Why “Taking The Holy Bible Literally” Is Evidence of Naiveté
The Bible was translated from the expressions and idioms of a culture going back almost 6,000 years. Translated from ancient Hebrew into ancient Greek, Latin, and then to English.
Those interpreting begin with the assumption the earth is 6,000 years old and then insist they must prove this argument is “Literally” true? What could they mean? To what DEFINITION of the word “Literal” are they referring? I think it must be this definition: in accordance with, involving, or being the primary or strict meaning of the word or words; not figurative or metaphorical:
the literal meaning of a word. From here https://www.dictionary.com/browse/literal?s=t
Theoretical Physics tells us the universe is 13.8 billion years old. Geology tells us the earth is at least 100-Million years old. Paleontologists are satisfied life appeared in great variety some 541 million years ago. The Cambrian explosion or Cambrian radiation was an event approximately 541 million years ago in the Cambrian period when most major animal phyla appeared in the fossil record.
In the beginning (beginning of what?) God created the Heavens and the Earth. LONG, LONG PAUSE. It was created without form and void. Or Tohu and Bohu meaning “all confusion.” Why would a perfect God who designs everything to perfection create such a universe all void of life and in confusion. I think it was perfect until Lucifer/Satan destroyed it. I’m not the first theology student to say so!
Evidence shows humanoids were here 100,000 years ago. There is evidence of a Nuclear Explosion happen on this earth 50,000 years ago. Where did I come up with such an idea. Have I gone completely INsANe??? Look here. https://www.gaia.com/lp/content/evidence-nuclear-war-ancient-times/
The pyramids are much older than originally accepted. Where did they come from? How did they get built to such fine accuracy? No one in the “Literalist Camp” will answer. See these: https://www.ancient-code.com/the-ancient-egyptian-civilization-thousands-of-years-older-than-previously-thought/ and http://www.itsastrangeworld.com/pyramids-much-older-think/ The pyramids are so full of mysteries about advanced knowledge of physics and math they can make your head spin.
Are you quite sure the earth, moon and planets have always been in orbits where they are now? See this: https://www.sciencealert.com/asteroid-binary-pair-show-jupiter-and-saturn-wrecked-solar-system-early?perpetual=yes&limitstart=1
God has a heated discussion with Job and asks Job where the “corners” of the world are and the foundations of it. He asks Job about three stars that no one in that day could know are moving through the galaxy independent of the other stars all moving in unison. God refers to these stars as Bears. Bears???? Wait! They were stars! Ask a Literalist!
Job 38 New International Version (NIV)
The Lord Speaks
38 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
2 “Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?
8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?
12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.
16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.
19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!
22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,
26 to water a land where no one lives,
an uninhabited desert,
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?
28 Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?
31 “Can you bind the chains[b] of the Pleiades?
Can you loosen Orion’s belt?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons[c]
or lead out the Bear[d] with its cubs? (God is NOT talking about a literal Bear here!)
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God’s[e] dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis his wisdom[f]
or gives the rooster understanding?[g]
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
38 when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?
The First people of Judah decided in 1st Samuel they wanted to elect a king and tell God they did not want Him for a king. God says this king will be like a particular tree. Later there is a story about this tree that is huge and spreads shade. Ahhh, sounds wonderful, so the literalists will say. We need shelter and shade in this hot sun. Little do they understand this tree sucks all the moisture and minerals out of the top soil with its shallow roots. So that king sucked all the life out of those people and they lived in subservient slavery to him.
1 Samuel 8 The Message (MSG)
Rejecting God as the King
8 1-3 When Samuel got to be an old man, he set his sons up as judges in Israel. His firstborn son was named Joel, the name of his second, Abijah. They were assigned duty in Beersheba. But his sons didn’t take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, taking bribes, corrupting justice.
4-5 Fed up, all the elders of Israel got together and confronted Samuel at Ramah. They presented their case: “Look, you’re an old man, and your sons aren’t following in your footsteps. Here’s what we want you to do: Appoint a king to rule us, just like everybody else.”
6 When Samuel heard their demand—“Give us a king to rule us!”—he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to God.
7-9 God answered Samuel, “Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected me as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they’ve been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they’re doing it to you. So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they’re in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they’re likely to get from a king.”
10-18 So Samuel told them, delivered God’s warning to the people who were asking him to give them a king. He said, “This is the way the kind of king you’re talking about operates. He’ll take your sons and make soldiers of them—chariotry, cavalry, infantry, regimented in battalions and squadrons. He’ll put some to forced labor on his farms, plowing and harvesting, and others to making either weapons of war or chariots in which he can ride in luxury. He’ll put your daughters to work as beauticians and waitresses and cooks. He’ll conscript your best fields, vineyards, and orchards and hand them over to his special friends. He’ll tax your harvests and vintage to support his extensive bureaucracy. Your prize workers and best animals he’ll take for his own use. He’ll lay a tax on your flocks and you’ll end up no better than slaves. The day will come when you will cry in desperation because of this king you so much want for yourselves. But don’t expect God to answer.”
19-20 But the people wouldn’t listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We will have a king to rule us! Then we’ll be just like all the other nations. Our king will rule us and lead us and fight our battles.”
21-22 Samuel took in what they said and rehearsed it with God. God told Samuel, “Do what they say. Make them a king.”
Then Samuel dismissed the men of Israel: “Go home, each of you to your own city.”
The story continues here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel+9&version=MSG I usually read the NIV, but this MSG (The Message) version in British English is very easy to follow and I’m sure younger people will like it.
Nebuchadnezer was a hunter of men. What did that mean? Literally it sounds like he hunted and killed other men. But why would he do that? It really means he took in territories making a huge empire.
How many every explained why that entire society saw human females as disrespectable? So when women cry out about the story in Genesis 19, asking why this happened, I’ll show you the answer no one else (probably) ever told you.
6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”
In that society, a guest was to be protected even more than family members and the guest should be fed and comforted even more than your family or yourself. Sadly, the women were 3rd or 4th place and it remained that way until nearer to the date of the arrival of Jesus. Today, still in Muslim societies women are spoils of war, sex toys, disrespected, and given no real tenderness. And it is that way in many Asian societies too!
Tied to this is the story of Noah and His son Ham. In the ancient Hebrew, the expression “to go into the vineyard” is a euphemistic way of saying, “We’re gona get drunk and have sex.” You didn’t know that did you? Likewise, “uncover his/her nakedness” means to have sex with him or her or his wife. So how many “pastors” knew and told you that and explained it?
Here’s a copy of the story – but mind you, The Bible is short notes of a MUCH LONGER story – almost always, it’s short hand, like the popular college “Cliff Notes.”
Noah and His Family
18 Noah’s sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham later fathered Canaan.) 19 These three were Noah’s sons, and from these men the whole earth was repopulated.
20 Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant and farm a vineyard. 21 He drank some of the wine, got drunk, and lay down naked[d] right in the middle of his tent. 22 Ham, who fathered Canaan, saw his father’s genitals and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took their father’s[e] cloak, laid it across both their shoulders, and walking backwards, they both covered their father’s genitals. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s genitals. 24 When Noah sobered up and learned what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,
“Canaan is cursed!
He will be the lowest of slaves to his relatives.”
26 He also said,
“Blessed be the Lord God of Shem,
and may Canaan be his slave.
27 May God make room for[f] Japheth;
may God[g] live in Shem’s tents,
and may Canaan serve him.”
28 Noah lived 350 years after the flood. 29 After Noah had lived a total of 950 years, he died.
So much of Noah’s story closes with line 28 and 29 and we’re left in mystery. Here are all these pastors telling you in Genesis 6-9 that Ham went into Noah’s tent and saw him naked, and you might say, so what? What’s the big deal?
(And then there was some fool writer trying to pawn off that Noah was a Nephilim and had something like a crocodile’s tail! That’s what happens when they don’t understand what they’re reading.)
What Ham did and what it really meant was, Ham went in and had sex with Noah’s wife, (his mother or step-mother) as an attempt to now become the leader of the family and owner of everything they had or would ever have. Interesting because Ham was black. Who made love to which of Noah’s wives that he would end up with a black son? And what curse has laid over the Black People ever since?
Well, the principal is often eye for eye, tooth for tooth, deviant behavior toward God gives you more deviant behavior. Try to poison God’s people and YOU get poisoned. And so the descendents of Ham were poisoned genetically and spiritually.
The product of this evil tryst were tribes of people who were so evil and sexually deviant eventually God told the Jews to wage war against them and kill them all. Were they genetic mutations from the Nephelim? We think “yes they must have been.”
If you want more about this see this video at YouTube. This “mere” woman, a Jewish woman obviously educated in Judaism and capable of reading Hebrew and translating it directly into English and probably speaks Hebrew fluently, understands what all of these “pastors” or if you prefer “shepherds” never did.
I want to bring up another aside thought here. God will not have His Holy Spirit enter any genetically mutated creatures! (Which is why you should never take a computer chip under your skin because we know those chips are designed with an unnaturally high frequency clock speed. The only purpose of that would be to alter you genetically. If you take the chip you’ll lose your salvation.) But take this as a help. I calculate we just began the last 7 years of these last days just around the High Holy Days, probably Yum Kippor 2018 which is the new year and the Day of Atonement!
| 9 Tishrei | September 18, 2018 | Erev Yom Kippur | Yom Kippur Eve |
It’s reasonable to say, my thesis is, add 3.5 years and end up at approximately March year 2022. (which might explain why my website ends with that number…. A number which I observe crops up now and then here and there in my theology study….) I’m guessing IF there is going to be a Rapture (I believe there IS going to be a rapture of those who Love the Lord) it will be then or close to it. It will also be the start of the shooting World War III. That war is in progress but it is in banking, and over the Internet. It is probable the Chinese can shut down the US infrastructure with a few mouse clicks and the US still has no defense. No water flowing, no sewage flowing, no fuel, no power — the End!
(I’m still hissing like an angry cobra about some idiot who produced a YouTube Video the title of which said we shouldn’t worry about World War III because the United States will win. This poor slob with an IQ of just over 74.8 hasn’t yet learned that any sort of nuclear exchange will launch a nuclear winter. No one wins. And by the way, I’m not worried.)
Add an additional 3.5 years and reach around September 2026. We’re at the time of Passover around April/May and then the High Holy Days again – but by now the Anti-Christ has taken his seat at the new temple and stopped the priests from continuing the traditional prayers and animal sacrifices. Suddenly, with the world at terrible war, Jesus will come to end it before it destroys the entire world.
There are so many misunderstandings of what the Bible really said and meant, I could go on this way for a week, but I plan to keep this at reasonable length and point to only a few questions and examples of misunderstandings.
Excuse me for being a bit aggravated about this. I know you can hear it in my writing. I’m aggravated because thousands of people have been confused, deceived, lived life styles improperly, wept, were abused, tortured, enslaved, because someone took their interpretation of The Bible “literally” and in the process ruined lives. These “literalists” chased many people away from the true and living God and his true and living Son, Jesus the Christ. Many of these, especially men have traveled as far away as they could get! I wonder how many good men got their lives mixed up this way, and ended their lives drunk and lying with Vietnamese and Thai whores until they died of some disease or drug overdose all because someone abused their minds with misinformation. And these “shepherds” shall go before God and say, “Lord, Lord! Didn’t we cast out devils and do all these other good works in your name?” and He will answer them, “I never knew you! Go away;” and into outer darkness they will go!
I should say this on every page of this website. Honest Christian education requires reading and thinking. You must be able to think and consider what seems appropriate to you. Ultimately this is not everyone’s religion. Its YOURS. When some group tells you that you must not educate, must not read, must not think, must not express difficult questions, must ONLY read the materials THEY give to you, the Bible they print and no other…that’s a cult and you should leave them immediately. You’re obviously a thinker and too intelligent to ever be happy with them.
Several times there is mention of 40. Forty days and nights (Noah), 40-years wandering in the deserts (Moses) 40 days in prayer alone in the desert without food. (Jesus). Does it mean 40 or does it mean a Very Long Time? If the literalist does not know, he does not know what the story means and consequently does not know what the lesson means or what the story is about!
The Bible contains many stories which are entirely symbolic and reading them literally is impossible. Claiming one must interpret The Bible literally these pastors suddenly attempt to stop being “literal” and explain the symbolism — which they often misinterpret.
The Literal interpretation of the name “Israel” means the country. If you lived by that alone you could never understand Bible Prophecy! (because) The spiritual understanding of “Israel” is the tribe of people who were fathered by Israel. Those people eventually became England, and spun off to become also the British colonies including the United States! If you do not understand that, all of the rest of End Time prophecy makes no sense for you. Obviously then, taking the Bible literally in this sense is impossible and unintended.
According to the biblical Book of Genesis the patriarch Jacob was given the name Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Yisraʾel Tiberian Yiśrāʾēl) after he wrestled with the angel (Genesis 32:28 and 35:10). The given name is already attested in Eblaite (???, išrail) and Ugaritic (?????, yšrʾil).
[Please refer to this before continuing: Ezekiel 23 New International Version (NIV) Two Adulterous Sisters]
There is the prophecy of two sisters who make their career in prostitution from a young age and end up chasing officers of the Assyrians and the Babylonians, and so on and on until, because of their sins they will destroy themselves. If you’re a literalist you think this is a story about two young women growing up in careers as sex workers. But the language is entirely symbolic and in fact it’s about two countries which are extant now and were wealthy and powerful but now are falling from their positions of power because they have chased after multiple lovers (political alliances) and have never really been trustworthy on the world stage. Their sins are nearly endless.
They did spread the gospel all over the world, but nowadays they live for material comfort instead of for God. They have turned their back upon God. Finally these two will come to ruin. It’s happening now and as we move into year 2021 – 2025 it will be more evident.
You should know by now one sister in the story is England and the spin-off colonies of England. Most notably that other great power is mysterious Babylon. She is a city that fits prophecies speaking of massive transportation systems, many waters, many deep water harbors and ports, a Statue with 10-horns (representing 10-“Kings” I wonder, holding up a flame and it smells bad (because it is burning natural gas and that gas is scentless so for safety reasons a scent is mixed into it.)
The people of this city, until lately lived very luxuriant lives. Many still do. When this place is one day destroyed by a nuclear blast, ships headed her way will stop in their course and probably turn around and go the other way. They will see her burning and lament the terrible loss of commerce.
This might give one pause to think about relocating off the route of the Long Island Rail Road through Babylon into New York.
Mystery Babylon, (that should be rendered lower case mystery Babylon.) … a part of a fabulous geopolitical and economic system. On one side of the Atlantic tied to ancient Rome and the ancient church there, Babylon is ridden, likely guided, by a fabulous looking woman dressed in red, adorned with rich gold decorations and jewels. In her hand is a chalice containing the blood of saints murdered for their faith. On the other side of the Atlantic is this luxuriant city and near to it the most powerful capital of government the world has until now ever seen. Indeed even its defense system has been mounted up into the heavens!
Where could this place be? You should think about that a while longer. I’ll give you one last hint. It’s so close to a big town named Babylon you could ride your bicycle from Babylon over a bridge and into it! When ships pass they see the water tower. It has painted on that tower “Babylon” so no one can mistake where they are.
We know mystery Babylon’s central city sits on 7-LAND MASSES! (not hills, not mountains! But if you don’t read Hebrew and don’t know what you’re reading you don’t realize mystery Babylon is ALL OVER THE WORLD over 7-Continents. Who else told you that? This is part of the reason I designate “Babylon” or mysterious Babylon as a geo-political SYSTEM, guided by The Roman Catholic Church with its power centers in Rome, New York City and Washington, DC, and likely also with Brussels and Bohn.
Those two sisters are the start of this. Two sisters? England and the United States of America — two sisters!
I say simultaneously the Vatican sits on Rome’s 7-hills and on the world’s 7 great continents.
This next is from the booklet: The Holy Roman Empire In Prophecy Pgs 18-19
Mystery, Babylon the Great’
Let’s be reminded of Revelation 17. In particular, we concentrate on the woman, or church, of Revelation 17, who is “sit[ting] upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns” (verse 3).
A beast with 7 heads and 10 horns full of names of blasphemy. What could it be? If ever there were a case, this makes it. The Bible is replete with symbolism. You cannot take symbols literally because they allude to something else or several other somethings
We have seen how a church is pictured symbolically in Revelation 17 as a woman. In verse 4, God prophesies that this woman, or church, would have an international presence, and would come to possess incredible wealth: “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls ….”
She would be unmistakable among the world’s religions. Her wealth and influence would be unmatched; her sanctuary and clothing, statutes, sculptures, paintings, windows, buildings would make this truly an institution supporting a remarkable “religion” — a sight to behold!
John also prophesies that this “woman” influences the “kings of the earth.” She has a habit of forming relationships with and ruling over secular governments.
Verse 2 says the “inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” She is an imperialistic religion with a habit of intertwining herself with secular governments. If you study history, only one church can consistently be described this way.
Verse 9 says this church sits atop “seven mountains.” Only one city on Earth is famously situated on “seven hills” and is home to the headquarters of a colossal religion. Verse 18 says, “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”
Only one city has historically fulfilled this criteria: Rome. Many Bible scholars and historians agree on the identity of the woman of Revelation 17. Matthew Henry’s commentary says, “Rome clearly appears to be meant in this chapter. Pagan Rome subdued and ruled with military power, not by art and flatteries. … [I]t is well known that by crafty and political management, with all kinds of deceit of unrighteousness, papal Rome has obtained and kept her rule over kings and nations.”
Look for the book Seven Seals of Revelation: Free of charge Here: https://www.thetrumpet.com/literature/books_and_booklets?utf8=%E2%9C%93&%5Bview%5D=All
You will also find an article a bit shorter, approximately 115 pages, The Prophesied Final Rise of Europe’s Most Devastating Power in the books offered section of the Articles index. That will help you get a good grasp of history and where the Vatican fits into all of Western world history and where all of this is leading in our present time. We’re on the cusp of monumental changes. Understanding this will help you survive! I’m giving this information away FREE. I’m sure others would sell it for a fortune. Do avail yourself of this offer today.
I say again, The Catholic Church has done much to make the world a civilized place and bring the name, the thought of Jesus our Christ to the world. Today’s Vatican is teaching errors. I love the Catholic people I meet and hope those with an interest will study this further. NO church, in my opinion is free of error. Every one of us will be corrected one day.
In Matthew, Jesus says that church members should forgive each other “seventy times seven times” (18:22), a number that symbolizes boundlessness. However, even though he preaches boundless forgiveness, he does not indicate whether that forgiveness has conditions.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Matthew 18:22 New International Version
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]
Complete Jewish Bible: 21 Then Kefa came up and said to him, “Rabbi, how often can my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” answered Yeshua, “but seventy times seven!
If we took the Bible literally, we would forgive either 77 times or 77 x 7 = 539 times so we’d have 613 laws to keep + account for every sin from every person up to 539 times and then black-list him. That’s not what Jesus meant anyway, so the “literal” interpretation is ridiculous!
It means, forgive endlessly, endlessly…. Which I doubt anyone can do, or should do! At some point, I presume, even The Lord God Creator of All The Universe will say that those who claimed to be Christian but did nothing to at least attempt to change their ways and follow God’s Ways will hear, “I never knew you.” They will NOT be forgiven. They will go to their second death.
No one wants to read that! I just lost popularity somewhere. I do not say, as the Pope says, “Everyone will be saved.” I don’t believe it and I think those who read Apostle Paul and misinterpret, even preach, that everyone gets forgiven after a 15-second request, will be shocked, horrified and disappointed.
Shall we continue to sin so that grace may abound? Certainly not! Don’t expect endless forgiveness. Do your best to follow God’s right ways and move yourself away from the blackness of sin, and toward the light of truth, life and God.
Can you literally accept every word of The Holy Bible as you read it? These preachers are so confused you could slap their face with this prophetic information and they still wouldn’t understand. That’s why many times I’m so glad my mind was not corrupted in some “Baptist Bible College.” These young men with a 4-year Bible College degree know about half of what they should know and need to study for the rest of their lives to get all of what they’re missing.
Jesus said he saw a disciple he wanted sitting under a fig tree? See: John 1:48 “How do You know me?” Nathanael
Is that all it means? Maybe it means the man was doing nothing with his spiritual life and needed a jolt! But how many Christian preachers explain that? See here: https://bible.org/question/what-did-jesus-mean-when-he-said-%E2%80%9Cupon-rock-i-will-build-my-church%E2%80%9D
God said he would build his church upon a rock, or was it a small stone or pebble that gets under your foot and agravates you with every step., and he referred to Peter as a rock, or a pebble. Was Peter a rock or a man? Ask a Literalist! You want to know? Here’s the start of it.
The name Peter (Gk., Petros) means “rock” or “rock-man.” In the next phrase Christ used petra(upon this rock), a feminine form for “rock,” not a name. Christ used a play on words. He does not say “upon you, Peter” or “upon your successors,” but “upon this rock”—upon this divine revelation and profession of faith in Christ.
The following comment on this verse from The Bible Knowledge Commentary sums up the issue:
16:17-20. Peter’s words brought a word of commendation from the Lord. Peter was blessed because he had come to a correct conclusion about the person of Christ and because great blessing would be brought into his life. The Lord added, however, this was not a conclusion Peter had determined by his own or others’ ability. God, the Father in heaven, had revealed it to him. Peter was living up to his name (it means “rock”) for he was demonstrating himself to be a rock. When the Lord and Peter first met, Jesus had said Simon would be named Cephas (Aram. for “rock”) or Peter (Gr. for “rock”; John 1:41-42).
But his declaration about Messiah’s person led to a declaration of Messiah’s program. (CONTINUE TO READ IT ALL HERE: https://bible.org/question/what-did-jesus-mean-when-he-said-%E2%80%9Cupon-rock-i-will-build-my-church%E2%80%9D )
Now a Literalist would say Peter was a rock! No. They’d have the entire concept wrong!
Some “Literalists” say Jesus came ONLY and EXCLUSIVELY to die for your sins.
- So he did not come to teach?
- he did not come to preach?
- he did not come to save the lost souls?
- he did not come to rescue a dying world?
- he did not come to fulfill over 300 prophecies?
- he did not come to speak exactly the words His Heavenly Father told him to say?
- he did not come to show us the proper way to pray and understand this?
- he did not come to explain the law?
- he did not come to Heal?
- he did not come to tell us about the coming Kingdom of God?
- He did not come to right the wrongs of the Rabbinical theology?
I’m telling you, I think people who say these things insult Jesus, insult my intelligence, and are a half a bubble off center and two cards shy of a full deck. And what DOES THAT mean literally?
I know there are Jews to this day who think Jesus was just an arrogant young man aggravating a group of Ph.D. scholars and he knew nothing. Those who believe this never studied the New Testament carefully, and they won’t, because they are afraid they’ll get run down by the truth and right now, they think they can’t handle it!
Jesus tells riddles and parables all through His ministry. Do we take those literally too, or do we understand he is speaking with symbolism? Ask a Literalist! How can we be literal with symbols? For that matter, if we don’t know if Peter was a stone, a rock, or a man, how can we know what GOD’S church will be built upon?
Jesus told us to get a log out of our eye. Did you ever see a man with a log sticking out of his eye? I haven’t, but I certainly have met many confused hypocrites and theologians. (Plank, Beam, Log. Which is the correct translation?)
Matthew 7:3-5 New International Version (NIV)
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
By the way was that dead girl that Jesus raised really dead or only sleeping? Ask a Literalist.
Mark 5:21-43 New International Version (NIV) Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+5%3A21-43&version=NIV
St. Paul writes to Timothy and in passing says it is a sin to look upon a naked woman. Is it? or Does he mean if you get into that you will be draw into more temptation and more sin, so just avoid it entirely? Jews taught that way frequently. Did you not know? Oh, you didn’t? How then can you take The Bible entirely literally? (For more of that sort of discussion see: Leviticus 18:7–16; Leviticus 20:11–21)
A longer article about modest dressing and behavior is here: https://www.covenanteyes.com/2013/08/16/biblical-definition-of-modesty/
Also see: https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-3-proper-use-law-1-timothy-18-11
Please return to Revelation 17: 3 – 9.
Who is that woman, is she steering or riding? Is she a woman, a whore, or a church?
Does 7-hills refer to hills or mountains or continents or churches? Translations vary. Are we exclusively talking about Rome? Washington DC also has 7-hills. There are translations saying these are land masses or continents. There are 7 continents.
North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia. (The Arctic is not a continent, it’s mostly a lot of seawater and ice.)
If you don’t know the answers to these basic definitions you can never interpret this portion of The Bible properly. You can make quite a reputation for yourself telling us ancient Babylon is the same as modern mysterious Babylon.
You can make a very big mistake saying a country of cities without walls feels safe and comfortable when in fact they are vulnerable about about to be destroyed by terrorists from within. Is it Israel? No. Is it where you are living now? It probably IS.
Obviously from beginning to the end, the Bible cannot be “taken literally.” Symbolism and allegory, and various ancient expressions spoken in Hebrew carry different meanings. To claim one can read the Bible “literally” after it was translated from ancient Hebrew into ancient Greek and then into Latin and eventually into English… and get it right, is in my opinion, ridiculous!
An Additional Note:
I need to say something more to complete my opinion. Across the street from my apartment complex where I live in South East Asia, (thankfully distant from New York and Capitol Hill) is a Jehovah’s Witness Church. I don’t agree with all of their doctrine, but it doesn’t matter to me. They have invited me to visit so I do, and I don’t say much but I enjoy the company of very proper ladies and gentlemen.
One of the lessons in their literature said that John the Baptist “ate locusts.” Matthew 3:4 New International Version
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
I don’t know who wrote this or why it came out this way. It’s a very short and poor description and certainly upon the table for questions. Only someone who never bothered to read about kosher law would believe such drivel! Did I just say a few words in the 66-books left to us out of over 250 was drivel? By Heaven I Did!
For more find my article “Did John The Baptist Eat Bugs?
A 10-year-old could write a better description about such an important man as John the Baptizer than those few words. Something went wrong. Someone altered the scripture or part of the parchment was torn away or misunderstood – something!
Any study of kosher law would immediately reveal that Jews have extremely strict dietary laws and insects are very definitely NOT on the menu – not ever! A lot of good people go to great care and pains to be sure the food they prepare and serve does not contain bugs.
The “Locust” refers to a tree. The soft chewy “meat” inside the seed pod tastes a bit like cocoa. That is “locust” and also referred to as “St. John’s Bread.” But, the Jehovah’s Witness writer of that particular article at their offices in New York City has been teaching the world that St. John ate bugs and this has been going on for who knows how long. This is my argument in summary. He did not understand the people, the culture, the broad view of the entire people from which Christianity came, and therefore really does not understand Christianity. Worse now, this cult organization is teaching this misinformation to their visitors and proclaiming that they alone have the best understanding of Christian doctrine. I think they are mistaken!
These literalists characters are surrounded by good physics proving Earth and all bodies of any permanence (Stars, moons and planets) are spheres (or very close to Spherical shaped.) Earth is definitely a sphere and could not be flat! Only literalists can try to promulgate that the earth is a flat four cornered mass.
One is left to wonder how many other points about this religious belief system are entirely misconstrued and mishandled. How many other opinions upon more opinions have been printed saying we can do this and must not do that because someone, somewhere concluded “it’s in the Bible so it must be right.”
I’m sorry if I have reduced your opinion of me by saying all of this, but I’m firm in my view that some of what has been printed in various translations is not right and we have some of our theology laughably wrong. I’m afraid we’re missing a few important manuscripts that should be part of our Bible too!
In Brooklyn, New York City area are sects of very devout Jews following Rabbinical Judaism. They admit they are the outgrowth of the ancient Sanhedrin which means something close to “praying together.” They are very good, honest, sin avoiding, decent people. I’ve seen them in their daily lifestyle. They will turn their back to avoid looking upon sinful temptations. Among SOME of these groups it is not lawful to “carry” anything on Sabbath which they consider to be Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. (Some say we interpreted this wrong. Sabbath, they say, begins Saturday at sunrise and ends that same day’s sunset.) Who cares? I’ll tell you in a moment why they should care.
In Jeremiah 17:21 we read: New International Version
This is what the LORD says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.
It says gates of Jerusalem plainly enough. Do not carry a load is also clear enough to my feeble mind.
Some of these men have come to the opinion that even to “carry” a handkerchief in their pocket is to violate this law so they don’t “carry,” but the scripture did not say you can’t “wear” something, so they pin the handkerchief to their lapel. So the man might dab his nose and wear it in full view. We must wash our hands in the morning and remember this is God’s commandment. But….There’s nothing in scripture that says you can’t be unsanitary and disgusting on Shabbus (Sabbath) so I guess it’s okay. (yichhh)
They also get from an opinion that you cannot light a fire and that includes to moderns, can’t flip an electric switch. Some will shut down their website for those Sabbath hours too!
Amongst these people many will leave an electric hot plate on all night so they can warm food in the morning. (I wonder if they also unplug the refrigerator.) And occasionally a hot plate wiring burns and the house is set ablaze and the family is lost. This is holy? This is insanity! Even another Rabbi friend who grew up among these teachers called it “nonsense.”
(That Rabbi was Steven Berkowitz of New Jersey and Cape Coral Florida. His memory is a blessing. He was a good man.)
Some things have to be taken with a thoughtful mind and we must look at them from different mental angles and points of view. Many times in those days a Rabbi would say these things, NOT because they were sinful, but rather to prevent one being tempted and drawn into sin.
I was saying earlier something about a piece I read in Timothy that we mustn’t look upon nakedness. How about, not upon nakedness intended for lewd behavior? Or, is it now that Jewish doctors cannot look upon naked bodies? How far can this literalism go? How stupid can we be?
Why do you think some Muslim women cover up so even their fingertips cannot be seen? Same reasoning. Some mullah took the thought to the extreme. If someone sees her hand or foot he will be drawn into sin. Rather than tell the boy to get his head on straight and tell the society to dress like normal western proper ladies do, they go to such an extreme the entire society has become a sexually repressed, moral disaster zone.
I have an old friend living now In Malmo, Sweden. It was a peaceful civilized city. Now there’s a horror every night. This is what “good and holy Islam” has brought to Malmo!
Once long ago in some Muslim text it is written that Muhammed was quizzed by his friends for a clearer explanation about divorce and Muhammed in possibly a moment of emotional upset said something like: I don’t care how you treat women. Women are your toys. Marry one today, use her body all night, divorce her in the morning.
So now some mullah takes this to an extreme and sees women as worthless and western women (French, Swedish, German women) as spoils of war. He and his gang of horney good Muslim brothers go out on the streets of what had been a civilized city surrounding young women and raping them. And they answer to the police, “Yeah, I did. So what? Why not?” That is where this sort of insanity takes us!
Well I think you should shoot a few of them dead and chase the rest back to Mecca. Why not?
From start to finish the Bible is full of teaching stories, riddles, and mysteries made from hidden symbols. All of the Bible cannot be taken literally. Stories were told so people would remember the story and the moral of the story. Some of it obviously was intended as a verbal expression teaching us to avoid sin, to follow God’s teaching, to keep the law, remember the teachings of The Prophets, and get a lot of questions answered when we are finally in God’s presence.
Christians will never understand Christianity until they understand Judaism, the ancient Hebrew language, those times and that culture. As for you, do the best you can learning, and following God’s Righteous Way, and expect correction; Pray for forgiveness of our sins and carry on with life. Most important, don’t let a Literalist make you so confused you renounce Christ and become a “something-else.” I say that because the Literalists, I think, have done more to chase people away from Christ and away from salvation than any other theological theory ever developed!
I’m Dr. Stephen Newdell, I stand upon what I have said here. That IS the way I see it.
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FURTHER READING:
What John The Baptist Ate: /this-is-what-john-the-baptist-ate/
Flat Earth? how-the-flat-earthers-are-chasing-people-away-from-salvation/
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