Author: adonai4oo

There is a saying that goes thus: An elderly person that does not get angry, is the one whose children increases in number. The Scriptures contains nuggets of wisdom, some of which are metaphors, while others are direct straightforward literal advice and instructions.

An example of the former can be found in the prayer of Moses in Psalm 90 verse 12, Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. By itself, this seems to be a strange prayer point. Since most of us know how to tell time, count days, weeks, and years. So, to be asking God to teach us how to count our days, seems a bit odd.

However, age in years is not synonymous with wisdom, a person with the passage of time, increases in age, but not in wisdom. However, picking one’s battle can be a sign of wisdom. And since the Scriptures also tells us in James 1:20, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. The older a person gets, the pickier of battles he gets. And not everything should make one angry. The wise person sometimes keeps their mouth shut, which is advocated in Proverbs 17:27-28; The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.

Increasing in age under the tutelage of God brings wisdom. Yeshua is rarely or sometimes, never angry with us, because God is Wisdom, and He is the Father of all of us. The Ancient of Days, The Elder, who does not get angry, and therefore with an ever-increasing number of children. May Yeshua teach us to number our days, so we may gain a heart of wisdom. Amen.

The Big Bang: the birth of the universe

Around 13.7 billion years ago, everything in the entire universe was condensed in an infinitesimally small singularity, a point of infinite denseness and heat. Suddenly, an explosive expansion began, ballooning our universe outwards faster than the speed of light. This was a period of cosmic inflation that lasted mere fractions of a second — about 10^-32 of a second, according to physicist Alan Guth’s 1980 theory that changed the way we think about the Big Bang forever.

When cosmic inflation came to a sudden and still-mysterious end, the more classic descriptions of the Big Bang took hold. A flood of matter and radiation, known as “reheating,” began populating our universe with the stuff we know today: particles, atoms, the stuff that would become stars and galaxies and so on. This all happened within just the first second after the universe began, when the temperature of everything was still insanely hot, at about 10 billion degrees Fahrenheit (5.5 billion Celsius), according to NASA. The cosmos now contained a vast array of fundamental particles such as neutrons, electrons and protons — the raw materials that would become the building blocks for everything that exists today.

This early “soup” would have been impossible to actually see because it couldn’t hold visible light. “The free electrons would have caused light (photons) to scatter the way sunlight scatters from the water droplets in clouds,” NASA stated. Over time, however, these free electrons met up with nuclei and created neutral atoms, or atoms with equal positive and negative electric charges. This allowed light to finally shine through, about 380,000 years after the Big Bang.

Sometimes called the “afterglow” of the Big Bang, this light is more properly known as the cosmic microwave background (CMB). It was first predicted by Ralph Alpher and other scientists in 1948 but was found only by accident almost 20 years later. Because we can’t see it directly, scientists have been trying to figure out how to “see” the Big Bang through other measures. In one case, cosmologists are pressing rewind to reach the first instant after the Big Bang by simulating 4,000 versions of the current universe on a massive supercomputer.

In the beginning, there was an infinitely dense, tiny ball of matter. Then, it all went bang, giving rise to the atoms, molecules, stars and galaxies we see today. Or at least, that’s what we’ve been told by physicists for the past several decades. But new theoretical physics research has recently revealed a possible window into the very early universe, showing that it may not be “very early” after all. Instead, it may be just the latest iteration of a bang-bounce cycle that has been going on for … well, at least once, and possibly forever. Scientists have a really good picture of the very early universe, something we know and love as the Big Bang theory. In this model, a long time ago the universe was far smaller, far hotter and far denser than it is today. In that early inferno 13.8 billion years ago, all the elements that make us what we are were formed in the span of about a dozen minutes.

Even earlier, this thinking goes, at some point our entire universe — all the stars, all the galaxies, all the everything — was the size of a peach and had a temperature of over a quadrillion degree. Amazingly, this fantastical story holds up to all current observations. Astronomers have done everything from observing the leftover electromagnetic radiation from the young universe to measuring the abundance of the lightest elements and found that they all line up with what the Big Bang predicts. As far as we can tell, this is an accurate portrait of our early universe.

But as good as it is, we know that the Big Bang picture is not complete — there’s a puzzle piece missing, and that piece is the earliest moments of the universe itself. That’s a pretty big piece. The problem is that the physics that we use to understand the early universe (a wonderfully complicated mishmash of general relativity and high-energy particle physics) can take us only so far before breaking down. As we try to push deeper and deeper into the first moments of our cosmos, the math gets harder and harder to solve, all the way to the point where it just … quits.

The main sign that we have terrain yet to be explored is the presence of a “singularity,” or a point of infinite density, at the beginning of the Big Bang. Taken at face value, this tells us that at one point, the universe was crammed into an infinitely tiny, infinitely dense point. This is obviously absurd, and what it really tells us is that we need new physics to solve this problem — our current toolkit just isn’t good enough. To save the day, we need some new physics — something that is capable of handling gravity and the other forces, combined, at ultrahigh energies. And that’s exactly what string theory claims to be: a model of physics that is capable of handling gravity and the other forces, combined, at ultrahigh energies. Which means that string theory claims it can explain the earliest moments of the universe.

One of the earliest string theory notions is the “ekpyrotic” universe, which comes from the Greek word for “conflagration,” or fire. In this scenario, what we know as the Big Bang was sparked by something else happening before it — the Big Bang was not a beginning, but one part of a larger process. Extending the ekpyrotic concept has led to a theory, again motivated by string theory, called cyclic cosmology. I suppose that, technically, the idea of the universe continually repeating itself is thousands of years old and predates physics, but string theory gave the idea firm mathematical grounding. The cyclic universe goes about exactly as you might imagine, continually bouncing between big bangs and big crunches, potentially for eternity back in time and for eternity into the future.

The Septuagint Bible and the Masoretic texts

The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible is called Septuagint because 70 or 72 Jewish scholars reportedly took part in the translation process. The scholars worked in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-247 B.C.), according to the Letter of Aristeas to his brother Philocrates.

The name Septuagint (from the Latin septuaginta, “70”) was derived later from the legend that there were 72 translators, 6 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, who worked independently to translate the whole and ultimately produced identical versions. Another legend holds that the translators were sent to Alexandria by Eleazar, the chief priest at Jerusalem, at the request of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BCE), though its source, the Letter of Aristeas, is unreliable. Despite the tradition that it was perfectly translated, there are large differences in style and usage between the Septuagint’s translation of the Torah and its translations of the later books in the Old Testament. In the 3rd century CE Origen attempted to clear up copyists’ errors that had crept into the text of the Septuagint, which by then varied widely from copy to copy, and a number of other scholars consulted the Hebrew texts in order to make the Septuagint more accurate.

Did Jesus read from the Septuagint? This early collection of scrolls written in Greek is called the Septuagint. When Jesus was born and began entering the temple to sit for the readings this is what He would have encountered, and this is what he would have read when He stood up to read the scrolls.

Did the Dead Sea Scrolls agree with the Septuagint? The biblical manuscripts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls push that date back a whole millennium, to the 2nd century BCE. About 35% of the DSS biblical manuscripts belong to the Masoretic tradition, 5% to the Septuagint family, and 5% to the Samaritan, with the remainder unaligned. The Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient manuscripts that were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves near Khirbet Qumran, on the north-western shores of the Dead Sea. They are approximately two thousand years old, dating from the third century BCE to the first century CE.

How often did Jesus quote the Septuagint? In about 90 instances, the Septuagint is quoted literally. In around 80 further instances, the quote is altered in some way. For example, at Matthew 21:42 Jesus says “Did ye never read in the scriptures that the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner?”, a reference to Psalm 118:22.

The New American Standard Bible is a literal translation from the original texts, well suited to study because of its accurate rendering of the source texts. The Dead Sea Scrolls do not contradict the Bible; in fact, the opposite is the case. Remember: Printing had not been invented in those days. Books therefore had to be laboriously copied by hand, and special precautions had to be taken to prevent errors from creeping in. The earliest manuscript of a New Testament text is a business-card-sized fragment from the Gospel of John, Rylands Library Papyrus P52, which may be as early as the first half of the 2nd century.

Tanakh is an acronym, made from the first Hebrew letter of each of the Masoretic Text’s three traditional divisions: Torah (literally ‘Instruction’ or ‘Law’), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)—hence TaNaKh. The three-part division reflected in the acronym Tanakh is well attested in the rabbinic literature. Similar to Latin today, Hebrew was the chosen language for religious scholars and the holy scriptures, including the Bible (although some of the Old Testament was written in Aramaic). Jesus likely understood Hebrew, though his everyday life would have been conducted in Aramaic.

Septuagint scholars are about as grateful as any for the discovery of the Scrolls. The biblical texts from the Judean Desert now confirm what those familiar with the Septuagint already suspected: the divergences in some biblical books give a window into the Bible’s early formation history. The text of the Septuagint is contained in a few early, but not necessarily reliable, manuscripts. The best known of these are the Codex Vaticanus (B) and the Codex Sinaiticus (S), both dating from the 4th century ce, and the Codex Alexandrinus (A) from the 5th century.

The Dead Sea Scrolls contain nothing about Jesus or the early Christians, but indirectly they help to understand the Jewish world in which Jesus lived and why his message drew followers and opponents. One significance of the Dead Sea scrolls is that they demonstrate how accurately the Bible was transmitted over time by the Jewish scribes (there is better than a 95% agreement between the Hebrew words of the Great Isaiah Scroll and the Hebrew Masoretic Text, from which our Old Testament was translated). Ketef Hinnom scrolls – Probably the oldest surviving texts currently known from the Hebrew Bible – priestly blessing dated to 600 BC. Text from the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament. Described as “one of most significant discoveries ever made” for biblical studies.

Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, Bereshit (“In the beginning”). Genesis is an account of the creation of the world, the early history of humanity, and of Israel’s ancestors and the origins of the Jewish people. The books of the Bible found in the Dead Sea Scrolls; The various scroll fragments record parts of the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Samuel, Ruth, Kings, Micah, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Joshua, Judges, Proverbs, Numbers, Psalms, Ezekiel and Jonah. The Adamic language, according to Jewish tradition (as recorded in the midrashim) and some Christians, is the language spoken by Adam (and possibly Eve) in the Garden of Eden.

The book of Genesis and the book of Job, chapter 38 gave a description about the origin of life, and the universe. A comparison of the Scriptural account and the astronomical/physics account, yields for the latter inconsistencies, missing mathematical models, zero evidence and an astronomic stretch of imagination, and mathematical odds of one in quadrillion-quadrillions of randomness, unsupervised sequence without intelligence. Whereas observation of the universe or nature indicates intelligent design and masterplan consistent with Scriptural account. Therefore, the choice not to believe the Scriptures points to foolhardiness, ignorance of the highest order, that is synonymous to blindness.

The Scripture tells us that no one has ever seen God, furthermore, we are also made aware that chosen people down the ages hear from God. We can also glean from the Scriptures that the degree or frequency or number of times that those chosen people hear from God and or the significance of their message, is a measurement of the amount of faith bestowed unto them by God. Hearing from God is a confirmation or verification of His existence. When God speaks, He makes sure that the recipient of His word knows that He, God is the One talking, by means of unique markers, or events or signs which could be prophetic in nature or definitely without natural explanation.

Romans 10:17; So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

John 1:1; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 10:27; My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Exodus 3:4; When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Acts 9:3-6; As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Hebrews 11:1; Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 1 John 4:12; No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us.

Romans 12:3; For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service].

However, not everyone who witnesses acts of faith, or demonstrations of the existence of God, are recipients of the varying degrees of faith. This may have to do with the fact that with human beings; “Seeing is believing”, in addition to which most people are visually, set up. Not seeing God is a concept or state of being that is difficult or impossible to live with, which is why, many transfer their allegiance to a representative figure or persona. Whom in turn, becomes idols for them. Faith in God, therefore, puts man in a conundrum or catch 22; with the exception of the intended recipients of the assurances.

Prophecy can be defined as a prediction of what will happen in the future. A prophecy is a message that is claimed by a person to have been communicated to them by a deity. Such messages usually involve inspiration, interpretation of dreams, or revelation of divine will concerning the prophet’s contemporary world and/ or a preternatural knowledge of events to come in the future. The spirit of prophecy is the most complex spirit of the Spirit of God. When God wanted to distinguish Himself from false gods, and demonstrate His Integrity, it was this spiritual quality that He emphasized in the book of Isaiah 43:8-13; Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.” “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no saviour. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

The prophetical ability or quality of God is emphasized once again in Isaiah 44:6-8; “This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come— yes, let them foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

However, God explicitly forbade His people, out of their own volition, from seeking the demonstration of this spiritual quality. This is the reason that this spiritual quality is complicated. Furthermore, this spiritual quality is not impacted on an individual 100 per cent, all the time. An exhaustive study of the Scriptures buttresses this point. All appointed and chosen prophets of God speak His words at certain times, and not all the time. This may explain the reason behind forbidden of God’s people from consulting prophets, mediums and spiritists. Whenever God has a message for His people, and He speaks through His chosen prophet, He also always includes instructions about the dissemination and or transmission of the message.

Leviticus 19:31; “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. Isaiah 8:19; When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead, on behalf of the living?

The stubborn nature of people or their disobeying nature to the laws and precepts of God, is something that can be permitted by God to lead to an individuals’ downfall. 1 Kings 22:19-23; Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’ “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

Consistently throughout the Scriptures, God warns His people to beware of those claiming to be prophets or claiming to speak for God. Mathew 7:15-20; “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Jeremiah 27:15; ‘I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.’” Jeremiah 29:8-9; Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 14:14; Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. Ezekiel 13:3, 6, 7; This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish[a] prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?

Jeremiah 23:16-22; This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’ But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand it clearly. I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.

Jeremiah 23:23-40; “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord. “When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake you, declares the Lord.’ If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ I will punish them and their household. This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So, you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God. This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’ Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. I will bring on you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”

Jeremiah 29:31-32; “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion against me.’”

Ezekiel 13:1-23; The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken? “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord. “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?” “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it[b] falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. So, I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’ “Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live. “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds, and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Ezekiel 22:28; Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.

Zechariah 13:1-5; “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the Lord’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies. “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive. Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.

In light of all these Scriptural texts, do the family of false prophets have an obligation to murder the false prophets? Or does judgement belong to the Lord, who is being falsely impersonated and or used for fraudulent purposes? Furthermore, these false prophets either do not believe in God or they possess the courage of an insane person who decides to take on God, His Creator in battle. Whether a person is a false prophet or a stubborn person who wilfully decides to disobey God’s instruction, about not consulting mediums, and spiritists, beware of the wrath of God.

Nothing, absolutely nothing is hidden from the Lord. The hearts and minds of rulers and everyone is in the palms of the Lord.

Proverbs 21:1; In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. Hebrews 4:13; Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Psalm 139:1-4; You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. Psalm 139:11-12; If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:15-16; My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

In the light of this nature of God, let us consider Eternal life with Him, which means Salvation, since all have sinned and fallen short, Romans 3:23; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. How do we attain Salvation? Is Salvation a choice for us to make, or for God to decide? And if Salvation is a choice or decision that is entirely in God’s Hands, on what basis does He, God makes the decision? Given the nature of God, being impartial, being Just, being Gracious and being Fair. And most important of all, nothing is hidden from God. This basis of Selection forms the secret of Eternal Life.

Ephesians 2:8-9; For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. Isaiah 26:10; But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord. These two Scripture texts informs us that God that knows everything does not show Grace to the wicked. Though we have all sinned, but those that retain the love of sin and or those that wilfully persist in sinning, that is those whose heart are hardened, stony hearts, and are therefore classified as wicked, do not receive the Gift of Grace.

It is this gift of Grace that enable us to love our enemies, neighbours and truly love God with all our hearts, mind, and soul. It takes God to please God. Those that are shown Grace by God are the only ones that can please God and are therefore saved. The choice does not belong to man, because, man by himself and his ability cannot please God. The One who chooses or makes the decision is Jesus Christ. That is the secret of eternal life.