The Music of Glorybound

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Shad Sluiter

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The Work of Christ

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Marriage and the Family

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 Woollen and Linen

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 What is a Church?

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Are there more earthquakes occurring in our world?

The reason that this question appears in a religious context is that Jesus Christ mentioned an increase in earthquakes during the time of the Tribulation.  Are recent earthquakes in Japan, Chile, Iran, California and other places a sign of the end?

Matthew 24:5-8" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:5-8 many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.  (6)  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  (7)  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  (8)  All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 

It seems to us that that earthquakes are increasing in intensity and frequency.  News and video from Chile, Iran, Japan and other locations flood into the 24-hour news cycle with regularity.  But our perceptions are not the most accurate way to answer the question “Are more earthquakes occurring in our world?”

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) keeps a very close watch on the number of earthquakes, their intensity and size and locations.  At first glance at their data, one could conclude that earthquakes are indeed increasing but this is due to the fact that we have the capacity to measure more earthquakes.  In 1931, there were 350 locations measuring seismic activity.  Today the total of measuring points on the earth is over 4,000!  The instruments in use are much more sensitive and are able to detect smaller earthquakes. Each year between 12,000 and 14,000 earthquakes are detected.  Earthquake apps and alerts now show us instantaneous results on our smart phones.

Instead of looking at the total number of earthquakes that occur each year, it is more accurate to count the number of MAJOR earthquakes that occur.  Since 1900 there have been 18 earthquakes each year between 7.0 and 7.9.  On average there has been one earthquake each year above 8.0 on the Richter scale.  In recent decades, there has actually been less than the historical average of 18 major quakes per year.

The following graph shows the number of earthquakes that have occured world-wide each year from 2000 to 2011. The yellow line shows the number of earthquakes between 6.0 and 6.9.  The pink line shows the number of earthquakes measuring between 7.0 and 7.9.  The blue line shows the number of earthquakes 8.0 and higher.  The graph shows that the number of earthquakes is not increasing.

Shad Sluiter

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If Hades be “in the heart of the earth,” as some have thought, how can we reconcile this with Jonah’s experience, who went down into the whale’s belly (symbol of Sheol), spirit, soul and body, while the Lord’s soul went to Hades (Sheol) and His body to the grave?

There is really no contrast, still less contradiction in the two thoughts. Though Jonah speaks of being “in the belly of hell” (Sheol), I think those are mistaken who deduce that he actually died in the belly of the whale, as I think the rest of his prayer shows. The Lord does not say that the prophet died, though so terrifying was his experience, that he might have imagined he was in the unseen world. But the death of the prophet was quite unnecessary to justify the Lord’s comparison between Himself and Jonah. Jonah’s disappearance in the belly of the whale was a figure of the disappearance of the Lord, when His body was laid in the grave and He in spirit descended into the place of departed spirits—Paradise——as it was for Him and for all of His own, who had already died. But the exact location of this it does not seem necessary for us to define, even if it were possible. Our Lord’s words were, “As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40)," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 12:40), and this came to pass. W.H.

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THE BODY OF MOSES
What do you understand is intended to be conveyed to us by the dispute of the archangel Michael with Satan over the body of Moses?

Jude 1" TARGET="_blank">Jude 1:

We have the full account of the death of Moses in Deuteronomy 34," TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 34, but no account of his public funeral, for he had none, but, as is expressly stated, “He (i.e., the Lord) buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor, but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.” There must be a reason for this. I think it is that were it possible to examine the grave of Moses to-day it would be found empty. But someone will say, “How could Moses have been raised from the dead seeing that our Lord Jesus Christ is in 1 Corinthians 15" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 15 called ‘the first-fruits’ of the resurrection, and in Colossians r, ‘the first-born from the dead’?” This is an important question.

It was impossible for anyone to be raised on to true resurrection ground till our Lord rose. Then if Moses was raised, it could only have been back on to the death plane, as the various cases of resurrection of the Old and New Testaments prior to our Lord’s resurrection, such as the son of the widow of Sarepta, that of the Shunammite, Lazarus, and the widow of Nain’s son, etc. All came back on to the death plane and died subsequently. I think the incident narrated in Jude refers to the raising of Moses back on the earth plane. If he is one of the witnesses he will die again. No man can die physically after true resurrection. This gives an added completeness to the scene on the Holy Mount: The Lord the centre, Elijah representing them who will never pass in death, Moses the raised one. Satan might legally contest a premature resurrection of Moses in the true sense, while he could not possibly urge any legal objection to Moses being temporarily delivered from the state of death. “It is appointed unto men once to die.” If Moses is to be one of the witnesses, his death will be true death.

W.H.

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CHRIST BETWEEN DEATH AND iESURRECTION
Where was our Lord Jesus Christ between His death and resurrection?

His body, as all four Gospels agree, was in Joseph’s new tomb; His soul, according to Acts 2: 27," TARGET="_blank">Acts 2: 27, 31 (with Psalm 16:10)," TARGET="_blank">Psalm 16:10), was in Hell (Greek = Hades; Hebrew = Sheol), a place or rather state, the significance of which in the Scriptures is much wider than in our present-day usage of that word.

The Revisers of the KJV, in their preface to the Old Testament, say that it means “the place of departed spirits,” and they warn the reader that although, in such passages as Genesis 37:35," TARGET="_blank">Genesis 37:35, they have left in the text the A.V. “grave,” yet it does not signify “the place of burial.”

Jacob (Genesis 37:35;" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 37:35; Genesis 42:38)" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 42:38) expected to go there at death; Job (Job 14:13-15)" TARGET="_blank">Job 14:13-15) requested that God would hide him there until the time of resurrection would come; whilst in other passages (such as Psalm 9:17;" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 9:17; Job 24:19," TARGET="_blank">Job 24:19, etc.) it is looked on as the portion of the wicked dead. We must therefore conceive of Hell as comprising two distinct regions or conditions, separated according to Luke 16:26" TARGET="_blank">Luke 16:26 by an impassable gulf, the one containing the souls of the righteous, and the other the souls of the unrighteous. Probably it is the latter which is spoken of as “the lowest hell” in Deuteronomy 32:22" TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 32:22 and Psa. 86:13; and doubtless it is the former which is called “Paradise” by our Lord in Luke 23. 43," TARGET="_blank">Luke 23. 43, when He said to the repentant and believing thief, “To-day, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23" TARGET="_blank">Luke 23:
This last statement, taken with Acts 2:27," TARGET="_blank">Acts 2:27,31  shows that the Scriptural reply to our question, so far as the soul of the Lord Jesus is concerned, is that between death and resurrection He was in the region of Hell called Paradise, in which were also the souls of all saints who had died previously.

W.R.

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Is it safe to use Weymouth’s Translation, since it contains such error as is found in the note upon Hebrews10:27" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews10:27 (page 560)?

It has been pointed out that the notes in this version are not by Dr. R. F. Weymouth, but by E. Hampden-Cook, M.A., who is said to have “Edited and partly revised” the work. In my edition of 1910 the very unsound note on Heb. 10." TARGET="_blank">Heb. 10. 27 referred to above is on page 6i6; and it is by no means the only one of the kind; the notes on this subject always being in the interests of what is known as, “Annihilationism” a very serious and growing heresy to-day. This teaching, however, is not confined to the notes, but occurs in the text. Wherever, apparently, the translator (or do we owe these touches to the “part revision” of Mr. Cook?) comes upon the question of the future of the wicked, the same influence can be noted: e.g., Matthew 25:46" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 25:46 which is translated, “And these shall go away into the punishment of the ages, but the righteous into the life of the ages,” which is the ordinary meaningless and erroneous language affected by the Annihilationist teachers. How this book found its way into my small library, I have no idea; but I neither use it myself, nor would I advise anyone to do so. The Lord’s words apply here, “Take heed what ye hear,” and I am convinced that all this talk about “onian” and “the ages” is everywhere a danger-signal for those who desire to hold fast the whole revelation of God and the
doctrine of Christ.

W.H.

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Is belief in eternal punishment an archaic remnant of an outdated theology or is it both a doctrine of Scripture and a consequence of the character of God?

The Bible teaches eternal punishment.

1. The Test of Truth
A subject may be believed or disbelieved depending on factors which actually have no bearing on its truth or falsehood. If I say that the test of truth is the measure in which I feel comfortable in believing it, I am not really using logic, but subjective emotions. There is so very much in our tragic world about which we are most uncomfortable, so much that does "not seem right," and yet, we dare not reject reality because it pains us. Cancer, heart disease, child abuse, drug addiction, Aids, rape, hunger and murder have never produced a comfortable thought in our minds, yet they exist. Eternal punishment is not grasped by feeble sense and can never be comfortably believed. We must always make a difference between what is against reason and what is beyond it. Hell is as real as Heaven, because the Lord Jesus taught its reality as clearly as He taught that Heaven was the place from which He came to earth (John 3:13;" TARGET="_blank">John 3:13; John 16:26)." TARGET="_blank">John 16:26).

2. The Warnings Prove God's Tender Mercy
One of the greatest proofs of the love and mercy of God is His faithful warnings of coming judgment. There is a voice that comes down the corridor of time, warning of those who will "be cast into everlasting fire" (Matthew 18:8)" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18:8) and giving testimony to a place where "the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48)." TARGET="_blank">Mark 9:48). It is the voice of the tender Savior who asked the Pharisees and scribes, "How can ye escape the damnation of hell (geenna)?" (Matthew 23:33)," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 23:33), and then wept over them (v.37). His warnings are not only "true and faithful" (Revelation 3:14)," TARGET="_blank">Revelation 3:14), but are tender and timely, for we all are travelers to eternity, and we dare not trifle with it. Obscure teaching on this subject, or half-hearted warnings are not kindness, but cruelty. It is the same kind of cruelty that would allow a child to drink deadly poison when it was in my power to stop it, or see a blind man stepping off a precipice to his death when I could have warned him. What if those who soften this teaching are wrong? The consequences are eternal loss, an irreversible mistake, a shock from which no victim will recover.

It is a great error to suppose that if a thing is true, I must be able to fully comprehend it, for our minds are not the court of final appeal. There are many things in the physical universe beyond the range of our personal experience, and therefore beyond our full comprehension. In the spiritual realm, the holy character of God transcends our highest thought, nor do we comprehend the infinite sufferings of our Savior upon the cross. We will never find in ourselves an untroubled acceptance of the horrors of eternal punishment, but its reality is not based on our feelings, but on the words of the One who was "declared to be the Son of God ... by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 1:4). We acknowledge His authority as our Lord; He said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35)," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:35), and we believe Him.

3. God is Good
Many times Christians have heard an unbeliever ask, "How can a God who is good send people to hell?" or "Would a good man put any of his children into a place of eternal fire?" Human goodness and "the goodness of God" are scarcely comparable. Even God's goodness is holy and just, but the best of human goodness is "as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6)." TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 64:6). However, it is not "the goodness of God" that puts anyone in hell, and most certainly God will never put any of His children in eternal fire. Those who perish forever have rejected "the good news" of the gospel. The "goodness" of God was fully displayed in the giving of His Son and in the infinite sufferings of Golgotha's darkness. Even at the cross, it can be said, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God" (Romans 11:22)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 11:22). For those who crucified Him the Savior prayed, "Father forgive them..." (Luke 23:34)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 23:34). Surely this was "the goodness of God", but upon the holy Sufferer fell unmitigated judgment. For those who reject God's goodness and His mercy which flow through one channel - the cross, there can only remain "His severity."

4. The Meaning of Everlasting
In the Greek New Testament, "for ever and ever" is a translation of five words that literally mean "unto the ages of the ages". Some have claimed that this is a finite length of time, therefore the fire is not eternal. If a student of Greek wished to translate "for ever and ever" into Greek, he would have to use the same words that are used in the NT, because the language has no other choices. But, there is a far stronger argument against making "for ever and ever" a limited period. This exact phrase is used 21 times in the NT. Eighteen times it refers to God's eternal throne, His everlasting praise and His "glory for ever and ever." Three times the same phrase is used to describe eternal punishment. It must mean the same thing in the second case as it does in the first unless there is contextual evidence for believing otherwise, and there is not. The third major point in this debate hat the Lord Jesus said on at least's three occasions that "the fire never shall be quenched" and we know of no way to circumvent "never".
Two other words in the NT are translated "eternal" (aionios) and "everlasting" (aidios). W.E. Vine quotes Cremer, "While aionios negatives the end either of a space of time or of unmeasured time, and is used chiefly where something future is spoken of; aidios excludes interruption and lays stress upon permanence and unchangeableness". Aionios is used in such verses as "shall inherit eternal life" (Matt 19:29)" TARGET="_blank">Matt 19:29) and "Depart from Me ye cursed into everlasting fire" (Matthew 25:41)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 25:41). In Romans 1:20," TARGET="_blank">Romans 1:20, aidios is used of God's "eternal power". It is impossible to make a difference in the meaning of these words whether they refer to the Eternal God or the eternally lost.

In Jude 1:7," TARGET="_blank">Jude 1:7, aionios is used of "eternal fire", but this verse does not say, "They suffered," but they are "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." In Revelation 20:10," TARGET="_blank">Revelation 20:10, two men that have been in "the lake of fire" are still there after 1000 years.

5. Universalism
The doctrine of universalism, that all men will eventually be saved, has a great appeal. It takes various forms. Some believe that after a period of purgation, what the blood of Christ could not accomplish will be done by the purging fire. Purification by fire is Paganism. The Scripture appealed to as proof is, "By which (the Spirit) also He (Christ) went and preached unto the spirits in prison" (1 Peter 3:19)." TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 3:19). This preaching was not in hell, but was "when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing." It was by the Spirit of Christ that Noah preached (Genesis 6:3)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 6:3). We must never interpret a difficult verse in contradiction of plain verses. When the door is shut the Lord will say, "Depart from Me ye cursed into everlasting fire" (Matthew 25:41)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 25:41).

6. Annihilation
This theory has several forms. Some believe that in the day of judgment the wicked will be annihilated, and others believe that after a period of conscious punishment, they will be annihilated. The Scriptures appealed to are those which speak of the wicked being "destroyed" and "perishing", and both qeber and sheol in the OT, as well as hades in the NT are said to be only the grave, which is impossible in the light of the Lord's teaching in Luke 16:19-31." TARGET="_blank">Luke 16:19-31. If Luke 16" TARGET="_blank">Luke 16 is a parable, what is its meaning? The words "destroy" and "perish" are found about 92 times in NT and 80 of these times it is the translation of apolummi (to utterly destroy). We must ask, "Does apolummi mean the end of being or the end of well-being?" The Lord Jesus used it of the end of well-being in Luke 5:37;" TARGET="_blank">Luke 5:37; Luke 15:46;" TARGET="_blank">Luke 15:46; Luke 15:24." TARGET="_blank">Luke 15:24. In His teaching, it is synonymous with the eternal, conscious suffering of the lost.
There is no repentance after death, so those upon whom God's wrath will fall will blame God forever for their pains (Revelation 16:11)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 16:11).
To all of this, the humble believer responds, "The Savior who suffered for my sins on the cross and in triumph arose from the dead is my Lord. He said that the fire never shall be quenched and I believe Him."

Norman Crawford

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