In the Hebrew month Sivan in 1491 B.C. the ten commandments were first given to the children of Israel verbally prior to them being written in stone by God. A new article on the main site entitled Ten Commandments and Bible Structure is a study of the 10 commandments as spoken by God from Mount Sinai, and then a look at this and other examples of divine Bible structure from the original manuscripts in Hebrew.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Soon after the verbal presentation of the ten commandments, Moses ascends Mount Sinai for 40 days and receives the first set of tablets formed and written by God with the commandments etched in stone. It is incredible that in 6 weeks after God telling the children of Israel, in person, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" that they grew impatient waiting for Moses to return, and molded a golden calf to worship.

The word "before" in the commandment above does not mean "ahead of", but is translated from the Hebrew phrase al paniym (al paw-NEEM) with al meaning above, over, upon, or against, and paniym meaning the face. No wonder 3,000 men were put to death by the sword (Exodus 32:28) and another 20,000 died immediately from pestilence (1 Corinthians 10:8) as punishment for violating this commandment so soon after it was given.

There are consequences for violating what God expects, and this ancient lesson is valid for people today. The death of 23,000 may not be a story you hear in Sunday School, yet seek God by reading the Bible for wisdom and understanding to learn the reasoning and importance of these lessons for modern times.

TAGS: Bible 10 commandments Exodus God Moses study

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The six day creation in Genesis chapter 1 of the Bible is unimaginable on a human scale with 24 hours in a day, and a recent comment from a visitor to the Ultimate Riddles website confirms this difficulty of human perception. They, and others, reference a verse about time and eternity in the New Testament as evidence that the universe in Genesis 1 was created in 6000 years.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8 (KJV)

The word in 2 Peter for "day" in Greek is hemera (hay-MER-ah), and translates to the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole of 24 hours. In other words, this is the same as our 24 hour day, yet time for our eternal God is infinite which explains why 1000 years pass like the blink of an eye. This visitor has correctly understood the meaning of one day in that verse.

Next, consider the conclusion of each day of creation in Genesis that ends with the definition of day, as well. The Hebrew of the Old Testament properly translated without making assumptions about time is likewise speaking of days as 24 hours, not 1000 years or eons of time. God is omnipotent with the power to create by spoken word, and the six day creation was literally human 24 hour days. Here's the evidence.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:5 (KJV)

The phrase "the evening and the morning were the first day" is repeated for each day replacing "first" with second, third, etc., including the sixth in the last verse of Genesis 1. The Hebrew word for day is yom (pronounced YOME), and means literal days from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next.

When Bible students encounter the word day with a cardinal or ordinal number, for example one or first, this is a literal day of 24 hours. Each day of creation in Genesis emphasizes this fact by including the phrase "the evening and the morning...", so there's no reason to imagine God created the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all things within them in any amount of time longer than six 24 hour days.

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Another article and Bible study of the book of Exodus continues with the journey of Israel into the wilderness after the parting of the Red Sea. Despite miracles shown to the people of Israel in Egypt, leaders Moses and Aaron are faced with stiffnecked people to the point of mutiny.

The lesson for Christians in the article Israel Murmuring Against Moses and Aaron is to recognize the tiny miracles and thank God for what you do have instead of worrying about what you lack.

Hebrew words including place names as used in Exodus that were not translated to English, are explained for clearer meaning of some verses. One in particular is interesting. Manna, food from heaven, literally means "What is that?".

Complaints to the point of mutiny are unnecessary for Christians. God will never leave you or forsake you. In times of trouble when all seems hopeless, He may be forming some aspect of your character in preparation for eternal life, yet He promises that there will always be a way out. Be patient and have faith by putting full trust in Jesus Christ.

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Labels: article, Bible, Christian, Exodus, God, Jesus, study

                     

Here's a movie review for people looking for spiritual purpose. The made for television movie "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" was broadcast on ABC in 2004, and adapted from the book of the same title, a NY Times bestseller, written in 2003 by Mitch Albom. The movie stars Jon Voight as an 80 year old man who leads what he considers a simple life without significant purpose, dies, and then meets five people from his past in heaven.

He knew each of the 5 directly, or indirectly, and not realizing the impact of our actions on other people's lives was the big lesson. One point I liked said in effect "We are all connected and some people are simply strangers we have not met". This is an inspiring movie and fun look at one possibility of how people might spend some of their time in heaven.

The DVD is available without commercials, not rated, and the run time is approximately 1 hour and 33 minutes. Personally, I would suggest previewing the movie before showing to children. If rated in my home it may have been PG-13 due to some graphic violence. For teenagers and adults, this movie takes an imaginary view of heaven not referenced in the Bible, yet the fiction could easily be a realistic view of some aspects.

In heaven we will recognize people we knew. The joy and experience is beyond imagination. Five People You Meet in Heaven is a warm and inspiring story, and recommended to anyone who feels trapped or distracted by everyday problems. No doubt our lives affect those around us, and this movie shows how average people living average lives actually influence others, including strangers, in ways we don't realize.

I viewed this movie twice in one week, and intend to watch it at least once a year as a reminder of spiritual purpose and what's really important in life. Do you need another reason to be kind to strangers? Read Hebrews 13:2.

TAGS: Bible heaven movie review spiritual purpose

Labels: Bible, death, eternity

                     

The real purpose of the ultimate riddles Bible study website is to captivate nonbelievers with interesting religious concepts that most may never have heard. For Christians, the last great commission from Christ before His ascension was instructing the disciples and us to witness the Gospel to the world.

Most nonbelievers cannot be converted in one encounter. No human can actually convert a sinner. The best a Christian can do is peak interest and if it's God's will and that person is truly sincere, the Holy Spirit will take over the conversion.

For believers, some of the topics being covered on this site may be controversial when compared to what many are taught in Sunday School. My point is not to debate issues that go beyond that very basic truth of Christ in John 3:16 and John 14:6, plus the first verse quoted on the main study directory . "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentence." Mark 2:17 (KJV)

To document this Bible study cover to cover may take 5 years, so no one topic is cross referenced to every verse that supports a given conclusion. I want to spark interest and plant seeds. Hopefully believers who may have drifted away will take up their Bibles again to discover the importance of staying daily in His Word, or to research Scripture and compare their take on points made and my reasoning.

When looking into the cost of Bibles I was surprised to learn that you can buy a case of 32 with imitation leather for less than $100. I'd like nothing better than having sponsors to help finance free Bibles and giving away a million Bibles every year. Readers, or potential sponsors, are encouraged to email me or post comments with ideas and opinions.

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The next Bible study article covering Exodus was released entitled Exodus and Parting of the Red Sea, and documents the first week of Exodus day by day from the departure, journey, and the freedom of Israel from bondage in Egypt with the parting of the Red Sea.

As a young man I waterskied and swam in the Red Sea on the western coast of what is now Eritrea. A group of us snorkled from shore to an island 3 miles out, also, and although this site is 100's of miles south of the place where the children of Israel passed over on dry land, the experience helps put the miracle in perspective.

The entire first week of Exodus article is here, and concludes with an analogy comparing crossing the Red Sea and Christian baptism.

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A new article on the main site of Ultimate Riddles explores Bible references to Jesus in Genesis, beginning with the very first verse of the Bible in Genesis 1:1. From personal experience hearing comments from others, some Christians focus less on the Old Testament or entirely in the New Testament because it documents the birth and life of Jesus in human form. Here's an excerpt:

God spoke and things were created. There was no action or work that compares to our human creativity which we physically work and struggle over. "And God said..." means by spoken word alone He created everything in the heavens, the earth, and the sea. Continue to the New Testament for evidence that this reference to God refers to Jesus Christ, also called the Word.

Read the full article Finding Jesus in the Old Testament here, with Scripture verses about creation, and learn why these references to God in the Old Testament literally refer to Jesus Christ.

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The next Bible study article covering Exodus was released entitled Tenth Devastating Plague in Egypt here, and discusses the pass over or death of all firstborn in Egypt. In addition, it compares Passover and Easter with the following excerpt about Easter:

The Greek word translated to Easter is pascha (PAS-khah) which is of Chaldee origin, and it means "passover" to include the meal, day, and festival. In the original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament the word "pascha" occurs in 27 verses 29 times. In each instance it is translated to English as "passover" except for the single occurence of "Easter" in Acts 12:4.

The earliest Christians only had the original manuscripts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Chaldee for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament. Easter was introduced in the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible long before the first English translation or later King James Authorized Version (KJV) in 1611.

Easter was a pagan holiday introduced in part to the church to attract unbelievers to Christianity, and it became tradition. The King James authors used the Latin Vulgate which is how the word pascha was mistranslated as Easter in Acts 12:4. By knowing the difference now, it makes sense for Christians to celebrate Passover, yet keep in mind that our true Passover sacrifice is now Christ. Be wary of the traditions of mankind, and keep in His Word to understand that some Old Testament traditions were nailed to the cross, and today communion is the Passover celebration for Christians.

Bible translations in English contain errors, yet by going back to the original manuscript languages Bible students gain clearer understanding of truth in God's Holy Word. Read the full Bible study article on Passover and Easter here.

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In a recent Bible study about Moses and the first nine plagues in Egypt, a point not made but worth noting in Exodus is about darkness so dark you can feel it. Imagine senses beyond ordinary sight that we use viewing dark or light, and this verse may provide a clue about heightened or new senses we will experience in heaven. Here's what I mean as referenced in the ninth plague documented in Exodus 10:

And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: Exodus 10:21-22 (KJV)

Darkness which may be felt lasted three days! This may support the promise made in the New Testament revealing unimaginable sensations beyond what we know.

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV)

Realizing our human life is temporal like the blink of an eye gives good reason to seek God and stay in His Word in preparation for eternal life in heaven. Things await us beyond human imagination.

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