The Veritas Update 03.18.08

The world is raging.

The global economy is suffering. Israel is suffering tremendous pressure. 2.7 billion people on the planet have never heard the name Jesus. Poverty, though preventable, is at epidemic levels. If we sold half of the churches in this country we could end global hunger, but this will never happen. This won’t happen because the empire of American Christianity has gone the way of Cain. We have stated with our collective lack of effort “am I my brother’s keeper?” Our inaction gives us away. We have failed as a Christian nation.

We see this failure very clearly right here in our own backyard. The fact that 95% of adults, ages 18-39, have an unfavorable view of Christianity is evidence of this. We refuse to be accountable for this by simply saying that it is the devils fault. What does this mean for our future?

Meanwhile, we say that we believe that these are the last days. While we are so focused on the salvation of the first coming of Jesus, where is the teaching on His second coming?

Which are we closer to; the first or second coming of Jesus?

If these are the last days, then why aren’t we talking about the books of Revelation or Daniel?

We are not talking about the second coming of Jesus in this country because we are rich. We have enlarged ourselves with the wealth of this world and placed the blessings of God over the God of blessings. In our great prosperity we no longer desire the return of our Savior as if His appearing brings a better promise than that of this life. We are the unfortunate masses that the Bible claims would be lovers of self more than lovers of God. Sadly, we are biblical prophesy revealed.

Welcome to Veritas.

This forum exists to challenge believers to think and thinkers to believe. This week we entered our third week in our new location and Pastor Jerry delved back into the much anticipated teaching of Genesis 1-12. This portion of scripture covers 2,000 years of rich history. The book begins with four events; Creation, The Fall, The Fall and The Tower. And it ends with four people; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. This week, Veritas moved into chapter 6.

Versus 1-9 were our main focus this week and they are both bizarre and telling. In terms of the second coming of Jesus we have been warned that this event would be very similar to the days of Noah. In Matthew 24: 37-39, Jesus said, “The world will be at ease, banquets and parties and weddings, just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the flood; people wouldn’t believe what was going to happen to them until the flood actually arrives and took them all away. So shall my coming be.” (KJV)

Now that we are in Genesis 6, we have to deal with this. We believe we are in the last days, so let us know why we believe what we believe. Let us know what the Bible says about the days of Noah. A good place to start is by drawing parallels between his time and ours.

As in the days of Noah we are experiencing a time of explosion and multiplication. We are growing and advancing tremendously just as humanity did in Noah’s day. Wickedness is abounding. (On this point we must ask ourselves; why was the world wicked enough to flood? What particularity about Noah’s day brought about the flood?)

God issued warnings. In Noah’s day it was through Enoch, Lamech, Methuselah and Noah. Mankind despised these warnings. They refused to know the truth and in the end, only a small number were saved. This same problem can be said for mankind today.

Genesis 6 also starts out with some very strange statements. Versus 1 – 4 says;

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

Who were these sons of God?

One theory is that they were the sons of Seth intermarrying with the daughters of Cain, or in other words, a marriage between righteousness and evil. Up to the fourth century, the predominant teaching centered on the idea that the sons of God were fallen angels. It was not until Augustine that the idea of the sons of Seth was introduced.

Augustine’s conclusion was centered on his view that the Bible was allegorical rather than literal. But if his theory were true, how would offspring from Seth and Cain beget men of renown? Why, if the offspring were infused with righteousness, would the word of God use this story as an illustration of depravity and a warning?

Meanwhile, there are seven strong ideas that support the idea of the sons of God being fallen angels over human contributors.

- It is the oldest and widest held belief.
- Sons of God refers to angels in the Bible.
- Ben El substitutes for angels in the Septuagint.
- The term “sons of God” means directly from God. We see this reference for the creation of Adam and not again for man until the New Testament.
- This view was held until the fourth century until the interaction of an inaccurate allegorical approach.
- If the sons of God were righteous believers and they still drowned Bible is contradictory.
- If this were a human marriage only, then why did it invoke God’s anger and the flood?

Next week, Veritas will delve deeper into this discussion. Meanwhile, keep this in mind. The Old Testament is a study of God’s seed. There is enmity between the seed of Eden and the seed of the serpent. Satan wants to destroy the seed and may have used fallen angels as an attempt to wipe out the pure seed. We will look deeper into this when we dig into the meaning of the name of Noah whom the book of Hebrews states was perfect in his generations. So why was he really saved?

For those who attend Veritas in person we look forward to seeing you Sunday. To our global internet audience we send out the blessings of our Holy Father to you that He would grant you encouragement in every good work as we strive in our unified effort to spread the fame of Jesus Christ who is the head of the Church and the fulfillment of all things. These are privileged times to be in His service.