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BIBLE-TALK A Christian Magazine (ALL Rights Reserved) Issue-3. (Featuring Glena Jessee-King, female minister) 9/21/2014 Joan Shortridge

Bible-Talk Joan Jessee Shortridge Copyrighted 2014: All Rights Reserved

Introduction: This magazine deals with Christianity, the Bible, and is a place for Christians to sell or advertize their works or events free, for as long as my own space remains free. To enter your ad or work, please email it to me at: rethatrohs@yahoo.com However, I can’t be responsible if someone steals, reproduces or uses it in any way. I will try to add it to my files and upload it when I do my own material.

Each monthly issue will have the same outline, but hopefully different material and information.

A. Bible History-How we Got the Bible B. Biblical Facts C. Articles relating to the Bible (Featuring Glena JesseeKing, female minister-Sept. issue) D. Children’s poems or stories E. Events or announcements F. Ads

A. Bible Talk-How we got the Bible (This issue gives a combination of Issue One and Two of How we Got the Bible for you to keep.)

Contrary to what some folks may think, the bible did not fall out of the sky. It was a process.

The Torah was given by God to Moses, a prophet, on stone, but the actual bible as we have today is a compilation of many holy writers over a long period of time that was canonized in later years by scribes. This magazine gives background on the bible, its books, and the people during the time period that it was written or canonized. The rest of this article is written in short sentences that give interesting facts about how we got the bible. The Catholic Study Bible (New American Bible) and The Holy Bible KJV were used as the main sources for this magazine. I am not Catholic, but admire their honesty in their study bible.

1. The biblical writers used three languages; Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

2. Most of the Old Testament books were written in Hebrew. (At least 46 books) Some of Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezra were written in Aramaic.

3. The Old Testament spans nearly two thousand years of history from Abraham (1800 B.C.) to Maccabean Wars. (140 B.C.) Some writings and traditions began in 1000 B.C.

4. All 27 of the New Testament books were written in Greek.

5. Judaism chose books for its canon at the end of the first century A. D. but their basis books were already being used in their liturgies.

6. Judaism recognizes 39 books divided into three categories. A. the Law, (Pentateuch) it includes: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy B. The Prophets, C. The Writings.

7. Moses is presumed to be the author of the Pentateuch. As well as being the founder of the Israelite faith as written in the bible.

8. The Pentateuch has many traditions, laws, stories, and hymns that were added in by later generations.

9. It was finished by Ezra, who declared it sacred and refused to allow any other additions to it. These traditions were from earlier memories and fragments, though.

10.The Torah was written by three sources: The Yahwist, the Elohist, and the Deuteronmist.

11.The bible did not fall out of the sky nor was it dropped off by some angel. Many different books and thoughts were put on paper way after the facts, as the traditions were handed down.

12. For the New Testament, early church fathers read the many books, and chose the ones they thought told a true history of the life of Jesus and his apostles. There were other writings and books being read and held as sacred near the same time as these were.

13.The Old Testament has some contradictions in it, but it is probably due to the errors of scribes who copied it over the centuries. Most of these relate to writers using different names for the same people. This is typical of life, since we may know someone with two names and some people call that person by one of his names, but another uses the other name. Both are speaking about the same person.

14. The Pentateuch is called the Torah by the Jews. The books include: The law (Torah) these are: Genesis; Exodus; Leviticus; Numbers; and Deuteronomy. (Later Prophets): Isaiah; Jeremiah; Ezekiel; the Book of the Twelve. (The Prophets): Joshua; Judges; I Samuel; II Samuel; I Kings; II Kings. (The Writings or Wisdom Books): Psalms; Job; Proverbs; Ruth; Song of Songs; Ecclesiastes; Lamentations; Esther; Daniel; Ezra-Nehemiah; I Chronicles; II Chronicles.

15.Catholics include seven more books under the Writings and call them “Deuterocanonical.�

These were written in Greek instead of Hebrew. These include: Tobit; Judith; Wisdom of Solomon; Ecclesiasticus; Baruch; and 1 and 2 Maccabees. In the New Testament, the writers slightly differ in details, but this is what would happen if several people wrote what they remembered as having happened years earlier. The bible is the best history of man that I have read, however no history is perfect, but the Word is perfect. It is believed that Genesis came from two sources: the J (Yahwist) and P (Priestly) Sources. J stories are older than the P ones.

16.There are other records of the creation that are not in the bible. These are similar to the bible. My thinking about them is this: There was one truth of creation. These myths were started after the nations were scattered during the tower of Babel or when first families like Cain left the place near Eden. They made their own towns or cities, and told their own story of creation, keeping some of the truth, but adding other things to be different than their neighbors. As time went on everyone just believed that was the way it really happened. These myths are: The Myth of Baal (chief god of Ugarit); The Myth of Etana; The Myth of Adapa; Gilgamesh; and Eekiel 28, 11-19. All are older than Genesis and have similar words.

17.The Myth of Baal: He is the father of gods and rules heaven and earth from the source of two rivers. (Catholic Study Bible)Other myths of Baal make him the son of El, chief god of the Canaanites. Some Hebrews worshipped local gods called Baal and their children names that ended in Baal such as Ishbaal, the son of Saul. In later text it was changed to Ishbosheth. As Baal became less popular the Hebrews called Satan Baalzebub like the god of Beelzebub, the Philistine god of Ekron. (Myths Encyclopedia-ar-be)

18.The Myth of Etana: An eagle eats the young of a serpent. This serpent and the gods capture the eagle and hold him in a pit. Etana is childish and desires to eat the plant of birth, so the sun god promises to help him do so. (Catholic Study Bible) The encyclopedia says Etana was a Sumerian king of the city of Kish who reigned after the flood, and who also went to heaven and consolidated all of the foreign countries.

19.(I think that he was indeed a king of Sumerian, and after he died, the people made his memory into a god. In fact, I think this is how all of the false gods got started.)

20.The Myth of Adapa: Adapa, the first man is a fisherman. The south wind hinders his fishing so he breaks its wings. The gods are angry over this and summon him to heaven. He is warned not to accept the god Anu’s offer of the bread and water of life when he gets there. He is told that it is really the bread and water of death. So Adapa listens and refuses the bread and water, which turns out to be the real bread and water of life. So, he loses the chance for immortality for all humans.

21.The Myth of Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh searches for the gift of immortality. Gilgamesh and his friend cut down the sacred trees in the forest of the gods. Gilgamesh is given another chance for immortality if he can hold on to the plant of rejuvenation, but he loses the plant to a serpent. He remains a mortal.

22.Now, let’s go on with How we Got the Bible: Exodus continues where Genesis leaves off.

Scholars go by Egypt to date it. Who were the kings of Egypt at this time and what was going on there? If Joseph traditions are associated the Hyksos Invasion of Egypt, then the date would be around 1270 B.C. If the temple was built around 900 B. C. then it would happen in 1440. Most scholars chose the Joseph traditions and think Ramesses II was the pharaoh of Egypt at this time. Scrolls.

23.Most of Leviticus is believed to come from the priestly (P) source. It depends on a combination of laws and narrative.

24.Numbers got its name from the census taken of the Hebrew people in the following year, after Moses led them from Egypt. Numbers is placed as happening between Exodus and Leviticus. It depends of Leviticus and is a combination of laws and narratives.

25.Deuteronomy means “the second law.” It is the repletion of the law that was proclaimed on Mount Sinai. The events of this book took place in the plains of Moab between the end of their wanderings in the desert and their crossing over the Jordan River. Deuteronomy is believed to be written around the seventh century B.C., instead of during the time of Moses. Josiah’s law book was found in 622 B.C. just at the time he was already preaching for reform. Many of its ideas were like the northern kingdom of Israel which was destroyed in 722 B.C. nearly a hundred years earlier. Deuteronomy is believed to be written around the seventh century B.C., instead of during the time of Moses. Josiah’s law book was found in 622 B.C. just at the time he was already preaching for reform. Many of its ideas were like the northern kingdom of Israel which was destroyed in 722 B.C. nearly a hundred years earlier.

26.Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings are Deuteronomistic History books. These all continue the story of Genesis and ends in 2 Kings. These were put together and edited subsequent to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. These were already in the form of traditions before this, though. It was probably in written form during the rule of Josiah, king of Judah. (d. 609 B.C.) Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings are Deuteronomistic History books. These all continue the story of Genesis and ends in 2 Kings. These were put together and edited subsequent to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. These were already in the form of traditions before this, though. It was probably in written form during the rule of Josiah, king of Judah. (d. 609 B.C.)

27.The Book of Joshua was composed from sagas, or stories that were already in existence 28.The Book of Judges came from unrelated stories concerned with actions of local heroes.

These were collected and put in the context of Holy War, meaning God fought for and with the heroes. The Deuteronomistic writers weave a repetitive framework of Judges from these stories. The Book of Judges got its name from the heroes in its stories because these men ruled Israel.

29.The Book of Ruth is an artistically tell tale of a woman of the common people. It is believed that it was about a real person and contained truth.

The Books of 1 and 2 Samuel tells about Samuel, Saul, and David. These are told from collected stories.

1 and 2 Kings gives the history from the time of Solomon through the destruction of both the northern and southern kingdoms (961B.C.-561 B.C.). The books were edited and reedited before reaching their final form.

30.The Books of Kings were histories from the birth of Samuel to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.

31.The Books of Chronicles recorded history from the reign of Saul to the return from exile.

32.The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles gave insight into the community Jewish life during the restoration, after they return from the exile.

33.The two Books of Samuel are basically a history about Samuel, Saul, and David.

34.The Book of Isaiah The Book of Job was about a man named Job, a ruler from the land of UZ, who was pious and righteous.

35.Psalms is by different authors. Some are pre-exile (before 587) but others are post-exile (after 539) Seventy-three are attributed to King David.

36.The Book of Proverbs is an anthology of didactic poetry once known as the Book of Wisdom in the Roman Missal and called “Wisdom” by early Christians.

37.

The Book of Sirach (Ecclesiaticus) was written by a sage in Jerusalem named Jesus, son of Eleazar, who was the son of Sirach. It was written in Hebrew between 200 and 275 B.C. (1-39) was chiefly composed by Isaiah and some disciples (24-27, 23-24, and 34-35) who came years after him. Some, called the Deutero-Isaiah were attributed to an anonymous poet in the end of the Babylonian exile. Others (56-66) were contributed from a later period by disciples.

38.The Book of Jeremiah was written by Jeremiah who was born in 650 B. C. His father was a priest from Anathoth, near Jerusalem and during the time of Josiah’s rule.

39.The Book of Baruch was written partly by Baruch and partly by a later pious Jew during the Babylon captivity.

40.The Book of Ezekiel was written by him in Babylon during his captivity. He predicted that Jerusalem will again be destroyed. It was destroyed in 587 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar.

41.The Book of Daniel was by an unknown author about a hero, Daniel, around 167-164 B.C. when a great persecution was happening by Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

42.The Book of Hosea by Hosea says he began his prophecy in (786-746) during the rule of Jeroboam II. Hosea was from the Northern tribe. His wife, Gomer, was an adulterous.

43.The Book of Joel was completed in 400 B.C. during a powerful locust’s invasion of Judah.

44.The Book of Amos was by Amos, a Sheppard of Tekoa, in Judah in 786-746 B. C. He talks against the prosperous northern kingdom.

45.The Book of Obadiah was by an unknown author in the fifth century B.C. and was against Edom. (Edomites)

46.The Book of Jonah was in the fifth century (post-exile period.)

47.The Book of Nahum was written just before Nineveh fell in 612 B.C. 48.The Book of Malachi is by an anonymous writer before Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem in 455 B. C. He spoke against the priest and rulers.

49.Some churches include other books besides these. They are: Tobit, Judith, 1&2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Ecclesiastics, Baruch, and some additions to Daniel and Esther.

50.Tobit was a story about a Jew from Northern Israel who was transported to Nineveh in 721 B.C.

51.Judith was written to relate God’s deliverance through a woman. It was written in the late first century or the end of the second century B.C. by an unknown author.

52.There are four books of the Maccabees. The two Books of Maccabees are by independent authors in the second century B.C. The first book was probably written by an unknown Jew around 100 B.C. No church accepts the fourth book as inspired. None of them are in the Hebrew or Protestant bibles. The first two books are part of the Roman Catholic bible. The third one is included in Eastern Christianity.

53.1 Chronicles is part of a larger work which includes Chronicles, Nehemiah, and Ezra. These tell the history from Adam to the restoration of the Jerusalem temple. (The restoration lasted from 587 to 539B.C.) In Christian bibles the last chapter of the Old Testament is Malachi, but in the Jewish bible it is 2nd Chronicles. 1 Chronicles tells the story from the accession of Solomon the time David becomes king. It is taken from stories also.

54.Ezra and Nehemiah are narrative accounts of the post-exile period. Originally these were in one book, and the Jews still don’t have its own title in the Jewish books. Most of the

book is in Hebrew but 4, 7-6, 18 are in Aramaic because the author cites a few Persian documents relating to the restoration of Judah and Aramaic was the common language. It was the language of the common people until Arabic replaced it in the seventh century A. D. Aramaic was the language in which Jesus conversed with the people. In the twentieth century the Hebrew language was reborn and became the language of the common people. However, the Book of Nehemiah is the words of Nehemiah himself.

55.The Book of Judith is not a historical work. It is just a book that tells how God rescues Israel by the hand of a woman, Judith. The name is probably not a real proper name but instead represents all women.

56.Esther has some editions that were in the Greek version which aren’t in the Hebrew version. Catholics accept all editions, but the Protestant church doesn’t. These were debated in the Catholic Church until the Council of Trent where they were voted to be included. The Feast of Purim began because of Israel being delivered through the obedience of Judith. This feast is not mentioned in the bible except Mordecal’s Day is spoken of in 2 Mc. 15, 36. Some question which came first in reality, the feast day or the event.

57.1 Maccabees (Not in the Protestant Bibles) Maccabees means “hammer” and was a nickname given to Judas, a leader in the Jewish revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes (165161 B.C.) of the Seleucid dynasty. After this victorious revolt the Maccabees ruled as a independent nation of Judah from 135 to 67 B.C. There are four books of which none are in the Protestant or Jewish bibles. Catholics include two of the four, while also third Maccabees have status in Eastern Christianity. None of these accepts the fourth book. The first three books are narratives that give real history. Alexander wanted to take the best of Greece and the near Eastern countries and put them together, but he died before he accomplished this. After his death some Jews resisted hellenization (Greek way of life) but others accepted it. After Alexander’s death the Mesopotamian empire fell to one of his generals, Seleucus. The Ptolemies and Seleucids fought over Judah and Israel until it fell to the Seleucids in 200 B.C. Jews were allowed to practice their religion for awhile until Seleucid King Antiochus IV Epiphanes took over the government because of divisions in the Jewish community. He sided with the hellenizers and forbade the other Jews to practice their religion. Hanukkah, the Feast of the Dedication begun during the rule of Maccabee. It represented the rededication of the Second Temple during the Maccabean revolt. Antiochus polluted the altar of the temple. Some think this was the horrible abomination of Daniel 9:27. Josephus calls this festival “the feast of lights.” It might be interesting to note that Maccabee ordered prayers and sacrifices for those who died in battle. In 2 Maccabees, Judas Maccabee dreams that Jeremiah is praying for the Jews and

Jerusalem. Catholics sometimes use this to support the intercession of the saints in human life.

58.The Wisdom books include: Job, Psalms; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes; The Song of Songs; Wisdom; and Sirach.

59.Job is dated by some to be during the seventh century B.C. but others choose the postexilic dating (sixth-fifth century B.C.) It definitely appears before the third century when “Satan” appears as a proper name.

60.Psalms or the Psalter is a collection of books which end with a hymn of praise. Our present Psalms was composed of earlier collections. Several psalms are attributed to David, especially in the first book of psalms. Several psalms in the second and third books are ascribed to two guilds of temple singers, Korah and Asaph, during the time of the Second Temple. The fifth book is made of the Hallelujah collection. The name of God is different in the books. Yahweh is used in the first, fourth, and the fifth collections. The name Elohim is used in the second and third books. Scholars think that Elohim was substituted by a post exilic editor in order to show reverence to the name Yahweh by avoiding saying it. There are three categories of psalms. They are: hymns; laments; and thanksgivings. Several psalms are Royal Psalms which pertain to the King or anointed one.

Christian traditions apply these to Jesus. Wisdom Poems were used during liturgical celebrations. Some psalms were used during a pilgrimage or around Jerusalem and the temple. Others were after the style of prophetic speech. Still others give historical recounting of the feats of God. The New Testament quotes several of the psalms. They are; 2; 22; 69; 110; and 118.

61.The Proverbs is largely attributed to Solomon, but some scholars think some of them were compiled during the time of Hezekiah’s reforms and Solomon’s name put on them to give them more authority.

62.The Song of Songs is a collection of love poems and never even mentions God nor has any theology. Most are attributed to Solomon, but there is no way to know if he did write them. Some think that the two lovers in the poems are some bride and groom, but others think they are two lovers like others that existed in ancient Egypt. Others interpret these allegorically, saying it is Jesus talking to his bride of God talking to Israel. Still others say it was originally a liturgical reenactment of a drama that takes place in nature each spring, or the reinterpretation of Canaanite cultic practices. Origen of Christianity said it is a wedding poem between Solomon and one of his brides. A large group of Alexandrian Jews

translated its original religious traditions from Hebrew into Greek. These were Hellenized Jews. This Greek version was popular during the first century of the Christian era.

63.The Wisdom Book claimed Solomon as the writer of it. It did have its origin in a Jewish community of Alexandria. The author knew well the history of the Exodus. He was also well versed in Hellenistic philosophy and science. Scholars date this book during the first century B.C. The book originated in Greek but is a Jewish work, using Midrash rather than allegory. The author used the style of Greek culture to demonstrate the excellence of the Jewish faith.

64.Sirach was written sometime after 32 B.C. and says its translator is the grandson of the Ben Sira. He translated his grandfather’s teachings. Ben Sira seemed to be more like the Sadducees than the Pharisees, meaning he didn’t believe in the resurrection from the dead. The Pharisees rejected his work as canonical. A scroll of Sirach was discovered at Qumran, showing some Jewish groups used it. Some church theologians such as Cyprian (third century) and Jerome (fourth century A.D.) attest to Christian use of the book.

Catholics use parts of it as lectionary readings.

65.The main prophetic book of the Old Testament seems to be Isaiah. The name means, “The Lord saves.” It carries a tradition across three periods of Israel’s history. These are: the reigns of Kings Ahaz and Hezekiah to preserve the Davidic dynasty and the holy city Jerusalem (735-687 B. C.); the destruction of the dynasty and exile, (589-687 B.C.); and the endeavor to sustain hope during the early postexilic age (537-500 B. C.)First Isaiah names the Davidic kings of Jerusalem and counts Assyria as the major threat to their nation. Second Isaiah considers Jerusalem as a religious symbol and never mentions political details, but speaks about Persian Cyrus and the Babylonians. Third Isaiah seldom mentions local or international politics. The editor who put all these together kept unity within them. The book includes salvation for the Gentile nations. Isaiah preached between 740 and 687 B.C. but Jerusalem and the Davidic kings rejected his reforming ideas. King Ahaz betrayed the nation to save the throne; Judah was a vassal of Assyria; King Hezekiah (715-687 B.C.) revolted against Assyria, contrary to Isaiah’s advice.

His disciples span the collapse of Assyria in 612 B.C. the Babylonian empire (612-539 B. C.) and the emergence of the Persian Empire. Cyrus the Great of this empire allowed the exiled people to return to their home lands in 537 B.C. Within the next seventy-five years the book of Isaiah took shape (535-460). First Isaiah was married to a prophetess and they had two sons, Shearjashub and Mather shala hash baz. They most likely lived in the city. Second Isaiah favored the wilderness instead of the Jerusalem Temple and gave hints of universal salvation. He preached of mountains falling and valleys being lifted up. Third Isaiah liked the role of the

Jerusalem Temple and opened its doors to the world. Messianic, an English word derived from the Hebrew word, meshiah, the anointed one, applies only to kings; later to priests, who were anointed with oil; and only at the end of the Old Testament in the Dead Sea Scrolls and New Testament, was it applied to Gods mediators in the salvation of Israel. (Page 301 of the Catholic Study Bible) The word, “virgin” can translate the Hebrew almah, even if the latter has a more generic sense of a young woman of marriageable age.

66.The Book of Jeremiah in the Hebrew and Western Christianity, their book is longer than the Greek version. The book had long stages of development. Chapters 1-6 were during the reign of King Josiah. (640-609 B.C.) Chapters 7-20 took place during the rule of Jehoiakim (609-597) Chapters 21-33 took place in the reign of Zedekiah (597-587 B.C.) (Chap. 30, 33 are from an earlier time.) Chapters 34-45 are during the fall and last days of Jerusalem. (587-583 B.C.) Chapters 46-51 give the oracles against the Nations. Chapter 52 is a historical appendix. Some of Jeremiah is from his own sermons. Two long sections, Chapters 26-29; 34-45 are attributed to his secretary, Baruch. The first record of Jeremiah’s preaching is dated December, 604 B.C. However, a year earlier he dictated a scroll, but King Jehoiakim burned it column by column. His book was first assembled in Egypt where he died. The book in Hebrew was lost and survived only in Greek.

67.Lamentations is a book written by an eye-witness to the fall of Jerusalem. It contains very interesting poetic words from someone who actually lived through the fall of a great city.

If you can find and read the book, you may be able to put yourself in his shoes on how you might feel if your city or country was just completely destroyed, and one day it may be.

According to him, some women boiled and ate their own children. How horrible. May the United States never come to this because of her many sins?

68.The Book of Baruch was written by the secretary to Jeremiah. The earliest form was in Greek, but is also in Hebrew. The book gives prayers of those in exile and captive by Babylon. He warns the Jews not to worship the false statues and idols. He speaks of women bringing the offerings to them; and of shaven men with their heads uncovered wailing to these un-gods.

69.Ezekiel’s ministry extended from July 593 B.C. to April 571 B.C. After this his disciples and editors further adapted prophesy to bring it up to date with later political changes in the world. When his book opens he is already in exile in a place called Tel Abib on the banks of the river Chebar, a canal running south from the capital city of Babylon. Ezekiel was married and born of a priestly family.

70.The Minor Prophets include the Book of Daniel. It has three parts: Chapters 1-6 consists of stories of Daniel and his three companions as heroes. Chapters 7-12 are made up of revelations told by Daniel in the first person. Chapters 13-14 have short stories not found in the Hebrew text. The first chapters are the oldest and composed during the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria in 168-64 B.C. The additions were put in probably before the beginning of the Christian era. The stories in the first six chapters are fictional, even though they mention historical names and places. Belshazar is presented as king of Babylon and son of Nebuchadnezzar but in reality, he was the son of Nabonidus a later king and he served as deputy ruler in Babylon, but was never king. The fiery furnace story and the lion’s den story, according to the Catholic Study Bible, are not realistic stories but, rather are told to portray a message. The Jewish apocalypses are written by pseudonymous writers, that is, the real authors wrote under the names of famous people to give their words more authority. The Catholic Bible also states that these predictions were written after they had occurred, and done so to make people believe that they were God’s work because they were so accurate. Christians today consider these works as deceptive and do not write like this today.

71.The Twelve Minor Prophets’ Books span over 300 years. Amos, Hosea, and Micah, was active in the eight century B.C. Hosea was a northern prophet, while Micah was southern.

Amos was southern but prophesied in the north.

72.Zephaniah is dated during the time of King Josiah (640-609 B.C.) Nahum told of the fall of Nineveh in 612 B. C., and Habakkuk prophesied when the Babylonians were advancing westward (805-597 B. C.)

73.Haggai and Zechariah helped build the Jerusalem Temple in 520 B.C. so only 1-8 of The Book of Zechariah can be his actual work.

74.Joel, Jonah, Obadiah and Malachi, and the latter part of Zechariah are of the postexillic period. Malachi may have been written the fifth century B.C. Jonah and the second part of Zechariah was possibly as early as the fifth century or as late as 330 B.C. Most of these are short poetic oracles, but Jonah is a short story.

75.Hosea began his career around 750 B.C. He was married to Gomer, an adulterous.

76.Joel was written around 400 B.C. 77.Amos came from the village of Tekoa in the northern kingdom of Judah.. His oracles were transmitted orally and collected in book form much later.

78.The Book of Obadiah is the shortest prophecy in the Old Testament. Nothing is known of the author except that his prophecy is against Edom and written probably in the fifth century B.C. Edom was the home for the Edomites (Esau).

79.The Book of Jonah was probably written in the fifth century B.C. The Catholic Study Bible doesn’t think that Jonah being swallowed by a whale was actually a true story in any sense. (However, I do think it was about a real person and a real whale, and if not a whale, something equally as terrifying created by God, solely for the purpose to teach Jonah a lesson. If this wasn’t real, how can we be sure that any other biblical miracle was real, including the virgin birth and Jesus walking on water? These seem as unrealistic as Jonah’s whale.)

80.The Book of Micah was written before or during the time of Hezekiah’s reform, because Hezekiah was impressed by his preaching and did a reform over it. Micah came from a village of Moresheth in the foothills.

81.The oracles of Nahum deal with the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C. 82.The prophecy of the Book of Habakkuk is from the years 605-597 and in between Babylonian victory at Carchemish and Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Judah. This culminated in the capture of Jerusalem.

83.Zephaniah prophesied earlier than Nahum and Habakkuk in the reign of Josiah (640-609).

It came also right before the work of Jeremiah because he seemed to be influenced by this work.

84.Haggai was in the year 520 B.C. two decades after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile. It was also in the second year of Darius (520 B. C.). Samaritans had stopped the building of the temple, but when Darius came to power, he allowed it to continue, and much of Haggai’s message is to encourage there-building of the temple.

85.Zechariah’s Book of prophecy was in 520 B.C. in the same year that Haggai received his prophetic call. The book was written by more than one unknown author. It was written to encourage those who were re-building the temple, especially Joshua and Zerubbabel.

86.The Book of Malachi was written before Nehemiah’s arrival in Jerusalem (455 B.C.). The name Malachi was not the author’s real name but was made from the Hebrew expression “My Messenger.”The author gives a picture of life in Jerusalem between the times of Haggai and the reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah.

87.All Christians use at least 27 books of the New Testament. Roman Catholic and Orthodox use 46 Old Testament books and the Orthodox uses some extra ones. Protestants and Judaism use 39 books.

88.Early Christians used an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint. It had 46 books.

89.Some Protestants use the seven “Apocryphal” books in a special section of their bibles.

90.The New American Bible uses the” “Deuterocanonical” books in their Old Testament Canon.

91.The New Testament began with oral traditions. These traditions were gradually written down by the evangelist. Q Source is a collection of the sayings of Jesus.

92.Some scholars think Mathew and Luke read Mark’s gospel and the Q source, and used these to write his own.

93.Paul’s letters, along with some others, were written down almost immediately and are the earliest of the New Testament.

94.The Letter to the Thessalonians was written by Paul in A.D. 50 or 51. Some scholars think The Second Letter to the Thessalonians is a “pseudepigraph” (written in Paul’s name to give it more authority. Anyway, it was written after the First Letter to the Thessalonians.)

95.His first letter to the Corinthians was written from Corinth in 51 A.D. 96.Paul’s Letter to the Galatians was written from Ephesus to Celts who had invaded Western and Central Asia. Some say it was Paul who wrote it, but others disagree, thinking it to have been his secretary who wrote it or a later disciple.

97.The Second Corinthians was written by Paul in 54 A.D. or 55 A.D. A.D. 57.Acts was written

by Luke, a physician.

98. Paul wrote Romans, along with his other letters, from Corinth in Greece-(56-58 A.D.) 99.Some think he wrote The Letter to the Colossians while in a Roman prison or one in Caesares or Ephesus.

100. Paul’s First Letter to Timothy was probably written by the Pauline School and is earlier than the second letter.

101. Paul’s Letter to Timothy was written from Macedonia in A.D. 63-67. Scholars disagree on whether it is Paul’s writing. Some say it is the work of a later complier from traditions of Paul.

102. Paul’s Letter to Crete was written to people on the island of Crete, a place that Paul had not been to. Titus was to a gentile audience and written after First Timothy, but before The Second Timothy.

103. Hebrews was probably written before 70 A.D. 104. Mark was written in A.D. 70 Tradition gives (John)Mark as the author of Mark, written before 70 A.D. but some scholars say the true author is an unknown Hellenistic Jewish Christian, perhaps from Syria. He was a cousin to Barnabas. His audience was mostly gentiles. Papias who lived around 135 A.D. was an early church father. He said that Mark was Peter’s interrupter. Other scholars believe it to be written by Mark himself.

105. Mathew was written in 80-90 A.D. by an unknown author, but some scholars say that it was not written by the apostle, Mathew; yet other affirm that it was. Anyway, the author got his material from Mark and Luke. It was called the “Q” source. He probably wrote from Antioch, the capitol of a Roman Province in Syria, a city of both Gentiles and Jews, but predominant Gentile Christian Jews.

106. John was written in 90-100 A.D either from Ephesus or Syria (Antioch) or Alexandria.

Tradition gives John, the son of Zebedee, as the author, although some modern scholars disagree with this because of the lack of evidence to support it.

107. Acts was written by Luke, a physician. Luke also wrote The Book of Luke. He was a Syrian from Antioch, and was mentioned in the bible. He used mostly Mark’s gospel and was not a first generation Christian. He knew about the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, so his work is dated by scholars in 80-90 A.D.

108. James was written in Greek and was most likely written by a Hellenistic writer or James of Jerusalem. Some scholars assign James to A.D. 90-100.

109. The First and a Second Letters of John was probably written at the end of the first century by John the apostle or the Johannie group.

110. The Letter of Jude was possibly written by a relative of Jesus. It is believed that Jude quoted from two apocryphal Jewish works: The Assumption of Moses and the Book of Enoch. Others say Jude was written in 80 A.D, but earlier than Second Peter. This Jude is

believed to mean a relative of Jesus of Hellenistic culture. The two Books of Peter are believed to be by unknown authors using Peter’s name, although early Christians believed them to be Peter’s while he was in Rome. Others say he was never in Rome.

111. Many modern scholars believe that First Peter was written by a cultivated Greek who alluded to the Greek Septuagint. Others say it was written by Peter’s secretary, Silvanus.

112. Some scholars think the Second Peter was a pseudonymous work who spoke for the dead to give his writing more esteem. He quoted Paul’s letters and Jude’s. He was probably a Christian Jew. Others say it was Peter’s work or his secretary’s work.

113. First John writing was probably by the real apostle John and done in the end of the first century, but Second John was most likely from one of his disciples at Ephesus during the end of the first century.

114. Revelation, in its present form, is believed to have been written at the end of the reign of Domitian (81-96 A.D.) Domitian was a persecutor of Christians.

115. All of the New Testament is believed by Christians to be the inspired word of Jesus and given by holy men who had a special connection to God.

116. Jesus was believed to have been crucified in 30 A.D. 117. Tradition believes that Peter and Paul were killed in Rome during the persecution of Nero around 67 A.D. Paul was beheaded, while Peter was crucified upside down. He did not wish to be crucified in the same way as Jesus was because he felt unworthy. Others say that Peter was never in Rome.

118. The apostle John was boiled alive.

119. There is no original manuscript of any biblical book.

120. The earliest written manuscript is the Dead Sea Scrolls, from the first century and found in 1948.

121. Fragments of materials of the Old Testament and the New Testament were on parchment from the early second century A.D.

122. Ancient biblical texts were not in the exact format as they are today.

123. Other books that aid bible study are: The Ugarit text, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. The New Testament

124. The English word gospel means good news. It translates the Greek word euangelion. It was Mark who first used the term “gospel” to a book that told the story of Jesus.

125. Some scholars don’t think the man who wrote the Book of Mathew was the apostle Mathew that walked and talked in person with Jesus because this gospel is based in part on the gospel of Mark. However, the book may be written from traditions of Mathew.

Some of this author’s work is based also on materials found in Luke or Q meaning from traditions, oral and written from the source Luke used. This Mathew author knew of the destruction of Jerusalem, making his writing post A.D. 70, and later than the Mark gospel, which is dated as being shortly after A. D. 70. It is also believed that Mathew’s Book was written from Antioch, the capital of a Roman province in Syria. The original church of Mathew was Jewish Christian, but had now become gentile Christians predominant.

126. The Book of Mark, although it is thought by some to be anonymous, has been assigned to Mark, perhaps meaning John Mark, a guy who had Jesus at his mother’s house in Jerusalem where Christians assembled. This Mark was a cousin to Barnabas. He also went with Paul and Barnabas on a missionary trip. Papias (ca. A.D. 135) said that Mark was Paul’s interpreter. This gospel of Mark was written shortly before 70 A.D. and taken from many oral traditions, parables, and stories of Jesus. His gospel was probably Gentile as it seems unfamiliar with Jewish customs. Because of this, some modern scholars say the author may have been some unknown Hellenistic Jewish Christian from Syria just before A.D. 70.

127. The Gospel of Luke follows a tradition from the second century on that the author of it was Luke, a Syrian from Antioch. This same man was mentioned in the New Testament in Col 4, 14; Phlm 24; and 1 Tim 4, 11. The writing itself makes it clear that Luke was not part of the first generation of Christian disciples, but was dependent upon the traditions he had received from those who were eyewitnesses or ministers of the word. By his work, one can tell that Luke was literate to the Old Testament traditions according to the Greek versions and the Hellenistic Greek versions. Some think that he used Mark and Luke traditions for his sources, but others say that he used only Mark’s sources. The gospel of Luke is dated as 80-90 A. D and is believed to be written by a non-Palestinian and was to a Gentile audience.

128. The Gospel according to John was most likely written in the 90’s of the first century.

Critics refuse to believe that this gospel as it is written now was written by one author

since Chapter 21 seems to have been written after the gospel was completed. The latter writing has a Greek style and different from the rest of the work. There seems to be an independent hymn in the work. There also some inconsistencies in the work, having two endings in the upper room. These inconsistencies are believed to be because of subsequent editing and homogeneous materials were added to the original shorter version of the book. Regardless, the book is believed by some to be written from traditions of some eye-witness to the sayings of Jesus, but not by John, the son of Zebedee. This author does try to show that women are not inferior to men y giving high roles the women played around the story of Jesus such as at the resurrection. The final editing and form that it is presently in was probably done in 90-100 A.D. Some say it was composed in Antioch or Alexandria, but others say Ephesus.

129. The Act of the Apostles is the second volume of Luke’s work. By the end of Paul’s ministry, a companion of Luke’s, the church, except in Palestine, was made up of mostly Gentiles. The Acts was probably written around the same time as the first volume by Luke, meaning 80-90 A. D.

130. The New Testament Letters were mostly real letters written in the style of the ancient world, but modified to suit the purposes of the Christian writers. Fourteen of the twentyone letters are attributed to Paul, the apostle. Hebrews does not claim to be Paul’s, thus leaving only thirteen to Paul. Scholars believe that some of these were written by Paul’s disciples. The genuine letters that were written by Paul are earlier in date than any of the written gospels. The other letters belong, most likely, to the second and third Christian generations instead of the first generation.

131. The Letter to the Romans was probably written between A. D. 56 and 58 either from Greece or Corinth. The Letter to the Romans is not addressed to anyone in particular nor does it say who wrote it.

132. The First Letter to the Corinthians was written by Paul in the year A. D. 56 from Ephesus. Some scholars say parts of it are from other original letters by Paul. This letter list Paul as the Greeter and is sending it to the church of God in Corinth. The end of the chapter confirms that it is written by Paul’s own hand.

133. The Second Letter to the Corinthians is thought by scholars to be several letters over a span of time incorporated together into one. Others regard it as a single letter. The date for this letter is A. D. 57 in Macedonia. This letter’s greeting says it is from Paul and Timothy and is written to the church of God in Corinth. The end of the letter says that Paul (I am) writing it while away from them.

134. The Letter to the Galatians was written around A.D.54 or 55 to Paul’s Celtic converts who invaded western and central Asia in the third century B.C... He probably wrote it from Ephesus. However, if he wrote it to the Galatians of the South instead of to the North, it would have been written probably in B.C. 48-50. Some think he was warning against the Jewish Christians who were trying to get them, the pagan converts, to keep the Jewish law, including circumcision. This letter is addressed from the greeting of Paul and the brothers with him, to the churches of Galatia. He ends the letter by using the word I a lot.

135. The Letter to the Ephesians is addressed to Christians Ephesians where Paul labored for over two years before. Some consider this letter to be a “circular” letter, that is, it was sent to several places at once. Others think it is the letter referred to in Colossians 4:16 as “to the Laodiceans.” Some scholars doubt that it was even written Paul. It may have been the letter written by a secretary at Paul’s direction or by some later disciple who wanted to develop Paul’s doctrine to suit the situation at the later date around A.D. 80-100. The letter mentions Paul as the greeter and is to the holy ones in Ephesus. It has no salutation, but does mention the word I several times near its end.

136. The Letter to the Philippians is written to Christians in northeastern Greece. It was a Roman town with a Greek population and a few Jews. This letter was written while Paul was in some prison. Some think it was in Ephesus around A. D. 55. Modern views are that he was in prison in Caesarea on the coast of Palestine in A.D. 57 or 58, and this is where the letter was written from. Other scholars think the letter that we have today was written from parts of three letters by Paul to the Philippians. Parts of the letter are an appreciation for help sent through Epaphroditus. The letter is addressed as being from Paul and Timothy and to the Christians in Philippi. It ends with greetings from others who are with him, but no names are used. (If he was in prison while writing this, these others mentioned, including Timothy, must have been in prison with him.)

137. The Letter to the Colossians was written from Paul and Timothy and was to the holy ones and faithful brothers in Colossae. Colossae was in the Lycus Valley in Asia Minor, east of Ephesus. This church had been founded by Epaphras of Colossae. It was written while Paul was in prison somewhere. It ends by saying that this greeting is by Paul’s own hand.

138. The First Letter to the Thessalonians was probably written around A.D. 51. After Paul parted from Barnabas on his second missionary journey, he took Silvanus with him. Soon after this, he took Timothy with him. This letter is a greeting from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians. (Notice that this time is says church and not churches.) The letter ends by using the word I adjure you….

139. The Second Letter to the Thessalonians is now thought to be a pseudepigraph, that is, it is a letter that is written in Paul’s name to maintain apostolic traditions and give it authority, and was actually written during the last two decades of the first century. The greeting is, once again, from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. It ends by saying that the letter was written by Paul’s own hand. (As I said about the miracles of Jonah and Daniel, if all of the bible books aren’t authentic, then how do we know any of them are? I would rather think that they all are or they shouldn’t have been put in it. Also, I really personally can’t see Peter and Paul both using the same secretary, Silvanus, as Peter and Paul didn’t travel much in the same circles.)

140. The First Letter to Timothy is written to false teachers stressing “knowledge” It was written from Macedonia instructing Timothy, who was of mixed Jewish and Gentile parentage. Timothy is the administrator of the Ephesian community. After the nineteenth century questions and doubt began by scholars who began questioning whether Paul wrote this letter or not. Most scholars are now convinced that he couldn’t have written it because of the vocabulary and style, the concept of church organization or the theological thoughts found in it. Other scholars disagree with this and say that it is Paul’s letter. Still others say they are Paul’s thoughts but written by a secretary. Another group says they are the work of a complier who put the words together based on Pauline traditions and include fragments of actual writings of Paul. If the letter is Paul’s, it is dated as being written after first Roman imprisonment and before his execution under Nero. If not, their date may be as late as the early second century. The greeting is from Paul and to Timothy.

It ends with more instruction, but no salutation from Paul.

141. The Second Letter to Timothy was also written late in Paul’s career. Paul is a prisoner in Rome when he wrote this letter to the younger Timothy. It hints that Timothy may be in Ephesus. It seems that most Christians do not run to Paul’s aid while he is in prison. Paul warns Timothy to protect the community from false teachers. Paul tells Timothy that everyone in Asia has deserted him, except Onesiphorus. Paul tells him to avoid foolish debates about the word of God. He also says that he left Trophimus sick at Miletus. (Here is one example of someone who wasn’t healed not even by an apostle, so all people are not healed.) The letter sends greetings from Paul to Timothy and Paul even calls Timothy his dear child. (In the Lord) In Paul’s final greeting, he states that most of his Christian friends deserted him, including Demas, Crescens, and even Titus. Luke was the only one to remain with Paul. Poor Paul says that no one came to his defense at his first hearing. The ending of the letter makes it certain that the same one, Paul, writes throughout the letter.

142. The Letter to Titus is usually placed by scholars as being written between 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. (This sounds right because in 2 Timothy, Titus had forsaken Paul. Yet, others

like to place this letter after 2 Timothy. (If it is after 2 Timothy, why are there so many still with Paul? After all, Paul claims they all have forsaken him.)

143. Titus is in Crete when Paul sends him the letter. Titus was to appoint presbyters in every town, and it gives the qualifications that the candidate must have. Paul talks against the Christian Jews in Crete who are telling others they are unclean. He says that to the clean, all things are clean. At the end of his letter he warns Titus to avoid foolish arguments about the law. He tells him that he is sending Artemas and Tychicus to him. Paul states that he plans to spend the winter at Nicopolis, and for Titus to send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey soon, and give them what supplies they need. Paul says that all who are with me send you greeting, suggesting that it is Paul writing the letter.

144. The Letter to Philemon was written by Paul while he was in prison, perhaps in Rome between A. D. 61-63. It is about a slave, Onesimus, who has run away from his master, and perhaps guilty of theft to. Paul sends him back to his master and asks him to be lenient on him and accept him as a brother in Christ. There is one named Onesimus who some have connected with a bishop of Ephesus whom Ignatius of Antioch mentions.

However, most scholars don’t see any real evidence that they are the same person. The greeting of this letter says it is from Paul and Timothy and is to: Philemon, their coworker; to Apphia, their sister; and to Archippus, their beloved soldier; and to the church in their house. Paul states that he (Paul) is now an old man, and he calls Onesimus his child, and says he has become Onesimus’ father during his imprisonment. Paul says that he is writing this letter by his own hand. At the end of this letter he mentions some more friends who send greetings. Their names are: Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, all Paul’s co-workers. In 2 Timothy Demas is one of those who forsake Paul. Either, he came back to Paul or this letter was before he left.

145. The Letter to the Hebrews was around as early as the second century and was believed to be directed to the Jewish Christians. The author is unknown, but some say it is connected to Timothy and Paul or their assistants. In the end of the second century the church of Alexandria in Egypt accepted this letter to be one of Paul’s. This was contested in the West into the fourth century, but was later accepted in the sixteenth century. Now, modern scholars think that it was not even written by Paul. Other suggested authors include: Barnabas; Apollos; or Priscilla and Aquila. (Wouldn’t it be a nice surprise if it were written with the help of a woman?) A good number of experts think that the letter was written before the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem in A. D. 70 or preceded the expulsion of the Jews from Rome in A. D. 49. There is not even a greeting as there are in Paul’s other letters. It ends by saying that Timothy has been set free, and that this author will come with Timothy when he comes to whoever the letter is to. It also says that those

from Italy send their greetings, too. It says to greet all of their leaders and greet their holy ones. (Could these holy ones mean the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem?) Seven other letters are known to the Catholic Church as the “Catholic” letters, meaning they are addressed or intended to the universe, world, rather than to local congregations. The ancient church was reluctant to include these letters in the canon, with exception to 1 Peter and 1 John because they questioned whether they were written by the apostolic group. By the end of the fourth or early fifth centuries these were willingly accepted into the canon, that is, all but in the Syriac.

146. The Letter to James, some say, can’t be written by one of the twelve apostles because he is not identified as such. He may have been the brother to the Lord named James, who was also the leader of the Jerusalem community at that time. He was mentioned by Paul as being one of the “pillars.” The Jewish historian, Josephus, says that this James was stoned to death by Jews under the high priest Ananus in A. D. 62. This letter is written in excellent Greek style, indicating that it is the work of a skilled Hellenistic writer. If James of Jerusalem did write it, the actual words must have been written by a secretary. Some think it must have been written before A. D. 70, while others argue that it is pseudonymous work of a later period. The author doesn’t mention his eye-witness to Christ as one would expect a real apostle to do. For these and other reasons, some have placed it between A. D. 90-100. The greeting is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. James, in the end of his letter, tells the readers to confess their faults one to another, and to pray for one another. (He doesn’t say to confess your sins only to a priest or pope, but to one another, brothers and sisters in Christ.) He also tells the readers to bring the sinners back to the Lord, if at all possible.

147. The First Letter of Peter was regarded as having been written by Peter, the apostle, from the time of Irenaeus of the late second century. This was because he was believed to have been martyred at Rome during the persecution of Nero between A. D. 64-67. It reference Babylon, a secret word for Rome at that time. However, some modern scholars disagree with it being the actual writing of Peter, but rather chose to believe it to be a work of a later Christian writer. Their reasons are: The writing style of it is in a cultivated Greek, something a Galilean fisherman would not be able to do, and its use of the Greek Septuagint translation when citing the Old Testament. Also, it has similarity in thought and expression to the Pauline literature. It also alludes to the wide-spread persecutions of the Christians, which never even occurred until the reign of Domitian (A. D. 81-96). Other scholars believe that it was written by a secretary named Silvanus, who often gave literary expressions to their thoughts by using their own styles and language. (My opinion is this. I don’t think the real Peter ever used the same secretary as Paul used, and Paul’s secretary

had the same name, Silvanus. Here is why. Peter didn’t get along that well with Paul, and I don’t think that they ever became good friends, but just tolerated one another. It was unlikely that Peter would address his letter to the Gentile churches of Asia Minor while Paul still lived.) If this is true, then the letter’s date of composition would be after both Peter and Paul had died, after 70 A. D. and before 90 A. D. So, some scholars suggest that the author was a disciple of Peter’s, perhaps in Rome, but others don’t think that Peter was ever in Rome. The greeting of this letter does give Peter as the author and is addressed to the chosen ones of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. However, lots of times writers used famous names to give their work more authority. The ending states that the author (I) writes the letter through Silvanus. It also says that the chosen one from Babylon (Rome to some) sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son. (I personally don’t see Mark running around with both Peter and Paul, and I can’t see Peter calling him son. This sounds more like some of Paul’s followers.)

148. The Second Letter of Peter met with great resistance as belonging in the canon of the New Testament. Origen accepted both letters of Peter as canonical, but he states that other didn’t. Origen wrote in the early third century. It was excluded from the canon by some churches as late as the fifth century. Eventually it was accepted universally. Many modern scholars think that the work is a pseudonymous writing. These say that it was written later than any work of the New Testament and date its composition to the first or second quarter of the second century. Their reasons are these: The author refers to the apostles as “our ancestors”, meaning the real apostles belonged to a previous generation that is now dead. Second Peter depends upon the Book of Jude. The Letter is probably written by a Christian Jew of the dispersion because of the evident Jewish heritage. It is in the literary style of the Greek of the Hellenistic period. It seems to be written also just before Gnosticism became full blown. The greeting says that it is from Symeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. It does give details that the apostles did such as being at the transfixion on the mountain. He also brags on Paul and all of his letters.

149. The First Letter of John may have been written toward the end of the first century and after the fourth gospel. Early tradition believed it to be the work of John the apostle. Both works of John are probably of the same school of Johannine Christianity. There isn’t a real greeting, but the prologue talks as though the writer was an eye-witness to the true word of life. He doesn’t say who he is in the conclusion either, but the whole work is about love for God and your fellow-man.

150. The Second Letter of John says that the writer is the Presbyter. It is believed by some to be written by the apostle John, but others think it was written by his disciple or scribe or a disciple of scribe of another apostle. It was probably written from Ephesus at the end of

the first century. The letter is addressed from the Presbyter to the chosen Lady and to her children. Some believe this lady to represent a church or Christian community. The letter ends with greetings from the Lady’s chosen sister’s children.

151. The Third Letter of John is addressed to someone named Gaius and deals with missionary work. It ends with the Presbyter promising to say more when they meet face to face.

152. The Letter of Jude is attributed to be Jude, the brother of James. However, scholars think that because he is not identified as an apostle, he can’t be one of the twelve apostles. It is probably the other Jude who is mentioned in the gospels among the relatives of Jesus. It has some similarities with 2 Peter and some think that one borrowed from the other. Most scholars believe that Jude is the earlier of the two because he quotes from the Assumption of Moses and from the Book of Enoch, two apocryphal Jewish works. Today, some scholars name Jude as a pseudonymous work that dates from the end of the first century of later. These say it is because the writer refers to the apostles as if they belong to an age that has already passed. Also, the doctrine of faith would not have been established in the day of the apostles. This writer shows a competent style of Hellenistic Greek. The book greets with saying it is Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother to James. It doesn’t really have a name given in the salutation.

153. The Revelation to John is sometimes called the Apocalypse and is written in symbolic language, a characteristic of literature that was popular from 200 B.C. to A. D. 200.

154. The symbols are borrowed from the Old Testament, especially the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah. The author does not identify himself as an apostle but only as John who was exiled to an island of Patmos. Patmos was a rocky place of a Roman penal colony. He has been identified as the apostle John by several early church fathers such as Irenaeus, Justin, Clement, Tertullian, Hippolytus, and Cyprian. Other church fathers denied this. These included: Denis of Alexandria, Eusebius of Caesarea, Gregory Nazianzen, Cyril of Jerusalem, and John Chrysostom.

155. The style of the book in its present form was not likely to be that of the John of the fourth gospel, so say scholars. Its present form was more likely written at the end of the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96). It greets with informing that it is the revelation of Jesus, which God gave him, to give to his servant John, and seems to be especially to the seven churches that are in Asia, although much of it runs over into being, “universally.” It ends by saying that the work really is the words of Jesus, but through the mouth of John.

The source for, How We got the Bible, is taken from The Catholic Study Bible, New American Bible, translated from the original languages with Critical Use of the Source 1-Ancient Sources, copyright 1990 by Oxford University Press, Inc. 200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

General Editor, Associate Editor, New Testament-Donald Senior Associate Editor, New Testament-Mary Ann Getty Associate Editor, Old Testament-Carroll, Stuhlmueller Associate Editor, Old Testament-John J. Collins

Other Editors and Contributors- Dianne Bergant; Lawrence Boadt; Daniel J. Harrington; Leslie J. Hoppe; Luke Timothy Johnson; Philip J. King; Pheme Perkins; Eileen Schuller; and Pauline A. Viviano.

Source 2-is from the NKJV, Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN.copyright-1982.

Photographs by Glena Jessee-King and Joan Shortridge

Please watch for more information on how we got the Bible in the next issue of BibleTalk on October 21, 2014, if Lord be willing.

B. Bible Facts INTERESTING BIBICAL FACTS 1. According to ancient Israel God’s begins a day at sunset.

2. Eden meant “fertile plain”from the Sumerian word, “Eden.” It was somewhere in the Mesopotamia. It was near the Persian Gulf, where the Tigris and Euphrates join with two other streams to form one single river.

3. In Gen.3:8 when God walked in the breezy time of day it refers to shortly before sunset, as in most days in Palestine, it does this.

4. The Hebrew word, “qayin” means Cain.

5. “If you do not do well, sin lies at the door. (Gen. 4:7) Catholic bibles think this sin means a demon lurks at the door.

6. At that time the sons of God (Nephillim) appeared on earth, after the sons of heaven had intercourse with the daughters of men, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown. (Gen. 6: 4)(Some Catholics seem to think these sons were Jupiter, Zeus, and some of those sons that were thought to be half man; half god. Some Protestants may think so also. Some Jews think this, while others think these to mean the sons of Cain.)

7. Cain had a son named Enoch. His son Lamech took two wives (the first to do this).

Lamech killed a man like his great-great-grand-dad, Cain. He also bruised a boy.

(Gen.4:23-25)

8. Adam was a hundred and thirty years old when he begat Seth, a son in his likeness and image. (Gen.5:3) Wasn’t Cain or Abel in his likeness?)

9. Methuselah lived nine hundred and sixty years. (Gen. 5:27) 10.During the great flood, water crest over the earth for one hundred and fifty days, and God remembered that Noah and his group were in the ark, so he sent wind to make the water subside. (Gen. 8:1-5)

11.After flood God told Noah that he gives him every animal and bird for food, just as he had given him the green plants to eat. However, he could not eat an animal with his blood still in him. (Gen. 9: 1-7) (In this chapter Noah already knew the clean animals from the unclean because he had taken two of each kind into the ark.)

12.Here are the descendants of Noah’s three sons: Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madal, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. (These are the peoples of Indo-European languages north and west of Mesopotamia and Syria.)The descendants of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, (also Egypt, according to the Catholic bible) Put and Canaan.(Put was either in Libya or East Africa.)

The descendants of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachsad, Lud and Aram. (Gen. Ch. 10)(These are the people of Mesopotamia, Syria and Arabia, which includes the Greeks, the Medes, the Scythians, Rhodes, some people of Cyprus,

13.Nimrod sprang from Cush. The Philistines sprang from Mizraim. The races with ites (such as Hivites) on the end of their name came from Canaan. Their land went all the way to

Sodom and Gomorrah. Did they found these cities? (Gen. Ch. 10). (They were descendants of Sumer or Shinar. This includes descendents such as Assyria of tenth century, and some of Southern Egypt.)

14.Terah, father of Abraham, came from descendants of Seth. His other sons were Hahor and Haran. Haran was Lot’s father. Nahor married his niece, Milcah or Nahor’s daughter.

Abraham married a niece or a sister also- named Sarai. These all lived in Ur of the Chaldeans, but left to go to Canaan. They settled in Haran at first until Terah died, probably. (Gen: Ch. 11.)

15.Abraham and his family, including Lot, traveled to the sacred place at Shechem, by the terebinth of Moreh. (This was already a sacred place before Abraham even knew of Jehovah God.) The Lord appeared to him here at this sacred place.(Gen. 12:6-8)

16.Abraham had his wife to say that he was her sister so the Egyptians would not harm him when they went into their land. (Gen. 12:11-14) (I wonder how many of us would do this to save our lives. The human flesh is weak.)

17.The Pharoah took Sarai for his wife and plagues hit Egypt, so he gave her back to Abraham. (Gen. 12: 17-20)

18.Abraham was rich in livestock, silver and gold. (Gen. 13: 1-3) (Not many of the main characters in the Old Testament were poor people. I wonder what the poor man of these times would have thought, had they written a history.)

19.Lot said the land of Jordan was well watered, like the Lord’s own garden. (Gen. 13: 10) (It also says here that this was before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, showing that this was actually written after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.)

20.Abraham settled near the terebinth of Mamre in Hebron, and built an altar to the Lord there. (Gen. 13: 18)

21. The King of Salem is thought to be the king of Jerusalem, but it is not certain. It means the “King of peace.” Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, (elyon in Hebrew, who was called this by the Canaanites.

Abraham called the Most High God, Lord, meaning Yahweh.) He Blessed Abram. (Gen. 14: 18) (Evidently God already had priests set up different places before Judaism ever became a religion.) Abraham gave a tenth of his things to this priest. (Gen. 14:20)

22.Ch. 15 of Genesis is about a vision of Abraham’s where the Lord appeared to him and had him sacrifice birds. He also foretold how his descendants would be in Egypt for four

hundred years, and then be freed from their oppressors. It would take that long for the wickedness of the Amorites to reach their full measure. God was to give him the land from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River of the Euphrates. (Does this mean that when a nation reaches a full measure of wickedness, God will give their land to someone else?

If so, America is quickly filling up her cup of wickedness, is she not?)

23.Hagar, an Egyptian, became Abraham’s concubine, and bore him Ishmael. (Gen. Ch. 16) Was she his concubine and not another wife because she was an Egyptian and the Hebrew was forbidden to marry anyone except their own race?) (Ishmael would found twelve great nations, but his hand would be against others not of his nations.)

24.When God called Abram to his service he also changed his name to Abraham. (Gen. 17:5) (The Greek Orthodox churches still do this when one joins their churches.)God also changed Sarai to Sarah. (Gen. 17:15) Abraham was ninety-nine years old when God appeared to him and told him these things. (Same Chapter)

25.The covenant of circumcision began here in Ch. 17. It was an everlasting pact between God and Abraham’s descendents.

26.The Lord appeared to Abraham with two other men and told him he would have a son

by Sarah, who was old. Sarah cooked these three men food and they ate it. They ate: beef, curds and milk, and rolls of fine flour. (Gen. 18: 6-8) (So, how did these non-human bodies absorb this food? It’s a mystery to me, but all things are possible with God.)

27.God warns Abraham that he is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness. (Ch. 18) Some people today say that their wickedness was sodomy or homosexuality; however Isaiah says it was because of their lack of social justice. (Read Chapter One of Isaiah.) Yet, the citizens of Sodom wanted Lot to turn over the male angels to them, but he offered them his daughters instead, so this sounds like they wanted the males for sex.) The townsmen, both young and old demanded the men be brought out to them in order for them to have intimacies with them. (Gen. 19:4-9)(What would you have done? Would you have given your daughters to be abused in order to save the angels?)

28. Lot’s daughters got him drunk and had sexual relations with him because they feared all other men that they were allowed to have were destroyed. The girls became pregnant, and from one of them came the Moabites; from the other were the Ammonites. Jesus also had Moabites blood in him.) (Gen. Ch. 19)

29.Abraham told half-truth once again when he settled in Gerar because he told again that Sarah was his sister instead of his wife. Abimelech, King of Gerar, took Sarah, but God warned him in a dream that if he touched her he would die. Abraham told him who Sarah really was-that is-the daughter of his father, but not the daughter of his mother.

(Gen. 20: 11-13) (Evidently this Abimelech knew and feared the God of Abraham.)

30.Abraham and Sarah had Isaac when he was a hundred years old. God had told him when he was ninety-nine that he would have a son by Sarah. (Gen. Ch. 21)

31.Ishmael lived in the wilderness of Paran and took a wife of the Egyptians. He was an expert at the bow. (Gen. 21: 20-21)

32.Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beer-sheba, and invoked the name of God there. He called him the Lord, God the Eternal. (Gen. 21: 33-34)

33.God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his own son, Isaac. (Gen. Ch. 22)(This has always bothered me. God already knew that Abraham would pass the test by putting God before his own son, so why test him? Could it have been for the benefit of future readers of this story, telling them to put God before all? Also, did it represent a future time when God wouldn’t withhold his own son to save human-kind?)

34.Abraham’s brother, Nahor had eight sons by Milcah. They were: Uz, Buz, Kemuel, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidiaph, and Bethuel. Bethuel was the father of Rebekah. (Gen. 22: 20-23) (This shows this part of the bible was written later-at least as late as during the time of Rebekah and Isaac’s adulthood.) Nahor also had sons by his concubine, Reumah. These were: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maach. (Gen. 22:24)

35.Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. She was buried in the cave of Machpelah after he bought the field facing Mamre and the cave in the land of Canaan.

(Gen. Chapter 23)

36.The first mention that I have found of a woman using a veil on her face is when Rebekah saw Isaac coming toward her when she was with his servants waiting to marry him.

(Gen. 24: 63-65)

37.Abraham married another woman, Keturah. She must have been from Egypt. She bore him many children. They were: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah.

Their children were: Sheba, Deda, Asshurim, Letushim, Leummim, Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Sbida, and Eldaah. (Gen. 25: 1-4) (Are you, perhaps, descended from any of these?)

38.Abraham was buried next to his wife, Sarah. (Gen. 25:10) 39.Ishmael’s sons were: Nebaloth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. Ishmael lived one hundred thirty-seven years.

Ishmaelite lived from the border of Egypt to Asshur. (Gen. 25: 12-18) (Are you their descendant?)

40.Gen. 25: 19-23 says Isaac married Rebekah when he was forty years old and she was the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean and sister of Laban the Aramean. She had two sons together, and God told her they were quarreling with one another in the womb. These were called Esau and Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born, so he was twenty years older than his wife, Rebekah. Esau was a hunter and lived out in the open, but Jacob stayed near his tent. (Gen. 25: 22-27) (Today, some might consider Esau a real man and Jacob a sissy.) Esau is the one who swapped his birthright for food, though, so who seemed weaker?)

41.Isaac intended to give his special blessing to Esau, who was born a few minutes before Jacob, but God intended for Jacob to have it because he cared for it, while Esau did not.

(Gen. Ch. 27) (It might be like two sons who are to inherit a parent’s home-place, but the parent learns that one of them will keep it in the family because he loves it, but the other one intends to sell it to anyone, but it still doesn’t excuse the sins of Jacob and his mother. It put a rift between two brothers and Esau intended to kill Jacob for a long time because of it.)

42.Esau realized that Isaac was distressed because he had married a Canaanite woman and Jacob had not, so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, his uncle. She was the sister of Nebaloth.(Gen. 28: 6-9) He also married Adah, Canaanite daughter of Elon, the Hittite; Basenath, daughter of Ishmael; Oholibamah, granddaughter through Anah of Zibeon the Hivite. His sons were Eliphaz by Adah; Reuel

by Basemath; Jeush, Jalam, and Korah by Oholibamah; they moved to Seir and were known then as Edomites.

43.Jacob had the vision of the angels climbing the stair-case to heaven as he rested on a stone taken from a certain shrine near Haran. The Lord appeared beside him and told him he would give him that land and more. (Gen. 28: 10-14)

44.Jacob called this shrine the gateway to Heaven, saying it was an abode of God. He put up a stone where he was, poured oil on it and called it Bethel instead of Luz, which was its name before he renamed it. (Gen. 28: 16-20) I wonder if we could find this shrine or anointed stone, would we see angels or God there.)

45.Jacob married two sisters, both his kinsmen. They were Rachael and Leah. (Gen. Ch. 29) 46.Leah’s sons by Jacob were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah, and Issachar.(Gen. 29:3135)

47.Bilhah, a maidservant, had children by Jacob. They were Dan, Zebulun and Naphtall. She had a daughter by Jacob and named her Dinah. (Gen. Chapter 30)

48.Jacob had other children by Zilpath, Leah’s maidservant. He was named Gad. (Gen. Ch. 30)

49.Jacob and Rachael had a son named Joseph. (Gen. Ch. 30) She had another son named Benjamin. (Gen. 35: 18-20)

50.Jacob was named Israel by an angel. (Gen. 28-31) 51.Jacob put a stone in Shechem and invoked the name of El, the God of Israel. (Gen. Ch. 33: 20)

52.Dinah, Leah’s daughter, was raped by Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite. (Gen. Ch. 34) 53.The whole chapter of Gen. 36 gives the descendants of Esau. (Gen. Ch. 36) 54.Joseph was seventeen years old when he had his dreams.(Gen. Ch. 37) 55.Reuben was Joseph’s only brother who tried to keep the others from killing him.(Gen. 37:21-24) So, instead of killing him, they sold him to the Ishmaelite for twenty pieces of silver. (Gen. 37: 27-29)

56.Judah married a Canaanite name Shua, and they had sons. They were: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er offended God greatly, and God took his life. Onah wasted his seed on the ground rather than sleep with Er’s widow. This offended God, so he took his life also.

Judah told Tamar to wait until Shelah got grown and he would marry her, but he never so Tamar veiled her face and slept with Judah, who thought her to be a harlot. She kept his staff, seal, and cord for a pledge, until he brought her the promised flock. When Judah found out it was Tamar who had played the harlot with some man, he demanded she be burned, but when she showed him his staff and that he was that man, he changed his mind. No one burned him for his sin. (Gen. Ch. 38) (This does not seem fair to me. They seemed to have one set of rules for men; and another for women; one for poor people; and another for those in power, such as King David, later on.)

57.Judah and Tamar had twins; Perez and Zerah. (Gen.38:29-30) 58.Egyptians may not eat with Hebrews. (Gen. 43:32) Is this like the fact that Jews may not eat with Gentiles?

59.Joseph did divination from a goblet in Egypt. (This was forbidden later on for Jews. At this time it was a common practice in the East. Liquid was poured in a cup and the fortune teller looked in the cup and read fortunes someway.) (Gen. 44: 4-5)

60.Seventy persons in all of Jacob’s descendents arrived in Egypt; counting Joseph’s two sons born to him in Egypt. Joseph had two sons: Ephraim and Manasseh from Asenath, daughter of Potipera, priest of Heliopolis. Benjamin had Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ahiram, Shupham, Hupham and Ard. (Gen. 46:19-22)

Tune in next month on Oct. 21st for more interesting facts of the bible.

C. BIBLICAL ARTICLES Glena Jessee-King, Female Minister Glena was born in Clinchport Va. She suddenly couldn’t walk, around two years old. She had been walking before, so something must have been wrong. Dad prayed for her. Then, she walked. They weren’t sure that she had rheumatic fever.

Figure -Glena Jessee King, as a baby, and with her mother, Emily Hood Jessee At the age of five, her father had bought two dolls for her and her sister and a ship for the grandson he was keeping. He lost the dolls, but gave the ship to the grandson, Gary. Glena was sad over the dolls because she was getting sick, and felt bad.

She told me that she saw a mist fill her room, the thickness of the Holy Spirit, and she heard an audible voice tell her that the Lord said, “I will use you, if you will remain humble, and not fret; the little dolls will be found.� Her spirit was lifted, and she never complained about the dolls again. True to the voice which she had heard, her father did find the dolls.

She became very sick. The county doctor came to her house to see her and told her parents that she had a bad rheumatic fever. He said she probably had a rheumatic heart because of it.

Figure Glena's father, H. R. Jessee.

After the doctor came, she remained bedfast for seven months from September to April.

Figure Glena's sister, Retha.

Figure Glena and her siblings, including a nephew, Gary, who lived with them. From right to left: Gary, Retha, Glena, Paul, and Delmoe Jessee While getting off the school bus one morning, a girl accidently hit Glena in her eye with a notebook zipper, and it damaged her eye. Her father prayed for her, and the rip in her eye healed up. Later, she got a cyst in her ear, so God healed her again.

Glena was at Hills Chapel Baptist Church, when the spirit told her, “I am calling you to preach.”

She felt that she couldn’t preach, because she found it hard to even testify in church.

She went to Illinois with an older sister, Wilma, for awhile. When she came home, at eleven years old, she took rheumatic fever again. For over two months, she had to stay home from school. She couldn’t write with her hands or hold the pencil. Her mother had to feed her. The principal, E. J. Rhoton, came to her house and gave her the school lessons.

She had a severe rheumatic heart ever since she damaged her heart. She now was crippled and had a leaking valve in her little heart. Her father, H.R. Jessee, a prophet of God, put his hands on her, prayed, and she was healed of the severe rheumatic valve leak in her heart.

He prayed for the rheumatic fever many times, but she wasn’t healed yet. He even took her to another Christian prophetess, a woman who had prayed for many, and they had been healed.

She wasn’t home, so her father told Glena that God could heal her at home.

One night at home, her parents had their usual family prayer, but this time, her father didn’t lay hands on her for healing. He seemed a little discouraged because he had done it many times before to no avail.

After they prayed, she asked him, “Why didn’t you pray for my healing?”

He said, “I did so silently. I have prayed for it many times.”

“But, you didn’t lay hands on me this time,” she objected, sadly batting her pretty eyes.

So, to please her, he put his hands on her head and prayed aloud for God to heal her, if it be his will. He repeated the bible verse; “by his stripes we are healed.”

All at once she jumped out of bed, where she had been bedfast again, and the Holy Spirit danced her legs and body all around the room. That little girl never used her crutches for the rest of her life so far, and she has lived many years since then.

She said that every now and again the pain did return in her legs as a child, but she always rebuked it saying, “I am walking by faith.”

Figure -Glena, on her crutches.

After her healing, Glena felt in the Holy Spirit that she was to preach the gospel. The first sermon she taught was at home to her sisters and brothers in their yard. She would tell them about God. When an animal died, they would have a eulogy, and she did the sermon over it.

She preached her first sermon at twelve years of age at the Assembly of God campground in Mabe, Va. She felt that she didn’t preach that well, so she cried about it during the preaching.

The next service was at the St. Charles, Virginia Church of God. She was fourteen or fifteen. It was in front of a large congregation.

Figure Glena Jessee, teen-age minister Her first revival was in Wise, Va. in a little town called Josephine in a Christian Church of God. She held her this revival by herself. She was sixteen years old. Her younger sister, Retha, stayed with her some in this revival. Twenty eight persons were born again.

Another revival was held in the Christian Church at Wood way, Virginia, and her sister stayed there some. Glena was still sixteen years old. Retha was thirteen and going on fourteen. She did the solo singing for them.

The next revival was at the Assembly of God at the Assemblies of God at Coeburn area. Several people were saved. The young minister, Glena, was sixteen years old. At age sixteen, she also preached at The Assembly of God in Bi9g Stone Gap, Virginia.

Figure - Glena Jessee, a beautiful teen-ager ministering from the pulpit.

She preached at the Church of God in Big stone, and seven people ran to the altar for repentance and the acceptance of Christ as their personal Savior. Glena held a revival at the same church later on, and more people were saved.

Glena, an honor student, graduated high school from Rye Cove, Virginia. Right after graduation, she went into full time ministry and traveled alone, riding Grey Hound buses most of the time.

Her first revival was at Shorts Creeks, in Austinville, Virginia. It is the oldest Church of God in VA. People told her that she looked like a movie star in the pulpit. Her sister, the singer, went with her to Austinville, Virginia. Her second revival after she had gone full time into the ministry was in Sheep Town of Austinville, VA. Over 30 people were saved. She met her one and only husband, Ronald King in Sheep Town.

Ronald and Glena became engaged here also. Glena was only eighteen when they had met.

They met in July in a revival, and dated by mail, and when she was preaching nearby. Glena traveled for a year, returning to Sheeptown to preach and see Ronald. They held a team revival together before they married, to see if a marriage would work out. His mom was saved during their team revival. They married a year later.

After the engagement, she kept preaching and traveling alone, and stayed booked 2 years ahead of time to preach or hold revivals in four states: VA., West VA., Ohio, and KY. People had over four hundred experiences, which included being saved, receiving the Holy Spirit, prophecies, and healings. She preached in twelve different denominational churches, including non-denominational churches.

Figure Glena and Ronald King They had their first son eleven months later, and named him Greg. They still held revivals, and took Greg with them for almost two years.

They took their first pastorate and Mark, their second son was born and continued evangelizing also. Glena had just turned twenty-two when they took their first church.

They remained a pastor of the Church of God in Elliston, Virginia for thirty-two years, before leaving the pastoral job to evangelize once again.

Figure Glena and Ronald at their church. The ladies in the background are in their gospel band.

They are still evangelizing in special services. Ronald is also a part time pastor, and she is an evangelist in the Second Chance Ministries church.

Figure -Glena Jessee-King ministering in a church service Glena is an author of church plays, several poems, a book, and co author with Mark King, her son, of Seven Years of Insanity, the first of a trilogy. This book deals with end-time prophesies and events now taking place in America and the Middle East. THE END

Article2 LIFE AFTER DEATH Joan Shortridge We all wonder what happens to us and our loved immediately after we die. This paper is not intended to take sides to the ancient question, but to give the bible verses concerning it. Most people can decide what the answer is. After all, everyone can read and understand the bible as well as I, and my opinion is no better than theirs.

These verses are all taken from the HOLY BIBLE version (New Kings James version published by Thomas Nelson publishers.)In the New Testament this is the first verse that I came upon that actually mentions life after death.

1. (Mathew 7:19) “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

2. (Mathew 7:23) “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

3. (Mathew 10:28) “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (It doesn’t say that he will destroy both body and soul in hell but that he can do so.)

4. (Mathew 11:31-32) (31.) “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” (32.)

“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Here, it seems to imply that it will be forgiven if we speak against the man Jesus either here or in the next age, but not if we speak against the God or Holy Spirit in Jesus.)

5. (Mathew 12: 41-42) “The men of Nin’e-veth will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it….The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it….”

6. (Mathew 13:30) “Let both (wheat and tares) grow together until the harvest, and at that time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

7. (Mathew 13:38-42) “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.” (Some bibles say world instead of age.) “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

8. (Mathew 13:49-50) “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just and cast them into the furnace of fire. There

will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (These verses mention a furnace of fire, and suffering, but it does not say for how long they will be there or if they will finally burn up. It does say when the wicked will be separated from the just. It is at the end of the age or world.)

9. (In Mathew chapter 18), Jesus teaches his disciples about forgiveness, and gives them a parable of a servant who owes his master. His master forgives him. Later the servant finds one who owes him and refuses to forgive him. So the master takes that unforgiving servant and punishes him. (Verse 34-35) “And his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So my heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”(These verses say that he will be punished until he pays for his debt. This is one verse some Catholics quote as proof of a purgatory, a place where one is punished for so long, but then released.)

10. (Mathew 22:11-13) But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, “Friend how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (These verses use the same previous weeping and gnashing of teeth, but it does not use the fire here. Could some of them who are wicked be only in darkness and not in fire?)

11. (Mathew 22: 31-32) “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’” (To me, this is saying that God is not the God of these prophets if they are dead, but that they are living; therefore he is still their God.)

12.(Mathew 22:30) “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.” (So, according to this verse, we do not marry nor have children in the next world.)

13. (Mathew 24:31) “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.”

14. (Mathew 24:37-42) 37. “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (38.) “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.” (39.)

“And did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming

of the Son of Man be.” (40.) “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.” (41.) “Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.” (42.) “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (God is saying that life will be going on as usual when he suddenly returns.)

15.(Mathew 24:27-31) “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (28.) “For wherever the carcass is, the eagles will be gathered together.” (29.) “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (30.) “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all of the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (31.)

And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Some say these verses prove that the rapture will not take place until after the tribulation. I have read this and thought the same thing, but now that I read it more closely it says, He will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Did you catch that? It doesn’t say from earth but from heaven. Is this talking about the ones who have already died and gone to heaven or the ones who have already been taken during the rapture? This is a good thing for us to ponder on, isn’t it?

16. (Mathew 25:30) “And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (So, we need to stay busy working for the Lord.)

17. (Mathew 31-46) (31.) “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.” (32.) “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” (33.) And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” (34.) “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (35.) For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; (36.) I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you come to Me.’ (37.) Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? (38.) ‘When did we see you a stranger and take you in or naked and clothe you? (39.) ‘Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ (40.)

“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to Me.’ (41.) “Then He will also say to those on the left hand. “Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire

prepared for the devil and his angels. (42.) “For I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirty and you gave me no drink; (43.) ‘I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ (44.)

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty of a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” (45.) Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” (46.) “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

18.(Mark 9:1) “And he said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”

(This verse still puzzles me to this day. Some say it means the generation living when Israel (The fig tree) becomes a state, which she has now done. Is it possible that it was talking about the time that the kingdom would be set up or began on earth, and continue till Jesus returns and takes over his kingdom, the one that has already begun after his death and resurrection?)

19. (Mark 9-43-49) (43.) “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched” (44.) ‘Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ (45) And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-“(46.) ‘Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ (47.)

“And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. “(48.) “Where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ (49.) “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.” (This part is hard to understand. It must mean everyone who is thrown in the fire.)

20.(Mark 13: 24-30) “”But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; (25.) “The stars of heaven will fail, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” (26.) “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” (27.) And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.” (Here is says he will gather the elect from earth and from heaven.)

(28.)”Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.” (29.) So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near-at the doors!” (30) Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.” (Mark

tells it a little different than Mathew. He says the angels will gather the elect from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven. Interesting, huh? Did he know more than Mathew did? Some say Mark’s gospel is older than Mathews, but since Mathew was an apostle, one would think that he would have written something first. Mark was a disciple but not an apostle.

21.(Mark 14: 25) “Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (So, did Jesus drink wine after his resurrection or did he mean that he would drink wine when he returns to earth?)

22.(Luke 9:26-27) (26.) “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s and of the holy angels. (27.) “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”(I don’t know what this means, do you? I believe that one phase of the kingdom began when Jesus came to earth and continues right on up to the present day)

23.(Luke 12: 42-51) (42.) “And the Lord said, ‘who is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? (43.) “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes? (44.) “Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. (45.)

“But of that servant who says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk. (46.) “The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. (47.)And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. (48.) “But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. (49.) “I came to send fire on the earth, and I wish it were already kindled! (50.) But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! (51.) “Do you think that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.

24.(Luke 13:28) There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God.

25.(Luke 14: 22-31) “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.” (23.) “And being in torments

in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.” (24.)

“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” (25.) “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.” (26.) And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.” (27.) Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house.” (28.) “For I have five brothers that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.” (29.) “Abraham said to him, “‘they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’” (30.) “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if he goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ (31.) “But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”

(We had better get it right while here on earth.)

26.(Luke: 17:23-24) (23.) “And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them.” (24.) “For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven and shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in his day.”

27.(Luke 17:34-37) (34.) “I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; the one will be taken and the other will be left.” (35.) “Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.” (36.) Two men will be in the field; the one will be taken and the other left.” (37.) And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”(This, says some, those in the rapture will be taken to meet Christ in the air, while others will be left here on earth. It also seems that, as lightning, all eyes will see him, that is, these won’t be taken in secret. They will gather where? At the grave or wherever their body has been laid to rest. Anyway, that is how I understand this.)

28. (Luke 19: 26-27) (26.) ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. (27.) ‘But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ (Luke 20: 34-38) (34.) “Jesus answered and said to them. ‘The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.” (35.) But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage.”

(36.) “Nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” (37.) “But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, the God

of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (38.) “For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

29.(Luke 21: 24-27) (24.) “And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (I think this happened in 70 A. D. when Rome destroyed the temple, the holy city, and thousands of Jews.) (25.) “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring. (I don’t think these happen all at once but over time after the temple was destroyed, and is on-going today.) (26.) Men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (27.) Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (This verse says he will come in one cloud not many clouds. Will it be the same cloud that led the Israelites and Moses through the wilderness?) (Luke 21:31-32) “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.” (32.) “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.” (Luke also mentions the fig tree in the chapter, but he says “the fig tree and all the trees,” not just the fig tree alone. It was a parable but I don’t think it has to mean when Israel has become a nation. I think it was just saying to watch the trees, and when they bud Christ may come, but instead of watching trees watch the signs around you, such as the heavens being shaken. I do think it means that the generation that sees the heaven shaken so much is the generation that won’t pass until all is fulfilled

30.(Luke 21:36) “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.” (This verse is puzzling. Will the righteous be taken before all of the above happens? If so, it supports the rapture theory.)

31.(Luke 22:18) “For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

32. (Luke 22: 28-30) (28.) “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.”

(29.) “And, I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon me.”

(30.) That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (These verses seem to say that his apostles will rule over the remaining twelve tribes of Israel, and not necessarily over the Gentiles. It also seems to mention that they will be eating and drinking. After all, Jesus ate and drank after his resurrection. I just hope and pray we won’t have to use the restroom ever again.)

33.(Luke 22: 69) “Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.” (It probably means after he was killed and resurrected.)

34.(Luke 24: 30-31) (30.) “And it came to pass as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” (Here it doesn’t say that he ate of it, but perhaps he did.) (31.) “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.” (He had power to appear and disappear at will.)

35.(Luke 24: 36-43) (36.) “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” (37.) “But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.” (They must have believed that there were ghost or why else think that this might be one?) (38.) “And He said to them. ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?’” (39.) “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself, Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” (Did you catch that? Jesus knew there were really ghost because if they didn’t exist he would not have said that they don’t have bones and flesh, now would he?) (40.) “When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.” (41.) “But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, ‘Have you any food here?’” (42.) So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honey comb.”

(Fish must have been his favorite food, huh?) (43.) “And He took it and ate in their presence.”

36.(Luke 24: 50-52) (50.) “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.” (51.)”Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.” (52.) And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

37.(John 3: 13-16.) (13.) “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.” (Here are two questions for you. If no one has ascended to heaven where did Enoch and Elijah go? Could they be the two spirits going back and forth upon the earth or the two witness of Revelation? Was the Son of Man in heaven and on earth at the same time during his life as a human on earth?) (15.) “That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

(16.) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

38.(John 5: 24-29) (24.) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (Did you get that? If you believe in Him you will not even

come into the judgment.) (25.) “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (26.) For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” (27.) “And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.” (28.) “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice.” (29.) And come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.”

39.(John 6: 33-39) (33.) “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (34.) “Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

(35.) And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” (36.) “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.” (37.) “All that the Father gives me, and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out.” (38.) “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me.” (39.) “This is the will of Him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6: 56-63) (56.) “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” (57.) “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will live because of me.” (58.) “This is the bread which came down from heaven-not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” (59.) “These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.”(60.) “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’”

(61.) When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’” (62.)”What then if you should see the Son of man ascend where He was before?” (63.) “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (At first it seems that these scriptures are talking about the wine and bread in communion being actually his flesh and blood, but it goes on to explain that he was talking about the spirit making them live and how the flesh is nothing. This is the way I see it anyway. Catholic believers say that the wine and bread turns into flesh and blood some mysterious way. Here is a verse that if we took it literally, it would be odd. Read John 7: 38. “He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” So, don’t we really believe in him, since none of us has rivers of water gushing from our hearts?)

40.(John 8: 51) “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” (It doesn’t say that he will still die and be raised in the resurrection unto life. He will never see death. His spirit lives on, but his body dies, lays in the grave until the

resurrection. At that time the angels will gather every spirit from heaven and earth who are his and they (the eagles or spirits) will meet where the body is, re-enter the flesh and that life will raise the flesh from the grave just as it once did Jesus.

41.(John 14: 2-3) (2.) “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told. I go to prepare a place for you.” (3.) “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

(Some say the mansions are bodies that he is preparing, but I think it means what it says here. He is preparing a special mansion for each of his followers. When he gets it ready, he will return for them.)

42.(John 20: 17) Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to My God and your God.” (What did he mean by these words? Did he and the disciples worship the same Father and the same God? Or was he going back into the Father or becoming God again?)

43.(John 20: 19-20) (19.) “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” (20.) “When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” It doesn’t say they were gathered behind closed doors on the first day of the week to have church, but for fear of the Jews. The Jews were probably still looking for the disciples of Jesus. Verse 20 shows that Jesus raised with the wounds he had received when he was killed. I wonder if this was so people would know that it was Jesus who rose and not someone just pretending to be him. Also, I wonder if we will be raised exactly as he die-having the same blemishes and imperfections.)

44.(John 20: 12-13) (12.) “Jesus said to them, ‘Come and eat breakfast. Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, ‘Who are you?’”-knowing that it was the Lord.” (13.) “Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and like-wise the fish.” (It doesn’t exactly say that Jesus ate any of the bread and fish, only that he gave it to them this time.)

45.(Romans 2: 5-12) (5.) “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” (6.) “Who will render to each one according to his deeds.”

(7.) “Eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality.” (8.) “But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the

truth, but obey unrighteousness-indignation and wrath.” (9.) “Tribulation and anguish; on every soul of man who does evil of the Jew first and also of the Greek.” (10.) “But glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (11.) “For there is no partiality with God.” (12.) For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.”

46.(1 Corinthians 15: 22-26) (22.) “For in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (23.) But each one in his own order; Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” (24.) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.” (25.) “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.” (26.) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

47.(1 Corinthians 15: 35-38) (35.) “But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” (36.) “Foolish one, “what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.” (37.) “And what you sow, you do not sow the body that shall be, but mere grain-perhaps wheat or some other grain.” (38.) “But God gives it a body as he pleases, and to each seeds its own body.”

48.(1 Corinthians 15: 42-45) (42.) “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.” (43.) “It is sown in disowner. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power.” (44.) “It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” (45.) And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being,’ the last Adam became a lifegiving spirit.” (He gives life to others.)

49.(1 Corinthians 15: 50-54.) (50.) “Now this I say, brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” (51.) “Behold, I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” (52.) “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (53.)”For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (54.) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.”

50.(2 Corinthians 5: 1-2) “For we know that if our earthy house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2.)

“For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.” (2 Corinthians 5: 8-10) (8.) “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (9.) “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.” (10.) “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” THE END

D. Children’s Poems or Stories Stories are wanted from you, also. My email: rethatrohs@yahoo.com )

(Angels and a Lazy Rabbit Poetry Book (ISBN-1468911937), which can be purchased from booktango.com for less than five dollars.

Below is one chapter from my eBook,

little John’s Angels by Joan Shortridge. It can

be purchased from Book Country at bookcountry.com ISBN 9781463003395

CH. 1-A SMALL angel’s VISIT John, age seven, lazily slept in bed when a strange noise awakened him. Red-faced, he smoothed his red pajamas and felt to see that the one cross ring was still in his ear. He stretched his four feet frame and turned over. He heard the noise again. Opening his marble eyes, he saw a little child wearing angel wings, and staring at him.

“Who are you?” he asked the strange boy, and then he added, “Where did you get those wings?”

The child laughed with a proud beam in his shiny eyes. “I’m an angel who is often sent to help animals and children on earth.” The child flew a little closer to John’s bed. “I am called Joshua in your language. My assignment is to choose a family on earth. If things work out right, I will become your guardian angel.”

“Good for you,” John commented. “I really did not think there was any hope for us to be treated so special.”John, excited now, sat up in his bed. He stared intently at the little angel, who looked more like a toddler to him than a child. John admired his wings and reached over and felt one of them. When he did this, his hand went right though the wing.

“Why is that?” The angel demanded, answering John’s question of why he was being treated special. “God loves animals, and especially he loves children.”

“Oh, well,” John shrugged. “Years ago, I put my tooth under my pillow, hoping for a good fairy to bring me riches and diamonds. Instead of a good fairy a grown lady angel appeared. She

took me into a computer and we went to many lands. She said that she was sent to teach me the meaning of life, as if I didn’t already know it sucks. I hate school. I despise doing chores. My brother picks on me, and my sister hogs the bathroom all the time. Mom and Dad don’t understand me, either. They mean well, though.”

The angel promised him, “If you will tell me where this good angel took you, I will go with you on your vacation, for I have heard of the marvelous places that she took you to. My job is to get to know this family, and especially you. I want to become the permanent ministering angel for this family.”

“I thought angels knew everything,” John said, surprised that the angel was asking him questions. How did you know that we are planning to go on vacation this Friday? John asked, and then he promised.”I will tell you later. It had to do with a grown angel. I must now get ready to eat breakfast. Today, my parents are taking the dogs to the vet to get their shots. We are all going on vacation Friday. We are the Short family, but then you probably already know everything about us.”

The small angel shrugged and added, “I don’t know much about you. That is what I must dofind out about you and make sure you are the family I want to minister to. I will return, and then hear your story. If I like the tale, I will accompany you on vacation, invisible of course. I will take you to the Second Dimension. By the way, I do not know everything; just some things that God allows me to know. Only God knows everything.”

“Agreed,” John said. “I promise that I will tell the story after we get back from the vets, Josh.

May I call you Josh?”

Joshua nodded, and both of them heard Mrs. Short stirring about in the bathroom, so Joshua disappeared, and John ran to awaken his sister, Rena, age 11, and his brother, Mac, age 9. He went into the hall and knocked on each of their doors. John ordered, “Breakfast is ready.” Having told them this, he stopped in the hall at the opened bathroom door Mrs. Short stood before the bathroom mirror and brushed her pale blonde hair. Rambo, a boxer-lab mix dog, Baby, a small white Chihuahua dog, and Meow, a sly black and yellow cat, squatted in the hallway and watched her every movement.

Mrs. Short picked up the hair dye that was on the sink counter, read the instructions, opened the box, and removed the plastic gloves and dyeing equipment from the box. She poured some of the liquid from the box onto one glove, and then proceeded to dab it on her short hair. When she had covered all of the hair, she put the empty bottle back in the box.

She threw the empty bottle in the waste basket. When she turned to face the curious animals, she looked like a new person. Her hair was now darkened and lay in a tangled mass on top of her head.

Rambo, growling, backed away as she walked toward the pile of animals. Mac came into the hall. He grunted, “You look awful, Mom.” “Well, aren’t you full of compliments today, Mac?” Mrs. Short told her son. When Rambo stood up and touched her shoulder with his big paw, she gently pushed him from off her. “Your breath doesn’t smell so hot.” She turned to give Mac a nasty thought of her own.

John joined the others in the hall. “I think you look nice, Mom,” he complimented and lifted Baby into his arms.

Mrs. Short went through the small hall to the kitchen. Rambo and John, having lagged behind for a few minutes, joined them there. At last, Meow came also. He meow jabbered under his breath as he walked.

Mrs. Short laughed at their puzzles faces. “I have to leave this hair dye on for thirty minutes,” she informed then. “After I wash it out, it won’t be as dark looking. Hey, this is the real me. That pale blonde hair that you saw for all these years was faked. I got tired of having to touch it up every few months.”

As she talked, she kept busy preparing breakfast for her family. Cooking these days was not hard work. She fried vitamin and mineral filled pre-packaged eggs. Mrs. Short grabbed a handful of one serving jelly packets, set them on the table, and then she took imitation bacon from their fancy refrigerator. She put it on a plate and micro-waved it for a few seconds.

Mrs. Short almost fell over Meow when she turned from the microwave. Going to the refrigerator, she took out a can of biscuits, opened it, and dropped the empty container in the trash can. She angered, and scolded the cat. “You are always in my way, Meow.”

The male cat batted handsome eyelids at her, looking pitiful for having been reprimanded.

Meow made a big thump to the bar stool across from the stove. He grinned, sheepishly at the others, and meowed, “Let’s eat!” However, no one except the other animals really understood what he had said. He finally settled down upon the stool.

By now, the imitation bacon was medium brown and the eggs had warmed on the pan. Mrs. Short set the table quickly, took out the brownish biscuits, and put them on the table.

After this, Mrs. Short put the animal’s plates on the floor by the bar. She put their special diets into their plates. Mrs. Short laughed and said, “Your food is on your plates. Each of you has a special diet.”

She carried coffee, bacon and eggs, and set them at their proper places on the table for her children and husband. She yelled loudly to her husband, who was home on his army furlong.

“Come to breakfast.” None of them were allowed to eat until he thanked God for their food.

They called it saying ‘Grace.’

“Where’s my bacon?” Baby barked. Her words were understood only by the other animals because they had learned one another’s speech. Baby was a dainty, spoiled dog. She went outside only to use the toilet, as she hated to even get her tiny feet wet on the moist grass. She had bonded with Mrs. Short and John and most others were not allowed to touch her body.

Mrs. Short sneaked to each dog one piece of faked bacon, and each one gulped it down.

Meow jumped off the stool, joined the dogs under at the table, and received his piece of bacon too. He grinned in a mischievous matter at the other critters. Mrs. Short figured the cat was plotting up something awful to do to the rest of them, but she was too busy to worry about what it might be.

Then, Mrs. Short poured some more regular packaged food into each of their plates, and laughed as they grabbed it. These animals ate mostly packaged food, much like the microwavable dinners that the adults ate. No one cooked fresh food anymore. The boxed dinners had been fortified with so many vitamins and minerals that they were good for the body and mind.

However, John, the lazy one, demanded that his food be brought to him, where he sat on another bar chair. So, Mrs. Short took his fully cooked plate of boxed breakfast food off the table and handed it to him.

Mr. Short, who had now joined them in the kitchen, came to the table. They sat down at their chairs, and grabbed food onto their plates. Mr. Short was a stocky man, with muscled arms where he was in the military. He was planning on taking his family on vacation while he was on his furlong.

Mac came into the room and sat down near his father. Mac was build bigger than John was, but John was just as tall. Mac resembled his father, while John looked more like his mother.

However, Mac’s personality was that of Mr. Short’s and John had his mother’s personality.

Mr. Short waited until everyone had their plates full, and then he gave thanks to God for the food, and for their many other blessings. Having finished the prayer, he began eating, and the others followed his example. He never knew that the animals had already eaten one plate full, so he gave them another plate full and then sat back down at the table with his human family.

“Don’t we have to take the dogs to the vet today?” John asked, interrupting everyone’s meal.

John stuffed a biscuit piece in his mouth as soon as he had asked the question.

Mr. Short nodded and added, “We do, if we want to go on that vacation Friday. You boys hurry and finish, get the dogs ready, and we will get it over with.” He slipped a bacon slice on Rambo’s plate, and Rambo grabbed it.

Joshua, the angel, invisible to everyone except for John and the animals, appeared in the room and sat down by John. He whispered in John’s ear, “Make a wish and I will grant it.”

John thought for a second, before replying, “Fix it so I can understand the animals and they can understand me.”

“It is done,” Joshua assured him, as he waved his small hand over John’s head, and then he flew above each animal’s head and waved his hand again.

Mac looked at John and demanded, “Who are you asking to about fix it so you can understand animals? I want to talk to them also.”

The other family members laughed, but John said nothing. He began eating instead.

Suddenly, his ears perked up and he listened to see if he could understand the animals as they whined and barked to one another at their own eating place.

John took his plate and moved to the floor near them. He sat down on the floor and listened to their conversations. To his surprise, he could understand what they were saying and what they were thinking.

“I hate the vet,” Rambo told the animals. “I’m tired of him probing me with some big long needle.” The big dog talked to his animal family often, and they understood just about all of it.

How he wished that his human family would speak his dog language. He would tell them a thing or two about going to the vet. They didn’t seem to care what poor animals went through.

Baby raised her ears, one being white; the other, white with black around it. She put in, “They will cut my toenails. I hate that. Boy, does it hurt!” She edged closer to John’s plate. It was her turn to receive more bacon, and John slipped it to her.

John frowned. He told Rambo and Baby, “Well, you have to visit the vet or you won’t go on the vacation with us.” Quickly, he handed Meow a bit of fake bacon, and to the animals added, “Hurry and eat. We are leaving right after breakfast.”

Rambo, coming near, gave John a sad gaze and whined, “Why is it that you Mac, and John, don’t have to get your nails cut or have shots to go on vacation?” He added, “Or Meow?” He liked to talk to them, regardless of if they talked back or not. John seemed to understand his words more than the others. Perhaps he is part dog, Rambo decided.

Mrs. Short looked at her boys. By now, her hair had dried, and appeared to be almost the same pale blonde that she had started with. She was an attractive woman and had a good heart to go with her good looks.

She lifted John’s hand, looked at his nails, and then did the same to Mac’s hand. “Your nails are fine,” she decided. “Mac needs a haircut, though.” She glanced at Mr. Short, when she suggested, “I’ll drop him and you off at the barber as I take the dogs to the vet.” She lifted Meow’s paw. “You’ve already been trimmed. Perhaps, you will be de-clawed the next time.” She already knew that Mr. Short had planned to get his own hair cut, so he might as well give Mac one too. Mac’s hair looked a little shaggy to her.

Rena put in, “I’m going to stay here with Meow so that I can wash my hair.” She pushed her long blonde hair from off her face, as she stood to leave the table. It seemed that she spent most of her time in the restroom when she was home. Between school and playing sports, she was not home that much, though. Neither were her brothers, for that matter.

It was settled. Mrs. Short and John would take the dogs to the vet after dropping off Mr. Short and Mac at the barber, and Meow would stay home with Rena. Mrs. Short could drive and fly their van glider just as easily as Mr. Short could.

Meow was lucky that he didn’t have to make the visit to the vet this time. Meow, as well as the rest of the family had already purchased their passports because part of their vacation would include going to Africa to visit a famous petting zoo there. The zoo was right at the jungle’s door, so they might be going into the jungle, as well.

John slowly walked to the van. John carried Baby and placed her in the van. This was no ordinary van, either. Almost all of the vehicles these days could drive over the smooth highways or they could glide above them. They didn’t go very high off the ground, though, because up higher there were planes and other flying machines.

When Mr. Short started leading Rambo, the stubborn dog balked something awful. He lay down on his stomach and refused to move, whining and whimpering all the while. Rambo hated to be rude to Mr. Short because he loved him, but why was he forcing him to have shots?

“Come on, you stubborn dog,” Mr. Short ordered the large over-grown boxer-lab mix. “You won’t be going on vacation with the rest of us, if you don’t get off that ground, and into the van.”He caught up with Mrs. Short and handed her Rambo’s chain. The only time the animals were ever chained was to go into town, the vet, or out in public were other animals might start a fight with them.

“Please, Rambo,” Mrs. Short begged, “Be a good dog and get in the van.”

Rambo stood, as if he understood her words, and allowed Mrs. Short to lead him to the van.

As he climbed in, he remarked, “I’ll go, but if that man sticks me with that long needle, I’ll get even.” Rambo wished that these humans could understand his speech. Rambo realized that once Mr. Short had taken his chain, there would be no avoiding the vet.

John whispered to Rambo, “I understand everything you say, so watch your tongue. You will sit still and let the vet poke you or give you a shot or whatever he wants. You had better not mess up the vacation for the rest of us.”

“You won’t do anything,” Baby rebuked Rambo, in dog language. “You might knock us out of going on vacation with the family.”

Baby let John lift her into the van. After he got in, she sat on his lap and let him rub her little head with his hand. Looking out of the van, she noticed that Mrs. Short was not there. She was walking back toward the house. Baby hoped Rambo hadn’t made her angry enough for her to stay home today.

Mr. Short shut Rambo’s door, and slid in the passenger’s side. He waited for Mrs. Short, who had returned to the house to get a water bottle for the dogs. She finally came out of the house, and climbed in beside of him and sat at the steering wheel. When she looked at Baby’s little face, she was almost certain that she saw a grin there.

After everyone had gotten in the van, Mrs. Short took the pilot wheel and pulled gently from the drive and glided onto the highway. She was guiding the van instead of Mr. Short so that Mac and he could just get out at the barber and she would fly on with the rest of them.

The tires on the van never touched the paved highway, as the van glided about a hundred feet off the road and through the air. It made traveling smooth, and in a few seconds they had arrived at the barber shop.

Like a helicopter, Mrs. Short hovered slightly off the ground, let down a ladder, and Mr. Short and Mac got out; and then she glided the vehicle onward. She flew another three miles and pulled into the veterinary’s parking lot. Here she switched from the helicopter mode to the regular car mode, so she could park in this lot.

And so, they parked, and when they did Rambo realized that he had to go inside and get the terrible shots and, whatever else Mrs. Short would tell to do to him. Reliantly, he got out of the van after the others had.

E. Events Brother Delmoe Jessee has appointments to minister at New Melody Church of (Fairview) Duffield, Va. every third Sunday of each month. This country church makes everyone welcome and allows you to sing and testify during service (when the spirit inspires you to do so) without having scheduled appointments. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Services at: Headquarters for Second Chance Ministries on Sunday morning only at 10:45-12:45 and is located at 265 Craig Street Christiansburg, Virginia 24073.

Email me your scheduled services at rethatrohs@yahoo.com

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In progress: Haunted House, by Joan Shortridge; also Seven Years of Insanity by Mark King and Glena Jessee-King.

Your ad can go among the ads if you email the ad to: rethatrohs@yahoo.com (Please watch for the October issue around the 21st of October, 2014) Thank you.

THE END

(In progress now at West Bow Publishing-this is not the final picture version, though.)

(This is the back of “Seven Years of Insanity” print book.)