Glad Tidings
Volume 1 7, Issue 6
November/December 2013
Glad Tidings November/December 2013
Something To Consider ............... p.3 by Vince Finnegan
Study The Word And Experience The Word in Action .................... p.8 by Mary Ann Yaconis
Seek Yahweh: Aramaic-Part 1 .............................. p.4
Renewing The World To Its Original Glory ........................ p.10 by Sean Finnegan
by John Cortright Approachable Lord....................... p.6 by Vince Finnegan
Mark these important dates on your calendar!! December 2727-30 Winter Teen Advance Evangelical Christian Center January 33-5 Revive (Young Adult Weekend) Woodstock January 2424-26 Men's Advance Frost Valley
Glad Tidings is published six times per year by Living Hope International Ministries 458 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham, New York 12110 USA
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Glad Tidings is mailed free to anyone who requests it. Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER: Gratitude and Compassion As the sun was setting, we launched from our Lake George island campsite in a two-man boat with a sail. Jerry had pleaded with his father to trust us since we were “seasoned sailors” already (at the age of 15)! “We will be gone only for a short time,” he bartered. Lake George has huge rocks right under the surface of the water that are marked with colored buoys. The danger is easily recognizable and avoidable for those with half a brain. However, we did hit some rocks; the wooden stabilizers that were on each side of the boat popped up out of the water; and we immediately flipped upside down. The sail went under water, and the two of us held onto the bottom of the boat until hours later when Jerry’s father found us. Before the rescue, that night seemed long, and after, it seemed even longer. Jerry’s father was not happy. Gratitude and compassion are the two stabilizers that keep us afloat as we journey with God in this world. The rocks are always right under the surface, but if we see the warning signs and respond quickly, we can avoid the consequences. Feelings of entitlement revealed by statements such as: “I deserve it;” “Why is this happening to me? I deserve better;” “Why am I always the last one to get the blessings;” oppose gratitude and compassion. Look to the cross to see what we deserve. What Jesus received for our sin is all that we deserve, and by God’s grace and mercy, we do not get what we deserve. We have every reason in the Word to be thankful all of the time. Indifference, coldness, and lack of involvement in the face of humanity’s suffering indicate that compassion is waning if not completely gone. Kindness, concern, and involvement are normal for the compassionate one. When people failed to respond rightly to the care and love Jesus shared, he never soured or grew cold because his acts of compassion were motivated by love from and for God. As we head into the holiday season, keep your stabilizers in the water so that you can float through with gratitude and compassion. God’s blessing to you,
Vince Finnegan
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Seek Yahweh: Aramaic-Part 1 By John Cortright
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cholars have debated about the importance of Aramaic in New Testament Studies. While a majority side with the idea that the New Testament was originally written in Greek, there is a faction of theologians who subscribe to an Aramaic primacy. They believe that the New Testament was first written in Aramaic and later translated into Greek. The division among these camps is often riddled with statements of absolutism. An example of such extreme views which can be seen is this statement from the head of the Catholic Church of the East.
"... as the Patriarch and Head of the Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church of the East, we wish to state, that the Church of the East received the scriptures from the hands of the blessed Apostles themselves in the Aramaic original, the language spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and that the Peshitta is the text of the Church of the East which has come down from the Biblical times without any change or revision." His Holiness Mar Eshai Shimun, Catholicos Patriarch of The Holy Apostolic Catholic Church of the East. April 5, 19571 The truth is nobody knows for certain, since there are no surviving first century New Testament manuscripts. However,
extant Greek texts are older than known Syriac/Aramaic versions. What do we know about the Aramaic Language, and how is the name of God handled in the surviving texts? The term “Aramaic” refers to the ancient language of the Assyrians and Babylonians. At the time of Hezekiah, around 700BC, the Jews requested Rabshakeh speak in Aramaic (Hebrew word Aramiyth) and not Judean (Hebrew word Yahhudith). At the time, the common people didn’t understand Aramaic, and they didn’t want the people to hear the Assyrian propaganda (2 Kings 18:26). This verse shows there is a difference between Aramaic and Judean (Hebrew), even though both languages have Semitic origins. When the Judeans were taken into captivity in Babylon, they became subject to a nation where Aramaic was the dominant language. Before the time of Alexander the Great, Aramaic was the lingua franca of the Middle East. However, the Jewish language continued to be taught among the exiles. After the return to the land of Israel, Nehemiah strongly reproved Jews who had married foreign women. Their children knew the languages of “Ashdod,” but they did not know Judean (Neh 13:24 – Again, the Hebrew word Yahhudith). Nehemiah then purified the people from this foreign influence (Neh 13:30). A few centuries later, the Greeks ruled the known world, and there 4
was a strong push to Hellenize the Jews. This finally resulted in the Maccabean revolt, and from about 140BC to 63BC, Israel was again an independent nation under the Hasmonean dynasty. Evidence suggests that Hebrew was the primary language of the Jews living in Israel at this time in history. Also, it seems that the Hebrew language continued as a vital language in Judea until the time of Christ. The vast majority of manuscripts found at Qumran were Hebrew, not Aramaic. There are a few surviving Old Testament Aramaic documents. These are referred to as “Targums.” As well, some sections of the books of Daniel and Ezra are written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. However, none of the New Testament manuscripts surviving today are truly this ancient, biblical “Aramaic.” Rather, the proper term for these translations is “Syriac.” Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic, which didn’t come around until late first century AD. Syriac became a major literary language from the 4th to the 8th centuries among Christian communities in the Middle East. The Syriac/Aramaic script used at this time was Estrangelā. Aramaic and Hebrew share the same alphabet. Biblical Aramaic from the first century (and earlier) is very similar to Hebrew characters. However, Estrangela Syriac script is very different. This is (Continued on page 5)
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the Aramaic that was popular from the 4th to the 8th Century AD. This chart shows a comparison of these different styles of the Aramaic, Hebrew, and Estrangela scripts. * See Chart Below Before we consider Syriac New Testament translations, what about Aramaic Targums? How was the name of God used in Aramaic Old Testaments? From the over 900 manuscripts found in the collection known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, there are only a few fragments of Aramaic Targums of the Hebrew Bible. One is from the book of Leviticus (Lev 16:14 and 16:20). There are no usages of the name of God in these verses. The other Targums found at Qumran are from the book of Job. There are six usages in these Targums where the Hebrew text has a corresponding usage of Yahweh. The following chart shows the Aramaic translation.2 * See Chart on page 7 The Aramaic word for God is hla (Alah). In these Targums, the letter alaph (a) is added to the end of the word or “Alaha” when the equivalent word “Yahweh” is used in the Hebrew. Perhaps this is an
emphatic form of the Aramaic word for God and as such is a designation for Yahweh in old Aramaic. It is interesting to explore the use of this four-letter word in the Aramaic sections of Daniel and Ezra in the Hebrew Bible. In the translation of the Jewish Tanakh, Daniel 2:4 – 7:28 is written in Aramaic. Also, Ezra, chapters 4:824; 5:1-17; 6:1-18, and chapter 7:12-26 are all in Aramaic. There are no Hebrew versions of these sections of Scripture, and the name of God does not appear in any of these verses. There are two uses of the Aramaic word for Lord (mari) in the book of Daniel (Dan 2:47; 5:23). The word mari is simply a title meaning Lord, Master, or ruler. The practice of using the title “Lord” as a surrogate for the name of God does not occur in any of these Aramaic sections of the Old Testament. Nor is it ever used as such in ancient Aramaic Targums. This practice does not show up until the late second century AD in Greek Old Testaments produced by Christians. The Aramaic word for God (hla) occurs 79 times in these Aramaic sections of the Old Testament, and 28 times the use of Aramaic Alaha occurs with added letter “a.” Could these 28 uses be understood as an Aramaic
surrogate for the name of God? Comparing the Aramaic Targums from the Dead Sea Scrolls with these Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel is very interesting. However, this author does not have sufficient understanding of the Aramaic language to make much more than an observation. To my knowledge, there has not been much written on this subject, but this could prove to be a very interesting research topic. Syriac, or middle Aramaic, came around after the beginning of the Common Era and offers additional insight into a study of God’s name. The Peshitta version, written in Estrangela Aramaic script in the 5th century AD, sheds tremendous light on this subject. This will be explored in part II of this study on Aramaic. 1 Preface of the Holy Bible From the Ancient Eastern Text (A.J. Holman Co,
Copyright © 1968), pg ii. 2
This chart was compiled by viewing information from the NASB Bible; the chapter on “Aramaic Bible Translations (Targums)” by Geza Vermes, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English (Penguin books, London, 1962), pgs 463-471; and an article called “The Tetragram and the New Testament,” by George Howard in the Journal of Biblical Literature, 1977, pg 69 and 70.
This chart lists the first seven letters of the Aramaic, Hebrew, and Syriac Alphabet. Both the Aramaic and Hebrew letters are similar in style. This style of classical Aramaic dates to the first century and earlier. However, Syriac is quite different. Syriac Estrangela script was not used until late first century and was popular between the 4th and 8th centuries. New Testament manuscripts which are called Aramaic are not written in the “Hebrew” style script, but rather are in Estrangela and, as such, are from a much later date. 5
Approachable Lord By Vince Finnegan
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top clowning around!” he yelled again. Shortly thereafter, Father Delaney’s tone and volume intensified as he barked out his final reprimand, but this time it followed with, “Finnegan, get over here!” Delaney was the supervisor for the Catholic boys gathered at the gym for a fun night. Like a guilty dog to its master, I slowly and cautiously creep over to him, muttering to myself, “Oh crap! I am going to get it now.” I knew all too well Delaney’s physical reactions from past encounters. To me, this man with the typical, black-hair, Irish features was a giant, the meanest priest in our church, and maybe the meanest adult in my life. When I got near enough, he lunged at me like a lion on its prey. Grabbing my shirt, he swiftly pulled me closer, then he wrapped his huge hands over each of my ears, squeezed my head, lifted me off the ground, and shook me back and forth as I went up. I held onto his forearms endeavoring to ease the pain as I hung in the air with my legs dangling until he made his point. The remainder of the evening, I timidly obeyed. The priests’ everyday attire of black pants, shirt, and coat with the starched white collar slightly showing under the Adam’s apple and the religious flamboyant robes worn during Mass along with their usual austere manner
to many appeared fitting for those in the exalted station as a representative of Christ. However, for this impressionable boy, I always felt fearful, intimidated, and certainly inferior in their presence. Tragically, this viewpoint carried over into my relationship with Jesus. I believed that they as Christ’s ambassadors on earth represented him well; therefore, I concluded that Jesus must be like them. My experience howbeit unique to me is not unlike the impressions many hold about Jesus formulated by their experience and not Scripture. The Gospels present Jesus in a much different light. He is gentle, approachable, forgiving, and compassionate to those who sincerely seek him. His manner with the religious hypocrites was indeed severe and stern but not so with the lost, genuine, penitent sinners. He is a complete contradiction to the religious pharisaical way. His consistent dealing with children illustrates his gentle way. In Matthew 18:1-6, we see him embracing and exhibiting a child as the standard for the disciples to follow. Additionally, he warns them of the consequences for those who harm children and disciples who have become childlike. Another time, the disciples rebuked the children that were brought to him, according to Matthew 19:13-15, but Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hin-
der them from coming to me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Jesus was endeared, not annoyed, by the oftfoolish tendency of children to invade private space. I imagine they stuck their faces in his and received a smile with a kiss. The Bible holds no historical records of Jesus lifting wayward children off the ground by their ears! Three distinct incidents with women anointing the Lord exemplify his gentleness and approachability. When I first read the many occurrences of our Lord’s dealing with sinners, my impression of him radically changed causing my heart to rejoice with acceptance and loving possibilities for me a sinner. The woman of Luke 7, a known sinner in the community, apparently was deeply moved by Jesus. She entered Simon the Pharisee’s home while he entertained Jesus so that she could honor and love him. Luke 7:38 states, “Standing
behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume.” The courage, determination, and humility of this woman were exceptional. The willingness of Jesus to allow her to touch him in this way is likewise remarkable. The spiritual arrogance and dullness of Simon to judge them critically also stand out. Jesus stood up for (Continued on page 7)
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her when Simon condemned. The sinner (me) had access to him while the religious one excluded himself from intimacy with him.
Our Lord encouraged his disciples in Matthew 11:25-30 KJV “to come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, anointed his feet with oil according to John 12, and the unnamed woman of Matthew 26 in Simon the leper’s house anointed his head. Both women were criticized for their actions, and Jesus stood up for them. He allowed these women to love and touch him.
Jesus is nothing like the childhood priest who wrongly dealt with me. Jesus has always been approachable − far more so than those who represent him. He cares for all of God’s children with a gentleness and indeed at times sternness but always with love and compassion.
Hebrews 4:144:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. need
According to Luke 8:1-3, he allowed the women to minister unto him, and in Luke 10, we see Mary sitting at his feet. At the last supper, according to John 13, one of his disciples is leaning on his bosom as they sat and ate together.
Seek Yahweh: Aramaic-Part 1 Continued... Qumram Manuscript ID 11Q10
Verse Reference
11Q10
Job 42:9 (2nd)
11Q10
Job 42:10 (1st )
11Q10
Job 42:10 (2nd)
11Q10
Job 42:11
4Q157
Job 40:6
4Q157
Job 42:1
Job 42:9 (1st)
Name of God in Hebrew text hwhy (Yahweh) hwhy (Yahweh) hwhy (Yahweh) hwhy (Yahweh) hwhy (Yahweh) hwhy (Yahweh) hwhy (Yahweh) 7
Aramaic Equivalent Aahla
English Transliteration
Alaha
English Translation God
Aahla
Alaha
God
Aahla
Alaha
God
No usage
No usage
No usage
Aahla
Alaha
God
Aahla
Alaha
God
Aahla
Alaha
God
Study The Word And Experience The Word In Action By Mary Ann Yaconis
M
y mother was a great cook. She and my grandmother taught me a lot about cooking terms and how to prepare different kinds of foods. When I was eight years old, I decided to help my mother by making dinner for the family. She was running late getting home from errands, and we always had dinner at 5 o’clock sharp. So I decided to make a tuna and noodle casserole. We had the ingredients except for the noodles mom usually used. I found a box of spaghetti, so I figured that would work just fine. After mixing the tuna and canned soup together, I put all the ingredients into the casserole dish mom always used and plunked it right into the oven at 350 degrees. Yum. Couldn’t wait. When mom arrived home, she was quite surprised that I made the dinner. We smelled something that was a bit like something burning but figured it was residue on the bottom of the oven. Well, when we opened up the oven, there was my beautiful casserole with the ends of the spaghetti stuck up like a broom and lit up like candles. What a mess. I did not know that I was supposed to boil the spaghetti first and then put it in the casserole. The family ate the rest of the dish with great gusto and applauded my first attempt as a solo cook. The burned spaghetti found its
way into the trash can, and all was well. I learned it is one thing to read a recipe and watch someone do a task, but until I experienced doing the task, I really didn’t “get it.” I studied home economics for four years in college and had a lot of head knowledge about different foods and how to prepare them. Until I actually accomplished the task in the laboratory setting, I did not have a true understanding of how to apply my knowledge. It is important to have accurate knowledge AND apply it in order to experience the knowledge in action. Christians in general tend either to be most interested in knowledge of the Word or become convinced that experiencing God is the only way to know God. Neither end of the continuum is what Scripture teaches us. We need to follow the example of Jesus Christ and apply knowledge to our lives so that we experience the power of God. Jesus referred to the Old Testament Scriptures on a very consistent basis. Utilizing the Scriptures as a foundation, he taught the Jews a new way of living. The book of Acts contains chapter after chapter of taking this new way of living and experiencing the results. The believers had faith in the words Christ spoke and the application of them, resulting in the experience of healing, deliverance, joy, and comfort. It is clear 8
we are to know precisely what the Word instructs us to do. We are also taught to apply it and experience the goodness.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. When we read the Word, we “hear” it in our minds. As we rehearse that Word in our minds, we take it in as true, believe it, and have faith that what those words mean is absolutely true. Then, with faith, we act upon the Scriptures and experience the power of God in our lives. Our lives are not mature Christian lives if we are stuck in just hearing the Word or, on the opposite end, in eagerly looking for signs or experiences to prove God loves us. Our lives are mature Christian lives when we hear the Word, have faith that the words are true, and then act on it to experience spiritual matters. It is a whole package. As an example, our thoughts can appear to get the better of us. Someone may say, “I can’t stop thinking about ______ [fill in the blank].” The Word tells us that we are able to keep every thought obedient unto Christ.
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2 Corinthians 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
As some become obsessed with just reading and studying the Word, we can be tempted to worship the experience and make that an idol. Israel fell into this trap.
2 Kings 18:4 He [Hezekiah] removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.
We can experience the “When we read the Word, They originally experienced power of God when we we “hear” it in our minds. the power of God through pray and ask God to help us having faith that what Yahwith keeping our thoughts As we rehearse that Word weh said was true. They captive so as to think His in our minds, we take it in as true, were instructed to look at thoughts, not the world’s believe it, and have faith that the standard and be healed. thoughts. How do I do When they believed that that? I can’t keep the what those words mean is the words of Yahweh were thoughts out!! Well, the absolutely true.” true, they looked on the Word says we can stop standard and indeed were thinking about the things healed. Those who did not bethat are evil and think on the lieve the words, were not healed, good things. It is supposed to be Numbers 21:69 The L ORD sent 21:6 and many died at that time. a freewill choice we have. So, I fiery serpents among the people and have faith that I can do this with Later, this experience was made Christ. Then, I do “thought stopthey bit the people, so that many into a “god,” and Israel burned ping.” A thought comes in; it isn’t people of Israel died. So the people incense to this standard. The godly; I recognize that; I stop that came to Moses and said, “We have experience became the object of thought and pray for help. Then, I sinned, because we have spoken worship or a god. The take-home (with the help of the holy spirit) against the LORD and you; intermessage of the standard was that take my mind and make it think cede with the LORD, that He may God heals and provides. They on godly things. After all, our remove the serpents from us.” And experienced the words as truth. minds are a muscle that we are to Moses interceded for the people. be in control of. (If you are saying Every day, we think thoughts, that the author is “nuts” at this Then the LORD said to Moses, good or evil, and we have experipoint, please go back and read 2 “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on ences, good or evil. Our thoughts Corinthians 10:5 again and media standard; and it shall come about, and experiences must be founded tate on it.) that everyone who is bitten, when he on the Scriptures. A godly looks at it, he will live.” balance of having faith in the As I experience 2 Corinthians Word, acting upon it, and thereby 10:5, I am more and more conYahweh provided the figure of a experiencing the power of Yahvinced that the Word IS true. The serpent on a standard for the weh will assist us greatly in living more I practice other Scriptures, Israelites to look at for healing in for Yahweh now and having enthe more I will experience the this instance. Yahweh never intrance into the Kingdom when power of God in my life. Taking tended for them to worship the Christ returns. one verse, meditating on it, and serpent standard because of the applying it in everyday situations experience. But, they did. give us a well-rounded mature Christian life. 9
Renewing The World To Its Original Glory By Sean Finnegan
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he Bible opens with audacity and gusto, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The statement is as terse as it is powerful—God made the universe. This one grandiose proposition undergirds the faith of all Jews, Christians, and Muslims. As God speaks, water separates, land appears, vegetation sprouts, animals multiply, and humans take shape. Five times over, the magnificently crafted creation poem resounds with the refrain, “it was good.” Then, on the sixth day, God surveys all of His work and concludes “it was very good.” The reader of Genesis finds himself compelled to affirm the inherent and primal goodness of the universe. From the shining stars to the flowing seas, all is the product of a brilliant and beneficent Creator who lovingly and powerfully spoke them into existence. Let us take a moment to consider some of the elements of God’s created order. Where do plants come from? What is a seed? Is it alive or dead? On the one hand, seeds appear to be dead because they can be stored for years in a package and never change a bit; on the other hand, they can begin growing into massive trees just as soon as they are activated. But, how do we unlock the incredible life -producing power of a seed? Do we
swallow it, crush it to pieces and form a paste, hang it on an existing plant, or affix it to the skin of an animal? No, the mysterious generative force is unleashed by putting it in dirt. Dirt. We put a semi-dead husk in dirt and sprinkle some water on it—which makes mud—and that somehow transforms an inanimate pod into a growing baby plant. The plant feeds on dirt, water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide—four of the most plenteous and un-endangered resources on the planet—and grows taller, produces leaves, emits oxygen, and brings forth many more seeds. If we take a moment and really ponder this utterly common and mundane process, we cannot help but wonder how bizarre it really is. What is more, God’s ingenious seed idea is incredibly resilient. Plants spring up everywhere, from the spaces between sidewalk slabs to the tiny cracks in asphalt parking lots. If a road is not constantly traveled by cars and repaved every few years, weeds will quietly and steadily spread the asphalt apart, bit by bit, until the way becomes impassible. This is just one aspect of God’s creation, but it teaches us something about the inherent goodness of God’s handiwork. When God says, “let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed” the result is a fantastic panoply of resilient and stunning organisms that continue their cycle of life eon after eon. From massive redwoods to little clovers to colorful roses, creation resounds with God’s creative genius. The book of Genesis places God’s shaping of the human body at the end of His creative activity. Although the Creator makes plants and animals with a mere word, 10
Genesis uses different terms to describe God’s act of making humans. He formed us from the dust and breathed into our nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). These words convey intimacy, as if God bent over and blew our first breath directly into our nostrils. The scene bespeaks the care with which God fashioned humanity. As medicine and technology have improved over the centuries, we have increasingly come to understand just how minutely crafted and magnificently complicated we are. Containing approximately 22 square feet of skin, 206 bones, 25 feet of intestines, 45 miles of nerves, and 100,000 miles of blood vessels, the human body is nothing short of an engineering marvel. The human body is a masterpiece capable of extraordinary versatility. Humans live all over the globe from icy regions where the snow never melts to the tropical islands where snow has never landed. Our skin provides us with a waterproof barrier against the external world, temperature regulation, and sensory input. Our fingers are capable of both finely-tuned maneuvers like using a mouse as well as feats of strength like swinging a hammer. Our wrists enjoy 160 degrees of motion, enabling our hands to accomplish complex tasks like catching Frisbees and riding motorcycles. The ball and socket joint in our shoulders enables 360 degrees of motion, allowing us to lift objects from the ground over our heads in one fluid motion. Our hearts are exceptional pumps, capable of displacing 2,000 gallons of blood each day without rest. Our stomachs produce hydrochloric acid so powerful that it could literally digest (Continued on page 11)
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solid metal. Our bipedal design enables marathon runners to traverse great distances and ballerinas to achieve impeccable balance. Our ears pick up sounds from the quiet gurgling of a creek in the distance to the raucous jamming of an indoor rock concert. We are capable of whispering, speaking, yelling, and singing. Having two eyes ensures depth perception and makes available nearly 180 degrees of horizontal vision. Our brains process the sensory input of our skin, the sounds our ears pick up, the visual picture our eyes take in, and the tastes and smells our mouths and noses detect. We are capable of advanced cognitive functions like language and love, comprehension and compassion, invention and imagination. Humans have produced gripping adventure novels as well as precise legal tomes. We have accomplished architectural feats from the Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper in Dubai more than a half mile high, to the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge in China, spanning more than a hundred miles. We have mastered terrestrial travel via bicycles, automobiles, and trains. We traverse the high seas with sailboats, transport barges, and aircraft carriers. We fly through the air in balloons, helicopters, and jets. We float through space on rockets, shuttles, and space stations. Humans have charted nearly a billion stars, over a million species of animals, and almost half a million plant species. We write books, paint canvasses, play sports, listen to music, invent machines, make
love, explore creation, decipher codes, build relationships, and think abstractly. Humans have written nearly 130 million books, composed well over 28 million songs, and produced more than two million movies. We have penetrated the vast distances of empty space with powerful telescopes and peered deep into the world of cells and DNA with electron microscopes. Whatever someone may think of our origin, everyone must admit that humans are remarkable creatures, nearly unlimited in our potential.
“...God eventually works within His creation to restore it back to its original glory.”
One’s understanding of beginning influences one’s belief about the end. For example, consider the Gnostics. They believed that physical creation was a demi-god’s act of cosmic rebellion against the supreme God. The true believers, they said, were indwelt with a spark of the divine that originated from the pleroma beyond this physical universe. The goal in this system was to gain proper knowledge (gnosis) so that one might ascend beyond this realm at death. Thus, 11
the Gnostics believed all of history would come full circle with the annihilation of all matter so that the chosen people could reunite with the spiritual realm. The Bible, however, offers a significantly different storyline. Rather than beginning in heaven, humans originate from the dust of the earth. Rather than the fall happening prior to creation, it happens after creation. This one fact is extremely significant. In the Gnostic scenario, creation itself is the consequence of rebellion, whereas in the biblical narrative, creation is God’s choice. Both systems account for the rampant wickedness and brokenness of our present world, but their ultimate solutions are very different. Whereas the Gnostics seek escape from the corporeal world, the Christian Bible looks forward to a future much like the paradise enjoyed by Adam and Eve prior to the fall. For this reason, the last book of the Bible parallels the first book in that once again we see humans living in paradise on earth, complete with the tree of life and the presence of God— just like it was in the beginning. Between the first and last books of the Bible, we find a winding narrative, involving many significant events whereby God eventually works within His creation to restore it back to its original glory. Isaiah declares, “He established it [i.e. the universe] and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18). God’s design is not to evacuate the planet but to fill it with people. He does not intend for it to become a waste place, but a thriving world teeming with life.
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