Month: July 2020

Was Jesus crucified in 32 AD or 33 AD? It’s important to know because much of the timeline of eschatology is tied to the date of Jesus’ death. Most Bible scholars believe Jesus died on Friday April 3rd in the year 33AD. However, there are a significant number of historians who believe Jesus died one year earlier in 32 AD. Let’s examine the evidence and see where it leads us. Lets start with the evidence for 33 AD since I’m a believer in this date. Historical records show Jesus died during the priesthood of Caiaphas who served as high priest from 18 AD to 36 AD. According to the Bible and Roman records Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea who had Jesus crucified and he served from 26 AD to 36 AD. Scripture also says the ministry of Jesus was after the 15th year of the rule of the Roman emperor Tiberius Caesar which would be 29 AD.

We’ve narrowed the dates of Jesus’ crucifixion to between 29 AD and 36 AD. Scripture says Jesus was crucified on a Friday morning at 9:00 AM and he died at precisely 3:00 PM with Passover officially starting at sundown Friday, the same day he was crucified. Jewish festivals are based on lunar cycles so the actual start date for festivals varies from year to year. Between the years 29 AD and 36 AD Passover started on a Friday only in 30 AD and 33 AD. 30 AD for the date of Jesus’ death is out because if Jesus started his ministry after 29 AD and it lasted 3 1/2 years then that pushes the date of Jesus’ crucifixion well past 30 AD and even past 32 AD. The only possible date for Jesus’ crucifixion is 33 AD.

What other evidence do we have? Scripture says there was darkness for three hours after Jesus died and there was a great earthquake. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maintains a database of historic earthquakes. From 1 AD to 50 AD only one significant earthquake occurred in Israel and it happened in 33 AD according to five sources. On April 3, 33, five planets aligned to form what looked like Jesus on the cross which occurs once every 333 years. The prophet Joel foretold that when Christ died there would be three hours of darkness and there would be a blood moon. It just so happened that on the day Jesus died there was a partial lunar eclipse that lasted three hours and because it was low on the horizon it made the moon appear red.

What’s also amazing is the prominence of the number 3 in regards to the death of Jesus. The number 3 means completeness, but to a lesser degree than 7. Jesus prayed 3 times in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was placed on the cross at the 3rd hour and died at 3 PM. There was 3 hours of darkness. Jesus was in the earth 3 days and 3 nights. Jesus died on April 3, 33 at age 33. The planetary alignment that day occurs every 333 years. The lunar eclipse lasted 333 minutes and the was 66 (33 X 2) degrees on the horizon. God is precise in everything He does and numbers are significant in God’s economy.

Since we’re going to be talking about end time dates let’s start by explaining the world dating system. BC means “before Christ,” I always assumed AD meant “after Christ” but I was wrong. AD actually stands for the Latin phrase “anno domini,” which means, “in the year of our Lord.” After all, there was a 33 year period after Jesus’ birth and before his death that had to be accounted for. The new BC/AD dating system wasn’t implemented and accepted for several centuries after the death of Jesus. When the dates were first calculated they made a mistake. Scholars later discovered Jesus was actually born around 6-4 BC, not AD 1. To me the numbers still don’t add up. What’s important is the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the turning point in world history. It’s fitting, therefore, that Jesus Christ is the separation point of the “old” and the “new” world.

Philippians 2:10-11 – That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.

One day all the Muslims who shout death to Christians and our God will kneel before Jesus. The Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Scientists, along with all the other cult religions and atheists will also also bend their knees to Jesus. Those in hell and even the demons will bow low before Jesus on the last day. Today there is an assault on Christianity as our increasingly political correct culture is trying to replace the world dating system with BCE and CE to denote “before common era” and “common era.” The new designation is to be devoid of religious connotations so as to not offend other cultures and religions that may not see Jesus as “Lord.” They aren’t fooling anyone. The dating system will still be based on the life and times of Jesus Christ.

Based on the biblical, “Law of Proportion,” we can tell the importance of a subject in Scripture by how much space is devoted to it or how often it’s mentioned in the Bible. One third of the Bible is prophecy so prophecy is important and much of prophecy is about the end times. In the Old Testament there are over 1800 references to the return of Christ which is eight times more than the first coming of Christ is mentioned. In the New Testament there are over 300 references to the Lord’s return. 23 of 27 New Testament books highlight the Second Coming of Christ. Both the proportion and prominence of the prophetic theme in Scripture argue for its importance. Obviously the Second Coming of Christ is the climax of the Bible.

The Bible begins and ends with Israel. We need to understand God’s love and care for His chosen people. Understanding God’s promise to Abraham is the key to understanding the rest of the Bible and the end times. The last 39 chapters of Genesis focuses on Abraham and his family because they are the centerpiece of God’s salvation plan for man. God will reconcile Himself with man through Abraham in what we refer to as the Abrahamic Covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant was a threefold promise from God to Abraham. First, god promised Abraham a land for him and his descendants forever. Today Israel possesses only a small fraction of the land that belongs to them. During the Millennium Israel will finally occupy all the land that is theirs by birthright.

Second, God promised Abraham a seed. Here was a man who was 75 years old and childless. Sarah, his wife, was barren. Through the miraculous birth of his son Isaac Abraham became the father of a great nation whose descendants would be innumerable. Third, God promised Abraham that through him all of the families of the earth will be blessed. This is great news for us Gentiles. God was promising that one of his descendants would be the Savior of the world who would remove the curse of sin and death. This promise was a clear prediction of the coming of Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham through David, through whom we Gentiles are blessed with eternal life through faith in Him as our Lord and Savior. We Gentiles owe a debt of gratitude to the Jewish people through whom we have salvation. Thank God for His love, mercy and grace toward all men.

You’re in mortal danger if you don’t find Jesus Christ and make him the Lord and Savior of your life. You’re also in peril if you choose the wrong Messiah. The Lord Jesus warns us that in the last days, there will be many, “false Christs,” and they will deceive many professing Christians into placing their faith in them.

Matthew 24:3-5- Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age.” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’ and will deceive many.”

Many people think Mormonism is a Christian denomination but it’s not. The “Jesus Christ” of the Mormons is one “god” among many “gods” and the Book of Mormon is not the Word of God. The “Jesus Christ” of the Jehovah Witnesses is Michael the Archangel. Christian Scientists believe “Jesus Christ” is just a Divine Principle. To the Jewish people “Jesus Christ” is a prophet but not their long-awaited Messiah. The Jews are still waiting for the wrong Messiah, not knowing He has already come and gone in the person of Jesus Christ.

The “Jesus Christ” of the Roman Catholic Church has been reduced to a cookie. To Catholics Jesus Christ never died for all our sins and we must keep on paying alms, doing good works and earning merits to get to heaven – beginning with Baptism, to the partaking of the Mass, the Confessional, Penance, and finally culminating in the Extreme Unction. Even with that, the poor penitent must necessarily go to purgatory to pay for his “unpaid sins.” All of these “Jesus Christs” share the same name but they are not the “Jesus Christ” of the Bible. As a result, these religionists and cultists have no salvation.

Roman Catholics have been taught that God and Jesus are too busy and unapproachable to hear our prayers and they should pray to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who will then go petition her Son for an answer to those prayers. Why is this done when the Scriptures clearly say we are to pray directly to the Father in Jesus’ name because He is our Mediator and High Priest in heaven?

Catholics are taught Mary is the divine Queen of Heaven, sinless and a perpetual virgin. Why is this done when the Scriptures clearly say Mary was born in her sin like we all are and had to forgiven just like us. Mary is not the Queen of Heaven and she went on to have several more children with her husband Joseph.

Here are some examples of Catholic traditions which cannot be supported by the Scriptures:

1. Prayers for the dead and the sign of the cross – 310 AD

The dead do not need prayers. If they died in Christ they are in heaven and if not they are in hell and can’t be helped.

2. The Mass – approximately 394 AD

Each time the Catholic Mass is is performed the faithful are led to believe the bread and wine are miraculously turned into the actual body and blood of Christ so, in effect, it is a bloodless sacrifice of Christ for our sins all over again. The real thing didn’t do it. The Bible tells us Christ’s death is a once-for-all event and the Eucharist is in memoriam and not a literal statement.

3. The worship of Mary (approximately 431 AD) and the Immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary (Approximately 1854 AD) have already been discussed.

4. The doctrine of purgatory – approximately 593 AD

The Bible is clear those who die in their sin go directly to hell from which there is no escape and just as clear that forgiveness of sins is free for the asking and no works are needed.

5. Holy Water – approximately 850 AD

This was borrowed from paganism.

6. Confessions to a priest – approximately 1215 AD

The Bible is clear only Jesus is our High Priest and only God can hear and forgive our sins and not some sin-marred human being sitting in a box.

7. Canonization of dead saints – Approximately 995 AD

No human being is worthy of this.

8. Fasting on Fridays and during Lent – approximately 998 AD

Nowhere in the Bible does God mandate this so it of no value to God.

All three persons of the Trinity have always existed as God and all three persons had a part in creation but they differ in their relationship to each other. If the Trinity were compared to a construction company God the Father would represent the owner of the company. Jesus would represent the project superintendent. The Holy Spirit would represent the general contractor who does the actual building work. See: Genesis 1:2, Psalm 104:30, Job 26:13 and 33:4.

The Holy does almost all the heavy lifting for God and is intimately involved in every aspect of God’s salvation plan for man and the governance of God’s creation. The Holy Spirit was the real father of Christ’s body and the Holy Spirit led Jesus his entire life. Before Christ the Holy Spirit was present in the world but not as pervasive as today. The Old Testament documents 16 people who were anointed by the Holy Spirit for various lengths of time. Of those 16 I’m only aware of King David being indwelt by the Holy Spirit all his life.

At Pentecost in 33 AD the Holy Spirit came to earth from the Father permanently to indwell all believers as their helper, guide and comforter during their walk with God. It’s the Holy Spirit who enlightens us to the truth of God’s Word as it’s preached and read. It’s the Holy Spirit who regenerates our spirit, indwells us and seals us as God’s property. It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us the spiritual gifts of God as He sees fit and it’s the Holy Spirit who will take our eternal spirit back to God when we die. It’s the Holy Spirit who convicts the unsaved of their sins and upon their salvation translates them from death to life.

People think it’s the body of Christ, the church, that is holding back the spirit of the antichrist from manifesting itself. That isn’t true. We don’t have the power to do that. It’s the Holy Spirit that acts as a divine dam, holding back and limiting the full power of Satan and of sin. When the rapture removes all believers from the earth and the Holy Spirit along with them, the start of the tribulation won’t be far behind. The end will come come very quickly, like the floodwaters after a dam bursts.

In the Bible God throws light upon the nature and mission of the Holy Spirit by the use of six designated emblems that identify with the Holy Spirit. The repeated use of these metaphors in Scripture visualizes the Holy Spirit in our minds eye to enhance our understanding of who He is.

1. A dove – indicating purity, peace and modesty

John 1:32 – And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.”

See also: Psalms 55:6, Song of Solomon 2:14, 6:9

2. Water – indicating life and cleansing

John 7:38 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Isaiah 44:3 – For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.

3. Oil – indicating light, healing and anointing for service

Luke 4:18 – (Jesus speaking) – The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has appointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

4. A seal – indicating ownership, finished transaction, identification, security, genuineness, value and authority

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Ephesians 4:30 – And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

1 Corinthians 1:22 – Who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

5. Wind – indicating unseen power

John 3:8 – (Jesus speaking) – The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

See also: Acts 2:1-2

6. Fire – indicating presence, approval, protection, gift, judgment and purifying

Hebrews 12:29 – For our God is a consuming fire.

Exodus 13:21 – And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

See also: Acts 2:3, Exodus 3:2, Leviticus 9:24

I know the Holy Spirit is deity because God’s Word says so. Scripture also confirms there is only one God, therefore the Holy Spirit is also God in addition to the Father and the Son. All three persons of the Trinity are equally God and when I see a reference to any one of the three I automatically think, “this is God.”

Genesis 1:2 – The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of god was hovering over the face of the water.

Psalm 139:7-10 – Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

1 Corinthians 2:10-11 – But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

In biblical times names were important, much more so than today. A person’s name back then meant something specific and everyone was aware of that meaning. We see that time and again in the Bible. A lot could be learned about a person just by knowing their name. Names were important to God too because He changed the names of Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah and Jacob to Israel. When we get to heaven God will also give us a new name which we’ll carry throughout eternity. When it come to the Holy Spirt, we can learn much about Him by knowing the various names and titles ascribed to Him.

1. The Spirit of God

1 Corinthians 3:16 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

2. The Spirit of Christ

Romans 8:9 – But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now id anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

3. The eternal Spirit

Hebrews 9:14 – How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Names and titles of the Holy Spirit (cont’d):

4. The Spirit of truth

John 16:13 – (Jesus speaking) – However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

5. The Spirit of grace

Hebrews 10:29 – Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

6. The Spirit of glory

1 Peter 4: 14 – If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of god rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

7. The Spirit of life

Romans 8:2 – For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

8. The Spirit of wisdom and revelation

Ephesians 1:17 – That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.

9. The Helper

John 14:26 – (Jesus speaking) – But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.

10. The Spirit of promise

Acts 1:4 – And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father.

11. The Spirit of adoption

Romans 8:15 – For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

12. The Spirit of holiness

Romans 1:4 – And declare to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

13. The Spirit of faith

2 Corinthians 4:13 – And since we have the same Spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.

Many people look upon the Holy Spirit as the red-headed stepchild of the Trinity, as if He is somehow inferior to the Father and the Son. While the Holy Spirit clearly occupies a place of submission within the Trinity to both the Father and the Son He is nonetheless co-equal, co-eternal and co-divine with the other two persons of the Triune Godhead. All three persons of the Trinity are of the same divine essence but differ in their relationship to each other, by mutual consent.

What cleared up the confusion for me was knowing that whatever the Holy Spirit knows the Father and Son knows and and whatever the Holy Spirit does the Father and Son are in agreement. The persons of the Trinity are always of one mind and one will so when you read in the Bible about any of the three persons of the Triune Godhead just say to yourself, “this is God.” People seem to think the Holy Spirit is some kind of glowing power source that God can switch on or off from heaven. The Holy Spirit has a mind, a will, and a personality which makes Him a person. The following is a list of some of the attributes of the Holy Spirit:

1. He has a mind

Romans 8:27 – And He (Jesus) that searches the heart knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because He (the Holy Spirit) makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

2. He reveals things of God

1 Corinthians 2:10 – But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

3. He has a will

1 Corinthians 12:11 – But one and the same Spirit works all these things (Spiritual gifts), distributing to each one individually as He wills.

4. He forbids – One one of Paul’s missionary trips he and Silas were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach in Asia.

Acts 16:7 – After they (Paul and Silas) had come to Mysia (Asia), they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.

5. He permits

Acts 16:10 – Now after he (Paul) had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

6. He speaks – The Holy Spirit spoke to Philip in the desert, Peter on a housetop, the elders in Antioch, and to each of the seven churches in Asia Minor. Here is one reference:

Acts 8:29 – Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”

The Holy Spirit was directing Philip to witness the gospel to a court official of Queen Candace of Ethiopia so he could return and spread the good news in Africa.

7. He loves

Romans 15:30 – Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me (Paul).

8. He grieves

Ephesians 4:30 – And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

9. He prays

Romans 8:26 – Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

In the New Testament there are 261 passages that refer to the Holy Spirit. He is mentioned 56 times in the Gospels, 7 times in the Book of Acts, 112 time in the Pauline epistles and 36 times in the other New Testament books.