Frequently Asked Questions, part 1

We update studies as the Lord Jesus leads us. You can find the latest update of this study at ChurchAges.net

Is Christmas mentioned in the Bible?

No.  The word “Christmas” is unscriptural. The date 25 December is unscriptural. Jesus said “Pray that your flight is not in winter” because it is so cold. 25 December is midwinter in Israel.

Where does the date 25 December come from?

The pagan Roman emperor Aurelian re-united the Roman empire and in 274 AD celebrated by making 25 December the birthday of the sun god, Sol Invictus. The Unconquerable Sun.

How did 25 December become Christmas day?

Around 350 AD the bishop of Rome copied the pagan sun god birthday on 25 December and called it the birthday of the Son of God Who is Jesus.

Why is 25 December called Christmas?

The Roman church changed the birthday of the sun god to the birthday of the Son of God, and called it Christ’s mass. This became Christmas.

Does the Bible require us to celebrate the birth of Jesus?

No. Only two birthdays are mentioned in the Bible. Herod who killed John the Baptist and Pharaoh who killed a baker on their respective birthdays. Two murderers.

Do we know when the birthday of Jesus is?

No. But it cannot be 25 December as that is midwinter and far too cold for shepherds to be out with their sheep at night. They would freeze to death.

Did the wise men go to the stable when Jesus was born?

No. Matthew 2:11 says they entered a house and saw a young child, not a baby. Mary was present but not Joseph or shepherds.

Is a Christmas tree in the Bible?

Yes. Jeremiah Chapter 10 says it is a heathen custom and we should not learn to copy heathen customs.

Did wise men bring presents to the stable?

No. They took them to a house, not a stable. Jesus was a young child not a baby. Mary was present but not Joseph.

Why did the wise men bring presents for Jesus?

Presents showed Who they thought He was. Gold. God in flesh.  Myrrh. To die. A spice to embalm the dead. Frankinsense. His sacrifice is an acceptable savour (smell) to God.

Is celebrating Christmas on 25 December good?

GALATIANS 4:10   Ye observe days [25^th] and months [December], and times [Christmas time], and years [each year].

I’m afraid of you, lest I have wasted my labour on you.

When was the first Christmas celebration?

Around the year 350 AD  in Rome. It was held as competition for the pagan sun god’s birthday. With time the pagan celebration stopped, but not Christmas.

Is Trinity a word that is in the Bible?

No.  “God the Son” is not in the Bible nor is “God the Holy Ghost”, but “God the Father” is.

No mention of “God the Father” in the Old Testament.

Is Trinity taught in the Bible?

“One God in three Persons”. No.   “Second Person of the Godhead”.  No.  “Father and Son are of the same essence”.  No.  These expressions are from Greek philosophy, not from the Bible.

What is the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit?

Lord Jesus Christ. The Father was above the Jews as Lord (Jehovah). Son was with Jews as Jesus. Holy Spirit is in the church as the anointed One, Christ.

Who is the False prophet?

The Pope. The prophet of a false religion based on man-made religious beliefs using unscriptural ideas like cardinals, archbishops, mass, extreme unction, idols, purgatory, Christmas, Trinity, forbidding priests to marry.

Who is the beast?

The powerful spirit behind the rising Roman Catholic church that enforces conformity to organized denominational religion and silences dissent, and makes humans hero worship, glorify, and follow a human leader.

Who is the antichrist?

The spirits of deception that deny Scripture by adding or removing from the Bible. That change and contradict the Bible. That oppose Scripture by rejecting and silencing Bible believers.

How does the antichrist operate today?

The spirit that elevates a holy man above the congregation to enslave us by enforcing uniformity and thus pull us back to the pit of paganism that we escaped from.

Who is the little horn of Daniel Chapter 7?

A horn means power. The smallest power is the Vatican City state. Ten barbarian tribes that helped break up the Roman empire also helped the Roman Church to rise to power.

Who is the little horn of Daniel Chapter 8?

The Vatican. The Babylon Pontiff fled to Pergamos which became an empire under the Greeks. Then finally to pagan Rome. The Pope took over as Pontiff from the Roman emperor.

What is the evidence of the Holy Ghost baptism?

JOHN 16:13   Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:

Understanding the Bible is the sign that God is in us.

What was the key that Jesus gave to Peter to open the door to Heaven?

ACTS 2:38   Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

What was Peter to close when Jesus gave him the keys to Heaven?

The water baptism of John the Baptist. That was no longer valid after Jesus had died and risen from the dead.

What makes Christian worship meaningless?

MATTHEW 15:9   But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Listening to the opinions, beliefs, and traditions of human church leaders.

How do I know that I love God?

JOHN 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Loving God is not based on emotions, which at best are a dangerous guide, but on full subjection to His Scripture.

How do we know that God loves us?

REVELATION 3:19   As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Ours is an evil age. We have much to learn. Much to repent of.

Who is the beast with seven heads?

The Roman Catholic church has its official headquarters in the Lateran palace, which is the seat of the Pope, on the Caelian hill, one of the seven hills of Rome.

Which head was wounded to death?

The Capitoline hill was the centre of the Roman empire where laws were passed. The barbarian Odoacer deposed the Roman emperor and ended the power of the Roman empire.

How did the deadly wound recover?

The Capitoline hill lost power as the Roman empire disintegrated. The official Lateran palace of the Pope on the Caelian hill then grew into a universal church and money power.

the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Who is this?

The succession of popes. The longest line of rulers in the world. “was” there was a pope. “is not”  he dies.  “yet is”   a new pope elected as beast’s figurehead.

What do the seven heads on the beast represent?

The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.  A woman represents  a church. Rome, originally built on seven hills, is dominated by the Roman Catholic church.

REVELATION 17:10    And there are seven kings: five are fallen,    Who were these?

Julius Caesar was Dictator of Rome and the Babylonian Pontiff or high priest.  His family formed the first emperors. Augustus. Tiberius. Caligula. Claudius. The emperor was always Pontiff.

REVELATION 17:10    One is.  Who was this?

Nero. The cruelest Roman emperor and Babylonian Pontiff. He burnt Rome and blamed the Christians and killed them. He died in 68 AD. John was on Patmos until 68 AD.

REVELATION 17:10    “and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space”.  Who was this?

Galba. A general from Spain who claimed to be emperor. He replaced Nero thus ending the line of emperors descended from Julius Caesar. He was killed after seven months.

REVELATION 17:11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven. Who is this?

The succession of popes. Eight represents a new system. The Roman church is of the same nature as the first seven Roman empire rulers. They persecuted Christians, calling themselves Pontiff.

REVELATION 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet.  Who are these?

Ten end-time rulers will arise and give their nations' military power to the final Pope so that he can rule the world. These nations didn’t  yet exist in John’s day.

REVELATION 17:12  but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.  What does this mean?

Power “as” kings. They are not crowned but have a king’s total power. They are dictators. They arise briefly during the Tribulation to give the final pope his military power.

What does the  water of the sea represent?

The waters which thou sawest, … are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. The sea represents the restless masses of people swept up by current human opinions.

What does a woman represent?

A church.  Paul said, “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ”. The true church is the bride of Christ.

What do children represent?

The final church that turns back to believing like the first church of the apostolic fathers.

MALACHI 4:6   he shall turn …… the heart of the children to their fathers.

How long did God take to create the world?

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  No time is given for this initial creation out of nothing. God could have taken billions of years.

Did God create the earth in six days?

No.  EXODUS 20:11  in six days the LORD made heaven and earth. God first created from nothing, then spent six days making the earth and sky fit to sustain life.

How do I get saved?

ACTS 2:38   Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. This opens Heaven’s door.

Why do we read the Bible so seldom?

The Bible reveals our ignorance and our limits. We fear discovering how blind we are to so much written Scripture. We recoil and evade to  justify our lack of interest.

Why must we read the Bible?

Truth is an endless search. As we climb higher on Jacob’s ladder we also enlarge the horizon of our ignorance. We must  punch through to the next level of reality.

What is church history?

A divine start by the early church, then failings and folly in the Dark Ages. Then a slow Reformation to try to get back to the original New Testament church.

Did God only make sunlight on day four?

No. God created the sun in verse one. The earth was covered in water. Evaporation formed dark clouds. God’s spoken Word dispersed the clouds. Earth received sunlight on day one.

Does the Bible say God only made the sun on the fourth day?

No. God created the sun in verse 1.  On day four God made the sun rule the day by putting the earth in its proper place relative to the sun.

How long is  a day of God?

II PETER 3:8   But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

When is the Lord’s day?

The Tribulation time.

ISAIAH 13:6   Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

How is man in the image of God?

God is a Spirit. An infinite Spirit. In Genesis Chapter one, God created Adam from nothing as a small spirit, just like God’s.  His body was formed later from dust.

What was original sin?  Did Eve eat a literal fruit?

No.  God punished her in childbirth and said He would multiply her conception.  Eve had become pregnant.

What was the tree of life?

The Spirit of Christ. If Adam ate of the tree he would live as a sinner forever. The only One Who can give a person eternal life is Jesus Christ.

What was the tree of knowledge of good and evil?

Satan’s spirit introduced sex which results in death within a thousand years.  This kind of life is sinful, partly good and partly evil. God wanted a virgin birth.

Who were the cherubims in the garden of Eden?

Special angels that stand around God like bodyguards.

II KINGS 19:15    And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims

Was the serpent a snake?

No. He was the most subtle beast. A beast is a mammal not a reptile. He was the top mammal somewhere between ape and man. He could speak and reason.

Did Satan make the serpent speak?

No. Nowhere in the Bible does Satan ever make an animal speak. Demons went into pigs at Gedara but they never spoke. The serpent was the top beast or mammal. He could speak.

What happened when God cursed the serpent?

The serpent was a mammal, above the apes, but was turned into a snake which is a reptile.

GENESIS 3:14   thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast.

Is Jesus “God the Son”?

No. “God the Son” is unscriptural. God is a Spirit, not flesh and blood. The fullness of God dwelled in Jesus. Thus the Man Jesus is the “Son of God”.

Is Jesus the second Person in the Trinity Godhead?

No.  Jesus is not in the Godhead, the Godhead is in Jesus.

COLOSSIANS 2:9   For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

How can sin be washed away?

By the Blood of Jesus Christ, shed for us on the cross.

REVELATION 1:5   Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.

What does the Passover feast of the Jews represent?

This represents Calvary where Jesus was killed as the Passover Lamb to atone for our sins.

What does the seven-day feast of unleavened bread represent?

No leaven means no rottenness. This represents the Holy Spirit inspiring the Christians throughout the seven church ages. Christ in His church.

What did the waving of the firstfruits represent?

It was waved on the tomorrow after the Saturday Sabbath, which was Sunday. On Sunday morning Jesus waved goodbye to death in the resurrection. He started a new Gospel movement.

What did the feast of Pentecost represent?

The day after the Saturday Sabbath is Sunday. The Holy Ghost fell on the disciples in the upper room. The New Testament church started that would survive two thousand years.

What did the feast of the Trumpets represent?

NUMBERS 10:2   Make thee two trumpets of silver….. for the calling of the assembly,

Two prophets in the Tribulation will call the Jews together to accept Jesus as their Saviour.

What did the day of Atonement represent?

Jesus leaves His Bride in Heaven and goes down to Israel to meet the one hundred and forty four thousand Jews. They mourn when they see His nail marks.

What did the feast of the Tabernacles represent?

In the thousand years of peace the Jews will build houses and dwell in peace in their land.

EZEKIEL 28:26   And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses,

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the four metals represent?

The heart of darkness that drives all empires. Ruthless exploitation by organizational despots. Centralized power that offers you death or a comfortable life in subjugation.

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the head of gold represent?

Pagan kingdom of Babylon. They were brilliant thinkers. We still believe their Trinity and Christmas tree. They invented the horoscope – your stars foretell. Golden ideas that still dominate our thinking.

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the arms and chest of silver represent?

The Medes and Persians stretched out as the first world-wide ruthless empire. Their silver-tongued religious eloquence claimed that their brutal authority was for the welfare of their passive subjects.

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the belly and thighs of brass represent?

The Greeks. Brass represents judgement. Sex was original sin. They had temple prostitutes and stressed nudity. They brilliantly defended error, but lacked morality. They tried to interbreed with Persian women.

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the solid legs of iron represent?

The pagan Roman empire split into the western Roman empire and the eastern Greek speaking Roman  empire. Iron represented their brute force as they crushed opposition. Merciless, greedy, and arrogant.

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the feet represent?

The seven church ages.  The ongoing clash between church denominations that force conformity to man-made doctrines, which inspires them to oppose the true church that believes the written  Bible.

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the bits of  iron in the feet represent?

The solid iron of pagan Rome was destroyed by the barbarian tribes. Out of these ruins arose the Roman Catholic church which is represented by the bits of iron in the feet.

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the clay in the feet represent?

The Bride of Christ. Also called the wise virgins or the true church. The genuine believers in each church age. Miry clay is wet and can be moulded by Scripture.

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the ten toes in the feet represent?

Ten end-time dictators who give their military power to the final Pope so that he can keep the whole world in subjection to his financial bondage and religious denominational deception.

The Gentile image in the Book of Daniel. What did the two big toes in the feet represent?

United Nations, 1960. Russian president Khrushchev (“clay” in Russian) holds shoe (putting emphasis on feet) and condemns American lackeys. Eisen means iron. American president Eisenhower. No agreement between two superpowers.

What does foot washing represent?

Christians are washed in the water of the Word by spreading the Gospel. Miry clay (Christ’s  Bride) is wet and can be moulded by God. Iron is unaffected by water.

What does a seed represent?

The Word of God.     LUKE 8:11   The seed is the word of God.

What does a garden represent?

The human soul.     JEREMIAH 31:12   and their soul shall be as a watered garden

What does water represent?

Bible doctrine and the Holy Spirit.

EPHESIANS 5:26   washing of water by the word

JOHN 7:38   shall flow rivers of living water…….. But this spake he of the Spirit

What does milk represent?

Basic Bible truths.  HEBREWS 5:12  ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of ….. God; and are become such as have need of milk

What does meat represent?

Deep Bible doctrines.

HEBREWS 5:14   strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age,  who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.