Overview of Daniel's 70th Week

Daniel 9:

24    Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

25    Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

26    And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

27    And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This prophecy reveals that there is 70 weeks of years (70 x 7 = 490 years) determined upon Israel and the city of Jerusalem until Christ comes to establish His kingdom (seven is a key number in God's dealings with Israel). We know that 69 weeks (483 years) was fulfilled at the time of the crucifixion of Christ. There is one week (7 years) that is yet to be fulfilled, i.e. the tribulation period. We are living in a parenthetical mystery age that was revealed through the apostle Paul in which God is building the church which is the body of Christ. This age will end with the mystery of the rapture and at some point after that the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy will be fulfilled. The body of Christ is not the subject of prophecy (it was a mystery, i.e. secret, hid from the prophets, Eph. 3) and will not go through any part of the prophesied tribulation period.

 

Daniel’s 70^th week is split into two periods of 42 months. In the first 3 ½ years the antichrist rises to power through false peace, makes a covenant with Israel, and helps to restore the sacrificial system in the temple. But peace will be taken from the earth and wars will abound followed by famine and pestilence. A fourth of the world’s population will die in the first 42 months of the tribulation period. In the midst of the week Satan enters the antichrist and he will break the covenant with Israel, cause the sacrifices to cease, and will sit in the temple and declare himself to be God (the abomination of desolation). This marks the beginning of the “great tribulation” which will last 42 months. The world will be required to worship him and those that do will receive his mark in their forehead or in their right hand. Those that refuse to take his mark and worship him will not be able to buy or sell. The godly remnant of Israel that refuses to worship the beast will be the special object of his persecution. Many of them will be beheaded and the rest will flee into the wilderness where God will supernaturally provide for them just as He did in the Exodus. In the great tribulation Satan will pour out his great wrath knowing that he has but a short time. But God will also pour out His great wrath. Jesus said of the great tribulation that “except those days should be shortened, there shall no flesh be saved”. After the great tribulation the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven and He will return in power and great glory to wipe out His enemies, save His people, and establish the kingdom.

 

The Lord Jesus prophesied of the tribulation period in His discourse to His disciples on the Mount of Olives. His prophecy in Matthew 24 lines up perfectly with Revelation 6. Both passages give us an overview of the 70th week of Daniel. 

 

Matthew 24	Revelation 6
False Christs (v.4-5)	False Christ (v.1-2)
Wars (v.6-7)	Wars (v.3-4)
Famines (v.7)	Famine (v.5-6)
Pestilences, beasts (v.7)	Pestilence, beasts (v.7-8)
Martyrs (v.9-28)	Martyrs (v.9-11)
Signs in heaven (v.29-30)	Signs in heaven (v.12-17)

Heresy

Acts 24:

[14] But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and prophets:

 

One of the hindrances to sound Bible study is the use of man's modern definitions for God's Biblical terms. The word "heresy" is a case in point. How most people use this word does not line up with how it is used in the Bible. Generally speaking, most Christians think that heresy is simply any belief and teaching that is false. But if that is what heresy really is it would mean that all of us are heretics to some extent because we are not infallible. We will never be 100% right about everything we believe until we are glorified. The Bible is infallible but because of our fallibility it is always possible for us to misinterpret the scripture- regardless of our sincerity. I think that the words "heresy" and "heretic" are used entirely too carelessly and frequently.

 

The first and only mention of the word "heresy" in the Bible (Acts 24:14) teaches us several important things about heresy:

•  It is a word that religious people love to use against those who do not follow their religious traditions.

•   The apostle Paul worshipped God in a way that was called heresy by the Christ-rejecting Jews that exalted their traditions above the word of God. 

•   Being a genuine Bible-believer that follows Paul (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1) will make you a heretic in the eyes of religious people.

 

The plural word "heresies" is used three times in the Bible (1 Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20; 2 Pet. 2:1). The word "heretick" is used just once (Titus 3:10). Studying these references will teach us what heresy really is and how we are to deal with it.

 

We need to know what the Bible teaches about heresy so that we don't go around like religious ignoramuses carelessly accusing everybody that disagrees with us of heresy. God only gave one religion through Israel and the Jews corrupted it. The Body of Christ is NOT about religion but a real relationship with God through Jesus Christ (Col. 2:8-17). All religion today is of man and holds to traditions of men. Religious people love to accuse people that disagree with their views of heresy.

 

Down through history the roman catholic hierarchy has set up councils in which they have identified what they considered heresy. They have excommunicated “unrepentant heretics” (which to them means losing any hope of salvation) and they have murdered thousands of so-called heretics by burning them at the stake and other forms of torture.

 

Protestants (groups that came out of the catholic religion) are labeled as heretics by the catholics but they too have labeled groups that disagree with their traditional beliefs as heretics. Protestants have been persecuted by the catholics but they in turn have also persecuted others.

 

You may be thinking, "Well, at least the Baptists do not falsely accuse people of heresy". Sadly, that is not true. There are Baptists that promote what they call the "Old Time Religion" and hold to traditions that are not based on the scriptures, rightly divided. Many of them think that only the churches that are exactly like theirs are TRUE churches. They may not persecute those that they view as heretics but they certainly label and shun them. 

 

Our English word heresy is from the French word heresie. The word literally means "a choice", and by implication a sect, faction, or belief that one has chosen that is different from that which is commonly accepted. Thus, heresy can be any school of thought, although it is usually taken in the bad sense. A heretick is simply one who maintains heresy.

 

The same Greek word that is translated "heresy" is also translated "sect" five times in the KJB. According to Webster's 1828 dictionary, a sect is "A body or number of persons united in tenets, chiefly in philosophy or religion, but constituting a distinct party by holding sentiments different than those of other men." For example, the Saducees were a sect among the Jews that were united in their tenet that there was no resurrection.

 

According to how the word is used in the KJB, heresy is more than false doctrine. Heresy is holding to a false doctrine to the point of creating a faction or sect and thereby causing division (2 Pet. 2:1-2).

 

While I am sure that the devil loves heresy and tempts people to be heretics, he should not get all the credit for heresies because the scripture teaches that heresy is a work of the FLESH (Gal. 5:19-21a). Notice how "heresies" is mentioned between "strife, seditions" and "envyings".

 

Pride and the possibility of self advancement motivates those who hold to spurious doctrines to promote their views in an attempt to draw away disciples unto themselves and thereby forming a sect (Acts 20:28-30).

 

Heresy, being a work of the flesh, is an ever present threat to any local church. The church at Corinth had heresies among them and Paul said that it must be so (1 Cor. 11:17-19). The positive thing about heresy is that it causes "they which are approved" to be made manifest because they are the ones who can answer and correct the heresy. Who are the approved (2 Cor. 10:18; 2 Tim. 2:15)?

 

In the context of 2 Tim. 2:15 we see that rightly dividing the word of truth will prevent us from heresy and enable us to identify and deal with heretics (v.16-18).

 

How are we to deal with heretics?

•   Patiently instruct them in meekness (2 Tim. 2:23-26)

•   If unrepentant after 2 clear admonitions, reject them (Titus 3:10-11)

•   Mark and avoid them (Rom. 16:17-18)

The Gap Fact

Genesis 1:
[1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
[2] And the earth was without form, and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
[3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Most Christians reject what is commonly referred to as the “gap theory” because they have been taught that it was invented in the late 1800’s by Bible teachers in order to accommodate Darwin’s theory of evolution. There have been a few teachers that use the fact that there is a gap between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2 to account for some geological issues and the "fossil record". However, there were Bible teachers long before the 1800’s that taught the gap and their teaching had nothing to do with accommodating the theory of evolution. My reasons for believing there is a gap has nothing to do with what any man teaches but has everything to do with what the Bible teaches. I totally reject evolution and so do many others that believe there is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. We do not know how long ago God created the original earth. He created many things in eternity past before time as we know it. We do not know, nor can we know, how long the period was that elapsed between the creation of the original earth and the reconstruction of it. The length of that period is not the issue. The real issue is why was there destruction and reconstruction?

I. Creation (1:1) – eternity past

II. Destruction (1:2) – eternity past
III. Reconstruction (1:2b-2:3) – done in 6 literal 24 hour days about 6,000 years ago

 Twelve Bible Reasons to Believe the "Gap Theory"

1. Every verse in Gen. 1 begins with “And" which always moves the narrative forward and never refers back to the previous verse. Therefore v.2 is not a description of v.1.

2. The descriptive words in 1:2 match other verses that clearly speak of judgment. The prophet Jeremiah said, "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light." (Jer. 4:23) How did the earth become "without form, and void"? Jeremiah said that it was by "the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger" (Jer. 4:26). I believe that Jeremiah is speaking of a future judgment. But we know that "the thing that hath been, it is that which shall be" (Ecc. 1:9). So, by comparing scripture with scripture (1 Cor. 2:13) we KNOW that the earth becomes "without form, and void" as a result of God's judgment. The words "deep" and "darkness" are associated with God's judgment in many verses in the Bible.

3. God declared that He did not create the earth in vain (Isa. 45:18).

4. God does not create in stages. He speaks and it is done. For example, the Bible does not say, “God created the beasts, and the beasts were without form and void.” To suggest He spoke an earth that was without form and void belittles His power.

5. The description in Genesis 1:2 speaks of judgment. Why would there be a judgment before Adam was created and fell? Lucifer fell before Adam was created. The passages that reveal why he fell imply that he was the ruler on the original earth. Adam's fall affected the earth. It makes sense that Lucifer’s fall also affected the earth. Lucifer led away some of  the angels in a rebellion against God which resulted in a cataclysmic judgment. Satan wanted Adam to fall so that he could usurp the authority over this earth that he once had (Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-17; Matt. 4:8-9; 2 Cor. 4:4).

6. Some say that there was no sin or death on earth until Adam sinned (Lucifer and Eve sinned before Adam). They use Rom. 5:12 as a proof text but that verse is only talking about the human race. They also say that if Lucifer fell before Gen. 2:3 then God could not have said that everything He made was good (1:31). The first thing He says was good is Light in v. 4 (Lucifer fell between v.1 and 2). God’s statement in v.31 is limited to what He made during the 6 days in 1:3-30 and refers to the earth and its solar system (Satan’s primary habitation is “in heaven” – Job 15:15; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 12:7-9). Notice that God did NOT call “Heaven” (second heaven= space) good in 1:8.   

7. There are other places in the Bible where there is a big gap skipped over in the passage. For example, in Isaiah 61:1-2 both advents of Christ are described in the same prophecy with this present mystery age (that has lasted over 1900 years) totally skipped over. Just because God does not reveal why the judgment occurred in Genesis 1 does not mean that it didn’t. We must compare scripture with scripture.

8. Adam is told to “replenish” (which means to recover former fullness) the earth just as Noah was told to replenish the earth after the flood (Gen. 9:1). The corrupt Bibles say “fill” instead of “replenish”. There is a difference between "fill" and "replenish". God used the word "fill" in reference to marine life (1:22). Therefore there must not have been a sea on the original earth in eternity past just as there will not be a sea on the new earth in eternity future (Rev. 21:1).

9. Notice concerning plant life that the “earth brought forth” what was already there (1:9-13).

10. The original earth being destroyed by water (“deep”, “waters”) is referred to in 2 Peter 3:5-6. Some say that 2 Pet. 3:6 refers to Noah’s flood. But the world did not “perish” in Noah’s flood (Noah, his family, and animals did not perish). Notice that the flood in v.6 is in the context of “the beginning of the creation” (v.4).  

11. There is a future rebellion of Satan which results in the destruction and restoration of the earth. Once again, "the thing that hath been, it is that which shall be" (Ecc. 1:9; Rev. 20:7-21:1).

12. Paul refers to Gen. 1:2-4 as a type of salvation (2 Cor. 4:6). We were created, ruined by sin, and regenerated (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10). God used His Spirit and His word to bring us out of darkness into light (Acts 26:18)!

 

The Theme of Acts

Acts is not primarily a book of doctrine but rather a historical record of the transition period in which God moved from the nation of Israel to the Body of Christ; from the gospel of the kingdom (Acts 2:38) to the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 13:38-39); from the ministry of Peter (Acts 1-12) to that of Paul (Acts 13-28). 

Acts is rightly called a transition book because one dispensation is fading out (Law) and another is fading in (Grace). The early chapters of Acts is a continuation of the prophesied kingdom program of Israel (which concerns a literal kingdom on earth) and not an inauguration of the mystery program of the body of Christ (which concerns a spiritual body seated with Christ in heavenly places) that was revealed to and through the apostle Paul (Eph. 3). Please carefully compare Acts 3:19-24 (spoken since the world began) with Romans 16:25-27 (secret since the world began). 

The popular view of Acts is that from beginning to end it is primarily the record of the birth and growth of the church of this present age. But the correct view of Acts is that from beginning to end it is primarily the account of the fall of Israel. It explains step by step why the chosen people had to be set aside and salvation sent to the Gentiles apart from them. It reveals why the commission that Christ gave the 12 had to be suspended and another apostle raised up to go to the Gentiles with the gospel of the grace of God. Paul was NOT one of the 12 (Gal. 1-2) and was NOT sent under the same commission (Matt. 28:19-20 with 1 Cor. 1:17).

Despite what most Bible teachers say, the book of Acts does not provide a solid pattern that we should try to follow today. If we are to follow the pattern set forth in Acts we will run into some real problems:

1. Which message should we preach to those who want to know how to be saved, Acts 2:37-38 or 16:30-31?
2. Where and to whom should we preach? Should we, like the 12, begin at Jerusalem (1:8)? Or should we, like Paul, depart from Jerusalem and go far hence to the Gentiles (22:21)?
3. Should we preach to the Jews only (11:19), to the Jews first and then the Gentiles (13:46), or to everybody alike (28:28)?
4. Do we receive the Holy Ghost several years after repentance and baptism (2:4), immediately after repentance and baptism (2:38), after the apostles from Jerusalem lay hands on us (8:14-17), before baptism (10:44-48), or after we repent, get baptized, then re-baptized, and then have an apostle lay hands on us (19:1-6)?
5. How are we to handle money? Should we sell all our possessions and have all things common with the  rest of the church (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35) or should we work to supply for our needs (20:33-34)?
 

Is the King James Bible Inspired?

     Most fundamentalists are “doubletongued” (1 Tim. 3:8) when it comes to the issue of the word of God. For example, a pastor will stand up and say with a King James Bible in his hand, “THIS Bible does not merely contain the Word of God but IS the Word of God”. A little later in the same message that pastor will say, “This is an unfortunate rendering by the King James translators because it does not agree with the original text”. When you ask them, “How can the King James Bible have errors in it if it is indeed the word of God?” They will respond, “The King James is a good translation but only the originals were inspired and therefore perfect.” They do not actually believe the Bible they hold in their hands is the pure word of God but merely an accurate translation of it. When they refer to the scriptures, they are in reality referring to original writings which they have never seen. Even though they have never seen the original writings, they somehow know that the King James disagrees with them in a number of places. These “fundamentalist” scholars pretend to believe the Bible but at the same time sit in judgment upon it. They are often caught talking out of both sides of their mouth in attempt to please men. Does the Bible say that the scripture was only inspired in the originals? Does the Bible say that a translation cannot be inspired scripture? No, that is just what some fallible men teach. If you believe what the Bible says about itself, you will believe that there is a perfect copy of scripture available for us today. The King James Bible is not inferior to its underlying texts in the original languages and it is as equally inspired as the original manuscripts. 

 

     Back in 2008 I attended a so-called “King James Bible Conference”. Based on the name of the conference and the way it was advertised, you would think the speakers were going to teach that the King James Bible is the inspired and perfect words of God. If this was going to be the case it meant that the men speaking at the conference had apparently changed their well-documented position. I was sure this was not the case, so I made the trip just to witness a “doubletongue” in action. I was not disappointed. The real theme of the conference was that we needed to have knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek if we were to truly understand the Bible. Dr. Smith compared the Greek text to a telescope. He said that while we could see the stars without a telescope, we could not discover their full beauty without one. In like manner, the Greek text allows us to fully discover the beauty of the Bible. In other words, he was saying that the King James Bible is INFERIOR to its underlying texts. The theme of the conference was that the King James Version is the best English translation, BECAUSE it is based on the Masoretic text and the Textus Receptus. Thus, the final authority for Dr. Smith and the other speakers was NOT the King James Bible, but the texts in the original languages. There was only one speaker that sounded like he might actually believe the King James Bible is perfect. He preached a message called, “Shut Up, You Don’t Speak Greek”. The theme of the message was that the “scholars” today do not really know Greek as well as they pretend and that referring to it was unnecessary. He mentioned that the reason why pastors like to refer to the Greek is to sound scholarly but that the average church member is not helped at all by it. He said that the “archaic” words in the King James can be defined by the context or comparing scripture with scripture. I noticed that the other speakers did not enjoy his message but rather looked embarrassed. When the DVD's of the conference were advertised later in the periodical of which the host preacher is the editor, I noticed that this message was NOT included in the set. In fact another message by the same preacher but was not preached at that conference was put in the place of it with an asterisk that said it was not available on DVD (to cover up the fact that this message was not even preached at that conference). The good, godly, dedicated, separated, etc... editor and evangelist LIED.

     Here are statements that the three main speakers of the conference have put out concerning what they believe about the Bible:

“We believe the Bible, the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New Testament, preserved for us in the Masoretic text (Old Testament) Textus Receptus (New Testament) and in the King James Bible, is verbally and plenarily inspired of God.” (Smith)

“It is our strong conviction that the Received Text of the New Testament and Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, underlying the KJV is the preserved Word of God.” (Sorenson)

"It is my firm conviction, that KJV, based upon what has become known as the 'Received Text' is the ONLY Bible that retains ALL the fundamental doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ, without any deletion, being a faithful translation of the text upon which it is based." (Jasmin)
 

     In all three of these statements, it is apparent that the final authority for these fundamentalist leaders is NOT the King James Bible but its underlying texts. Of course, there are variations in the “underlying texts” and therefore the real final authority for these men is THEMSELVES and their SCHOLARSHIP. Basically, these men believe that the words of scripture were inspired originally, the doctrines of scripture are preserved only in the original languages, and that today we have a good translation of the preserved texts. The root of their problem is failing to believe that a translation can be inspired scripture.
 

     The following excerpt from a letter that I received from a man who disagrees with my stand for the King James Bible is an example of what most “fundamentalists” believe about inspiration.
 

“The point is not that this or that translation is better than the KJV, but rather that every translation should stand or fall on its own merits.  The KJV has a lot to recommend it, but just as you listed what you saw as "problems" with the NAS, I could list some problems with the KJV.  I'm sorry, but it is NOT the one and only PERFECT and COMPLETE Word of God exactly as He intended it from the beginning of time.  That distinction has to be reserved for the autographs, which (as you note) do not exist on earth any more.  His Word is settled forever in heaven (in the form of the autographs, I think, not the KJV) but it is His thoughts that are available to us in the English language.  As anyone who is multilingual will testify, no language is can be perfectly translated into another.  When a thought is translated from, say, Greek into English, it is an attempt to translate the meaning, although different words are used.  This just cannot be denied.  Consider, for example, the many Greek words that are all translated "love" or "charity" in the KJV.  The fact is, a word that has the EXACT same meaning often does not exist, so the translator must try to express the meaning using different words.  If they are different words, then, it is the meaning or thoughts that are conveyed, not the exact words.  This is simple logic, but it is valid nevertheless.  The KJV is not exactly the same thing as the autographs.  Therefore, if the KJV IS the ONE AND ONLY WORD of GOD, then the autographs WERE NOT.”
 

     Obviously, this man believes that only the originals were inspired and that today we merely have God’s thoughts. Of course, the Bible says that it is the “words” of God that are preserved (Psalm 12:6-7), not just His thoughts. To get around that plain statement of scripture, this man believes that the words are only preserved in heaven. Well, the Bible does not say that. Yes, the word of God is settled forever in heaven (Psalm 119:89), but preservation means that God will keep His words pure on EARTH. Nobody is trying to corrupt the word of God in heaven, but there are “many” trying to on earth (2 Cor. 2:17). The words of the Lord have been purified in a “furnace of EARTH” and they are kept pure for every GENERATION. There are no generations in heaven. Furthermore, the purpose of scripture is to reveal God and His truth to men. Why would God write a Book for men and then keep the only perfect copy of it in heaven?

 

     The Bible plainly teaches that God inspires every word of scripture and has taken it upon Himself to make sure those inspired words are preserved and kept pure (2 Tim. 3:16; Psalm 12:6-7). I believe Him. My position on the KJB being the inspired words of God is a FAITH position that I received from the Bible and not a philosophical position  that I received by tradition of men. Many teachers claim that the KJB is preserved but not inspired. If something is preserved it is kept the same. If the Bible was inspired it is still inspired if it has truly been preserved. Inspiration means that the scripture is the living words of God. Preservation means that we have those words today. According to Peter, the word of God "liveth and abideth forever" (1 Pet. 1:23). If the Bible is only preserved then all we have is a body of dead words. James said that "the body without the spirit is dead "(Jam. 2:26). Words without the Spirit are dead. But Jesus Christ said that His words "are spirit, and they are life" (Jn. 6:63).  God let the original writings decay and fade away. Therefore, His inspired words must extend beyond the original writings. The Lord Jesus believed that the copies of scripture that were available when He was carrying out His earthly ministry were inspired. In Mark 12:36, He quotes Psalm 110:1 and says that it was what David said “by the Holy Ghost”. No doubt, Jesus was referring to scripture that the Pharisees, whom He was talking to, had read. When Jesus referred to the “scriptures”, He was not referring to original writings that could not be read. How could the originals, which were no longer in existence, be searched (John 5:39)? The “holy scriptures” that Timothy knew from a child were not the original writings (2 Tim. 3:15). According to what Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16, Timothy had inspired scripture. In Jeremiah 36, the Lord has given us a whole chapter that illustrates how He preserves His inspired words. After the original roll was destroyed by king Jehoiakim, God gave His words again through Jeremiah. God let the original be destroyed because He has the power to preserve His word. According to the Bible, God does not place the same priority on the original autographs as the “scholars” do. There has never been a Bible (all 66 books) available in the original writings. Therefore, if only the originals were inspired, no body has EVER had a perfect Bible.  

     God has also let the Hebrew and Greek of the Old and New Testaments become dead languages that only a handful of people can partially understand. Today, there is no ONE perfect copy of the scripture in the original languages. Therefore, His inspired words must extend beyond the original languages. God chose to preserve His inspired words in the universal language of English. The Authorized Version of 1611 is the perfect and inspired word of God. It has withstood all scrutiny and attacks for over 400 years. God superintended the whole translating process and made sure that His words were translated exactly the way he wanted. The Bible teaches that a translation can be inspired. When New Testament writers quoted Old Testament writers, that translation from Hebrew to Greek was inspired and was worded exactly the way God wanted it. When Paul spoke to the Jews in the Hebrew language and Luke recorded it in Greek (Acts 22), that translation was inspired and it was worded exactly the way God wanted it. The point is that a translation can be inspired scripture. In the Bible we read about three translations. In 2 Samuel 3:10, we read that God wanted to “translate” the kingdom from Saul to David. In Hebrews 11:5, we read that God “translated” Enoch from earth to heaven. In Colossians 1:13, we read that believers are “translated” from the power of darkness to the kingdom of His dear Son. In all three cases the translation was perfect and successful. In fact, because God did the translating, the translation was even better than the original. The King James Bible is superior to the originals in that the originals are GONE but we can read the King James Bible TODAY.
 

      The bottom line is that this is an issue of final authority. If the only perfect scripture that ever existed was in the originals, or is scattered among various manuscripts, then MAN is the final authority. However, if the King James Bible is the preserved word of God, then it is our final authority. The last thing Satan wants people to do is believe and submit to the word of God. Thus, the serpent’s philosophy of, “Yea, hath God said” (Gen. 3:1) still prevails in the minds most today. If the devil can't convince you to believe his lie that God never even gave us His word, he will then try to convince you to believe his lie that although God did give us His word it was only in the original writings and therefore we do not have those inspired words TODAY. The "scholars" tell us that the Bible should say that all scripture WAS given by inspiration of God and not that it IS given by inspiration of God. They point out that the word "is" in 2 Timothy 3:16 is in italics and claim that it really doesn't belong in the text. The second "is" in the verse is also in italics; "and is profitable". Well, if the first "is" should be "was" then the second "is" should be "was". Therefore, according to them, "All scripture WAS given by inspiration of God, and WAS profitable". An inspired Bible that no one has access to is not profitable to anybody! But in the immediate context Timothy knew the holy scriptures from a child. He certainly didn't have the original writings of the Old Testament but Paul said that what he had was given by inspiration of God. He also said that WE must have scripture given by inspiration of God if we are going to be "perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." I have been charged to preach the word which is inspired of God (2 Tim. 4:1-5). If I didn't believe that Bible was the inspired and pure words of God, I would resign because I would have no confidence in what I was preaching. Inspiration means that God's Spirit gave us God's words and they are "quick and powerful" (Heb. 4:12). God has used the KJB in a great way in my life and I have also seen  firsthand how He uses in the lives of those I preach to every week. God gave us inspired scripture for a very practical and PRESENT application. I know with all my heart that my old King James Bible is the inspired words of God. I will not let the devil or men convince me otherwise.

The Main Division in the Bible

 

PROPHECY   Peter said to Israel, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath SPOKEN BY THE MOUTH OF ALL HIS HOLY PROPHETS SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN.” (Acts 3:19-21)	MYSTERY    Paul said to the Body of Christ, “Now unto him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN, BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST” (Rom. 16:25-26a)
Concerns a KINGDOM; a political ORGANIZATION   Dan. 2:44	Concerns a BODY; a spiritual ORGANISM    1 Cor. 12:12-1
The kingdom to be established ON EARTH Jer. 23:5; Matt. 6:10	The body given a position in HEAVENLY places   Eph. 2:5-6
The kingdom PROPHESIED since the world began   Lk. 1:67-75	The body was chosen in Christ before the world began, but kept SECRET since the world began   Eph. 1:4, 3:9
Israel to be given SUPREMACY over the nations   Isa. 61:6	Jew and Gentile placed on the SAME LEVEL before God    Rom. 10:12, 11:32
The Gentiles to be blessed through Israel’s RISE & INSTRUMENTALITY    Zech. 8:13, 23	The Gentiles blessed through Israel’s FALL & DIMINISHING   Rom. 11:11-12, 15
Prophecy mainly concerns NATIONS   Isa. 2:4	The mystery concerns INDIVIDUALS   2 Cor. 5:17
Prophecy concerns blessings, both MATERIAL and spiritual, on EARTH   Isa. 11:1-9	The mystery concerns all SPIRITUAL blessings in HEAVENLY places   Eph. 1:3
Christ comes to His people, Israel, ON EARTH   Rev. 1:7	Christ comes for His body, the Church, meeting them in the AIR   1 Thess. 4:17
Justification is by a man's faith and it must be a faith that WORKS   Jam. 2:24	Justification is by the faith of Christ (Gal. 2:16) and is received through FAITH ALONE   Rom. 3:28; 4:5
The proclamation of the prophetic program committed particularly to the TWELVE apostles   Acts 1:6-8	The proclamation of the mystery committed particularly to PAUL   Col. 1:24-29

Enjoying the Christian Life

[17] Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

[18] That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
[19] Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

You wouldn't know it by the melancholy way that some professing Christians act but God wants His people to enjoy life. No, it's not more spiritual to be miserable. The Christian is not exempt from sorrows and burdens but the Christian life is still by far the most enjoyable life. Since the beginning the devil has sought to slander God by making Him out to be someone who is somehow holding out on us (Gen. 3:1-5). God richly gave the man and woman many things to enjoy in the garden but the devil pointed out the ONE thing that He withheld and then lied about it being something very good for them to partake of. Likewise, God has richly given us many things to enjoy but the devil tempts us to question God and partake of what He has forbidden. The devil tempts people to believe that sin is more enjoyable than righteousness. Of course, he does not tell them that the pleasures of sin are only for a SEASON (Heb. 11:25) and that the wages of sin is DEATH (Rom. 6:23). Everything that God forbids is for our own good. He loves us more than we even love ourselves. He knows what is best! God has given us natural desires and those desires should only be fulfilled in accordance with God's word. The world, flesh, and devil tempt us to fulfill those desires outside of God's boundaries. That is what temptation is all about. Consider the first temptation (Gen. 3). Is it sinful to possess a knowledge of good and evil? God Himself has that knowledge and He is no sinner! But they were not to obtain that knowledge in self-will. They were to trust God and His word. Consider the Satan's temptation of Christ in the wilderness (Matt. 4). Would it be sinful for Jesus to have the kingdoms of the world? It is God's will that He reign on earth but it would've been sinful for Him to receive those kingdoms by worshipping Satan. Temptation is often about fulfilling lawful desires in an unlawful way. It is not a sin to be hungry but it is sinful to be a glutton. It is not a sin to have sexual desire ("Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled") but it is sinful to be a fornicator and adulterer (Heb. 13:4). 

According to 1 Tim. 6:17-19, if we are going to enjoy life, we must: 

1. Trust in the living God (Prov. 3:5-6)

2. Recognize He is the Source of every good thing we have (Jam. 1:17)

3. Seek to be rich in good works (Eph. 2:10) instead of things (eternal reward vs. temporal gain)

4. Be a giver, not a taker (Acts 20:35; 2 Cor. 9:7)

5. Live each day in light of eternity (Titus 2:13)