Articles


The Bible, our past and our Future

 

1 People look towards the future with concern, and depending on their possibilities, study, work and do their best to attain security and stability. However, the future is uncertain for the thousands and thousands of people in the world, who have to compete and struggle to better their situation or even, simply manage to feed themselves and their families. And whilst a great part of mankind lives in conditions of poverty, nations assign the largest amount of their resources to the purposes that for reasons of prestige and power, are considered priority.

 

2  The human society is used to insecurity; it is accustomed with illnesses, poverty and injustice; and being conscious of the catastrophes in the various areas of the planet, of terrorism, of constant wars and revolutions in one place or another, and of all kinds of abuses against others and the environment, people generally try to protect themselves from these realities by thinking they don’t have anything to do with their own personal lives. Nevertheless, those who believe in God’s existence could maybe ask themselves if mankind has been left to it’s own fate. Man, who has only a partial and quite confused knowledge of what happened on the earth since it’s beginning, cannot find a proper answer to this question, but God has not left Man unaided, for “…the Eternal Lord does not do anything without revealing his designs to his servants the prophets…” (Amos 3:7) and by means of His revelation, God has provided trustworthy answers, available to all those who look for them and are free from prejudice.

 

3 With this purpose, about three thousand five hundred years ago, a history that took another thousand six hundred years to be concluded, was begun. God himself took part in it’s composition by engraving on slabs of stone the ten basic principles that even after thirty five centuries, make up the essential ethical and moral foundations for a great part of humanity. This register consists on a compilation of sixty six scriptures, recorded by Moses and forty other men, who wrote, as they acknowledged, under the spiritual guidance of God. For this reason, in spite of the different condition of its writers and the long intervals of time elapsed between their writings, their texts are harmonious and complementary, disclosing a common message.

Once put together, these writings were called by the first Christians, ‘Ta Biblia’, which means ‘The Books’, in the sense of fundamental books, and they are today known as The Bible, the book that is the most translated, published and widely distributed in the world.

 

4 In contrast to other religious books considered holy or sacred, the Bible does not only provide a highly constructive moral guidance, it also reveals the progression of God’s purpose for humanity, identifying the events and signs of its development.  From the very beginning, it states that “The universe was formed by the Word of God, hence, what is seen comes from what can not be seen”, (Hebrews 11:3) and reveals the reasons of the ways taken on by humanity, supplying the arguments that support man’s need of redemption and foretelling the arrival of a saviour and the triumph of God’s original purpose for man.

Jesus confirmed the authority of the Scriptures, considering them as divine revelation and quoting them frequently to prove the legitimacy of his assignment.

                                        

5 Due to the promises made by God to Abraham, his descendents became His people and were made custodian of His revelation. In time, the people of Israel became accustomed to the ways and interpretations of their religious guides; this fact created a strong Jewish tradition, not always in harmony with the spirit of the Law and of the texts of the prophets. For this reason Jesus publicly admonished the instructors of Israel, saying “…Isaiah prophesised well about you, you hypocrites; since it is written: (the Eternal says) ‘these people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, yet they worship me in vain, teaching the commandments of men as doctrines. By this you lay aside the commandment of God and you hold the tradition of men you reject the commandment of God so that you may keep your own traditions…” (Mark 7:6..9 quoting Isaiah 29:13) Because of their wrong interpretations, the people of Israel did not recognise Jesus as the Messiah or Christ, even if there are in the Scriptures, hundreds of prophecies depicting the events of the his life, his assignment and the circumstances of his birth and his death. They had been led to expect a warlike Messiah, who would fight against all the other nations, and on gaining victory, would govern over the world from Jerusalem. The genuine anointed Son of God did not fit into their patterns, and so was rejected despite all the powerful signs that God enacted through him.

 

 6 Fearing that sooner or later, religious tradition would also take over the Christian Congregation, the apostle Paul urged the disciples to respect “…the principle of not going any further than what is written, so that no one may feel superior”, (1Corinthians 4:6) and wrote to the Thessalonians “…Always be grateful to God, because you heard His word through us, and did not received it as if it were the word of man, but as what it really is, the Word of God…” (Thessalonians 2:13)

With this in mind, the apostle Peter wrote: “I intend to remind you these things over and over again…I think it is fair to keep you aware with my exhortations while I live… and I want that even after I am gone, you will always have a way to remember them”, (2Peter 1:12..15) since “…just as there were false prophets among the people, there will also be false teachers among you, that will cunningly introduce destructive heresies…” (2Peter 2:1) And the apostle John, in favour of the permanent value of the Scriptures, says: “Loved ones, I do not write you about new commandment, but of an old commandment that you have from the beginning. This old commandment is the Word that you have heard, and that is still effective for everyone…” (1John 2:7..8)

 

7 Jesus told the people of Israel “…the hour is near and it is now, that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, because that is the way the Father wants his worshippers to be.” (John 4:23) And exhorted his followers: “If you stay in my word, then you will really be my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth shall make you free”. (John 8:31..32) Because the truth makes people really free from their servitude to superstition and falsehood. To love the truth and to search for it, is essential for Christ’s disciples, since as king Salomon wrote, “A dead fly ruins a flask of perfumed unguent (Ecclesiastes 10:1) No lie should ever be accepted by those who follow Jesus, because as Paul asserts, they are “…helpers of Christ in the administration of the divine revelations and what is demanded of each one of the administrators is faithfulness”. (1Corinthians 4:1..2) For this reason, those who wish to comply God’s will, must get to know His word thoroughly, and must hold faithfully to the healthy teachings released by his spirit and transmitted through the prophets, the apostles and of some of the first disciples under their supervision, rejecting resolutely any other statement or doctrine going beyond what is written, included as religious tradition many years after their death, by the so called ‘Fathers of the Church’.

 

8 To illustrate the significance of the biblical revelation, Peter wrote: “We haven’t made known to you the coming and the power of the works of our Lord Jesus Christ through invented fables, for we were eyewitnesses of his greatness, when he received the honour and glory of God the Father; because the voice from the Heavens came to him saying: ‘This is my beloved son, whom I have chosen’, and we, who were with him on the holy mountain, heard this voice that came from heaven. However, we have an even surer confirmation in the prophetic word, to which you do well giving heed as a lamp that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the light shines in your hearts. However, you must firstly understand, that none of the prophecies from the scriptures came from a personal interpretation, because no prophecy was ever brought by man’s will, but men spoke on God’s behalf, impelled by holy spirit”. (2Peter 1:16..21)

 

 9 If this is so, when God’s holy spirit states that “…the Word of God…lives forever and… never fails…”, (1 Peter 1:23) that the Creator didn’t make the earth “…just for nothing, but made it to be lived in…”, (Isaiah 45:18) that “…all the world is under the power of the Malefactor … but…the Son of God has come and given us the essential knowledge to recognize the true and eternal God…”, (1John 5:19..20) and that “…according to His promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth where justice dwells”, (2 Peter 3:13) we may be absolutely confident on the fact that all these declarations will definitely be fulfilled. Yet, so as to support the faith which is the base of our hope, we must have a comprehensive knowledge of the events that that according to revelation, led humanity towards its present suffering condition.

 

10 On the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, we are told that God created man “…in His own image; He created man and woman in the image of God. Then He blessed them saying: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it; govern over the fish in the sea and the birds of the skies, and over every animal that moves upon the earth…” (Genesis 1:27..28) Being in God’s image, the first humans were morally perfect and endowed with a free will that enabled them to develop their own personality. Man was intended to multiply throughout the earth and this would give way to people with different temperaments and interests, living together. It was therefore necessary to established in favour of mankind, some principles to adjust their behaviour to the respectful relationship they should comply among themselves and with their Creator. And, since man had  been provided with a rational intelligence, God supplied some basic regulations so as to develop in him an objective criteria, meant to adjust his own conduct.

 

11 With this purpose, God had grown a rich garden with so many  “…trees that were pleasing to the sight and good for food…” (Genesis 2:9) Adam had been created outside the garden, so God led him “…to the Garden of Eden, to watch over it and care for it…” (Genesis 2:15) God didn’t actually give man the garden, so he had to learn to respect God’s property and transmit this kind of respect to his descendents, making their living unselfish and pleasant. The point is that man had to become aware of the fact that God is the only authority over his creation, because only a deliberate acknowledgment of this could guarantee the freedom and the real parity of all human society. For this reason God “…gave him a command, saying: ‘You can eat freely any of the fruits from the trees in the garden, but you must not eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because when you eat it you will surely die’…” (Genesis 2:16..17) Besides, the way, these words make clear for us that unless they choose to rebel, men were not intended to die. God hadn’t made man to die, but to live.

 

12 God’s command was not really connected with the acquisition of regular knowledge and wisdom, but with the confiscation of a kind of knowledge that only belongs to the Creator. It was intended to make clear that nobody had the right to challenge His authority, establishing individually what is morally good or morally wrong. For this reason, man was warned that any illegal behaviour in the exercise of his freedom, would bring him death. It would not be an execution on the spot, but death would inexorably reach him; so man had to be aware for his own good, that his disobedience would mean an explicit brake up with the only source of all life. He had to understand and accept from the very beginning, that God is the “…only Sovereign, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, the only owner of immortality…” (1Timothy 6:15..16) and for the good and the protection of the life and the freedom of all beings, He is the only authority over His creation.

 

13 God had created his children to live the kind of happy life that health, freedom, understanding and love can provide, but to make this condition enduring, men had to remain loyal to his universal and eternal principles.

At this point, the Scripture reports the interference of one of God’s angelic children, one that had come to covet God’s power over His creation. The prophet Isaiah depicts his thoughts by these words: “You said in your heart, I will ascend to the highest heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mountain of Assembly, in the uttermost unapproachable region; I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!” (Isaiah 14:13..14) And the prophet Ezekiel reveals his position, when he writes: “You were an emblematic image, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, in the Garden of God I made you an appointed Cherub… and you were perfect in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found within you, when your abundant intrigues filled you with violence and you strayed, appointed Cherub… now you will not live forever”. (Ezekiel 28: 12..19)

 

14 To achieve supremacy, this powerful Cherub, originally meant to protect humankind, considered the possibility of detaching God’s children from Him, by dividing them in a demand of moral autonomy. To support his scheme without being immediately condemned, the angel, that the apostle John identifies as “…the Great Dragon, the Ancient Snake, the so called Devil and Satan, who is deceiving the entire humanity,” (Revelation 12:9) needed and searched the complicity of man; so he went to the woman and asked her: “Is it true that God said: You mustn’t eat from any of the trees in the garden? The woman answered…’we can eat any of the fruits from the trees in the garden, only of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said: Don’t touch it nor eat from it, because you will die’… the snake said to the woman ‘No way will you die! God knows very well that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, getting the knowledge of what is good and what is evil’. And as the woman saw that the tree was good for food, was pleasant to the sight and desirable to get knowledge, took its fruit and ate, giving it to eat also to her man”. (Genesis 3:1..6)

 

15 The often neglected events reported in the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis, are the basis for the need of man’s redemption and the reason for the biblical message. As a matter of fact, the apostle Paul supports many of his arguments with the information provided in them, and says: “…Adam was made first and later, Eve, furthermore, Adam wasn’t deceived, it was Eve who once seduced, disobeyed”; (1Timothy 2:13..14) and “…I’m afraid that the same way the snake cunningly seduced Eve, for some reason, your minds may also depart from the simplicity that is within Christ”. (2 Corinthians 11:3)  Paul knew and believed that the voluntary disobedience of man left the destiny of humanity under the power of “…the evil spiritual forces that live in heavenly areas…”, (Ephesians 6:12) and he wrote: “…because of the first man, sin entered into the world, and because of sin, death extend to all men, because they all inherited sin”. (Romans 5:12)

However, we read that God said to “the Ancient Snake” (Revelation 12:9): “…I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will smash your head and you will wound his heel”. (Genesis 3:15) And with these then mysterious words, He made man understand that humanity hadn’t been abandoned to its own fate.

 

16 Since then, mankind lived distanced from God and bound to death and sin. All men were born to die, for that reason, before God humankind was dead. No matter what men did, it was impossible for them to reach their original condition. As it was written: “Nobody can rescue his brother or pay before God the value of his own ransom, since the ransom of life is so high, we will never be able to reach it and live without ever seeing the grave”. (Psalms 49:7..8) It is true however, that humanity hadn’t been “…submitted to futility by its own free will, but because of he who committed transgression”, and thanks to the Creator’s mercy, man could still maintain “…the hope of being freed from slavery to corruption, and be able to participate in the glorious freedom of the children of God…” (Romans 8: 20..21)

Life of men depended therefore on God’s mercy, and He did not leave man without hope, for we read: “…if there were an angel that would favour him, only one among the thousands, that as his mediator, provided for his justification! One who proving compassion for him, would say: ’I have found for him a ransom, save him from going to the grave!’ His flesh would then become fresher than in his strength and he would return to the days of his youth. Then he would plead God and He would listen, revealing him His presence with delight, since man should have been restored to rightfulness…” (Job 33: 22..26)

 

17 The Scripture reveals that only one of God’s angels would be in the position of achieving a suitable redemption for Adam’s family, since only someone free of sin and death, could be able to offer the right price for the life lost by men, and satisfy the permanent laws established from the beginning by God, over His creation. But as the redeemer ought to be a man, the appointed angel would have to give up the life he enjoyed in the heavens, and be, through the power of God, born as a man. In this way, being a son of Adam’s father, he would become Adam’s brother.

Everything was executed following God’s design and in harmony with the Law and the declarations of the prophets. In fact, the Law, declared that any man who had lost his freedom because of his debts, had the right to be rescued by his brother or one of the members of his father’s family. (Leviticus 25: 47..48) And being able to fulfil all the needed requirements, God’s first son joined His design for man’s redemption.

Considering all these things, the apostle Paul applies to Jesus the words of acceptance of this son before his Father quoting Psalm 40:6..8, and writes: “You didn’t approve of holocausts and offerings for sin, then I said: ‘Look, I will go, as it is written of me in the roll of the book, to achieve, my God, your will!’” (Hebrews 10: 6..7)

 

18 At the time established by God, an angel went to Mary, a young Jewish virgin from the family of King David, and announced her God’s purpose. The angel said to Mary “…holy spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child that will be born will also be pure and will be called the Son of God”, (Luke 1:35) and she accepted God’s willingly purpose, saying: “Here is the servant of the Lord, be it to me according to your word” (Luke 1:37) So Mary conceived and gave birth to a son, that as the angel had told her, was called Yahushua, which means Yahuh Saves. (Luke 1: 31..35) Jesus was therefore a pure man, he was free of  sin, and he was like Adam, a man that came directly from of God.

The apostle Paul writes: “…when the time came up, God sent forth his Son, born from a woman and born under law…” (Galatians 4:4) Because as a circumcised Jew, Jesus was under the Law given to Moses, and in order to achieve God’s purpose, he was bound to fulfil all its requests and reach God’s approval, since the Law says: “You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, the man that does so, shall live because of them”. (Leviticus 18:5)

 

19 Now, no man had ever been able to fulfil in perfection the spirit and the requirements of the Law, but as Peter writes, Christ “…did no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth”, (1Peter 2:22) and for this reason, he became the only man with a right to live without reaching natural death, and so, the only man qualified to offer an equivalent life for the life lost by Adam, and pay the price of the ransom of mankind,.

Paul explains it this way: “as by only one transgression, the blame extended to all men, by only one act of justice, the justification which gives life is extended to all mankind, and if by the transgression of only one man, many have been constituted sinners, by the obedience of only one man, also many are justified”. (Romans 5:17..19) Thus, “If death came trough one man, resurrection also comes through one man, and in the same way they all die by means of Adam, they all may come back to life by means Christ”. (1Corinthians 15:21)

 

20 For this reason Paul says: “It is written that the first Adam was made a living being, but the last Adam was made a spirit that gives life”. (1 Corinthians 15:45) For this reason, “…the faith in the redeeming power of his blood, is the basis on which God, in his mercy, assigns justification to men, because He considers as righteousness their voluntary faith in His purpose though Christ. (Romans 3:26)

During his assignment among the people of Israel, Jesus said to his followers: “Verily I say to you: the hour has come and is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who will listen to it, shall live”, (John 5:25) Because even if all mankind is bound to death, through God’s mercy, man may reach righteousness and life, by faith in the significance of the sacrifice offered by Jesus. It is true that for many people “…to talk about this sacrifice is absurd”, but Paul says that it is only absurd “for those who will perish… but for us who are going to be saved, it is the demonstration of the power of God”. (1Corinthians 1:18)

 

21 Bearing in mind the attitude assumed by Christ towards his Father, Paul says: “…despite being divine, he didn’t seek to make himself equal to God, and he left his position, taking on the condition of a servant and making himself equal to men; and when he was in human condition, he humbled himself and was obedient until his death, a death of sacrifice. Therefore, God has exalted him to the highest position and has given him a name above all others, so that in the name of Jesus, the knees of those who are in heaven, on earth, and below (those who died), bow down, and all mouths proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Lord, for the glory of God, the Father”. (Philippians 2:5..11)

God has thus made him the Lord of all things and for this reason, in the book of the Revelation, which relates the end of this world and the beginning of a new world under the government of Christ, John describes him saying “…His eyes shined like a flame of fire and he had many diadems on his head… His name is ‘The Word of God’… On his gown there was a writing…’King of kings and Lord of lords’”. (Apocalypses 19:12..16) So when the roman prefect Pilate asked Jesus: “Are you a King?” he could verily answer Yes as you say, I am King …”  (John 18:37)

 

22 Being the king appointed by God over all His creation, Christ taught his disciples to ask his Father to bring His Kingdom to earth, as He had established. He said: “You must pray as follows: Our Father who is in Heaven….Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven…” (Matthew 6:9..10) All his disciples shared the hope that the Kingdom of God would be established on earth when Christ returned as King, for this reason Peter urged the people of Israel, saying: “Repent and be converted, so that your sins are wiped out and the comforting time of the presence of the Lord arrives, and he who has been previously appointed is sent: Jesus Christ whom heavens must retain until the time of the restoration of all things, as declared by God since ancient times through His saints, His prophets”. (Acts 3:19..21) And Paul states “…Christ, after having offered himself once to abolish forever the sins of many, will manifest himself again on a second occasion, but not in relation to sin, but in relation to those who wait for him to be saved”. (Hebrews 9:28)

 

23 Whilst Jesus and his disciples were looking at the magnificent buildings of Jerusalem’s Temple, he said to them: “Do you see all these things? Yet I say to you that here will not remain stone upon stone that will not to be pulled down”. So when they sat down to rest, they asked him: “Tell us, when will this happen? And what will be the sign of your presence and of the end of this world?” (Matthew 24:1..3) Then Jesus disclosed some future events, and speaking for all of those who in the future, would put faith in his name, he mentioned some of the signs to precede his return and the establishment of his kingdom, which would put an end to this world “under the power of the Malefactor”. (1John 5:19) And he also “...said to them: ‘be careful about not being deceived, because many will come in my name saying: ‘It’s me’ and ‘the time has come’, but don’t follow them…” (Luke 21:8)

 

24 Then he said: “…’when you hear talk about wars and revolutions, don’t be anxious, those are things that must happen, but the end will not arrive so soon. In that time’ he said, ‘nation will be instigated against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great natural catastrophes (the Greek word seismoi does not only in apply to earthquakes but to every type of natural disaster) and depending on the place, epidemics and famine. Terrifying things will occur and also great phenomenon from the sky”. And speaking of what would soon happen to his disciples, he said “…but before all  these things happen, you will be persecuted and arrested to be handed over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be taken before governors and kings for my name’s sake… When you see Jerusalem surrounded by the armies, you will understand that the time for it’s destruction has arrived. Hence, those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, those who are indoors of it (the city of Jerusalem) escape! And those who are in the fields, don’t enter into it, because these will be days of vengeance, so that all what is written may be fulfilled…”, And “…Jerusalem will be trodden down by the nations until the appointed times of the nations are concluded”. (Luke 21: 8..22,24)

 

25 Then Jesus continued speaking about the signs of his return, and said: “…there will be signs in the sun, in the moon and the stars, and on earth, anxiety among the nations, distressed by the uproar and the waves of the sea, (the confusion of the wrestles crowds, see Isaiah 17:12) whilst men will be disheartened because of their fear and the perspective of what is going to happen on earth. In fact, the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then, they will see the Son of Man arriving on a cloud (see Acts 1:9..11), with great power and glory…” (Luke 21:25..28)

 

26 A long time before Jesus’ time, the prophet Ezekiel had written: “This is what the Supreme Eternal Lord says: ‘Woe to the foolish prophets that follow their own inspiration, but haven’t seen anything!’ (Ezekiel 13:3) And there were many of these so called prophets in Israel! For this reason Jesus warned those who in the last days, would be awaiting for his return; he said: “…if someone says: ‘Christ is here’ or ‘he’s there’, don’t you believe him, because deceitful anointed and deceitful prophets will spring up, they will do great signs and astonishing things as to deceive if possible, even the elected ones. Be aware, because I have told you! So if they say to you ’There he is, in the desert!’, don’t go, or ‘there he is, in his lodgings’ (proclamations of an invisible presence) don’t you believe them; because just as a flash of lightening comes from the East and shines right over to the West, so will be the presence of the Son of Man...” (Matthew 24:23..27) Then “he will send His angels with a loud sound of the trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to the other”. (Matthew 24:31) And after this, he declared: “Of this day and of this hour nobody knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, only my Father…” (Matthew 24:36)

 

27 Some seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah wrote: “The Eternal says: ‘Look! I’m going to create a new heaven and a new earth, the previous ones will not be mentioned nor will they come to mind, and those I will create will forever bring joy and delight, because I will make Jerusalem ‘Joy’ and her people, ‘Delight’, and I will be joyful for Jerusalem and I will be delighted for my people, and never shall weeping or moaning be heard in her”. (Isaiah 65:17..19)

Many years later, the apostle John confirms his words, and writes “…I saw a new heaven and a new earth because the previous heaven and the previous earth had disappeared and the sea was no more. (see Isaiah 17:12). And I saw how God made descend from heaven the Holy City, the New Jerusalem (the government of God under Christ, that will bring joy and delight to humankind) adorned like a bride for her spouse. Then I heard a loud voice that came from heaven and said: ‘The Tabernacle of God (the temple constructed ‘living stones’ of which Christ is the corner stone, as it is said in 1Peter: 4..5) is with mankind and will remain with them, because they will be his people. God himself will favour them and He will wipe every tear from their eyes; death will be no more, nor mourning, weeping or pain, because the past things are gone. He who sits on the throne told me: ‘Look, I make all things new’, and said: ‘Write this down, because these words are faithful and true‘”. (Revelation 21:1..5)

This is the way the Scriptures portray the future of humanity, in “the forthcoming world about which we speak”. (Hebrews 2:5)

 

28 The apostle Paul wrote: “…all things written were recorded for our instruction, so that through our perseverance and from the comfort that comes from the Scriptures, we may maintain hope”. (Romans 15:4) So, let us serve God with spirit and truth. Let’s not be afraid to spread and defend the Good New of God’s purpose for all men, as it is transmitted through the Scriptures.

Jesus promised his followers “…the Son of Man must return with his angels, in the glory of his Father, and he will then reward each one in proportion to his work”. (Matthew 16.27) The work of his followers is to share the genuine Good New just as it is in the Scripture, and for this reason, they must learn and “…remember correctly the words of the holy prophets and the instructions that the Lord our Saviour, has transmitted us through his apostles”, (2 Peter 3:2) the words that confirm our faith in the fact that “…in harmony with his all embracing knowledge, God concluded his everlasting purpose through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 3:10)

 

29 He who puts faith in of God’s design has before him a marvellous future. It is true that, as Peter says, “…there will be in the last days some mockers… that will scornfully say: ‘Where is his promised presence?... but these willingly ignore that by the Word of God, in ancient times were made the heavens, and the earth emerged from the water… and by the order of that same Word, the world of that time was destroyed by the water of the deluge…” (2 Peter 3:3..6) A violent human society was then wiped out, but a family of eight people put faith in the salvation provided by God, and following His instructions, saved their lives by constructing an arch.

Let us put to day our faith in Christ, through whom God provides salvation, and we will live to enjoy the eternal purpose for which man was created.