God’s Mysterious Ways

Sometimes God sends opportunities even when we are not looking for them. And He works things out in such mysterious ways that we know it could not be our own doing, but solely His plan.

Last Sunday, I received a text from sister A and her husband B (all names disguised), whom we have not seen in the last two years, asking whether I can help her friend C get baptized. We chatted on Monday to get more details. It turned out that C has cancer relapse and wants to complete one of her bucket list wishes before starting chemotherapy. We said we will help wherever we can but need to determine her spiritual condition before deciding what to do next. To make a long story short, we talked with C at length over Zoom on Tues., at the end of which she committed her life to Jesus as her Lord and Savior, and rejoiced as she commenced chemo on Wed. But actually, God had been working in the background all along! Let me fill you in on the drama in four acts.

Act 1. Twenty years ago, C’s friend invited her, her husband D, and their teenage son to “try out” our home church M to learn more about Christianity. There C met with A and us for the first time, but only as acquaintances. C had attended a Christian school as a child and is familiar with popular Bible stories. Although she believed in Jesus in her heart, she never found the courage to respond to a gospel invitation and never decided to follow Christ. Then SARS came, and her family dropped out of the church.

Act 2. Fast forward eighteen years, sister A hosted a small group meeting at her home to reach out to new friends. One member brought her friends to the cell group, lo and behold, it was C and D!  A thought C looked familiar, but it was D who reminded her that they met at church M. They came for only that one meeting but did not respond to subsequent invitations.

Act 3. Another year passed. A and B went on a cruise, but who do they meet on the ship? C and D! Sister A got to know C more and found out that C and D had not been to other churches ever since they left M.

Act 4. Out of the blue, A received a message from C, inquiring about the possibility of baptism during the pandemic. Sister A considered asking her current pastor, but C had never attended their church and did not know anyone there. Then she thought about us. At least C attended M for about a year and a half and recognized me as a deacon there at that time. C readily agreed, and the rest of the story unfolded over the last few days.

We never thought we would have the privilege of leading one of the Lord’s lost sheep back to Him after twenty years. But God had planned our paths crossing each other’s at critical points along the way. All we can marvel about is God’s amazing grace and the Holy Spirit working on hearts in the background, like the parable of the growing seed in Mark 4:26-29:

²⁶ And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; ²⁷ and he goes to bed at night and gets up daily, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. ²⁸ The soil produces crops by itself; first the stalk, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. ²⁹ Now when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Hallelujah!

Revelation vs. Inspiration

Q. What is the difference between inspiration and revelation?

A. In short, revelation means God revealing or disclosing truths to us, which we may not otherwise know. The revelation could be either general or special.

General revelation is God’s disclosure through the observable universe:

• 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.

Special revelation is God’s disclosure through His Word:

• Heb 1:1-2 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, ² in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world.

Inspiration, on the other hand, refers to the recording of God’s truth. It is God preserving the recording so that it is accurate and free from error (inerrant).

• 2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness.
• Mt 5:18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished!

Revelation is from the mind of God. Inspiration is writing down the revelation without error.

Revelation and Daniel

Daniel 7 Four beasts

Q. Why was the Book of Revelation written when it says basically the same prophecy as the book of Daniel and numerous other instances of end times prophetic work between the disciples and the prophets?

A. The Bible of Revelation carries the same message as some previous prophecies for several reasons. I will go from the specific to the general. First, the book was specifically written to the seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2 and 3) to strengthen and prepare the local Christians to be faithful under coming persecution.

More generally, similar prophecies are repeated:

1. To confirm everything based on the principle of witnesses:
   1. Mt 18:16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed.
   2. 2 Co 13:1 This is the third time that I am coming to you. On the testimony of two or three witnesses, every matter shall be confirmed.
2. To fill in more details. For example, the four Gospels all wrote about the life and works of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, each evangelist has a different perspective and complement each other. The same principle applies to historical and prophetic books.
3. To emphasize. As a parent and a pastor, I repeat things I want my children and congregation to grasp, such as “people come before things; the mission of the church, etc.” I repeat them on different occasions to make sure they sink in. God does the same to His children. One example is Gen 41:32, “Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is confirmed by God, and God will quickly bring it about.”

So, do not be weary in studying parallel passages. Each account is useful.

Revelation 13 Beast from the Sea

Nativity Star

Q. The conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter is supposed to be a repeat of the biblical star. Does this mean we can expect some kind of miracle or coming?

A. I expect things to happen in these “end times” or “last days”, but not because of the conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter, which I don’t believe to be the Nativity star. The biblical data consist of 4 verses in Matthew:

• Mt 2:2“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
• Mt 2:7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.
• Mt 2:9-10 After hearing the king, they went on their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on ahead of them until it came to a stop over the place where the Child was to be found. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

Some assume the brightness from the conjunction of the planets gives them the appearance of a star, but how can their alignment “went on ahead of them (the magi) until it came to a stop over the place (the house) where the Child (Jesus) was to be found”? No planet conjunction could do that. That is why I believe the Nativity star to be supernatural, not a natural phenomenon. I trust the biblical record more than people’s speculations.

144,000?

Q. Why were the 144,000 chosen in Revelation?

A. The 144,000 appear in 3 verses in the NASB, which I quote with their context:

• Rev 7:3-4 saying, “Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.
• Rev 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 
• Rev 14:3-5 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, and no one was able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth. ⁴ These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

So, the 144,000 are:

• God’s servants,
• Marked and protected by God,
• Jewish, 12,000 each from the 12 tribes,
• Redeemed from the earth and mankind as firstfruits, the beginnings of a great harvest,
• Celibate, kept themselves pure as virgins,
• Truthful, spotless, untainted, beyond reproach.

Why were they chosen? The text did not say, but commentators speculate that they were selected as witnesses to win a great harvest for Christ. The fact that they have integrity and are blameless would certainly qualify them for this task.

Dragon and Mystery Babylon

Q. Is China the old Dragon of Revelation, who gives its power to the Beast, one world government? And is America the Mystery Babylon? How are you sure?

A. No. China is not the dragon of Revelation. The identity of the dragon is given in Revelation itself:

• Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
• Rev 20:2 And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

So, the dragon is the devil and Satan, for which I am 100% sure.

The name Mystery Babylon appears in:

• Rev 17:5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

Based on the name on her forehead, commentators believe the woman to be the source (mother) of spiritual adultery (prostitutes)and of idolatry (abominations) i.e., an ecumenical movement of world religions that will lead people astray. The secularism and relativism today are ripe for the Harlot’s deception. Others believe this woman to be America. While the case for America to be political or commercial Babylon is quite strong, it is not as strong for religious Babylon, which fits a coalition of world religions better. For this, I am quite sure, though not as sure as for the dragon.

Image of the Beast

Q. Could the image of the beast as spoken about in Revelations be a kind of artificial intelligence because it speaks?

A. It could, but not likely. Some church members saw 3D holograms and speculated that AI technology could be used to make the image of the beast. The passage you were referring to is:

• Rev 13:14-15 And he [the beast from the earth, the False Prophet] deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast [the beast from the sea, the Antichrist], telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. ¹⁵ And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause all who do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

In time past idols are characterized by:

• Ps 115:5-7 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see;⁶ They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell;⁷ They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat.

The futuristic version is animated and can speak. AI is possible but, in my opinion, unlikely, for the following reasons:

• Practical. The purpose of the image is to deceive those who live on the earth to worship it. There will always be superstitious people, but if people are already knowledgeable about AI now, they will be even more sophisticated in the end times, and less likely to worship the image generated by natural science.
• Biblical. The word translated “breath” in Rev 13:15 is the Greek word “pneuma”, which can mean a current of air, a spirit, or the Spirit. The equivalent in Hebrew is seen in Gen 2:7 when God created man,
  • Gen 2:7 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.

So, breathing life into an image is mimicking God, manifesting supernatural power, in this case, Satanic, to lead people astray.

I, therefore, believe that the image speaking is beyond AI, by Satanic power, to deceive people that the Antichrist is divine and to be worshipped.

Jacob & David Family Tragedies

Q. Why did Jacob and David do nothing when the tragedy happened in the family according to the Bible?

A. The incidents you referred to are:

· The rape of Jacob’s daughter Dinah by Shechem in Gen 34:5, Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob said nothing until they came in, and

· The rape of David’s daughter Tamar by her half-brother Amnon in 2 Sam 13:21 Now when King David heard about all these matters, he became very angry.

Despite Jacob being one of Israel’s patriarchs and David being Israel’s most famous kings to which subsequent kings were compared, both were fallible men with their own weaknesses.

The name Jacob means “one who takes by the heels or supplants” (Gen 25:26). He stole his father Isaac’s blessings from his older twin brother Esau by deception (Gen 27), and his life is characterized by sly dealings e.g. becoming prosperous by selective breeding of his flocks at his uncle Laban’s expense (Gen 30:37-43). As a father, he was responsible for protecting his daughter, but in Gen 34:5 he kept silent possibly because of a lack of courage.

David had his own guilt to deal with. In 2 Sam 11, he committed adultery with Bathsheba and plotted to have her husband Uriah murdered to cover up his sin. Although he confessed and God forgave him (2 Sam 12:13), David might have felt that he did not have the moral authority to discipline his son Amnon, despite his anger. The same thing happened when his son Absalom killed Amnon to avenge his sister Tamar. David did not discipline Absalom.

Neither man was a good father. The Bible is very fair in recording both the good and the bad of the heroes of faith. God uses us despite our failings. If He uses only perfect men none of us would qualify.

Hand Writing on the Wall

Q. Why does Daniel 5:28 use the term “peres” while on verse 25 it is “upharsin”?

A. I will try to keep it as simple as possible since the original words were written in Aramaic, and I will use English only. Dan 5:25-28 in the New American Standard Bible (NASB) read:

²⁵ “Now this is the inscription that was written:

‘Menē, Menē, Tekēl, Upharsin.’

²⁶ This is the interpretation of the message: ‘Menē’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. 

²⁷ ‘Tekēl’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. 

²⁸ ‘Perēs’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

You need to know the following:

• Upharsin in v 25 is the actual word written on the wall; Perēs in v 28 is Daniel’s interpretation of the message.
• Upharsin has a footnote which reads “and half-shekels (singular: perēs) from verb ‘to divide’”.
• Perēs has a footnote which reads “half-shekel from verb ‘to divide’’’.

In other words, Daniel’s interpretation is that the Babylonian kingdom, Upharsin or half-shekels (plural), has been divided and given to the Medes (half-shekel, singular) and Persians (half-shekel, singular). Hope this sheds some light on these verses.

Daniel and the Fiery Furnace?

Fiery Furnace

Q. Why wasn’t Daniel thrown into the fiery furnace along with Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego?

A. The passage you are referring to is Daniel 3, on Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. The king’s command is in verse 6 “But whoever does not fall down, and worship (the golden statue) shall immediately be thrown into the middle of a furnace of blazing fire.” The short answer is the Bible did not say why Daniel was not punished along with his friends, so no one knows for sure. Skeptics and scholars have several speculations. I list the most common ones here with my comments.

1. Daniel complied with the command, so he was not punished. I reject this as it is totally out-of-character for Daniel:
   • Dan 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
   • Dan 6:7, 10 All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors, have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who offers a prayer to any god or person besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. … Now when Daniel learned that the document was signed, he entered his house (and in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and offering praise before his God, just as he had been doing previously.

Daniel was not afraid of being thrown to lions, so it is inconceivable that he would worship the golden statue in direct violation of the second commandment against idolatry:Ex 20:4-5a You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. ⁵ You shall not worship them nor serve them.

2. Daniel got executive privilege exempting him from prosecution or a pardon from the king, so he escaped punishment. I do not accept such propositions based on the following:

a. This is reading 21^st-century law back to historical times. While we have presidential immunity now, allowing the president to enjoy immunity from civil litigations for official acts undertaken while president, no such privileges exist in 6^th century BC Babylon. Even if there were, Daniel was not the king, just ruler over the entire province of Babylon, and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon (Dan 2:48b) and would not be exempt.

b. Nor was there any pardon – Dan 6:14-15 Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed, and set his mind on rescuing Daniel; and until sunset he kept exerting himself to save him. ¹⁵ Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed. I know the specific situation pertains to King Darius trying in vain to spare Daniel from being thrown to lions, but the principle and circumstances are similar to the fiery furnace case.

Since there is no mention of exemption or pardon in the biblical text, and these suggestions do not fit the historical context, I do not accept them as being reasonable. I will not go into similar arguments such as Daniel was too powerful to be impeached. If the commissioners and satraps did not hesitate to attack Daniel in Dan 6, I believe they will not hesitate in Dan 3 either.

3. Daniel was away at that time, so was not caught up in the king’s edict. The statue was set up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon (Dan 3:1). The command was in Dan 3:5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. Now if Daniel were away on business, not in town so to speak, he could not have heard the musical instruments and complied even if he wanted to, which of course was the last thing on his mind. To be fair, this was not stated in the text either, but this proposal is plausible given Daniel’s position, and consistent with what we know about him and the historical context.

In summary, I would add that people are free to believe what they want but to convince others we need evidence, the more solid the better. Sometimes Scripture is silent on some matters, but at least we need to draw on all available clues to defend our position.