http://ichthys.com/ 
Eschatology Issues LXVIII

Question #1:    
Quick question Dr.

Hi Dr. I have a couple of questions:

1. How did you get 1056 yrs from Noah to Adam based upon Genesis 5:3-29?
2. Why did you not use Adam's life at 930 yrs, Gen 5:5, as the starting point to move backward from 3056? 
3. To me we are missing one step after: "to 3065 B.C. (Noah's Birth)", there should be another bullet point that says:"to 4065 (Adam's Birth), (930yrs after the expulsion and 70 yrs in the the Garden of Eden).

Otherwise, Gen 5:5 contradicts the exact 2000 yrs age for the gentiles because you can't reach 1,000 years if Adam died 930 yrs after the expulsion?

I am confused and need your help.

Thank you very much.
Response #1:
Biblical chronology certainly can be confusing. I spent a great deal of time figuring this out – and others have written volumes about the topic (Ussher's "Chronology" being the standard).

To answer your questions . . . as best I can:

1) I counted up the years in this section. The tricky part is that the length of life means nothing. What matters is how long the person lived before giving birth to the next generation – that is how the time-line has to be figured.

2) We have no idea when precisely Adam's year of death took place as it is not anchored to any other event (and his creation date is not fixable with this number because we aren't told the precise number of years before the fall). So we have to derive his date of creation working backward from the genealogies.

3) See point #1; I don't believe I've ever said "70 years" in the garden before the fall.

Genesis 5:5, to reiterate, tells us how long Adam lived, staring in the garden, living there for some years which can be known only by crunching other numbers, but does not tell us the year on which he died or connect that death to any other event whereby we might use 930 as a means of calculation. Again, it not the length of life but the number of years before producing the next generation which have value in these calculations. I think if you'll sit down and try to figure this out from scratch independent of Ichthys you come to see the difficulties involved.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #2:
Thank you for your quick response and it does help me Dr and I trust wholeheartedly your computation and I do believe it is labor intensive. So my the Lord bless you richly for your work.

When I first read about your Seven Days of Human History it spurred me to an intense urgent desire for spiritual growth knowing the time is short and that is the basis for the upcoming bible studies for these believers. To develop an intense urgent desire to grow spiritually.

Your breakdown of the Jewish age is straightforward and your breakdown of the gentile age is straightforward up to when it comes to the following:

1. "to 3056 (Noah's Birth) is straightforward. That is easy

2. "to 4112 (Adam's Creation) is straightforward. That is also easy

3. But the question is the Gentile age is from (4065-2065) but there is nothing that mentions "to 4065" in the breakdown. We have to posit that there is an exact 1000 years for the Gentile age and I personally understand that. If you subtract 4065-3056 you get 1009 years. 

Can we say instead of retrogressing 1056 years, to say retrogress 1009 years to get "to 4065" and then say retrogress 47 years to 4112 B.C. "to get Adam's Creation." Is that a better explanation or am I missing the mark? But then the question is what is "to 4065" major landmark? hmmm..

But my concern is not me but my audience and how do i address the question if someone asks why isn't "to 4056" mention? That is my concern.

If you feel the concern is unwarranted, then I will let it go. 

Thanks for your response.
Response #2:
So your question, if I may rephrase it, is "How do we get from 3056 to 4112?" (correct me if I'm wrong). We do so by adding 1056 years, the total of the genealogies in Genesis 5 backward from Noah's birth (3056 + 1056 = 4112: the date of Adam's birth).

As to, "Then how do we get 4065"? As stated in SR 5, "Allowing exactly 2,000 years for the Age of the Gentiles from 2065 to 4065" (i.e., NOT using 3056 as the calculation point for this number since we are not trying to find the date of Adam's creation now but the date of expulsion from Eden which is the start of the Age of the Gentiles). This calculation is based upon accepting the millennial day interpretation and applying it here. 

Subtracting number 2 from number 1 gives us Adam's putative age at his fall.

Hope that answers your question – do feel free to write me back about this one if there is still anything that is unclear. As I say, chronological issues always seem to produce headaches – but the Bible does give us everything we need on this score if we are truly willing to bear down and figure it out. Here is the main link to where this is all covered in SR 5: The Specific Chronology of the Seven Days of Human History.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #3:
Hi Bob,

It's disappointing that attendance was very low yesterday but I do agree with you - they're (mostly) adults and it's their business. I'm not criticising anyone in any way and this has nothing to do with your students but it got me thinking about some situations I've come across in my life. The times when you care and you want the very best for people but you can't force them to do anything they don't want to do - a bit like their salvation. You can only control what you do and make sure you continue to turn up and do the best job you can for the Lord and for them. It's like that saying - You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

I've experienced that a lot in my life whenever I've tried to help people (mostly unbelievers). That is, when they've poured their heart out to me and asked for my advice. Pretty much every time they've said, "You talk so much sense" . . . and then they just go back to their old ways again and there's no change. But if you're not prepared to do something to try and improve your situation when it's possible to well then you can't really complain about it - even though they do! It takes effort to change though and a lot of people can't be bothered to put in the effort - a bit like studying the Bible. Sometimes I've put a lot of time and effort into trying to help people but I know those situations and people now where I'm just wasting my time, energy and breath. So when they come back to me still moaning about their situation I'll listen as always but I just don't waste any more of my breath! It's a bit like throwing pearls before swine. And this isn't just all about spiritual matters - it's general life "stuff" as well. It just shows you how much wisdom is in the Bible. When you become a believer and the Lord is the most important Person in your life then that change and that motivation comes from within. I'm not saying it's always easy and we get it perfect but we're not trying to do it in our own strength anymore. It's coming from a true love for the Lord and a desire to please Him and having the power of the Spirit to be able to do it. 

Going back to the subject of those "visualisation exercises" that are so popular now in the modern contemplative movement. One other thing I noticed about it was how "ME" centered it is. It's all about focusing on self rather than the Lord. It's about listening to and putting your faith in your feelings, thoughts, emotions, imagination and experience rather than the truth of God's Word. When in the Bible we have Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And John 20:29 and 2 Cor. 5:7

I read one of your email responses this week (#19) and it fitted so well with this kind of thing too. You wrote in one paragraph:
"When individuals become the arbiters of truth in their own hearts, it's very clear what they are doing, namely, re-writing reality as they would have it. That always involves desiring God to be subordinate to themselves, to dictate to Him how things must be. That is the fundamental creature rebellion. That is just what Satan did (and is still trying to do)."
You also mentioned "an arrogant lack of faith". In these visualisation exercises they imagine themselves in a scene from the Bible. To me, it's like they're creating their own show in their imagination and making themselves the star of the show. And so I think that is also arrogance and "indicative of an arrogant lack of faith". I couldn't help but wonder who they think they are that they can change the truth of the Bible even if it is in their imagination. They're twisting Scripture and adding to Scripture and making it all about themselves and not the Lord. They're "re-writing reality as they would have it". Giving authority to their visualisations and accepting them as extra-biblical revelations. This is what they want and they think it's acceptable when it has absolutely nothing to do with the truth of the Bible.

So I loved reading your response in the emails this week,! It was great timing from the Lord and spot on! I know this is nothing new and we've talked about this kind of thing a lot but it's just typical of the people in Laodicea. We always need to be aware of this kind of rubbish and steer clear of it. I can't dwell on it for too long because it drives me nuts! I have to get my head straight back into the truth of the Bible again.

It's been busy here, Bob and I'm feeling very tired and I'm back to the "dental dungeon" tomorrow! But I know the Lord will help me through.

Keeping you and yours in my prayers and I know you're praying for me - I can tell - it's obvious to me! So thank you!

In our dear Lord Jesus
Response #3:
Thanks for your good words of encouragement, my friend! Given all they've been through with the Covid lockdowns and dislocation, I'm inclined to give my students all a little more slack than usual (but please don't tell them that before they turn in their finals).

"One other thing I noticed about it was how "ME" centered it is. It's all about focusing on self rather than the Lord." That is terrifically well put! It gets right to the point. When someone determines that they will speak in tongues – even though the Spirit has NOT given them that ability and is NOT empowering it – that really is the height of arrogance masquerading as some sort of deep, mystic spirituality. And SO much easier than sitting down and doing genuine Bible study for an hour or so a day. Of course the latter is godly and leads somewhere, whereas the former is not. It leads somewhere too, however . . . no place good.

Hope work went well today. Not the sort of job I'd be any good at – but I'd much rather be on your end of the drill, all things considered!

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #4:
Hi Bob,

How are you doing? How is work now? Has the pressure eased off any?

Funny weather here.. We've had sunny days followed by hail and snow with below minus temperatures at night. It's strange to see daffodils in the snow!

Hairdressers have reopened here and they are starting to open pubs and restaurants again so that people can eat outside (in the snow I guess!). I think "non-essential" shops are slowly reopening again. This vaccine domestic passport idea is being kicked around continuously. The tabloid press are having a field day broadcasting articles about making vaccines mandatory and penalising and prosecuting those who do not play ball.

Really sad development, I signed a petition yesterday against the use of "Do not resuscitate" in care homes for the mentally disabled. Apparently the charity MENCAP discovered that one person (among many other examples) was not resuscitated through a Covid related situation and the reason given to not resuscitate him was that he had "Downs Syndrome". ___ is mentally handicapped and in a care home nearby. They've been very kind and professional with him but obviously reading such things is very hard indeed. It is sobering to think of. It really puts my own problems in sharp perspective to hear such dark and illegal practices going on around the vulnerable and helpless. It's good to take an active interest in those who cannot speak for themselves as much as we can. I'm going to start praying specifically for my __'s protection from such evil protocols. I've seen this happening for some time now...They chomp away at the ends, specifically abortion for the very young and euthanasia for the very old. They seem to be moving down the line now to target the handicapped and disabled. Shocking business. Shouldn't be surprised in Satan's system but yes the cruelty is still incredibly shocking to me. 

Something else I wanted to mention that may help others. Even though I myself have moved away from "conspiracy theory" it seems to have followed me as I've left! What I mean is that I've noticed that Conspiracy Theory is no longer a niche, subcultural phenomena but is now vigorously being mainstreamed. I realise now that they want us all to be conspiracy theorists as it "initiates" us into their new age religion. Let me explain: Conspiracy Theory is not a new fangled thing that popped up because of the Kennedy assassination. The conspiracy that we are in a "prison planet" controlled by dark forces is actually a part of Gnosticism. What I have found out about Gnosticism is that part of its teaching actually inverts the bible and makes Satan the good guy and puts God is the role we know Satan holds! In fact the main exponents of Conspiracy Theory (such as David Icke and Jordan Maxwell etc) actually say in their own speeches (religious rallies) that Christians and Jews are to blame for everything, that we are all evil and part of the New World Order and that our God and the Bible is to brainwash people and hide the "truth that we are god". I kid you not, they all say that we are god, in fact New Age religion teaches that we are god and such heretical teachings are now dripping down into the Laodicean church. I know that Bill Johnson at Bethel teaches that we are "little gods" and he also said "You are the one". So it is basically the heresy of self salvation, of personal godhood. This is straight out of the new age! 

Apparently there is a new heretic (unbeliever) in town. A man called Rev. Brandan Robertson is going around on Tick Tock and telling people that the snake in the garden was actually
helping us expand our minds and that the Old Testament God and New Testament God are completely at odds with one another. Again isn't this just flagrant Gnosticism again? The idea that knowledge saves us and because they say the serpent gave us the knowledge so, ergo, the serpent is on our side. It's that whole Prometheus thing isn't it?

I know that regulars here won't fall for such baloney but I wanted to point out just how bad things are now in the church visible. I also wanted to show how much the New Age is infesting everything and it is my solid opinion now that Conspiracy Theory is the soft drug to lead you into the harder stuff which is the New Age. If New Age is a tree then Conspiracy Theory is merely one of the branches. Anyone who spends any chunk of time in this area will tell you (if honest) that it invariably leads to two things 1) New Age thought and 2) Anti-Semitism. So I think it is fair to then go on to say that the New Age and Anti-Semitism are actually linked! Hitler was hugely into the New Age, Theosophy and Eastern Mysticism. Going back to the idea that Gnosticism is merely a flavour of the New Age, the New Age teaches that dark forces are holding us all back from realising our "godhood". Gnosticism then goes on to say that this "dark force" is the God of the bible and therefore the Jews (and by extension Christians). I'm hoping that certain puzzle pieces are falling into place now. This is no doubt the reason why many of the church visible are Anti-Semitic, it is because they are sneaking Gnostic doctrine in to prepare for the antichrist. It all fits together! This is why the world will turn on Christians and believing Jews! It's because the antichrist will probably espouse new age teachings that tell everyone that they are god and when we go against this, we will be blamed! You see New Agers believe in something called "The Ascension" and it works a little bit like vaccine herd immunity!

What I mean by that is that the vaccine argument is that we all have to take it to achieve "herd immunity" and that whenever someone doesn't, then they are ruining it for everyone else and it won't work. Well this "Ascension" business works along the same principle. They say that EVERYONE has to be on board with it for it to work. Everyone has to be a new ager and believe we can spiritually evolve and ascend "to the next level". So maybe this is another reason why we will be persecuted and killed. Maybe taking the "Mark of the Beast" is a spiritual sign to show you are on board with the "Ascension" just as getting a vaccine shows you are onboard with "herd immunity". Just a thought.. It sounds like a form of spiritual herd immunity, maybe an alleged immunity from death itself! 

I really think that the New Age is a major if not THE weapon of the antichrist. I also do believe that fallen angels posing as aliens will be a part of it. Anton Chekhov said that "Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there." "Aliens" are the rifle on the wall, so there is no doubt that this rifle will be fired in the third chapter!

Hope this is useful if only in part.. Some of this I was even piecing together as I was writing it!

God bless.
In Jesus,
Response #4:
Thanks for this.

The more things change, they say, the more they stay the same. The evil one has always had the same playbook, replacing the truth with lies. He told Eve she'd be "like God/gods", and that sealed the deal. Satan is trying to replace God, the biggest lie of all by the father of lies, and all who follow him instead of Jesus Christ will naturally go that same route. It's only the names and the window dressing which change.

Keeping you in my prayers, my friend.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #5:
Hi Dr Luginbill,

Psalm 115:17:
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. 

Surely departed believers would praise the Lord, even if there is no more reward for it? Is there something in the original language to help with the correct understanding?

Thank you,
Response #5:
A couple of things on this one:

1) "the dead" are in one sense only departed unbelievers, because, as our Lord said about the patriarchs, "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive" (Matt.22:32).

2) Also, this psalm is presenting things from the standpoint of believers alive in this world. From our point of view, we can't see any of the dead doing any praising, even the righteous departed.

3) Finally, when this was written, departed believers were not in God's presence as they are today. So while we do see departed believers in Revelation praising God, when this psalm was written they were still below the earth in paradise and not in the third heaven.

Hope you are doing well! Keeping you in my prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #6:
Hi Dr. Luginbill

Noah’s flood destroyed the Generations of the giants. So how comes there were so many giants after the flood?

For example; 1.The giants in the land of Canaan that made the children of Israel look like grasshoppers; Og, king of Bashan; Goliath of Gath and his Brothers etc. etc. 
Response #6:
This is a common misunderstanding. The Nephilim of Genesis chapter six WERE destroyed by the flood. They were the offspring of fallen angels and human women, and God has not allowed this sort of thing to continue thereafter (the demons are terrified about the prospect of being confined to the Abyss as was the case with those involved in that episode). Of course antichrist will also be spawned in this way (he is the son of the devil), and possibly also his ten king allies.

The word "giant", while it occurs in the KJV, is not even a Hebrew word; it comes from Greek mythology (and so was an unfortunate choice made by that group of translators; no other versions repeat that mistake).

The "giants" mentioned by the ten spies – the ten who were cowards and resisting the plan of God – were not, in fact, "Nephilim" but rather very large human beings. There are still today very large human beings as there were in the past. It doesn't mean that they were or are Nephilim – they weren't and, with the exception noted above, aren't now either.

Here's a link on this: Giants and Nephilim

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #7:
Hi Bob,

It's so true what you said about speaking in tongues. I remember tongues very well at the Pentecostal church where I was saved years ago. They mostly jabbered away to themselves but a few times I heard a so called "message in tongues" and a so called "interpretation" of that "message". I thought nothing of it because I was so used to hearing it back then and I didn't know the truth about it. When I first started reading Ichthys I learnt the truth about the gift of tongues from your teaching and it made absolute perfect sense to me. It's so obvious and easy to understand. Curtis has "tongues special" lessons at Bible Academy as well which is great.

The gift of prophecy (new revelations) is another one. I remember we had a visiting speaker come to our church and he called all of the youth group up to the front of the church and went along each one of us "prophesying" over us. I was quite looking forward to my turn and when he got to me he prophesied that when I was older I would teach the Bible to women and children. I wasn't really expecting that one because at the time I wasn't even reading my Bible much. I was just putting pretty stickers and bookmarks in it and highlighting a few well known verses. I was too busy enjoying the entertainment! So I don't know where he got that message from. But I'm more than willing now to tell anyone that the gift of prophecy is NOT being given today and warn them about false teachers who claim to have the gift of prophecy.

I don't know how these people could do it. Is it just a big ego trip or are they genuinely deceived? Or do they know exactly what they're doing and are just out to deceive others? Or is it demonic? Possibly any of these. They always made their "prophecies" sound very convincing to those who didn't know their Bibles very well - which was pretty much everyone! 

Sadly it's still going on today in the church-visible and I realise how dangerous it is to be a part of it so close to the Tribulation.

I praise the Lord for leading me to Ichthys where I'm being fed SO well with the truth. I'm very grateful for all you do for us. It's not about us - it's all about the Lord. Denying self, picking up our cross and following HIM.

Hope you had a good day too - you're nearly there now!

Your friend in Jesus
p.s., I have been praying for Brittany
Response #7:
Thanks for sharing this!

Ironically, of course, you ARE sharing the truth of scripture in lots of different ways. And who knows whether or not before all this is over you might very well be giving others a "crash course" in the truth? But you are also absolutely right that the gift of prophecy is NOT being given at present. So if the one about you turns out to be true it's more a question of a Balaam doing the prophesying.

As to the "why?", I suppose it all gets back to arrogance again. People like to feel important. Here in the states we have a phenomenon where individuals have pretended to be "war heroes" and have gotten into a pattern of going to local high schools and other groups telling of their medals and experiences . . . only to find out later that they've never even been to war. It's easy for people to get sucked into patterns of lying, especially when there is benefit to them, adulation in this case, snookering people out of their life savings is another common example – and in this instance "feeling" you're doing something for God! And it does seem that these individuals have convinced themselves that it's real. After all, EVERYONE who's going to those churches and participating in them is doing that very same thing. We're all potentially vulnerable to this sort of thing . . . if we're not giving proper attention to the truth. And that is why the Tribulation will be so dangerous especially for believers who have given truth short shrift in the days before the darkness falls. Needed: "crash course" teachers!

Glad you survived your tough day. My last full day of teaching was interesting. A lot of things went wrong – but it all ended up alright. I am a bit tired, but I'll have a chance to rest up now (Friday will be long, but after that, time to get "down and dirty" in the gardens).

Thanks for your encouraging words, my friend!

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
p.s., here's a link to an update on Brittany's daughter.
Question #8:
[omitted]

Response #8:
I have to tell you that I think "church greeters" is an awful idea. Almost as bad as having everyone stand up and shake hands with the people around them. These are both manifestations of Laodicean Christianity. Genuine Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ and we all love Him and the Word and each other more than life itself . . . or at least we should. The reality, of course, is very different. Laodicea is superficial, and as a result its "churchianity" is superficial as well. If a greeting is from the heart, it counts. If it's phony and for show, there is little point in such hypocrisy. But these are just symptoms of the general attitude of laziness towards the truth and any genuine commitment to spiritual growth, progress and production. All these instances where we see cultural reflections manifest in local churches are merely symptomatic of the bigger problem of being essentially in rebellion against the Lord.

I'm grateful for Christians like yourself who are actually trying to do what Jesus has called us to do. That is VERY rare in this day and age. 

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #9:
I have been looking at the genesis gap and was curious what bible translation you would recommend. I’ve been using the NIV (it’s so readable).

Have the nkjv not really a fan.

Blessings 
Response #9:
Good to hear back from you.

I also very much like the NIV – the 1984 version, that is. The new one is problematic on several levels. 

Don't know that any of the versions are perfect when it comes to the first and second verses of Genesis, however; none of the major versions has "but"; KJV has "and" which is better than nothing; none of them have "became"; most have "was", suggesting a continuation which is clearly impossible.  More at the link:  SR 2: The Genesis Gap.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #10:
Dear Bob,

I live in the UK and I was glad to come across your site a few years ago after I had a rude awakening regarding the state of the church visible and how corrupt elements were advancing into my local Bible believing, Gospel promoting Baptist church. I was heartbroken to have to leave that church, but had I remained, I felt I would have been too compromised to hold onto my faith. I have read portions of your work over the recent years and respect your knowledge, especially of Hebrew and Greek, and I especially appreciate your encouragement to keep growing in faith placed wholly in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Showing our love for God by reading and listening to His word in the Bible has really struck home with me. 

Thank you for your warnings regarding the times we live in. I am glad you intend to steer clear of the current vaccines, I prefer to call them experimental gene therapy treatments. Are you aware that the "vaccines" on offer are all tainted by the use of foetal cell lines in production or testing prior to production. Although a Catholic based site, Lifesite have very good information on this issue, including Twelve false assumptions regarding foetal cell lines. Also, in this country, a brave young man, Dave Brennan is trying to wake Christians up to this issue. I hope you will consider this, because to my way of thinking, knowledge of these facts does render these vaccines unacceptable before a Holy God who forms us in our mothers' womb.

Thank you for your faithfulness to Christ and to running this site.

Your sister in Christ,
Response #10:
Good to make your acquaintance! And thanks for your positive comments.

I do hear what you are saying. It is a disturbing thought. But my own (very limited) research on this suggests that the issue is somewhat more complicated (see below). Things are so intertwined in the modern world that it would be practically impossible to eat or use or do almost anything without involving oneself in this or many similar "compromises". 

If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience?
1st Corinthians 10:27-29

It's not the same thing, clearly, but eating meat sacrificed to demons seems pretty awful to me. Yet we're told here that if we give thanks and trust the Lord and don't give any credence to the superstitions of the world, the only truly awful thing about it would be tripping up other believers who are not strong in their consciences because of spiritual immaturity.

Applying that principle here, I would never want to completely dismiss such concerns. On the other hand, what if the "source" is actually incorrect or misleading, and what if being appalled by the possibility leads someone not to get vaccinated and then die – or infect someone else who subsequently dies – as a result. Medical research has always done a great many things I personally am uncomfortable with. To avoid compromise 100% would necessitate avoiding all medicine and all medical help – and pretty much all food (considering drugs and medicine given to animals) . . . not to mention having anything to do with the world at large since medicine has touched everything.

Drawing the line is always difficult. I did have a look at the site you referenced (but could not find the particular article you refer to). In any case, I'm not personally convinced that the issue of vaccination turns on this point. There are plenty of good reasons without this one why a person might choose not to get the shot . . . as long as it really does remain "our choice" (which, given the ethical principle of medical autonomy, it certainly should).

You can read what I've written about this issue already at the posting "Eschatology Issues LII" (see Q/A #11).

In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,

Bob L.
Question #11:
Dear professor,

Thank you for replying to my email so promptly. I'm sorry you weren't able to access the article from Lifesite. That's unfortunate because it was well referenced, and so I believe it to be accurate.
I'm not very good with technology, or sharing links etc. But perhaps you could try this link:

https://www.brephos.org/post/jab-s-a-good-un

I was unable to find your comments on these jabs, I don't like to call them vaccines, because strictly speaking they only claim to reduce severe symptoms, although I believe that you don't wish to receive one. Please forgive me if I have misunderstood your position.

Given that I do believe these jabs are tainted by abortion, I humbly wish to suggest that the passage in 1 Corinthians does not quite align with this current situation. The meat sold in the market is of itself amoral, the killing of an animal for food is not immoral, the sacrificing to an idol is, but although this passage for me is difficult to understand, I believe Paul prohibits eating the meat only if a "weaker" brother points out it has been used in this pagan practice because the weaker brother may still have some residual faith in the pagan practice. It is also a compromising action to any pagan onlookers. The use of tissue from the termination of an unborn child is immoral all ways round. 

I recently read the first chapter of Proverbs and thought this section of scripture appropriate. Proverbs 1 v 8-19

As to someone not getting vaccinated, I think that would be a good thing. The history of vaccines is very much clouded by propaganda and I have become increasingly aware over this last year that we are consistently lied to by the powers that be in this fallen world. Children's Health Defense is a good place to research vaccines in general, but contrary to popular "programmed" thought, good diet, decent housing, good sanitation, lack of severe stress, vitamin D and enough sleep and exercise do far more to eradicate disease than shots filled with all manner of nasties.
Be that as it may, I'm not sure we should be so fixated in trying to pre empt diseases via vaccination and instead I wish our efforts were concentrated on treatment and rest and time for the body to recover.

In 1 Chronicles 21 when the prophet Gad comes to King David with three options for punishment, David chooses plague it seems because he feels the other two options would be to fall into the hands of men, but plague is purely to be in the hands of God. In our godless society are we really very arrogant to think we can eradicate disease via vaccination?

Of course the truth is that these c.v. "vaccines" are doing extensive damage, severe reactions and deaths reported on vaer , which apparently only collates a fraction of the true picture. According to many deplatformed experts such as Mike Yeadon, ex pfizer himself, the long-term outcome looks pretty bleak for the vaccine programme as well as these short term consequences. Much has been surpressed in this year of "pandemic", including viable treatments, the fact that PCR tests are not fit for diagnosis, the true numbers of deaths from rather than with covid, the list goes on.

This seems to be heading into a passport system, as is already the case in Israel, where a new kind of apartheid appears to be in operation. There is already talk of booster jabs in the autumn.
Trials are taking place on children as young as 6 months. A two year old died in a trial last week as reported by UKcolumn, 16th April. Surely, the use of aborted foetal tissue at the heart of this is an enormous offense to God, as was child sacrifice.

You are right, I can't be in this world and not have dust on my feet, and I regret the immunisations that my son's were given. At the time, I did not know that some of the vaccines administered were developed in this way. But for this season, God has made me aware. So I cannot in all good conscience accept this ticket back to normal, which already appears to be a mess of pottage since only the " new normal" is on offer. I'm sorry if I' be written too much.
I thank you again for running this site and I do appreciate your teachings.

All this is written and sent with Christian love.

May we live in His light and expose the deeds of darkness.
Response #11:
Good to hear back from you.

Here are some links, though you may have to read down a long way in some of these. I suggest a "Control-F" search of the pages for "vaccine":
Eschatology Issues LXVII
Eschatology Issues LXVI
Eschatology Issues LXV
Eschatology Issues LXIV
Eschatology Issues LXIII
Eschatology Issues LXII
Eschatology Issues LXI
Eschatology Issues LX
Eschatology Issues LIX
Eschatology Issues LVIII
Eschatology Issues LVII
Eschatology Issues LVI
Eschatology Issues LV
Eschatology Issues LIV
Eschatology Issues LIII
Eschatology Issues LII
Eschatology Issues LI
On your link, I will note that the claim is that one or more of these vaccines were developed from the cell line of cells that were taken from tissue from an aborted fetus. As unseemly as that would be, I will note a few things about that: 1) in my (admittedly limited) understanding of these things, no such cells are being introduced as part of the vaccine; 2) these are not the original cells in any case; 3) the vaccines do not contain any such cells.

One important further point here. The article says that the aborted fetus was "murdered", and while I take great exception to abortion (as does the Bible), the Roman Catholic view that there is "spiritual life in the womb" is an abomination. God gives life, not human beings mating. And He gives life by imparting/creating the human spirit in each of us at the point of birth (e.g., Zech.12:1). Human beings are dichotomous, physical and spiritual beings, and the spiritual part is what is really important, provided by God Himself when we are born and not before. Twisting biblical truth even in a "good cause" is something that gets my hackles up – because it has a tendency to suborn good Christians into political crusades, usually costing them any hope of spiritual growth (and in some cases causing them to fall away entirely).

As I say, the claim is indeed very disturbing, but I repeat that a doctrine that states that any connection with anything wrong makes the whole of something to be avoided is a very dubious one. No doubt we all have / are using at least something that was made in China. That government is killing and imprisoning Christians and doing all manner of evil things. So to a greater degree than the issue we're discussing here, I would have to say that, according to that part = whole doctrine, no Christian should have or use anything made in China – in whole or in part (and that is practically impossible to function in the world today because virtually everything is made there at least in part).

Be that as it may, I don't have any prejudice against vaccination in general. It's a form of technology which as with all tech is neither good nor bad intrinsically although it can be certainly used for ill (and often is). In this situation, as your rightly point out, what we have now is new – not a vaccine in the traditional sense but essentially gene therapy. I have issues with that. And even more to the point, the long-term effects of these new therapies are unknown because they've never been properly tested or used before on human beings. We're very early on in this process. I would feel more comfortable after another flu season goes by if there aren't widespread serious issues – because I've heard and read that the possible problem with this mRNA approach is the unintended reaction it might potentially cause of the immune system attacking our own cells if they continue to produce the spike protein (when "set off" by another cold or flu in the future). 

So I'm holding off for now. But the only reason, I'm guessing, that my employer is not yet requiring vaccination is because they are, at present, legally prevented from doing so since these vaccines are still classified as "experimental" and "for emergency use only". That is likely to change in the very near future, whether or not the change is scientifically justified.

Thanks for your thoughtful email!

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #12:
Hey Dr. Luginbill, 

I hope everything is going well. I have a practical question about prayer and then a question about a Daniel verse. 

With John 16:23-24 and maybe some other verses as well for application, do you think it's necessary to confess our sins in our Lord's name as well?

With Daniel 8:14, do you think that the 2,300 evenings and mornings refer to 1,150 days with two daily sacrifices each day or to 2,300 full days.

In Him,
Response #12:
Getting by here – hope you're OK as well! 

1) In terms of confession, for believers, we have access to the Father and also the right to address prayer to the Son. So I really don't see any scriptural reason why it would make any difference, one way or the other. Since we are part of the Body of Christ now, positionally "in Him" and possessing the Holy Spirit (things that were not yet true of the disciples at the time He said this to them), I don't find any reason why prayers of confession would be hindered or not heard because of some technicality along these lines: our God is a God of grace and love and mercy, not of stingy accountant-like technicalities (Rom.10:4; 13:8; Gal.5:14). Even in this passage, our Lord does NOT say "unless you do it this way, you won't be heard". But remember that He was speaking with those who even at that point were not truly processing just who He was – which is part of the reason He said this.

2) Here's what I write about Daniel 8:13-14 in CT 5:
This passage in Daniel allows us to reconstruct the timing of the rebellion with great specificity. It will be recalled from the chart of the bowl judgments above, that the supernatural darkness which strikes the beast's kingdom of revived Rome will occur at the beginning of the eighth month preceding our Lord's return at the end of the Great Tribulation. That is to say, the fifth bowl judgment occurs 1,020 days into the Great Tribulation and 240 days from its termination.13 The information in Daniel’s prophecy above further assures us that the beast’s pollution of the temple, begun it will be recalled at the Great Tribulation’s outset, will last for 1,150 days (i.e., 1,150 evenings plus 1,150 mornings). This means that it will take just over four months (130 days) after the fifth bowl judgment begins for the Jewish rebels to re-occupy the Temple Mount and complete the requisite ritual purification of the holy place (a process which took the priests under Hezekiah half a month to complete: 2Chron.29:17). Thus the beast’s departure from Israel, the formation (or coming out into the open) of an armed resistance, the capturing of the Temple Mount, its ritual purification, and antichrist’s reaction in mounting the Armageddon campaign will all happen in rapid-fire succession as the pace of events accelerates toward the Tribulation’s end. The re-conquest of the Temple mount will certainly not mean the end of armed struggle within the borders of Israel. Part of antichrist’s modus operandi of rulership worldwide will be to cement his control through the use of “fortresses” (Dan.11:38-39), strong points manned by his loyalists as a hedge against just such attempts on his regime, and scripture indicates that the same will be true in Israel (Is.2:15; 25:12; 30:25; Zeph.1:16; 3:6; 3:15 [Hebrew only]). Once the rebellion begins, these strong-points will no doubt be occupied not only by the beast’s residual garrison, but also by those Jews whose allegiance to antichrist has passed the point of no return (as, for example, the “king” of Israel). Given the progression of the Armageddon campaign (see section VII below), we can expect a number of these outposts to hold out until antichrist returns for Armageddon, and thus for the struggle to continue right up until our Lord’s return (Dan.9:26), for it will be His Second Advent which destroys the beast and delivers Israel rather than this rash attempt at self-deliverance.
Almost done with your degree! Just hang in there a bit longer.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #13:
Dr. Luginbill, 

Okay, so would you say that it's not even necessary to pray in His name at all? I think that my initial understanding was that we pray in His name because we have access to the Father on the basis of His work, but since we are one with Christ I suppose we would just have direct access to Father regardless? 

With Daniel, okay, I wasn't even thinking about a far-term fulfillment, even though that makes sense. So I guess you'd interpret it as days and not days cut in half. I've seen some interpretations of Antiochus' abominations to be roughly a 38-month period or just over 6 years. Let me know what you think.

Best,
Response #13:
Whenever I pray in public, I always try to remember to say "in Jesus' Name" (at least) – because I can't know what is in the hearts of those who are listening. When I pray to the Lord, I know for certain He knows what is in my own heart.

On the other issue, have another look at the link/snippet I sent you. I do see this as half the time period, and I start the clock from the setting up of the abomination in the middle of the Tribulation – so the period runs into the final days of the Tribulation when the temple mount is sanctified.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #14:
Hi Dr. Luginbill, 

I've been reading over some passages and I see that you interpret the decree to desist from rebuilding Jerusalem in Ezra 4:21 presumably to take place in 485 BC, but I wouldn't think that this would fall in line with Artaxerses' supposed reign from 465 to 425 BC which seems to be the context of this passage. I'm first curious if you think that 4:6-23 is a parenthetical addition as many claim and that the chronological story continues at v. 24. Also, could you explain where you get the 485 BC date from?

Thanks a lot
Response #14:
The decree to desist from building is what takes place in 485 B.C. (Ezra 4:6-23) under Ahasuerus (aka Xerxes, reigned 486–465).

The date 485, comes right after Xerxes ascension, as it says in Ezra:
And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Ezra 4:5-6 KJV
So Ezra presents the success of the adversaries in delaying rebuilding as happening very shortly after Xerxes ascension, or as I say, "ca. 485".

This can be confirmed by calculating backward from other known dates (see the link).

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #15:
Dr. Luginbill, 

Okay, I see what you're saying. I must say I've been reading over your dialogue with our friend, and I've been going over this specific Daniel passage. 

It seems that there was pretty clearly a 444 BC decree to rebuild the city from Artaxerses, but I'm a little skeptical that this verse shows there was a decree to desist around 485. I see a decree to desist in 4:21, but that is much later and it doesn't make sense for there to be a second decree to desist because that would be redundant. I understand your interpretation of the 483 years and the assumptions, but I'm also a little conflicted. 

Let me know

In our Lord,
Response #15:
At the very end of this chapter we find the following:
Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ezra 4:24 NKJV
It's important to remember that the temple was completed in ca. 515 B.C. – long before either Xerxes or Artaxerxes reigned. Verses 4-5 tell us that there was opposition to rebuilding the temple throughout this entire period and verse 24 sums that up, telling us when the rebuilding recommenced (ca. 520 B.C.). Thus, verses 6-23 are a parenthesis (cf. Genesis 2:4ff.), inserted to demonstrate what the Jewish returnees were up against even later on, with the first part, verse 6, showing us what would happen under the next monarch after Darius, Xerxes, and the second part doing the same for his successor, Artaxerxes. So in the conclusion in verse 24, "thus" means "in a similar way" or "because of similar opposition I've just illustrated coming later on". 

The important point there is that unless we understand the above, we are likely to take verse 24 as the specific conclusion only to verses 7-23 while in fact it wraps up verse six as well. The upshot of that is that verse 24 – which clearly is speaking of events BEFORE the insertion (since the temple was already built by the time of the events in the insertion) – is not giving us the result of vv.7-23 (those events happen later). 

So is there a decree in vv.7-23? Yes. And it is reflective of what we infer in verse 6 as well, a decree to cease and desist as a result of the formal opposition (characterizing this entire period from Cyrus original decree until the decree to rebuild in ca. 443). No doubt if Ezra had a copy of that decree he would have included it as well. The fact that he includes a later one does not invalidate what verse 6 says, nor does it mean that Daniel 9:25 is speaking about vv.7-23 instead of v. 6 (it is not). After all, there was more than one decree to rebuild as well. Perhaps that is the reason why Daniel says in reference to both "A decree" and not "THE decree" (Dan.9:25).

Unger's "Commentary on the Old Testament" is very good on this (in loc.). He says essentially the same thing as Keil and Delitzsch do (but is a great deal more understandable than they are).

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #16:
Dr. Luginbill, 

Okay, I see what you're saying. I guess the only other thing that I'm unsure of is the 6+1+62 interpretation. To clarify, my other small question is:

So know and understand that from the issuing of a decree to desist [from rebuilding Jerusalem] (in ca. 485 B.C.: Ezra 4:6-23), and for the rebuilding of Jerusalem (forty-two years later in ca. 443 B.C.: cf. Ezra 7:11-28; Neh. chap.1-6) 

Are you saying "and for the rebuilding of Jerusalem" is inclusive (seven full weeks finishing ~436 BC)? Or are you saying both the issuing of a decree to desist and a decree to rebuild Jerusalem (~443 BC)? 

Thanks for the thoughtful response.
Response #16:
Thanks for pointing out that this is potentially a bit confusing. I have added the bold/italic to the phrases in the translation below to make what I mean a bit more clear.
So know and understand that from the issuing of a decree to desist [from rebuilding Jerusalem] (in ca. 485 B.C.: Ezra 4:6-23), and for the rebuilding of Jerusalem (beginning forty-two years later in ca. 443 B.C. and taking an additional seven years to complete: cf. Ezra 7:11-28; Neh. chap.1-6) until Messiah the prince there will be seven weeks (i.e., between the decree and the rebuilding) and sixty-two weeks (i.e., between the rebuilding and the birth of Christ in ca. 2 B.C.).
Daniel 9:25
The "further seven years" is the time necessary to actually rebuild Jerusalem after the decree to do so. That is why it says "and for the rebuilding of Jerusalem".

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #17:
Dear Bob,

I've probably kicked this dead horse to a pulp. but... I ran into this today:

"Nutritional status of patients with COVID-19"

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7418699/

It now appears the vitamin B12 is also part of the culprit. I'm now 100% convinced that covid is a bad cold and we have a pandemic of malnutrition. If covid is a bioweapon, it's devilishly fiendish since it has caused no more total deaths than previous years but convinced most governments to do the destruction themselves. I'm fully convinced that the farther away we get from the way the Lord designed us to live, the more we suffer.

I'm also convinced that Israel offered sacrifices to the Lord and, except for those that went directly to the priests, were eaten by the people themselves, though I've not seen that explicitly written. It would make sense though. Animal food is about the only place we commonly get B12 along with other needed nutrients. The injunction to not eat foods sacrificed to idols and the volume of sacrifices during the exodus seems to support that conclusion. If I'm off in the weeds again, please let me know.

So, I would urge you to continue to enjoy your pork (beef or lamb) ribs though I would also strongly urge you to observe the unwritten 2nd Texas commandment -- "thou shalt not use vinegar in barbecue."

I pray you and yours are well and safe.
Response #17:
Thanks for the info, my friend. I do eat plenty of meat (only get bbq once in a while and am not much on heavy sauce of any kind).

There is a difference between slaughtering animals and sacrificing them. The latter is a formal procedure and done in a ceremonial way. The problem that the Law addresses is sacrificing animals NOT to the Lord (or to the Lord "and Malcom" or whomever). That is forbidden. 

New lawnmower arrived today . . . missing the two removable bolts that keep the handle steady (quality control seems to have taken another leg down during this "pandemic"). Didn't want to spend tomorrow mowing anyway!

Keeping you in my prayers, my friend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #18:
Hi Bob,

Do you mean the sacrifices were only eaten by the priests? The volume of daily sacrifices seems incredibly large; the volume at the completion of the second temple is astounding. I'm also assuming the sacrifices were butchered, otherwise the sacrifice would take days to cook and given the daily sacrifices, an incredibly large altar(s) would be required. Then too, the Lord said He had no interest in sacrifices so the ritual had to be for the benefit of the Israelites. Maybe I'm straining at a gnat but after all this time, I'm still trying to understand the sacrifices.

Your lawnmower woes seems to be common anymore. People I know in business have been complaining for quite some time about finding good help.

Also FYI:

"Many countries across the globe utilized medical and non-medical facemasks as non-pharmaceutical intervention for reducing the transmission and infectivity of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Although, scientific evidence supporting facemasks’ efficacy is lacking, adverse physiological, psychological and health effects are established. Is has been hypothesized that facemasks have compromised safety and efficacy profile and should be avoided from use. The current article comprehensively summarizes scientific evidences with respect to wearing facemasks in the COVID-19 era, providing prosper information for public health and decisions making."

"According to the current knowledge, the virus SARS-CoV-2 has a diameter of 60 nm to 140 nm [nanometers (billionth of a meter)] [16], [17], while medical and non-medical facemasks’ thread diameter ranges from 55 µm to 440 µm [micrometers (one millionth of a meter), which is more than 1000 times larger [25]. Due to the difference in sizes between SARS-CoV-2 diameter and facemasks thread diameter (the virus is 1000 times smaller), SARS-CoV-2 can easily pass through any facemask [25]...."

Emphasis mine:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7680614/

Stay well and safe.
Response #18:
This just makes good sense. I've heard that masks were ineffective. Maybe the next step is for us to wear plastic bags over our heads secured with a rubber band. Worked pretty well in Cambodia in The Killing Fields.

On the issue of sacrifices, most of them were not burnt offerings. There is a great deal of info in the Torah about what happens to various sacrifices; in my estimate most of the meat net/net would have gone to those making the offerings, not the priests – who did get their share (Hophni and Phinehas notoriously took more than what was fair; 1Sam.2:12ff.).

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #19:
Hello Bob,

[omitted re: aging] That will be gone one day, thank the Lord. I look forward to that day.

I pray all is well with you and yours and your classes at U of L are finishing up satisfactorily. You're about to the school year finish line I suspect.

In Jesus,
Response #19:
Amen to that! If you're marching across the Sahara, you really only need for your boots and water supply to last until you get to the other side. That really is the right way to look at the journey we're making towards Zion. What's sad is to see so many fellow believers sitting down on the side of the trail, playing in the sand.

There'll be plenty of everything on the other side. And we know that our Lord will give us everything we need to get there, even if it seems to be (and is) running out at present. Like Elijah's cruse of oil and jar of flour, we can be sure that we'll have what we need to get through the Tribulation if that is the Lord's will for us, including having these old buckets of bolts holding together as long as we're meant to be here.

Thanks for those prayers, my friend! It's a busy end to things, but not as bad as it was when we were in the thick of it.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #20:
I have a quick question on the Jewish Calendar.

On Gap # 2: 14+(12*3)= 50 so that is 50 days until the next festival, which is Weeks? Which I get.

Same goes for Gap # 2: 14+(12*9)=122 days until Booths

and Gap #4 Millenium, what does the 158 days signify; 14"(12*12)? Can you expound on this number for me if you don't mind Dr.

Thank you for your help....

In Christ Jesus our Lord 
Response #20:
As I say a bit further down in SR 5 after discussing the gaps: 
"Specifically, they [the gaps] tell us the proportion of believers called out in the Jewish Age, Gentile Age and Millennium respectively. Each of the three calendar gaps is composed of a sum of fourteen days plus a variable number of twelve day periods. As the symbolism of the week long festivals was conceptual, with the single week representing the complete age in question, the symbolism of the fourteen days is temporal, with each week in this case (expressing as it does the idea of a complete, integral unit) representing one millennial day. That the gap representing the Millennium should also contain a like fourteen day period (although it consists temporally of only one millennial day) may be explained as follows:

1) The Millennium is the age of Christ's double portion (discussed in this section above under "Day 7"; cf. Is.61:7).

2) The Millennium is the only age lacking direct satanic rule and, by way of great contrast, benefitting greatly from the rule of the Son of God. It is thus an age of double blessing as evidenced by the fact it will double the number of saved human beings, with an equal number being saved therein as in the whole of prior human history (see immediately below).

3) The Millennium will combine Jews and gentiles in full, functional participation and service in God's plan in contrast both to the Age of Israel (where gentile participation in Israel was relatively rare, with gentiles shut out of most religious observance) and to the Age of the Church (where in numerical terms Jews have formed but a numerically small though critically important remnant of believers in keeping with the "hardness" prophesied to endure until the eve of the last times: Rom.11:5; 11:25-27).

Subtracting these fourteen day periods from the number of days in each of their three respective gaps, we are left with a varying number of twelve day complements: 12 x 3 for the Jewish Age, 12 x 9 for the Church Age, and 12 x 12 for the Millennium (see the discussion above and the chart at the beginning of this section)."
*So this would all mean (in direct answer to your question) that the 12 x 12 of the Millennium signifies that the Friends of the Bride and the Bride are equal in number. And each is also equal to the number of fallen angels. So that the number of saved humanity is twice what was lost in the fall of Satan – a double portion for our Lord who defeated him.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #21:
I forgot one last question. I do not have SR5 on the Seven Days but have SR5 on the Genesis Gap. I am getting my information for the Seven Days from the abridged version of CT series. So please forgive me.

I understand everything but the number 12. How did you get the number 12 and the number 3. I can then take it from there. I will be showing the chart in the study and I know there will be question around that but I don't have the full study with me.

Thank you Dr.
Response #21:
You're referring to the analysis of the Jewish ceremonial calendar? The number 12 is in fact the divisor which one gets when one applies the analysis I've used. That is not surprising since it is the number of wholeness in regard to the Church since, after all, there are twelve gates to New Jerusalem and the Church is re-organized into the twelve tribes, based upon the original organization of Israel. Or as I say in SR 5: 
"Twelve is, of course, the number of full and overflowing wholeness, a principle most perspicuously seen from the number of the tribes of Israel according to which (and into which) the entire saved complement of humanity will ultimately be organized".
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "the number 3". If you're referring to this sentence, "It is not only the three week long festivals which are symbolic of the last three ages of human history.", it should be read, "not only the three [COMMA], week-long festivals" (i.e., there are three festivals each a week long which anchor the calendar). As a result, there are three gaps between the three festivals (wherein there are no festivals).

Here's the conclusion (which you may not have):
"Subtracting these fourteen day periods from the number of days in each of their three respective gaps, we are left with a varying number of twelve day complements: 12 x 3 for the Jewish Age, 12 x 9 for the Church Age, and 12 x 12 for the Millennium (see the discussion above and the chart at the beginning of this section)."
In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #22:
And I will be honest, I have not been on Bible study in a while and so am trying to pick that up again.
Response #22:
I'm happy to hear you're getting back to Bible study! Good for you! That is so very important.

A very wise friend of mine told me many, many years ago that when he was younger, sometimes he got the notion that he could get away with not doing Bible study regularly. And for a little while things went OK . . . but after a while it became apparent that this was a big mistake.

Keep fighting the fight, my friend! It's why we're still here.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #23:
I just want to do all of it. The prayers, history study, Greek, Bible reading, and Bible study. And it is just hard to do all of it.

To be honest there are times I read the Bible study and I do see it in the Bible. And times where I don't at first, and come to see it when you show it later. And other times I don't see it, but I don't think I have run through all you have written. But I have to ask you to forgive me that I can't just automatically force myself to believe something that I don't see clearly in the Bible (to me, it is more like a 'maybe'). But there are things you say that I do see. And those understandings of the Bible are more precious than anything, except maybe if we were to go to Him now and the like.

I hope I haven't upset you.
Response #23:
I think you have exactly the right approach. My old pastor used to call this "eating fish with bones". If you come across a bone, that's no reason to stop eating the fish! Put the bone aside for now, and continue on.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #24:
For the longest time I have had a fear in the back of my head, what if I got it wrong? I think maybe it is just that resurfacing. And a little familiar depression resurfacing. I mean today I got almost all of the to-do, including several chapters of Bible reading, 15 mn of Bible study, the prayers, and 50 mn of Greek. I don't mean to boast but to illustrate if I did all that, and I feel those, maybe it is just a passing feeling.

Recently I have been feeling like I am off the right path somehow, like somehow I am a bit away from God. And it isn't just a sense of that, but that my mind and heart are messed up, I don't know. But I have no idea what I did wrong. I mean I am doing EVERYTHING (I've already detailed to you before recently), so I just don't know. The only thing I can think of is that when I was in school still, I didn't have normal activities and 'toys' (for lack of a better word) and so I would read the Bible and focus on God most of the day. And now my focus throughout the day is less on God. But are we expected to live more like when earlier I was deprived and focused mostly on God? I don't know.
Response #24:
Clearly, few of us are able to be 100% all the time and devote every scintilla of energy and time to the Lord. However, most of us don't do nearly what we could in this regard. Somewhere between those two extremes is the "sweet spot" where positive believers continue to advance in their spiritual growth, progress and production. If the Spirit is urging us to do more, then praying about it and trusting the Lord to guide us is not a bad approach. Generally speaking, it takes time to ramp up to a more consistent and more determined approach – although it takes next to no time to fall back again. That is human nature.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #25:
Hi Bob,

Hope you are well and having a good week. 

My friend's church services are being shown live online on a Sunday and I watched last week's just out of curiosity. It had everything we've been talking about recently in one service. Emotional worship music, tongues, church notices one being for a service coming up to celebrate the water-baptisms people have had at home etc. in the lockdown. The sermon included some information on a book the pastor had read from a Christian self-help author called Dr. Henry Cloud. He has a B.S. in psychology (you did say the other week it was mostly a lot of B.S.!) and a PhD in clinical psychology. And to finish off the service there were some "words of knowledge". So there were a few practical ideas for connecting up with people who might have been suffering in the lockdown which is a good thing but virtually no Bible teaching at all and evidence of a lot of false teaching. So nothing new. I definitely won't be tuning in again any time soon - it made me feel queasy! 

It just makes me so very grateful to the Lord for the huge amount of meaty truth I'm being fed at Ichthys. But then I guess you've got to really want it and like you said - savour it - like honey to fully appreciate it. 

Thanks again for everything, Bob!

In Jesus
Response #25:
I'm very interested to hear that your friend's "church" put on what amounts to a virtual clinic of what NOT to do and yet what IS being done across the board in Laodicea these days. No doubt that queasiness you feel is the Spirit telling you to stay away from all such things. This was the same feeling I used to get years ago when I was trying to "stay connected" ever so slightly even as I was pursuing this (at that time) fledgling ministry. And I've heard similar reports from others too. When you know what's right, seeing/hearing/experiencing what's wrong ought indeed to give us at least some nausea. It's when the nausea begins to subside that we ought to realize we're in trouble. A good inoculation for you!

"Reading day" here, and my students have until tomorrow COB to have all their assignments in. I have about 10% so far. I don't think most of them realize how much work is involved in pumping out the last batch of things they have to do for my classes, especially if they have been coasting thus far (which has been easy enough to do in Covid times). I generally give them all several days after the deadline and then send out a warning shot. Another day later when I get around to final grading, if there's still no input, I generally give them "incompletes" which, in our system (don't know if you have this over there), means they have about half a year to get the problem resolved (otherwise the system automatically turns the "I" into an "F"). Best I can do. I'm sensitive to the fact that this has been a really tough year for them – and I'm certainly glad it's on the point of being over too!

Finally got my new mower working today! The bolts I bought to replace the missing ones arrived and so did the oil I had to buy to replace what had leaked when the box was apparently damaged in shipment. The lever to adjust the back wheels was also apparently bent and it's not possible to bend it all the way back without breaking it, so it does clip the wheels a bit when I'm rolling the thing – but other than that, it's a pretty good mower! Not as "easy start" as advertised and the loudest one I've ever had (will have to use earplugs next time), but all in all I'm very happy to be back in business. 

Thanks as always for your good words too, my friend.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #26:
Good morning Dr. Luginbill, 

I pray all is well with you. I wanted to share a link with you concerning this so-called pandemic. I have done much research into it and have discovered it to be a fraud, even a psychological operation perpetrated by a global medical mafia to suppress the liberties granted to us in the US constitution. I pray you have researched the content of these vaccines before you ever consider taking the jab. Hundreds of Doctors around the world are warning people not to take the Covid19 shots, what are your thoughts on the subject if you care to share from a theological perspective?

https://nojabforme.info/
Response #26:
I've written a lot about this over the past year or so (including in this week's / yesterday's email posting). I'll give you those links below. Suffice it to say that there is no obligation to get vaccinated . . . yet.

As you'll see if you read the links, I don't find it to be a spiritual issue per se (this is a judgment call about material concerns), except to say that it is a good dry run for the mark of the beast: that is to say, getting vaccinated is NOT even a sin, let alone leading to damnation, and may turn out to have been a good thing to do, but the external pressures to do something a person may not want to do for whatever reason are certainly parallel to what we can expect in the future (if to a much lesser degree now). So it's good to take all this to heart.

Here are those links (feel free to write me back about this):
Eschatology Issues LXVII
Eschatology Issues LXVI
Eschatology Issues LXV
Eschatology Issues LXIV
Eschatology Issues LXIII
Eschatology Issues LXII
Eschatology Issues LXI
Eschatology Issues LX
Eschatology Issues LIX
Eschatology Issues LVIII
Eschatology Issues LVII
Eschatology Issues LVI
Eschatology Issues LV
Eschatology Issues LIV
Eschatology Issues LIII
Eschatology Issues LII
Eschatology Issues LI
In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #27:
"Get out of taking the vaccine free card:

1. Ask the Doctor, does the vaccine contain MRC-5? They ALL DO. These are aborted fetal cells and other DNA. You have the right to decline.

2. Also ask, is there a possibility of “Latrogenic Reaction”? (an advance reaction caused by multiple compounds drugs interacting with each other) from the vaccine. THEY ALL DO.

When the doctor say “yes it does,” that is your vaccine free card.

Thank the doctor for the offer and walk away. 

Remember the doctors have the Hippocratic Oath which is to do no harm. Decline their mandated offered services."
The above quoted statements was circulated a year ago and I copied it but I cannot copy it as is.

Bro. Bob, what do you think on the above subject matter?
 
Response #27:
I've written a lot about this over the past year or so (including in this week's / yesterday's email posting). I'll give you those links below. Suffice it to say that there is no obligation to get vaccinated . . . yet. But if they end up requiring it to fly and you need to fly, I'm pretty sure you won't be able to argue with the airline. Maybe you could sue them. A million dollars and three years consumed by the lawsuit later, maybe you'd win and get some of your money back. 

I'm pretty sure that there are not aborted fetal cells in the vaccines. Some do claim that they have been developed using stem cell lines from originally aborted tissues. Maybe so. These sorts or arguments make life difficult to live. Try not using anything that was made in China in whole or in part, for example, where they do all manner of horrible things including forced abortion of the people making elements for the chip that is in your cell phone.

I have other reasons to be wary myself. As far as iatrogenic reactions, that just means unintended consequences. There do seem to be many of these and the jury is out about how effective or safe these things will be since they didn't do primate testing or toxicology studies or a full human trial before ramping up production. People who are being vaccinated ARE the human trial. 

The bigger issue for myself and probably most others will come when and if employers start requiring it. As mentioned in the example above, it's all very well to claim one's rights, but people with power generally trample rights first and are content to face consequences later – usually very much later, if at all (as they well know).

Here are those links:
Eschatology Issues LXVII
Eschatology Issues LXVI
Eschatology Issues LXV
Eschatology Issues LXIV
Eschatology Issues LXIII
Eschatology Issues LXII
Eschatology Issues LXI
Eschatology Issues LX
Eschatology Issues LIX
Eschatology Issues LVIII
Eschatology Issues LVII
Eschatology Issues LVI
Eschatology Issues LV
Eschatology Issues LIV
Eschatology Issues LIII
Eschatology Issues LII
Eschatology Issues LI
In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #28:
Hi Bob,

Thanks for your email! Yes, there are many ways to bake bread. I haven't tried that yet but I bet it's delicious. Thanks for sharing. 

I'm rolling along quite well. In fact I've had an abundance of positive energy and huge strength in Faith. I miss my mom but I'm so so happy knowing where she is. I had this incredible feeling come over about how beautiful it was on the other side and that it was impossible for us humans here on earth to even be able to imagine or understand how wonderful it is. It's like 1 million times better than anything we are even capable of thinking. My mom was such a sweet person, I'm so happy she made it to the other side. 

The family funeral service went well. My mom passed away on good Friday and we buried her on Easter Sunday. The entire day I had this amazing crazy energy, I wasn't sad and I just hugged everyone. As they all cried I kept reassuring them she was so happy and basking in the glory of Jesus. I didn't shed a tear all day. Of course if I had thought of myself it would have been easy to cry but all I could think of was where my mom was and how happy I was for her. 

During the service everyone got up and talked. They talked about my mom and mostly themselves. I was the last to have something to say. I realized that no one mentioned Jesus so it was going to be my main priority. I brought my son up with me to sit by the children as I spoke. I told him and everyone grandma was a very special grandma, she had the most beautiful spirit. She loved like Jesus loves, she cared like Jesus cares, she was patient like Jesus is and now she is with Jesus. I told them that I'm now going to put my armor on and fight this good fight for Jesus. I then gave my son a hug and he went back to sit down. I stood up and told my mom that I was going to be strong and I was going to miss her. 

I didn't realize until then that the children were crying, they had big tears coming down their faces. I could see these sweet children were touched. Before I had gotten up to speak some of them were sleeping on the floor...of course I'm sure it was quite boring for all of them to listen to 15 adults give their good byes. After I had spoken they were all awake. I really do think most children have a close connection to Jesus.

Bob, I'm praying my family finds Jesus, they are in bondage and in such a dark place. My heart aches as I see this pain they are in, if only they knew Jesus they would be set free of so much pain. The Mormon religion, the lies, the deceiving, the secrets are all of the dark side. While they choose this dark place they will not be able to see.

I know my family is watching me and I just pray I can do everything that gives Jesus the credit and just maybe they will finally go his way. [omitted]

It's taken me a few weeks to get this email off to you. Just busy crazy with work, funeral and just trying to stay breathing. Hope all is going well for you. How is school going? Are you going to continue teaching next year? How are you handling all the Covid stuff? 
Response #28:
I'm sorry to hear that your family is still such a burden. But I want to commend you for your wonderful witness for our Lord at the funeral! Indeed, your trust and reliance on Him throughout this trial has been a virtual clinic of "how to do it in a godly way". Good for you!

It is a blessing to know our loved ones are with the Lord. I didn't cry at my mom's funeral either – of course she was much older than yours and in terrible shape at the end. The Lord took her home at just the right time, and that was obvious. At times like this I just don't even understand people who are content to face the prospect of death without the Lord. Just goes to show the power of hardening the heart. The devil apparently still thinks he can win, after all (?!).

I'm continuing to keep you and your family in my prayers for deliverance. Your good witness under such pressures makes it very clear that you are made of very strong spiritual stuff, my friend!

"Are you going to continue teaching next year?": Like the old bumper sticker says, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!" We're supposed to be back to normal next fall at U of L. If so, it will be a great deal easier than this MOST difficult of all academic years was. My students are likely to have a hard time adjusting, however – and my colleagues, most of whom have been hunkered down all year. I'm very happy to have done things in "as normal a way as possible". I know that my classes helped anchor a lot of students (though I did have a large number who even so ended up watching from home – as they could since I video-streamed all my classes this semester). 

In any case, I put in my last grades last night so I am officially done. Work goes on. I'm on a French search committee that will do the bulk of its work in May, I have to hire for the extra Latin section being taught next year too, there are some residual things I need to do for the local HS Latin programs, and meetings are also not done. Then the main work of summer begins with the research and writing I'm behind on. But I did spend all day putting in the summer gardens. Lots of nasturtiums and zinnias. Prepping the ground was a bear. I have the aches tonight to prove it. More of the same tomorrow!

Keeping you and yours in my prayers, my friend. 

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #29:
Indeed Bob,

I felt the sting of Peter #34 and it offended me "in the flesh" but when I thought about it and continued reading it to the end, I found myself nodding away and agreeing with it.. Because it is THE TRUTH!

I realise that before, in that job, I was obsessed with the idea of "righting a wrong" in a phoney belief that it would somehow make the world a better place but only Jesus can do that (and He will! And already has!) Back then I didn't realise that I was living in Satan's dominion and that unfairness, evil and corruption is actually the rule rather than the exception! Indeed I could try to right wrongs all the day long for the rest of my time and barely put a dent in any of it. Indeed if I had done this and neglected to become a Christian, I would have died in my sins and everything would have been for nothing! 

I guess I DO look at what happened differently through 34. Maybe I wouldn't have felt the need to fight that fight at all but would have been more focused on my witness.

I started off being upset and somewhat shocked by 34 but by the end of it I was deeply moved and to be honest I have woken up with a feeling of excitement to think that I could do a small bit in God's overall plan! The excitement and joy to be working now for Jesus, far outweighs any secular notion of "righting wrongs"!

I am not offended about your comment that your dear ones have had it much worse. I understand now that many brethren have had it much worse than I have. Yes I was delivered wasn't I! It was also the slam dunk that proved to me that we live in the Devil's territory and we can't take that from him, that is not our job to do. Jesus has given us a different job and that is what I want to be busying myself with now!

So thank you. Like ointment, it stung like crazy for a while but it was simultaneously doing its job, making me better.

Sorry to fire so many questions at you. You have explained before about Acts 19 and I seem to remember that this was about the authority of the Apostles. I know that the Holy Spirit is not about "feelings" despite what the Charismatics say.

Was Spurgeon a Charismatic then because he wrote the following on the Holy Spirit
"Give a man an electric shock, and I warrant you he will know it; but if he has the Holy Ghost, he will know it much more."

Again this seems to point to the idea that the Holy Spirit is a physical feeling unless I misinterpreted what Spurgeon was saying.

This interpretation (from Blue Letter Bible website) intimates that you "know" if you have the Holy Spirit as it is a feeling thing but I know this not to be true.

Paul in this chapter was not talking about "feeling" the Holy Spirit was he?

I have an Unger commentary of the New Testament but it doesn't go beyond the Gospels.
What do you think of David Pawson's work? I bought his Unlocking the Bible when I first became a believer and wanted guidance.

Also do you rate the guides done by Warren W Wiersbe?

Many thanks again for your time!

Your friend in Jesus,

P.s. What is an "upraised hand"?
Response #29:
In terms of the past, who among us doesn't have things which now make us blush (cf. Rom.6:21)? But we who belong to Jesus Christ have a right, nay, a duty, to forget the past and move forward for Jesus Christ (Phil.3:13).

The Holy Spirit's indwelling and empowerment is definitely NOT about "feeling", I agree. That IS where the charismatics get off track entirely. The Spirit empowers the truth we have believed and gives us insight and empowerment to act on that truth – regardless of how we are "feeling".

Acts 19 is a very difficult and much misunderstood passage which has nothing to do with the above. For in the early days of the Church Age it was typical for believers to experience the sort of overtly miraculous coming of the Spirit we see at Pentecost and at Acts 10. And indeed, once these individuals believe, they too receive the Spirit in an overtly miraculous way. I say "overtly", because of course our having Him indwelling us, having Him placed us in union with Christ, is an amazing "double miracle" – and none the less so now that it can't be felt per se and has to be learned about through attention to the truth.

On "upraised hand" I mean our Lord's active and present deliverance:
Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.
Psalm 10:12 NIV
On Spurgeon, never cared for him, never got anything out of his writings, so I'm not the one to perform exegesis on what he may have meant.

On David Pawson and Warren W Wiersbe, never heard of either one of them before. It seems the former is a proponent of water-baptism (although he seems to have a correct view about the lack of a pre-Trib rapture), and the latter was head of the Moody Bible Institute – which would place him no doubt in the mainstream of American evangelicaldom (which is going nowhere at present).

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
Question #30:
Hello Bob,

Thank you for checking in on us. We appreciate it so much. I have been having email problems, so I have switched to a different program so this is my new email address. Hopefully, I won’t be having anymore problems.

I hope you and yours have been well. Mom and I have been doing well and staying healthy my God’s grace. Another odd school year is coming to a close here and I’m assuming there as well. Our governor still thinks he is king and we have been jumping back and forth from phase to phase. Most don’t care anymore and just do what they want. 

I’m sorry to report that my nasty neighbor is still there. Our governor keeps extending the eviction moratorium and the rental agency on the house won’t kick him out because of it. I have talked to them several times and told them that it only covers non-payment of rent and they can remove him because he has harassed us and threatened bodily harm to us and our property. They have the video proof, but won’t do anything. We have been having some very nice weather here the last month, so he’s been outside drinking and just being his normal annoying self. I feel like we’re sitting on a powder keg that can explode at any minute. The rental agency as well as the owner of that home knows it. I believe his lease is up at the end of April and he has been fixing a few things and possibly making moves that he *might* be leaving but I don’t want to get my hopes up. They have been dashed too many times before. If he doesn’t move, I feel my next step is getting a lawyer in place. I feel that they have left him in place knowing what he is like and what he has done to us for the past 4 years and that if anything else happens, they are responsible as he is. He should not have been left in to harass us again, if it does happen. If he continues to stay, I will also have to renew my anti-harassment order, which will be another cost to me. 

I really believe that this is a test for me. The Lord has been with us through all of it and has kept us safe. He has given me wisdom and he has brought people into my life that have been invaluable (like someone who works at the sheriff’s department who is in charge of evictions, Ex-deputies, people who have worked for rental agencies, etc.). I will say, though, that it has been getting harder and harder for me to cope with this. It wears on me greatly with each day. I trust in Him, I pray for wisdom and peace. I pray and study and do what I can. It seems the more I do, the worse it gets, which I know is common. I’m just tired. I’m frustrated. The burden is heavy. I get up each day, though, and give it another go hoping today will be the day I make it to the other shore and will find rest. 

I want to thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement. It really helps and I look back on past emails when I get down about things, plus the emails on Ichthys are always a help, as well.

Take care my friend!

In Him, 
Response #30:
I’m delighted to hear from you, my friend! Albeit I am distressed to hear that this "fiery trial" continues. I think that you are right to consider taking the next step. A good lawyer (make sure you do get a good one if it comes to this) should be able to find the right pressure point. Landlords like many in business follow the flow of least resistance – so if it looks more problematic, risky and expensive to do something rather than nothing, they are likely to do that something (in my observation and experience).

I do want to compliment you on your godly persistence and continuation of your wonderful witness under the load. Many would have flagged or faltered by now, blaming God or doing something ungodly. But you have stayed true throughout. I am convinced that the Lord is going to deliver you – He always does. I'll be praying for you for guidance as well as for protection and deliverance – as indeed I have been keeping you in my daily prayers.

Hoping to hear good news from you soon!

Best to your mom.

In Jesus our dear Savior,
Bob L.
Question #31:
Hi Bob,

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I will admit that the flesh comes out more than I would like sometimes. I get angry and frustrated and I let the Lord know about it. Just like a child throwing a temper tantrum. It shows me that I need to mature, hence the testing. The growing pains to maturity. I don’t blame Him. I know it happens for a reason. 

I have been wondering if that wasn’t the rental agency’s MO. I really didn’t want to go the lawyer route, but maybe it’s a good thing. At least they’ll know I mean business and maybe they’ll do a better job screening their next renter. Plus if he does anything to us after he moves out, we’ll be prepared. 

Something I forgot to add on the last email, when I was talking about reading the weekly emails on Ichthys, was that I saw an old email I wrote to you back in 2018 posted at the end of February. A good reminder of all of those things that were going on then and how God has answered them all. Yes, I’m still going through the neighbor thing but God is answering our prayer. 

Thanks again and I will let you know as soon as I hear something. 

In Him,
Response #31:
I'm grateful to the Lord for your godly attitude in spite of all this pressure, my friend. It is a mark of spiritual maturity to be able to appreciate the Lord's blessings even when there are "problems" that one is waiting on deliverance from. 

I'll be praying for you and your mom for relief . . . without having to engage too long or too strong on that level.

In Jesus our dear Savior,

Bob L.
http://ichthys.com/