Q.Why do people condemn drinking wine and strong drink when it is allowed in the Bible?

A This is a good question and it is usually based on a misunderstanding of several verses which seemingly contradict one another but really don't. Just considering the negative verses without looking into what the Scriptures say as a whole, including the context, can lead to the wrong conclusion. What has happened in the last 100 years in this country has shaped what many believe about alcohol. There was a movement at one time that believed that alcohol should be eliminated from American society and proponents of this view enlisted and were even led by religious leaders. They proceeded to find many verses in the Bible that spoke of alcohol in a negative way, trying to convince voters that alcohol was evil and should be outlawed. This resulted in what was called Prohibition. Well, after a few years, this didn't work and Prohibition was voted down. But, these ministers taught younger ministers, who taught other ministers and there are those today who maintain the same mindset as the prohibitionists. They clearly teach that drinking wine or strong drink is sin, but by doing that they have a problem because Yeshua clearly drank wine and even made wine at a wedding, and it wasn't grape juice. The headwaiter tasted it and said it was the best wine. He knew the difference between grape juice and wine, and if Yeshua had made grape juice he would have really complained. These teachers fall into the category of forbidding things permitted to be eaten (1 Tim 4.1-5). The problem is while condemning drinking as sin, they have to get around the fact that Yeshua drank, so they say He drank grape juice, which isn't true. He was accused of "eating (gluttony) and drinking (drunkenness)" and they said he had a demon. People today try to do the same thing. Wine was used for medicinal purposes (Parable of the Good Samaritan) and Paul's advice to Timothy. In Deut 14.26 it says to sell your tithe and buy "strong drink". The word for "strong (chazak) drink (shekar)" means an intoxicant. Now, God would not have commanded something if it was sin. Water, as an example, has many negative connotations in the Bible, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't drink it or use it. You can say the same thing about fire, or just about anything. There is a difference between eating and gluttony just as there is between drinking and drunkenness, which is always destructive. Paul said not to get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. He didn't say to avoid wine altogether. Aside from love, mercy, kindness and justice, one should use moderation in all things. A person should know what their limitations, faults and weaknesses are and act accordingly in good conscience before the Lord. If a particular behavior does not violate righteous behavior, harm your health or violate civil law, then it is most likely acceptable.

Q. What is the Abomination of Desolation and what does it look like?

A. The Abomination of Desolation is an idol that will be placed in the Holy Place of the coming 3rd Temple in Jerusalem. In Hebrew it is called the “Shikutz Somem” and it means “the idol that causes horror.” It will be an image of the false messiah, and it will be standing next to another image, probably of Mary. It is my opinion that this idol will be a crucifix. Now, for those who don’t know, a crucifix is a cross with a man hanging on it, not the sign or symbol of a cross. Let me explain. The Scriptures are full of pictures and types of the false messiah and this image is described in several areas. In Isaiah chapters 40-46, an idol is being described there. In short, it is an image of a man, it’s nailed to a tree, it can be placed in a house, worn around the neck and carried on the shoulder. It is very descriptive of what the Bible calls an “asherim” (masculine plural in Hebrew) and these are forbidden. Portions of Isaiah 40-46 were used in a Jewish prayer called the Oleynu and during the 1500’s the Catholic church forbade the Jews from using those portions from Isaiah in that prayer because they saw it as an attack on the Crucifix. Documentation for this can be found in the Hertz Authorized Prayer Book, under the commentary for the Oleynu prayer. The Catholic Church saw this portion of Isaiah as describing a crucifix, so it isn’t my opinion alone. That has been around for nearly 500 years. This brings us up to the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud is reported to be the burial cloth of Yeshua but it really isn’t and it can be disproved scripturally in many different ways, but that is another article. I believe that God allowed this as a sign and a wonder (Deut 13.1-5) and a satanic counterfeit in order to deceive people (2 Thes 2.11) into accepting the false messiah eventually. It is a documented fact that Antiochus Epiphanes tried to get Israel to accept Greek gods, resulting in the Maccabean revolt around 160 years before Yeshua. Commentaries will tell you that Antiochus made images of himself as Zeus Kyrios and placed them everywhere. Some of these statues exist today. Well, a statue of Zeus was examined by a Dr Wanger of Duke University several years ago and it was dated to the 1st century. He was trying to say that the Shroud was used a model for the face on the statue, thus proving the Shroud was 1st century, thus giving further proof that the image was Yeshua. He said that the statue of Zeus had nearly 70 points of similarity and congruence with the Shroud, thus it was an exact image. The face on the Shroud is the face on the statue of Zeus. But there is another way of looking at this. The statue is the face of Antiochus Epiphanies, who the Bible uses as an example of the false messiah in the book of Daniel, and the Shroud, being the exact image of the statue, is the image of Antiochus, not Yeshua. And, the Shroud has been used for centuries to influence paintings of Yeshua in art and even movies to this day. By doing this, people have been led to believe that Yeshua looked like that. 2 Thes 2. 3-12 warns us about a great delusion that is coming about the false messiah in the last days, and this is part of it. It is this Shroud that influences the image on the crucifix, which I believe is the Abomination of Desolation. I think that this image will be placed in the coming Temple by the false prophet, who will be the reigning Pope during the Tribulation. The false messiah may very well resemble the face on the Shroud, thus “proving” he is “Jesus”. I believe that the Abomination of Desolation will be placed in the Temple alongside a statue of Mary. This has been done before by King Manasseh of Israel. In 2 Chr 33 he places a female “asherah” (feminine plural in Hebrew) in the Temple. We already know that the Abomination of Desolation is an “asherim” (masculine) but here he places a feminine statue. I believe that it is possible that when the Pope places a crucifix in the Temple, he will also put a statue of Mary next to it, the Queen of heaven. If one thinks about this, this happens right now. Wherever the Pope goes there are crucifixes and Mary statues everywhere, and nobody even notices. When the false messiah and false prophet stop the Temple services during the Tribulation, and they will, if they placed a crucifix and a statue of Mary next to each other in the Holy Place, most people will not be surprised, and that’s the point. Many people have already accepted these idols, but not everybody. When this is taught in our congregation, there are handouts and visuals to all this to document this, and there is so much more detail, but hopefully this gives you some idea about this very important prophetic concept and will stimulate you into finding out more about it through the Internet and other sources.

Q. What does the term “arm of the Lord” mean?

A In Hebrew the term is “zeroah adonai” and in the peshat (literal) level it means the “power of the Lord” but in the sowd (hidden)level it is a metaphor for the Messiah in creation, judgment and salvation. When the Lord did something “with a strong hand” (yad) or “outstretched arm” (zeroah) it intimates that He did it through the Messiah. The metaphor came from the fact that one carries out a task with his arm (zeroah) or his hand (yad). So, at Passover an unbroken shank bone of a lamb is used called the “zeroah adonai” and it takes the place of a lamb. It symbolizes the unbroken bones of Messiah, the Lamb of God, whose blood delivered us from bondage, ratified the New Covenant, where we become a new creation, pass from judgment and experience salvation, all by the power of God. 

Some very important events have happened in the world in the last few weeks so I would like to give a prophetic update. The United States has a reputation for duplicitous behavior and what is going on “above board” is not what is really going on “under the table” so to speak. It is good to look at events from a prophetic mindset to gain some insight into just how real events fit into that scenario. God uses countries to fulfill His will. No head of state really runs the country, the Lord does. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s. So when looking at world events and political decisions, keep in mind that it always serves the purposes of Heaven. This is no exception. The United States has a fear of the Soviet Union. In the 40’s and 50’s it was very strong. America needed an ally in the Middle East and Israel was formed and supported to further the ideology of this country. We needed a democratic state in the Middle East. This helped in the Cold War. The aftermath of World War II gave an emotional response due to the holocaust and the desire for a Jewish homeland. Political factors dictated that we have a friendly ally in the region with a warm water port, and where our Navy had access. We also have economic reasons for supporting Israel also because it helps protect the oil resources. We have always “controlled” Israel to a point and this is no different. We need to have this area in peace because chaos brings instability. Now, we are forcing Israel into another corner, like we always do, for our own reasons. The Obama Administration is backing a plan to build a coalition with Arabs, the UN, Europe and Russia for Israel to surrender Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Israel will be left out of the planning, of course. There are many complicated issues as to why we would do this, but it comes down to control and a Palestinian State. This all fits into Bible prophecy, in that, Russia will gain a foothold leading to their eventual invasion during the Tribulation, the False Messiah will come out of Europe to back a security agreement, and the United States will be attacked by Russia and eliminated several days before the tribulation even begins. All these are by God’s doing because He is the hidden hand behind world politics. By forming a Palestinian state, Arabs will have a right to return. By accepting millions of so-called Palestinian exiles, Israel will cease to be a Jewish State, have enemies inside her border and will have no ability to defend herself from attack. The problem with this is the Arabs don’t want it because there already is an agreement going back to 2002 and the Arab League doesn’t feel that the one being proposed is better, but the Obama Administration doesn’t care, the Arabs and Palestinians are only pawns in the real game and Israel is the obstacle to “peace”. Israel understands what is going on and sent President Peres ahead of Prime Minister Netanyahu to “ smooth out the waters” before the hawkish Netanyahu arrived. Israel has to be made a scapegoat to please the Arabs and militant Islam. The United States is trying to blame Israel for Iran’s nuclear program. By refusing a Palestinian state, other Arabs are supporting Iran against Israel. When people are moved by ideology, facts become irrelevant and this applies to the Arabs and the United States and the growing coalition. Regardless of what Netanyahu says, he can expect no sympathy. The fix is in. Israel should no longer consider the United States when making decisions about their own national security. Additionally, it would be very hard to attack Iran because Israeli planes would have to attack over Iraqi and Saudi Arabian airspace and that would not be allowed by the United States. So Israel has a problem. Either way, they lose. But, God is in control of the situation and this is what is called a “catalytic” event that will shape world events into the prophetic scenario as predicted by the Prophets. The demonic spirit behind Arafat just moves to other Palestinian leaders, and that goes for the spirit behind Saddam. Once he died, it moved to Iran. Which leads me to conclude that the real reason behind the current move towards peace among the participating nations is really an attempt by Satan to hinder prophecy from being fulfilled, in other words, he is trying to buy time. He knows what prophecy says about war in the Middle East and he is trying to keep that from happening, and God allows him to influence the leaders there for a time. But, while they are crying out for “peace and safety”, God will put hooks into their jaws and bring the nations to where He wants them regardless of their attempts to do otherwise and use this to usher in the Tribulation period. And the United States is being prepared for a fall due to our rejection of the Lord, our declining moral and religious values, abortion and for being a treacherous dealer, not only in foreign dealings, but also domestic. For instance, the federal government is taking control of private businesses and banks. The government knows that retirement systems, CD’s, 401-K’s and everything else is an untapped resource for the government to get their hands on. By taking control of the banks, they can tell the banks what to do. They will then tell the banks to release the money to the government, leave an I.O.U and use it to finance the debt, but have other reasons for it, leaving Americans with nothing. Control the money, you control the people. So, the things that are happening in the world are setting up prophecy. But, it also is a time when people will not rely on the world and will begin to seek the Lord. He uses the things of this world to bring around His ultimate purpose. This brings us to the recent visit to the Holy Land by the Pope. He wants the Vatican to control the Holy sites. This puts pressure on Israel to make concessions because if the Catholic Church can make these sites safe, then millions of Catholics and Christians will travel to Israel and tourism will help the Israeli economy. Tourism is an important part of the Israeli economy so they welcome the Pope and hope his influence will help in the long run. But, all this is doing is paving the way for the influence of the coming false prophet. 

Q. In Revelation 17.9 it talks about the seven heads are seven mountains. What is this referring to?

A. The seven heads and seven mountains mean the same thing. The seven heads are seven kings and the seven mountains are seven kingdoms. Kings were often referred to by their kingdoms and vice versa. In v 10 it says “five have fallen” referring to Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Medo-Persia and Greece, “one is” refers to Rome (the sixth), and the “other has not yet come” refers to a revived Rome( the seventh) in the last days and spoken about by Daniel the prophet. The “he’ in verse 10 is referring to the seventh kingdom. This kingdom will start out with ten kingdoms/kings but three will defect leaving seven. These are the ten toes of the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw in Daniel 2. But, in Rev 17.11 it talks about “the beast”, who is the false messiah, who is also “an eighth” and that means that this final configuration of seven kingdoms will have seven leaders, with the false messiah being the “eighth” or the one who rules over all seven. In Micah 5.5 there is a prophecy about these seven kings/kingdoms. It says that the Assyrian will invade Israel . Now, Assyria is a picture of the coming Russian invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 39-39). It then says “then we (Israel) will raise against him (Gog) seven shepherds (shepherds=kings) and eight leaders of men.” This refers to our passage in Revelation ,in that, there will be seven kingdoms/kings but one is “an eighth”, who is the false messiah ruling over these seven kingdoms/kings. So, Russia will invade Israel between Rosh ha Shana and Yom Kippur the third year of the Tribulation. Europe, led by seven nations with the false messiah (eighth leader of men –Rev 17.9, Micah 5.5)) will be called on to help due to the covenant they made for seven years back in Daniel 9.24-27, but they will be no help. God destroys the Russian army and the false messiah will be given credit for it by the world and lead his seven kingdoms/kings into Israel. Six months later he will declare himself to be God (2 Thes 2). So, this last kingdom is the eighth. But, in addition, the false messiah will also be” the eighth” which means that He will rule over the other seven kings, making him the “eighth” ruler.

Q. What do the 12 stones taken out of the Jordan mean in Joshua 4.5?

A. To get the overall picture, let’s go back to Joshua 3.14-17. Israel is going to cross the Jordan and enter the land. This is symbolic of taking the land spiritually. The Jordan river is a symbol of death. They enter the river at the place where the priests are crossing and they represent the Messiah entering death (Jordan) before us. Now, the waters rose up and rolled back north to a place called Adam, which means “man.” That means sin/physical and spiritual death has been rolled back all the way back to Adam, the first man. Adam is a city near Zarethan, which means “distress.” Now, the Jordan flows down to the Dead Sea, which is symbolic of the Lake of Fire. So, what is being communicated here. There is only one place to cross, one way to enter death safely and that is where Yeshua has crossed (John 14.6, Acts 16.31). Man (Adam, red earth) dwells near distress (Zarethan) and is always close to death (Jordan). One day we will all come to the Jordan and without faith in Messiah, there is no crossing place.

Now with that back-round we come to your question about why did they take 12 stones out of the Jordan. The stones were placed in a heap as a memoral to the later generations, marking the place where Israel crossed over. But, there is a spiritual meaning to this as well. The Jordan symbolizes death, both physical and spiritual. The stones symbolize believers (1Pet 2.5) and raising them out of the Jordan symbolizes our being raised out of death. Now, Gilgal was where they crossed and where these stones were set up. Gilgal eventually was seen as a place of rest to Israel based on Joshua 10.43. It was where the kingdom would be renewed in the time of Saul and David (1 Sam 11.14). Galilee is an allusion to the same concept because of the “gal” in the name but also it was located in the north, which is where God’s throne is located in the Universe (Isaiah 14.13; Psalm 48.2). Gilgal also played a role in the lives of Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2.1, 4.38). So Gilgal became a concept associated with Heaven and the eternal kingdom. As a side note, these stones were possibly referred to in Matt 3.9 where John was preaching along the Jordan. It would make sense for John, who came in the spirit of Elijah, to start preaching and preparing the people for the coming Kingdom of God (Matt 3.2) there because it had become the place to “renew the kingdom.”

The Jews that died in the holocaust , did they or are they going to Heaven?

Q. I had a guest this weekend that I asked this question to and he gave me an answer that really made my heart spin. The question was, "The Jews that died in the holocaust , did they or are they going to Heaven?" His response was "No, they are all in hell because they were not saved in the glory of Jesus." Well this gentleman was a Jew till he was brought to Christ and is now a Baptist minister in the ministry of converting Jews to Jesus. I ask you the same question. What of the many who died in the Holocaust, will they ever see the love of the Father?

A. Let me first begin by saying this is a complicated question that cannot be so easily answered. He has a severe misunderstanding of the Lord and His ways and seems rather judgmental. But, let's take a few things first. You say this gentleman was a Jew, but that is incorrect. He still is a Jew. Israel as a nation (corporately) rejected the Messiah because they did not recognize Him. By the first century they accepted rabbinical interpretations about the Messiah over what the Scriptures had said. So, Yeshua comes along and He didn't look like or act like what they, the Rabbis had said He would look and act like. John 5.39-47 says that if they reject Moses (Scriptures), they will reject Him because he spoke of the Messiah. Now, the answer to any question is always in the question. So, I ask this, what of the many Gentiles that died in the Holocaust, did they or are they going to Heaven? Gentiles who die in unbelief have the same fate as Jews because you must be born from above (John 3) to enter into salvation, to the Jew first (especially, because they were the first to know, and to whom much is given, much is required), then the Gentile. I can tell you right now, if your friend is trying to win Jews to Jesus with his judgmental attitude he won't be very successful. He might convert a few to a denomination or a movement, but is that what the Lord means by "born again?" I think not. There is more to this than his generalized answer. So, let's get to the heart of the matter. 


Israel had a responsibility, a covenantal calling, to follow the Lord and be a witness and a light of understanding to the Gentiles. When they obeyed, they were blessed, when they didn't God got their attention. That calling has not been revoked and will be fulfilled in the Tribulation period. That's why the 2 witnesses will be Jewish, that's why the 144,000 will be Jewish. The Holocaust and all the other problems Israel has encountered over the centuries is a warning to repent, but not just for Israel. Your friend needs to remember things happen to the Jew first (especially, see above) then the Gentiles as the Apostle Paul points out, because they were the first to know the truth and had the Scriptures (Rom 3.1-2). Let's go to Luke 13.1-5 and I'm going to illustrate something. Here, Yeshua gives a warning to repent and will quickly dispel their notion of calamity, a notion your friend and many others seem to share. Yeshua brings up a historical tragedy about some Galileans who were killed while offering sacrifices in the Temple by Pilate, and asks if those Galileans were greater sinners because they were killed than other Galileans who weren't. Yeshua says "No" and then says it was a warning that if they did not repent they would likewise perish. Well, they did not repent and 40 years later millions were killed when Rome came and destroyed the Temple. Then He gives another example of where a tower fell and killed 18 people and asks the same thing, were they greater sinners because they died? He again says "No" and warns them to repent or they would likewise perish. Well, they did not listen and 40 years later not only one tower fell, but many towers fell in the city when Rome destroyed it. The bottom line is, tragedies happen and rather than be judgmental towards the victims we should be examining ourselves and take it as a warning that we need to be right with the Lord and repent of our sins or something worse will happen. Like in the first century, not just a few people died but millions died because they did not recognize what the Lord was doing and saying in these events. What your friend doesn't realize is that more Gentiles died in the Holocaust and World War II than Jews.

The word "holocaust" comes from the Greek "holos" which means "burned" and "kaustos" which means "an offering to a god". The Hebrew words for "burn't offering" is "Korban Olah" and in Greek translations of the Bible Holocaust is used for korban olah. In a way, those that died were wholly consumed by the fire of God's judgment and according to God's purposes as warning to us ,on whom the end of the age has come. 

In conclusion, many, not all, Jews perished in unbelief in the holocaust, and they were forever lost, NOT because they were Jews but because they did not believe in the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. But many Jews perished in the United States at the same time and were lost for the same reason. It's not where or how you perish that determines whether you are lost or not, but it is the condition of your soul with the Lord that determines that. God chooses how your death may happen, but it is not necessarily an indication of our spiritual condition. It's like when you get married. It's not how you get to the wedding that determines whether you are married or not, it's your heart and who's waiting for you when you get there that determines it.The same can be said for many Gentiles who died. Your friend said "they (the Jews) are all in hell" which I take issue with also, he didn't know every person who did there was an unbeliever. He should read some books about many Jewish believers who got caught up in it, as well as Gentiles. Like in the first century, Yeshua warned Jerusalem that the city of Jerusalem would be surrounded by Rome and when they saw that, they were to flee the city. Some did, but many didn't and got caught inside the walls.Well, in the 1930's many saw Germany "surrounding" them and fled to the United States and survived, but millions didn't or couldn't and also got caught within the walls. The Holocaust is awarning for the whole world to repent and come to the God of Israel through his Messiah because a greater holocaust is coming, and the false messiah will make Hitler look like a choir boy. This holocaust will not be centered in Europe, but be worldwide. So I leave your friend with the same admonition. Do you suppose that those that died in the Holocaust were greater sinners than others because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will likewise perish. I hope this helps. Ask your friend to contact me if he wants to talk about this further.

Q. I looked at Col 2.14 and it seems really confusing. Could you comment on it?

  A. Col 2.14 needs to be understood in it's context. Paul is talking about the sins of a believer...that the cross cancelled out our sins, past present and future. Now, "having cancelled out the certificate of debt (sin demands death- Gen 2.17) consisting of decress against us" is referring to the Torah, the condemnation aspect of it. The Torah has a dual nature to it. The first aspect of it is that we are guilty and deserve death and are under condemnation. Once we become a believer, that aspect no longer has power over us but the second aspect comes into play, in that it becomes a way to live, and that's why the first century believers were referred to as "The Way." It is instructional and educational, it reveals the Messiah, prophecy and so much more (Rom 8.1, Gal 3.24-25). Col 2.14 goes on to say "which was "hostile to us" meaning that the Torah is holy, righteous and good but we are corrupt and the Torah goes against our old nature, making God's commandments "hostile." And He has "taken it out of the way" refers to the condemnation/curse part of the Torah NOT the obedience, way to live aspect. The condemnation, the "it", has been taken out of the way by Yeshua's death. In Col 2.15 it says that God made a public display of this. To understand this better, we need to go to Rom 3.25 where Paul says the same thing but with more detail. It says that through the Cross, God made Yeshua a "hilasterion" in Greek. It is where we get the word "hilarious" from. The Hebrew equivelant is "kipporet" which is translated "mercy seat" in English. It refers to the cover of the Ark of the Covenant where the High Priest would sprinkle the blood on Yom Kippur. In other words, the Father looks at us through the kipporet./ hilasterion / mercy seat (Yeshua) and His grace hilariously bursts forth towards us and He is happy to do it because of what Yeshua did, and He see's no condemnation in us because we are 'in Christ." Rom 3.25 goes on to say that He "demonstrated His righteousness because of the forebearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed." The plan of salvation was decided upon before sin ever existed. All of this was decided on and planned for before the world was. A saviour was provided before the first sin was committed and so was the method to recover, which is by His grace, mercy and love, and not by works. What Yeshua was going to do and what the Father was going to do was all decided. Sin demanded death, but having confidence that Yeshua would finish his work, God "passed over" the death penalty for the sins previously committed up to that point. Satan, which means "accusor", had been accusing God of lying and having no integrity because the righteous were not "dying" but were preserved in Sheol in Abraham's Bosom awaiting the Cross. Yeshua's blood and resurrection is the "proof" that God was righteous all along in letting death "pass over" Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and any other person who had faith before the Cross. As a result, Yeshua's death "disarmed the rulers and authorities" which means that the putting away of His flesh by death was a death blow to Satan. Satan's accusations against God and any believer has been silenced for all time. The Lord see's Yeshua as the kipporet before Him, which He looks at/through on our behalf. So, if Yeshua is not condemned, neither are we. So, Colossians 2.14-15 is describing what happened in their salvation process and to help them understand just what happened at the Cross. Colossians 2.16-17 says that as as a result, therefore, let no man outside of the faith judge them in regard to observing the food laws, a biblical festival (Lev 23), new moon or a Sabbath because these are a "shadow" (or picture) of what is to come and will help them understand their salvation more and God's plan for the future in regards to prophecy (1 Thes 5.1-11).

Q. What is the original translation for the word “word” in the New Testament and what does it mean to “spread the word?”

A. The word in Hebrew is “davar” and Greek is “logos” and I won’t get into the mystical meanings of both but it basically means to teach the concepts behind what the word means. Both Testaments are written from a Jewish mindset so that is where I would start to get the meaning of the words being used, and then there are cultural meanings and idioms. To understand the Bible you must study it in its original setting, from a Jewish rather than Gentile mindset, keeping in mind its historical and cultural settings. To “spread the word of God” we must know what God means by the words He used. Anyone can tell me what God said, but not everyone can tell me what He means, there’s a difference.


Q. Some people believe that Islam is the religion of the false messiah that is prophesied in the end times. Can you refute this belief or are they correct?

A. Islam is going to play a role, but it is not the religion of the false messiah. The false messiah will claim to be “Jesus” and try to deceive believers. Yeshua said that if it were possible, the very elect could be deceived, but of course they won’t, which tells me that whatever is being taught will resemble the truth, but it isn’t Islam. No true believer would even be remotely deceived by Islam. It isn’t even close, but if anything, the false messiah would claim to be Mohammed, not Jesus anyway. The religion of the false messiah will be a form of apostate Christianity that promotes idols, Islam hates idols. The false messiah will have an image of himself in the Temple, and sit as God. Islam would not even allow a Temple to stand. There are many more differences. However, I do believe that Islam will be the religion behind the Kings of the East. Islam and Christianity have fought before and they will oppose each other again in the Tribulation.


Q. Should we consider extra-biblical sources as equal to the 66 canonical books of the Bible, or should we trust those who put it together and only consider the books as we have today as Scripture.

A I believe we can trust beyond a reasonable doubt that what have in our Bibles is accurate. There was a certain criteria used when considering these books and you can go and study what those were and God can use anyone to preserve what He wants. One of the biggest areas that differentiates the canonical books from the others is the area of prophecy. Other books, when examined, just don’t measure up and as time goes by more and more prophecy is revealed in the books we have, and the others seem rather amateurish in comparison. I think people need to master the books we have before they worry about all the other books they may feel were “left out” of the Bible, but that’s my opinion.


Q. What does Paul mean when he says that he will be “all things to all men” in 1 Cor 9.22?

A. Paul is teaching the Corinthians how to relate to others who are different. He said he would accommodate customs and practices that did not violate the Torah. He says he will be as “without the Law (Gentile) to those without the Law(Gentile), though not being without the Law himself” meaning he would be like a Gentile but still observe the commandments as they apply (1 Cor 19.21). Paul was not going to compromise truth for the sake of unity either.


Q. What is gossip and how do we handle it?

A. Gossip, by definition, is small talk often involving personal or sensational rumors. We handle it by not listening to it and then spreading it further. Another thing we can do is to verify a story for ourselves. If you hear something, go to the person it is about and find out for yourself, from the person being talked about. But, spreading talk about anyone without verification is gossip, and it doesn’t have to be bad. Sometimes we need to warn others about someone who is damaging others, or is dangerous and Paul warns others to stay away from certain individuals and even names them, but that is totally different then gossip. For the most part, you’ll know it when you see it.


Q. If Jesus fulfilled the feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First fruits and Pentecost, why do we still celebrate them?

A. Well, the main reason is God told us to, and we know first century believers did, and these festivals will be celebrated in the Messianic Kingdom, with Yeshua Himself celebrating them. Another reason is these festivals fulfilled prophecy in the first coming of Yeshua. He was crucified on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, resurrected on First Fruits and sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Now, even the most ignorant of men can see that if these festivals were prophetic of Messiah’s first coming, the remaining 3 fall festivals of the Day of the Awakening shofar blast (Yom Teruah) or Rosh ha Shanah, the day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) will play a major role in prophecy concerning the second coming of Yeshua. The same people who question this also celebrate birthdays, even their own and are often disappointed when people forget. Why celebrate a birthday, after all its fulfilled, right? And anniversaries. You married men who are reading this want to tell your wife that anniversaries will not be celebrated anymore because it has been fulfilled? Well, if we celebrate these things as a remembrance of something significant, how much more should we be celebrating the things of God and what He has done for us in the past.


Q. Are the Bible Codes real, and should we place any validity in the prophecies that are contained in them

A The Codes are real but they are not to be used for telling the future because certain events may seem to be pointing a certain way in the Codes, but it really doesn’t mean that it will play out the way we expect. There is not enough information in them to predict things and you don’t know what to tell the computer to look for to begin with. But, I believe the Codes are a sign for believers. The Codes tell me that there is an infinite mind behind the written words, that our days are determined before there is even one of them (Psalm 139) and this was determined before the world was (Eph 1.4). But, I don’t need them ,either because I can have confidence in the Bible I have today, the books contained in them and the words used in Hebrew and Greek. I can trust what it says. The Bible Codes were not meant to be read that way. God has been explicit enough in what He has written already and the codes were there in the first century but they weren’t needed to see that Yeshua fulfilled prophecy. Yeshua went to the written Law and Prophets, not any Torah code, to prove who He was.