From Koinonia House

Technical > Creation > The Most Insulting Idol Of All

The Mathematics of Beauty: The Most Insulting Idol of All This article was originally published in the January 2004 Personal Update NewsJournal. by Chuck Missler

The ancient pagans worshiped idols of wood, brass, or stone. Modern society has invented an even weaker idol - clearly the most insulting of all. It is ironic that it has become fashionable to attribute the creation of this universe - and of ourselves - to randomness . “First there was nothing; then, it exploded.” That’s the dictum of the day.

This, of course, flies in the face of all observed phenomena as well as common sense. Whether we look through a telescope or a microscope, we are confronted with the irrefutable evidence of design : clear demonstrations of a level of skill and craftsmanship that renders any comparison with man’s best efforts as clumsy and inept. Yet it has become the “politically correct” view of our society that it all just “happened” by unaided chance alone! This is what Peter refers to as “willful ignorance” ( 2 Peter 3:5 [show/hide]2 Peter 3:5 [5]For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, (ESV)
).

Let’s examine a “simple” leaf:

The leaf provides food for the rest of the plant through the process of photosynthesis.

The outermost layer of the leaf is the epidermis, which is protected by the waxy coating of the cuticle .

Guard cells implanted in the epidermis form pores, known as stomata , through which water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide pass.

Embedded in the inner tissues of the leaf are chloroplasts, where photosynthesis occurs. The plant veins consist of two specialized tissues: xylem conducts water from the plant to the leaf, while phloem carries food from the leaf to the plant.

The Sympathetic Miracles of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a process involving two interdependent stages: the Light-Dependent Reaction (in two phases: [see chart]) and the Light-Independent Reaction.

Light contains many wavelengths. Certain red and blue wavelengths of light are the most effective in photosynthesis because they have exactly the right amount of energy to energize chlorophyll electrons and boost them out of their orbits to a higher energy level.

Other accessory pigments enhance the light-absorption capacity of the leaf by capturing a broader spectrum of blue and red wavelengths, along with yellow and orange wavelengths.

None of the photosynthetic pigments absorb green light; as a result, green wavelengths are reflected, which is why plants appear green.

A chloroplast traps light energy and converts it into chemical energy contained in two types of molecules:

1) Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)
2) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

These will both be used in the subsequent Light-Independent Reaction [see chart]. The Light-Independent Reaction takes the two chemicals produced in the Light-Dependent Reaction, along with CO₂ , to form glucose (sugar): the NADPH provides the hydrogen atoms that help form glucose, and the ATP provides the energy for this and other reactions used to synthesize glucose in the stroma.

There is a broader system design that is evident in the elegance of the total picture. Plants produce both the free oxygen as well as a surplus of sugar to provide food for the animals. Animals burn this energy, producing the CO₂ needed by the plants [see chart].

This highly complex interdependency all happened, of course, “simply by blind, unaided chance”! Hardly. But there is an even more astonishing insight as we stand back and behold the overall composite designs.

Randomness, by its very nature, lacks symmetry, or order of any kind. When scientists search the heavens with their radio telescopes searching for extraterrestrial life, they sift through the random “noise” hoping to find non-random signals indicating the presence of intelligent life.

The very existence of non-random signals are the very evidence of intelligent life!

This is an inadvertent admission that ascribing the creation itself to randomness is a contradiction of logic. But the mathematics of nature contains many further surprises…

The Mathematics of Beauty

In 1180, an Italian mathematician named Leonardo Fibonacci discovered a strange sequence of numbers that have since attracted the attention of many perceptive observers:

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233…etc.

Each number is the sum of the previous two. It turns out that the ratio of any adjacent numbers approximates (1 + 5^(½))/2 = 1.618. It would be several hundred years before these sequences would be broadly recognized in nature. In floral arrangements, the lily has 3 petals; the yellow violet, 5; delphinium, 8; mayweed, 13; aster, 21; pyrethrum, 34; helenium, 55; and the Michaelmas daisy, 89 - all Fibonacci numbers!

In the study of phyllotaxis, the spiral arrangement of leaves around a plant’s stem, the leaves of the elm are arranged at 1/2 circumference; the beech and hazel, 1/3; the apricot and oak, 2/5; the pear and poplar, 3/8; the almond and pussy willow, 5/13; pines, 5/21 or 13/34; etc. In a review of 434 Angiospermae and 44 Gymnospermae, they all involve Fibonacci numbers! It turns out that this maximizes their exposure to sunlight and air without shading or crowding from other leaves.

In the study of seeds, the rows of bracts on pinecones are 8 and 13; pineapples, 8, 13, and 21; etc. The optimum divergence angle of 137.5^o produces the best packing. That’s why you see Fibonacci spirals in the seed heads (sunflowers, etc.) But what’s really astonishing is that this peculiar sequence is far more pervasive than in just botany alone.

In art, it has long been recognized that there is a relationship known as “the Golden Rectangle”. This has the peculiar property in that if you remove a square, you still retain the same “ideal” rectangle in the remainder. You find this relationship exploited in the Parthenon in Greece, the Great Pyramid in Egypt, the United Nations Building, credit cards, playing cards, postcards, light switch plates, writing pads, 3×5, 5×8 index cards, etc. In classic art, Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, Vermeer, John Singer Sargent, Monet, Whistler, Renoir, Mary Cassatt, Giotto, Durer and others relied on this “golden rectangle” in their designs.

In music, the various scales are all Fibonacci numbers: most beautiful chords found in music are the major and minor sixths.

Musicians like Bach, Beethoven, Bartok, et al., would divide musical time into periods based on the same “golden” proportions to determine the beginnings and endings of themes, moods, texture, etc.

This same “Golden Rectangle” is the basis for the “Golden Spiral,” which is the only spiral that does not alter its shape as it grows. This is often noticed in the chambered nautilus, but this “Golden Spiral” also appears in hurricanes, spiral seeds, ram’s horns, sea-horse tails, growing fern leaves, the DNA molecule, waves breaking on the beach, tornados, galaxies, the tail of a comet around the sun, whirlpools, seed patterns of sunflowers, daisies, and dandelions; the ears of all mammals; and, the cochlea of the human ear.

What is also surprising is that even the orbits of the planets reveal a relationship suggesting the Fibonacci numbers. Penetrate into nature wherever he [the scientist] may, thought has been there before him. Clearly, the same architect that designed the plants, designed the animals, and the universe itself! His fingerprints seem to define beauty itself. God is, indeed, a mathematician.

* * *

[This summary was excerpted from our forthcoming Expositional Commentary of Genesis.]

From Koinonia House

Technical > Bio-Tech > Bacterial Communication

Microbe Warfare: Bacterial Communication For a deeper discussion of the possibilities, see our briefing pack, Behold A Pale Horse , which includes a discussion of contemporary bacterial and other forms of warfare, and their Biblical implications. by Chuck Missler

There have been some fascinating developments in the fight against disease that also portend some astonishing prophetic perspectives.

Researchers have discovered in recent years that some infectious and potentially lethal bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and Vibrio cholerae (the bug that causes cholera) exchange messages with one another in order to be dangerous. They are harmless if they can’t communicate.

These organisms have developed what researchers call a “bacterial language” - a set of chemical signals that enables them to take a head count, rather like a sergeant calling a platoon’s roll.  The bacteria don’t attack until they sense that their numbers are sufficient.

The messages are hormonelike molecules that certain microbes can send and receive-saying, in effect, “I’m here,” and responding, “So am I.”

In a recent report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Bonnie Bassler, a molecular biologist at Princeton University, in Princeton, NJ, said E. coli and salmonella bacteria wait until their numbers reach a critical mass before they start to release the poisonous toxins that have sickened or killed people who ate contaminated food.

Scientists call this bacterial communication system “quorum sensing.”  That’s because it works a bit like a quorum in human society, where it takes a certain minimum number of people to qualify as a meeting in certain kinds of proceedings.

“Quorum sensing enables bacteria to coordinate their behavior, to act like multicellular organisms and to acquire the benefits of cooperative activity,” Bassler said.  “If bacteria started producing toxins as soon as the infection began, it would be like waving a flag to alert the host’s immune system.”

Bassler continued,  “If the bacteria are in small numbers, they don’t stand a chance, but if they wait until they reach high cell densities, then they have a much better chance of establishing an infection.”

The phenomenon of signaling molecules was discovered in the 1970s in two sea-dwelling bacteria, Vibrio fischeri and Vibrio harveyi, which emit a blue glow when their population reaches a certain density.

Since then, more than 30 species of bacteria have been found to exchange messages this way.  Some talk only to their own kind; others communicate with alien species.

The Battle Against Disease

Battles in the information age involve controlling the enemies’ communication systems, as well as gaining adequate assessments of relative strengths.

What king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.  -Luke 14:31, 32 [show/hide]Luke 14:31 [31]Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? (ESV)

“Some bacteria both speak and understand a common chemical language,” said Jeffrey Stein, chief scientist at Quorex Pharmaceuticals, an experimental drug company in Carlsbad, Calif.  Stein likened it to a system of “wireless communication.”

Researchers figure they may be able to prevent or cure disease if they can jam the bacterial communication network - say, by blocking the apparatus that receives messages, known as a “receptor” - on the surface of the microbes.

New weapons and tactics to counter infectious microorganisms are becoming crucial, since these little creatures keep developing resistance to existing drugs.

For example, one such microbe, Staphylococcus aureus, resists all but one potent antibiotic, vancomycin, and even that line of defense is crumbling.

“There is a lot of interest in new drugs that turn off that (Staphylococcus) system,” said Stein, whose company is working to develop and patent such remedies.

“We’re developing compounds that interfere with molecular signaling [by] turning off receptors.  This is a new concept, a fundamentally new class of antimicrobial tools.”¹

This progress in the fight against disease is both encouraging and yet at the same time is also disturbing as we attempt to gain a broader perspective on our prophetic horizon.

The Latest Pandora’s Box?

There is a dark side to the emergent technologies that are ushering in the 21st century. These technologies include genetics, nano-technology, and robotics.

The field of genetics has been making grand strides as DNA is becoming better understood, and the human genome is beginning to yield to several mapping efforts.

Nanotechnology is the science of building tiny devices out of individual atoms or molecules; it was first theorized by Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman in 1959.

Here, too, technologists are beginning to make some impressive progress.

The field of robotics is also the beneficiary of strides in making sentient, programmable devices that can, in some contexts, outperform humans.

By combining robotics with the advances in nanotechnology, one of the goals is to develop molecule-sized machines that are injectable, programmable, and can navigate the human bloodstream.

As these advances combine further with developments in genetics, some are predicting the development of self-replicating machines that can lead to new, unexpected diseases.

It is expected that they may have the ability to be custom-built to attack genetically distinct groups of people, or even specific individuals!

The potential military and social engineering implications are extremely disturbing.  As these three areas of pursuit begin to converge, we can begin to see some terrifying possibilities that may prove far more dangerous than the weapons of mass destruction that cast their shadow over the 20th century.

The intense pursuit of these technologies, accelerated by unbridled corporate competition, is proceeding at an alarming pace.

The potential for accidents or abuse is of increasing concern to those who are concerned with the stewardship of our future and that of our grandchildren.

And the bizarre prospects being ushered in by these new technologies may also suggest some radically different perspectives for our Biblical eschatalogical conjectures.

The Prophetic Implications

Among the famed “four horsemen” of the Apocalypse, we find the pale [chloros, green] horse:

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.    -Revelation 6:8 [show/hide]Revelation 6:8 [8]And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. (ESV)

We usually infer that the “beasts of the earth” are of the four-footed kind; we rarely include in our perspective the possibility that they might be microbial.²

Among the end-time prophecies are a number of passages which warn of some really strange maladies:

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. -Revelation 9:3-6 [show/hide]Revelation 9:3-6 [3]Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. [4]They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. [5]They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. [6]And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. (ESV)

There are many passages that may take on a different complexion when viewed from the vantage point of the current technological revolution in genetics, nano-technologies, and robotics.

The potential Bibilical implications are so provocative that they will be the subject of further articles in the forthcoming issues of our news journal.

Stay tuned. Film at eleven.

*   *   *

1. Much of this article was excerpted from “Scientists Attack Germ Enigma,” Robert S. Boyd, Knight Ridder, q.v., Spokane Spokesman-Review , Sept. 19, 2000.

From Koinonia House

Technical > Bio-Tech > The Sorcerer’s New Apprentice?

Biotech Update: The Sorcerer’s New Apprentice? by Chuck Missler **FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH STUDY**

Who does not remember the old castle, Mickey clad in the sorcerer’s robe and hat, the psychedelic armies of brooms, and the relentless march of the Dukas symphony? Only when the castle was flooded did the sorcerer wake up and dry it with a spell. Mickey got off lightly with a swat of the broom. We may not be so fortunate.

Science often appears as a close cousin of sorcery. Science brings to life the tales of old: flying through the air at the speed of sound; communicating with images at the speed of light; traveling even to the moon; and, even the power of healing.

The explosive advances in science and technology have already gone far beyond what even science fiction writers once thought possible. Biotechnologists may well prove to be the ”Sorcerer’s Apprentices” of the 21^st century. And these advances raise challenging issues of ethics, morals, and even our theological perspectives.

Genetic Engineering

Of all the many scientific discoveries, the field which clearly has become the most controversial is the study of genetics. Farmers have been genetically manipulating plants long before they knew about genes. Selective breeding, however, can enhance or suppress only those traits already present in a population. Modern genetic engineering (including such techniques as gene deletion, gene doubling, introducing a foreign gene, and changing the positions of genes) has freed the process of genetic modification from limitations imposed by the existing characteristics of a species, creating something that could not exist in nature.

Commercial applications of this technology thus far have concentrated on bioengineering pest resistance and herbicide tolerance into widely planted crops like corn, soy, cotton, and potatoes. Growers adopting these ”first generation” genetically modified crops have been able to increase yields while significantly reducing costly inputs like chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

The StarLink Debacle

StarLink corn was a corn hybrid genetically modified to make it more profitable to grow. It contained two added genes - one for herbicide tolerance and one for insect resistance. The herbicide tolerance gene was the product of an earlier approval process. It was the addition of a gene derived from the bacterial species Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), coding for an insecticidal protein called Cry9C, that triggered the StarLink crisis. This controversial Cry9C variety, 50 to 100 times more potent than other Bt-spliced insecticides, caused critics to warn of dangerous food allergies in humans, with symptoms ranging from fever, rashes, and diarrhea to anaphylactic shock and sudden death. The FDA approved it only for animal feed.

On September 18, 2000, a coalition of consumer and environmental groups detected DNA fragments from StarLink corn in Taco Bell taco shells sold in grocery stores. Days later, Kraft Foods recalled all Taco Bell taco shells. Kraft’s action started a frenzy of recalls as other manufacturers discovered StarLink corn in their products, too.

By November 2000, the FDA recalled nearly three hundred types of adulterated snack chips, corn flour, and other corn foods. The cost of these recalls ran into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Complaints began pouring into the FDA and the CDC about allergic reactions to corn products attributable to StarLink contamination. Overnight, StarLink became a ”Frankenfood” poster child - the incarnation of critics’ worst nightmares. International corn exports plummeted. The ensuing crisis paralyzed an entire sector of American agriculture and food production and badly shook consumer confidence. Even two years later, StarLink corn was still popping up in corn shipments.

Implications

It is certainly a ”brave new world” in which science will obviously continue to outrun the lawmakers. The last time man pursued knowledge to such an extent, God intervened and scattered the people and confounded their languages. As the Bible says in Genesis 11:6, ”…now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” How long will it be before His patience is once again exhausted?

BioTech: The Sorcerer’s New Apprentice - Audio CD - Chuck MisslerUpdated April 2006! Chuck Missler surveys some of the most promising prospects and reviews the types of ventures emerging. He also reveals some of the concerns emerging among the informed, and includes some of the provocative Biblical implications. Click for more information - Audio CD with MP3

Behold A Pale Horse - MP3 Download - Chuck MisslerNot all beasts are large enough to see with the naked eye. Find out about emergent diseases and biochemical warfare. Click for more information - MP3 Download

Unbridled Apprentices? The Biotech Revolution - Chuck Missler

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice? Tampering with the Engines of Creation - Chuck Missler

Behold A Pale Horse - Emergent Diseases and Biochemical Warfare

• What is the lurking threat of biochemical terrorism?
• Was HIV / AIDS deliberately engineered?
• Is it part of a hidden agenda?

Biotech & Global Pestilence - Viruses Running Amok

Drug-resistant strains of diseases once thought to be eradicated, such as Tuberculosis and Legionnaires Disease are threatening our modern society. AIDS is no longer our worst problem. Are these outbreaks possibly precursors to the plague Judgements of Revelation?

From Koinonia House

Technical > Bio-Tech > Tampering With The Engines Of Creation

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice? Tampering with the Engines of Creation by Chuck Missler

The search to decipher DNA and the development of drugs which could address the causes of diseases such as cancer, rheuma toid arthritis, and heart disease is accelerating.

Designer Genes

Each of the human body’s 75 trillion cells, except for the red blood cells, has a full complement of chromosomes in its nucleus. Each nucleus has 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs. In each chromosome is a wadded-up strand of DNA, which includes hundreds of millions of base pairs. Stretched out straight, it would measure anywhere from three to nine feet long and about 20 atoms across.

The DNA code is universal, whether it be human, rat, bat, mouse, worm, fruit fly, or microbe. (All codes of life came from the same “software house.”)

The Human Genome Project, a $3 billion international effort to map the entire genome, was launched in 1990 and involves 350 labs. It isn’t expected to complete its task until 2005. One of the leading organizations, Human Genome Sciences, has 135 scientists using the most advanced computer, laser, and scientific technologies deciphering and decoding the molecular sequences making up the human genome.

Human Genome Sciences, along with its associated research foundation, the Institute of Genomic Research, is expected to have isolated and deciphered most of the important human genes within two years. (It is a public company with the backing of drug giant SmithKline Beecham.)

Designer Animals

Lambs are now being born on a farm in Scotland which have had their genetic construction so altered that they will produce a drug called Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) in their milk. Clinical tests of this drug will begin in late 1995 on humans suffering from lung disorders.

Genzyme Transgenics hopes that its anti-thrombosis drug, anti- thrombin-III (AT-III), produced in the milk of genetically engineered goats, will be ready for clinical trials in early 1995.

GenPharm International (Mountain View, California) has just produced the first progeny from a Dutch biotech bull in the hopes of producing drug-manufacturing cows with a milk yield ten times that of goats or sheep.

In Britain, researchers at the government-backed Roslin Institute are reporting progress in breeding genetically engineered chickens which will be capable of producing drugs and vaccines in their eggs.

Giant Business Opportunities

The potential economic stake is enormous. Genzyme Transgenics (Cambridge, Massachusetts) anticipates that the market for milk- produced drugs alone will be worth over $1 billion per year within the next decade. New start-up companies as well as the big drug “giants” are rushing to build in-house gene-hunting capabilities.

Organ Factories

There are also organs being produced for eventual transplant into humans. Researchers at the British company Imutran estimate that hearts and other organs produced from genetically altered pigs could be transplanted into humans within three years. The first litter of suitably adapted pigs was born last month (June 1994). Estimates suggest that more than 100,000 patients a year could receive such pig organs.

Are Concerns Justified?

The proponents of genetic engineering claim that they have learned from the development of nuclear power, and environmental legislation is now being introduced to control potential damage. However, no laboratory security, no matter how effective, can deal with unforeseen post-release effects.

Controls designed to protect high-security farming of genetically manipulated farm animals can’t deal with the damage that would follow the release of genetically manipulated plants, fish, or animals. The areas of risk include: the escape of an introduced gene by crossing it with wild relatives; unexpected alterations of normal characteristics in different environments; and, unexpected advantages conferred by genetic manipulation which could lead to the establishment and persistence of an organism.

There are already many examples where the introduction of exotic species to a new environment has caused the displacement of indigenous fauna and flora without the added ingredient of genetic manipulation. Rabbits in Australia, zebra mussels in North America, and rhododendron in parts of north Wales are but a few examples.

There are some scientists and doctors who believe that the AIDS virus was the result of a government genetic experiment that went out of control. They point to some combinative aspects of the HIV virus which suggest that it was engineered in a laboratory. (See the Strecker Memorandum reference at the end of this article.)

Supporters of genetic engineering say that it is no different in concept from traditional breeding methods. This is misleading, since no traditional breeding method could result in the introduction of a human or pig growth hormone, for instance, into fish; or of insect genes into plants.

The instinctive shudder that passes down one’s spine is not limited to uninformed laymen; some scientists share these same misgivings. There is little doubt that these efforts could lead to adverse, possibly catastrophic, consequences.

“These are the risks of disturbing the integrity of nature.” As the experimentation continues and expands, and as increasing investments are made in this dynamic new field, the risks multiply. As the new “Sorcerer’s Apprentices” continue to tamper with the “engines of Creation,” no one can predict the results. There could be big trouble ahead.

It seems ironic that the vigorous and talented pursuit of solutions to relieve human suffering and misery might also be leading to some major, perhaps global, tragedies for mankind.

Apocalyptic Implications?

Revelation Chapter 9 is just one Biblical example which presents some pretty weird creatures of the future, described as “locusts.” However, they can’t be normal locusts since they have a king (and Proverbs 30:27 [show/hide]Proverbs 30:27 [27]the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;
reveals that natural locusts have no king). Most commentators view them as a demonichorde. Could they be genetic mutants, brought on to fulfill an apocalyptic destiny? Rather wild. Who knows?

In this rapidly changing world, as we see the deterioration of morality, the increasing corruption at the highest levels of government, and the increasing risks in the unbridled application of only partially understood technologies, isn’t it reassuring that God is in control of your life? Or is He? Have you put Him in control, or are you “winging it” yourself?

If you are gambling your eternity that the Bible is wrong, you’ve got more guts than I have. Think about it.

Bibliography

1. Bylinsky, Gene, “Genetics: the money rush is on,” Fortune Magazine, May 30, 1994.
2. Various Briefs, Intelligence International Ltd., 17 Rodney Road, Cheltenham, Glos, GL50 1HX, UK.
3. The Strecker Memorandum (video), c/o Dr. Strecker, 1501 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041; (213) 254-7127.

Genesis - MP3 Commentary - Chuck MisslerRecent breakthroughs in the fields of physics, technology and biology led Chuck Missler to update and re-record this wonderful study in Genesis. Click for more information - MP3 on CD-ROM

From Koinonia House

Technical > Space-Time > Astrology

Dangerous Myths: Astrology An Urgent Resource for Today: The Danger of False Ideas - Colossians - Chuck Missler by Chuck Missler

It seems astonishing that in our “enlightened” culture, despite our space-age sophistication, many people still believe in astrology!  A Gallup poll concluded that 55% of teenagers believe in astrology; 1220 of the 1750 newspapers include a horoscope column of some kind to serve their readers.  Many simply dismiss this as a harmless form of entertainment, feeding their curiosity. However, in the Old Testament it was a form of divination and a capital crime: practicing astrology was punishable by death!¹

Empirical Results: It Doesn’t Work

• Marital compatibility: Psychologist Bernard Silverman of Michigan State University analyzed birth dates of 2978 couples who were getting married and 478 who were getting divorced. There were no correlations with predicted compatibility.
• Shawn Carlson of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory provided horoscope information and a standard California Personality Inventory for groups of volunteers to 28 professional astrologers (procedure approved in advance) to match each horoscope to one of three profiles submitted.  The random expectation of 34% was achieved.²
• French statistician Michel Gauquelin sent the horoscope for one of the worst mass murderers in French history to 150 people and asked how well it fit them. 94% said they recognized themselves in the description.
• Geoffrey Dean, an Australian researcher, reversed the astrological readings of 22 subjects: 95% identified themselves with the reversed readings.
• Astronomers Culver and Ianna tracked the published predictions of well-known astrologers and astrological organizations for five years. Out of 3000 predictions, only 10% came to pass.

Ten Questions for the Astrologers ³

1)  What is the likelihood that 1/12th of the world’s population is having the same kind of day today?
2)  Why is the moment of birth, not conception, crucial for astrology? [Is that why identical twins always have the same personality?!]
3)  If the mother’s womb can keep out astrological influences until birth, can we do the same with a cubicle of steak?
4)  If astrologers are as good as they claim, why aren’t they richer?  (Ex: stock market, etc. How many foresaw Black Monday, October 1987? None.)
5)  Are all horoscopes done before the discovery of the three outermost planets incorrect (Uranus, 1781; Neptune, 1846; Pluto, 1930)?
6)  Shouldn’t we condemn astrology as a form of bigotry? (i.e., refusing to hire a Leo or date a Virgo, etc.)
7)  Why do different schools of astrology disagree so strongly with each other?  (…precession of the Earth’s axis, how many planets and celestial objects to be included, allocation of personality traits, etc.  No convergence of consensus.)
 If the astrological influence is carried by any known force, why do the planets dominate?  [The obstetrician who delivers the child turns out to have about six times the gravitational pull of Mars and about 2,000 billion times its tidal force (less mass, but a lot closer!)]
9)  If astrological influence is carried by an unknown force, why is it independent of distance? [The importance of Mars in a horoscope is identical whether the planet is on the same side of the sun as the Earth or seven times farther away on the other side, etc.]
10)  If astrological influences don’t depend on distance, why is there no astrology of stars, galaxies, and quasars? [Doesn't the omission of Rigel, the Crab pulsar, and M31 render a horoscope incomplete?]

A Warning

Danger: don’t play around with things that are expressly prohibited in the Word of God. They are not just manifestations of ignorance, or harmless “entertainments.”  They are occultic and very dangerous. They are “entries” for malevolent influences that are out to destroy the very future you’re inquiring into! God means what He says and says what He means. You have access to far more powerful - and reliable - supernatural resources in the Holy Spirit, which has expressly been given to you if you are, indeed, in Christ. Do your homework.  Your eternity depends on it.

*  *  *

Additional Resources:

• Astronomy versus Astrology , 20-page pamphlet, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94112.
• Astrology: True or False, by Roger Culver and Philip Ianna, 1988, Prometheus Books, 700 E. Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14215. One of the best skeptical book on the subject.

1. Deuteronomy 18:9-15 [show/hide]Deuteronomy 18:9-15 Abominable Practices [9]"When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. [10]There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer [11]or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, [12]for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. [13]You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, [14]for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this. A New Prophet like Moses [15]"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen-- (ESV)
   .
2. Nature, December 5, 1985.
3. Excerpted from Sky & Telescope, August 1989.

A Halloween Tale: Consulting the Witch at Endor - Chuck Missler

From Koinonia House

Technical > Space-Time > Our Holographic Universe

Quantum Teleporting, Part 2: Our Holographic Universe Exploring the Mind of Man: The Human Brain - Chuck Missler by Chuck Missler

Last month we explored the recent experiments which appear to have succeeded in the “teleportation” of subatomic particles, suggestive of the “Beam-me-up-Scotty” episodes from the popular Star Trek TV series.  These phenomena shatter our traditional conceptions of the material universe and what we perceive as reality.

Dual Nature of Particles

In 1906, J. J. Thomson received the Nobel Prize for proving that electrons are particles. In 1937 he saw his son awarded the Nobel Prize for proving that electrons were waves.  Both father and son were correct. From then on, the evidence for the wave/particle duality has become overwhelming. This chameleon-like ability is common to all subatomic particles - called quanta, they can manifest themselves either as particles or waves. What makes them even more astonishing is that there is compelling evidence that the only time quanta ever manifest as particles are when we are looking at them .

The Danish physicist Niels Bohr pointed out that if subatomic particles only come into existence in the presence of an observer, then it is meaningless to speak of a particle’s properties and characteristics as existing before they are observed.  But if the act of observation actually helped create such properties, what did that imply about the future of science?

Anyone who isn’t shocked by quantum physics has not understood it.

-Niels Bohr

It gets worse.  Some subatomic processes result in the creation of a pair of particles with identical or closely related properties.  Quantum physics predicts that attempts to measure complementary characteristics of the pair - even when traveling in opposite directions - would always be frustrated.  Such strange behavior would imply that they would have to be interconnected in some way so as to be instantaneously in communication with each other.

One physicist who was deeply troubled by Bohr’s assertions was Albert Einstein.  Despite the role Einstein had played in the founding of quantum theory, he was not pleased with the course the fledgling science had taken. In 1935 Einstein and his colleagues Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen published their now-famous paper, “Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Complete?”¹

The problem, according to Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, is that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.  The instantaneous communication implied by the view of quantum physics would be tantamount to breaking the time barrier and would open the door to all kinds of unacceptable paradoxes.  Einstein and his colleagues were convinced that no “reasonable definition” of reality would permit such faster-than-light interconnections to exist and therefore Bohr had to be wrong.  Their argument is now known as the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox, or EPR paradox for short.

Bohr remained unperturbed by Einstein’s argument.  Rather than believing that some kind of faster-than-light communication was taking place, he offered another explanation.  If subatomic particles do not exist until they are observed, then one could no longer think of them as independent “things.” Thus Einstein was basing his argument on an error when he viewed twin particles as separate.  They were part of an indivisible system, and it was meaningless to think of them otherwise.  In time, most physicists sided with Bohr and became content that his interpretation was correct.

One factor that contributed to Bohr’s following was that quantum physics had proved so spectacularly successful in predicting phenomena, few physicists were willing to even consider the possibility that it might be faulty in some way.  The entire industries of lasers, microelectronics, and computers have emerged on the reliability of the predictions of quantum physics. The popular CalTech physicist Richard Feynman has summed it up well:

I think it is safe to say that no one understands quantum mechanics… In fact, it is often stated that of all the theories proposed in this century, the silliest is quantum theory.  Some say that the only thing that quantum theory has going for it, in fact, is that it is unquestionably correct.

The Cosmos as a Hyper-Hologram?

There seems to be evidence to suggest that our world and everything in it are only ghostly images, projections from a level of reality so beyond our own that the real reality is literally beyond both space and time. The main architect of this astonishing idea includes one of the world’s most eminent thinkers: University of London physicist David Bohm, a protégé of Einstein’s and one of the world’s most respected quantum physicists.

Bohm’s work in plasma physics in the 1950s is considered a landmark.  Earlier, at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, he noticed that in plasmas (gases composed of high-density electrons and positive ions) the particles stopped behaving like individuals and started behaving as if they were part of a larger and interconnected whole.  Moving to Princeton University in 1947, there too he continued his work in the behavior of oceans of particles, noting their highly organized overall effects and their behavior, as if they knew what each of the untold trillions of individual particles was doing.

One of the implications of Bohm’s view has to do with the nature of location.  Bohm’s interpretation of quantum physics indicated that at the subquantum level location ceased to exist .  All points in space become equal to all other points in space, and it was meaningless to speak of anything as being separate from anything else.  Physicists call this property “nonlocality.”

The web of subatomic particles that compose our physical universe - the very fabric of “reality” itself - possesses what appears to be an undeniable “holographic” property.  Paul Davis of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, observed that since all particles are continually interacting and separating, “the nonlocal aspects of quantum systems is therefore a general property of nature.”²

The Nature of Reality

One of Bohm’s most startling suggestions is that the tangible reality of our everyday lives is really a kind of illusion, like a holographic image.  Underlying it is a deeper order of existence, a vast and more primary level of reality that gives birth to all the objects and appearances of our physical world in much the same way that a piece of holographic film gives birth to a hologram.  Bohm calls this deeper level of reality the implicate (”enfolded”) order and he refers to our level of existence the explicate (unfolded) order.³

This view is not inconsistent with the Biblical presentation of the physical (”explicate”) world as being subordinate to the spiritual (”implicate”) world as the superior reality. ⁴

The holographic paradigm is still a developing concept and riddled with controversies. For decades, science has chosen to ignore evidences that do not fit the standard theories. However, the volume of evidence has now reached the point that denial is no longer a viable option.

The Bible is, of course, unique in that it has always presented a universe of more than three dimensions,⁵ and revealed a Creator that is transcendent over His creation. ⁶ It is the only “holy book” that demonstrates these contemporary insights.

Paul Davis has summarized it provocatively: “It is as if the entire universe was nothing more than a thought in the mind of God.”

*   *   *

This article was excerpted from Chuck’s book, Cosmic Codes - Hidden Messages From the Edge of Eternity, Chapter 23.

Cosmic Codes - Now In Paperback - Chuck MisslerRead the implications of our finite universe and the shocking discoveries of quantum physics at the very boundaries of reality and learn their significance to our origin and personal destinies! Click for more information - Textbook

1. Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky, and Nathan Rosen, “Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Complete?” Physical Review, 47 (1935), p.777.
2. Paul Davis, Superforce, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1948, p.48.
3. This is reminiscent of the Red King’s dream in Through the Looking Glass, in which Alice finds herself in deep metaphysical waters when the Tweedle brothers defend the view that all material objects, including ourselves, are only “sorts of things” in the mind of God.
4. 2 Corinthians 4:18 [show/hide]2 Corinthians 4:18 [18]as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (ESV)
   .
5. Ephesians 3:18 [show/hide]Ephesians 3:18 [18]may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (ESV)
   .
6. Eastman, Mark and Missler, Chuck, The Creator Beyond Time and Space, The Word for Today, Costa Mesa CA, 1996.

Cosmic Codes - Four Volume Audio Tape Set - Chuck MisslerRead the implications of our finite universe and the shocking discoveries of quantum physics at the very boundaries of reality and learn their significance to our origin and personal destinies! Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Beyond Perception - Chuck MisslerWhy do scientists now believe we live in a 10-dimensional universe? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

System Design of the Scriptures?: Our Holographic Bible - Chuck Missler

Technical > Space-Time > Quantum Teleporting: Part 1

Our Digital Universe? Quantum Teleporting: Part 1 by Chuck Missler

The entire universe is a cryptogram set by the Almighty.
-  Sir Isaac Newton

Fans of the popular TV science fiction series, Star Trek, are familiar with the “Beam-me-up-Scotty” concept of “teleporting.” In an Austrian laboratory, it appears that scientists have now been able to destroy bits of light in one place and make perfect replicas appear about three feet away. They did this by transferring information about a crucial physical characteristic of the original light bits, or photons. The information was picked up by other photons, which took on that characteristic and thus became replicas of the originals.

While broader applications of these techniques still remain rather distant on the horizon of our new 21st century, the experiment raises some basic questions.  Is our universe itself digital?

Our Macro-Boundary

The startling discovery of 20th century science was that our universe is finite. Scientists now acknowledge that the universe had a beginning. They call the singularity from which it all began the “Big Bang.” While the details among the many variants of these theories remain quite controversial, the fact that there was a definite beginning has gained widespread agreement. ¹ This is, of course, what the Bible has maintained throughout its 66 books.

From thermodynamic considerations, it also appears that all processes in the universe inevitably contribute their losses from their inefficiencies to the ambient temperature, and thus the universe ultimately will attain a uniform temperature in which no work - all of which derives from temperature differences - will occur. Scientists call this final ultimate physical destiny the “heat death.”

Mankind, therefore, finds itself caught in a finite interval between the singularity that began it all and its inevitable termination. The mathematical concept of infinity - in any spatial direction or in terms of time - seems astonishingly absent in the macrocosm, the domain of the astronomers and cosmologists.

Our Micro-Boundary

In the microcosmic domain, there appears to be an even more astonishing boundary to smallness.  If we take a segment of length, we can divide it in half.  We can take one of the remaining halves, and we can divide it in half again.  We naturally assume that this can go on forever.  We assume that no matter how small a length we end up dealing with, we can always - at least conceptually - divide any remainder in half.  It turns out that this is not true.  There is a length, known as the Planck length, 10^-33 centimeters, that is indivisible.

The same thing is true of mass, energy, and even time.  There is a unit of time which cannot be further divided: 10^-43 seconds.  It is in this strange world of subatomic behavior that scientists have encountered the very boundaries of physical reality, as we experience it.  The study of these subatomic components is called quantum mechanics, or quantum physics.

The startling discovery made by the quantum physicists is that if you break matter into smaller and smaller pieces, you eventually reach a point where those pieces - electrons, protons, etc. - no longer possess the traits of objects.  Although they can sometimes behave as if they were a compact little particle, physicists have found that they literally possess no dimension.  They call this non-locality.

Is Our Reality Only Virtual?

Anyone who has seen the science fiction movie, The Thirteenth Floor , has pondered the question of the substance of our reality.   (The plot involves a computer project that created an entire virtual reality - a sort of super “computer game,” replicating Los Angeles in 1937 as a software program within a giant supercomputer.  Participants are able to enter that virtual reality for brief periods and return. A murder mystery ensues, the solution of which requires retrieving clues from within the project’s virtual reality.  A dramatic plot twist involves the discovery that the project participants themselves are only virtual simulations from an even larger reality: Los Angeles in the year 2025!  A stimulating piece of entertainment, but it cleverly raises some provocative questions about our own existence…)

The more we know about quantum physics, the less confidence we can have concerning the nature of our own physical reality.  It seems that it is but a subset of a larger hyperspace we call the spiritual reality.

The Dual Nature of Particles

Another discovery of the physicists is that a subatomic particle, such as an electron, can manifest itself as either a particle or a wave.  If you shoot an electron at a television screen that has been turned off,  a tiny point of light will appear when it strikes the phosphorescent chemicals that coat the glass.  The single point of impact which the electron leaves on the screen clearly reveals the particle-like side of its nature.

But that is not the only form the electron can assume.  It can also dissolve into a blurry cloud of energy and behave as if it were a wave spread out over space.  When an electron manifests itself as a wave, it can do things no particle can.  If it is fired at a barrier in which two slits have been cut, it can go through both slits simultaneously.  When wavelike electrons collide with each other they even create interference patterns.

It is interesting that in 1906, J. J. Thomson received the Nobel Prize for proving that electrons are particles.  In 1937 he saw his son awarded the Nobel Prize for proving that electrons were waves.  Both father and son were correct.  From then on, the evidence for the wave/particle duality has become overwhelming.

This chameleon-like ability is common to all subatomic particles.  Called quanta, they can manifest themselves either as particles or  waves.

Quantum Teleporting

The first actual teleporting experiment has now been reported in the scientific journal, Nature , by Anton Zeilinger and colleagues at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.² (Another research team, based in Rome, has done similar work and submitted its report to another journal.)  The work is the first to demonstrate “quantum teleportation,” a bizarre shifting of physical characteristics between nature’s tiniest particles, no matter how far apart they are.

“Scientists might be able to achieve teleportation between complete atoms within a few years and molecules within a decade or so,” Zeilinger has speculated.

The technique is still a long way away from the Star Trek process of beaming people around, but it raises the question, “Could teleportation be used on people?”  Could scientists extract information from every tiny particle in a person, transfer it to a bunch of particles elsewhere, and then assemble those particles into an exact replica of the person? There’s no theoretical problem with that, several experts have suggested.  But get real: “I think it’s quite clear that anything approximating teleportation of complex living beings, even bacteria, is so far away technologically that it’s not really worth thinking about it,” claimed IBM physicist Charles H. Bennett. He and other physicists had proposed quantum teleportation as early as 1993. “There would just be too much information to assemble and transmit,” he and others have said.

Well, we’ll see.  (Is it just a question of bandwidth?) But there are other applications.

Computer Applications

It is much more likely, experts suggest, that teleportation between tiny particles might facilitate quantum computers.  Such devices would use teleportation to transfer data around, and they could solve certain complex problems much faster than today’s machines. In the recent experiment, scientists transferred the trait of “polarization” between photons.  A light wave has peaks and troughs like an ocean wave, and polarization refers to the directions in which these peaks and troughs point. Photons retain this trait. To transfer the polarization between photons, the researchers used a phenomenon called entanglement. When two photons are entangled, “they have opposite luck,” said IBM’s Bennett.  Whatever happens to one is the opposite of what happens to the other.  In particular, their polarizations are the opposite of each other.  This binary phenomenon could be exploited in an advanced processor design.

A Glimpse of Hyperspace

Current cosmological conjectures assume a universe of more than three spatial dimensions-mathematically called a hyperspace.  Current views envision a universe of ten dimensions: four directly measurable (three spatial dimensions, plus time) and six that can only be determined indirectly. This is precisely what the ancient Hebrew sage, Nachmonides, writing in the 12th century, concluded from his study of Genesis!

The Bible is unique in that it presents a universe of more than three dimensions,³ and reveals a Creator that is transcendent over His creation.⁴ It is the only “holy book” that possesses such contemporary insights.

*  *  *

Much of this article was excerpted from the book, Cosmic Codes: Hidden Messages From the Edge of Eternity, and from our audio and video study, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours. We will continue this exploration of the nature of our “digital” universe in our next article, which will explore Einstein’s skepticism and Niehl Bohr’s provocative alternatives, the discovery of the non-locality of subatomic particles and their implications, as we are confronted by the very boundaries of our physical reality.

1. For a more complete discussion, see The Creator Beyond Time and Space, by Chuck Missler and Mark Eastman, The Word for Today, Costa Mesa CA, 1996.
2. Nature, Dec 10, 1997.
3. Ephesians 3:18 [show/hide]Ephesians 3:18 [18]may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (ESV)
   .
4. Eastman & Missler, The Creator Beyond Time and Space, The Word for Today, Costa Mesa CA, 1996.

The Creator Beyond Time & Space Audio Series - Chuck Missler and Dr. Mark EastmanIncludes: The Creator Beyond Time and Space, The Bible: An Extraterrestrial Message, Immanuel: The Deity of Messiah and The Divine Watchmaker Click for more information - Audio Cassette

The Creator Beyond Time & Space - Chuck Missler and Dr. Mark EastmanWhat are the implications of the current upheavals in traditional cosmology, astronomy, and physics? Click for more information - Audio Cassette

Learn the Bible in 24 Hours - MP3 on CD-ROM - Special Edition - Chuck MisslerThis comprehensive series of 24 one-hour studies recorded in MP3 format will take you from the beginning of all things in Genesis to the final culmination in the Book of Revelation. Now available on one CD-ROM! Click for more information - MP3 on CD-ROM

The Enigma Deepens: Missing Mass Mystery - Chuck Missler

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• Hebrew Cabalists theorized 800 years ago that God established the universe with 10 dimensions.
• Why do scientists now also believe we live in a 10-dimensional universe?
• Has physics finally reached the very boundaries of reality?

From Koinonia House

Technical > Space-Time > The End Of The Universe

Physics Breakthrough? The End of the Universe by Chuck Missler

Time magazine recently featured, as its cover article, “How the Universe Will End,” a review of some of the current conjectures of cosmology and astrophysics.

The disturbing thing about the Time feature was the misleading manner in which it implied a consensus among scientists and the impression that these concatenations of conjectures approach the dignity of facts.

In truth, there are currently major upheavals in the field of physics, and there are increasing evidences that are challenging the current presumptions of “20th century science.”

The Second Law of Thermodynamics indicates that the universe will, eventually, “wind down,” and cease to exist in what is commonly called the “Heat Death.”

The Time article simply summarizes some of the astrophysical conjectures on the details.

The Bible also presents what we call the Laws of Entropy, ¹ and the fact that the heavens will eventually come to an end is plainly detailed:²

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
- 2 Peter 3:12 [show/hide]2 Peter 3:12 [12]waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! (ESV)
, 13

The Scriptures have much to say about the nature of the universe and space itself: for an in-depth study, see our Briefing Package, Stretching the Heavens, or our audio and video resources, The Creator Series .

Indeed, the great discovery of “20th century science” is that the universe is finite, and it had a beginning. The various alternative views of the events which followed the “singularity” of the Creation are collectively called “The Big Bang.”

One of the most interesting disclosures in the Time feature was the review of what is often called “Dark Matter”: that visible matter (and the energy associated with it) constitutes less than 5% of the matter in the universe! (We have been reporting on this periodically in Personal UPDATE since February 1993.)

It is disturbing to realize that virtually all of our insights and conclusions about the nature of matter has been drawn from a small sample of the larger reality!

The Time article, while illuminating in many respects, fails to indicate the emerging controversies within the field of physics: the non-constancy of the speed of light, the quantization of the red shift, the non-locality of subatomic particles, etc.

But what is provocative is the universal admission that there was a moment of creation - all the speculations focus their attention on the details which followed moments after creation.

Matter vs. Antimatter

For every particle there is an antiparticle; the existence of “antimatter” made up of antiparticles has been the staple of science fiction buffs for decades. It may come as a surprise to many of our readers that antimatter is the focus of serious study on the research frontier of particle physics.

One of the mysteries of creation is why there is any matter around at all. Matter, and its opposite counterpart, antimatter, congealed out of energy during the first moments of creation, acting according to Einstein’s famous equation, E = mc2, which simply says that matter and energy are two different forms of the same stuff.

Matter and antimatter particles, during the early moments of creation, if in equal numbers, should have annihilated each other, melting back into energy. So why is there any matter in the universe at all? It exists because “nature” prefers matter to antimatter by a small margin. The margin is viewed as the reason why the story of creation does not end simply with, “Let there be light.”

In 1967, the Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov, who later became one of his country’s most famous dissidents, proposed a theory that explained the imbalance using a phenomenon called Charge-Parity Violation. ³ To say that CP symmetry is violated is to say that the physical properties of particles and antiparticles are not fully symmetrical. Contrary to previous assumptions, this actual phenomenon was first observed in 1964 when subatomic particles called K-mesons and their anti-Ks transformed into other particles in a slightly asymmetrical fashion.

If the physicist’s theories were correct, the same strange behavior would be found in another, heavier, subatomic particle called the B-meson. Testing that prediction was the main reason for building a $177 million accelerator at Stanford known as the “B factory,” which opened in June 1999.

Beams of electrons and their antimatter counterparts, positrons, are sent whirling around a 2.2 kilometer ring almost at the speed of light. When an electron and a positron collide, they occasionally form a B-meson and its opposite, an anti-B. These particles exist for only trillionths of a second before decaying further, so the experiment had to be “exquisitely sensitive.” By studying the decay patterns left by some 32 million pairs of B-mesons, the team (of over 600 scientists from nine countries) has found the critical asymmetries that physics theory called for. ⁴ The experiment seems to confirm some understandings but raises still more questions. Yet the more we learn, the more we discover that we are in digital simulation: that lengths, masses, energy, and even Time consist of “quanta” of indivisible units that have no “locality.”⁵ The broader reality - the spiritual reality - is what the Bible has been telling us about all along.

The contemporary discoveries of science can be exhilarating if accompanied with a humility and a respect for what we have yet to discover, always maintaining an awareness that the Word of God is supreme and inerrant.

We are the object of Design and that design has a purpose and a destiny that goes far beyond the limits of any laws of thermodynamics or whatever!

Praise His Name!

* * *

Sources:

• K. C. Cole, “Physicists Get A Big Bang Out of Findings,” LA Times, July 7, 2001, p.1.
• Michael D. Lemonick, “How the Universe Will End,” Time, June 25, 2001, cover article.
• Phillip F. Schewe, Ben Stein, and James Riordon, “CP Violation in the Decay of B Mesons,” The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Physics News, No. 547, July 12, 2001.

1. Psalm 102:25, 25 [show/hide]Psalm 102:25 [25]Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
   ; Romans 8:21 [show/hide]Romans 8:21 [21]that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (ESV)
   ; et al.
2. Cf. Hebrews 12:26 [show/hide]Hebrews 12:26 [26]At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." (ESV)
   , Haggai 2:6 [show/hide]Haggai 2:6 [6]For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. (ESV)
   , Isaiah 13:13 [show/hide]Isaiah 13:13 [13]Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.
   .
3. CP is the abstract abbreviation for a mathematical operation in which particles undergo a change in charge conjugation (C) and parity (P).  The combined CP operation essentially turns a particle into an antiparticle.
4. The B factories at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, and the Japanese KEK lab, submitted preliminary results in February of this year (Update 525; http://www.aip.org/physnews/update/525-1.html) with very limited data sets.  Now SLAC has reported a more robust measurement of the CP-violating parameter: SLAC press release, 6 July 2001, and paper submitted to Physical Review Letters.
5. The Bell Inequality, confirmed experimentally by Allain Aspect at CERN over a decade ago.  See Stretching the Heavens, or Beyond Perception for a discussion.

Stretching the Heavens and the Dilation of Time - Chuck MisslerThis includes an exclusive interview with Barry Setterfield whose controversial discoveries concerning the slowing down of the speed of light may yet disrupt the previous dictums of modern physics. Click for more information - Audio Cassette

The Creator Beyond Time and Space Series on CD-ROM - Chuck Missler and Dr. Mark EastmanIncludes: The Creator Beyond Time and Space, The Bible: An Extraterrestrial Message, Immanuel: The Deity of Messiah and The Divine Watchmaker Click for more information - MP3 on CD-ROM

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Quantum Teleporting, Part 2: Our Holographic Universe - Chuck Missler

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From Koinonia House

Technical > Bible Codes > Treasures In The Family Trees

Textual Surprises: Treasures in the Family Trees by Chuck Missler

So often in the Bible we encounter genealogies which, to most of us, aren’t particularly exciting reading. And yet they often contain hidden treasures to reward the diligent.

The Book of Ruth

In the Book of Ruth, the joyous climax occurs when Boaz, the Kinsman-Redeemer and the hero of the narrative, redeems the land to Naomi and takes Ruth as his Gentile Bride. In addition to providing us a charming romantic story, we quickly discover that this brief little book holds numerous insights and background essential to understanding God’s broader plan of redemption. (I feel that one cannot really understand Revelation Chapter 5 until they have studied this fascinating book.)

In the festivities during the wedding celebration of Ruth and Boaz, someone ostensibly toasts,

And let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.

…an apparent reference to the events of Genesis 38 [show/hide]Genesis 38 Judah and Tamar [38:1]It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. [2]There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, [3]and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. [4]She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. [5]Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. [6]And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. [7]But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. [8]Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." [9]But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. [10]And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. [11]Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, till Shelah my son grows up"--for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father's house. [12]In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. [13]And when Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep," [14]she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. [15]When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. [16]He turned to her at the roadside and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" [17]He answered, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." And she said, "If you give me a pledge, until you send it--" [18]He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. [19]Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. [20]When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. [21]And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?" And they said, "No cult prostitute has been here." [22]So he returned to Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, 'No cult prostitute has been here.'" [23]And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her." [24]About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." [25]As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant." And she said, "Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff." [26]Then Judah identified them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not know her again. [27]When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. [28]And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." [29]But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore his name was called Perez. [30]Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. (ESV)
. (However, if you are familiar with that sordid episode, you might have been tempted to exclaim, “Same to you, fella!”) But there’s more to the tale.

Judah and Tamar

In Genesis 38 [show/hide]Genesis 38 Judah and Tamar [38:1]It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. [2]There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, [3]and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. [4]She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. [5]Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. [6]And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. [7]But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. [8]Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." [9]But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. [10]And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. [11]Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, till Shelah my son grows up"--for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father's house. [12]In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. [13]And when Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep," [14]she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. [15]When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. [16]He turned to her at the roadside and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" [17]He answered, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." And she said, "If you give me a pledge, until you send it--" [18]He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. [19]Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. [20]When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. [21]And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?" And they said, "No cult prostitute has been here." [22]So he returned to Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, 'No cult prostitute has been here.'" [23]And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her." [24]About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." [25]As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant." And she said, "Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff." [26]Then Judah identified them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not know her again. [27]When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. [28]And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." [29]But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore his name was called Perez. [30]Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. (ESV)
, Tamar had married Judah’s firstborn son, Er, who died without having any children. Under Mosaic law, Judah was expected to provide Tamar a brother to raise up issue and failed to do so.¹ Tamar then resorted to posing as a prostitute and Judah unknowingly got her pregnant. When confronted with the evidence, he confesses that his sin was greater than hers.² Tamar gives birth to two sons, Zarah and Pharez. Both are, of course, illegitimate. The Torah provides that a bastard results in being cast out of the congregation for 10 generations.³ The strange remark in Ruth 4:12 [show/hide]Ruth 4:12 [12]and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman." (ESV)
was, in fact, a prophecy: the tenth generation from Pharez was none other than David. And to emphasize this, the book closes with David’s genealogy:

Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron, And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

The inheritance of David is here prophesied before the days of Samuel.⁴ But there’s more.

The Hebrew Text of Genesis 38 [show/hide]Genesis 38 Judah and Tamar [38:1]It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. [2]There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, [3]and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. [4]She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. [5]Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. [6]And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. [7]But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. [8]Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." [9]But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. [10]And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. [11]Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, till Shelah my son grows up"--for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father's house. [12]In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. [13]And when Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep," [14]she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. [15]When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. [16]He turned to her at the roadside and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" [17]He answered, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." And she said, "If you give me a pledge, until you send it--" [18]He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. [19]Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. [20]When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. [21]And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?" And they said, "No cult prostitute has been here." [22]So he returned to Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, 'No cult prostitute has been here.'" [23]And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her." [24]About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." [25]As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant." And she said, "Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff." [26]Then Judah identified them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not know her again. [27]When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. [28]And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." [29]But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore his name was called Perez. [30]Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. (ESV)

One of the reasons that the sordid tale of Judah and Tamar has been included in the Scriptures is because this incident is included in the family tree of the Messiah.⁵ It is interesting that hidden within the text of Genesis 38 [show/hide]Genesis 38 Judah and Tamar [38:1]It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. [2]There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, [3]and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. [4]She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. [5]Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. [6]And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. [7]But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. [8]Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." [9]But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. [10]And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. [11]Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, till Shelah my son grows up"--for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father's house. [12]In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. [13]And when Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep," [14]she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. [15]When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. [16]He turned to her at the roadside and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" [17]He answered, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." And she said, "If you give me a pledge, until you send it--" [18]He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. [19]Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. [20]When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. [21]And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?" And they said, "No cult prostitute has been here." [22]So he returned to Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, 'No cult prostitute has been here.'" [23]And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her." [24]About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." [25]As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant." And she said, "Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff." [26]Then Judah identified them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not know her again. [27]When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. [28]And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." [29]But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore his name was called Perez. [30]Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. (ESV)
, at 49-letter intervals, are the names of Boaz, Ruth, Obed, Jesse, and David-in chronological order ! [See figure] ; note that Hebrew goes from right to left, and the names are coded backwards.)

These names anticipate, five generations in advance, the next five generations climaxing in David, a total of ten generations. Here in the Torah we find the names of the principals of the Book of Ruth, and a delineation of their descendants leading up to the royal line. How did Moses know all this centuries before the fact? We know that Moses himself wrote the Torah: Jesus verified that very fact numerous times.⁶)

The presence of such features of the Biblical text is a profound demonstration of its supernatural origin. There is absolutely no way that these details could have been anticipated in advance except by Divine guidance and the control of the most subtle aspects of the recorded text-far outstripping any insights of the authors themselves. In addition to the astonishing specifics themselves, the discovery of these features underscores the confidence we may have in the precision of the text, and the overwhelming implications that it is a skillfully crafted integrated message-from Genesis 1 [show/hide]Genesis 1 The Creation of the World [1:1]In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. [2]The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. [3]And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. [4]And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. [5]God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. [6]And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." [7]And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. [8]And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. [9]And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. [10]God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. [11]And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. [12]The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13]And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. [14]And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, [15]and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. [16]And God made the two great lights--the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night--and the stars. [17]And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, [18]to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19]And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. [20]And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." [21]So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22]And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." [23]And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. [24]And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds--livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. [25]And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [26]Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." [27]So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28]And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." [29]And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. [30]And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. [31]And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (ESV)
to Revelation 22 [show/hide]Revelation 22 The River of Life [22:1]Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [2]through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [3]No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. [4]They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. [5]And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Jesus Is Coming [6]And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place." [7]"And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." [8]I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, [9]but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." [10]And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. [11]Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." [12]"Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. [13]I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." [14]Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. [15]Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. [16]"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." [17]The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. [18]I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, [19]and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. [20]He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! [21]The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (ESV)
.

The unfortunate promotional sensationalism by some authors over the “Bible Codes” has caused many conservative scholars, as well as unbelieving skeptics, to disparage-and overlook-the many authentic treasures hidden underneath the Biblical text. Truly,

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the honor of kings to search them out.

This article has been excerpted from our Expositional Commentary on Genesis, currently featured on our Berean Online Fellowship.

This discovery was first highlighted in an article by Daniel Michelson, “Codes in the Torah,” B’Or Ha’Torah, Number 6, SHAMIR, Association of Religious Professionals from the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in Israel, Jerusalem, Israel, 1987. For additional examples of similar “Hidden Treasures,” see also Cosmic Codes on CD-ROM.

Cosmic Codes in MP3 on CD-ROM - Chuck MisslerRead the implications of our finite universe and the shocking discoveries of quantum physics at the very boundaries of reality and learn their significance to our origin and personal destinies! Click for more information - MP3 on CD-ROM

From Koinonia House

Technical > Bible Codes > Something Hidden

A Book of Mysteries: Something Hidden 2 Sam 16:5-13 [show/hide]2 Samuel 16:5-13 Shimei Curses David [5]When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. [6]And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. [7]And Shimei said as he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! [8]The LORD has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood." [9]Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head." [10]But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, 'Curse David,' who then shall say, 'Why have you done so?'" [11]And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. [12]It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today." [13]So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. (ESV) ; 19:16-23; 1 Kings 2:36-46 [show/hide]1 Kings 2:36-46 [36]Then the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatever. [37]For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your blood shall be on your own head." [38]And Shimei said to the king, "What you say is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days. [39]But it happened at the end of three years that two of Shimei's servants ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And when it was told Shimei, "Behold, your servants are in Gath," [40]Shimei arose and saddled a donkey and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. [41]And when Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, [42]the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, 'Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die'? And you said to me, 'What you say is good; I will obey.' [43]Why then have you not kept your oath to the LORD and the commandment with which I commanded you?" [44]The king also said to Shimei, "You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father. So the LORD will bring back your harm on your own head. [45]But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever." [46]Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. (ESV) . by Chuck Missler

Esther is an obscure book to many, even though it is a story of romance and palace intrigue set in the glory days of the Persian Empire.  A Jewish maiden, elevated to the throne of Persia as its queen, is used by God to preserve His people against a Hitler-like annihilation.

To this day, the Feast of Purim commemorates the memory of this deliverance.  Even the works of Shakespeare’s dramatic genius cannot compare with the drama and irony in this captivating epic.

However, the book deals with real historical events, not just a story to highlight a moral.  It deals with an escape from genocidal annihilation after their return from Babylonian captivity.  Chronologically, Esther makes possible Nehemiah.  It was Esther’s marriage to the king of Persia that ultimately leads to the rebuilding of Jerusalem and enables the chain of events that led to the appearance of the Messiah five centuries later.

The Mysteries of the Book

However, the Biblical mysteries abound: There is no mention of the name of God in the book.  There is no reference to worship or faith.  There is no mention or prediction of the Messiah; no mention of heaven or hell; there is nothing “religious” about it.  It is a gripping tale, but why is it here in the Bible?  Martin Luther believed it should not be part of the Canon!

The name Esther gives us a clue: it means “Something Hidden”!  And we discover that there are numerous surprises hidden behind, and underneath, the text itself.

Summary of the Drama

Orphaned as a child and brought up by her cousin Mordecai, Esther was selected by King Ahasuerus to replace the queen when Vashti was disgraced. Haman, the prime minister, persuaded the king to issue an edict of extermination of all the Jews in the Persian Empire.  Esther, on Mordecai’s advice, endangered her own life by appearing before the king-without being invited - in order to intercede for her people.¹

Seeing that the king was well disposed toward her, she invited him and Haman to a private banquet, during which she did not reveal her desire but invited them to yet another banquet, thus misleading Haman by making him think that he was in the queen’s good graces.  Her real intention was to take revenge on him. During a second banquet, Queen Esther revealed her Jewish origin to the king, begged for her life and the life of her people, and named her enemy.²

Angry with Haman, King Ahasuerus retreated into the palace garden.  Haman, in great fear, remained to plead for his life from the Queen. While imploring, Haman fell on Esther’s couch and was found in this ostensibly compromising situation upon the king’s return.  He was immediately condemned to be hung on the very gallows which he had previously prepared for Mordecai.

The king complied with Esther’s request, and the edict of destruction was then changed into permission for the Jews to avenge themselves on their enemies.

The Feast of Purim was instituted by Mordecai to celebrate the deliverance of the Jews from Haman’s plot to kill them.  Our Jewish friends continue to celebrate this feast to this day, which is based on the events in the Book of Esther. Purim (from Akkadian, puru, “lots”) is so called after the lots cast by Haman in order to determine the month in which the slaughter was to take place.³

Surprising Roots Behind the Tale

The two principal protagonists are, of course, Haman and Mordecai.  We are surprised to discover that this narrative has its roots several generations earlier.  Haman was an “Agagite,” a royal Amalekite, the last of his proud house to occupy a position of influence and power.⁴ “Agag” was the name given to the kings of Amalek, the people “against whom the Lord hath indignation forever.”  We first read of the land of the Amalekites, in the valleys of southern Palestine, involved in the great conflicts of the Elamite ascendancy from which ultimately the Persian Empire emerges.⁵

To fully understand the cosmic drama taking place, one must begin with the birth of Esau and Jacob.⁶ The twins - Jacob and Esau - struggling together picture the flesh and Spirit struggling against one another.⁷ Amalek descended from Esau.⁸

Amalek fought with Israel at Rephidim. “YHWH will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”⁹ Both Balaam¹⁰ and Moses¹¹ foretold the doom of this haughty foe.  Every time Israel rose up in their own power, they were clobbered; whenever they rose up in faith and the lowliness of self-judgment, Amalek’s power was broken.¹²

Saul’s Failure

Samuel commissioned Saul to “go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not.”¹³ But Saul failed to carry it out.  He spared Agag, and so God took the kingdom from Saul.¹⁴ Had Saul been obedient, Haman could never have appeared on the scene. Although Samuel subsequently showed Agag no mercy, some of his children escaped him.  Haman is witness that Samuel likewise failed to exterminate the rest of the royal family.  Sin unjudged, evil propensities unmortified, will result in grave trouble later. It is also important to realize that Mordecai was a descendant of Shimei, who was a recipient of David’s grace when he refused to take vengeance upon him.¹⁵

Now 600 years later, Mordecai, a descendant of the house of Kish, the father of King Saul, and a royal Amalekite by the name of Haman, a final descendant of Agag, confront each other!  With Haman’s death, and that of his ten sons, the name of Amalek will be blotted out from under heaven.

Microcodes

One of the many surprises hidden within the text itself are the presence of eight microcodes: five acrostics and three “equidistant letter sequences” that spell out the name of God and with some surprising designed-in relevances!

Macrocodes

Of even more personal impact than the microcodes are the macrocodes which seem to be hidden behind the narrative.   Paul reveals that the historic incidents that happened to Israel are intended as types (or models) for us:

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [as a warning]: and they are written for our admonition [instruction]…  - 1 Corinthians 10:11 [show/hide]1 Corinthians 10:11 [11]Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. (ESV)

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. - Romans 15:4 [show/hide]Romans 15:4 [4]For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (ESV)

The Book of Esther also seems to foreshadow the Book of Romans as the story-behind-the story: the classic struggle between the flesh and the spirit.  The Bible is given to us (1) to know God; and (2) to know ourselves!  And it is our very selves which also seem to be in view in some surprising - yet practical - ways.

It is not only a gripping and enjoyable drama, but a challenging puzzle to unravel, and it can be a deeply impacting influence on our Christian walk!  Good hunting!

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1. Esther 4:16-17 [show/hide]Esther 4:16-17 [16]"Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish." [17]Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. (ESV)
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2. Esther 7:3-6 [show/hide]Esther 7:3-6 [3]Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. [4]For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king." [5]Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?" [6]And Esther said, "A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!" Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen. (ESV)
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3. Esther 9:26 [show/hide]Esther 9:26 [26]Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, (ESV)
   ; 3:7.
4. Cf. Josephus, Antiquities, xi 6, § 5.
5. Gen 14:7 [show/hide]Genesis 14:7 [7]Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar. (ESV)
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6. Genesis 25:21-34 [show/hide]Genesis 25:21-34 [21]And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. [22]The children struggled together within her, and she said, "If it is thus, why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. [23]And the LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger." [24]When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. [25]The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. [26]Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. [27]When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. [28]Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Esau Sells His Birthright [29]Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. [30]And Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!" (Therefore his name was called Edom.) [31]Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright now." [32]Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" [33]Jacob said, "Swear to me now." So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. [34]Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. (ESV)
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7. 1 Cor 15:46 [show/hide]1 Corinthians 15:46 [46]But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. (ESV)
   ; Eph 2:3 [show/hide]Ephesians 2:3 [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (ESV)
   ; Gal 5:16, 17 [show/hide]Galatians 5:16 Walk by the Spirit [16]But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (ESV)
   
8. Genesis 36:12 [show/hide]Genesis 36:12 [12](Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife. (ESV)
   Cf. 1 Chron 1:36 [show/hide]1 Chronicles 1:36 [36]The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and of Timna, Amalek. (ESV)
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9. Ex 17:8-18 [show/hide]Exodus 17:8-16 Israel Defeats Amalek [8]Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. [9]So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." [10]So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. [11]Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. [12]But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. [13]And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. [14]Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." [15]And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, [16]saying, "A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." (ESV)
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10. 10.Num 24:20 [show/hide]Numbers 24:20 [20]Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, "Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction."
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11. Deut 25:17-19 [show/hide]Deuteronomy 25:17-19 [17]"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, [18]how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. [19]Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget. (ESV)
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12. Judges 5, 6 [show/hide]Judges 5 The Song of Deborah and Barak [5:1]Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day: [2]"That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD! [3]"Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the LORD I will sing; I will make melody to the LORD, the God of Israel. [4]"LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water. [5]The mountains quaked before the LORD, even Sinai before the LORD, the God of Israel. [6]"In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned, and travelers kept to the byways. [7]The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel. [8]When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel? [9]My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD. [10]"Tell of it, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way. [11]To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the LORD, the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel. "Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD. [12]"Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, break out in a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abinoam. [13]Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the LORD marched down for me against the mighty. [14]From Ephraim their root they marched down into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant's staff; [15]the princes of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed at his heels. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. [16]Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds, to hear the whistling for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. [17]Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he stay with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, staying by his landings. [18]Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field. [19]"The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; they got no spoils of silver. [20]From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. [21]The torrent Kishon swept them away, the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might! [22]"Then loud beat the horses' hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds. [23]"Curse Meroz, says the angel of the LORD, curse its inhabitants thoroughly, because they did not come to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. [24]"Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed. [25]He asked water and she gave him milk; she brought him curds in a noble's bowl. [26]She sent her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sisera; she crushed his head; she shattered and pierced his temple. [27]Between her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still; between her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell--dead. [28]"Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera wailed through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?' [29]Her wisest princesses answer, indeed, she answers herself, [30]'Have they not found and divided the spoil?-- A womb or two for every man; spoil of dyed materials for Sisera, spoil of dyed materials embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoil?' [31]"So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might." And the land had rest for forty years. (ESV)
    , and 10.
13. 1 Sam 15:1-3 [show/hide]1 Samuel 15:1-3 The LORD Rejects Saul [15:1]And Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the LORD. [2]Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. [3]Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" (ESV)
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14. 1 Sam 15:7-28 [show/hide]1 Samuel 15:7-28 [7]And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. [8]And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. [9]But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. [10]The word of the LORD came to Samuel: [11]"I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the LORD all night. [12]And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal." [13]And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD." [14]And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?" [15]Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction." [16]Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me this night." And he said to him, "Speak." [17]And Samuel said, "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. [18]And the LORD sent you on a mission and said, 'Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' [19]Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?" [20]And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. [21]But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." [22]And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. [23]For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." [24]Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. [25]Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may worship the LORD." [26]And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." [27]As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. [28]And Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. (ESV)
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