat is meat with blood still in it; I forbid this because the life is in the blood. 5 If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. I will punish with death any animal that takes a human life. 6 Human beings were made like God, so whoever murders one of them will be killed by someone else. 7 "You must have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth." 8 God said to Noah and his sons, 9 "I am now making my covenant with you and with your descendants, 10 and with all living beings - all birds and all animals - everything that came out of the boat with you. 11 With these words I make my covenant with you: I promise that never again will all living beings be destroyed by a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth. 12 As a sign of this everlasting covenant which I am making with you and with all living beings, 13 I am putting my bow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my covenant with the world. 14 Whenever I cover the sky with clouds and the rainbow appears, 15 I will remember my promise to you and to all the animals that a flood will never again destroy all living beings. 16 When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between me and all living beings on earth. 17 That is the sign of the promise which I am making to all living beings." 18 The sons of Noah who went out of the boat were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three sons of Noah were the ancestors of all the people on earth. 20 Noah, who was a farmer, was the first man to plant a vineyard. 21 After he drank some of the wine, he became drunk, took off his clothes, and lay naked in his tent. 22 When Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked, he went out and told his two brothers. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a robe and held it behind them on their shoulders. They walked backward into the tent and covered their father, keeping their faces turned away so as not to see him naked. 24 When Noah sobered up and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, "A curse on Canaan! He will be a slave to his brothers. 26 Give praise to the Lord, the God of Shem! Canaan will be the slave of Shem. 27 May God cause Japheth to increase! May his descendants live with the people of Shem! Canaan will be the slave of Japheth." 28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years 29 and died at the age of 950.

Gen 10:1 These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These three had sons after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth - Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras - were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 3 The descendants of Gomer were the people of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The descendants of Javan were the people of Elishah, Spain, Cyprus, and Rhodes; 5 they were the ancestors of the people who live along the coast and on the islands. These are the descendants of Japheth, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language. 6 The sons of Ham - Cush, Egypt, Libya, and Canaan - were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 7 The descendants of Cush were the people of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were the people of Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush had a son named Nimrod, who became the world's first great conqueror. 9 By the Lord's help he was a great hunter, and that is why people say, "May the Lord make you as great a hunter as Nimrod!" 10 At first his kingdom included Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all three of them in Babylonia. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah. 13 The descendants of Egypt were the people of Lydia, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, 14 Pathrus, Casluh, and of Crete, from whom the Philistines are descended. 15 Canaan's sons - Sidon, the oldest, and Heth - were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 16 Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. The different tribes of the Canaanites spread out, 19 until the Canaanite borders reached from Sidon southward to Gerar near Gaza, and eastward to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim near Lasha. 20 These are the descendants of Ham, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language. 21 Shem, the older brother of Japheth, was the ancestor of all the Hebrews. 22 Shem's sons - Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram - were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 23 The descendants of Aram were the people of Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshek. 24 Arpachshad was the father of Shelah, who was the father of Eber. 25 Eber had two sons: one was named Peleg, because during his time the people of the world were divided; and the other was named Joktan. 26 The descendants of Joktan were the people of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of them were descended from Joktan. 30 The land in which they lived extended from Mesha to Sephar in the eastern hill country. 31 These are the descendants of Shem, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language. 32 All these peoples are the descendants of Noah, nation by nation, according to their different lines of descent. After the flood all the nations of the earth were descended from the sons of Noah.

Gen 11:1 At first, the people of the whole world had only one language and used the same words. 2 As they wandered about in the East, they came to a plain in Babylonia and settled there. 3 They said to one another, "Come on! Let's make bricks and bake them hard." So they had bricks to build with and tar to hold them together. 4 They said, "Now let's build a city with a tower that reaches the sky, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered all over the earth." 5 Then the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which they had built, 6 and he said, "Now then, these are all one people and they speak one language; this is just the beginning of what they are going to do. Soon they will be able to do anything they want! 7 Let us go down and mix up their language so that they will not understand each other." 8 So the Lord scattered them all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 The city was called Babylon, because there the Lord mixed up the language of all the people, and from there he scattered them all over the earth. 10 These are the descendants of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he had a son, Arpachshad. 11 After that, he lived another 500 years and had other children. 12 When Arpachshad was 35 years old, he had a son, Shelah; 13 after that, he lived another 403 years and had other children. 14 When Shelah was 30 years old, he had a son, Eber; 15 after that, he lived another 403 years and had other children. 16 When Eber was 34 years old, he had a son, Peleg; 17 after that, he lived another 430 years and had other children. 18 When Peleg was 30 years old, he had a son, Reu; 19 after that, he lived another 209 years and had other children. 20 When Reu was 32 years old, he had a son, Serug; 21 after that, he lived another 207 years and had other children. 22 When Serug was 30 years old, he had a son, Nahor; 23 after that, he lived another 200 years and had other children. 24 When Nahor was 29 years old, he had a son, Terah; 25 after that, he lived another 119 years and had other children. 26 After Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 These are the descendants of Terah, who was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot, 28 and Haran died in his hometown of Ur in Babylonia, while his father was still living. 29 Abram married Sarai, and Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah. 30 Sarai was not able to have children. 31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, who was the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, Abram's wife, and with them he left the city of Ur in Babylonia to go to the land of Canaan. They went as far as Haran and settled there. 32 Terah died there at the age of 205.

8-DA 37--Sin had become a science, and vice was consecrated as a part of religion. Rebellion had struck its roots deep into the heart, and the hostility of man was most violent against heaven. It was demonstrated before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.

With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise, and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth. And if God should do this, Satan was ready to carry out his plan for securing to himself the allegiance of heavenly beings. He had declared that the principles of God’s government make forgiveness impossible. Had the world been destroyed, he would have claimed that his accusations were proved true. He was ready to cast blame upon God, and to spread his rebellion to the worlds above. But instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. Though corruption and defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its recovery was provided. At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace. Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled.

Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.

9-Hebrews 11:3 It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

10-Romans 4:17 as the scripture says, "I have made you father of many nations." So the promise is good in the sight of God, in whom Abraham believed - the God who brings the dead to life and whose command brings into being what did not exist.

11-Psalm 19:1 How clearly the sky reveals God's glory! How plainly it shows what he has done! 2 Each day announces it to the following day; each night repeats it to the next. 3 No speech or words are used, no sound is heard;

12-Romans 1:19 God punishes them, because what can be known about God is plain to them, for God himself made it plain. 20 Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all!

13-Jeremiah 51:15 The Lord made the earth by his power; by his wisdom he created the world and stretched out the heavens. 16 At his command the waters above the sky roar; he brings clouds from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning flash in the rain and sends the wind from his storeroom.

14-Psalm 33:6 The Lord created the heavens by his command, the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word. 9 When he spoke, the world was created; at his command everything appeared.

15-Romans 8:15 For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, "Father! my Father!"

16-John 2:7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill these jars with water." They filled them to the brim, 8 and then he told them, "Now draw some water out and take it to the man in charge of the feast." They took him the water, 9 which now had turned into wine, and he tasted it. He did not know where this wine had come from (but, of course, the servants who had drawn out the water knew); so he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone else serves the best wine first, and after the guests have drunk a lot, he serves the ordinary wine. But you have kept the best wine until now!" 11 Jesus performed this first miracle in Cana in Galilee; there he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

John 6:8 Another one of his disciples, Andrew, who was Simon Peter's brother, said, 9 "There is a boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish. But they will certainly not be enough for all these people." 10 "Make the people sit down," Jesus told them. (There was a lot of grass there.) So all the people sat down; there were about five thousand men. 11 Jesus took the bread, gave thanks to God, and distributed it to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, and they all had as much as they wanted. 12 When they were all full, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces left over; let us not waste a bit." 13 So they gathered them all and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left over from the five barley loaves which the people had eaten.

John 9:1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. 2 His disciples asked him, "Teacher, whose sin caused him to be born blind? Was it his own or his parents' sin?" 3 Jesus answered, "His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parents' sins. He is blind so that God's power might be seen at work in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me; night is coming when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light for the world." 6 After he said this, Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud with the spittle; he rubbed the mud on the man's eyes 7 and told him, "Go and wash your face in the Pool of Siloam." (This name means "Sent.") So the man went, washed his face, and came back seeing. 8 His neighbors, then, and the people who had seen him begging before this, asked, "Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?" 9 Some said, "He is the one," but others said, "No he isn't; he just looks like him." So the man himself said, "I am the man." 10 "How is it that you can now see?" they asked him. 11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made some mud, rubbed it on my eyes, and told me to go to Siloam and wash my face. So I went, and as soon as I washed, I could see." 12 "Where is he?" they asked. "I don't know," he answered. 13 Then they took to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 The day that Jesus made the mud and cured him of his blindness was a Sabbath. 15 The Pharisees, then, asked the man again how he had received his sight. He told them, "He put some mud on my eyes; I washed my face, and now I can see." 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "The man who did this cannot be from God, for he does not obey the Sabbath law." Others, however, said, "How could a man who is a sinner perform such miracles as these?" And there was a division among them. 17 So the Pharisees asked the man once more, "You say he cured you of your blindness - well, what do you say about him?" "He is a prophet," the man answered. 18 The Jewish authorities, however, were not willing to believe that he had been blind and could now see, until they called his parents 19 and asked them, "Is this your son? You say that he was born blind; how is it, then, that he can now see?" 20 His parents answered, "We know that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind. 21 But we do not know how it is that he is now able to see, nor do we know who cured him of his blindness. Ask him; he is old enough, and he can answer for himself!" 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, who had already agreed that anyone who said he believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 That is why his parents said, "He is old enough; ask him!" 24 A second time they called back the man who had been born blind, and said to him, "Promise before God that you will tell the truth! We know that this man who cured you is a sinner." 25 "I do not know if he is a sinner or not," the man replied. "One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see." 26 "What did he do to you?" they asked. "How did he cure you of your blindness?" 27 "I have already told you," he answered, "and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Maybe you, too, would like to be his disciples?" 28 They insulted him and said, "You are that fellow's disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for that fellow, however, we do not even know where he comes from!" 30 The man answered, "What a strange thing that is! You do not know where he comes from, but he cured me of my blindness! 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners; he does listen to people who respect him and do what he wants them to do. 32 Since the beginning of the world nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a person born blind. 33 Unless this man came from God, he would not be able to do a thing." 34 They answered, "You were born and brought up in sin - and you are trying to teach us?" And they expelled him from the synagogue.

17-John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you."

18-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day. 6 Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" - and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. 7 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day. 9 Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" - and it was done. 10 He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. 11 Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" - and it was done. 12 So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. 13 Evening passed and morning came - that was the third day.

Isaiah 45:18 The Lord created the heavens - he is the one who is God! He formed and made the earth - he made it firm and lasting. He did not make it a desolate waste, but a place for people to live. It is he who says, "I am the Lord, and there is no other god.

1 John 1:5 Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him.

Revelation 22:5 There shall be no more night, and they will not need lamps or sunlight, because the Lord God will be their light, and they will rule as kings forever and ever.

2 Corinthians 4:6 The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

2 Peter 3:5 They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water,

Job 38:4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers? 6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? 7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy.

19-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water.

20-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day. 6 Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" - and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. 7 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day. 9 Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" - and it was done. 10 He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. 11 Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" - and it was done. 12 So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. 13 Evening passed and morning came - that was the third day. 14 Then God commanded, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin; 15 they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth" - and it was done. 16 So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; he also made the stars. 17 He placed the lights in the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw. 19 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fourth day. 20 Then God commanded, "Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds." 21 So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw. 22 He blessed them all and told the creatures that live in the water to reproduce and to fill the sea, and he told the birds to increase in number. 23 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fifth day. 24 Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small" - and it was done. 25 So God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw. 26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. 29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came - that was the sixth day.

21-Revelation 12:9 The huge dragon was thrown out - that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him.

Genesis 3:1 Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"

Luke 10:18 Jesus answered them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

John 1:1 1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him.

22-Job 38:4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers? 6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? 7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy. 8 Who closed the gates to hold back the sea when it burst from the womb of the earth?

23-Job 38:1 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job. 2 Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words? 3 Now stand up straight and answer the questions I ask you. 4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers? 6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? 7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy. 8 Who closed the gates to hold back the sea when it burst from the womb of the earth? 9 It was I who covered the sea with clouds and wrapped it in darkness. 10 I marked a boundary for the sea and kept it behind bolted gates. 11 I told it, "So far and no farther! Here your powerful waves must stop." 12 Job, have you ever in all your life commanded a day to dawn? 13 Have you ordered the dawn to seize the earth and shake the wicked from their hiding places? 14 Daylight makes the hills and valleys stand out like the folds of a garment, clear as the imprint of a seal on clay. 15 The light of day is too bright for the wicked and restrains them from doing violence. 16 Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea? Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? 17 Has anyone ever shown you the gates that guard the dark world of the dead? 18 Have you any idea how big the world is? Answer me if you know. 19 Do you know where the light comes from or what the source of darkness is? 20 Can you show them how far to go, or send them back again? 21 I am sure you can, because you're so old and were there when the world was made! 22 Have you ever visited the storerooms, where I keep the snow and the hail? 23 I keep them ready for times of trouble, for days of battle and war. 24 Have you been to the place where the sun comes up, or the place from which the east wind blows? 25 Who dug a channel for the pouring rain and cleared the way for the thunderstorm? 26 Who makes rain fall where no one lives? 27 Who waters the dry and thirsty land, so that grass springs up? 28 Does either the rain or the dew have a father? 29 Who is the mother of the ice and the frost, 30 which turn the waters to stone and freeze the face of the sea? 31 Can you tie the Pleiades together or loosen the bonds that hold Orion? 32 Can you guide the stars season by season and direct the Big and the Little Dipper? 33 Do you know the laws that govern the skies, and can you make them apply to the earth? 34 Can you shout orders to the clouds and make them drench you with rain? 35 And if you command the lightning to flash, will it come to you and say, "At your service"? 36 Who tells the ibis when the Nile will flood, or who tells the rooster that rain will fall? 37 Who is wise enough to count the clouds and tilt them over to pour out the rain, 38 rain that hardens the dust into lumps? 39 Do you find food for lions to eat, and satisfy hungry young lions 40 when they hide in their caves, or lie in wait in their dens? 41 Who is it that feeds the ravens when they wander about hungry, when their young cry to me for food?

24-Job 1:6 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them.

Job 2:1 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord again, Satan was there among them.

25-Isaiah 45:18 The Lord created the heavens - he is the one who is God! He formed and made the earth - he made it firm and lasting. He did not make it a desolate waste, but a place for people to live. It is he who says, "I am the Lord, and there is no other god.

26-Genesis 1:3 Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day.

27-John 1:4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. 6 God sent his messenger, a man named John, 7 who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light.

John 8:12 Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. "I am the light of the world," he said. "Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness."

John 9:5 While I am in the world, I am the light for the world."

Revelation 22:5 There shall be no more night, and they will not need lamps or sunlight, because the Lord God will be their light, and they will rule as kings forever and ever.

28-1 John 1:4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. 6 God sent his messenger, a man named John, 7 who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light.

Revelation 21:12 Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. "I am the light of the world," he said. "Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness."

Revelation 22:5 While I am in the world, I am the light for the world."

29-Genesis 1:6 Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" - and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. 7 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day.

30-Exodus 39:3 They hammered out sheets of gold and cut them into thin strips to be worked into the fine linen and into the blue, purple, and red wool.

Isaiah 40:19 He is not like an idol that workers make, that metalworkers cover with gold and set in a base of silver.

Jeremiah 10:9 Their idols are covered with silver from Spain and with gold from Uphaz, all the work of artists; they are dressed in violet and purple cloth woven by skilled weavers.

Numbers 16:39 So Eleazar the priest took the fire pans and had them beaten into thin plates to make a covering for the altar.

31-Genesis 1:9 Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" - and it was done. 10 He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. 11 Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" - and it was done. 12 So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. 13 Evening passed and morning came - that was the third day.

32-2 Corinthians 4:6 The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

Psalms 33:6 The Lord created the heavens by his command, the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word. 9 When he spoke, the world was created; at his command everything appeared.

Isaiah 55:11 So also will be the word that I speak - it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.

33-2 Peter 3:5 They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water,

34-Genesis 2:17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day."

Romans 6:23 For sin pays its wage - death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

35-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day. 6 Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" - and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. 7 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day. 9 Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" - and it was done. 10 He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. 11 Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" - and it was done. 12 So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. 13 Evening passed and morning came - that was the third day. 14 Then God commanded, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin; 15 they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth" - and it was done. 16 So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; he also made the stars. 17 He placed the lights in the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw. 19 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fourth day. 20 Then God commanded, "Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds." 21 So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw. 22 He blessed them all and told the creatures that live in the water to reproduce and to fill the sea, and he told the birds to increase in number. 23 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fifth day. 24 Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small" - and it was done. 25 So God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw. 26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. 29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came - that was the sixth day.

Genesis 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working. 4 And that is how the universe was created. When the Lord God made the universe, 5 there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land; 6 but water would come up from beneath the surface and water the ground. 7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. 9 He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. 10 A stream flowed in Eden and watered the garden; beyond Eden it divided into four rivers. 11 The first river is the Pishon; it flows around the country of Havilah 12 (Pure gold is found there and also rare perfume and precious stones.) 13 The second river is the Gihon; it flows around the country of Cush. 14 The third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria, and the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it. 16 He told him, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, 17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day." 18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." 19 So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. 20 So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him. 21 Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. 22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

Genesis 3:1 Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 2 "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, 3 "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. 5 God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad." 6 The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it. 7 As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves. 8 That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. 9 But the Lord God called out to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked." 11 "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?" 12 The man answered, "The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it." 13 The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it." 14 Then the Lord God said to the snake, "You will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse: From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. 15 I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel." 16 And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him." 17 And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you. 18 It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants. 19 You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again." 20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all human beings. 21 And the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, "Now these human beings have become like one of us and have knowledge of what is good and what is bad. They must not be allowed to take fruit from the tree that gives life, eat it, and live forever." 23 So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden and made them cultivate the soil from which they had been formed. 24 Then at the east side of the garden he put living creatures and a flaming sword which turned in all directions. This was to keep anyone from coming near the tree that gives life.

Genesis 4:1 Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, "By the Lord's help I have gotten a son." So she named him Cain. 2 Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer. 3 After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. 4 Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? 7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it." 8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out in the fields." When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him. 9 The Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?" 10 Then the Lord said, "Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. 11 You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him. 12 If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth." 13 And Cain said to the Lord, "This punishment is too hard for me to bear. 14 You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me." 15 But the Lord answered, "No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge." So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him. 16 And Cain went away from the Lord's presence and lived in a land called "Wandering," which is east of Eden. 17 Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the ancestor of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother was Jubal, the ancestor of all musicians who play the harp and the flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal Cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me: I have killed a young man because he struck me. 24 If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain, Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kills me." 25 Adam and his wife had another son. She said, "God has given me a son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed." So she named him Seth. 26 Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord's holy name in worship.

Genesis 5:1 This is the list of the descendants of Adam. (When God created human beings, he made them like himself. 2 He created them male and female, blessed them, and named them "Human Beings.") 3 When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was like him, and he named him Seth. 4 After that, Adam lived another 800 years. He had other children 5 and died at the age of 930. 6 When Seth was 105, he had a son, Enosh, 7 and then lived another 807 years. He had other children 8 and died at the age of 912. 9 When Enosh was 90, he had a son, Kenan, 10 and then lived another 815 years. He had other children 11 and died at the age of 905. 12 When Kenan was 70, he had a son, Mahalalel, 13 and then lived another 840 years. He had other children 14 and died at the age of 910. 15 When Mahalalel was 65, he had a son, Jared, 16 and then lived another 830 years. He had other children 17 and died at the age of 895. 18 When Jared was 162, he had a son, Enoch, 19 and then lived another 800 years. He had other children 20 and died at the age of 962. 21 When Enoch was 65, he had a son, Methuselah. 22 After that, Enoch lived in fellowship with God for 300 years and had other children. 23 He lived to be 365 years old. 24 He spent his life in fellowship with God, and then he disappeared, because God took him away. 25 When Methuselah was 187, he had a son, Lamech, 26 and then lived another 782 years. He had other children 27 and died at the age of 969. 28 When Lamech was 182, he had a son 29 and said, "From the very ground on which the Lord put a curse, this child will bring us relief from all our hard work"; so he named him Noah. 30 Lamech lived another 595 years. He had other children 31 and died at the age of 777. 32 After Noah was 500 years old, he had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 6:1 When people had spread all over the world, and daughters were being born, 2 some of the heavenly beings saw that these young women were beautiful, so they took the ones they liked. 3 Then the Lord said, "I will not allow people to live forever; they are mortal. From now on they will live no longer than 120 years." 4 In those days, and even later, there were giants on the earth who were descendants of human women and the heavenly beings. They were the great heroes and famous men of long ago. 5 When the Lord saw how wicked everyone on earth was and how evil their thoughts were all the time, 6 he was sorry that he had ever made them and put them on the earth. He was so filled with regret 7 that he said, "I will wipe out these people I have created, and also the animals and the birds, because I am sorry that I made any of them." 8 But the Lord was pleased with Noah. 9 This is the story of Noah. He had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Noah had no faults and was the only good man of his time. He lived in fellowship with God, 10 11 but everyone else was evil in God's sight, and violence had spread everywhere. 12 God looked at the world and saw that it was evil, for the people were all living evil lives. 13 God said to Noah, "I have decided to put an end to all people. I will destroy them completely, because the world is full of their violent deeds. 14 Build a boat for yourself out of good timber; make rooms in it and cover it with tar inside and out. 15 Make it 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16 Make a roof for the boat and leave a space of 18 inches between the roof and the sides. Build it with three decks and put a door in the side. 17 I am going to send a flood on the earth to destroy every living being. Everything on the earth will die, 18 but I will make a covenant with you. Go into the boat with your wife, your sons, and their wives. 19 Take into the boat with you a male and a female of every kind of animal and of every kind of bird, in order to keep them alive. 20 21 Take along all kinds of food for you and for them." 22 Noah did everything that God commanded.

Genesis 7:1 The Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with your whole family; I have found that you are the only one in all the world who does what is right. 2 Take with you seven pairs of each kind of ritually clean animal, but only one pair of each kind of unclean animal. 3 Take also seven pairs of each kind of bird. Do this so that every kind of animal and bird will be kept alive to reproduce again on the earth. 4 Seven days from now I am going to send rain that will fall for forty days and nights, in order to destroy all the living beings that I have made." 5 And Noah did everything that the Lord commanded. 6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came on the earth. 7 He and his wife, and his sons and their wives, went into the boat to escape the flood. 8 A male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, whether ritually clean or unclean, 9 went into the boat with Noah, as God had commanded. 10 Seven days later the flood came. 11 When Noah was six hundred years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month all the outlets of the vast body of water beneath the earth burst open, all the floodgates of the sky were opened, 12 and rain fell on the earth for forty days and nights. 13 On that same day Noah and his wife went into the boat with their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives. 14 With them went every kind of animal, domestic and wild, large and small, and every kind of bird. 15 A male and a female of each kind of living being went into the boat with Noah, 16 as God had commanded. Then the Lord shut the door behind Noah. 17 The flood continued for forty days, and the water became deep enough for the boat to float. 18 The water became deeper, and the boat drifted on the surface. 19 It became so deep that it covered the highest mountains; 20 it went on rising until it was about twenty-five feet above the tops of the mountains. 21 Every living being on the earth died - every bird, every animal, and every person. 22 Everything on earth that breathed died. 23 The Lord destroyed all living beings on the earth - human beings, animals, and birds. The only ones left were Noah and those who were with him in the boat. 24 The water did not start going down for a hundred and fifty days.

Gensis 8:1 God had not forgotten Noah and all the animals with him in the boat; he caused a wind to blow, and the water started going down. 2 The outlets of the water beneath the earth and the floodgates of the sky were closed. The rain stopped, 3 and the water gradually went down for 150 days. 4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh month the boat came to rest on a mountain in the Ararat range. 5 The water kept going down, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains appeared. 6 After forty days Noah opened a window 7 and sent out a raven. It did not come back, but kept flying around until the water was completely gone. 8 Meanwhile, Noah sent out a dove to see if the water had gone down, 9 but since the water still covered all the land, the dove did not find a place to light. It flew back to the boat, and Noah reached out and took it in. 10 He waited another seven days and sent out the dove again. 11 It returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the water had gone down. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent out the dove once more; this time it did not come back. 13 When Noah was 601 years old, on the first day of the first month, the water was gone. Noah removed the covering of the boat, looked around, and saw that the ground was getting dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. 15 God said to Noah, 16 "Go out of the boat with your wife, your sons, and their wives. 17 Take all the birds and animals out with you, so that they may reproduce and spread over all the earth." 18 So Noah went out of the boat with his wife, his sons, and their wives. 19 All the animals and birds went out of the boat in groups of their own kind. 20 Noah built an altar to the Lord; he took one of each kind of ritually clean animal and bird, and burned them whole as a sacrifice on the altar. 21 The odor of the sacrifice pleased the Lord, and he said to himself, "Never again will I put the earth under a curse because of what people do; I know that from the time they are young their thoughts are evil. Never again will I destroy all living beings, as I have done this time. 22 As long as the world exists, there will be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night."

Genesis 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth. 2 All the animals, birds, and fish will live in fear of you. They are all placed under your power. 3 Now you can eat them, as well as green plants; I give them all to you for food. 4 The one thing you must not eat is meat with blood still in it; I forbid this because the life is in the blood. 5 If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. I will punish with death any animal that takes a human life. 6 Human beings were made like God, so whoever murders one of them will be killed by someone else. 7 "You must have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth." 8 God said to Noah and his sons, 9 "I am now making my covenant with you and with your descendants, 10 and with all living beings - all birds and all animals - everything that came out of the boat with you. 11 With these words I make my covenant with you: I promise that never again will all living beings be destroyed by a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth. 12 As a sign of this everlasting covenant which I am making with you and with all living beings, 13 I am putting my bow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my covenant with the world. 14 Whenever I cover the sky with clouds and the rainbow appears, 15 I will remember my promise to you and to all the animals that a flood will never again destroy all living beings. 16 When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between me and all living beings on earth. 17 That is the sign of the promise which I am making to all living beings." 18 The sons of Noah who went out of the boat were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three sons of Noah were the ancestors of all the people on earth. 20 Noah, who was a farmer, was the first man to plant a vineyard. 21 After he drank some of the wine, he became drunk, took off his clothes, and lay naked in his tent. 22 When Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked, he went out and told his two brothers. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a robe and held it behind them on their shoulders. They walked backward into the tent and covered their father, keeping their faces turned away so as not to see him naked. 24 When Noah sobered up and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, "A curse on Canaan! He will be a slave to his brothers. 26 Give praise to the Lord, the God of Shem! Canaan will be the slave of Shem. 27 May God cause Japheth to increase! May his descendants live with the people of Shem! Canaan will be the slave of Japheth." 28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years 29 and died at the age of 950.

Genesis 10:1 These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These three had sons after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth - Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras - were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 3 The descendants of Gomer were the people of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The descendants of Javan were the people of Elishah, Spain, Cyprus, and Rhodes; 5 they were the ancestors of the people who live along the coast and on the islands. These are the descendants of Japheth, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language. 6 The sons of Ham - Cush, Egypt, Libya, and Canaan - were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 7 The descendants of Cush were the people of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were the people of Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush had a son named Nimrod, who became the world's first great conqueror. 9 By the Lord's help he was a great hunter, and that is why people say, "May the Lord make you as great a hunter as Nimrod!" 10 At first his kingdom included Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all three of them in Babylonia. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah. 13 The descendants of Egypt were the people of Lydia, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, 14 Pathrus, Casluh, and of Crete, from whom the Philistines are descended. 15 Canaan's sons - Sidon, the oldest, and Heth - were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 16 Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. The different tribes of the Canaanites spread out, 19 until the Canaanite borders reached from Sidon southward to Gerar near Gaza, and eastward to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim near Lasha. 20 These are the descendants of Ham, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language. 21 Shem, the older brother of Japheth, was the ancestor of all the Hebrews. 22 Shem's sons - Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram - were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. 23 The descendants of Aram were the people of Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshek. 24 Arpachshad was the father of Shelah, who was the father of Eber. 25 Eber had two sons: one was named Peleg, because during his time the people of the world were divided; and the other was named Joktan. 26 The descendants of Joktan were the people of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All of them were descended from Joktan. 30 The land in which they lived extended from Mesha to Sephar in the eastern hill country. 31 These are the descendants of Shem, living in their different tribes and countries, each group speaking its own language. 32 All these peoples are the descendants of Noah, nation by nation, according to their different lines of descent. After the flood all the nations of the earth were descended from the sons of Noah.

Genesis 11:1 At first, the people of the whole world had only one language and used the same words. 2 As they wandered about in the East, they came to a plain in Babylonia and settled there. 3 They said to one another, "Come on! Let's make bricks and bake them hard." So they had bricks to build with and tar to hold them together. 4 They said, "Now let's build a city with a tower that reaches the sky, so that we can make a name for ourselves and not be scattered all over the earth." 5 Then the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which they had built, 6 and he said, "Now then, these are all one people and they speak one language; this is just the beginning of what they are going to do. Soon they will be able to do anything they want! 7 Let us go down and mix up their language so that they will not understand each other." 8 So the Lord scattered them all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 The city was called Babylon, because there the Lord mixed up the language of all the people, and from there he scattered them all over the earth. 10 These are the descendants of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he had a son, Arpachshad. 11 After that, he lived another 500 years and had other children. 12 When Arpachshad was 35 years old, he had a son, Shelah; 13 after that, he lived another 403 years and had other children. 14 When Shelah was 30 years old, he had a son, Eber; 15 after that, he lived another 403 years and had other children. 16 When Eber was 34 years old, he had a son, Peleg; 17 after that, he lived another 430 years and had other children. 18 When Peleg was 30 years old, he had a son, Reu; 19 after that, he lived another 209 years and had other children. 20 When Reu was 32 years old, he had a son, Serug; 21 after that, he lived another 207 years and had other children. 22 When Serug was 30 years old, he had a son, Nahor; 23 after that, he lived another 200 years and had other children. 24 When Nahor was 29 years old, he had a son, Terah; 25 after that, he lived another 119 years and had other children. 26 After Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 These are the descendants of Terah, who was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot, 28 and Haran died in his hometown of Ur in Babylonia, while his father was still living. 29 Abram married Sarai, and Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah. 30 Sarai was not able to have children. 31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, who was the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, Abram's wife, and with them he left the city of Ur in Babylonia to go to the land of Canaan. They went as far as Haran and settled there. 32 Terah died there at the age of 205.

36-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day. 6 Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" - and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. 7 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day. 9 Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" - and it was done. 10 He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. 11 Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" - and it was done. 12 So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. 13 Evening passed and morning came - that was the third day. 14 Then God commanded, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin; 15 they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth" - and it was done. 16 So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; he also made the stars. 17 He placed the lights in the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw. 19 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fourth day. 20 Then God commanded, "Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds." 21 So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw. 22 He blessed them all and told the creatures that live in the water to reproduce and to fill the sea, and he told the birds to increase in number. 23 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fifth day. 24 Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small" - and it was done. 25 So God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw. 26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. 29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came - that was the sixth day.

Psalms 8:3 When I look at the sky, which you have made, at the moon and the stars, which you set in their places -

Romans 8:19 All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children. 20 For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope 21 that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth.

Leviticus 11:14 the kite, the falcon according to its kind, 15 every raven according to its kind, 16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk according to its kind, 17 the owl, the cormorant, the ibis, 18 the water hen, the pelican, the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, the heron according to its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. 20 "All winged insects that go upon all fours are an abomination to you. 21 Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those which have legs above their feet, with which to leap on the earth. 22 Of them you may eat: the locust according to its kind, the bald locust according to its kind, the cricket according to its kind, and the grasshopper according to its kind.

Genesis 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working.

Mark 2:27 And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

37-Mark 2:27 And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."

38-Genesis 1:14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

39-Revelation 21:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

40-Psalm 8:3 When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established;

41-Genesis 1:20 And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens." 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." 23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

42-Genesis 1:24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." 29 And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

43-Genesis 1:11 And God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth." And it was so. 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

44-Romans 8:19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now;

45-Genesis 6:20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you, to keep them alive.

Genesis 7:14 they and every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every bird of every sort.

Leviticus 11:14 the kite, the falcon according to its kind, 15 every raven according to its kind, 16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk according to its kind, 17 the owl, the cormorant, the ibis, 18 the water hen, the pelican, the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, the heron according to its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. 20 "All winged insects that go upon all fours are an abomination to you. 21 Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those which have legs above their feet, with which to leap on the earth. 22 Of them you may eat: the locust according to its kind, the bald locust according to its kind, the cricket according to its kind, and the grasshopper according to its kind.

46-Mark 2:27 And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."

47-Deuteronomy 5:15 You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

48-Luke 23:56 Then they went back home and prepared the spices and perfumes for the body. On the Sabbath they rested, as the Law commanded.

49-Isaiah 66:23 On every New Moon Festival and every Sabbath people of every nation will come to worship me here in Jerusalem," says the Lord.

50-Genesis 1:5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day. 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came - that was the sixth day.

51-Leviticus 23:3 You have six days in which to do your work, but remember that the seventh day, the Sabbath, is a day of rest. On that day do not work, but gather for worship. The Sabbath belongs to the Lord, no matter where you live.

52-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day. 6 Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" - and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. 7 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day. 9 Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" - and it was done. 10 He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. 11 Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" - and it was done. 12 So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. 13 Evening passed and morning came - that was the third day. 14 Then God commanded, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin; 15 they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth" - and it was done. 16 So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; he also made the stars. 17 He placed the lights in the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw. 19 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fourth day. 20 Then God commanded, "Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds." 21 So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw. 22 He blessed them all and told the creatures that live in the water to reproduce and to fill the sea, and he told the birds to increase in number. 23 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fifth day. 24 Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small" - and it was done. 25 So God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw. 26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. 29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came - that was the sixth day.

53-Psalm 90:4 A thousand years to you are like one day; they are like yesterday, already gone, like a short hour in the night.

2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to him the two are the same.

54-Genesis 2:17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day."

Romans 6:23 For sin pays its wage - death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

55-1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 16 And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them.

56-Genesis 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working. 4 And that is how the universe was created. When the Lord God made the universe, 5 there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land; 6 but water would come up from beneath the surface and water the ground. 7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. 9 He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. 10 A stream flowed in Eden and watered the garden; beyond Eden it divided into four rivers. 11 The first river is the Pishon; it flows around the country of Havilah 12 (Pure gold is found there and also rare perfume and precious stones.) 13 The second river is the Gihon; it flows around the country of Cush. 14 The third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria, and the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it. 16 He told him, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, 17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day." 18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." 19 So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. 20 So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him. 21 Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. 22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

Matthew 19:4 Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? 5 And God said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.' 6 So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together."

Psalm 8:1 O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world! Your praise reaches up to the heavens; 2 it is sung by children and babies. You are safe and secure from all your enemies; you stop anyone who opposes you. 3 When I look at the sky, which you have made, at the moon and the stars, which you set in their places - 4 what are human beings, that you think of them; mere mortals, that you care for them? 5 Yet you made them inferior only to yourself; you crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You appointed them rulers over everything you made; you placed them over all creation: 7 sheep and cattle, and the wild animals too; 8 the birds and the fish and the creatures in the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world!

Job 38:1 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job. 2 Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words? 3 Now stand up straight and answer the questions I ask you. 4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers? 6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? 7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy. 8 Who closed the gates to hold back the sea when it burst from the womb of the earth? 9 It was I who covered the sea with clouds and wrapped it in darkness. 10 I marked a boundary for the sea and kept it behind bolted gates. 11 I told it, "So far and no farther! Here your powerful waves must stop." 12 Job, have you ever in all your life commanded a day to dawn? 13 Have you ordered the dawn to seize the earth and shake the wicked from their hiding places? 14 Daylight makes the hills and valleys stand out like the folds of a garment, clear as the imprint of a seal on clay. 15 The light of day is too bright for the wicked and restrains them from doing violence. 16 Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea? Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? 17 Has anyone ever shown you the gates that guard the dark world of the dead? 18 Have you any idea how big the world is? Answer me if you know. 19 Do you know where the light comes from or what the source of darkness is? 20 Can you show them how far to go, or send them back again? 21 I am sure you can, because you're so old and were there when the world was made!

Job 42:1 Then Job answered the Lord. 2 I know, Lord, that you are all-powerful; that you can do everything you want. 3 You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant. I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know. 4 You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions. 5 In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes.

Isaiah 45:18 The Lord created the heavens - he is the one who is God! He formed and made the earth - he made it firm and lasting. He did not make it a desolate waste, but a place for people to live. It is he who says, "I am the Lord, and there is no other god.

Acts 17:22 Paul stood up in front of the city council and said, "I see that in every way you Athenians are very religious. 23 For as I walked through your city and looked at the places where you worship, I found an altar on which is written, "To an Unknown God.' That which you worship, then, even though you do not know it, is what I now proclaim to you. 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. 25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. 26 From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. 27 He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us; 28 as someone has said, "In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, "We too are his children.' 29 Since we are God's children, we should not suppose that his nature is anything like an image of gold or silver or stone, shaped by human art and skill. 30 God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways. 31 For he has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man from death!"

57-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day. 6 Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" - and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. 7 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day. 9 Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" - and it was done. 10 He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. 11 Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" - and it was done. 12 So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. 13 Evening passed and morning came - that was the third day. 14 Then God commanded, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin; 15 they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth" - and it was done. 16 So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; he also made the stars. 17 He placed the lights in the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw. 19 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fourth day. 20 Then God commanded, "Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds." 21 So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw. 22 He blessed them all and told the creatures that live in the water to reproduce and to fill the sea, and he told the birds to increase in number. 23 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fifth day. 24 Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small" - and it was done. 25 So God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw. 26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. 29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came - that was the sixth day.

Genesis 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working. 4 And that is how the universe was created. When the Lord God made the universe, 5 there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land; 6 but water would come up from beneath the surface and water the ground. 7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. 9 He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. 10 A stream flowed in Eden and watered the garden; beyond Eden it divided into four rivers. 11 The first river is the Pishon; it flows around the country of Havilah 12 (Pure gold is found there and also rare perfume and precious stones.) 13 The second river is the Gihon; it flows around the country of Cush. 14 The third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria, and the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it. 16 He told him, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, 17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day." 18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." 19 So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. 20 So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him. 21 Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. 22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

Genesis 3:1 Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 2 "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, 3 "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. 5 God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad." 6 The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it. 7 As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves. 8 That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. 9 But the Lord God called out to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked." 11 "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?" 12 The man answered, "The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it." 13 The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it." 14 Then the Lord God said to the snake, "You will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse: From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. 15 I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel." 16 And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him." 17 And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you. 18 It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants. 19 You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again." 20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all human beings. 21 And the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, "Now these human beings have become like one of us and have knowledge of what is good and what is bad. They must not be allowed to take fruit from the tree that gives life, eat it, and live forever." 23 So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden and made them cultivate the soil from which they had been formed. 24 Then at the east side of the garden he put living creatures and a flaming sword which turned in all directions. This was to keep anyone from coming near the tree that gives life.

Genesis 4:1 Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, "By the Lord's help I have gotten a son." So she named him Cain. 2 Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer. 3 After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. 4 Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? 7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it." 8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out in the fields." When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him. 9 The Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?" 10 Then the Lord said, "Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. 11 You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him. 12 If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth." 13 And Cain said to the Lord, "This punishment is too hard for me to bear. 14 You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me." 15 But the Lord answered, "No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge." So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him. 16 And Cain went away from the Lord's presence and lived in a land called "Wandering," which is east of Eden. 17 Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the ancestor of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother was Jubal, the ancestor of all musicians who play the harp and the flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal Cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me: I have killed a young man because he struck me. 24 If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain, Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kills me." 25 Adam and his wife had another son. She said, "God has given me a son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed." So she named him Seth. 26 Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord's holy name in worship.

58-Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!"

59-2 Corinthians 4:6 The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

60-Hebrews 4:4 For somewhere in the Scriptures this is said about the seventh day: "God rested on the seventh day from all his work."

61-Matthew 19:4 Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? 5 And God said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.' 6 So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together."

62-Genesis 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working. 4 And that is how the universe was created. When the Lord God made the universe, 5 there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land; 6 but water would come up from beneath the surface and water the ground. 7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. 9 He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. 10 A stream flowed in Eden and watered the garden; beyond Eden it divided into four rivers. 11 The first river is the Pishon; it flows around the country of Havilah 12 (Pure gold is found there and also rare perfume and precious stones.) 13 The second river is the Gihon; it flows around the country of Cush. 14 The third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria, and the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it. 16 He told him, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, 17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day." 18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." 19 So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. 20 So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him. 21 Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. 22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

63-Genesis 2:19 So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names.

64-Genesis 2:5 there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land

65-Psalm 8:1 O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world! Your praise reaches up to the heavens; 2 it is sung by children and babies. You are safe and secure from all your enemies; you stop anyone who opposes you. 3 When I look at the sky, which you have made, at the moon and the stars, which you set in their places - 4 what are human beings, that you think of them; mere mortals, that you care for them? 5 Yet you made them inferior only to yourself; you crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You appointed them rulers over everything you made; you placed them over all creation: 7 sheep and cattle, and the wild animals too; 8 the birds and the fish and the creatures in the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world!

66-Psalm 104:1 Praise the Lord, my soul! O Lord, my God, how great you are! You are clothed with majesty and glory; 2 you cover yourself with light. You have spread out the heavens like a tent 3 and built your home on the waters above. You use the clouds as your chariot and ride on the wings of the wind. 4 You use the winds as your messengers and flashes of lightning as your servants. 5 You have set the earth firmly on its foundations, and it will never be moved. 6 You placed the ocean over it like a robe, and the water covered the mountains. 7 When you rebuked the waters, they fled; they rushed away when they heard your shout of command. 8 They flowed over the mountains and into the valleys, to the place you had made for them. 9 You set a boundary they can never pass, to keep them from covering the earth again. 10 You make springs flow in the valleys, and rivers run between the hills. 11 They provide water for the wild animals; there the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 In the trees near by, the birds make their nests and sing. 13 From the sky you send rain on the hills, and the earth is filled with your blessings. 14 You make grass grow for the cattle and plants for us to use, so that we can grow our crops 15 and produce wine to make us happy, olive oil to make us cheerful, and bread to give us strength. 16 The cedars of Lebanon get plenty of rain - the Lord's own trees, which he planted. 17 There the birds build their nests; the storks nest in the fir trees. 18 The wild goats live in the high mountains, and the rock badgers hide in the cliffs. 19 You created the moon to mark the months; the sun knows the time to set. 20 You made the night, and in the darkness all the wild animals come out. 21 The young lions roar while they hunt, looking for the food that God provides. 22 When the sun rises, they go back and lie down in their dens. 23 Then people go out to do their work and keep working until evening. 24 Lord, you have made so many things! How wisely you made them all! The earth is filled with your creatures. 25 There is the ocean, large and wide, where countless creatures live, large and small alike. 26 The ships sail on it, and in it plays Leviathan, that sea monster which you made. 27 All of them depend on you to give them food when they need it. 28 You give it to them, and they eat it; you provide food, and they are satisfied. 29 When you turn away, they are afraid; when you take away your breath, they die and go back to the dust from which they came. 30 But when you give them breath, they are created; you give new life to the earth. 31 May the glory of the Lord last forever! May the Lord be happy with what he has made! 32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke. 33 I will sing to the Lord all my life; as long as I live I will sing praises to my God. 34 May he be pleased with my song, for my gladness comes from him. 35 May sinners be destroyed from the earth; may the wicked be no more. Praise the Lord, my soul! Praise the Lord!

67-Psalm 24:1 The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his. 2 He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.

Psalm 33:6 The Lord created the heavens by his command, the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word. 9 When he spoke, the world was created; at his command everything appeared.

Psalm 74:16 You created the day and the night; you set the sun and the moon in their places; 17 you set the limits of the earth; you made summer and winter.

Psalm 89:11 Heaven is yours, the earth also; you made the world and everything in it.

68-Psalms 33:The Lord created the heavens by his command, the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word. 9 When he spoke, the world was created; at his command everything appeared.

69-Job 1:1 There was a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, who worshiped God and was faithful to him. He was a good man, careful not to do anything evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand head of cattle, and five hundred donkeys. He also had a large number of servants and was the richest man in the East. 4 Job's sons used to take turns giving a feast, to which all the others would come, and they always invited their three sisters to join them. 5 The morning after each feast, Job would get up early and offer sacrifices for each of his children in order to purify them. He always did this because he thought that one of them might have sinned by insulting God unintentionally. 6 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them. 7 The Lord asked him, "What have you been doing?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 8 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil." 9 Satan replied, "Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? 10 You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. 11 But now suppose you take away everything he has - he will curse you to your face!" 12 "All right," the Lord said to Satan, "everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself." So Satan left. 13 One day when Job's children were having a feast at the home of their oldest brother, 14 a messenger came running to Job. "We were plowing the fields with the oxen," he said, "and the donkeys were in a nearby pasture. 15 Suddenly the Sabeans attacked and stole them all. They killed every one of your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 16 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 17 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Three bands of Chaldean raiders attacked us, took away the camels, and killed all your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 18 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Your children were having a feast at the home of your oldest son, 19 when a storm swept in from the desert. It blew the house down and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 20 Then Job got up and tore his clothes in grief. He shaved his head and threw himself face downward on the ground. 21 He said, "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!" 22 In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Job 2:1 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord again, Satan was there among them. 2 The Lord asked him, "Where have you been?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 3 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil. You persuaded me to let you attack him for no reason at all, but Job is still as faithful as ever." 4 Satan replied, "A person will give up everything in order to stay alive. 5 But now suppose you hurt his body - he will curse you to your face!" 6 So the Lord said to Satan, "All right, he is in your power, but you are not to kill him." 7 Then Satan left the Lord's presence and made sores break out all over Job's body. 8 Job went and sat by the garbage dump and took a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores. 9 His wife said to him, "You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?" 10 Job answered, "You are talking nonsense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?" Even in all this suffering Job said nothing against God. 11 Three of Job's friends were Eliphaz, from the city of Teman, Bildad, from the land of Shuah, and Zophar, from the land of Naamah. When they heard how much Job had been suffering, they decided to go and comfort him. 12 While they were still a long way off they saw Job, but did not recognize him. When they did, they began to weep and wail, tearing their clothes in grief and throwing dust into the air and on their heads. 13 Then they sat there on the ground with him for seven days and nights without saying a word, because they saw how much he was suffering.

Job 38:1 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job. 2 Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words? 3 Now stand up straight and answer the questions I ask you. 4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers? 6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? 7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy. 8 Who closed the gates to hold back the sea when it burst from the womb of the earth? 9 It was I who covered the sea with clouds and wrapped it in darkness. 10 I marked a boundary for the sea and kept it behind bolted gates. 11 I told it, "So far and no farther! Here your powerful waves must stop." 12 Job, have you ever in all your life commanded a day to dawn? 13 Have you ordered the dawn to seize the earth and shake the wicked from their hiding places? 14 Daylight makes the hills and valleys stand out like the folds of a garment, clear as the imprint of a seal on clay. 15 The light of day is too bright for the wicked and restrains them from doing violence. 16 Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea? Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? 17 Has anyone ever shown you the gates that guard the dark world of the dead? 18 Have you any idea how big the world is? Answer me if you know. 19 Do you know where the light comes from or what the source of darkness is? 20 Can you show them how far to go, or send them back again? 21 I am sure you can, because you're so old and were there when the world was made!

70-Job 38:1 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job. 2 Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words? 3 Now stand up straight and answer the questions I ask you. 4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers? 6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? 7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy. 8 Who closed the gates to hold back the sea when it burst from the womb of the earth? 9 It was I who covered the sea with clouds and wrapped it in darkness. 10 I marked a boundary for the sea and kept it behind bolted gates. 11 I told it, "So far and no farther! Here your powerful waves must stop." 12 Job, have you ever in all your life commanded a day to dawn? 13 Have you ordered the dawn to seize the earth and shake the wicked from their hiding places? 14 Daylight makes the hills and valleys stand out like the folds of a garment, clear as the imprint of a seal on clay. 15 The light of day is too bright for the wicked and restrains them from doing violence. 16 Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea? Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? 17 Has anyone ever shown you the gates that guard the dark world of the dead? 18 Have you any idea how big the world is? Answer me if you know. 19 Do you know where the light comes from or what the source of darkness is? 20 Can you show them how far to go, or send them back again? 21 I am sure you can, because you're so old and were there when the world was made! 22 Have you ever visited the storerooms, where I keep the snow and the hail? 23 I keep them ready for times of trouble, for days of battle and war. 24 Have you been to the place where the sun comes up, or the place from which the east wind blows? 25 Who dug a channel for the pouring rain and cleared the way for the thunderstorm? 26 Who makes rain fall where no one lives? 27 Who waters the dry and thirsty land, so that grass springs up? 28 Does either the rain or the dew have a father? 29 Who is the mother of the ice and the frost, 30 which turn the waters to stone and freeze the face of the sea? 31 Can you tie the Pleiades together or loosen the bonds that hold Orion? 32 Can you guide the stars season by season and direct the Big and the Little Dipper? 33 Do you know the laws that govern the skies, and can you make them apply to the earth? 34 Can you shout orders to the clouds and make them drench you with rain? 35 And if you command the lightning to flash, will it come to you and say, "At your service"? 36 Who tells the ibis when the Nile will flood, or who tells the rooster that rain will fall? 37 Who is wise enough to count the clouds and tilt them over to pour out the rain, 38 rain that hardens the dust into lumps? 39 Do you find food for lions to eat, and satisfy hungry young lions 40 when they hide in their caves, or lie in wait in their dens? 41 Who is it that feeds the ravens when they wander about hungry, when their young cry to me for food?

Job 39:1 Do you know when mountain goats are born? Have you watched wild deer give birth? 2 Do you know how long they carry their young? Do you know the time for their birth? 3 Do you know when they will crouch down and bring their young into the world? 4 In the wilds their young grow strong; they go away and don't come back. 5 Who gave the wild donkeys their freedom? Who turned them loose and let them roam? 6 I gave them the desert to be their home, and let them live on the salt plains. 7 They keep far away from the noisy cities, and no one can tame them and make them work. 8 The mountains are the pastures where they feed, where they search for anything green to eat. 9 Will a wild ox work for you? Is he willing to spend the night in your stable? 10 Can you hold one with a rope and make him plow? Or make him pull a harrow in your fields? 11 Can you rely on his great strength and expect him to do your heavy work? 12 Do you expect him to bring in your harvest and gather the grain from your threshing place? 13 How fast the wings of an ostrich beat! But no ostrich can fly like a stork. 14 The ostrich leaves her eggs on the ground for the heat in the soil to warm them. 15 She is unaware that a foot may crush them or a wild animal break them. 16 She acts as if the eggs were not hers, and is unconcerned that her efforts were wasted. 17 It was I who made her foolish and did not give her wisdom. 18 But when she begins to run, she can laugh at any horse and rider. 19 Was it you, Job, who made horses so strong and gave them their flowing manes? 20 Did you make them leap like locusts and frighten people with their snorting? 21 They eagerly paw the ground in the valley; they rush into battle with all their strength. 22 They do not know the meaning of fear, and no sword can turn them back. 23 The weapons which their riders carry rattle and flash in the sun. 24 Trembling with excitement, the horses race ahead; when the trumpet blows, they can't stand still. 25 At each blast of the trumpet they snort; they can smell a battle before they get near, and they hear the officers shouting commands. 26 Does a hawk learn from you how to fly when it spreads its wings toward the south? 27 Does an eagle wait for your command to build its nest high in the mountains? 28 It makes its home on the highest rocks and makes the sharp peaks its fortress. 29 From there it watches near and far for something to kill and eat. 30 Around dead bodies the eagles gather, and the young eagles drink the blood.

Job 40:1 Job, you challenged Almighty God; will you give up now, or will you answer? 3 I spoke foolishly, Lord. What can I answer? I will not try to say anything else. 5 I have already said more than I should. 6 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job once again. 7 Now stand up straight and answer my questions. 8 Are you trying to prove that I am unjust - to put me in the wrong and yourself in the right? 9 Are you as strong as I am? Can your voice thunder as loud as mine? 10 If so, stand up in your honor and pride; clothe yourself with majesty and glory. 11 Look at those who are proud; pour out your anger and humble them. 12 Yes, look at them and bring them down; crush the wicked where they stand. 13 Bury them all in the ground; bind them in the world of the dead. 14 Then I will be the first to praise you and admit that you won the victory yourself. 15 Look at the monster Behemoth; I created him and I created you. He eats grass like a cow, 16 but what strength there is in his body, and what power there is in his muscles! 17 His tail stands up like a cedar, and the muscles in his legs are strong. 18 His bones are as strong as bronze, and his legs are like iron bars. 19 The most amazing of all my creatures! Only his Creator can defeat him. 20 Grass to feed him grows on the hills where wild beasts play. 21 He lies down under the thorn bushes, and hides among the reeds in the swamp. 22 The thorn bushes and the willows by the stream give him shelter in their shade. 23 He is not afraid of a rushing river; he is calm when the Jordan dashes in his face. 24 Who can blind his eyes and capture him? Or who can catch his snout in a trap?

Job 41:1 Can you catch Leviathan with a fishhook or tie his tongue down with a rope? 2 Can you put a rope through his snout or put a hook through his jaws? 3 Will he beg you to let him go? Will he plead with you for mercy? 4 Will he make an agreement with you and promise to serve you forever? 5 Will you tie him like a pet bird, like something to amuse your servant women? 6 Will fishermen bargain over him? Will merchants cut him up to sell? 7 Can you fill his hide with fishing spears or pierce his head with a harpoon? 8 Touch him once and you'll never try it again; you'll never forget the fight! 9 Anyone who sees Leviathan loses courage and falls to the ground. 10 When he is aroused, he is fierce; no one would dare to stand before him. 11 Who can attack him and still be safe? No one in all the world can do it. 12 Let me tell you about Leviathan's legs and describe how great and strong he is. 13 No one can tear off his outer coat or pierce the armor he wears. 14 Who can make him open his jaws, ringed with those terrifying teeth? 15 His back is made of rows of shields, fastened together and hard as stone. 16 Each one is joined so tight to the next, not even a breath can come between. 17 They all are fastened so firmly together that nothing can ever pull them apart. 18 Light flashes when he sneezes, and his eyes glow like the rising sun. 19 Flames blaze from his mouth, and streams of sparks fly out. 20 Smoke comes pouring out of his nose, like smoke from weeds burning under a pot. 21 His breath starts fires burning; flames leap out of his mouth. 22 His neck is so powerful that all who meet him are terrified. 23 There is not a weak spot in his skin; it is as hard and unyielding as iron. 24 His stony heart is without fear, as unyielding and hard as a millstone. 25 When he rises up, even the strongest are frightened; they are helpless with fear. 26 There is no sword that can wound him; no spear or arrow or lance that can harm him. 27 For him iron is as flimsy as straw, and bronze as soft as rotten wood. 28 There is no arrow that can make him run; rocks thrown at him are like bits of straw. 29 To him a club is a piece of straw, and he laughs when men throw spears. 30 The scales on his belly are like jagged pieces of pottery; they tear up the muddy ground like a threshing sledge. 31 He churns up the sea like boiling water and makes it bubble like a pot of oil. 32 He leaves a shining path behind him and turns the sea to white foam. 33 There is nothing on earth to compare with him; he is a creature that has no fear. 34 He looks down on even the proudest animals; he is king of all wild beasts.

71-Job 32:1 Because Job was convinced of his own innocence, the three men gave up trying to answer him. 2 But a bystander named Elihu could not control his anger any longer, because Job was justifying himself and blaming God. (Elihu was the son of Barakel, a descendant of Buz, and belonged to the clan of Ram.) 3 He was also angry with Job's three friends. They could not find any way to answer Job, and this made it appear that God was in the wrong. 4 Because Elihu was the youngest one there, he had waited until everyone finished speaking. 5 When he saw that the three men could not answer Job, he was angry 6 and began to speak. I am young, and you are old, so I was afraid to tell you what I think. 7 I told myself that you ought to speak, that you older men should share your wisdom. 8 But it is the spirit of Almighty God that comes to us and gives us wisdom. 9 It is not growing old that makes us wise or helps us to know what is right. 10 So now I want you to listen to me; let me tell you what I think. 11 I listened patiently while you were speaking and waited while you searched for wise phrases. 12 I paid close attention and heard you fail; you have not disproved what Job has said. 13 How can you claim you have discovered wisdom? God must answer Job, for you have failed. 14 Job was speaking to you, not to me, but I would never answer the way you did. 15 Words have failed them, Job; they have no answer for you. 16 Shall I go on waiting when they are silent? They stand there with nothing more to say. 17 No, I will give my own answer now and tell you what I think. 18 I can hardly wait to speak. I can't hold back the words. 19 If I don't get a chance to speak, I will burst like a wineskin full of new wine. 20 I can't stand it; I have to speak. 21 I will not take sides in this debate; I am not going to flatter anyone. 22 I don't know how to flatter, and God would quickly punish me if I did.

Job 33:1 And now, Job, listen carefully to all that I have to say. 2 I am ready to say what's on my mind. 3 All my words are sincere, and I am speaking the truth. 4 God's spirit made me and gave me life. 5 Answer me if you can. Prepare your arguments. 6 You and I are the same in God's sight, both of us were formed from clay. 7 So you have no reason to fear me; I will not overpower you. 8 Now this is what I heard you say: 9 "I am not guilty; I have done nothing wrong. I am innocent and free from sin. 10 But God finds excuses for attacking me and treats me like an enemy. 11 He binds chains on my feet; he watches every move I make." 12 But I tell you, Job, you are wrong. God is greater than any human being. 13 Why do you accuse God of never answering our complaints? 14 Although God speaks again and again, no one pays attention to what he says. 15 At night when people are asleep, God speaks in dreams and visions. 16 He makes them listen to what he says, and they are frightened at his warnings. 17 God speaks to make them stop their sinning and to save them from becoming proud. 18 He will not let them be destroyed; he saves them from death itself. 19 God corrects us by sending sickness and filling our bodies with pain. 20 Those who are sick lose their appetites, and even the finest food looks revolting. 21 Their bodies waste away to nothing; you can see all their bones; 22 they are about to go to the world of the dead. 23 Perhaps an angel may come to their aid - one of God's thousands of angels, who remind us of our duty. 24 In mercy the angel will say, "Release them! They are not to go down to the world of the dead. Here is the ransom to set them free." 25 Their bodies will grow young and strong again; 26 when they pray, God will answer; they will worship God with joy; God will set things right for them again. 27 Each one will say in public, "I have sinned. I have not done right, but God spared me. 28 He kept me from going to the world of the dead, and I am still alive." 29 God does all this again and again; 30 each one saves a person's life, and gives him the joy of living. 31 Now, Job, listen to what I am saying; be quiet and let me speak. 32 But if you have something to say, let me hear it; I would gladly admit you are in the right. 33 But if not, be quiet and listen to me, and I will teach you how to be wise.

Job 34:1 You men are so wise, so clever; listen now to what I am saying. 3 You know good food when you taste it, but not wise words when you hear them. 4 It is up to us to decide the case. 5 Job claims that he is innocent, that God refuses to give him justice. 6 He asks, "How could I lie and say I am wrong? I am fatally wounded, but I am sinless." 7 Have you ever seen anyone like this man Job? He never shows respect for God. 8 He likes the company of evil people and goes around with sinners. 9 He says that it never does any good to try to follow God's will. 10 Listen to me, you men who understand! Will Almighty God do what is wrong? 11 He rewards people for what they do and treats them as they deserve. 12 Almighty God does not do evil; he is never unjust to anyone. 13 Did God get his power from someone else? Did someone put him in charge of the world? 14 If God took back the breath of life, 15 then everyone living would die and turn into dust again. 16 Now listen to me, if you are wise. 17 Are you condemning the righteous God? Do you think that [he ]hates justice? 18 God condemns kings and rulers when they are worthless or wicked. 19 He does not take the side of rulers nor favor the rich over the poor, for he created everyone. 20 We may suddenly die at night. God strikes us down and we perish; he kills the mighty with no effort at all. 21 He watches every step we take. 22 There is no darkness dark enough to hide a sinner from God. 23 God does not need to set a time for us to go and be judged by him. 24 He does not need an investigation to remove leaders and replace them with others. 25 Because he knows what they do; he overthrows them and crushes them by night. 26 He punishes sinners where all can see it, 27 because they have stopped following him and ignored all his commands. 28 They forced the poor to cry out to God, and he heard their calls for help. 29 If God decided to do nothing at all, no one could criticize him. If he hid his face, we would be helpless. 30 There would be nothing that nations could do to keep godless oppressors from ruling them. 31 Job, have you confessed your sins to God and promised not to sin again? 32 Have you asked God to show you your faults, and have you agreed to stop doing evil? 33 Since you object to what God does, can you expect him to do what you want? The decision is yours, not mine; tell us now what you think. 34 Any sensible person will surely agree; and the wise who hear me will say 35 that Job is speaking from ignorance and that nothing he says makes sense. 36 Think through everything that Job says; you will see that he talks like an evil man. 37 To his sins he adds rebellion; in front of us all he mocks God.

Job 35:1 It is not right, Job, for you to say that you are innocent in God's sight, 3 or to ask God, "How does my sin affect you? What have I gained by not sinning?" 4 I am going to answer you and your friends too. 5 Look at the sky! See how high the clouds are! 6 If you sin, that does no harm to God. If you do wrong many times, does that affect him? 7 Do you help God by being so righteous? There is nothing God needs from you. 8 Others suffer from your sins, and the good you do helps them. 9 When people are oppressed, they groan; they cry for someone to save them. 10 But they don't turn to God, their Creator, who gives them hope in their darkest hours. 11 They don't turn to God, who makes us wise, wiser than any animal or bird. 12 They cry for help, but God doesn't answer, for they are proud and evil. 13 It is useless for them to cry out; Almighty God does not see or hear them. 14 Job, you say you can't see God; but wait patiently - your case is before him. 15 You think that God does not punish, that he pays little attention to sin. 16 It is useless for you to go on talking; it is clear you don't know what you are saying.

Job 36:1 Be patient and listen a little longer to what I am saying on God's behalf. 3 My knowledge is wide; I will use what I know to show that God, my Creator, is just. 4 Nothing I say to you is false; you see before you a truly wise man. 5 How strong God is! He despises no one; there is nothing he doesn't understand. 6 He does not let sinners live on, and he always treats the poor with justice. 7 He protects those who are righteous; he allows them to rule like kings and lets them be honored forever. 8 But if people are bound in chains, suffering for what they have done, 9 God shows them their sins and their pride. 10 He makes them listen to his warning to turn away from evil. 11 If they obey God and serve him, they live out their lives in peace and prosperity. 12 But if not, they will die in ignorance and cross the stream into the world of the dead. 13 Those who are godless keep on being angry, and even when punished, they don't pray for help. 14 They die while they are still young, worn out by a life of disgrace. 15 But God teaches people through suffering and uses distress to open their eyes. 16 God brought you out of trouble, and let you enjoy security; your table was piled high with food. 17 But now you are being punished as you deserve. 18 Be careful not to let bribes deceive you, or riches lead you astray. 19 It will do you no good to cry out for help; all your strength can't help you now. 20 Don't wish for night to come, the time when nations will perish. 21 Be careful not to turn to evil; your suffering was sent to keep you from it. 22 Remember how great is God's power; he is the greatest teacher of all. 23 No one can tell God what to do or accuse him of doing evil. 24 He has always been praised for what he does; you also must praise him. 25 Everyone has seen what he has done; but we can only watch from a distance. 26 We cannot fully know his greatness or count the number of his years. 27 It is God who takes water from the earth and turns it into drops of rain. 28 He lets the rain pour from the clouds in showers for all human beings. 29 No one knows how the clouds move or how the thunder roars through the sky, where God dwells. 30 He sends lightning through all the sky, but the depths of the sea remain dark. 31 This is how he feeds the people and provides an abundance of food. 32 He seizes the lightning with his hands and commands it to hit the mark. 33 Thunder announces the approaching storm, and the cattle know it is coming.

Job 37:1 The storm makes my heart beat wildly. 2 Listen, all of you, to the voice of God, to the thunder that comes from his mouth. 3 He sends the lightning across the sky, from one end of the earth to the other. 4 Then the roar of his voice is heard, the majestic sound of thunder, and all the while the lightning flashes. 5 At God's command amazing things happen, wonderful things that we can't understand. 6 He commands snow to fall on the earth, and sends torrents of drenching rain. 7 He brings our work to a stop; he shows us what he can do. 8 The wild animals go to their dens. 9 The storm winds come from the south, and the biting cold from the north. 10 The breath of God freezes the waters, and turns them to solid ice. 11 Lightning flashes from the clouds, 12 as they move at God's will. They do all that God commands, everywhere throughout the world. 13 God sends rain to water the earth; he may send it to punish us, or to show us his favor. 14 Pause a moment, Job, and listen; consider the wonderful things God does. 15 Do you know how God gives the command and makes lightning flash from the clouds? 16 Do you know how clouds float in the sky, the work of God's amazing skill? 17 No, you can only suffer in the heat when the south wind oppresses the land. 18 Can you help God stretch out the sky and make it as hard as polished metal? 19 Teach us what to say to God; our minds are blank; we have nothing to say. 20 I won't ask to speak with God; why should I give him a chance to destroy me? 21 And now the light in the sky is dazzling, too bright for us to look at it; and the sky has been swept clean by the wind. 22 A golden glow is seen in the north, and the glory of God fills us with awe. 23 God's power is so great that we cannot come near him; he is righteous and just in his dealings with us. 24 No wonder, then, that everyone is awed by him, and that he ignores those who claim to be wise.

72-Job 42:1 Then Job answered the Lord. 2 I know, Lord, that you are all-powerful; that you can do everything you want. 3 You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant. I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know. 4 You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions. 5 In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes.

73-Job 42:7 After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you did not speak the truth about me, the way my servant Job did. 8 Now take seven bulls and seven rams to Job and offer them as a sacrifice for yourselves. Job will pray for you, and I will answer his prayer and not disgrace you the way you deserve. You did not speak the truth about me as he did."

74-Job 38:1 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job. 2 Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words? 3 Now stand up straight and answer the questions I ask you. 4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers? 6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? 7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy. 8 Who closed the gates to hold back the sea when it burst from the womb of the earth? 9 It was I who covered the sea with clouds and wrapped it in darkness. 10 I marked a boundary for the sea and kept it behind bolted gates. 11 I told it, "So far and no farther! Here your powerful waves must stop." 12 Job, have you ever in all your life commanded a day to dawn? 13 Have you ordered the dawn to seize the earth and shake the wicked from their hiding places? 14 Daylight makes the hills and valleys stand out like the folds of a garment, clear as the imprint of a seal on clay. 15 The light of day is too bright for the wicked and restrains them from doing violence. 16 Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea? Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? 17 Has anyone ever shown you the gates that guard the dark world of the dead? 18 Have you any idea how big the world is? Answer me if you know. 19 Do you know where the light comes from or what the source of darkness is? 20 Can you show them how far to go, or send them back again? 21 I am sure you can, because you're so old and were there when the world was made! 22 Have you ever visited the storerooms, where I keep the snow and the hail? 23 I keep them ready for times of trouble, for days of battle and war. 24 Have you been to the place where the sun comes up, or the place from which the east wind blows? 25 Who dug a channel for the pouring rain and cleared the way for the thunderstorm? 26 Who makes rain fall where no one lives? 27 Who waters the dry and thirsty land, so that grass springs up? 28 Does either the rain or the dew have a father? 29 Who is the mother of the ice and the frost, 30 which turn the waters to stone and freeze the face of the sea? 31 Can you tie the Pleiades together or loosen the bonds that hold Orion? 32 Can you guide the stars season by season and direct the Big and the Little Dipper? 33 Do you know the laws that govern the skies, and can you make them apply to the earth? 34 Can you shout orders to the clouds and make them drench you with rain? 35 And if you command the lightning to flash, will it come to you and say, "At your service"? 36 Who tells the ibis when the Nile will flood, or who tells the rooster that rain will fall? 37 Who is wise enough to count the clouds and tilt them over to pour out the rain, 38 rain that hardens the dust into lumps? 39 Do you find food for lions to eat, and satisfy hungry young lions 40 when they hide in their caves, or lie in wait in their dens? 41 Who is it that feeds the ravens when they wander about hungry, when their young cry to me for food?

Job 39:1 Do you know when mountain goats are born? Have you watched wild deer give birth? 2 Do you know how long they carry their young? Do you know the time for their birth? 3 Do you know when they will crouch down and bring their young into the world? 4 In the wilds their young grow strong; they go away and don't come back. 5 Who gave the wild donkeys their freedom? Who turned them loose and let them roam? 6 I gave them the desert to be their home, and let them live on the salt plains. 7 They keep far away from the noisy cities, and no one can tame them and make them work. 8 The mountains are the pastures where they feed, where they search for anything green to eat. 9 Will a wild ox work for you? Is he willing to spend the night in your stable? 10 Can you hold one with a rope and make him plow? Or make him pull a harrow in your fields? 11 Can you rely on his great strength and expect him to do your heavy work? 12 Do you expect him to bring in your harvest and gather the grain from your threshing place? 13 How fast the wings of an ostrich beat! But no ostrich can fly like a stork. 14 The ostrich leaves her eggs on the ground for the heat in the soil to warm them. 15 She is unaware that a foot may crush them or a wild animal break them. 16 She acts as if the eggs were not hers, and is unconcerned that her efforts were wasted. 17 It was I who made her foolish and did not give her wisdom. 18 But when she begins to run, she can laugh at any horse and rider. 19 Was it you, Job, who made horses so strong and gave them their flowing manes? 20 Did you make them leap like locusts and frighten people with their snorting? 21 They eagerly paw the ground in the valley; they rush into battle with all their strength. 22 They do not know the meaning of fear, and no sword can turn them back. 23 The weapons which their riders carry rattle and flash in the sun. 24 Trembling with excitement, the horses race ahead; when the trumpet blows, they can't stand still. 25 At each blast of the trumpet they snort; they can smell a battle before they get near, and they hear the officers shouting commands. 26 Does a hawk learn from you how to fly when it spreads its wings toward the south? 27 Does an eagle wait for your command to build its nest high in the mountains? 28 It makes its home on the highest rocks and makes the sharp peaks its fortress. 29 From there it watches near and far for something to kill and eat. 30 Around dead bodies the eagles gather, and the young eagles drink the blood.

Job 40:1 Job, you challenged Almighty God; will you give up now, or will you answer? 3 I spoke foolishly, Lord. What can I answer? I will not try to say anything else. 5 I have already said more than I should. 6 Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job once again. 7 Now stand up straight and answer my questions. 8 Are you trying to prove that I am unjust - to put me in the wrong and yourself in the right? 9 Are you as strong as I am? Can your voice thunder as loud as mine? 10 If so, stand up in your honor and pride; clothe yourself with majesty and glory. 11 Look at those who are proud; pour out your anger and humble them. 12 Yes, look at them and bring them down; crush the wicked where they stand. 13 Bury them all in the ground; bind them in the world of the dead. 14 Then I will be the first to praise you and admit that you won the victory yourself. 15 Look at the monster Behemoth; I created him and I created you. He eats grass like a cow, 16 but what strength there is in his body, and what power there is in his muscles! 17 His tail stands up like a cedar, and the muscles in his legs are strong. 18 His bones are as strong as bronze, and his legs are like iron bars. 19 The most amazing of all my creatures! Only his Creator can defeat him. 20 Grass to feed him grows on the hills where wild beasts play. 21 He lies down under the thorn bushes, and hides among the reeds in the swamp. 22 The thorn bushes and the willows by the stream give him shelter in their shade. 23 He is not afraid of a rushing river; he is calm when the Jordan dashes in his face. 24 Who can blind his eyes and capture him? Or who can catch his snout in a trap?

Job 41:1 Can you catch Leviathan with a fishhook or tie his tongue down with a rope? 2 Can you put a rope through his snout or put a hook through his jaws? 3 Will he beg you to let him go? Will he plead with you for mercy? 4 Will he make an agreement with you and promise to serve you forever? 5 Will you tie him like a pet bird, like something to amuse your servant women? 6 Will fishermen bargain over him? Will merchants cut him up to sell? 7 Can you fill his hide with fishing spears or pierce his head with a harpoon? 8 Touch him once and you'll never try it again; you'll never forget the fight! 9 Anyone who sees Leviathan loses courage and falls to the ground. 10 When he is aroused, he is fierce; no one would dare to stand before him. 11 Who can attack him and still be safe? No one in all the world can do it. 12 Let me tell you about Leviathan's legs and describe how great and strong he is. 13 No one can tear off his outer coat or pierce the armor he wears. 14 Who can make him open his jaws, ringed with those terrifying teeth? 15 His back is made of rows of shields, fastened together and hard as stone. 16 Each one is joined so tight to the next, not even a breath can come between. 17 They all are fastened so firmly together that nothing can ever pull them apart. 18 Light flashes when he sneezes, and his eyes glow like the rising sun. 19 Flames blaze from his mouth, and streams of sparks fly out. 20 Smoke comes pouring out of his nose, like smoke from weeds burning under a pot. 21 His breath starts fires burning; flames leap out of his mouth. 22 His neck is so powerful that all who meet him are terrified. 23 There is not a weak spot in his skin; it is as hard and unyielding as iron. 24 His stony heart is without fear, as unyielding and hard as a millstone. 25 When he rises up, even the strongest are frightened; they are helpless with fear. 26 There is no sword that can wound him; no spear or arrow or lance that can harm him. 27 For him iron is as flimsy as straw, and bronze as soft as rotten wood. 28 There is no arrow that can make him run; rocks thrown at him are like bits of straw. 29 To him a club is a piece of straw, and he laughs when men throw spears. 30 The scales on his belly are like jagged pieces of pottery; they tear up the muddy ground like a threshing sledge. 31 He churns up the sea like boiling water and makes it bubble like a pot of oil. 32 He leaves a shining path behind him and turns the sea to white foam. 33 There is nothing on earth to compare with him; he is a creature that has no fear. 34 He looks down on even the proudest animals; he is king of all wild beasts.

75-Job 42:16 Job lived a hundred and forty years after this, long enough to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

76-Isaiah 40:1 "Comfort my people," says our God. "Comfort them! 2 Encourage the people of Jerusalem. Tell them they have suffered long enough and their sins are now forgiven. I have punished them in full for all their sins." 3 A voice cries out, "Prepare in the wilderness a road for the Lord! Clear the way in the desert for our God! 4 Fill every valley; level every mountain. The hills will become a plain, and the rough country will be made smooth. 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it. The Lord himself has promised this." 6 A voice cries out, "Proclaim a message!" "What message shall I proclaim?" I ask. "Proclaim that all human beings are like grass; they last no longer than wild flowers. 7 Grass withers and flowers fade when the Lord sends the wind blowing over them. People are no more enduring than grass. 8 Yes, grass withers and flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever." 9 Jerusalem, go up on a high mountain and proclaim the good news! Call out with a loud voice, Zion; announce the good news! Speak out and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah that their God is coming! 10 The Sovereign Lord is coming to rule with power, bringing with him the people he has rescued. 11 He will take care of his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs together and carry them in his arms; he will gently lead their mothers. 12 Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls or measure the sky with his hands? Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup or weigh the mountains and hills on scales? 13 Can anyone tell the Lord what to do? Who can teach him or give him advice? 14 With whom does God consult in order to know and understand and to learn how things should be done? 15 To the Lord the nations are nothing, no more than a drop of water; the distant islands are as light as dust. 16 All the animals in the forests of Lebanon are not enough for a sacrifice to our God, and its trees are too few to kindle the fire. 17 The nations are nothing at all to him. 18 To whom can God be compared? How can you describe what he is like? 19 He is not like an idol that workers make, that metalworkers cover with gold and set in a base of silver. 20 Anyone who cannot afford silver or gold chooses wood that will not rot. He finds a skillful worker to make an image that won't fall down. 21 Do you not know? Were you not told long ago? Have you not heard how the world began? 22 It was made by the one who sits on his throne above the earth and beyond the sky; the people below look as tiny as ants. He stretched out the sky like a curtain, like a tent in which to live. 23 He brings down powerful rulers and reduces them to nothing. 24 They are like young plants, just set out and barely rooted. When the Lord sends a wind, they dry up and blow away like straw. 25 To whom can the holy God be compared? Is there anyone else like him? 26 Look up at the sky! Who created the stars you see? The one who leads them out like an army, he knows how many there are and calls each one by name! His power is so great - not one of them is ever missing! 27 Israel, why then do you complain that the Lord doesn't know your troubles or care if you suffer injustice? 28 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God; he created all the world. He never grows tired or weary. No one understands his thoughts. 29 He strengthens those who are weak and tired. 30 Even those who are young grow weak; young people can fall exhausted. 31 But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.

Isa 41:1 God says, "Be silent and listen to me, you distant lands! Get ready to present your case in court; you will have your chance to speak. Let us come together to decide who is right. 2 "Who was it that brought the conqueror from the east and makes him triumphant wherever he goes? Who gives him victory over kings and nations? His sword strikes them down as if they were dust. His arrows scatter them like straw before the wind. 3 He follows in pursuit and marches safely on, so fast that he hardly touches the ground! 4 Who was it that made this happen? Who has determined the course of history? I, the Lord, was there at the beginning, and I, the Lord, will be there at the end. 5 "The people of distant lands have seen what I have done; they are frightened and tremble with fear. So they all assemble and come. 6 The skilled workers help and encourage each other. 7 The carpenter says to the goldsmith, "Well done!' The one who beats the idol smooth encourages the one who nails it together. They say, "The soldering is good' - and they fasten the idol in place with nails. 8 "But you, Israel my servant, you are the people that I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham, my friend. 9 I brought you from the ends of the earth; I called you from its farthest corners and said to you, "You are my servant.' I did not reject you, but chose you. 10 Do not be afraid - I am with you! I am your God - let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect you and save you. 11 "Those who are angry with you will know the shame of defeat. Those who fight against you will die 12 and will disappear from the earth. 13 I am the Lord your God; I strengthen you and tell you, "Do not be afraid; I will help you.' " 14 The Lord says, "Small and weak as you are, Israel, don't be afraid; I will help you. I, the holy God of Israel, am the one who saves you. 15 I will make you like a threshing board, with spikes that are new and sharp. You will thresh mountains and destroy them; hills will crumble into dust. 16 You will toss them in the air; the wind will carry them off, and they will be scattered by the storm. Then you will be happy because I am your God; you will praise me, the holy God of Israel. 17 "When my people in their need look for water, when their throats are dry with thirst, then I, the Lord, will answer their prayer; I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them. 18 I will make rivers flow among barren hills and springs of water run in the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water and the dry land into flowing springs. 19 I will make cedars grow in the desert, and acacias and myrtles and olive trees. Forests will grow in barren land, forests of pine and juniper and cypress. 20 People will see this and know that I, the Lord, have done it. They will come to understand that Israel's holy God has made it happen." 21 The Lord, the king of Israel, has this to say: "You gods of the nations, present your case. Bring the best arguments you have! 22 Come here and predict what will happen, so that we will know it when it takes place. Explain to the court the events of the past, and tell us what they mean. 23 Tell us what the future holds - then we will know that you are gods! Do something good or bring some disaster; fill us with fear and awe! 24 You and all you do are nothing; those who worship you are disgusting! 25 "I have chosen a man who lives in the east; I will bring him to attack from the north. He tramples on rulers as if they were mud, like a potter trampling clay. 26 Which of you predicted that this would happen, so that we could say that you were right? None of you said a word about it; no one heard you say a thing! 27 I, the Lord, was the first to tell Zion the news; I sent a messenger to Jerusalem to say, "Your people are coming! They are coming home!' 28 When I looked among the gods, none of them had a thing to say; not one could answer the questions I asked. 29 All these gods are useless; they can do nothing at all - these idols are weak and powerless."

Isa 42:1 The Lord says, "Here is my servant, whom I strengthen - the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased. I have filled him with my Spirit, and he will bring justice to every nation. 2 He will not shout or raise his voice or make loud speeches in the streets. 3 He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp. He will bring lasting justice to all. 4 He will not lose hope or courage; he will establish justice on the earth. Distant lands eagerly wait for his teaching." 5 God created the heavens and stretched them out; he fashioned the earth and all that lives there; he gave life and breath to all its people. And now the Lord God says to his servant, 6 "I, the Lord, have called you and given you power to see that justice is done on earth. Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples; through you I will bring light to the nations. 7 You will open the eyes of the blind and set free those who sit in dark prisons. 8 "I alone am the Lord your God. No other god may share my glory; I will not let idols share my praise. 9 The things I predicted have now come true. Now I will tell you of new things even before they begin to happen." 10 Sing a new song to the Lord; sing his praise, all the world! Praise him, you that sail the sea; praise him, all creatures of the sea! Sing, distant lands and all who live there! 11 Let the desert and its towns praise God; let the people of Kedar praise him! Let those who live in the city of Sela shout for joy from the tops of the mountains! 12 Let those who live in distant lands give praise and glory to the Lord! 13 The Lord goes out to fight like a warrior; he is ready and eager for battle. He gives a war cry, a battle shout; he shows his power against his enemies. 14 God says, "For a long time I kept silent; I did not answer my people. But now the time to act has come; I cry out like a woman in labor. 15 I will destroy the hills and mountains and dry up the grass and trees. I will turn the river valleys into deserts and dry up the pools of water. 16 "I will lead my blind people by roads they have never traveled. I will turn their darkness into light and make rough country smooth before them. These are my promises, and I will keep them without fail. 17 All who trust in idols, who call images their gods, will be humiliated and disgraced." 18 The Lord says, "Listen, you deaf people! Look closely, you that are blind! 19 Is anyone more blind than my servant, more deaf than the messenger I send? 20 Israel, you have seen so much, but what has it meant to you? You have ears to hear with, but what have you really heard?" 21 The Lord is a God who is eager to save, so he exalted his laws and teachings, and he wanted his people to honor them. 22 But now his people have been plundered; they are locked up in dungeons and hidden away in prisons. They were robbed and plundered, with no one to come to their rescue. 23 Will any of you listen to this? From now on will you listen with care? 24 Who gave Israel up to the looters? It was the Lord himself, against whom we sinned! We would not live as he wanted us to live or obey the teachings he gave us. 25 So he made us feel the force of his anger and suffer the violence of war. Like fire his anger burned throughout Israel, but we never knew what was happening; we learned nothing at all from it.

Isa 43:1 Israel, the Lord who created you says, "Do not be afraid - I will save you. I have called you by name - you are mine. 2 When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel, who saves you. I will give up Egypt to set you free; I will give up Ethiopia and Seba. 4 I will give up whole nations to save your life, because you are precious to me and because I love you and give you honor. 5 Do not be afraid - I am with you! "From the distant east and the farthest west I will bring your people home. 6 I will tell the north to let them go and the south not to hold them back. Let my people return from distant lands, from every part of the world. 7 They are my own people, and I created them to bring me glory." 8 God says, "Summon my people to court. They have eyes, but they are blind; they have ears, but they are deaf! 9 Summon the nations to come to the trial. Which of their gods can predict the future? Which of them foretold what is happening now? Let these gods bring in their witnesses to prove that they are right, to testify to the truth of their words. 10 "People of Israel, you are my witnesses; I chose you to be my servant, so that you would know me and believe in me and understand that I am the only God. Besides me there is no other god; there never was and never will be. 11 "I alone am the Lord, the only one who can save you. 12 I predicted what would happen, and then I came to your aid. No foreign god has ever done this; you are my witnesses. 13 I am God and always will be. No one can escape from my power; no one can change what I do." 14 Israel's holy God, the Lord who saves you, says, "To save you, I will send an army against Babylon; I will break down the city gates, and the shouts of her people will turn into crying. 15 I am the Lord, your holy God. I created you, Israel, and I am your king." 16 Long ago the Lord made a road through the sea, a path through the swirling waters. 17 He led a mighty army to destruction, an army of chariots and horses. Down they fell, never to rise, snuffed out like the flame of a lamp! 18 But the Lord says, "Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. 19 Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already - you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there. 20 Even the wild animals will honor me; jackals and ostriches will praise me when I make rivers flow in the desert to give water to my chosen people. 21 They are the people I made for myself, and they will sing my praises!" 22 The Lord says, "But you were tired of me, Israel; you did not worship me. 23 You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep; you did not honor me with your sacrifices. I did not burden you by demanding offerings or wear you out by asking for incense. 24 You didn't buy incense for me or satisfy me with the fat of your animals. Instead you burdened me with your sins; you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed. 25 And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you. 26 "Let us go to court; bring your accusation! Present your case to prove you are in the right! 27 Your earliest ancestor sinned; your leaders sinned against me, 28 and your rulers profaned my sanctuary. So I brought destruction on Israel; I let my own people be insulted."

Isa: 44:1 The Lord says, "Listen now, Israel, my servant, my chosen people, the descendants of Jacob. 2 I am the Lord who created you; from the time you were born, I have helped you. Do not be afraid; you are my servant, my chosen people whom I love. 3 "I will give water to the thirsty land and make streams flow on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on your children and my blessing on your descendants. 4 They will thrive like well-watered grass, like willows by streams of running water. 5 "One by one, people will say, "I am the Lord's.' They will come to join the people of Israel. They each will mark the name of the Lord on their arms and call themselves one of God's people." 6 The Lord, who rules and protects Israel, the Lord Almighty, has this to say: "I am the first, the last, the only God; there is no other god but me. 7 Could anyone else have done what I did? Who could have predicted all that would happen from the very beginning to the end of time? 8 Do not be afraid, my people! You know that from ancient times until now I have predicted all that would happen, and you are my witnesses. Is there any other god? Is there some powerful god I never heard of?" 9 All those who make idols are worthless, and the gods they prize so highly are useless. Those who worship these gods are blind and ignorant - and they will be disgraced. 10 It does no good to make a metal image to worship as a god! 11 Everyone who worships it will be humiliated. The people who make idols are human beings and nothing more. Let them come and stand trial - they will be terrified and will suffer disgrace. 12 The metalworker takes a piece of metal and works with it over a fire. His strong arm swings a hammer to pound the metal into shape. As he works, he gets hungry, thirsty, and tired. 13 The carpenter measures the wood. He outlines a figure with chalk, carves it out with his tools, and makes it in the form of a man, a handsome human figure, to be placed in his house. 14 He might cut down cedars to use, or choose oak or cypress wood from the forest. Or he might plant a laurel tree and wait for the rain to make it grow. 15 A person uses part of a tree for fuel and part of it for making an idol. With one part he builds a fire to warm himself and bake bread; with the other part he makes a god and worships it. 16 With some of the wood he makes a fire; he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, "How nice and warm! What a beautiful fire!" 17 The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, "You are my god - save me!" 18 Such people are too stupid to know what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth. 19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, "Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!" 20 It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all. 21 The Lord says, "Israel, remember this; remember that you are my servant. I created you to be my servant, and I will never forget you. 22 I have swept your sins away like a cloud. Come back to me; I am the one who saves you." 23 Shout for joy, you heavens! Shout, deep places of the earth! Shout for joy, mountains, and every tree of the forest! The Lord has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel. 24 "I am the Lord, your savior; I am the one who created you. I am the Lord, the Creator of all things. I alone stretched out the heavens; when I made the earth, no one helped me. 25 I make fools of fortunetellers and frustrate the predictions of astrologers. The words of the wise I refute and show that their wisdom is foolishness. 26 But when my servant makes a prediction, when I send a messenger to reveal my plans, I make those plans and predictions come true. I tell Jerusalem that people will live there again, and the cities of Judah that they will be rebuilt. Those cities will rise from the ruins. 27 With a word of command I dry up the ocean. 28 I say to Cyrus, "You are the one who will rule for me; you will do what I want you to do: you will order that Jerusalem be rebuilt and that the foundations of the Temple be laid.' "

Isa 45:1 The Lord has chosen Cyrus to be king. He has appointed him to conquer nations; he sends him to strip kings of their power; the Lord will open the gates of cities for him. To Cyrus the Lord says, 2 "I myself will prepare your way, leveling mountains and hills. I will break down bronze gates and smash their iron bars. 3 I will give you treasures from dark, secret places; then you will know that I am the Lord and that the God of Israel has called you by name. 4 I appoint you to help my servant Israel, the people that I have chosen. I have given you great honor, although you do not know me. 5 "I am the Lord; there is no other god. I will give you the strength you need, although you do not know me. 6 I do this so that everyone from one end of the world to the other may know that I am the Lord and that there is no other god. 7 I create both light and darkness; I bring both blessing and disaster. I, the Lord, do all these things. 8 I will send victory from the sky like rain; the earth will open to receive it and will blossom with freedom and justice. I, the Lord, will make this happen." 9 Does a clay pot dare argue with its maker, a pot that is like all the others? Does the clay ask the potter what he is doing? Does the pot complain that its maker has no skill? 10 Do we dare say to our parents, "Why did you make me like this?" 11 The Lord, the holy God of Israel, the one who shapes the future, says: "You have no right to question me about my children or to tell me what I ought to do! 12 I am the one who made the earth and created human beings to live there. By my power I stretched out the heavens; I control the sun, the moon, and the stars. 13 I myself have stirred Cyrus to action to fulfill my purpose and put things right. I will straighten out every road that he travels. He will rebuild my city, Jerusalem, and set my captive people free. No one has hired him or bribed him to do this." The Lord Almighty has spoken. 14 The Lord says to Israel, "The wealth of Egypt and Ethiopia will be yours, and the tall men of Seba will be your slaves; they will follow you in chains. They will bow down to you and confess, "God is with you - he alone is God. 15 The God of Israel, who saves his people, is a God who conceals himself. 16 Those who make idols will all be ashamed; all of them will be disgraced. 17 But Israel is saved by the Lord, and her victory lasts forever; her people will never be disgraced.' " 18 The Lord created the heavens - he is the one who is God! He formed and made the earth - he made it firm and lasting. He did not make it a desolate waste, but a place for people to live. It is he who says, "I am the Lord, and there is no other god. 19 I have not spoken in secret or kept my purpose hidden. I did not require the people of Israel to look for me in a desolate waste. I am the Lord, and I speak the truth; I make known what is right." 20 The Lord says, "Come together, people of the nations, all who survive the fall of the empire; present yourselves for the trial! The people who parade with their idols of wood and pray to gods that cannot save them - those people know nothing at all! 21 Come and present your case in court; let the defendants consult one another. Who predicted long ago what would happen? Was it not I, the Lord, the God who saves his people? There is no other god. 22 "Turn to me now and be saved, people all over the world! I am the only God there is. 23 My promise is true, and it will not be changed. I solemnly promise by all that I am: Everyone will come and kneel before me and vow to be loyal to me. 24 "They will say that only through me are victory and strength to be found; but all who hate me will suffer disgrace. 25 I, the Lord, will rescue all the descendants of Jacob, and they will give me praise.

Isa 46:1 "This is the end for Babylon's gods! Bel and Nebo once were worshiped, but now they are loaded on donkeys, a burden for the backs of tired animals. 2 The idols cannot save themselves; they are captured and carried away. This is the end for Babylon's gods! 3 "Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all who are left of my people. I have cared for you from the time you were born. 4 I am your God and will take care of you until you are old and your hair is gray. I made you and will care for you; I will give you help and rescue you. 5 "To whom will you compare me?" says the Lord. "Is there anyone else like me? 6 People open their purses and pour out gold; they weigh out silver on the scales. They hire a goldsmith to make a god; then they bow down and worship it. 7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they put it in place, and there it stands, unable to move from where it is. If any pray to it, it cannot answer or save them from disaster. 8 "Remember this, you sinners; consider what I have done. 9 Remember what happened long ago; acknowledge that I alone am God and that there is no one else like me. 10 From the beginning I predicted the outcome; long ago I foretold what would happen. I said that my plans would never fail, that I would do everything I intended to do. 11 I am calling a man to come from the east; he will swoop down like a hawk and accomplish what I have planned. I have spoken, and it will be done. 12 "Listen to me, you stubborn people who think that victory is far away. 13 I am bringing the day of victory near - it is not far away at all. My triumph will not be delayed. I will save Jerusalem and bring honor to Israel there."

Isa 47:1 The Lord says, "Babylon, come down from your throne, and sit in the dust on the ground. You were once like a virgin, a city unconquered, but you are soft and delicate no longer! You are now a slave! 2 Turn the millstone! Grind the flour! Off with your veil! Strip off your fine clothes! Lift up your skirts to cross the streams! 3 People will see you naked; they will see you humbled and shamed. I will take vengeance, and no one will stop me." 4 The holy God of Israel sets us free - his name is the Lord Almighty. 5 The Lord says to Babylon, "Sit in silence and darkness; no more will they call you the queen of nations! 6 I was angry with my people; I treated them as no longer mine: I put them in your power, and you showed them no mercy; even the aged you treated harshly. 7 You thought you would always be a queen, and did not take these things to heart or think how it all would end. 8 "Listen to this, you lover of pleasure, you that think you are safe and secure. You claim you are as great as God - that there is no one else like you. You thought that you would never be a widow or suffer the loss of your children. 9 But in a moment, in a single day, both of these things will happen. In spite of all the magic you use, you will lose your husband and children. 10 "You felt sure of yourself in your evil; you thought that no one could see you. Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray, and you said to yourself, "I am God - there is no one else like me.' 11 Disaster will come upon you, and none of your magic can stop it. Ruin will come on you suddenly - ruin you never dreamed of! 12 Keep all your magic spells and charms; you have used them since you were young. Perhaps they will be of some help to you; perhaps you can frighten your enemies. 13 You are powerless in spite of the advice you get. Let your astrologers come forward and save you - those people who study the stars, who map out the zones of the heavens and tell you from month to month what is going to happen to you. 14 "They will be like bits of straw, and a fire will burn them up! They will not even be able to save themselves - the flames will be too hot for them, not a cozy fire to warm themselves by. 15 That is all the good they will do you - those astrologers you've consulted all your life. They all will leave you and go their own way, and none will be left to save you."

Isa 48:1 Listen to this, people of Israel, you that are descended from Judah: You swear by the name of the Lord and claim to worship the God of Israel - but you don't mean a word you say. 2 And yet you are proud to say that you are citizens of the holy city and that you depend on Israel's God, whose name is the Lord Almighty. 3 The Lord says to Israel, "Long ago I predicted what would take place; then suddenly I made it happen. 4 I knew that you would prove to be stubborn, as rigid as iron and unyielding as bronze. 5 And so I predicted your future long ago, announcing events before they took place, to keep you from claiming that your idols and images made them happen. 6 "All I foretold has now taken place; you have to admit my predictions were right. Now I will tell you of new things to come, events that I did not reveal before. 7 Only now am I making them happen; nothing like this took place in the past. If it had, you would claim that you knew all about it. 8 I knew that you couldn't be trusted, that you have always been known as a rebel. That is why you never heard of this at all, why no word of it ever came to your ears. 9 "In order that people will praise my name, I am holding my anger in check; I am keeping it back and will not destroy you. 10 I have tested you in the fire of suffering, as silver is refined in a furnace. But I have found that you are worthless. 11 What I do is done for my own sake - I will not let my name be dishonored or let anyone else share the glory that should be mine and mine alone." 12 The Lord says, "Listen to me, Israel, the people I have called! I am God, the first, the last, the only God! 13 My hands made the earth's foundations and spread the heavens out. When I summon earth and sky, they come at once and present themselves. 14 "Assemble and listen, all of you! None of the gods could predict that the man I have chosen would attack Babylon; he will do what I want him to do. 15 I am the one who spoke and called him; I led him out and gave him success. 16 "Now come close to me and hear what I say. From the beginning I have spoken openly and have always made my words come true." (Now the Sovereign Lord has given me his power and sent me.) 17 The holy God of Israel, the Lord who saves you, says: "I am the Lord your God, the one who wants to teach you for your own good and direct you in the way you should go. 18 "If only you had listened to my commands! Then blessings would have flowed for you like a stream that never goes dry. Victory would have come to you like the waves that roll on the shore. 19 Your descendants would be as numerous as grains of sand, and I would have made sure they were never destroyed." 20 Go out from Babylon, go free! Shout the news gladly; make it known everywhere: "The Lord has saved his servant Israel!" 21 When the Lord led his people through a hot, dry desert, they did not suffer from thirst. He made water come from a rock for them; he split the rock open, and water flowed out. 22 "There is no safety for sinners," says the Lord.

Isa 49:1 Listen to me, distant nations, you people who live far away! Before I was born, the Lord chose me and appointed me to be his servant. 2 He made my words as sharp as a sword. With his own hand he protected me. He made me like an arrow, sharp and ready for use. 3 He said to me, "Israel, you are my servant; because of you, people will praise me." 4 I said, "I have worked, but how hopeless it is! I have used up my strength, but have accomplished nothing." Yet I can trust the Lord to defend my cause; he will reward me for what I do. 5 Before I was born, the Lord appointed me; he made me his servant to bring back his people, to bring back the scattered people of Israel. The Lord gives me honor; he is the source of my strength. 6 The Lord said to me, "I have a greater task for you, my servant. Not only will you restore to greatness the people of Israel who have survived, but I will also make you a light to the nations - so that all the world may be saved." 7 Israel's holy God and savior says to the one who is deeply despised, who is hated by the nations and is the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you released and will rise to show their respect; princes also will see it, and they will bow low to honor you." This will happen because the Lord has chosen his servant; the holy God of Israel keeps his promises. 8 The Lord says to his people, "When the time comes to save you, I will show you favor and answer your cries for help. I will guard and protect you and through you make a covenant with all peoples. I will let you settle once again in your land that is now laid waste. 9 I will say to the prisoners, "Go free!' and to those who are in darkness, "Come out to the light!' They will be like sheep that graze on the hills; 10 they will never be hungry or thirsty. Sun and desert heat will not hurt them, for they will be led by one who loves them. He will lead them to springs of water. 11 "I will make a highway across the mountains and prepare a road for my people to travel. 12 My people will come from far away, from the north and the west, and from Aswan in the south." 13 Sing, heavens! Shout for joy, earth! Let the mountains burst into song! The Lord will comfort his people; he will have pity on his suffering people. 14 But the people of Jerusalem said, "The Lord has abandoned us! He has forgotten us." 15 So the Lord answers, "Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you. 16 Jerusalem, I can never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of my hands. 17 "Those who will rebuild you are coming soon, and those who destroyed you will leave. 18 Look around and see what is happening! Your people are assembling - they are coming home! As surely as I am the living God, you will be proud of your people, as proud as a bride is of her jewels. 19 "Your country was ruined and desolate - but now it will be too small for those who are coming to live there. And those who left you in ruins will be far removed from you. 20 Your people who were born in exile will one day say to you, "This land is too small - we need more room to live in!' 21 Then you will say to yourself, "Who bore all these children for me? I lost my children and could have no more. I was exiled and driven away - who brought these children up? I was left all alone - where did these children come from?' " 22 The Sovereign Lord says to his people: "I will signal to the nations, and they will bring your children home. 23 Kings will be like fathers to you; queens will be like mothers. They will bow low before you and honor you; they will humbly show their respect for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord; no one who waits for my help will be disappointed." 24 Can you take away a soldier's loot? Can you rescue the prisoners of a tyrant? 25 The Lord replies, "That is just what is going to happen. The soldier's prisoners will be taken away, and the tyrant's loot will be seized. I will fight against whoever fights you, and I will rescue your children. 26 I will make your oppressors kill each other; they will be drunk with murder and rage. Then all people will know that I am the Lord, the one who saves you and sets you free. They will know that I am Israel's powerful God."

Isa 50:1 The Lord says, "Do you think I sent my people away like a man who divorces his wife? Where, then, are the papers of divorce? Do you think I sold you into captivity like a man who sells his children as slaves? No, you went away captive because of your sins; you were sent away because of your crimes. 2 "Why did my people fail to respond when I went to them to save them? Why did they not answer when I called? Am I too weak to save them? I can dry up the sea with a command and turn rivers into a desert, so that the fish in them die for lack of water. 3 I can make the sky turn dark, as if it were in mourning for the dead." 4 The Sovereign Lord has taught me what to say, so that I can strengthen the weary. Every morning he makes me eager to hear what he is going to teach me. 5 The Lord has given me understanding, and I have not rebelled or turned away from him. 6 I bared my back to those who beat me. I did not stop them when they insulted me, when they pulled out the hairs of my beard and spit in my face. 7 But their insults cannot hurt me because the Sovereign Lord gives me help. I brace myself to endure them. I know that I will not be disgraced, 8 for God is near, and he will prove me innocent. Does anyone dare bring charges against me? Let us go to court together! Let him bring his accusation! 9 The Sovereign Lord himself defends me - who, then, can prove me guilty? All my accusers will disappear; they will vanish like moth-eaten cloth. 10 All of you that honor the Lord and obey the words of his servant, the path you walk may be dark indeed, but trust in the Lord, rely on your God. 11 All of you that plot to destroy others will be destroyed by your own plots. The Lord himself will make this happen; you will suffer a miserable fate.

Isa 51:1 The Lord says, "Listen to me, you that want to be saved, you that come to me for help. Think of the rock from which you came, the quarry from which you were cut. 2 Think of your ancestor, Abraham, and of Sarah, from whom you are descended. When I called Abraham, he was childless, but I blessed him and gave him children; I made his descendants numerous. 3 "I will show compassion to Jerusalem, to all who live in her ruins. Though her land is a desert, I will make it a garden, like the garden I planted in Eden. Joy and gladness will be there, and songs of praise and thanks to me. 4 "Listen to me, my people, listen to what I say: I give my teaching to the nations; my laws will bring them light. 5 I will come quickly and save them; the time of my victory is near. I myself will rule over the nations. Distant lands wait for me to come; they wait with hope for me to save them. 6 Look up at the heavens; look at the earth! The heavens will disappear like smoke; the earth will wear out like old clothing, and all its people will die like flies. But the deliverance I bring will last forever; my victory will be final. 7 "Listen to me, you that know what is right, who have my teaching fixed in your hearts. Do not be afraid when people taunt and insult you; 8 they will vanish like moth-eaten clothing! But the deliverance I bring will last forever; my victory will endure for all time." 9 Wake up, Lord, and help us! Use your power and save us; use it as you did in ancient times. It was you that cut the sea monster Rahab to pieces. 10 It was you also who dried up the sea and made a path through the water, so that those you were saving could cross. 11 Those whom you have rescued will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief. 12 The Lord says, "I am the one who strengthens you. Why should you fear mortals, who are no more enduring than grass? 13 Have you forgotten the Lord who made you, who stretched out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations? Why should you live in constant fear of the fury of those who oppress you, of those who are ready to destroy you? Their fury can no longer touch you. 14 Those who are prisoners will soon be set free; they will live a long life and have all the food they need. 15 "I am the Lord your God; I stir up the sea and make its waves roar. My name is the Lord Almighty! 16 I stretched out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations; I say to Jerusalem, "You are my people! I have given you my teaching, and I protect you with my hand.' " 17 Jerusalem, wake up! Rouse yourself and get up! You have drunk the cup of punishment that the Lord in his anger gave you to drink; you drank it down, and it made you stagger. 18 There is no one to lead you, no one among your people to take you by the hand. 19 A double disaster has fallen on you: your land has been devastated by war, and your people have starved. There is no one to show you sympathy. 20 At the corner of every street your people collapse from weakness; they are like deer caught in a hunter's net. They have felt the force of God's anger. 21 You suffering people of Jerusalem, you that stagger as though you were drunk, 22 the Lord your God defends you and says, "I am taking away the cup that I gave you in my anger. You will no longer have to drink the wine that makes you stagger. 23 I will give it to those who oppressed you, to those who made you lie down in the streets and trampled on you as if you were dirt."

Isa 52:1 Jerusalem, be strong and great again! Holy city of God, clothe yourself with splendor! The heathen will never enter your gates again. 2 Shake yourself free, Jerusalem! Rise from the dust and sit on your throne! Undo the chains that bind you, captive people of Zion! 3 The Sovereign Lord says to his people, "When you became slaves, no money was paid for you; in the same way nothing will be paid to set you free. 4 When you went to live in Egypt as foreigners, you did so of your own free will; Assyria, however, took you away by force and paid nothing for you. 5 And now in Babylonia the same thing has happened: you are captives, and nothing was paid for you. Those who rule over you boast and brag and constantly show contempt for me. 6 In time to come you will acknowledge that I am God and that I have spoken to you." 7 How wonderful it is to see a messenger coming across the mountains, bringing good news, the news of peace! He announces victory and says to Zion, "Your God is king!" 8 Those who guard the city are shouting, shouting together for joy. They can see with their own eyes the return of the Lord to Zion. 9 Break into shouts of joy, you ruins of Jerusalem! The Lord will rescue his city and comfort his people. 10 The Lord will use his holy power; he will save his people, and all the world will see it. 11 Be sure to leave Babylonia, all you that carry the Temple equipment. Touch no forbidden thing; keep yourselves holy and leave. 12 This time you will not have to leave in a hurry; you will not be trying to escape. The Lord your God will lead you and protect you on every side. 13 The Lord says, "My servant will succeed in his task; he will be highly honored. 14 Many people were shocked when they saw him; he was so disfigured that he hardly looked human. 15 But now many nations will marvel at him, and kings will be speechless with amazement. They will see and understand something they had never known."

Isa 53:1 The people reply, "Who would have believed what we now report? Who could have seen the Lord's hand in this? 2 It was the will of the Lord that his servant grow like a plant taking root in dry ground. He had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him. 3 We despised him and rejected him; he endured suffering and pain. No one would even look at him - we ignored him as if he were nothing. 4 "But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne. All the while we thought that his suffering was punishment sent by God. 5 But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received. 6 All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved. 7 "He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; he never said a word. Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, he never said a word. 8 He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die, and no one cared about his fate. He was put to death for the sins of our people. 9 He was placed in a grave with those who are evil, he was buried with the rich, even though he had never committed a crime or ever told a lie." 10 The Lord says, "It was my will that he should suffer; his death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness. And so he will see his descendants; he will live a long life, and through him my purpose will succeed. 11 After a life of suffering, he will again have joy; he will know that he did not suffer in vain. My devoted servant, with whom I am pleased, will bear the punishment of many and for his sake I will forgive them. 12 And so I will give him a place of honor, a place among the great and powerful. He willingly gave his life and shared the fate of evil men. He took the place of many sinners and prayed that they might be forgiven."

Isa 54:1 Jerusalem, you have been like a childless woman, but now you can sing and shout for joy. Now you will have more children than a woman whose husband never left her. 2 Make the tent you live in larger; lengthen its ropes and strengthen the pegs! 3 You will extend your boundaries on all sides; your people will get back the land that the other nations now occupy. Cities now deserted will be filled with people. 4 Do not be afraid - you will not be disgraced again; you will not be humiliated. You will forget your unfaithfulness as a young wife, and your desperate loneliness as a widow. 5 Your Creator will be like a husband to you - the Lord Almighty is his name. The holy God of Israel will save you - he is the ruler of all the world. 6 Israel, you are like a young wife, deserted by her husband and deeply distressed. But the Lord calls you back to him and says: 7 "For one brief moment I left you; with deep love I will take you back. 8 I turned away angry for only a moment, but I will show you my love forever." So says the Lord who saves you. 9 "In the time of Noah I promised never again to flood the earth. Now I promise not to be angry with you again; I will not reprimand or punish you. 10 The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end; I will keep forever my promise of peace." So says the Lord who loves you. 11 The Lord says, "O Jerusalem, you suffering, helpless city, with no one to comfort you, I will rebuild your foundations with precious stones. 12 I will build your towers with rubies, your gates with stones that glow like fire, and the wall around you with jewels. 13 "I myself will teach your people and give them prosperity and peace. 14 Justice and right will make you strong. You will be safe from oppression and terror. 15 Whoever attacks you, does it without my consent; whoever fights against you will fall. 16 "I create the blacksmith, who builds a fire and forges weapons. I also create the soldier, who uses the weapons to kill. 17 But no weapon will be able to hurt you; you will have an answer for all who accuse you. I will defend my servants and give them victory." The Lord has spoken.

Isa 55:1 The Lord says, "Come, everyone who is thirsty - here is water! Come, you that have no money - buy grain and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk - it will cost you nothing! 2 Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry? Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all. 3 "Listen now, my people, and come to me; come to me, and you will have life! I will make a lasting covenant with you and give you the blessings I promised to David. 4 I made him a leader and commander of nations, and through him I showed them my power. 5 Now you will summon foreign nations; at one time they did not know you, but now they will come running to join you! I, the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel, will make all this happen; I will give you honor and glory." 6 Turn to the Lord and pray to him, now that he is near. 7 Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive. 8 "My thoughts," says the Lord, "are not like yours, and my ways are different from yours. 9 As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours. 10 "My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide seed for planting and food to eat. 11 So also will be the word that I speak - it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do. 12 "You will leave Babylon with joy; you will be led out of the city in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into singing, and the trees will shout for joy. 13 Cypress trees will grow where now there are briers; myrtle trees will come up in place of thorns. This will be a sign that will last forever, a reminder of what I, the Lord, have done."

77-Job 1:8 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil."

Job 2:3 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil. You persuaded me to let you attack him for no reason at all, but Job is still as faithful as ever."

78-Job 42:7 After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you did not speak the truth about me, the way my servant Job did. 8 Now take seven bulls and seven rams to Job and offer them as a sacrifice for yourselves. Job will pray for you, and I will answer his prayer and not disgrace you the way you deserve. You did not speak the truth about me as he did."

79-Isaiah 45:18 The Lord created the heavens - he is the one who is God! He formed and made the earth - he made it firm and lasting. He did not make it a desolate waste, but a place for people to live. It is he who says, "I am the Lord, and there is no other god.

80-Isaiah 44:24 "I am the Lord, your savior; I am the one who created you. I am the Lord, the Creator of all things. I alone stretched out the heavens; when I made the earth, no one helped me.

Isaiah 45:12 I am the one who made the earth and created human beings to live there. By my power I stretched out the heavens; I control the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Jeremiah 51:15 The Lord made the earth by his power; by his wisdom he created the world and stretched out the heavens. 16 At his command the waters above the sky roar; he brings clouds from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning flash in the rain and sends the wind from his storeroom.

Amos 4:13 God is the one who made the mountains and created the winds. He makes his thoughts known to people; he changes day into night. He walks on the heights of the earth. This is his name: the Lord God Almighty!

Jonah 1:9 "I am a Hebrew," Jonah answered. "I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made land and sea."

Zechariah 12:1 This is a message about Israel from the Lord, the Lord who spread out the skies, created the earth, and gave life to man. He says,

81-Acts 17:22 Paul stood up in front of the city council and said, "I see that in every way you Athenians are very religious. 23 For as I walked through your city and looked at the places where you worship, I found an altar on which is written, "To an Unknown God.' That which you worship, then, even though you do not know it, is what I now proclaim to you. 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. 25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. 26 From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. 27 He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us; 28 as someone has said, "In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, "We too are his children.' 29 Since we are God's children, we should not suppose that his nature is anything like an image of gold or silver or stone, shaped by human art and skill. 30 God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways. 31 For he has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man from death!"

82-Acts 17:25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. 28 as someone has said, "In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, "We too are his children.'

83-Matthew 19:4 Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? 5 And God said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.' 6 So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together."

Mark 2:27 And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Luke 3:38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

John 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him.

2 Corinthians 4:6 The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

Hebrews 1:1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one through whom God created the universe, the one whom God has chosen to possess all things at the end.

Hebrews 4:4 For somewhere in the Scriptures this is said about the seventh day: "God rested on the seventh day from all his work."

James 3:9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God.

2 Peter 3:5 They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water,

Jude 11 How terrible for them! They have followed the way that Cain took. For the sake of money they have given themselves over to the error that Balaam committed. They have rebelled as Korah rebelled, and like him they are destroyed. 14 It was Enoch, the seventh direct descendant from Adam, who long ago prophesied this about them: "The Lord will come with many thousands of his holy angels

84-Revelation 4:10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever. They throw their crowns down in front of the throne and say, 11 "Our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. For you created all things, and by your will they were given existence and life."

Revelation 10:5 Then the angel that I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and took a vow in the name of God, who lives forever and ever, who created heaven, earth, and the sea, and everything in them. The angel said, "There will be no more delay!

Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!"

85-Luke 16:29 Abraham said, "Your brothers have Moses and the prophets to warn them; your brothers should listen to what they say.' 30 The rich man answered, "That is not enough, father Abraham! But if someone were to rise from death and go to them, then they would turn from their sins.' 31 But Abraham said, "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone were to rise from death.' "

86-Mark 2:27 And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Matthew 19:4 Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? 5 And God said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.' 6 So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together."

87-Genesis 3:15 I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel."

88-Genesis 4:1 Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, "By the Lord's help I have gotten a son." So she named him Cain. 2 Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer. 3 After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. 4 Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? 7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it." 8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out in the fields." When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him. 9 The Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?" 10 Then the Lord said, "Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. 11 You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him. 12 If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth." 13 And Cain said to the Lord, "This punishment is too hard for me to bear. 14 You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me." 15 But the Lord answered, "No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge." So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him. 16 And Cain went away from the Lord's presence and lived in a land called "Wandering," which is east of Eden. 17 Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the ancestor of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother was Jubal, the ancestor of all musicians who play the harp and the flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal Cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me: I have killed a young man because he struck me. 24 If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain, Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kills me." 25 Adam and his wife had another son. She said, "God has given me a son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed." So she named him Seth. 26 Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord's holy name in worship.

89-Genesis 4:7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it."

90-Romans 3:1 Do the Jews then have any advantage over the Gentiles? Or is there any value in being circumcised? 2 Much, indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews. 3 But what if some of them were not faithful? Does this mean that God will not be faithful? 4 Certainly not! God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says, "You must be shown to be right when you speak; you must win your case when you are being tried." 5 But what if our doing wrong serves to show up more clearly God's doing right? Can we say that God does wrong when he punishes us? (This would be the natural question to ask.) 6 By no means! If God is not just, how can he judge the world? 7 But what if my untruth serves God's glory by making his truth stand out more clearly? Why should I still be condemned as a sinner? 8 Why not say, then, "Let us do evil so that good may come"? Some people, indeed, have insulted me by accusing me of saying this very thing! They will be condemned, as they should be. 9 Well then, are we Jews in any better condition than the Gentiles? Not at all! I have already shown that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say: "There is no one who is righteous, 11 no one who is wise or who worships God. 12 All have turned away from God; they have all gone wrong; no one does what is right, not even one. 13 Their words are full of deadly deceit; wicked lies roll off their tongues, and dangerous threats, like snake's poison, from their lips; 14 their speech is filled with bitter curses. 15 They are quick to hurt and kill; 16 they leave ruin and destruction wherever they go. 17 They have not known the path of peace, 18 nor have they learned reverence for God." 19 Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God's judgment. 20 For no one is put right in God's sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make us know that we have sinned. 21 But now God's way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses and the prophets gave their witness to it. 22 God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: 23 everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence. 24 But by the free gift of God's grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. 25 God offered him, so that by his blood he should become the means by which people's sins are forgiven through their faith in him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people's sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus. 27 What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe. 28 For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands. 29 Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles also? Of course he is. 30 God is one, and he will put the Jews right with himself on the basis of their faith, and will put the Gentiles right through their faith. 31 Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.

Romans 4:1 What shall we say, then, of Abraham, the father of our race? What was his experience? 2 If he was put right with God by the things he did, he would have something to boast about - but not in God's sight. 3 The scripture says, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." 4 A person who works is paid wages, but they are not regarded as a gift; they are something that has been earned. 5 But those who depend on faith, not on deeds, and who believe in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is this faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself. 6 This is what David meant when he spoke of the happiness of the person whom God accepts as righteous, apart from anything that person does: 7 "Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, whose sins are pardoned! 8 Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of!" 9 Does this happiness that David spoke of belong only to those who are circumcised? No indeed! It belongs also to those who are not circumcised. For we have quoted the scripture, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." 10 When did this take place? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? It was before, not after. 11 He was circumcised later, and his circumcision was a sign to show that because of his faith God had accepted him as righteous before he had been circumcised. And so Abraham is the spiritual father of all who believe in God and are accepted as righteous by him, even though they are not circumcised. 12 He is also the father of those who are circumcised, that is, of those who, in addition to being circumcised, also live the same life of faith that our father Abraham lived before he was circumcised. 13 When God promised Abraham and his descendants that the world would belong to him, he did so, not because Abraham obeyed the Law, but because he believed and was accepted as righteous by God. 14 For if what God promises is to be given to those who obey the Law, then faith means nothing and God's promise is worthless. 15 The Law brings down God's anger; but where there is no law, there is no disobeying of the law. 16 And so the promise was based on faith, in order that the promise should be guaranteed as God's free gift to all of Abraham's descendants - not just to those who obey the Law, but also to those who believe as Abraham did. For Abraham is the spiritual father of us all; 17 as the scripture says, "I have made you father of many nations." So the promise is good in the sight of God, in whom Abraham believed - the God who brings the dead to life and whose command brings into being what did not exist. 18 Abraham believed and hoped, even when there was no reason for hoping, and so became "the father of many nations." Just as the scripture says, "Your descendants will be as many as the stars." 19 He was then almost one hundred years old; but his faith did not weaken when he thought of his body, which was already practically dead, or of the fact that Sarah could not have children. 20 His faith did not leave him, and he did not doubt God's promise; his faith filled him with power, and he gave praise to God. 21 He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why Abraham, through faith, "was accepted as righteous by God." 23 The words "he was accepted as righteous" were not written for him alone. 24 They were written also for us who are to be accepted as righteous, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from death. 25 Because of our sins he was given over to die, and he was raised to life in order to put us right with God.

Romans 5:1 Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God's glory! 3 We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance brings God's approval, and his approval creates hope. 5 This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us. 6 For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose. 7 It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. 8 But God has shown us how much he loves us - it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! 9 By his blood we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God's anger! 10 We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life! 11 But that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God's friends. 12 Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned. 13 There was sin in the world before the Law was given; but where there is no law, no account is kept of sins. 14 But from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, death ruled over all human beings, even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam did when he disobeyed God's command. Adam was a figure of the one who was to come. 15 But the two are not the same, because God's free gift is not like Adam's sin. It is true that many people died because of the sin of that one man. But God's grace is much greater, and so is his free gift to so many people through the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. 16 And there is a difference between God's gift and the sin of one man. After the one sin, came the judgment of "Guilty"; but after so many sins, comes the undeserved gift of "Not guilty!" 17 It is true that through the sin of one man death began to rule because of that one man. But how much greater is the result of what was done by the one man, Jesus Christ! All who receive God's abundant grace and are freely put right with him will rule in life through Christ. 18 So then, as the one sin condemned all people, in the same way the one righteous act sets all people free and gives them life. 19 And just as all people were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of one man, in the same way they will all be put right with God as the result of the obedience of the one man. 20 Law was introduced in order to increase wrongdoing; but where sin increased, God's grace increased much more. 21 So then, just as sin ruled by means of death, so also God's grace rules by means of righteousness, leading us to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:1 What shall we say, then? Should we continue to live in sin so that God's grace will increase? 2 Certainly not! We have died to sin - how then can we go on living in it? 3 For surely you know that when we were baptized into union with Christ Jesus, we were baptized into union with his death. 4 By our baptism, then, we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life. 5 For since we have become one with him in dying as he did, in the same way we shall be one with him by being raised to life as he was. 6 And we know that our old being has been put to death with Christ on his cross, in order that the power of the sinful self might be destroyed, so that we should no longer be the slaves of sin. 7 For when we die, we are set free from the power of sin. 8 Since we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that Christ has been raised from death and will never die again - death will no longer rule over him. 10 And so, because he died, sin has no power over him; and now he lives his life in fellowship with God. 11 In the same way you are to think of yourselves as dead, so far as sin is concerned, but living in fellowship with God through Christ Jesus. 12 Sin must no longer rule in your mortal bodies, so that you obey the desires of your natural self. 13 Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves to sin to be used for wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes. 14 Sin must not be your master; for you do not live under law but under God's grace. 15 What, then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law but under God's grace? By no means! 16 Surely you know that when you surrender yourselves as slaves to obey someone, you are in fact the slaves of the master you obey - either of sin, which results in death, or of obedience, which results in being put right with God. 17 But thanks be to God! For though at one time you were slaves to sin, you have obeyed with all your heart the truths found in the teaching you received. 18 You were set free from sin and became the slaves of righteousness. 19 (I use everyday language because of the weakness of your natural selves.) At one time you surrendered yourselves entirely as slaves to impurity and wickedness for wicked purposes. In the same way you must now surrender yourselves entirely as slaves of righteousness for holy purposes. 20 When you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. 21 What did you gain from doing the things that you are now ashamed of? The result of those things is death! 22 But now you have been set free from sin and are the slaves of God. Your gain is a life fully dedicated to him, and the result is eternal life. 23 For sin pays its wage - death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

91-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, when God created the universe, 2 the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. 3 Then God commanded, "Let there be light" - and light appeared. 4 God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness, 5 and he named the light "Day" and the darkness "Night." Evening passed and morning came - that was the first day. 6 Then God commanded, "Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places" - and it was done. So God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. 7 8 He named the dome "Sky." Evening passed and morning came - that was the second day. 9 Then God commanded, "Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear" - and it was done. 10 He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw. 11 Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit" - and it was done. 12 So the earth produced all kinds of plants, and God was pleased with what he saw. 13 Evening passed and morning came - that was the third day. 14 Then God commanded, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin; 15 they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth" - and it was done. 16 So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; he also made the stars. 17 He placed the lights in the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw. 19 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fourth day. 20 Then God commanded, "Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds." 21 So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw. 22 He blessed them all and told the creatures that live in the water to reproduce and to fill the sea, and he told the birds to increase in number. 23 Evening passed and morning came - that was the fifth day. 24 Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small" - and it was done. 25 So God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw. 26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. 29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came - that was the sixth day.

Genesis 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working. 4 And that is how the universe was created. When the Lord God made the universe, 5 there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land; 6 but water would come up from beneath the surface and water the ground. 7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live. 8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. 9 He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. 10 A stream flowed in Eden and watered the garden; beyond Eden it divided into four rivers. 11 The first river is the Pishon; it flows around the country of Havilah 12 (Pure gold is found there and also rare perfume and precious stones.) 13 The second river is the Gihon; it flows around the country of Cush. 14 The third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria, and the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it. 16 He told him, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, 17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day." 18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." 19 So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. 20 So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him. 21 Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. 22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

Genesis 3:1 Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 2 "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, 3 "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. 5 God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad." 6 The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it. 7 As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves. 8 That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. 9 But the Lord God called out to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked." 11 "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?" 12 The man answered, "The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it." 13 The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it." 14 Then the Lord God said to the snake, "You will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse: From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. 15 I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel." 16 And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him." 17 And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you. 18 It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants. 19 You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again." 20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all human beings. 21 And the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, "Now these human beings have become like one of us and have knowledge of what is good and what is bad. They must not be allowed to take fruit from the tree that gives life, eat it, and live forever." 23 So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden and made them cultivate the soil from which they had been formed. 24 Then at the east side of the garden he put living creatures and a flaming sword which turned in all directions. This was to keep anyone from coming near the tree that gives life.

Genesis 4:1 Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, "By the Lord's help I have gotten a son." So she named him Cain. 2 Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer. 3 After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. 4 Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? 7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it." 8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out in the fields." When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him. 9 The Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?" 10 Then the Lord said, "Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. 11 You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him. 12 If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth." 13 And Cain said to the Lord, "This punishment is too hard for me to bear. 14 You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me." 15 But the Lord answered, "No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge." So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him. 16 And Cain went away from the Lord's presence and lived in a land called "Wandering," which is east of Eden. 17 Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the ancestor of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother was Jubal, the ancestor of all musicians who play the harp and the flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal Cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me: I have killed a young man because he struck me. 24 If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain, Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kills me." 25 Adam and his wife had another son. She said, "God has given me a son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed." So she named him Seth. 26 Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord's holy name in worship.

92-Genesis 2:16 He told him, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, 17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day."

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.

James 3:9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God.

Acts 17:26 From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live.

Proverbs 14:1 If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.

Matthew 5:44 But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. 46 Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that! 47 And if you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary? Even the pagans do that! 48 You must be perfect - just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sits on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence and were seen no more. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead also gave up the dead they held. And all were judged according to what they had done.

93-Genesis 2:16 He told him, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, 17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day."

94-Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live.

95-Deuteronomy 8:4 During these forty years your clothes have not worn out, nor have your feet swollen up.

96-Psalm 95:6 Come, let us bow down and worship him; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 He is our God; we are the people he cares for, the flock for which he provides. Listen today to what he says:

Psalm 100:1 Sing to the Lord, all the world! 2 Worship the Lord with joy; come before him with happy songs! 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, we are his flock. 4 Enter the Temple gates with thanksgiving; go into its courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise him. 5 The Lord is good; his love is eternal and his faithfulness lasts forever.

Acts 17:25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. 28 as someone has said, "In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, "We too are his children.

97-1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 16 And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them.

98-Genesis 2:23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man."

99-Acts 17:26 From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live.

Matthew 23:9 And you must not call anyone here on earth "Father,' because you have only the one Father in heaven.

100-Proverbs 14:31 If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.

Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord made them both.

101-Matthew 5:44 But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. 46 Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that! 47 And if you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary? Even the pagans do that! 48 You must be perfect - just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

102-Luke 10:29 But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus answered, "There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead. 31 It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side. 32 In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity. 34 He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. "Take care of him,' he told the innkeeper, "and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.' " 36 And Jesus concluded, "In your opinion, which one of these three acted like a neighbor toward the man attacked by the robbers?" 37 The teacher of the Law answered, "The one who was kind to him." Jesus replied, "You go, then, and do the same."

103-Philippians 2:1 Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another. 2 I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. 3 Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. 4 And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own. 5 The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: 6 He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. 7 Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. 8 He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death - his death on the cross.

104-Ecclesiastes 12:13 After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for. 14 God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sits on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence and were seen no more. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead also gave up the dead they held. And all were judged according to what they had done.

Matthew 12:36 "You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken. 37 Your words will be used to judge you - to declare you either innocent or guilty."

Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne, 32 and the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the righteous people at his right and the others at his left. 34 Then the King will say to the people on his right, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. 35 I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, 36 naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.' 37 The righteous will then answer him, "When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' 40 The King will reply, "I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!'

105-Acts 16:31 They answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your family."

106-Great Controversy 666-672In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place. And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His government and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people. Says the prophet of God: “I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:11, 12. {GC 666.1}

As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. They see just where their feet diverged from the path of purity and holiness, just how far pride and rebellion have carried them in the violation of the law of God. The seductive temptations which they encouraged by indulgence in sin, the blessings perverted, the messengers of God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten back by the stubborn, unrepentant heart—all appear as if written in letters of fire. {GC 666.2}

Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam’s temptation and fall, and the successive steps in the great plan of redemption. The Saviour’s lowly birth; His early life of simplicity and obedience; His baptism in Jordan; the fast and temptation in the wilderness; His public ministry, unfolding to men heaven’s most precious blessings; the days crowded with deeds of love and mercy, the nights of prayer and watching in the solitude of the mountains; the plottings of envy, hate, and malice which repaid His benefits; the awful, mysterious agony in Gethsemane beneath the crushing weight of the sins of the whole world; His betrayal into the hands of the murderous mob; the fearful events of that night of horror—the unresisting prisoner, forsaken by His best-loved disciples, rudely hurried through the streets of Jerusalem; the Son of God exultingly displayed before Annas, arraigned in the high priest’s palace, in the judgment hall of Pilate, before the cowardly and cruel Herod, mocked, insulted, tortured, and condemned to die—all are vividly portrayed. {GC 666.3}

And now before the swaying multitude are revealed the final scenes—the patient Sufferer treading the path to Calvary; the Prince of heaven hanging upon the cross; the haughty priests and the jeering rabble deriding His expiring agony; the supernatural darkness; the heaving earth, the rent rocks, the open graves, marking the moment when the world’s Redeemer yielded up His life. {GC 667.1}

The awful spectacle appears just as it was. Satan, his angels, and his subjects have no power to turn from the picture of their own work. Each actor recalls the part which he performed. Herod, who slew the innocent children of Bethlehem that he might destroy the King of Israel; the base Herodias, upon whose guilty soul rests the blood of John the Baptist; the weak, timeserving Pilate; the mocking soldiers; the priests and rulers and the maddened throng who cried, “His blood be on us, and on our children!”—all behold the enormity of their guilt. They vainly seek to hide from the divine majesty of His countenance, outshining the glory of the sun, while the redeemed cast their crowns at the Saviour’s feet, exclaiming: “He died for me!” {GC 667.2}

Amid the ransomed throng are the apostles of Christ, the heroic Paul, the ardent Peter, the loved and loving John, and their truehearted brethren, and with them the vast host of martyrs; while outside the walls, with every vile and abominable thing, are those by whom they were persecuted, imprisoned, and slain. There is Nero, that monster of cruelty and vice, beholding the joy and exaltation of those whom he once tortured, and in whose extremest anguish he found satanic delight. His mother is there to witness the result of her own work; to see how the evil stamp of character transmitted to her son, the passions encouraged and developed by her influence and example, have borne fruit in crimes that caused the world to shudder. {GC 667.3}

There are papist priests and prelates, who claimed to be Christ’s ambassadors, yet employed the rack, the dungeon, and the stake to control the consciences of His people. There are the proud pontiffs who exalted themselves above God and presumed to change the law of the Most High. Those pretended fathers of the church have an account to render to God from which they would fain be excused. Too late they are made to see that the Omniscient One is jealous of His law and that He will in no wise clear the guilty. They learn now that Christ identifies His interest with that of His suffering people; and they feel the force of His own words: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” Matthew 25:40. {GC 668.1}

The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of God on the charge of high treason against the government of heaven. They have none to plead their cause; they are without excuse; and the sentence of eternal death is pronounced against them. {GC 668.2}

It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble independence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death. The wicked see what they have forfeited by their life of rebellion. The far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory was despised when offered them; but how desirable it now appears. “All this,” cries the lost soul, “I might have had; but I chose to put these things far from me. Oh, strange infatuation! I have exchanged peace, happiness, and honor for wretchedness, infamy, and despair.” All see that their exclusion from heaven is just. By their lives they have declared: “We will not have this Man [Jesus] to reign over us.” {GC 668.3}

As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coronation of the Son of God. They see in His hands the tables of the divine law, the statutes which they have despised and transgressed. They witness the outburst of wonder, rapture, and adoration from the saved; and as the wave of melody sweeps over the multitudes without the city, all with one voice exclaim, “Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints” (Revelation 15:3); and, falling prostrate, they worship the Prince of life. {GC 668.4}

Satan seems paralyzed as he beholds the glory and majesty of Christ. He who was once a covering cherub remembers whence he has fallen. A shining seraph, “son of the morning;” how changed, how degraded! From the council where once he was honored, he is forever excluded. He sees another now standing near to the Father, veiling His glory. He has seen the crown placed upon the head of Christ by an angel of lofty stature and majestic presence, and he knows that the exalted position of this angel might have been his. {GC 669.1}

Memory recalls the home of his innocence and purity, the peace and content that were his until he indulged in murmuring against God, and envy of Christ. His accusations, his rebellion, his deceptions to gain the sympathy and support of the angels, his stubborn persistence in making no effort for self-recovery when God would have granted him forgiveness—all come vividly before him. He reviews his work among men and its results—the enmity of man toward his fellow man, the terrible destruction of life, the rise and fall of kingdoms, the overturning of thrones, the long succession of tumults, conflicts, and revolutions. He recalls his constant efforts to oppose the work of Christ and to sink man lower and lower. He sees that his hellish plots have been powerless to destroy those who have put their trust in Jesus. As Satan looks upon his kingdom, the fruit of his toil, he sees only failure and ruin. He has led the multitudes to believe that the City of God would be an easy prey; but he knows that this is false. Again and again, in the progress of the great controversy, he has been defeated and compelled to yield. He knows too well the power and majesty of the Eternal. {GC 669.2}

The aim of the great rebel has ever been to justify himself and to prove the divine government responsible for the rebellion. To this end he has bent all the power of his giant intellect. He has worked deliberately and systematically, and with marvelous success, leading vast multitudes to accept his version of the great controversy which has been so long in progress. For thousands of years this chief of conspiracy has palmed off falsehood for truth. But the time has now come when the rebellion is to be finally defeated and the history and character of Satan disclosed. In his last great effort to dethrone Christ, destroy His people, and take possession of the City of God, the archdeceiver has been fully unmasked. Those who have united with him see the total failure of his cause. Christ’s followers and the loyal angels behold the full extent of his machinations against the government of God. He is the object of universal abhorrence. {GC 670.1}

Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme torture. His accusations against the mercy and justice of God are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. And now Satan bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence. {GC 670.2}

“Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest.” Verse 4. Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy has now been made plain. The results of rebellion, the fruits of setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view of all created intelligences. The working out of Satan’s rule in contrast with the government of God has been presented to the whole universe. Satan’s own works have condemned him. God’s wisdom, His justice, and His goodness stand fully vindicated. It is seen that all His dealings in the great controversy have been conducted with respect to the eternal good of His people and the good of all the worlds that He has created. “All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee.” Psalm 145:10. The history of sin will stand to all eternity as a witness that with the existence of God’s law is bound up the happiness of all the beings He has created. With all the facts of the great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one accord declare: “Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.” {GC 670.3}

Before the universe has been clearly presented the great sacrifice made by the Father and the Son in man’s behalf. The hour has come when Christ occupies His rightful position and is glorified above principalities and powers and every name that is named. It was for the joy that was set before Him—that He might bring many sons unto glory—that He endured the cross and despised the shame. And inconceivably great as was the sorrow and the shame, yet greater is the joy and the glory. He looks upon the redeemed, renewed in His own image, every heart bearing the perfect impress of the divine, every face reflecting the likeness of their King. He beholds in them the result of the travail of His soul, and He is satisfied. Then, in a voice that reaches the assembled multitudes of the righteous and the wicked, He declares: “Behold the purchase of My blood! For these I suffered, for these I died, that they might dwell in My presence throughout eternal ages.” And the song of praise ascends from the white-robed ones about the throne: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:12. {GC 671.1}

Notwithstanding that Satan has been constrained to acknowledge God’s justice and to bow to the supremacy of Christ, his character remains unchanged. The spirit of rebellion, like a mighty torrent, again bursts forth. Filled with frenzy, he determines not to yield the great controversy. The time has come for a last desperate struggle against the King of heaven. He rushes into the midst of his subjects and endeavors to inspire them with his own fury and arouse them to instant battle. But of all the countless millions whom he has allured into rebellion, there are none now to acknowledge his supremacy. His power is at an end. The wicked are filled with the same hatred of God that inspires Satan; but they see that their case is hopeless, that they cannot prevail against Jehovah. Their rage is kindled against Satan and those who have been his agents in deception, and with the fury of demons they turn upon them. {GC 671.2}

Saith the Lord: “Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit.” “I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.... I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.... I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.... Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” Ezekiel 28:6-8, 16-19. {GC 672.1}

“Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.” “The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies: He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath delivered them to the slaughter.” “Upon the wicked He shall rain quick burning coals, fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.” Isaiah 9:5; 34:2; Psalm 11:6, margin. Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. Malachi 4:1; 2 Peter 3:10. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass—a vast, seething lake of fire. It is the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly men—“the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.” Isaiah 34:8. {GC 672.2}

107-Philippians 2:10 And so, in honor of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, 11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

108-Deuteronomy 30:11 "The command that I am giving you today is not too difficult or beyond your reach.

109-Genesis 9:4 The one thing you must not eat is meat with blood still in it; I forbid this because the life is in the blood. 5 If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. I will punish with death any animal that takes a human life. 6 Human beings were made like God, so whoever murders one of them will be killed by someone else.

110-Genesis 2:15 Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it.

111-Genesis 3:1 Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 2 "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, 3 "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. 5 God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad." 6 The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it. 7 As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves. 8 That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. 9 But the Lord God called out to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked." 11 "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?" 12 The man answered, "The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it." 13 The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it." 14 Then the Lord God said to the snake, "You will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse: From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. 15 I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel."

Matthew 4:3 Then the Devil came to him and said, "If you are God's Son, order these stones to turn into bread." 4 But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, "Human beings cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speaks.' " 5 Then the Devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, the Holy City, set him on the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said to him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down, for the scripture says, "God will give orders to his angels about you; they will hold you up with their hands, so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.' " 7 Jesus answered, "But the scripture also says, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " 8 Then the Devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their greatness. 9 "All this I will give you," the Devil said, "if you kneel down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus answered, "Go away, Satan! The scripture says, "Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!' "

Colossians 2:20 You have died with Christ and are set free from the ruling spirits of the universe. Why, then, do you live as though you belonged to this world? Why do you obey such rules as 21 "Don't handle this," "Don't taste that," "Don't touch the other"? 22 All these refer to things which become useless once they are used; they are only human rules and teachings. 23 Of course such rules appear to be based on wisdom in their forced worship of angels, and false humility, and severe treatment of the body; but they have no real value in controlling physical passions.

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.

Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!"

112-4SP 17-24 “The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” [Luke 19:43, 44.] {4SP 17.1}

From the crest of Olivet, Jesus looks upon Jerusalem. Fair and peaceful is the scene spread out before him. In the midst of gardens and vineyards and green slopes studded with pilgrims’ tents, rise the terraced hills, the stately palaces, and massive bulwarks of Israel’s capital. The daughter of Zion seems in her pride to say, “I sit a queen, and shall see no sorrow;” as lovely now, and deeming herself as secure in Heaven’s favor, as when, ages before, the royal minstrel sung, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion,” “the city of the great King.” [Psalm 48:2.] In full view are the magnificent buildings of the temple. The rays of the setting sun light up the snowy whiteness of its marble walls, and gleam from golden gate and tower and pinnacle. “The perfection of beauty” it stands, the pride of the Jewish nation. What child of Israel could gaze upon the scene without a thrill of joy and admiration! But far other thoughts occupy the mind of Jesus. “When he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.” [Luke 19:41.] Amid the universal rejoicing of the triumphal entry, while palm branches wave, while glad hosannas awake the echoes of the hills, and thousands of voices declare him king, the world’s Redeemer is overwhelmed with a sudden and mysterious sorrow. He, the Son of God, the Promised One of Israel, whose power has conquered death, and called its captives from the grave, is in tears, not of ordinary grief, but of intense, irrepressible agony. {4SP 17.2}

His tears were not for himself, though he well knew whither his feet were tending. Before him lay Gethsemane. Not far distant was the place of crucifixion. Upon the path which he was soon to tread must fall the horror of great darkness as he should make his soul an offering for sin. Yet it was not a contemplation of these scenes that cast the shadow upon him in this hour of gladness. No forebodings of his own superhuman anguish clouded that unselfish spirit. He wept for the doomed thousands of Jerusalem,—because of the blindness and impenitence of those whom he came to bless and save. {4SP 18.1}

The history of a thousand years of privilege and blessing, granted to the Jewish people, was unfolded to the eye of Jesus. The Lord had made Zion his holy habitation. There prophets had unsealed their rolls and uttered their warnings. There priests had waved their censers, and daily offered the blood of slain lambs, pointing forward to the Lamb of God. There had Jehovah dwelt in visible glory, in the shekinah above the mercy-seat. There rested the base of that mystic ladder connecting earth with Heaven,—that ladder upon which angels of God descended and ascended, and which opened to the world the way into the holiest of all. Had Israel as a nation preserved her allegiance to Heaven, Jerusalem would have stood forever, the elect metropolis of God. But the history of that favored people was a record of backsliding and rebellion. They had resisted Heaven’s grace, abused their privileges, slighted their opportunities. {4SP 18.2}

Amid forgetfulness and apostasy, God had dealt with Israel as a loving father deals with a rebellious son, admonishing, warning, correcting, still saying in the tender anguish of a parent’s soul, How can I give thee up? When remonstrance, entreaty, and rebuke had failed, God sent to this people the best gift of Heaven; nay, he poured out to them all Heaven in that one gift. {4SP 19.1}

For three years the Son of God knocked at the gate of the impenitent city. He came to his vineyard seeking fruit. Israel had been as a vine transplanted from Egypt into a genial soil. He dug about his vine; he pruned and cherished it. He was unwearied in his efforts to save this vine of his own planting. For three years the Lord of light and glory had gone in and out among his people. He healed the sick; he comforted the sorrowing; he raised the dead; he spoke pardon and peace to the repentant. He gathered about him the weak and the weary, the helpless and the desponding, and extended to all, without respect to age or character, the invitation of mercy: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” [Matthew 11:28.] {4SP 19.2}

Regardless of indifference and contempt, he had steadfastly pursued his ministry of love. No frown upon his brow repelled the suppliant. Himself subjected to privation and reproach, he had lived to scatter blessings in his path, to plead with men to accept the gift of life. The waves of mercy, beaten back by the stubborn heart, returned in a tide of untiring love. But Israel had turned from her best friend and only helper. The pleadings of his love had been despised, his counsels spurned, his warnings ridiculed. {4SP 20.1}

The hour of grace and reprieve was fast passing; the cup of God’s long-deferred wrath was almost full. The cloud of wrath that had been gathering through ages of apostasy and rebellion, was about to burst upon a guilty people, and He who alone could save them from their impending fate had been slighted, abused, rejected, and was soon to be crucified. When Christ should hang on Calvary’s cross, Israel’s day as a nation favored and blessed of God would be ended. The loss of even one soul is a calamity in comparison with which the gain of a world sinks into insignificance; but as Christ looked upon Jerusalem, the doom of a whole city, a whole nation, was before him; that city, that nation which had once been the chosen of God,—his peculiar treasure. {4SP 20.2}

Prophets had wept over the apostasy of Israel. Jeremiah wished that his eyes were a fountain of tears, that he might “weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of his people.” What, then, was the grief of Him whose prophetic glance took in, not years, but ages? He beholds the destroying angel hovering over the ancient metropolis of patriarchs and prophets. From the ridge of Olivet, the very spot afterward occupied by Titus and his army, he looks across the valley upon the sacred courts and porticoes, and with tear-blinded eyes he sees, in awful perspective, the walls surrounded by alien armies. He hears the tread of the hosts mustering for battle. He hears the voice of mothers and children crying for bread in the besieged city. He sees her holy and beautiful house, her palaces and towers, given to the flames, and where once they stood, only a heap of smoldering ruins. {4SP 20.3}

He looks down the ages, and sees the covenant people scattered in every land, like wrecks on a desert shore. He sees in the temporal retribution about to fall upon her children, but the first draught from that cup of wrath which at the final Judgment she must drain to its dregs. Divine pity, yearning love, finds utterance in the mournful words: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” [Matthew 23:37.] Oh that thou, a nation favored above every other, hadst known the time of thy visitation, and the things that belong unto thy peace! I have stayed the angel of justice, I have called thee to repentance, but all in vain. It is not merely servants, delegates, and prophets, whom thou hast refused and rejected, but the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer. If thou art destroyed, thou art alone responsible. “Ye will not come to me that ye might have life.” {4SP 21.1}

Christ saw in Jerusalem a symbol of a world hardened in unbelief and rebellion, and rushing on to meet the retributive judgments of God. The woes of a fallen race, pressing upon his soul, forced from his lips that exceeding bitter cry. He saw the record of sin traced in human misery, in tears and blood; his heart was moved with infinite pity for the afflicted and suffering ones of earth; he yearned to relieve all. But he knew that even his hand might not turn back the incoming tide of human woe; few would seek their only source of help. He was willing to suffer and to die to bring salvation within their reach; but few would come to him that they might have life. {4SP 22.1}

The Majesty of Heaven in tears! the Son of the infinite God troubled in spirit, bowed down with anguish! The scene filled all Heaven with wonder. That scene reveals to us the exceeding sinfulness of sin; it shows how hard a task it is, even for infinite power, to save the guilty from the consequences of transgressing the law of God. Jesus, looking down to the last generation, saw the world inclosed in a deception similar to that which caused the destruction of Jerusalem. The great sin of the Jews was their rejection of Christ; the great sin of the Christian world would be their rejection of the law of God, the foundation of his government in Heaven and earth. The precepts of Jehovah would be despised and set at naught. Millions in bondage to sin, slaves of Satan, doomed to suffer the second death, would refuse to listen to the words of truth in their day of visitation. Terrible blindness! strange infatuation! {4SP 22.2}

Two days before the passover, when Christ had for the last time departed from the temple, after denouncing the hypocrisy of the Jewish rulers, he again went out with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, and seated himself with them upon a grassy slope overlooking the city. Once more he gazed upon its walls, its towers and palaces. Once more he beheld the temple in its dazzling splendor, a diadem of beauty crowning the sacred mount. {4SP 23.1}

A thousand years before had the psalmist magnified God’s favor to Israel in making her holy house his dwelling-place: “In Salem is his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Zion.” [Psalm 76:2.] “He chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved. And he built his sanctuary like high palaces.” [Psalm 78:68, 69.] The first temple had been erected during the most prosperous period of Israel’s history. Vast stores of treasure for this purpose had been collected by King David, and the plans for its construction were made by divine inspiration. Solomon, the wisest of Israel’s monarchs, had completed the work. This temple was the most magnificent building which the world ever saw. Yet the Lord had declared by the prophet Haggai, concerning the second temple, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former.” “I will shake all nations, and the Desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.” [Haggai 2:9, 7.] {4SP 23.2}

After the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar, it was rebuilt about five hundred years before the birth of Christ, by a people who from a lifelong captivity had returned to a wasted and almost deserted country. There were then among them aged men who had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple, and who wept at the foundation of the new building, that it must be so inferior to the former. The feeling that prevailed is forcibly described by the prophet: “Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?” [Haggai 2:3.] Then was given the promise that the glory of this latter house should be greater than of the former. {4SP 23.3}

But the second temple had not equaled the first in magnificence; nor was it hallowed by those visible tokens of the divine presence which pertained to the first temple. There was no manifestation of supernatural power to mark its dedication. No cloud of glory was seen to fill the newly erected sanctuary. No fire from Heaven descended to consume the sacrifice upon its altar. The shekinah no longer abode between the cherubim in the most holy place; the ark, the mercy-seat, and the tables of the testimony were not to be found therein. No voice sounded from Heaven to make known to the inquiring priest the will of Jehovah. {4SP 24.1}

For centuries the Jews had vainly endeavored to show wherein the promise of God, given by Haggai, had been fulfilled; yet pride and unbelief blinded their minds to the true meaning of the prophet’s words. The second temple was not honored with the cloud of Jehovah’s glory, but with the living presence of One in whom dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily,—who was God himself manifest in the flesh. The “Desire of all nations” had indeed come to his temple when the Man of Nazareth taught and healed in the sacred courts. In the presence of Christ, and in this only, did the second temple exceed the first in glory. But Israel had put from her the proffered gift of Heaven. With the humble Teacher who had that day passed out from its golden gate, the glory had forever departed from the temple. Already were fulfilled the Saviour’s words, “Your house is left unto you desolate.” [Matthew 23:38.] {4SP 24.2}

113-Isaiah 14:12 King of Babylon, bright morning star, you have fallen from heaven! In the past you conquered nations, but now you have been thrown to the ground. 13 You were determined to climb up to heaven and to place your throne above the highest stars. You thought you would sit like a king on that mountain in the north where the gods assemble. 14 You said you would climb to the tops of the clouds and be like the Almighty. 15 But instead, you have been brought down to the deepest part of the world of the dead.

114-Ezekiel 28:12 "Mortal man," he said, "grieve for the fate that is waiting for the king of Tyre. Tell him what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: You were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! 13 You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz, beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for you on the day you were created. 14 I put a terrifying angel there to guard you. You lived on my holy mountain and walked among sparkling gems. 15 Your conduct was perfect from the day you were created until you began to do evil.

115-Patriarchs and Prophets 35-43 So long as all created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love, there was perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. It was the joy of the heavenly host to fulfill the purpose of their Creator. They delighted in reflecting His glory and showing forth His praise. And while love to God was supreme, love for one another was confiding and unselfish. There was no note of discord to mar the celestial harmonies. But a change came over this happy state. There was one who perverted the freedom that God had granted to His creatures. Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and was highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. Lucifer, “son of the morning,” was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled. He stood in the presence of the great Creator, and the ceaseless beams of glory enshrouding the eternal God rested upon him. “Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering.... Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Ezekiel 28:12-15. {PP 35.1}

Little by little Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. The Scripture says, “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.” Ezekiel 28:17. “Thou hast said in thine heart, ...I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.... I will be like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:13, 14. Though all his glory was from God, this mighty angel came to regard it as pertaining to himself. Not content with his position, though honored above the heavenly host, he ventured to covet homage due alone to the Creator. Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of all created beings, it was his endeavor to secure their service and loyalty to himself. And coveting the glory with which the infinite Father had invested His Son, this prince of angels aspired to power that was the prerogative of Christ alone. {PP 35.2}

Now the perfect harmony of heaven was broken. Lucifer’s disposition to serve himself instead of his Creator aroused a feeling of apprehension when observed by those who considered that the glory of God should be supreme. In heavenly council the angels pleaded with Lucifer. The Son of God presented before him the greatness, the goodness, and the justice of the Creator, and the sacred, unchanging nature of His law. God Himself had established the order of heaven; and in departing from it, Lucifer would dishonor his Maker and bring ruin upon himself. But the warning, given in infinite love and mercy, only aroused a spirit of resistance. Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail, and became the more determined. {PP 35.3}

To dispute the supremacy of the Son of God, thus impeaching the wisdom and love of the Creator, had become the purpose of this prince of angels. To this object he was about to bend the energies of that master mind, which, next to Christ’s, was first among the hosts of God. But He who would have the will of all His creatures free, left none unguarded to the bewildering sophistry by which rebellion would seek to justify itself. Before the great contest should open, all were to have a clear presentation of His will, whose wisdom and goodness were the spring of all their joy. {PP 36.1}

The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng—“ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11.), the most exalted angels, as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity. Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father’s will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due. Christ was still to exercise divine power, in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants. But in all this He would not seek power or exaltation for Himself contrary to God’s plan, but would exalt the Father’s glory and execute His purposes of beneficence and love. {PP 36.2}

The angels joyfully acknowledged the supremacy of Christ, and prostrating themselves before Him, poured out their love and adoration. Lucifer bowed with them, but in his heart there was a strange, fierce conflict. Truth, justice, and loyalty were struggling against envy and jealousy. The influence of the holy angels seemed for a time to carry him with them. As songs of praise ascended in melodious strains, swelled by thousands of glad voices, the spirit of evil seemed vanquished; unutterable love thrilled his entire being; his soul went out, in harmony with the sinless worshippers, in love to the Father and the Son. But again he was filled with pride in his own glory. His desire for supremacy returned, and envy of Christ was once more indulged. The high honors conferred upon Lucifer were not appreciated as God’s special gift, and therefore, called forth no gratitude to his Creator. He gloried in his brightness and exaltation and aspired to be equal with God. He was beloved and reverenced by the heavenly host, angels delighted to execute his commands, and he was clothed with wisdom and glory above them all. Yet the Son of God was exalted above him, as one in power and authority with the Father. He shared the Father’s counsels, while Lucifer did not thus enter into the purposes of God. “Why,” questioned this mighty angel, “should Christ have the supremacy? Why is He honored above Lucifer?” {PP 36.3}

Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God. He began to insinuate doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that though laws might be necessary for the inhabitants of the worlds, angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for their own wisdom was a sufficient guide. They were not beings that could bring dishonor to God; all their thoughts were holy; it was no more possible for them than for God Himself to err. The exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father was represented as an injustice to Lucifer, who, it was claimed, was also entitled to reverence and honor. If this prince of angels could but attain to his true, exalted position, great good would accrue to the entire host of heaven; for it was his object to secure freedom for all. But now even the liberty which they had hitherto enjoyed was at an end; for an absolute Ruler had been appointed them, and to His authority all must pay homage. Such were the subtle deceptions that through the wiles of Lucifer were fast obtaining in the heavenly courts. {PP 37.1}

There had been no change in the position or authority of Christ. Lucifer’s envy and misrepresentation and his claims to equality with Christ had made necessary a statement of the true position of the Son of God; but this had been the same from the beginning. Many of the angels were, however, blinded by Lucifer’s deceptions. {PP 38.1}

Taking advantage of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by the holy beings under his command, he had so artfully instilled into their minds his own distrust and discontent that his agency was not discerned. Lucifer had presented the purposes of God in a false light—misconstruing and distorting them to excite dissent and dissatisfaction. He cunningly drew his hearers on to give utterance to their feelings; then these expressions were repeated by him when it would serve his purpose, as evidence that the angels were not fully in harmony with the government of God. While claiming for himself perfect loyalty to God, he urged that changes in the order and laws of heaven were necessary for the stability of the divine government. Thus while working to excite opposition to the law of God and to instill his own discontent into the minds of the angels under him, he was ostensibly seeking to remove dissatisfaction and to reconcile disaffected angels to the order of heaven. While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, he with consummate craft caused it to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty and to preserve harmony and peace. {PP 38.2}

The spirit of dissatisfaction thus kindled was doing its baleful work. While there was no open outbreak, division of feeling imperceptibly grew up among the angels. There were some who looked with favor upon Lucifer’s insinuations against the government of God. Although they had heretofore been in perfect harmony with the order which God had established, they were now discontented and unhappy because they could not penetrate His unsearchable counsels; they were dissatisfied with His purpose in exalting Christ. These stood ready to second Lucifer’s demand for equal authority with the Son of God. But angels who were loyal and true maintained the wisdom and justice of the divine decree and endeavored to reconcile this disaffected being to the will of God. Christ was the Son of God; He had been one with Him before the angels were called into existence. He had ever stood at the right hand of the Father; His supremacy, so full of blessing to all who came under its benignant control, had not heretofore been questioned. The harmony of heaven had never been interrupted; wherefore should there now be discord? The loyal angels could see only terrible consequences from this dissension, and with earnest entreaty they counseled the disaffected ones to renounce their purpose and prove themselves loyal to God by fidelity to His government. {PP 38.3}

In great mercy, according to His divine character, God bore long with Lucifer. The spirit of discontent and disaffection had never before been known in heaven. It was a new element, strange, mysterious, unaccountable. Lucifer himself had not at first been acquainted with the real nature of his feelings; for a time he had feared to express the workings and imaginings of his mind; yet he did not dismiss them. He did not see whither he was drifting. But such efforts as infinite love and wisdom only could devise, were made to convince him of his error. His disaffection was proved to be without cause, and he was made to see what would be the result of persisting in revolt. Lucifer was convinced that he was in the wrong. He saw that “the Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works” (Psalm 145:17); that the divine statutes are just, and that he ought to acknowledge them as such before all heaven. Had he done this, he might have saved himself and many angels. He had not at that time fully cast off his allegiance to God. Though he had left his position as covering cherub, yet if he had been willing to return to God, acknowledging the Creator’s wisdom, and satisfied to fill the place appointed him in God’s great plan, he would have been reinstated in his office. The time had come for a final decision; he must fully yield to the divine sovereignty or place himself in open rebellion. He nearly reached the decision to return, but pride forbade him. It was too great a sacrifice for one who had been so highly honored to confess that he had been in error, that his imaginings were false, and to yield to the authority which he had been working to prove unjust. {PP 39.1}

A compassionate Creator, in yearning pity for Lucifer and his followers, was seeking to draw them back from the abyss of ruin into which they were about to plunge. But His mercy was misinterpreted. Lucifer pointed to the long-suffering of God as an evidence of his own superiority, an indication that the King of the universe would yet accede to his terms. If the angels would stand firmly with him, he declared, they could yet gain all that they desired. He persistently defended his own course, and fully committed himself to the great controversy against his Maker. Thus it was that Lucifer, “the light bearer,” the sharer of God’s glory, the attendant of His throne, by transgression became Satan, “the adversary” of God and holy beings and the destroyer of those whom Heaven had committed to his guidance and guardianship. {PP 39.2}

Rejecting with disdain the arguments and entreaties of the loyal angels, he denounced them as deluded slaves. The preference shown to Christ he declared an act of injustice both to himself and to all the heavenly host, and announced that he would no longer submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs. He would never again acknowledge the supremacy of Christ. He had determined to claim the honor which should have been given him, and take command of all who would become his followers; and he promised those who would enter his ranks a new and better government, under which all would enjoy freedom. Great numbers of the angels signified their purpose to accept him as their leader. Flattered by the favor with which his advances were received, he hoped to win all the angels to his side, to become equal with God Himself, and to be obeyed by the entire host of heaven. {PP 40.1}

Still the loyal angels urged him and his sympathizers to submit to God; and they set before them the inevitable result should they refuse: He who had created them could overthrow their power and signally punish their rebellious daring. No angel could successfully oppose the law of God, which was as sacred as Himself. They warned all to close their ears against Lucifer’s deceptive reasoning, and urged him and his followers to seek the presence of God without delay and confess the error of questioning His wisdom and authority. {PP 40.2}

Many were disposed to heed this counsel, to repent of their disaffection, and seek to be again received into favor with the Father and His Son. But Lucifer had another deception ready. The mighty revolter now declared that the angels who had united with him had gone too far to return; that he was acquainted with the divine law, and knew that God would not forgive. He declared that all who should submit to the authority of Heaven would be stripped of their honor, degraded from their position. For himself, he was determined never again to acknowledge the authority of Christ. The only course remaining for him and his followers, he said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force the rights which had not been willingly accorded them. {PP 40.3}

So far as Satan himself was concerned, it was true that he had now gone too far to return. But not so with those who had been blinded by his deceptions. To them the counsel and entreaties of the loyal angels opened a door of hope; and had they heeded the warning, they might have broken away from the snare of Satan. But pride, love for their leader, and the desire for unrestricted freedom were permitted to bear sway, and the pleadings of divine love and mercy were finally rejected. {PP 41.1}

God permitted Satan to carry forward his work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. It was necessary for his plans to be fully developed, that their true nature and tendency might be seen by all. Lucifer, as the anointed cherub, had been highly exalted; he was greatly loved by the heavenly beings, and his influence over them was strong. God’s government included not only the inhabitants of heaven, but of all the worlds that He had created; and Lucifer had concluded that if he could carry the angels of heaven with him in rebellion, he could carry also all the worlds. He had artfully presented his side of the question, employing sophistry and fraud to secure his objects. His power to deceive was very great. By disguising himself in a cloak of falsehood, he had gained an advantage. All his acts were so clothed with mystery that it was difficult to disclose to the angels the true nature of his work. Until fully developed, it could not be made to appear the evil thing it was; his disaffection would not be seen to be rebellion. Even the loyal angels could not fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading. {PP 41.2}

Lucifer had at first so conducted his temptations that he himself stood uncommitted. The angels whom he could not bring fully to his side, he accused of indifference to the interests of heavenly beings. The very work which he himself was doing, he charged upon the loyal angels. It was his policy to perplex with subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God. Everything that was simple he shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah. And his high position, so closely connected with the divine government, gave greater force to his representations. {PP 41.3}

God could employ only such means as were consistent with truth and righteousness. Satan could use what God could not—flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word of God and had misrepresented His plan of government, claiming that God was not just in imposing laws upon the angels; that in requiring submission and obedience from His creatures, He was seeking merely the exaltation of Himself. It was therefore necessary to demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven, and of all the worlds, that God’s government is just, His law perfect. Satan had made it appear that he himself was seeking to promote the good of the universe. The true character of the usurper and his real object must be understood by all. He must have time to manifest himself by his wicked works. {PP 42.1}

The discord which his own course had caused in heaven, Satan charged upon the government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of the divine administration. He claimed that it was his own object to improve upon the statutes of Jehovah. Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working out of his proposed changes in the divine law. His own work must condemn him. Satan had claimed from the first that he was not in rebellion. The whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked. {PP 42.2}

Even when he was cast out of heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question. {PP 42.3}

Satan’s rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages—a perpetual testimony to the nature of sin and its terrible results. The working out of Satan’s rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God’s government is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy beings, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin, and suffering its penalty. {PP 42.4}

He that ruleth in the heavens is the one who sees the end from the beginning—the one before whom the mysteries of the past and the future are alike outspread, and who, beyond the woe and darkness and ruin that sin has wrought, beholds the accomplishment of His own purposes of love and blessing. Though “clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne.” Psalm 97:2, R.V. And this the inhabitants of the universe, both loyal and disloyal, will one day understand. “His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4. {PP 43.1}

116-Revelation 12:7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; 8 but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. 9 The huge dragon was thrown out - that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him.

117-Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now God's salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as King! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused believers day and night has been thrown out of heaven. 11 They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die. 12 And so be glad, you heavens, and all you that live there! But how terrible for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left."

118-Genesis 3:16 And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him."

119-Revelation 12:17 The dragon was furious with the woman and went off to fight against the rest of her descendants, all those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus.

120-Revelation 19:10 I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "Don't do it! I am a servant together with you and with other believers, all those who hold to the truth that Jesus revealed. Worship God!" For the truth that Jesus revealed is what inspires the prophets.

121-2 Peter 3:12 as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon - the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat.

122-Genesis 2:17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day."

Romans 6:23 For sin pays its wage - death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

123-Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!"

124-Job 41:11 Who can attack him and still be safe? No one in all the world can do it.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; 20 he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory.

Genesis 3:17 And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you.

John 12:31 Now is the time for this world to be judged; now the ruler of this world will be overthrown.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God's power. 19 The scripture says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars." 20 So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skillful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world's wisdom is foolishness! 21 For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called "foolish" message we preach, God decided to save those who believe

125-Psalm 24:1 The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his. 2 He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.

Job 41:11 Who can attack him and still be safe? No one in all the world can do it.

Psalm 50:10 all the animals in the forest are mine and the cattle on thousands of hills.

Isaiah 43:1 Israel, the Lord who created you says, "Do not be afraid - I will save you. I have called you by name - you are mine. 2 When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; 20 he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory.

126-Genesis 3:17 And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you.

Genesis 4:10 Then the Lord said, "Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. 11 You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him. 12 If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth." 13 And Cain said to the Lord, "This punishment is too hard for me to bear. 14 You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me."

Genesis 5:28 When Lamech was 182, he had a son 29 and said, "From the very ground on which the Lord put a curse, this child will bring us relief from all our hard work"; so he named him Noah.

127-Genesis 2:4 And that is how the universe was created. When the Lord God made the universe, 5 there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land; 6 but water would come up from beneath the surface and water the ground.

128-Romans 8:19 All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children. 20 For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope 21 that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth.

129-Job 1:7 The Lord asked him, "What have you been doing?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth."

1 Peter 5:8 Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

130-John 12:31 Now is the time for this world to be judged; now the ruler of this world will be overthrown.

John 14:30 I cannot talk with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me,

John 16:11 and they are wrong about judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

Ephesians 2:2 At that time you followed the world's evil way; you obeyed the ruler of the spiritual powers in space, the spirit who now controls the people who disobey God.

Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age.

131-Romans 5:12 Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned.

132-James 1:13 If we are tempted by such trials, we must not say, "This temptation comes from God." For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. 15 Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

133-1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God's power. 19 The scripture says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars." 20 So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skillful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world's wisdom is foolishness! 21 For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called "foolish" message we preach, God decided to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 3:18 You should not fool yourself. If any of you think that you are wise by this world's standards, you should become a fool, in order to be really wise. 19 For what this world considers to be wisdom is nonsense in God's sight. As the scripture says, "God traps the wise in their cleverness"; 20 and another scripture says, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless." 21 No one, then, should boast about what human beings can do. Actually everything belongs to you:

134-Psalm 8:1 O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world! Your praise reaches up to the heavens; 2 it is sung by children and babies. You are safe and secure from all your enemies; you stop anyone who opposes you. 3 When I look at the sky, which you have made, at the moon and the stars, which you set in their places - 4 what are human beings, that you think of them; mere mortals, that you care for them? 5 Yet you made them inferior only to yourself; you crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You appointed them rulers over everything you made; you placed them over all creation: 7 sheep and cattle, and the wild animals too; 8 the birds and the fish and the creatures in the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world!

135-John 14:9 Jesus answered, "For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, "Show us the Father'?

136-Acts 20:30 The time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies to lead the believers away after them.

137-Romans 8:28 We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.

138-2 Corinthians 12:7 But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan's messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. 8 Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. 9 But his answer was: "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. 10 I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

139-1 Corinthians 13:12 What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete - as complete as God's knowledge of me.

140-Hebrews 1:3 He reflects the brightness of God's glory and is the exact likeness of God's own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word. After achieving forgiveness for the sins of all human beings, he sat down in heaven at the right side of God, the Supreme Power.

Colossians 1:16 For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him. 17 Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place.

Job 42:1 Then Job answered the Lord. 2 I know, Lord, that you are all-powerful; that you can do everything you want. 3 You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant. I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know. 4 You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions. 5 In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes. 7 After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you did not speak the truth about me, the way my servant Job did. 8 Now take seven bulls and seven rams to Job and offer them as a sacrifice for yourselves. Job will pray for you, and I will answer his prayer and not disgrace you the way you deserve. You did not speak the truth about me as he did." 9 Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar did what the Lord had told them to do, and the Lord answered Job's prayer. 10 Then, after Job had prayed for his three friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had had before. 11 All Job's brothers and sisters and former friends came to visit him and feasted with him in his house. They expressed their sympathy and comforted him for all the troubles the Lord had brought on him. Each of them gave him some money and a gold ring. 12 The Lord blessed the last part of Job's life even more than he had blessed the first. Job owned fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, two thousand head of cattle, and one thousand donkeys. 13 He was the father of seven sons and three daughters. 14 He called the oldest daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the youngest Keren Happuch. 15 There were no other women in the whole world as beautiful as Job's daughters. Their father gave them a share of the inheritance along with their brothers. 16 Job lived a hundred and forty years after this, long enough to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 17 And then he died at a very great age.

Matthew 5:45 so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.

Matthew 6:25 "This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? 27 Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? 28 "And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. 29 But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. 30 It is God who clothes the wild grass - grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have! 31 "So do not start worrying: "Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?' 32 (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.

Matthew 10:25 "This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? 27 Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? 28 "And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. 29 But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. 30 It is God who clothes the wild grass - grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have! 31 "So do not start worrying: "Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?' 32 (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.

141-Job 42:11 All Job's brothers and sisters and former friends came to visit him and feasted with him in his house. They expressed their sympathy and comforted him for all the troubles the Lord had brought on him. Each of them gave him some money and a gold ring.

142-Matthew 5:45 so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.

143-Philippians 4:19 And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs. 20 To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

144-Romans 8:28 We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.

145-Colossians 1:16 For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him. 17 Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place.

146-Job 12:10 It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone's life is in his power.

Daniel 5:23 You acted against the Lord of heaven and brought in the cups and bowls taken from his Temple. You, your noblemen, your wives, and your concubines drank wine out of them and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone - gods that cannot see or hear and that do not know anything. But you did not honor the God who determines whether you live or die and who controls everything you do.

Acts 17:25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. 28 as someone has said, "In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, "We too are his children.'

147-1 Corinthians 8:6 yet there is for us only one God, the Father, who is the Creator of all things and for whom we live; and there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created and through whom we live.

148-2 Corinthians 5:17 Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.

Ephesians 2:10 God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.

149-1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 16 And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them.

150-Genesis 1:29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done.

151-Zechariah 14:4 At that time he will stand on the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west by a large valley. Half of the mountain will move northward, and half of it southward.

152-3SG 83,84The saints are preserved in the earth in the midst of these dreadful commotions, as Noah was preserved in the ark at the time of the flood. Christ appears in his glory, and calls forth the righteous dead. The living saints are changed, and, with the resurrected dead, are borne away from the earth by angels to meet their Lord in the air. The earth is left like a desolate wilderness. {3SG 83.1}

At the end of one thousand years, Jesus, the king of glory, descends from the holy city, clothed with brightness like the lightning, upon the mount of olives—the same mount from whence he ascended after his resurrection. As his feet touch the mountain, it parts asunder, and becomes a very great plain, and is prepared for the reception of the holy city in which is the paradise of God, the garden of Eden, which was taken up after man’s transgression. Now it descends with the city, more beautiful, and gloriously adorned than when removed from the earth. The city of God comes down and settles upon the mighty plain prepared for it. Then Jesus leaves the city surrounded by the redeemed host, and is escorted on his way by the angelic throng. In fearful majesty he calls forth the wicked dead. They are wakened from their long sleep. What a dreadful waking! They behold the Son of God in his stern majesty and resplendent glory. All, as soon as they behold him, know that he is the crucified one who died to save them, whom they had despised and rejected. They are in number like the sand upon the sea-shore. At the first resurrection all come forth in immortal bloom, but at the second, the marks of the curse are visible upon all. All come up as they went down into their graves. Those who lived before the flood, come forth with their giant-like stature, more than twice as tall as men now living upon the earth, and well proportioned. The generations after the flood were less in stature. There was a continual decrease through successive generations, down to the last that lived upon the earth. The contrast between the first wicked men who lived upon the earth, and those of the last generation, was very great. The first were of lofty height and well proportioned—the last came up as they went down, a dwarfed, feeble, deformed race. A mighty host of kings, warriors, statesmen and nobles, down to the most degraded, came up together upon the desolate earth. When they behold Jesus in his glory they are affrighted, and seek to hide from his terrible presence. They are overwhelmed with his exceeding glory, and with one accord are compelled to exclaim in anguish, “Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord.” {3SG 83.2}

153-Job 1:1 There was a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, who worshiped God and was faithful to him. He was a good man, careful not to do anything evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand head of cattle, and five hundred donkeys. He also had a large number of servants and was the richest man in the East. 4 Job's sons used to take turns giving a feast, to which all the others would come, and they always invited their three sisters to join them. 5 The morning after each feast, Job would get up early and offer sacrifices for each of his children in order to purify them. He always did this because he thought that one of them might have sinned by insulting God unintentionally. 6 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them. 7 The Lord asked him, "What have you been doing?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 8 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil." 9 Satan replied, "Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? 10 You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. 11 But now suppose you take away everything he has - he will curse you to your face!" 12 "All right," the Lord said to Satan, "everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself." So Satan left. 13 One day when Job's children were having a feast at the home of their oldest brother, 14 a messenger came running to Job. "We were plowing the fields with the oxen," he said, "and the donkeys were in a nearby pasture. 15 Suddenly the Sabeans attacked and stole them all. They killed every one of your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 16 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 17 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Three bands of Chaldean raiders attacked us, took away the camels, and killed all your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 18 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Your children were having a feast at the home of your oldest son, 19 when a storm swept in from the desert. It blew the house down and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 20 Then Job got up and tore his clothes in grief. He shaved his head and threw himself face downward on the ground. 21 He said, "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!" 22 In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Job 2:1 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord again, Satan was there among them. 2 The Lord asked him, "Where have you been?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 3 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil. You persuaded me to let you attack him for no reason at all, but Job is still as faithful as ever." 4 Satan replied, "A person will give up everything in order to stay alive. 5 But now suppose you hurt his body - he will curse you to your face!" 6 So the Lord said to Satan, "All right, he is in your power, but you are not to kill him." 7 Then Satan left the Lord's presence and made sores break out all over Job's body. 8 Job went and sat by the garbage dump and took a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores. 9 His wife said to him, "You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?" 10 Job answered, "You are talking nonsense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?" Even in all this suffering Job said nothing against God. 11 Three of Job's friends were Eliphaz, from the city of Teman, Bildad, from the land of Shuah, and Zophar, from the land of Naamah. When they heard how much Job had been suffering, they decided to go and comfort him. 12 While they were still a long way off they saw Job, but did not recognize him. When they did, they began to weep and wail, tearing their clothes in grief and throwing dust into the air and on their heads. 13 Then they sat there on the ground with him for seven days and nights without saying a word, because they saw how much he was suffering.

154-Job 1:8 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil."

Job 2:3 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil. You persuaded me to let you attack him for no reason at all, but Job is still as faithful as ever."

155-Job 4:17 "Can anyone be righteous in the sight of God or be pure before his Creator? 18 God does not trust his heavenly servants; he finds fault even with his angels. 19 Do you think he will trust a creature of clay, a thing of dust that can be crushed like a moth?

156-Job 42:7 After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you did not speak the truth about me, the way my servant Job did. 8 Now take seven bulls and seven rams to Job and offer them as a sacrifice for yourselves. Job will pray for you, and I will answer his prayer and not disgrace you the way you deserve. You did not speak the truth about me as he did."

157-Job 29:1 Job began speaking again. 2 If only my life could once again be as it was when God watched over me. 3 God was always with me then and gave me light as I walked through the darkness. 4 Those were the days when I was prosperous, and the friendship of God protected my home. 5 Almighty God was with me then, and I was surrounded by all my children. 6 My cows and goats gave plenty of milk, and my olive trees grew in the rockiest soil. 7 Whenever the city elders met and I took my place among them, 8 young men stepped aside as soon as they saw me, and old men stood up to show me respect. 9 The leaders of the people would stop talking; 10 even the most important men kept silent. 11 Everyone who saw me or heard of me had good things to say about what I had done. 12 When the poor cried out, I helped them; I gave help to orphans who had nowhere to turn. 13 People who were in deepest misery praised me, and I helped widows find security. 14 I have always acted justly and fairly. 15 I was eyes for the blind, and feet for the lame. 16 I was like a father to the poor and took the side of strangers in trouble. 17 I destroyed the power of cruel men and rescued their victims. 18 I always expected to live a long life and to die at home in comfort. 19 I was like a tree whose roots always have water and whose branches are wet with dew. 20 Everyone was always praising me, and my strength never failed me. 21 When I gave advice, people were silent and listened carefully to what I said; 22 they had nothing to add when I had finished. My words sank in like drops of rain; 23 everyone welcomed them just as farmers welcome rain in spring. 24 I smiled on them when they had lost confidence; my cheerful face encouraged them. 25 I took charge and made the decisions; I led them as a king leads his troops, and gave them comfort in their despair.

Job 30:1 But men younger than I am make fun of me now! Their fathers have always been so worthless that I wouldn't let them help my dogs guard sheep. 2 They were a bunch of worn-out men, too weak to do any work for me. 3 They were so poor and hungry that they would gnaw dry roots - at night, in wild, desolate places. 4 They pulled up the plants of the desert and ate them, even the tasteless roots of the broom tree! 5 Everyone drove them away with shouts, as if they were shouting at thieves. 6 They had to live in caves, in holes dug in the sides of cliffs. 7 Out in the wilds they howled like animals and huddled together under the bushes. 8 A worthless bunch of nameless nobodies! They were driven out of the land. 9 Now they come and laugh at me; I am nothing but a joke to them. 10 They treat me with disgust; they think they are too good for me, and even come and spit in my face. 11 Because God has made me weak and helpless, they turn against me with all their fury. 12 This mob attacks me head-on; they send me running; they prepare their final assault. 13 They cut off my escape and try to destroy me; and there is no one to stop them. 14 They pour through the holes in my defenses and come crashing down on top of me; 15 I am overcome with terror; my dignity is gone like a puff of wind, and my prosperity like a cloud. 16 Now I am about to die; there is no relief for my suffering. 17 At night my bones all ache; the pain that gnaws me never stops. 18 God seizes me by my collar and twists my clothes out of shape. 19 He throws me down in the mud; I am no better than dirt. 20 I call to you, O God, but you never answer; and when I pray, you pay no attention. 21 You are treating me cruelly; you persecute me with all your power. 22 You let the wind blow me away; you toss me about in a raging storm. 23 I know you are taking me off to my death, to the fate in store for everyone. 24 Why do you attack a ruined man, one who can do nothing but beg for pity? 25 Didn't I weep with people in trouble and feel sorry for those in need? 26 I hoped for happiness and light, but trouble and darkness came instead. 27 I am torn apart by worry and pain; I have had day after day of suffering. 28 I go about in gloom, without any sunshine; I stand up in public and plead for help. 29 My voice is as sad and lonely as the cries of a jackal or an ostrich. 30 My skin has turned dark; I am burning with fever. 31 Where once I heard joyful music, now I hear only mourning and weeping.

Job 31:1 I have made a solemn promise never to look with lust at a woman. 2 What does Almighty God do to us? How does he repay human deeds? 3 He sends disaster and ruin to those who do wrong. 4 God knows everything I do; he sees every step I take. 5 I swear I have never acted wickedly and never tried to deceive others. 6 Let God weigh me on honest scales, and he will see how innocent I am. 7 If I have turned from the right path or let myself be attracted to evil, if my hands are stained with sin, 8 then let my crops be destroyed, or let others eat the food I grow. 9 If I have been attracted to my neighbor's wife, and waited, hidden, outside her door, 10 then let my wife cook another man's food and sleep in another man's bed. 11 Such wickedness should be punished by death. 12 It would be like a destructive, hellish fire, consuming everything I have. 13 When any of my servants complained against me, I would listen and treat them fairly. 14 If I did not, how could I then face God? What could I say when God came to judge me? 15 The same God who created me created my servants also. 16 I have never refused to help the poor; never have I let widows live in despair 17 or let orphans go hungry while I ate. 18 All my life I have taken care of them. 19 When I found someone in need, too poor to buy clothes, 20 I would give him clothing made of wool that had come from my own flock of sheep. Then he would praise me with all his heart. 21 If I have ever cheated an orphan, knowing I could win in court, 22 then may my arms be broken; may they be torn from my shoulders. 23 Because I fear God's punishment, I could never do such a thing. 24 I have never trusted in riches 25 or taken pride in my wealth. 26 I have never worshiped the sun in its brightness or the moon in all its beauty. 27 I have not been led astray to honor them by kissing my hand in reverence to them. 28 Such a sin should be punished by death; it denies Almighty God. 29 I have never been glad when my enemies suffered, or pleased when they met with disaster; 30 I never sinned by praying for their death. 31 All those who work for me know that I have always welcomed strangers. 32 I invited travelers into my home and never let them sleep in the streets. 33 Others try to hide their sins, but I have never concealed mine. 34 I have never feared what people would say; I have never kept quiet or stayed indoors because I feared their scorn. 35 Will no one listen to what I am saying? I swear that every word is true. Let Almighty God answer me. If the charges my opponent brings against me were written down so that I could see them, 36 I would wear them proudly on my shoulder and place them on my head like a crown. 37 I would tell God everything I have done, and hold my head high in his presence. 38 If I have stolen the land I farm and taken it from its rightful owners - 39 if I have eaten the food that grew there but let the farmers that grew it starve - 40 then instead of wheat and barley, may weeds and thistles grow. The words of Job are ended.

158-(James 1:13 If we are tempted by such trials, we must not say, "This temptation comes from God." For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. 15 Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

159-Matthew 5:45 so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.

Psalm 65:9 You show your care for the land by sending rain; you make it rich and fertile. You fill the streams with water; you provide the earth with crops. This is how you do it: 10 you send abundant rain on the plowed fields and soak them with water; you soften the soil with showers and cause the young plants to grow.

160-Revelation 12:1 Then a great and mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a woman, whose dress was the sun and who had the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was soon to give birth, and the pains and suffering of childbirth made her cry out. 3 Another mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a crown on each of his heads. 4 With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman, in order to eat her child as soon as it was born. 5 Then she gave birth to a son, who will rule over all nations with an iron rod. But the child was snatched away and taken to God and his throne. 6 The woman fled to the desert, to a place God had prepared for her, where she will be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; 8 but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. 9 The huge dragon was thrown out - that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now God's salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as King! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused believers day and night has been thrown out of heaven. 11 They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die. 12 And so be glad, you heavens, and all you that live there! But how terrible for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left." 13 When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he began to pursue the woman who had given birth to the boy. 14 She was given the two wings of a large eagle in order to fly to her place in the desert, where she will be taken care of for three and a half years, safe from the dragon's attack. 15 And then from his mouth the dragon poured out a flood of water after the woman, so that it would carry her away. 16 But the earth helped the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth. 17 The dragon was furious with the woman and went off to fight against the rest of her descendants, all those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus. 18 And the dragon stood on the seashore.

Rev 13:1 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads; on each of its horns there was a crown, and on each of its heads there was a name that was insulting to God. 2 The beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear's feet and a mouth like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave the beast his own power, his throne, and his vast authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have been fatally wounded, but the wound had healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. 4 Everyone worshiped the dragon because he had given his authority to the beast. They worshiped the beast also, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who can fight against it?" 5 The beast was allowed to make proud claims which were insulting to God, and it was permitted to have authority for forty-two months. 6 It began to curse God, his name, the place where he lives, and all those who live in heaven. 7 It was allowed to fight against God's people and to defeat them, and it was given authority over every tribe, nation, language, and race. 8 All people living on earth will worship it, except those whose names were written before the creation of the world in the book of the living which belongs to the Lamb that was killed. 9 "Listen, then, if you have ears! 10 Whoever is meant to be captured will surely be captured; whoever is meant to be killed by the sword will surely be killed by the sword. This calls for endurance and faith on the part of God's people." 11 Then I saw another beast, which came up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb's horns, and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It used the vast authority of the first beast in its presence. It forced the earth and all who live on it to worship the first beast, whose wound had healed. 13 This second beast performed great miracles; it made fire come down out of heaven to earth in the sight of everyone. 14 And it deceived all the people living on earth by means of the miracles which it was allowed to perform in the presence of the first beast. The beast told them to build an image in honor of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was allowed to breathe life into the image of the first beast, so that the image could talk and put to death all those who would not worship it. 16 The beast forced all the people, small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to have a mark placed on their right hands or on their foreheads. 17 No one could buy or sell without this mark, that is, the beast's name or the number that stands for the name. 18 This calls for wisdom. Whoever is intelligent can figure out the meaning of the number of the beast, because the number stands for the name of someone. Its number is 666.

Rev 14:1 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion; with him were 144,000 people who have his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven that sounded like a roaring waterfall, like a loud peal of thunder. It sounded like the music made by musicians playing their harps. 3 The 144,000 people stood before the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders; they were singing a new song, which only they could learn. Of the whole human race they are the only ones who have been redeemed. 4 They are the men who have kept themselves pure by not having sexual relations with women; they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from the rest of the human race and are the first ones to be offered to God and to the Lamb. 5 They have never been known to tell lies; they are faultless. 6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!" 8 A second angel followed the first one, saying, "She has fallen! Great Babylon has fallen! She made all peoples drink her wine - the strong wine of her immoral lust!" 9 A third angel followed the first two, saying in a loud voice, "Those who worship the beast and its image and receive the mark on their forehead or on their hand 10 will themselves drink God's wine, the wine of his fury, which he has poured at full strength into the cup of his anger! All who do this will be tormented in fire and sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of the fire that torments them goes up forever and ever. There is no relief day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, for anyone who has the mark of its name." 12 This calls for endurance on the part of God's people, those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Happy are those who from now on die in the service of the Lord!" "Yes indeed!" answers the Spirit. "They will enjoy rest from their hard work, because the results of their service go with them." 14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was what looked like a human being, with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out from the temple and cried out in a loud voice to the one who was sitting on the cloud, "Use your sickle and reap the harvest, because the time has come; the earth is ripe for the harvest!" 16 Then the one who sat on the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth's harvest was reaped. 17 Then I saw another angel come out of the temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, who is in charge of the fire, came from the altar. He shouted in a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp sickle, "Use your sickle, and cut the grapes from the vineyard of the earth, because the grapes are ripe!" 19 So the angel swung his sickle on the earth, cut the grapes from the vine, and threw them into the wine press of God's furious anger. 20 The grapes were squeezed out in the wine press outside the city, and blood came out of the wine press in a flood two hundred miles long and about five feet deep.

161-Genesis 8:1 God had not forgotten Noah and all the animals with him in the boat; he caused a wind to blow, and the water started going down.

Exodus 10:13 So Moses raised his stick, and the Lord caused a wind from the east to blow on the land all that day and all that night. By morning it had brought the locusts.

Numbers 11:31 Suddenly the Lord sent a wind that brought quails from the sea, flying three feet above the ground. They settled on the camp and all around it for miles and miles in every direction.

162-Romans 8:28 We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.

163-2 Kings 20:9 Isaiah replied, "The Lord will give you a sign to prove that he will keep his promise. Now, would you prefer to have the shadow on the stairway go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?" 10 Hezekiah answered, "It's easy to have the shadow go forward ten steps! Have it go back ten steps." 11 Isaiah prayed to the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway set up by King Ahaz.

164-Matthew 6:25 "This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? 27 Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? 28 "And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. 29 But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. 30 It is God who clothes the wild grass - grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have! 31 "So do not start worrying: "Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?' 32 (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.

165-Compare 8T259-261In dwelling upon the laws of matter and the laws of nature, many lose sight of, if they do not deny, the continual and direct agency of God. They convey the idea that nature acts independently of God, having in and of itself its own limits and its own powers wherewith to work. In their minds there is a marked distinction between the natural and the supernatural. The natural is ascribed to ordinary causes, unconnected with the power of God. Vital power is attributed to matter, and nature is made a deity. It is supposed that matter is placed in certain relations and left to act from fixed laws with which God Himself cannot interfere; that nature is endowed with certain properties and placed subject to laws, and is then left to itself to obey these laws and perform the work originally commanded. {8T 259.3}

This is false science; there is nothing in the word of God to sustain it. God does not annul His laws, but He is continually working through them, using them as His instruments. They are not self-working. God is perpetually at work in nature. She is His servant, directed as He pleases. Nature in her work testifies of the intelligent presence and active agency of a being who moves in all His works according to His will. It is not by an original power inherent in nature that year by year the earth yields its bounties and continues its march around the sun. The hand of infinite power is perpetually at work guiding this planet. It is God’s power momentarily exercised that keeps it in position in its rotation. {8T 259.4}

The God of heaven is constantly at work. It is by His power that vegetation is caused to flourish, that every leaf appears and every flower blooms. Every drop of rain or flake of snow, every spire of grass, every leaf and flower and shrub, testifies of God. These little things so common around us teach the lesson that nothing is beneath the notice of the infinite God, nothing is too small for His attention. {8T 260.1}

The mechanism of the human body cannot be fully understood; it presents mysteries that baffle the most intelligent. It is not as the result of a mechanism, which, once set in motion, continues its work, that the pulse beats and breath follows breath. In God we live and move and have our being. Every breath, every throb of the heart, is a continual evidence of the power of an ever-present God. {8T 260.2}

It is God that causes the sun to rise in the heavens. He opens the windows of heaven and gives rain. He causes the grass to grow upon the mountains. “He giveth snow like wool: He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.” “When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; ...He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures.” Psalm 147:16; Jeremiah 10:13. {8T 260.3}

The Lord is constantly employed in upholding and using as His servants the things that He has made. Said Christ: “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” John 5:17. {8T 260.4}

Mysteries of Divine Power

Men of the greatest intellect cannot understand the mysteries of Jehovah as revealed in nature. Divine inspiration asks many questions which the most profound scholar cannot answer. These questions were not asked that we might answer them, but to call our attention to the deep mysteries of God and to teach us that our wisdom is limited; that in the surroundings of our daily life there are many things beyond the comprehension of finite minds; that the judgment and purposes of God are past finding out. His wisdom is unsearchable. {8T 261.1}

Skeptics refuse to believe in God because with their finite minds they cannot comprehend the infinite power by which He reveals Himself to men. But God is to be acknowledged more from what He does not reveal of Himself than from that which is open to our limited comprehension. Both in divine revelation and in nature, God has given to men mysteries to command their faith. This must be so. We may be ever searching, ever inquiring, ever learning, and yet there is an infinity beyond. {8T 261.2}

166-1 Kings 19:11 "Go out and stand before me on top of the mountain," the Lord said to him. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks - but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake - but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire - but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice.

167-Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." 19 So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. 20 So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him. 21 Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. 22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

Mark 10:7 "And for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, 8 and the two will become one.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9 No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together."

Ephesians 5:21 Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body. 24 And so wives must submit themselves completely to their husbands just as the church submits itself to Christ. 25 Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.

Matthew 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, "Do not commit adultery.' 28 But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose one of your limbs than to have your whole body go off to hell.

168-Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live. 18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him."

169-Genesis 2:18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." 19 So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. 20 So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him. 21 Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. 22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

170-PP 46.2God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided “an help meet for him”—a helper corresponding to him—one who was fitted to be his companion, and who could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self, showing the close union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in this relation. “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it.” Ephesians 5:29. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one.” {PP 46.2}

171-Genesis 2:23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

172-Mark 10:5 Jesus said to them, "Moses wrote this law for you because you are so hard to teach. 6 But in the beginning, at the time of creation, "God made them male and female,' as the scripture says. 7 "And for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, 8 and the two will become one.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9 No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together." 10 When they went back into the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter. 11 He said to them, "A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife. 12 In the same way, a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man commits adultery."

173-Genesis 2:23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind - Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. 25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.

174-Ephesians 5:21 Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body. 24 And so wives must submit themselves completely to their husbands just as the church submits itself to Christ. 25 Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.

Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, for that is what you should do as Christians. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

175-Matthew 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, "Do not commit adultery.' 28 But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose one of your limbs than to have your whole body go off to hell.

176-John 8:1 [Then everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all. 4 "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?" 6 They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7 As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, "Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her." 8 Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. 10 He straightened up and said to her, "Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?" 11 "No one, sir," she answered. "Well, then," Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again."]

Luke 8:1 Some time later Jesus traveled through towns and villages, preaching the Good News about the Kingdom of God. The twelve disciples went with him, 2 and so did some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (who was called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had been driven out; 3 Joanna, whose husband Chuza was an officer in Herod's court; and Susanna, and many other women who used their own resources to help Jesus and his disciples.

177-Exodus 34:15 Do not make any treaties with the people of the country, because when they worship their pagan gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you to join them, and you will be tempted to eat the food they offer to their gods. 16 Your sons might marry those foreign women, who would lead them to be unfaithful to me and to worship their pagan gods.

Ezekiel 16:1 The Lord spoke to me again. 2 "Mortal man," he said, "point out to Jerusalem what disgusting things she has done. 3 Tell Jerusalem what the Sovereign Lord is saying to her: "You were born in the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. 4 When you were born, no one cut your umbilical cord or washed you or rubbed you with salt or wrapped you in cloths. 5 No one took enough pity on you to do any of these things for you. When you were born, no one loved you. You were thrown out in an open field. 6 "Then I passed by and saw you squirming in your own blood. You were covered with blood, but I wouldn't let you die. 7 I made you grow like a healthy plant. You grew strong and tall and became a young woman. Your breasts were well-formed, and your hair had grown, but you were naked. 8 "As I passed by again, I saw that the time had come for you to fall in love. I covered your naked body with my coat and promised to love you. Yes, I made a marriage covenant with you, and you became mine." This is what the Sovereign Lord says. 9 "Then I took water and washed the blood off you. I rubbed olive oil on your skin. 10 I dressed you in embroidered gowns and gave you shoes of the best leather, a linen headband, and a silk cloak. 11 I put jewels on you - bracelets and necklaces. 12 I gave you a nose ring and earrings and a beautiful crown to wear. 13 You had ornaments of gold and silver, and you always wore clothes of embroidered linen and silk. You ate bread made from the best flour, and had honey and olive oil to eat. Your beauty was dazzling, and you became a queen. 14 You became famous in every nation for your perfect beauty, because I was the one who made you so lovely." This is what the Sovereign Lord says. 15 "But you took advantage of your beauty and fame to sleep with everyone who came along. 16 You used some of your clothes to decorate your places of worship, and just like a prostitute, you gave yourself to everyone. 17 You took the silver and gold jewelry that I had given you, used it to make male images, and committed adultery with them. 18 You took the embroidered clothes I gave you and put them on the images, and you offered to the images the olive oil and incense I had given you. 19 I gave you food - the best flour, olive oil, and honey - but you offered it as a sacrifice to win the favor of idols." This is what the Sovereign Lord says. 20 "Then you took the sons and the daughters you had borne me and offered them as sacrifices to idols. Wasn't it bad enough to be unfaithful to me, 21 without taking my children and sacrificing them to idols? 22 During your disgusting life as a prostitute you never once remembered your childhood - when you were naked, squirming in your own blood." 23 The Sovereign Lord said, "You are doomed! Doomed! You did all that evil, and then 24 by the side of every road you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. 25 You dragged your beauty through the mud. You offered yourself to everyone who came by, and you were more of a prostitute every day. 26 You let your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, go to bed with you, and you used your prostitution to make me angry. 27 "Now I have raised my hand to punish you and to take away your share of my blessing. I have handed you over to the Philistines, who hate you and are disgusted with your immoral actions. 28 "Because you were not satisfied by the others, you went running after the Assyrians. You were their prostitute, but they didn't satisfy you either. 29 You were also a prostitute for the Babylonians, that nation of merchants, but they didn't satisfy you either." 30 This is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: "You have done all this like a shameless prostitute. 31 On every street you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. But you are not out for money like a common prostitute. 32 You are like a woman who commits adultery with strangers instead of loving her husband. 33 A prostitute is paid, but you gave presents to all your lovers and bribed them to come from everywhere to sleep with you. 34 You are a special kind of prostitute. No one forced you to become one. You didn't get paid; you paid them! Yes, you are different." 35 Now then, Jerusalem, you whore! Hear what the Lord is saying. 36 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "You stripped off your clothes, and like a prostitute, you gave yourself to your lovers and to all your disgusting idols, and you killed your children as sacrifices to idols. 37 Because of this I will bring all your former lovers together - the ones you liked and the ones you hated. I will bring them around you in a circle, and then I will strip off your clothes and let them see you naked. 38 I will condemn you for adultery and murder, and in my anger and fury I will punish you with death. 39 I will put you in their power, and they will tear down the places where you engage in prostitution and worship idols. They will take away your clothes and jewels and leave you completely naked. 40 "They will stir up a crowd to stone you, and they will cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn your houses down and let crowds of women see your punishment. I will make you stop being a prostitute and make you stop giving gifts to your lovers. 42 Then my anger will be over, and I will be calm. I will not be angry or jealous any more. 43 You have forgotten how I treated you when you were young, and you have made me angry by all the things you did. That is why I have made you pay for them all. Why did you add sexual immorality to all the other disgusting things you did?" The Sovereign Lord has spoken. 44 The Lord said, "People will use this proverb about you, Jerusalem: "Like mother, like daughter.' 45 You really are your mother's daughter. She detested her husband and her children. You are like your sisters, who hated their husbands and their children. You and your sister cities had a Hittite mother and an Amorite father. 46 "Your older sister, with her villages, is Samaria, in the north. Your younger sister, with her villages, is Sodom, in the south. 47 Were you satisfied to follow in their footsteps and copy their disgusting actions? No, in only a little while you were acting worse than they were in everything you did. 48 "As surely as I am the living God," the Sovereign Lord says, "your sister Sodom and her villages never did the evil that you and your villages have done. 49 She and her daughters were proud because they had plenty to eat and lived in peace and quiet, but they did not take care of the poor and the underprivileged. 50 They were proud and stubborn and did the things that I hate, so I destroyed them, as you well know. 51 "Samaria did not sin half as much as you have. You have acted more disgustingly than she ever did. Your corruption makes your sisters look innocent by comparison. 52 And now you will have to endure your disgrace. Your sins are so much worse than those of your sisters that they look innocent beside you. Now blush and bear your shame, because you make your sisters look pure." 53 The Lord said to Jerusalem, "I will make them prosperous again - Sodom and her villages and Samaria and her villages. Yes, I will make you prosperous too. 54 You will be ashamed of yourself, and your disgrace will show your sisters how well-off they are. 55 They will become prosperous again, and you and your villages will also be restored. 56 Didn't you joke about Sodom in those days when you were proud 57 and before the evil you did had been exposed? Now you are just like her - a joke to the Edomites, the Philistines, and your other neighbors who hate you. 58 You must suffer for the obscene, disgusting things you have done." The Lord has spoken. 59 The Sovereign Lord says, "I will treat you the way you deserve, because you ignored your promises and broke the covenant. 60 But I will honor the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. 61 You will remember how you have acted, and be ashamed of it when you get your older sister and your younger sister back. I will let them be like daughters to you, even though this was not part of my covenant with you. 62 I will renew my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. 63 I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth." The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

Ezekiel 23:1 The Lord spoke to me. 2 "Mortal man," he said, "there were once two sisters. 3 When they were young, living in Egypt, they lost their virginity and became prostitutes. 4 The older one was named Oholah (she represents Samaria), and the younger one was named Oholibah (she represents Jerusalem). I married both of them, and they bore me children. 5 Although she was mine, Oholah continued to be a prostitute and was full of lust for her lovers from Assyria. 6 They were soldiers in uniforms of purple, noblemen and high-ranking officers; all of them were handsome young cavalry officers. 7 She was the whore for all the Assyrian officers, and her lust led her to defile herself by worshiping Assyrian idols. 8 She continued what she had begun as a prostitute in Egypt, where she lost her virginity. From the time she was a young woman, men slept with her and treated her like a prostitute. 9 So I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers whom she wanted so much. 10 They stripped her naked, seized her sons and daughters, and then killed her with a sword. Women everywhere gossiped about her fate. 11 "Even though her sister Oholibah saw this, she was wilder and more of a prostitute than Oholah had ever been. 12 She too was full of lust for the Assyrian noblemen and officers - soldiers in bright uniforms - and for the cavalry officers, all of those handsome young men. 13 I saw that she was completely immoral, that the second sister was as bad as the first. 14 "She sank deeper and deeper in her immorality. She was attracted by the images of high Babylonian officials carved into the wall and painted bright red, with sashes around their waists and fancy turbans on their heads. 16 As soon as she saw them, she was filled with lust and sent messengers to them in Babylonia. 17 The Babylonians came to have sex with her. They used her and defiled her so much that finally she became disgusted with them. 18 She exposed herself publicly and let everyone know she was a whore. I was as disgusted with her as I had been with her sister. 19 She became more of a prostitute than ever, acting the way she did as a young woman, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 She was filled with lust for oversexed men who had all the lustfulness of donkeys or stallions. 21 (Oholibah, you wanted to repeat the immorality you were guilty of as a young woman in Egypt, where men played with your breasts and you lost your virginity.) 22 "Now then, Oholibah, this is what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to you. You are tired of those lovers, but I will make them angry with you and bring them to surround you. 23 I will bring all the Babylonians and Chaldeans, men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians. I will gather all those handsome young noblemen and officers, all those important officials and high-ranking cavalry officers. 24 They will attack you from the north, bringing a large army with chariots and supply wagons. Protected by shields and helmets, they will surround you. I will hand you over to them, and they will judge you by their own laws. 25 Because I am angry with you, I will let them deal with you in their anger. They will cut off your nose and your ears and kill your children. Yes, they will take your sons and daughters from you and burn them alive. 26 They will tear off your clothes and take your jewels. 27 I will put a stop to your lust and to the obscenities you have committed ever since you were in Egypt. You won't look at any more idols or think about Egypt any more." 28 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "I will hand you over to people you hate and are disgusted with. 29 And because they hate you, they will take away everything you have worked for and leave you stripped naked, exposed like a prostitute. Your lust and your prostitution 30 have brought this on you. You were a prostitute for the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You followed in your sister's footsteps, and so I will give you the same cup of punishment to drink." 32 The Sovereign Lord says, "You will drink from your sister's cup; it is large and deep. Everyone will scorn and mock you; the cup is full. 33 It will make you miserable and drunk, that cup of fear and ruin, your sister Samaria's cup. 34 You will drink and drain it dry, and with its broken pieces tear your breast. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken." 35 Now this is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: "Because you forgot me and turned your back on me, you will suffer for your lust and your prostitution." 36 The Lord said to me, "Mortal man, are you ready to judge Oholah and Oholibah? Accuse them of the disgusting things they have done. 37 They have committed adultery and murder - adultery with idols and murder of the children they bore me. They sacrificed my children to their idols. 38 And that is not all they did. They profaned my Temple and broke the Sabbath, which I had established. 39 The very day that they killed my children as sacrifices to idols, they came to my Temple and profaned it! 40 "Again and again they sent messengers to invite men to come from a great distance, and the men came. The two sisters would bathe and put on eye shadow and jewelry. 41 They would sit on a beautiful couch, and in front of them they would have a table covered with good things, including the incense and the olive oil that I had given them. 42 The sound of a carefree crowd could be heard, a group of men brought in from the desert. They put bracelets on the women's arms and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 And I said to myself that they were using as a prostitute a woman worn out by adultery. 44 They went back to these prostitutes again and again. They went back to Oholah and Oholibah, those immoral women. 45 Righteous men will condemn them on the charge of adultery and murder, because they practice adultery and their hands are stained with blood." 46 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "Bring a mob to terrorize them and rob them. 47 Let the mob stone them and attack them with swords, kill their children, and burn down their houses. 48 Throughout the land I will put a stop to immorality, as a warning to every woman not to commit adultery as they did. 49 And you two sisters - I will punish you for your immorality and your sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord."

178-Exodus 34:1 The Lord said to Moses, "Cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Get ready tomorrow morning, and come up Mount Sinai to meet me there at the top. 3 No one is to come up with you; no one is to be seen on any part of the mountain; and no sheep or cattle are to graze at the foot of the mountain." 4 So Moses cut two more stone tablets, and early the next morning he carried them up Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded. 5 The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and pronounced his holy name, the Lord. 6 The Lord then passed in front of him and called out, "I, the Lord, am a God who is full of compassion and pity, who is not easily angered and who shows great love and faithfulness. 7 I keep my promise for thousands of generations and forgive evil and sin; but I will not fail to punish children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for the sins of their parents." 8 Moses quickly bowed down to the ground and worshiped. 9 He said, "Lord, if you really are pleased with me, I ask you to go with us. These people are stubborn, but forgive our evil and our sin, and accept us as your own people." 10 The Lord said to Moses, "I now make a covenant with the people of Israel. In their presence I will do great things such as have never been done anywhere on earth among any of the nations. All the people will see what great things I, the Lord, can do, because I am going to do an awesome thing for you. 11 Obey the laws that I am giving you today. I will drive out the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as you advance. 12 Do not make any treaties with the people of the country into which you are going, because this could be a fatal trap for you. 13 Instead, tear down their altars, destroy their sacred pillars, and cut down their symbols of the goddess Asherah. 14 "Do not worship any other god, because I, the Lord, tolerate no rivals. 15 Do not make any treaties with the people of the country, because when they worship their pagan gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you to join them, and you will be tempted to eat the food they offer to their gods. 16 Your sons might marry those foreign women, who would lead them to be unfaithful to me and to worship their pagan gods. 17 "Do not make gods of metal and worship them. 18 "Keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread. As I have commanded you, eat unleavened bread for seven days in the month of Abib, because it was in that month that you left Egypt. 19 "Every first-born son and first-born male domestic animal belongs to me, 20 but you are to buy back every first-born donkey by offering a lamb in its place. If you do not buy it back, break its neck. Buy back every first-born son. "No one is to appear before me without an offering. 21 "You have six days in which to do your work, but do not work on the seventh day, not even during plowing time or harvest. 22 "Keep the Harvest Festival when you begin to harvest the first crop of your wheat, and keep the Festival of Shelters in the autumn when you gather your fruit. 23 "Three times a year all of your men must come to worship me, the Lord, the God of Israel. 24 After I have driven out the nations before you and extended your territory, no one will try to conquer your country during the three festivals. 25 "Do not offer bread made with yeast when you sacrifice an animal to me. Do not keep until the following morning any part of the animal killed at the Passover Festival. 26 "Each year bring to the house of the Lord the first grain that you harvest. "Do not cook a young sheep or goat in its mother's milk." 27 The Lord said to Moses, "Write these words down, because it is on the basis of these words that I am making a covenant with you and with Israel." 28 Moses stayed there with the Lord forty days and nights, eating and drinking nothing. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments. 29 When Moses went down from Mount Sinai carrying the Ten Commandments, his face was shining because he had been speaking with the Lord; but he did not know it. 30 Aaron and all the people looked at Moses and saw that his face was shining, and they were afraid to go near him. 31 But Moses called them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the community went to him, and Moses spoke with them. 32 After that, all the people of Israel gathered around him, and Moses gave them all the laws that the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. 34 Whenever Moses went into the Tent of the Lord's presence to speak to the Lord, he would take the veil off. When he came out, he would tell the people of Israel everything that he had been commanded to say, 35 and they would see that his face was shining. Then he would put the veil back on until the next time he went to speak with the Lord.

179-Numbers 25:1 When the Israelites were camped at Acacia Valley, the men began to have sexual intercourse with the Moabite women who were there. 2 These women invited them to sacrificial feasts, where the god of Moab was worshiped. The Israelites ate the food and worshiped the god 3 Baal of Peor. So the Lord was angry with them 4 and said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of Israel and, in obedience to me, execute them in broad daylight, and then I will no longer be angry with the people." 5 Moses said to the officials, "Each of you is to kill every man in your tribe who has become a worshiper of Baal of Peor." 6 One of the Israelites took a Midianite woman into his tent in the sight of Moses and the whole community, while they were mourning at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence. 7 When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up and left the assembly. He took a spear, 8 followed the man and the woman into the tent, and drove the spear through both of them. In this way the epidemic that was destroying Israel was stopped, 9 but it had already killed twenty-four thousand people. 10 The Lord said to Moses, 11 "Because of what Phinehas has done, I am no longer angry with the people of Israel. He refused to tolerate the worship of any god but me, and that is why I did not destroy them in my anger. 12 So tell him that I am making a covenant with him that is valid for all time to come. 13 He and his descendants are permanently established as priests, because he did not tolerate any rivals to me and brought about forgiveness for the people's sin." 14 The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the head of a family in the tribe of Simeon. 15 The woman's name was Cozbi. Zur, her father, was chief of a group of Midianite clans. 16 The Lord commanded Moses, 17 "Attack the Midianites and destroy them, 18 because of the evil they did to you when they deceived you at Peor, and because of Cozbi, who was killed at the time of the epidemic at Peor."

180-Ephesians 5:28 Men ought to love their wives just as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself 29 (None of us ever hate our own bodies. Instead, we feed them, and take care of them, just as Christ does the church; 30 for we are members of his body.) 31 As the scripture says, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one." 32 There is a deep secret truth revealed in this scripture, which I understand as applying to Christ and the church.

Revelation 19:5 Then there came from the throne the sound of a voice, saying, "Praise our God, all his servants and all people, both great and small, who have reverence for him!" 6 Then I heard what sounded like a crowd, like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like loud peals of thunder. I heard them say, "Praise God! For the Lord, our Almighty God, is King! 7 Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it. 8 She has been given clean shining linen to wear." (The linen is the good deeds of God's people.) 9 Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And the angel added, "These are the true words of God."

181-Philippians 2:5 The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: 6 He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. 7 Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. 8 He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death - his death on the cross. 9 For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.

182-Genesis 1:27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.

183-Genesis 3:16 And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him."

184-Psalm 1 O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world! Your praise reaches up to the heavens; 2 it is sung by children and babies. You are safe and secure from all your enemies; you stop anyone who opposes you. 3 When I look at the sky, which you have made, at the moon and the stars, which you set in their places - 4 what are human beings, that you think of them; mere mortals, that you care for them? 5 Yet you made them inferior only to yourself; you crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You appointed them rulers over everything you made; you placed them over all creation: 7 sheep and cattle, and the wild animals too; 8 the birds and the fish and the creatures in the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, your greatness is seen in all the world!

Genesis 2:15 Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it.

Revelation 4:11 "Our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. For you created all things, and by your will they were given existence and life."

Exodus 20:8 "Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. 9 You have six days in which to do your work, 10 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work - neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. 11 In six days I, the Lord, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the Lord, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; 20 he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory.

185-Genesis 1:29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" - and it was done.

186-Matthew 10:29 For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent. 30 As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!

Luke 12:6 "Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God. 7 Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!

187-Job 1:1 There was a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, who worshiped God and was faithful to him. He was a good man, careful not to do anything evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand head of cattle, and five hundred donkeys. He also had a large number of servants and was the richest man in the East. 4 Job's sons used to take turns giving a feast, to which all the others would come, and they always invited their three sisters to join them. 5 The morning after each feast, Job would get up early and offer sacrifices for each of his children in order to purify them. He always did this because he thought that one of them might have sinned by insulting God unintentionally. 6 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them. 7 The Lord asked him, "What have you been doing?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 8 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil." 9 Satan replied, "Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? 10 You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. 11 But now suppose you take away everything he has - he will curse you to your face!" 12 "All right," the Lord said to Satan, "everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself." So Satan left. 13 One day when Job's children were having a feast at the home of their oldest brother, 14 a messenger came running to Job. "We were plowing the fields with the oxen," he said, "and the donkeys were in a nearby pasture. 15 Suddenly the Sabeans attacked and stole them all. They killed every one of your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 16 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 17 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Three bands of Chaldean raiders attacked us, took away the camels, and killed all your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 18 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Your children were having a feast at the home of your oldest son, 19 when a storm swept in from the desert. It blew the house down and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 20 Then Job got up and tore his clothes in grief. He shaved his head and threw himself face downward on the ground. 21 He said, "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!" 22 In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Job 2:1 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord again, Satan was there among them. 2 The Lord asked him, "Where have you been?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 3 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil. You persuaded me to let you attack him for no reason at all, but Job is still as faithful as ever." 4 Satan replied, "A person will give up everything in order to stay alive. 5 But now suppose you hurt his body - he will curse you to your face!" 6 So the Lord said to Satan, "All right, he is in your power, but you are not to kill him." 7 Then Satan left the Lord's presence and made sores break out all over Job's body. 8 Job went and sat by the garbage dump and took a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores. 9 His wife said to him, "You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?" 10 Job answered, "You are talking nonsense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?" Even in all this suffering Job said nothing against God. 11 Three of Job's friends were Eliphaz, from the city of Teman, Bildad, from the land of Shuah, and Zophar, from the land of Naamah. When they heard how much Job had been suffering, they decided to go and comfort him. 12 While they were still a long way off they saw Job, but did not recognize him. When they did, they began to weep and wail, tearing their clothes in grief and throwing dust into the air and on their heads. 13 Then they sat there on the ground with him for seven days and nights without saying a word, because they saw how much he was suffering.

188-Isaiah 66:24 "As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never be put out. The sight of them will be disgusting to all people."

189-GC 673.1The wicked receive their recompense in the earth. Proverbs 11:31. They “shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 4:1. Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished “according to their deeds.” The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit. His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch—Satan the root, his followers the branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited; the demands of justice have been met; and heaven and earth, beholding, declare the righteousness of Jehovah. {GC 673.1}

190-4SP 489.1While the earth is wrapped in the fire of God’s vengeance, the righteous abide safely in the holy city. Upon those that had part in the first resurrection, the second death has no power. [Revelation 20:6.] While God is to the wicked a consuming fire, he is to his people both a sun and a shield. [Psalm 84:11.] {4SP 489.1}

191-Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished.

192-Genesis 2:15 Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it.

193-Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!"

194-PP 443.1It is because of man’s sin that “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together.” Romans 8:22. Suffering and death were thus entailed, not only upon the human race, but upon the animals. Surely, then, it becomes man to seek to lighten, instead of increasing, the weight of suffering which his transgression has brought upon God’s creatures. He who will abuse animals because he has them in his power is both a coward and a tyrant. A disposition to cause pain, whether to our fellow men or to the brute creation, is satanic. Many do not realize that their cruelty will ever be known, because the poor dumb animals cannot reveal it. But could the eyes of these men be opened, as were those of Balaam, they would see an angel of God standing as a witness, to testify against them in the courts above. A record goes up to heaven, and a day is coming when judgment will be pronounced against those who abuse God’s creatures. {PP 443.1}

195-Genesis 3:21 And the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them.

Exodus 29:38 "Every day for all time to come, sacrifice on the altar two one-year-old lambs.

Leviticus 11:3 that has divided hoofs and that also chews the cud,

196-Exodus 20:8 "Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. 9 You have six days in which to do your work, 10 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work - neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. 11 In six days I, the Lord, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the Lord, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.

Deuteronomy 5:12 " "Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy, as I, the Lord your God, have commanded you. 13 You have six days in which to do your work, 14 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work - neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. Your slaves must rest just as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that I, the Lord your God, rescued you by my great power and strength. That is why I command you to observe the Sabbath.

197-1 Corinthians 6:19 Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; 20 he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory.

198-James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning.

199-Genesis 2:17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day."

200-John 17:1 After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you. 2 For you gave him authority over all people, so that he might give eternal life to all those you gave him. 3 And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent. 4 I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do. 5 Father! Give me glory in your presence now, the same glory I had with you before the world was made. 6 "I have made you known to those you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your word, 7 and now they know that everything you gave me comes from you. 8 I gave them the message that you gave me, and they received it; they know that it is true that I came from you, and they believe that you sent me. 9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those you gave me, for they belong to you. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine; and my glory is shown through them. 11 And now I am coming to you; I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world. Holy Father! Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one just as you and I are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the man who was bound to be lost - so that the scripture might come true. 13 And now I am coming to you, and I say these things in the world so that they might have my joy in their hearts in all its fullness. 14 I gave them your message, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One. 16 Just as I do not belong to the world, they do not belong to the world. 17 Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth. 18 I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. 19 And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you. 20 "I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. 21 I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one: 23 I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me. 24 "Father! You have given them to me, and I want them to be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory, the glory you gave me; for you loved me before the world was made. 25 Righteous Father! The world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you sent me. 26 I made you known to them, and I will continue to do so, in order that the love you have for me may be in them, and so that I also may be in them."

201-Genesis 9:5 If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. I will punish with death any animal that takes a human life. 6 Human beings were made like God, so whoever murders one of them will be killed by someone else.

202-Genesis 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working.

Job 38:7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy.

Hebrews 4:3 We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as he said, "I was angry and made a solemn promise: "They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!' " He said this even though his work had been finished from the time he created the world. 4 For somewhere in the Scriptures this is said about the seventh day: "God rested on the seventh day from all his work."

Deuteronomy 5:12 " "Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy, as I, the Lord your God, have commanded you. 13 You have six days in which to do your work, 14 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work - neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. Your slaves must rest just as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that I, the Lord your God, rescued you by my great power and strength. That is why I command you to observe the Sabbath.

Ezekiel 20:12 I made the keeping of the Sabbath a sign of the agreement between us, to remind them that I, the Lord, make them holy.

Mark 2:27 And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

2 Peter 3:3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts. They will make fun of you 4 and will ask, "He promised to come, didn't he? Where is he? Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the creation of the world!" 5 They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 and it was also by water, the water of the flood, that the old world was destroyed. 7 But the heavens and the earth that now exist are being preserved by the same command of God, in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the day when godless people will be judged and destroyed.

203-Genesis 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working.

Job 38:7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy.

Hebrews 4:3 We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as he said, "I was angry and made a solemn promise: "They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!' " He said this even though his work had been finished from the time he created the world. 4 For somewhere in the Scriptures this is said about the seventh day: "God rested on the seventh day from all his work."

Deuteronomy 5:12 " "Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy, as I, the Lord your God, have commanded you. 13 You have six days in which to do your work, 14 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work - neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. Your slaves must rest just as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that I, the Lord your God, rescued you by my great power and strength. That is why I command you to observe the Sabbath.

Ezekiel 20:12 I made the keeping of the Sabbath a sign of the agreement between us, to remind them that I, the Lord, make them holy.

Mark 2:27 And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

2 Peter 3:3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts. They will make fun of you 4 and will ask, "He promised to come, didn't he? Where is he? Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the creation of the world!" 5 They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 and it was also by water, the water of the flood, that the old world was destroyed. 7 But the heavens and the earth that now exist are being preserved by the same command of God, in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the day when godless people will be judged and destroyed.

204-Hebrews 4:3 We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as he said, "I was angry and made a solemn promise: "They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!' " He said this even though his work had been finished from the time he created the world. 4 For somewhere in the Scriptures this is said about the seventh day: "God rested on the seventh day from all his work."

205-Steps to Christ 105Chapter 12—What to Do with Doubt

Many, especially those who are young in the Christian life, are at times troubled with the suggestions of skepticism. There are in the Bible many things which they cannot explain, or even understand, and Satan employs these to shake their faith in the Scriptures as a revelation from God. They ask, “How shall I know the right way? If the Bible is indeed the word of God, how can I be freed from these doubts and perplexities?” {SC 105.1}

God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthfulness of His word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith. {SC 105.2}

It is impossible for finite minds fully to comprehend the character or the works of the Infinite One. To the keenest intellect, the most highly educated mind, that holy Being must ever remain clothed in mystery. “Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?” Job 11:7, 8. {SC 105.3}

206-John 8:44 You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies.

207-Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, "Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!"

208-Exodus 20:8 "Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. 9 You have six days in which to do your work, 10 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work - neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. 11 In six days I, the Lord, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the Lord, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.

209-Deuteronomy 5:12 " "Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy, as I, the Lord your God, have commanded you. 13 You have six days in which to do your work, 14 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work - neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. Your slaves must rest just as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that I, the Lord your God, rescued you by my great power and strength. That is why I command you to observe the Sabbath.

210-Deuteronomy 34:7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; he was as strong as ever, and his eyesight was still good.

211-Ezekiel 20:12 I made the keeping of the Sabbath a sign of the agreement between us, to remind them that I, the Lord, make them holy.

Exodus 31:13 to tell the people of Israel, "Keep the Sabbath, my day of rest, because it is a sign between you and me for all time to come, to show that I, the Lord, have made you my own people.

212-Exodus 19:5 Now, if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own people. The whole earth is mine, but you will be my chosen people, 6 a people dedicated to me alone, and you will serve me as priests."

1 Peter 2:9 But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

Deuteronomy 4:20 But you are the people he rescued from Egypt, that blazing furnace. He brought you out to make you his own people, as you are today.

Deuteronomy 7:6 Do this because you belong to the Lord your God. From all the peoples on earth he chose you to be his own special people.

Deuteronomy 14:2 You belong to the Lord your God; he has chosen you to be his own people from among all the peoples who live on earth.

Deuteronomy26:18 Today the Lord has accepted you as his own people, as he promised you; and he commands you to obey all his laws.

Titus 2:14 He gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good.

213-Acts 17:25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. 28 as someone has said, "In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, "We too are his children.'

214-Mark 2:27 And Jesus concluded, "The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

215-Matthew 12:9 Jesus left that place and went to a synagogue, 10 where there was a man who had a paralyzed hand. Some people were there who wanted to accuse Jesus of doing wrong, so they asked him, "Is it against our Law to heal on the Sabbath?" 11 Jesus answered, "What if one of you has a sheep and it falls into a deep hole on the Sabbath? Will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 And a human being is worth much more than a sheep! So then, our Law does allow us to help someone on the Sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man with the paralyzed hand, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it became well again, just like the other one.

Luke 13:10 One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. 11 A woman there had an evil spirit that had kept her sick for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, "Woman, you are free from your sickness!" 13 He placed his hands on her, and at once she straightened herself up and praised God. 14 The official of the synagogue was angry that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, so he spoke up and said to the people, "There are six days in which we should work; so come during those days and be healed, but not on the Sabbath!" 15 The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Any one of you would untie your ox or your donkey from the stall and take it out to give it water on the Sabbath. 16 Now here is this descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept in bonds for eighteen years; should she not be released on the Sabbath?" 17 His answer made his enemies ashamed of themselves, while the people rejoiced over all the wonderful things that he did.

John 5:1 After this, Jesus went to Jerusalem for a religious festival. 2 Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool with five porches; in Hebrew it is called Bethzatha. 3 A large crowd of sick people were lying on the porches - the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. 5 A man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 Jesus saw him lying there, and he knew that the man had been sick for such a long time; so he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" 7 The sick man answered, "Sir, I don't have anyone here to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am trying to get in, somebody else gets there first." 8 Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk." 9 Immediately the man got well; he picked up his mat and started walking. The day this happened was a Sabbath, 10 so the Jewish authorities told the man who had been healed, "This is a Sabbath, and it is against our Law for you to carry your mat." 11 He answered, "The man who made me well told me to pick up my mat and walk." 12 They asked him, "Who is the man who told you to do this?" 13 But the man who had been healed did not know who Jesus was, for there was a crowd in that place, and Jesus had slipped away. 14 Afterward, Jesus found him in the Temple and said, "Listen, you are well now; so stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." 15 Then the man left and told the Jewish authorities that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 So they began to persecute Jesus, because he had done this healing on a Sabbath. 17 Jesus answered them, "My Father is always working, and I too must work."

216-2 Peter 3:3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts. They will make fun of you 4 and will ask, "He promised to come, didn't he? Where is he? Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the creation of the world!" 5 They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 and it was also by water, the water of the flood, that the old world was destroyed. 7 But the heavens and the earth that now exist are being preserved by the same command of God, in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the day when godless people will be judged and destroyed.

217-Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!" 8 A second angel followed the first one, saying, "She has fallen! Great Babylon has fallen! She made all peoples drink her wine - the strong wine of her immoral lust!" 9 A third angel followed the first two, saying in a loud voice, "Those who worship the beast and its image and receive the mark on their forehead or on their hand 10 will themselves drink God's wine, the wine of his fury, which he has poured at full strength into the cup of his anger! All who do this will be tormented in fire and sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of the fire that torments them goes up forever and ever. There is no relief day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, for anyone who has the mark of its name." 12 This calls for endurance on the part of God's people, those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to Jesus.

218-Psalm 92:1 How good it is to give thanks to you, O Lord, to sing in your honor, O Most High God, 2 to proclaim your constant love every morning and your faithfulness every night, 3 with the music of stringed instruments and with melody on the harp. 4 Your mighty deeds, O Lord, make me glad; because of what you have done, I sing for joy. 5 How great are your actions, Lord! How deep are your thoughts! 6 This is something a fool cannot know; someone who is stupid cannot understand: 7 the wicked may grow like weeds, those who do wrong may prosper; yet they will be totally destroyed, 8 because you, Lord, are supreme forever. 9 We know that your enemies will die, and all the wicked will be defeated. 10 You have made me as strong as a wild ox; you have blessed me with happiness. 11 I have seen the defeat of my enemies and heard the cries of the wicked. 12 The righteous will flourish like palm trees; they will grow like the cedars of Lebanon. 13 They are like trees planted in the house of the Lord, that flourish in the Temple of our God, 14 that still bear fruit in old age and are always green and strong. 15 This shows that the Lord is just, that there is no wrong in my protector.

219-Daniel 7:20 And I wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the horn that had come up afterward and had made three of the horns fall. It had eyes and a mouth and was boasting proudly. It was more terrifying than any of the others. 21 While I was looking, that horn made war on God's people and conquered them. 22 Then the one who had been living forever came and pronounced judgment in favor of the people of the Supreme God. The time had arrived for God's people to receive royal power. 23 This is the explanation I was given: "The fourth beast is a fourth empire that will be on the earth and will be different from all other empires. It will crush the whole earth and trample it down. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will appear; he will be very different from the earlier ones and will overthrow three kings. 25 He will speak against the Supreme God and oppress God's people. He will try to change their religious laws and festivals, and God's people will be under his power for three and a half years. 26 Then the heavenly court will sit in judgment, take away his power, and destroy him completely. 27 The power and greatness of all the kingdoms on earth will be given to the people of the Supreme God. Their royal power will never end, and all rulers on earth will serve and obey them." 28 This is the end of the account. I was so frightened that I turned pale, and I kept everything to myself.

220-1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 16 And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them.

221-Genesis 3:21 And the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them.

Psalm 104:29 When you turn away, they are afraid; when you take away your breath, they die and go back to the dust from which they came. 30 But when you give them breath, they are created; you give new life to the earth.

John 1:4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people.

Romans 5:6 For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose. 7 It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. 8 But God has shown us how much he loves us - it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! 9 By his blood we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God's anger! 10 We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life! 11 But that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God's friends.

Galatians 3:13 But by becoming a curse for us Christ has redeemed us from the curse that the Law brings; for the scripture says, "Anyone who is hanged on a tree is under God's curse."

Matthew 27:46 At about three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, ["Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"] which means, "My God, my God, why did you abandon me?"

222-Psalm 51:10 Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me.

223-2 Corinthians 5:21 Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.

224-Genesis 3:8 That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. 9 But the Lord God called out to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked." 11 "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?" 12 The man answered, "The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it." 13 The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it." 14 Then the Lord God said to the snake, "You will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse: From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. 15 I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel."

225-James 1:13 If we are tempted by such trials, we must not say, "This temptation comes from God." For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. 15 Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

226-Genesis 3:21 And the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them.

227-Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live.

Psalm 104:29 When you turn away, they are afraid; when you take away your breath, they die and go back to the dust from which they came. 30 But when you give them breath, they are created; you give new life to the earth.

John 1:4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people.

Acts 17:24 God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. 25 Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. 28 as someone has said, "In him we live and move and exist.' It is as some of your poets have said, "We too are his children.'

228-Isaiah 59:2 It is because of your sins that he doesn't hear you. It is your sins that separate you from God when you try to worship him.

229-Genesis 2:17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day."

230-Romans 5:6 For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose. 7 It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. 8 But God has shown us how much he loves us - it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! 9 By his blood we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God's anger! 10 We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life! 11 But that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God's friends.

231-Galatians 3:13 But by becoming a curse for us Christ has redeemed us from the curse that the Law brings; for the scripture says, "Anyone who is hanged on a tree is under God's curse."

232-Deuteronomy 21:22 "If someone has been put to death for a crime and the body is hung on a post, 23 it is not to remain there overnight. It must be buried the same day, because a dead body hanging on a post brings God's curse on the land. Bury the body, so that you will not defile the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

233-1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy to be defeated will be death.

234-Psalm 51:10 Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me.

Ezekiel 11:19 I will give them a new heart and a new mind. I will take away their stubborn heart of stone and will give them an obedient heart. 20 Then they will keep my laws and faithfully obey all my commands. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. 27 I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you.

Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.

235-1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 16 And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them.

236-Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. 2 And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: "Now God's home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared." 5 Then the one who sits on the throne said, "And now I make all things new!" He also said to me, "Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted."

Genesis 3:19 You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again."

1 Corinthians 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Genesis 6:11 but everyone else was evil in God's sight, and violence had spread everywhere. 12 God looked at the world and saw that it was evil, for the people were all living evil lives. 13 God said to Noah, "I have decided to put an end to all people. I will destroy them completely, because the world is full of their violent deeds.

Isaiah 11:6 Wolves and sheep will live together in peace, and leopards will lie down with young goats. Calves and lion cubs will feed together, and little children will take care of them. 7 Cows and bears will eat together, and their calves and cubs will lie down in peace. Lions will eat straw as cattle do. 8 Even a baby will not be harmed if it plays near a poisonous snake. 9 On Zion, God's sacred hill, there will be nothing harmful or evil. The land will be as full of knowledge of the Lord as the seas are full of water.

John 14:1 "Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. "Believe in God and believe also in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. 3 And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.

237-2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13 But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

238-Zechariah 14:4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and the other half southward.

239-Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

240-Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done.

Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

241-Revelation 22:2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

242-Job 19:26 and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God,

243-1 Corinthians 15:51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

244-Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; 15 and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

245-Genesis 1:27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."

246-John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.

247-Luke 3:38 son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.

248-Job 1:1 There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another's houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." This is what Job always did. 6 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8 The Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil." 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." 12 The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!" So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. 13 One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother's house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you." 16 While he was still speaking, another came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you." 17 While he was still speaking, another came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you." 18 While he was still speaking, another came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you." 20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.

Job 2:1 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 3 The Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason." 4 Then Satan answered the Lord, "Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. 5 But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face." 6 The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life." 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die." 10 But he said to her, "You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. 11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. 13 They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

249-Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.

250-2 Timothy 2:11 The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us;

Revelation 5:10 you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth."

Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years.

1 Corinthians 6:2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels—to say nothing of ordinary matters?

251-Genesis 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth.

Genesis 9:2 The fear and dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on everything that creeps on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 Only, you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.

252-Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.

Isaiah 11:6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

253-Genesis 3:24 He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.

Exodus 33:20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live."

Deuteronomy 5:24 and you said, "Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that God may speak to someone and the person may still live. 25 So now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die. 26 For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and remained alive?

254-John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.

255-Revelation 22:3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

256-Romans 8:18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.

2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,

257-Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

258-Genesis 1:2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

259-Revelation 6:1 Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures call out, as with a voice of thunder, "Come!" 2 I looked, and there was a white horse! Its rider had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering and to conquer. 3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, "Come!" 4 And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another; and he was given a great sword. 5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, "Come!" I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand, 6 and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's pay, and three quarts of barley for a day's pay, but do not damage the olive oil and the wine!" 7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, "Come!" 8 I looked and there was a pale green horse! Its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed with him; they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence, and by the wild animals of the earth. 9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given; 10 they cried out with a loud voice, "Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?" 11 They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters, who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed. 12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and there came a great earthquake; the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree drops its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll rolling itself up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the magnates and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

260-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 6 And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." 7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9 And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth." And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. 20 And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky." 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. 24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." 29 God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

261-Ps. 90:2 Before you created the hills or brought the world into being, you were eternally God, and will be God forever. 1 The Lord spoke to me. 2 "Mortal man," he said, "there were once two sisters. 3 When they were young, living in Egypt, they lost their virginity and became prostitutes. 4 The older one was named Oholah (she represents Samaria), and the younger one was named Oholibah (she represents Jerusalem). I married both of them, and they bore me children. 5 Although she was mine, Oholah continued to be a prostitute and was full of lust for her lovers from Assyria. 6 They were soldiers in uniforms of purple, noblemen and high-ranking officers; all of them were handsome young cavalry officers. 7 She was the whore for all the Assyrian officers, and her lust led her to defile herself by worshiping Assyrian idols. 8 She continued what she had begun as a prostitute in Egypt, where she lost her virginity. From the time she was a young woman, men slept with her and treated her like a prostitute. 9 So I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers whom she wanted so much. 10 They stripped her naked, seized her sons and daughters, and then killed her with a sword. Women everywhere gossiped about her fate. 11 "Even though her sister Oholibah saw this, she was wilder and more of a prostitute than Oholah had ever been. 12 She too was full of lust for the Assyrian noblemen and officers - soldiers in bright uniforms - and for the cavalry officers, all of those handsome young men. 13 I saw that she was completely immoral, that the second sister was as bad as the first. 14 "She sank deeper and deeper in her immorality. She was attracted by the images of high Babylonian officials carved into the wall and painted bright red, with sashes around their waists and fancy turbans on their heads. 16 As soon as she saw them, she was filled with lust and sent messengers to them in Babylonia. 17 The Babylonians came to have sex with her. They used her and defiled her so much that finally she became disgusted with them. 18 She exposed herself publicly and let everyone know she was a whore. I was as disgusted with her as I had been with her sister. 19 She became more of a prostitute than ever, acting the way she did as a young woman, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 She was filled with lust for oversexed men who had all the lustfulness of donkeys or stallions. 21 (Oholibah, you wanted to repeat the immorality you were guilty of as a young woman in Egypt, where men played with your breasts and you lost your virginity.) 22 "Now then, Oholibah, this is what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to you. You are tired of those lovers, but I will make them angry with you and bring them to surround you. 23 I will bring all the Babylonians and Chaldeans, men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians. I will gather all those handsome young noblemen and officers, all those important officials and high-ranking cavalry officers. 24 They will attack you from the north, bringing a large army with chariots and supply wagons. Protected by shields and helmets, they will surround you. I will hand you over to them, and they will judge you by their own laws. 25 Because I am angry with you, I will let them deal with you in their anger. They will cut off your nose and your ears and kill your children. Yes, they will take your sons and daughters from you and burn them alive. 26 They will tear off your clothes and take your jewels. 27 I will put a stop to your lust and to the obscenities you have committed ever since you were in Egypt. You won't look at any more idols or think about Egypt any more." 28 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "I will hand you over to people you hate and are disgusted with. 29 And because they hate you, they will take away everything you have worked for and leave you stripped naked, exposed like a prostitute. Your lust and your prostitution 30 have brought this on you. You were a prostitute for the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You followed in your sister's footsteps, and so I will give you the same cup of punishment to drink." 32 The Sovereign Lord says, "You will drink from your sister's cup; it is large and deep. Everyone will scorn and mock you; the cup is full. 33 It will make you miserable and drunk, that cup of fear and ruin, your sister Samaria's cup. 34 You will drink and drain it dry, and with its broken pieces tear your breast. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken." 35 Now this is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: "Because you forgot me and turned your back on me, you will suffer for your lust and your prostitution." 36 The Lord said to me, "Mortal man, are you ready to judge Oholah and Oholibah? Accuse them of the disgusting things they have done. 37 They have committed adultery and murder - adultery with idols and murder of the children they bore me. They sacrificed my children to their idols. 38 And that is not all they did. They profaned my Temple and broke the Sabbath, which I had established. 39 The very day that they killed my children as sacrifices to idols, they came to my Temple and profaned it! 40 "Again and again they sent messengers to invite men to come from a great distance, and the men came. The two sisters would bathe and put on eye shadow and jewelry. 41 They would sit on a beautiful couch, and in front of them they would have a table covered with good things, including the incense and the olive oil that I had given them. 42 The sound of a carefree crowd could be heard, a group of men brought in from the desert. They put bracelets on the women's arms and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 And I said to myself that they were using as a prostitute a woman worn out by adultery. 44 They went back to these prostitutes again and again. They went back to Oholah and Oholibah, those immoral women. 45 Righteous men will condemn them on the charge of adultery and murder, because they practice adultery and their hands are stained with blood." 46 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "Bring a mob to terrorize them and rob them. 47 Let the mob stone them and attack them with swords, kill their children, and burn down their houses. 48 Throughout the land I will put a stop to immorality, as a warning to every woman not to commit adultery as they did. 49 And you two sisters - I will punish you for your immorality and your sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord."

262-Jn 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him.

263-Jn 17:24 "Father! You have given them to me, and I want them to be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory, the glory you gave me; for you loved me before the world was made.

264-Heb1:8 About the Son, however, God said: "Your kingdom, O God, will last forever and ever! You rule over your people with justice. 9 You love what is right and hate what is wrong. That is why God, your God, has chosen you and has given you the joy of an honor far greater than he gave to your companions." 10 He also said, "You, Lord, in the beginning created the earth, and with your own hands you made the heavens.

265-1 Pet 1:20 He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake.

266-Eph 1:4 Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love 5 God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children - this was his pleasure and purpose.

267-Col. 1:Col. 1:15-17

268-Psalms 91:15 Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things. 16 For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him. 17 Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place.

269-Hebrews 1:4 The Son was made greater than the angels, just as the name that God gave him is greater than theirs. 5 For God never said to any of his angels, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." Nor did God say about any angel, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son." 6 But when God was about to send his first-born Son into the world, he said, "All of God's angels must worship him." 7 But about the angels God said, "God makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire." 8 About the Son, however, God said: "Your kingdom, O God, will last forever and ever! You rule over your people with justice. 9 You love what is right and hate what is wrong. That is why God, your God, has chosen you and has given you the joy of an honor far greater than he gave to your companions." 10 He also said, "You, Lord, in the beginning created the earth, and with your own hands you made the heavens. 11 They will disappear, but you will remain; they will all wear out like clothes. 12 You will fold them up like a coat, and they will be changed like clothes. But you are always the same, and your life never ends." 13 God never said to any of his angels: "Sit here at my right side until I put your enemies as a footstool under your feet." 14 What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation.

Hebrews 2:1 That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away. 2 The message given to our ancestors by the angels was shown to be true, and those who did not follow it or obey it received the punishment they deserved.

270-Exodus 23:23 My angel will go ahead of you and take you into the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I will destroy them.

271-1 Chronicles 21:16 David saw the angel standing in midair, holding his sword in his hand, ready to destroy Jerusalem. Then David and the leaders of the people - all of whom were wearing sackcloth - bowed low, with their faces touching the ground.

272-2 Samuel 24:16 When the Lord's angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord changed his mind about punishing the people and said to the angel who was killing them, "Stop! That's enough!" The angel was by the threshing place of Araunah, a Jebusite. 17 David saw the angel who was killing the people, and said to the Lord, "I am the guilty one. I am the one who did wrong. What have these poor people done? You should punish me and my family."

273-Ezekiel 28:13 You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz, beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for you on the day you were created.

274-Revelation 12:7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; 8 but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. 9 The huge dragon was thrown out - that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now God's salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as King! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused believers day and night has been thrown out of heaven. 11 They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die. 12 And so be glad, you heavens, and all you that live there! But how terrible for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left."

275-Genesis 3:1 Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 2 "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, 3 "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die.

276-Job 1:6 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them.

277-Job 2:1 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord again, Satan was there among them.

278-Job 38:4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers? 6 What holds up the pillars that support the earth? Who laid the cornerstone of the world? 7 In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy.

279-Daniel 9:21 While I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came flying down to where I was. It was the time for the evening sacrifice to be offered.

280-Acts 12:7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and a light shone in the cell. The angel shook Peter by the shoulder, woke him up, and said, "Hurry! Get up!" At once the chains fell off Peter's hands.

281-Hebrews 13:2 Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it.

282-Revelation 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to announce these things to you in the churches. I am descended from the family of David; I am the bright morning star."

283-2 Peter 1:19 So we are even more confident of the message proclaimed by the prophets. You will do well to pay attention to it, because it is like a lamp shining in a dark place until the Day dawns and the light of the morning star shines in your hearts.

284-1 Corinthians 4:9 For it seems to me that God has given the very last place to us apostles, like people condemned to die in public as a spectacle for the whole world of angels and of human beings.

285-Ephesians 1:9 God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. 10 This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.

Ephesians 3:9 and of making all people see how God's secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages, 10 in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

286-Colossians 1:19 For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. 20 Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.

287-Isaiah 14:12 King of Babylon, bright morning star, you have fallen from heaven! In the past you conquered nations, but now you have been thrown to the ground. 13 You were determined to climb up to heaven and to place your throne above the highest stars. You thought you would sit like a king on that mountain in the north where the gods assemble. 14 You said you would climb to the tops of the clouds and be like the Almighty.

288-Ezekiel 28:11 The Lord spoke to me again. 12 "Mortal man," he said, "grieve for the fate that is waiting for the king of Tyre. Tell him what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: You were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! 13 You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz, beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for you on the day you were created. 14 I put a terrifying angel there to guard you. You lived on my holy mountain and walked among sparkling gems. 15 Your conduct was perfect from the day you were created until you began to do evil.

289-Matthew 4:8 Then the Devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their greatness. 9 "All this I will give you," the Devil said, "if you kneel down and worship me."

290-Genesis 2:17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day."

291-Romans 6:23 For sin pays its wage - death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

292-Genesis 3:woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 2 "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, 3 "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. 5 God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad."

293-Job 1:6 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them. 7 The Lord asked him, "What have you been doing?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 8 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil." 9 Satan replied, "Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? 10 You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. 11 But now suppose you take away everything he has - he will curse you to your face!" 12 "All right," the Lord said to Satan, "everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself." So Satan left.

294-Job 2:1 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord again, Satan was there among them. 2 The Lord asked him, "Where have you been?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 3 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil. You persuaded me to let you attack him for no reason at all, but Job is still as faithful as ever." 4 Satan replied, "A person will give up everything in order to stay alive. 5 But now suppose you hurt his body - he will curse you to your face!" 6 So the Lord said to Satan, "All right, he is in your power, but you are not to kill him."

295-Revelation 12:1 Then a great and mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a woman, whose dress was the sun and who had the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was soon to give birth, and the pains and suffering of childbirth made her cry out. 3 Another mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a crown on each of his heads. 4 With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman, in order to eat her child as soon as it was born. 5 Then she gave birth to a son, who will rule over all nations with an iron rod. But the child was snatched away and taken to God and his throne. 6 The woman fled to the desert, to a place God had prepared for her, where she will be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; 8 but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. 9 The huge dragon was thrown out - that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now God's salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as King! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused believers day and night has been thrown out of heaven. 11 They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die. 12 And so be glad, you heavens, and all you that live there! But how terrible for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left."

296-Ezekiel 28:12 "Mortal man," he said, "grieve for the fate that is waiting for the king of Tyre. Tell him what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: You were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! 13 You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz, beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for you on the day you were created. 14 I put a terrifying angel there to guard you. You lived on my holy mountain and walked among sparkling gems. 15 Your conduct was perfect from the day you were created until you began to do evil. 16 You were busy buying and selling, and this led you to violence and sin. So I forced you to leave my holy mountain, and the angel who guarded you drove you away from the sparkling gems.

297-Luke 10:18 Jesus answered them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

298-John 8:18 Jesus answered them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

299-John 12:31 Now is the time for this world to be judged; now the ruler of this world will be overthrown.

300-Col. 2:15 And on that cross Christ freed himself from the power of the spiritual rulers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them by leading them as captives in his victory procession.

301-Revelation 12:7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; 8 but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. 9 The huge dragon was thrown out - that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now God's salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as King! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused believers day and night has been thrown out of heaven.

302-Genesis 3:1 Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 2 "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, 3 "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die.

303-Ezekiel 28:12 "Mortal man," he said, "grieve for the fate that is waiting for the king of Tyre. Tell him what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: You were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! 13 You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz, beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for you on the day you were created. 14 I put a terrifying angel there to guard you. You lived on my holy mountain and walked among sparkling gems. 15 Your conduct was perfect from the day you were created until you began to do evil. 16 You were busy buying and selling, and this led you to violence and sin. So I forced you to leave my holy mountain, and the angel who guarded you drove you away from the sparkling gems.

304-Job 1:1 There was a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, who worshiped God and was faithful to him. He was a good man, careful not to do anything evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand head of cattle, and five hundred donkeys. He also had a large number of servants and was the richest man in the East. 4 Job's sons used to take turns giving a feast, to which all the others would come, and they always invited their three sisters to join them. 5 The morning after each feast, Job would get up early and offer sacrifices for each of his children in order to purify them. He always did this because he thought that one of them might have sinned by insulting God unintentionally. 6 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord, Satan was there among them. 7 The Lord asked him, "What have you been doing?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 8 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil." 9 Satan replied, "Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? 10 You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. 11 But now suppose you take away everything he has - he will curse you to your face!" 12 "All right," the Lord said to Satan, "everything he has is in your power, but you must not hurt Job himself." So Satan left. 13 One day when Job's children were having a feast at the home of their oldest brother, 14 a messenger came running to Job. "We were plowing the fields with the oxen," he said, "and the donkeys were in a nearby pasture. 15 Suddenly the Sabeans attacked and stole them all. They killed every one of your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 16 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 17 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Three bands of Chaldean raiders attacked us, took away the camels, and killed all your servants except me. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 18 Before he had finished speaking, another servant came and said, "Your children were having a feast at the home of your oldest son, 19 when a storm swept in from the desert. It blew the house down and killed them all. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 20 Then Job got up and tore his clothes in grief. He shaved his head and threw himself face downward on the ground. 21 He said, "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!" 22 In spite of everything that had happened, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Job 2:1 When the day came for the heavenly beings to appear before the Lord again, Satan was there among them. 2 The Lord asked him, "Where have you been?" Satan answered, "I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth." 3 "Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil. You persuaded me to let you attack him for no reason at all, but Job is still as faithful as ever." 4 Satan replied, "A person will give up everything in order to stay alive. 5 But now suppose you hurt his body - he will curse you to your face!" 6 So the Lord said to Satan, "All right, he is in your power, but you are not to kill him." 7 Then Satan left the Lord's presence and made sores break out all over Job's body. 8 Job went and sat by the garbage dump and took a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores. 9 His wife said to him, "You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?" 10 Job answered, "You are talking nonsense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?" Even in all this suffering Job said nothing against God. 11 Three of Job's friends were Eliphaz, from the city of Teman, Bildad, from the land of Shuah, and Zophar, from the land of Naamah. When they heard how much Job had been suffering, they decided to go and comfort him. 12 While they were still a long way off they saw Job, but did not recognize him. When they did, they began to weep and wail, tearing their clothes in grief and throwing dust into the air and on their heads. 13 Then they sat there on the ground with him for seven days and nights without saying a word, because they saw how much he was suffering.

305-Matthew 4:8 Then the Devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their greatness. 9 "All this I will give you," the Devil said, "if you kneel down and worship me."

306-1 Kings 22:1 There was peace between Israel and Syria for the next two years, 2 but in the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to see King Ahab of Israel. 3 Ahab asked his officials, "Why is it that we have not done anything to get back Ramoth in Gilead from the king of Syria? It belongs to us!" 4 And Ahab asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to attack Ramoth?" "I am ready when you are," Jehoshaphat answered, "and so are my soldiers and my cavalry. 5 But first let's consult the Lord." 6 So Ahab called in the prophets, about four hundred of them, and asked them, "Should I go and attack Ramoth, or not?" "Attack it," they answered. "The Lord will give you victory." 7 But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there another prophet through whom we can consult the Lord?" 8 Ahab answered, "There is one more, Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me; it's always something bad." "You shouldn't say that!" Jehoshaphat replied. 9 Then Ahab called in a court official and told him to go and get Micaiah at once. 10 The two kings, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing place just outside the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 11 One of them, Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said to Ahab, "This is what the Lord says: "With these you will fight the Syrians and totally defeat them.' " 12 All the other prophets said the same thing. "March against Ramoth and you will win," they said. "The Lord will give you victory." 13 Meanwhile, the official who had gone to get Micaiah said to him, "All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king, and you had better do the same." 14 But Micaiah answered, "By the living Lord I promise that I will say what he tells me to!" 15 When he appeared before King Ahab, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should King Jehoshaphat and I go and attack Ramoth, or not?" "Attack!" Micaiah answered. "Of course you'll win. The Lord will give you victory." 16 But Ahab replied, "When you speak to me in the name of the Lord, tell the truth! How many times do I have to tell you that?" 17 Micaiah answered, "I can see the army of Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, "These men have no leader; let them go home in peace.' " 18 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good for me? It's always something bad!" 19 Micaiah went on: "Now listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne in heaven, with all his angels standing beside him. 20 The Lord asked, "Who will deceive Ahab so that he will go and be killed at Ramoth?' Some of the angels said one thing, and others said something else, 21 until a spirit stepped forward, approached the Lord, and said, "I will deceive him.' 22 "How?' the Lord asked. The spirit replied, "I will go and make all of Ahab's prophets tell lies.' The Lord said, "Go and deceive him. You will succeed.' " 23 And Micaiah concluded: "This is what has happened. The Lord has made these prophets of yours lie to you. But he himself has decreed that you will meet with disaster!" 24 Then the prophet Zedekiah went up to Micaiah, slapped his face, and asked, "Since when did the Lord's spirit leave me and speak to you?" 25 "You will find out when you go into some back room to hide," Micaiah replied. 26 Then King Ahab ordered one of his officers, "Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Prince Joash. 27 Tell them to throw him in prison and to put him on bread and water until I return safely." 28 "If you return safely," Micaiah exclaimed, "then the Lord has not spoken through me!" And he added, "Listen, everyone, to what I have said!" 29 Then King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to attack the city of Ramoth in Gilead. 30 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "As we go into battle, I will disguise myself, but you wear your royal garments." So the king of Israel went into battle in disguise. 31 The king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders to attack no one else except the king of Israel. 32 So when they saw King Jehoshaphat, they all thought that he was the king of Israel, and they turned to attack him. But when he cried out, 33 they realized that he was not the king of Israel, and they stopped their attack. 34 By chance, however, a Syrian soldier shot an arrow which struck King Ahab between the joints of his armor. "I'm wounded!" he cried out to his chariot driver. "Turn around and pull out of the battle!" 35 While the battle raged on, King Ahab remained propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians. The blood from his wound ran down and covered the bottom of the chariot, and at evening he died. 36 Near sunset the order went out through the Israelite ranks: "Each of you go back to your own country and city!" 37 So died King Ahab. His body was taken to Samaria and buried. 38 His chariot was cleaned up at the pool of Samaria, where dogs licked up his blood and prostitutes washed themselves, as the Lord had said would happen. 39 Everything else that King Ahab did, including an account of his palace decorated with ivory and of all the cities he built, is recorded in [The History of the Kings of Israel.] 40 At his death his son Ahaziah succeeded him as king. 41 In the fourth year of the reign of King Ahab of Israel, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah 42 at the age of thirty-five, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 43 Like his father Asa before him, he did what was right in the sight of the Lord; but the places of worship were not destroyed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. 44 Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. 45 Everything else that Jehoshaphat did, all his bravery and his battles, are recorded in [The History of the Kings of Judah.] 46 He got rid of all the male and female prostitutes serving at the pagan altars who were still left from the days of his father Asa. 47 The land of Edom had no king; it was ruled by a deputy appointed by the king of Judah. 48 King Jehoshaphat had ocean-going ships built to sail to the land of Ophir for gold; but they were wrecked at Eziongeber and never sailed. 49 Then King Ahaziah of Israel offered to let his men sail with Jehoshaphat's men, but Jehoshaphat refused the offer. 50 Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City, and his son Jehoram succeeded him as king. 51 In the seventeenth year of the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for two years. 52 He sinned against the Lord, following the wicked example of his father Ahab, his mother Jezebel, and King Jeroboam, who had led Israel into sin. 53 He worshiped and served Baal, and like his father before him, he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.

307-2 Chronicles 18:1 When King Jehoshaphat of Judah became rich and famous, he arranged a marriage between a member of his family and the family of King Ahab of Israel. 2 A number of years later Jehoshaphat went to the city of Samaria to visit Ahab. To honor Jehoshaphat and those with him, Ahab had a large number of sheep and cattle slaughtered for a feast. He tried to persuade Jehoshaphat to join him in attacking the city of Ramoth in Gilead. 3 He asked, "Will you go with me to attack Ramoth?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I am ready when you are, and so is my army. We will join you." 4 Then he added, "But first let's consult the Lord." 5 So Ahab called in the prophets, about four hundred of them, and asked them, "Should I go and attack Ramoth, or not?" "Attack it," they answered. "God will give you victory." 6 But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there another prophet through whom we can consult the Lord?" 7 Ahab answered, "There is one more, Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me; it's always something bad." "You shouldn't say that!" Jehoshaphat replied. 8 So King Ahab called in a court official and told him to go and get Micaiah at once. 9 The two kings, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing place just outside the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 10 One of them, Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said to Ahab, "This is what the Lord says, "With these you will fight the Syrians and totally defeat them.' " 11 All the other prophets said the same thing. "March against Ramoth and you will win," they said. "The Lord will give you victory." 12 Meanwhile, the official who had gone to get Micaiah said to him, "All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king, and you had better do the same." 13 But Micaiah answered, "By the living Lord I will say what my God tells me to!" 14 When he appeared before King Ahab, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should King Jehoshaphat and I go and attack Ramoth, or not?" "Attack!" Micaiah answered. "Of course you'll win. The Lord will give you victory." 15 But Ahab replied, "When you speak to me in the name of the Lord, tell the truth! How many times do I have to tell you that?" 16 Micaiah answered, "I can see the army of Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, "These men have no leader; let them go home in peace.' " 17 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "I told you that he never prophesies anything good for me; it's always something bad!" 18 Micaiah went on: "Now listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne in heaven, with all his angels standing beside him. 19 The Lord asked, "Who will deceive Ahab so that he will go and get killed at Ramoth?' Some of the angels said one thing, and others said something else, 20 until a spirit stepped forward, approached the Lord, and said, "I will deceive him.' "How?' the Lord asked. 21 The spirit replied, "I will go and make all of Ahab's prophets tell lies.' The Lord said, "Go and deceive him. You will succeed.' " 22 And Micaiah concluded: "This is what has happened. The Lord has made these prophets of yours lie to you. But he himself has decreed that you will meet with disaster!" 23 Then the prophet Zedekiah went up to Micaiah, slapped his face, and asked, "Since when did the Lord's spirit leave me and speak to you?" 24 "You will find out when you go into some back room to hide," Micaiah replied. 25 Then King Ahab ordered one of his officers, "Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Prince Joash. 26 Tell them to throw him in prison and to put him on bread and water until I return safely." 27 "If you return safely," Micaiah exclaimed, "then the Lord has not spoken through me!" And he added, "Listen, everyone, to what I have said!" 28 Then King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to attack the city of Ramoth in Gilead. 29 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "As we go into battle, I will disguise myself, but you wear your royal garments." So the king of Israel went into battle in disguise. 30 The king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders to attack no one else except the king of Israel. 31 So when they saw King Jehoshaphat, they all thought that he was the king of Israel, and they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat gave a shout, and the Lord God rescued him and turned the attack away from him. 32 The chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, so they stopped pursuing him. 33 By chance, however, a Syrian soldier shot an arrow which struck King Ahab between the joints of his armor. "I'm wounded!" he cried out to his chariot driver. "Turn around and pull out of the battle!" 34 While the battle raged on, King Ahab remained propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians. At sunset he died.

308-John 12:31 Now is the time for this world to be judged; now the ruler of this world will be overthrown.

309-John 14:30 I cannot talk with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me,

310-John 16:11 and they are wrong about judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

311-2 Cor.4:4 They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

312-Eph. 2:1 In the past you were spiritually dead because of your disobedience and sins. 2 At that time you followed the world's evil way; you obeyed the ruler of the spiritual powers in space, the spirit who now controls the people who disobey God.

313-Eph. 6:16 At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One.

314-1 John 5:19 We know that we belong to God even though the whole world is under the rule of the Evil One.

315-Zechariah 3:1 In another vision the Lord showed me the High Priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord. And there beside Joshua stood Satan, ready to bring an accusation against him. 2 The angel of the Lord said to Satan, "May the Lord condemn you, Satan! May the Lord, who loves Jerusalem, condemn you. This man is like a stick snatched from the fire." 3 Joshua was standing there, wearing filthy clothes. 4 The angel said to his heavenly attendants, "Take away the filthy clothes this man is wearing." Then he said to Joshua, "I have taken away your sin and will give you new clothes to wear." 5 He commanded the attendants to put a clean turban on Joshua's head. They did so, and then they put the new clothes on him while the angel of the Lord stood there.

316-Jude 9 Not even the chief angel Michael did this. In his quarrel with the Devil, when they argued about who would have the body of Moses, Michael did not dare condemn the Devil with insulting words, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

317-Genesis 2:17 except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day."

318-Genesis 3:15 I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel."

319-Romans 3:1 Do the Jews then have any advantage over the Gentiles? Or is there any value in being circumcised? 2 Much, indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews. 3 But what if some of them were not faithful? Does this mean that God will not be faithful? 4 Certainly not! God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says, "You must be shown to be right when you speak; you must win your case when you are being tried."

320-Romans 3:25 God offered him, so that by his blood he should become the means by which people's sins are forgiven through their faith in him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people's sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus. 27 What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe.

321-1 Corinthians 4:9 For it seems to me that God has given the very last place to us apostles, like people condemned to die in public as a spectacle for the whole world of angels and of human beings.

322-Ephesians 1:7 For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, 8 which he gave to us in such large measure! In all his wisdom and insight 9 God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. 10 This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.

323-Eph. 3:9 and of making all people see how God's secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages, 10 in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

324-Colossians 1:19 For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. 20 Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.

325-Romans 8:3 What the Law could not do, because human nature was weak, God did. He condemned sin in human nature by sending his own Son, who came with a nature like our sinful nature, to do away with sin.

326-Romans 3:4 Certainly not! God must be true, even though all human beings are liars. As the scripture says, "You must be shown to be right when you speak; you must win your case when you are being tried."

327-Ephesians 1:7 For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, 8 which he gave to us in such large measure! In all his wisdom and insight 9 God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. 10 This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.

328-Eph. 3:7 I was made a servant of the gospel by God's special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power. 8 I am less than the least of all God's people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ, 9 and of making all people see how God's secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages, 10 in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

329-Colossians 1:19 For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. 20 Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.

330-John 12:32 When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.

331-Ezekiel 20:1 It was the tenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year of our exile. Some of the leaders of the Israelite community came to consult me about the Lord's will, and they sat down in front of me. 2 Then the Lord spoke to me. 3 "Mortal man," he said, "speak to these leaders and tell them that the Sovereign Lord is saying: You have come to ask my will, have you? As surely as I am the living God, I will not let you ask me anything. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. 4 "Are you ready to pass sentence on them, mortal man? Then do so. Remind them of the disgusting things their ancestors did. 5 Tell them what I am saying. When I chose Israel, I made them a promise. I revealed myself to them in Egypt and told them: I am the Lord your God. 6 It was then that I promised to take them out of Egypt and lead them to a land I had chosen for them, a rich and fertile land, the finest land of all. 7 I told them to throw away the disgusting idols they loved and not to make themselves unclean with the false gods of Egypt, because I am the Lord their God. 8 But they defied me and refused to listen. They did not throw away their disgusting idols or give up the Egyptian gods. I was ready to let them feel the full force of my anger there in Egypt. 9 But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name, for in the presence of the people among whom they were living I had announced to Israel that I was going to lead them out of Egypt. 10 "And so I led them out of Egypt into the desert. 11 I gave them my commands and taught them my laws, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. 12 I made the keeping of the Sabbath a sign of the agreement between us, to remind them that I, the Lord, make them holy. 13 But even in the desert they defied me. They broke my laws and rejected my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They completely profaned the Sabbath. I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and to destroy them. 14 But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name among the nations which had seen me lead Israel out of Egypt. 15 So I made a vow in the desert that I would not take them to the land I had given them, a rich and fertile land, the finest land of all. 16 I made the vow because they had rejected my commands, broken my laws, and profaned the Sabbath - they preferred to worship their idols. 17 "But then I took pity on them. I decided not to kill them there in the desert. 18 Instead, I warned the young people among them: Do not keep the laws your ancestors made; do not follow their customs or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God. Obey my laws and my commands. 20 Make the Sabbath a holy day, so that it will be a sign of the covenant we made, and will remind you that I am the Lord your God. 21 "But that generation also defied me. They broke my laws and did not keep my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They profaned the Sabbath. I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and to kill them all. 22 But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name among the nations which had seen me bring Israel out of Egypt. 23 So I made another vow in the desert. I vowed that I would scatter them all over the world. 24 I did this because they had rejected my commands, broken my laws, profaned the Sabbath, and worshiped the same idols their ancestors had served. 25 "Then I gave them laws that are not good and commands that do not bring life. 26 I let them defile themselves with their own offerings, and I let them sacrifice their first-born sons. This was to punish them and show them that I am the Lord. 27 "Now then, mortal man, tell the Israelites what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them. This is another way their ancestors insulted me by their unfaithfulness. 28 I brought them to the land I had promised to give them. When they saw the high hills and green trees, they offered sacrifices at all of them. They made me angry by the sacrifices they burned and by the wine they brought as offerings. 29 I asked them: What are these high places where you go? So they have been called "High Places' ever since. 30 Now tell the Israelites what I am saying: Why must you commit the same sins your ancestors did and go running after their idols? 31 Even today you offer the same gifts and defile yourselves with the same idols by sacrificing your children to them in the fire. And then you Israelites still come to ask what my will is! As surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God, I will not let you ask me anything. 32 You have made up your minds that you want to be like the other nations, like the people who live in other countries and worship trees and rocks. But that will never be. 33 "As surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God, I warn you that in my anger I will rule over you with a strong hand, with all my power. 34 I will show you my power and my anger when I gather you together and bring you back from all the countries where you have been scattered. 35 I will bring you into the "Desert of the Nations,' and there I will condemn you to your face. 36 I will now condemn you just as I condemned your ancestors in the Sinai Desert," says the Sovereign Lord. 37 "I will take firm control of you and make you obey my covenant. 38 I will take away from among you those who are rebellious and sinful. I will take them out of the lands where they are living now, but I will not let them return to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord." 39 The Sovereign Lord says, "And now, all you Israelites, suit yourselves! Go on and serve your idols! But I warn you that after this you will have to obey me and stop dishonoring my holy name by offering gifts to your idols. 40 There in the land, on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, all you people of Israel will worship me. I will be pleased with you and will expect you to bring me your sacrifices, your best offerings, and your holy gifts. 41 After I bring you out of the countries where you have been scattered and gather you together, I will accept the sacrifices that you burn, and the nations will see that I am holy. 42 When I bring you back to Israel, the land that I promised I would give to your ancestors, then you will know that I am the Lord. 43 Then you will remember all the disgraceful things you did and how you defiled yourselves. You will be disgusted with yourselves because of all the evil things you did. 44 When I act to protect my honor, you Israelites will know that I am the Lord, because I do not deal with you as your wicked, evil actions deserve." The Sovereign Lord has spoken. 45 The Lord spoke to me. 46 "Mortal man," he said, "look toward the south. Speak against the south and prophesy against the forest of the south. 47 Tell the southern forest to hear what the Sovereign Lord is saying: Look! I am starting a fire, and it will burn up every tree in you, whether green or dry. Nothing will be able to put it out. It will spread from south to north, and everyone will feel the heat of the flames. 48 They will all see that I, the Lord, set it on fire and that no one can put it out." 49 But I protested, "Sovereign Lord, don't make me do it! Everyone is already complaining that I always speak in riddles."

Ezekiel 36:1 The Lord said, "Mortal man, speak to the mountains of Israel and tell them to listen to the message which I, 2 the Sovereign Lord, have for them: Israel's enemies gloated and said, "Now those ancient hills are ours!' 3 "Prophesy, then, and announce what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying. When the neighboring nations captured and plundered the mountains of Israel, everyone made fun of Israel. 4 So now listen to what I, the Sovereign Lord, say to you mountains and hills, to you brooks and valleys, to you places that were left in ruins, and to you deserted cities which were plundered and mocked by all the surrounding nations. 5 "I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken out in the heat of my anger against the surrounding nations, and especially against Edom. With glee and contempt they captured my land and took possession of its pastures. 6 "So prophesy to the land of Israel; tell the mountains, hills, brooks, and valleys what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying in jealous anger because of the way the nations have insulted and humiliated them. 7 I, the Sovereign Lord, solemnly promise that the surrounding nations will be humiliated. 8 But on the mountains of Israel the trees will again grow leaves and bear fruit for you, my people Israel. You are going to come home soon. 9 I am on your side, and I will make sure that your land is plowed again and crops are planted on it. 10 I will make your population grow. You will live in the cities and rebuild everything that was left in ruins. 11 I will make people and cattle increase in number. There will be more of you than ever before, and you will have many children. I will let you live there as you used to live, and I will make you more prosperous than ever. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will bring you, my people Israel, back to live again in the land. It will be your own land, and it will never again let your children starve. 13 "I, the Sovereign Lord, say: It is true that people say that the land eats people and that it robs the nation of its children. 14 But from now on it will no longer eat people and rob you of your children. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. 15 The land will no longer have to listen to the nations making fun of it or see the peoples sneer at it. The land will no longer rob the nation of its children. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken." 16 The Lord spoke to me. 17 "Mortal man," he said, "when the Israelites were living in their land, they defiled it by the way they lived and acted. I regarded their behavior as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period. 18 I let them feel the force of my anger because of the murders they had committed in the land and because of the idols by which they had defiled it. 19 I condemned them for the way they lived and acted, and I scattered them through foreign countries. 20 Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, "These are the people of the Lord, but they had to leave his land.' 21 That made me concerned for my holy name, since the Israelites brought disgrace on it everywhere they went. 22 "Now then, give the Israelites the message that I, the Sovereign Lord, have for them: What I am going to do is not for the sake of you Israelites, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have disgraced in every country where you have gone. 23 When I demonstrate to the nations the holiness of my great name - the name you disgraced among them - then they will know that I am the Lord. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. I will use you to show the nations that I am holy. 24 I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. 26 I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. 27 I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be plentiful, so that you will not have any more famines. 30 I will increase the yield of your fruit trees and your fields, so that there will be no more famines to disgrace you among the nations. 31 You will remember your evil conduct and the wrongs that you committed, and you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your sins and your iniquities. 32 Israel, I want you to know that I am not doing all this for your sake. I want you to feel the shame and disgrace of what you are doing. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken." 33 The Sovereign Lord says, "When I make you clean from all your sins, I will let you live in your cities again and let you rebuild the ruins. 34 Everyone who used to walk by your fields saw how overgrown and wild they were, but I will let you farm them again. 35 Everyone will talk about how this land, which was once a wilderness, has become like the Garden of Eden, and how the cities which were torn down, looted, and left in ruins, are now inhabited and fortified. 36 Then the neighboring nations that have survived will know that I, the Lord, rebuild ruined cities and replant waste fields. I, the Lord, have promised that I would do this - and I will." 37 The Sovereign Lord says, "I will once again let the Israelites ask me for help, and I will let them increase in numbers like a flock of sheep. 38 The cities that are now in ruins will then be as full of people as Jerusalem was once full of the sheep which were offered as sacrifices at a festival. Then they will know that I am the Lord."

332-Ezekiel 20:4 "Are you ready to pass sentence on them, mortal man? Then do so. Remind them of the disgusting things their ancestors did. 5 Tell them what I am saying. When I chose Israel, I made them a promise. I revealed myself to them in Egypt and told them: I am the Lord your God. 6 It was then that I promised to take them out of Egypt and lead them to a land I had chosen for them, a rich and fertile land, the finest land of all. 7 I told them to throw away the disgusting idols they loved and not to make themselves unclean with the false gods of Egypt, because I am the Lord their God.

333-Eze 20:10 "And so I led them out of Egypt into the desert. 11 I gave them my commands and taught them my laws, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. 12 I made the keeping of the Sabbath a sign of the agreement between us, to remind them that I, the Lord, make them holy.

334-Exodus 32:7 The Lord said to Moses, "Hurry and go back down, because your people, whom you led out of Egypt, have sinned and rejected me. 8 They have already left the way that I commanded them to follow; they have made a bull-calf out of melted gold and have worshiped it and offered sacrifices to it. They are saying that this is their god, who led them out of Egypt. 9 I know how stubborn these people are. 10 Now, don't try to stop me. I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation." 11 But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God and said, "Lord, why should you be so angry with your people, whom you rescued from Egypt with great might and power? 12 Why should the Egyptians be able to say that you led your people out of Egypt, planning to kill them in the mountains and destroy them completely? Stop being angry; change your mind and do not bring this disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember the solemn promise you made to them to give them as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and to give their descendants all that land you promised would be their possession forever." 14 So the Lord changed his mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

335-Eze. 20:15 So I made a vow in the desert that I would not take them to the land I had given them, a rich and fertile land, the finest land of all. 16 I made the vow because they had rejected my commands, broken my laws, and profaned the Sabbath - they preferred to worship their idols. 17 "But then I took pity on them. I decided not to kill them there in the desert. 18 Instead, I warned the young people among them: Do not keep the laws your ancestors made; do not follow their customs or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God. Obey my laws and my commands. 20 Make the Sabbath a holy day, so that it will be a sign of the covenant we made, and will remind you that I am the Lord your God.

336-Eze. 20:37 "I will take firm control of you and make you obey my covenant. 38 I will take away from among you those who are rebellious and sinful. I will take them out of the lands where they are living now, but I will not let them return to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord." 39 The Sovereign Lord says, "And now, all you Israelites, suit yourselves! Go on and serve your idols! But I warn you that after this you will have to obey me and stop dishonoring my holy name by offering gifts to your idols. 40 There in the land, on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, all you people of Israel will worship me. I will be pleased with you and will expect you to bring me your sacrifices, your best offerings, and your holy gifts. 41 After I bring you out of the countries where you have been scattered and gather you together, I will accept the sacrifices that you burn, and the nations will see that I am holy. 42 When I bring you back to Israel, the land that I promised I would give to your ancestors, then you will know that I am the Lord.

337-Ezekiel 20:12 I made the keeping of the Sabbath a sign of the agreement between us, to remind them that I, the Lord, make them holy.

338-Eze. 20:20 Make the Sabbath a holy day, so that it will be a sign of the covenant we made, and will remind you that I am the Lord your God.

339-Ezekiel 20:13 But even in the desert they defied me. They broke my laws and rejected my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They completely profaned the Sabbath. I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and to destroy them. 14 But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name among the nations which had seen me lead Israel out of Egypt. 15 So I made a vow in the desert that I would not take them to the land I had given them, a rich and fertile land, the finest land of all. 16 I made the vow because they had rejected my commands, broken my laws, and profaned the Sabbath - they preferred to worship their idols. 17 "But then I took pity on them. I decided not to kill them there in the desert. 18 Instead, I warned the young people among them: Do not keep the laws your ancestors made; do not follow their customs or defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God. Obey my laws and my commands. 20 Make the Sabbath a holy day, so that it will be a sign of the covenant we made, and will remind you that I am the Lord your God. 21 "But that generation also defied me. They broke my laws and did not keep my commands, which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They profaned the Sabbath. I was ready to let them feel the force of my anger there in the desert and to kill them all.

Table of Contents

Lesson #1 for January 5, 2013: Jesus, Creator of Heaven and Earth

Lesson #2 for January 12, 2013 Creation, Forming the World

Lesson #3 for January 19, 2013 Origins The Creation Completed

Lesson #4 for January 26, 2013 Origins Creation, A Biblical Theme

Lesson #5 for February 2, 2013 Origins: Creation and Morality

Lesson #6 for February 9, 2013 Orgins: Creation and the Fall

Lesson #7 for February 16, 2013 Origins: Through a Glass, Darkly

Lesson #8 for February 23, 2013 Jesus: Provider and Sustainer

Lesson #9 for March 2, 2013 Marriage: A Gift from Heaven

Lesson #10 for March 9, 2013 Stewardship and the Environment

Lesson #11 for March 16, 2013 Sabbath: A Gift from Eden

Lesson #12 for March 23, 2013 Origins Creation and the Gospel

Lesson #13 for March 30, 2013 Creation, Again Origins

Great Controversy in Scriptures

SOME QUOTATIONS FROM ELLEN WHITE REGARDING --THE PLAN OF SALVATION IN THE SETTING OF THE GREAT CONTR

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