The Eastern Gate

I took this picture last spring while in Israel. This is the Eastern Gate of the City of Jerusalem. In the upper left, as if peering over the wall, is the Dome of the Rock. The Eastern Gate is the only double arched gate of the city and it was sealed up by Saladin during the crusades, about 1,000 years ago. Saladin sealed up the gate and placed a cemetary around the entrance in an attempt to prevent Messiah from ever returning to Jerusalem again. However..."Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. The said the Lord unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter in by way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. Ezekiel 44:1-3

Young Earth or Old? It's About Time.

Is the earth 15 to 20 billion years old,or just a mere 4 to 6,000 years? That is a question that has divided many sincere Bible believers and scientists for many years. Scientists insist that the carbon-14 system and the fossil record are conclusive proof that the earth is billions of years old. On the other hand many Christians hold that the book of Genesis and the genealogical records in the Bible prove that the earth is a mere 4 to 6,000 years at the most. They both cannot be right,...or can they?

According to Dr. Gerald L. Schroeder, a distinguished physicist and Bible scholar, science and the Bible do not conflict. He writes in his book, The Science of God (Broadway Books, New York), that both can be right. "There is a simple answer to the problem of a scientifically old and a biblically young universe, an answer that has within it the core of complex biblical truth. Time as described in the Bible may not be the same as we know it today. We find a hint in the 2,900 year old book of Psalms: A thousand years in your sight are as a day that passes, as a watch in the night." (See Psalm 90:4 and II Peter 3:8)

Ancient commentators described those six 24 hour days as containing "all the secrets and ages of the universe."

Moses Maimonides, a 12th century commentator, advised that we study astronomy and physics if we desired to comprehend the world and God's management of it. A superficial understanding of the former will only lead to misconceptions in the latter. True science and the Bible, rightly interpreted, will never conflict because the same God created them both.

2,000 years ago the starting date of the biblical calendar was set at the creation of the souls of humankind (Genesis 2:7), and not at the creation of the universe which the "In the beginning" of Genesis 1:1. If, as the ancients say, the 6 days of creation are only 24 hours in length, why aren't they included in the calendar? Albert Einstein's theory of relativity (now called the law of relativity) says that the rate at which time passes is not the same in all locations. Changes in gravity and changes in the velocity at which we travel will actually change the rate at which time passes. In a hypothetical situation, an astronaut traveling at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) in outer space will age at a much slower rate than his twin brother on earth. It is the absence of gravity and the high velocity which makes this possible. Gravity not only affects the weight of mass, it also impacts the flow of time. This means that each planet in the universe has its own gravitational potential, its own relative velocity, and its own unique rate at which local time passes, or its own age.

To measure the age of the universe we have to look backward in time. From our perspective, and using earth-based clocks, running at a rate determined by the conditions of today's earth, we measure a 15 billion year age, (give or take a few billion). The Bible adopts this earthly perspective, but only for times after Adam and Eve. The clock of the Bible before Adam is not tied to any one location. The description of time in the Bible is divided into 2 categories:

1. The first 6 days of creation

2. All the time thereafter

Time in the biblical calendar after Adam must have been earth based, that is 24 hour days. Archaeology proves this. However, we know that time before Adam could not possibly be earth-based because for the first 2 of those 6 days there was no earth as we know it today and the sun wasn't created until the 4th day!

Those who insist that the heavens and the earth was created in 6, 24 hour days must expalin how this could be when the sun wasn't created until the 4th day! But as in all the miracles we must finally acknowledge that, with men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Genesis and true science are both correct whether we can understand and explain all the mysteries or not. When one asks if 6 days or 15 billion years passed before the creation of humankind, the correct answer is "yes." Dr. Schroeder sums it all up like this:

1. Science confirms the wisdom of the Bible.

2. The Bible already has all the answers we need relative to an understanding of humanity's place in the scheme of existence.

3. Therefore, science is unnecessary as a tool for understanding man's place in the scheme of existence.

To be a Christian, one need not deny legitimate science. Science and the Bible are complementary, not mutually exclusive. More on this later...

In the Beginning, God...

I believe that any consideration of God must begin with the creation account of Genesis. In the very first phrase of the Bible we have an introduction to Christian thought and a powerful statement of faith which tells us what God did, when He did it, and it also refutes all the major philosophies of the world in one fell swoop. Those who refuse to believe that there is a God who created and sustains the universe do so not for a lack of facts or proof (Romans 1:8) nor is it due to their superior knowledge (Psalm 14:1) but for a lack of faith (Hebrews 11:3). The book of Genesis is not so much a defense but a declaration,...In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Look at the world philosophies which are refuted in that first phrase alone.

ATHEISM...There is a God. The Bible never attempts to prove the existence of God, but from the beginning it assumes that God exists and that He created and sustains all that there is. How can any rational human being look at a shoe and deny the existence of a shoemaker? How could anyone take an objective look at the creation with all its order, purpose, and beauty and deny the existence of a creator? How could anything create itself? How could order come out of chaos?

POLYTHEISM...The Bible declares that there are not many gods, but only one. He is not only the creator, He is also the sovereign ruler who sustains and controls His creation. Polytheism teaches that there are many gods all of which are limited in power and knowledge. In light of this we can see the significance of the contest between God and the false gods of Egypt. (Actually it wasn't a contest at all) pharaoh dared to ask Moses, "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? (Exodus 5:2) God's answer was a series of ten plagues on Egypt each of which was a deliberate "slap in the face" to an Egyptian deity which proved powerless against the one sovereign God.

It should also be noted here that Genesis 1:1 also affirms the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The Hebrew word for God is "Elohim" which is the plural form of the word. God is "one" (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 44:6; Eph. 4:4-6) who has decided to reveal Himself in three persons. It is not the equation 1+1+1=3, but rather 1x1x1=1 that illustrates the Trinity. The doctrine is further taught in Genesis 1:26, "And God said, let us create man in our image, after our likeness."

EVOLUTION...The God of Genesis created all that there is. The Hebrew word for create is 'bara" which means ex nihilo, or "to create out of nothing." When God decided to create the universe, He used no existing materials. He spoke it all into existence. It is God who is the proper object of worship, and not the creation, but mankind goes astray when the creation is worship (can you say "Mother Earth?") instead of the Creator.

PANTHEISM...God is over, and apart from His creation, and not a part of it. Pantheism teaches that "all is god." Only God is eternal and transcendent (Psalm 102:25-27). God is not a part of His creation, and unlike the created order He is personal. God speaks, creates, and expresses emotions such as grief, love, and hate. Since God is personal, we can have a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ.

MATERIALISM...The universe is not eternal, but had a definite beginning. Through faith, we understand that God created the universe (Hebrews 11:3), and He created everything through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:2; John 1:3).

FATALISM...God created the universe with a definite purpose in mind because He created it through wisdom, (Proverbs 8:22-36).

Again, the Bible never attempts to prove the existence of God,it opens with a matter-of-fact statement that there is a God, and He created and sustains all that there is. Faith is not a blind leap into dark. The proof is everywhere, however many do not acknowledge that truth.

Are You A Pilgrim?

There are three kinds of people who live in the wilderness. They are: Bedouins, Hermits, and Pilgrims. The Bedouins are herders who spend their lives traversing the desert in a never ending cycle of looking for pasture. The Hermit has chosen to shut himself off from everyone else and prefers to live alone. The Pilgrim is someone who is just passing through the desert on his way to a better place. He never turns back, never settles down in the wilderness,...he knows where he is going.
Believers are to be like the Pilgrims. We realize that this world is not our home and like Abraham we look for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10). However, from time to time we must pause along the way for refreshment and rest. We need a place where we can meet with other Pilgrims to enjoy their fellowship and to either give or receive a word of instruction or encouragement to help us along on the grand journey. One such place is The Pilgrim's Cafe.

The Pilgrim's Cafe is always open, and I trust it will be a place of refreshment and encouragement for you.

Living Water..."Love has a sensitivity that prevents quarrels. True Christian love disposes people to be peaceable, forgiving injurious treatment as scripture commands: Hatred stirreth up strifes, but love covereth all sins." Jonathan Edwards