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It is wrong to believe a series of process of the second coming of Jesus is a separate and distinct event from the second coming of Christ. Many believers err because they think the second coming of Jesus Chris is one-time event, not knowing that the second coming of Jesus is the process which begins with the Rapture, the Great Tribulation, the Appearing of Jesus Christ, the Millennium, the Armageddon, the White Throne Judgement, and finally the Kingdom of Heaven. There are so many false teachers and false prophets in the world today, it is a waste of time and efforts to study them. It is wrong to start debating the Christian Faith on ground of certain teachings and private interpretations of some individuals no matter how famous they were.

It is my policy never to promote their names. John Calvin was the exception, I deliberately made the Biblical point to refute and reject his false teaching because he was welknown and had immerse influence. His erroneous and cultish teachings could ruin many souls.

On top of the problem, the Bible uses the word Rapture on other meaning, only Jesus teaches the concept of Rapture.

It is wrong when someone wrote, “Rapture doctrine did not exist before John Darby invented it in 1830 AD. Before it “popped into John Darby’s head” no one had ever heard of a secret rapture doctrine.”

Rapture is taught by Jesus Christ Himself some 2,000

Years ago…

According to https://bible.ca/rapture-origin-john-nelson-darby-1830ad.htm

“1. Rapture doctrine is one of the most recent “new doctrines” in the history of the Church. The only doctrine more recent is the invention of the sinner’s prayer for salvation by Billy Sunday in 1930, which was made popular by Billy Graham in 1935.

The fact that John Nelson Darby invented the pre-tribulation rapture doctrine around 1830 AD is unquestionably true. All attempts to find evidence of this wild doctrine before 1830 have failed, with a single exception: Morgan Edwards wrote a short essay as a college paper for Bristol Baptist College in Bristol England in 1744 where he confused the second coming with the first resurrection of Revelation 20 and described a “pre-tribulation” rapture. However Edwards ideas, which he admitted were brand new and never before taught, had no influence in the modern population of the false doctrine. That prize to goes to Darby.”

There is nothing more deadly than false doctrines or teachings by false teachers claiming to be authentic or authorative.

The doctine of Rapture has nothing to do with John Nelson Darby or Billy Graham. I believe in the doctrinne of Rapture because 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ Himself taught it.

It is written, Mat 24:37-42, “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not

understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Be Ready for His Coming. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”

Benson Commentary

Matthew 24:37-41. But as the days of Noe were, &c. — As then they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till they were surprised by the flood, notwithstanding the frequent warnings and admonitions of that preacher of righteousness: so now, they shall be engaged in the business and pleasures of the world, little expecting, little thinking of this universal ruin, till it come upon them, notwithstanding the express predictions and declarations of Christ and his apostles. Then shall two be in the field, &c. — That is, Providence will then make a distinction between such as are not at all distinguished now. Some shall be rescued from the destruction of Jerusalem, like Lot out of the burning of Sodom; while others, nowise different in outward circumstances, shall be left to perish in it. Two women shall be grinding at the mill — A passage in Dr. E. Daniel Clarke’s Travels in Greece, Egypt, and the Holy Land, published in 1812, (p. 428,) may fitly be quoted here. “Scarcely had we reached the apartment prepared for our reception,” (namely, in Nazareth,) “when, looking from the window into the court-yard belonging to the house, we beheld two women grinding at the mill in a manner most forcibly illustrating a saying of our Saviour’s. In the centre of the upper stone was a cavity for pouring in the corn, and by the side of this an upright wooden handle for moving the stone. As the operation began, one of the women, with her right hand, pushed this handle to the woman opposite, who again sent it to her companion; thus communicating a rotatory and very rapid motion to the upper stone, their left hands being all the while employed in supplying fresh corn, as fast as the bran and flour escaped from the sides of the machine.”
Hitherto we have explained the contents of this chapter as relating to the destruction of Jerusalem; of which, without doubt, it is primarily to be understood. But though it is to be understood of this primarily, yet not of this only; for there is no question that our Lord had a further view in it. It is usual with the prophets to frame and express their prophecies so as that they shall comprehend more than one event, and have their several periods of completion. This every one must have observed who has been ever so little conversant in the writings of the ancient prophets, and this doubtless is the case here; and the destruction of Jerusalem is to be considered as typical of the end of the world, of which the destruction of a great city is a lively type and image. And we may observe that our Saviour no sooner begins to speak of the destruction of Jerusalem, than his figures are raised, his language swelled, (The sun shall be darkened, &c.,) and he expresses himself in such terms as, in a lower and figurative sense indeed, are applicable to that destruction; but in their higher and literal sense, can be meant only of the end of the world. The same may be said of that text, Of that day and season knoweth no man, &c: the consistence and connection of the discourse oblige us to understand it as spoken of the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, but in a higher sense it may be true also of the time of the end of the world, and of the general judgment. All the subsequent discourse too, we may observe, does not relate so properly to the destruction of Jerusalem as to the end of the world and the general judgment. Our Lord loses sight, as it were, of his former subject, and adapts his discourse more to the latter. And, indeed, the end of the Jewish state was, in a manner, the end of the world to many of the Jews.
It appears next to impossible that any man should duly consider these prophecies, and the exact completion of them, and, if he is a believer, not be confirmed in the faith; or, if he is an infidel, not be converted. Can any stronger proof be given of a divine revelation than the spirit of prophecy; or of the spirit of prophecy, than the examples now before us, in which so many contingencies, and we may say, improbabilities, which human wisdom or prudence could never have foreseen, are so particularly foretold, and so punctually accomplished! At the time when Christ pronounced these prophecies, the Roman governor resided at Jerusalem, and had a force sufficient to keep the people in obedience; and could human prudence foresee that the city, as well as the country, would revolt and rebel against the Romans? Could it foresee pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes in divers places? Could it foresee the speedy propagation of the gospel, so contrary to all human probability? Could human prudence foresee such an utter destruction of Jerusalem, with all the circumstances preceding and following it? It was never the custom of the Romans absolutely to ruin any of their provinces. It was improbable, therefore, that such a thing should happen at all, and still more improbable that it should happen under the humane and generous Titus who was indeed, as he was called, the love and delight of mankind. Yet, however improbable this was it has happened, and it was foreseen and foretold by Christ; but how was it possible for him to foresee it, unless his foresight was divine, and his prediction the infallible oracle of God? Eusebius observes well upon this place, that, “Whoever shall compare the words of our Saviour with the history which Josephus has written of the war, cannot but admire the wisdom of Christ, and acknowledge his prediction to be divine.”

Why did the early church believe about the “Rapture”? Because the Bible says so, stupid. What is wrong with the Rapture? Nothing is wrong with the Rapture, SOMETHING wrong are with those who do not believe. What you believe are not important, what the Bible says matters. Watch out for the enemies who want to destroy the Faith by pretending to be believers or teachers.

There have been many predictions of the date of the second coming of Jesus Christ, all have failed as the Lord says, no one knows.

Many confuse about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ because they think it is only one Event. Most people do not know the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a series of the process linkin to the Event. Taking the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as a popular subject, many merchandise and peddle the knowledge of God by charging a large sum for subscription and in addition shamelessly ask for donation. False ministers think they are entitled to donations simply because they preach the Gospel. If you take a cursory look at the Internet, you will be surprised how many individuals and organizations engage in merchandising and selling the Bible knowledge for money. If you do not pay a subscription, you will have no access to their articles and they disable any copy of their articles. These enemies of the truth embellish with their private opinions. They do not seem to fear the fiery Hell.

2Pe 1:20-21, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of

someone’s own interpretation, for no prophecy

was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

Knowing this first.—The participle belongs to “take heed” in 2Peter 1:19. “First” means “first of all” (1Timothy 2:1), not “before I tell you.” In studying prophecy this is the first thing to be borne in mind.

Is of any private interpretation.—Better, comes to be, or becomes of private interpretation. The word rendered “interpretation” occurs nowhere else in the New Testament; but the cognate verb occurs in Mark 4:34, where it is translated “expound.” (See Note there.) There can be little doubt that “interpretation,” or “solution,” is the right rendering here, although others have been suggested. The main question however, is the meaning of the word rendered “private,” which may also mean “its own.” Hence three explanations are possible. The term may refer (1) to the recipients of the prophecies—that we may not expound prophecy according to our own fancy; or (2) to the utterers of the prophecies—that the prophets had not the power of expounding their own prophecies; or (3) to the prophecies themselves—that no prophecy comes to be of its own interpretation, i.e., no prophecy explains itself. The guide to the right explanation is 2Peter 1:21, which gives the reason why “no prophecy of the scripture,” &c. This consideration excludes (3); for 2Peter 1:21 yields no sense as showing why prophecy does not interpret itself. Either of the other two explanations may be right. (1) If prophecy came “by the will of man,” then it might be interpreted according to man’s fancy. But it did not so come; consequently the interpretation must be sought elsewhere—viz., at the same source from which the prophecy itself proceeded. (2) If the prophets spoke just as they pleased, they would be the best exponents of what they meant. But they spoke under divine influence, and therefore need not know the import of their own words. Prophecy must be explained by prophecy and by history, not by the individual prophet. The whole body of prophecy, “the prophetic word” (2Peter 1:19), is our lamp in the wilderness, not the private dicta of any one seer. In modern phraseology, interpretation must be comparative and scientific. This view is strengthened by comparing 1Peter 1:10-12, where it is stated that the prophets did not know how or when their own predictions would be fulfilled. Possibly this passage is meant to refer to 1Peter 1:10-12, and if so, we have a mark of genuineness; a forger would have made the reference more clear. If the coincidence is accidental, this also points in the same direction; in any case, the coincidence is worth noting.”

2Pe 3:15-17, “and regard the patience of our Lord

as salvation; just as also our beloved brother

Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,

as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these

things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unscrupulous people and lose your own firm commitment.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

And account; reckon with yourselves, and be confidently persuaded; or take for granted.
The longsuffering of our Lord; viz. in his not yet coming to judgment, and bearing with so much sin in the world without presently punishing it.
Is salvation; i.e. tends or conduceth to salvation, in that hereby he gives space for repentance to the elect unconverted, and alloweth time for the building up and perfecting those that are converted, 2 Peter 3:9.
Even as our beloved brother Paul; not only brother in Christ, as a saint, but in office, as an apostle.
According to the wisdom given unto him; that eminent and profound knowledge in the mysteries of the gospel in which Paul did excel, 1 Corinthians 2:6,7 Eph 3:3,4. Peter makes such honourable mention of Paul:
1. That he might commend to the Jewish Christians the doctrine Paul had preached, though a minister of the uncircumcision;
2. To show that he had nothing the worse thoughts of him for being so sharply reproved by him, Galatians 2:1-21; and:
3. That he might arm the saints against those heretics that abused Paul’s writings, and wrested them to their own meaning, probably, to patronize their errors.
Hath written unto you; unto you Jewish believers, viz. either:
1. In his Epistle to the Romans, Romans 2:4, where is a passage very like this: or:
2. In his Epistle to the Hebrews, which, though it were not entitled to the Jews of the dispersion, yet was written to their nation; and in that Epistle several places there are of the same purport with this here; {see Hebrews 9:28 10:23,25,36,37} and other Epistle of Paul to the Jews we have none: and in this he shows much of that wisdom God gave him in the mystery of the gospel; and in this likewise are many things hard to be understood.”

These unscrupulous people do not seem to fear the warnings of the Lord:

2Pe 2:3, “and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

And through covetousness.—Better, In covetousness. This is the atmosphere in which they live. (See Notes on 2Peter 2:18 and 2Peter 1:1-2; 2Peter 1:4; 2Peter 1:13.) Wiclif and Rheims have “in.” Simon Magus offering St. Peter money, which no doubt he was accustomed to take himself for his teaching, may illustrate this (Acts 8:18; comp. 1Timothy 6:5; Titus 1:10-11). These false teachers, like the Greek Sophists, taught for money. A bombastic mysticism, promising to reveal secrets about the unseen world and the future, was a very lucrative profession in the last days of Paganism, and it passed over to Christianity as an element in various heresies. (Comp. the Shepherd of Hermas, Sim. IX. xix. 3.)

Make merchandise of you.—The verb means literally to travel, especially as a merchant on business; and hence “to be a merchant,” “to trade,” and, with an accusative, “to deal in,” “make merchandise of.” (Comp. our commercial phrase, “to travel in” such and such goods.) It may also mean simply “to gain,” or “gain over,” which would make good sense here; but our version is perhaps better. The word occurs elsewhere only in James 4:13. “With feigned words” possibly refers back to “cunningly devised fables” (2Peter 1:16).

Lingereth not.—Literally, is not idle, the cognate verb of the adjective in 2Peter 1:8. Their sentence has long since been pronounced, is working, and in due time will strike them. We have a similar thought in 1Peter 4:17.

Their damnation slumbereth not.—Better, their destruction. (See fourth Note on 2Peter 2:1.) Wiclif and Rheims have “perdition.” The destruction involved in the judgment pronounced by God is awake and on its way to overtake them. The word for “slumbereth” occurs in Matthew 25:5 only.

We now pass on to see how it is that this judgment “of a long time” has been working. It was pronounced against all sinners, such as they are, from the first beginning of the world.”

2Pe 2:14, “having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children.”
1Th 2:5, “For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is our witness—”

For the love of money, these unscrupulous people ignore the Word of God:

1Co 5:11, “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

“But now.” In this Epistle. This shows that he had written a former letter.

I have written to you. – Above. I have designed to give this injunction that you are to be entirely separated from one who is a professor of religion and who is guilty of these things.

Not to keep company – To be wholly separated and withdrawn from such a person. Not to associate with him in any manner.

If any man that is called a brother – Any professing Christian; any member of the church.

Be a fornicator … – Like him who is mentioned, 1 Corinthians 5:1.

Or an idolater – This must mean those persons who, while they professed Christianity, still attended the idol feasts, and worshipped there. Perhaps a few such may have been found who had adopted the Christian profession hypocritically.

Or a railer – A reproachful man; a man of coarse, harsh, and bitter words; a man whose characteristic it was to abuse others; to vilify their character, and wound their feelings. It is needless to say how much this is contrary to the spirit of Christianity, and to the example of the Master, “who when he was reviled, reviled not again.”

Or a drunkard – Perhaps there might have been some then in the church, as there are now, who were addicted to this vice. It has been the source of incalculable evils to the church; and the apostle, therefore, solemnly enjoins on Christians to have no fellowship with a man who is intemperate.

With such an one no not to eat – To have no contact or fellowship with him of any kind; not to do anything that would seem to acknowledge him as a brother; with such an one not even to eat at the same table. A similar course is enjoined by John; 2 John 1:10-11. This refers to the contact of common life, and not particularly to the communion. The true Christian was wholly to disown such a person, and not to do anything that would seem to imply that he regarded him as a Christian brother. It will be seen here that the rule was much more strict in regard to one who professed to be a Christian than to those who were known and acknowledged pagans. The reasons may have been:

The necessity of keeping the church pure, and of not doing anything that would seem to imply that Christians were the patrons and friends of the intemperate and the wicked.
in respect to the pagan, there could be no danger of its being supposed that Christians regarded them as brethren, or showed to them any more than the ordinary civilities of life; but in regard to those who professed to be Christians, but who were drunkards, or licentious, if a man was on terms of intimacy with them, it would seem as if he acknowledged them as brethren and recognized them as Christians.

(3) this entire separation and withdrawing from all communion was necessary in these times to save the church from scandal, and from the injurious reports which were circulated. The pagan accused Christians of all manner of crime and abominations. These reports were greatly injurious to the church. But it was evident that currency and plausibility would be given to them if it was known that Christians were on terms of intimacy and good fellowship with pagans and intemperate persons. Hence, it became necessary to withdraw wholly from them to withhold even the ordinary courtesies of life; and to draw a line of total and entire separation. Whether this rule in its utmost strictness is demanded now, since the nature of Christianity is known, and since religion cannot be in “so much” danger from such reports, may be made a question. I am inclined to the opinion that the ordinary civilities of life may be shown to such persons; though certainly nothing that would seem to recognize them as Christians. But as neighbors and relatives; as those who may be in distress and want, we are assuredly not forbidden to show toward them the offices of kindness and compassion. Whitby and some others, however, understand this of the communion of the Lord’s Supper and of that only.”

1Co 6:10, “nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Eph 5:5, “For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.”

The crux of the matter is to start the Bible knowledge with the chronology sets by the Holy Bible. Needless to say, I do not get pay by presenting the Word of God, neither do I ask for any donation. I believe in rightly dividing the Word of God, I sincerely believe the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will begins with the process chronologically the Rapture, the Great Tribulation, the Appearing of the Lord in great power and glory, the Millennium, the Armagedon, the White Throne Judgement, and finally the Kingdom of Heaven when and where the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, will reign forever and ever.

Many do not know the so-called Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the same as

Tit 2:13, “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing.—The Greek should here be rendered, looking for the blessed hope and manifestation of the glory. And that holy life, just urged on the believer, of quiet self-restraint, of love to others, of piety towards God, must be lit up by a blessed hope, by a hope which is far more than a hope; that holy life of the faithful must be a continued waiting for a blessed hope—“the hope laid up for us in heaven” (Colossians 1:5). It may be asked, What is this hope? We answer, it is “the hope of glory” which we shall share with the Son of God, when we behold Him as He is. So for us the hope of glory is intimately bound up with the second coming of the Lord. Then the life of the lover of the Lord must be one continued looking for, waiting for, the coming of the Lord in glory—must be a looking for that hour when we shall see in all His divine majesty, Him who redeemed us. In that life and light, in that majesty and glory, His own will share.

Of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.—The translation here should run, of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. From the English version, it would seem that Paul’s idea was that the Christian should live waiting for the glorious appearing of the great God, accompanied with our Lord Jesus Christ. The rendering we have adopted, on what seems conclusive grounds, speaks of a Christian life, as a life ever looking for the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In this sublime passage the glory of the only begotten Son alone finds mention. Taken thus, it is a studied declaration of the divinity of the Eternal Son, who is here styled “our great God and Saviour.” Reasoning merely on grammatical principles, either translation would be possible, only even then there is a presumption in favour of the translation we have adopted. (See Ellicott’s Note on this verse.) But other considerations are by no means so nearly equally balanced. The word “manifestation” (epiphany), the central thought of the sentence, is employed by St. Paul in his Epistles five times, and in every one of them to describe the manifestation of Christ, and in four of them to designate the future manifestation of His coming in glory, as here. The term epiphany is never applied to the Father.

Again, the whole of the context of the passage specially relates to the “Son of God.” The introduction of the epiphany “of the Father” would be a thought not merely strange to the whole New Testament, but would bring quite a new idea into this statement, which sets forth so sublimely the epiphany of Christ as the ground of the Christian’s hope—an idea, too, no sooner suggested than dropped, for the passage goes on to speak only of the Son. Perhaps, however, the weightiest argument that can be adduced is the consensus of the Greek orthodox fathers, who, with scarcely an exception, concur in the interpretation which understands the expression “of our great God” as used of Jesus Christ. To select two examples out of the long chain of fathers reaching from the apostolic age who have thus understood this text: “St. Paul here calls Christ the great God, and thus rebukes the heretical blasphemy which denies His Godhead” (Theodoret). “What can those persons say,” asks Chrysostom, referring to this passage, “who allege that the Son is inferior to the Father?” (See Wordsworth’s Note here.).”

Although the word “rapture” in the Bible may not be used in the sense related to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, remember the Words of Jesus alone are sufficient to form a doctrine and worth more than words of ten thousand so-called church fathers. The worst practice is to distort the Word of God on account to discredit some teachings of certain individual(s) alluded and linked to a specific sound doctrine. It is a diabolical practice to attack a man in order to discredit a certain Biblical teaching. The Christian Faith is not based on teachings or opinions of any man. False prophets and false teachers invented their teachings as Biblical doctrines.

This is the subject that false preachers and teachers make money by deceiving the people. Roughly, the series of process involving the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is chronologically presented as follows:

1.) The Rapture

Luk 17:34-36, “I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same

place; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.”

1Th 4:17, “Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

Rapture in the Scriptures cited above can literally mean “taken up” and “caught up”. Rapture as taken up or caught up the saints to meet the Lord in the air is a secret process. I translate “in the space” for “in the air”. I am not going to dwell in detail here. It is important to say that the Rapture can take place any time now, it is imminent. When it happens, the process of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ has begun. If the Rapture has taken place the whole world will know about it, because people will be missing.

2.) The Great Tribulation

Mat 24:21-25, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again. And if those

days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘He is over here,’ do not believe him.

For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance.” No one knows how many days have been cut short, so no one knows what day or hour Jesus Christ will come and appear the Second Time.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

24:4-28 The disciples had asked concerning the times, When these things should be? Christ gave them no answer to that; but they had also asked, What shall be the sign? This question he answers fully. The prophecy first respects events near at hand, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Jewish church and state, the calling of the Gentiles, and the setting up of Christ’s kingdom in the world; but it also looks to the general judgment; and toward the close, points more particularly to the latter. What Christ here said to his disciples, tended more to promote caution than to satisfy their curiosity; more to prepare them for the events that should happen, than to give a distinct idea of the events. This is that good understanding of the times which all should covet, thence to infer what Israel ought to do. Our Saviour cautions his disciples to stand on their guard against false teachers. And he foretells wars and great commotions among nations. From the time that the Jews rejected Christ, and he left their house desolate, the sword never departed from them. See what comes of refusing the gospel. Those who will not hear the messengers of peace, shall be made to hear the messengers of war. But where the heart is fixed, trusting in God, it is kept in peace, and is not afraid. It is against the mind of Christ, that his people should have troubled hearts, even in troublous times. When we looked forward to the eternity of misery that is before the obstinate refusers of Christ and his gospel, we may truly say, The greatest earthly judgments are but the beginning of sorrows. It is comforting that some shall endure even to the end. Our Lord foretells the preaching of the gospel in all the world. The end of the world shall not be till the gospel has done its work. Christ foretells the ruin coming upon the people of the Jews; and what he said here, would be of use to his disciples, for their conduct and for their comfort. If God opens a door of escape, we ought to make our escape, otherwise we do not trust God, but tempt him. It becomes Christ’s disciples, in times of public trouble, to be much in prayer: that is never out of season, but in a special manner seasonable when we are distressed on every side. Though we must take what God sends, yet we may pray against sufferings; and it is very trying to a good man, to be taken by any work of necessity from the solemn service and worship of God on the sabbath day. But here is one word of comfort, that for the elect’s sake these days shall be made shorter than their enemies designed, who would have cut all off, if God, who used these foes to serve his own purpose, had not set bounds to their wrath. Christ foretells the rapid spreading of the gospel in the world. It is plainly seen as the lightning. Christ preached his gospel openly. The Romans were like an eagle, and the ensign of their armies was an eagle. When a people, by their sin, make themselves as loathsome carcasses, nothing can be expected but that God should send enemies to destroy them. It is very applicable to the day of judgment, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in that day, 2Th 2:1. Let us give diligence to make our calling and election sure; then may we know that no enemy or deceiver shall ever prevail against us.”

3.) The Appearing of Jesus Christ

Tit 2:13, “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus”

Benson Commentary

Titus 2:13-14. Looking — With eager desire and lively expectation; for the blessed hope — That is, for the blessedness for which we hope; the grace of hope being here put for the object of it, future and eternal felicity. And the glorious appearing — Very different from his former appearance in a state of poverty, reproach, and suffering; of the great God and our Saviour — The original expression, επιφανειαν της δοξης του μεγαλου Θεου και Σωτηρος ημων, are literally, the appearing, or manifestation, of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: or, of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ. If the words be taken in the former sense, the apostle may be considered as alluding to our Lord’s words, Luke 9:26, where the Lord Jesus is spoken of as coming in his own glory and in his Father’s, and of his holy angels; and, (Matthew 16:27,) the Son of man shall come in the glory of the Father with his angels. Beza, however, is of opinion, that one person only is spoken of, namely, Jesus Christ, to whom he thinks the title of the great God is given in this verse; and with him Whitby agrees, both because the article is wanting before Σωτηρος, Saviour, and because, as God the Father is not said properly to appear, so the word επιφανεια, appearing, never occurs in the New Testament but when it is applied to Jesus Christ. But to this Macknight answers, “1st, That the article wanting before Saviour may be supplied, as our translators have done here before επιφανεια, appearing, and elsewhere, particularly Ephesians 5:5, In the kingdom, του Χριστου και Θεου, of Christ and of God. and, 2d, That the apostle does not speak of the appearing of the Father, but of the appearing of the glory of the Father; agreeably to what Christ himself declared, that at his return to judgment he will appear surrounded with the glory of his Father.” Whitby, however, as an additional reason for thinking that Christ is only spoken of, observes, that “not only all the ancient commentators on the place do so interpret this text, but the Ante-Nicene Fathers also; Hippolytus speaking of the appearance of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, and Clemens of Alexandria proving Christ to be both God and man, our Creator, and the Author of all our good things, from these very words of St. Paul.” Who gave himself for us — Namely, to die in our stead; that he might redeem us — Miserable bond-slaves; from all iniquity — As well from the power and the very being, as from the guilt of our sins; and purify to himself — From all pollution of flesh and spirit, (see on 2 Corinthians 7:1,) a peculiar people — Who should thankfully own themselves his property, and express their gratitude for such inestimable favours, by being not only careful to avoid the practice of evil, but zealous of good works — Active in all the duties of life, and in every office of righteousness and goodness to each other. “This is said in allusion to Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6, where God calls the Jews a peculiar and a special people to himself, because he had made them his property by redeeming them from the bondage of Egypt, and had distinguished them from the rest of mankind as his, by rites and ordinances of his own appointment. Christ hath made believers his peculiar people by giving himself for them, to redeem them from all iniquity, and to purify them to himself, a people zealous, not of rites and ceremonies, but of good works. This being the great end of Christ’s death, how dare any person, pretending to be one of Christ’s people, either speak or think lightly of good works, as not necessary to salvation? — Macknight.

Mat 24:30, “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.”

Heb 9:28, “so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” It is necessary to say that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is a public event, all will see the Lord Jesus coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: outwv kai is an illative connection between the antecedent Hebrews 9:27, and this consequent; As it was appointed to men once to die, so it was appointed to Christ once to offer himself. God’s statute determineth both of these; Christ the High Priest, opposed to men, Hebrews 9:27, having died once as a sacrifice for sins, and offered his blood to God to expiate them, bearing their punishment which God laid on him, Isaiah 53:6; and so took away sins, guilt, filth, power and condemnation from many, whom the Father gave to him, and he undertook for, in it, Matthew 20:28 26:28 John 10:15,16.
And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin; and to his believing, penitent expectants, such as long for his coming, Philippians 3:20 Titus 2:13, stretching out their heads, as the mother of Sisera, Judges 5:28, with a holy impatience of seeing him, such as by faith and prayer are hastening it, Romans 8:23 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 1 Peter 1:3-9, shall he once more visibly appear to them and the world, Acts 1:11 Revelation 1:7, gloriously, without need to suffer or die again for them, having at his departure after his first coming, carried all their sins into the land of forgetfulness.
Unto salvation; and to their persons will he bring entire and complete salvation, raising and uniting bodies and souls together, Philippians 3:21; and then take them as assistants to himself in the judgment-work on men and angels in the air; and having despatched that work, return with them to the holy of holiest in heaven, there to be completely blessed, in praising, serving, glorifying, and enjoying God in Christ, and the blessedness that attends that state, for ever and ever, as 1 Corinthians 6:2,3 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

4.) The Millennium

Rev 20:4-6, “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of

their testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast

or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life

and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

THE MILLENNIAL REIGN.

(4) And I saw thrones, and they sat . . . There is a prominence given to the thrones, because the thought of the reign of the saints is uppermost in the mind of the seer. The thrones are seen, and those who sat on them. It has been asked, “By whom are the thrones occupied?” The answer is supplied in the latter part of the verse. Those who are in the latter part said to reign with Christ are clearly those who sit upon the thrones which first caught the prophet’s eye; these are all the real servants of God. They appear before the seer in two great classes:—First, the martyrs who have been faithful unto death; for he speaks first of seeing the souls of those who have been beheaded (strictly, “slain with the axe,” but clearly the special class of beheaded martyrs is to be taken as representing all), because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God. The number of the martyrs is now complete (comp. Revelation 6:11); these form the first class mentioned. Secondly, those who have been faithful in life occupy these thrones. The prophet sees these, even whosoever did not worship (during life) the wild beast, nor yet his image, and did not receive the mark (comp. Revelation 13:10) on their forehead and upon their hand. The triumph and sovereignty, whatever they be, are shared by all the faithful. These things are stated as constituting their privileges. They lived, whereas the rest of the dead lived not; they reigned, and judgment was given them. This last has been felt to be a difficulty. What sort of judgment is intended? The passage in Daniel (Daniel 7:22) is clearly suggestive of the present one. The phrase (judgment was given) is not there to be understood as meaning that right was done them (see Note in Speaker’s Commentary on Daniel), neither must it be so understood here. Judicial powers are given to the saints as to those who occupy thrones; “the chief power in governing” (Gebhardt) is given them (comp. Matthew 19:28, and 1Corinthians 6:2-3); they reign, they judge, they live; the true and full powers of life are seen to be theirs. And is not this the case always? Who, next to Him who knows the secrets of our hearts, exercises judicial powers over men? Do not those whose lives, as we read them, rebuke our own? Truly, those who lived for God, and refused the mark of earthliness, reign and judge us in our worldliness and weakness. This is their sovereign honour here, besides the glad reign in the unseen world.”

The Bible says a thousand years, I believe it is a thousand years.

Rev 20:1-3, “Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great

chain in his hand. And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.”

Isa 11:6, “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fattened steer will be together; and a little boy will lead them.”

5.) The Armageddon

Some phony theologians and false Bible commentators make much ado about the Armargeddon, by calling it the greatest last World War;

“there the final world conflict will take place.”

Even Britannica said falsely, “The term Armageddon has often been used by Protestant fundamentalists to refer to an impending cataclysmic struggle between the forces of good and evil.”

Rev 20:7-9, “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come

out to deceive the nations which are at the four

corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from Heaven and devoured them.”

The King of kings and the Lord of lords does not need to fight any war at all and certainly not “an impending cataclysmic struggle between the forces of good and evil.” The fire comes from Heaven destroys all those who follow the devil.

Bengel’s Gnomen

Revelation 20:7. Τα, those) Those thousand years only, during which Satan was bound; for now again Satan is treated of. The article so refers to the noun (thousand years) applied to two preceding subjects [the two distinct periods of a thousand years each], that it has reference to the former subject. Thus altogether τὸ θηρίον, that beast, ch. Revelation 13:15, does not refer to Revelation 20:11, but to Revelation 20:1. Thus 2 Samuel 23:19; 2 Samuel 23:23, τρεῖς refers not to the nearest, but to the more distant, ternary, Revelation 20:8, etc.—χίλια ἔτη, thousand years) The threefold expression of the former millennium (to which the threefold mention of the second millennium harmoniously answers) plainly makes a threefold opposition to the Non-chronus (which occupies the time between 1111 1/9 and 999 9/9 or 1000 years), to the short space [Revelation 17:10] (888 8/9 years), and to the time 1, 2, ½ (777 7/9 years); for these three periods, which the dragon rendered particularly disastrous, are immediately followed by a thousand joyful years, while the dragon is bound, and these years are three times expressed [in Revelation 20:2-3; Revelation 20:7].—λυθήσεται ἐκ τῆς φυλακῆς) An abbreviated expression: that is, shall be loosed from his chain, and sent forth from his prison.”

6.) White Throne Judgment

Rev 20:11-15, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and Heaven fled, and no place was found for them.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death, the Lake of Fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.”

Rev 20:10, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Once the universe is safe and secure because the devil, his agents and the wicked are all thrown down into the Lake of Fire, the King of kings and the Lord of lords will begin His eternal reign.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. And the devil that deceived them] Lit. that deceiveth, but the sense is general: as if we were to say “their deceiver.”
into the lake &c.] Revelation 19:20.
where] Read, where also.
the beast and the false prophet are] It might be better to supply were cast. That they are there still, not consumed by their more than thousand years of torment, is not stated in this clause but is in the next.
shall be &c.] To prevent ambiguity we should render, they shall be, all three of them.
for ever and ever] Lit. to the ages of the ages, as strong an expression for absolute endlessness as Biblical language affords. The expression “day and night” seems hardly consistent with the view often expressed, that the eternity here spoken of is unaccompanied with a sense of duration like that which we call time.”

7.) The Kingdom of Heaven

Finally, when the devil and the wicked are thrown into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, Jesus Christ will reign forever and ever. Please read https://williewongthought.hpage.com/the-kingdom-of-heaven.html

https://williewongthought.hpage.com/the-kingdom-of-heaven-2.html

https://williewongthought.hpage.com/revelation-chapter-21.html

https://williewongthought.hpage.com/no-more.html

The Kingdom of Heaven is located in the Holy City, New Jerusalem, Revelation Chapter 21.

Rev 11:15, “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in Heaven, saying,

“The kingdoms of the world have become the

Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. – And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying. The participle “saying” is masculine, λέγοντες, in A, B; the feminine, λέγουσαι, is read in א, C, P. Though the latter would be more correct, grammatically, yet irregular construction in such cases is not uncommon in the Apocalypse. The voices were possibly those of the angels rejoicing in the triumph of the kingdom of God. Or perhaps they proceeded from the four living beings, since the elders are next mentioned (ver. 17) as offering the praises of the redeemed Church which they represent. At the opening of the seventh seal there was silence in heaven; here, at the sound of the seventh angel’s trumpet, voices are heard “in heaven,” but there is silence as to the fate of the wicked, with whom the trumpet visions have been chiefly concerned. In the revelation of the fate in store for the Church, as well as in that of the doom awarded to the ungodly, the visions stop short of describing circumstances connected with the life after the judgment day. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever. Ἐγένετο ἡ βασιλαία, in the singular, is found in א, A, B, C, P, and versions, and is adopted by the Revised Version. Ἐγένοντο αἱ βασιλεῖαι, the plural, is read in two cursives. We can understand the first part of this verse by referring to Revelation 12:10. God’s power and authority is established by the final overthrow of Satan. It naturally follows the account, in vers. 12, 13, of the vindication of God’s witnesses, and of the glory rendered by the rest of mankind. With God the Father is associated Christ, by whose means the overthrow of the devil is effected, and by whom his servants overcome (cf. Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 7:14; Revelation 12:11). This is the final victory; henceforth “he shall reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15.”

I. Why the Rapture isn’t Biblical?

Full of baloneys. This is a diabolical statement:

“One religion is as good as another. We might even find more of Christ in Hinduism and Buddhism than in Christianity.”

There is nothing more wicked than an unbeliever pretending to be a Christian, having a so-called Christian website, charging for a subscription, asking for donation, but actually doing perversion of the truth to distort the Christian Faith. The doctrine of Rapture is not invented by mankind.

As an old man, I also take a nap in the afternoon. Once it was a real shock to me. Lucky it was not real. I started to sleep on 2:30 p.m. I overslept and got up at 7:30 p.m. which I mistook to be 7:30 a.m. I looked at my right side but my wife was not there. I called Lucy, Lucy, but no one answered. I thought Rapture was taken place. God considered Lucy a better Christian, and so she was taken up and I was left behind. Soon I discovered I was mistaken. It was 7:30 p.m. and for sure Lucy had not returned home from work yet. And it was not a Rapture after all. That was a relief.

According to https://billygraham.org/answers/what-is-the-rapture?ri=wc

“There are many Christians who believe that the second coming of Jesus Christ will be in two phases. First, He will come for believers, both living and dead, in the “rapture” (read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). In this view, the rapture—which is the transformation and catching up of all Christians, dead or alive, to meet Christ in the air—will be secret, for it will be unknown to the world of unbelievers at the time of its happening.

The effect of this removal, in the absence of multitudes of people, will, of course, be evident on earth. Then, second, after a period of seven years of tribulation on earth, Christ will return to the earth with His church, the saints who were raptured (Matthew 24:30, 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:13, Revelation 1:7). He will be victorious over His enemies and will reign on the earth for 1,000 years (the millennium) with His saints, the church.

After 1,000 years, living unbelievers and the wicked dead now raised to life will be judged at the great white throne judgment. They will then be cast into the lake of fire, while the saved will live forever with Christ in a new heaven and earth (Revelation, chapters 19-22).”

I think confusion takes place when many believers do not know that the second coming of Jesus Christ is not one event, but a series of the process. The process begins with the Rapture, the Great Tribulation, The Appearing of Jesus Christ, the Millinium, the Armegedon, the White Throne Judgment, and finally the Kingdom of Heaven.

The doctrine of Rapture is plentifully Biblical, those who do not believe it are the enemies of truth.

The Bible passages surrounding the rapture include the Word of the Lord:

Mat 24:40-42, “At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Be Ready for His Coming. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

The one shall be taken.—Literally, the present tense being used to express the certainty of the future, one is taken, and one is left. The form of the expression is somewhat obscure, and leaves it uncertain which of the two alternatives is the portion of the chosen ones. Is the man who is “taken” received into fellowship with Christ, while the other is abandoned? or is he carried away as by the storm of judgment, while the other is set free? On the whole, the use of the Greek word in other passages (as, e.g., in Matthew 1:20; Matthew 1:24; Matthew 12:45; John 1:11; John 14:3) is in favour of the former interpretation. What is taught in any case is that the day of judgment will be, as by an inevitable law, a day of separation, according to the diversity of character which may exist in the midst of the closest fellowship in outward life.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Two women … – Grinding in the East was performed, as it is now, chiefly by hand. The millstones were about 2 feet in diameter and 12 foot in thickness. The lower one was fixed, and the upper one was turned by a handle or crank. This was done by two persons, who sat opposite to each other. One took hold of the mill-handle and turned it half-way round; the other then seized it and completed the revolution. This was done by women – by servants of the lowest order – and was a very laborious employment. See Exodus 11:5; Job 31:10; Isaiah 47:2; Judges 16:21. The meaning of this verse is similar to the former. Of two persons sitting near each other, one shall be taken and the other. left. The calamity would be sudden, and would come upon them before they were aware.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 42-51. – Practical exhortation drawn from the uncertainty of the last day: Watch. Verse 42. – Watch therefore. The end will be sudden, the final separation will be then completed; be ye therefore always prepared. Few exhortations are more frequently and impressively given than this of the duty and necessity of watchfulness. Of course, the Christian has to watch against many things – his own evil heart, temptation, the world, but most of all he must watch and be always looking for the coming of his Lord; for whether he be regarded as Redeemer, Deliverer, or Judge, he will come as a thief in the night. What hour. Very many good manuscripts and some late editors read “on what day.” This is probably the genuine reading, “hour” being an alteration derived from ver. 44. What (ποίᾳ) means of what kind or quality – whether sudden, immediate, or remote. Matthew 24:42”

According to https://www.christianity.com/wiki/end-times/what-does-the-bible-really-say-about-the-rapture.html

“The rapture is the idea that believers in Jesus Christ will be caught up or taken away from the earth to be with Him before a period of tribulation and judgment. The term “rapture” itself is not explicitly found in the Bible; rather, it is derived from the Latin word “rapturo,” which translates to “caught up” or “snatched away.”

The doctrine of Rapture is according to Word of the Lord. Those who are uninformed are ignorant of Rapture. Mankind, unlike Christians, have no hope. Christians who died have fallen asleep through Jesus.

Those who deny the doctrine of Rapture deny the Word of the Lord. Those who deny the Word of the Lord, deny the Lord. Those who deny the Lord are children of the devil. Do not be fooled by those who claim to be Christians, yet they deny the Word of the Lord.

II. We Do Not Recognize so-called Church Fathers.

According to https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/44179/what-did-the-early-church-

“Church fathers routinely associate the rapture with the physical resurrection of believers following the tribulation, and many see a close connection between the rapture and other eschatological events, such as the final judgment.

Hippolytus, one of the relatively few proponents of a premillennialist view (chiliasm), sees the rapture as following the tribulation and rule of the Antichrist:

These things, then, being to come to pass, beloved, and the one week being divided into two parts, and the abomination of desolation being manifested then, and the two prophets and forerunners of the Lord having finished their course, and the whole world finally approaching the consummation, what remains but the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from heaven, for whom we have looked in hope? (On Christ and Antichrist, 64)

Others connect even more prophecies with the rapture. For example, Gregory of Nazianzus, using the language of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, writes:

I shall await the voice of the archangel, the last trumpet, the transformation of heaven, the change of earth, the freedom of the elements, the renewal of the universe. Then shall I see Caesarius himself, no longer in exile, no longer being buried, no longer mourned, no longer pitied, but splendid, glorious, sublime. (Fathers of the Church, v22, p22)

Similarly, Augustine writes that this passage refers to both the taking up of believers as well as the final judgment:

These words of the apostle most distinctly proclaim the future resurrection of the dead, when the Lord Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead. (City of God, 20.20)

Chrysostom and Jerome (quoted below) also connect the rapture with the final judgment.”

But Jesus says, Mat 23:9-10, “And do not call

anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in Heaven. And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ.”

Roman Catholic Church may have many fathers, we Christians have only One Father, our Heavenly Father.

What the Lord says matters, what earthly men says does not matter. Only the Word of God is inspired and infallible.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

Call no man your father.—This also, under its Hebrew form of Abba, was one of the titles in which the scribes delighted. In its true use it embodied the thought that the relation of scholars and teachers was filial on the one side, paternal on the other; but precisely because it expressed so noble an idea was its merely conventional use full of danger. The history of the ecclesiastical titles of Christendom offers in this respect a singular parallel to that of the titles of Judaism. In Abbot (derived from Abba=Father), in Papa and Pope (which have risen from their application to every priest, till they culminate in the Pontifex summus of the Church of Home), in our “Father in God,” as applied to Bishops, we find examples of the use of like language, liable to the same abuse. It would, of course, be a slavish literalism to see in our Lord’s words an absolute prohibition of these and like words in ecclesiastical or civil life. What was meant was to warn men against so recognising, in any case, the fatherhood of men as to forget the Fatherhood of God. Even the teacher and apostle, who is a father to others, needs to remember that he is as a “little child” in the relation to God. (Comp. St. Paul’s claim in 1Corinthians 4:15.)”

1Th 4:13-18, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who

are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. For if we

believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead,

so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede

those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself

will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who

are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort

one another with these words.”

To be uninformed means ignorant. Those who do not believe in Rapture are ignorant. Mankind of the world have no hope.The dead in Christ will rise first. Those who are living in Christ will change and be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. I, (Willie Wong) translate it “in the space.”

1Co 15:50-57, “Now I say this, brothers and sisters,

that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised

imperishable, and we will be changed. For this

perishable must put on the imperishable, and this

mortal must put on immortality. But when this

perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal

puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “DEATH HAS BEEN SWALLOWED UP

in victory. “WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR VICTORY? WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through

our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Benson Commentary

1 Corinthians 15:50-52. Now this I say, brethren — This I offer to your consideration as a great and important truth, that we must first undergo an entire change; for flesh and blood — Such as we are now clothed with; cannot inherit the kingdom of God — Cannot enter that happy place which Christ hath gone to prepare for the reception of his people, (John 14:7,) cannot possess that kingdom which is wholly spiritual, because it affords no objects suited either to the senses or to the appetites of such a body. Neither doth corruption — This corruptible body; inherit incorruption — That incorruptible kingdom. Spirits, clothed with corruptible bodies like our present bodies, cannot enjoy objects that are incorruptible. They are not capable of enjoying the divine vision, nor of performing the exalted services, nor of relishing the pure pleasures, which constitute the glory and felicity of the kingdom of God. Behold, I show you a mystery — A truth hitherto unknown, and not yet fully revealed to any of the sons of men. We — Christians: the apostle considers them all as one in their succeeding generations; shall not die — Suffer a separation of soul and body; but we shall all — Who do not die; be changed — So that this animal body shall become spiritual; in a moment — Amazing work of omnipotence! in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump — Blown by the divine command. For the trumpet shall sound, &c. — At the giving of the law from Sinai, there was heard a great noise, like the sounding of a trumpet, exceeding loud, which sounded long, and waxed louder and louder. In like manner, at the descent of Christ from heaven, a great noise called the trump of God, (1 Thessalonians 4:16,) will be made by the attending angels, as the signal for the righteous to come forth from their graves. And this noise being made at Christ’s command, it is called by himself, his voice, John 5:25. After the righteous are raised, the trumpet shall sound a second time; on which account it is called here the last trumpet. And while it sounds, the righteous who are alive on the earth shall be changed. And the dead shall be raised incorruptible — Though this expression be general, yet, as appears from 1 Corinthians 15:51, and indeed from the whole latter part of the chapter, it is evident it must be restricted to the dead in Christ, of whom alone the apostle is discoursing. Besides, as appears from 1 Thessalonians 4:16, the wicked are not to be raised at the same time with the righteous.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

Behold, I shew you a mystery.—It is better to take these words as referring to what follows rather than (as some have done) to the preceding statement. A mystery means something which up to this time has been kept concealed, but is now made manifest (Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:3-5).

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be Changed.—There are here a considerable variety of readings in the Greek, but the text from which our English version is taken is probably correct. The Apostle believed that the end of the world might come in the lifetime of some then living. We shall not all, he says, necessarily sleep, but we shall all be changed. The change from the earthly to the spiritual body is absolutely necessary. To some it will come through the ordinary process of death; to those who are alive at Christ’s advent it will come suddenly, and in a moment. The dead shall be raised, but we (the living) shall be changed.”

Bengel’s Gnomen

1 Corinthians 15:52. Ἐν ἀτόμῳ, in a moment) Lest it should be considered hyperbolical, he adds a more popular phrase, in the twinkling of an eye. An extraordinary work of divine omnipotence! Who then can doubt, but that man even at death may be suddenly freed from sin?—σάλπιγγι, at the trumpet) The full description of the trumpets is reserved for the Apocalypse; yet some things may be gathered from Matthew 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, concerning the last trumpet; and this epithet is expressed here, as one that takes for granted the trumpets, that have preceded it; either because the Spirit has inspired Paul with an allusion, which anticipates the Apocalypse, or because Scripture long before teaches, that some trumpets, though not definitely enumerated, are before the last. Isaiah 27:13; Jeremiah 51:27; Zechariah 9:14; Hebrews 12:19; 2Es 5:4 : or especially in relation to the trumpet at the ascension, Psalm 47:6, comp. Acts 1:11 : for one may be called the last, where two only are referred to, 1 Corinthians 15:45; not to say, where there is only one [sounding of a trumpet], without another following, Revelation 10:7.—σαλπίσει γὰρ) for the Lord [Engl. V. the trumpet] shall sound by His archangel, 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The trumpet was formerly used on feast days for the purpose of assembling the people.—καὶ) and immediately.—ἄφθαρτοι, incorruptible) Strictly speaking, one would think, that they should have been called immortal; for incorruptibility will be put on by means of the change, 1 Corinthians 15:53; but incorruptibility includes immortality.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality] Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:4. The Apostle has just said that ‘flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.’ He now explains in what sense these words are to be taken. The mortal body is not destroyed entirely and created again. “Change,” says Tertullian, “must be dissociated from all idea of destruction. For change is one thing, destruction another.” It receives an addition of qualities which it did not possess before. It is ‘clothed upon’ with immortality. That which was corruptible is now freed from that liability (“sanctified and cleared from all impurity.” Irenaeus). That which is mortal is swallowed up, and disappears in the vastness of the life which knows no end. See note on 1 Corinthians 15:38.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Death is swallowed up in victory] The English version translates Isaiah 25:8, the passage here quoted, by ‘He will swallow up death in victory.’ But the literal meaning of the word so translated is ‘for ever,’ and the Vulgate here renders ‘in sempiternum,’ though the Septuagint frequently, but not here, renders it by victory, following the analogy of the Syriac and Chaldee, where a kindred word signifies victory. The verb also is in the perfect tense in the Hebrew, as speaking of the fixed purpose of God, and is here rendered by the aorist, and thus referred to the Death and Resurrection of Christ, in which, by ‘the determinate purpose and foreknowledge of God,’ death ‘was swallowed up unto victory.’”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 55. – O death, where is thy sting? A triumphantly fervid exclamation of the apostle, loosely cited from Hosea 13:14. The apostles and evangelists, not holding the slavish and superstitious fetish worship of the dead letter, often regard it as sufficient to give the general sense of the passages to which they refer. O grave, where is thy victory? In the best attested reading (A, B, C, D, E, F, G), “death” is repeated, and in the best manuscripts this clause precedes the last. But if the reading, “O Hades,” were correct, our translators, since they held it here impossible in accordance with their views to render it by “hell,” ought to have taken warning, and seen the pernicious inapplicability of that rendering in other places where they have used it to express this same Greek word. Here “Hades” has probably been introduced into the Greek text from the LXX., which uses it for the Sheol of the original. 1 Corinthians 15:55”

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

15:51-58 All the saints should not die, but all would be changed. In the gospel, many truths, before hidden in mystery, are made known. Death never shall appear in the regions to which our Lord will bear his risen saints. Therefore let us seek the full assurance of faith and hope, that in the midst of pain, and in the prospect of death, we may think calmly on the horrors of the tomb; assured that our bodies will there sleep, and in the mean time our souls will be present with the Redeemer. Sin gives death all its hurtful power. The sting of death is sin; but Christ, by dying, has taken out this sting; he has made atonement for sin, he has obtained remission of it. The strength of sin is the law. None can answer its demands, endure its curse, or do away his own transgressions. Hence terror and anguish. And hence death is terrible to the unbelieving and the impenitent. Death may seize a believer, but it cannot hold him in its power. How many springs of joy to the saints, and of thanksgiving to God, are opened by the death and resurrection, the sufferings and conquests of the Redeemer! In verse 58, we have an exhortation, that believers should be stedfast, firm in the faith of that gospel which the apostle preached, and they received. Also, to be unmovable in their hope and expectation of this great privilege, of being raised incorruptible and immortal. And to abound in the work of the Lord, always doing the Lord’s service, and obeying the Lord’s commands. May Christ give us faith, and increase our faith, that we may not only be safe, but joyful and triumphant.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory,…. Over sin the sting of death, over the law the strength of sin, and over death and the grave; and which will be the ground and foundation of the above triumphant song in the resurrection morn, as it is now at this present time of praise and thankfulness to God: and it is all

through our Lord Jesus; he has got the victory over sin; he has put it away by the sacrifice of himself; he has finished and made an end of it; for though it reigns over his people before conversion, and dwells in them after it, yet in consequence of his atonement for it, it loses its governing power through the Spirit and grace of God in regeneration, and entirely its damning power over them, and in the resurrection morn will not be so much as in being in them; the view of which now fills them with joy, thanksgiving, and triumph. Christ has obtained a victory over the law; he has stopped its mouth, and answered all its demands; he has been made under, and subject to it; he has obeyed its precepts, and bore its penalty, and has delivered his from the curse and condemnation of it, so that they have nothing to fear from it; it is dead to them, and they to that: he has also abolished death by dying and rising again, so as that it shall have no more dominion over him; and he has abolished it as a penal evil to his saints; and though they die, they shall not always remain under the power of death, they shall live again, and with him for ever: he has conquered the grave by rising out of it himself, and living for evermore, having the keys of the grave in his hands; and will at the last day oblige it to give up its dead, when his victory over this, with respect to his people, will be abundantly manifest: now this victory, in all its branches, is given by God to believers; they are made to share in all the victories of Christ their head, and are more than conquerors through him; but this is not by merit, but by gift, the gift of God the Father, who gives his Son, and all things with him that are his; and this gift is a distinguishing one; it is given to us, and not to others; and which therefore calls aloud for praise and thankfulness. The title of the “ninth” psalm may be rendered, “to the conqueror over death”, or “that is the author of victory over death, even to the Son, a psalm of David”, Psalm 9:1.”

The Bible passages surrounding the rapture include also 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

NOTE: I (Willie Wong) translate “in the air” as “in the space.”

III. The Rapture As It is Written

We (Willie Wong) believe in the Rapture to take place before the Tribulation, not because what the church fathers believe. The saints do not recognize nor believe in church fathers. For Jesus says,

Mat 23:9, “And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in Heaven.”

The saints acknowledge and obey Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church. Col 1:18, “He is also the Head of

the Body, the Church; and He is the beginning, the

firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” The saints also have one Leader who is Jesus Christ.

Mat 23:10, “And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

Ver. 8-10. It is most certain that our Saviour doth not here forbid the giving of the titles of masters and fathers to his ministers, for then Paul would not have given himself the title of father, 1 Corinthians 4:15; nor called the Galatians his little children, Galatians 4:19: nor called Timothy his son, and himself his father, Philippians 2:22; nor called himself a doctor of the Gentiles, 1 Timothy 2:7 2 Timothy 1:11. That which he forbids is,
1. An affectation of such titles, and hunting after them.
2. Rem tituli, the exercise of an absolute mastership, or a paternal, absolute power; so as to require any to believe things because they said them, or to do things because they bid them, without seeing the things asserted, or first commanded, in the word of God.
For in that sense God alone is men’s Father, Christ alone their Master. Pastors and teachers in the church are all but ministers, ministers of Christ to publish his will, and to enjoin his laws; nor must any be owned as masters and fathers, to impose their laws and doctrines. This is twice repeated, because such is the corruption of human nature, that it is very prone, not only to affect these swelling titles, but also to exercise these exorbitant authorities.”

For Jesus says, Mat 24:35,

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

Heaven and earth.—The tone is that of One who speaks with supreme authority, foreseeing, on the one hand, death and seeming failure, but on the other, the ultimate victory, not of truth only in the abstract, but of His own word as the truth. The parallelism of the words with those of Psalm 102:26, Isaiah 40:8, gives them their full significance. The Son of Man claims for His own words the eternity which belongs to the words of Jehovah. (Comp. 1Peter 1:24-25.) The whole history of Christendom witnesses to the fulfilment of the prophetic claim. Amid all its changes and confusions, its errors and its sins, the words of Christ have not passed away, but retain their pre-eminence as the last and fullest revelation of the Father.”

IV. THE RAPTURE IS A SECRET EVENT

According to the Bible, we (Willie Wong) believe the Rapture will be individually secret. The dead in Christ will rise first and the living in Christ will transform and together meet the Lord in the space. Then the saints with the holy angels and the Lord will publicly descend from Heaven in power and glory. Rev 1:7, “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over

Him. So it is to be. Amen.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

Behold, he cometh with clouds.—Better, with the clouds. The reference to Christ’s words (Mark 14:62) is undoubted. In the “clouds” St. Augustine sees the emblem of the saints of the Church, which is His body, who spread as a vast fertilising cloud over the whole world.

Every eye shall see him, and they also which (they were who = “whosoever”) pierced him.—Here again is a reference to the incident of the piercing of Christ’s side (John 19:34), recorded only by St. John.

Shall wail because of him.—Or, shall wail over Him. The prophecy in Zechariah 12:10, is the suggesting one of this. But the passage in Zechariah describes the mourning of grief over the dead; the passage here is the mourning towards one who was dead, and is alive. He towards whom they now direct their sorrow is the One over whom they should have wailed when He was laid in His tomb.”

Although the Rapture is a secret event, done individually; the coming of the Lord is a public event, visible and audible. Visible of His power and great glory. Audible because the trumpet blast of angels. And no one knows when the Rapture to be taken place, when will the Great Tribulation begins. NO one knows how many days of the Great Tribulation will be shortened, so no one knows eactly the Day of the Lord’s coming.

According to https://billygraham.org/answers/what-is-the-rapture

Many other evangelical Christians believe that Christ’s return and the rapture will not occur until the seven years of the tribulation have ended. As far as the latter view is concerned, the rapture will not be secret, since it will be part of Christ’s visible and triumphant return to end this present evil age (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). At this point, interpreters differ as to whether there will be a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth or whether the white throne judgment and the new heaven and earth will immediately appear.

All Christians do not agree on every detail of what will occur in the final events of this world’s history. Some of these events and their order of occurrence have simply not been made clear in the Bible. What is important is that all Christians hold in common that Christ will ultimately return bodily, visibly, and gloriously to reign and rule with His resurrected and transformed saints forever and ever. The details of this great event will be made known in God’s own time.”

I do not want to waste time and effort to point out where

does not conform to the Bible.

Mat 24:30-31, “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man.—Can we picture to ourselves what this sign shall be? Is it distinct from the coming of the Son of Man which here is so closely united with it? Men have given wildly conjectural answers to these questions, and have dreamt of the cross as appearing in the sky (as if the vision of Constantine were to be reproduced in the last days), or the lightning flash that shall dazzle all men with its brightness, or of some visible manifestation which none can imagine till it shall come. The vision of Daniel 7:13 supplies, it is believed, the true answer. The sign of the Son of Man is none other than the presence of the Son of Man Himself, coming in the clouds of heaven, in the ineffable glory of His majesty. And here, too, we must remember that we are still in the region of apocalyptic symbols. All such imagery falls short of the ultimate reality, and a “sign in heaven” is something more than a visible appearance in the sky.

Then shall all the tribes of the earth.—It lies in the nature of the case, that the “tribes” are those who have done evil, and who therefore dread the coming of the Judge. The words find their best comment in Revelation 1:7, where St. John combines them freely with the prediction of Zechariah 12:10, “They also which pierced Him,” obviously including not only those who were sharers in the actual “piercing” of the crucified body of the Lord Jesus (John 19:37), but all who in any age “crucify the Son of God afresh” (Hebrews 6:6).”

We do not believe in any particular branch or brand of theology. We believe in Bible Theology. Any theology which is not based on Bible is useless and worthless. What the Bible does not specify, we do not specify. We cannot and do not specify the time between the series of the process of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

We (Willie Wong) do not believe in church fathers, only the Head and Master of the Church, Jesus Christ. We do not accept any particular form of Bible interpretation, except What is Written — the Holy Scriptures. We only accept what is defined by the Word of God.

1Th 4:13-18, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the space. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

But.—We pass to the third clearly marked point: the share of the Christian dead in the Coming of Christ. Possibly an association of ideas may have caused St. Paul to join these two subjects, of quietude and the Advent, so closely (see Note on 1Thessalonians 4:11). “You need have no distress about your dead: when Christ comes, they will be there too; they will come with Him, and we shall be caught up to meet them.”

I would not have you to be ignorant.—The right reading is we. St. Paul is still speaking in the name of his companions as well as his own. The phrase is very weighty, and marks how lamentable such a piece of ignorance would be. (See references in the margin.)

Which are asleep.—The best reading is rather, which fall asleep; the grief renewed itself over each successive death-bed. The image of sleep is a mere metaphor, drawn from the outward phenomena of death, and is used as an euphemism for death; therefore no doctrine can be deduced with precision from it. It cannot be said (for instance; on the strength of such passages alone, that only the body sleeps, and not the soul; or, again, that the soul sleeps while the body remains in the grave. That the soul, or at any rate the spirit, still retains consciousness after dissolution is clear from other places; but when the metaphor of sleep is used, it is used of the whole man (e.g., John 11:11, “Lazarus”—not” Lazarus’ body”—“sleepeth”), the explanation being either that stated above—i.e., that the word is simply picturesque, describing the peaceful appearance of the dead—or that the reference is to rest from labour (Revelation 14:13). At the same time, the metaphor suggests (otherwise it would be misleading, and St. Paul would not have used it) a continued (even if partly unconscious) existence, and the possibility of a reawakening: Again, for the same reason—i.e., because the word is metaphorical, not doctrinal—it cannot be limited to the Christian dead: when the writers need to mark specially the departed Christians they annex qualifying words, as in 1Thessalonians 4:14. Of course, on the mention of “the dead,” the Thessalonians will at once think of their own brethren departed, so that there is no ambiguity.

That ye sorrow not.—The words express St. Paul’s object in wishing them to know the truth. He wants them not to sorrow at all over the dead; sorrow is only fit for Gentiles who have no hope. He does not mean that they are not to sorrow to the same degree as those outside the Church, but that to Christians, who have a hope, and such a hope, death ought to have no sorrows. The Office of Burial in the Prayer-book is as joyous as the Eucharistic Office itself.

Others.—The Greek word is “the others, those who have no hope,” and includes all who were not members of the Church: “That ye mourn not like the rest, which have no hope.” The having no hope does not mean that there is no hope for them, but that they are not cheered by hope.”

Benson Commentary

1 Thessalonians 4:14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again — Namely, 1st, In attestation of the truth of his doctrine, in which he taught expressly the immortality of the soul, Matthew 10:28; Luke 23:43; and the resurrection of the body, John 5:28-29. 2d, For the expiation of sin, and the procuring of justification and peace with God for the penitent that should believe in him, however guilty they had before been, Hebrews 9:26; Romans 4:24-25. 3d, That he might procure and receive for us the Holy Spirit, to work that repentance and faith in us, assure us of our justification and of our title to that future felicity, and to prepare us for it by inward holiness; and, 4th, That he might ascend, take possession of it in our name, receive our departing souls, and raise from the dust our fallen and corrupted bodies, and so exalt us to that immortal, glorious, and blessed state; even so them also which sleep in Jesus — Who die in the Lord, (Revelation 14:13,) in union with him, and possessed of an interest in him; will God bring with him — They will be found in the train of his magnificent retinue at his final appearance, when he comes to judge the world, and reward his faithful servants.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord] Lit., in a word of the Lord,—in the character of a message coming from “the mouth of the Lord;” comp. 1 Corinthians 7:10, “I give charge,—not I, but the Lord;” and ch. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 above, “not men’s word, but God’s.” The “word” that follows (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) can hardly be explained as a traditional saying of Christ, unrecorded in the Gospels, like Acts 20:35; nor as an inference from the teaching of Jesus on the subject of His return. St Paul claims to have received this communication directly from Christ, “the Lord” of His Church, as a revelation to himself (comp. Galatians 2:2, Ephesians 3:3 for similar instances), given to him expressly in order to allay the fears of his readers. The Lord is manifestly Christ, as it is four times in the immediate sequel. St Paul applies to Christ’s word the same august phrase that in the O. T. denotes “the word of God” Himself; comp. note on ch. 1 Thessalonians 1:8.

that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord] This should be: we that are alive, that remain (or survive) unto the coming of the Lord. The second designation qualifies the first,—“those (I mean) who survive till the Lord comes.” St Paul did not count on any very near approach of the second Advent: comp. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2. At the same time, his language implies the possibility of the great event taking place within his lifetime, or that of the present generation. This remained an open question, or rather a matter on which questioning was forbidden (see Acts 1:7; Matthew 24:36). “Concerning the times and seasons” nothing was definitely known (ch. 1 Thessalonians 5:1, see note). The Apostles “knew in part” and “prophesied in part” (1 Corinthians 13:12); and until further light came, it was natural for the Church, ever sighing “Come Lord Jesus, come quickly!” to speak as St Paul does here. The same “we” occurs in this connection in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. But from the time of the dangerous illness recorded in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, the prospect of death occupied the foreground in the Apostle’s thoughts of his own future, and he never afterwards writes “we that remain.”
shall not prevent] “Prevent” is obsolete in this sense: comp. the Collect, “Prevent us in all our doings with Thy most gracious favour.” Better, shall in no wise precede (or anticipate) those that fell asleep. The shadow which the event of their premature death had cast over the fate of the sleeping Thessalonian believers was wholly imaginary, and should be dismissed at once from the minds of their sorrowing friends. Instead of their having no place, they will have, as Christ now reveals to His Apostle, the foremost place in His triumphant return. Though dead, they are “dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16),—departed to “be with Christ”—“absent from the body” but “at home with the Lord,” as St Paul subsequently teaches (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Php 1:23). So it cannot be that those who are found in the flesh when He comes again, will be beforehand with them in this reunion. “God will bring them with Him,” for they are with Him already.
The Apostle proceeds to support this assurance by a description of Christ’s coming, derived from the revelation, or “word of the Lord,” to which he has just appealed. This was one of the most remarkable of the many “visions and revelations” which St Paul experienced (comp. 2 Corinthians 12:1-5).”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout; the means which effect this. The word shout in the Greek signifies a command, or word of command; alluding to mariners or soldiers summoned to be ready with their assistance when called upon; and may refer to the angels whom Christ now summons to attend and assist in that day. And the evangelist speaks of the voice of Christ, John 5:28, which is there said to raise the dead. Whether this is an oral shout and voice from the mouth of Christ, or only an expression of his Divine power, whereby he shall awaken them that sleep out of their graves, is a question I shall not be curious about.
With the voice of the archangel: Christ is said to come with all the holy angels, Matthew 25:31; and to send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, Matthew 24:31. But here is mentioned only the archangel and his voice, instead of all the rest, they all coming under his conduct. Though there be not such distinct orders of angels as the schoolmen affirm, yet there is order among them, as archangel implies. And whether he will put forth an audible voice or not at that day, or whether this archangel be not the same with Christ himself, who is the Head of all principality and power, Colossians 2:10, I leave it as doubtful; but, however, it is certain the angels shall be ministering to Christ at that day, especially in the resurrection of the elect, Matthew 24:31, and severing the righteous from the wicked, Matthew 13:41.
And with the trump of God; as 1 Corinthians 15:52. And whether this is to be taken literally, and distinct from the shout and voice before mentioned, or used only to show forth the Divine power of God that shall gather all the elect together out of their graves, as the trumpet in war gathers the scattered army, or as the silver trumpets under the law assembled the congregation of Israel, I shall not be positive. And this is the account of the saints that are raised.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. – Then we which are alive and remain; or, are left; that is, the saints who shall then be found alive on the earth. The apostle classes himself among the living, because he was then alive. Shall be caught up. The expression describes the irresistible power with which the saints shall be caught up, perhaps by the ministry of angels. Together with them; with the dead in Christ who are raised. In the clouds. Our Lord is described as coming to judgment in the clouds of heaven (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7). According to the Old Testament representation, God is described as making the clouds his chariot (Psalm 104:3). To meet the Lord; in his descent from heaven to earth. In the air. Not that he shall fix his throne in the air, but that he passes through the air in his descent to the earth. And so shall we ever be with the Lord; shall share a blessed eternity in the vision and participation of his glory. The apostle does not here describe the solemnities of the judgment; but stops at the meeting of Christ and his risen saints, because his object was to comfort the Thessalonians under bereavement. 1 Thessalonians 4:17.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

The apostle makes application of all this discourse to the end he designed, which was to comfort them under their sorrows for departed Christian friends; and he saith not, be ye comforted, but
comfort one another, to put them upon the great duty of Christian sympathy; though this is a duty we owe to all, yet especially to the saints, and more especially of the same particular congregation. And funeral sorrows are usually most afflictive, and therefore need to be allayed with words of comfort; and not with any words, but, saith the apostle,
with these words, or these things, as the Hebrew, the things or words that he had before laid before them. The philosophers used many arguments against the fears of death, and for comfort under funeral sorrows, but Christians should fetch their comforts from the Scriptures. These are the best, most solid, most durable, and universal, and therefore the apostle commends them to the believing Romans, Romans 15:4, as here to these Thessalonians particularly. These considerations, that those which sleep in Jesus shall rise again, and that we shall meet them again, and we and they shall be for ever with the Lord together, are a great relief against the sorrows of their departure hence. And the comforts arising hence may serve to support under other sorrows as well as these, which the apostle also might intend in the words.”

According to https://www.christianity.com/wiki/end-times/what-is-the-rapture.html

V. WHAT DOES RAPTURE MEAN

The Rapture is not an imagination.

How Do Christians Interpreting the Rapture Prophecies?

Some so-called theologians want to pontificate their theories and make the Bible mean what they want to mean. It is a vanity to pay attention to what they have written. It is a futility to pose volumes and volumes of hogwash and come to conclusion they were only private interpretations. I really do not care who they are, they are false teachers anyway.

The worse of the argument is that the view of a certain brand of theology whether they call it Traditionalism, Calvinism, Dispensationalism, Ecumenicalism, ETC.

Brands of Faith: Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age

*I, Willie Wong, do not care what Piper or anyone says or believes. I only care what the Bible says.

Some commentators have said that Christ will return for His beloved in secret; the world of unbelievers won’t know it. That view is fundamental to a series like Left Behind where, at the very start, Christians disappear without explanation. Writers at BillyGraham.org say that Christ will return publicly. “The rapture will not be secret, since it will be part of Christ’s visible and triumphant return to end this present evil age.” Whatever one believes about Christ’s return — whether He takes believers before or after the Tribulation — we won’t be going quietly.

You know the confusion is the fact many who claim to be teachers of the Scriptures are not true teachers. They themselves are confused, and so their teachings are also confused. The term Eschatology is a big word that covers many things.

Someone well meaningfully made different types of Biblical Eschatology, namely, 1. Tribulation 2. Second Coming 3. Millennium 4. Final Judgment. Not only the sequence of events is wrong, the framework is confused. The writer even ventured to list the dangers of Eschatology. I am reminded of the Word of the Lord:

Mat 23:16-17, “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ You fools and blind men! Which is more

important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the

gold?”

Mat 23:19, “You blind men, which is more important,

the offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering?”

Mat 23:26, “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside

of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may also become clean.”

2Pe 1:5-9, “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral

excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these

qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.”

Rom 2:19-21, “and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, possessing in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth—you, therefore, who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself?

You who preach that one is not to steal, do you steal?”

The worst practice are those false teachers who boldly and shamelessly ask for donation in distorting the Word of God.

Someone wrote a book on Eschatology beginning from the Old Testament is missing the point. I consider Eschatology includes the following subjects which gives a proper perspective to any true saints who study and want to have the knowledge of the Bible.

The first advent of Jesus Christ
The Kingdom of God (the dispensation of grace)
The Last Days
The Rapture
The Great Tribulation
The Second Coming or Appearing of Jesus
The Millennium
The Armageddon
The Great Judgment
The Kingdom of Heaven

I know the Anti-christ will come, but we do not wait for the Anti-christ, we wait for the appearance of Jesus Christ. I am very uneasy whenever false teachers make false priorities and emphasize the unimportant, or miss the point. I would not debate a cult who teaches that Jesus has already come and He has an office in New York.

I THINK BRITANICA DESCRIBES ESCHATOLOGY WITH OTHER RELIGIONS SERVES TO CONFUSE THE ISSUES.

Only believers will see Christ and we shall be transformed. We shall be like Him.

1 John 3:2 “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.“

Philippians 3:20-21 “But our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await the Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”

When will the rapture happen?

I believe that the Rapture will happen before the great Tribulation according to the Bible. I do not know how soon the great Tribulation will follow the Rapture.

I don’t like the so-called theologians who pontificate their so-called knowledge by making theories of their imagination.

The only pretribulation rapture is supported by the Scriptures. I do not want to waste time and effort in arguing about midtribulation rapture and posttribulation rapture and partial rapture.

The pretribulation view is the only view that understands Christ’s return as truly imminent, meaning that the rapture can happen at any moment without announcement and will leave all who are left behind by surprise.

No one Bible student can ultimately declare they have the right interpretation, however one can hold to a conviction concerning their own study of God’s Word. All Christians can agree regarding the end times: 1) CHRIST will return; 2) There will be a Great Tribulation; and 3) There will be a rapture from mortality to immortality.

What Is the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming?

The Rapture is the beginning of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, it is a secret and private event. The worthy believers will be taken or caught up in the air to meet the Lord while the unworthy ones will be left behind to go through the Great Tribulation. Although the Great Tribulation is supposed to be seven years, but for the sake elect, it will be cut short. Just as the Rapture is imminent, so the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is also imminent which means it could happen anytime for Jesus to appear with angles and saints. No one knows the day and hour. Just as the Rapture is secret and silent, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be public, the appearing of Jesus Christ in great power and glory will be seen even by His enemies.

“I believe that Christ will renew this world rather than destroy it. The Greek has two different words for “new”: neos and kainos. Neos means new in time, or that which has not yet been. For example, babies are neos. Kainos, however, means new in quality, new and improved, renewed. In Revelation 21:1-5, the apostle John speaks of a “new heaven and a new earth” using kainos, not neos. It is a renewed heaven and earth. Even in verse 5, when Jesus says, “I am making everything new,” that’s also kainos. ”

What is cited above is totally wrong. What theologians or anybodies believe do not matter. What the Bible says matters. I particularly loath so-called theolorigans and false teachers who pontificate their theories and present their private interpretations of the Bible prophecy. I usually do not name names, because I do not want to promote false teachers. With the exception of John Calvin, his fame and influence forced me to call out his false teaching about predestination. Calvin falsely taught that God predestines a group of people to go to Heaven, and another group to go to Hell. If God predestines you to go to Hell, nothing you can do about it.

According to https://www.theologian-theology.com/theologians/john-calvin-predestination/

“According to John Calvin, predestination is God’s unchangeable decree from before the creation of the world that he would freely save some people (the elect), foreordaining them to eternal life, while the others (the reprobate) would be “barred from access to” salvation and sentenced to “eternal death (180, 184).”

“Moreover, Calvin based the damnation of the reprobate solely in God’s decision (189, 200).”

If this heretic doctrine is true, those who go to Hell can blame God for it.

This is contrary to the Holy Scriptures, 2Pe 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count

slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”

This is also flagrantly contradicts the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Jhn 6:35-40, “Jesus said to them, “I AM the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have indeed seen Me, and yet you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out. For I have come down from Heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, but will raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

All that the Father giveth me.—There is something startling in this power of the human will to reject the fullest evidence, and to remain unbelieving, after the proof which it has itself demanded as a foundation for its belief. In that assembly there are representatives of the differing stages of faith and non-faith in Him, which every age of Christianity has seen. Here are men in the pride of human wisdom rejecting Him because He does not fulfil their own idea of what the Messiah should be. Here are men of humble heart finding in Him the satisfaction of the soul’s deepest wants, and believing and knowing that He is the Holy One of God (John 6:69). Here are men of the Nicodemus type, passing from one stage to the other, almost believing, but held back by their will, which willeth not to believe. Here are men, too, of the Judas type (John 6:64; John 6:71), traitors even in the faithful few. For these varying effects there must be a cause, and in the next few verses Jesus dwells upon this. He finds the reason (1) in the eternal will of God, of whose gift it is that man willeth; and (2) in the determination of the will of man, of whose acceptance it is that God giveth. Men have seized now one and now the other of these truths, and have built upon them in separation logical systems of doctrine which are but half-truths. He states them in union. Their reconciliation transcends human reason, but is within the experience of human life. It is, as St. Bernard said, following the words of Jesus, “If there is no free will, there is nothing to save; if there is no free grace, there is nothing wherewith to save; “or, in words more familiar to English ears, “. . . . the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will” (the Tenth Article of Religion).

And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.—It is not easy to improve the English rendering of this verse, and there is a sacredness in the sound of the old, old words; but still, they convey to few readers the full meaning of the original. The word “come” is made to serve, within two or three lines, for three different Greek words. Literally, we should read, All that the Father giveth Me shall arrive at Me, and him that is on the way I will in no wise cast out: for I am come down. . . . The present tense of “giveth” should be noted. The giving is not of an act in the past, but of a ceaseless love ever in the present. The word “all” is the neuter of the collective whole, thought of without reference to individual action. It is repeated, and still with reference to the gift in John 6:39; while in John 6:40, with the thought of each man’s coming, it passes to the masculine, which marks out the separate life and faith of every unit in the mass.

It may be that the words “come” (arrive at) and “cometh” (is on the way), contrasted as they are in this verse, refer to the different positions of those who seek Him—to the ninety and nine in the fold, and the one who in the far distance hears His voice and comes in doubt and fear; but the context seems rather to point out the fulfilment of the Messianic kingdom as the Father’s gift, and the individual difficulties of, and individual help given to, those who strive to enter it, and shall in no wise be cast out. There were men among those who heard Him who in darkness and difficulty were feeling their way: these men were guided and strengthened by an unseen hand until they found it; there were men there who were being cast out but not by Him.”

The false teaching of John Calvin also flagrantly contradicts the plain Scriptures,

2Pe 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”

Benson Commentary

2 Peter 3:9. The Lord is not slack — Ου βραδυνει, does not delay, or is not slow; concerning his promise — To fulfil it, as if the time fixed for the fulfilment of it were past; for it shall surely be fulfilled in its season; but is long-suffering, to us-ward — Children of men; not willing that any should perish — Any human being, any soul that he hath made. That is, he is not primarily willing; his first will, with regard to the whole posterity of Adam, hath been and is, that they should be eternally saved; and as a proof of it he hath given his Son a ransom for all; (1 Timothy 2:6; Hebrews 2:9😉 hath commanded his gospel, that is, the glad tidings of salvation, to be preached to all, to every human creature, (Mark 16:15,) and, to help man’s weakness, causes his grace, even his saving grace, (as η χαρις η σωτηριος literally signifies,) to appear to, or to visit and strive with, all men, in order to their repentance, faith, and new obedience. But if they reject his counsel against themselves, which they are under no necessity of doing, by continuing impenitent, unbelieving, and disobedient, then, secondly, he wills, and that justly, that they should perish, for they are accountable to him, their rightful Lawgiver, Governor, and Judge, and he will judge them, and all the world, in righteousness.”

You can be sure if you go to Hell is not because God predestines you. You can go to Hell because you neglect so great a salvation that whoever repents of their sins and believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can be saved. You can do it now.

Willie Wong Thought

Willie Wong

August 27, 2025

https://williewong.cw.center/wp-admin
Copyright © 2018 – 2025 by Willie Wong

https://williewong.cw.center

Palestinians, Africans, and others serve as example of peoples who want to eat and do not want to work. UN, WHO, EU, etc. champion their cause. Palestinians do not want evacuate from Gaza, Jewish lands to resettle in Arab lands. Because they will lose their status as refugees where they can get their food, fuel, water, medicine and everything for free from international community. These problems multiply with the passage of time.

UN, EU, GERMANY, UK, FRANCE, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZELAND, ETC. are strange and unreasonable peoples. Who is stopping Palestinians to build a Palestinian state in an Arab land? It is wrong and illegal to build a Palestinian state in Jewish land (Gaza, West Bank, etc.). That is the cause of conflict.

The fact that National Guards have to patrol Washington, D.C. with weapons speaks loudly and badly of the capital. The mayor of Washington, D.C. should be dismissed and deported. All the more urgent the national capital should move to Lincoln, Nebraska, without delay.

The mayor of Washington, D.C. bowed to the illegal acts of street people who set up tents on public streets. She should be dismissed and deported. The National Guards are empowered to trash the tents, clear the streets and vanish street people. Los Angeles is a disgraced city because the California Governor and Los Angeles mayor failed to solve the problems of street people who not only set up tents on public streets, but also urinate and defecate. All the more urgent for the national capital to move to Lincoln, Nebraska. In the face of national debt exceeding $37 trillion, the people can save money by abolishing the House, retain the unicameral legislation of Senate to move also to Lincoln Nebraska. All this can be accomplished legally by a national refrerendum. America is ruined by dark and evil forces.

Heroes of all races who sacrified their lives for China in the war against Japanese aggression should be celebrated and remembered. The descendants of them are eternal friends of China. Descendants of American Flying Tiers whose forefathers had sacrified their lives in the war against Japanese aggression and atrocities must always be honored and remembered. The Chinse government must treat them as eternal friends, and they are welcome to China anytime. Such blood bonds must be appreciated and maintained forever.

The world wrongly marks the anniversary of dropping atomic bomb on Hiroshima while neglecting the Japanse aggression and atrocities of killing 35 million innocent Chinese without remorse or reparations. UN overappointed unqualified blacks and media have given too much covergage to unworthy black spoke-persons. It is amazing no matter how beautifully white organizations and individuals hail human rights, civil rights, democracy, development, technology, benefits, justice, etc., what they are actually after is MONEY. This can be said equally true about blacks.

Pet economy is wasted economy. Money should better be spent on nutrition and education of children and orphanes. In cities all dogs must have annual license of Y5,000, cats Y4,000, and birds Y3,000. It is exempt for rural areas. If a dog defecates in public place, it shall be fined Y3,000 plus cleanup by owner or walker.

Global media highlight the number of Palestinians who have died, but fail to consider why Palestinian Authority and Palestinians do not want to evacuate from Jewish land and resettle in Arab land. Palestinians, men and women, young and old, are shameless beggars. They remain in Gaza to qualify for refugees so that they can get everything free from international community. The international community is ignorant of the fact that GAZA and related territories all belong to the Jews. Israel has every right to take back and take over Gaza and related territories. Palestinians must evacuate and relocate to Arab lands, make a living and establish its own Palestinian state without further delay.

French nincompoop Macron reognized Palestine as a state but failed to know that Palestine does not have territory and sovereignty. Leaders of UK, GERMANY, AUSTRLALIA would commit the same mistake by supporting terrorists. Hamas, Hezebolla, Houthis are wicked terrorists, they should be destroyed without mercy. Leaders of Palestinian Authority are guilty for the death and malnutrition of children because they lead Palestinians to the path of destruction. They could have led Palestinians to lands of Arabs to earn a living and build their own Palestinian state. Palestinians (young & old, man & woman) are most shameless beggars for food & water, they don’t want to go to an Arab land to earn a living and build their own Palestinian state. Africa amid famine has the most fat people in the world, they are also shameless beggars. Ukranians are shameless beggars for weapons, they do not have reason for existence. Harvard though the richest university in the world is a shameless beggar for US aid. Japan claims to practice democracy, its ruling party lost election miserably, yet its prime minister shamelessly wants to stay in power. The world must realize years of aid to Africa produced nothing, trillions of dollars went to black holes. Africa is corrupt, unmotivated and useless. Black leaders and politicians take advantage of it; dress well, eat well, and live a luxurious life style. Black problems can be solved only by Blacks. Let Africa alone to survive on its own. Blacks create most of the problems in the world, given too much coverage and platform in world media, overappointed and given too many spokespersons and positions in UN. Any nation who shares destiny with Africa will be doomed. Nothing good comes out of Africa: primitive religion, superstition, spiritism, orgies, black magic, tribalism, voordoism.

If the Texas flooding is an act of God; Ukraine conflict, and conflicts of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis must be acts of the devil.

India must coexist with China, at the same time India and South Africa must be expelled from BRICS besause they do not remain true to BRICS’ founding mission, they do not belong, must be replaced by Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. US and EU must not rearm Ukraine, let Russia destroy it, and never to be rebuilt. The leader of Ukraine must also be executed.

Palestinian Authorities are guilty for leading Palestinians to a path of death, children died and suffer malnutrition. Palestian Authorities do not lead Palestinians (who are Arabs) to a land of Arabs to work for a living and build the Palestinian state.

American forces have successfully wiped out three Iranian nuclear sites through B-2 bombers. The “everlasting consequence” is Iran cannot be a nuclear threat anymore. I stand with the overwhelming majority of Dutch people to demolish NATO — the war machine.

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August 22, 2025August 28, 2025

*SUMMUM BONUM

*Our mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ absolutely free. We do not want donation. We only want you to know the truth.

This article is written to let you know what is good, the highest or ultimate good, and how to lead a good life.

Accordin to

What Does “Summum Bonum” Mean and Why is it Important? – The Wise Mind

“Summum bonum is a Latin expression meaning the

highest or ultimate good, which was introduced by

the Roman philosopher Cicero to denote the

fundamental principle on which some system of

ethics is based -that is, the aim of actions, which, if consistently

pursued, will lead to the best possible life. ”

We stick to the primary meaning of Cicero and deliberately ignore the secondary meaning of other philosophers. It is never used in a comparative sense, good, better, best.

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica defines,

“SUMMUM BONUM (Lat. for “highest good”), in ethics, the ideal of human attainment. The significance of the term depends upon the character of the ethical system in which it occurs. It may be viewed as a perfect moral state: as pleasure or happiness (see Hedonism; Eudaemonism); as physical perfection; as wealth, and so forth. If, however, we abandon intuitional ethics, it is reasonable to argue that the term summum bonum ceases to have any real significance inasmuch as actions are not intrinsically good or bad, while the complete sceptic strives after no systematic ideal.”

The outcry (arrogance and evil deeds) of world leaders and politicians has reached the Heavens; their sins and crimes are exceedingly great. They wrongly thought they are doing the highest good in the world; in fact, they are doing the utmost evil in the world. There is ONE GOD, and there is no other. They fail to realize the Highest, Most Supreme, the Ultimate and Eternal Ruler will condemn them soon. What is worse is the fact that Western leaders and politicians consider themselves Christians.

I. WHO IS GOD

How can anyone discover what is good and not knowing the highest?

It is futile to debate the existence of God. The Bible declares,

Psa 14:1, “For the music director. A Psalm of David.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts;
There is no one who does good.”

God is GOOD and the origin of all goodness. An atheist is detestable and corrupt. It is impossible for a no good to have a good life and achieve the highest good.

The Word of God judges a person who has said in his heart, “There is no God” to be a fool. The Scripture also says fools who say there is no God are corrupt, and they have committed detestable acts. More than that, God says there is no one who does good.

Logically, a person who does not know good cannot know what is good.

Bruce Edwards believes 13 Reasons Why – evidences that God really does exist, namely: 1. Creation, 2. Religion, 3. Man, 4. The Bible, 5. Prophecy, 6. The Resurrection of Jesus, 7. Israel, 8 . Miracles, 9. Having Faith, 10. Love, 11. Truth, 12. Jesus, 13. Changed Lives.

For me only three reasons are more than enough why I believe in God: 1. Creation, 2. The Bible, 3. Jesus.

Through the Creation we know the Creator. Deu 10:14, “Behold, to the LORD your God belong Heaven and the Highest

Heavens, the earth and all that is in it.”

How can any intelligent person look at the universe and deny the Creator?

Gen 1:1, “In the beginning God created the Heavens

and the earth.”

Gen 1:27, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Rom 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

Big bang and evolution are scientific myths and cannot be proven theories.

According to Big Bang Theory Summary & Evidence | What is the Big Bang Theory? – Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

“The majority of scientists agreed that the universe was created with a gigantic explosion called the Big Bang. Until then, all of the energy in the universe was concentrated in an extremely small point (smaller than a subatomic particle such as a nucleus). With an explosion, the hot and dense tiny particle then gave birth to the present-day universe, which grew from smaller than the nucleus of an atom to bigger than a galaxy. Thus, the Big Bang characterized by an intense burst of energy is considered an event that is thought to have created our universe.”

What is scientific myth that “a gigantic explosion” can create an orderly universe. I am glad I am not a scientist who believes such a nonsense. Of course, it will never explain where did the Big Bang come from? Where did energy come from? It would become tautology. Of course, energy came from Big Bang. Bib Bang created the energy… Big bang does not save anyone!

Evolution is another scientific ludicrous myth. There is no light in science except myth, full of darkness. Evolution does not redeem anyone.

According to Evolution – The fossil record | Britannica

“For skeptical contemporaries of Darwin, the “missing link”—the absence of any known transitional form between apes and humans—was a battle cry, as it remained for uninformed people afterward. Not one but many creatures intermediate between living apes and humans have since been found as fossils. The oldest known fossil hominins—i.e., primates belonging to the human lineage after it separated from lineages going to the apes—are 6 million to 7 million years old, come from Africa, and are known as Sahelanthropus and Orrorin (or Praeanthropus), which were predominantly bipedal when on the ground but which had very small brains.”

Scientists do not even know when they are going to die, how can they know about things millions of years ago when they were not there?

We witness how men descent and degrade morally into monkeys, no one ever witnesses a monkey ascents to become a man.

Gen 1:21, “And God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, according to their species, and every winged bird according to its species; and God saw that it was good.”

Gen 1:24-25, “Then God said, “Let the earth produce living

creatures according to their species: livestock and crawling things and animals of the earth according to their species”; and it was so. God made the animals of the earth according to their species, and the livestock according to their species, and everything that crawls on the ground according to its species; and God saw that it was good.”

Kind in Hebrew is mîn which means a species; form; sort; – which occurs 31 times in the Old Testament. According to

When did the word “species” appear? – Search (bing.com)

“Lexicographers believe the word “species” first appeared in the 14th century. The meaning was essentially the same as today — kind or sort.”

According to When did the word “evolution” appear? – Search (bing.com)

“1620s, “an opening of what was rolled up,” from Latin evolutionem (nominative evolutio) “unrolling (of a book),” noun of action from past participle stem of evolvere “to unroll” (see evolve). Used in medicine, mathematics, and general writing in various senses including “growth to maturity and development of an individual living thing” (1660s).”

According to its own species God created a horse, a horse never evolved into an elephant. God created a monkey according to its own species, a monkey never evolved into a man.

Jas 3:7, “For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.”

Gen 1:3-4, “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.”

The God of the Bible is Light and shines in the darkness from the beginning.

Jhn 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.”

Poor sinful mankind including scientists did not grasp the Light, the Light of life.

Gen 1:31-2:4, “And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which God had created ]and made. This is the account of the Heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and Heaven.”

GOD was good and all that He had made was very good. Later sinful mankind ruined the world.

Gen 2:7-8, “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person. The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.”

According to Elements in the Human Body and What They Do (thoughtco.com)

What Are the Elements in the Human Body?

Elemental Composition of a Human Being

The most abundant element by mass is oxygen, from water. Youst / Getty Images

· By

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Updated on February 24, 2020

There are several ways to consider the composition of the human body, including the elements, type of molecule, or type of cells. Most of the human body is made up of water, H2O, with bone cells being comprised of 31% water and the lungs 83%.1 Therefore, it isn’t surprising that most of a human body’s mass is oxygen. Carbon, the basic unit for organic molecules, comes in second. 96.2% of the mass of the human body is made up of just four elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

00001. Oxygen (O) – 65% – Oxygen together with hydrogen form water, which is the primary solvent found in the body and is used to regulate temperature and osmotic pressure. Oxygen is found in many key organic compounds.
00002. Carbon (C) – 18.5% – Carbon has four bonding sites for other atoms, which makes it the key atom for organic chemistry. Carbon chains are used to build carbohydrates, fats, nucleic acids, and proteins. Breaking bonds with carbon is an energy source.
00003. Hydrogen (H) – 9.5% – Hydrogen is found in water and in all organic molecules.
00004. Nitrogen (N) – 3.2% – Nitrogen is found in proteins and in the nucleic acids that make up the genetic code.
00005. Calcium (Ca) – 1.5% – Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It’s used as a structural material in bones, but it is essential for protein regulation and muscle contraction.
00006. Phosphorus (P) – 1.0% – Phosphorus is found in the molecule ATP, which is the primary energy carrier in cells. It’s also found in bone.
00007. Potassium (K) – 0.4% – Potassium is an important electrolyte. It’s used to transmit nerve impulses and heartbeat regulation.
00008. Sodium (Na) – 0.2% – Sodium is an important electrolyte. Like potassium, it is used for nerve signaling. Sodium is one of the electrolytes that helps regulate the amount of water in the body.
00009. Chlorine (Cl) – 0.2% – Chlorine is an important negatively-charged ion (anion) used to maintain fluid balance.
00010. Magnesium (Mg) – 0.1% – Magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic reactions. It’s used to build the structure of muscles and bones and is an important cofactor in enzymatic reactions.
00011. Sulfur (S) – 0.04% – Two amino acids include sulfur. The bonds sulfur forms help give proteins the shape they need to perform their functions.2

Many other elements may be found in extremely small quantities (less than 0.01%). For example, the human body often contains trace amounts of thorium, uranium, samarium, tungsten, beryllium, and radium. Trace elements considered essential in humans include zinc, selenium, nickel, chromium, manganese, cobalt, and lead.

Not all of the elements found within the body are essential for life. Some are considered contaminants that appear to do no harm but serve no known function. Examples include cesium and titanium. Others are actively toxic, including mercury, cadmium, and radioactive elements. Arsenic is considered to be toxic to humans, but serves a function in other mammals (goats, rats, hamsters) in trace amounts. Aluminum is interesting because it is the third most common element in the Earth’s crust, but its role in the human body is unknown. While fluorine is used by plants to produce protective toxins and has “apparent beneficial intake” in humans.”

Mankind is most special in the creation of God.

Eph 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Eph 3:9, “and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things.”

Eph 4:24, “and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

Man was created in the image of God, in righteousness, holiness and truth. No monkeys have the concept of righteousness, holiness, and truth.

Col 1:16, “for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

By the grace of God, I came to know the Creator of the universe to be my Heavenly Father from childhood who saved me from crocodile and death, and His only Son Jesus Christ my Great God and Savior. I do believe God created all things, and I do believe Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior — even all scientists of all generations do not believe. Intellectually it is not hard that the Almighty God created all things, big bang is ludicrous to me. The Word of God is more reliable than any science or history. Jesus Christ the God who became Man (Incarnation) is worthy to believe than anyone or anything in the world. Jesus loved me and died for me and rose from the dead. He is now seating at the right hand of God. My Lord is with me in this world. I am waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven forever and ever.

By the way do you know scientists cannot study or know anything which is Spiritual, Supernatural, Perfect, Invisible, Eternal, Holy, Wise, True, and Ultimate?

Do you know what kind of God is the One and Only?

1. God is the HIGHEST.

Luk 2:14, “Glory to God in the Highest,
And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”

2Ch 2:6, “But who is able to build a house for Him, since the Heavens and the Highest Heavens cannot contain Him? And who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him?”

Job 22:12, “Is God not in the height of Heaven?
Look also at the highest stars, how high they are!

Psa 68:33，”To Him who rides upon the Highest Heavens, which are from ancient times; Behold, He speaks with His voice, a mighty voice.”

Psa 89:27, “I will also make him My firstborn,
The Highest of the kings of the earth.”

Dan 5:21, “He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.

Dan 7:18, “But the saints of the Highest One will receive the Kingdom and take possession of the Kingdom forever, for all ages to come.”

2. God is PERFECT.

Deu 32:4, “The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and just is He.”

Job 37:16, “Do you know about the hovering of the clouds,
The wonders of One who is perfect in knowledge.”

Isa 25:1, “LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.”

Mat 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

3. God is HOLY.

Psa 77:13, “Your way, God, is holy; What god is great like our God?

Rev 4:8, “And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, who was and who is and who is to come.”

Psa 99:9, “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy hill,
For the LORD our God is holy.”

4. God is a CONSUMING FIRE.

Deu 4:24, “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

5. God is COMPASSIONATE.

Deu 4:31, “For the LORD your God is a compassionate

God; He will not abandon you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”

6. God is the GOD of gods.

Deu 10:17, “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe.”

7. God is GRACIOUS and COMPASSIONATE.

2Ch 30:9, “For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion in the presence of those who led them captive, and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

8. God is MIGHTY.

Job 36:5, “Behold, God is mighty but does not reject anyone; He is mighty in strength of understanding.”

Mat 19:26, “And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

9. God is EXALTED.

Job 36:26, “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable.”

10. God is AWESOME MAJESTY.

Job 37:22, “From the north comes golden splendor;
around God is awesome majesty.”

11. God is the JUDGE.

Psa 75:7, “But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.”

12. God is my SALVATION.

Isa 12:2, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid;
For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”

13. God is My STRENGTH.

Isa 49:5, “And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and My God is My strength).”

14. God is RIGHTEOUS.

Dan 9:14, “So the LORD has kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.”

15. God is ABLE.

Mat 3:9, “and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham.”

Mar 10:27, “Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people

it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

2Co 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”

16. God is GOOD.

Mar 10:18, “But Jesus said to him, “Why do you

call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”

This is the fundamental doctrine of the Bible: Only God is Good. No one and nothing ELSE is good except God alone. Jesus is GOOD because He is our great God. It is impossible for gurus (psychologists, psychiatrists and philosophers to know what is good life and the highest good when they do not know Jesus Christ.)

17. God is TRUE.

Jhn 3:33, “The one who has accepted His testimony has certified that God is true.”

18. God is SPIRIT.

Jhn 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

19. God is EVIDENT.

Rom 1:19, “because that which is known about God

is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.”

Big Bang and Evolution are not evident.

20. God is FAITHFUL.

1Co 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of

escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

2Co 1:18, “But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no.”

21. God is the HEAD OF CHRIST.

1Co 11:3, “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”

22. God is not a GOD OF CONFUSION.

1Co 14:33, “for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.”

23. God is ONLY ONE.

Gal 3:20, “Now a mediator is not for one party only; but God is only ONE.”

24. God is NOT MOCKED.

Gal 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.”

25. God is LIGHT.

1Jo 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

Because God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all, so His Word is our Light also. Human knowledge is full of darkness, incompleteness, and uncertainty.

26. God is GREATER THAN OUR HEART.

1Jo 3:20, “that if our heart condemns us, that God is

greater than our heart, and He knows all things.”

27. God is LOVE.

1Jo 4:16, “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.”

Love is not God. To believe Love is God would be pantheism. The song book of Chinese church teaches that love is God. I pointed the doctrinal error to the responsible party but they did not want to follow the truth.

28. God is ETERNAL.

Deu 33:27, “The eternal God is a hiding place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from you, And said, ‘Destroy!’

Rom 16:26, “but now has been disclosed, and through the Scriptures of the prophets, in accordance with the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known　to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith.”

I want you to know that gurus of the world and scientists do not know the TWENTY EIGHT ITEMS THE SCRIPTURES cited above.

Historically, Jethro was right in rejoicing over all the goodness which the Lord had done for Israel, not because Israel had done goodness.

Exo 18:9, “And Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness

which the LORD had done for Israel, in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.”

If after you have read this article come to the knowledge of good and highest good, it is because:

Jas 1:17, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

II. WHAT IS GOOD

Even the wisest of mankind hesitates to step into the holy ground of “good” and often blames himself for his stupid act and calls himself a fool. You know Apostle Paul declared Rom 7:18-21, “For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.”

In other words, sin – the principle of evil – dominates the human nature. That is why Jesus says,

Jhn 3:6-7, “That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.”

By flesh alone no one can do good. That is why we must be born by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. No one can be justified before God by his own good deeds.

Pearl S. Buck said, “When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail.”

The world is so bad, even good people do their vigilance and struggle, evil men still prevail.

Albert Einstein said, “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

The world is so evil even good people do everything they can, the world is still a very dangerous place.

Someone is wrong in saying, “No man chooses evil because it’s evil. He only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.” Man chooses evil not because there is something wrong with his head. Man does wrong not because he mistakes it for happiness. It is complete wrong to assume than man seeks the good.

The Bible says, Gen 6:5, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.”

In the days of Noah, the Lord saw every intent of the thoughts of mankind was only evil continually. I do not see the present day is any better than the days of Noah. For that reason, God used water to destroy that world. The present evil world will be destroyed by fire.

The ten brothers of Joseph meant evil for Joseph.

Gen 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive.”

The liberal psychology that man means good is far from reality. Most people do not realize how depraved is mankind.

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from political conviction. Hundreds of European history of imperialism and colonialism proved the point. American history since the end of World War II also proves the point. So now America and Europe team up in Ukraine war and the war of aggression to dominate the world. American strategy of teaming up with Australia, Japan, UK, and India is to solely target China in Asia Pacific.

Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

I say, the evil triumphs even good men do something. The power of darkness will rule the world until Jesus comes the second time to judge the world.

I agree with John Stuart Mill, “A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.”

Someone is so wrong in saying, “Each of us has a vision of good and of evil. We have to encourage people to move towards what they think is Good.”

What people think is good may be evil. Some religion practices to have several wives as good. Some religion practices to discriminate women and girls as good. Some religions believes superstition is good.

What is good or evil, mankind cannot have the final say. What is good or evil is in the sight of God. It is most dangerous and wrong for those who view the world through the distorting medium of their views and the unholy passion of their desires. Your highest ideal may not be ideal enough. The poor know that they are poor; but fools do not know they are fools. The stupid people do not know they are stupid. How awful that foolish ideas are treated as good ideas!

You do not become what you believe. You may believe you are an angel does not make you an angel. You may believe you are a superman, yet you cannot fly. You may believe there is no God and no Hell. Soon Hell will surprise you. Your highest ideal may be not the way it is.

I wholeheartedly agree with David Wilkerson for saying,

‘When God calls you to something, He is not always calling you to succeed, He’s calling you to obey! The success of the calling is up to Him; the obedience is up to you.”

The highest good is not necessarily what you can achieve, the highest good is to obey the will of God in doing exactly what He wants you to do with your life.

Exo 18:8-12, “Moses told his father-in-law everything that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had confronted them on the journey, and how the LORD had rescued them.

And Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the LORD had done for Israel, in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. So Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians

and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they acted insolently against the people.” Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses father-in-law before God.”

If God wanted you like Moses to go through the wilderness, He will prove His goodness and greatness to you.

I was surprised that Elizabeth Dole said this which I completely agree, “It is not what I do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through me. God does not want worldly successes, He wants me. He wants my heart in submission to Him. Life is not just a few years to spend on self indulgence and career advancement. It is a privilege, a responsibility, a stewardship to be lived according to a much higher calling, God’s calling. This alone gives true meaning to life.”

That is the way to the highest good. The wisdom of the world as taught by gurus (psychologist, psychiatrist, philosopher) who declare there are different ways to reach the same destination (goal). For thousands of years, the Chinese believe the summum bonuum (the highest good) are 榮華富貴 (glory, prosperity, wealth, honor). The good life most Americans want are money, power and sex. They do not say it aloud because that sounds crude and cross. So they must beautify it with more acceptable and beautiful words like the good life. Gurus are smart not to define the highest good or good life so that there may be some flexibility for individuals. This flexibility gives them opportunities to make good money. They predictably reach the conclusion, good life is based on good relationship. Good relationship brings happiness and health. Good relationship must be nurtured.

In the sight of God, there is only one Way. For Jesus Christ who is the Founder of Christianity and the Head of the Church says, Jhn 14:6, “Jesus said to him,

“I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Clearly there is one one Way, one Truth, and one Life. Just as Jesus is the Way to God, Jesus is the Way to the highest good. IN this world, multiplicity is the way of things. IN Heaven, singularity is the Way of God.

When you have good relationship with the Lord, you will have good relationship with your earthly ones. You do not need to use your imagination, but you claim the Promises of the Lord backed up by His power. What you do and don’t do are prescribed in the Word of God which is a light to your path. You cannot do wrong if you follow the Lord. Christians do not rely on anyone who can die, for the Lord is with you forever. God is eternal who does not die.

The following is a list of peoples or individuals who completely could not conceive or practice “the highest or ultimate good”; in fact, knowingly or unknowingly they practice “the highest or ultimate evil.”

Aggressors

*Anarchists

Builders (who make unsafe and poor quality buildings)

Businessmen (who defraud and exploit)

Capitalists

Con artists

Crooks & criminals

Dentists and doctors (who defraud and overcharge)

Drivers (who take tourists down to the cliffs)

Drug traffickers

Firemen (who commit arson, risk lives and property)

Gun traffickers

Human traffickers

Journalists (who spew out fake news & misinformation)

Killers (murderers)

Lawyers (who commit legal terrorism & high fees)

Liars

**Luxury promoters

Militarists

Monopolists

Organized criminals

Pimps

Pirates

Policemen (who enjoy committing brutality, rape, etc.)

Politicians (who serve themselves & their parties)

Prostitutes

Psychopathic supervisors (who abuse their subordinates)

***Rapists

Repairmen (who defraud and fake service)

Robbers

Salesmen (who sell fake products with unkept promises)

Scientists (who make false claims and false theory)

Soldiers (who commit war crimes and genocide)

Supremacists

Surgeons (who perform unnecessary surgeries)

Teachers (who are incompetent and harm students)

Terrorists

Thieves

Warmongers

Writers (who wrote trash novels and bad writings)

* Extremists who call themselves freedom fighters

** Luxury promoters who price a T shirt at $5,000.

*** A Cuban man told me that his father raped his daughter and he wanted to kill his father. I do know about human depravity, this family misfortune must not spread around.

You see any religion which teaches salvation by one’s good deeds is false. Any teaching which depends on one’s good deeds cannot save.

An ordinary good person (male or female) who is born of the flesh could never conceive or achieve the supreme or highest good, because restricted by inherent moral inferiority and intellectual disability. The so-called good life that many gurus are teaching is exclusive of the highest good. In these days where crowds are crazy about sports stars, none of them is close to summum bonum.

However, there are three persons in the Bible who had been born of the Word and the Spirit whom I believe had conceived and achieved the highest (ultimate) good as the object of their lives.

(1). John the Baptist whose head was worth half a kingdom. He had made most excellent testimony of Jesus by crying in the wilderness,

Jhn 1:29, “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

It touches my heart deeply when John the Baptist said,

Jhn 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

In comparison, there are many false preachers in America who use every sermon to increase themselves. They make people the disciples of themselves, not disciples of Jesus. There was one famous but false preacher of prosperity gospel who often asserted himself by

making declaration, “Do you know who I am?”

(2). Stephen who was the first Christian martyr in the real sense of the word. He was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. When can you find such a preacher like that? I have known many famous preachers in the world, it is wrong to identify a magnetic personality and eloquence as the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Additionally the Scripture says,

Act 6:8, “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miracles among the people.”

I do not perform wonders and miracles, and I have never met a preacher who performs wonders and miracles among the people.

But I know God has performed great wonders and miracles on me.

Stephen was the only man mentioned in the Bible, his face was like the face of an angel. Jesus Christ is usually “sitting at the right hand of God.” At the moment of his death, Stephen “saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Why? The Lord Jesus Christ was welcoming His good and faithful servant home.

Act 7:55, “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

All Christians should copy Stephen when we die, Act 7:59,

“They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

(3). Apostle Paul

Once Paul declared,

Phl 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, ….…”

For a person to live is Christ, then fame, fortune, position, power, money, wealth, reputation, honor, glory, pleasure, comfort, luxury, etc. would not mean anything. For that reason Paul said,

Phl 3:8, “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ.” What people cherish and highly value in this world, Paul counted them mere rubbish. Would anyone in America count money as mere rubbish?

Although Apostle Paul suffered more and most than anyone else, yet he said, Rom 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Apparently, Paul did not live for himself. Paul also did not live for this world. Saints who had achieved the highest good, their goals of life are different than most people. Paul had mastered the greatest lesson in life, Phl 4:11, “……., for I have learned to be content in whatever

circumstances I am.” Here is a conqueror of all circumstances.

Going to the highest principle, Jesus asks,

Mar 10:17-18, “As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”

Many misunderstand the Scriptures. Jesus was good not because He was a good man, definitely He was; Jesus is good because He is God.

The Concept of Good – tiklik.com defines,

“The concept of good refers to preferred conduct in the given circumstances.”

The preferred conduct in the given circumstances defines the concept of good. It is based on what is visible — the preferred conduct. The truth goes further than that, good is defined as the inside, not the outside; the invisible, not the visible. It follows a logic a good tree bears good fruit. A good man does good deeds. A man is not good because he does good deeds, he does good deeds because he is good. It is referring to the nature, not the nurture. People call Jesus Good Teacher because Jesus is truthful and teaches the way of God in truth. All prophets of old taught the way of God in truth. Jesus is much more than that. Jesus wants you to know no one is good except God. If you know anything about good, you should know only God is good; and Jesus is our God, therefore He is good. The concept of good is NOT a basic concept in philosophy. The concept of good is a divine concept, a basic concept of God. You know nothing about good until you know God. For that reason philosophers do not know God, they make false statements about God. All false religions make false statements about God.

Mat 12:33-34, “Either assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any

good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.”

There is such a thing called hypocrisy. A hypocrite is one who pretends to be what he is not. An evil man can express good things. Warmonger can promote democracy, and an unrighteous man can propagandize justice. Western media habitually and customarily spew out fake news and misinformation.

According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology,

“Goodness involves not only right behavior but also avoiding its opposite, evil. The choice between good and evil has lain before people since the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate fruit from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9 ). Since then God’s curse has fallen on “those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20 ). A wise ruler like Solomon, or indeed anyone who wants to obey God, needs the wisdom to tell good from evil (1 Kings 3:9; Hebrews 5:14 ). Those who serve God will “seek good, not evil, hate evil, love good” (Amos 5:14-15 ).

For the Christian or the faithful Israelite, goodness has never been a matter of outward behavior alone; it comes from within. An evil person is evil within (Genesis 6:5; Mark 7:14-23; and parallels). In the same way a good person’s good behavior shows a good heart (Matthew 12:33-35 ).”

In my study, I have not found satisfactory explanation between “good” and “goodness” by any theologian or philosopher. It is ludicrous when I come across such explanation,“Good is an adjective (word to describe

something), while goodness is a noun (a thing).” I mean to use and explain “good” as a noun, not a thing but as a concept.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia provides the following interesting note:

“(2) In the New Testament the words most frequently translated “good” are agathos and kalos ̌ . The former, agathos , denotes good as a quality , physical or moral. Thus, “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good” ( Matthew 5:45 ); “good gifts” (Matthew 7:11 ); “Good Master (the Revised Version (British and American) “Teacher”) … Why callest thou me good? none is good save one” (Mark 10:17 f; Luke 18:18 f; compare Matthew 19:16 ); “they that have done good” (John 5:29 ). Sometimes it is equivalent to “kind” (thus Titus 2:5 the Revised Version (British and American)); to agathon is “that which is good” (Luke 6:45; Romans 7:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 3:13 ), etc.; “that which is honest,” the Revised Version (British and American) “honorable” (2 Corinthians 13:7 ); “meet” (Matthew 15:26; Mark 7:27 ); “worthy,” the Revised Version (British and American) “honorable” (James 2:7 ); agathon is “a good thing,” as “good things to them that ask him” (Matthew 7:11 ); Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46 ), etc.; agathoergéō (1 Timothy 6:18 ), and agathopoiéō (Mark 3:4; Acts 14:17 ), etc., “to do good.”

Jesus says, Mat 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Apparent God is more than good. The pure in heart will see God more than perfection, perfect; more than holiness, holy; more than righteousness, righteous; more than truth, true; more than immortality, immortal; more than eternity, eternal; more than glorious, glory; more than possibility, Almighty. This divine knowledge is too high for mankind.

Summum bonum of Christians are never influenced by the rich, the powerful, the wise, the high, the famous, the philosophers or the scientists. Summum bonum of Christians are rooted and established in the Word of God which is unchangeable and eternal.

Some people reason if so and so believed, me too gets added value. I tell you even all the philosophers in the world do not believe, I would still believe in God. I do not know whether Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, etc. believed in God or not. However, their belief or disbelief would not affect mine one bit. For instance, I believe George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were true Christians. Although I took a graduate course in American Presidency, I am not sure about other presidents. I also believe from Eisenhower down to the present president, they were not and are not Christians at all. I do not know President Richard Nixon was a saved believer or not. I recalled when Nixon resigned I wrote a letter to comfort him with the Scriptures: Psa 30:5, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” I supported President Nixon was not because he was a Christian. I supported President Nixon because he has the right political philosophy in seeking a just and lasting peace for the world. I know Obama repeatedly said he is a Christian. I have strong evidence against Obama’s claim to be a Christian. As the American president he first said that America took no position on the sovereignty of China’s Diaoyu Islands, later he changed that America would defend Japan over Diaoyu Islands. Obama was the first American president who advocated homosexuals and the legal marriage of same sex marriage. If Obama says he is a Muslim, I would believe him. I do not intend to waste more time on any presidents. I read somewhere that the Catholic pope says that homosexuality is not a crime. Well, polygamy, adultery and fornication are not a crime in some countries. Homosexuality was a serious sin that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for it.

The best of human wisdom is what philosophers grope for thousands of years. They generally concur that a virtuous life brings the goodness of life. A good life is a virtuous life– that is how far they go. Scientists and philosophers know nothing about the “eternal life”, the “abundant life” in Jesus Christ. People who believe in Big Bang and Evolution are in deed spiritual darkness. They practice by choice. Let us see some generally accepted virtue in the light of the Scriptures:

First you need to know, what the gurus and scientists use the words may not have the same meanings as the Word of God. We Christians believe and accept only the Word of God, no matter how plausible may be the wisdom of men.

After years of studying theologians and philosophers, I do not wish to waste my life and time on them. However, I intend to examine what they call cardinal virtues in the light of the Scriptures for the benefit of true believers.

“Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

The main Old Testament words for good/goodness come from the Hebrew word tob [ Genesis 6:2; 24:16; 26:7; 2 Samuel 11:2; Esther 1:11; 2:2-3,7 ) and a “good” man is handsome (1 Samuel 9:2 ). A land may be good (Deuteronomy 1:25,35 ) and so may gold (2 Chronicles 3:5,8 ), soil (Luke 8:8 ), a tree (Matthew 7:17 ), wine (John 2:10 ), or all of creation (seven times in Genesis 1 ). But the most theologically important uses of these words have to do with moral qualities.

God’s goodness is a bedrock truth of Scripture. His goodness is praised in the psalms (25:8; 34:8; 86:5; 100:5; 118:1; 136:1; 145:9). Jesus affirms the Father’s goodness when speaking to the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19 ). In 1 Peter 2:3 Peter echoes the language of Psalm 34:8 : “Taste and see that the Lord is good!”‘

Although we might discuss God’s goodness in some abstract philosophical sense, in Scripture his goodness appears most clearly in his dealings with people. He is not only good in general, but he is good to us ( Psalm 23:6; 68:10; 73:1; 119:65; 145:9; Lamentations 3:25; Luke 6:35; Romans 2:4; 11:22; Ephesians 2:7; Titus 3:4 ). Human goodness is modeled on divine goodness (Matthew 5:48 ). For human beings goodness involves right behavior, expresses itself in kindness and other praiseworthy qualities, includes avoiding evil, and springs from the inner person.

It is nearly impossible to think about goodness in the abstract. In Scripture goodness always involves particular ways of behaving. Because God is good, he is good to his people; when people are good they behave decently toward each other, based on God’s goodness to them. Moses’ invitation to Hobab expresses this emphasis: “Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel” (Numbers 10:29 ). The general biblical words for “good/ goodness” include this idea of right behavior, although the idea is often expressed by means of a more specific term like “upright/uprightness” or “righteous/righteousness.”

The goodness God’s people exhibit shows itself in various moral qualities, notably kindness; hesed [ חֶסֶד , חֶסֶד ], translated “goodness” or “kindness, ” serves as one of the major synonyms of tob [ טָב ], “good, ” in the Old Testament. In the New Testament many words describe the specific characteristics and behaviors of good people, including “just/justice, ” “righteous/ righteousness, ” “holy/holiness, ” “pure/ purity, ” “gentle/gentleness, ” and “kind/kindness.” If “goodness” is the general term, these other specific terms show what goodness means in daily living.

Goodness involves not only right behavior but also avoiding its opposite, evil. The choice between good and evil has lain before people since the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate fruit from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9 ). Since then God’s curse has fallen on “those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20 ). A wise ruler like Solomon, or indeed anyone who wants to obey God, needs the wisdom to tell good from evil (1 Kings 3:9; Hebrews 5:14 ). Those who serve God will “seek good, not evil, hate evil, love good” (Amos 5:14-15 ).

In the Old Testament God’s goodness to his people and their goodness in response is based on the covenant between them. God’s appeal to his people to return to the covenant relationship finds expression in a call to simple goodness (Micah 6:6-8 ). In the New Testament goodness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 ), while moral excellence is one of the steps on the “ladder of virtue” (2 Peter 1:5 ).”

What gurus and scientists believe the good life is simply happiness. To them if you are happy, you have the good life, even the highest good. In their surmise and estimation happiness is equal to good life. If you ask a heroin addict whether he is happy, he will tell you he is happy while he is high on heroin. If you ask a prostitute whether she is happy, she will tell you she is happy making money. If you ask a pimp whether he is happy, he is supported by a group of women and he lives better than most people. If you ask a warmonger whether he is happy, the warmonger is happy to have blood full in his hand. So to use happiness as a test whether a person is happy or not becomes a suspect and a questionable matter.

Let us see what the Word of God says about happiness.

Gen 30:12-13, “And Leah’s slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, “Happy am I! For women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.”

Leah was happy because her slave bore Jacob a second son. There are women who bear many sons and still be unhappy.

Moses said to the children of Israel:

Deu 30:15-16, “See, I have placed before you today

life and happiness, and death and adversity, in that I am commanding you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, so that you may live and become numerous, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to take possession of it.”

The Word of God made it clear to the children of Israel: If they love the Lord, walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, they will have life and happiness.

Elihu said, Job 36:11, “If they listen and serve Him, they will end their days in prosperity, and their years in happiness.”

If we listen and serve God, we will end our days in prosperity, and our years in happiness. It alludes that a man cannot have happiness without prosperity. It concludes that poverty does not bring happiness. The rich do not automatically have happiness, the poor certainly do not have happiness.

Deu 24:5, “When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.”

I do not know any country that provides such a benefit.

Psa 1:1, “Happy is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”

Strange are Western leaders and politicians who do wickedness daily and they do not seem unhappy!

Psa 2:12, “Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, for His wrath may be kindled quickly. How happy are all who take refuge in Him!”

How happy are all who are saved and who take refuge in Jesus Christ.

Psa 32:1, “By David. — An Instruction. O the happiness of him whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

Happy is the person whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered by the blood of Jesus.

Psa 32:2, “How happy is a person whose guilt the LORD does not take into account, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!”

The Lord justifies a person whose guilt He does not take into account. Example was Abraham.

Psa 34:8, “Taste and see that the LORD is good;
How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!”

An unbeliever can never taste and see that the Lord is good, and so could never have a good life no matter how much he pays to get private instruction from a guru.

Psa 40:4, “How happy is the man who has made the LORD his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who become involved in falsehood.”

The man who has made the Lord his trust does not turn to the proud nor to those who lie. Western leaders and politicians trust in their military might, they are proud and lie, kill, and rob.

Psa 41:1, “For the music director. A Psalm of David.
Happy is one who considers the helpless;
The LORD will save him on a day of trouble.”

Justice must be upheld to support the helpless.

Psa 84:12, “LORD of armies,
Happy is the person who trusts in You!”

Happy is the person who trusts in the Lord. Gurus and scientists do not have this knowledge.

Psa 106:3, “How happy are those who maintain justice,
who practice righteousness at all times!”

There is no justice in this world. That is why the people of the world are miserable. And that is why people lost faith in their governments. People lost faith in their leaders and politicians who said one thing and did another thing. Any leader can promise much because it did not cost him anything.

Psa 128:1, “A Song of Ascents.
Happy is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways.”

Gurus and scientists do not fear the Lord, and they do not walk in His ways.

Psa 146:5, “Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God.”

The happiness and hope of Christians are in the Lord our God. There is no hope in this world no matter who you are.

Pro 3:13, “Happy is a person who finds wisdom,
and one who obtains understanding.”

Intellectually wisdom and understanding are most important to any person.

Exo 31:3, “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship.”

Gurus and scientists do not have the Spirit of God, so they do not have wisdom and understanding. Although the world presume they have wisdom and understanding and pay a lot for their writings.

Dan 2:20, “Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
for wisdom and power belong to Him.”

Wisdom and power belong to God. It is most incredible that world leaders and politicians think they have wisdom and power. They have made a mess of the world.

Pro 16:20, “One who pays attention to the Word will find good, and happy is one who trusts in the LORD.”

The Word of God is absolutely free. If you pay attention to the Scriptures presented you will find good, a good life and the highest good and absolutely free. I am aware some so-called Christian organizations charge annual fee for Bible study.

Pro 22:9, “One who is generous will be happy,
because he gives some of his food to the poor.”

A generous person is happier than a selfish person.

Ecc 9:7, “Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.”

If God has already approved your works, then you can eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart. An imperialist and a capitalist and a monopolist can never be happy because God never approves their lives and works.

Isa 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion “Your God reigns.”

The Gospel brings good news of happiness and peace. Peace with God is salvation.

Lam 3:17, “my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is.”

A person who has no peace also has no happiness.

Isa 30:18, “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is the God of justice; How happy are all those who long for Him.”

There is no justice in this world, you cannot expect any government to execute justice. I learn by bitter experience. But our God is the God of justice, how happy are all those who long for Him.

Mat 5:3, “Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Do you notice Western leaders and politicians and Western mass media are so arrogant? They have no part or portion in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 5:4, “Happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Mat 5:5, “Happy are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.”

Mat 5:6, “Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

Mat 5:7, “Happy are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

Mat 5:8, “Happy are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Mat 5:9, “Happy are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

Western leaders and politicians are cursed because they are warmongers, they are children of the devil. They send money, arms, and weapons to Ukraine to prolong the war.

Mat 5:10, “Happy are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

If you live a godly life, you will be persecuted.

Mat 5:11, “Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”

Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Jesus Christ.

Mat 11:6, “And happy is any person who does not take offense at Me.”

Happy is any person who does not take offense at Jesus.

Mat 16:17, “And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven.”

In answer to the question who is Jesus. Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Flesh and blood did not and cannot reveal the spiritual truth about Jesus, so all the knowledge of gurus and scientists is useless.

Mat 25:34, “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Christians are citizens of Heaven, and they have the Kingdom of Heaven which is forever. There is no country on earth can compare with the Kingdom of Heaven. You may be disappointed in your earthly country, no one will be disappointed in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Gal 3:9, “So then, those who are of faith are blessed

with Abraham, the believer.”

I am with Abraham, not the gurus and scientists.

Eph 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ.”

Every spiritual truth by God and Father is not temporary but eternal.

The children of God are blessed of the Heavenly Father to inherit the Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world.

Frankly, America suffers such a bad political, economic, financial, medical, legal, social, and cultural environment that it is very difficult for an ordinary American to have a normal and safe life, how hard it is to talk about a good life, to aspire the highest good. My hope is in the darkest hour, a good, great and right American leader will appear, like Deng Xiaoping of China, to save America. One thing that frightens me most is the fact the Bible prophecy never mentions the United States of America in the end time.

Is it possible that the American structural and systematic problems are so overwhelming to abort the appearance of the new American leader? I am aware some white Bible scholars who believe the positive role of America in the end time. But one thing is sure, all Bible scholars agree that the Bible prophecy does not mention America in the end time just like the Bible also does not mention many other nations. Is it possible that in the end time America has become so insignificant that is is not worthy to mention it? Or is it possible that in the end time America does not exist anymore, so America is not mentioned at all? How could I like the current American leaders and politicians who are killing America. Whether an America leader is going to appear or not, one thing is sure as God is, Jesus Christ is coming again to establish the Kingdom of Heaven. As an American citizen, I am very worried about America, because American leaders and politicians are doing all they can to cause America to commit suicide. As a Heavenly citizen, I am eagerly waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ to be the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

The Scriptures cited above are the Word of God which gurus and scientists have no knowledge or understanding.

I must repeat and stress: Jas 1:17, “Every good thing

given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

If you know the good life and the highest good, it is not because you are good, it is because given from above. It is futile to receive instruction from below of so-called gurus and scientists. Let us examine the thoughts and words of Cicero in the light of the Holy Bible.

III. Quotes of Cicero

I do not know whether Marcus Tullius Cicero was a

Christian or not. Anyway it is too late to find out. If Cicero did not know and have Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, then all his efforts and endeavors would come to nothing. For no one can justify himself before God on his own good deeds. Amazing was Cicero, however, whose thoughts and sayings were not all contrary to the Scriptures. I select some to make comments about them.

“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.”

I agree with Cicero, a nation cannot survive treason from within. For a long time, I maintain America is committing suicide. American leaders and politicians lead America astray, and going the wrong direction. Traitors move and wield power within the government, in the very halls of government itself.

“Six mistakes mankind keeps making century after century: Believing that personal gain is made by crushing others; Worrying about things that cannot be changed or corrected; Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it; Refusing to set aside trivial preferences; Neglecting development and refinement of the mind; Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.”

At least American leaders and politicians are guilty of #1, #3, #4, #5 and #6.

“Never was a government that was not composed of liars, malefactors and thieves.”

Jesus says, Jhn 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.”

HOW can American leaders and politicians be liars, killers, and robbers and not knowing it?

“When a government becomes powerful it is destructive, extravagant and violent; it is an usurer which takes bread from innocent mouths and deprives honorable men of their substance, for votes with which to perpetuate itself.”

Is this not the description of American government? Elections are useless, for votes with which to perpetuate itself. For that reason I propose to change the US government and abolish political parties. All candidates must campaign on individual virtue, not party affiliation.

“Within the character of the citizen, lies the welfare of the nation.”

A nation is as good as its citizens. For that reason, America must deport all its 65 million illegal aliens already residing in America and expel all illegal and undesirable migrants by force and keep its borders safe.

“Though liberty is established by law, we must be vigilant, for liberty to enslave us is always present under that very liberty. Our Constitution speaks of the “general welfare of the people.” Under that phrase all sorts of excesses can be employed by lusting tyrants to make us bondsmen.”

Are we not having deluded democracy and phony liberty?

“Morals today are corrupted by our worship of riches.”

Do you know the America values are money, power, and sex? Luk 11:39, “But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish; but your inside is full of greed and wickedness.”

Luk 12:15, “But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when

one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.”

“I have always been of the opinion that unpopularity earned by doing what is right is not unpopularity at all, but glory.”

1Pe 3:17, “For it is better, if God should will it so,

that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for

doing what is wrong.”

“It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own.”

Pro 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a person who listens to advice is wise.”

“To be content with what we possess is the greatest and most secure of riches.”

1Ti 6:8, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

Heb 13:5, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU,

NOR WILL I EVER ABANDON YOU.”

“The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk.”

Pro 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes dishonor;
But with the humble there is wisdom.”

Pro 16:19, “It is better to be humble in spirit with the needy than to divide the spoils with the proud.”

“Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.”

Pro 18:24, “A person of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Do you know Jesus is your best friend?

“Life without learning is death.”

Eph 5:10, “as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”

“The first duty of man is the seeking after and the investigation of truth.”

Jesus says, Jhn 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Jesus also says,

Jhn 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through

Me.”

“What is morally wrong can never be advantageous, even when it enables you to make some gain that you believe to be to your advantage. The mere act of believing that some wrongful course of action constitutes an advantage is pernicious.” Rom 13:10, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.”

Act 25:11, “If, therefore, I am in the wrong and have committed something deserving death, I am not trying to avoid execution; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”

The Bible teaches it was God who established death penalty, anyone or any nation that opposed capital punishment, opposes God.

“It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment.”

Job 9:10, “It is He who does great things, the unfathomable, and wondrous works without number.”

Job 37:5, “God thunders wondrously with His voice,
Doing great things which we do not comprehend.”

“The wise are instructed by reason, average minds by experience, the stupid by necessity and the brute by instinct.”

Pro 13:14, “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
to turn aside from the snares of death.”

1Co 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness

in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE BY THEIR CRAFTINESS.”

Jer 9:23, “This is what the LORD says: “Let no wise man

boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches.”

“A bureaucrat is the most despicable of men, though he is needed as vultures are needed, but one hardly admires vultures whom bureaucrats so strangely resemble. I have yet to meet a bureaucrat who was not petty, dull, almost witless, crafty or stupid, an oppressor or a thief, a holder of little authority in which he delights, as a boy delights in possessing a vicious dog. Who can trust such creatures?”

Does it sound the American bureaucracy? For that reason in my comprehensive plan to save America I propose 1/3 cut across the board of the vase American bureaucracy, and 1/3 cut of all wages, benefits, and pensions. I also propose the justices of the US Supreme Court to audit the unaccountable $21 trillion in the Defense Depart and punish those who are responsible. I also propose to abolish secret service for former American presidents, abolish budget for American president libraries, offices, mail privilege, and travel. The living retired American presidents will receive only basic pension as approved by American citizens in a National Referendum.

“Next to God we are nothing. To God we are Everything.”

From the statement, you can guess Cicero was a believer in God, although you cannot be sure it is a Christian God or not. You can understand the first statement. The second statement is questionable and unsure.

Mar 10:27, “Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people

it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

Jesus says,

Jhn 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

“Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum. (Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.)”

I do not know Latin, but the translation is remarkable. I am afraid the mob (extremists and anarchists) will seize power in the United States, so it is more urgent for American citizens to change and save America now. Right now the whole political system is deceptive. No one is telling the truth. No one is practicing justice.

“The false is nothing but an imitation of the true.”

There are so many imitations of the true in our age that make most people confused and confounded:

Imitations of democracy, freedom, equality, justice, equality, honor, virtue, morality, liberty, peace, security, charity, respectability, civility, honesty, integrity, new birth, salvation, the way to God, etc.

“We should be as careful of our words as of our actions.”

Jesus says, Mat 12:37, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jesus also says, Mat 12:36, “But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment.”

“Man is his own worst enemy.
[Lat., Nihil inimicius quam sibi ipse.]”

You are your own worst enemy if you are lazy, immoral, drinking, smoking, drugging, unproductive, unskilled,

uncivilized, unbelieving, untrue, irresponsible, extravagant, unmotivated, unworthy, hot tempered, arrogant, boasting, dirty, promiscuous, unadaptable, etc.

“Virtue is its own reward.”

A little Johnny has been behaving. He asks his mother for a quarter because he has been good. But the mother said to Johnny that you must be good for nothing. Of course Johnny could not understand how to be good for nothing. Many adults today still do not know why they have to be good for nothing. They have not heard, Honesty is the best policy. Virtue is its own reward.

Jesus says,

Mat 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.”

Jesus also says,

Mat 5:16, “Your light must shine before people in

such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”

“There is no duty more indispensible than that of returning a kindness.”

I was young, now I am old. I can testify that mankind is ungrateful creature. I wish I had not met a number of people and wished they had never existed in my world.

This reminds me of an incident in Jesus’ life:

Luk 17:11-19, “While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying,

“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed.

Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice,

and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”

Where are the nine? Probably one out of ten among men is grateful. People do not know how to return a kindness.

“For surely to be wise is the most desirable thing in all the world.”

For a thousand persons, you can find one who can speak. For ten thousand persons, you may find one who can write. For one hundred thousands persons, you can find one who thinks. For a million persons, you can hardly find one who is wise. 1Co 1:26, “For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise

according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.”

Out of the millions of peoples I have known and met, very few can be said wise. I remember one good friend who is with the Lord. One I do not want to mention name, he was not rich but contented. He was famous and gifted but not greedy. He was great but humble. Unlike a famous evangelical evangelist who claimed that he had preached the Gospel to more peoples than Apostle Paul. In my opinion, anyone who compares himself with Biblical figures is not wise.

“God’s law is ‘right reason.’ When perfectly understood it is called ‘wisdom.’ When applied by government in regulating human relations it is called ‘justice.”

There is no “wisdom” and no “justice” in any government of men in any country. There is no Christian nation anywhere. Yes, the world needs “wisdom” and “justice.”

“While all other things are uncertain, evanescent, and ephemeral, virtue alone is fixed with deep roots; it can neither be overthrown by any violence or moved from its place.”

2Pe 1:5-8, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What America wants today is not virtue, but money, power, and sex. It can say the same about the whole world. That is why the world is so bad, corrupt, evil, and wicked.

“There is nothing which God cannot do.
[Lat., Nihil est quod deus efficere non possit.]”

Luk 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

With God everything is possible. God does not have difficulty or problem. A god who has problem is no God at all. God cannot lie. It means God has power not to lie, it is contrary to Divine nature to lie. It is devil who lies, kills and robs.

“A thankful heart is the greatest virtue.”

Col 3:15, “Let the peace of Christ, to which you were

indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful.”

There is no hope for anyone who is not thankful.

“If a man cannot feel the power of God when he looks upon the stars, then I doubt whether he is capable of any feeling at all.”

Mat 22:29, “But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God.”

Mankind often errs because they do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God. The Scriptures are the Word of God. There is power in the Word of God. The power of God is manifest in His creation – the universe.

“Anyone may fairly seek his own advantage, but no one has a right to do so at another’s expense.”

Western leaders and politicians are practicing always seeking their own advantages at anther’s expense. The West has dominated the world for hundreds of years, they use the military and all other means to maintain the status of hegemony and monopoly.

“To stumble twice against the same stone, is a proverbial disgrace.”

Many people make the same mistake twice, thrice, etc.

Pro 26:11, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit,
so is a fool who repeats his foolishness.”

Mankind is a fool who makes the same mistake many times and repeats his foolishness.

2Pe 2:22, “It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

These are examples of human depravity.

“Let a man practice the profession which he best knows.”

This is the principle of all training and education. A pastor asked me what should his son study at the university. I answered, what is he good at. The preacher did not know what his son is good at. Not all can go for academic degrees. Most people can have vocational training. We made a joke at the university: To major in English does not make you an English man; to major in philosophy does not make you a philosopher; to major in history does not make you a historian, etc. It would be a disaster if I were trained for an accountant because I do not like to lie weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, and annually.

IV. CARDINAL VIRTUES

The cardinal virtues are accepted by most philosophers include the following:

Wisdom (Moral Prudence)

Courage (Fortitude)

Temperance (Self-control)

Justice (Fairness)

1. Wisdom (Moral Prudence)

From the point of the Bible, wisdom is more than moral prudence. There is also spiritual wisdom which gurus and scientists do not know about.

Exo 31:3, “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship.”

Wisdom in Hebrew is ḥāḵmâ which means shrewdness; prudence; good sense; wit; judgment; insight; a wise attitude; discernment; skill; – which occurs 149 times in the Old Testament.

Gurus and scientists do not have the Spirit of God, so they could not have wisdom, understanding and knowledge in the spiritual. Therefore, the people who do not have the Spirit of God, their kind of wisdom is a suspect.

Deu 34:9, “Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the Spirit of Wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

Joshua was filled with the Spirit of Wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Wisdom.

1Ki 3:28-30, “When all Israel heard about the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.”

Leaders who lie, kill, and rob do not have the wisdom of God. The worst kind of leader is the one who does not uphold the law and does not administer justice.

“Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great

discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom

of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.”

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind. A wise person must have wisdom, discernment and breadth of mind. Most people do not have discernment, therefore they do not have wisdom. Interesting, in ancient times, the people of the east had more wisdom than the west. You know the wise men from the East came to worship Jesus. Even today the people of the West do not have wisdom, so they practiced imperialism, colonialism, capitalism and engage in wars of aggression and destruction. The ancient Egypt also had wisdom; Act 7:22, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.”

Wisdom in Greek is sophia which means broad and full intelligence; varied knowledge of things human and divine;

science and learning; worldly or spiritual wisdom; – which occurs 51 times in the New Testament.

1Ki 10:24, “And all the earth was seeking the attention of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.”

It is interesting to know that God had put wisdom in Solomon’s heart, not his head. The problem of man is not his head, but his heart.

According to Bridgeway Bible Dictionary

“The biblical literature that comes from these wisdom teachers is of two main kinds. The first, represented by the book of Proverbs, gives the principles of right and wrong as they apply to life in general; for example, the righteous will prosper but the wicked will perish (Proverbs 11:5-8). The second, represented by the books of Job and Ecclesiastes, looks at the exceptions; for example, the righteous often have all sorts of troubles, while the wicked enjoy peace and prosperity (Job 12:4; Job 21:7-13; Ecclesiastes 7:15; Ecclesiastes 8:14).

These two kinds of wisdom are not in conflict, but simply show different aspects of life. The same teacher could look at life’s problems from several viewpoints. The book of Proverbs recognizes that the same principle may not apply equally in all cases (Proverbs 26:4-5), while the books of Job and Ecclesiastes recognize that the general principles are still the basis for wise teaching (Job 28:20-28; Ecclesiastes 7:1-13).

The wisdom teachers of the Bible were godly believers who made an honest effort to examine life, with all its inconsistencies, so that they might help people live more meaningful lives. Though they were aware of an afterlife (Job 19:26), their main concern was to deal with problems in the present life.”

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

“For the Greeks “love of wisdom” involved inquiry into the basis and origin of things; the Hebrew “wisdom” was the capacity so to order life as to get out of it the greatest possible good.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible

“And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom – The hidden things that pertain to wisdom. The reference here is to the wisdom of God himself. The sense is this, “you now think yourself pure and holy. You have confidence in your own wisdom and integrity. But this apprehension is based on a short-sighted view of God, and on ignorance of him. If he would speak and show you his wisdom; if he would express his sense of what purity is, you would at once see how far you have come from perfection, and would be overwhelmed with a sense of your comparative vileness and sin.”

That they are double to that which is – Noyes renders this,” his wisdom which is unsearchable.” Dr. Good, strangely enough, “for they are intricacies to iniquity.” The expression, as it stands in our common version, is not very intelligible; and indeed it is difficult, to attach any idea to it. Of the words used in the Hebrew, the sense is not difficult. The word כפלים kı̂playı̂m, “double,” is from כפל kâphal “to fold,”” to double;” and means a doubling Job 41:5; and then two folds, or double folds, and the sense here is, that the wisdom of God is “double-fold;” that is, complicated, inexplicable, or manifold. It is not spread out and plain, but is infolded, so that it requires to be unrolled to be understood. The word rendered “that which is” (תשׁיה tûshı̂yâh), means properly a setting upright, uprightness – from ישׁע yâsha‛. Hence, it means help, deliverance, Job 6:13; purpose, undertaking, see the notes at Job 5:12; and then counsel, wisdom, understanding, Job 12:16; Isaiah 28:29. It means here, I suppose, “understanding;” and the idea is, that the wisdom of God is “double of understanding;” that is, it is so infolded, so complex, that it greatly surpasses our comprehension. What we see is a small part of it; and the “secrets” of his wisdom – the parts of his wisdom which are not unfolded, are far above our grasp. His wisdom is like a vast roll or volume, only the first and a very small part of which is unrolled so that we can read it. But who can look into that that remains unopened, and penetrate between the involutions, so as to perceive and read it all? It is but little that is now unrolled of the mighty volume – the remainder will be unfolded as years and ages shall pass on, and the entire unfolding of the book will be reserved for eternity.

Know, therefore, that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth – The word here rendered “exacteth” (ישׁה yasheh) more properly means “to forget” – from נשׁה nâshâh. It also means to loan on usury, or to borrow; but the sense here is rather that of forgetting. It is not used in the sense of exacting. The true meaning is, “know, therefore, that for thee God hath caused to be forgotten a part of thy iniquity.” That is, he has treated you as if he had caused a part of your sins to be out of mind, or as if they were not remembered. Instead of treating you, as you complain, with severity, he has by no means inflicted on you the calamities which you deserve. The ground of this unfeeling assertion is the abstract proposition that God is infinitely wiser than human beings; that he has a deeper insight into human guilt than people can have; and that if he should disclose to us all that he sees of the heart, we should be amazed at the revelations of our own sins. This sentiment is undoubtedly true, and accords almost exactly with what Job had himself said Job 9:19-22, but there is something very harsh and severe in the manner in which Zophar applies it.”

Job 11:6, “And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets part of your guilt.”

I myself have not found satisfactory explanation of Job 11:6, in particular sound wisdom has two sides. Be that as it may, Whatever a man may think he knows, there is much more that he does not know. Suffice to say,

Rom 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

1Co 1:20, “Where is the wise person? Where is the

scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

Gurus and scientists represent the wisdom of the world which is foolish in the sight of God. What they write about the good life or the highest or ultimate good at high price are nothing but foolishness that no Christians should subscribe or believe.

1Co 1:22-24, “For indeed Jews ask for miracles and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ

crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to

Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God — this truth is more profound than Job 11:6.

Thus for Christians, Christ is our power and our wisdom.

More than that, 1Co 1:30, “But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”

Christ is not only to us power and wisdom from God, Christ is our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Christ is all and everything of Christians.

1Co 2:4-8, “and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God.

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s

wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God

predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom

which none of the rulers of this world has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified

the Lord of glory.”

There are two kinds of wisdom: the wisdom mankind and the wisdom of God.

1Co 2:13, “We also speak these things, not in words

taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

1Co 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness

in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE BY THEIR CRAFTINESS”.”

Human wisdom is the wisdom of this world, it is foolishness in the sight of God.

So may I remind you what gurus and scientists have is human wisdom, the wisdom of this world.

2Co 1:12, “For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”

Human wisdom is also fleshly wisdom, the wisdom of this world.

Eph 1:17, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

To know God one must have the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation. Gurus and scientists do not have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and so they do not have the knowledge of God.

Eph 3:10, “so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the Heavenly places.”

God’s wisdom is the multifaceted wisdom of God.

Col 1:9. “For this reason we also, since the day we heard about it, have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Only believers in Christ may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Regarding the special will of God, the children of God can know in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Col 1:28, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every person

and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ.”

Christians must be filled with all wisdom in order to be complete in Christ.

Col 2:2-3, “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and that they would attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Having been knit together in love, Christians would attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Col 4:5, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward

outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.”

For Christians to have all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge is not to show off, but to conduct ourselves with wisdom toward outsiders (non-Christians).

2Ti 3:15, “and that from childhood you have known the Sacred Writings which are able to give you the wisdom

that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

The Holy Bible is Sacred Writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith. Gurus and scientists are not saved because they do not have the wisdom of the Scriptures.

Jas 1:5, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

From childhood to old age I have been asking God to give me wisdom. No one is wise enough.

Jas 3:13, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”

A Christian who is wise and understanding must show his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

People who exhibit anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement (trying to make ourselves look important) do not have gentleness of wisdom.

Jas 3:15, “This wisdom is not that which comes down

from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”

There are two kinds of wisdom: wisdom from above and wisdom which is earthly, natural, demonic. Beware of the wisdom of the world.

Jas 3:17, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy.”

We are greatly benefited by this definition of the wisdom from above: pure, peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. You can be sure Western leaders and politicians do not have the wisdom from above. Those who send money, arms, weapons, tanks, etc. to the nincompoop and puppet of Ukraine to continue war are clearly not peace-loving.

Rev 5:12, “saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive

power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.”

Rev 7:12, “saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Let all Christians bow down and say with a loud voice: Worthy is the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.

Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power and might belong to our God forever and aver. Amen.

No one is wise enough to know the circumstances and situations may change. Although you give your hundred percent, the person you trust may change. I have learned that nine out ten persons in this world are ungrateful.

My dear brothers and sisters, are you not amazed by the multifaceted wisdom of God cited above?

I agree with Laozi in saying, “ Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”

Charles Spurgeon said something very useful, “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”

2. Courage (Fortitude)

Worldly wise men consider courage as fortitude. But what is courage? The following historical incident illustrates what courage is:

Rahab said to the Israel spies, Jos 2:10-11, “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

“When we heard these reports, our hearts melted and no courage remained in anyone any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in Heaven above and on earth below.”

Courage in Hebrew is rûaḥ which means spirit; breadth; mind; vigour; vivacity; disposition; energy of life; bravery; guts; mental or moral strength to venture; – which occurs 378 times in the Old Testament.

Rahab knew the factual reports how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea, etc. and so their hearts melted and no courage remained in anyone of them any longer.

Apparently, courage is an abstract concept. But what you

do with courage? Generally we need courage to do right.

There are physical courage and moral courage. When you see a cobra in front of you, that affects your physical courage.

1Sa 4:7, “So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.”

The Philistines were strong enemies of the sons of Israel. They were afraid and lost courage because they thought God had come into the camp to fight them. For nothing like this had happened before. When a person is afraid he has no courage.

2Sa 4:1, “Now when Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was horrified.”

When Saul’s son heard that Abner, the commander of the army died, his courage failed. When a person whom you rely is dead, your courage fails and you are horrified.

But even the children of God who want to do right and obey the Lord need courage.

Psa 27:14, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.”

Psa 31:24, “Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who wait for the LORD.”

Act 5:29, “But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The day may come when we must obey God rather than men, and it requires courage.

I agree with W. Clement Stone in saying, “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”

3. Temperance

We view temperance as self-control. It requires self-control not to smoke or drink.

Pro 25:28, “Like a city that is broken into and without

walls so is a person who has no self-control over his spirit.”

The Scripture gives a clear picture of what self-control is about over one’s spirit. A man without self-control is like a city that is broken into without walls.

Self-control in Hebrew is maʿṣār which means restraint; rule; – which occurs 1 time in the Old Testament. Temperance used to mean abstinence from the use of alcoholic beverages. Merriam Webster defines self-control as restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires. Truth is offensive: Drinkers and smokers are lack of self-control. Drug addicts may be worse.

Act 24:25, “But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became

frightened and responded, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, I will summon you.”

A high ranking official like Felix, the cruel Roman governor of Judea, became frightened when Paul was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come. There are high ranking officials who do not uphold the law and execute justice, they are worse than Felix because they do not become frightened at all.

Self-control in Greek is egkrateia which means temperance; the virtue of mastering one’s sensual appetites; – which occurs 4 times in the New Testament. Corruption and failure to execute justice are more serious sins or crimes than drinking and smoking.

1Co 7:9, “But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

In my opinion, those priests and nuns who commit rapes of boys and girls should suffer death penalty.

1Co 9:25, “Everyone who competes in the games

exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”

The world has changed a lot. Those who do well in football make millions, not a perishable wreath. In my opinion, many corporate executives are overpaid so that their employees make too little.

I agree with Socrates who said, “There is no difference between knowledge and temperance; for he who knows what is good and embraces it, who knows what is bad and avoids it, is learned and temperate.”

I also agree with Frances E. Willard who said, “Temperance is moderation in the things that are good and total abstinence from the things that are foul.”

I fully agree with Benjamin Franklin in saying, “Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.”

But the poor philosophy of American Ivy league universities is to educate for self-expression and self-advancement so much so to get the most out of life at the expense of others.

4. Justice

Gen 18:19, “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”

God had chosen Abraham. God wanted Abraham to command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice. God is more interested in His way than anything else. The way of the Lord is doing righteousness and justice. Justice in Hebrew is mišpāṭ which means judgment; right; cause; order; execution; proper measure; determination; – which occurs 424 times in the Old Testament. Merriam Webster defines justice as the maintenance and administration of what is just. A government is supposed to maintain law and order and administer justice. Most countries when they have a general election they deem themselves as democracy. The problem is: once leaders and politicians are elected, they can do evil deeds and there is no mechanism to remove them until the next election. This is called deluded democracy. That is why I propose for all countries must have a Constitution that stipulates the national sovereignty lies in the hands of majority citizens. In a National Referendum the majority (51%) of citizens can remove any official (including the president) on ground of no confidence without the ineffective impeachment process. Clinton had proved the uselessness of impeachment. When a government does not maintain law and order and does not execute justice, it has no reason to exist. When leaders and politicians do not administer justice, they usually do not suffer penalty. But they will not escape God’s judgment. That was why Felix, the Roman procurator of Judea became frightened when Paul discussed justice with him.

Gen 42:22, “Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now justice for his blood is required.”

Blood is required for justice. That is why God instituted death penalty. Christians need to support death penalty for all killers, murderers, terrorists, etc. Those nations that abolish death penalty oppose God.

Exo 23:2, “You shall not follow the crowd in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to join together

with a crowd in order to pervert justice.”

When the president does not uphold the law but perverts justice, and when the regulator protects the regulated industry, people lost faith in their government. Injustice may be the greatest evil.

Exo 23:6, “You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute.”

Many countries practice justice for the rich and powerful, and pervert the justice for the poor.

Theodore Roosevelt was a good American president when said, “Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.” Leaders and politicians are supported by the rich and powerful. They support the rich and powerful to pervert justice.

I agree with Theodore Roosevelt, justice is finding out the right and upholding it. Leaders and politicians do not practice justice because there is no money in it; they engage in war to make money.

Mahatma Gandhi was wrong when he said, “There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supercedes all other courts.”

The highest court is the Supreme Court of Heaven where no leaders and politicians can escape God’s judgment.

Publilius Syrus was right, “He who spares the bad injures the good.” Injustice always injures justice. In my opinion, the greatest injustice today is committing by Japan which killed 35 million Chinese and denies them without compensation and sex slavery with denial and without compensation.

CONCLUSION

Does it not appear to you it is of utmost selfishness that the goal of a person’s life is seeking only self-satisfaction and self-fulfilment at the expense of others?

After a life time of study the Word of God, I believe I reach the conclusive finding with all my heart that the good life even the highest good is contingent upon the twin factors: obedience of faith and doing the will of God. If you do not know this, you live only after the flesh. The best and most expensive instruction of the guru is nothing but how to satisfy the flesh.

I believe the teaching of Jesus Christ on the flesh is most comprehensive and complete. Study well and keep the Word in your heart:

Jhn 3:6, “That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Mat 26:41, “Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jhn 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides

no benefit; the Words that I have spoken to you are Spirit, and are Life.”

Jhn 8:15, “You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.”

Apostles through revelations supplement the teaching of Christ:

Rom 2:28, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.”

Rom 4:1-3, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God.

For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Rom 7:5, “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful

passions, which were brought to light by the Law, were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death.”

Rom 8:3-9, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in

the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of

the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk

according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind

set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone

does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

I want to pause and ask those special group of people who are seeking the good life under the private instruction of gurus and scientists, Do you really find life and peace? Whatever gurus and scientists say their values are money, power and sex.

Rom 8:12-13, “So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—. for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Rom 9:4-5, “who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as

sons and daughters, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the temple service, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed

forever. Amen.”

Rom 9:8, “That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.”

Rom 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

2Co 1:17-22, “Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I decide, do I decide according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but has been yes in Him. For as many as the promises of God are, in Him they are yes; therefore through Him also is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”

2Co 10:4, “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

Gal 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Gal 3:3, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

No one and nothing can be perfected by the flesh.

Gal 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity

for the flesh, but serve one another through love.”

Gal 5:16-17, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the

desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and

the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.”

Gal 5:19, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior.”

Gal 5:24, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified

the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Gal 6:8, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”

Eph 2:3-7, “Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness

toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Phl 3:3, “for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.”

1Pe 3:18, “For Christ also suffered for sins once for

all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”

1Pe 4:2, “so as to live the rest of the time in the

flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God.”

1Pe 4:6, “For the Gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as people, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.”

1Jo 2:16-17, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.”

To be frank with you, the Bible does not teach Christians in search of happiness, as the so-called secrets of science behind leading a good life. To find happiness through Jesus Christ is another gospel, the false gospel. You find life, eternal life, through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ never promises you to have a good life in this world. Instead Jesus says, Mat 16:24, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Jesus also says, Mat 10:37, “The one who loves father or mother more

than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

Further Jesus says, Luk 9:62, “But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

You do not ask if the Kingdom of God is fit for you. You must ask if you are fit for the Kingdom of God.

Two things the Bible stresses more than anything else: obedience of faith and doing the will of God.

Rom 16:26-27, “but now has been disclosed, and through the Scriptures of the prophets, in accordance

with the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through

Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

This is not only made known to you only, but to all nations, in accordance with the commandment of the eternal God, we must have obedience of faith through Jesus Christ. America and Europe do not have obedience of faith, therefore they are not Christian nations. They are going astray against the truth.

Rom 6:16, “Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”

Christians are slaves of Christ for obedience.

Rom 15:18, “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me,

resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed.”

Christians are obedient to Christ by word and deed.

2Co 10:5, “We are destroying arguments and all

arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

For this reason, I am destroying arguments that believers find good life and achieve the highest or ultimate good in this world. For Jesus says, Jhn 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus promises His disciples to have peace in Him. Jesus never promises the good life or happiness that the gurus and scientists promise to those who pay them handsomely. Although in the world Christians have tribulation, but take courage; Christ has overcome the world.

Concerning doing the will of God, Eph 6:6, “Not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.”

This Scripture tells all believers how to do the will of God:

As slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

But what is the will of God, that is where many have confusion. It is most important to know there are two wills of God, one is general, the other is special.

It is easy to know the general will of God, because it is all written in the Bible that every Christian must do and follow. For examples:

Mat 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

This is the general will of God which is easy to know, but most difficult to do. Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. To be perfect is not a one time thing, Christians learn to be perfect day by day, an ongoing process, until we meet the Lord face to face. Eph 1:4. “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love.”

This is another general will of God that we must be holy and blameless before Him.

1Pe 1:15-16, “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy

yourselves also in all your behavior, because it is written:

“YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

2Pe 3:11, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.”

Christians are to be in holy conduct and godliness.

Heb 12:14, “Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

I think the two requirements of the general will of God are most difficult are perfection and holiness. These are big topics that must be dealt with separately. No Christian would think he is perfect and holy enough before God. So much for the general will of God, now we get into the special will of God. Just as the general will of God is for every Christian, the special will is for the specific individual. In other words, the special will of God for you is not the same for me. The special will of God for your life I would not know at all.

Rom 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

American and European leaders and politicians not only they are conformed to this world, they represent the world and rule the world under Satanic influence. This Scripture is speaking about the special will of God for you, for your life. You have to prove what the will of God is. Whatever the special will of God, it is good and acceptable and perfect.

Brothers and sisters, you have gone deep in studying the Word of God. Conclusively and definitely, summum bonum, or the good life or the highest or ultimate good is only possible with obedience of the faith and doing the will of God. I do not know the will of God for your life so I do not know if God wants you to lead a good life or not without persecution and tribulations. Even you live a life of tribulations like Apostle Paul you are blessed.

The current administration is strengthening the political powers of the group LGBTQ=lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer; and solidifying its social influence. If a Christian man marries a feminist (who belongs to LGBTQ), he will encounter trouble and tragedy all his life. Because LGBTQ group is like heroin addicts they are high and happy on what they claim to be and practice, there is completely no chance they will change or compromise. They believe marriage is a game of winning and losing. The feminists want to win by subjecting their husbands. For a Christian man to marry a feminist would be better to stay single all his life.

You do not need to use your imagination or follow the imagination of some gurus, you need to follow the Word of God to shine as a Christian in all relationships by obedience to the faith and doing the will of God.

Western democracy, and all forms of government, totalitarian, authoritarian, etc. only make the world worse. The only hope for the world is the second coming of Jesus Christ to set up the Kingdom of Heaven in righteousness, to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords forever and ever.

If you are an unbeliever or the wicked, the second coming of Jesus Christ is your judgment day, your day of doom. But you can escape the judgment to come by now repentance of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and so you may be saved and your sins may be forgiven to receive the eternal life, and become an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.

You can do it now. Believe and be saved.

Are you ready for the end of the world?

You can escape the judgment to come by repentance and believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord

and Savior now. For Jesus Christ is coming again soon!

Lord Jesus, come!

Willie Wong Thought

Willie Wong

August 22, 2025

https://williewong.cw.center/wp-admin
Copyright © 2018 – 2025 by Willie Wong

The mayor of Washington, D.C. bowed to the illegal acts of street people who set up tents on public streets. She should be dismissed and deported. The National Guards are empowered to trash the tents, clear the streets and vanish street people. Los Angeles is disgraced city because the California Governor and Los Angeles mayor failed to solve the problems of street people who not only set up tents on public streets, but also urinate and defecate. All the more urgent for the national capital to move to Lincoln, Nebraska. In the face of national debt exceeding $37 trillion, the people can save money by abolishing the House, retain the unicameral legislation of Senate to move also to Lincoln Nebraska. All this can be accomplished legally by a national refrerendum. America is ruined by dark and evil forces.

If the Texas flooding is an act of God; Ukraine conflict, and conflicts of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis must be acts of the devil.

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August 21, 2025August 28, 2025

*BIBLICAL WISDOM

*Our mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ absolutely free. We do not want donation. We only want you to know the truth.

In this age of falsification and dissimulation, Biblical Wisdom shines like a great ligh in the world of darkness and deception and deceit.

*Our mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ absolutely free. We do not want donation. We only want you to know the truth.

) Wisdom is with the aged.

Job 12:12, “Wisdom is with the aged,

and with long life comes understanding.”

It does not mean all old people have wisdom. Some age at forty, some age at eighty. It is like saying, The old horse knows the way. But it does not mean all old horses know the way. Wisdom is supreme, more difficult to find than a fine pearl. It is important to know from the start that Wisdom belongs to God.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

With the ancient is wisdom,…. Meaning not himself, who was not very ancient; though some think Eliphaz so understood him; hence those words of his, in Job 15:9; rather, as others, Job tacitly wishes that some ancient man, with whom wisdom was, would undertake to examine the affair between him and his friends, and judge of it, and decide the point; or, as others, he has respect to Bildad’s advice to search the fathers, and learn their sentiments, and be determined by them; to which he replies, that though it will be allowed that wisdom is with them, for the most part, yet their judgment of things is no further to be regarded than as it agrees with the wisdom of God, and the revelation he has made of his will; though it seems best of all to consider these words as an adage or proverbial sentence generally agreed to, that it often is, as it might be expected it should, though it is not always, that men well advanced in years are wise; that as they have lived long in the world, they have learned much by observation and experience, and have attained to a considerable share of wisdom and knowledge in things, natural, civil, and religious:

and in length of days is understanding; the understandings of men are improved and enriched, and well stored with useful science, having had the opportunity of much reading, hearing, and conversation; by this Job would suggest, that if his friends had more knowledge of hidden and recondite things, beyond common people, which yet they had not, it was not so wonderful, since they were aged men, and had lived long in the world; or rather it may be that this is mentioned, to observe that from hence, seeing it is so among men, that ancient men have, or it may be expected they should have, a considerable share of wisdom and understanding; it may be most easily and strongly concluded, that God, who is the Ancient of days, has the most perfect and consummate wisdom and knowledge, which is asserted in Job 12:13.”

2.) Wisdom is more valuable the pearls.

Job 28:18, “Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;

and the acquisition of wisdom is more valuable

than pearls.”

According to https://rockchasing.com/types-of-pearls/

“Pearls are unique gems that come from the sea, and there are many different types of pearls. Akoya pearls, South Sea pearls, and Keshi pearls are just a few examples of the variety available.

Each type of pearl has its own special look and feel, making them all special in their own way. For example, mabe pearls have a distinctive style that sets them apart from others.

It’s exciting to learn about how each pearl is formed and where it comes from. Understanding these gems can help us appreciate their beauty even more.

The 13 Different Types Of Pearls And What They Look Like

Pearls are fascinating gems with a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The four major types of pearls are Akoya pearls, South Sea pearls, Tahitian pearls, and freshwater pearls, each with its own unique appearance.

In addition to these four, there are other interesting types of pearls that may fall under one of these categories. These gems show the incredible variety the ocean has to offer, with each type bringing its own special beauty to the world.

Akoya Pearls

Akoya pearl provided by TalkPearl

Akoya pearls are a type of pearl that are known for their luster and round shape. They are one of the different types of pearls people can find and admire.

These pearls typically have a white or cream color, but they can also have hints of pink or silver. The surface of Akoya pearls is smooth and shiny, reflecting light beautifully.

One of the most notable features of Akoya pearls is their size, which is generally smaller compared to other types. This small size makes them a subtle yet elegant option for all kinds of looks.

Where you can find Akoya pearls

Akoya pearls are primarily found in the waters off Japan and China, where the conditions are just right for pearl oysters. These regions are famous for cultivating Akoya pearls, using techniques passed down for generations.”

According to https://themostexpensive.org/most-expensive-pearls/

“Pearls are an elegant status symbol, and they’ve been prized by royalty, wealthy merchants, and politicians since ancient times. As such, pearls have never been an ordinary or cheap commodity. But what is the most expensive pearl in the world, and what makes it so pricey?

Let’s discover which pearls are the most expensive and discuss why they fetch thousands or millions of dollars!

Here Are the 10 Most Expensive Pearls in the World:

Giga Pearl – $200 Million
Beauty Of Ocean Pearl – $138.7 Million
Pearl of Lao Tzu – $93 Million
Marie Antoinette’s Pearl Pendant – $36 Million
La Peregrina Pearl – $11.8 Million
The Big Pink Pearl – $9.9 Million
Pierre Cartier’s Pearl Necklace – $206,066
The Duchess of Windsor’s Pearls – $179,000
The Cowdray Pearls – $153,070
The Baroda Pearls – $142,740.”

The Bible says, wisdom is more valuable than pearls. Here we know that Giga Pearl is worth $200 million. Do you know anyone who has wisdom worth $200 million?

Mat 13:45-46, “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one

pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.”

Benson Commentary

Matthew 13:45-46. Again, the kingdom of heaven — That is, one that earnestly seeks for it; is like unto a merchant-man, who goes about from one city or country to another, seeking goodly, or beautiful pearls, or jewels. Thus the sacred writers often compare and prefer wisdom, or true religion, to costly jewels. See Job 28:15-19; Proverbs 3:15; Proverbs 8:11. Who, when he had found one pearl of great price — Of an exceeding great value, sold all that he had and bought it — As well knowing he would be a great gainer though he should part with all he possessed for it. Titus the truly enlightened believer freely and readily gives up, not only all sin, but all that is in the world, which he is called to part with, that he may receive the kingdom of God into his heart, and may be made a partaker of the blessings of the gospel. “He,” says Baxter, “that findeth not by faith enough in the love of God and heavenly glory, and in Christ the way thereto, to make him consent sincerely and practically to sell or part with all the world, rather than lose it, is not capable of a just title to it, nor shall obtain it.”

3.) Wisdom is better than jewels.

Pro 8:11, “For wisdom is better than jewels;

and all desirable things cannot compare with her.”

According to https://www.pouted.com/most-expensive-crown-jewels-in-world/

I was lucky to have seen Denmark—Crown of Christian V

“Next on our list is the Crown of Christian V, which people can see on display at the Rosenberg Castle in Copenhagen. This ornate crown is truly one-of-a-kind, something that is evident with just one glance. Weighing more than two kilos (4 pounds), the crown features an array of splendid gemstones as part of its alluring design, including interwoven rows of diamonds, garnets, and sapphires. Perhaps the most special part of this crown, however, is the extraordinary cabochon ruby that sits atop the diamond-studded cross.”

And also I saw, United Kingdom—St. Edward’s Crown

“Coming in at number one on our list of the most expensive crown jewels in the world is St. Edward’s Crown, which is arguably the most famous crown jewel in the world. With over 400 precious and semi-precious gemstones, the crown weighs nearly five pounds. It includes 345 aquamarines, 37 topazes, 27 tourmalines, 12 rubies, seven amethysts, six sapphires, two jargoons, one garnet, one spinel, and one carbuncle. Experts have valued St. Edward’s Crown at 40 million dollars. St. Edward’s Crown was worn by Queen Elizabeth II during her precession in 1953, but since then has very rarely worn it. The reason for this is because of the weight, which the Queen said makes looking down when reading a speech nearly impossible.”

The Bible says Wisdom is better than jewels.

According to https://gem.agency/hope-diamond/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20H

I had also seen the Hope Diamond:

“The successive owners of Hope in the twentieth century are Pierre Cartier, son of the famous jeweler Alfred Cartier (from 1910 to 1911) who sells it for 300,000 dollars to Evalyn Walsh McLean. It was owned from 1911 until his death in 1947, then it passed to Harry Winston in 1949, who donated it to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington in 1958.

In order to make the transport of the stone as discreet and safe as possible, Winston sends it to the Smithsonian by post, in a small parcel wrapped in kraft paper.

Remaining the largest blue diamond ever discovered to date, the diamond is still visible in the famous institution, where it benefits from a reserved room: it is the second most admired art object in the world (six million annual visitors) after the Mona Lisa at the Louvre (eight million annual visitors).”

Pro 4:7, “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;

and with all your possessions, acquire understanding.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

The principal thing; the most excellent of all possessions.
With all; even with the price of all, though it cost thee the loss of all which thou hast. Or, or among all. Whilst you labour for other things, do not neglect this.”

4.) Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning.

Pro 10:13, “On the lips of the discerning, wisdom

is found, but a rod is for the back of him who has no sense.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. – Wisdom is found (comp. Psalm 37:30). The man of understanding is discreet in speech, and does not cause trouble by rash or foolish words. A rod (Proverbs 19:29; Proverbs 26:3). A fool brings upon himself punishment by his insensate talk. Void of understanding; Hebrew, “wanting in heart;” Vulgate, qui indiget corde. The LXX. combines the two members into one proposition, “He who putteth forth wisdom with his lips is a rod to chastise the man without heart.” In the Hebrew conception the “heart” is the seat, not only of the passions and affections, but also of the intellectual faculties. Proverbs 10:13.”

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning.

5.) Wisdom is with those who receive counsel.

Pro 13:10, “Through overconfidence comes nothing

but strife, but wisdom is with those who receive counsel.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. – Only by pride cometh contention. Some render “surely” (raq) for only, as in Genesis 20:11. Others rightly translate, “By pride cometh only, nothing but, contention.” Vulgate, “Between the proud disputes are always rife.” One who is haughty and overbearing, or who is too conceited to receive advice, is sure to quarrel with others. Septuagint, “An evil man with insult doeth evil.” With the well advised is wisdom; those who are not, like the proud, above taking advice and following it, are wise (Proverbs 11:2; Proverbs 12:15). As the Vulgate puts it, “They who do all things with counsel are directed by wisdom.” The LXX., reading differently, has, “They who know themselves are wise,” which implies that the wise know their own weakness and imperfection, and hearken humbly to good counsel Proverbs 13:10.”

Wisdom is with the well advised.

Do you think the world leaders are well advised?

6.) Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding.

Pro 17:24, “Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. – Wisdom is before [the face of] him that hath understanding. The idea is that the intelligent man directs his look towards Wisdom, and therefore she beams upon him with all her light; as the Vulgate puts it, “In the face of the prudent wisdom shines.” He has one object to which he directs all his attention (Proverbs 15:14). The Septuagint rendering is not so satisfactory: “The countenance of a prudent man is wise;” he shows in his look and bearing the wisdom that guides him. Thus Ecclesiastes 8:1, “A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.” The eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. A fool has no one definite object in view; he pursues a hundred different things, as they happen to come in his way, but misses the most important quest of all and fritters away the powers which might have aided him to obtain wisdom. Proverbs 17:24.”

Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding.

7.) The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

Pro 18:4, “The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. – The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters. “Man” (ish) here means the ideal man in all his wisdom and integrity, just as in Proverbs 18:22 the ideal wife is intended under the general term “wife.” Such a man’s words are as deep waters which cannot be fathomed or exhausted. The metaphor is common (see Proverbs 20:5; Ecclesiastes 7:24; Ecclus. 21:13). For “mouth,” the Septuagint reads “heart:” “Deep water is a word in a man’s heart.” The second hemistich explains the first: The well spring of wisdom as a flowing (gushing) brook. A man’s words are now called a well spring of wisdom, gushing forth from its source, the wise and understanding heart, pure, fresh, and inexhaustible. Septuagint, “And it leapeth forth (ἀναπηδύει) a river and a fountain of life.” Or we may, with Delitzsch, take the whole as one idea, and consider that a man’s words are deep waters, a bubbling brook, and a fountain of wisdom. Proverbs 18:4.”

According to https://cn.bing.com/images/search?view=detail

7.) The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

Pro 18:4, “The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.”

Pulpit Commentary

According to https://cn.bing.com/images/search?view=detail

8.) Wisdom is too exalted for a fool.

Pro 24:7, “Wisdom is too exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth at the gate.”

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 24:7. Wisdom is too high for a fool — For a wicked man, whose sins enfeeble his mind, and make it incapable of wisdom. Or, he judges it too difficult for him to understand: he despairs of attaining it, because he will not put away his sins, and be at the trouble of using the means necessary in order to that end: as, on the contrary, wisdom is said to be easy to him that understandeth, Proverbs 14:6, because he seriously gives his mind to it, and therefore easily and certainly attains it. He openeth not his mouth in the gate — He knows not how to speak acceptably in the public assembly.”

Wisdom is too exalted for a fool. Exalted in Hebrew is rûm which means high. Wisdom is too high for a fool.

9.) Wisdom is the same for your soul.

Pro 24:14, “Know that wisdom is the same for your soul; if you find it, then there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

When thou hast found it; whereby he implies that there is indeed some difficulty and trouble in the pursuit of wisdom, but that it is abundantly compensated with the sweetness and advantage of it when a man arrives at it.
Then there shall be a reward, Heb. and or also there is a reward. It is not only as good as honey, sweet for the present, but it is infinitely better, bringing a sure and everlasting reward with it.”

Those who find wisdom have a future.

10.) Wisdom is protection.

Ecc 7:12, “For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom keeps its possessors alive.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

Is a defence, Heb. is a shadow; which in Scripture use notes both protection and refreshment. And thus far wisdom and money agree. But herein knowledge or wisdom (which commonly signifies the same thing) excels riches, that whereas riches frequently expose men to death or destruction, true wisdom doth ofttimes preserve a man from temporal, and always from eternal ruin.”

Wisdom keeps its possessors alive.

11.) Wisdom is better than strength.

Ecc 9:16, “So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are ignored.”

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

“And I:said: Better is wisdom than strength; but the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.” With the words, “I saw,” the author introduces his observations, and with “I said” his reflections. Wisdom is better than strength, since it does more for the wise man, and through him for others, than physical force, – more, as expressed in Ecclesiastes 7:19, than ten mighty men. But the respect which wisdom otherwise secures for a man, if it is the wisdom of a poor man, sinks into despect, to which his poverty exposes him, – if necessity arises, his service, as the above history shows, is valued; but as a rule his words are unheeded, for the crowd estimate the worth of him whom they willingly hear according to the outward respect in which he is held.

To the lessons gathered from experience, are now added instructive proverbs of kindred contents.”

Wisdom is better than strength. Samson was the strongest man but he had no wisdom.

12.) Wisdom is better than weapons of war.

Ecc 9:18, “Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 18. – Wisdom is better than weapons of war. Such is the moral which Koheleth desires to draw from the little narrative given above (see vers. 14-16; and Ecclesiastes 7:19). Wisdom can do what no material force can effect, and often produces results which all the implements of war could not command. But one sinner destroyeth much good. The happy consequences which the wise man’s counsel might accomplish, or has already accomplished, may be overthrown or rendered useless by the villany or perversity of a bad man. The Vulgate, reading differently, has, Qui in uno peccaverit, multa bona perdet. But this seems to be out of keeping with the context. Adam’s sin infected the whole race of man; Achau’s transgression caused Israel’s defeat (Joshua 7:11, 12); Rehoboam’s folly occasioned the great schism (1 Kings 12:16). The wide° reaching effects of one little error are illustrated by the proverbial saying which every one knows, and which runs in Latin thus: “Clavus unus perdit equi soleam, soles equum, equus equitem, eques castra, castro rempublicam.”

The West has nuclear weapons, they may destroy the world.

13.) Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.

Mat 11:19, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 19. – The Son of man (Matthew 8:20, note) came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold (ἰδού, simply demonstrative, as in the LXX. of 1 Samuel 24:12; 2 Samuel 24:22) a man gluttonous (a gluttonous man, Revised Version, for the Greek, ἄνθρωπος φάγος, merely reproduced the original Semitic order), and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners (Matthew 9:10, note). A friend. The idea of affection, which through common use of the words has fallen so much into the background both in the Greek φίλος and our English “friend,” is brought out clearly in the Syriac roh’mo, which is, perhaps, the very word that our Lord spoke. But; and (Revised Version); καί: i.e. and yet, whatever you may say. Wisdom; i.e. the Divine wisdom, by which all creation was made (Proverbs 8:22-31; Wisd. 7:22), and which is the source of all true understanding (Proverbs 8:12-16), particularly of the will of God (Wisd. 7:27, 28; comp. Luke 11:49, “The Wisdom of God” speaking in Scripture). Is justified (ἐδικαιώθη). The aorist is used either as expressing what is wont to happen (Madvig, § 111, Romans a), or perhaps as expressing the completeness of the justi fication, (cf. ἐβλήθη, John 15:6). Nosgen, contrary to New Testament usage, under stands ἐδικαιώθη as meaning “is condemned because of her works” (“So haben sie die Weisheit… um ihrer Werke willen ve rurtheilt”), but the ordinary interpreta tion holds good that she is acquitted of any error or wrong. Of her children; works (Revised Version); ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς, with the Sinaitic manuscript and the original hand of the Vatican, besides some of the versions. The common reading, τέκνων, has come from Luke. In these words lie the chief difficulty of this difficult sentence. Of (ἀπό) may be used of agents (comp. James 1:13; James 5:4: Luke 6:18, almost as though it were ὑπό), but it is more natural to understand it here of the causes or reasons for the verdict. And ἀπό thus gives au excellent sense. Our Lord says that the Divine Wisdom is justified in the minds of men from the results she brings about. Of what is he thinking? Doubtless moral results, and probably those found in the change that might be seen in the publicans and sinners of which he has just been speaking. The Divine Wisdom, which appeared to the careless and unsympathetic so strange and changeable in her methods, is, notwithstanding, pronounced to be in the right, because of the results of her activity, the men and the women brought under her influence. These κανιναὶ κτίσεις (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) are always the best justification of misunderstood plans. While, however, this seems the best interpretation of the sentence as recorded in Matthew, it must be confessed that in Luke it appears more natural to understand “her children” as those who justify her; and further, this was probably St. Luke’s own interpretation. For he seems to purposely give an explanation of the apothegm in the verses (Luke 7:29, 30) by which he joins the equivalent of our vers. 16-19 to the equivalent of our ver. 11. He there tells us that all the people and the publicans “justified God,” having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s plan towards them, not having been baptized by him. Wisdom’s children justified her; others did not. Anyhow, ἔργων would appear to be the more original of the two terms, for with the explanation preferred above, τέκνων would be very easily derived from it. It may, indeed, be due to a more primitive confusion between עֹבָדָהָא (“her works,” cf. Ecclesiastes 9:1) and עַבְדָּהָא (“her servants,” Hebrew עֶבֶד), this last word being commonly rendered δοῦλοι, and, perhaps through παῖδες, even υἱοί and τέκνα (cf. Reseh, ‘ Agrapha,’ p. 277), but even then it is unlikely that the former and harder reading should be only due to a mistake for the latter. That the harder and metaphorical should be changed into the easier and more literal, even as early as St. Luke’s time, appears much more probable. Matthew 11:19.”

Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.

14.) Wisdom is vindicated by all her children.

Luk 7:35, “And yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 35. – But wisdom is justified of all her children. One of those bright, wise sayings of the Son of man which belong not to the society of Capernaum and Jerusalem, but which are the heritage of all ages. The words find their fulfilment in all those holy and humble men of heart – rich as well as poor – who rejoice in goodness and purity, in self-denying love and bright faith, whether it be preached or advocated by a Fenelon or a Wesley. Luke 7:35”

Wisdom is vindicated by all her children.

15.) Wisdom is that which comes down from above.

Jas 3:15, “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

This wisdom descendeth not from above – Compare the notes at 1 Corinthians 3:3. The wisdom here referred to is that carnal or worldly wisdom which produces strife and contention; that kind of knowledge which leads to self-conceit, and which prompts a man to defend his opinions with over-heated zeal. In the contentions which are in the world, in church and state, in neighborhoods and families, at the bar, in political life, and in theological disputes, even where there is the manifestation of enraged and irascible feeling, there is often much of a certain kind of wisdom. There is learning, shrewdness, tact, logical skill, subtle and skilful argumentation – “making the worse appear the better reason;” but all this is often connected with a spirit so narrow, bigoted, and contentious, as to show clearly that it has not its origin in heaven. The spirit which is originated there is always connected with gentleness, calmness, and a love of truth.

But is earthly – Has its origin in this world, and partakes of its spirit. It is such as men exhibit who are governed only by worldly maxims and principles.

Sensual – Margin, “natural.” The meaning is, that it has its origin in our sensual rather than in our intellectual and moral nature. It is that which takes counsel of our natural appetites and propensities, and not of high and spiritual influences.

devilish – Demoniacal (δαιμονιώδης daimoniōdēs). Such as the demons exhibit. See the notes at James 2:19. There may be indeed talent in it, but there is the intermingling of malignant passions, and it leads to contentions, strifes, divisions, and “every evil work.”

Wisdom comes down from above.

16.) The wisdom of the angel of God knows all that is on the earth.

2Sa 14:20, “In order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is on the earth.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 20. – To fetch about this form of speech; correctly, as in the Revised Version, to change the face of the matter hath thy servant Joab, etc. The matter was that referred to in ver. 15, which the king now understands to refer to Absalom. For in the earth, translate in the land. The Hebrew has no means of distinguishing the wider and narrower significations of the word; but while the king would be flattered by the supposition that he knew all that happened in his dominions, the assertion that he knew all that was done in all the world was too broad and general to be agreeable. The Authorized Version has been misled by the thought of what an angel might know; but while it was a compliment to ascribe to the king an angel’s intelligence in his own sphere, it would have been bad taste and unmeaning to ascribe to him omniscience. Nay, it is an assumption without proof that even an angel knows “all things that are in the earth.” 2 Samuel 14:20.”

The wisdom of the angel of God who knows all that is on the earth.

17.) The wisdom of Solomon is of very great discernment and breath of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore.

1Ki 4:29, “Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

29–34. The wisdom and fame of Solomon (Not in Chronicles)
29. largeness of heart] By this is meant a comprehensive powerful mind capable of grasping the knowledge of many and difficult subjects; poetry, philosophy, natural history in its various branches; he was master of them all.
as the sand that is on the sea shore] The proverbial expression for greatness of every kind. See above 1 Kings 4:20.”

The wisdom of Solomon was of great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore.

18.) Where then does wisdom come from?

Job 28:20, “Where then does wisdom come from?

And where is this place of understanding?”

Benson Commentary

Job 28:20-21. Whence then cometh wisdom, &c. — By what means, then, shall we get this precious treasure of wisdom, of which we are so desirous? Who can show us where it lies, that we may go and search for it? By a diligent prosecution of this inquiry he brings us at length to this issue: That there is a two-fold wisdom; one hid in God, which is secret, and belongs not to us; the other made known by him, and revealed to man, which belongs to us and to our children. It is hid from the eyes of all living — Of all men that live upon the earth. And kept close from the fowls of the air — Though they fly high, and can see far and clearly, they cannot discern this: men of the most exalted and comprehensive minds, of the most enlarged and elevated understanding, cannot discover it: however acute their discernment may be, and however high their thoughts may soar, yet they cannot rise to this height, they cannot comprehend this. The line and plummet of human reason can never fathom the abyss of the divine counsels. Who can account for the maxims, measures, and methods of God’s government? Let us then be content, not to know the future events of Providence, till time discovers them; and not to know the secret reasons of Providence, till eternity brings them to light.”

Wisdom comes from God, from above.

19.) The fear of the Lord is wisdom.

Job 28:28, “And to mankind He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

and unto man he said] This ordinance in regard to man is also considered contemporary with creation; then God saw and searched out Wisdom, and at the same time, as suitable to man’s place, He ordained for him his Wisdom, which is the fear of the Lord and to depart from evil.
The Wisdom spoken of throughout the chapter is a possession of God alone, it is His who is Creator; man has a wisdom also, which is that of the creature, to fear the Lord. There is not, however, in all the chapter the shadow of a complaint; there is no turning of the spirit against God (ch. Job 15:13) under the feeling that the “envious” Creator has reserved the higher insight for Himself, and only bound on mankind the heavy burden of “fearing” Him. Such a thought is wholly at variance with the spirit of the passage. The speaker is calm and reflective and, to all appearance, satisfied that things are as we see them because they could not be otherwise.
Wisdom is the idea or principle lying under the order of the Universe, the world plan. This order of the world, however, is not a mere physical one, an order of “nature.” Such an idea as “nature” was foreign to the Hebrew mind. Equally unknown was the idea of a mere physical constitution of things. The constitution of the world was moral, and hence the life and destinies of men, no less than the phenomena of the world, were comprised under Wisdom.
When it is said that Wisdom has no place where it can be found and can be purchased for no price, the language is based upon the conception of Wisdom as an objective thing; but the meaning is that intellectual apprehension of the scope of the phenomena of the world and the events of man’s life is beyond the reach of man; such knowledge belongs only to God, who made the world.
To inculcate this truth and the other truth related to it, that man’s wisdom is the fear of the Lord, is the object of the chapter.
It seems an entire misapprehension of the meaning of the passage when it is regarded as teaching that “Wisdom, unlike earthly treasures, is nowhere to be found in the visible, sensible world”; that “not in the world of sense, but only from and with God can it be acquired, through the fear of God.” The distinctions introduced here are modern. The passage teaches that Wisdom cannot be found either in the visible or the invisible world (Job 28:22), neither by man nor by any creature (Job 28:21). It is a thing possible to God alone; and man does not attain to it through the fear of the Lord,—the fear of the Lord is the substitute ordained for man instead of it; for as the absolute Wisdom belongs to the Creator, so the fear of the Lord is the wisdom that befits the creature.
The connexion between chapters 27 and 28 is difficult to perceive. Very many suggestions have been offered, of which two may be noticed.
Chap. 27 ends with a dark picture of the fate of the wicked at “the hand of God,” and ch. 28 begins, “for there is a vein for the silver … but where shall Wisdom be found?” As Job in ch. 27 is understood to be modifying his former statements he is supposed by some to speak thus: “I concede that such (ch. Job 27:13-23) is the fate of the wicked [but all riddles of Providence are not thereby solved, for example the afflictions of just men like myself, nor can they be solved] for, though men may attain to much by their skill and insight, Wisdom is beyond them.” This makes the whole of ch. 28, introduced by for, the support of a thought which is not expressed nor even hinted at, but merely interpolated from the mind of the commentator.
Others, assuming Job to be the speaker, connect thus: “such (ch. Job 27:13-23) is the disastrous fate of the wicked [and it must be so] for Wisdom [which is the way to prosperity in life] can be reached only through the fear of the Lord [which such men have rejected”]. Apart from the strong interpolations needful to help out the thought, the extraordinary circumlocution, in the shape of the long disquisition on Wisdom, which the speaker is supposed to employ in order to express his idea, marks this attempt to construct a bridge between the two chapters as desperate. Besides, if the remarks made above in regard to the general meaning of ch. 28 have any worth, the attempt is based upon a reading of the sense of that chapter which is entirely wrong.”

The fear of the Lord is wisdom.

20.) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Psa 111:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning

of wisdom; all those who follow His commandments have a good understanding; His praise endures forever.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom] The fundamental principle of the ‘Wisdom’ or religious philosophy of Israel (Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 1:7; Job 28:28; Sir 1:20). The A.V. reverend in Psalm 111:9 obscures the close connexion between this verse and Psalm 111:9. Jehovah has revealed Himself as One Who is to be feared; to fear Him therefore is the starting point of all true wisdom; and Psalms 112 developes the thought of the happiness of the man whose life is governed by this principle. In connexion with the attribute holy in Psalm 111:9 c it may be noted that Proverbs 9:10 adds, “and the knowledge of the Holy One is discernment.”
a good understanding] A.V. marg. good success, R.V. marg. good repute. The cognate verb often denotes success resulting from intelligence, and in Proverbs 3:4 the word approximates to the meaning repute, but it is best to retain the rendering understanding. Cp. Proverbs 13:15.
that do his commandments] Heb. that do them; i.e. all that is implied in the fear of Jehovah. Insight is the reward of obedience. Cp. John 7:17. R.V. restores Coverdale’s that do thereafter.
his praise standeth fast for ever] All the attributes of Jehovah which demand man’s praise are, like His righteousness (Psalm 111:3), eternal. Thus the Psalmist rounds off his song by returning to the thought with which he began it, and gives the reason for the Hallelujah prefixed to it.”

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Pro 9:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of

wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,…. This shows who the wise men are, and in what true wisdom lies; no man is wise till he fears the Lord, and he that does so is a wise man, at least then he begins to be one; this is the principal part of wisdom, Proverbs 1:7; and is at the first of it; it is the beginning of grace; it is the first act of wisdom, or grace; or which appears as soon as a man is converted and caused to know wisdom in the hidden part; as repentance, faith, and love, quickly show themselves in one act or another, so does the fear of God; for the former are never without the latter; for fear is an awe and reverence of the divine Being, joined with love to him, trust in him, and a desire to serve and worship him in a right manner; no sooner is a man converted, but presently there is in him a fear of offending God, from a principle of love to him; for not a slavish but a filial fear is here intended;

and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding: either the knowledge of the Holy Ones, as the three divine Persons in the Godhead, who are so called, Joshua 24:19; the knowledge of God the Father, who is holy in his nature and works; not a mere natural knowledge of him by the light of nature; nor a mere notional knowledge of him by revelation; not a legal knowledge of him as a lawgiver, and an offended Judge; but an evangelical knowledge of him in Christ, as his God and Father; and as the God of all grace in him; so as to have faith and hope in him, access unto him, and communion with him; this is right understanding: so the knowledge of Christ, God’s Holy One; a knowledge of him in his person, offices, and grace; an inward knowledge of him, a spiritual acquaintance with him, so as to approve of him, believe in him, and appropriate him to one’s self; this is to attain to a good degree of understanding: as likewise the knowledge of the Holy Spirit, the author of sanctification; of his person, and operations of grace; as a convincer and comforter; as a Spirit of illumination and faith, of regeneration and sanctification; and as the Spirit of adoption, and the earnest of glory; this is another branch of spiritual understanding. Moreover, such knowledge which holy men have, and which makes them so; and which holy men of God, moved by the Holy Ghost, have communicated in the sacred Scriptures, of which they are the penmen. The knowledge of holy things may also be meant; of the holy mysteries of religion, of the holy doctrines of the Gospel, which are all according to godliness, and teach men to live in a holy manner: the faith once delivered to the saints is a most holy faith, encourages and promotes holiness of heart and life; as the doctrines of God’s everlasting love; eternal election; the unconditionality of the covenant of grace; redemption by Christ; conversion by efficacious grace; justification by Christ’s righteousness; pardon by his blood; satisfaction by his sacrifice; and perseverance by his power: and now a knowledge of these things, not notional, but experimental, is understanding indeed; as well as a knowledge of holy and gracious experiences.”

Pro 2:7, “He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. – Wisdom which is the foundation of security and safety, and hence is sound wisdom, is that which God treasures up for the righteous. The teacher passes to another phase of the Divine character. God is not only the Source of wisdom; he is also the Ensurer of safety, the Source of salvation to those who act uprightly. It will be noted that the use of the word is confined to the Proverbs and Job, with the exception of the two passages in Isaiah and Micah. Buckler. Besides storing up the treasures of sound wisdom, which the righteous may use and so obtain security in their uprightness, God is himself a Buckler, or Shield (מָגֵן, magen), to those who walk in innocence. This aspect of God’s directly protecting power is met with in other parts of Scripture. In Genesis 15:1 he encourages Abram with the assurance, “I am thy Shield.” In Psalm 33:20; Psalm 84:11; Psalm 89:18; Psalm 144:2, Jehovah is called a Shield to his saints. He renders them security against the assaults of their enemies, and especially against the fiery darts of the wicked one. Again, in Proverbs 30:5, it is said, “God is a Shield (magen) up to them that walk uprightly.” It is incorrect to take מָגֵן (magen) either as an accusative after the verb or in apposition with “sound wisdom.” To them that walk uprightly; literally, to the walkers in innocence (לְחֹלֵכֵי תֹם, l’khol’key thom). תֹם (thom) is “integrity of mind,” “moral faultlessness,” “innocence.” “To walk uprightly” is to maintain a course of life regulated by right principles, and directed to right ends. He “walks uprightly who lives with the fear of God as his principle, the Word of God as his rule, and the glory of God as his end” (Wardlaw). The completeness of the moral and religious character is involved in the expression which is found also in Proverbs 10:9 and Psalm 84:11. The Vulgate translates the latter clause of the verse, proteget gradientes simpliciter, “he will protect those who walk in simplicity;” cf. 2 Corinthians 1:12 in illustration of the phrase. He layeth up; i.e. he treasures up (LXX., θησαυρίζειν), or preserves and protects (custodire, Vulgate), as a person does “treasure or jewel, that it may not be stolen” (Zockler). The majority of commentators read the Keri (יִצפֹן, “he will treasure up,” future of צָפַן) in preference to the Khetib (צָפַן, perfect of same verb, with prefix וְ, “and he treasured up”), and this is the; reading adopted in the Authorized Version. The Keri implies that God does treasure up sound wisdom, while the Khetib, as Delitzsch observes, has the force of the aorist, and so represents the treasuring up as an accomplished fact. The same verb occurs in Proverbs 2:1, where it is translated in the Authorized Version by “hide,” and also in Proverbs 7:1 and Proverbs 10:14 by “lay up.” The laying up, or treasuring, points to the preciousness of that which is treasured, “sound wisdom.” Sound wisdom. A great variety of opinions exists as to the true meaning of the word in the original, תְוּשִׁיָה (tvushiyyah), of which “sound wisdom” is an interpretation. Zockler explains it as “wisdom, reflection;” Delitzsch, as “advancement and promotion;” Dathe, as “solid fortune;” Gesenius, as “aid.” The proper meaning of the word seems to he “substance,” from the root יָשָׁה, “to be, to exist, to be firm.” Professor Lee remarks on the word, “From the places in which it occurs, either wealth, thought, or some such sense it manifestly requires. It occurs in Job 6:13, in parallelism with ‘help;’ in Proverbs 2:7, with a ‘shield;’ in Job 1:6, with ‘wisdom;’ in Job 12:16, with ‘strength;’ in Proverbs 3:21, with ‘discretion;’ in Proverbs 8:14, with ‘counsel’ and ‘understanding;’ in Isaiah 28:29, with ‘counsel;’ and so in Job 26:3. In Job 30:22 and Micah 6:9, ‘entirely’ or the like seems to suit the context; see also Proverbs 18:1, and generally ‘excess,’ or ‘abundance,’ taken either in a good or bad sense, and varied by other considerations, seems to prevail in every case in which this word is used” (see Professor Lee, on Job 5:12). The parallelism of the passage before us seems to require that it should be understood in the sense of security; and transferring the idea to wisdom as the means of security. This idea is reproduced in the LXX. σωτήρια, the Vulgate salus, and the Targum incolumitas. Proverbs 2:7.”

Pro 15:33, “The fear of the LORD is the instruction

for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 33. – The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; that which leads to and gives wisdom (see Proverbs 1:3, 7, etc.; Proverbs 9:10). ‘Pirke Aboth,’ 3:26, “No wisdom, no fear of God; no fear of God, no wisdom. No knowledge, no discernment; no discernment, no knowledge.” Before honour is humility (Proverbs 18:12). A man who fears God must be humble, and as the fear of God leads to wisdom, it may be said that humility leads to the honour and glory of being wise and reckoned among the wise (ver. 31). A man with a lowly opinion of himself will hearken to the teaching of the wise, and scrupulously obey the Law of God, and will be blessed in his ways. For “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6; comp. Luke 1:52). The maxim in the second clause has a general application. “He that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12; comp. Luke 14:11; James 4:6). It is sanctioned by the example of Christ himself, the Spirit itself testifying beforehand his sufferings that were to precede his glory (1 Peter 1:11; see also Philippians 2:5, etc.). Septuagint, “The fear of the Lord is discipline and wisdom, and the beginning of glory shall answer to it.” Another reading adds, “Glory goeth before the humble,” which is explained to mean that the humble set before their eyes the reward that awaits their humility, and patiently endure, like Christ, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

21.) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Pro 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

This verse stands out as the motto, or key-note, both of the whole Book, and of the whole subject of which the Book treats. I am offering, the writer would seem to say, to give you the right of entering into the House of Knowledge, to conduct you through some of its goodly chambers, to display to you a portion of the rich and varied treasures with which it is stored. But as you approach the portal, note well the inscription which is traced above it: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. The House is not a Palace only, but a Temple. They only who reverence the Deity who inhabits it are admitted within the shrine. It is the Temple of God; yet not that only but of Jehovah, the God of Israel, the God of revelation and of covenant. To recognise this is the beginning, the necessary condition, the essential pre-requisite of knowledge. Those who seek knowledge in any other spirit or by any other path, really “despise wisdom and discipline,” and in so doing shew themselves to be not wise men but “fools.” See further, Introd. ch. i. p. 10.
The fear] not slavish dread, the “fear that hath torment” (1 John 4:18), but childlike reverence. See Malachi 3:16-17; Luke 12:5; Luke 12:7. In the LXX. this verse has been amplified by the addition of ἀρχὴ σοφίας φόβος κυρίου, σύνεσις δὲ ἀγαθὴ πᾶσι τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν, from Psalm 111:10.
the beginning] “the beginning and foundation of all knowledge,” Maur. This is better than the chief part, R.V. marg. Comp. Proverbs 9:10, where however the Heb. is different.
instruction] Rather, discipline. See note Proverbs 1:2.”

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

22.) Blessed is a person who finds wisdom.

Pro 3:13, “Blessed is a person who finds wisdom, and one who obtains understanding.”

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 3:13-15. Happy is the man — Notwithstanding all his afflictions; that findeth wisdom — Which supposes his diligent searching for it, expressed Proverbs 2:4. And the man that getteth — Hebrew, יפיק, that draweth out, understanding — Which expression implies two things: 1st, That man hath it not naturally in himself, but must have it from another, even from God and his word; 2d, That men should labour for it as those labour that dig and draw forth metals out of the earth. For the merchandise of it, &c. — It is more necessary and advantageous, because it is so, not only for this short life, but also for the future and everlasting life, in which gold and silver bear no price. All the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her — For true worth and usefulness.

Blessed is a person who finds wisdom.

23.) Wisdom is sound and has advice.

Pro 8:14, “Advice is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 14. – Having said what she hates, Wisdom now says what she is, and what she can bestow on her followers. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom. There is some doubt about the meaning of the word translated “sound wisdom” (tushiyyah). The Vulgate has aequitas; the Septuagint, ἀσφάλεια, “safety.” The word occurs elsewhere in this book and in Job, but only in two other places of Scripture, viz. Isaiah 28:29 and Micah 6:9. It means properly “elevation” or “furtherance,” or, as others say, “substance;” and then that which is essentially good end useful, which may be wisdom, aid, or security (see on Proverbs 2:7). Wisdom affirms that she possesses counsel and all that can help forward righteousness; see Job 12:13, 16, passages very similar to the present (comp. Wisd. 8:9, etc.). I am understanding. Wisdom does not merely possess these attributes; they are her very nature, as it is said, “God is love” St. Jerome’s mea est prudentia, and the LXX.’s ἐμὴ φρόνησις, lose this trait. I have strength. Wisdom directs the energies and powers of her pupils, which without her control would be spent wrongly or uselessly (comp. Ecclesiastes 7:19). Wisdom, understanding, and might are named among the seven gifts of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2; and we may see in the passage generally an adumbration of him who is called “Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6). Proverbs 8:14.”

Wisdom is sound and has advice.

24.) There is wisdom with the humble.

Pro 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes dishonor; but with the humble there is wisdom.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. – Then cometh shame (Proverbs 16:18: 18:12); literally, cometh pride, cometh also shame. Pride shall have a fall; self-assertion and self-confidence shall meet with mortification and disgrace in the end. “Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased” (Luke 14:11); “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Septuagint, “Where violence (ὅβρις) entereth, there also dishonor.” But with the lowly is wisdom. “Mysteries are revealed unto the meek” (Ecclus. 3:19, Complutensian; Psalm 25:9, 14). The humble are already rewarded with wisdom because their disposition fits them to receive grace and God’s gifts (comp. Proverbs 15:33). Septuagint, “The mouth of the humble meditateth wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2.”

There is wisdom with the humble.

25.) The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way.

Pro 14:8, “The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, but the foolishness of fools is deceit.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. – The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way. The wisdom of the prudent is shown by his considering whither his actions lead, the motives from which they spring, the results that attend them. As the apostle enjoins (Ephesians 5:15), “See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.” Or the clause may be taken as enjoining a wise choice in life, a selection of such a calling or occupation as best suits one’s capabilities, station, and opportunities. The folly of fools is deceit. This is not self-deceit, which the word does not denote, but deceit of others. Stupid persons show their folly in trying to cheat others, though they are sure to be detected, and their fraud recoils on themselves. In the case of fools, what they would call wisdom is folly; hence the wording of the sentence. Proverbs 14:8.”

A person who does not understand what he is doing does not understand his way. A person who does not understand his way has no wisdom.

26.) Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding.

Pro 14:33, “Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, but among fools it is made known.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 33. – Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding. The wise man is not always blurting out and making a display of his wisdom; he lets it lie still and hidden till there is occasion to use it with effect (Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 12:23). But that which is in the midst of fools is made known; literally and better, but in the midst of fools it, wisdom, maketh itself known. That is, in contrast to the folly of fools, wisdom is seen to great advantage; or, it may be, the conceited display of the fool’s so called wisdom is contrasted with the modesty and reticence of the really intelligent man. “A fool’s heart is ever dancing on his lips,” says a proverb. So Ecclus. 21:26, “The heart of fools is in their mouth; but the mouth of the wise is in their heart.” Theognia, 1163 –
Ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ γκῶσσα καὶ οὔατα καὶ νόος ἀνδρῶν
Ἐν μέσσῳ στηθέων ἐν αυνετοις φύεται.
“The eyes, and tongue, and ears, and mind alike
Are centred in the bosom of the wise.” Vulgate, “In the heart of the prudent resteth wisdom, and it will teach all the unlearned.” Wisdom sits enshrined in the intelligent man’s mind, and thence disseminates instruction and light around to all who need it. The Septuagint, with which agree the Syriac, Aquila, and Theodotion, inserts a negative in the second clause, thus: “In the good heart of a man shall rest wisdom, but in the heart of fools it is not discerned” (Wisd. 1:4). Proverbs 14:33.”

Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding.

27.) It is much better to get wisdom than gold.

Pro 16:16, “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!

And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 16. – To get wisdom than gold (comp, Proverbs 3:14; Proverbs 8:10, 11, 19); and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver; Revised Version better, yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than [to get] silver. If the clauses are not simply parallel, and the comparative value of silver and gold is So be considered, we may, with Wordsworth, see here an intimation of the superiority of wisdom (chochmah) over intelligence (binah), the former being the guide of life and including the practice of religion, the latter denoting discernment, the faculty of distinguishing between one thing and another (see note on Proverbs 28:4, and the quotation from ‘Pirke Aboth’ on Proverbs 15:33). The LXX., for kenoh reading kinnot, have given a version of which the Fathers have largely availed themselves: “The nests of wisdom are preferable to gold, and the nests of knowledge are preferable above silver.” Some of the old commentators take these “nests” to be the problems and apothegms which enshrine wisdom; others consider them to mean the children or scholars who are taught by the wise man. Proverbs 16:16.”

In August 1964, an ounce of gold was $365.40,

According to https://www.exchange-rates.org/precious-metals/gold-price/united-states/2025

“The average price of gold in 2025 was $3,110.47 per ounce.”

I am afraid even today, there are more peoples who want gold than wisdom. It is much better to get wisdom than gold.

28.) There is no wisdom in planning against the Lord.

Pro 21:30, “There is no wisdom, no understanding, and no plan against the LORD.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

There is no wisdom nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. No human schemes whatever, formed with the greatest wisdom and prudence, can ever prevail against God, or set aside or hinder the execution of any design of his; nothing that is pointed against his church, his cause, and interest, his truths and ordinances, in the issue shall succeed; all that are found fighters against him shall not prosper, let them be men of ever so much sagacity and wisdom; though there may be ever so many devices in a man’s heart, and these ever so well planned, they shall never defeat the counsel of the Lord; see Proverbs 19:21. The Targum is,

“there is no wisdom, &c. as God’s;”

and so the Syriac version, “as the Lord’s”; there is none like his, there is none to be compared with his; there is none of any value and worth but his; all is folly in comparison of that: or there is none “before the Lord” (n); no wisdom of the creature can stand before him, it presently vanishes and disappears.”

To plan against the Lord has no wisdom.

29.) By wisdom a house is built.

Pro 24:3, “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Through wisdom is a house builded,…. A family is built up, furnished and supplied with the necessaries and conveniences of life, and brought into flourishing and prosperous circumstances, by wise and prudent management, by diligence and industry, through the blessing of God upon them, without taking such methods as evil men do. The house of God, the church of the living God, is built by Wisdom, that is, by Christ; on a good foundation, a rock, upon himself, against which the gates of hell can never prevail; see Proverbs 9:1. Every good man’s house, himself, his soul, and the eternal salvation of it, are built on the same; and he is a wise man that builds his house through wisdom; that builds on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the one and only foundation which God has laid, which is Jesus Christ;

and by understanding it is established; the prosperity of a man’s family is continued and secured by his prudent conduct. The church of God is established by Christ, who is understanding as well as wisdom; see Proverbs 8:14; and every true believer is established in Christ, and in the faith of him; and that as he has more and more an understanding of him and of divine things.”

By the way, Pro 14:1, “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.”

I shall not dwell on it because it is another subject.

Building a house requires wisdom, destruction is folly.

30.) It is a sorry task to seek and explore by wisdom.

Ecc 1:13, “And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom about everything that has been done under heaven. It is a sorry task with which God has given the sons of mankind to be troubled.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. – I gave my heart (ver. 17; Ecclesiastes 7:25; Daniel 10:12). The heart, in the Hebrew conception, was the seat, not of the affections only, but of the understanding and intellectual faculties generally. So the expression here is equivalent to “I applied my mind.” To seek and search out. The two words are not synonymous. The former verb (דָּרַשׁ, darash) implies penetrating into the depth of an object before one; the other word (תּוּר, tur) taking a comprehensive survey of matters further away; so that two methods and scopes of investigation are signified. By wisdom; ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ (Septuagint). Wisdom was the means or instrument by which he carried on his researches, which were directed, not merely to the collecting of facts, but to investigating the causes and conditions of things. Concerning all things that are done under heaven; i.e. men’s actions and conduct, political, social, and private life. We have “under the sun” in ver. 9, and again in ver. 14. Here there is no question of physical matters, the phenomena of the material world, but only of human circumstances and interests. This sore travail (rather, this is a sore travail that) God hath given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. The word rendered “travail” (עִנְיָן, inyan) occurs often in this book (e.g., Ecclesiastes 2:23, 26, etc.), and nowhere else in the Old Testament. The same root is found in the word translated “exercised;” hence Wright has, “It is a woeful exercise which God has given to the sons of men wherewith to exercise themselves.” If we keep to the word “travail,” we may render, “to travail therein.” It implies distracting business, engrossing occupation. Septuagint, περισπασμόν; Vulgate, occupationem. Man feels himself constrained to make this laborious investigation, yet the result is most unsatisfactory, as the next verse shows. “God” is here Elohim, and so throughout the book, the name Jehovah (the God of the covenant, the God of Israel) never once occurring. Those who regard Solomon as the author of the book account for this on the plea that the king, in his latest years, reflecting sadly on his backsliding and fall, shrank from uttering with his polluted lips the adorable Name once so often used with filial reverence and beloved. But the true reason is found in the design of Koheleth, which was to set forth, not so much Israel’s position under the covenant, as the condition of man in the face of the God of nature. The idiosyncrasies and peculiar features of the chosen people are not the subject of his essay; he deals with a wider sphere; his theme is man in his relation to Divine providence; and for this power he uses that name, common alike to the true and false religions, Elohim, applied to the Supreme Being by believers and idolaters. Ecclesiastes 1:13.”

It is a sorry task to seek and explore by wisdom about everything that has been done under heaven.

31.) It is striving after wind to know wisdom, insanity and foolishness.

Ecc 1:17, “And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know insanity and foolishness; I realized that this also is striving after wind.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. – And I gave my heart. He reiterates the expression in order to emphasize his earnestness and energy in the pursuit of wisdom. And knowing, as St. Jerome says, that “contrariis contraria inteiliguntur,” he studies the opposite of wisdom, and learns the truth by contrasting it with error. And to know madness and folly (Ecclesiastes 2:12). The former word, holeloth (intensive plural), by its etymology points to a confusion of thought, i.e. an unwisdom which deranges all ideas of order and propriety; and folly (hero sikluth), throughout the sapiential books, is identified with vice and wickedness, the contradictory of practical godliness. The LXX. has παραβολὰς καὶ ἐπιστήμην, “parables and knowledge,” and some editors have altered the Hebrew text in accordance with this version, which they consider more suitable to the context. But Koheleth’s standpoint is quite consistent. To use the words of St. Jerome in his ‘Commentary,’ “AEqualis studii fuit Salomoni, scire sapientiam et scientiam, et e regione errores et stultitiam, ut in aliis appetendis et aliis declinandis vera ejus sapientia probaretur.” On the other hand, Den-Sirs gives a much-needed warning against touching pitch (Ecclus. 13:1), and argues expressly that “the knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom” (Ecclus. 19:22). Plumptre unnecessarily sees in the use of the term” madness ‘an echo of the teaching of the Stoics, who regarded men’s weaknesses as forms of insanity. The moralist had no need to travel beyond his own experience in order to learn that sin was the acme of unwisdom, a declension from reason which might well be called madness. The subject is handled by Cicero, ‘Tusc. Disput.,’ 3:4, 5. We are reminded of Horace’s expression (‘Carm.,’ 2:7. 27) –
“Recepto Dulce mihi furere est amico.” And Anacreon’s (31.), Θέλω θέλω μανῆναι. Thus far we have had Koheleth’s secret thoughts – what he communed with his own heart (ver. 16). The result of his studies was most unsatisfying I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit; or, a striving after wind, as ver. 14 Though the word is somewhat different. As such labor is wasted, for man cannot control issues. Ecclesiastes 1:17.”

Recepto Dulce mihi furere est amico: Receiving candy makes me crazy with joy.

Θέλω θέλω μανῆναι.

The wise want to know.

It is striving after the wind to know wisdom, insanity and foolishness.

32.) There is much grief in much wisdom.

Ecc 1:18, “Because in much wisdom there is

much grief; and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.”

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

1:12-18 Solomon tried all things, and found them vanity. He found his searches after knowledge weariness, not only to the flesh, but to the mind. The more he saw of the works done under the sun, the more he saw their vanity; and the sight often vexed his spirit. He could neither gain that satisfaction to himself, nor do that good to others, which he expected. Even the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom discovered man’s wickedness and misery; so that the more he knew, the more he saw cause to lament and mourn. Let us learn to hate and fear sin, the cause of all this vanity and misery; to value Christ; to seek rest in the knowledge, love, and service of the Saviour.”

In much wisdom there is much grief.

33.) It is futility and a great evil to give legacy to one who has not labored for wisdom, knowledge, and skill.

Ecc 2:21, “When there is a person who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then gives his legacy to one who has not labored for it; this too is futility and a great evil.”

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

2:18-26 Our hearts are very loth to quit their expectations of great things from the creature; but Solomon came to this at length. The world is a vale of tears, even to those that have much of it. See what fools they are, who make themselves drudges to the world, which affords a man nothing better than subsistence for the body. And the utmost he can attain in this respect is to allow himself a sober, cheerful use thereof, according to his rank and condition. But we must enjoy good in our labour; we must use those things to make us diligent and cheerful in worldly business. And this is the gift of God. Riches are a blessing or a curse to a man, according as he has, or has not, a heart to make a good use of them. To those that are accepted of the Lord, he gives joy and satisfaction in the knowledge and love of him. But to the sinner he allots labour, sorrow, vanity, and vexation, in seeking a worldly portion, which yet afterwards comes into better hands. Let the sinner seriously consider his latter end. To seek a lasting portion in the love of Christ and the blessings it bestows, is the only way to true and satisfying enjoyment even of this present world.

It is futility and a great evil to give the legacy to one who has not labored for wisdom, knowledge, and skill.

34.) God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy to a person who is good in His sight.

Ecc 2:26, “For to a person who is good in His sight, He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is futility and striving after wind.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 26. – For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight. The subject “God” is not, in the Hebrew, an omission which is supposed to justify its virtual insertion in ver. 25. The Vulgate boldly supplies it here, Homini bone in conspectu sue dedit Deus. To the man that finds favor in God’s sight (1 Samuel 29:6; Nehemiah 2:5), i.e. who pleases him, ha gives blessings, while he withholds them or takes them away from the man who displeases him. The blessings specified are wisdom, and knowledge, and joy. The only true wisdom which is not grief, the only true knowledge which is not sorrow (Ecclesiastes 1:18), and the only joy in life, are the gifts of God to those whom he regards as good. But to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up. The sinner takes great pains, expends continuous labor, that he may amass wealth, but it passes into other. (more worthy) hands. Horace, ‘Carm.,’ 2:14. 25 – “Absumet heres Caecuba dignior Servata centum clavibus.” The moral government of God is here recognized, as below, Ecclesiastes 3:15, 17, etc., and a further thought is added on the subject of retribution: That he may give to him that is good before God. This idea is found in Proverbs 28:8, “He that augmenteth his substance by usury and increase, gathereth it for him that hath pity upon the poor;” and Ecclesiastes 13:22, “The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous” (comp. Job 27:16, 17). So in the parable of the talents, the talent of the unprofitable servant is given unto him who had made best use of his money (Matthew 25:28). This also is vanity. It is a question what is the reference here. Delitzsch considers it to be the striving after pleasure in and from labor (ver. 24); Knobel, the arbitrary distribution of the good things of this life; but, put thus baldly, this could hardly be termed a “feeding on wind;” nor could that expression be applied to the “gifts of God” to which Bullock confines the reference. Wright, Hengstenberg, Gratz, and others deem that what is meant is the collecting and heaping up of riches by the sinner, which has already been decided to be vanity (vers. 11, 17, 18); and this Would limit the general conclusion to a particular instance. Taking the view contained in ver. 24 as the central idea of the passage, we see that Koheleth feels that the restriction upon man’s enjoyment of labor imposed by God’s moral government makes that toil vain because its issue is not in men’s hands, and it is a striving for or a feeding on wind because the result is unsatisfying and vanishes in the grasp.”

God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy to a person who is good in His sight.

35.) Wisdom along with an inheritance is good.

Ecc 7:11, “Wisdom along with an inheritance is good,

And an advantage to those who see the sun.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. – Such hasty judgment is incompatible with true wisdom and sagacity. Wisdom is good with an inheritance; Septuagint, Ἀγαθὴ σοφία μετὰ κληρονομίας. Vulgate, Utilior eat sapientia cam divitiis. The sentence thus rendered seems to mean that wealth lends a prestige to wisdom, that the man is happy who possesses both. The inheritance spoken of is an hereditary one; the man who is “rich with ancestral wealth” is enabled to employ his wisdom to good purpose, his position adding weight to his words and actions, and relieving him from the low pursuit of money-making. To this effect Wright quotes Menander –
Μακάριος ὅστις οὐσίαν καὶ νοῦν ἕχει
Ξρῆται γὰρ οῦτος εἰς α} δεῖ ταύτῃ καλῶς.
“Blest is the man who wealth and wisdom hath,
For he can use his riches as he ought.” (Comp. Proverbs 14:24.) Many commentators, thinking such a sentiment alien front the context, render the particle עִם not “with,” but “as” Wisdom is [as] good as an inheritance” (see on Ecclesiastes 2:16). This is putting wisdom on rather a low platform, and one would have expected to read some such aphorism as “Wisdom is better than rubies” (Proverbs 8:11), if Koheleth had intended to make any such comparison. It appears then most expedient to take im in the sense of “moreover,” “as well as,” “and” (camp. 1 Samuel 17:42, “ruddy, and (ira) of a fair countenance”). “Wisdom is good, and an inheritance is good; ‘both are good, but the advantages of the former, as ver. 12 intimates, far outweigh those of the latter. And by it there is profit to them that see the sun; rather, and an advantage for those that see the, sun. However useful wealth may be, wisdom is that which is really beneficial to all who live and rejoice in the light of day. In Homer the phrase, ὁρᾶν φάος ἠελίοιο, “to see the light of the sun” (‘Iliad,’ 18:61), signifies merely “to live;” Plumptre considers it to be used here and in Ecclesiastes 19:7 in order to convey the thought that, after all, life has its bright side. Cox would take it to mean to live much in the sun, i.e. to lead an active life – which is an imported modern notion. Ecclesiastes 7:11.”

Wisdom along with an inheritance is good.

36.) A person’s wisdom makes his face shine.

Ecc 8:1, “Who is like a wise man?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
and the sternness of his face is changed.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1. Who is as the wise man?] The question comes in abruptly as from a teacher who calls the attention of his scholars to things that are φωνήεντα συνέτοισιν (“significant to those who understand”) and remind us of the “He that hath ears to hear let him hear” in our Lord’s teaching (Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:9; Mark 4:9). Something there was in what he is about to add, to be read between the lines. It required a á man to “know the interpretation” (the noun is Chaldaean and is found, with a slight variation, as the prominent word in Daniel 4:5; Daniel 4:7) of the “thing” or better, “of the word.” We find the probable explanation of this suggestive question in the fact that the writer veils a protest against despotism in the garb of the maxims of servility.
a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine] Literally, illuminates his face. The word paints with a wonderful vividness the almost trans-figuring effect of the “sweetness and light” of a serene wisdom, or of the joy that brightens a man’s countenance when he utters his Eureka over the solution of a long-pondered problem.
the boldness of his face shall be changed] Literally, the strength of face, i.e. its sternness. The words have been very variously translated, (1) as in the LXX. “his shameless face shall be hated,” (2) as by Ewald “the brightness of his countenance shall be doubled.” There is no ground, however, for rejecting the Authorised Version. The “boldness of the face” is, as in the “fierce countenance” of Deuteronomy 28:50; Daniel 8:23, the “impudent face” of Proverbs 7:13, the coarse ferocity of ignorance, and this is transformed by culture. The maxim is like that of the familiar lines of Ovid,
“Adde quod ingenuas didicisse fideliter artes,
Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros.”
“To learn in truth the nobler arts of life,
Makes manners gentle, rescues them from strife.”
Epp. ex Ponto ii. 9. 47.”

A man’s wisdom makes his face shine.

37.) Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success.

Ecc 10:10, “If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength.

Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

If the iron be blunt] The proverb seems obviously suggested by that of the preceding verse, but its meaning is far from clear. The axe (literally, the iron) is used to cut wood. What if it fail to cut (i. e. if, going below the imagery, the man has not the sharpness or strength to carry his plans promptly into effect), if he (the cutter down of trees) has not sharpened its edge, literally its face as in Ezekiel 21:21, i.e. if he has entered on his plans without due preparation. In that case he must “put to more strength,” must increase his force (i. e. the impact of his stroke). He will have to do by the iteration of main force what might have been effected by sagacity and finesse. So interpreted, the whole imagery is consistent. The man who enters on the perilous enterprise of reform or revolution has to face not only the danger that he may perish in the attempt, but the risk of failure through the disproportion of his resources to his ends. The meaning of the proverb would be clear to any one who united the character of an expert in felling timber with the experience of a political reformer. Briefly paraphrased, the maxim would run thus in colloquial English, “If you must cut down trees, take care that you sharpen your axe.”
but wisdom is profitable to direct] Better, But it is a gain to use wisdom with success, i.e. It is better to sharpen the axe than to go on hammering with a blunt one, better to succeed by skill and tact than by mere brute strength.”

Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success.

38.) Let no man boost of his wisdom, his might, nor his riches.

Jer 9:23, “This is what the LORD says: “Let no

wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty

man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,…. Not in his natural wisdom, or knowledge of natural things: this is often but an appearance of wisdom, and is science falsely so called; and whatever is real of this kind is of God; and the best falls short of leading men to a true and saving knowledge of God; the foolishness of God is wiser than it; and it is made foolish, destroyed, and brought to nought by him: nor in evangelical wisdom and knowledge; not in that which is less common, or what fits men for public usefulness, as ministerial gifts; for such are received from above; are more for the use of others than a man’s self; there is something better than these, which a man may not have, and yet have these, which is grace; those may fade, or be taken away; and a man have them, and be lost eternally: nor in that which is more general, speculative knowledge of Gospel truths; for if it is attended with conceit, it is little or nothing that a man knows; if he is proud of it, his knowledge is not sanctified; and it is no other than what the devils themselves have: nor in that which is more special; wisdom in the inward part, or a spiritual and saving knowledge of God in Christ; this a man has wholly of free grace, and should give the praise and glory of it to God, and not attribute it to himself:

neither let the mighty man glory in his might; not in his natural might or strength; this is of God, and is greater in some of the brutes than in men; and is what God can take away, and does often weaken it in the way by diseases, and at last destroys it by death; nor in moral strength, or in the power of free will; which is very weak and insufficient to do anything that is spiritually good: nor even in spiritual strength; this is from Christ; it is only through him strengthening his people that they do what they do; and all supplies and increase of it are from him; and therefore no room for glorying:

let not the rich man glory in his riches; these come of the hand of God, and are what he can take away at pleasure; they are very uncertain and precarious things; there is a better and more enduring substance; these cannot profit in a day of wrath, nor deliver from death, corporeal, spiritual, or eternal. And the intention of the words here is to show, that neither the wise man with all his art and cunning, nor the mighty man by his strength, nor the rich man through his riches, could save themselves from the destruction before prophesied of. The Targum paraphrases them thus,

“thus saith the Lord, let not Solomon the son of David the wise man praise (or please himself) in his wisdom; nor let Samson the son of Manoah the mighty man please himself in his might; nor let Ahab the son of Omri the rich man please himself in his riches.”

Let no man boost of his wisdom, his might, nor his riches.

39.) What is this wisdom that has been given to Him.

Mar 6:2, “And when the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man learn these

things, and what is this wisdom that has been given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. – As usual, he made the sabbath the special time for his teaching. And many hearing him were astonished. They were astonished at the ability, the sublimity, the holiness of his teaching, as well as at the signs and wonders by which he confirmed it. “Many” hearing him; not all. Some listened with faith; but “the many” (there is some authority for οἱ πολλοὶ)were envious of him. Whence hath this man these things? The expression, “this man,” is repeated, according to the best authorities, in the next clause, What is the wisdom that is given (not “unto him,” but) unto this man? There is a contemptuous tone about the expression. Mark 6:2.”

The wisdom that has been given to Jesus is without measure.

40.) Christ Jesus, who became to us Wisdom from God, and Righteousness and Sanctification, and Redemption.

1Co 1:30, “But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us Wsdom from God, and Righteousness and Sanctification, and Redemption.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus; of his grace ye are implanted into Christ, and believe in him. You are of him, not by creation only, as all creatures are, but by redemption and regeneration, which is in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom; the principal means by which we come to the knowledge of God, and an acquaintance with his will; for he is the image of the invisible God, Colossians 1:15. The brightness of his Father’s glory, and the express image of his person, Hebrews 1:3. God hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:6. So that he who hath seen him, hath seen the Father, John 14:9. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in him, Colossians 2:3. And no man knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him, Matthew 11:27. Thus, though God destroyed the wisdom of the wise, yet the Corinthians were not without wisdom; for God had made Christ to them wisdom, both causally, being the author of wisdom to them; and objectively, their wisdom lay in their knowledge of him, and in a fellowship and conmmnion with him. And whereas they wanted a righteousness in which they might stand before God justified and accepted, God had also made Christ to them righteousness: Sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, Romans 8:3,4.
And sanctification also, believers being renewed and sanctified by his Spirit.
And he is also made redemption: where by redemption is meant the redemption of the body, mentioned Romans 8:23; so as redemption here signifies the same with resurrection of the body. Christ is the resurrection, and the life, John 11:25.”

Christ Jesus, who became to us Wisdom from God, and Righteousness and Sanctification, and Redemption. Believers are justified by the Righteousnes of Christ, sanctified by His precious blood, and redeemed to be children of God.

41.) The wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God.

1Co 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is

foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE BY THEIR CRAFTINESS”.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; God accounteth that folly which the world calleth wisdom, and indeed it is so (for God cannot err, nor be mistaken in his judgment): the philosophers and wise men of the world propose the happiness of man as their end, which indeed is the true end which all men aim at, and do propound to themselves; true wisdom directeth the best means in order to the best end. Whatsoever directeth not to the best end, or to what is not the best means in order to that end, is not wisdom, but real folly; worldly wisdom neither directeth to the best end, for it looks at no further happiness than that of this life, nor yet to the best means, and therefore is truly, what God accounts it, foolishness.
For it is written: He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; and to see the wise and learned men of the world thus err both in their judgment and practice, is no wonder at all; for God is set out of old by Eliphaz, as one that taketh the wise in their own craftiness, Job 5:13.”

The wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God.

42.) Our proud confidence ins not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God.

2Co 1:12, “For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

For our rejoicing is this] “It is this,” says the Apostle, “which causes such a perennial flow of joy and consolation into my heart amid all my anxieties and distresses. I can feel in my conscience that what knits us together in sympathy is a Divine and not a human bond. On my part there is the inspiration from above, on yours the verifying faculty which enables you to recognize the truth of what I deliver to you.” This seems to be the connection of thought in this and the two following verses. The connection with what precedes appears to be the conviction of the Apostle that the honesty and genuineness of his efforts to minister Christ to the Corinthians have fairly entitled him to hope for a share in their prayers.
the testimony of our conscience] Cf. 1 Corinthians 4:4. Also Acts 23:1; Acts 24:16; Romans 9:1; 1 John 3:21.
that in simplicity and godly sincerity] For simplicity the best MSS. and editors read holiness; but simplicity, i.e. singleness of purpose, seems to suit the context best. The word translated sincerity, clenness, Wiclif, purenes, Tyndale, originally signifies that which is tested by the sun’s rays, and is therefore entirely transparent. See note on 1 Corinthians 5:8. See also ch. 2 Corinthians 2:17; Php 1:10; 2 Peter 3:1. The word sincerity was adopted by our translators from the Rhemish version. The words translated godly sincerity are in the original sincerity of God, i.e. either (1) that which is His gift, comes from Him, or, (2) that which is befitting His service, as in the A. V.
not with fleshly wisdom] Literally, in. Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:1; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Corinthians 2:13. These passages shew that there existed among the Corinthians a tendency to exalt the wisdom of this world, i.e. acquirements such as those of dialectic skill and rhetoric above the spiritual enlightenment obtained by the submission of the intellect and will to the direction of God.
but by the grace of God] Literally, in the grace of God, i.e. in possession of it. The word grace, like the Latin gratia, originally signified favour, kindness. St Paul here would say that his behaviour at Corinth, to which he appeals, was the result of the favour of God to him, enabling him to shape his life in obedience to God’s commands.
we have had our conversation] This word, which is a nearly literal rendering of the Greek, is derived from two Latin words signifying to turn together, and hence from the idea of having your attention turned to a thing, being versed in it, it has the signification of a man’s ordinary conduct in life. It has come to mean in modern English interchange of thought in speech. In the Epistle to the Philippians it is twice used as the translation of ‘citizenship.’
and more abundantly to you-wards] This either refers (1) to the special proofs the Apostle had given the Corinthians of his singleness of purpose and avoidance of fleshly wisdom, or (2) to the fact that he had remained longer at Corinth, and so had additional opportunities of displaying those qualities; or it has reference perhaps (3) to his self-abnegation in refusing to receive his maintenance at the hands of his Corinthian converts. Sec 1 Corinthians 9 and ch. 2 Corinthians 9:8-10.”

Our proud confidence is not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God.

If you have learned to conduct yourself in the world, “not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God,” you have not studied in vain.

43.) The Sacred Writings give you the wisdom.

2Ti 3:15, “and that from childhood you have known the Sacred Writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith

which is in Christ Jesus.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures,…. And therefore must know that the doctrines he had learned were agreeable to them; and so is another reason why he should continue in them. The Jews very early learned their children the holy Scripture. Philo the Jew says (w), “from their very infancy”; a phrase pretty much the same with this here used. It is a maxim with the Jews (x), that when a child was five years of age, it was proper to teach him the Scriptures. Timothy’s mother being a Jewess, trained him up early in the knowledge of these writings, with which he became very conversant, and under divine influence and assistance, arrived to a large understanding of them; and it is a practice that highly becomes Christian parents; it is one part of the nurture and admonition of the Lord they should bring up their children in: the wise man’s advice in Proverbs 22:6 is very good. From hence the apostle takes occasion to enter into a commendation of the sacred writings; and here, from the nature and character of them, calls them the

holy Scriptures; to distinguish them from profane writings; and that because the author of them is the Holy Spirit of God; and even the amanuenses of him, and the penmen of them, were holy men of God; the matter of them is holy, both law and Gospel; and the end of writing them is to promote holiness; the precepts, promises, and doctrines contained in them are calculated for that purpose; and even the account they give of the sins and failings of others, are for the admonition of men: and next these Scriptures are commended from the efficacy of them:

which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. Men are not wise of themselves; they are naturally without an understanding of spiritual things; and the things of the Spirit of God cannot be known by natural men, because they are spiritually discerned; particularly they are not wise in the business of salvation, of which either they are insensible themselves, and negligent; or foolishly build their hopes of it upon their civility, morality, legal righteousness, or an outward profession of religion: but the Scriptures are able to make men wise and knowing in this respect; for the Gospel is one part of the Scriptures, which is the Gospel of salvation, and shows unto men the way of salvation. The Scriptures testify largely of Christ, the Saviour; and give an ample account both of him, who is the able, willing, suitable, complete, and only Saviour, and of the salvation which is wrought by him; and describe the persons who do, and shall enjoy it: not that the bare reading of the Scriptures, or the hearing of them expounded, are able to make men wise in this way; but these, when accompanied with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, are; when he who endited the Scriptures removes the veil from their eyes, opens their understandings, and gives them light and knowledge in them: and then may persons be said to be wise unto salvation, when they not only have a scheme of it in their heads, but are in their hearts sensible of their need of it, and know that there is salvation in no other but in Christ; and when they look to him for it, to his righteousness for justification, to his blood for peace, pardon, and cleansing, to his sacrifice for atonement, and to his fulness of grace for a continual supply, and to him for eternal life and glory; when they rejoice in him and his salvation, and give him all the glory of it: the apostle adds,

through faith which is in Christ Jesus: wisdom to salvation lies not in the knowledge of the law the Jew boasted of; nor in the works of it, at least not in a trust and confidence in them for salvation; for by them there is no justification before God, nor acceptance with him, nor salvation: but true wisdom to salvation lies in faith, which is a spiritual knowledge of Christ, and a holy confidence in him; and that salvation which the Scriptures make men wise unto, is received and enjoyed through that faith, which has Christ for its author and object; which comes from him, and centres in him, and is a looking to him for eternal life.”

The Holy Scriptures are the Holy Bible. There is nothing more important for you than to study the Gospel of John and the Book of Romans 100 times. Because the Sacred Wrtings give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

44.) Show good behavior in the gentleness of wisdom.

Jas 3:13, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

13–18. The false Wisdom and the true
13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?] The adjective corresponding to “endued with knowledge” (literally knowing or understanding) is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, but occurs in the LXX. of Deuteronomy 1:13; Deuteronomy 1:15; Deuteronomy 4:6; Isaiah 5:21. So far as a distinction is intended, it expresses the intellectual, as “wise” does the moral, aspect of wisdom. Both qualities were required in one who claimed to be, as in James 3:1, a “Master” or “Teacher,” and St James, in strict sequence of thought, proceeds to point out how the conditions may be fulfilled.
out of a good conversation] The tendency of modern usage to restrict the meaning of the substantive to “talk” is in this instance, where the immediate context suggests some such meaning, specially unfortunate, as lowering the range of the precept. Better by, or out of, his good (the word expresses the nobler form of goodness) conduct. Comp. the use of the word in Galatians 1:13; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Peter 1:18, and elsewhere.
with meekness of wisdom] Better, in meekness, as expressing not something super-added, but the very form and manner in which the noble conduct was to be shewn. The “meekness” thus defined is thought of as belonging to “wisdom” as its characteristic attribute. St James is hence led back to the thought with which the Epistle opened, that wisdom is the crown and consummation of the character of a true believer; and lest a counterfeit wisdom should be taken for the true, he proceeds to give the notes of difference between them.

Show good behavior in the gentleness of wisdom.

45.) The wisdom from above is first pure.

Jas 3:17, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy.”

The wisdom of God is the wisdom from above. The Scripture definitely defines the wisdom from above is first pure, peace-loving, gentle, resonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy.

No one can confuse the wisdom of the world with the wisdom from above.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable] The sequence is that of thought, not of time. It is not meant, i. e. that purity is an earlier stage of moral growth in wisdom than peace, but that it is its foremost attribute. The “purity” indicated is especially that of chastity of flesh and spirit (comp. 2 Corinthians 7:2; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Titus 2:5), and as such is contrasted with the “sensual” character of the false wisdom. Here again we have the tone of one who has learnt from the Masters of those who know, among the teachers of his own people, that wisdom will not “dwell in the body that is subject unto sin” (Wis 1:4). The sequence which places “peaceful” after “pure” has its counterpart in the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:8-9).
gentle, and easy to be intreated] The word for “gentle” means literally, forbearing. It describes, as in Aristotle (Eth. 10:6), the temper that does not press its rights, that is content to suffer wrong (comp. Php 4:5; 1 Timothy 3:3). The second adjective is used by classical writers, both in a passive sense as here, and active, (1) as meaning “persuasive,” “winning its way by gentleness,” or (2) as “obedient.” Our choice between the three meanings must depend on our view of what is most likely to have been the sequence of St James’s thoughts. On the whole, the second seems to me to have the most to commend it. True wisdom shews itself, St James seems to say, in that subtle yet gentle power to persuade and win, which we all feel when we come in contact with one who is clearly not fighting for his own rights, but for the cause of Truth.
full of mercy and good fruits] The train of thought is carried on. Wisdom is suasive because she is compassionate. In dealing with the froward she is stirred, not by anger, but by pity, and she overflows, not with “every vile deed,” but with the good fruits of kindly acts.
without partiality] Here again we have a Greek word which admits of more than one sense. The English version gives it an active sense, as describing the temper which does not distinguish wrongly, which is no respecter of persons. The sense in which the verb, from which the adjective is formed, is used in ch. James 1:6, James 2:4, is, however, that of “doubting,” or “wavering;” and it seems, therefore, probable that St James means to describe true wisdom as free from the tendency which he thus condemns. That freedom goes naturally with the freedom from unreality which the next word expresses. Without vacillation is the condition of “without hypocrisy.” Where the purpose is single there is no risk of a simulated piety.”

The wisdom from above is first pure.

I believe this Scripture alone is worth more than the whole article.

46.) The Lamb is worthy to receive power…

Rev 5:12, “saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain – See the notes on Revelation 5:2, Revelation 5:9. The idea here is, that the fact that he was slain, or was made a sacrifice for sin, was the ground or reason for what is here ascribed to him. Compare the notes on Revelation 5:5.

To receive power – Power or authority to rule over all things. Compare notes on Matthew 28:18. The meaning here is, that he was worthy that these things should be ascribed to him, or to be addressed and acknowledged as possessing them. A part of these things were his in virtue of his very nature – as wisdom, glory, riches; a part were conferred on him as the result of his work – as the mediatorial dominion over the universe, the honor resulting from his work, etc. In view of all that he was, and of all that he has done, he is here spoken of as “worthy” of all these things.

And riches – Abundance. That is, he is worthy that whatever contributes to honor, and glory, and happiness, should be conferred on him in abundance. Himself the original proprietor of all things, it is fit that he should be recognized as such; and having performed the work which he has, it is proper that whatever may be made to contribute to his honor should be regarded as his.

And wisdom – That he should be esteemed as eminently wise; that is, that as the result of the work which he has accomplished, he should be regarded as having ability to choose the best ends and the best means to accomplish them. The feeling here referred to is what arises from the contemplation of the work of salvation by the Redeemer, as a work eminently characterized by wisdom – wisdom manifested in meeting the evils of the fall; in honoring the law; in showing that mercy is consistent with justice; and in adapting the whole plan to the character and needs of man. If wisdom was anywhere demanded, it was in reconciling a lost world to God; if it has been anywhere displayed, it has been in the arrangements for that work, and in its execution by the Redeemer. See the notes on 1 Corinthians 1:24; compare Matthew 13:54; Luke 2:40, Luke 2:52; 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:8; Ephesians 3:10.

And strength – Ability to accomplish his purposes. That is, it is meet that he should be regarded as having such ability. This strength or power was manifested in overcoming the great enemy of man; in his control of winds, and storms, and diseases, and devils; in triumphing over death; in saving his people.

And honor – He should be esteemed and treated with honor for what he has done.

And glory – This word refers to a higher ascription of praise than the word honor. Perhaps that might refer to the honor which we feel in our hearts; this to the expression of that by the language of praise.

And blessing – Everything which would express the desire that he might be happy, honored, and adored. To bless one is to desire that he may have happiness and prosperity; that he may be successful, respected, and honored. To bless God, or to ascribe blessing to him, is that state where the heart is full of love and gratitude, and where it desires that he may be everywhere honored, loved, and obeyed as he should be. The words here express the wish that the universe would ascribe to the Redeemer all honor, and that he might be everywhere loved and adored.”

The Lamb of God is Jesus Christ who is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.

Whenever you think you have any of these seven attributes, remember they belong to the Lamb of God.

After years of study and life pursuit of wisdom, I have learned this one thing:

Wisdom is knowing when to prevent your folly.

In my opinion, I think the greatest folly is for anyone to reject so great a salvation, and so grand an inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven; all you need to do is to repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ as your God and Savior. The salvation is the gift of God. Such wisdom is not money can buy, better than any pearl or jewelry in the world.

So would you now repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus as your God and Savior. You can do it now.

Willie Wong Thought

Willie Wong

August 21, 2025

https://williewong.cw.center/wp-admin
Copyright © 2018 – 2025 by Willie Wong

If the Texas flooding is an act of God; Ukraine conflict, and conflicts of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis must be acts of the devil.

August 19, 2025August 28, 2025

*PAIN

*Our mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ absolutely free. We do not want donation. We only want you to know the truth.

–This article is written to let you know why mankind has pain. No matter who you are, a miserable life full of trouble and tragedy is a painful existence. What causes pain; and Christians can count on a bright future where in the Kingdom of Heaven there is neither sorrow nor pain, but joy and justice, love and truth, peace and glory will last for eternity.

There maybe people who never experience happiness, there is not one person on earth who does not know what pain is. Sorrow, suffering, affliction, agony, adversity, anguish, tear, trouble, travail, tribulation may all represent by the word “pain”. Man cannot choose their sorrows and joys; sorrows are inevitable in this world. Job 14:1 , “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.” Trouble is another word for pain. Trouble in Hebrew is rōḡez which means turmoil; rage; fear; wrath; agitation; trembling; trepidation; raging; restlessness; disquiet; perturbation; commotion; disturbance; distress; difficulty; annoyance; – which occurs 7 times in the Old Testament.

Although pain is a physical phenomenon, but it entails emotional and mental dimension. Even an infant understand what pain is although it is a hard subject even for an adult to describe. There was an experiment for infants: a cotton swab of sweet liquid was applied to the lips of an infant, the instant response was pleasantness with a smile. Another cotton swab of vinegar was applied to the lips of the infant, instantly the baby frowned in anger.

Once I confronted a neurologist what it meant by “sour pain.” You never heard the expression of “sour pain” in English. In Chinese language there is a compound noun called “sickness-pain” 病疼. It is most logical to think sickness is a pain, and a pain is indicative of sickness. Even a child knows about tooth ache and stomach ache. Blessed is an old man who does not have sickness or pain.

According to https://inspirassion.com/en/adj/pain, There are 450 Adjectives to Describe « pain ». Ordinarily we describe pain with the words like mild, slight, moderate, severe, terrible, intense, excruciating, debilitating, acute, chronic, sharp, dull, burning, steady, throbbing, stabbing, spasmodic, etc.

Kidney stone pain is generally understood the most severe or worst pain. Once I asked a woman who had both kidney stone pain and labor pain, which is worst, the woman answered, “Kidney stone pain.” Once I had a spasmodic throbbing head pain, it was most scarry.

According to https://www.iasp-pain.org/

The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.”

I think 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica gives the following a very good introduction of pain.

According to: https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/bri/p/pain.html

“Pain (from Lat. poena, Gr. 7roivn, penalty, that which must be paid: O. Fr. peine), a term used loosely (I) for the psychological state, which may be generally described as “unpleasantness,” arising, e.g. from the contemplation of a catastrophe or of moral turpitude, and (2) for physical (or psycho-physical) suffering, a specific sensation localized in a particular part of the body. The term is used in both senses as the opposite of “pleasure,” though it is doubtful whether the antithesis between physical and psychical pleasure can be equally well attested. The investigation of the pleasure-pain phenomena of consciousness has taken a prominent place in psychological and ethical speculation, the terms “hedonics” and “algedonics” (itXynblov, pain of body or mind) being coined to express different aspects of the subject. So in aesthetics attempts have been made to assign to pain a specific psychological function as tending to increase pleasure by contrast (so Fechner): pain, e.g. is a necessary element in the tragic. Scientists have experimented elaborately with a view to the precise localization of pain-sensations, and “pain-maps” can be drawn showing the exact situation of what are known as “pain-spots.” For such experiments instruments known as “aesthesiometers” and “algometers” have been devised. The great variety of painful sensations throbbing, dull, acute, intermittent, stabbing – led to the conclusion among earlier investigators that pains differ in quality. It is, however, generally agreed that all pain is qualitatively the same, though subject to temporal and intensive modification.”

I. SIN BRINGS PAIN

Gen 3:16, “To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall deliver children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule

over you.”

Only a woman who has been a mother knew what pain in childbirth is like.

Through missionary school I had watched childbirth and learned obstetrics. Natural birth was such a joy. Surgical delivery of a baby poses a risk to the mother or the baby. It was most scary to watch the first Cesarean section or cesarean delivery. After participation for many times of childbirths and deliveries, once the doctor had completed the difficult suture, I was still shocked when the doctor asked me what was next? A quick wit called out Pitocin administration. Even to this day I did not know whether the doctor was testing me or he just got lost a moment of what to do. Anyway, most men do not know labor is like a battle. I think the husband would love his wife more if he went through watching the process of child delivery.

Gen 18:20, “And the LORD said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.”

God describes the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah (homosexuality) as “exceedingly grave.”

Gen 20:9, “Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.”

Abimelect understood the sin of adultery is “a great sin.”

Gen 39:9, “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?”

Young Joseph knew to have sex with the wife of his boss is “great evil, and sin against God.”

Exo 20:20, “However, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you will not sin.” Fear of God prevents one to sin.

Exo 32:30, “And on the next day Moses said to the people, “You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Idolatry is a great sin.

Exo 34:9, “Then he said, “If in any way I have found favor in Your sight, Lord, please may the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.” Sin is a wrongdoing.

An unbeliever said, “Man is condemned to be free.” That is far from the truth. Jesus says, Jhn 8:34,

“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.” A sinner is condemned to be a slave of sin. A slave suffers severe delusion, illusion, and hallucination to fancy he is free. No slavery is more cruel than the bondage of sin.

Lev 5:18, “He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your assessment, as a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he committed unintentionally and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him.”

Sin committed unintentionally is still a sin.

Lev 18:17, “You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are blood relatives. It is an outrageous sin.”

To uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter or blood relatives is an outrageous sin.

Lev 19:17, “You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may certainly rebuke your neighbor, but you are not to incur sin because of him.”

To hate your fellow countryman in your heart is to incur sin. Many still do not know that hatred is sin. In America the hate sin caused by racism is so bad. I watched on TV how a big black man for no reason trampled on the body and head of an Asian woman!

Lev 19:29, “Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, so that the land does not fall into prostitution, and the land does not become full of outrageous sin.”

Jer 13:27, “As for your adulteries and your lustful neighing, the outrageous sin of your prostitution on the hills in the field, I have seen your

abominations. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”

Prostitution is an outrageous sin, it is an abomination.

Lev 20:14, “If there is a man who marries a woman and her mother, it is an outrageous sin; both he and they shall be burned with fire, so that there will be no such outrageous sin in your midst.”

For a man to marry a woman and her mother is an outrageous sin; both shall be burned with fire.

Lev 24:15, “You shall also speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone curses his God, then he will bear the responsibility for his sin.”

To curse God is a sin.

Num 5:6-7, “Speak to the sons of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD, and that person is guilty, then he shall confess his sin which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it a fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged.”

When a man commits sin unfaithfully, he shall confess his sin and shall make restitution in full for his wrong doing.

Num 9:13, “But the person who is clean and is not on a journey, yet refrains from celebrating the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, because he did not present the offering of the LORD at its appointed time. That person will bear the responsibility for his sin.”

Many do not realize that sin has responsibility. It is painful to bear the responsibility for one’s sin.

Num 15:28, “And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who goes astray by an unintentional sin, making atonement for him so that he may be forgiven.” There is unintentional sin. Even for an unintentional sin, one has to make atonement for him so that he may be forgiven.

Num 16:26, “and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Get away now from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin!”

Sin is worse than a flood, a man may be swept away in all his sin.

Num 18:22, “And the sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bring sin on themselves and die.”

A man may bring sin on himself and dies. A warmonger may bring sin on his nation and perish.

Num 27:3, “Our father died in the wilderness, yet he was not among the group of those who gathered together against the LORD, in the group of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons.”

A man may die in his own sin.

Num 32:23, “But if you do not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure that your sin will find you out.”

Your sin will find you out. This is a terrible truth. Sinners have no way to run or to hide. Your sin will find you out. Japanese, European, and Americans –their sins will find them out.

Deu 9:18, “Then I fell down before the LORD like the first time, for forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you had committed by doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.”

Sin is doing evil in the sight of the Lord and to provoke Him to anger.

Deu 15:9, “Be careful that there is no mean-spirited thought in your heart, such as, ‘The seventh year, the year of release of debts, is near,’ and your eye is malicious toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry out to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you.”

Sin is a mean-spirited thought in your heart.

Deu 20:18, “so that they will not teach you to do all the same detestable practices of theirs which they have done for their gods, by which you would sin against the LORD your God.”

Detestable practices done for false gods are sins against the Lord.

Deu 21:22, “Now if a person has committed a sin carrying a sentence of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree.”

A person who has committed a sin carrying a sentence of death is to be put to death. There is nothing wrong with death penalty.

Deu 22:21, “then they shall bring the girl out to the doorway of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death, because she has committed a disgraceful sin in Israel by playing the prostitute in her father’s house; so you shall eliminate the evil from among you.”

Prostitution is a disgraceful sin. For money, most prostitutes and pimps do not feel shame.

Deu 23:21, “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly require it of you, and it will be a sin for you.”

To make a vow to the Lord and delay to pay it is a sin for you. Do not make promise you cannot keep.

Deu 24:15, “You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets—for he is poor and sets his heart on it—so that he does not cry out against you to the LORD, and it becomes a sin in you.”

Withholding wages is a sin in you.

Jdg 19:23, “Then the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, please do not act so wickedly. Since this man has come into my house, do not commit this vile sin.”

Homosexuality is a vile sin.

1Sa 14:34, “Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating it with the blood.‘” So all the people brought them that night, each one his ox with him, and they slaughtered them there.”

Eating meat with the blood is a sin against the Lord. Christians are not allowed to eat any blood.

1Sa 15:23, “For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as reprehensible as false religion and idolatry. Since you have rejected the Word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.”

Rebellion, divination, insubordination, idolatry, rejecting the Word of God are sins.

1Sa 19:5, “For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great victory for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?”

Putting the innocent to death for no reason is a sin. Oh, how many millions of innocent have been put to death by the West?!

2Sa 13:12, “But she said to him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful sin!”

A girl and woman must say no. No to anybody.

To violate and and rape your sister is a disgraceful sin.

1Ki 8:46, “When they sin against You (for there is no person who does not sin) and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, distant or near.”

2Ch 6:36, “When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near.”

Ecc 7:20, “Indeed, there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin.”

There is no person who does not sin. There is no one who does not sin. There is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin. So do not think you are exceptional. All have sinned.

2Ki 14:6, “But he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, in obedience to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, as the LORD commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but each shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Each shall be put to death for his own sin.

2Ki 17:17, “ Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and they practiced divination and interpreting omens, and gave themselves over to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him.”

To make your sons and daughters pass through the fire, to practice divination and interpreting omen are doing evil and is a great sin.

Psa 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You,
And I did not hide my guilt;
I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the LORD”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”

Sin has guilt. Sin is the cause, guilt is the effect.

According to https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/passages/related-articles/sin-and-guilt-in-the-hebrew-bible#

By Michael B. Hundley

“In the Hebrew Bible, “sin” is more than a religious label and “guilt” is more than a feeling. They are central elements of the human condition that may plague the individual and the nation, pollute the sanctuary and the land, and prevent safe human-divine interaction. Sin and guilt produce a real burden on a person and perhaps even a community, one that persists until dealt with appropriately.

In general, sin is an error understood to be serious enough to produce a real stain or burden that weighs on an individual. Sin can be intentional or unintentional, and it can be an act (such as murder) or a failure to act (such as not testifying as a witness to a crime). Where sin is the cause, guilt is the effect—the logical consequence of having committed a sin. Guilt may lead to death if unaddressed.

The consequences of sin could manifest in several ways. In court, for example, a person convicted of a crime was guilty and had to pay the assigned penalty. People might also feel guilty, which is not the problem in itself but rather an indication that they know that they have committed an offense. Suffering could also trigger the recognition of guilt. In the world of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East, people generally believed that the cycle of sin, guilt, and punishment functioned like a natural law, much like we think of gravity. Committing a sin led naturally to negative consequences for the sinner. So, if people encountered hardship, the conclusion was that they must be guilty of some sin. However, the book of Job in particular wrestles with the possibility that the law of sin, guilt, and punishment is not absolute and that certain righteous people may suffer and wicked people may prosper.”

According to https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/490509

“Guilt and Depressive Disorders

Martin Harrow, PhD; Millard J. Amdur, MD

Abstract

The results of two studies on overt guilt in psychiatric patients in general and depressives in particular, involving 221 and 134 patients respectively, suggest that neurotic depressives as a group are guiltier than nondepressives. The results with psychotic depressives were less consistent; most measures employed did not show them as differing greatly from nondepressives, but some scattered evidence suggested that psychotic depressives may score higher than nondepressives on overt guilt. Overall, guilt was not intrinsic to all depressive disorders. While there was a relationship between psychiatric diagnosis and guilt, diagnosis was not a very strong factor. Guilt and negative self-images were strongly related. Depressive patients had lower selfimages than nondepressives. The results suggested that negative selfconcepts are a more striking feature of depressive, as opposed to nondepressive, patients than is guilt.”

According to

https://exploringyourmind.com/illness-and-guilt-whats-the-connection

“Psychological pain and emotional suffering are less dramatic than physical pain. However, they’re more common and harder to bear.”

Pro 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.”

Sin is a disgrace to any people. The people who are proud of their sins are hopeless.

Pro 24:9, “The devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to humanity.”

The devising of foolishness is sin. There are many schemes and devices of the West are foolishness.

Isa 3:9, “The expression of their faces testifies against them, and they display their sin like Sodom; they do not even conceal it.
Woe to them! For they have done evil to themselves.”

The sin of homosexuality is having done evil to themselves.

Isa 30:1, “Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, who execute a plan, but not Mine, and make an alliance, but not of My Spirit,
In order to add sin to sin.”

American alliance of NATO, AUKUS and QUAD add sin to sin.

Jer 13:27, “As for your adulteries and your lustful neighing, the outrageous sin of your prostitution on the hills in the field, I have seen your

abominations. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”

Sin is unclean. Lustful neighing are outrageous.

Eze 18:24, “But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and does according to all the abominations that the wicked person does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.”

Treachery is a sin. There are many Chinese traitors in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, America and Europe.

Eze 23:29, “They will deal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your prostitution will be exposed, both your outrageous sin and your obscene practices.”

Nakedness and prostitution are outrageous sins and obscene practices.

Eze 30:16, “I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe in anguish,
Thebes will be breached and Memphis will have distresses daily.”

Sin writhes in anguish and has distresses. Sin writhes in pain and agony.

Mat 12:31, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.”

Mar 3:29, “but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—

Blasphemy is a sin. Blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is guilty of an eternal sin. This is no joking matter. I believe the Harvard female professor who sought fame and fortune by falsely declaring that she found Jesus had a wife has blasphemed against the Holy Spirit.

Jhn 1:29, “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. No one and only Jesus can take your sins away.

Jhn 8:34, “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.”

Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A sinful fool thinks he is condemned to freedom.

A fool said, “Our highest good is pleasure.” The Bible says, Heb 11:25, “choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin.” The saints know that the pleasures of sin are temporary. This can be illustrated by the lives of drug addicts, prostitutes, pimps, crooks and criminals.

Jhn 15:22, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.”

No one has excuse for his sin.

Jhn 16:9, “regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me.”

Not to believe in Jesus Christ is sin.

Rom 3:9, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin.”

Both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin means all the peoples of the world are under sin. No sinners are better than others.

Rom 3:20, “because by the works of the Law none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes knowledge of sin.”

The Law can save no one. The Law brings knowledge of sin. Sin points to the need of salvation.

Rom 6:10, “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all time; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”

Jesus died for our sins once for all time; He lives to God for eternity.

Rom 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The wages of sin is death. There is a payday for everyone. For all have sinned, so all will die.

Rom 7:14, “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin.”

Man is fleshly, sold into bondage to sin.

1Co 6:18, “Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”

All sins are committed outside the body, except sex sin is sin against one’s own body. Pimps and prostitutes are the ones who sin most against their bodies.

1Co 15:56, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.”

The sting of death is sin.

Gal 3:22, “But the Scripture has confined everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”

The Scripture has confined everyone under sin. John Calvin was a false teacher. Just as everyone is under sin, so everyone who repents and believes in Jesus Christ can be under the grace of God.

Heb 3:13, “But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Sin is deceitful and it can harden a person.

Heb 11:25, “choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin.”

Sin is deceitful because it gives temporary pleasures. Every heroin addict understands the meaning of the temporary pleasures that heroin provides.

Heb 12:1, “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Every sin is an obstacle and which so easily entangles the sinner.

Jas 1:15, “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.”

Lust is the mother of sin and it gives birth to sin; and sin runs it course, the end is death.

1Jo 1:7, “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Sin must be cleansed. The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. A false teacher taught that fire can burn away sin. Even the eternal Hell Fire cannot burn away sin, the unquenchable Fire only burns the wicked and sinners. The holy water of fake religions cannot cleanse sin away. Detergents, degreasers, abrasives and acids cannot cleanse sin away. Human blood and the blood of bulls or rams cannot cleanse sin away. Sin cannot be covered up or buried. Only the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, cleanses us from all sin.

1Jo 3:4, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”

Sin is lawlessness. The West has been practicing lawlessness for the last 500 years or more.

1Jo 3:8, “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

The devil is the origin of sin. The devil has been sinning from the beginning. The works of the devil are sinful. All the problems and pains in this world are the works of the devil. The one who practices sin is of the devil. The children of the devil also practice sin.

1Jo 5:16, “If anyone sees his brother or sister committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; I am not saying that he should ask about that.”

There is sin leading to death.

1Jo 5:17, “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.”

All unrighteousness is sin. The world is full of unrighteousness and lawlessness.

You wonder why the world has so much pains because the world has so much sins.

II. SICKNESS BRINGS PAIN

There are various sicknesses, and various seriousness of sickness that bring different degree of pain. Once I watched TV about a young woman who first had sex with a man and contracted AIDS. The young woman had kept her virginity a long time, unfortunately the first time she had sex brought her the incurable AIDS. To say devastating is an understatement.

According to

https://cn.bing.com/search?q=aids%2fhiv&qs

“A viral infection that attacks the immune system and causes AIDS. HIV is primarily a sexually transmitted disease (STD), transmitted by heterosexual and homosexual practices: anal, vaginal, and oral sex.

Common (More than 200,000 cases per year in US)

Treatments can help manage condition, no known cure.”

According to: https://healthfully.com/list-of-painful-terminal-diseases-4188923.html

A List of Painful Terminal Diseases

· Pancreatic Cancer

· Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

· Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome ”

List of Pandemic Diseases

· Plague

· Tuberculosis

· Polio

· Influenza

· Future Pandemics ”

According to : https://cn.bing.com/search?q=lIST+OF+CATASTROPHIC+diseases&q

“Catastrophic illness. A catastrophic illness is a severe illness requiring prolonged hospitalization or recovery. Examples would include cancer, leukemia, heart attack or stroke.”

According to https://losethebackpain.com/most-painful-diseases/

“The Top 10 Most Painful Diseases

10. Shingles (Herpes Zoster)

9. Tetanus

8. Pancreatitis

7. Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)

6. Fibromyalgia

5. Kidney Stones

4. Lesch-Nyhan Disease

3. Dercum Disease (Adiposis Dolorosa)

2. Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

1. Cluster Headaches”

Mother gave births to their children in pain. In a way people should love their mothers more than their fathers. Once I met a woman who had both experienced labor pain and kidney stones pain. I asked her which is worse. She said, “Kidney stones pain.”

2Ch 21:18-19, “ So after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable sickness. Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that Jehoram because of his sickness and he died in great pain. And his people made no fire for him like the fire for his fathers.”

The wicked king Jehoram the Lord smote him with an incurable bowels disease.

According to https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

“Viewed by a modern physician, the story of King Jehoram unfolds as possibly the earliest description of a patient afflicted by colorectal carcinoma.”

According to https://www.disabled-world.com/definitions/lists/incurable.php

List of Incurable Diseases

Allergic Diseases

Arachnoiditis

Asthma

Adrenocortical carcinoma

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alopecia

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Arthritis

Ataxia

Cancer

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Chronic Kidney Disease

Common cold

Complex Regional Dystrophy Syndrome (CRPS/RSD)

Coronavirus

Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease

Crohn’s Disease

Coeliac Disease

Cystic fibrosis

Corneal ulcer

Desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor

Diabetes

Dupuytren’s Disease

Dengue

Depression

Ebola

Endometriosis

Epilepsy

Factor V Leiden

Fatal familial insomnia

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

Fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome

Gastroparesis

Genetic Disease

Glioblastoma

Graves Disease

Hepatitis B

Herpes simplex

HIV/AIDS

Huntington’s Disease

Hearing loss (sensorineural)

Hereditary multiple exostoses

Interstitial cystitis or Bladder Pain Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome

Immune Thrombocytopenia

Joint pain

Leukemia

Lichen planus

Systemic lupus erythematosus

Lymphedema

Macular degeneration

Marburg virus

Multiple sclerosis

Muscular dystrophy

Myasthenia gravis

Norovirus

Naegleria fowleri

Narcolepsy

Obesity

Osteoporosis

Osteogenesis imperfecta

Parkinson’s Disease

Paraphilia disorder

Pityriasis rubra pilaris

Prion Diseases

Progeria

Polio

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Pre-eclampsia

Psoriasis

Pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary fibrosis

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rabies

Rett syndrome

Schizophrenia

Scleroderma

Scoliosis

Spinocerebellar ataxia

Severe acute respiratory syndrome

Trigeminal neuralgia

Toxoplasmosis

Ulcerative colitis

Urethral stricture

Xeroderma pigmentosum

Do you want to be free of all diseases, incurable or not?

Rev 21:4, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

III. HARDSHIP BRINGS PAIN

Gen 3:17, Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; cursed is the ground because of you; with hard labor you shall eat from it all the days of your life.”

Sin brings curse to the world. We live in a cursed world after the Fall of Adam. Hard labor is hardship, although not all hardships are hard labor.

My early days in America was quite a struggle and more than hardship. Because my parents were poor missionaries, so I got to support myself completely. I had known hunger and cold. I got up at 5 a.m. and went to bed at 11 p.m. for some years and earned the minimum wage of $1.25 to work my way through college. Moral support from my good friends Dr. Arthur Mouw, Dr. Harold Ronning, Dr. Edmond Hiebert were like giving a push of my life boat upstream against the current. I lived like Robinson Crusoe. Looking back that was the hardest part or period of my life. I would not have the courage to do it again. Was it an American dream or nightmare depends on who went through the school of hard knocks. The whole experience taught me trusting God and self-reliance. Life is full of hardship; hardship after hardship is with me. I am grateful how my Heavenly Father led me through all the hardships that had overtaken me in all my life. I can honestly say: The good Lord is my Shepherd from childhood to old age. I thank God for giving me a meaningful life worth living for.

According to https://www.goldenventuremovie.com/Chinese_Immigration.htm#

“The Golden Venture tragedy brought to world attention the thriving multinational criminal enterprise that made millions by transporting immigrants from Fujian Province to the US. The media focused on sensational accounts of vicious snakeheads, indentured servitude and desperately poor immigrants willing to do anything to make it to the US.

However, the Golden Venture was really only the latest dramatic episode in the sad story of the Chinese in America that goes back many years. Starting from the early 1800’s, Chinese immigrants have made the arduous, costly journey in the face of severe discrimination and economic hardship.

But what in America has called to the Chinese and brought about the establishment of vibrant, growing Chinatowns? As we take a look through the years at important milestones in Chinese immigration to the U.S., we see many of the same goals and dreams pursued.

1848 Gold Mountain The first major waves of Chinese immigrants came to the U.S. after hearing of the “Golden Mountain” or “Gum Saan” when California’s Gold Rush began in 1848. Civil war and famine back home in southern China, where most of the first immigrants were from, propelled them on as well, so that they could work in the U.S. and send money to families back home. In steamships, they arrived in San Francisco’s harbor, where the first Chinatown was founded.

1865 Transcontinental Railroad The Chinese immigrants, almost 95% male, also worked on the Transcontinental Railroad in the later 1800’s. By agreeing to lower-paying wages than other workers, and by enduring the rough and dangerous working conditions, they were largely responsible for laying down the tracks for the western railways, in one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century. It was completed in 1868, at a breakneck pace.”

Someone said, “Happiness is man’s greatest aim in life. Tranquility and rationality are the cornerstones of happiness.”

Luk 12:15-21, “ But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there.‘ And I will say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!” But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’ Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”

The rich fool represents the philosophy of the world: You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself! Don’t they sound like most Americans? A man may be rich in the world, but not rich in relation to God. A person who does the will of God and rich in relation to God is the one who has fulfilled man’s greatest aim in life. He is truly rational and has tranquility and happiness.

IV. POVERTY BRINGS PAIN

I had nothing when I worked my way through college in America. That was the golden era of Nixon administration when the dollar was valuable, the society was stable, crime rate was low, and people were moral. I earned the minimum wage of $1.25 an hour. I lived like Robinson Crusoe; got up 5 a.m. and went to bed at 11 p.m. for some years. Necessity made me to invent ways of money saving: using computer department throw-away papers as note books, refilling high lighters, cutting my own hairs, making $1 a meal (fry noodles with ground meat and lettuce) in five minutes, etc. I was so tired of poverty for so long that I turned down the university full offer to Ph. D. program.

According to https://povertylevelcalculator.com/

“The 2021 federal poverty level (FPL) for a single person residing in the 48 contiguous states or Washington, D.C. is $12,880. In Alaska, the federal poverty level for a single person is $16,090 and in Hawaii it is $14,820. To calculate larger household sizes or get percentages such as 133% of the FPL, or 135%, 138%, 150%, 175%, and so forth please use the free calculator tool above.”

In America, a person needs not to be poor if he is willing to work and has employable skills. With employment, you have income. The minimum wage has risen since I earned $1.25 an hour. With income, you are not poor. But most important is to learn how to live. You do not go into debt. You do not buy if you cannot afford it. You take care of the basic needs first, practice thrift and frugality. If the economy is so bad when the educated and professional cannot find a job, then poverty is inevitable.

Nationally speaking, I want all poor nations to embrace the Protestant Ethics, and every national leader and politician to read the article on Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Poverty is a big subject that involves many cause factors, obviously we cannot dwell on the subject in this article. Since China has successfully eliminated 770 million of peasants from abject poverty, it is beneficial for the leaders of poor countries to learn from China and adopt the Chinese model.

The rich are ignorant of the miseries of poverty just like the American children were ignorant where milk comes from, They answered, “You get it from the supermarket.”

According to https://globaljournals.org/GJMBR_Volume14/8-Jeffrey-Sachs.pdf

“Jeffrey Sacks identified three degrees of poverty: extreme poverty, moderate
poverty and relative poverty. Extreme poverty means that households cannot
meet basic needs for survival, moderate poverty refers to conditions in which basic needs are met just barely, relative poverty is generally construed as a household
income level below a given proportion of average national income. The relative poor, in high-income countries, lack access to cultural goods, entertainment,
and recreation, and to quality health care, education etc. The overwhelming share of the world’s extreme poor, 93 percent in 2001, live in three regions: East Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Half of Africa’s population lives in extreme poverty, and the proportion have risen; the proportion of the extreme poor in East Asia has plummeted from 58 percent in 1981 to 15 percent in 2001; in South Asia extreme poverty has dropped from 52 percent to 31 percent. Eastern Europe’s extreme poverty rate rose from negligible levels in 1981 to 4 percent in 2001 (Sacks, 2005: p. 21).”

Most shocking shortages of poverty include no running water, no electricity, no heat, no toilet, no air conditioning (according to the climate, some countries have no need of air conditioning). If you spend the summer in Washington, D.C. you will soon realize air conditioning is a basic necessity. Some years ago, Norway had eliminated poverty.

V. IGNORANCE BRINGS PAIN

The truth is not obvious to the ignorant. The poor know that they are poor. The ignorant do not know that they are ignorant. Foolish people are ignorant. Most peoples in the world are ignorant of the True and Living God, Jesus Christ the Savior of the world, the way of salvation; therefore we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ absolutely free.

Paul on a trip to the Areopagus, he found peoples were very religious in all respects.

Act 17:23 , “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”

People who worship in ignorance are superstitious. Superstitious peoples are full of fears. So they worship sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, trees, fire etc. as gods.

The consequences of ignorance are detrimental and harmful: Primitive peoples were afraid of sea god, so they even threw a virgin girl to the sea to appease their god. Poor and ignorant people burn coals at home to get warm, and the fumes kill the whole family.

According to https://www.thelocal.com/20180308/fumes-from-diesel-engines-killing-thousands-of-germans-every-year/

“Fumes from diesel engines ‘killing thousands of Germans every year’

The Federal Environmental Office (UBA) has said that the nitrogen oxide pollution (NO2) emitted by diesel engines is responsible for thousands of premature deaths every year.

In 2014 some 6,000 people died early from cardiovascular diseases which were caused by NO2 pollution, UBA head Maria Krautzberger stated on Thursday.

She also blamed the pollutant for eight percent of type two diabetes diagnoses and 14 percent of all asthma cases. She concluded that roughly a million people had suffered an illness due to nitrogen oxide in the air.”

Now Germany is an advanced nation, there are still ignorant people who were killed by fumes from diesel engines.

We are all born ignorant, but you do not have to do anything to remain stupid.

George Bernard Shaw said, “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.” Those who believe when they die, they will return to the earth in the form of an animal. They call it life cycle. This false belief is more dangerous than ignorance. Some religion teaches that a suicide bomber in a holy war (actually terrorism) may go to paradise to enjoy sex with a number of virgins –this false knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance. Many illegal migrants believe once they enter a rich nation, they are entitled to live on welfare happily hereafter, this false knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance. White and black supremacists believe they are appointed by God to rule the world, this false belief is more dangerous than ignorance.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn. “ I have met some Chinese who believe their incorrect English is good enough.

Daniel J. Boorstin said, “The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance – it is the illusion of knowledge.”

Both the rich and the poor have many illusions which are greatest obstacles to learn the true knowledge.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”

White and black supremacists take actions to be against China and Russia considering them to be threats, competitors, and rivals of the West; their ignorance may incite a nuclear war that will destroy the whole world. The actions of the ignorant are usually frightful. Afghanistan is a prime example. For 20 years America pushed American model of democracy and established the Afghan government and army; but in the face of Taliban the Afghan government collapsed instantly and the Afghan army were on the run without even a fight.

Marcus Aurelius had the right attitude, “If someone can prove me wrong and show me my mistake in any thought or action, I shall gladly change. I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone: the harm is to persist in one’s own self-deception and ignorance.” American and European and Japanese leaders are wrong in their foreign policy of aggression; Islamic terrorists are wrong in their action and operation of destruction: however, they do not examine themselves and they do not want to change; they persist in their own self-deception and ignorance. They pose the greatest threat to world peace.

Plato said, “Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil.”

I disagree with Plato, ignorance is not the root and and the stem of every evil. Opposition to or suppression of the truth is the root and the stem of every evil.

Epicurus said, “The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool.”

The failure of a great leader is more meaningful than the success of a simpleton.

Rom 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

VI. LOSS BRINGS PAIN

Life loss is more important than any loss because the dead cannot be resurrected. I cried for more than 115,000 health workers world-wide who have died because they were trying to save the COVID-19 patients. I cried for 35 million Chinese who had been killed by Japanese democide and genocide. I cried for 6 million Jews who had been killed by German Nazis.

Loss of life is probably the greatest loss. A mother not knowingly called her beloved daughter by phone. The daughter was driving and picked up the call, in a sudden it caused an accident that killed the daughter. Later the mother learned about the casualty and she could not forgive herself and bore the pain all her life. The lesson is no one should drive and answer the phone at the same time.

Loss of loved ones, whether a spouse, a child, and a close relative or friend is more than devastating to many. Loss of a spouse whether by death or divorce is unbearable. Divorce can be a trauma to many couples and and their children.

Loss of business and subsequent bankruptcy is an unbearable pain to not a few.

Loss of employment is a big problem in America, because it leads to loss of home, loss of dignity, loss of a good neighborhood, loss of friends, loss of possessions, etc. And it may lead to a life on the streets.

Loss of virginity due to a rape is unbearable pain to the victim.

Loss in a critical exam terminates the opportunity of attending a university, loss of getting a good job or promotion, or professional licensing, etc. can be a great pain.

Loss of war may bring a life-long pain to its citizens. In a twist of logic, Japanese deny all its war crimes.

Loss of reputation tarnishes a person’s character with life-long consequences.

Euripides said, “There is no greater grief than the loss of one’s fatherland.”

I think the Chinese in history were most sorrowful when the brutal Japanese troops occupied China. By the same token, six million Jews were killed by the Nazis.

American world-wide aggression defeat brings phony sense of loss where internal division and question of so-called democracy brings out the veneer of democracy as brittle as glass. The defeat in Afghanistan where Taliban won without a fight, where a puppet government collapsed instantly and its military were on the run. The defeat in Tibet where demise of Dalai Lama’s separation forces vanished. The defeat in Xinjiang where false charges of genocide and forced labor are exposed and lies succumbed to facts. How China successfully eliminated the terrorists in Xinjiang, the Western mainstream media refused to encounter. The defeat in Hong Kong where Chinese traitors and terrorists are discredited and the government consolidated and united constitutionally, Hong Kong is forever secure under China’s sovereignty. Taiwan is an open sore and public disgrace of American foreign policy of aggression and intervention. Even so after years of events and happenings, American leaders and politicians have not learned anything but they are still on the path of defeat and destruction, playing fire with AUKUS and QUAD in Asia Pacific.

The phony loss of so-called liberal values where American failures, incompetence, injustice, corruption, waste, neglect, special interests, un-competitiveness, unilateralism, abuse of American power, phony concerns, highest deficits and largest national debt, etc., are all blamed on China.

VII. FAILURE BRINGS PAIN

There are various kinds of failure: personal failure, institutional failure, corporate failure, government failure, etc. All failures bring pain.

Personal or individual failure is the most shameful and has the greatest impact directly on the individual. Among personal failures include failure in exams, failure in job, failure in marriage, failure in business, failure in life.

Government failures make its citizens victims include debt, deficit, inflation, corruption, environmental degradation, poor infrastructure, poor public sanitation and health, and many shortages of the basic necessities, underdeveloped, poor education, no social benefits, no pension, etc.

Historical example was the failure and fall of China’s Qing Dynasty that would make every patriotic Chinese weep and cry. The humiliation, oppression, and abuse by Japan and Western powers would anger and burn every patriotic Chinese to rise up for action.

According to https://www.thoughtco.com/fall-of-the-qing-dynasty

“Key Takeaways: Collapse of the Qing

· The Qing dynasty promoted itself as a conquering force, ruling China for 268 years before collapsing in 1911–1912. The elites’ self-proclaimed position as outsiders contributed to their eventual demise.
· A major contribution to the downfall of the last dynasty were external forces, in the form of new Western technologies, as well as a gross miscalculation on the part of the Qing as to the strength of European and Asian imperialistic ambitions.
· A second major contributor was internal turmoil, expressed in a series of devastating rebellions beginning in 1794 with the White Lotus rebellion, and ending with the Boxer Rebellion of 1899–1901 and Wuchang Uprising of 1911–1912.”

“Britain began a lucrative, illicit trade in opium, traded from British imperial India into Canton, far from Beijing. The Chinese authorities burned 20,000 bales of opium, and the British retaliated with a devastating invasion of mainland China, in two wars known as the Opium Wars of 1839–42 and 1856–60.”

Failure of a large enterprise also causes great pain to its employees. For example, the demise of McDonnell Douglas Corporation resulted in loss of jobs for 250,000 employees worldwide and risk for their families. McDonnell Douglas Corporation was the best company I had ever worked for. I believe if I had arrived 5 years earlier and given a free hand I could save the corporation. I had great respect for its top management.

According to https://watchingamerica.com/WA/2020/11/25

“Facts have proven that American democracy is doomed to fail, because it is a false democracy that has led to division of society. Likewise, their “democracy” experiment in Iraq will fail, because it is built upon feeble, divisive foundations, and does not respond to the demands of the Iraqi people.

We reject the American model of democracy on account of its superficial and unjust nature. However, we are still in need of a democracy built upon a just foundation, so that everyone, without exception, will be an indispensable part of the political decision-making process.”

American model of democracy is false because 1 % of population rules over the 99%, and 1% of the population owns most of the power and wealth. The two parties serve the interest of the few.

According to https://itchingear-confrontingtheculture.com/?p=2296

“American democracy is broken. It’s very future is in doubt. I want to discuss two of the major issues that need to be addressed—1) the inability of the national government to produce action at the national level on critical, in some cases existential, issues and 2) the increasing threat, that in contraindication to Lincoln’s memorable phrase that “government of the people, by the people and for the people” shall not perish from the earth, there is evidence that it is perishing before our eyes.”

In my opinion, American democracy failures because of multi-factors:

1. The U.S. Constitution is not vested the national sovereignty in the hands of its citizen.

2. There is no national referendum to decide and determine the major issues of the country.

3. The two parties and politicians turn the Republic into an evil empire.

4. America is ruled and controlled by white and black supremacists.

5. America does not serve the interest of the greatest number of its citizens.

Many small and poor nations in the world fail for the following reasons:

1. There is no decent and upright leadership.

2. The defective culture is devoid of Protestant ethics.

3. There is lack of sound structural basis in education, development, infrastructure, public health, employment, and environment.

4. There is no population control.

5. There is no fiscal and financial control.

6. There is civil war or civil unrest.

I believe the following are major causes of individual or personal failures:

1. Do not know how to live.

2. Do not know how to work hard.

3. Do not know how to manage money.

4. Do not know how to spend time.

5. Do not know how to discipline and motivate oneself.

6. Lack of perseverance and tenacity.

7. Lack of vision and goal.

Nations fail not without reasons. Nations succeed also not without reasons.

VIII. WAR BRINGS PAIN

According to https://www.lifepersona.com/the-7-consequences-of-the-first-world-war#

“Consequences of the First World War

1- Death and destruction

During the course of the war, 8 million soldiers died in total and 9 million civilians. In addition, the bombings destroyed 300,000 houses, 6000 factories, 1000 miles of train lines and 112 coal mines. In military terms, 12 million tons of ships were sunk.

2- Economic consequences

The war was a significant economic cost to the nations that participated in it. Germany and Britain spent about 60 percent of what their economy produced, having to raise taxes and borrow money from citizens.

Money was also printed to buy weapons and other inputs needed for battles, which contributed to the generation of inflation.

3- Appearance of new ideological currents

With the collapse of Russia under the pressure of war, the revolutionary socialists increased their power, making communist ideology an important force within Europe.

4- The end of the monarchies

World War I ended four major monarchies: that of Tsar Nicholas II in Russia, after which the War communism , The reign of the Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, the monarchy of Emperor Charles of Austria and the reign of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

5- Emergence of new countries

From the old empires emerged new countries, for example, the Austro-Hungarian Empire that was divided in a number of independent states. Russia and Germany turned over land to Poland.

6- Social Effects

World War I generated major social changes, birth rates abruptly fell by the death of millions of young men. In addition to this, many citizens lost their homes and had to flee to other countries.

7- Lost a generation

Some historians consider that a complete generation was lost when so many young soldiers died. In addition, more than 7 million men were completely disabled to continue their lives normally due to the aftermath of the war.

According to https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/chapter/impact-of-war-world-ii

“Describe the terms under which Germany, Japan, and Italy surrendered

Key Points

· The German Instrument of Surrender ended World War II in Europe on the night of May 8, 1945.

· The terms of Germany’s unconditional surrender had been discussed since January 1944 and further clarified at the Yalta conference. They established, among other things, that the Allied Representatives “will take such steps, including the complete disarmament, demilitarisation and dismemberment of Germany as they deem requisite for future peace and security.”

· The surrender of Japan was announced by Imperial Japan on August 15 and formally signed on September 2, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a close.

· Their terms of surrender included disarmament and occupation by Allied forces.

· The terms of Italy’s defeat were determined during the Paris Peace Conference in 1947, and included limits on their military and a ban on all fascist organizations.

Key Terms

· Potsdam Declaration: A statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II.

· unconditional surrender: A surrender in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party.

· Paris Peace Treaties: A series of document wherein victorious wartime Allied powers negotiated the details of peace treaties with minor Axis powers, namely Italy (though it was considered a major Axis Power), Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Finland, following the end of World War II in 1945.

· German Instrument of Surrender: The legal document that established the unconditional surrender of Germany in World War II.”

“Casualties of World War II

Some 75 million people died in World War II, including about 20 million military personnel and 40 million civilians, many of whom died because of deliberate genocide, massacres, mass-bombings, disease, and starvation.”

The prospect of nuclear war is not only possible but probable because of American, European, Australian and Japanese leaders. They are making preparations for it day and night. Please read https://williewongthought.hpage.com/why-the-united-states-must-not-have-war-with-china.html

2Pe 3:11-13, “ Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the Heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new Heavens and a new Earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

Christians are not afraid of a nuclear war, because we are looking for new Heavens and a new Earth, in which righteousness dwells.

The Bible has good news for you all. In the 1,000 year peace reign of Jesus Christ on earth, Isa 2:4 , “And He will judge between the nations, and will mediate for many peoples; and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.”

The most idyllic and ideal scene that you have never seen or imagined in your life will become a reality:

Isa 11:6-9, “ And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fattened steer will be together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

THE West and the puppet of Ukraine cause war and bring pain all over the world, thousands of deaths and millions of refugees and displaced persons and global inflation and high cost of living.

IX. SORROW BRINGS PAIN

Gen 44:29, “If you also take this one from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Jacob’s wicked children sold their brother Joseph as a slave to Egypt and lied to their father regarding Joseph harmed by wild beasts. So Jacob declares to his children: If they take Benjamin from him and harm happens to him, they will bring Jacob’s gray hair down to death in sorrow. So many peoples in this world die in sorrow for one reason or another. Sorrow not only brings pain, sorrow can bring death.

Gen 48:7, “Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

The beloved wife of Jacob, Rachel died to his sorrow. Is there anything more sorrowful than to bury your beloved wife?

Psa 31:10, “For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my guilt, and my body has wasted away.”

How many can say the same about their lives as the Scriptures cited above. Long before psychologists and psychiatrists have existed, a sinner suffering guilt describes his life: My life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my guilt, and my body has wasted away.” This Scripture has clinical significance.

Psa 32:10, “The sorrows of the wicked are many,
But the one who trusts in the LORD, goodness will surround him”

According to https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/vot/w/wicked.html

“Râshâ‛ also denotes the category of people who have done wrong, are still living in sin, and are intent on continuing with wrongdoing. This is the more general meaning of the word. The first psalm exhorts the godly not to imitate the deeds and behavior of the ungodly, wicked people. The “wicked” does not seek God (Ps. 10:4); he challenges God (Ps. 10:13). In his way of life the “wicked” loves violence (Ps. 11:5), oppresses the righteous (Ps. 17:9), does not repay his debts (Ps. 37:21), and lays a snare to trap the righteous (Ps. 119:110). Ps. 37 gives a vivid description of the acts of the “wicked” and also of God’s judgment upon them. Facing the terrible force of the “wicked,” the righteous prayed for God’s deliverance and for His judgment upon them. This theme of judgment has already been anticipated in Ps. 1:6: “For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” The expectation of the righteous includes God’s judgment on the “wicked” in this life that they might be ashamed (Ps. 31:17), be overcome by sorrows (Ps. 32:10), fall by their devices (Ps. 141:10), and die a premature death (Prov. 10:27), and that their remembrance will be no more (Prov. 10:7). It is expected that at the time of their death there will be great shouting: “When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: when the wicked perish, there is shouting” (Prov. 11:10).”

Psa 38:17, “For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.”

Continuous sorrow can make a man to fall.

Pro 17:21, “He who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.”

Many cultures believe children are blessings. Foolish children only brings sorrows to their parents. How many American parents are in distress because their children are addicted to illegal drugs like heroin. A fool brings no joy to their parents. The burden of parents is heavy, it is heavier to raise a daughter.

Ecc 11:10, “So remove sorrow from your heart and keep pain away from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.”

Childhood and the prime of life are fleeting. Yesterday I was in the prime of life, today I am old. Life is fleeting. It is wise to remove sorrow from your heart and keep pain away from your body.

Isa 35:10, “And the redeemed of the LORD will return and come to Zion with joyful shouting, and everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

No matter how much sorrows, Christians need not to commit suicide. Suicide is wrong and useless. There is good news. In the Paradise of God, there will be everlasting joy and full of gladness. There will be no more sorrow and sighing.

Isa 53:3, “ He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

The prophet prophesies that Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. What pain the Lord Jesus had endured for the sins of the world.

Jer 8:18, “My sorrow is beyond healing, my heart is faint within me!”

Is there sorrow beyond healing? I believe even psychiatrists do not know. But one thing I know, there is nothing impossible with God. Exo 15:26, “And He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your Healer.” THE Lord is your Healer. The Lord is my Healer. The Lord is our Healer.

Jer 20:18, “Why did I ever come out of the womb
To look at trouble and sorrow, so that my days have been spent in shame?”

It appears there are peoples who come out of the womb to look at trouble and sorrow and spend their days in shame. Is such a life worth living? However, no matter how hard life is, Christians cannot and must not commit suicide.

Luk 22:45, “When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow.”

It is possible that people sleep from exhaustion. It is also possible that people sleep from sorrow.

Rom 9:2, “that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.”

Paul had deep concern for Israel that he had great sorrow and unceasing grief in his heart. I also pray for Israel so that Palestinians, Arabs and Hamas will get out of the Jewish land in peace.

2Co 2:7, ‘so that on the other hand, you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a person might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.”

In certain situation it is better to forgive and comport the offender, lest he might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Excessive sorrow is not good.

2Co 7:10-11, “ For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.”

Not all sorrows are bad. The sorrow of the world produces death. The sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret. It is very bad that world leaders and politicians who rejoice in doing evil.

Phl 2:27, “ For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.”

Epaphroditus was a brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier who ministered to Paul’s need. He was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him and Paul so that Paul would not have sorrow upon sorrow. The ministry of Paul was a ministry of suffering for Christ. Very few understand what “sorrow upon sorrow” means. Do you?

According to https://hymnary.org/text/in_the_cross_of_christ_i_glory_towering

“When the woes of life o’ertake me,
hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
never shall the cross forsake me.
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.”

Wadsworth Longfellow said, “Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.”

Victor Hugo had some good words. “Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace.”

Joseph Addison had a point, “Man is subject to innumerable pains and sorrows by the very condition of humanity, and yet, as if nature had not sown evils enough in life, we are continually adding grief to grief and aggravating the common calamity by our cruel treatment of one another.”

Victor Hugo said, “Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters.”

Pro 17:17, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

You may find your friends and relatives not dependable in time of trouble, I can assure there is a Friend in Jesus who will never fail you. Psa 50:15, “Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” I am an old man who has gone through all kinds of adversities, I can testify to the faithfulness of my Lord.

Sorrow is not the mark of power. There is no pleasure in sorrow. Sorrow is not beautiful. Sorrow is not golden. Job 14:1, “Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and full of trouble.” Trouble brings sorrow. Samuel Johnson said, “There is no wisdom in useless and hopeless sorrow.” Henry Ward Beecher said, “Sorrow makes men sincere.” Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth. .” Franz Schubert said, “My compositions spring from my sorrows. Those that give the world the greatest delight were born of my deepest griefs.” Charles Spurgeon had a good point, “It is said that our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.” Jesus was called Man of sorrows. John Bunyan said concerning Jesus, “He hath given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death.”

There is only way to deal with sorrow. Ovid said, “Bear and endure: This sorrow will one day prove to be for your good.” Thomas Moore said, “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.” 1Co 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” Jesus also says, Mat 24:10-13, “And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.” That time is this time. People who compare Jesus with Buddha, Mohammed, etc. and who put Jesus on the same level with them do not know Jesus Christ at all. Jesus is the Only Son of God, the only Savior of the world.

A sad man in his last words said, “The sadness will last forever.”

No. The Bible has good news for you who are broken-hearted: Sorrow and sighing will flee away. Jesus says, Mat 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” All who are weary and burdened may find rest in Christ.

Rev 21:2-4, “And I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

In the Paradise of God, Christians will rejoice because God will dwell among His children. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will be no longer any mourning (sorrow), or crying, or pain. This is the lot of God’s children in the Holy City, New Jerusalem.

X. FEAR BRINGS PAIN

According to https://www.paulekman.com/universal-emotions/what-is-fear/

“What is Fear? Fear is one of the seven universal emotions experienced by everyone around the world. Fear arises with the threat of harm, either physical, emotional, or psychological, real or imagined. While traditionally considered a “negative” emotion, fear actually serves an important role in keeping us safe as it mobilizes us to cope with potential danger.”

Gen 9:2,“The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every animal of the earth and on every bird of the sky; on everything that crawls on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea. They are handed over to you.”

God blessed Noah and his son, every animal and every bird, and everything that crawls on the ground and all the fish of the sea were handed over to them. The word “fear” occurs 310 times in the Bible.

According to https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-of-fear-

“Symptoms

Fear often involves both physical and emotional symptoms. Each person may experience fear differently, but some of the common signs and symptoms include:

· Chest pain

· Chills

· Dry mouth

· Nausea

· Rapid heartbeat

· Shortness of breath

· Sweating

· Trembling

· Upset stomach

In addition to the physical symptoms of fear, people may experience psychological symptoms of being overwhelmed, upset, feeling out of control, or a sense of impending death.”

Gen 15:1, “After these things the Word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not fear, Abram, I AM a shield to you; your reward shall be very great.”

The first thing God said to Abram or Abraham was: Do not fear. I think God knows the human primary problem is fear. When the angel proclaimed the good news to the shepherds, Luk 2:10 , “And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” Do not fear means do not be afraid. When Jesus rose from the dead, Mat 28:5-6, “And the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” The God of Abraham is our Heavenly Father, Christians have no reason to fear no matter what.

Epicurus was right, “A man who causes fear cannot be free from fear.” For example, a man who is unskilled, unmotivated, and undisciplined…can he be free from fear of unemployment? A promiscuous homosexual, HOW can he be free from fear of AIDS? A man who spends what he does not have, his debts are piling up high, how can he be free from poverty? A sinner who does not want to repent and believe in the Savior of the world, how can he be free from the judgment to come? A nation without an able leader of character, with a large uneducated and unskilled population, suffering deep debts and deficits, lack of development and infrastructure, how can the nation be free from poverty?

When the sons of Israel were facing the Red Sea and chased by the Egyptian chariots and army from behind, Exo 14:13-14, “ But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will perform for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again, ever. The LORD will fight for you, while you keep silent.”

Palestinians, Arabs, and Hamas have no resettlement right, no claim to any part or portion of the Jewish land, so they had better get out from the Promised Land in peace the sooner the better. For the Lord will fight for Israel. Exo 14:25, “ He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians each said, “Let me flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

Gen 26:24, “ And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants, for the sake of My servant Abraham.”

The Scripture cited above, the Lord said to Isaac: Do not fear, for I am with you. The good Lord also says to every Christian: Do not fear, for I am with you.

How fear can grip on people. A historical incident describes it: Mat 28:2-4, “And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men.” The guards were trained soldiers who were braver than ordinary men, but they shook from fear of the Angel and became like dead men. The Chinese has an expression, fear to death.

Epicurus said, “The fool’s life is empty of gratitude and full of fears; its course lies wholly toward the future.”

I want to add: The fool’s life has no future.

Christians are assured of divine protection. Luk 12:7, “But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.”

Unlike unbelievers, Christians have no fear of the future. On the contrary, Christians are sure of their future. Christians straighten up and lift up their heads to see the Son of God Jesus Christ coming with power and great glory.

Luk 21:25-28, “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting from fear and the expectation of the things that are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Christians are not afraid of the future because the future belongs to Christians. Things are taking place, Christians straighten up and lift up our heads because our redemption is drawing near.

XI. HUMAN EXISTENCE IS A PAIN

Psa 89:47, “Remember how short my life is,
how empty and futile this human existence!”

There are at least three reasons why human existence brings pain: (A). Life is short. (B). Life is empty. (C.) Life is futile.

Ecc 1:13, “I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under Heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race.”

The (D). Life is tragic.

The human existence seemingly ties to the existence of the universe. The existence of the universe logically ties to the existence of the Creator. There is a design in the existence of the universe. Even a little mistake could be catastrophic.

According to https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/52551/jewish

“Physicist Brandon Carter notes that the speed of light, multiplied by Planck’s constant, and divided by the square of the electron’s charge, roughly equals 137. Carter argues that if this ratio were ever so slightly more than it is, then all stars would be blue giants and there would be no planets at all, let alone living creatures; if it were somewhat smaller, all stars would be red dwarfs and thus the planets orbiting them far too cold to sustain any kind of organism. The speed of light, it seems, was fixed at the beginning for the sake of the whole show.”

God is perfect does not only mean that God does not need or lack of anything. The Person of God is perfect. Jesus teaches that God is perfect. Mat 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” God is perfect in His righteousness, holiness, goodness, beauty, power, knowledge, wisdom, justice, honor, glory, majesty and everything. God is perfect in His work. Deu 32:4,“The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; the God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and just is He.” The Word of God is perfect. Every word is pure. 1Pe 1:23, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring Word of God.” In comparison to God, the mortal man is nothing, less than nothing. God is supreme and ultimate in everything.

Someone said, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear with any ‘how.’”

Why Christians live in this world?

Before Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, He has a prayer with the Holy Father: Jhn 17:13-21, “But now I am coming to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your Word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

I am one with all sanctified believers in Christ. I want to be one with all true believers. For unity in Christ I do not ask and do not want anything from anybody. I just want all believers become ONE in Christ.

XII. DEATH BRINGS PAIN

A famous person said, “We don’t actually fear death, we fear that no one will notice our absence, that we will disappear without a trace.” Those who are having sense of self-importance, hear and listen, when you pass away, no one will remember you. You will disappear like a cloud without a trace.

Job 18:17, “All memory of their existence will fade from the earth, no one will remember their names.” Here the Scripture refers to the wicked: All memory of the existence of the wicked will fade from the earth, so no one will remember their names. Sure because the written record, people will remember the wicked Hitler, but all his agents the Nazis their existence will fade from the earth, and no one will remember their names.

According to https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/memory“Memory is the faculty by which the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information. It is a record of experience that guides future action.

Memory encompasses the facts and experiential details that people consciously call to mind as well as ingrained knowledge that surface without effort or even awareness. It is both a short-term cache of information and the more permanent record of what one has learned. The types of memory described by scientists include episodic memory, semantic memory, procedural memory, working memory, sensory memory, and prospective memory.”

I venture to say, as long as mankind keeps history record, Hitler will be remembered because he links to World War II. However, in eternity Hitler will burn in Hell for ever; and those in the Paradise of God all memory of Hitler will vanish and no one will remember his name. All those who are in Hell will be forever forgotten.

Exo 17:14, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek from under Heaven.”

God is able to utterly wipe out the memory of the wicked under Heaven.

Psa 90:10 , “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

Whether it makes sense or not, all will die because all have sinned. You cannot resolve the problem of death without resolving the problem of sin.

Gen 5:5, “So all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.”

The first man lived to 930 and died. The oldest man in history died at 969 years old.

Gen 5:27, “So all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.”

For a Christian, a pilgrim on earth, Psa 23:6, “Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, and my dwelling will be in the house of the LORD forever.”

When I leave this world, I shall dwell in the mansion of the Lord, the Paradise of God, forever.

An unbeliever facetiously said, “Man is condemned to be free.”

Heb 2:15, “and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

How can men who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives be free?

Someone said, “Better to die once and for all than to suffer pain for all my life. “ Someone does not know there is such a thing as eternal suffering in Hell. It is true. Death is the separation of soul from the body. For the wicked and unbeliever, it is eternal separation from God and suffering in pain in darkness for eternity.

Psa 116:3, “The snares of death encompassed me
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.”

Many find distress and sorrow encompassing them by the snares of death and the terrors of Sheol come upon them, they find distress and sorrow.

According to: https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes-symptoms

· “Hypoglycemia. If your blood sugar falls below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), it can lead to accidents, coma, and death.

· Hyperglycemia. Blood sugar that goes above 180 to 200 mg/dL can give you heart, nerve, kidney, and vision problems. Over the long term, it also can cause coma and death.”

No one pays attention: Sin brings death. In most cases, eternal sufferings in Hell. Rom 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—Heb 9:27, “And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment.” It seems no one is paying attention to the judgment to come either. God is not joking. You are warned once more time.

IN CONCLUSION

YOU have learned many problems bring or cause pain. The human existence is pain. Life is pain. The world is pain. No matter who you are, there is no hope in the world.

Ecc 1:2, “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

Psa 90:10, “The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

It is so sad about our lives on earth. Soon we fly away. But there is hope, when Jesus was born hope was born. God sent His Only Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, to come down to earth from Heaven to save sinners. There is hope in Christ. Col 1:5, “because of the hope reserved for you in Heaven, of which you previously heard in the Word of truth, the Gospel.” Because of the Word of truth, the Gospel, our hope in not on earth, but the hope reserved for us in Heaven. We do not want you to be uninformed. Christians have the hope of salvation. Col 1:27, ”to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The Christian hope of glory is Jesus Christ coming again to reign with the saints for eternity. Christians have set our hope in Christ, He will yet deliver us.

Gal 5:5, “For we, through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.” Christians do not belong to the world, we are citizens of Heaven. If you repent and believe in Jesus Christ, you can become citizens of Heaven by grace too. With the hope of righteousness, 2Pe 3:13, “But according to His promise we are looking for new Heavens and a new Earth, in which righteousness dwells.” God will dwell with His children, we will be in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. I am waiting; and billions and billions of believers of all generations have been waiting; are you? Rev 21:4, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

If you really want eternal joy in the Kingdom of Heaven without pain and tear, come and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.