The Chief Rabbi’s message and overview of Bible prophecy in relation to the Jews is compelling evidence that God is indeed at work in the Kingdoms of men.

When the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, returns to re-establish David’s throne and the Kingdom of Israel (Luke 1:32), we read that it is at that time that the following will occur:

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31–34

Ezekiel 37 also records the future revival of Israel at the time when Christ returns. The prophet see’s a valley of dry bones which, he is told, are “the whole house of Israel” (v11). These bones come together, then sinews of flesh are laid on them, then flesh and skin and then the bones stand up! What the prophet is seeing is the revival of the nation of Israel which has started to occur in recent times! What is interesting though is that in verse 26, in the same context God says the following at that time:

“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.” Ezekeil 37:26

It’s relevant then that the Rabbi is calling for Jews everywhere to renew their covenant with Yahweh. This they will do, and can only do, when they accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah when he returns as we are told in Zechariah 12:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn”. Zechariah 12:10

This time is also mentioned in the New Testament:

“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” Romans 11:26-27

The Rabbi’s message then is a wonderful example on how Bible prophecy has been fulfilled with the establishment of the nation of Israel – but also how it is currently being fulfilled, with the religious revival of the Jews turning again to their ancient text, the word of God, the Torah. This is a testament to how they are being prepared to accept the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns to establish God’s covenant with them.

See this article for more detail on God’s purpose with Israel:
Israel – God’s Witnesses »

The great thing about it is the upcoming events sections which display the titles of our upcoming public lectures. If you are based in Nottingham feel free to come on down and hear the truth of the Bible expounded – we’d love to see you.

Also on the sites a summary of our beliefs and activities as well as a bit of background about who we are. We hope the new site will help us witness in the area.

Finally the site houses some recorded talks which can be downloaded – we hope to continue to build on what is there so be sure to bookmark the site and visit again in the future.

You do not have an immortal soul

Most modern Christians believe in what is actually an ancient pagan myth – that man has an immortal soul which floats out of the body and off into the afterlife after death. This is not a Bible teaching. Consider the these verses:

“the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezek 18:4

“save a soul from death” James 5:20

“he spared not their soul from death” Psalm 78:50

“my soul chooseth death rather than my life.” Job 7:15

“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Psalm 146:3-4

“the dead know not any thing” Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

“none can keep alive his own soul.” Psalm 22:29

These verses clearly prove that the idea of an immortal soul is nonsense. The soul can die. The word in the original languages that the Bible was written in simply means “creature” or “living thing”. It is also clear from the verses above that when man dies he is unconscious – his “thoughts perish”. Therefore the idea of an afterlife dies along with the idea of an immortal soul. The Bible’s teaching on the topic of death is therefore at great variance with the teaching of most mainstream churches.

Being raised from the dead is the true hope of the Bible

The Bible teaches that when Jesus Christ returns to the earth there will be a resurrection and a judgment. Those found acceptable will be given the gift of eternal life, their sin cursed and mortal nature inherited from Adam will be removed and they will be given immortality. Those who are rejected will die and remain unconscious in their grave. This teaching is clear as the following verses demonstrate:

“all that are in the graves shall come forth” John 5:28-29

“Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” 1 Corinthians 15:23

“the resurrection at the last day.” John 11:24

“for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” Luke 14:14

“the dead in Christ shall rise first” 1 Thes 4:16

“The Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing” 2 Tim 4:1

“many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake” Daniel 12:2

So we can see then that Jesus Christ is to return to the earth, raise the dead and judge them as well as those who are alive at that time. To be accepted at the judgment is the hope of a true Bible believer – not to float to heaven to meet St Peter by the pearly gates to play harps on clouds for eternity.

How can we be accepted at the judgment?

In Romans 6 we read about the importance of baptism. At verse 3 we read that we are “baptised into his (Christ’s) death”. The chapter goes on to say that we should live in newness of life after the example of Christ, who has been resurrected. Baptism declares our association with Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. It is the mechanism that God has provided to allow us to demonstrate our faith in His word and in His son – Jesus Christ. As Jesus said to his apostles:

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” Mark 16:16

Therefore to be accepted at the judgment we need to find out the truth of the gospel. The true gospel which is found in God’s word the Bible. The truth which is untainted by the thinking of men.  We need to believe it to the extent that we are baptised and live after the example of Jesus Christ. If we do that then when Jesus Christ returns and the responsible are judged, in God’s mercy we will be given eternal life and a place in Gods future Kingdom on the earth.

For more detail about the above topics please read the following articles:

• The Resurrection
• Death – the end and not the start of an afterlife
• Jesus Christ – his true purpose and mission
• Baptism – essential for salvation

Who are the Christadelphians?

In a nutshell we are a Bible based community holding a distinct belief in the gospel as held by first century followers of Jesus Christ. Our community started about 160 years ago by people who searched their Bibles and concluded that the mainstream Churches were not preaching according to the Bible’s teachings and had in fact lost the truth. The community has continued ever since. We are all individuals who come from all walks of life but are bound in our common faith in the Bible and in the gospel as preached in the Bible.

What do Christadelphians believe?

We believe in the gospel message as preached by Christ and his followers in the 1st Century. This message consisted of two parts:

• The things concerning the kingdom of God
• Those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ

This two part message is mentioned in Acts 8:12 and Acts 28:30-31

A Summary of Christadelphian beleifs:

• The Bible is the only true message from God and it was given entirely by Him 2 Tim 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21
• There is only one true God the creator of the heavens and the earth Isa 45:5, 1 Cor 8:6, 1 Tim 2:6, Psalm 146:6
• Jesus Christ is God’s son Matt 3:16-17, Luke 1:35
• The Holy Spirit is God’s power Acts 10:38, Luke 1:35
• The gospel is the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob which are not yet completely fulfilled Gal 3:8, 16+29, Romans 15:8, 2 Peter 1:4
• The Kingdom of God existed in the past (known as the Kingdom of Israel) and will be restored in the future on the earth Luke 1:32-33, Zech 2:12
• Man is mortal and dies because of sin Rom 5:12, James 1:14-15
• Jesus Christ was a man who bore human nature, was tempted in all points in the same way as we are, yet did not sin and died as a representative for us Heb 2:14, 4:15, John 1:29
• God raised Jesus from the dead and he is now immortal sitting at God’s right hand in heaven Acts 2:24, Eph 1:20-21, 1 Cor 15:17
• The dead are unconscious and the soul is not immortal Ecc 9:5-6, Ezek 18:4
• Jesus will return to the earth and there will be a resurrection and judgment of those responsible to God’s word 1Thes 4:16, Acts 1:9-11, 2 Tim 4:1
• Through belief and baptism into Christ by full immersion and living a Godly life, a person has the hope of being given the gift of eternal life and finding a place in Gods Kingdom when Jesus returns Mark 16:15-16, Gal 3:29, Dan 7:18+27, Rom 6:3-4

For a more detailed explanation of our beliefs and more Bible verses to prove them please read our Statement of Faith which all our members subscribe to believing.

Hebrews 2:14
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Ephesian 2:14-16
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

If you read the above passages carefully you will note that the following phrases are all saying the same thing:

• Jesus destroyed the devil
• Jesus condemned sin in the flesh
• Jesus abolished the enmity with God

These passages are speaking of a principle of human nature – that it is related to sin. It is human nature which causes us to be tempted and when we follow temptation this leads us to sin – which rightly brings forth death. This is what James tells us:

James 1:14-15
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death

The three passages we started with also show that, Jesus partook of “flesh and blood” – also known as “sinful flesh” which is
“enmity with God“. He was a man who knew all the problems which we face. As we read:

Hebrews 4:15
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Therefore this flesh, or nature, which man inherits from his forefather Adam and its proneness to sin, is the real problem that we have. This is “the devil” (Greek: ”diabolos“) of the Bible. It is this nature which any true follower of the Bible must hope is destroyed at the return of Christ.

Phil 3:21
“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Jesus himself then bore our human nature with all its temptations to sin, yet overcame every thought and inclination to sin by fulfilling his Father’s will. He died as a sacrifice but because he was without sin he was raised from the dead and having that nature destroyed he was given eternal life. God, in His mercy, has said that if we make Christ our representative through baptism into his name, we will also have an opportunity to be given the gift of eternal life when Jesus returns to the earth to establish God’s kingdom.

For further information please read our article “The true identity of the devil“

One of the most amazing things about the teachings of the 1st century followers of Christ was that the message of the gospel would become corrupted. In this Podcast these prophecies are examined in the light of the history behind some of the key doctrines held by most of those who would claim to follow Christ. The implications of the corrupting of Christianity are far reaching and powerful and we hope this Podcast might stop and make you think because what you may of heard about Christianity might not be what the Bible teaches at all…

Podcast

Download as mp3 version here (5MB) » (Right click and save to desktop)

The Jewish nation is unique amongst all the ethnic groups that exist on our planet today. No other nation has been subjected to as many racial extermination attempts as the Jewish nation. No other nation has been scattered worldwide, had to flee from country to country, suffered persecution and abuse and yet has retained a distinctive national identity.

The Bible has much to say about the Jewish race. In Isaiah for example we have recorded God’s words to them:

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he… Isaiah 43:10

The burning question is, how can Israel be a witness to the existence of God? Again, to find out the answer to this question we have to turn to our Bible. One passage which is of interest in this regard is Deuteronomy chapter 28. In that chapter we have recorded Moses’ last words spoken to Israel before they were to enter the promised land. Moses, an inspired prophet of God, warns Israel that they had to follow God’s law as a nation or else terrible punishments would be sent upon them by God:

…ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other… And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:” Deuteronomy 28:63-65

Later in the nation’s history the Lord Jesus Christ quotes this prophecy. He was living in the Roman period and warned his followers in Luke 21:20-24:

“When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh… And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” Luke 21:20-24

These prophecies of course were fulfilled when, in AD70, the city of Jerusalem fell. The great Jewish temple was destroyed and the Jews were scattered throughout the known world. They migrated from place to place – always as strangers, never able to completely settle down. Even throughout the middle ages evidence exists of Jewish persecution. It all came to a head when the infamous Austrian, Adolf Hitler came to power as leader of the Nazi party in Germany in the 1940′s.

The Treblinka Death Camp

In November 1941 the Nazis established a forced labour camp in Treblinka, 50 miles northeast of Warsaw in Poland. This camp became known as Treblinka I. The Nazis imprisoned hundreds of thousands of Jews from Eastern Europe here and forced them to work in a nearby gravel pit. A year later another camp was built only a mile away, not a labour camp but a killing centre. It became known as Treblinka II. The camp had four sides, was surrounded by barbed wire and trees to block the view of what occurred inside. Four great watchtowers were built to oversee and protect the mass-murder which was to take place within. Both the camps were alongside a main railway line and were linked by rail so that victims could be transferred to the death camp. It is thought that over 800,000 Jews lost their lives in the gas chambers within the camp.

In July 1944, with Soviet troops approaching, the camp authorities killed all remaining prisoners and dismantled the camp, hiding much of the evidence of what went on there. They did such a good job that Holocaust deniers have often claimed the camp was no more than a transit camp – despite many Jewish eyewitness accounts.

However this week on the BBC website, British forensic archeologist Caroline Sturdy Colls has been reporting on her new findings of her recent studies of the site. However this week on the BBC website (source: Although no digging has been done on the site because she wished to respect Jewish tradition for not exhuming the dead, she has found evidence of many mass grave pits using penetrating radar and electrical imaging – technologies which have only very recently been available.

The regathering of the Jews foretold in the Bible

This news story is another reminder of Bible prophecy concerning Israel and the Jews. How right the words of Deuteronomy have been – “And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind”. In Jeremiah though we read this:

“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun… moon… and stars… If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.” Jeremiah 31:35-36

This verse tells us clearly that God has a special purpose with the nation of Israel – His witnesses. Although, as we have read, the Bible prophesies of their scattering amongst the nations because of their rebellion against God, it also talks about their regathering back into the land which God had promised them. The prophecy from Luke, quoted earlier makes this clear “and they shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”.

Again in Jeremiah 31:
Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. Jeremiah 31:10

Many more verses could be called upon to prove this point. When we piece all of this together we realise how much God is in control of human afairs. God had said that if the Jewish nation failed to keep His national law they would be scattered. It occured. God had said that he would regather them. This occurred but only after the terrible judgments written had been poured out in the events of World War 2. The situation for the Jews became so bad that world leaders were compelled to help establish a homeland for the Jewish people and in 1948 the nation of Israel was born.

This event had been looked for by Bible students who had studied some of the prophecies we have already quoted. For example Christadelphian author John Thomas wrote this in 1848:

“There is, then, a partial and primary restoration of Jews before the manifestation (return of Christ), which is to serve as the nucleus, or basis, of future operations in the restoration of the rest of the tribes after he has appeared in the kingdom. The pre-adventual colonization of Palestine will be on purely political principles; and the Jewish colonists will return in unbelief of the Messiahship of Jesus, and of the truth as it is in him. They will emigrate thither as agriculturists and traders, in the hope of ultimately establishing their commonwealth…”

We see then how that the Jewish nation is indeed a witness to the fact that the author of the Bible, God Himself, exists and is at work – that indeed we may know the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.

His work with Israel though has not yet finished. We are told in the Bible that they were to be regathered  but that more trouble lies ahead which will eventually see the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ who will return from heaven to re-establish the Kingdom of Israel as it existed in days of old. We read of that time in many prophecies and we will quote from one in Zechariah:

For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city…. Zechariah 14:2

International Holocaust Memorial Day & signs of the times.

On Friday 27th of January, the world is preparing for the International Holocaust Memorial Day, which marks the liberation of the largest Nazi death camp, Auschwitz. On the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s website it says “Holocaust Memorial Day provides an opportunity for everyone to learn lessons from the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides and apply them to the present day to create a safer, better future.”. This is a well meaning statement however as we have seen, the Bible tells us that man will not learn from the horrors of the past. In Ezekiel 38:12 we read that the nations who will come against the regathered Jews have an evil thought to: ”to turn their hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations”.

There were many signs in the news this week that things are moving in that direction. Reuters had an article entitled “Netanyahu cites Holocaust lesson in dealing with Iran” where the Prime Minister of Israel There were many signs in the news this week that things are moving in that direction. Reuters had an article (source: referred to lessons from the Holocaust and related them to a nuclear armed Iran. He is reported to have said “We must not bury our heads in the sand. The Iranian regime calls openly for the destruction of Israel, and plans the destruction of Israel and acts for the destruction of Israel.” Iran appears in Ezekiel 38 under the title of “Persia”.

On Wednesday The Jerusalem Post reported on the words of the President of the European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor about the rise of anti-semitism in Sweden. On Wednesday the Jerusalem Post reported (source In some Swedish cities the rise in Jewish hate crimes has increased so much that many Jews have had to flee cities like Malmo. Kantor is reported to have said that it was “unthinkable that in the 21st century Jews need to move from the city of Malmo to Stockholm and elsewhere.”

A report entitled “Court Keeps Hitler’s Work From German Newstands”, published by The New York Times on Thursday, also showed how antisemitism is on the rise in Europe. The article tells of how The German authorities have had to step in to stop excerpts from Adulf Hitlers anti-Jewish book “Mein Kampf” from being published after a publisher had proposed to provide German newsstands with 100,000 copies of important passages from the work. The book has been regarded as the source of much of Nazi ideology. The report also goes on to state: “This week, the government released the results of a two-year-long study showing    g that one in five Germans still harboured anti-Semitic beliefs.”

The final news story we wish to mention is the report from the BBC on a row which has erupted over a Holocaust memorial near the Russian town of Rostov-on-Don, which is south of Moscow. The memorial used to have a plaque which specifically mentioned the Jews who had died in that place. It read “On the 11-12 of August 1942, Nazis killed more than 27,000 Jews here.” A decision has been made which would replace the plaque with, instead of “Jews”, the words “peaceful citizens of Rostov-on-Don and Soviet prisoners of war.”

The return of Christ is near to re-establish God’s Kingdom

So we can see clear signs that the world has not learnt the lesson from the Holocaust and that they are preparing, unwittingly, for the events which have been outlined in the Bible long ago. God will bring the nations against Israel once again. It is at that time says the prophet Zechariah that Jesus will return:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him… Zechariah 12:9-10

This personage who the Jews have pierced is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom at his birth, the angel said in Luke 1:32-33 that ”the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

So we look and watch the signs of the times for the coming of the Messiah to re-establish the kingdom of Israel. To sit on the throne of David his father, to rule in righteousness over the whole world. The message of the Bible is one of hope and to all who humble themselves and listen to God’s word we can be part of that glorious time of God’s Kingdom in a wonderful age which will come upon the earth. The return of Christ is a sure thing – for the one who has promised it has already shown that His word has been fulfilled and therefore this confirms our certainty that He will fulfil the other prophecies revealed in His word.

The nations of Europe give away more power to attempt to save the Euro whilst Great Britain stands alone in isolation to protect her trading powers. Welcome to the Bible in the News. This is Matt Davies joining you.

The lone man of Europe

In the past week dramatic events have been taking place in the European Union which see Britain take a few steps towards distancing herself from the nations of Europe. These events are exactly what Bible students have been watching for and mark another sign of the times as we see God at work in the Kingdoms of men.

On Friday the 9th of December European Union leaders met in Brussels to discuss the future of the euro and to seek to save it from collapsing. The summit was held to agree to a new treaty (called a “fiscal compact”) which would see members economies being more tightly integrated to allow stronger coordination of economic policies. The new treaty means more powers being taken from the member countries and handed over to the European Union.

Mr Cameron, the British Prime Minister, did not agree to the new treaty stating “What is on offer isn’t in Britain’s interests so I didn’t agree to it” after he had failed to secure concessions for the UK. He was the only leader to do so. He vetoed the new compact ensuring it fell outside of the current EU treaty. The other 26 EU nations resolved to bypass this and negotiate the new fiscal compact which will be implemented by March. For the first time since Britain joined the European Community in 1973, a treaty that goes to the heart of how the EU works will now be decided upon without British representatives being present.

On Saturday December 10th, the Daily Telegraph, in an article entitled “Cameron stands as lone man of Europe” gave the following insight into the events of the previous night: “David Cameron took a decisive step to distance Britain from the European Union yesterday as he became the first Prime Minister to veto a new EU Treaty. Mr Cameron provoked widespread anger among European leaders by refusing to back a deal to rescue the Eurozone… raising questions about Britain’s future in the EU… European leaders and Tory skeptics alike suggested that Mr Cameron had set Britain on a course that could end with departure from the EU.”

When asked if Europe was divided Lithuanian President Dalia Gry-baus-kaite said “Not Europe, Brits divided and they are outside of decision making. Europe is united…”

These events come after many in Britain have been questioning the UK’s membership of the EU. Recently the Daily Express newspaper has been running a campaign calling on the British public and politicians to “Get us out of the EU”. The Express is now frequently reporting of the problems of EU membership. One recent headline read “Fury over Britians £50m a day EU Bill” (Nov 24th 2011) and another printed last year read “99% of you say get us out of Europe” (Nov 26th 2010). It seems then that Eurosceptisim in the UK is growing and Britain is being forced into a position of isolation in Europe as the British public are becoming increasingly fed up with the large bills and bureaucracy of the EU. Meanwhile the Euro crisis see’s nations continuing to give up their sovereign powers to the system of Europe with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, telling her parliament on Wednesday 14th of December that the 26 other nations had set themselves on an “irreversible course towards a fiscal union”.

A Latter-day Prophecy

When we turn to Gods word, the Bible, we find an interesting chapter in Ezekiel which helps to shed some light on these events we are witnessing in the news. In Ezekiel chapter 38 we have a prophecy about “the latter days” (see v 8 and verse 16). The latter days is a phrase which describes the end of the gentile age. We know that we are living in that time period because one of the events which marks the beginning of the latter day period is that the Jews will have begun to return to their land (see Hosea 3:5). So this chapter then is very relevant to us living today!

The prophecy deals with two power blocks of nations. The first power block is a confederacy of nations led by a character called “Gog” who is from the territory of “Magog” and is the leader of the territories of “Rosh, Mesech and Tubal” (see v2 and v3). Allied with him is “Persia”, “Ethiopia”, “Libya”, “Gomer” and “Togarmah”. These are all ancient territories which correspond to modern day Russia, Europe, Northern Africa and Iran. The prophecy speaks of how this confederacy comes down form the north and attacks Israel.

The second power block of nations is described in verse 13 and are depicted as challenging Gog and his allies:

“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?”

The ancient territories of Sheba and Dedan correspond with the modern day Arab states of the Gulf.

Identifying Tarshish

Allied with Sheba and Dedan is a trading, merchant, power called “Tarshish”. Tarshish, it seems, has a base in the area of Israel and together with Sheba and Dedan they challenge the invading force of Gog asking “Art thou come to take a spoil”?

Over 160 years ago Bible student John Thomas identified Britain as the power spoken of in the prophets as Tarshish. He wrote of this identification in his books ‘Elpis Israel’, ‘Eureka’ and ‘The Destiny of the British Empire’. John Thomas based his conclusions on the identifying features that the Bible gives about the Tarshish entity. When we look at our Bibles we find that Tarshish has the following characteristics:

• It is a trading maritime power: Isaiah 2:16, 23:1 Ezekiel 27:25
• It is a island or coastal power: Isaiah 60:9, 66:19, Genesis 10:4-5
• It is located to the far west of Israel: Jonah 1:3
• It is allied with Southern gulf states: Ezekiel 38:13, Psalm 72:10
• Tarshish will have descended from Japheth: Genesis 10:4
• It is a source of silver, iron, tin and lead: Ezekiel 27:12
• It trades in global markets: Ezekiel 27:25
• It has strong ties with Israel: Isaiah 60:9, Ezekiel 38:13

When the Tarshish clues are all pooled together we find that no other modern nation better qualifies than Great Britain.

The Bible in the News

To the Bible student then the events that have, and are, taking place in the EU are a sure and certain sign that God is preparing the nations for His plan and purpose as outlined in His word. We see the nations of Europe giving up more of their power and strength to the beast system which is prophesied of in Revelation 17. We see the Tarshish power standing apart from the nations of Europe just as Ezekiel 38 tells us the case will be at the end of the time period of the latter days.

We do not of course know exactly how events will pan out but surely we can see God at work in the Kingdoms of men bringing about the situation required by His word which will bring the nations down against Israel for the great battle of Armageddon. It is at that great time of trouble that the Bible speaks of Christ appearing in glory to the nations with his saints (Zechariah 14:4) and establishing God’s Kingdom on the earth. That Kingdom will be the ancient Kingdom of Israel restored with the Lord Jesus Christ sitting on the throne of his father David reigning in peace and righteousness.

Let us therefore watch the events in the news knowing that soon the vision of the future outlined in the Bible will come to fruition. We take comfort from the inspired word of God which tells us that:

“…the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Habbukuk 1:3

Tune in next week for another “Bible In The News” God willing…

We are very confident there is a way out of the difficulties which face the world. It is found in the pages of the neglected book, The Bible. The Bible claims to be a message from the creator of heaven and earth – that claim can be tested! – consider the following:-

Thousands of years before these events took place they were foretold in the Bible. (References given below)

1. The nation of Israel would be scattered worldwide. (Happened AD70)
2. They would be persecuted worldwide. (A fact of History)
3. They would return to their ancient homeland (Happening now)
4. Their return would cause problems for all nations (Happening now)
5. All nations would be against Israel (Happening now)
6. Other conditions would exist when they returned (Happening now see below)
7. Worldwide problems with no solutions would exist (Happening now)
8. ‘People power’ would cause governments to fall (Happening now)
9. Faith in the Creator God would be at an all time low (Happening now)

These, and other signs, foretell that Jesus Christ is about to return to the earth as Judge and King.
The Bible warns that we need to prepare for that time by reading its page and putting its teaching into practice. This is the only way to escape the coming judgments on this world and to share in the peace and justice which will follow.

Bible ref’s 1&2, Deuteronomy 28:64-65. 3, Jeremiah31:10.4&5, Zechariah 12:2-3. 7&8,Luke 21:24. 9, 2 Timothy 3:1-4.

If you would like to know more about these matters read the Bible Teaching area of this site or email in…

A few months ago, one of our readers wrote in after having read ‘The true identity of the devil“. The article arges that the Bible does not teach that a supernatural fallen angel demon exists. It explains that the idea of a Devil with horns and a pitchfork who lives in hell to torment the damned immortal souls and who frequently travels to earth to tempt mankind to sin by possessing them and whispering into their ear, is not found anywhere in the Bible.

The email of our reader asked some relevant and important questions asking me about my thoughts on some of the usual passages a Christian might turn to to support the idea of a supernatural fallen angel devil. This blog post has been published to share some of the content of our email discussion to help any others who are considering whither or not the devil exists in the commonly expressed idea;  A fallen angel devil who is somehow responsible for all sin.

Our corespondents questions about the devil and satan:

The correspondent had a great dislike to the suggestion that there was no such thing as a supernatural fallen angel devil. They wrote as follows (this is an extract):

You can find references to the existence of the devil ie, serpent, satan, adversary, the dragon and lucifer in the following list of scriptures below:

• Genesis 3
• 2 Kings 1
• 1 Chronicles 21
• Job 1 & 2
• Isaiah 14
• Ezekiel 28
• Zechariah 3
• Revelation 12:7
• 1 Chronicles 21:1
• Psalms 109:6

The word satan is mentioned in the Bible, King James Version 49 times.  The word Devil is mentioned 57 times and lucifer is mentioned once.

So my question back to you my brother was.  If Satan, the devil, the adversary, the dragon, the serpent, lucifer does no exist than why was Eve tempted into eating the forbidden fruit.  And why was (the serpent) punished for this?  Why would it even say (serpent)?  So I am sorry he does exist.

Sincerely, Corespondent.

Our answers to the devil passages

The following was sent in response to each of the verses the correspondent had brought forth to try to prove their case of the existence of a supernatural fallen angel devil:

Genesis 3 - Satan in the garden of Eden

You are right to infer that Eve was tempted by another being. However in the Genesis account it does not say that the serpent was a supernatural fallen angel. You have to read that into the text. How does Genesis describe Satan?

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made” Gen 3:1. He was a beast that had some reasoning power. He was created “very Good” by God (Gen 1:25). This is the plain teaching of these verses and I believe we shouldn’t read into them traditions and ideas that are not there.

You ask a good question: why did God punish the serpent? We are not told exactly why God punishes this beast he had made with reasoning powers but it seems to me that the serpant accused God of lying (howbeit unwittingly) and therefore deserved to be punished.
And look at the description of the serpents punishment:

“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:” Genesis 3:14

So God maintains that this serpent was a beast of the field. He was not a supernatural fallen angel devil. If this is not the case then why does God say that he was a beast? God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).

Also do you think that to crawl on his belly is an apt punishment for the immortal fallen angel, who has the power to defy God, tempt man to sin and travel around all over the earth down through the ages? If popular theology is to be believed then this punishment had little or no effect! This was a physical snake which was punished by being placed on it’s physical belly and eating physical dust – that is what the record states and to believe otherwise is to go outside of the Bibles account.

2 Kings 1:2-6 – Baalzebub the god of Ekron

There is nothing in these verses which proves that Baalzebub is a immortal fallen angel devil. Baal-zebub means “lord of the fly” or “lord of the (heavenly) dwelling” and was a Philistine deity worshipped at Ekron (which is why it says that Baalzebub was the god of Ekron in this passage). There were hundreds of false gods worshiped by the peoples around Israel and as Hezekiah says “they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.” Isaiah 37:19. Ekron was in that category of “make believe” gods.  The idea that Baal-zebub is a fallen angel is not found in the Bible but in later mythology – and was invented by man.

1 Chronicles 21 - Satan who stood up to number Israel

Who was this Satan? Have a look at the parallel record:

“And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.” 2 Sam 24:1

So God was the one who moved David to number Israel. In 1 Chron 21:1 He is described as a “satan”. All this means in the original hebrew is “adversary” – he was an adversary to Israel in this instance. Note: as our Podcast “There is no supernatural Devil” prooves, the word Satan in the hebrew is an untranslated word meaning simply “adversary” – you can have a adversary, a Satan, for good (like here God is an adversary – see also Num 22:22 where the same hebrew word is used to describe an obedient angel of God – please listen to the Podcast).

Job 1 & 2 – Satan of Job

Again where is the evidence that the satan of Job was an immortal fallen angel? If you read the record carefully the satan (adversary) bares all the hallmarks of a fleshly man to whom God points out Job to him so that the satan might examine his own motives and repent. There is no evidence that the satan in Job is a fallen angel who was cast out of heaven for sinning against God. These ideas have to be read into the passage.

Isaiah 14 – Lucifer the King of Babylon

This chapter does not mention the word Satan or Devil. This is an inferred argument. If you read this prophecy carefully you will see that this is not about an angel but actually about the King of Babylon (Isaiah 14:4) who is described as a “man” in verse 16. See this short article for more detail: Is Lucifer an immortal fallen angel? - again there is no evidence here of the fallen angel devil you are seeking to prove to me exists.

Ezekiel 28 – King of Tyrus

This is a prophecy of the “king of Tyrus” (see verse 1 and verse 12) not a prophecy against a supernatural angel. Tyre was a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast. This is a condemnation upon the King of Tyre (Tyrus) after he had broken the covenant made in previous generations between Tyre and Israel (See 1 Kings 5:12 and Amos 1:9). All the language in this prophecy relates to this amazing position this King had in Gods eyes and how that now he was disobedient that had been lost.

In verse 19 it tells us that this King of Tyre would be destroyed and the punishment was “never shalt thou be any more“. This is a companion prophecy of Ezekeil 26 which is also against Tyrus and was fulfilled in 332 BC when Alexander the Great destroyed Tyre. Jeremiah also mentions the King of Tyrus as being a literal King on the earth at that time (see Jeremiah 27:3).

Zechariah 3 – Satan resisting Joshua

Again there is no evidence that this satan (hebrew “adversary“, “one who withstands”) was a fallen angel and was superhuman. This concept is only there if you read it into the passage with a preconceived idea.
Zechariah prophesied at the time of the regathering of Israel under Ezra and Nehemiah. In this vision Zechariah see’s three parties: Joshua the High priest of the time, an angel of the Lord and an adversary (the satan). As we have seen “satans” are simply “adversaries” as that is what the Hebrew word means. There is no mention of any superhuman powers being held by this satan and you have to read into it to argue otherwise. Therefore it is ore reasonable to assume that this adversary was a man, like Joshua who stood in Joshua’s way.

Revelation 12:7 – War in heaven

In Revelation 1:1 we read of the  rules to interpreting Revelation:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John”

We can see then three rules:

• 1. It is written to Christ’s servants – if they are servants of his already then we will not find basic proofs in Revelation which enable an individual to believe.
• 2. It will reveal events after Johns time – therefore if you beleive that chapter 12 records the story of Satan being cast out of heaven then you would have to accept that this happens after the time the book of Revelation was written (approx AD90). This would be a strange conclusion as you seem to argue that Satan was cast out a long time before that and was in the Garen of Eden (approx BC6000). For further evidence of this see Revelation 4:1 where it tells us that John was to see events “hereafter” – e.g. after his time.
• 3. The book is “signified” or encoded – therefore everything in the book fo Revelation is in sign or symbol. This is very clear, especielay when we come to the chapter you quote from. Take a look at verse 1 for example – a literal women cannot be clothed with the listeral sun and stand on the moon! All of these things are a symbol and so is the “war in heaven“, Michael and the dragon – they are all symbols of various things but are NOT literal.

Psalms 109:6 – Satan is mentioned

This Psalm does not prove Satan is a immortal fallen angel.

The Hebrew word “satan” is inconsistently translated in the this Psalm. The word actually occurs in v4, v20 and verse 29 as well as in verse 6. In every verse apart from verse 6 the word has been translated “adversaries“. The translators, for some reason, decided not to translate it at all in verse 6 but to keep the original Hebrew “satan“. This is misleading because if they had been consistent they should have either left the word as “Satans” in verses 4 20 and 29 or translated the word in verse 6 “adversary“. I wonder if the reason for this discrepancy was because the translators of the Bible could not understand how the Psalmist could refer to multiple “Satans” in the plural as they had a preconceived idea of a fallen angel. Reading the text as it stands in the hebrew though it is clear the Psalmist is not talking of an immortal fallen angel but his personal adversaries and in verse 6 a specific adversary. There is no evidence that these were supernatural.

The existence of the word Satan and Devil in the Bible

You have stated the following as if it proves your case: “The word satan is mentioned in the Bible, King James Version 49 times.  The word Devil is mentioned 57 times and lucifer is mentioned once.”

It is true the words are in the Bible – there is no dispute in that (in fact if you look at the original hebrew and greek these words appear more frequently but are not translated consistently). The question is not if the words appear but if they mean what you are proposing they mean – e.g. that they are the title of a supernatural fallen angel. That idea I do not find evidence of.
So after going through all the verses you have brought up to prove the existence of the Devil and Satan as a supernatural fallen angel, I still can’t see it in the Bible.

However I do have a question for you which I hope you will be able to look at for me. Have a look at this verse:

“Forasmuch then as the children (mankind) are partakers of flesh and blood, he (Jesus) also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” Hebrews 2:14

Do you believe this verse? It clearly states that Jesus has destroyed the devil and that he did this by being a partaker of flesh and blood. Please could you explain how this fits in with your belief in the Devil?

Conclusion

So after going through all of the verses our correspondent brought forth form the Bible to prove their case we find them lacking of any evidence of a fallen angel demon who runs around causing sin. The fact of the matter is as the Bible states – the problem with the world is not a supernatural angel devil but man himself and his rebelious nature which causes him to sin. As James states:

 ”Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:14-15

The problem is with us, not an immortal fallen angel devil. We sin and are related to sin and therefore we die as a righteous outcome of that. It is only through Jesus Christ (via belief and baptism into the gospel) that we can have opportunity to be saved and have eternal life in Gods Kingdom which is to be restored on earth very shortly. For more information on what the Bible teaches about salvation please read “What do you need to believe to be saved” which is an introduction to the Bible’s teaching about salvation.

For those who were interested our correspondent couldn’t answer our question about Hebrews 2:14 and didn’t accept our reasoning on the above scriptures – choosing instead to sadly continue to believe in a supernatural being even though the evidence of such a being is lacking from the Bible.

However we hope that the answers to the above scriptures might help you, dear reader, to make a wiser more sound decision on the subject of whither a fallen angel, called the Devil and Satan, does actually exists. The Bible, the only authority on this subject, says he doesn’t.

“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20