2001-4-2 11:26:00
Few Christians would argue that Jesus as the Son of God was one with his Father God. As such he was God or at least a God depending on how one views the Trinity. The big complaint of the Jews against Jesus was that he was guilty of blasphemy. They said: "For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; because that thou being a man, makest thyself God." (John 10:33) Earlier, Jesus upset the Jews by declaring: "Before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:58) This bold declaration would have cost him his life if he had not miraculously escaped.
Let us suppose that Jesus were to appear again in our age incognito as an ordinary man and declare himself to be God, one with God or even a God. Would modern Christians accept him any more readily today than did the Jews two thousand years ago? Would the 20th century religionists again cry blasphemy and want him out of the way? This is very probable. New Age people who merely claim to be a reflection or in the "image" of God chills them to the bone.
There are more scriptures in our Bible today that witness that man can become a God than the disciples had in the days of Jesus to prove that he was Christ, or God. Therefore, if true Biblical evidence of the fact is rejected by modern Christians they place themselves in the same closed-minded category as the enemies of Jesus in ancient times.
Many people are going around proclaiming "Jesus is God" without even thinking as to why they believe it. Some person up the line said it and it sounded good. Let us go along and list all the reasons we can think of why Jesus is called God by modern Christians. There seems to be ten major ones listed as follows:
If man can also fill all of these criteria then it only stands to reason that he would qualify for Godhood just as much as Jesus does. So let us put our philosophy to the test and examine these points one by one and see if ordinary mortals dare have the same mind as Jesus and "think it not robbery to be equal with God". If man can do all that Jesus did with the same resources then that makes them equal, does it not?
The orthodox Christian believes that man began at birth, but after that point in time he will live on endlessly, never dying again. In other words, before birth for every person there is a total blank. He was nothing. He did not exist.
To begin with this is a mathematical impossibility. If a line has a beginning and no end then it extends on to infinity. Every high school mathematics class teaches that one half of infinity is still infinity. In other words, if a thing has no end, mathematically it has no beginning. Nothing exists in nature which has no end unless it had no beginning. That which exists in nature and has a beginning can be proven to have an end.
A ring provides a good example of this principle. It is circular and has no beginning and no ending point. On the other hand, if one puts a slit in it there will be created both a beginning and an end. It is impossible to cut or mold the ring in such a fashion as to produce an object with a beginning but no end. A form as this has no existence anywhere in the universe because one half infinity is still infinity.
Paul talks about a part of us that is without beginning or end: "The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle (the physical body) were dissolved, we have a building of God, (The Spirit of man) an house not made with hands, ETERNAL in the heavens." (2 Cor 4:18; 5:1)
Here we are clearly told that if the body were dissolved we will yet have an "eternal" house to live in, or that eternal part of ourselves we call Spirit. If it is eternal as Paul says then it existed before birth for that which is everlasting has neither beginning or end.
Paul teaches that this spirit can have an out-of-body experience: "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (Whether in the body, I cannot tell, or whether OUT OF THE BODY, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven." (2 Cor 12:2)
Paul's experience of leaving his body is not really that unusual, for now that mankind has ceased burning out-of-the-ordinary persons at the stake people are talking more about their spiritual experiences. Many who have experienced the near death state have reported actually leaving their bodies in the spirit and returning with an accurate memory of all the conversations of the doctors and nurses.
Some who have gone through this report that their spirit body is connected to their physical by a silver cord of great elasticity. Many believe that death occurs when this silver cord is severed. Interestingly, the Bible makes reference to this: "Or ever THE SILVER CORD BE LOOSED, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the SPIRIT SHALL RETURN unto God who gave it." (Eccl 12:6-7)
Evidently Solomon had knowledge of the silver cord which connects the spirit and body as well as the golden bowl which is a golden etheric life energy (invisible to the untrained eye) which ceases or is "broken" also at death. The broken pitcher and wheel describe a cessation of bodily functions.
Next we are told that at death "the spirit shall RETURN unto God who gave it." The word "return" is a powerful proof of a premortal existence. If all that which is us began at birth how could we "return" to God? If orthodox Christian thought is true all we could return to would be nothingness. We could only return to God if we came from God and we can only come from the presence of God if we had some form of existence with him before birth.
The scriptures reveal that the Lord knew numerous people before they were born. Concerning Jacob and Esau he said: "The Elder shall serve the younger." (Gen 25:23) Eve said of Cain: "I have gotten a man FROM the Lord." (Gen 4:1) Another good example comes from Jeremiah: "Then came the word of the Lord unto me saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I KNEW THEE; and BEFORE thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." (Jer 1:4-5)
Concerning himself Isaiah said: "The Lord called me from (can be translated 'before') the womb; and from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name." (Isa 49:1)
Of John the Baptist it is written: "There was a man sent FROM GOD, whose name was John." (John 1:6)
Evidently, the Lord knew Paul before his birth for he said: "He (Paul) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel." (Acts 9:15) This was spoken before Paul began his work. Paul also wrote that God "set me apart from (or before) birth and called me through his grace." (Gal 1:15; New English) We are told that the saints are written in "the book of life from the foundation of the world." (Rev 17:8)
In addition we are supposed to be "in hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie PROMISED BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN." (Titus 1:2) How did God promise eternal life to us before the world began if we were not there? It would be silly for God to make a promise to nothingness.
The scriptures make it crystal clear that people existed, were called, ordained, and had promises made to them before they were born. It is amazing to see the explanations of these scriptures that come forth. The objector says that Jeremiah and others were not in existence before they were born, but they were in God's mind like an architect has a building in his mind. Therefore, they feel that God "sanctified", "ordained", "knew", and "promised" to a blueprint. The argument sounds very weak to anyone who thinks about it. One doesn't have to "wrest" the scriptures when he merely accepts them the way they read.
The Bible gives us powerful evidence that Job was with God before he was born. In chapter 38 God is reprimanding Job for questioning his wisdom and sovereignty and reminds him of works and events which he is supposed to already be presently aware of. He tells Job that he will demand an answer of him evidently aware that Job should know the following: "Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding...When the morning stars sang together, and ALL THE SONS OF GOD shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4 & 6)
Who are the "sons of God"? The scriptures give a clear answer. John the Beloved said: "WE are the sons of God..." (1 John 3:2)
It is only fitting that we should be called the "sons of God" for God is called the Father of our spirits in Heb 12:9. Paul also said: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that WE are the children of God." (Rom 8:16)
Since Job was one of the sons of God and "ALL the sons of God shouted for joy" at the foundation of the earth then Job had to be there shouting for joy with them. Evidently, the sons of God (which included you and me) were rejoicing over the planet that was prepared for us to inhabit.
Who are the "morning stars (that) sang together?" They were the lightbringers and prophets to the people of earth with Jesus Christ being at the head. Jesus said: "I AM [...] THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR." (Rev 22:16) Others will be given the morning star and evidently become morning stars themselves in a future round. [See Rev 2:28.]
The writer of Proverbs gives us a definite confirmation that the sons of men were present at the foundation of the world. The voice speaking in the eighth chapter is identified as wisdom and understanding. In other words, the wisdom and understanding of God has always been in existence and Solomon writes of it as if it were an entity: "Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?"
After explaining some of the attributes of wisdom the writer emphasizes how long wisdom has been around and how eternal she is: [Also see Prov 8:1.]
22 "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 "I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24 "When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 "Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 "While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27 "When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28 "When he established the clouds above: When he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29 "When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: When he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30 "Then I was by him as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31 "Rejoicing in the habitable part of HIS EARTH; and my delights were WITH THE SONS OF MEN."
(Prov 22-31)
This scripture makes it clear that when God promised us "eternal life [...] before the world began" (Titus 1:2) that he was not merely speaking to blueprints, but to the "sons of men" who were with him in "the habitable part of HIS EARTH." Evidently, we dwelt on another earth in another time where the wisdom of God was manifested. Here the Bible clearly tells us that the sons of men are very ancient beings.
This Proverbs scripture, however, helps us understand numerous scriptures from the New Testament. For instance, Paul said: "For whom he did FOREKNOW he did predestinate." Peter said that the Saints were "elect according to the FOREKNOWLEDGE of God." (1 Peter 1:2) Evidently God gained this "foreknowledge" of us "in the habitable part of his (God's) earth."
Another powerful Bible witness that we have had a pre-mortal existence comes from the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. This is a famous chapter on the faith of the prophets (the Morning Stars) on the promises of God. One of the most interesting promises God has made concerns the heavenly city of the New Jerusalem. In describing this city John said he "saw the holy city of the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Jesus Christ). And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the TABERNACLE OF GOD is with men, and he shall dwell with them [...] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." (Rev 21:2-3, 14)
It's quite possible that at least part of the New Jerusalem is presently located "in the habitable part of (God's) earth." The author of Hebrews tells the saints who presently dwell there: "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant." (Heb 12:22-24)
From these verses we have quoted we find that the inhabitants of the heavenly city Sion (Zion) or the New Jerusalem are:
The question naturally arises as to how long the city of the New Jerusalem has been in existence and how long the various types of inhabitants have been there.
Since the New Jerusalem in heaven is the habitation of God one would assume it is very ancient. One thing we know for sure is that it is older than Abraham for the scripture says: "He (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations (the twelve apostles of the Lamb), whose builder and maker is God." (Heb 11:10)
Since Abraham was aware of the foundations of the city and the foundations had in them the "names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" it is natural to assume that the twelve apostles lived in the city from the days of Abraham or earlier.
The writer of Hebrews tells us concretely that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Noah, Enoch, and Able all lived in the Heavenly New Jerusalem before they were born: "These (those just named) all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS ON THE EARTH. For they that say such things declare plainly that they SEEK A COUNTRY (The word "country" is from the Greek PATRIS which literally means FATHERLAND and figuratively means: HEAVENLY HOME.). And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. (If they were looking for any country on the earth they would have had no trouble finding and returning to it.). But now they desire a better country, THAT IS AN HEAVENLY: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: FOR HE HATH PREPARED FOR THEM A CITY." (The New Jerusalem) [See Heb 11:13-16.]
We could write much more in proving the pre mortal existence of humans, but these scriptural evidences along with common sense should prove this first point.
All human beings lived before birth even as Jesus did.
Questions:
Does it make sense to you that we have lived before in other spheres and lifetimes?
Have you ever had the feeling that this is not your true home? Tell us about it.
-- End Of Part Six --
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