Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1. On your About Me page you say that you are a Christian. How can that be? My Pastor said that Mormon's are definitely not Christians because they do not believe in the Trinity.
Question 2. What are your views of the 70-week prophecy of Daniel? Is it Preterist, Historicist, Futurist or just a metaphor?
Question 3. Is the coronavirus one of the plagues mentioned in the Bible?
Question 4. Do you know when the Second Coming will be?
Question 5. Do you think that the 7th Seal has been opened or are we still living in the 6th Seal since there have not been any great earthquakes or the sun being blacked out?
Question 7. How long have you been interested in Bible Prophecy?
Question 8. Are the riots and chaos we see in the streets today one of the signs of the last days?
Question 9. Do you believe that there is life on other planets?
Question 10. Many people say that Antiochus Epiphanes is the little horn and the desecrator from Daniel 88:11-13; 9:27; 11:31; and 12:11. How can this be when the Lord himself says that Daniel's prophecy wouldn't be fulfilled until after his death and resurrection?
Question 11. Is Satan real or is he just myth?
Question 1. Bill, from Las Vegas asks: On your About Me page you say that you are a Christian. How can that be? My Pastor said that Mormon's are definitely not Christians because they do not believe in the Trinity.
Answer:
Thanks for the question, Bill. Even though this is a website about prophesy I will take the time to clear up a misconception about my Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and our teaching on what we call the Godhead.
One of the first statements of our faith is that: "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." (Pearl of Great Price, The Articles of Faith, #1) This is my testimony you refered to:
"It is odd for me to feel the need to declare myself a Christian. To me it is obvious. I believe in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. I testify to the world that I believe in Jesus, the son of Mary, as the Promised Messiah. I worship God, Our Father in Heaven, through His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and know that only through the Savior are we saved. I believe in the miracle virgin birth, that Jesus came down to dwell with mortals to bring His gospel to the earth, organize His church and has shown us through His teachings and actions how we are to live and return back to the Father. I also believe that Jesus accomplished the Great Atonement––the reconciliation of man, the forgiveness of sin, and the resurrection––through His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the cross and with His rise from the empty tomb.
At baptism I covenanted with God to take upon myself the name of Jesus Christ, to always remember and follow Him. Each week when I take communion (which we call the Sacrament), I renew that covenant (D&C 20:75-79) every Sunday and am reminded to follow my Savior. I look forward to the Lord's Second Coming and to be there during the thousand years of peace. I dare say that Jesus, at that time, will unite the Church so that we may be of "of one heart and of one soul", so that one Christian will no longer say to the other "I have no need of thee". The Savior will once and for all unit all of the many Christian Traditions and Denominations into one. Then our differences will cease and all will "be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." I care not what others say. I try to live as Jesus lived. I am a Christian."
The main disputation of our being Christian is that we do not accept the Nicene or Athanasian Creeds. We are more of a Pre-Nicene, Apostles' Creed, type of Christian. I believe whole heartedly in the creed that the early apostles developed as a "rule of faith", the Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, (Ps. 46:10, Ps. 68:20, John 17:3)
creator of heaven and earth. (Genesis 1:1, John 1:3, Revelation 14:7)
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. (John 3:16, Matt. 3:16-17, Acts 2:36)
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:18, Luke 1:27-35)
and born of the virgin Mary. (Isaiah 7:14, Matt. 1:23, Luke 1:27)
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, (Matt. 27:2–26, Mark 15:1–15, Luke 23:1–25, John 18:28–40; 19:1–22)
was crucified, died, and was buried. (Matt. 27:58–61, Mark 15:45–47, Luke 23:50–53, John 19:38-42)
He descended to the dead. (John 20:17, 1 Peter 3:18-20, 1 Peter 4:5-6)
On the third day he rose again. (Matt. 28:6, Luke 24:39, John 20:20, Acts 10:40-41)
He ascended into heaven, (Luke 24:51, Acts 1:11, 1 Timothy 3:16)
and is seated at the right hand of the Father. (Acts 7:54-56, Romans 8:34, Colossians 3:1)
He will come again to judge the living and the dead. (Psalm 9:7-9, John 5:27-29, Jude 1:14-15)
I believe in the Holy Spirit, (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 12:3, Matt. 3:16-17)
the holy catholic (universal) Church, (Matt. 16:15-19, Ephesians 2:19-22, Ephesians 4:11-16)
the communion of the saints, (Ephesians 4:1-6, 1 Corinthians 12:7-31, Acts 2:41-47)
the forgiveness of sins, (Matt. 26:27-28, Acts 13:38-39, Hebrews 5:8-9)
the resurrection of the body, (Matt. 27:52-53, Acts 24:15, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26)
and the life everlasting. Amen. (John 3:15-17, Romans 8:14-17, Revelation 3:19-22)
Thousands upon thousands of Chritsians lived by this creed, generations before the council of Nicaea. My faith believes that the scriptures takes precedence over those creeds which were developed at least 10 generations after the apostles no longer taught and lead the church here on earth.
It is presumptuous for others to put labels on another fellow Christian. Only God can see into their heart. Any Christian Church should have the right of self-definition. We know what we teach and believe and follow the example of the Savior in our lives.
For more information see:
Trinity or Godhead: A Discussion about the LDS View of Diety
by B.H. Roberts and Reverend C. Van Der Donckt. This page is a comprehensive look at the Latter-day Saint view of the Godhead (God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost) compared to the traditional Christian teachings of the Trinity.
Latter-day Saint views of the Trinity from FairMormon
Are Latter-day Saints Christian? Yes! by Jeff Lindsay
May God grant you the knowledge you seek,
JK Sellers
Question 2. Richard from Colorado asks: What are your views of the 70-week prophecy of Daniel? Is it Preterist, Historicist, Futurist or just a metaphor?
Answer: Thanks for your question Richard. Daniel’s 70-week prophecy probably has the greatest number and widest variety of interpretations of any other prophecy in the Bible. Let’s look at this prophecy:
Daniel 9:24-27 (KJV)
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The points of dispute among theologians in these four verses are:
- When do the 70 weeks begin and when do they end?
- Which decree and by which ruler do we use to calculate the 70 weeks? There are four to choose from.
- Who are the “people of the prince”?
- Who is the prince?
- When and what is the war of desolations?
- Who is the ‘he’ that will confirm a covenant and “cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”?
- What are the overspreading abominations that will make desolate? When is the “midst of the week”?
I’ve been working on an in-depth study of the book of Daniel, and the 70-week prophecy is included in that work. The first article will be an introduction. The second will cover Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of Daniel chapter 2. The following articles will cover; The Four Beasts of chapter 7, The Ram, Goat and The Fierce King of chapter 8, The Kings and Events of Daniel chapters 11-12 and finally the 70-weeks prophecy of chapter 9. These five visions all have one common thread running through them. I will reveal what that thread is in my articles.
I can’t prove my case in this short answer, but I can give you some hints as to what will be included. In the article I will show:
- Why the prophecy was given.
- Which decree begins the 70 weeks and the exact start date.
- Who the “people of the prince” were and the identity of the “prince”.
- The exact date that Jesus was anointed the Messiah.
- When and what is the war of desolations.
- Who will confirm a covenant and “cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”.
- What are the overspreading abominations that will make desolate.
- When is the “midst of the week”?
- The exact date of the end of the 70 weeks.
I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the concise information but it will take much more space and time I have here to make my case. Keep watching for the articles or you can subscribe to my newsletter where I will post it there first.
Question 3. Aaron, from Texas asks: Is the coronavirus one of the plagues mentioned in the Bible?
Answer: Thanks for the question, Aaron. Several friends and family members have asked me if this pandemic is the beginning of the tribulations of the last days. My short answer is, I don’t think so.
Let me explain. So far, the coronavirus has killed thousands but hasn’t reached epic proportions that are described in the Bible. This doesn’t mean that it can’t mutate and come back next year even stronger, like the Spanish Flu did las century.
What I can say is that the economic impact will be significant. Multiple trillions of dollars will be spent by our government and those around the world to soften the impact of the economic ravages of job loss, non-payment of our home mortgages and rent, and loss of production from closed factories and businesses. This will place significant pressure on the dollar and its overall value. In A Half Hour of Silence, I predict that a devastating economic collapse will begin the tribulations of the end times. The coronavirus may very well have precipitated this collapse.
Question 4. Sam form Florida asks: Do you know when the Second Coming will be?
The short answer is, no. No one know the day or hour the Jesus Christ returns. Christ describes his return as a thief who enters a house unexpected. Even he himself does not know, only the Father.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
See also 2Peter 3:10 and Revelations 3:3
Jesus also describes the Second Coming as the sudden arrival of the birth of a baby. No one know the hour at which it will begin. And just like childbirth, birth pangs get stronger and closer together as the actual birth comes, so will the tribulations of the last days. It will begin without warning and the grief and sorrow will intensify as His return gets closer.
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings.
2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
However just like a birth of a child we can determine a close proximity when the event will begin.
Seven Seals, Seven Thousand Years.
I propose that the seven seals of Revelation (Rev 6) corresponds to the seven thousand years history of God’s dealing with man.
The First Seal, or the first thousand years began when Adam and Eve when they were first driven from the Garden of Eden and began their mortal life. That was roughly 4,000 BC. (John P. Pratt found the exact date, April 9th, 4001 BC). Enoch records a great deal of wars, strife and wickedness during this period. Let’s call it the Adamic Period. It ended somewhere around 3001 BC.
The Second Seal, or second thousand years, began around 3000 BC. During this period there was such wickedness and wars that God called down a flood to cleanse the earth. I call this the Noahic Period. It Ended somewhere around 2001 BC.
The Third Seal, or third thousand years, began around 2000 BC. This period was known for many famines and deaths as recorded by Abraham, Jacob, and Moses. These famines probably caused the great Indo-European migrations of that time. I will call this the Mosaic Period, which ended around 1001 BC.
The Fourth Seal, or fourth thousand years, began around 1000 BC. This period was the age of clashing empires, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia and Greece. I will call this the Period of Empires. It would have ended around 2 BC.
The Fifth Seal, or fifth thousand years, began with the birth of the Savior, April 6th, 1 BC. This period was known for the ministry of Jesus Christ, the establishment of His church and it’s spread by the apostles. Soon after came the persecution and martyrdoms which lasted for several centuries. I will call this the Early Church Period. It ended around AD 999.
The Sixth Seal, or sixth thousand years, began somewhere around AD 1000. This period was known for many major earthquakes and gigantic volcanic eruptions; Samalas 1257, Tambora 1815, Krakatoa 1883, plus the over three dozen +8 earthquakes during this time. I will call this the Modern Era which ended somewhere around 1999.
The Seventh Seal, the seventh thousand years, or the Millennium. Yes, that’s right, the last thousand years of man’s time on the earth is the Millennium. However, the ‘Millennium’ we read about in the bible, where there is peace and harmony, will not begin until later when Christ returns, destroys the wicked and binds Satan. So technically that Millennium hasn’t began yet.
So, when was the seventh seal opened? If we go by the sequence of the seven thousand years, then it already has. Somewhere around the year 2000, give or take 5-10 years, the seventh seal was opened. Well doesn’t that mean Christ will return at any time. No, not if you use the Book of Revelation as a timeline. What comes after the seventh seal was opened?
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
What is silence in heaven and how long is a half an hour in heaven?
Several places in the Bible describe silence with God’s withholding His judgements on the wicked. This silence in heaven is a solemn moment before judgement begins. It heralds the wrath that will soon descend upon man when the trumpets sound and vials of wrath are emptied. (See: Psalm 83, Psalm 50:3-4, Psalm 35:22-23, and Isaiah 65:6)
How long does a half hour in heaven last?
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
If 24 hours in heaven is a thousand years on earth, then 30 minuets would be close to 21 years.
If, and that’s a big ‘if’, the seventh seal, was opened around the year 2000, and there’s silence in heaven for a half hour, then that would take us to the year 2021, give or take several years for error. So, what happens after the silence in heaven? What comes next?
The first of seven trumps sound followed by the wrath of God being represented by seven bowls or vials. See Revelation Chapter 8.
This does not mean that Christ will come in a few years but rather God judgements are soon to begin. He comes after the seven trumps are sounded and the seven vials poured out on the earth. Are you ready? If not please read my free monthly newsletters. I have articles on how to prepare yourself for what is coming.
Question 5. Jon from Quebec asks: Do you think that the 7th Seal has been opened or are we still living in the 6th Seal since there have not been any great earthquakes or the sun being blacked out?
Answer:
During the 6th Seal, John describes what I believe to be gigantic volcanic eruptions. He says that there will be a “great earthquake”, the sun will be blocked out from something black and turn the Moon red (Rev. 6:12). Then stars or something like stars will fall to the ground (Rev. 6:13). Mountains and Islands will be moved (Rev. 6:14) and every class of men will try and hide from the falling mountain and rocks (Rev. 6:15-16).
These events are exactly what an eyewitness of a gigantic volcano eruption would see and experience: Huge earthquakes, the sun being blotted out by the ash cloud rising miles into the atmosphere, the moon turning red from the ash plume, great molten rocks falling from the sky, mountains and islands disappearing from the explosion, changing the landscape forever. Let’s examine just three eruptions that occurred during the 6th Seal (+ – 1,000-2,000 AD).
Krakatoa August 26–27, 1883. Krakatoa is the most famous of these volcanic eruptions since we have the records of eyewitnesses. The eruption of this super volcano has been estimated to be a 6 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index). That equals to be the equivalent of a 200-megaton bomb, 13,00 times the power of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima at the end of WWII. Krakatoa ejected 5 cubic miles of rock, ash, and pumice 4 mile into the air. The eruption was so loud that it circled the earth four times. Two-thirds of the island was obliterated. Average global temperatures fell by as much as 1.2 degrees Celsius in the year following the eruption. Weather patterns continued to be chaotic for years and temperatures did not return to normal until 1888.
Tambora April 10, 1815. The eruption of Mount Tambora was the most powerful recorded eruption in history. Scientists classify it as a 7 on the VEI. The eruption was four times the energy of Krakatoa! The sound of the thunderous explosion was heard over 1,600 miles away on the isle of Sumatra. Before the explosion, Mount Tambora was 14,100 ft high. After the explosion, it only measured 9,354 ft. The ash was found as far away as 800 miles. The ash cloud circled the earth and caused cold summers and longer winters which decimated harvests all around the world. 1815 was called the Year Without Summer. Starvation and war followed. Scientists estimate that 11,000 died from direct volcanic eruption and 49,000 by post-eruption famine and epidemic diseases.
Samalas September, 1257. The Samalas eruption has been placed as a 7 on the VEI and estimated to be 8 times stronger than Krakatoa and twice that of Tambora. The ash cloud spewed out 10 cubic miles of debris and reached an estimated 27 miles into the air and the layer of ash covered an estimated 150 square miles. The volume of debris was about 2.4 cubic miles. The Samalas eruption was the strongest cooling event of that millennium, causing the Little Ice Age, colder summers and very long and cold winters lasting at least ten years. The resulting famine triggered a political and social disaster. An “Old Javanese texts of the Babad Lombok describe a massive volcanic blast that formed a caldera at Mount Samalas, on Lombok Island. The writing describes the deaths of thousands of people due to deadly ashfall and pyroclastic flows that destroyed Pamatan, capital of the kingdom, and surrounding lands.”
I believe that anyone of these three eruptions could have fulfilled John’s prophecy of the 6th Seal. And yes, I do believe that we are living in the 7th and last Seal.
See also: Question 4. Do you know when the Second Coming will be?
Question 6. Neil form Texas asks: In your article on eschatology you name all of the different viewpoints on end times prophecies but never say which one you follow. Are you a Preterist, Historicist, Futurist, or an Idealist? And where do you see the rapture happening, before or after the tribulation?
Thanks for your question, Neil. In Eschatology for the Layman I tried to keep any biases I may have on the end times out of the article. I must have succeeded.
A little background first. I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The founders of the church were mostly Historic premillennialist, which was the most common belief of the time. It wasn’t until John Darby (1800–1882) and the Scofield Reference Bible (1909) that Dispensationalism and Pre-tribulation Premillennialism began to take off and become the most widely held belief within Protestantism.
That being said, I don’t hold to any one category or the other. I interpret scripture as written without any preconceived notions that may have been taught to me growing up. I think this is an advantage. The key to interpreting scriptures is to understand the exegesis, compare how others have interpreted the prophecy, then study history to evaluate if that particular prophecy has occurred or still in the future. You must remember that we are living in the last days and not every prophecy was about our time. Many prophecies have been fulfilled and some even have a dual fulfillment. Meaning that the prophecy may repeat itself in the past and future. For example, I believe that the Olivet prophecy found in Matthew chapter 24 and Luke 21 was partly fulfilled by Titus’s destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, Luke 21:20-24. With Luke 21:25-28 referring to the end times. An example of a prophecy being fulfilled in the past is the 70 weeks of Daniel. It was fulfilled through Jesus Christ’s atonement and resurrection. In fact, it was fulfilled to the exact day! I have other articles on prophecy you may like. I believe that God gave us prophecy as a warning and as a comfort. Through fulfillment of prophecies we know that the prophets of God truly are his representatives here on earth and that God loves us.
That being said:
I am not an Idealist. God gave us specific prophecies as a warning of what is coming.
I am a Premillennialist. I believe that Jesus Christ will usher in the millennium, a thousand years of peace, when he returns.
I believe in a post tribulation rapture.
I am not a Dispensationalist, but I do believe that God spoke to man through prophets and that there were dispensations (bestowal) of the gospel in the past, beginning with Adam on down to today. These time periods can be divided into intervals we call dispensations.
I don’t believe in the present definition of “Covenant Theology”. Yes, God did make covenants with man from time to time since Adam, at times with individuals, other times with whole nations, and lastly to the whole world. I believe that the gospel that Jesus Christ taught during his ministry was not the first time this was given to man. (See Galatians 3:8, Hebrews 4:1-6)
So, as you can see, it is difficult for me to pick one category or the other. I don’t see prophecy as an -ism and am not satisfied with one viewpoint or the another. I’m just me. I hope this answers you question, Neil.
Question 7. Lizy from Seattle asks: How long have you been interested in Bible Prophecy?
Answer: Lizy, I’ve been fascinated with Bible prophecy ever since I read Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth in High School. After that I was hooked and began searching the scriptures for answers to the questions I had about the many prophecies I found in scripture. As I matured, I watched the news and events from around the world to see how they corresponded with prophecy and if the time was close. I saw myself as one of the watchmen on the tower, warning friends and loved ones of what I observed. I came to realize that most of them were asleep, that mundane life took precedence over events regarded as fable, or too far in the future to be bothered with. I worried for the welfare of my children and grandchildren. In attempting to explain what I had discovered in my research, eyes would often glaze over as heads nodded in boredom. The fast pace of life inevitably replaced thoughts of preparation for events in a distant uncertain future. So I created a website about what I had learned from Bible prophecy and wrote a novel about average people overcoming intense conflict and personal danger in the life changing events of the last days.
Question 8. Laura from Ohio asks: Are the riots and chaos we see in the streets today one of the signs of the last days?
Answer: Thank you for your question, Laura. There is no specific scripture that refers to riots or anarchy as being a sign of the end times. However, the Lord did warn us that "iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (Matt. 24:12)
Jesus and the apostles themselves faced rioters. While teaching in the Temple, Jesus declared that he was the great I Am and was almost stoned to death by a mob for heresy (John 8:58-59). Another occasion Paul was attacked by another mob for converting the people of Ephesus to Christianity and away from the worship of Diana (Acts 19:34).
Mob violence, anarchy, and terrorism are the opposite of what Jesus and His apostles taught. They taught and showed peace and love. Jesus said:
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Peter counseled:
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
Paul taught that we should be subject and obey magistrates:
1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
Reverend Martin Luther King knew this and taught those who followed him during the civil right marches to turn away from violence even in the face of physical attacks. He and his followers' bravery won the day and showed the world who was in the right.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. The chain reaction of evil must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation." (Martin Luther King, 1963)
Question 9. Anthony from Florida asks: Do you believe that there is life on other planets?
Astronomers estimate there are at least 100 billion galaxies in the known universe, and these are just the ones that we can see. Among these billions of galaxies are 1 billion trillion stars! That's a lot of places to have habitable planets like earth. Just in our own galaxy, the Milky Way, there may be at least 60 billion planets like our earth that could support life. Multiply that times the number of galaxies and you have an unlimited number of worlds that God could chose to place life on.
That being said, the Bible does not mention any other earths that God may have populated. The Bible is solely concerned about God's dealing with man on earth and no other. The Bible neither denies the existent of other earths, nor confirms their existence. This leaves many unanswerable questions to the Bible student.
Why would God populate only one planet out of a possible 50 sextillion? That's fifty with twenty-one zeros after it! Seems like a great waste to me.
The speculation that God did create other habited worlds, will lead us down a rabbit hole of innumerable fun and imaginative conjectures that will not help us reach our eternal goal of living with God in the eternities.
The Bible leaves the question unanswered. Maybe God did that for a reason.
Question 10. Steve from Pennsylvania asks: Many people say that Antiochus Epiphanes is the little horn and the desecrator from Daniel 88:11-13; 9:27; 11:31; and 12:11. How can this be when the Lord himself says that Daniel's prophecy wouldn't be fulfilled until after his death and resurrection?
Let's examine what the Savior said about Daniel's prophecy.
Matthew 24:15-16 (NIV)
15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation, 'spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Here the Lord is waring his apostles that when they see, "the abomination that causes desolation," as spoken of by the prophet Daniel, they should flee to the mountains. This can be taken in two ways. Is it the "the abomination that causes desolation" in Daniel's prophecy or is it an "abomination that causes desolation," like the one Daniel prophesied would take place during the times of the Maccabees and fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes? I prefer the latter. We must remember that there was not just the one "abomination that causes desolation." There have been at least three.
An "abomination that causes desolation" is an event which, when the wickedness (abomination) of Israel becomes so great, that the Lord allows an enemy to overrun their nation and cause desolation, murder, rape, enslavement, as well as defilement and desecration of the Holy Temple. This type of desolation has occurred at least three times in the history of Israel; first by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC, then by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC, and finally by Titus in 70 AD. In Matthew 24, Jesus was warning his disciples that another "abomination that causes desolation," just like the one Daniel spoke of, would soon come after he left and that they should be on the lookout for it. Besides these three "abominations that causes desolation," there will be a fourth in the last days.
Zechariah prophesied that after the return of scattered Israel, Jerusalem will be attacked again. However, this event will end differently. The Lord will remember the covenants He has made and will come to save His people!
Zechariah 14:1-4 (NIV)
"A day of the LORD is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south."
When the people of Israel commit abominations and do not repent, desolation has always been the tragic result. This is what the Savior was warning his apostles. That another "abomination that causes desolation," similar to the one Daniel prophesied about, would come down upon Israel and that they should flee when it does.
Question 11. Linda from Nevada asks: Is Satan real or is he just myth?
The Bible is clear that Satan does in fact exist, is actively opposing God, and is in open rebellion against Him and God's plan for us.
So, who is Lucifer? The Bible teaches us that Satan was among the sons of God when they presented themselves before the Lord (Job 1:6 KJV). Satan began a rebellion in Heaven, drawing away a third of the angels (Rev. 12:4 KJV), so that he could rise to the level God and even exalt himself above God (Isaiah 14:12-14 KJV)! For Satan's defiance and attack on God's sovereignty, he and those who supported him were cast out of heaven and down to earth (Rev. 12:4,9; Isaiah 14:12). Satan and those angels who followed him are now among us trying to drag us down and stifle the work of the Lord among men. He will ultimately be defeated when Christ returns and be bound for a thousand years during the millennium (Rev. 20:2-3 KJV). At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released one more time "to deceive the nations" and will gather Gog and Magog again for one last battle (Rev. 20:7-10 KJV). In the end he and his minions will be defeated and cast into outer darkness.
I have always wondered why Satan and his minions still fight against God. Did he not lose the war in heaven he began before the creation when Jesus Christ broke the bands of sin and death? If he lost, why continue the fight. This is one of the questions that I answer in my soon to be published book, A Half Hour of Silence.
I also wrote a piece, An Interview with Satan, that gives you an idea of what his motives may be for his continuing struggle against God.
JK Sellers