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NASB | Matthew 24:28 "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 24:28 "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will flock together. [Job 39:30] |
Subject: Who is Jesus? |
Bible Note: Greetings Ross! There are two problems with your reasoning! 1) Concerning the translation of 'astrape', it is a common mistake of cults to assume that words only have one meaning. Words can have several meanings depending upon how they are used, but based upon your reading of Strong's you claim that 'lighting' is a mistranslation. Consider the following passage from Josphus', "Antiquities of the Jews", book 2, chapter 16, 343: "As soon, therefore, as ever the whole Egyptian army was within it, the sea flowed to its own place, and came down with a torrect raised by storms of wind, and encompassed the Egyptians. Showers of rain also came down from the sky, and dreadful thunders and lightning, with flashes of fire. Thunderbolts aslo were darted upon them." Here, the word 'astrape' is used in the context of a storm. Thunder and "lightning" occur in a storm. The word 'lightning' in this passage is 'astrape.' Therefore, 'lightning' is an acceptable translation of the word 'astrape.' 2) The main problem with your post is that you ignore what the Bible says about Jesus. He is not simply a prophet. He is God. Consider the message of John 1: ****************************************** John is a Gospel. This is stating the obvious, but it is useful to remember why he was writing this book. His reason for writing was given in his own words, "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31) Therefore, John is trying to convince his audience, both Jews and Gentiles, that Jesus is God and that He alone is the source of salvation. With this in mind, John opens his Gospel with a prologue (1:1-18) which appeals to the current thoughts and ideas of both Jews and Gentiles. Jews at this time had personified the "Word" of God to a new level of meaning - it was God’s creative power. Greeks had a philosophical concept of the "Word" as the creative, rational force from which all things spring. Thus, John creatively says things about Jesus (notice that he doesn’t tell us that the ‘Word’ is Jesus until v. 14) that would appeal to the religious and philosophical views of both Jews and Gentiles. William Temple describes John 1:1-14 in this way. The Logos, he says, "alike for Jew and Gentile represents the ruling fact of the universe, and represents that fact as the self-expression of God. The Jew will remember that ‘by the Word of the Lord were the heavens made’; the Greek will think of the rational principle of which all natural laws are particular expressions. Both will agree that this Logos is the starting point of all thing." However, John’s purpose is to take them beyond this point and demonstrate that Jesus Himself is both the ‘Logos’ and God. Thus, throughout John escalates the statements made about the Word. Each one revealing more about the true identity and nature of Jesus. 1) In the beginning was the Word - v. 1: The Word was eternally existent. He did not come into being at any particular point in time. He has always been. 2) The Word was with God - v. 1: Not only is the Word pre-existent, but the Word is in an intimate face to face relationship with God. 3) The Word was God - v. 1: Not only is the Word pre-existent, not only is the Word in an intimate face to face relationship with God, the Word is God. 4) The Word is the Creator of all things - v. 3. 5) The Word is the source of life and light for all men - v. 4. 6) The Word was not recognized by the World - v. 10. 7) The Word was not received by His own creation - v. 11. 8) The Word makes those who do receive Him Sons of God - vv. 12-13. 9) The Word is Jesus, God incarnate - v. 14. ********************************************* None of the above can be said of the Bab or any other prophet. The Bab was not eternal. The Bab did not create the world. Jesus was, is, and always will be God. Any religion which denies that essential truth of Scripture is false! In Christ, Tim Moran |