HERE IS VOL 620B  –  COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ISAIAH,  [2]  SLAVERY IN ISLAM - A LOOK AT THE FACTS:

ALSO, VIDEO ON IS JESUS CHRIST REALLY GOD, CLICK ON OR POST ON BROWSER:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/FeaturedLibraryVideos/pub-ebtv_2_VIDEO

COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]  SLAVERY IN ISLAM - A LOOK AT THE FACTS:

[1]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [620B]

Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.   Philippians 3:5 – 6, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

The Old Law Covenant that covered Hebrews only required par Genesis 17:12, [AV] “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed”  The Apostle Paul made it clear to those around him per Romans 11:1, [AV] “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” Yes, he made it quite clear to the crowd that he to was a Hebrew as testified to at 2 Corinthians 11:22, [AV] “Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.”  Paul well knew the various divisions among the Jews so one time when the council in Jerusalem was putting him on trial for his teachings, he made use of this knowledge as shown at Acts 23:6, [AV] “But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.”

VIEW A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/books-of-bible-intros/book-of-isaiah/


[2]       SLAVERY IN ISLAM - A LOOK AT THE FACTS:

INTRODUCTION:

Islam likes to charge apostate (counterfeit) so called Christianity with condoning and practicing slavery which of course they did, but turns away from the fact that Islam practiced slavery including Muhammad (pbuh) himself and parts of Islam still practice slavery.    Of course, this is hypocritical on the part of Islam marking it as a dishonest false religion that is like an Ostrich who hides its head in sand if it does not want to see something.

It is the only major religion who still practices slavery, this taking place in Africa to day in Sudan and elsewhere.   In fact, this situation is very bad in the Darfur section of the Sudan where not only is slavery practiced by members of Islam, but rape by those who are Muslims.

Let's look at the facts today:

SLAVERY - THE FACTS WITHIN ISLAM:

Now let's look at the facts as presented in an encyclopedia.

<<<"The major juristic schools of Islam have historically accepted the institution of slavery[1]; however, in modern time this has become a contentious issue Muhammad and those of his companions who could afford it themselves owned slaves, and some of them acquired more by conquest[stealing them.].   However, the Islamic dispensation enormously improved the position of the Arabian slave through the reforms of a humanitarian tendency both at the time of Muhammad and the later early caliphs.   In Islamic law, the topic of Islam and slavery is covered at great length.   The legal legislations brought two major changes to the practice of slavery inherited from antiquity, from pagan Rome, and from Byzantium, which were to have far-reaching effects.   Bernard Lewis considers these reforms to be the cause of the vast improvements in the practice of slavery in Muslim lands.   The reforms also seriously limited the supply of new slaves.

The Qur'an considers emancipation of a slave to be a meritorious deed, or as a condition of repentance for certain sins[but does not require their emancipation].  The Qur'an and Hadith contain numerous passages supporting this view.   Muslim jurists considered slavery to be an exceptional circumstance, with the basic assumption of freedom until proven otherwise.   Furthermore, as opposed to pre-Islamic slavery, enslavement was limited to two scenarios: capture in war[stealing.], or birth to slave parents (birth to parents where one was free and the other not so would render the offspring free)[sounds like typical slavery].

Slavery in Islam does not have racial or color component, although this ideal has not always been put into practice. Nevertheless, historically, black slaves could rise to important positions in Muslim nations.   In early Islamic Arabia, Slaves were often African blacks from across the Red Sea, but by expansion of the Islamic empire in later times, slaves could be Berbers from North Africa, Slavs from Europe, Turks from Central Asia, or Circassians from the Caucasus.   The majority of slaves throughout the history of Arabia were, however, of African origin.   The Arab slave trade was most active in eastern Africa, although by the end of the 19th century such activity had reached a significantly low ebb.   The slavery in the Arab World in the 19th century has been documented by Dr. Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje, an Arabist and a scholar of Indonesian affairs, who had visited Mecca during his journey in the Hijaz.   He states in his book Mohammedanism that "Slaves in the Arab world are generally not that different from servants and workers in Europe" and that their masters "handled them with a genial humanity that made their lot no worse - perhaps better, as more secure - than that of a factory worker in nineteenth-century Europe."

It was in the early 20th century (post World War I) that slavery gradually became outlawed and suppressed in Muslim lands, [b] largely due to pressure exerted by Western nations such as Britain and France (although the extent to which it died out and/or flared up again is disputed)." [source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]>>>.

Also, researchers at Ohio State University (OSU) said the following:

<<<" WHEN EUROPEANS WERE SLAVES: RESEARCH SUGGESTS WHITE SLAVERY WAS MUCH MORE COMMON THAN PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A new study suggests that a million or more European Christians were enslaved by Muslims in North Africa between 1530 and 1780 - a far greater number than had ever been estimated before.

In a new book, Robert Davis, professor of history at Ohio State University, developed a unique methodology to calculate the number of white Christians who were enslaved along Africa's Barbary Coast, arriving at much higher slave population estimates than any previous studies had found.

Most other accounts of slavery along the Barbary coast didn't try to estimate the number of slaves, or only looked at the number of slaves in particular cities, Davis said. Most previously estimated slave counts have thus tended to be in the thousands, or at most in the tens of thousands. Davis, by contrast, has calculated that between 1 million and 1.25 million European Christians were captured and forced to work in North Africa from the 16th to 18th centuries.
Davis's new estimates appear in the book Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast, and Italy, 1500-1800 (Palgrave Macmillan).

"Much of what has been written gives the impression that there were not many slaves and minimizes the impact that slavery had on Europe," Davis said. "Most accounts only look at slavery in one place, or only for a short period of time. But when you take a broader, longer view, the massive scope of this slavery and its powerful impact become clear."

Davis said it is useful to compare this Mediterranean slavery to the Atlantic slave trade that brought black Africans to the Americas. Over the course of four centuries, the Atlantic slave trade was much larger - about 10 to 12 million black Africans were brought to the Americas. But from 1500 to 1650, when trans-Atlantic slaving was still in its infancy, more white Christian slaves were probably taken to Barbary than black African slaves to the Americas, according to Davis....

"Enslavement was a very real possibility for anyone who traveled in the Mediterranean, or who lived along the shores in places like Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, and even as far north as England and Iceland," he said.
Pirates (called corsairs)[members of Islam] from cities along the Barbary Coast in north Africa - cities such as Tunis and Algiers - would raid ships in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, as well as seaside villages to capture men, women and children.   The impact of these attacks were devastating - France, England, and Spain each lost thousands of ships, and long stretches of the Spanish and Italian coasts were almost completely abandoned by their inhabitants.   At its peak, the destruction and depopulation of some areas probably exceeded what European slavers would later inflict on the African interior.

Although hundreds of thousands of Christian slaves were taken from Mediterranean countries, Davis noted, the effects of Muslim slave raids was felt much further away: it appears, for example, that through most of the 17th century the English lost at least 400 sailors a year to the slavers.[Islam should return these to England, but has failed to do so or pay England.].

Even Americans were not immune. For example, one American slave reported that 130 other American seamen had been enslaved by the Algerians in the Mediterranean and Atlantic just between 1785 and 1793.

Davis said the vast scope of slavery in North Africa has been ignored and minimized, in large part because it is on no one's agenda to discuss what happened.

The enslavement of Europeans doesn't fit the general theme of European world conquest and colonialism that is central to scholarship on the early modern era, he said. Many of the countries that were victims of slavery, such as France and Spain, would later conquer and colonize the areas of North Africa where their citizens were once held as slaves.  Maybe because of this history, Western scholars have thought of the Europeans primarily as "evil colonialists" and not as the victims they sometimes were, Davis said.

Davis said another reason that Mediterranean slavery has been ignored or minimized has been that there have not been good estimates of the total number of people enslaved.   People of the time - both Europeans and the Barbary Coast slave owners - did not keep detailed, trustworthy records of the number of slaves. In contrast, there are extensive records that document the number of Africans brought to the Americas as slaves....


"The only way I could come up with hard numbers is to turn the whole problem upside down - figure out how many slaves they would have to capture to maintain a certain level," he said. "It is not the best way to make population estimates, but it is the only way with the limited records available."...

The result is that between 1530 and 1780 there were almost certainly 1 million and quite possibly as many as 1.25 million white, European Christians enslaved by the Muslims of the Barbary Coast.   Davis said his research into the treatment of these slaves suggests that, for most of them, their lives were every bit as difficult as that of slaves in America....

Davis said his findings suggest that this invisible slavery of European Christians deserves more attention from scholars.   "We have lost the sense of how large enslavement could loom for those who lived around the Mediterranean and the threat they were under," he said. "Slaves were still slaves, whether they are black or white, and whether they suffered in America or North Africa."[source - Research, Ohio State University by Jeff Grabmeier]>>>.

CONCLUSION:

Both apostate (counterfeit) so called Christians and Muslims starting with Muhammad (pbuh) himself were equally guilty with respect the slave trade, yet members point a finger at apostate (counterfeit) Christians without realizing three fingers, maybe four, are pointing back at themselves.   This is dishonest hypocrisy on the part of Islam.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG[/b]

HERE IS VOL 629B  –  COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO THE LAMENTATIONS,  [2] MANY ASK, WHERE DID JESUS COME FROM:

ALSO, VIDEO ON IS JESUS CHRIST REALLY GOD, CLICK ON OR POST ON BROWSER:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/FeaturedLibraryVideos/pub-ebtv_2_VIDEO

COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    MANY ASK, WHERE DID JESUS COME FROM:

[1]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [629B]

They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.  23  They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.   Isaiah 65:22 – 23, [authorized King James Bible; AV]


Here the conditions that will exist under God’s Kingdom with His son, Jesus (Yeshua) as its king, are being spoken of.  And it is made clear at this time the obedient ones will enjoy per Psalms 21:4, [AV] “He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.”  But to be counted worthy to be there we must per 1 Corinthians 15:58, [AV] “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  Yes all righteous ones that seek righteousness will per Isaiah 55:1, [AV] “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”  And at this time, all will be per Isaiah 54:13, [AV] “And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”  Yes, He will provide for His elect per Matthew 24:31, [AV] “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” 

VIEW A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/books-of-bible-intros/book-of-lamentations/


[2]        MANY ASK, WHERE DID JESUS COME FROM:

INTRODUCTION:

The inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, the Bible, clearly shows that before coming to earth and being born to a Jewish girl that Jesus (Yeshua) lived in heaven with his Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is.    As Micah 5:2 puts it, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Authorized King James Bible; AV).   In fact, on many occasions, Jesus (Yeshua), said that he had lived in heaven before being born as a human such as at John 6:38 and 62, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." And "What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?" (AV); and John 17:4-5, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.  5  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." (AV).

JESUS (YESHUA) IS THE TRUE GOD (YHWH) OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND ISHMAEL, CREATOR OF ALL THERE IS, MOST PRECIOUS SON:

Jesus (Yeshua) is the most precious only begotten Son of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is.   He is called the first of God's creation at Colossians 1:15, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" (AV).   Now what makes this Son so special to the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is?   Well John 3:16 explains, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (AV) that he was the only begotten or first of God's creation which is also testified to at Revelation 3:14, "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;" (AV).   In other words, Jesus (Yeshua) is the only being directly created by the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is.   The true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, used him in the creation of all other things as testified to by Colossians 1:16, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:" (AV); and Proverbs 8:21-31, "Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.  23  I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.  24  When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.  25  Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;  26  While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.  27  When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,  28  When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,  29  When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;  30  Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him,  31  Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men." (American Standard Version; ASV).   Also, Jesus (Yeshua) is referred to as the Word at John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (AV).   This shows that he was God's spokesman who delivered the messages and instructions to mankind from his Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, to all his Father's other sons, both spirit and human.

IS THE FIRSTBORN OR CREATED EQUAL TO HIS FATHER?

Some mistakenly believe that the firstborn or created Son, Jesus (Yeshua), is equal to his Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, but let's see if this is so.   As previously noted, the Son, Jesus (Yeshua), was created; whereas, his Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, had no beginning or end as testified to at Psalm 90:2, "Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." (ASV).   Therefore, there is no way that the only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua) , could ever be equal to his Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is.   In fact, the Bible clearly shows that the Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, is greater than the Son, Jesus (Yeshua), at John 14:28 in Jesus (Yeshua) own words, "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." (AV); and at 1 Corinthians 11:3, "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." (AV).   Therefore, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, alone is per Genesis 17:1, "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect." (AV).   Thus he is without equal.

SON AND FATHER HAVE HAD A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP FOR EONS:

Of course, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, and his first born only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua), have enjoyed a close association for eons - long before the creation of the starry heavens and the earth.   So, how they must dearly love each other as testified to at John 3:35, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." (AV); and re-testified to at John 14:31, "But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence." (AV).   Thus, this beloved Son, Jesus (Yeshua), was just like his Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is.   So the Bible refers to this Son, Jesus (Yeshua), as, per Colossians 1:15, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB).   Yes, even as a human son may closely resemble his father in many ways, Jesus (Yeshua) closely resembles his Father with regard to his qualities and personality.

CONCLUSION:

The true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua), obediently left heaven to come down to earth to live as a human being.   Now the question many may ask is how would it be possible for a spirit creature to be born as a human.   Well, to accomplish this, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, transferred his life into the womb of a Jewish virgin named Mary.   No human father was involved as testified to at Luke 1:30-35, "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.  31  And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.  32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  33  and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.  34  And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?  35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God." (ASV).

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG

HERE IS VOL 631B  –  COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO THE DANIEL,  [2]  THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES - Garcinia intermedia

ALSO, VIDEO ON INTODUCTION TO THE BIBLE, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER: https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/LatestVideos/pub-nwtsv_1_VIDEO


COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES - Garcinia intermedia      With the Scripture of the Day first.

[1]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [631B]

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.   Jeremiah 29:11, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

The above scripture refers to a time when the Hebrews were being obedient to the ways of Almighty God (YHWH), and clearly let it be known that He does not change per Psalms 33:11, [AV] “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”  He, worked for His chosen people when they were being obedient as shown at Zephaniah 3:15, [AV] “The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.”  And this is also testified to at Jeremiah 31:17, [AV] “And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.”

VIEW A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO DANIEL, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/books-of-bible-intros/book-of-daniel/


[2]       Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Garcinia intermedia is a species of tropical American tree which produces tasty fruit. In English it is known as the lemon drop mangosteen (a name it shares with the closely related and similarly tasting Garcinia madruno). In Spanish it is called mameyito. In Portuguese it is called achachairu. The name achachairu is also applied to Garcinia humilis, another species native to Bolivia with larger, round or egg-shaped fruit(see Achachairu). G. humilis has been commercialized in Australia under the name Achacha.

Growth
The fast growing tree reaches a height of about 5 meters. It is tolerant of a wide range of soils, up to an altitude of around 4000 feet. It can be grown successfully and will fruit in a large pot. It grows best with regular water in full sun in a humid environment. It tolerates high temperatures but is probably not frost hardy. It has small, whitish flowers which are perfect and makes an attractive ornamental tree, especially when in truit, which may be year round. Its leaves are opposite.

The wood is termine resistant and used to make posts and tool handles.

Propagation
The tree is generally propagated from seeds, though it can be grafted. No named cultivars are known. Seeds lose viability if dried, but can retain viability for a period of months if kept moist.

Fruit
The tree may fruit after as little as two years. The fruits are smooth spheres about an inch in diameter with a thin yellow, orange or red rind around a white pulp. They are edible and have an appealing sweet and sour taste. It is usually eaten out of hand, though can be used for drinks, jams and jellies.[2]

Distribution
Native to Central America, it is cultivated sporadically throughout the tropics.[3]

References
1. Jump up^ "Taxon: Garcinia intermedia (Pittier) Hammel". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Area. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
2. Jump up^ http://www.fruitipedia.com/lemon_drop_mangosteen%20Garcinia%20edulis.htm
3. Jump up^ http://www.montosogardens.com/garcinia_intermedia.htm  [SOURCE - RETRIEVED FROM   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcinia_intermedia  ON  8/5/2014]

In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to  www.jw.org].

For pictures and more information, go to,  http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/188302/

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG

HERE IS VOL 633B  –  COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO THE JOEL,  [2]  MAKING THE WRONG ASSUMPTION WITH REGARD GOD'S (YHWH) NAME:

ALSO, VIDEO ON INTODUCTION TO THE BIBLE, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER: https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/LatestVideos/pub-nwtsv_1_VIDEO


COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    MAKING THE WRONG ASSUMPTION WITH REGARD GOD'S (YHWH) NAME:

[1]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [633B]

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;   Hebrews 6:19, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

It is imperative that we draw close to Almighty God (YHWH) and let His active force work on us per Acts 10:45, [AV] “And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.”  And as shown at Acts 15:8, [AV] “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” Most are NOT stedfast to Him.  But He will work miracles toward the steadfast per Hebrews 2:4, [AV] “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?”

VIEW A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO JOEL, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER: 
https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/joel-introduction/

[2]       MAKING THE WRONG ASSUMPTION WITH REGARD GOD'S (YHWH) NAME:

Some make an assumption which is not reasonable with respect the name of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, creator of all there is.   Since the apostles were quoting Old Testament which even some making this false assumption admit contained "YHWH" at these places.    One such individual said,
<<<" The name is used in a few Bibles in the NT either in its English forum or as the Tetragrammaton.

I am NOT asking about the use of "YHWH" in English translations of the Bible. I am asking about the use of "YHWH" in the Greek.

If I recall correctly Jesus Himself quoted an Old Testament Scripture that uses the term "YHWH" - in the Hebrew. Quoting David, Jesus said " 'The Lord said to my Lord.......'" Now in the Hebrew Old Testament "YHWH" is used in the first instance; while "ADONAI" is used in the second; in the GREEK New Testament the term "kurios" is used in both instances. The Greek text makes NO distinction between "YHWH" and "ADONAI".

Thus the apostles, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, made NO distinction btween "YHWH" and "ADONAI". Why not?">>>

Let's look at the facts:

First, <<<" "...the most common "error" made by most translators in the last 3500 years...is their elimination of heaven's revealed Name of the Most High, Yahweh(Jehovah)" -[source - quoted from - A. B. Traina; in the Preface of the Holy Name Bible].

Second, <<<"THE REASON GOD'S NAME IS MISSING FROM MANY BIBLES
"...the distinctive Hebrew name for God - usually transliterated Jehovah, is in this translation represented by "LORD." - Today's English Version (preface). There are many different reasons why God's name was removed from the Bible. I will attempt to briefly discuss them here.

First off, it was a MISTAKE to remove God's Name from the bible.   WHY ?

As Author of the Bible, Only God himself has the right to change or alter the Bible. God himself gave mankind a warning - in his own Word - The Bible; to NOT add to - NOR take away from his Words.   "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.   And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life." (Revelation 22:18,19)(NIV)-BibleGateway

- A MISTAKE - "...the suppression of The Name (Jehovah) has entailed upon the reader, and especially upon the hearer, irreparable loss...   its suppression was a MISTAKE..."

--Rotherham, 1, Ch. IV, 22-29 "...the most common "ERROR" made by most translators in the last 3500 years...is their elimination of heaven's revealed Name of the Most High, Yahweh (Jehovah)" - A. B. Traina; in the Preface of the Holy Name Bible "The substitution of the word "Lord" is most unhappy; for...it in NO WAY represents the meaning of the sacred name (Jehovah)..."  - The 1872 edition of Smith's Bible Dictionary THE BASIC REASONS THAT TRANSLATORS REMOVED GOD'S NAME FROM THE BIBLE :

1. Anti-Semitic Feelings
The Jewish God of the Jewish Messiah was hated and despised by the Greeks and Romans.  When Christianity became a State Religion of Rome - All attempts to blot out the Hebrew origins of Jesus were employed - and Removing God's Name from the Bible was a major attempt to obscure Jesus' Jewish heritage.  "Well, be assured that the God that the Jews worship - is the very same God that we worship.   Their sacred writings, the Law and the Prophets, we revere and read aloud in our meetings.   And because we worship this God of the Jews, the one thing we cannot be accused of is novelty."  --Glimpses Issue #139 : Why Early Christians Were So Despised; Ken Curtis PH.D., Beth Jacobson, Diana Severance Ph.D., Ann T. Snyder and Dan Graves. (c)2003, by Christian History Institute.   "The Octavius of Minicius Felix" ; 2nd century A.D.

2. Support of Trinitarian Doctrine When Rome voted to adopt the Trinity doctrine of the numerous Pagans in her empire - The Name of God - YHWH (translated Jehovah in English) - interfered and hindered the Newly Adopted teaching    That Jesus was the Almighty God - Jehovah.   Rome paid her translators to remove God's name almost Seven Thousand Times (7,000) from the Bible.   "In the first two centuries nearly all the various readings of the New Testament came into existence, the majority of them by deliberate alteration of the text...in the interests of (the trinity) dogma..."   -the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics; The Bible in the Church "Codex B (Vaticanus)...was altered by a later hand in more than two thousand places. Eusebius, therefore, is not without grounds for accusing the adherents of....the newly-risen doctrine of the trinity of falsifying the Bible..."  -(Fraternal Visitor 1924, p. 148;
translated from Christadelphian Monatshefte).   "The removal of the Tetragrammaton (Jehovah) from the New Testament and its replacement with the surrogates KYRIOS and THEOS blurred the original distinction between the Lord God and the Lord Christ, and in many passages made it impossible which one was meant.   As time went on...it was often impossible to distinguish between them. Thus it may be that the removal of the Tetragrammaton (Jehovah) contributed significantly to the later...Trinity "  - George Howard, Bible Scholar ;
The Name of God in the New Testament, BAR 4.1 (March 1978), pg 15`
"It was they who demanded, in effect, that Christianity be "updated" by blurring or even obliterating the long-accepted distinction between the Father and the Son."   - When Jesus Became God by Richard E. Rubenstein, p.74

3. MONEY
Because the God of Christ - The Jewish God, Jehovah, was not popular with the world of mankind, they sought to remove him from their Bibles. Bible translators knew that for their Bibles to be purchased they would need to appeal to their readers. They also knew, that if they used God's Divine Name Jehovah, then people would not purchase their Version and thus
they would lose money.   God's name Jehovah/Yahowah appears in the original hebrew text about 7000 times, but the NIV fails to mention it even once.   When asked about this, Edwin H. Palmer, Th.D., Executive Secretary for the NIV's committee wrote :   "Here is why we did not : You are right - that Jehovah is a distinctive name for God and ideally we should have used it. But we put 2 1/4 million dollars into this translation and a sure way of throwing that
down the drain is to translate, for example, Psalm 23 as, 'Yahweh (Jehovah) is my shepherd.'  Immediately, we would have translated for nothing.    Nobody would have used it (or purchased it).  Oh, maybe you and a handful [of] others.   But a Christian has to be also wise and practical.   We are the victims of 350 years of the King James tradition.    It is far better to get two million to read it- that is how many have bought it to date- and to follow the King James, than to have two thousand buy it and have the correct translation of Yahweh(Jehovah).  It was a hard decision, and many of our translators agree with you."   - The Reason NIV removed Jehovah's Name Edwin H. Palmer, Th.D., Executive Secretary for the NIV's committee

"The situation today, where many translations...  exists largely because of the amount of money to be gained..." -(The Preservation of the Bible By Faithful Churches) --By Charles V. Turner

4. MAN MADE "TRADITION"
It was a tradition of the Jews to avoid using God's name altogether. They stopped all mention of him.  No longer using God's Divine Name, they no longer used it in their prayers, even making it a sin to say his name out loud. They considered it "blasphemy" to utter the name of God, jehovah. Many translators admit to following this "Jewish Tradition" and have thus removed Jehovah's name and replaced it with Titles such as "LORD" and "GOD" - all in capitals - to show that they have removed God's name in those places.  Jesus condemned the man-made tradition of the Jews.

Following their lead in this - would be directly against Jesus' Teachings on this issue.   "...Yahweh (Jehovah), is the proper personal name of the God of Israel...the term Adonai, 'My Lord'  was later used as a SUBSTITUTE. The word LORD in the present version represents the TRADITIONAL usage."  - New American Bible (Catholic) Introduction to the O. T., Page XI.   "In this translation we have followed the orthodox Jewish TRADITION and substituted 'the Lord' for the name 'Yahweh' (Jehovah)" -- Preface - 1935 Bible ; J. M. Powis Smith and Edgar J. Goodspeed, "Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?   ...Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. "  (Matthew 15:3,6)(NIV)-BibleGateway

5. SUPERSTITION
During the time when Israel was in slavery to Babylon, she absorbed and adopted many Babylonian customs and ideas. One of these was the "Superstition" against using the name of a God - for fear that bad things would happen to them. As the Babylonians called their Chief God - Marduk by the title "LORD" so as not to offend him, so too - the Jews adopted this idea in reference to Jehovah God.   "When the Yisraeli (Israelites) came out of Babylonian captivity, they brought along with them the Babylonian culture, and along with it Babylonian beliefs and superstitions. One of these pagan Babylonian practices or beliefs was called "ineffability."   This was the SUPERSTITION against using the name  of a deity for fear of something bad happening to them.   The idea was that if you said the name of a deity he or she would notice you. The pagan practice of ineffability was further reinforced by Greek Hellenization." -(b.Pes. 50a) (b.Kidd. 71a).   "The avoidance of the original name of God (Yehowah) both in speech and, to a certain extent, in the Bible.....first arose.....in Babylonia. According to Dalman (l.c. pp. 66 et seq.),"  -The Jewish Encyclopedia TETRAGRAMMATON; by Crawford Howell Toy, and Ludwig Blau

"The idea that only the priest could utter The NAME of The HEAVENLY FATHER, and that he was to disguise or hide it from the common people, came from the idea that the NAME was "ineffable" or "unutterable". However this was a pagan doctrine that they adopted from the Egyptians, Babylonians, and the Greeks..."  -THE FINAL REFORMATION; KOSTER P.54, P112

Marduk was, therefore, a very important god of Babylon.   In the first millennium BCE, his name was considered so holy, that it was almost never pronounced; instead, people said and wrote Bêl, 'LORD'.   Herodotus correctly calls the supreme god of Babylon Bêl ("lord"), because his real name was not pronounced.   -[Herodotus, Histories 1.181-2; tr. Aubrey de Sélincourt].   "The ineffability of divine names was on old idea in Egypt... the name of Osiris himself was said to be ineffable...the name Marduk of Babylon was also declared ineffable. The Greeks avoided the names of their deities and preferred to call them by the titles Kurios and Theos."  -The Final Reformation By Dr. Koster; pp. 54 and 112  "...But at least by the third century B.C.E. the pronunciation of the name YHWH (Jehovah) was avoided, and Adonai, "the Lord," was substituted for it..."  - Encyclopedia Judaica (p. 679).   "The Hebrews considered The Name of God to be 'ineffable' and substituted in reading Adonai (My Lord)."  -Columbia Encyclopedia Vol. 2 under the subject 'God'


6. "JEHOVAH" IS NOT THE HEBREW WAY TO SAY GOD'S NAME
Some Bible Translators say that they have removed God's name from the Bible - because Jehovah is not the proper way to say God's name in Hebrew.   This reasoning is merely an excuse and not a reason at all. For if this reason was valid, then we would also have to remove Jesus name from the Bible, since the name "Jesus" is not the way that it was written or spoken in Hebrew either. Many Hebrew names are written in the Bible - which are not as they were in Hebrew and yet we do not remove them.   Therefore this reasoning is truly invalid. Examples of Jewish names in the Bible which are translated
into English - much differently than their original Hebrew couterparts - are : Jesus, Jeremiah, Jonah, Joel, Jerusalem, Joshua, etc.   "... the Committee... is, omitting the name of God (because) the word 'Jehovah' does not accurately represent any form of the Name ever used in Hebrew..."    - The Preface of the Revised Standard Version

Thus, the Hebrew "ye-ru-sha-LA-yim" became "Jerusalem"; "ye-ri-HO" became Jericho; and "yar-DEN" become "Jordan".    Hebrew personal names such as "yo-NA" became "Jonah", "yi-SHAI" became "Jesse"  and "ye-SHU-a" became "Jesus".   Likewise "YHWH, Yahweh, or Yehowah" became "Jehovah" in english.

7. GOD DOESN'T NEED A NAME
God does not need to be distinguished from other gods.   Some translators have made this statement. Who are we to say that God doesn't need a name ? God deemed it necessary to name all the stars in the heavens, and to place his name upon people that he liked, and upon places that were important to him. His own word the Bible - emphasizes the importance of a name. The translators of the Bible did not remove Satan's name from the Bible - nor did they remove the names of  numerous false gods from the Bible.

"the use of any proper name for the one and only God...  is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church."   -the preface of the Revised Standard Version; Under reasons (excuses) for the removal of  God's personal name - Jehovah "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name."   (Psalms 147:4)(NIV)-BibleGateway,  "Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name...  The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth..."   (Isaiah 40:26,28)(ASV)-BibleGateway "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." (Proverbs 22:1)(NIV)-BibleGateway, "A good name is better than oil of much worth..."  (Ecclesiastes 7:1)(NLV)-BibleGateway


"...The Sacred Name Yahovah was revealed to man by Yahovah Himself and is not a man-given name"  -(see II Apol., 10, 13; Trypho, 126, 127).  In the Bible, refusing to mention the name of a god means refusing to worship this god (Ex 23:13) and that is why Satan incited the Israelites, by means of the prophets of Baal, not to use the Name of Jehovah (Jr 23:27).   "Yahweh (Jehovah) is the name that indicates the God of the Hebrews.   Where the Philistines worshipped Dagon, the Egyptians, Amon, and the Ammonites, Milcom, the Hebrews worshipped YAHWEH (Jehovah).   The title 'god' (elohim) is ALSO applied to false deities in the Scriptures as well as Yahweh (Jehovah), hence is NOT a term by which one can be distinguished from the others.    When the voice said, 'I am Yahweh (Jehovah),' there was no doubt in any listener's mind as to the identity of the speaker.   He was the God of the Hebrews.   So far as is known, no other peoples called their god by this name."   - Review and Herald, December 16, 1971

"In the Scriptures there is the closest possible relationship between a person and his name, the two being practically equivalent, so that to remove the name is to extinguish the person. (Num. 27:4; Deut. 7:24).   

To forget God's name is to depart from Him."  -Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p. 571 (1964)[source -http://www.xanga.com/item.aspx?user=RemovingGodsName&tab=weblogs&uid=329800252 ]

[[Special notes and sources of additional information:
"non-superstitious Jewish translators always favored the name Jehovah in their translations of the Bible.  On the other hand one can note that there is NO Jewish translation of the Bible with Yahweh."   To go more indepth on this, check out the works of Dr. Gerard Gertoux, one of the greatest living Hebrew scholars, and President of the French Bible Society. (Association Biblique de Recherche d'Anciens Manuscrits).  He has written several books on the subject.   For a quick abstract of his latest book, go to,

On the Name of the True God of Abraham [By Gérard Gertoux, President of the French Bible Society] at,

http://religioustruths.proboards59.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=only&thread=1163271234&page=1]]

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION – BOTH TRUE AND FALSE – AT   WWW.JW.ORG

HERE IS VOL 635B  –  COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OBADIAH,  [2]  GOD'S ESSENCE CAN NOT CHANGE - TRINITY IMPOSSIBLE:

ALSO, VIDEO ON NATURE’S ENERGY MANAGEMENT, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER:
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/science/was-it-designed/Natures-Energy-Management%E2%80%8B-Was-It-Designed/


COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    GOD'S ESSENCE CAN NOT CHANGE - TRINITY IMPOSSIBLE:

[1]       SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [635B]

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.  6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.   Philippians 4:5 – 6, [authorized King James Bible; AV]

James, the brother of Jesus (Yeshua) wrote under inspiration at James 3:17, [AV] “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”  And as stated at James 5:8, [AV] “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”  Jesus (Yeshua) said to his disciples at Luke 12:22, [AV] “And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.”  Yes, if we lack wisdom, it is stated at James 1:5, [AV] “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”  Truly, per Psalms 145:18, [AV] “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”

VIEW A VIDEO ON AN INTRODUCTION TO OBADIAH, CLICK OR POST IN BROWSER:
https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/obadiah-introduction/   


[2]       GOD'S ESSENCE CAN NOT CHANGE - TRINITY IMPOSSIBLE:

INTRODUCTION:

The true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, has always existed, he had no beginning and will have no end. For untold eons he existed all alone until he started to create. When he started to create, his first creation was another spirit being, that we now call Jesus (Yeshua), and then the two of them created everything else that now exist - the angels, the universe, the earth, mankind, etc. Jesus (Yeshua) was not a co-creator, but his Father's, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, master worker, as shown at Proverbs 8:22-31, "Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth; 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep, 28 When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong, 29 When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth 30 Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him, 31 Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men. ;" (American Standard Version; ASV); and that Jesus (Yeshua) is the first of creation is shown at Revelation 3:14, "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:" (ASV).

TRUTH OF GOD'S (YHWH) ESSENCE DENIED BY MANY:

Many today deny the true essence of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, and try and make him into a "three-in-one-god" composed of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael; creator of all there is, his only begotten Son, Jesus (Yeshua); and the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael's, creator of all there is, active force or Holy Spirit. But this is just a lie spread by the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael's, creator of all there is, arch enemy, Satan the Devil, per 2 Corinthians 4:4, "in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them." (ASV).

Now let's look at each part of this lie spread by Satan the Devil using human stogies.

First, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, has always existed and had no beginning and the Bible speaks of his at Revelation 21:5-7 as the Alpha and Omega, "And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true. 6 And he said unto me, They are come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." (ASV).

This scripture causes confusion for some who are attempting to justify false doctrine of various creeds. They do not fully comprehend that Alpha is the first letter of the Koine Greek alphabet and that Omega is the last letter of the Koine Greek alphabet and take this to be a title for Jesus (Yeshua) which the verse in context clearly shows that it is not. In reality, the person referring to himself as the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, in Revelation 21:6 is the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, the Father, of Jesus (Yeshua). How so?

Verse 7 clearly says, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." (Authorized King James Bible; AV); and Revelation 21:3-5 clearly show that the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, is being referred to as follows, "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." (AV).

Matthew Poole, said,
<<<" Ver. 6. And he said unto me, It is done; the world is at an end, and all my threatenings against my enemies, and promises to my people, are now fulfilled, in the eternal d**nation of the one, and deliverance and salvation of the other.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end: I first made the world, and I have put a period to it. I first gave out those promises and threatenings, and I have now fulfilled them.

I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely; and my people who have thirsted after my righteousness and salvation, now have it freely, and shall drink, and drink abundantly." [source - Matthew Poole's Commentary]>>>.

The fact of who is being spoken of in Verse 6 is highlighted by what Jesus (Yeshua) said at Matthew 4:9-10, "And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (AV), and Jesus (Yeshua) testifies to the fact that he was sent by his Father, the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, at John 17:17-21, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (AV). Clearly showing that he was sent by his Father and spoke his words to the people. This fact being made certain at Hebrews 11:3, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (AV); and Ephesians 6:17, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" (AV).

And a reference Bible dictionary says, <<<"
*** it-1 80-1 Alpha and Omega ***
These are the names of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and are used as a title three times in the book of Revelation. The additional occurrence of this phrase in the King James rendering of Revelation 1:11, however, does not receive support from some of the oldest Greek manuscripts, including the Alexandrine, Sinaitic, and Codex Ephraemi rescriptus. It is, therefore, omitted in many modern translations.

While many commentators apply this title both to God and to Christ, a more careful examination of its use restricts its application to Jehovah God. The first verse of Revelation shows that the revelation was given originally by God and through Jesus Christ, hence the one speaking (through an angelic representative) at times is God himself, and at other times it is Christ Jesus. (Re 22:8) Thus Revelation 1:8 (RS) says: "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God ["Jehovah God," NW], who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Although the preceding verse speaks of Christ Jesus, it is clear that in verse 8 the application of the title is to "the Almighty" God. In this regard Barnes' Notes on the New Testament (1974) observes: "It cannot be absolutely certain that the writer meant to refer to the Lord Jesus specifically here . . . There is no real incongruity in supposing, also, that the writer here meant to refer to God as such."
The title occurs again at Revelation 21:6, and the following verse identifies the speaker by saying: "Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I shall be his God and he will be my son." Inasmuch as Jesus referred to those who are joint heirs with him in his Kingdom as "brothers," not "sons," the speaker must be Jesus' heavenly Father, Jehovah God.-Mt 25:40; compare Heb 2:10-12...

The title "the Alpha and the Omega" carries the same thought as "the first and the last" and "the beginning and the end" when these terms are used with reference to Jehovah. Before him there was no Almighty God, and there will be none after him. He will bring to a successful conclusion the issue over Godship, forever vindicated as the one and only Almighty God.-Compare Isa 44:6." [source - Insight on the Scriptures, Vol. I]>>>

Second, Now Jesus (Yeshua) is the first of the creative works of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, and therefore is called his only begotten Son. Why is Jesus (Yeshua) called the only begotten Son of God (YHWH) when in reality there are many sons of God (YHWH)? John 1:14 states, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth." (ASV); And at John 3:16-18, " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. 18 He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." (ASV); And at 1 John 4:9, "Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him." (ASV); now this does not mean that the other created spirit beings were not also God's (YHWH's) sons, as they are also called sons as affirmed at Genesis 6:2, "that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose." (ASV); And at job 1:6, "Now it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan also came among them" (ASV); And at Job 38:4-7, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. 5 Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof, 7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (ASV); And at Job 2:1, "Again it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah." (ASV). So what makes Jesus (Yeshua) unique?

He is unique by virtue of his being the only direct creation by Almighty God (YHWH), thus making him different from all others of God's (YHWH's) sons, allof whom were created or begotten by god (YHWH) through that firstborn Son, Jesus (Yeshua). Therefore, Jesus was God's (YHWH) 'only-begotten Son' in a very special sense just as Isaac was Abraham's 'only-begotten son' in a special sense even though he already had a son, Ishamel, but not by his wife Sarah as testified to at Hebrews 11:17, "By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten [son];" (ASV); And at Genesis 16:15, "And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bare, Ishmael." (ASV).

Of course some will say begotten does not mean create, but they never quantify what it means. They have to consider the facts which are (1) the Bible says at Revelation 3:14, "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:" (ASV); (2) the meaning of the word create which is "To cause to come into existence; originate" [Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, ISBN #s 0-308-10309-2 and 0-308-10310-6, and most other standard English dictionaries]; (3) That humans create by means of copulation as did Abraham in the creation or begetting of his son, Isaac, as shown in Hebrews 11:17 and Genesis 16:15, quoted previously; whereas, the Bible makes no mention of a Mrs. God (YHWH). Therefore, God (YHWH) creates differently, obviously, from man. He always existed as shown at Psalms 90:2, "Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. " (ASV); And at Psalms 93:2, "Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting." (ASV); and at Job 36:26, "Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable." (ASV); And at 1 Timothy 1:17, "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (ASV). Of course another way of looking at the verb beget is to look at its synonyms and its definition which are (1) To procreate; be the father of. (2) To cause to be; occasion [Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, ISBN #s 0-308-10309-2 and 0-308-10310-6, and most other standard English dictionaries]. Now that makes it clear one of its meanings is to cause to be same as for create. If that is not clear enough for some, let's consider the definition of its synonym as given above, procreate which means by definition (1) To engender or beget (offspring), (2) To originate; produce; and at its ethnology from Latin, [- before + creare to create> ] which leaves no doubt that it means to create as does the other synonym, engender which by definition means (1) To cause to exist; give rise to; produce. (2) beget, (3) To come into being; and its ethnology from Latin [- in + genus, generis race] [Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, ISBN #s 0-308-10309-2 and 0-308-10310-6, and most other standard English dictionaries].

Of course some critics say that having been created makes Jesus (Yeshua) inferior, but the Bible shows the exact opposite at Philippians 2:1-11, "If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, 2 make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 3 [doing] nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; 4 not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. 5 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient [even] unto death, yea, the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; 10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven and [things] on earth and [things] under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (ASV). Obviously all thinking people should believe the Bible and not accept the opinions of man.

Third, With respect to the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael's, creator of all there is, force or power which we call his Holy Spirit and many wrongly believe is a third spirit being, we need to look at the word in ancient Hebrew from which it was translated to get an accurate understanding. Now let's consider just what this Spirit is. Now what is this Spirit or Holy Spirit that John the Baptist mentioned at John 1:32, ""And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost." (AV)? The Holy Spirit is only God's (YHWH's) active force and not even a spirit being or person. This is clearly shown at Pentecost where the Holy Spirit was poured out onto all there, Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (AV). This entire scripture bespeaks of a force and not a being as you do not get filled with a being! And this fact is reaffirmed at Acts 4:31, ""And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." (AV); And 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, "Now he which established us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (AV), surely a being would not be in our hearts as that is ludicrous, thus this scripture talks of God's (YHWH's) active force; This is clearly shown at Luke 11:13, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (AV). Once more, why? Why? Do many say they are coequal and coeternal when clearly they are not and the Holy Ghost is just God's (YHWH's) active force? Only to try to give some resemblance of reality to a myth as we shall later see. An interesting note on the Spirit is that the neuter Greek word for spirit (pneu'ma) is used, the neuter pronoun "it" is properly employed. This fact is conveniently over looked or hidden by most Trinitarian translators as admitted in the "New American Bible Catholic Bible," regarding John 14:17: "The Greek word for 'Spirit' is neuter, and while we use personal pronouns in English ('he,' 'his,' 'him'), most Greek MSS [manuscripts] employ 'it.'" So when the Bible uses masculine personal pronouns in connection with pa·ra'kle·tos at John 16:7, 8, it is conforming to rules of grammar, not expressing a doctrine. And in Ancient Hebrew the word here rendered Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, or Spirit which is translated from 'ru'ach' meaning "breath; wind; spirit." In Latin, it is spiritus, and in Sanskrit, 'prana' which means both "breath" and "spirit"

So it is clear that the Spirit is not a being but is God's (YHWH's) active force which he gives to both his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) and to his followers that he gave to him. This is made even clearer at 1 Corinthians 12:13, "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. And Hebrews 2:4 clearly reveals it as from him, "God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will." (ASV); And affirmed at 2 Peter 1:21, "For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." (ASV). Interestingly many ancient manuscripts with respect part of 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, in part read as follows, "Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic [all important ancient manuscripts] read, "(the Lord God of the) spirits (of the prophets)." The Lord God who with His Spirit inspired their spirits so as to be able to prophesy. There is but one Spirit, but individual prophets, according to the measure given them " Thus it is obvious that the Spirit or Holy Spirit is God's (YHWH's) active force or power which he 'pours' out to his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) and to the faithful followers as necessary to get his will accomplished.

GOD'S (YHWH'S) ESSENCE:

First, let's consider what essence is through use of Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary [ISBN 0-87779349-2].

Essence = (b) the individual, real, or ultimate nature of a thing esp. as opposed to its existence.

Essentially the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, is the Supreme Being that has always existed - had no beginning - and caused all else that now exist to exist. He is the Alpha and Omega as shown by Revelation 21:5-7 as the Alpha and Omega, "And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true. 6 And he said unto me, They are come to pass. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." (ASV).

How so? Let's check an encyclopedia, <<<" Alpha and Omega (Gr. "ôï 'Áëöá êáé ôï Ù") is an appellation of God in the book of Revelation (verses 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13). Its meaning is found in the fact that Alpha(Á) and Omega(Ù) are respectively the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This would be similar to referring to someone in English as "the A to Z". Thus, twice when the title appears it is further clarified with the additional title "the Beginning and the End" (21:6, 22:13).

Revelation 1: 11 in the King James Version says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." This verse clearly proves an undisputed reference to Jesus as the "Alpha and Omega". However, this additional occurrence of this phrase does not receive support from some of the oldest Greek manuscripts, including the Alexandrine, Sinaitic, and Codex Ephraemi rescriptus. It is, therefore, believed to be spurious like the Comma Johanneum and thus is omitted in many modern translations. Scholar Robert Young stated, that the "oldest MSS. omit" it.

Though many commentators and dictionaries apply this title both to God and to Christ such need not be the case. [2] Barnes' Notes on the New Testament (1974) observes: "It cannot be absolutely certain that the writer meant to refer to the Lord Jesus specifically here . . . There is no real incongruity in supposing, also, that the writer here meant to refer to God as such."[[And the evidence in the scriptures support the latter.]][source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]>>>.

However, most Christian denominations teach that it does apply to Jesus and God so as to support their false creedal doctrines, but this is very wrong as it only applies to the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is. Its use with respect to Jesus (Yeshua) or any other is just false doctrine. Why is this done by many creeds? Let's consider Ephesians 2:1-3, "And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins, 2 wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience; 3 among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:--" (ASV) which shows it is because they walk according to the course of this world which James 4:4 warns against, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (AV).

Now should one be surprised by this? No, Trinitarians and other believers in false doctrines have even tried to corrupt the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, the Bible in violation of Revelation 22:18-19, "I, bear witness, unto every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this scroll:--If anyone shall lay aught upon them, God, will lay upon him, the plagues which are written in this scroll; 19 And, if anyone shall take away from the words of this prophetic scroll, God, will take away his part,--from the tree of life, and out of the holy city,--from the things written in this scroll." (Rotherham Bible of 1902; RB) to support their un-scriptual false true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, dishonoring creedal doctrine that came from Satan per 2 Corinthians 4:4, "In whom, the god of this age, hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, to the end they may not discern the radiance of the glad-message of the glory of the Christ--who is the image of God." (RB).

Let's look at an actual well known example of their attempt to corrupt the inspired word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, the Bible, to support their false doctrines and to change the essence of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is. This example is the well known illegitimate addition to the Bible known as the Johanna Comma:


1 John 5:7 and 8

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one (KJV).

1. Some English versions have a shorter rendition of 1 John 5:7 and 8 than the KJV quoted above. The King James Version has words that support the Trinity that most modern versions do not have. How can this be? The reason that there are different translations of this verse is that some Greek texts contain an addition that was not original, and that addition was placed into some English versions, such as the KJV (the words added to some Greek texts are underlined in the quotation above). The note in the NIV Study Bible, which is well known for its ardent belief in the Trinity, says, "The addition is not found in any Greek manuscript or NT translation prior to the 16th century."

Most modern versions are translated from Greek texts without the addition. We will quote the NIV: "For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement." We agree with the textual scholars and conclude from the evidence of the Greek texts that the statement that the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit are "one" was added to the Word of God by men, and thus has no weight of truth.

There are many Trinitarian scholars who freely admit that the Greek text from which the KJV is translated was adjusted in this verse to support the Trinity. The Greek scholar A. T. Robertson, author of the unparalleled work, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in Light of Historical Research, and the multi-volumed Word Pictures in the New Testament, writes:

At this point [1 John 5:7] the Latin Vulgate gives the words in the Textus Receptus, found in no Greek MS. save two late cursives (162 in the Vatican Library of the fifteenth century, [No.] 34 of the sixteenth century in Trinity College, Dublin). Jerome did not have it. Erasmus did not have it in his first edition, but rashly offered to insert it if a single Greek MS. had it, and 34 was produced with the insertion, as if made to order. Some Latin scribe caught up Cyprian's exegesis and wrote it on the margin of his text, and so it got into the Vulgate and finally into the Textus Receptus by the stupidity of Erasmus."42

Robertson shows how this addition entered the text. It was a marginal note. Since all texts were hand-copied, when a scribe, copying a text, accidentally left a word or sentence out of his copy, he would place it in the margin in hopes that the next scribe would copy it back into the text. Unfortunately, scribes occasionally did not make the distinction between what a previous scribe had left out of the last copy and wrote in the margin, and marginal notes that another scribe had written in the margin to help him understand the text. Therefore, some marginal notes got copied into the text as Scripture. Usually these additions are easy to spot because the "new" text will differ from all the other texts. However, there are times when people adore their theology more than the God-breathed original, and they fight for the man-made addition as if it were the original words of God. This has been the case with 1 John 5:7 and 8, and we applaud the honesty of the translators of modern versions who have left it out of their translations.

The famous textual scholar, F. F. Bruce, does not even mention the addition in his commentary on 1 John (The Epistles of John). The International Critical Commentary does not mention it either. The conservative commentator R. C. H. Lenski, in his 12 volume commentary on the New Testament, only mentions that it is proper to leave the addition out. He writes: "The R. V. [Revised Version] is right in not even noting in the margin the interpolation found in the A.V. [KJV]." Henry Alford, author of the The Greek Testament, a Greek New Testament with extensive critical notes and commentary, writes:

...OMITTED BY ALL GREEK MANUSCRIPTS previous to the beginning of the 16th century;

ALL the GREEK FATHERS (even when producing texts in support of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity: as e.g., by [abbreviated names of Church "fathers"] Clem Iren Hipp Dion Ath Did Bas Naz Nys Ephih Caes Chr Procl Andr Damasc (EC Thl Euthym);

ALL THE ANCIENT VERSIONS (including the Vulgate (as it came from Jerome, see below) and (though interpolated in the modern editions, the Syriac;

AND MANY LATIN FATHERS (viz. Novat Hil Lucif Ambr Faustin Leo Jer Aug Hesych Bede) [Emphasis his].43

2. With the spurious addition gone, it is clear that there is no reference to the Trinity in 1 John 5:7 and 8. The context is speaking of believing that Jesus is the Son of God (v. 5 and 10). There are three that testify that Jesus is the Son of God: the spirit that Jesus received at his baptism, the water of his baptism and the blood that he shed.

Scripture says, "We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God which He has given about his Son" (v. 9). This verse is so true! How often people accept man's testimony and believe what men say, but do not believe what God says. We need to accept the testimony of God that He has given about His Son, and agree with the testimony of the spirit, the water and the blood, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Farley, pp. 28-33

Morgridge, pp. 70-87

Sir Isaac Newton, "An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture," reprinted in 1841 (John Green, 121 Newgate Street, London), pp. 1-58.

Norton, pp. 185 and 186

Racovian Catechism, pp. 39-42

Snedeker, pp. 118-120 [source - Bible Unitarians - Scholars]

I hope this gives you the facts and you realize this scripture as given in some Bibles is spurious.">>>.

CONCLUSION:

Speaks for itself the wicked measures that believers in false doctrines and the wrong essence of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, creator of all there is, will go to support their false creedal doctrines. But that is why the Apostle Paul wrote as a warning what he did at 2 Corinthians 4:2-4, "but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them." (ASV).

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