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Click on Question for answers then
click on RETURN to go back to
the top of the page. My answers are
based on my study of the Bible and some reflect my personal opinions.
If you have a question please cut and paste or type the above email into
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All Scriptures are in RED - My
comments are in BLACK
#1. Absolutely not! Many people have taught that the woman taken
in adultery in John 8:4 “They say unto him, Master,
this woman was taken in
adultery, in the very act.” Was Mary Magdalene. Years ago I had a college professor who said: “Everyone knows that Jesus hung around a
well-known prostitute.” I raised my hand and asked: “And who was that?” He replied: “Mary Magdalene.” Well I went to the reading lab and
looked up Mary Magdalene in Bibles, religious books, mythology books, dictionaries etc. There was not one reference in any of those books to
suggest that. When I told the instructor that he replied: “Well good.” This false teaching tries to belittle Jesus’ flawless character. Mary
Magdalene was
“mad Mary” until Jesus cast devils out of her, not “bad Mary”. Jesus cast seven demons out of her. Mark 16:9 Now when
Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. RETURN
#2. Most likely Jesus was wearing a tallit pronounced “Ta leet” (a Jewish prayer shawl). These usually have fringe around the outer hem and on
the four corners of this shawl were tassels of special twined and knotted fringes known as tzitzit . I have heard them referred to as “wings”. I
personally
believe that the sick woman knew the scripture from the Old Testament writings
found in Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my
name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;” Since Jesus did not have wings, I believe that scripture is referring to the
tzitzit on
the tallit. She
exercised faith that if she could touch one of those she would be healed. Anyway that is my take of the question.
#3. Let’s look closely at what Jesus said: 2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved,
be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as one day. The keyword here is “as”. It appears twice. Remember you are reading an English interpretation of
The Holy Bible. In English the words “as” or “like” are
similes. They are words that mean
similar to…He was saying that one day here is
“as” or “like” a thousand years with the Lord. In other words “with the Lord” or we could say “in heaven” time doesn’t exist as we know it.
#4. While
Jesus said in Matthew 19:24 “And again I say unto you,
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man
to
enter into the kingdom of God.”, and the Greek word for needle here does mean a sewing needle, I believe He was referring to the low
archways in some of the streets of old Jerusalem… They were sometimes referred to as “the eye of the needle”. A camel can go through those
but it is difficult as he has to get down on his knees. When Jesus made that statement His disciples were astonished. They asked in
Matthew 19:25 “When
his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be
saved?” Jesus
replied: Matthew 19:26
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. If Jesus had really been talking
about a tiny
sewing needle it would have been impossible for a camel to go through the eye
of the needle. In Mark 10:24 “And the disciples
were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and
saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches
to enter into
the kingdom of God!” RETURN
#5. The Bible does not say when the rapture (the catching away of the Christians to Heaven) will take place. In fact Jesus himself said in
Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” In face Jesus himself did not
claim to
know that: Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only.”
Years ago a very frustrated woman called me and asked where the word rapture is in the Holy Bible. She had exhausted herself trying to
find it. Of course I said: “The word rapture is not in the Bible.” The best scripture we have for our belief in the rapture is found in
1 Thes. 4:15-18 “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep. [16] For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with
the
trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17]
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. [18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” RETURN