Truth Magazine

My dear beloved brethren: I am indeed perplexed over a most ungodly condition which is very prominent in our nation today. For example, the rapid rate of increase in divorce, abortion, and premarital sex statistically is alarming.

We may well ask who or what is responsible for this deteriorating condition, which continues to create many problems? Is there no cure for these ills and solution to these problems? Will you kindly permit me to share with you some of my humble experiences while in Hinduism?

Seventy-five years ago I was born a Hindu in George- town, Guiana, now independent Guyana, South America. My ancestors came from India being brought to George- town by the British people as immigrants to work in the sugar plantations.

At the age of twenty (February 1944), I was married to my wife, under the Hindu culture, and in keeping with Hindu tradition. My wife was thirteen years of age at the time. This beautiful and harmonious marriage has lasted for 55 years in which our family has grown to include one daughter, three sons and daughters-in-law and five grand- children. The young age of marriage may be attributed to Hindu custom and tradition, the system being characterized strictly by parental arrangements and supervision by both sets of parents. In the best interests and in consideration of the best welfare, parents of both myself and my wife were seeking and choosing the wife and husband respectively. With this thought in mind, both sets of parents will investigate and examine thoroughly the background and history of each prospective husband and wife; sometimes requiring months of periodical meetings together between the parents before they finally decide upon the proper partners for marriage. The final decision in this important matter is based upon the findings and analysis of the parents. While all of this investigation and study is being done by the parents, the boy and the girl do not even see each other. When the decision has been finalized by the parents agreeing for the son to marry the daughter, the parents of the son will then bring him to the girl’s parents’ home to meet the parents of his prospective bride. This is the first time the boy and girl have any knowledge that they are to become husband and wife. Thus, according to Hindu custom and tradition, the boy and girl have no choice but to respect the decision that has been made for them by their parents. They under- stand that, just as was the case in the lives of their parents and grandparents, they must live together “until death do us part.” Under Hindu arrangements divorce, fornication, adultery, abortion, and things of this nature were relatively unknown. In fact, virginity was highly respected and honored and both husband and wife, under this arrangement, have the highest regard for each other, although neither knows God or Jesus Christ or the gospel.

The girl was brought up to understand and came to a realization that her husband was all she possessed for the rest of her life. She must serve him “till death do us part.” This she has inherited from her Hindu culture.

I would now like to present some very interesting facts of the Hindu system which regulates the conduct of the prospective marriage partners. After the boy and girl have seen each other, they are not permitted any association with each other until after the marriage. Please note, that this rule does not imply a lack of trust, but I know it defeats the Devil in his devices to corrupt the prospective marriage partners before the marriage. During the waiting period before marriage, there is absolutely no love-making. In fact we did not know what love-making meant or was all about. We were simply following the rules and examples of our ancestors and this we understood that once married it was for all time and despite the hardships and trials they stuck together till the end. Since it was not possible to visit or touch your future companion until after marriage, we were ignorant of romance — dating, love- making, courting, kissing, etc.

Although Hinduism is idolatry and it may be backwards in culture. with the prohibition of the contact between the prospective partners, the Devil has a difficult time exercising of his plan. We may not altogether agree with these Hindu principles or Hindu culture, but I believe we can see the wisdom in some of these principles. In Hinduism, young women are taught by their mothers and grandmothers to love, respect and serve their husbands till death. During the Hindu wedding ceremony, the garment of the bride and the garment of the groom are literally tied (joined) together. As they walk slowly forward, she follows behind him in symbolic recognition of her husband as her guide and leader and in humbleness of heart she never feels equal to him. This is in great contrast with the attitude of many (some Christians) today. Too many wives today have very little, if any, regard for their husbands and this in a so-called “Christian nation.”

Now what is your estimation of the value of these Hindu principles. Please consider, if you will, that young people in our day and culture are most fortunate; living in a fully developed western civilization and “Christian” influences. They have the right or freedom of choice and decision. We are characterized by a society which professes to know God and his son, Jesus Christ, and yet we are besieged by the most degenerate prevailing conditions. The divorce rate is alarming, abortion may be had almost at will, and pre-marital sex is free on demand. Where are we lacking and who is responsible?

I do not recommend that in our culture marriages must be arranged by parents without the consent of their children as is practiced in Hinduism. But I humbly suggest we get back to the Bible, the teachings of Christ will make us better.

I’m told the congregation was formed about 1911. It was the result of instrumental music being brought into the local “Christian Church.” Some of my relatives had been charter members. Now several decades later I was preaching there two Sundays per month.

I understand that from the beginning, the Lord’s supper had been served using two silver plates, a silver pitcher and two silver goblets. Since the fruit of the vine started out in one silver pitcher, some in the church thought that made them “scriptural one cuppers.” Now after many, many years some were clamoring for individual drinking cups on the Lord’s table.

It was rather interesting to watch as the single goblet was passed down each side of the auditorium. Being more mind- ful of sanitary conditions than their forefathers, as each person took the goblet, he or she would turn it just slightly before sipping, in a vain attempt to find a clean spot.

More and more the elders were urged to get the individual cups. This was an especially tough decision for the oldest of the elders. You see, one of his granddaughters had married a man with strong convictions that the “one cup” was a matter of faith. He had long declared that the day individual cups came in, would be the day he and his family would leave. Of course the old brother hated to think that his decision would cause his granddaughter and several great-grandchildren to go elsewhere. But finally, at the insistence of the other elders, a new communion set was ordered with two trays of individual cups.

Then the fateful day arrived! Someone — I suspect one of the other elders, came early and set up the communion with the two trays of individual drinking cups. What would happen?

Shortly before time for the service to begin, the “one cupper” with his wife and children came in. It was a cold day and in those days no one had a coat room. Coats, hats, and mittens were just removed and stacked neatly on the bench beside each family. With this large family of three or four children, it took some time to remove all the coats and get everyone settled. All eyes were on them as the other members awaited the outcome. And then it happened! The man caught sight of the trays on the communion table. And true to his word, after a brief conference with his wife, they begin to hurriedly jerk the coats and hats back on and with a child under each arm they stormed out of the building to never return.

The old elder was bitterly saddened; but the rest of the congregation heaved a sigh of relief that an obstacle that had been there for years had finally been overcome. The individual cups were on the Lord’s table to stay. And so it is till this day!

The apostle Paul, writing to the church of the Thessalonians, spoke of iniquity which was working in their midst. He said it was “the working of Satan” as he exercised his power to deceive. He stated the cause of the catastrophe which would befall them when strong delusion came. Note what he said:

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess. 2:10-12).

It is not unusual for God to be charged falsely. He is blamed for almost every evil thing that happens in this world. The lost would surely like to blame him for their damnation, for this would relieve them of responsibility for their fate. Those who think in this way cite the above passage as proof of their position. Does this passage make God responsible for those who are lost?

MacKnight (Apostolical Epistles, 430) gives this literal translation of the text: “And for this cause, God will send to them the strong-working of error, to their believing a lie.” He then gives this paraphrase of the passage: “And for this cause, God, as a punishment of their wickedness, will permit the in working of error in the minds of these false teachers, to lead them to believe a lie the most monstrous and pernicious that ever was invented.” He comments, “The verbs denoting action, are used to express, not the doing, but the permitting of that action . . . From this we learn, that, as a punishment of their sins, God suffers wicked men to fall into greater sins  . . . by suffering them to fall into the belief of the greatest errors and lies.”

Albert Barnes (Barnes Notes, 2 Thess., 90-91), wrote on this passage,

The original reason then of their embracing and adhering to the system was not an arbitrary decree on the part of God, but that they did not love the truth. Hence, he gave them up to this system of error. If a man strongly prefers error to truth, and sin to holiness, it is not wrong to allow him freely to evince his own preference . . . It is not necessary here to suppose that there was any positive influence on the part of God in causing this delusion to come upon them, but all the force of the language will be met . . . by supposing that God withdrew all restraint, and suffered men simply to show that they did not love the truth.

Barnes continues,

This does not affirm that God wished them to believe a lie . . . nor that He exerted any direct agency to cause them to believe a lie. It means merely that He left them . . . to believe what was false, and what would end in their destruction.

A similar statement appears in Isaiah 66:3-4, signifying God’s permitting men to go their destructive ways.

. . . Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

Paul, writing to the Romans, spoke of the Gentiles who refused to glorify God. He said, “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness . . . For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections . . . God gave them over to a reprobate mind” (Rom. 1:21-28). When these people became so wicked that they pushed God out of their lives, God permitted them to do so.

The Cause of Delusion

Paul described in our text people who stopped loving truth, who did not believe truth, and found pleasure in unrighteousness. God will not force himself on such people as this. He will let them plunge themselves into delusion.

The Result

Those who do not love truth, but find pleasure in un- righteousness, will believe a lie. God will permit them to turn aside to delusion and to damnation. Vine (290) defines the word plane, translated “delusion,” in this way: “A wandering, whereby those who are led astray roam hither and thither, is always used in the N.T., of mental straying, wrong opinion, error in morals or religion.” We are not left to wonder if such is possible, for delusion is everywhere about us. Human thinking and opinion will always get man in trouble. Man cannot direct his steps (Jer. 10:23). A way may seem right to him, but death is at the end of that way (Prov. 14:12).

Modern man is wandering hither and thither in the areas of morals and religion (as the definition suggests). Most do not know what should be done in religion so as to be saved eternally. They listen to just about anything, except God’s word! Morally, most seem to be traveling without direction, heeding every weird idea that comes down the pike. We are being told that people no longer know the difference between right and wrong. Strong delusion has led them to believe a lie, and they will lose their souls because of it. In the meantime, error continues to relentlessly drain life and goodness from the family, community, and religion.

Each of us should examine his heart, measuring the depth of his love for the truth of the gospel. Are we studying it, living it, teaching it, defending it — or, are we ignoring it? If we are ignoring truth, damnation is at our door, and we can only expect to be sentenced to Hell at the Judgment.

By Mark Mayberry

Could the Jews tell time? The same Moses who wrote the first 11 chapters of Genesis also wrote binding regulations regarding days, months, seasons and years. How can we say that all the time references in Genesis 1-11 are somehow different than those found in the rest of the Pentateuch?

Introduction

Those who would attempt to harmonize the Bible and the theory of modern evolution must fit 15 billion years into the book of Genesis. They also must stretch the Genesis genealogies to accommodate an old earth demanded by evolutionists. Proponents of this viewpoint would argue that the mid-eastern concept of time is vastly different from our western mindset. Yet, it is false to say the Jews had no rational concept of time. People in Biblical times were at least as intelligent as modern man, and therefore, had the ability to comprehend time in a meaningful way. From the beginning, man has been governed by time. God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years” (Gen. 1:14). Therefore, as we reflect upon the issue of the age of the earth, let us examine various Scriptures that clearly indicate that the Jews could tell time.

What About All Those Special Days, Weeks, Months & Years? Could the Jews tell time? The Mosaic law contains numerous and specific time references. The Israelites were commanded to “remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” They observed monthly and yearly feasts at specific times. The day of Atonement was celebrated on the 10th day of the seventh month. The Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month. The Feast of Unleavened Bread began on the 15th day of the same month. The Feast of Purim was celebrated on the 14th and 15th days of Adar. The Feast of Tabernacles was observed on the 15th day of the seventh month. The Feast of Weeks was celebrated early in the third month on the 50th day after the offering of the barley sheaf at the Feast of Un- leavened Bread. They celebrated the new moon. They also observed the Sabbatical year. They celebrated the Jubilee every 50th year after seven cycles of seven years, when specific instructions about property and slavery took effect. In view of these many examples, it is absurd to allege that the Jews had no logical, rational, or sensible understanding of time!

When Is A Day Not A Day?

Could the Jews tell time? The same Moses who wrote the first 11 chapters of Genesis also wrote binding regulations regarding days, months, seasons and years. How can we say that all the time references in Genesis 1-11 are somehow different than those found in the rest of the Pentateuch? Those who argue for an old earth must contend that the seven days of creation are something other than seven literal, successive twenty-four hour days. But if their position is true, at what point did Moses switch gears from a symbolic to a literal usage of the term?

It is manifestly evident that Moses understood that God created the world in six literal, successive twenty-four hour days (Exod. 20:8-11; 31:14-17). This position is bolstered by Moses’ use of the phrase “the evening and the morning were the first . . . second . . . third . . . fourth . . . fifth . . . and sixth day” (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31).

What About the Chronologies of the Hebrew Kings?

Could the Jews tell time? Some might try to defend a loose under- standing of time by saying, “What about the chronologies of the Hebrew kings?” Admittedly, the Jews had a somewhat different way of reckoning chronologies than we do. However, there was method to their madness. Furthermore, the oriental and occidental approaches toward time are not so alien to one another that cross-cultural understanding is impossible.

While they appear confusing at first, it is possible, with careful study, for us to harmonize the books of Kings and Chronicles. One key to arranging a consistent chronology of the Hebrew kings is to realize that a part of a year was often counted as a whole year. We also must factor in the practice of co-regencies. A king would often begin his reign while his predecessor was still alive, governing with him for several years before he died. For more information on this subject, see E.R. Thieles A Chronology of the Hebrew Kings (1977) and The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings (1983). In summary, please consider the statement found in Nelsons Illustrated Bible Dictionary: “But even after recognizing all these dating problems, the Bible student can rest assured that the ancient Near Eastern scribes worked with great care and precision in passing on the Old Testament. They furnish the patient modern interpreter with information needed to gain a reliable picture of Old Testament history.”1

What About “The Sign of Jonah”?

Could the Jews tell time? Some might argue, “The sign of Jonah proves that the Jews had a different way of looking at time than do we.” Well, “Yes” and “No.” Jesus said, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights i n  t h e  h e a r t  o f  t h e earth” (Matt. 12:40). How long was Jesus in the tomb? Was it 72 hours or some lesser period of time?

Our Lord hung on the cross from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, i.e., from 12 to 3 p.m. (Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44; John 19:14-18). Shortly thereafter, Jesus breathed his last, and yielded up his spirit. Then his lifeless body was removed from the cross and hastily buried, because the beginning of the Sabbath drew near (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31).

According to Jewish reckoning, the old day ended and a new day began at sunset, or 6 p.m. At the most, Jesus was in the tomb only 2-3 hours on Friday. His body lay entombed a full 24 hours on Saturday, and no more than 11-12 hours on Sunday. There- fore, he could have been in the grave a maximum of 39 total hours. Yet, this is consistent with the Lord’s statement regarding the sign of Jonah. Part of a day was reckoned as a whole day by the Hebrews. Jesus was in the tomb on part of Friday, all of Saturday and part of Sunday. Therefore, according to Jewish reckoning, he was in the tomb “three days and three nights.”

While Jesus was not in the tomb for 72 hours, he was in the tomb for approximately three days. There is some looseness in the phrase “three days and three nights,” but not unlimited elasticity. We are not at liberty to say he was in the tomb for three weeks, three months, three years, or three millennia! While I don’t believe that it is truly significant, a rhetorical point could be made that the phrase “three days and three nights” refers to a shorter time-frame than what is actually specified! Thus the sign of Jonah gives no comfort to those who would lengthen the days of Genesis Chapter One into geologic ages!

What About Those Biblical Genealogies?

Could the Jews tell time? In dis- cussing the genealogical family lines of Genesis 4-5, 10, etc. we must acknowledge that the word “beget” does not necessarily refer to a direct father/son relationship. It can and perhaps often does mean “descendant of.” I agree there could be some generational gaps in the lineage. Yet, how many could there be? There must be some outer limit on the number of generations that were skipped, lest the entire genealogical concept become meaningless!

In tracing the genealogy of Christ through Joseph, Matthew lists 40 individuals from Abraham to Jesus (Matt. 1:1-17). In tracing the genealogy of Christ through Mary, Luke lists 75 individuals from Adam to Jesus. According to Luke, Abraham is 55 generations removed from Jesus, and Adam is another 20 generations re- moved from our Savior. In tracing the genealogy of Adam, Moses lists nine generations from Adam to Noah (Gen. 5:1-32). Jude acknowledges this chronology by speaking of Enoch as “the seventh from Adam” (Jude 1:14).

Was Enoch seven generations re- moved from Adam? Was he seventy generations removed? Was he seven hundred generations removed? Was he seven thousand generations removed? The answer we give to such a question is significant!

Bishop Usher added up the genealogical lists in the Bible and concluded that Adam and Eve lived approximately 4,000 years before Christ. He made no allowance for any generational gaps in the lineages. My question is this: how many gaps could we allow before the whole concept of genealogy is lost?

If we allow an average of 100 years per generation, it would take 40 generations to go from Adam to Jesus. In fact, an average of 100 years per generation is too high, because we know that Luke includes 75 generations from Adam to Jesus. If we divide Usher’s 4,000 years by Luke’s 75 generations, we get an average of 53 years per generation. Nevertheless, for our purposes let’s stick with an average of 100 years per generation because (1) it is generous and (2) it is easy to compute.

Current evolutionary thought allows a million or so years for human evolution. If you are trying to make room for 1,000,000 years since the evolutionist say man first appeared, you are now discussing 10,000 generations. If you say man has been around for 500,000 years, you are dis- cussing 5,000 generations. If you say man has been around for 250,000 years, it would have taken 2,500 generations from Adam to Jesus. If you say man has been around for a mere 100,000 years, you are still assuming approximately 1,000 generations from Adam to Jesus.

For the sake of argument, let’s be conservative and say that man has been on the earth for 100,000 years. Luke says there were 75 generations from Jesus to Adam. Where are you going to stick the extra 925 generations and have the Biblical genealogy make any sense at all? A line with that many gaps is no line at all!

Using this approach to genealogy, all of us could claim to be the direct descendants of George Washington (even though he had no children)! That which proves too much proves too little. If you tried to gain admission to the Daughters of the American Revolution based on such sketchy data, they would laugh you out of the room!

How does the Doctrine of Progressive Creation among non-institutional brethren, handle biblical genealogies? Here is an example: In a handout entitled Genealogy and Chronology, written by Hill Roberts and revised in 1994, he affirms that there is no question as to the date when Abraham lived: “By starting from events in the Bible which can be correlated to events which are well dated in secular history, historians are able to date the life of Abraham to within about a hundred years either side of 1900 BC.”2

Nevertheless, brother Roberts goes on to say that we cannot accurately date such events as the construction of the tower of Babel, the flood, Cain and Abel, the fall of man, or the creation.3

How much time elapsed from Adam to Abraham? Bishop Usher, making no allowance for any generational gaps in the lineages, calculated that 2,000 years elapsed between Adam and Abraham. According to the Bible, twenty generations are under dispute. In the aforementioned handout, brother Roberts correctly points out that sometimes several generations are skipped in Biblical genealogical listings. In at least one instance, brother Roberts argues that a father/son generation is actually separated by 400 years.4

Okay, how much time can one reasonable insert into these 20 generations? For the sake of argumentation, let’s say that each of the 20 generations from Adam to Abraham is separated by 400 years. According to this timetable, 8,000 years would have elapsed from Adam to Abraham (20 x 400 = 8,000). Brother Roberts does not dispute the biblical dating from Abraham forward. He accepts that Abraham lived approximately 2,000 years before Christ, and that we live 2,000 years after Christ. Therefore, according to this method of calculation, Adam was created about 12,000 years ago (8,000 + 2,000 + 2000 = 12,000). Therefore, even if we grant that the first 20 generations of Bible history each cover over 400 years, this still does not help brother Roberts. Having bought into the standard evolutionary timetable, brother Roberts needs to make that 2,000 years become 100,000 to 250,000 years. Obviously, he has a problem. And we are not even touching the extra 4.5 billion years he has to get into the six days of creation.

What About “One Day Equals A Thousand Years”?

Could the Jews tell time? When we attended a Lord I Believe Seminar several years ago, one of the most disturbing things we encountered was the instruction that our 4th grade son received. Our son’s teacher said we cannot know how long the days of creation actually were because Peter said, “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Pet. 3:8). This is an egregious misapplication of Scripture. These words have nothing to do with the chronological measurement of time; rather they describe the nature of God. Peter is not saying that there is some special time zone called “God Standard Time” where one God-day equals 1,000 human years. Rather, the inspired apostle is saying God is not limited by time and space. In contrast, man is a creature governed by time (Gen. 1:14). Therefore, the time references in Scripture are significant to man.

Conclusion

If the Jews were culturally and ethnically incapable of a precise understanding of time, the man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath should have been declared innocent by reason of incompetency. Yet, he was held accountable for trespassing a clear and understandable law relating to one’s conduct on the seventh day (Num. 15:32-36). Time mattered!

If the Jews were not interested in time in any traditional sense, why were they in such a hurry to remove Jesus and the two thieves from the hill of Calvary (John 19:31)? If they truly held such a loose view of time, “Why didn’t they say, “What’s the rush? Who cares if the bodies remain on the cross after sundown?” No, as much as the Lord’s enemies had enjoyed seeing him hang on the cross, they decided to “call it a day” because the Sabbath drew near. Obviously they were not watching the second hand tick away on their wristwatches, but they were watching the sun set in the west. Time mattered!

There is absolutely no basis in saying that the Jews could not tell time. They had a very clear understanding of times and seasons, days and years. The only reason one would argue otherwise is to accommodate the proclamations of science regarding the alleged old age of the earth. Yet, as one considers the Sacred Text, it is apparent that the most straightforward understanding of the Genesis record indicates that God created the heaven and earth in six literal, successive twenty-four hour days. Furthermore, the Scriptures point to a recent creation, not one that occurred billions and billions of years ago. Therefore, on this issue and all others, I am content to speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent.

Footnotes

1  Nelsons Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Herbert Lockyer, Sr. (Seattle, WA: BibleSoft & Nashville: TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986), s.v. “Chronology, Old Testament.”

2  Hill Roberts, Genealogy and Chronology, Handout written by Hill Roberts, revised 1994, Paragraph 1, First Sentence.

3  Hill Roberts, Genealogy and Chronology, Handout written by Hill Roberts, revised 1994, Paragraph 2, First Sentence.

4  Hill Roberts, Genealogy and Chronology, Handout written by Hill Roberts, revised 1994, Sub-point: The Nature of Hebrew Genealogies, Paragraph 4, Last Sentence.