• IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BE GAY CHRISTIAN. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIAN WHILE YOU ARE STILL DOING SIN, YEAH THE BIBLE SAY HOMOSEXUAL IS SIN.
    IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BE GAY CHRISTIAN. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIAN WHILE YOU ARE STILL DOING SIN, YEAH THE BIBLE SAY HOMOSEXUAL IS SIN.
    0 التعليقات 0 المشاركات 812 مشاهدة 19 0 معاينة
  • Bible is not allowing us christians to listen to secular music

    Biblia haituruhusu sisi wakristo kusikiliza miziki ya kidunia.

    https://m.youtube.com/shorts/huQr7i5oWe4
    Bible is not allowing us christians to listen to secular music Biblia haituruhusu sisi wakristo kusikiliza miziki ya kidunia. https://m.youtube.com/shorts/huQr7i5oWe4
    0 التعليقات 0 المشاركات 1كيلو بايت مشاهدة 0 معاينة


  • Wanyama wanne wa Danieli 7

    Karibu tujifunze kitabu hiki cha Daniel sura ya 7 ili tupate kujua BWANA ALIMFUNULIA NINI DANIEL KATIKA NDOTO NA KWETU SISI INATUFUNULIA NINI.Basi andaa moyo wako kujifunza karibu sana

    Katika mwaka wa kwanza wa Belshaza, mfalme wa Babeli, Danieli aliona ndoto na maono kuhusu wanyama wanne ambao ni falme au mataifa manne. Aliona pepo nne za mbinguni zikivuma juu ya bahari kubwa, kisha wanyama wanne wakubwa wenye sifa tofauti tofauti walitokea juu bahari. Baadaye, Danieli alitamani sana kujua maono hayo yalimaanisha nini, hivyo alimkaribia malaika Gabrieli aliyekuwa amesimama karibu naye ili amfahamishe ukweli wa maono hayo. Naye malaika akamfahamisha.

    Danieli 7:2 “Danieli akanena, akisema, Naliona katika maono yangu wakati wa usiku; na tazama, hizo pepo nne za mbinguni zilivuma kwa nguvu juu ya bahari kubwa.”

    “Pepo” katika unabii hutumika kuwakirisha vita, tufani, au ghasia. Yeremia 25:32 inasema, “BWANA wa majeshi asema hivi, Tazama, uovu utatokea toka taifa hata taifa, na tufani kuu itainuliwa toka pande za mwisho wa dunia.” Katika Ufunuo 7:1-3 tunaona malaika wameamuriwa kuzishikilia “pepo” nne; yaani kuzuia vita hata Mungu atakapomaliza kuwatia mhuri watu wake. Hivyo upepo katika unabii = vita, tufani au dhoruba.

    “Bahari” au maji katika unabii hutumika kuwakilisha mataifa na watu, Ufunuo 7:15 inasema, “Kisha akaniambia, Yale maji uliyoyaona, hapo aketipo yule kahaba, ni jamaa na makutano na mataifa na lugha.” [angalia pia Isaya 8:7].

    Danieli 7:3 “Ndipo wanyama wanne wakatokea baharini wote wa namna mbalimbali.”

    “Mnyama” katika unabii hutumika kuwakilisha taifa au ufalme, malaika katika Danieli 7:17 alipomfahamisha Danieli kuhusu maono haya, alisema, “Wanyama hao wakubwa walio wanne ni wafalme wanne watakaotokea duniani.” Hivyo, wale wanyama wanne wa Danieli 7:3 wanaotokea baharini ni wafalme wanne watakaotokea miongoni mwa mataifa na watu (duniani). Bahari = watu.

    Danieli 7:4 “Wa kwanza alikuwa kama simba, naye alikuwa na mabawa ya tai; nikatazama, hata mabawa yake yakafutuka manyoya, akainuliwa katika nchi, akasimamishwa juu kwa miguu miwili kama mwanadamu; naye akapewa moyo wa kibinadamu.”

    Mnyama wa kwanza aliye kama simba kwa hakika ni ufalme wa Babeli, ambao ulikuwa ukitawala wakati wa nabii Danieli. Sifa za mnyama huyo za kuwa kama simba, na kuwa na mabawa kama ya tai, zinawakilisha kuwa ufalme huo ungekuwa na nguvu nyingi na mwepesi katika kufanya vita, hii ni sawa na ufalme wa Babeli wakati wa mfalme Nebukandreza. Yeremia alipotabiri juu ya Yerusalemu kuhusuliwa na Babeli, alitaja sifa za Babeli kama tai. Yeremia 4:7, 13 inasema, “Simba ametoka katika kichaka chake, ndiye aangamizaye mataifa;…Tazama atapanda juu kama mawingu, na magari yake ya vita yatakuwa kama kisulisuli; farasi zake ni wepesi kuliko tai…” Pia Habakuki 1:6, 8 inasema, “Kwa maana, angalieni, nawaondokeshea Wakalidayo, taifa lile kali, lenye haraka kupita kiasi; wapitao katikati ya dunia, ili wayamiliki makao yasiyo yao…wapanda farasi wao watoka mbali sana; huruka kama tai afanyaye haraka ale.” Hivyo, yule mnyama wa kwanza anawakilisha ufalme wa Babeli.

    Danieli 7:4 juu ya mnyama wa kwanza inasema, “…naye alikuwa na mabawa ya tai; nikatazama, hata mabawa yake yakafutuka manyoya, akainuliwa katika nchi…naye akapewa moyo wa kibinadamu.” Badiliko hili lililotokea la mabawa yake kufutuka manyoya na kupewa roho ya kibinaadamu, linawakilisha kupungua kwa nguvu na wepesi wa ufalme wa Babeli, kitu ambacho kilitokea baada ya mfalme Nebukandreza kupita, na ufalme ukawa dhaifu na usio na nguvu wakati wa utawala wa wafalme; Nabonadius and Belshaza.

    Danieli 7:5 “Na tazama, mnyama mwingine, wa pili, kama dubu, naye aliinuliwa upande mmoja, na mifupa mitatu ya mbavu ilikuwamo kinywani mwake katika meno yake; wakamwambia mnyama huyo hivi, Inuka, ule nyama tele.”

    Mnyama wa pili kwa hakika anawakilisha ufalme wa Umedi na Uajemi, ambao ulifuata baada ya ufalme wa Babeli kuanguka. Mnyama huyu aliye kama dubu, tena ameinuliwa upande mmoja, kwa hakika, ni ufalme uliokuwa na pande mbili “Umedi na Uajemi” ambapo upande mmoja wa Uajemi uliinuliwa zaidi kwa ukuu kuliko upande mwingine wa uamedi katika ufalme wa “Umedi&Uajemi. Zile mbavu tatu zilizo katika kinywa cha dubu, zinawakilisha nchi tatu Babeli, Lydia, na Misri ambazo zilihusuliwa na ufalme wa Umedi na uajemi.

    Danieli 7:6 “Kisha nikatazama, na kumbe! Mnyama mwingine, kama chui, naye juu ya mgongo wake alikuwa na mabawa manne kama ya ndege; mnyama huyo alikuwa na vichwa vinne; akapewa mamlaka.”

    Mnyama wa tatu anawakilisha ufalme wa Ugiriki/Uyunani, ambao ulifuata baada ya ufalme wa Umedi na Uajemi kuanguka. Tafadhari kumbuka kuwa mnyama huyu wa tatu aliye kama chui, tena ana mabawa manne; angewakilisha taifa ambalo ni jepesi na la haraka zaidi kuliko taifa la Babeli ambalo lilikuwa na mabawa mawili pekee. Hii inawakilisha vizuri zaidi ufalme wa Ugiriki wakati ulipokuwa chini ya utawala wa Alexander, ufalme huo ulikuwa mwepesi na wa haraka sana katika kuhusuru miji, na uliyapanga majeshi yake kwa jinsi ambayo kamwe haifanani na nyakati zilizokuwa zimepita. Vile vichwa vinne vinawakilisha sehemu nne ambazo ufalme huo uligawanyika baada ya mfalme Alexander.

    Danieli 7:7 “Baadaye nikaona katika njozi ya usiku, na tazama, mnyama wa nne, mwenye kutisha, mwenye nguvu, mwenye uwezo mwingi, naye alikuwa na meno ya chuma, makubwa sana; alikula na kuvunja vipande vipande, na kuyakanyaga mabaki kwa miguu yake; na umbo lake lilikuwa mbali kabisa na wale wa kwanza, naye alikuwa na pembe kumi.”

    Malaika Gabrieli katika Danieli 7:23 akimfafanulia Danieli ukweli kuhusu mnyama huyu wa nne alisema, “…Huyo mnyama wa nne atakuwa ni ufalme wa nne juu ya dunia, utakaokuwa mbali na falme zile zote, nao utakula dunia yote, na kuikanyaga, na kuivunja vipande vipande.” Mnyama huyu wa nne anawakilisha ufalme wa Roma, uliofuta baada ya ufalme wa Ugiriki kuanguka. Ufalme huu unafananishwa na “chuma” ikimaanisha Jeshi lake ni katili na lenye nguvu nyingi sana. Danieli 7:7 inasema kuwa, ufalme huu wa Roma uko mbali/tofauti na falme zile tatu za Babeli, Umedi na Uajemi, na Ugiriki; Utofauti huo ni kwamba falme zile tatu zilikuwa falme za kipagani tu, lakini ufalme huu wa Roma ni mchanganyiko wa upagani na ukristo kwa wakati mmoja: yaan, upapa.

    Mnyama huyu wa nne ana pembe kumi kama Danieli 7:7 inavyomwelezea. Pembe katika unabii pia hutumika kuwakilisha ufalme au taifa, malaika Gabrieli katika Danieli 7:24 alipokuwa anamfahamisha Danieli ukweli kuhusu zile pembe kumi za yule mnyama wa nne, alisema, “Na habali za zile pembe kumi, katika ufalme huo wataondoka wafalme kumi; na mwingine ataondoka baada ya hao; naye atakuwa mbali na hao wa kwanza; naye atawashusha wafalme watatu.” Hivyo, zile pembe kumi za yule mnyama wa nne ambaye tumegundua kuwa ni Roma, pembe hizo ni mataifa kumi ambayo yapo katika ufalme wa Roma. Baada ya ufalme wa Roma ya kipagani kuanguka, katika mwaka 351 hadi 476 BK uligawanyika katika mataifa(pembe) kumi ambayo katika historia yamekuwa yakijulikana kama mataifa kumi ya Ulaya ya magharibi.

    Danieli 7:8 “Nikaziangalia sana pembe zake, na tazama, pembe nyingine ikazuka kati yao, nayo ilikuwa ndogo, ambayo mbele yake pembe tatu katika zile za kwanza zikang’olewa kabisa; na tazama, katika pembe hiyo mlikuwa na macho kama macho ya mwanadamu, na kinywa kilichokuwa kikinena maneno makuu.”

    Malaika Gabrieli akifafanua kuhusu pembe hiyo ndogo itakayoinuka katika zile pembe kumi, katika Danieli 7:24 alisema, “Na habari za zile pembe kumi, katika ufalme huo wataondoka wafalme kumi; na mwingine ataondoka baada ya hao; naye atakuwa mbali na hao wa kwanza; naye atawashusha wafalme watatu.” Huko nyuma tumegundua kuwa zile pembe kumi za mnyama wa nne, zilizoorodheshwa katika Danieli 7:7 ni mataifa kumi ya Ulaya ya magharibi ambayo yaligawanyika katika ufalme wa Roma. Sasa katika Danieli 7:8 pembe nyingine ndogo ikainuka na ikang’oa pembe tatu katika zile pembe kumi.

    Katika Danieli 7:24 malaika akafafanua kuwa, ile pembe ndogo ni ufalme au taifa jingine dogo ambalo litatokea ndani ya ufalme huo wa Roma katika mataifa yale kumi au pembe kumi. Kisha taifa hilo dogo au pembe ndogo baada ya kutokea litaangusha mataifa matatu katika yale mataifa kumi ya mwanzo. Kwa hakika taifa hili dogo (au pembe ndogo) ni taifa dogo la Vatican(upapa) ambalo liliinuka baada ya mataifa yale kumi. Taifa dogo la Vatican(upapa) liliinuka kutoka katika taifa la Italia, na taifa la Italia ni moja wapo katika yale mataifa kumi ( pembe 10). Baada ya taifa la Vatican kuinuka liliyaondoa mataifa matatu katika yale mataifa kumi ya mwanzo, hii inaweza kufananishwa vizuri na ile pembe ndogo inayong’oa pembe tatu katika zile pembe kumi za mwanzo.

    Sababu ya taifa dogo la Vatican kuyaondoa mataifa matatu katika yale kumi ya mwanzo ni kwamba, taifa la Upapa(vatican) lilitaka kuyatawala yale mataifa kumi yote, lakini mataifa matatu yalikataa kujiweka chini ya utawala wa upapa, hivyo upapa ukafanya vita juu ya mataifa hayo matatu na kuyaondoa kabisa hata yasiwepo. Mataifa matatu yaliyoondolewa ni Heruli, liling’olewa na
    upapa mwaka 493 B.K.
    Vandal, liling’olewa na
    upapa mwaka 534 B.K.
    Ostrogoth, liling’olewa upapa mwaka 538 B.K.

    Ifuatayo ni orodha ya mataifa 10 ya ufalme wa Roma (au pembe 10 za mnyama), huku mataifa mataifa 3 yakiwa yameondolewa (au pembe tatu zikiwa zimeng’olewa) na utawala wa upapa (pembe ndogo).

    Saxon, kwa sasa ni
    taifa la Uingereza.

    Frank, kwa sasa ni
    taifa la Ufaransa.

    Alamanni, kwa sasa ni
    taifa la Ujerumani.

    Visigoth, kwa sasa ni
    taifa la Uhispania.

    Suevi, kwa sasa ni taifa
    la Ureno.

    Lombard, kwa sasa ni
    taifa la Italia.

    Burgundia, kwa sasa
    ni taifa la Uswidi.

    Heruli, liling’olewa na
    pembe ndogo 493 B.K.

    Vandal, liling’olewa na
    pembe ndogo 534 B.K.

    Ostrogoth,
    liling’olewa na pembe
    ndogo 538 B.K

    Ushahidi mwingine unaothibitisha kuwa ile pembe ndogo ya Daniel 7:8 ni utawala upapa, ni ushahidi unaopatikana katika Danieli 7:25 ambapo inasema,

    Danieli 7:25 “Naye (pembe ndogo) atanena maneno kinyume chake Aliye juu, naye atawadhoofisha watakatifu wake Aliye juu; naye ataazimu kubadili majira na sheria; nao watatiwa mikononi mwake kwa wakati, na nyakati mbili, na nusu wakati.”

    Hapa ushahidi usioweza kupingika ni swala la kubadili majira na sheria za Mungu, ni mamlaka ya upapa pekee ndiyo iliyobadili sheria za Mungu, Sabato kutoka siku ya saba(Jumamosi) kwenda siku ya kwanza (Jumapili).

    “Bila shaka kanisa la katoliki hudai kuwa badiliko, (la Sabato Jumamosi kwenda Jumapili) ilikuwa ni kitendo chake…na kitendo hicho ni ALAMA ya mamlaka yake katika mambo ya kidini.” –-H.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons

    “Jumapili ni ALAMA yetu ya mamlaka…kanisa liko juu ya Biblia, na uhamishaji huu wa utunzaji wa Sabato ni ushahidi wa jambo hilo la ukweli.” -–Catholic Record of London, Ontario Sept 1, 1923.

    Pia Danieli 7:25 inasema, pembe ndogo atawadhoofisha watakatifu wa Mungu, nao watatiwa mikononi mwake kwa muda wa wakati mmoja, na nyakati mbili, na nusu wakati. Wakati mmoja = mwaka 1, nyakati mbili = miaka 2, na nusu wakati = nusu mwaka, (hivyo, 1+2+05=3.5 miaka 3 na nusu). Miaka 3 na nusu = miezi 42 au siku 1260.

    Katika unabii siku moja = mwaka 1, Ezekieli 4:6 inasema, “…siku arobaini, siku moja kwa mwaka mmoja, nimekuagiza.” Hesabu 14:34 pia inasema, “…siku arobaini kila siku kuhesabiwa mwaka…” Hivyo, kutokana na Ezekieli 4:6 na Hesabu 14:34, ni hakika kwamba siku 1260 ni sawa na miaka 1260 ambayo Upapa ungetawala na kuwadhofisha watakatifu.

    Historia inathibitisha kuwa Upapa ulipata nguvu kabisa kuanzia mwaka 538BK, baada ya kumaliza kuyang’oa mataifa 3, hivyo utawala rasmi wa upapa ulianza mwaka 538.

    “Vigillius…alikalia kiti cha upapa (538 B.K.) chini ya ulinzi wa jeshi la Belisarius.” –History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3, p. 327

    Hivyo, ukijumlisha ile miaka 1260 ambayo upapa ungewadhoofisha watakatifu katika mwaka 538BK, utapata mwaka 1798BK (538+1260=1798). Kwa hiyo upapa ungewadhoofisha watakatifu kuanzia mwaka 538BK, hadi 1798BK. Historia inathibitisha kabisa kuwa upapa uliwadhoofisha watakatifu tangu mwaka 538bk hadi 1798bk ambapo upapa ulipata jeraha la mauti.

    “Katika mwaka 1798 Jemedari Berthier aliingia Roma, akauondoa kabisa utawala wa upapa, na kuanzisha mwingine.” –Encyclopedia Britannica 1941 edition

    Upapa ulipoondolewa madarakani katika mwaka 1798BK, hapo ndipo mateso ya wakristo yalikoma vile vile kama Danieli 7:25 inavyosema. Kwa hakika hii ni miaka halisi 1260 au miaka ya kiunabii 3.5, au wakati, nyakati mbili, na nusu wakati ya Danieli 7:25.

    Historia inasema wazi kuwa Upapa uliwadhoofisha watakatifu kwa miaka 1260, hata kanisa la Romani Katoliki linakubali kuwa liliwatesa wakristo wakati huo wa zama za giza, na papa Yohane II mwaka 2000 alitubu dhambi ya kanisa ya kuua Wakristo zaidi ya milioni 100. Kifuatacho ni baadhi ya ushahidi unaothibitisha kuwa kanisa Katoliki liliua wtakatifu kama Danieli 7:25 inavyosema.

    “Kwa sababu ya kufundisha imani kinyume na mafundisho ya Roma, historia inaonyesha vifo vya wafia dini zaidi ya milioni 100” –Brief Bible Readings, p 16.

    “Katoliki ana baadhi ya sababu kwa upande wake wakati anapotoa adhabu kwa waasi wa kidini, kwa maana anajidaia jina la Ukristo kwake mwenyewe kwa kuzuia, na anajidai kufundisha kwamba uwepo wa Roho wa Mungu kamwe hautaondoka kwake…Siyo kosa zaidi kumuua mtu kwa sababu ya uasi wa kidini, kuliko kwa sababu ya uuaji,…[na] katika mambo mengi mateso kwa maoni ya kidini siyo tu kwamba yanaruhusiwa, lakini ni ya busara na ya lazima.” –The Lawfulnees of Persecution” in the Rambler, 4, June, 1849, pp 119, 126. (“The Rambler” lilikuwa ni gazeti la kila siku la Romani Katoliki lililochapishwa kuanzia mwaka 1848 hadi 1862).

    “Chini ya mawazo na desturi za kijerumani, mateso yalitumiwa kidogo kuanzia karne ya 9 hadi karne ya 12, lakini kwa uhuikaji wa sheria ya Romani mateso yalianzishwa tena katika karne ya 12…Katika mwaka 1252 (Papa) Innocent IV aliruhusu adhabu ya mateso juu ya waasi wa kidini kwa kutumia mamlaka ya kiserikali, na mateso yakaja kuwa na mahali palipojulikana katika utaribu wa mahakama ya kiuchunguzi.” –New Catholic Encyclopedia, arts. “Inquisition”, “Auto-da-Fe’,” na “Massacre of St Bartholomew’s Day.”

    Hukumu na ufalme wa watakatifu.

    Danieli 7:9 “Nikatazama hata viti vya enzi vikawekwa, na mmoja aliye mmoja wa siku ameketi; mavazi yake yalikuwa meupe kama theluji, na nywele za kichwa chake kama sufu safi; kiti chake cha enzi kilikuwa miali ya moto, na gurudumu zake moto uwakao.”

    Danieli 7:10 “Mto kama wa moto ukatoka ukapita mbele zake; maelfu elfu wakamtumikia, na elfu kumi mara elfu kumi wakasimama mbele zake; hukumu ikawekwa, na vitabu vikafunuliwa.”

    Hukumu ambayo inatajwa hapo ni hukumu ya upelelezi ambayo ilianza tarehe 22 Octoba 1844 mwishoni mwa Siku 2300 za kiunabii za Danieli 8:14. Katika mwaka 1844 ambapo Yesu alimaliza kazi yake ya Ukuhani katika chumba cha Patakatifu, na akahamia chumba cha Patakatifu mno kwa ajili ya kazi yake ya Upatanisho, vitabu vilifunuliwa kwa ajili ya kuanza hukumu. Na hukumu hiyo ilianza kwa waliokufa na itaendelea hata kwa walio hai ambao wamekuwa na nuru kuu lakini wakashindwa kuenenda katika nuru. Ukisoma vizuri katika Danieli 7:11, 26 utaona kuwa hukumu imethibitishwa juu ya mfumo wa Upapa na utawala wake wote wa Roma.

    Danieli 7:11 “Nikatazama wakati huo; kwa sababu ya sauti ya yale maneno makubwa iliyoyasema ile pembe(upapa); nalitazama hata mnyama(Roma) yule akauawa, mwili wake ukaharibiwa, akatolewa ateketezwe kwa moto.”

    Wakati malaika akimfahamisha Danieli juu ya hukumu itakayokuja juu ya upapa na juu ya dola na ufalme wote wa Roma, katika Danieli 7:26 alisema, “Lakini hukumu itawekwa, nao watamwondolea(pembe ndogo[upapa]) mamlaka yake, kuipoteza na kuiangamiza, hata milele.” Lakini kuhusu wale wanyama wengine watatu unabii unasema,

    Danieli 7:12 “Na kwa habari za wale wanyama wengine, walinyang’anywa mamlaka yao; walakini maisha yao yalidumishwa kwa wakati na majira.”

    Wanyama wale watatu walinyang’anywa mamlaka yao na mnyama wa nne ambaye ni ufalme wa Roma, lakini maisha yao yaliendelea kuwepo; kwa mfano, taifa la Babeli liliendelea kuishi mpaka sasa linajulikana kama taifa la Irak (Al Hillah), vile vile kwa Umedi na Uajemi, na Ugiriki. Mataifa haya yanaishi hata sasa lakini mamlaka yao walinyanganywa na dola la Roma.

    Tukiangalia wanyama wote wanne tunaona kama ifuatavyo:

    Mnyama=Ufalme.1.Babeli.2.Umedi/Uajemi.3.Ugiriki.4.Roma

    Mnyama wa nne ni ufalme wa nne na wa mwisho katika historia ya dunia, na ufalme huo ni Roma, una pembe kumi ambazo ni mataifa yake kumi, pia una pembe ndogo ambayo ni upapa. Je unapita muda mrefu kabla dunia haijaisha? Tuko katika nyakati za mwishoni kabisa za mnyama wa nne na wa mwisho. Na hivi karibuni Yesu atakuja na kuziangamiza falme zote na upapa, na kisha ataanzisha ufalme wake pamoja na watakatifu katika ulimwengu mpya, ambao hautakuwa na mwisho. Ni Yerusalemu mpya utakaoshuka kutoka juu mbinguni.

    Danieli 7:13 “Nikaona katika njozi za usiku, na tazama, mmoja aliye mfano wa mwanadamu(Mwana wa Adamu) akaja pamoja na mawingu ya mbingu akamkaribia huyo mzee wa siku, wakamleta karibu naye.”

    Danieli 7:14 “Naye(Mwana wa Adam) akapewa mamlaka, na utukufu, na ufalme, ili watu wa kabila zote, na taifa zote, na lugha zote, wamtumikie; mamlaka yake ni mamlaka ya milele, ambayo hayatapita kamwe, na ufalme wake ni ufalme usioweza kuangamizwa.”

    Wakati umekaribia, naam, wakati umefika ambao Yesu atarudi duniani kuwachukua watakatifu wake, nao watatawala katika ufalme wake wa amani ambao uzuri wake hakuna mtu anayeweza kuuelezea, ni ufalme ambao si wa dunia hii bali wa ulimwengu mpya. Malaika akimfahamisha Danieli kuhusu mambo haya alisema,

    Danieli 7:27 “Na ufalme, na mamlaka, na ukuu wa ufalme, chini ya mbingu zote, watapewa watu wa watakatifu wake Aliye juu; ufalme wake ni ufalme wa milele, na wote wenye mamlaka watamtumikia na kumtii.”

    Danieli 7:22 “hata akaja huyo mzee wa siku, nao watakatifu wake Aliye juu wakapewa hukumu; na majira yakawadia watakatifu waumiliki ufalme.”

    Danieli 7:28 “Huu ndio mwisho wa jambo lile. Nami, Danieli, fikira zangu zilinifadhaisha, na uso wangu ulinibadilika; lakini naliliweka jambo hilo moyoni mwangu.”

    Je ni upendo gani ambao Mungu ametupa kwa kutufunulia nyakati na majira ya mwisho wa ulimwengu? Hata kwa wale ambao hawaamini wanaweza kufunguliwa macho yao ili waone ni jinsi gani Yesu Kristo ni kweli na hakika, na kwamba nini tutakosa kama tusipomwamini Yeye. Leo ndiyo wakati wa kumtafuta Bwana kwa moyo wote, akili zote, na nguvu zote ili giza lisije kufika na kutukuta hatusitahili kuuingia ufalme wa Mungu. Ushauri wa Yesu ni kwamba, “kesheni na kuomba.”huku tukidumu katika utakatifu kwani tafsiri halisi ya kukesha maana yake tuwe macho kwakila jambo shetani asije akatuvamia tukaanguka dhambini hivyo jitenge na uovu.Haiwezekani kumuona Mungu pasipo utakatifu kwani utakatifu ndiyo njia tutakayopitia,ndiyo tiketi yakuingia katika ufalme wa Mungu.Isaya 35:8,Kumbuka Mungu anazuia mabaya yasiipate dunia na utawala mpinga Kristo kwaajili yakutukamilisha na kutupiga muhuri wake na muhuri huo ni wokovu kumpokea yeye na kumuamini na kumkiri yeye peke yake kuwa ni Bwana na mwokozi wa maisha yako.naye atakupa kipawa cha Roho mtakatifu atakaye kuwezesha kuishi kwa utakatifu hadi atakapo kuja.KUMBUKA HAKUNA MNYAMA MKUBWA NA WAKUTISHA KAMA DHAMBI RUMI YAKO YA LEO NI MOYO WAKO MWENYEWE,HIVYO ONDOA PICHA ZA KATOLIKI AKILINI MWAKO WEKA IMANI JUU YA YESU KRISTO KAMA UKISIKIA LEO ANABISHA BASI FUNGUA MOYO WAKO AINGIE NAYE ATAKUPA ZAWADI YA ROHO MTAKATIFU NA UZIMA WA MILELE UFUNUO 3:19-20.TAFUTA UBATIZO SAHIHI UKAZALIWE NA KUFUFULIWA NA KRISTO KIROHHO NA UKATISHWE NAYE MBINGUNI KWAANZIA SASA KIROHO.WAKOLOSAI 3:1-4,EFESO 2:4-7

    MUNGU AKUBARIKI SANA WEWE UTAKAYE SOMA UJUMBE HUU

    EV.GIDION LAIZER.
    NURU YA UPENDO ARUSHA

    Wanyama wanne wa Danieli 7 Karibu tujifunze kitabu hiki cha Daniel sura ya 7 ili tupate kujua BWANA ALIMFUNULIA NINI DANIEL KATIKA NDOTO NA KWETU SISI INATUFUNULIA NINI.Basi andaa moyo wako kujifunza karibu sana Katika mwaka wa kwanza wa Belshaza, mfalme wa Babeli, Danieli aliona ndoto na maono kuhusu wanyama wanne ambao ni falme au mataifa manne. Aliona pepo nne za mbinguni zikivuma juu ya bahari kubwa, kisha wanyama wanne wakubwa wenye sifa tofauti tofauti walitokea juu bahari. Baadaye, Danieli alitamani sana kujua maono hayo yalimaanisha nini, hivyo alimkaribia malaika Gabrieli aliyekuwa amesimama karibu naye ili amfahamishe ukweli wa maono hayo. Naye malaika akamfahamisha. Danieli 7:2 “Danieli akanena, akisema, Naliona katika maono yangu wakati wa usiku; na tazama, hizo pepo nne za mbinguni zilivuma kwa nguvu juu ya bahari kubwa.” “Pepo” katika unabii hutumika kuwakirisha vita, tufani, au ghasia. Yeremia 25:32 inasema, “BWANA wa majeshi asema hivi, Tazama, uovu utatokea toka taifa hata taifa, na tufani kuu itainuliwa toka pande za mwisho wa dunia.” Katika Ufunuo 7:1-3 tunaona malaika wameamuriwa kuzishikilia “pepo” nne; yaani kuzuia vita hata Mungu atakapomaliza kuwatia mhuri watu wake. Hivyo upepo katika unabii = vita, tufani au dhoruba. “Bahari” au maji katika unabii hutumika kuwakilisha mataifa na watu, Ufunuo 7:15 inasema, “Kisha akaniambia, Yale maji uliyoyaona, hapo aketipo yule kahaba, ni jamaa na makutano na mataifa na lugha.” [angalia pia Isaya 8:7]. Danieli 7:3 “Ndipo wanyama wanne wakatokea baharini wote wa namna mbalimbali.” “Mnyama” katika unabii hutumika kuwakilisha taifa au ufalme, malaika katika Danieli 7:17 alipomfahamisha Danieli kuhusu maono haya, alisema, “Wanyama hao wakubwa walio wanne ni wafalme wanne watakaotokea duniani.” Hivyo, wale wanyama wanne wa Danieli 7:3 wanaotokea baharini ni wafalme wanne watakaotokea miongoni mwa mataifa na watu (duniani). Bahari = watu. Danieli 7:4 “Wa kwanza alikuwa kama simba, naye alikuwa na mabawa ya tai; nikatazama, hata mabawa yake yakafutuka manyoya, akainuliwa katika nchi, akasimamishwa juu kwa miguu miwili kama mwanadamu; naye akapewa moyo wa kibinadamu.” Mnyama wa kwanza aliye kama simba kwa hakika ni ufalme wa Babeli, ambao ulikuwa ukitawala wakati wa nabii Danieli. Sifa za mnyama huyo za kuwa kama simba, na kuwa na mabawa kama ya tai, zinawakilisha kuwa ufalme huo ungekuwa na nguvu nyingi na mwepesi katika kufanya vita, hii ni sawa na ufalme wa Babeli wakati wa mfalme Nebukandreza. Yeremia alipotabiri juu ya Yerusalemu kuhusuliwa na Babeli, alitaja sifa za Babeli kama tai. Yeremia 4:7, 13 inasema, “Simba ametoka katika kichaka chake, ndiye aangamizaye mataifa;…Tazama atapanda juu kama mawingu, na magari yake ya vita yatakuwa kama kisulisuli; farasi zake ni wepesi kuliko tai…” Pia Habakuki 1:6, 8 inasema, “Kwa maana, angalieni, nawaondokeshea Wakalidayo, taifa lile kali, lenye haraka kupita kiasi; wapitao katikati ya dunia, ili wayamiliki makao yasiyo yao…wapanda farasi wao watoka mbali sana; huruka kama tai afanyaye haraka ale.” Hivyo, yule mnyama wa kwanza anawakilisha ufalme wa Babeli. Danieli 7:4 juu ya mnyama wa kwanza inasema, “…naye alikuwa na mabawa ya tai; nikatazama, hata mabawa yake yakafutuka manyoya, akainuliwa katika nchi…naye akapewa moyo wa kibinadamu.” Badiliko hili lililotokea la mabawa yake kufutuka manyoya na kupewa roho ya kibinaadamu, linawakilisha kupungua kwa nguvu na wepesi wa ufalme wa Babeli, kitu ambacho kilitokea baada ya mfalme Nebukandreza kupita, na ufalme ukawa dhaifu na usio na nguvu wakati wa utawala wa wafalme; Nabonadius and Belshaza. Danieli 7:5 “Na tazama, mnyama mwingine, wa pili, kama dubu, naye aliinuliwa upande mmoja, na mifupa mitatu ya mbavu ilikuwamo kinywani mwake katika meno yake; wakamwambia mnyama huyo hivi, Inuka, ule nyama tele.” Mnyama wa pili kwa hakika anawakilisha ufalme wa Umedi na Uajemi, ambao ulifuata baada ya ufalme wa Babeli kuanguka. Mnyama huyu aliye kama dubu, tena ameinuliwa upande mmoja, kwa hakika, ni ufalme uliokuwa na pande mbili “Umedi na Uajemi” ambapo upande mmoja wa Uajemi uliinuliwa zaidi kwa ukuu kuliko upande mwingine wa uamedi katika ufalme wa “Umedi&Uajemi. Zile mbavu tatu zilizo katika kinywa cha dubu, zinawakilisha nchi tatu Babeli, Lydia, na Misri ambazo zilihusuliwa na ufalme wa Umedi na uajemi. Danieli 7:6 “Kisha nikatazama, na kumbe! Mnyama mwingine, kama chui, naye juu ya mgongo wake alikuwa na mabawa manne kama ya ndege; mnyama huyo alikuwa na vichwa vinne; akapewa mamlaka.” Mnyama wa tatu anawakilisha ufalme wa Ugiriki/Uyunani, ambao ulifuata baada ya ufalme wa Umedi na Uajemi kuanguka. Tafadhari kumbuka kuwa mnyama huyu wa tatu aliye kama chui, tena ana mabawa manne; angewakilisha taifa ambalo ni jepesi na la haraka zaidi kuliko taifa la Babeli ambalo lilikuwa na mabawa mawili pekee. Hii inawakilisha vizuri zaidi ufalme wa Ugiriki wakati ulipokuwa chini ya utawala wa Alexander, ufalme huo ulikuwa mwepesi na wa haraka sana katika kuhusuru miji, na uliyapanga majeshi yake kwa jinsi ambayo kamwe haifanani na nyakati zilizokuwa zimepita. Vile vichwa vinne vinawakilisha sehemu nne ambazo ufalme huo uligawanyika baada ya mfalme Alexander. Danieli 7:7 “Baadaye nikaona katika njozi ya usiku, na tazama, mnyama wa nne, mwenye kutisha, mwenye nguvu, mwenye uwezo mwingi, naye alikuwa na meno ya chuma, makubwa sana; alikula na kuvunja vipande vipande, na kuyakanyaga mabaki kwa miguu yake; na umbo lake lilikuwa mbali kabisa na wale wa kwanza, naye alikuwa na pembe kumi.” Malaika Gabrieli katika Danieli 7:23 akimfafanulia Danieli ukweli kuhusu mnyama huyu wa nne alisema, “…Huyo mnyama wa nne atakuwa ni ufalme wa nne juu ya dunia, utakaokuwa mbali na falme zile zote, nao utakula dunia yote, na kuikanyaga, na kuivunja vipande vipande.” Mnyama huyu wa nne anawakilisha ufalme wa Roma, uliofuta baada ya ufalme wa Ugiriki kuanguka. Ufalme huu unafananishwa na “chuma” ikimaanisha Jeshi lake ni katili na lenye nguvu nyingi sana. Danieli 7:7 inasema kuwa, ufalme huu wa Roma uko mbali/tofauti na falme zile tatu za Babeli, Umedi na Uajemi, na Ugiriki; Utofauti huo ni kwamba falme zile tatu zilikuwa falme za kipagani tu, lakini ufalme huu wa Roma ni mchanganyiko wa upagani na ukristo kwa wakati mmoja: yaan, upapa. Mnyama huyu wa nne ana pembe kumi kama Danieli 7:7 inavyomwelezea. Pembe katika unabii pia hutumika kuwakilisha ufalme au taifa, malaika Gabrieli katika Danieli 7:24 alipokuwa anamfahamisha Danieli ukweli kuhusu zile pembe kumi za yule mnyama wa nne, alisema, “Na habali za zile pembe kumi, katika ufalme huo wataondoka wafalme kumi; na mwingine ataondoka baada ya hao; naye atakuwa mbali na hao wa kwanza; naye atawashusha wafalme watatu.” Hivyo, zile pembe kumi za yule mnyama wa nne ambaye tumegundua kuwa ni Roma, pembe hizo ni mataifa kumi ambayo yapo katika ufalme wa Roma. Baada ya ufalme wa Roma ya kipagani kuanguka, katika mwaka 351 hadi 476 BK uligawanyika katika mataifa(pembe) kumi ambayo katika historia yamekuwa yakijulikana kama mataifa kumi ya Ulaya ya magharibi. Danieli 7:8 “Nikaziangalia sana pembe zake, na tazama, pembe nyingine ikazuka kati yao, nayo ilikuwa ndogo, ambayo mbele yake pembe tatu katika zile za kwanza zikang’olewa kabisa; na tazama, katika pembe hiyo mlikuwa na macho kama macho ya mwanadamu, na kinywa kilichokuwa kikinena maneno makuu.” Malaika Gabrieli akifafanua kuhusu pembe hiyo ndogo itakayoinuka katika zile pembe kumi, katika Danieli 7:24 alisema, “Na habari za zile pembe kumi, katika ufalme huo wataondoka wafalme kumi; na mwingine ataondoka baada ya hao; naye atakuwa mbali na hao wa kwanza; naye atawashusha wafalme watatu.” Huko nyuma tumegundua kuwa zile pembe kumi za mnyama wa nne, zilizoorodheshwa katika Danieli 7:7 ni mataifa kumi ya Ulaya ya magharibi ambayo yaligawanyika katika ufalme wa Roma. Sasa katika Danieli 7:8 pembe nyingine ndogo ikainuka na ikang’oa pembe tatu katika zile pembe kumi. Katika Danieli 7:24 malaika akafafanua kuwa, ile pembe ndogo ni ufalme au taifa jingine dogo ambalo litatokea ndani ya ufalme huo wa Roma katika mataifa yale kumi au pembe kumi. Kisha taifa hilo dogo au pembe ndogo baada ya kutokea litaangusha mataifa matatu katika yale mataifa kumi ya mwanzo. Kwa hakika taifa hili dogo (au pembe ndogo) ni taifa dogo la Vatican(upapa) ambalo liliinuka baada ya mataifa yale kumi. Taifa dogo la Vatican(upapa) liliinuka kutoka katika taifa la Italia, na taifa la Italia ni moja wapo katika yale mataifa kumi ( pembe 10). Baada ya taifa la Vatican kuinuka liliyaondoa mataifa matatu katika yale mataifa kumi ya mwanzo, hii inaweza kufananishwa vizuri na ile pembe ndogo inayong’oa pembe tatu katika zile pembe kumi za mwanzo. Sababu ya taifa dogo la Vatican kuyaondoa mataifa matatu katika yale kumi ya mwanzo ni kwamba, taifa la Upapa(vatican) lilitaka kuyatawala yale mataifa kumi yote, lakini mataifa matatu yalikataa kujiweka chini ya utawala wa upapa, hivyo upapa ukafanya vita juu ya mataifa hayo matatu na kuyaondoa kabisa hata yasiwepo. Mataifa matatu yaliyoondolewa ni Heruli, liling’olewa na upapa mwaka 493 B.K. Vandal, liling’olewa na upapa mwaka 534 B.K. Ostrogoth, liling’olewa upapa mwaka 538 B.K. Ifuatayo ni orodha ya mataifa 10 ya ufalme wa Roma (au pembe 10 za mnyama), huku mataifa mataifa 3 yakiwa yameondolewa (au pembe tatu zikiwa zimeng’olewa) na utawala wa upapa (pembe ndogo). Saxon, kwa sasa ni taifa la Uingereza. Frank, kwa sasa ni taifa la Ufaransa. Alamanni, kwa sasa ni taifa la Ujerumani. Visigoth, kwa sasa ni taifa la Uhispania. Suevi, kwa sasa ni taifa la Ureno. Lombard, kwa sasa ni taifa la Italia. Burgundia, kwa sasa ni taifa la Uswidi. Heruli, liling’olewa na pembe ndogo 493 B.K. Vandal, liling’olewa na pembe ndogo 534 B.K. Ostrogoth, liling’olewa na pembe ndogo 538 B.K Ushahidi mwingine unaothibitisha kuwa ile pembe ndogo ya Daniel 7:8 ni utawala upapa, ni ushahidi unaopatikana katika Danieli 7:25 ambapo inasema, Danieli 7:25 “Naye (pembe ndogo) atanena maneno kinyume chake Aliye juu, naye atawadhoofisha watakatifu wake Aliye juu; naye ataazimu kubadili majira na sheria; nao watatiwa mikononi mwake kwa wakati, na nyakati mbili, na nusu wakati.” Hapa ushahidi usioweza kupingika ni swala la kubadili majira na sheria za Mungu, ni mamlaka ya upapa pekee ndiyo iliyobadili sheria za Mungu, Sabato kutoka siku ya saba(Jumamosi) kwenda siku ya kwanza (Jumapili). “Bila shaka kanisa la katoliki hudai kuwa badiliko, (la Sabato Jumamosi kwenda Jumapili) ilikuwa ni kitendo chake…na kitendo hicho ni ALAMA ya mamlaka yake katika mambo ya kidini.” –-H.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons “Jumapili ni ALAMA yetu ya mamlaka…kanisa liko juu ya Biblia, na uhamishaji huu wa utunzaji wa Sabato ni ushahidi wa jambo hilo la ukweli.” -–Catholic Record of London, Ontario Sept 1, 1923. Pia Danieli 7:25 inasema, pembe ndogo atawadhoofisha watakatifu wa Mungu, nao watatiwa mikononi mwake kwa muda wa wakati mmoja, na nyakati mbili, na nusu wakati. Wakati mmoja = mwaka 1, nyakati mbili = miaka 2, na nusu wakati = nusu mwaka, (hivyo, 1+2+05=3.5 miaka 3 na nusu). Miaka 3 na nusu = miezi 42 au siku 1260. Katika unabii siku moja = mwaka 1, Ezekieli 4:6 inasema, “…siku arobaini, siku moja kwa mwaka mmoja, nimekuagiza.” Hesabu 14:34 pia inasema, “…siku arobaini kila siku kuhesabiwa mwaka…” Hivyo, kutokana na Ezekieli 4:6 na Hesabu 14:34, ni hakika kwamba siku 1260 ni sawa na miaka 1260 ambayo Upapa ungetawala na kuwadhofisha watakatifu. Historia inathibitisha kuwa Upapa ulipata nguvu kabisa kuanzia mwaka 538BK, baada ya kumaliza kuyang’oa mataifa 3, hivyo utawala rasmi wa upapa ulianza mwaka 538. “Vigillius…alikalia kiti cha upapa (538 B.K.) chini ya ulinzi wa jeshi la Belisarius.” –History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3, p. 327 Hivyo, ukijumlisha ile miaka 1260 ambayo upapa ungewadhoofisha watakatifu katika mwaka 538BK, utapata mwaka 1798BK (538+1260=1798). Kwa hiyo upapa ungewadhoofisha watakatifu kuanzia mwaka 538BK, hadi 1798BK. Historia inathibitisha kabisa kuwa upapa uliwadhoofisha watakatifu tangu mwaka 538bk hadi 1798bk ambapo upapa ulipata jeraha la mauti. “Katika mwaka 1798 Jemedari Berthier aliingia Roma, akauondoa kabisa utawala wa upapa, na kuanzisha mwingine.” –Encyclopedia Britannica 1941 edition Upapa ulipoondolewa madarakani katika mwaka 1798BK, hapo ndipo mateso ya wakristo yalikoma vile vile kama Danieli 7:25 inavyosema. Kwa hakika hii ni miaka halisi 1260 au miaka ya kiunabii 3.5, au wakati, nyakati mbili, na nusu wakati ya Danieli 7:25. Historia inasema wazi kuwa Upapa uliwadhoofisha watakatifu kwa miaka 1260, hata kanisa la Romani Katoliki linakubali kuwa liliwatesa wakristo wakati huo wa zama za giza, na papa Yohane II mwaka 2000 alitubu dhambi ya kanisa ya kuua Wakristo zaidi ya milioni 100. Kifuatacho ni baadhi ya ushahidi unaothibitisha kuwa kanisa Katoliki liliua wtakatifu kama Danieli 7:25 inavyosema. “Kwa sababu ya kufundisha imani kinyume na mafundisho ya Roma, historia inaonyesha vifo vya wafia dini zaidi ya milioni 100” –Brief Bible Readings, p 16. “Katoliki ana baadhi ya sababu kwa upande wake wakati anapotoa adhabu kwa waasi wa kidini, kwa maana anajidaia jina la Ukristo kwake mwenyewe kwa kuzuia, na anajidai kufundisha kwamba uwepo wa Roho wa Mungu kamwe hautaondoka kwake…Siyo kosa zaidi kumuua mtu kwa sababu ya uasi wa kidini, kuliko kwa sababu ya uuaji,…[na] katika mambo mengi mateso kwa maoni ya kidini siyo tu kwamba yanaruhusiwa, lakini ni ya busara na ya lazima.” –The Lawfulnees of Persecution” in the Rambler, 4, June, 1849, pp 119, 126. (“The Rambler” lilikuwa ni gazeti la kila siku la Romani Katoliki lililochapishwa kuanzia mwaka 1848 hadi 1862). “Chini ya mawazo na desturi za kijerumani, mateso yalitumiwa kidogo kuanzia karne ya 9 hadi karne ya 12, lakini kwa uhuikaji wa sheria ya Romani mateso yalianzishwa tena katika karne ya 12…Katika mwaka 1252 (Papa) Innocent IV aliruhusu adhabu ya mateso juu ya waasi wa kidini kwa kutumia mamlaka ya kiserikali, na mateso yakaja kuwa na mahali palipojulikana katika utaribu wa mahakama ya kiuchunguzi.” –New Catholic Encyclopedia, arts. “Inquisition”, “Auto-da-Fe’,” na “Massacre of St Bartholomew’s Day.” Hukumu na ufalme wa watakatifu. Danieli 7:9 “Nikatazama hata viti vya enzi vikawekwa, na mmoja aliye mmoja wa siku ameketi; mavazi yake yalikuwa meupe kama theluji, na nywele za kichwa chake kama sufu safi; kiti chake cha enzi kilikuwa miali ya moto, na gurudumu zake moto uwakao.” Danieli 7:10 “Mto kama wa moto ukatoka ukapita mbele zake; maelfu elfu wakamtumikia, na elfu kumi mara elfu kumi wakasimama mbele zake; hukumu ikawekwa, na vitabu vikafunuliwa.” Hukumu ambayo inatajwa hapo ni hukumu ya upelelezi ambayo ilianza tarehe 22 Octoba 1844 mwishoni mwa Siku 2300 za kiunabii za Danieli 8:14. Katika mwaka 1844 ambapo Yesu alimaliza kazi yake ya Ukuhani katika chumba cha Patakatifu, na akahamia chumba cha Patakatifu mno kwa ajili ya kazi yake ya Upatanisho, vitabu vilifunuliwa kwa ajili ya kuanza hukumu. Na hukumu hiyo ilianza kwa waliokufa na itaendelea hata kwa walio hai ambao wamekuwa na nuru kuu lakini wakashindwa kuenenda katika nuru. Ukisoma vizuri katika Danieli 7:11, 26 utaona kuwa hukumu imethibitishwa juu ya mfumo wa Upapa na utawala wake wote wa Roma. Danieli 7:11 “Nikatazama wakati huo; kwa sababu ya sauti ya yale maneno makubwa iliyoyasema ile pembe(upapa); nalitazama hata mnyama(Roma) yule akauawa, mwili wake ukaharibiwa, akatolewa ateketezwe kwa moto.” Wakati malaika akimfahamisha Danieli juu ya hukumu itakayokuja juu ya upapa na juu ya dola na ufalme wote wa Roma, katika Danieli 7:26 alisema, “Lakini hukumu itawekwa, nao watamwondolea(pembe ndogo[upapa]) mamlaka yake, kuipoteza na kuiangamiza, hata milele.” Lakini kuhusu wale wanyama wengine watatu unabii unasema, Danieli 7:12 “Na kwa habari za wale wanyama wengine, walinyang’anywa mamlaka yao; walakini maisha yao yalidumishwa kwa wakati na majira.” Wanyama wale watatu walinyang’anywa mamlaka yao na mnyama wa nne ambaye ni ufalme wa Roma, lakini maisha yao yaliendelea kuwepo; kwa mfano, taifa la Babeli liliendelea kuishi mpaka sasa linajulikana kama taifa la Irak (Al Hillah), vile vile kwa Umedi na Uajemi, na Ugiriki. Mataifa haya yanaishi hata sasa lakini mamlaka yao walinyanganywa na dola la Roma. Tukiangalia wanyama wote wanne tunaona kama ifuatavyo: Mnyama=Ufalme.1.Babeli.2.Umedi/Uajemi.3.Ugiriki.4.Roma Mnyama wa nne ni ufalme wa nne na wa mwisho katika historia ya dunia, na ufalme huo ni Roma, una pembe kumi ambazo ni mataifa yake kumi, pia una pembe ndogo ambayo ni upapa. Je unapita muda mrefu kabla dunia haijaisha? Tuko katika nyakati za mwishoni kabisa za mnyama wa nne na wa mwisho. Na hivi karibuni Yesu atakuja na kuziangamiza falme zote na upapa, na kisha ataanzisha ufalme wake pamoja na watakatifu katika ulimwengu mpya, ambao hautakuwa na mwisho. Ni Yerusalemu mpya utakaoshuka kutoka juu mbinguni. Danieli 7:13 “Nikaona katika njozi za usiku, na tazama, mmoja aliye mfano wa mwanadamu(Mwana wa Adamu) akaja pamoja na mawingu ya mbingu akamkaribia huyo mzee wa siku, wakamleta karibu naye.” Danieli 7:14 “Naye(Mwana wa Adam) akapewa mamlaka, na utukufu, na ufalme, ili watu wa kabila zote, na taifa zote, na lugha zote, wamtumikie; mamlaka yake ni mamlaka ya milele, ambayo hayatapita kamwe, na ufalme wake ni ufalme usioweza kuangamizwa.” Wakati umekaribia, naam, wakati umefika ambao Yesu atarudi duniani kuwachukua watakatifu wake, nao watatawala katika ufalme wake wa amani ambao uzuri wake hakuna mtu anayeweza kuuelezea, ni ufalme ambao si wa dunia hii bali wa ulimwengu mpya. Malaika akimfahamisha Danieli kuhusu mambo haya alisema, Danieli 7:27 “Na ufalme, na mamlaka, na ukuu wa ufalme, chini ya mbingu zote, watapewa watu wa watakatifu wake Aliye juu; ufalme wake ni ufalme wa milele, na wote wenye mamlaka watamtumikia na kumtii.” Danieli 7:22 “hata akaja huyo mzee wa siku, nao watakatifu wake Aliye juu wakapewa hukumu; na majira yakawadia watakatifu waumiliki ufalme.” Danieli 7:28 “Huu ndio mwisho wa jambo lile. Nami, Danieli, fikira zangu zilinifadhaisha, na uso wangu ulinibadilika; lakini naliliweka jambo hilo moyoni mwangu.” Je ni upendo gani ambao Mungu ametupa kwa kutufunulia nyakati na majira ya mwisho wa ulimwengu? Hata kwa wale ambao hawaamini wanaweza kufunguliwa macho yao ili waone ni jinsi gani Yesu Kristo ni kweli na hakika, na kwamba nini tutakosa kama tusipomwamini Yeye. Leo ndiyo wakati wa kumtafuta Bwana kwa moyo wote, akili zote, na nguvu zote ili giza lisije kufika na kutukuta hatusitahili kuuingia ufalme wa Mungu. Ushauri wa Yesu ni kwamba, “kesheni na kuomba.”huku tukidumu katika utakatifu kwani tafsiri halisi ya kukesha maana yake tuwe macho kwakila jambo shetani asije akatuvamia tukaanguka dhambini hivyo jitenge na uovu.Haiwezekani kumuona Mungu pasipo utakatifu kwani utakatifu ndiyo njia tutakayopitia,ndiyo tiketi yakuingia katika ufalme wa Mungu.Isaya 35:8,Kumbuka Mungu anazuia mabaya yasiipate dunia na utawala mpinga Kristo kwaajili yakutukamilisha na kutupiga muhuri wake na muhuri huo ni wokovu kumpokea yeye na kumuamini na kumkiri yeye peke yake kuwa ni Bwana na mwokozi wa maisha yako.naye atakupa kipawa cha Roho mtakatifu atakaye kuwezesha kuishi kwa utakatifu hadi atakapo kuja.KUMBUKA HAKUNA MNYAMA MKUBWA NA WAKUTISHA KAMA DHAMBI RUMI YAKO YA LEO NI MOYO WAKO MWENYEWE,HIVYO ONDOA PICHA ZA KATOLIKI AKILINI MWAKO WEKA IMANI JUU YA YESU KRISTO KAMA UKISIKIA LEO ANABISHA BASI FUNGUA MOYO WAKO AINGIE NAYE ATAKUPA ZAWADI YA ROHO MTAKATIFU NA UZIMA WA MILELE UFUNUO 3:19-20.TAFUTA UBATIZO SAHIHI UKAZALIWE NA KUFUFULIWA NA KRISTO KIROHHO NA UKATISHWE NAYE MBINGUNI KWAANZIA SASA KIROHO.WAKOLOSAI 3:1-4,EFESO 2:4-7 MUNGU AKUBARIKI SANA WEWE UTAKAYE SOMA UJUMBE HUU EV.GIDION LAIZER. NURU YA UPENDO ARUSHA
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  • Genesis 1:4 “And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

    “Good”: Good for the purposes it was intended to serve (1:31). The word contains less an aesthetic judgment than a designation of purpose and correspondence to God’s will, indicating the moral goodness of the Creation.

    “Light”: Not the sun which was created on the fourth day (verse 16), but some fixed light source outside of the earth. The earth passed through a day-and-night cycle in reference to this light.

    Genesis 1:5 “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

    “God called”: This act demonstrates His sovereign dominion over His creation. In the Semitic world, the naming of something or someone was the token of lordship. Reuben changed the names of the cities of the Amorites after he had conquered them (Num. 32:38). Likewise, Pharaoh Necho changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim after he defeated the Judean king (2 Kings 23:34).

    “First day”: God established the pattern of creation in 7 days which constituted a completed week. “Day” can refer to: (1) the light portion of a 24-hour period (1:5, 14); (2) an extended period of time (2:4); or (3) the 24 hour period which basically refers to a full rotation of the earth on its axis, called evening and morning.

    This cannot mean an age, but only a day, reckoned by the Jews from sunset to sunset (verses 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). “Day” with numerical adjectives in Hebrew always refers to a 24-hour period.

    Comparing the order of the week in Exodus 20:8-11 with the creation week; confirms this understanding of the time element. Such cycle of light and dark means that the earth was rotating on its axis so that there was a source of light on one side of the earth, though the sun was not yet created (verse 16).

    “Day” (Hebrew yom): Apart from the use of the word day in verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31, where it describes the days of Creation, it is used in at least four ways in the first two chapters of Genesis:

    (1) The 12-hour period of daylight as opposed to night (verses 14, 16, and 18);

    (2) A solar day of 24 hours (verse 14);

    (3) The period of light that began with the creation of light on the first day (verse 5); and

    (4) The entire, six-day creative period (2:4).

    Everywhere in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew bible), the word “day” when used (as here) with a definite article or numerical adjective means a solar day or a normally calibrated, 24-hour day. Thus, the biblical account of Creation clearly indicates that God created the world in six literal days (Exodus 20:11).

    In verse one, the only indication we have when heaven and earth were created is that it happened in the beginning. We must dwell on Genesis because a true and firm revelation of faith and God’s grace begins right here at the beginning.

    God’s grace in that he wanted fellowship with mankind so much that He would go to the trouble to create the world and everything in it for man’s use. Then the faith comes in on our part. We must believe that God’s Words are true and that the world was created by Elohim God.

    Thus, brings the end of the first day.




    Genesis 1:6 “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

    Firmament or expanse is the portion of God’s creation named “heavens,” that which man saw when he looked up, i.e., the atmospheric and stellar heaven.

    “Firmament” is an “expanse” between the waters suspended by God in vapor form over the earth. Most likely, approximately half of the waters upon the earth were supernaturally elevated above the atmosphere, perhaps in the form of an invisible vapor canopy.

    This would have trapped the earth’s heat with a “greenhouse effect” and would have provided a uniformly tropical climate everywhere, until it collapsed upon the earth during the universal rainfall at the time of the great Flood (7:11). This might explain the longer life described in Genesis 5, in addition to providing a water source for the Flood of chapters 6 to 9.

    I do not believe that God expects us to scientifically figure out how this all came about. He just expects us to have faith that He did it.

    Genesis 1:7 “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.”

    “Firmament … under the firmament”: This refers to subterranean reservoirs (7:11).

    “Above the firmament”: This could possibly have been a canopy of water vapor which acted to make the earth like a hothouse, provided uniform temperature, inhibited mass air movements, caused mist to fall, and filtered out ultraviolet rays, thus extending life.

    Genesis 1:8 “And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”

    “And God called the firmament heaven”: Including the starry and airy heavens: it has its name from its height in the Arabic language, it being above the earth, and reaching to the third heaven; though others take the word “shamaim” to be a compound of two words, “sham” and “maim”, that is, there are waters, namely, in the clouds of heaven.

    At the end of the second day there is no phrase “and God saw that it was good” (verse 10). Anything we might say about this would be just supposition.

    Thus, here was the second day.

    Verses 9-10 “Dry land”: This was caused by a tremendous, cataclysmic upheaval of the earth’s surface, and the rising and sinking of the land, which caused the waters to plunge into the low places, forming the seas, the continents, islands, rivers and lakes (Job 38:4-11; Psalm 104:6-9).

    Genesis 1:9 “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.”

    Verse 9 – Day three. The distribution of land and water and the production of vegetation on this day engaged the formative energy of the word of Elohim. And God said, Let the waters under heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.

    To explain the second part of this phenomenon as a consequence of the first, the disclosure of the solid ground by the retirement of the waters from its surface, and not rather vice versa, is to reverse the ordinary processes of nature.

    Modern analogy suggests that the breaking up of the hitherto universal ocean into seas, lakes, and rivers was effected by the upheaval of the land through the action of subterranean fires, or the subsidence of the earth’s crust in consequence of the cooling and shrinking of the interior mass.

    Psalm 104 hints at electric agency in connection with the elevation of the mountains and the sinking of the ocean beds (comments added by author).

    Psalm 104:7-8 “At thy rebuke they (the waters) fled: at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away (were scattered). They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them”.

    The gathering of the waters into one place implies no more than that they were, from this day forward, to be collected into one vast body, and restrained within bounds in a place by themselves, so as to admit of the exposure of the earth’s soil.

    The “place founded for them” was, of course, the depths and hollows in the earth’s crust, into which they were immediately withdrawn, not through direct supernatural agency, but by their own natural gravitation. The configuration of the dry land is not described; but there is reason to believe that the original distribution of land and water was the same, or nearly the same, as it is at present.

    Genesis 1:10 “And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.”

    “And God called the dry land earth”: The whole chaos that was a muddy fluid, a mixture of earth and water, a rude unformed mass of matter. But now that part consisting of, or formed of, land and was separated from the waters, and they from it, is called “earth”:

    Which has its name in the Arabic language from its being low and depressed; the lighter parts having been elevated, and moved upwards, and formed the atmosphere; the grosser parts subsiding and falling downwards, made the earth, which is low with respect to the firmament, which has its name in the same language from its height, as before observed.

    “And the gathering together of the waters called he seas”: for though there was but one place into which they were collected, and which is the main ocean, with which all other waters have a communication, and so are one; yet there are different seas, as the Red sea, the Mediterranean, Caspian, Baltic, etc.

    Or which are denominated from the shores they wash, as the German, British, etc., and even lakes and pools of water are called seas, as the sea of Galilee and Tiberias, which was no other than the lake of Gennesaret.

    “And God saw that it was good”: That these two should be separate, that the waters should be in one place, and the dry land appear, and both have the names he gave them. And this is here mentioned, because now the affair of the waters, the division and separation of them, were brought to an end, and to perfection.

    Verses 11-12: “After his kind”: God set in motion a providential process whereby the vegetable kingdom could reproduce through seeds which would maintain each one’s unique characteristics.

    The same phrase is used to describe the perpetuating reproduction of animals within their created species (verses 21, 24-25), and indicates that evolution, which proposes reproduction across species lines, is a false explanation of origins.

    Genesis 1:11 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”

    “Whose seed is in itself”: The principle of reproduction that marks all life (verses 22, 24, 28).

    Contrary to the modern evolutionists (who insist that all plants and animals developed over hundreds of millions of years from a single speck of life in the ocean) and theistic evolutionists (who claim the Bible allows for such processes by the use of such phrases as “Let the earth bring forth)”.

    Genesis not only dates the creation of marine life (verse 20), as being after the creation of plants and fruit trees, but also reveals that fruit trees were created already bearing fruit “whose seed is in itself.”

    God produced a functioning and mature Creation. Plants were created full-grown, as mature and adult organisms, with a superficial appearance of age. Similarly, Adam and Eve were created as adults. The phrase “after his’ [or their] “kind” is repeated 10 times in this chapter, and demands that adults of each “kind” would have to be created supernaturally to begin the life cycle.

    Moses uses the word “kind” 30 out of the 31 times it appears in the Old Testament. The word may not require the separate creation of each species by God, but it does require at least the separate creation of families within orders.

    You see God not only created the first plant life, grass, fruit, trees etc., but He also provided the way for it to perpetuate itself. Plant life could not exist without the light acting on the chlorophyll in the plant leaves and causing it to grow.

    Notice, the first three words “And God said”, and the last four words say it all “and it was so”.

    Genesis 1:12 “And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.

    “And the earth brought forth grass”: In great abundance at once; the hills and vales were clothed with it, and so a rich provision was made the beasts and cattle of the earth a few days before they were created:

    And herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself after his kind”: wholesome and healthful herbs and plants, and delicious fruit to be meat and food for man, ready prepared for him when created (see Gen. 1:29); on this day, though after related, were made the garden of Eden, and all the trees in it, pleasant for sight, and good for food.

    Particularly the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil,

    “And God saw that it was good”: Which he had now caused to spring forth, grass, herbs, and fruit trees, which were good for men and beast, and this he foresaw would be so.

    Genesis 1:13 “And the evening and the morning were the third day.”

    And here was the third day.

    Genesis 1:14 “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:”

    “Lights”: Verse 16. For 3 days, there had been light (verse 4), in the day as though there was a sun, and lesser light at night as though there were the moon and stars. God could have left it that way, but did not.

    He created the “lights, sun, moon, and stars,” not for light, but to serve as markers for signs, seasons, days, and years.

    “Signs”: Certainly to include:

    (1) Weather (Matt. 16:2-3);

    (2) Testimony to God (Psalms 8, 19; Rom. 1:14-20);

    (3) Divine judgment (Joel 2:30-31; Matt. 24:29);

    (4) Navigation (Matt. 2:1-2).

    “Seasons”: It is the earth’s movement in relation to the sun and moon that determines the seasons and the calendar.

    The Scripture says they were also to be for telling the seasons, and the days, and the years. In the Jewish calendar a month occurs at every new moon.

    “Verses 15-18”: “Two great lights … to divide the light from the darkness”: It was God (not some other deity) who created the lights. Israel had originally come from Mesopotamia, where the celestial bodies were worshiped, and more recently from Egypt, where the sun was worshiped as a primary deity.

    God was revealing to them that the very stars, moons, and planets which Israel’s neighbors had worshiped were the products of His creation. Later, they became worshipers of the “host of heaven”, which led to their being taken captive out of the Promised Land.

    Genesis 1:15 “And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.”

    “Lights in the firmament … give light upon the earth”: To continue there as luminous bodies; as enlighteners, as the word signifies. Causing light, or as being the instruments of conveying it, particularly to the earth, as follows: “to give light upon the earth”; and the inhabitants of it, when formed: “and it was so”.

    These lights were formed and placed in the firmament of the heaven for such uses, and served such purposes as God willed and ordered they should.

    Genesis 1:16 “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.”

    “And God made two great lights” refers to the sun and moon. They did not appear (a different verb and stem), as the dry land did in verse 9, but were actually made (`asah, synonymous with bara’), at this time. God makes it clear that He, not the sun, is the earth’s Creator, and that God is not dependent upon the sun either for the earth’s material substance or for the sustaining of life.

    From the standpoint of astronomy, the sun and the moon are obviously not “the two great lights” of the universe. This is the language of appearance, as seen from man’s viewpoint. Genesis is written in geocentric (rather than heliocentric), terms.

    “Signs” in verse 14 might refer to unusual sights in the heavens, such as eclipses of the sun, rather than suggest that God designed the celestial bodies to determine the destinies of individual men as modern astrologers proclaim (2 Kings 23:12; Jer. 19:13; Zeph. 1:5), where God condemns such practice.

    Genesis 1:17 “And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,”

    In the fourth day’s work, the creation of the sun, moon, and stars is accounted for. All these are the works of God. The stars are spoken of as they appear to our eyes, without telling their number, nature, place, size, or motions; for the Scriptures were written, not to gratify curiosity, or make us astronomers, but to lead us to God, and make us saints.

    The lights of heaven are made to serve him; they do it faithfully, and shine in their season without fail. We are set as lights in this world to serve God; but do we in like manner answer the end of our creation? We do not: our light does not shine before God, as his lights shine before us. We burn our Master’s candles, but do not mind our Master’s work.

    Genesis 1:18 “And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.”

    And God set (literally, gave), them (i.e. sun, moon, and stars), in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and even the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. An intimation that on this day the astronomical arrangements for the illumination of the globe and the measurement of time were permanently settled. And God saw that it was good.

    Genesis 1:19 “And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

    This was the conclusion of the creation of the sun and moon as fixtures that we might see the light in, thus ending the 4th day.




    Genesis 1:20 “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”

    “Moving creature”: These creatures, including the extraordinarily large ones, included all sorts of fish and mammals, even dinosaurs (see notes on Job 40:15 – 41:1).

    “Let the waters bring forth”: is better translated and understood as, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures,” so as not to misleadingly suggest that the waters themselves produced marine life. This text also implies that aquatic life and fowl appeared simultaneously, denying the evolutionary sequence of reptiles before birds.

    God had now provided the habitation for the fish and the atmosphere and dry land for the fowl, so the logical step would be to populate the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and all bodies of waters with fish and all sea life. The dry land had appeared and God had populated the air above and the ground below with fowl.

    You see, God was doing all of this in preparation for his greatest creation (man). He needed to prepare food for the man before the creation of man. This whole creative act was God building a home for mankind.

    We are told in John chapter 14 that Jesus is in heaven now preparing our eternal home.

    John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.”

    You see God’s plan from the beginning was to build man a home.

    Genesis 1:21 “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.”

    “Great whales” is not the best translation; better is the term “great sea creatures” to include the great fish as well as whale. Taninim is used elsewhere to describe the serpent (Exodus 7:9-10, 12), and the dragon (Psalm 148:7: Isa. 51:9; Ezek. 29:3). There is no evidence whatever, either from paleontology or genetics that whales or great sea monsters could have developed from land animals.

    The theory of evolution claims that the first animals in the oceans were microscopic, single celled creatures, and that whales (sea cows), had to evolve from four-legged land mammals, which in turn evolved from cold-blooded marine creatures. Thus, they would have devolved!

    Just the vastness of the thousands of varieties of fish and birds of all kinds is mind boggling. To think that God in a moment of time (no matter how long), could figure out, all the varieties, and have each one have a useful job to do in God’s scheme of things is just beyond comprehension.

    God is not only love, but the greatest planner. You see, He figured out the needs of each one and fulfilled it here on day five.

    Genesis 1:22 “And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.”

    “Blessed”: this is the first occurrence of the word “bless” in Scripture. God’s admonition to “be fruitful and multiply” was the substance of the blessing.

    Genesis 1:23 “And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”

    Here is the end of the fifth day.

    Verses 24-25: “Cattle … beasts”: This probably represents all kinds of large, four-legged animals.

    Genesis 1:24 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”

    “Beast of the earth”: Different from and larger than the clan of cattle, this would include dinosaurs like Behemoth (Job 40:15).

    “Living creature” is the same Hebrew expression used for man in 2:7, translated “living soul.”

    Genesis 1:25 “And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.”

    The Creator’s wisdom and power are to be admired as much in an ant as in an elephant. The power of God’s providence preserves all things, and fruitfulness is the effect of his blessing.

    The creation of the higher animals completed the earth’s preparation for the advent of man; to which, doubtless, the Creator’s commendation of his finished work had a special reference. Everything was in readiness for the “magnum opus” (the most important work), which was to close his creative labor and crown his completed cosmos.

    This most clearly shows and proves that the above creatures were not produced by the mere force of nature, or the powers the earth were possessed of, however the matter of it might be disposed and prepared, but by the omnipotent hand of God.

    You see, as I said before, God was preparing this planet for His greatest creation, mankind. All through these Scriptures, please take note that God said, “everything after its own kind”.

    Verse 26 is the reason all the things were created. Notice the plurality of the Creator as well.

    Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

    In contrast to animals in verses 20 and 24 where God said, “Let the waters bring forth” and “Let the earth bring forth,” He now says, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” All others reproduce after their kind,” but man is the only one made in the image of God and reproducing in that image (5:3).

    The terms “image” and “likeness” are used synonymously, and refer primarily to man’s spiritual resemblance (rationally and morally) to his Maker. God placed a chasm between man and the beast, for only man has the capacity for eternal life, fellowship, moral discernment, self-consciousness, speech, and worship.

    “Us … our”: The first clear indication of the triunity of God (3:22; 11:7). The very name of God, Elohim (1:1), is a plural form of El.

    “Man”: The crowning point of creation, a living human, was made in God’s image to rule creation. Even after the Fall, man retains this image of God (9:6; James 3:9), though it has been marred. The plural pronoun “us” is most likely a majestic plural from the standpoint of Hebrew grammar and syntax.

    “Our image”: This defined man’s unique relation to God. Man is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes (9:6; Rom. 8:29; Col. 3:10; James 3:9). In his rational life, he was like God in that he could reason and had intellect, will, and emotion. In the moral sense, he was like God because he was good and sinless.

    “Image and likeness of God”: Man was created in both the image and likeness of God. An image is a representation or replica of one person or thing by another. An image may be similar but not necessarily identical to its original. The term “likeness” is used as a gauge of comparison, or analogy. When man fell, he retained an impaired image of God (9:6).

    Regaining a likeness of God is one of the accomplishments of salvation. Our spiritual likeness is restored in justification. Our character likeness is being continuously developed in the process of sanctification. We will be like Christ physically when we are glorified. God’s purpose in our lives today is to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; Gen. 1:26-27; Heb. 4:12).

    Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

    “Man” is used in a generic sense which is amplified by the phrase “male and female” even though Eve’s physical formation is not detailed until 2:18-24.

    These words are not the usual Hebrew words for “man” (ish). and “woman” (ishah). The words used here specifically distinguish the sexes, male and female. Sexes are only implied with regard to animals, but not here. The reason is that a completely unique relationship was to develop, namely, holy marriage (2:22-24).

    Man was created by God on the sixth day of Creation and is the grand climax of all that God had accomplished in the Creation week of miracles. The final act of Creation was that God joined the material and immaterial parts of man. Man’s body was shaped from the dust, but then became a living soul only after God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils (2:7).

    Our formation; by natural birth is no less noteworthy than Adam’s formation from the dust. With David, we need to say, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14; also Genesis 2:7).

    The image and likeness of God is SPIRIT. God is SPIRIT. We are a spirit. We are housed in a body and possess a soul. If God is Spirit as the Word says He is, then the image and likeness of us, are spirit as well. As we read in verse 27, both man and woman are spirit.

    We will find as we continue this study that woman is just as responsible for the care and nurture of her spirit as man is. This is directly opposite of what some religions teach today. We are individual spirits, but our flesh is one with our spouse.

    Between verses 25 and 26 there is a separation. If you will notice after verse 25, God closed that creation with His statement, “And God said that it was good”. Man has a preeminence that no other creation has. Mankind, male and female, are made in the image of God. God created all the rest for mankind to rule over.

    Man, unlike all of the other creations, was created with a mind and will. Even to the point that God allows man’s will to choose God or Satan. Man alone was created with power to make decisions. Man alone was made to commune or fellowship with God.

    God is Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. He made man ruler of the earth.

    Because of man’s fallen state from his magnificent beginning (image of God), God the word, Jesus, took on a body and redeemed mankind and restored them to their original state of standing with God. The Bible says that when we get to heaven, we will recognize Jesus because we will be like Him.

    We will be restored to the image and likeness of God. We will not be God. We will be a shadow or image of the real thing. Our spirit will be in accord with His Spirit. We will be His servants or subordinates.

    You see God gave mankind dominion over this earth. Mankind, through an act of his will, turned this dominion over to Satan, as we will see in a later lesson.

    You know our whole country is under a president, and then smaller areas or states are under dominion of a governor, and then even smaller areas under a mayor. However, the mayor is under the governor on important matters; and all are under the president on the most important matters.

    You see, God is over all. We are His subordinates. Even though we shall rule and reign with Him, we will not be His equal.

    Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

    “Dominion over”: This defined man’s unique relation to creation. Man was God’s representative in ruling over the creation. The command to rule separated him from the rest of living creation and defined his relationship as above the rest of creation (Psalm 8:6-8).

    Dominion is not the content by the consequence of the divine image (1 Cor. 6:3; 15:27-28; Heb. 2:7-10); James 3:7-8).

    “And God blessed them:” To “bless” is not only to bestow a gift, but also to assign a function.

    “Replenish” is better translated “fill the earth,” indicating the first time. It cannot be used in support of the refashioning of an already judged earth, for it always means to fill something the first time.

     “Blessed”: This second blessing (1:22), involved reproduction and dominion.

    “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth”: God, having just created the universe, created His representative (rule over) and representation (image and likeness). Man would fill the earth and oversee its operation. “Subdue” does not suggest a wild and unruly condition for the creation because God Himself pronounced it “good.”

    Rather, it speaks of a productive ordering of the earth and its inhabitants to yield its riches and accomplish God’s purposes.

    In this verse, we see that mankind did not have to take dominion. The dominion was given to him by God.

    So many people associate sex of any kind (even the marriage bed), as the sin that caused the fall of man. This verse above proves this is not so. Mankind was commanded of God to be fruitful and multiply long before the sin in the Garden of Eden. The sin in the garden was disobedience to God.

    Verses 29-30: “I have given … for meat”: Prior to the curse (3:14-19), both mankind and beasts were vegetarians.

    Genesis 1:29 “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

    “Meat” meant “food” in the early seventeenth century, when the KJV was translated. No actual animal flesh was condoned until after the Flood in Genesis 9:3.

    God provided the means for mankind’s needs from the very beginning. Everything that God created here on the earth was directly or indirectly for the use of man. Even the food for the animals would ultimately be of use to man as we read in verse 30.

    Genesis 1:30 “And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.”

    “God saw” is an expression in anthropomorphic terms (human characteristics or behavior), relating His evaluation of His Creation (6:5; 11:5). Now at the end of His Creation work, He says “it was very good,” “exceedingly good” and not simply “good” as before in the chapter.

    Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

    There are several things the spirit must understand in the Scripture above. The number six means man. The verse reiterates again that God made all of it, and that everything was good. It also establishes the six days of work that we will see all through the Bible.




    Genesis 1:4 “And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” “Good”: Good for the purposes it was intended to serve (1:31). The word contains less an aesthetic judgment than a designation of purpose and correspondence to God’s will, indicating the moral goodness of the Creation. “Light”: Not the sun which was created on the fourth day (verse 16), but some fixed light source outside of the earth. The earth passed through a day-and-night cycle in reference to this light. Genesis 1:5 “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” “God called”: This act demonstrates His sovereign dominion over His creation. In the Semitic world, the naming of something or someone was the token of lordship. Reuben changed the names of the cities of the Amorites after he had conquered them (Num. 32:38). Likewise, Pharaoh Necho changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim after he defeated the Judean king (2 Kings 23:34). “First day”: God established the pattern of creation in 7 days which constituted a completed week. “Day” can refer to: (1) the light portion of a 24-hour period (1:5, 14); (2) an extended period of time (2:4); or (3) the 24 hour period which basically refers to a full rotation of the earth on its axis, called evening and morning. This cannot mean an age, but only a day, reckoned by the Jews from sunset to sunset (verses 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). “Day” with numerical adjectives in Hebrew always refers to a 24-hour period. Comparing the order of the week in Exodus 20:8-11 with the creation week; confirms this understanding of the time element. Such cycle of light and dark means that the earth was rotating on its axis so that there was a source of light on one side of the earth, though the sun was not yet created (verse 16). “Day” (Hebrew yom): Apart from the use of the word day in verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31, where it describes the days of Creation, it is used in at least four ways in the first two chapters of Genesis: (1) The 12-hour period of daylight as opposed to night (verses 14, 16, and 18); (2) A solar day of 24 hours (verse 14); (3) The period of light that began with the creation of light on the first day (verse 5); and (4) The entire, six-day creative period (2:4). Everywhere in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew bible), the word “day” when used (as here) with a definite article or numerical adjective means a solar day or a normally calibrated, 24-hour day. Thus, the biblical account of Creation clearly indicates that God created the world in six literal days (Exodus 20:11). In verse one, the only indication we have when heaven and earth were created is that it happened in the beginning. We must dwell on Genesis because a true and firm revelation of faith and God’s grace begins right here at the beginning. God’s grace in that he wanted fellowship with mankind so much that He would go to the trouble to create the world and everything in it for man’s use. Then the faith comes in on our part. We must believe that God’s Words are true and that the world was created by Elohim God. Thus, brings the end of the first day. Genesis 1:6 “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Firmament or expanse is the portion of God’s creation named “heavens,” that which man saw when he looked up, i.e., the atmospheric and stellar heaven. “Firmament” is an “expanse” between the waters suspended by God in vapor form over the earth. Most likely, approximately half of the waters upon the earth were supernaturally elevated above the atmosphere, perhaps in the form of an invisible vapor canopy. This would have trapped the earth’s heat with a “greenhouse effect” and would have provided a uniformly tropical climate everywhere, until it collapsed upon the earth during the universal rainfall at the time of the great Flood (7:11). This might explain the longer life described in Genesis 5, in addition to providing a water source for the Flood of chapters 6 to 9. I do not believe that God expects us to scientifically figure out how this all came about. He just expects us to have faith that He did it. Genesis 1:7 “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.” “Firmament … under the firmament”: This refers to subterranean reservoirs (7:11). “Above the firmament”: This could possibly have been a canopy of water vapor which acted to make the earth like a hothouse, provided uniform temperature, inhibited mass air movements, caused mist to fall, and filtered out ultraviolet rays, thus extending life. Genesis 1:8 “And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.” “And God called the firmament heaven”: Including the starry and airy heavens: it has its name from its height in the Arabic language, it being above the earth, and reaching to the third heaven; though others take the word “shamaim” to be a compound of two words, “sham” and “maim”, that is, there are waters, namely, in the clouds of heaven. At the end of the second day there is no phrase “and God saw that it was good” (verse 10). Anything we might say about this would be just supposition. Thus, here was the second day. Verses 9-10 “Dry land”: This was caused by a tremendous, cataclysmic upheaval of the earth’s surface, and the rising and sinking of the land, which caused the waters to plunge into the low places, forming the seas, the continents, islands, rivers and lakes (Job 38:4-11; Psalm 104:6-9). Genesis 1:9 “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.” Verse 9 – Day three. The distribution of land and water and the production of vegetation on this day engaged the formative energy of the word of Elohim. And God said, Let the waters under heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear. To explain the second part of this phenomenon as a consequence of the first, the disclosure of the solid ground by the retirement of the waters from its surface, and not rather vice versa, is to reverse the ordinary processes of nature. Modern analogy suggests that the breaking up of the hitherto universal ocean into seas, lakes, and rivers was effected by the upheaval of the land through the action of subterranean fires, or the subsidence of the earth’s crust in consequence of the cooling and shrinking of the interior mass. Psalm 104 hints at electric agency in connection with the elevation of the mountains and the sinking of the ocean beds (comments added by author). Psalm 104:7-8 “At thy rebuke they (the waters) fled: at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away (were scattered). They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them”. The gathering of the waters into one place implies no more than that they were, from this day forward, to be collected into one vast body, and restrained within bounds in a place by themselves, so as to admit of the exposure of the earth’s soil. The “place founded for them” was, of course, the depths and hollows in the earth’s crust, into which they were immediately withdrawn, not through direct supernatural agency, but by their own natural gravitation. The configuration of the dry land is not described; but there is reason to believe that the original distribution of land and water was the same, or nearly the same, as it is at present. Genesis 1:10 “And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.” “And God called the dry land earth”: The whole chaos that was a muddy fluid, a mixture of earth and water, a rude unformed mass of matter. But now that part consisting of, or formed of, land and was separated from the waters, and they from it, is called “earth”: Which has its name in the Arabic language from its being low and depressed; the lighter parts having been elevated, and moved upwards, and formed the atmosphere; the grosser parts subsiding and falling downwards, made the earth, which is low with respect to the firmament, which has its name in the same language from its height, as before observed. “And the gathering together of the waters called he seas”: for though there was but one place into which they were collected, and which is the main ocean, with which all other waters have a communication, and so are one; yet there are different seas, as the Red sea, the Mediterranean, Caspian, Baltic, etc. Or which are denominated from the shores they wash, as the German, British, etc., and even lakes and pools of water are called seas, as the sea of Galilee and Tiberias, which was no other than the lake of Gennesaret. “And God saw that it was good”: That these two should be separate, that the waters should be in one place, and the dry land appear, and both have the names he gave them. And this is here mentioned, because now the affair of the waters, the division and separation of them, were brought to an end, and to perfection. Verses 11-12: “After his kind”: God set in motion a providential process whereby the vegetable kingdom could reproduce through seeds which would maintain each one’s unique characteristics. The same phrase is used to describe the perpetuating reproduction of animals within their created species (verses 21, 24-25), and indicates that evolution, which proposes reproduction across species lines, is a false explanation of origins. Genesis 1:11 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” “Whose seed is in itself”: The principle of reproduction that marks all life (verses 22, 24, 28). Contrary to the modern evolutionists (who insist that all plants and animals developed over hundreds of millions of years from a single speck of life in the ocean) and theistic evolutionists (who claim the Bible allows for such processes by the use of such phrases as “Let the earth bring forth)”. Genesis not only dates the creation of marine life (verse 20), as being after the creation of plants and fruit trees, but also reveals that fruit trees were created already bearing fruit “whose seed is in itself.” God produced a functioning and mature Creation. Plants were created full-grown, as mature and adult organisms, with a superficial appearance of age. Similarly, Adam and Eve were created as adults. The phrase “after his’ [or their] “kind” is repeated 10 times in this chapter, and demands that adults of each “kind” would have to be created supernaturally to begin the life cycle. Moses uses the word “kind” 30 out of the 31 times it appears in the Old Testament. The word may not require the separate creation of each species by God, but it does require at least the separate creation of families within orders. You see God not only created the first plant life, grass, fruit, trees etc., but He also provided the way for it to perpetuate itself. Plant life could not exist without the light acting on the chlorophyll in the plant leaves and causing it to grow. Notice, the first three words “And God said”, and the last four words say it all “and it was so”. Genesis 1:12 “And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. “And the earth brought forth grass”: In great abundance at once; the hills and vales were clothed with it, and so a rich provision was made the beasts and cattle of the earth a few days before they were created: And herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself after his kind”: wholesome and healthful herbs and plants, and delicious fruit to be meat and food for man, ready prepared for him when created (see Gen. 1:29); on this day, though after related, were made the garden of Eden, and all the trees in it, pleasant for sight, and good for food. Particularly the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, “And God saw that it was good”: Which he had now caused to spring forth, grass, herbs, and fruit trees, which were good for men and beast, and this he foresaw would be so. Genesis 1:13 “And the evening and the morning were the third day.” And here was the third day. Genesis 1:14 “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” “Lights”: Verse 16. For 3 days, there had been light (verse 4), in the day as though there was a sun, and lesser light at night as though there were the moon and stars. God could have left it that way, but did not. He created the “lights, sun, moon, and stars,” not for light, but to serve as markers for signs, seasons, days, and years. “Signs”: Certainly to include: (1) Weather (Matt. 16:2-3); (2) Testimony to God (Psalms 8, 19; Rom. 1:14-20); (3) Divine judgment (Joel 2:30-31; Matt. 24:29); (4) Navigation (Matt. 2:1-2). “Seasons”: It is the earth’s movement in relation to the sun and moon that determines the seasons and the calendar. The Scripture says they were also to be for telling the seasons, and the days, and the years. In the Jewish calendar a month occurs at every new moon. “Verses 15-18”: “Two great lights … to divide the light from the darkness”: It was God (not some other deity) who created the lights. Israel had originally come from Mesopotamia, where the celestial bodies were worshiped, and more recently from Egypt, where the sun was worshiped as a primary deity. God was revealing to them that the very stars, moons, and planets which Israel’s neighbors had worshiped were the products of His creation. Later, they became worshipers of the “host of heaven”, which led to their being taken captive out of the Promised Land. Genesis 1:15 “And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.” “Lights in the firmament … give light upon the earth”: To continue there as luminous bodies; as enlighteners, as the word signifies. Causing light, or as being the instruments of conveying it, particularly to the earth, as follows: “to give light upon the earth”; and the inhabitants of it, when formed: “and it was so”. These lights were formed and placed in the firmament of the heaven for such uses, and served such purposes as God willed and ordered they should. Genesis 1:16 “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.” “And God made two great lights” refers to the sun and moon. They did not appear (a different verb and stem), as the dry land did in verse 9, but were actually made (`asah, synonymous with bara’), at this time. God makes it clear that He, not the sun, is the earth’s Creator, and that God is not dependent upon the sun either for the earth’s material substance or for the sustaining of life. From the standpoint of astronomy, the sun and the moon are obviously not “the two great lights” of the universe. This is the language of appearance, as seen from man’s viewpoint. Genesis is written in geocentric (rather than heliocentric), terms. “Signs” in verse 14 might refer to unusual sights in the heavens, such as eclipses of the sun, rather than suggest that God designed the celestial bodies to determine the destinies of individual men as modern astrologers proclaim (2 Kings 23:12; Jer. 19:13; Zeph. 1:5), where God condemns such practice. Genesis 1:17 “And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,” In the fourth day’s work, the creation of the sun, moon, and stars is accounted for. All these are the works of God. The stars are spoken of as they appear to our eyes, without telling their number, nature, place, size, or motions; for the Scriptures were written, not to gratify curiosity, or make us astronomers, but to lead us to God, and make us saints. The lights of heaven are made to serve him; they do it faithfully, and shine in their season without fail. We are set as lights in this world to serve God; but do we in like manner answer the end of our creation? We do not: our light does not shine before God, as his lights shine before us. We burn our Master’s candles, but do not mind our Master’s work. Genesis 1:18 “And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.” And God set (literally, gave), them (i.e. sun, moon, and stars), in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and even the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. An intimation that on this day the astronomical arrangements for the illumination of the globe and the measurement of time were permanently settled. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:19 “And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.” This was the conclusion of the creation of the sun and moon as fixtures that we might see the light in, thus ending the 4th day. Genesis 1:20 “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” “Moving creature”: These creatures, including the extraordinarily large ones, included all sorts of fish and mammals, even dinosaurs (see notes on Job 40:15 – 41:1). “Let the waters bring forth”: is better translated and understood as, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures,” so as not to misleadingly suggest that the waters themselves produced marine life. This text also implies that aquatic life and fowl appeared simultaneously, denying the evolutionary sequence of reptiles before birds. God had now provided the habitation for the fish and the atmosphere and dry land for the fowl, so the logical step would be to populate the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and all bodies of waters with fish and all sea life. The dry land had appeared and God had populated the air above and the ground below with fowl. You see, God was doing all of this in preparation for his greatest creation (man). He needed to prepare food for the man before the creation of man. This whole creative act was God building a home for mankind. We are told in John chapter 14 that Jesus is in heaven now preparing our eternal home. John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.” You see God’s plan from the beginning was to build man a home. Genesis 1:21 “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.” “Great whales” is not the best translation; better is the term “great sea creatures” to include the great fish as well as whale. Taninim is used elsewhere to describe the serpent (Exodus 7:9-10, 12), and the dragon (Psalm 148:7: Isa. 51:9; Ezek. 29:3). There is no evidence whatever, either from paleontology or genetics that whales or great sea monsters could have developed from land animals. The theory of evolution claims that the first animals in the oceans were microscopic, single celled creatures, and that whales (sea cows), had to evolve from four-legged land mammals, which in turn evolved from cold-blooded marine creatures. Thus, they would have devolved! Just the vastness of the thousands of varieties of fish and birds of all kinds is mind boggling. To think that God in a moment of time (no matter how long), could figure out, all the varieties, and have each one have a useful job to do in God’s scheme of things is just beyond comprehension. God is not only love, but the greatest planner. You see, He figured out the needs of each one and fulfilled it here on day five. Genesis 1:22 “And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.” “Blessed”: this is the first occurrence of the word “bless” in Scripture. God’s admonition to “be fruitful and multiply” was the substance of the blessing. Genesis 1:23 “And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.” Here is the end of the fifth day. Verses 24-25: “Cattle … beasts”: This probably represents all kinds of large, four-legged animals. Genesis 1:24 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.” “Beast of the earth”: Different from and larger than the clan of cattle, this would include dinosaurs like Behemoth (Job 40:15). “Living creature” is the same Hebrew expression used for man in 2:7, translated “living soul.” Genesis 1:25 “And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.” The Creator’s wisdom and power are to be admired as much in an ant as in an elephant. The power of God’s providence preserves all things, and fruitfulness is the effect of his blessing. The creation of the higher animals completed the earth’s preparation for the advent of man; to which, doubtless, the Creator’s commendation of his finished work had a special reference. Everything was in readiness for the “magnum opus” (the most important work), which was to close his creative labor and crown his completed cosmos. This most clearly shows and proves that the above creatures were not produced by the mere force of nature, or the powers the earth were possessed of, however the matter of it might be disposed and prepared, but by the omnipotent hand of God. You see, as I said before, God was preparing this planet for His greatest creation, mankind. All through these Scriptures, please take note that God said, “everything after its own kind”. Verse 26 is the reason all the things were created. Notice the plurality of the Creator as well. Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” In contrast to animals in verses 20 and 24 where God said, “Let the waters bring forth” and “Let the earth bring forth,” He now says, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” All others reproduce after their kind,” but man is the only one made in the image of God and reproducing in that image (5:3). The terms “image” and “likeness” are used synonymously, and refer primarily to man’s spiritual resemblance (rationally and morally) to his Maker. God placed a chasm between man and the beast, for only man has the capacity for eternal life, fellowship, moral discernment, self-consciousness, speech, and worship. “Us … our”: The first clear indication of the triunity of God (3:22; 11:7). The very name of God, Elohim (1:1), is a plural form of El. “Man”: The crowning point of creation, a living human, was made in God’s image to rule creation. Even after the Fall, man retains this image of God (9:6; James 3:9), though it has been marred. The plural pronoun “us” is most likely a majestic plural from the standpoint of Hebrew grammar and syntax. “Our image”: This defined man’s unique relation to God. Man is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes (9:6; Rom. 8:29; Col. 3:10; James 3:9). In his rational life, he was like God in that he could reason and had intellect, will, and emotion. In the moral sense, he was like God because he was good and sinless. “Image and likeness of God”: Man was created in both the image and likeness of God. An image is a representation or replica of one person or thing by another. An image may be similar but not necessarily identical to its original. The term “likeness” is used as a gauge of comparison, or analogy. When man fell, he retained an impaired image of God (9:6). Regaining a likeness of God is one of the accomplishments of salvation. Our spiritual likeness is restored in justification. Our character likeness is being continuously developed in the process of sanctification. We will be like Christ physically when we are glorified. God’s purpose in our lives today is to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; Gen. 1:26-27; Heb. 4:12). Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” “Man” is used in a generic sense which is amplified by the phrase “male and female” even though Eve’s physical formation is not detailed until 2:18-24. These words are not the usual Hebrew words for “man” (ish). and “woman” (ishah). The words used here specifically distinguish the sexes, male and female. Sexes are only implied with regard to animals, but not here. The reason is that a completely unique relationship was to develop, namely, holy marriage (2:22-24). Man was created by God on the sixth day of Creation and is the grand climax of all that God had accomplished in the Creation week of miracles. The final act of Creation was that God joined the material and immaterial parts of man. Man’s body was shaped from the dust, but then became a living soul only after God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils (2:7). Our formation; by natural birth is no less noteworthy than Adam’s formation from the dust. With David, we need to say, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14; also Genesis 2:7). The image and likeness of God is SPIRIT. God is SPIRIT. We are a spirit. We are housed in a body and possess a soul. If God is Spirit as the Word says He is, then the image and likeness of us, are spirit as well. As we read in verse 27, both man and woman are spirit. We will find as we continue this study that woman is just as responsible for the care and nurture of her spirit as man is. This is directly opposite of what some religions teach today. We are individual spirits, but our flesh is one with our spouse. Between verses 25 and 26 there is a separation. If you will notice after verse 25, God closed that creation with His statement, “And God said that it was good”. Man has a preeminence that no other creation has. Mankind, male and female, are made in the image of God. God created all the rest for mankind to rule over. Man, unlike all of the other creations, was created with a mind and will. Even to the point that God allows man’s will to choose God or Satan. Man alone was created with power to make decisions. Man alone was made to commune or fellowship with God. God is Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. He made man ruler of the earth. Because of man’s fallen state from his magnificent beginning (image of God), God the word, Jesus, took on a body and redeemed mankind and restored them to their original state of standing with God. The Bible says that when we get to heaven, we will recognize Jesus because we will be like Him. We will be restored to the image and likeness of God. We will not be God. We will be a shadow or image of the real thing. Our spirit will be in accord with His Spirit. We will be His servants or subordinates. You see God gave mankind dominion over this earth. Mankind, through an act of his will, turned this dominion over to Satan, as we will see in a later lesson. You know our whole country is under a president, and then smaller areas or states are under dominion of a governor, and then even smaller areas under a mayor. However, the mayor is under the governor on important matters; and all are under the president on the most important matters. You see, God is over all. We are His subordinates. Even though we shall rule and reign with Him, we will not be His equal. Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” “Dominion over”: This defined man’s unique relation to creation. Man was God’s representative in ruling over the creation. The command to rule separated him from the rest of living creation and defined his relationship as above the rest of creation (Psalm 8:6-8). Dominion is not the content by the consequence of the divine image (1 Cor. 6:3; 15:27-28; Heb. 2:7-10); James 3:7-8). “And God blessed them:” To “bless” is not only to bestow a gift, but also to assign a function. “Replenish” is better translated “fill the earth,” indicating the first time. It cannot be used in support of the refashioning of an already judged earth, for it always means to fill something the first time.  “Blessed”: This second blessing (1:22), involved reproduction and dominion. “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth”: God, having just created the universe, created His representative (rule over) and representation (image and likeness). Man would fill the earth and oversee its operation. “Subdue” does not suggest a wild and unruly condition for the creation because God Himself pronounced it “good.” Rather, it speaks of a productive ordering of the earth and its inhabitants to yield its riches and accomplish God’s purposes. In this verse, we see that mankind did not have to take dominion. The dominion was given to him by God. So many people associate sex of any kind (even the marriage bed), as the sin that caused the fall of man. This verse above proves this is not so. Mankind was commanded of God to be fruitful and multiply long before the sin in the Garden of Eden. The sin in the garden was disobedience to God. Verses 29-30: “I have given … for meat”: Prior to the curse (3:14-19), both mankind and beasts were vegetarians. Genesis 1:29 “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” “Meat” meant “food” in the early seventeenth century, when the KJV was translated. No actual animal flesh was condoned until after the Flood in Genesis 9:3. God provided the means for mankind’s needs from the very beginning. Everything that God created here on the earth was directly or indirectly for the use of man. Even the food for the animals would ultimately be of use to man as we read in verse 30. Genesis 1:30 “And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.” “God saw” is an expression in anthropomorphic terms (human characteristics or behavior), relating His evaluation of His Creation (6:5; 11:5). Now at the end of His Creation work, He says “it was very good,” “exceedingly good” and not simply “good” as before in the chapter. Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” There are several things the spirit must understand in the Scripture above. The number six means man. The verse reiterates again that God made all of it, and that everything was good. It also establishes the six days of work that we will see all through the Bible.
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  • How is eternity in hell a fair punishment for sin?
    This is an issue that bothers many people who have an incomplete understanding of three things: the nature of God, the nature of man, and the nature of sin. As fallen, sinful human beings, the nature of God is a difficult concept for us to grasp. We tend to see God as a kind, merciful Being whose love for us overrides and overshadows all His other attributes. Of course God is loving, kind, and merciful, but He is first and foremost a holy and righteous God. So holy is He that He cannot tolerate sin. He is a God whose anger burns against the wicked and disobedient (Isaiah 5:25; Hosea 8:5; Zechariah 10:3).

    He is not only a loving God—He is love itself! But the Bible also tells us that He hates all manner of sin (Proverbs 6:16-19). And while He is merciful, there are limits to His mercy. “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).


    Humanity is corrupted by sin, and that sin is always directly against God. When David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and having Uriah murdered, he responded with an interesting prayer: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). Since David had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, how could he claim to have only sinned against God? David understood that all sin is ultimately against God. God is an eternal and infinite Being (Psalm 90:2). As a result, all sin requires an eternal punishment. God’s holy, perfect, and infinite character has been offended by our sin. Although to our finite minds our sin is limited in time, to God—who is outside of time—the sin He hates goes on and on. Our sin is eternally before Him and must be eternally punished in order to satisfy His holy justice.


    No one understands this better than someone in hell. A perfect example is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Both died, and the rich man went to hell while Lazarus went to paradise (Luke 16). Of course, the rich man was aware that his sins were only committed during his lifetime. But, interestingly, he never says, “How did I end up here?” That question is never asked in hell. He does not say, “Did I really deserve this? Don't you think this is a little extreme? A little over the top?” He only asks that someone go to his brothers who are still alive and warn them against his fate.

    Like the rich man, every sinner in hell has a full realization that he deserves to be there. Each sinner has a fully informed, acutely aware, and sensitive conscience which, in hell, becomes his own tormenter. This is the experience of torture in hell—a person fully aware of his or her sin with a relentlessly accusing conscience, without relief for even one moment. The guilt of sin will produce shame and everlasting self-hatred. The rich man knew that eternal punishment for a lifetime of sins is justified and deserved. That is why he never protested or questioned being in hell.

    The realities of eternal damnation, eternal hell, and eternal punishment are frightening and disturbing. But it is good that we might, indeed, be terrified. While this may sound grim, there is good news. God loves us (John 3:16) and wants us to be saved from hell (2 Peter 3:9). But because God is also just and righteous, He cannot allow our sin to go unpunished. Someone has to pay for it.

    In His great mercy and love, God provided His own payment for our sin. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross for us. Jesus’ death was an infinite death because He is the infinite God/man, paying our infinite sin debt, so that we would not have to pay it in hell for eternity (2 Corinthians 5:21).

    If we confess our sin and place our faith in Christ, asking for God’s forgiveness based on Christ’s sacrifice, we are saved, forgiven, cleansed, and promised an eternal home in heaven. God loved us so much that He provided the means for our salvation, but if we reject His gift of eternal life, we will face the eternal consequences of that decision.
    How is eternity in hell a fair punishment for sin? This is an issue that bothers many people who have an incomplete understanding of three things: the nature of God, the nature of man, and the nature of sin. As fallen, sinful human beings, the nature of God is a difficult concept for us to grasp. We tend to see God as a kind, merciful Being whose love for us overrides and overshadows all His other attributes. Of course God is loving, kind, and merciful, but He is first and foremost a holy and righteous God. So holy is He that He cannot tolerate sin. He is a God whose anger burns against the wicked and disobedient (Isaiah 5:25; Hosea 8:5; Zechariah 10:3). He is not only a loving God—He is love itself! But the Bible also tells us that He hates all manner of sin (Proverbs 6:16-19). And while He is merciful, there are limits to His mercy. “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7). Humanity is corrupted by sin, and that sin is always directly against God. When David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and having Uriah murdered, he responded with an interesting prayer: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). Since David had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, how could he claim to have only sinned against God? David understood that all sin is ultimately against God. God is an eternal and infinite Being (Psalm 90:2). As a result, all sin requires an eternal punishment. God’s holy, perfect, and infinite character has been offended by our sin. Although to our finite minds our sin is limited in time, to God—who is outside of time—the sin He hates goes on and on. Our sin is eternally before Him and must be eternally punished in order to satisfy His holy justice. No one understands this better than someone in hell. A perfect example is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Both died, and the rich man went to hell while Lazarus went to paradise (Luke 16). Of course, the rich man was aware that his sins were only committed during his lifetime. But, interestingly, he never says, “How did I end up here?” That question is never asked in hell. He does not say, “Did I really deserve this? Don't you think this is a little extreme? A little over the top?” He only asks that someone go to his brothers who are still alive and warn them against his fate. Like the rich man, every sinner in hell has a full realization that he deserves to be there. Each sinner has a fully informed, acutely aware, and sensitive conscience which, in hell, becomes his own tormenter. This is the experience of torture in hell—a person fully aware of his or her sin with a relentlessly accusing conscience, without relief for even one moment. The guilt of sin will produce shame and everlasting self-hatred. The rich man knew that eternal punishment for a lifetime of sins is justified and deserved. That is why he never protested or questioned being in hell. The realities of eternal damnation, eternal hell, and eternal punishment are frightening and disturbing. But it is good that we might, indeed, be terrified. While this may sound grim, there is good news. God loves us (John 3:16) and wants us to be saved from hell (2 Peter 3:9). But because God is also just and righteous, He cannot allow our sin to go unpunished. Someone has to pay for it. In His great mercy and love, God provided His own payment for our sin. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross for us. Jesus’ death was an infinite death because He is the infinite God/man, paying our infinite sin debt, so that we would not have to pay it in hell for eternity (2 Corinthians 5:21). If we confess our sin and place our faith in Christ, asking for God’s forgiveness based on Christ’s sacrifice, we are saved, forgiven, cleansed, and promised an eternal home in heaven. God loved us so much that He provided the means for our salvation, but if we reject His gift of eternal life, we will face the eternal consequences of that decision.
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  • God of the Bible is Not Allah of the Koran

    Let us ask ourselves a simple question: Could it be possible that Followers of Jesus Christ and Worshipers of Allah have the same God? According to the impeccable biblical exhibits we now know that the Koran angel Gibreel who appeared to Mohammed is not the same angel Gabriel who appeared several times in the Bible.




    Bible:

    Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

    Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

    Give us this day our daily bread.

    And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

    And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)

    Koran:


    In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

    Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;

    Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

    Master of the Day of Judgment.

    Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.

    Show us the straight way,

    The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray. (Sure 1:1-7)




    Even though the word Allah in Arabic means a deity, still it does not mean that said deity-Allah is the Almighty God of the Bible. In the Bible we read about another god who wants to call himself God, inter-alia, even if the gospel of Jesus Christ is enshrouded, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. Which means the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ Jesus, who is the likeness of God and God(2 Corinthians 4:3).

    Bible: God of the Bible, “the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

    Koran: Allah of the Koran, “And your God is One God. There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful” (Sure 2:163).

    Koran: Allah of the Koran, “LAA ELAAHA ELLA HOO.” (There is no other god besides Him. Mohammed is his messenger.)

    Bible: God of the Bible “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

    Sons of Allah through Prophet Muhammed and Koran are trying to convince the whole world about the diabolic idea of the three heavenly religions with the three heavenly holly books. If Moslems are correct and if God is one according to Allahic religion, why would Creator need three religions or three books? There is a say that many roads may lead to Rome; but according to the Infallible Bible there is only one way which leads to God, and that way is Jesus Christ the Savior of the World, who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6)

    Is it possible that there is only one God who gave us one Savior, One book, one faith and one way to reach Him, inter-alia, there are three deities, of which one of them is the true Almighty God the Creator of all things? Let us read together some verses from the infallible Word of God, the Bible and the noble Gibreelic Koran that we may see how the Christians and the Moslems indeed worship and follow different God.



    Koran: “O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust” (Sure 5:51).

    Bible: “Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2).

    The slave of Allah, Mohammed, claimed that he is the servant of the God of Moses and Christ Jesus, the God of the Jews and the Christians, in contrast, and to my surprise, the same slave of Allah was not ashamed to command his followers to “take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors”!!!

    Bible: God of love. “But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39).

    Koran: god of hate. “O ye who believe! fight the unbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you” (Koran 9:123)

    Koran: “O Prophet! Rouse the Believers to the fight” (Sure 8:65)

    Bible: “Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).

    Bible: God wants us to make the choice, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

    Koran: Allah chose the way for us, “This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed my favour unto you, and have chosen for you as your religion Islam” (Sure 5:3).

    In Islamic countries it is very different, for god of this world has kept them in the bondage which their families and nations have chosen to submit to a ferocious deity; and according to Sharia and Koran they are not allowed to change their religion. As it is written in the holy Koran,




    “And if any of you turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be companions of the Fire and will abide therein” (Sure 2:217).




    “But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks” (Sure 4:89).




    “The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter” (Sure 5:33)




    UNITY OF THE FAITH
    Koran: “We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will” (Sure 3:84).

    Bible: “In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1).

    How did God speak to us through His Son? “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him” (John 3:35).

    How we can receive this life? By believing the love of God, for “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

    Koran: Denying the sonship of Jesus Christ, “The Christians call Christ the son of Allah… Allah's curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the Truth!”(Sure 9:30).

    Koran: Denying the cross of Christ, “But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them” (Sure 4:157).

    Finally, our God is one. He never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). His word, message and His plan of salvation is still the same today as yesterday and will be the same tomorrow, till the day when He returns; as it is written, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, everyone who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” (Revelation 1:7). He will enter our world again not as a savior, but as a king who will destroy all the false gods, and then “every knee [shall] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10).

    Jesus came to our world in order to deliver us from bondage of sin, death and demons. Those who trust Him for deliverance will be saved and be removed from darkness into light, listen to Him saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" ( John 8:12).




    That’s why today we have to choose between the Bible and the Koran, between God our father or Allah; for only one of them is the true God.




    God of the Bible is Not Allah of the Koran




    All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of the Zondervan Corporation. All rights reserved.

    The “NIV” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society.
    God of the Bible is Not Allah of the Koran Let us ask ourselves a simple question: Could it be possible that Followers of Jesus Christ and Worshipers of Allah have the same God? According to the impeccable biblical exhibits we now know that the Koran angel Gibreel who appeared to Mohammed is not the same angel Gabriel who appeared several times in the Bible. Bible: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13) Koran: In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; Most Gracious, Most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. Show us the straight way, The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray. (Sure 1:1-7) Even though the word Allah in Arabic means a deity, still it does not mean that said deity-Allah is the Almighty God of the Bible. In the Bible we read about another god who wants to call himself God, inter-alia, even if the gospel of Jesus Christ is enshrouded, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. Which means the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ Jesus, who is the likeness of God and God(2 Corinthians 4:3). Bible: God of the Bible, “the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39). Koran: Allah of the Koran, “And your God is One God. There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful” (Sure 2:163). Koran: Allah of the Koran, “LAA ELAAHA ELLA HOO.” (There is no other god besides Him. Mohammed is his messenger.) Bible: God of the Bible “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Sons of Allah through Prophet Muhammed and Koran are trying to convince the whole world about the diabolic idea of the three heavenly religions with the three heavenly holly books. If Moslems are correct and if God is one according to Allahic religion, why would Creator need three religions or three books? There is a say that many roads may lead to Rome; but according to the Infallible Bible there is only one way which leads to God, and that way is Jesus Christ the Savior of the World, who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6) Is it possible that there is only one God who gave us one Savior, One book, one faith and one way to reach Him, inter-alia, there are three deities, of which one of them is the true Almighty God the Creator of all things? Let us read together some verses from the infallible Word of God, the Bible and the noble Gibreelic Koran that we may see how the Christians and the Moslems indeed worship and follow different God. Koran: “O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust” (Sure 5:51). Bible: “Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2). The slave of Allah, Mohammed, claimed that he is the servant of the God of Moses and Christ Jesus, the God of the Jews and the Christians, in contrast, and to my surprise, the same slave of Allah was not ashamed to command his followers to “take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors”!!! Bible: God of love. “But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). Koran: god of hate. “O ye who believe! fight the unbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you” (Koran 9:123) Koran: “O Prophet! Rouse the Believers to the fight” (Sure 8:65) Bible: “Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Bible: God wants us to make the choice, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Koran: Allah chose the way for us, “This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed my favour unto you, and have chosen for you as your religion Islam” (Sure 5:3). In Islamic countries it is very different, for god of this world has kept them in the bondage which their families and nations have chosen to submit to a ferocious deity; and according to Sharia and Koran they are not allowed to change their religion. As it is written in the holy Koran, “And if any of you turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be companions of the Fire and will abide therein” (Sure 2:217). “But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks” (Sure 4:89). “The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter” (Sure 5:33) UNITY OF THE FAITH Koran: “We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will” (Sure 3:84). Bible: “In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1). How did God speak to us through His Son? “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him” (John 3:35). How we can receive this life? By believing the love of God, for “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Koran: Denying the sonship of Jesus Christ, “The Christians call Christ the son of Allah… Allah's curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the Truth!”(Sure 9:30). Koran: Denying the cross of Christ, “But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them” (Sure 4:157). Finally, our God is one. He never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). His word, message and His plan of salvation is still the same today as yesterday and will be the same tomorrow, till the day when He returns; as it is written, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, everyone who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” (Revelation 1:7). He will enter our world again not as a savior, but as a king who will destroy all the false gods, and then “every knee [shall] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10). Jesus came to our world in order to deliver us from bondage of sin, death and demons. Those who trust Him for deliverance will be saved and be removed from darkness into light, listen to Him saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" ( John 8:12). That’s why today we have to choose between the Bible and the Koran, between God our father or Allah; for only one of them is the true God. God of the Bible is Not Allah of the Koran All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of the Zondervan Corporation. All rights reserved. The “NIV” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society.
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  • TOFAUTI KUMI NA SABA (17) KATI YA YESU WA WAKRISTO NA ISA WA WAISLAM.

    Mara kwa mara, unaweza kuwasikia Waislamu wakisema kuwa Isa a.s. kama anavyotajwa ndani ya Qur’an tukufu, ndiye Yesu Kristo wa Nazareti, kama anavyotajwa ndani ya Biblia Takatifu. Wanafanya hivyo kwa kulinganisha baadhi ya aya zilizomo ndani ya Biblia Takatifu, na zile zilizomo ndani ya Qur’an. Kwa mfano, wanasema kwa mujibu wa Biblia mama yake Yesu Kristo anaitwa Mariamu. Wanasoma katika Injili ya Marko 6:3-4“Huyu si yule seremala, mwana wa Mariamu, na ndugu yao Yakobo, na Yose na Yuda na Simoni? Na maumbu yake hawapo hapa petu? Wakajikwaa kwake” . 

    Wanafananisha aya hiyo na ile iliyomo ndani ya Qur’an katika Suratul Al-Maidah, 5:75 “ Masih bin Maryam si chochote ila ni mtume tu……”,

    Hoja nyingine wanayoitumia ni kusema kwamba eti jina Isa ni katika lugha ya Kiarabu. Jambo hilo siyo kweli. Kwa sababu katika lugha ya Kiarabu, Yesu anaitwa Yasu’a siyo Isa. Na ikumbukwe kuwa Biblia ndicho kitabu kilichotangulia kuwepo duniani miaka ipatayo 1500 kabla ya Qur’an.(Qur’an is a post Bible book).

    Hoja yetu kwa Waislamu ni hii nani aliyebadilisha jina Yasu’a kuwa Isa?. Jina Yasu’a linashabihiana zaidi na Jina Yehoshua ambalo hilo ni katika lugha ya Kiebrania, na katika Kiyunani lugha iliyotumika kuandika Agano Jipya anaitwa Iesous (tamka Yesu) tafsiri ya maneno hayo kwa lugha ya Kiswahili ni Mwokozi.

    Tunasoma hayo katika Math 1:21-23 “ Naye atazaa mwana, nawe utamwita jina lake Yesu, maana yeye ndiye atakaye waokoa watu wake na dhambi zao. Hayo yote yamekuwa ili litimie neno lililonenwa na Bwana kwa ujumbe wa Nabii akisema Tazama, bikira atachukua mimba, Naye atazaa mwana; Nao watamwita jina lake Imanueli; Yaani, Mungu pamoja nasi.”

    Hoja yetu Je Isa a.s naye ni Mwokozi na Imanueli kama alivyo Yesu Kristo?.

    Jambo jingine tunalopaswa kulizingatia tunapoangalia tofauti zao ni kuhusu mama zao. Mama yake Yesu Kristo ni Mariam anayetoka katika ukoo wa Yuda. Tunasoma hayo katika kitabu cha Mwanzo 49:10 “ Fimbo ya enzi haitaondoka katika Yuda, Wala mfanya sheria kati ya miguu yake,Hata atakapokuja Yeye, mwenye milki,Ambaye mataifa watamtii”.

    Unabii huu umetimia kwa Yesu Kristo.Tunasoma hayo katika Waebrania 7:14 “Maana ni dhahiri kwamba Bwana wetu alitoka katika Yuda, kabila ambayo Musa hakunena neno lolote juu yake katika mambo ya ukuhani”

    Lakini tusomapo habari za Isa, yeye mama yake anatoka ukoo wa Imrani. Ambaye ni baba yao Haruni, Miriamu na Musa. Tunayasoma hayo katika Suratul Al-Maryam 19:28 “Ewe dada yake Haruni. Baba yako hakuwa mtu mbaya. Wala mama yako hakuwa hasharati”.

    fafanuzi unaoifafanua aya hii ya 19:28 uliyomo ndani ya Qur’an, tafsiri ya King Fahd uk. 405, unasomeka hivi “ This Harun (Aaron) is not the brother of Musa (Moses), but he was another pious man at the time of Maryam (Mary)”

    Tafsiri “Huyu Harun siyo ndugu yake Musa, bali alikuwa ni mtu mwingine tu mcha Mungu, aliyeishi wakati wa kipindi cha Maryam”
    Kwa mujibu wa Biblia, Haruni ni mtoto wa mzee Amran na mama yao anaitwa Yekobedi na kwao wamezaliwa watoto watatu Haruni, Miriam na mdogo wao Musa. Tunasoma hayo katika kitabu cha Hesabu 26:59 “Na jina la mke wa Amramu aliitwa Yokebedi binti wa Lawi ,ambaye alizaliwa kwake Lawi huko Misri; na huyo Yokebedi akamzalia Amram Haruni,na Musa,na Miriamu umbu lao”

    Tofauti nyingine ni kuumbwa kwao: ISSA KAUMBWA. Qur’an Suratul Imran, 3:59 “ Bila shaka hali ya Isa kwa Mwenyezi Mungu ni kama hali ya Adam; alimwumba kwa udongo kisha akamwambia: “Kuwa”; basi akawa”

    Lakini tusomapo kumhusu YESU, YEYE HAKUUMBWA BALI NI NENO LA MUNGU.

    Yoh 1 : 1,14 “Hapo mwanzo kulikuwako Neno, naye Neno alikuwako kwa Mungu naye Neno alikuwa Mungu……..Naye Neno alifanyika mwili akakaa kwetu…….”

    Mika 5:2 “ Bali wewe, Bethlehem Efrata, uliye mdogo kuwa miongoni mwa elfu za Yuda; kutoka kwako wewe atanitokea mmoja atakayekuwa mtawala katika Israel; ambaye matokeo yake yamekuwa tangu zamani za kale, tangu milele”

    Yoh: 8:58 “ Yesu akawaambia, Amin, amin, nawaambia, Yeye Ibrahim asijakuwako, mimi niko”.

    Zaidi ya hayo Biblia inatujulisha kuwa yeye ndiye Muumbaji mwenyewe

    Yoh 1:3 “Vyote vilifanyika kwa huyo; wala pasipo yeye hakikufanyika chochote kilichofanyika”

    Kol 1:16-17 “ Kwa kuwa katika yeye vitu vyote viliumbwa, vilivyo mbinguni na vilivyo juu ya nchi, vinavyoonekana na visivyoonekana ; ikiwa ni vitu vya enzi, au usultani, au enzi, au mamlaka; vitu vyote viliumbwa kwa njia yake na kwa ajili yake”



    2) (A) ISSA A.S : BAADA YA KUONDOKA KWAKE, (KAMA WAISLAMU WANAVYOAMINI), HAJAWAHI KUTOKEA KWA NAMNA YOYOTE ILE.
    (B) YESU KRISTO: BAADA YA KUONDOKA KWAKE ALIMTOKEA PAUL (SAUL).
    Mdo 9:4 “ Akaanguka chini, akasikia sauti ikimwambia, Saul, Saul, mbona waniudhi? Akasema, U nani wewe, Bwana? Naye akasema , Mimi ndimi Yesu unayeniudhi wewe”



    3) (A) ISSA A.S: ALITABIRI KUJA KWA MUHAMMAD Quran Suratul As Saff , 61:6
    “Na (wakumbushe) aliposema (Nabii) Isa bin Maryamu (kuwaambia mayahudi) enyi wana wa Israili! mimi ni mtume wa Mwenyezi Mungu kwenu. Nisadikishaye yaliyo kuwa kabla yangu katika Taurati. Na kutoa habari njema ya mtume atakayewajia nyuma yangu ambaye jina lake litakuwa Ahmad(Muhammad). Na maana ya majina mawili yote haya ni moja. Maana yake Mwenye kushukuriwa kwa maneno yake mazuri na vitendo vyake vizuri na kila chake kwani vyake vyote ni vizuri).Lakini alipowajia kwa hoja zilizowazi walisema: “ Huu ni udanganyifu uliyo dhahiri”.


    (B)YESU KRISTO ALIMTUMA ROHO MTAKATIFU KATIKA SIKU YA PENTEKOSTE.
    Yoh: 14:26 “.Lakini huyo Msaidizi,huyo Roho Mtakatifu,ambaye Baba atampeleka kwa jina langu,atawafundisha yote,na kuwakumbusha yote niliyowaambia”. Katka Kiyunani anaitwa “Paracletos” yaani msaidizi au mfariji

    Yoh 15:26 “ Lakini ajapo huyo Msaidizi, nitakayewapelekea kutoka kwa Baba, huyo Roho wa kweli atokaye kwa Baba, yeye atanishuhudia”

    Yoh 16:7 “Lakini mimi ninawaambia iliyo kweli; yawafaa nyinyi mimi niondoke,kwa maana mimi nisipoondoka huyo Msaidizi hatakuja kwenu; bali mimi nikienda zangu nitampeleka kwenu”.



    4) (A) ISSA A.S : JINA LAKE HALINA NGUVU WALA UWEZO WA KUOKOA BALI NI RANGI MBILI
    Katika Al-Lu’lu’war-Marjani, Juzuu na1, Hadithi na104 uk. 64 “ Hadithi ya Ibn Abbas (r.a) kutoka kwa Mtume (s.a.w) amesema, “Nilimuona Musa (a.s) katika usiku wa Al-Isra, niliopelekwa,naye ni mtu mrefu, mwenye nywele za hudhurungi zimejikunjakunja kama mtu wa Shanua.Na nilimuona Isa (a.s), naye ni mtu wa wastani wa umbo, unaelekea kwenye wekundu na weupe, ana nywele zilizonyooka……”

    (B) YESU KRISTO: JINA LAKE NI WOKOVU. 
    Mdo 4:9-10,12 “ kama tukiulizwa leo habari ya jambo jema alilofanyiwa yule mtu dhaifu,jinsi alivyoponywa, jueni nyinyi nyote na watu wote wa Israel ya kuwa kwa jina la Yesu Kristo wa Nazareti, ambaye nyinyi mlimsulubisha, na Mungu alimfufua katika wafu kwa jina hilo mtu huyu anasimama ali mzima mbele yenu…………………….Wala hakuna wokovu katika mwingine awaye yote, kwa maana hapana jina jingine chini ya mbingu walilopewa wanadamu litupasalo sisi kuokolewa kwalo”

    Baadhi ya aya ndani ya Qur’an zinaeleza kuwa Isa a.s aliwaponya wenye upofu. Ni akina nani hao tutajiwe angalau mmoja? Yesu alimponya kipofu Batromayo.

    Aya zingine zinasema Isa a.s alifufua wafu. Ni akina nani hao? Yesu alimfufua Lazaro.

    Jina tulilopewa ni jina moja tu lenye wokovu la Yesu Kristo. Jina la Isa a.s lisilo na wokovu limehusishwaje na jina la Yesu Kristo wa Nazareth lenye wokovu?

    Mdo 16:31 “ Wakamwambia , Mwamini Bwana Yesu, nawe utaokoka wewe pamoja na nyumba yako.”



    5) (A) ISSA.A.S : YEYE SIYO MWANA WA MUNGU. 
    Qur’ani Suratul Al An-Am,6:101 “Yeye ndiye Mwumba wa mbingu na ardhi. inamkinikanaje awe na mwana, hali hana mke. Naye ndiye aliye umba kila kitu (sio baadhi yake kavizaa). Naye ni mjuzi wa kila kitu”.

    Qurani Suratul At-Tawba (Kutubu), 9:30 “Na Mayahudi wanasema “Uzeri ni mwana wa Mwenyezi Mungu” na “Wakristo wanasema “Masihi ni Mwana wa Mwenyezi Mungu” Haya ndiyo wasemayo kwa vinywa vyao (pasi na kuyapima). Wanayaiga maneno ya wale waliokufuru kabla yao, Mwenyezi Mungu awaangamize. Wanageuzwa namna gani hawa!

    Fundisho la Uwana wa Mungu kama Biblia inavyofundisha, halimo katika mafundisho na itikadi ya dini ya Kiislamu kwa hiyo Isa a.s siyo mwana wa Mungu.

    (B) YESU KRISTO: YEYE NI MWANA WA MUNGU. Luka 1:30-31,35
    “Malaika akamwambia usiogope Mariamu,kwa maana umepata neema kwa Mungu.Tazama utachukua mimba na kuzaa mtoto mwanamume; na jina lake utamwita Yesu. Malaika akajibu akamwambia,Roho Mtakatifu atakujilia juu yako,na nguvu zake Aliye juu zitakufunika kama kivuli;kwa sababu hiyo hicho kitakachozaliwa kitaitwa kitakatifu Mwana wa Mungu.

    Hivyo Isa siyo Mwana Mungu lakini Yesu ni mwana wa Mungu. Kwa hivyo Yesu siyo Isa.



    6) (A) ISSA A.S: YEYE SIYO MUNGU ALIYEFANYIKA MWILI. 
    Suratul Al- Maidah,(meza), 5:72-73 Bila ya shaka wamekufuru wale waliosema, “ Mwenyezi Mungu ni Masih (issa)bin Maryam”.(Na hali ya kuwa)Masihi alisema “Enyi wana wa Israel! Mwabuduni Mwenyezi Mungu, Mola wenu. Kwani anayemshirikisha Mwenyezi Mungu, hakika Mwenyezi Mungu atamharimishia Pepo, na mahali pake (patakuwa) ni Motoni. Na madhalimu hawatakuwa na wasaidizi (wa kuwasaidia siku ya Kiama) “Kwa hakika wamekufuru wale waliosema mwenyenzi Mungu ni mmoja katika (wale waungu) watatu (yeye ndiye watatu wao ) hali hakuna mungu ila Mwenyezi Mungu mmoja ( tu peke yake) na kama hawataacha hayo wasemayo kwa yakini itawakamata wale wanaoendelea na ukafiri miongoni mwao adhabu iumizayo”.

    (B)YESU YEYE NI NENO LA MUNGU LILILOFANYIKA MWILI:
    Yoh 1 : 1,14 “Hapo mwanzo kulikuwako Neno, naye Neno alikuwako kwa Mungu naye Neno alikuwa Mungu……..Naye Neno alifanyika mwili akakaa kwetu…….”



    7) (A) ISSA A.S YEYE HAJAWAHI KUSULUBIWA WALA KUUWAWA
    Qurani Suratul An-Nisaa (Wanawake) 4:157-158

    “Na kwa (ajili ya )kusema kwao sisi tumemuua masihi Isa mwana wa Maryamu, mtume wa Mungu. Hali hawakumuua wala hawakumsulubu bali walibabaishiwa (mtu mwingine wakamdhani nabii Isa.) Na kwa hakika wale waliokhitalifiana katika (hakika)hiyo (ya kumuua nabii Isa) wamo katika shaka nalo (jambo hilo kusema kauwawa]. Wao (kabisa) hawana yakini juu ya (jambo)hili (la kuwa kweli wamemuua nabii isa) isipokuwa wanafuata dhana tu.Na kwa yakini hawakumuua. Bali mwenyenzi Mungu alimnyanyua kwake. Na mwenyenzi Mungu ni mwenye nguvu (na)mwenye hikima.

    (B)YESU KRISTO: YEYE ALISULUBIWA MSALABANI 
    Yohana 19:18,31,33 “Wakamsulibisha huko,na wengine wawili pamoja,mmoja huku na mmoja huku, na Yesu katikati.Basi Wayahudi, kwa sababu ni Maandalio, miili isikae juu ya misalaba siku ya sabato(maana sabato ile ilikuwa siku kubwa), walimwomba Pilato miguu yao ivunjwe,wakaondolewe. Lakini walipomjia Yesu na kuona ya kuwa amekwisha kufa,hawakumvunja miguu”.



    8) (A) ISSA A.S HANA HADHI YA KUABUDIWA NA BINADAMU YEYOTE.
    Qur’an, Suratul Al-Maidah, 5:116 “ Na (kumbukeni) Mwnyezi Mungu atakaposema: “Ewe Isa bin Maryam! Je ,wewe uliwaambia watu: ‘Nifanyeni mimi na mama yangu kuwa waungu badala ya Mwenyezi Mungu’?” Aseme (Nabii Isa): “Wewe umetakasika na kuwa na mshirika, hainijuzii mimi kusema ambayo si haki yangu (kuyasema, kwa kuwa ni ya uongo), kama ningalisema bila shaka ungalijua ; unayajua yaliyomo nafsini mwangu, lakini mimi siyajui yaliyomo nafsini mwako; hakika Wewe ndiye ujuaye mambo ya ghaibu.

    B) YESU ANASTAHILI KUABUDIWA NA WANADAMU NA MALAIKA
    Math 2: 2 “yuko wapi yeye aliyezaliwa mfalme wa Wayahudi? kwa maana tuliiona nyota yake mashariki nasi tumekuja kumsujudia.”

    Yoh 9: 35 “ Yesu akasikia kwamba wamemtoa nje; naye alipomwona alisema, Wewe wamwamini Mwana wa Mungu? Naye akajibu akasema, Ni nani, Bwana, nipate kumwamini? Yesu akamwambia Umemwona, naye anayesema nawe ndiye. Akasema, naamini, Bwana, akamsujudia.”

    Filipi 2:10-11 “ili kwa Jina la Yesu kila goti lipigwe, la vitu vya mbinguni, na vya duniani, na vya chini ya nchi; na kila ulimi ukiri ya kuwa YESU KRISTO NI BWANA, kwa utukufu wa Mungu Baba.”

    Ebr 1:6 “ Hata tena amletapo mzaliwa wa kwanza ulimwenguni, asema, Na wamsujudu Malaika wote wa Mungu.





    9) (A) ISA HASTAHILI KUWA MWOMBEZI WA WATU KWA MUNGU
    Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.6 ,Hadithi no 3, The Noble Qur’an, English Translation uk. 8

    “…….Nenda kwa Musa, mtumishi wa Allah ambaye Allah alizungumza naye uso kwa uso na alimpa Torati. Hivyo watakwenda kwake naye atasema ‘ Mimi sistahili kwa jukumu hilo la uombezi, na atataja mauaji aliyoyafanya kwa mtu ambaye si muuaji, na hivyo atajisikia aibu mbele ya Mola wake, naye atasema nendeni kwa Isa, mtumishi wa Allah, Mjumbe wake neno lake na roho iliyotoka kwake. Isa atasema sistahili mimi kubeba jukumu la uombezi…….”

    B) YESU ANASTAHILI KUWA MWOMBEZI WA WANADAMU KWA MUNGU
    1 Tim 2:5 “ Kwa sababu Mungu ni mmoja, na mpatanishi kati ya Mungu na wanadamu ni mmoja, Mwanadamu Kristo Yesu;”
    Ebr 7:24-25 “ bali yeye, kwa kuwa akaa milele, anao ukuhani wake usioondoka.Naye, kwa sababu hii , aweza kuwaokoa kabisa wao wamjiao Mungu kwa yeye; maana yu Hai siku zote ili awaombee.



    10) (a) ISA NI NABII MWINGINE TU ASIYE TOFAUTI NA WENGINE
    Qur’an Suratul Baqarah, (ng’ombe)2:136 “ “Semeni nyinyi (Waislamu waambiwe Mayahudi na Manasara; waambieni): “Tumemwamini Mwenyezi Mungu na yale tuliyoteremshiwa, na yale yaliyoteremshwa kwa Ibrahimu na Ismail na Is-haqa na Yaaqubu na kizazi (chake Yaaqubu); na waliyopewa Musa na Isa na pia yale waliyopewa Manabii (wengine) kutoka kwa Mola wao; hatutofautishi baina ya yoyote katika hao. (Wote tunawaamini); na sisi tumenyenyekea Kwake.”

    b) YESU YEYE YU JUU KULIKO VITU VYOTE
    Efeso 1:20-23 “ aliotenda katika Kristo alipomfufua katika wafu, akamweka mkono wake wa kuume katika ulimwengu wa roho; juu sana kuliko ufalme wote, na malaika, na nguvu, na usultani, na kila jina litajwalo, wala si ulimwenguni humu tu, bali katika ule ujao pia; akavitia vitu vyote chini ya miguu yake akamweka awe kichwa juu ya vitu vyote kwa ajili ya Kanisa; ambalo ndilo mwili wake, ukamilifu wake anayekamilika kwa vyote katika vyote.”



    11) (a) ISA ATAKAPORUDI, ATAOA NA KUZAA WATOTO
    Mishkat Al- Masabih, vol 2 uk.1159, Sahih Muslim, vol. 1 uk 92 “ Isa atakaporudi ataishi miaka arobaini (40), muda ambao atakuwa ameoa na kuzaa watoto, na atafanya ibada ya hija.”

    b) YESU ATAKAPORUDI ATAKUJA KULINYAKUA KANISA, YAANI BIBI ARUSI
    Efeso 5:25-26, 32-33 “ Enyi waume, wapendeni wake zenu, kama Kristo naye alivyolipenda Kanisa, Uf 19:7 “ Na tufurahi, tukashangilie, tukampe utukufu wake; kwa kuwa arusi ya Mwana Kondoo imekuja na mkewe amejiweka tayari.akajitoa kwa ajili yake, ili makusudi alitakase na kulisafisha kwa maji katika neno;…..Siri hiyo ni kubwa ila mimi nanena habari ya Kristo na Kanisa. Lakini kila mtu ampende mke wake kama nafsi yake mwenyewe; wala mke asikose kumstahi mmewe.”


    12)(a) ISA ATAKUFA BAADA YA KUISHI MIAKA AROBAINI (40)
    Mishkat Al- Masabih, vol 2 uk. 1159,Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadithi 4310, Sahih Muslim, vol.1, uk.92 , “Isa atakaporudi ataondosha dini zote zisiwepo isipokuwa Uislamu. Atamharibu Masih Dajjal, na ataishi duniani miaka arobaini (40) na kisha atakufa. Na baada ya kufa atazikwa pembeni mwa kaburi la Muhammad.”

    B) YESU BAADA YA KUFUFUKA YU HAI SIKU ZOTE HAFI TENA
    Rum 6:9 “ tukijua ya kuwa Kristo akiisha kufufuka katika wafu hafi tena, wala mauti haimtawali tena.”

    Ebr 7:24-25 “ bali yeye, kwa kuwa akaa milele, anao ukuhani wake usioondoka.Naye, kwa sababu hii , aweza kuwaokoa kabisa wao wamjiao Mungu kwa yeye; maana yu Hai siku zote ili awaombee.”

    Uf 1:17-18 “ Nami nilipomwona nalianguka miguuni pake kama mtu aliyekufa. Akaweka mkono wake wa kuume juu yangu, akisema, Usiogope, mimi ni wa kwanza na wa mwisho, aliye hai; nami nalikuwa nimekufa, na tazama , ni hai hata milele na milele nami ninazo funguo za mauti na za kuzimu.”



    13)(a) ISA ALIPOZALIWA SAUTI YA FARAJA ILITOKA CHINI YA ARDHI
    Qur’an Suratul Maryam,19:23-24 “ Kisha uchungu ukampeleka katika shina la mtende, (akawa anazaa na huku) anasema: “ Laiti ningekufa kabla ya haya, na ningekuwa niliyesahaulika kabisa.” Mara ikamfikia sauti kutoka chini yake (inamwambia): usihuzunike. Hakika Mola wako amejaalia (ameweka) kijito cha maji chini yako;”

    Mafundisho ya Kiislamu yanaeleza kuwa huko chini ya ardhi kuna mnyama. Na huyo mnyama anazijua aya za Qur’an.

    Qur’an katika Suratul Al-Naml, 27:82 “Na kauli (ya kuja kiyama) itakapowathibitikia Tutawatolea mnyama katika ardhi atakayewasemeza kwa sababu watu walikuwa hawaziyakinishi Aya Zetu”

    b) ALIPOZALIWA YESU SAUTI ZA MALAIKA ZILITOKA JUU
    Luka 2:13-16 “ Mara walikuwapo pamoja na huyo malaika, wingi wa jeshi la mbinguni, wakimsifu Mungu na kusema, Atukuzwe Mungu juu mbinguni na duniani iwe amani kwa watu aliowaridhia. Ikawa malaika hao walipoondoka kwenda zao mbinguni, wale wachungaji waliambiana, Haya na twendeni mpaka Bethlehemu, tukalione hilo lililofanyika alilotujulisha Bwana. Wakaenda kwa haraka wakamkuta Mariamu na Yusufu, na yule mtoto mchanga amelala horini”



    (14)(a) ISA HANA UFAHAMU WA MAMBO MBALIMBALI 
    katika Al-Lu’lu’ war- Marjan,kitabu cha 3 Hadithi na 1528 uk.883 “Hadithi ya Abu Huraira (r.a) kutoka kwa Mtume (s.a.w) amesema “Issa Ibn Mariam (a,s) alimwona mtu anaiba akamuuliza umeiba? akasema hapana ,Naapa kwa Allah ambaye hakuna mola isipokuwa yeye .Issa (a.s) akasema nimemuamini Allah na limeniongopea jicho langu”.

    b) YESU ANAYAJUA YOTE
    Yohana 1:47-48 “ Basi Yesu akamwona Nathanael anakuja kwake, akanena habari zake “Tazama Mwizraeli kweli kweli hamna hila ndani yake. Nathaeli akamwambia umepataje kunitambua? Yesu akajibu akamwambia, Kabla Filipo hajakuita ulipokuwapo chini ya mtini nilikuona”

    Yoh 2:24-25 “ Lakini Yesu hakujiaminisha kwao; kwa kuwa yeye aliwajua wote; na kwa sababu hakuwa na haja ya mtu kushuhudia habari za mwanadamu; kwa maana yeye mwenyewe aliyajua yaliyomo ndani ya mwanadamu”



    15) (a) ISA A.S MAMA YAKE ALIKUTWA PEMBEZONI MWA MSIKITI ALIPOLETEWA HABARI ZA KUZALIWA KWAKE.
    Qur’an Suratul Maryam,19:16-17 “ Na mtaje Mariamu kitabuni humu. Alipojitenga na jamaa zake, (akenda) mahali upande wa mashariki (wa msikiti) na akaweka pazia kujikinga nao. Tukampelekea muhuisha Sharia Yetu (Jibrili)- akajimithilisha kwake (kwa sura ya) binadamu aliye kamili


    b) YESU KRISTO, MAMA YAKE ALIKUTWA NYUMBANI KWAO NAZARETI
    Luka 1:26-28 “Mwezi wa sita malaika Gabriel alitumwa na Mungu kwenda mpaka mji wa Galilaya, jina lake Nazareti. Kwa mwana mwali Bikira aliyekuwa ameposwa na mtu jina lake Yusufu wa mbari ya Daudi. Na jina lake Bikira huyo ni Mariamu. Akaingia nyumbani kwake akasema, salamu uliyepewa neema Bwana yu pamoja nawe.”



    16)(a) MIMBA YA ISA ILIKUWA NI YA SIKU MOJA
    Qur’an Suratul Maryam,19:21-22 “ (Malaika) akasema: “ Nikama hivyo (unavyosema; lakini) Mola wako amesema ‘Haya ni sahali Kwangu, na ili Tumfanye muujiza kwa wanaasamu na rehema itokayo Kwetu (ndiyo Tumefanya hivi);’ Na hili ni jambo lililokwisha kuhukumiwa.” Basi akachukua mimba yake, na akaondoka nayo mpaka mahali pa mbali”


    b) MIMBA YA YESU SIKU ZILITIMIA.
    Luka 2:6-7 “ ikawa, katika kukaa huko, siku zake za kuzaa zikatimia, akamzaa mwanawe, kifungua mimba, akamvika nguo za kitoto, akamlaza katika hori ya kulia ng’ombe kwa sababu hawakupata nafasi katika nyumba ya wageni”


    NB: Mwezi wa sita uliotajwa katika Luka 1:26 ni mwezi wenye kuelezea umri wa mimba ya Yohana ndani ya tumbo la Elizabethi. Luka 1: 36 “ Tena tazama jamaa yako Elizabeti naye amechukua mimba ya mtoto mwanamume katika uzee wake; na mwezi huu ni wa sita kwake yeye aliyeitwa tasa”

    NB: Hori iliyotajwa hapa,ina maana ya chombo cha kulishia wanyama kinachokuwa ndani ya zizi. Kwa Kiyunani (Kigiriki) ambayo ndiyo lugha iliyotumika kuandikia Agano Jipya ,chombo hicho kinaitwa “Fatne” kwa Kiingereza kinaitwa “a manger”



    17)ISA (A.S) ATAKAPORUDI ATAKUJA KUVUNJA MISALABA NA KUUA NGURUWE
    Mkweli Mwaminifu, Juzuu 3-4, uk.20, Hadithi na. 753 “ Haisimami saa ya (kiyama) mpaka akuteremkieni nabii Isa (a.s) mwana wa Maryamu atahukumu (kwa sheria ya Kiislamu) (na) muadilifu, basi atavunja misalaba (ya Wakristo Makanisani) na ataua nguruwe, na ataondosha fedheha au (aibu), na mali itazidi kuwa nyingi sana mpaka hataikubali (ataikataa) mtu (kwa kuogopa kiyama)” .Soma pia katika Sahihi Bukhar, vol. 3, Hadithi na 425,. Al-Lu’lu’war-Marjan, juzuu ya 1,Hadithi na 95 uk.51. The Noble Qur’an uk.757

    b)YESU KRISTO ATAKAPORUDI ATAWATUMA MALAIKA ZAKE KUWAKUSANYA WATAKATIFU 
    Luka 24:30-31 “ ndipo itakapoonekana ishara ya mwana wa Adamu mbinguni; ndipo mataifa yote ya ulimwengu watakapoomboleza, nao watamwona mwana wa Adamu akija juu ya mawingu ya mbinguni pamoja na nguvu na utukufu mwingi, naye atawatuma malaika zake pamoja na sauti kuu ya parapanda, nao watawakusanya wateule wake toka pepo nne toka mwisho huu wa mbingu mpaka mwisho huu.”


    ONYO LA YESU KRISTO WA NAZARETH
    Math 24:24 “ kwa maana watatokea makristo wa uongo, na manabii wa uongo nao watatoa ishara kubwa na maajabu; wapate kuwapoteza, kama yamkini hata walio wateule.” (Angalia pia Marko 13:22)

    Yoh 8:24 “ Kwa hiyo naliwambieni ya kwamba mtakufa katika dhambi zenu; kwa sababu msiposadiki ya kuwa mimi ndiye mtakufa katika dhambi zenu.”


    WEWE MTEULE JE UTADANGANYWA NA KUDANGANYIKA KUWA KWELI ISA A.S NDIYE YESU KRISTO? UKIAMINI HIVYO UTAKUWA UMEDANGANYIKA NA UTAKOSA WOKOVU WA MWENYEZI MUNGU!!!!!!!!!!


    YESU KRISTO, YEYE NI IMMANUEL, MSHAURI WA AJABU, MUNGU MWENYE NGUVU, BABA WA MILELE, MFALME WA AMANI!!!! (ISAYA 9:6, MATH 1:23)
    TOFAUTI KUMI NA SABA (17) KATI YA YESU WA WAKRISTO NA ISA WA WAISLAM. Mara kwa mara, unaweza kuwasikia Waislamu wakisema kuwa Isa a.s. kama anavyotajwa ndani ya Qur’an tukufu, ndiye Yesu Kristo wa Nazareti, kama anavyotajwa ndani ya Biblia Takatifu. Wanafanya hivyo kwa kulinganisha baadhi ya aya zilizomo ndani ya Biblia Takatifu, na zile zilizomo ndani ya Qur’an. Kwa mfano, wanasema kwa mujibu wa Biblia mama yake Yesu Kristo anaitwa Mariamu. Wanasoma katika Injili ya Marko 6:3-4“Huyu si yule seremala, mwana wa Mariamu, na ndugu yao Yakobo, na Yose na Yuda na Simoni? Na maumbu yake hawapo hapa petu? Wakajikwaa kwake” .  Wanafananisha aya hiyo na ile iliyomo ndani ya Qur’an katika Suratul Al-Maidah, 5:75 “ Masih bin Maryam si chochote ila ni mtume tu……”, Hoja nyingine wanayoitumia ni kusema kwamba eti jina Isa ni katika lugha ya Kiarabu. Jambo hilo siyo kweli. Kwa sababu katika lugha ya Kiarabu, Yesu anaitwa Yasu’a siyo Isa. Na ikumbukwe kuwa Biblia ndicho kitabu kilichotangulia kuwepo duniani miaka ipatayo 1500 kabla ya Qur’an.(Qur’an is a post Bible book). Hoja yetu kwa Waislamu ni hii nani aliyebadilisha jina Yasu’a kuwa Isa?. Jina Yasu’a linashabihiana zaidi na Jina Yehoshua ambalo hilo ni katika lugha ya Kiebrania, na katika Kiyunani lugha iliyotumika kuandika Agano Jipya anaitwa Iesous (tamka Yesu) tafsiri ya maneno hayo kwa lugha ya Kiswahili ni Mwokozi. Tunasoma hayo katika Math 1:21-23 “ Naye atazaa mwana, nawe utamwita jina lake Yesu, maana yeye ndiye atakaye waokoa watu wake na dhambi zao. Hayo yote yamekuwa ili litimie neno lililonenwa na Bwana kwa ujumbe wa Nabii akisema Tazama, bikira atachukua mimba, Naye atazaa mwana; Nao watamwita jina lake Imanueli; Yaani, Mungu pamoja nasi.” Hoja yetu Je Isa a.s naye ni Mwokozi na Imanueli kama alivyo Yesu Kristo?. Jambo jingine tunalopaswa kulizingatia tunapoangalia tofauti zao ni kuhusu mama zao. Mama yake Yesu Kristo ni Mariam anayetoka katika ukoo wa Yuda. Tunasoma hayo katika kitabu cha Mwanzo 49:10 “ Fimbo ya enzi haitaondoka katika Yuda, Wala mfanya sheria kati ya miguu yake,Hata atakapokuja Yeye, mwenye milki,Ambaye mataifa watamtii”. Unabii huu umetimia kwa Yesu Kristo.Tunasoma hayo katika Waebrania 7:14 “Maana ni dhahiri kwamba Bwana wetu alitoka katika Yuda, kabila ambayo Musa hakunena neno lolote juu yake katika mambo ya ukuhani” Lakini tusomapo habari za Isa, yeye mama yake anatoka ukoo wa Imrani. Ambaye ni baba yao Haruni, Miriamu na Musa. Tunayasoma hayo katika Suratul Al-Maryam 19:28 “Ewe dada yake Haruni. Baba yako hakuwa mtu mbaya. Wala mama yako hakuwa hasharati”. fafanuzi unaoifafanua aya hii ya 19:28 uliyomo ndani ya Qur’an, tafsiri ya King Fahd uk. 405, unasomeka hivi “ This Harun (Aaron) is not the brother of Musa (Moses), but he was another pious man at the time of Maryam (Mary)” Tafsiri “Huyu Harun siyo ndugu yake Musa, bali alikuwa ni mtu mwingine tu mcha Mungu, aliyeishi wakati wa kipindi cha Maryam” Kwa mujibu wa Biblia, Haruni ni mtoto wa mzee Amran na mama yao anaitwa Yekobedi na kwao wamezaliwa watoto watatu Haruni, Miriam na mdogo wao Musa. Tunasoma hayo katika kitabu cha Hesabu 26:59 “Na jina la mke wa Amramu aliitwa Yokebedi binti wa Lawi ,ambaye alizaliwa kwake Lawi huko Misri; na huyo Yokebedi akamzalia Amram Haruni,na Musa,na Miriamu umbu lao” Tofauti nyingine ni kuumbwa kwao: ISSA KAUMBWA. Qur’an Suratul Imran, 3:59 “ Bila shaka hali ya Isa kwa Mwenyezi Mungu ni kama hali ya Adam; alimwumba kwa udongo kisha akamwambia: “Kuwa”; basi akawa” Lakini tusomapo kumhusu YESU, YEYE HAKUUMBWA BALI NI NENO LA MUNGU. Yoh 1 : 1,14 “Hapo mwanzo kulikuwako Neno, naye Neno alikuwako kwa Mungu naye Neno alikuwa Mungu……..Naye Neno alifanyika mwili akakaa kwetu…….” Mika 5:2 “ Bali wewe, Bethlehem Efrata, uliye mdogo kuwa miongoni mwa elfu za Yuda; kutoka kwako wewe atanitokea mmoja atakayekuwa mtawala katika Israel; ambaye matokeo yake yamekuwa tangu zamani za kale, tangu milele” Yoh: 8:58 “ Yesu akawaambia, Amin, amin, nawaambia, Yeye Ibrahim asijakuwako, mimi niko”. Zaidi ya hayo Biblia inatujulisha kuwa yeye ndiye Muumbaji mwenyewe Yoh 1:3 “Vyote vilifanyika kwa huyo; wala pasipo yeye hakikufanyika chochote kilichofanyika” Kol 1:16-17 “ Kwa kuwa katika yeye vitu vyote viliumbwa, vilivyo mbinguni na vilivyo juu ya nchi, vinavyoonekana na visivyoonekana ; ikiwa ni vitu vya enzi, au usultani, au enzi, au mamlaka; vitu vyote viliumbwa kwa njia yake na kwa ajili yake” 2) (A) ISSA A.S : BAADA YA KUONDOKA KWAKE, (KAMA WAISLAMU WANAVYOAMINI), HAJAWAHI KUTOKEA KWA NAMNA YOYOTE ILE. (B) YESU KRISTO: BAADA YA KUONDOKA KWAKE ALIMTOKEA PAUL (SAUL). Mdo 9:4 “ Akaanguka chini, akasikia sauti ikimwambia, Saul, Saul, mbona waniudhi? Akasema, U nani wewe, Bwana? Naye akasema , Mimi ndimi Yesu unayeniudhi wewe” 3) (A) ISSA A.S: ALITABIRI KUJA KWA MUHAMMAD Quran Suratul As Saff , 61:6 “Na (wakumbushe) aliposema (Nabii) Isa bin Maryamu (kuwaambia mayahudi) enyi wana wa Israili! mimi ni mtume wa Mwenyezi Mungu kwenu. Nisadikishaye yaliyo kuwa kabla yangu katika Taurati. Na kutoa habari njema ya mtume atakayewajia nyuma yangu ambaye jina lake litakuwa Ahmad(Muhammad). Na maana ya majina mawili yote haya ni moja. Maana yake Mwenye kushukuriwa kwa maneno yake mazuri na vitendo vyake vizuri na kila chake kwani vyake vyote ni vizuri).Lakini alipowajia kwa hoja zilizowazi walisema: “ Huu ni udanganyifu uliyo dhahiri”. (B)YESU KRISTO ALIMTUMA ROHO MTAKATIFU KATIKA SIKU YA PENTEKOSTE. Yoh: 14:26 “.Lakini huyo Msaidizi,huyo Roho Mtakatifu,ambaye Baba atampeleka kwa jina langu,atawafundisha yote,na kuwakumbusha yote niliyowaambia”. Katka Kiyunani anaitwa “Paracletos” yaani msaidizi au mfariji Yoh 15:26 “ Lakini ajapo huyo Msaidizi, nitakayewapelekea kutoka kwa Baba, huyo Roho wa kweli atokaye kwa Baba, yeye atanishuhudia” Yoh 16:7 “Lakini mimi ninawaambia iliyo kweli; yawafaa nyinyi mimi niondoke,kwa maana mimi nisipoondoka huyo Msaidizi hatakuja kwenu; bali mimi nikienda zangu nitampeleka kwenu”. 4) (A) ISSA A.S : JINA LAKE HALINA NGUVU WALA UWEZO WA KUOKOA BALI NI RANGI MBILI Katika Al-Lu’lu’war-Marjani, Juzuu na1, Hadithi na104 uk. 64 “ Hadithi ya Ibn Abbas (r.a) kutoka kwa Mtume (s.a.w) amesema, “Nilimuona Musa (a.s) katika usiku wa Al-Isra, niliopelekwa,naye ni mtu mrefu, mwenye nywele za hudhurungi zimejikunjakunja kama mtu wa Shanua.Na nilimuona Isa (a.s), naye ni mtu wa wastani wa umbo, unaelekea kwenye wekundu na weupe, ana nywele zilizonyooka……” (B) YESU KRISTO: JINA LAKE NI WOKOVU.  Mdo 4:9-10,12 “ kama tukiulizwa leo habari ya jambo jema alilofanyiwa yule mtu dhaifu,jinsi alivyoponywa, jueni nyinyi nyote na watu wote wa Israel ya kuwa kwa jina la Yesu Kristo wa Nazareti, ambaye nyinyi mlimsulubisha, na Mungu alimfufua katika wafu kwa jina hilo mtu huyu anasimama ali mzima mbele yenu…………………….Wala hakuna wokovu katika mwingine awaye yote, kwa maana hapana jina jingine chini ya mbingu walilopewa wanadamu litupasalo sisi kuokolewa kwalo” Baadhi ya aya ndani ya Qur’an zinaeleza kuwa Isa a.s aliwaponya wenye upofu. Ni akina nani hao tutajiwe angalau mmoja? Yesu alimponya kipofu Batromayo. Aya zingine zinasema Isa a.s alifufua wafu. Ni akina nani hao? Yesu alimfufua Lazaro. Jina tulilopewa ni jina moja tu lenye wokovu la Yesu Kristo. Jina la Isa a.s lisilo na wokovu limehusishwaje na jina la Yesu Kristo wa Nazareth lenye wokovu? Mdo 16:31 “ Wakamwambia , Mwamini Bwana Yesu, nawe utaokoka wewe pamoja na nyumba yako.” 5) (A) ISSA.A.S : YEYE SIYO MWANA WA MUNGU.  Qur’ani Suratul Al An-Am,6:101 “Yeye ndiye Mwumba wa mbingu na ardhi. inamkinikanaje awe na mwana, hali hana mke. Naye ndiye aliye umba kila kitu (sio baadhi yake kavizaa). Naye ni mjuzi wa kila kitu”. Qurani Suratul At-Tawba (Kutubu), 9:30 “Na Mayahudi wanasema “Uzeri ni mwana wa Mwenyezi Mungu” na “Wakristo wanasema “Masihi ni Mwana wa Mwenyezi Mungu” Haya ndiyo wasemayo kwa vinywa vyao (pasi na kuyapima). Wanayaiga maneno ya wale waliokufuru kabla yao, Mwenyezi Mungu awaangamize. Wanageuzwa namna gani hawa! Fundisho la Uwana wa Mungu kama Biblia inavyofundisha, halimo katika mafundisho na itikadi ya dini ya Kiislamu kwa hiyo Isa a.s siyo mwana wa Mungu. (B) YESU KRISTO: YEYE NI MWANA WA MUNGU. Luka 1:30-31,35 “Malaika akamwambia usiogope Mariamu,kwa maana umepata neema kwa Mungu.Tazama utachukua mimba na kuzaa mtoto mwanamume; na jina lake utamwita Yesu. Malaika akajibu akamwambia,Roho Mtakatifu atakujilia juu yako,na nguvu zake Aliye juu zitakufunika kama kivuli;kwa sababu hiyo hicho kitakachozaliwa kitaitwa kitakatifu Mwana wa Mungu. Hivyo Isa siyo Mwana Mungu lakini Yesu ni mwana wa Mungu. Kwa hivyo Yesu siyo Isa. 6) (A) ISSA A.S: YEYE SIYO MUNGU ALIYEFANYIKA MWILI.  Suratul Al- Maidah,(meza), 5:72-73 Bila ya shaka wamekufuru wale waliosema, “ Mwenyezi Mungu ni Masih (issa)bin Maryam”.(Na hali ya kuwa)Masihi alisema “Enyi wana wa Israel! Mwabuduni Mwenyezi Mungu, Mola wenu. Kwani anayemshirikisha Mwenyezi Mungu, hakika Mwenyezi Mungu atamharimishia Pepo, na mahali pake (patakuwa) ni Motoni. Na madhalimu hawatakuwa na wasaidizi (wa kuwasaidia siku ya Kiama) “Kwa hakika wamekufuru wale waliosema mwenyenzi Mungu ni mmoja katika (wale waungu) watatu (yeye ndiye watatu wao ) hali hakuna mungu ila Mwenyezi Mungu mmoja ( tu peke yake) na kama hawataacha hayo wasemayo kwa yakini itawakamata wale wanaoendelea na ukafiri miongoni mwao adhabu iumizayo”. (B)YESU YEYE NI NENO LA MUNGU LILILOFANYIKA MWILI: Yoh 1 : 1,14 “Hapo mwanzo kulikuwako Neno, naye Neno alikuwako kwa Mungu naye Neno alikuwa Mungu……..Naye Neno alifanyika mwili akakaa kwetu…….” 7) (A) ISSA A.S YEYE HAJAWAHI KUSULUBIWA WALA KUUWAWA Qurani Suratul An-Nisaa (Wanawake) 4:157-158 “Na kwa (ajili ya )kusema kwao sisi tumemuua masihi Isa mwana wa Maryamu, mtume wa Mungu. Hali hawakumuua wala hawakumsulubu bali walibabaishiwa (mtu mwingine wakamdhani nabii Isa.) Na kwa hakika wale waliokhitalifiana katika (hakika)hiyo (ya kumuua nabii Isa) wamo katika shaka nalo (jambo hilo kusema kauwawa]. Wao (kabisa) hawana yakini juu ya (jambo)hili (la kuwa kweli wamemuua nabii isa) isipokuwa wanafuata dhana tu.Na kwa yakini hawakumuua. Bali mwenyenzi Mungu alimnyanyua kwake. Na mwenyenzi Mungu ni mwenye nguvu (na)mwenye hikima. (B)YESU KRISTO: YEYE ALISULUBIWA MSALABANI  Yohana 19:18,31,33 “Wakamsulibisha huko,na wengine wawili pamoja,mmoja huku na mmoja huku, na Yesu katikati.Basi Wayahudi, kwa sababu ni Maandalio, miili isikae juu ya misalaba siku ya sabato(maana sabato ile ilikuwa siku kubwa), walimwomba Pilato miguu yao ivunjwe,wakaondolewe. Lakini walipomjia Yesu na kuona ya kuwa amekwisha kufa,hawakumvunja miguu”. 8) (A) ISSA A.S HANA HADHI YA KUABUDIWA NA BINADAMU YEYOTE. Qur’an, Suratul Al-Maidah, 5:116 “ Na (kumbukeni) Mwnyezi Mungu atakaposema: “Ewe Isa bin Maryam! Je ,wewe uliwaambia watu: ‘Nifanyeni mimi na mama yangu kuwa waungu badala ya Mwenyezi Mungu’?” Aseme (Nabii Isa): “Wewe umetakasika na kuwa na mshirika, hainijuzii mimi kusema ambayo si haki yangu (kuyasema, kwa kuwa ni ya uongo), kama ningalisema bila shaka ungalijua ; unayajua yaliyomo nafsini mwangu, lakini mimi siyajui yaliyomo nafsini mwako; hakika Wewe ndiye ujuaye mambo ya ghaibu. B) YESU ANASTAHILI KUABUDIWA NA WANADAMU NA MALAIKA Math 2: 2 “yuko wapi yeye aliyezaliwa mfalme wa Wayahudi? kwa maana tuliiona nyota yake mashariki nasi tumekuja kumsujudia.” Yoh 9: 35 “ Yesu akasikia kwamba wamemtoa nje; naye alipomwona alisema, Wewe wamwamini Mwana wa Mungu? Naye akajibu akasema, Ni nani, Bwana, nipate kumwamini? Yesu akamwambia Umemwona, naye anayesema nawe ndiye. Akasema, naamini, Bwana, akamsujudia.” Filipi 2:10-11 “ili kwa Jina la Yesu kila goti lipigwe, la vitu vya mbinguni, na vya duniani, na vya chini ya nchi; na kila ulimi ukiri ya kuwa YESU KRISTO NI BWANA, kwa utukufu wa Mungu Baba.” Ebr 1:6 “ Hata tena amletapo mzaliwa wa kwanza ulimwenguni, asema, Na wamsujudu Malaika wote wa Mungu. 9) (A) ISA HASTAHILI KUWA MWOMBEZI WA WATU KWA MUNGU Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.6 ,Hadithi no 3, The Noble Qur’an, English Translation uk. 8 “…….Nenda kwa Musa, mtumishi wa Allah ambaye Allah alizungumza naye uso kwa uso na alimpa Torati. Hivyo watakwenda kwake naye atasema ‘ Mimi sistahili kwa jukumu hilo la uombezi, na atataja mauaji aliyoyafanya kwa mtu ambaye si muuaji, na hivyo atajisikia aibu mbele ya Mola wake, naye atasema nendeni kwa Isa, mtumishi wa Allah, Mjumbe wake neno lake na roho iliyotoka kwake. Isa atasema sistahili mimi kubeba jukumu la uombezi…….” B) YESU ANASTAHILI KUWA MWOMBEZI WA WANADAMU KWA MUNGU 1 Tim 2:5 “ Kwa sababu Mungu ni mmoja, na mpatanishi kati ya Mungu na wanadamu ni mmoja, Mwanadamu Kristo Yesu;” Ebr 7:24-25 “ bali yeye, kwa kuwa akaa milele, anao ukuhani wake usioondoka.Naye, kwa sababu hii , aweza kuwaokoa kabisa wao wamjiao Mungu kwa yeye; maana yu Hai siku zote ili awaombee. 10) (a) ISA NI NABII MWINGINE TU ASIYE TOFAUTI NA WENGINE Qur’an Suratul Baqarah, (ng’ombe)2:136 “ “Semeni nyinyi (Waislamu waambiwe Mayahudi na Manasara; waambieni): “Tumemwamini Mwenyezi Mungu na yale tuliyoteremshiwa, na yale yaliyoteremshwa kwa Ibrahimu na Ismail na Is-haqa na Yaaqubu na kizazi (chake Yaaqubu); na waliyopewa Musa na Isa na pia yale waliyopewa Manabii (wengine) kutoka kwa Mola wao; hatutofautishi baina ya yoyote katika hao. (Wote tunawaamini); na sisi tumenyenyekea Kwake.” b) YESU YEYE YU JUU KULIKO VITU VYOTE Efeso 1:20-23 “ aliotenda katika Kristo alipomfufua katika wafu, akamweka mkono wake wa kuume katika ulimwengu wa roho; juu sana kuliko ufalme wote, na malaika, na nguvu, na usultani, na kila jina litajwalo, wala si ulimwenguni humu tu, bali katika ule ujao pia; akavitia vitu vyote chini ya miguu yake akamweka awe kichwa juu ya vitu vyote kwa ajili ya Kanisa; ambalo ndilo mwili wake, ukamilifu wake anayekamilika kwa vyote katika vyote.” 11) (a) ISA ATAKAPORUDI, ATAOA NA KUZAA WATOTO Mishkat Al- Masabih, vol 2 uk.1159, Sahih Muslim, vol. 1 uk 92 “ Isa atakaporudi ataishi miaka arobaini (40), muda ambao atakuwa ameoa na kuzaa watoto, na atafanya ibada ya hija.” b) YESU ATAKAPORUDI ATAKUJA KULINYAKUA KANISA, YAANI BIBI ARUSI Efeso 5:25-26, 32-33 “ Enyi waume, wapendeni wake zenu, kama Kristo naye alivyolipenda Kanisa, Uf 19:7 “ Na tufurahi, tukashangilie, tukampe utukufu wake; kwa kuwa arusi ya Mwana Kondoo imekuja na mkewe amejiweka tayari.akajitoa kwa ajili yake, ili makusudi alitakase na kulisafisha kwa maji katika neno;…..Siri hiyo ni kubwa ila mimi nanena habari ya Kristo na Kanisa. Lakini kila mtu ampende mke wake kama nafsi yake mwenyewe; wala mke asikose kumstahi mmewe.” 12)(a) ISA ATAKUFA BAADA YA KUISHI MIAKA AROBAINI (40) Mishkat Al- Masabih, vol 2 uk. 1159,Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadithi 4310, Sahih Muslim, vol.1, uk.92 , “Isa atakaporudi ataondosha dini zote zisiwepo isipokuwa Uislamu. Atamharibu Masih Dajjal, na ataishi duniani miaka arobaini (40) na kisha atakufa. Na baada ya kufa atazikwa pembeni mwa kaburi la Muhammad.” B) YESU BAADA YA KUFUFUKA YU HAI SIKU ZOTE HAFI TENA Rum 6:9 “ tukijua ya kuwa Kristo akiisha kufufuka katika wafu hafi tena, wala mauti haimtawali tena.” Ebr 7:24-25 “ bali yeye, kwa kuwa akaa milele, anao ukuhani wake usioondoka.Naye, kwa sababu hii , aweza kuwaokoa kabisa wao wamjiao Mungu kwa yeye; maana yu Hai siku zote ili awaombee.” Uf 1:17-18 “ Nami nilipomwona nalianguka miguuni pake kama mtu aliyekufa. Akaweka mkono wake wa kuume juu yangu, akisema, Usiogope, mimi ni wa kwanza na wa mwisho, aliye hai; nami nalikuwa nimekufa, na tazama , ni hai hata milele na milele nami ninazo funguo za mauti na za kuzimu.” 13)(a) ISA ALIPOZALIWA SAUTI YA FARAJA ILITOKA CHINI YA ARDHI Qur’an Suratul Maryam,19:23-24 “ Kisha uchungu ukampeleka katika shina la mtende, (akawa anazaa na huku) anasema: “ Laiti ningekufa kabla ya haya, na ningekuwa niliyesahaulika kabisa.” Mara ikamfikia sauti kutoka chini yake (inamwambia): usihuzunike. Hakika Mola wako amejaalia (ameweka) kijito cha maji chini yako;” Mafundisho ya Kiislamu yanaeleza kuwa huko chini ya ardhi kuna mnyama. Na huyo mnyama anazijua aya za Qur’an. Qur’an katika Suratul Al-Naml, 27:82 “Na kauli (ya kuja kiyama) itakapowathibitikia Tutawatolea mnyama katika ardhi atakayewasemeza kwa sababu watu walikuwa hawaziyakinishi Aya Zetu” b) ALIPOZALIWA YESU SAUTI ZA MALAIKA ZILITOKA JUU Luka 2:13-16 “ Mara walikuwapo pamoja na huyo malaika, wingi wa jeshi la mbinguni, wakimsifu Mungu na kusema, Atukuzwe Mungu juu mbinguni na duniani iwe amani kwa watu aliowaridhia. Ikawa malaika hao walipoondoka kwenda zao mbinguni, wale wachungaji waliambiana, Haya na twendeni mpaka Bethlehemu, tukalione hilo lililofanyika alilotujulisha Bwana. Wakaenda kwa haraka wakamkuta Mariamu na Yusufu, na yule mtoto mchanga amelala horini” (14)(a) ISA HANA UFAHAMU WA MAMBO MBALIMBALI  katika Al-Lu’lu’ war- Marjan,kitabu cha 3 Hadithi na 1528 uk.883 “Hadithi ya Abu Huraira (r.a) kutoka kwa Mtume (s.a.w) amesema “Issa Ibn Mariam (a,s) alimwona mtu anaiba akamuuliza umeiba? akasema hapana ,Naapa kwa Allah ambaye hakuna mola isipokuwa yeye .Issa (a.s) akasema nimemuamini Allah na limeniongopea jicho langu”. b) YESU ANAYAJUA YOTE Yohana 1:47-48 “ Basi Yesu akamwona Nathanael anakuja kwake, akanena habari zake “Tazama Mwizraeli kweli kweli hamna hila ndani yake. Nathaeli akamwambia umepataje kunitambua? Yesu akajibu akamwambia, Kabla Filipo hajakuita ulipokuwapo chini ya mtini nilikuona” Yoh 2:24-25 “ Lakini Yesu hakujiaminisha kwao; kwa kuwa yeye aliwajua wote; na kwa sababu hakuwa na haja ya mtu kushuhudia habari za mwanadamu; kwa maana yeye mwenyewe aliyajua yaliyomo ndani ya mwanadamu” 15) (a) ISA A.S MAMA YAKE ALIKUTWA PEMBEZONI MWA MSIKITI ALIPOLETEWA HABARI ZA KUZALIWA KWAKE. Qur’an Suratul Maryam,19:16-17 “ Na mtaje Mariamu kitabuni humu. Alipojitenga na jamaa zake, (akenda) mahali upande wa mashariki (wa msikiti) na akaweka pazia kujikinga nao. Tukampelekea muhuisha Sharia Yetu (Jibrili)- akajimithilisha kwake (kwa sura ya) binadamu aliye kamili b) YESU KRISTO, MAMA YAKE ALIKUTWA NYUMBANI KWAO NAZARETI Luka 1:26-28 “Mwezi wa sita malaika Gabriel alitumwa na Mungu kwenda mpaka mji wa Galilaya, jina lake Nazareti. Kwa mwana mwali Bikira aliyekuwa ameposwa na mtu jina lake Yusufu wa mbari ya Daudi. Na jina lake Bikira huyo ni Mariamu. Akaingia nyumbani kwake akasema, salamu uliyepewa neema Bwana yu pamoja nawe.” 16)(a) MIMBA YA ISA ILIKUWA NI YA SIKU MOJA Qur’an Suratul Maryam,19:21-22 “ (Malaika) akasema: “ Nikama hivyo (unavyosema; lakini) Mola wako amesema ‘Haya ni sahali Kwangu, na ili Tumfanye muujiza kwa wanaasamu na rehema itokayo Kwetu (ndiyo Tumefanya hivi);’ Na hili ni jambo lililokwisha kuhukumiwa.” Basi akachukua mimba yake, na akaondoka nayo mpaka mahali pa mbali” b) MIMBA YA YESU SIKU ZILITIMIA. Luka 2:6-7 “ ikawa, katika kukaa huko, siku zake za kuzaa zikatimia, akamzaa mwanawe, kifungua mimba, akamvika nguo za kitoto, akamlaza katika hori ya kulia ng’ombe kwa sababu hawakupata nafasi katika nyumba ya wageni” NB: Mwezi wa sita uliotajwa katika Luka 1:26 ni mwezi wenye kuelezea umri wa mimba ya Yohana ndani ya tumbo la Elizabethi. Luka 1: 36 “ Tena tazama jamaa yako Elizabeti naye amechukua mimba ya mtoto mwanamume katika uzee wake; na mwezi huu ni wa sita kwake yeye aliyeitwa tasa” NB: Hori iliyotajwa hapa,ina maana ya chombo cha kulishia wanyama kinachokuwa ndani ya zizi. Kwa Kiyunani (Kigiriki) ambayo ndiyo lugha iliyotumika kuandikia Agano Jipya ,chombo hicho kinaitwa “Fatne” kwa Kiingereza kinaitwa “a manger” 17)ISA (A.S) ATAKAPORUDI ATAKUJA KUVUNJA MISALABA NA KUUA NGURUWE Mkweli Mwaminifu, Juzuu 3-4, uk.20, Hadithi na. 753 “ Haisimami saa ya (kiyama) mpaka akuteremkieni nabii Isa (a.s) mwana wa Maryamu atahukumu (kwa sheria ya Kiislamu) (na) muadilifu, basi atavunja misalaba (ya Wakristo Makanisani) na ataua nguruwe, na ataondosha fedheha au (aibu), na mali itazidi kuwa nyingi sana mpaka hataikubali (ataikataa) mtu (kwa kuogopa kiyama)” .Soma pia katika Sahihi Bukhar, vol. 3, Hadithi na 425,. Al-Lu’lu’war-Marjan, juzuu ya 1,Hadithi na 95 uk.51. The Noble Qur’an uk.757 b)YESU KRISTO ATAKAPORUDI ATAWATUMA MALAIKA ZAKE KUWAKUSANYA WATAKATIFU  Luka 24:30-31 “ ndipo itakapoonekana ishara ya mwana wa Adamu mbinguni; ndipo mataifa yote ya ulimwengu watakapoomboleza, nao watamwona mwana wa Adamu akija juu ya mawingu ya mbinguni pamoja na nguvu na utukufu mwingi, naye atawatuma malaika zake pamoja na sauti kuu ya parapanda, nao watawakusanya wateule wake toka pepo nne toka mwisho huu wa mbingu mpaka mwisho huu.” ONYO LA YESU KRISTO WA NAZARETH Math 24:24 “ kwa maana watatokea makristo wa uongo, na manabii wa uongo nao watatoa ishara kubwa na maajabu; wapate kuwapoteza, kama yamkini hata walio wateule.” (Angalia pia Marko 13:22) Yoh 8:24 “ Kwa hiyo naliwambieni ya kwamba mtakufa katika dhambi zenu; kwa sababu msiposadiki ya kuwa mimi ndiye mtakufa katika dhambi zenu.” WEWE MTEULE JE UTADANGANYWA NA KUDANGANYIKA KUWA KWELI ISA A.S NDIYE YESU KRISTO? UKIAMINI HIVYO UTAKUWA UMEDANGANYIKA NA UTAKOSA WOKOVU WA MWENYEZI MUNGU!!!!!!!!!! YESU KRISTO, YEYE NI IMMANUEL, MSHAURI WA AJABU, MUNGU MWENYE NGUVU, BABA WA MILELE, MFALME WA AMANI!!!! (ISAYA 9:6, MATH 1:23)
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  • Verses 1:1 – 2:3: This description of God creating heaven and earth is understood to be: (1) recent, i.e., thousands not millions of years ago; (2) ex nihilo, i.e., out of nothing; and (3) special, i.e., in 6 consecutive 24 hour periods called “days” and further distinguished as such by this phrase, “the evening and the morning.”

     “In the beginning”: While God exists eternally (Psalm 90:2); this marked the beginning of the universe in time and space. In explaining Israel’s identity and purpose to her on the plains of Moab, God wanted His people to know about the origin of the world in which they found themselves.

    “God”: Elohim is a general term for deity and a name for the True God, though used also at times for pagan gods (31:30), angels (Psalm 8:5), men (Psalm 82:6), and judges (Exodus 21:6). Moses made no attempt to defend the existence of God, which is assumed, or explain what He was like in person and works which is treated elsewhere (Isa. 43:10, 13). Both are to be believed by faith (Heb. 11:3, 6).

    “Created”: This word is used here of God’s creative activity alone, although it occasionally is used elsewhere of matter which already existed (Isa. 65:18). Context demands in no uncertain terms that this was a creation without preexisting material (as does other Scripture: Isa. 40:28; 45:8, 12, 18; 48:13; Jer. 10:16; Acts 17:24).

    “The heavens and the earth”: All of God’s creation is incorporated into this summary statement which includes all 6, consecutive days of creation.

    Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

    “In the beginning”: Creation marks the absolute beginning of the temporal and material world. The traditional Jewish and Christian belief is that Geneses 1:1 declares that God created the original heaven and earth from nothing (Lat. “ex nihilo”) and that verse 2 clarifies that when it came from the Creator’s hand, the mass was “without form, and void,” unformed and without any life. The rest of the chapter then explains the process of Creation in detail.

    There is no evidence in the Hebrew text for long ages of evolutionary development or a gap of time between verse 1 and verse 2.

    “God”: (Hebrew Elohim): This form of the divine name occurs 2,570 times in the Old Testament. The plural ending “im” indicates a plural of majesty and takes a singular verb.

    “Created”: (Hebrew bara): Meaning to create, shape or form. This verb is used exclusively with God as its subject. It refers to the instantaneous and miraculous act of God by which He brought the universe into existence. Thus, the Genesis account of Creation refutes atheism, pantheism, polytheism, and evolution.

    This leaves no doubt that God is an eternal being. It also leaves no doubt that God himself created the earth. God, mentioned in Genesis 1:1 is actually Elohim (a plural word). Another Meaning of Elohim is, the highest being to be feared, Elohim indicates more than one involved in the act of creation. “Elohim”, (high and mighty).

    This high and mighty Eternal One is actually God the Father, God the Word, and God the Holy Spirit. All who is in fact God, a singular verb is used often with the plural word Elohim indicating that there not only is a trinity of beings, but they are one in Spirit.

    The three words used in the creation are different, but all translated created (Bara, Yatzar, and Asah). Bara means to create from nothing and is used in Genesis 1:1.

    Genesis 1:2 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

    “Without form, and void”: This means “not finished in its shape and as yet uninhabited by creatures” (Isa. 45:18-19; Jer. 4:23). God would quickly (in 6 days) decorate His initial creation (1:2 – 2:3).

    (Hebrew, Tohu wabohu, “unformed and unfilled”) describes the condition of earth after the initial act of Creation. It does not describe a chaotic condition as a result of judgment. Thus was (Hebrew “hayetah”) is correct and should not be translated “became”. How the earth became formed and filled is described (in verses 3-31).

    “Darkness” is not always a symbol of evil (Psalm 104:19-24. Here it simply refers to the absence of light.

    “Deep” refers to the waters covering the earth, not some primitive evolution. Sometimes referred to as existing waters, this is the term used to describe the earth’s water-covered surface before the dry land emerged (1:9-10). Jonah used this word to describe the watery abyss in which he found himself submerged (Jonah 2:5).

    “The Spirit of God” Not only did God the Holy Spirit participate in creation, but so did God the Son (1 John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). Here is a clear reference to the creative activity of the Holy Spirit.

    John 1:3 indicates that Christ actually created all things for the Father. Thus, all three persons of the Trinity are active in the Creation. This undoubtedly accounts for the plural pronouns “us” and “our” (in verse 26), which take singular verbs in expressing the tri-unity of God.

    The first emblem of the Holy Spirit in Scripture is that of the Spirit “moving” or literally “brooding” over the waters, much as a bird broods over her eggs to hatch them. The Scriptures assign to the Holy Spirit the works of creating the world (Psalm 33:6), of brooding over the waters (verse 2), of garnishing the heavens (Job 26:13), of renewing the earth (Psalm 104:30), and of sustaining life (Psalm 104:29).

    “The heavens and the earth”: All of God’s creation is incorporated into this summary statement which includes all 6, consecutive days of creation.

    The Holy Spirit’s work in Creation results in order (Isa. 40:12, 14; Gen. 1:2); life (Job 33:4); beauty (Job 26:13); and renewal (Psalm 104:30).

    The work of the Holy Spirit in Creation is one of the biblical proofs of His deity. The Scriptures also describe the physical body of the Christian as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and suggest He is in the process of recreating us into Christ’s image (Phil. 1:6; Gen. 1:2; Luke 4:18).

    Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

    “And God said”: God effortlessly spoke light into existence (Psalm 33:6; 148:5). This dispelled the darkness of verse 2.

    This is the first of a highly-structured series of succinct and formulaic sentences expressing the creative commands of God. Thus, Creation is accomplished by His word. Each command consists of:

    (1) An announcement, “God said”;

    (2) A creative command, “Let there be”;

    (3) A summary word of accomplishment, “And it was so”;

    (4) A descriptive word of accomplishment, “The earth brought forth”;

    (5) A descriptive blessing, “God blessed”;

    (6) An evaluative approval, “It was good”; and

    (7) A concluding temporal framework, numbering each day.

    “Light”: The greater and lesser lights (the sun and moon) were created later (1:14-19), on the fourth day. Here, God was the provider of light (2 Cor. 4:6), and will in eternity future be the source of light (Rev. 21:23).

    “Verses 1:4-5 “Divided … called”: After the initial creation, God continued to complete His universe. Once God separated certain things, He then named them. Separating and naming were acts of dominion and served as a pattern for man, who would also name a portion of God’s creation over which God gave him dominion (2:19-20).

    Genesis 1:4 “And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

    “Good”: Good for the purposes it was intended to serve (1:31). The word contains less an aesthetic judgment than a designation of purpose and correspondence to God’s will, indicating the moral goodness of the Creation.

    “Light”: Not the sun which was created on the fourth day (verse 16), but some fixed light source outside of the earth. The earth passed through a day-and-night cycle in reference to this light.

    Genesis 1:5 “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

    “God called”: This act demonstrates His sovereign dominion over His creation. In the Semitic world, the naming of something or someone was the token of lordship. Reuben changed the names of the cities of the Amorites after he had conquered them (Num. 32:38). Likewise, Pharaoh Necho changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim after he defeated the Judean king (2 Kings 23:34).

    “First day”: God established the pattern of creation in 7 days which constituted a completed week. “Day” can refer to: (1) the light portion of a 24-hour period (1:5, 14); (2) an extended period of time (2:4); or (3) the 24 hour period which basically refers to a full rotation of the earth on its axis, called evening and morning.

    This cannot mean an age, but only a day, reckoned by the Jews from sunset to sunset (verses 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). “Day” with numerical adjectives in Hebrew always refers to a 24-hour period.

    Comparing the order of the week in Exodus 20:8-11 with the creation week; confirms this understanding of the time element. Such cycle of light and dark means that the earth was rotating on its axis so that there was a source of light on one side of the earth, though the sun was not yet created (verse 16).

    “Day” (Hebrew yom): Apart from the use of the word day in verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31, where it describes the days of Creation, it is used in at least four ways in the first two chapters of Genesis:

    (1) The 12-hour period of daylight as opposed to night (verses 14, 16, and 18);

    (2) A solar day of 24 hours (verse 14);

    (3) The period of light that began with the creation of light on the first day (verse 5); and

    (4) The entire, six-day creative period (2:4).

    Everywhere in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew bible), the word “day” when used (as here) with a definite article or numerical adjective means a solar day or a normally calibrated, 24-hour day. Thus, the biblical account of Creation clearly indicates that God created the world in six literal days (Exodus 20:11).

    In verse one, the only indication we have when heaven and earth were created is that it happened in the beginning. We must dwell on Genesis because a true and firm revelation of faith and God’s grace begins right here at the beginning.

    God’s grace in that he wanted fellowship with mankind so much that He would go to the trouble to create the world and everything in it for man’s use. Then the faith comes in on our part. We must believe that God’s Words are true and that the world was created by Elohim God.

    Thus, brings the end of the first day.




    Genesis 1:6 “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

    Firmament or expanse is the portion of God’s creation named “heavens,” that which man saw when he looked up, i.e., the atmospheric and stellar heaven.

    “Firmament” is an “expanse” between the waters suspended by God in vapor form over the earth. Most likely, approximately half of the waters upon the earth were supernaturally elevated above the atmosphere, perhaps in the form of an invisible vapor canopy.

    This would have trapped the earth’s heat with a “greenhouse effect” and would have provided a uniformly tropical climate everywhere, until it collapsed upon the earth during the universal rainfall at the time of the great Flood (7:11). This might explain the longer life described in Genesis 5, in addition to providing a water source for the Flood of chapters 6 to 9.

    I do not believe that God expects us to scientifically figure out how this all came about. He just expects us to have faith that He did it.

    Genesis 1:7 “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.”

    “Firmament … under the firmament”: This refers to subterranean reservoirs (7:11).

    “Above the firmament”: This could possibly have been a canopy of water vapor which acted to make the earth like a hothouse, provided uniform temperature, inhibited mass air movements, caused mist to fall, and filtered out ultraviolet rays, thus extending life.

    Genesis 1:8 “And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”

    “And God called the firmament heaven”: Including the starry and airy heavens: it has its name from its height in the Arabic language, it being above the earth, and reaching to the third heaven; though others take the word “shamaim” to be a compound of two words, “sham” and “maim”, that is, there are waters, namely, in the clouds of heaven.

    At the end of the second day there is no phrase “and God saw that it was good” (verse 10). Anything we might say about this would be just supposition.

    Thus, here was the second day.

    Verses 9-10 “Dry land”: This was caused by a tremendous, cataclysmic upheaval of the earth’s surface, and the rising and sinking of the land, which caused the waters to plunge into the low places, forming the seas, the continents, islands, rivers and lakes (Job 38:4-11; Psalm 104:6-9).

    Genesis 1:9 “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.”

    Verse 9 – Day three. The distribution of land and water and the production of vegetation on this day engaged the formative energy of the word of Elohim. And God said, Let the waters under heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.

    To explain the second part of this phenomenon as a consequence of the first, the disclosure of the solid ground by the retirement of the waters from its surface, and not rather vice versa, is to reverse the ordinary processes of nature.

    Modern analogy suggests that the breaking up of the hitherto universal ocean into seas, lakes, and rivers was effected by the upheaval of the land through the action of subterranean fires, or the subsidence of the earth’s crust in consequence of the cooling and shrinking of the interior mass.

    Psalm 104 hints at electric agency in connection with the elevation of the mountains and the sinking of the ocean beds (comments added by author).

    Psalm 104:7-8 “At thy rebuke they (the waters) fled: at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away (were scattered). They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them”.

    The gathering of the waters into one place implies no more than that they were, from this day forward, to be collected into one vast body, and restrained within bounds in a place by themselves, so as to admit of the exposure of the earth’s soil.

    The “place founded for them” was, of course, the depths and hollows in the earth’s crust, into which they were immediately withdrawn, not through direct supernatural agency, but by their own natural gravitation. The configuration of the dry land is not described; but there is reason to believe that the original distribution of land and water was the same, or nearly the same, as it is at present.

    Genesis 1:10 “And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.”

    “And God called the dry land earth”: The whole chaos that was a muddy fluid, a mixture of earth and water, a rude unformed mass of matter. But now that part consisting of, or formed of, land and was separated from the waters, and they from it, is called “earth”:

    Which has its name in the Arabic language from its being low and depressed; the lighter parts having been elevated, and moved upwards, and formed the atmosphere; the grosser parts subsiding and falling downwards, made the earth, which is low with respect to the firmament, which has its name in the same language from its height, as before observed.

    “And the gathering together of the waters called he seas”: for though there was but one place into which they were collected, and which is the main ocean, with which all other waters have a communication, and so are one; yet there are different seas, as the Red sea, the Mediterranean, Caspian, Baltic, etc.

    Or which are denominated from the shores they wash, as the German, British, etc., and even lakes and pools of water are called seas, as the sea of Galilee and Tiberias, which was no other than the lake of Gennesaret.

    “And God saw that it was good”: That these two should be separate, that the waters should be in one place, and the dry land appear, and both have the names he gave them. And this is here mentioned, because now the affair of the waters, the division and separation of them, were brought to an end, and to perfection.

    Verses 11-12: “After his kind”: God set in motion a providential process whereby the vegetable kingdom could reproduce through seeds which would maintain each one’s unique characteristics.

    The same phrase is used to describe the perpetuating reproduction of animals within their created species (verses 21, 24-25), and indicates that evolution, which proposes reproduction across species lines, is a false explanation of origins.

    Genesis 1:11 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”

    “Whose seed is in itself”: The principle of reproduction that marks all life (verses 22, 24, 28).

    Contrary to the modern evolutionists (who insist that all plants and animals developed over hundreds of millions of years from a single speck of life in the ocean) and theistic evolutionists (who claim the Bible allows for such processes by the use of such phrases as “Let the earth bring forth)”.

    Genesis not only dates the creation of marine life (verse 20), as being after the creation of plants and fruit trees, but also reveals that fruit trees were created already bearing fruit “whose seed is in itself.”

    God produced a functioning and mature Creation. Plants were created full-grown, as mature and adult organisms, with a superficial appearance of age. Similarly, Adam and Eve were created as adults. The phrase “after his’ [or their] “kind” is repeated 10 times in this chapter, and demands that adults of each “kind” would have to be created supernaturally to begin the life cycle.

    Moses uses the word “kind” 30 out of the 31 times it appears in the Old Testament. The word may not require the separate creation of each species by God, but it does require at least the separate creation of families within orders.

    You see God not only created the first plant life, grass, fruit, trees etc., but He also provided the way for it to perpetuate itself. Plant life could not exist without the light acting on the chlorophyll in the plant leaves and causing it to grow.

    Notice, the first three words “And God said”, and the last four words say it all “and it was so”.

    Genesis 1:12 “And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.

    “And the earth brought forth grass”: In great abundance at once; the hills and vales were clothed with it, and so a rich provision was made the beasts and cattle of the earth a few days before they were created:

    And herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself after his kind”: wholesome and healthful herbs and plants, and delicious fruit to be meat and food for man, ready prepared for him when created (see Gen. 1:29); on this day, though after related, were made the garden of Eden, and all the trees in it, pleasant for sight, and good for food.

    Particularly the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil,

    “And God saw that it was good”: Which he had now caused to spring forth, grass, herbs, and fruit trees, which were good for men and beast, and this he foresaw would be so.

    Genesis 1:13 “And the evening and the morning were the third day.”

    And here was the third day.

    Genesis 1:14 “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:”

    “Lights”: Verse 16. For 3 days, there had been light (verse 4), in the day as though there was a sun, and lesser light at night as though there were the moon and stars. God could have left it that way, but did not.

    He created the “lights, sun, moon, and stars,” not for light, but to serve as markers for signs, seasons, days, and years.

    “Signs”: Certainly to include:

    (1) Weather (Matt. 16:2-3);

    (2) Testimony to God (Psalms 8, 19; Rom. 1:14-20);

    (3) Divine judgment (Joel 2:30-31; Matt. 24:29);

    (4) Navigation (Matt. 2:1-2).

    “Seasons”: It is the earth’s movement in relation to the sun and moon that determines the seasons and the calendar.

    The Scripture says they were also to be for telling the seasons, and the days, and the years. In the Jewish calendar a month occurs at every new moon.

    “Verses 15-18”: “Two great lights … to divide the light from the darkness”: It was God (not some other deity) who created the lights. Israel had originally come from Mesopotamia, where the celestial bodies were worshiped, and more recently from Egypt, where the sun was worshiped as a primary deity.

    God was revealing to them that the very stars, moons, and planets which Israel’s neighbors had worshiped were the products of His creation. Later, they became worshipers of the “host of heaven”, which led to their being taken captive out of the Promised Land.

    Genesis 1:15 “And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.”

    “Lights in the firmament … give light upon the earth”: To continue there as luminous bodies; as enlighteners, as the word signifies. Causing light, or as being the instruments of conveying it, particularly to the earth, as follows: “to give light upon the earth”; and the inhabitants of it, when formed: “and it was so”.

    These lights were formed and placed in the firmament of the heaven for such uses, and served such purposes as God willed and ordered they should.

    Genesis 1:16 “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.”

    “And God made two great lights” refers to the sun and moon. They did not appear (a different verb and stem), as the dry land did in verse 9, but were actually made (`asah, synonymous with bara’), at this time. God makes it clear that He, not the sun, is the earth’s Creator, and that God is not dependent upon the sun either for the earth’s material substance or for the sustaining of life.

    From the standpoint of astronomy, the sun and the moon are obviously not “the two great lights” of the universe. This is the language of appearance, as seen from man’s viewpoint. Genesis is written in geocentric (rather than heliocentric), terms.

    “Signs” in verse 14 might refer to unusual sights in the heavens, such as eclipses of the sun, rather than suggest that God designed the celestial bodies to determine the destinies of individual men as modern astrologers proclaim (2 Kings 23:12; Jer. 19:13; Zeph. 1:5), where God condemns such practice.

    Genesis 1:17 “And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,”

    In the fourth day’s work, the creation of the sun, moon, and stars is accounted for. All these are the works of God. The stars are spoken of as they appear to our eyes, without telling their number, nature, place, size, or motions; for the Scriptures were written, not to gratify curiosity, or make us astronomers, but to lead us to God, and make us saints.

    The lights of heaven are made to serve him; they do it faithfully, and shine in their season without fail. We are set as lights in this world to serve God; but do we in like manner answer the end of our creation? We do not: our light does not shine before God, as his lights shine before us. We burn our Master’s candles, but do not mind our Master’s work.

    Genesis 1:18 “And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.”

    And God set (literally, gave), them (i.e. sun, moon, and stars), in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and even the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. An intimation that on this day the astronomical arrangements for the illumination of the globe and the measurement of time were permanently settled. And God saw that it was good.

    Genesis 1:19 “And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

    This was the conclusion of the creation of the sun and moon as fixtures that we might see the light in, thus ending the 4th day.




    Genesis 1:20 “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”

    “Moving creature”: These creatures, including the extraordinarily large ones, included all sorts of fish and mammals, even dinosaurs (see notes on Job 40:15 – 41:1).

    “Let the waters bring forth”: is better translated and understood as, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures,” so as not to misleadingly suggest that the waters themselves produced marine life. This text also implies that aquatic life and fowl appeared simultaneously, denying the evolutionary sequence of reptiles before birds.

    God had now provided the habitation for the fish and the atmosphere and dry land for the fowl, so the logical step would be to populate the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and all bodies of waters with fish and all sea life. The dry land had appeared and God had populated the air above and the ground below with fowl.

    You see, God was doing all of this in preparation for his greatest creation (man). He needed to prepare food for the man before the creation of man. This whole creative act was God building a home for mankind.

    We are told in John chapter 14 that Jesus is in heaven now preparing our eternal home.

    John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.”

    You see God’s plan from the beginning was to build man a home.

    Genesis 1:21 “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.”

    “Great whales” is not the best translation; better is the term “great sea creatures” to include the great fish as well as whale. Taninim is used elsewhere to describe the serpent (Exodus 7:9-10, 12), and the dragon (Psalm 148:7: Isa. 51:9; Ezek. 29:3). There is no evidence whatever, either from paleontology or genetics that whales or great sea monsters could have developed from land animals.

    The theory of evolution claims that the first animals in the oceans were microscopic, single celled creatures, and that whales (sea cows), had to evolve from four-legged land mammals, which in turn evolved from cold-blooded marine creatures. Thus, they would have devolved!

    Just the vastness of the thousands of varieties of fish and birds of all kinds is mind boggling. To think that God in a moment of time (no matter how long), could figure out, all the varieties, and have each one have a useful job to do in God’s scheme of things is just beyond comprehension.

    God is not only love, but the greatest planner. You see, He figured out the needs of each one and fulfilled it here on day five.

    Genesis 1:22 “And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.”

    “Blessed”: this is the first occurrence of the word “bless” in Scripture. God’s admonition to “be fruitful and multiply” was the substance of the blessing.

    Genesis 1:23 “And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”

    Here is the end of the fifth day.

    Verses 24-25: “Cattle … beasts”: This probably represents all kinds of large, four-legged animals.

    Genesis 1:24 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”

    “Beast of the earth”: Different from and larger than the clan of cattle, this would include dinosaurs like Behemoth (Job 40:15).

    “Living creature” is the same Hebrew expression used for man in 2:7, translated “living soul.”

    Genesis 1:25 “And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.”

    The Creator’s wisdom and power are to be admired as much in an ant as in an elephant. The power of God’s providence preserves all things, and fruitfulness is the effect of his blessing.

    The creation of the higher animals completed the earth’s preparation for the advent of man; to which, doubtless, the Creator’s commendation of his finished work had a special reference. Everything was in readiness for the “magnum opus” (the most important work), which was to close his creative labor and crown his completed cosmos.

    This most clearly shows and proves that the above creatures were not produced by the mere force of nature, or the powers the earth were possessed of, however the matter of it might be disposed and prepared, but by the omnipotent hand of God.

    You see, as I said before, God was preparing this planet for His greatest creation, mankind. All through these Scriptures, please take note that God said, “everything after its own kind”.

    Verse 26 is the reason all the things were created. Notice the plurality of the Creator as well.

    Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

    In contrast to animals in verses 20 and 24 where God said, “Let the waters bring forth” and “Let the earth bring forth,” He now says, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” All others reproduce after their kind,” but man is the only one made in the image of God and reproducing in that image (5:3).

    The terms “image” and “likeness” are used synonymously, and refer primarily to man’s spiritual resemblance (rationally and morally) to his Maker. God placed a chasm between man and the beast, for only man has the capacity for eternal life, fellowship, moral discernment, self-consciousness, speech, and worship.

    “Us … our”: The first clear indication of the triunity of God (3:22; 11:7). The very name of God, Elohim (1:1), is a plural form of El.

    “Man”: The crowning point of creation, a living human, was made in God’s image to rule creation. Even after the Fall, man retains this image of God (9:6; James 3:9), though it has been marred. The plural pronoun “us” is most likely a majestic plural from the standpoint of Hebrew grammar and syntax.

    “Our image”: This defined man’s unique relation to God. Man is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes (9:6; Rom. 8:29; Col. 3:10; James 3:9). In his rational life, he was like God in that he could reason and had intellect, will, and emotion. In the moral sense, he was like God because he was good and sinless.

    “Image and likeness of God”: Man was created in both the image and likeness of God. An image is a representation or replica of one person or thing by another. An image may be similar but not necessarily identical to its original. The term “likeness” is used as a gauge of comparison, or analogy. When man fell, he retained an impaired image of God (9:6).

    Regaining a likeness of God is one of the accomplishments of salvation. Our spiritual likeness is restored in justification. Our character likeness is being continuously developed in the process of sanctification. We will be like Christ physically when we are glorified. God’s purpose in our lives today is to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; Gen. 1:26-27; Heb. 4:12).

    Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

    “Man” is used in a generic sense which is amplified by the phrase “male and female” even though Eve’s physical formation is not detailed until 2:18-24.

    These words are not the usual Hebrew words for “man” (ish). and “woman” (ishah). The words used here specifically distinguish the sexes, male and female. Sexes are only implied with regard to animals, but not here. The reason is that a completely unique relationship was to develop, namely, holy marriage (2:22-24).

    Man was created by God on the sixth day of Creation and is the grand climax of all that God had accomplished in the Creation week of miracles. The final act of Creation was that God joined the material and immaterial parts of man. Man’s body was shaped from the dust, but then became a living soul only after God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils (2:7).

    Our formation; by natural birth is no less noteworthy than Adam’s formation from the dust. With David, we need to say, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14; also Genesis 2:7).

    The image and likeness of God is SPIRIT. God is SPIRIT. We are a spirit. We are housed in a body and possess a soul. If God is Spirit as the Word says He is, then the image and likeness of us, are spirit as well. As we read in verse 27, both man and woman are spirit.

    We will find as we continue this study that woman is just as responsible for the care and nurture of her spirit as man is. This is directly opposite of what some religions teach today. We are individual spirits, but our flesh is one with our spouse.

    Between verses 25 and 26 there is a separation. If you will notice after verse 25, God closed that creation with His statement, “And God said that it was good”. Man has a preeminence that no other creation has. Mankind, male and female, are made in the image of God. God created all the rest for mankind to rule over.

    Man, unlike all of the other creations, was created with a mind and will. Even to the point that God allows man’s will to choose God or Satan. Man alone was created with power to make decisions. Man alone was made to commune or fellowship with God.

    God is Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. He made man ruler of the earth.

    Because of man’s fallen state from his magnificent beginning (image of God), God the word, Jesus, took on a body and redeemed mankind and restored them to their original state of standing with God. The Bible says that when we get to heaven, we will recognize Jesus because we will be like Him.

    We will be restored to the image and likeness of God. We will not be God. We will be a shadow or image of the real thing. Our spirit will be in accord with His Spirit. We will be His servants or subordinates.

    You see God gave mankind dominion over this earth. Mankind, through an act of his will, turned this dominion over to Satan, as we will see in a later lesson.

    You know our whole country is under a president, and then smaller areas or states are under dominion of a governor, and then even smaller areas under a mayor. However, the mayor is under the governor on important matters; and all are under the president on the most important matters.

    You see, God is over all. We are His subordinates. Even though we shall rule and reign with Him, we will not be His equal.

    Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

    “Dominion over”: This defined man’s unique relation to creation. Man was God’s representative in ruling over the creation. The command to rule separated him from the rest of living creation and defined his relationship as above the rest of creation (Psalm 8:6-8).

    Dominion is not the content by the consequence of the divine image (1 Cor. 6:3; 15:27-28; Heb. 2:7-10); James 3:7-8).

    “And God blessed them:” To “bless” is not only to bestow a gift, but also to assign a function.

    “Replenish” is better translated “fill the earth,” indicating the first time. It cannot be used in support of the refashioning of an already judged earth, for it always means to fill something the first time.

     “Blessed”: This second blessing (1:22), involved reproduction and dominion.

    “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth”: God, having just created the universe, created His representative (rule over) and representation (image and likeness). Man would fill the earth and oversee its operation. “Subdue” does not suggest a wild and unruly condition for the creation because God Himself pronounced it “good.”

    Rather, it speaks of a productive ordering of the earth and its inhabitants to yield its riches and accomplish God’s purposes.

    In this verse, we see that mankind did not have to take dominion. The dominion was given to him by God.

    So many people associate sex of any kind (even the marriage bed), as the sin that caused the fall of man. This verse above proves this is not so. Mankind was commanded of God to be fruitful and multiply long before the sin in the Garden of Eden. The sin in the garden was disobedience to God.

    Verses 29-30: “I have given … for meat”: Prior to the curse (3:14-19), both mankind and beasts were vegetarians.

    Genesis 1:29 “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

    “Meat” meant “food” in the early seventeenth century, when the KJV was translated. No actual animal flesh was condoned until after the Flood in Genesis 9:3.

    God provided the means for mankind’s needs from the very beginning. Everything that God created here on the earth was directly or indirectly for the use of man. Even the food for the animals would ultimately be of use to man as we read in verse 30.

    Genesis 1:30 “And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.”

    “God saw” is an expression in anthropomorphic terms (human characteristics or behavior), relating His evaluation of His Creation (6:5; 11:5). Now at the end of His Creation work, He says “it was very good,” “exceedingly good” and not simply “good” as before in the chapter.

    Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

    There are several things the spirit must understand in the Scripture above. The number six means man. The verse reiterates again that God made all of it, and that everything was good. It also establishes the six days of work that we will see all through the Bible.
    Verses 1:1 – 2:3: This description of God creating heaven and earth is understood to be: (1) recent, i.e., thousands not millions of years ago; (2) ex nihilo, i.e., out of nothing; and (3) special, i.e., in 6 consecutive 24 hour periods called “days” and further distinguished as such by this phrase, “the evening and the morning.”  “In the beginning”: While God exists eternally (Psalm 90:2); this marked the beginning of the universe in time and space. In explaining Israel’s identity and purpose to her on the plains of Moab, God wanted His people to know about the origin of the world in which they found themselves. “God”: Elohim is a general term for deity and a name for the True God, though used also at times for pagan gods (31:30), angels (Psalm 8:5), men (Psalm 82:6), and judges (Exodus 21:6). Moses made no attempt to defend the existence of God, which is assumed, or explain what He was like in person and works which is treated elsewhere (Isa. 43:10, 13). Both are to be believed by faith (Heb. 11:3, 6). “Created”: This word is used here of God’s creative activity alone, although it occasionally is used elsewhere of matter which already existed (Isa. 65:18). Context demands in no uncertain terms that this was a creation without preexisting material (as does other Scripture: Isa. 40:28; 45:8, 12, 18; 48:13; Jer. 10:16; Acts 17:24). “The heavens and the earth”: All of God’s creation is incorporated into this summary statement which includes all 6, consecutive days of creation. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” “In the beginning”: Creation marks the absolute beginning of the temporal and material world. The traditional Jewish and Christian belief is that Geneses 1:1 declares that God created the original heaven and earth from nothing (Lat. “ex nihilo”) and that verse 2 clarifies that when it came from the Creator’s hand, the mass was “without form, and void,” unformed and without any life. The rest of the chapter then explains the process of Creation in detail. There is no evidence in the Hebrew text for long ages of evolutionary development or a gap of time between verse 1 and verse 2. “God”: (Hebrew Elohim): This form of the divine name occurs 2,570 times in the Old Testament. The plural ending “im” indicates a plural of majesty and takes a singular verb. “Created”: (Hebrew bara): Meaning to create, shape or form. This verb is used exclusively with God as its subject. It refers to the instantaneous and miraculous act of God by which He brought the universe into existence. Thus, the Genesis account of Creation refutes atheism, pantheism, polytheism, and evolution. This leaves no doubt that God is an eternal being. It also leaves no doubt that God himself created the earth. God, mentioned in Genesis 1:1 is actually Elohim (a plural word). Another Meaning of Elohim is, the highest being to be feared, Elohim indicates more than one involved in the act of creation. “Elohim”, (high and mighty). This high and mighty Eternal One is actually God the Father, God the Word, and God the Holy Spirit. All who is in fact God, a singular verb is used often with the plural word Elohim indicating that there not only is a trinity of beings, but they are one in Spirit. The three words used in the creation are different, but all translated created (Bara, Yatzar, and Asah). Bara means to create from nothing and is used in Genesis 1:1. Genesis 1:2 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” “Without form, and void”: This means “not finished in its shape and as yet uninhabited by creatures” (Isa. 45:18-19; Jer. 4:23). God would quickly (in 6 days) decorate His initial creation (1:2 – 2:3). (Hebrew, Tohu wabohu, “unformed and unfilled”) describes the condition of earth after the initial act of Creation. It does not describe a chaotic condition as a result of judgment. Thus was (Hebrew “hayetah”) is correct and should not be translated “became”. How the earth became formed and filled is described (in verses 3-31). “Darkness” is not always a symbol of evil (Psalm 104:19-24. Here it simply refers to the absence of light. “Deep” refers to the waters covering the earth, not some primitive evolution. Sometimes referred to as existing waters, this is the term used to describe the earth’s water-covered surface before the dry land emerged (1:9-10). Jonah used this word to describe the watery abyss in which he found himself submerged (Jonah 2:5). “The Spirit of God” Not only did God the Holy Spirit participate in creation, but so did God the Son (1 John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). Here is a clear reference to the creative activity of the Holy Spirit. John 1:3 indicates that Christ actually created all things for the Father. Thus, all three persons of the Trinity are active in the Creation. This undoubtedly accounts for the plural pronouns “us” and “our” (in verse 26), which take singular verbs in expressing the tri-unity of God. The first emblem of the Holy Spirit in Scripture is that of the Spirit “moving” or literally “brooding” over the waters, much as a bird broods over her eggs to hatch them. The Scriptures assign to the Holy Spirit the works of creating the world (Psalm 33:6), of brooding over the waters (verse 2), of garnishing the heavens (Job 26:13), of renewing the earth (Psalm 104:30), and of sustaining life (Psalm 104:29). “The heavens and the earth”: All of God’s creation is incorporated into this summary statement which includes all 6, consecutive days of creation. The Holy Spirit’s work in Creation results in order (Isa. 40:12, 14; Gen. 1:2); life (Job 33:4); beauty (Job 26:13); and renewal (Psalm 104:30). The work of the Holy Spirit in Creation is one of the biblical proofs of His deity. The Scriptures also describe the physical body of the Christian as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and suggest He is in the process of recreating us into Christ’s image (Phil. 1:6; Gen. 1:2; Luke 4:18). Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” “And God said”: God effortlessly spoke light into existence (Psalm 33:6; 148:5). This dispelled the darkness of verse 2. This is the first of a highly-structured series of succinct and formulaic sentences expressing the creative commands of God. Thus, Creation is accomplished by His word. Each command consists of: (1) An announcement, “God said”; (2) A creative command, “Let there be”; (3) A summary word of accomplishment, “And it was so”; (4) A descriptive word of accomplishment, “The earth brought forth”; (5) A descriptive blessing, “God blessed”; (6) An evaluative approval, “It was good”; and (7) A concluding temporal framework, numbering each day. “Light”: The greater and lesser lights (the sun and moon) were created later (1:14-19), on the fourth day. Here, God was the provider of light (2 Cor. 4:6), and will in eternity future be the source of light (Rev. 21:23). “Verses 1:4-5 “Divided … called”: After the initial creation, God continued to complete His universe. Once God separated certain things, He then named them. Separating and naming were acts of dominion and served as a pattern for man, who would also name a portion of God’s creation over which God gave him dominion (2:19-20). Genesis 1:4 “And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” “Good”: Good for the purposes it was intended to serve (1:31). The word contains less an aesthetic judgment than a designation of purpose and correspondence to God’s will, indicating the moral goodness of the Creation. “Light”: Not the sun which was created on the fourth day (verse 16), but some fixed light source outside of the earth. The earth passed through a day-and-night cycle in reference to this light. Genesis 1:5 “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” “God called”: This act demonstrates His sovereign dominion over His creation. In the Semitic world, the naming of something or someone was the token of lordship. Reuben changed the names of the cities of the Amorites after he had conquered them (Num. 32:38). Likewise, Pharaoh Necho changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim after he defeated the Judean king (2 Kings 23:34). “First day”: God established the pattern of creation in 7 days which constituted a completed week. “Day” can refer to: (1) the light portion of a 24-hour period (1:5, 14); (2) an extended period of time (2:4); or (3) the 24 hour period which basically refers to a full rotation of the earth on its axis, called evening and morning. This cannot mean an age, but only a day, reckoned by the Jews from sunset to sunset (verses 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). “Day” with numerical adjectives in Hebrew always refers to a 24-hour period. Comparing the order of the week in Exodus 20:8-11 with the creation week; confirms this understanding of the time element. Such cycle of light and dark means that the earth was rotating on its axis so that there was a source of light on one side of the earth, though the sun was not yet created (verse 16). “Day” (Hebrew yom): Apart from the use of the word day in verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31, where it describes the days of Creation, it is used in at least four ways in the first two chapters of Genesis: (1) The 12-hour period of daylight as opposed to night (verses 14, 16, and 18); (2) A solar day of 24 hours (verse 14); (3) The period of light that began with the creation of light on the first day (verse 5); and (4) The entire, six-day creative period (2:4). Everywhere in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew bible), the word “day” when used (as here) with a definite article or numerical adjective means a solar day or a normally calibrated, 24-hour day. Thus, the biblical account of Creation clearly indicates that God created the world in six literal days (Exodus 20:11). In verse one, the only indication we have when heaven and earth were created is that it happened in the beginning. We must dwell on Genesis because a true and firm revelation of faith and God’s grace begins right here at the beginning. God’s grace in that he wanted fellowship with mankind so much that He would go to the trouble to create the world and everything in it for man’s use. Then the faith comes in on our part. We must believe that God’s Words are true and that the world was created by Elohim God. Thus, brings the end of the first day. Genesis 1:6 “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Firmament or expanse is the portion of God’s creation named “heavens,” that which man saw when he looked up, i.e., the atmospheric and stellar heaven. “Firmament” is an “expanse” between the waters suspended by God in vapor form over the earth. Most likely, approximately half of the waters upon the earth were supernaturally elevated above the atmosphere, perhaps in the form of an invisible vapor canopy. This would have trapped the earth’s heat with a “greenhouse effect” and would have provided a uniformly tropical climate everywhere, until it collapsed upon the earth during the universal rainfall at the time of the great Flood (7:11). This might explain the longer life described in Genesis 5, in addition to providing a water source for the Flood of chapters 6 to 9. I do not believe that God expects us to scientifically figure out how this all came about. He just expects us to have faith that He did it. Genesis 1:7 “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.” “Firmament … under the firmament”: This refers to subterranean reservoirs (7:11). “Above the firmament”: This could possibly have been a canopy of water vapor which acted to make the earth like a hothouse, provided uniform temperature, inhibited mass air movements, caused mist to fall, and filtered out ultraviolet rays, thus extending life. Genesis 1:8 “And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.” “And God called the firmament heaven”: Including the starry and airy heavens: it has its name from its height in the Arabic language, it being above the earth, and reaching to the third heaven; though others take the word “shamaim” to be a compound of two words, “sham” and “maim”, that is, there are waters, namely, in the clouds of heaven. At the end of the second day there is no phrase “and God saw that it was good” (verse 10). Anything we might say about this would be just supposition. Thus, here was the second day. Verses 9-10 “Dry land”: This was caused by a tremendous, cataclysmic upheaval of the earth’s surface, and the rising and sinking of the land, which caused the waters to plunge into the low places, forming the seas, the continents, islands, rivers and lakes (Job 38:4-11; Psalm 104:6-9). Genesis 1:9 “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.” Verse 9 – Day three. The distribution of land and water and the production of vegetation on this day engaged the formative energy of the word of Elohim. And God said, Let the waters under heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear. To explain the second part of this phenomenon as a consequence of the first, the disclosure of the solid ground by the retirement of the waters from its surface, and not rather vice versa, is to reverse the ordinary processes of nature. Modern analogy suggests that the breaking up of the hitherto universal ocean into seas, lakes, and rivers was effected by the upheaval of the land through the action of subterranean fires, or the subsidence of the earth’s crust in consequence of the cooling and shrinking of the interior mass. Psalm 104 hints at electric agency in connection with the elevation of the mountains and the sinking of the ocean beds (comments added by author). Psalm 104:7-8 “At thy rebuke they (the waters) fled: at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away (were scattered). They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them”. The gathering of the waters into one place implies no more than that they were, from this day forward, to be collected into one vast body, and restrained within bounds in a place by themselves, so as to admit of the exposure of the earth’s soil. The “place founded for them” was, of course, the depths and hollows in the earth’s crust, into which they were immediately withdrawn, not through direct supernatural agency, but by their own natural gravitation. The configuration of the dry land is not described; but there is reason to believe that the original distribution of land and water was the same, or nearly the same, as it is at present. Genesis 1:10 “And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.” “And God called the dry land earth”: The whole chaos that was a muddy fluid, a mixture of earth and water, a rude unformed mass of matter. But now that part consisting of, or formed of, land and was separated from the waters, and they from it, is called “earth”: Which has its name in the Arabic language from its being low and depressed; the lighter parts having been elevated, and moved upwards, and formed the atmosphere; the grosser parts subsiding and falling downwards, made the earth, which is low with respect to the firmament, which has its name in the same language from its height, as before observed. “And the gathering together of the waters called he seas”: for though there was but one place into which they were collected, and which is the main ocean, with which all other waters have a communication, and so are one; yet there are different seas, as the Red sea, the Mediterranean, Caspian, Baltic, etc. Or which are denominated from the shores they wash, as the German, British, etc., and even lakes and pools of water are called seas, as the sea of Galilee and Tiberias, which was no other than the lake of Gennesaret. “And God saw that it was good”: That these two should be separate, that the waters should be in one place, and the dry land appear, and both have the names he gave them. And this is here mentioned, because now the affair of the waters, the division and separation of them, were brought to an end, and to perfection. Verses 11-12: “After his kind”: God set in motion a providential process whereby the vegetable kingdom could reproduce through seeds which would maintain each one’s unique characteristics. The same phrase is used to describe the perpetuating reproduction of animals within their created species (verses 21, 24-25), and indicates that evolution, which proposes reproduction across species lines, is a false explanation of origins. Genesis 1:11 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” “Whose seed is in itself”: The principle of reproduction that marks all life (verses 22, 24, 28). Contrary to the modern evolutionists (who insist that all plants and animals developed over hundreds of millions of years from a single speck of life in the ocean) and theistic evolutionists (who claim the Bible allows for such processes by the use of such phrases as “Let the earth bring forth)”. Genesis not only dates the creation of marine life (verse 20), as being after the creation of plants and fruit trees, but also reveals that fruit trees were created already bearing fruit “whose seed is in itself.” God produced a functioning and mature Creation. Plants were created full-grown, as mature and adult organisms, with a superficial appearance of age. Similarly, Adam and Eve were created as adults. The phrase “after his’ [or their] “kind” is repeated 10 times in this chapter, and demands that adults of each “kind” would have to be created supernaturally to begin the life cycle. Moses uses the word “kind” 30 out of the 31 times it appears in the Old Testament. The word may not require the separate creation of each species by God, but it does require at least the separate creation of families within orders. You see God not only created the first plant life, grass, fruit, trees etc., but He also provided the way for it to perpetuate itself. Plant life could not exist without the light acting on the chlorophyll in the plant leaves and causing it to grow. Notice, the first three words “And God said”, and the last four words say it all “and it was so”. Genesis 1:12 “And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. “And the earth brought forth grass”: In great abundance at once; the hills and vales were clothed with it, and so a rich provision was made the beasts and cattle of the earth a few days before they were created: And herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself after his kind”: wholesome and healthful herbs and plants, and delicious fruit to be meat and food for man, ready prepared for him when created (see Gen. 1:29); on this day, though after related, were made the garden of Eden, and all the trees in it, pleasant for sight, and good for food. Particularly the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, “And God saw that it was good”: Which he had now caused to spring forth, grass, herbs, and fruit trees, which were good for men and beast, and this he foresaw would be so. Genesis 1:13 “And the evening and the morning were the third day.” And here was the third day. Genesis 1:14 “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” “Lights”: Verse 16. For 3 days, there had been light (verse 4), in the day as though there was a sun, and lesser light at night as though there were the moon and stars. God could have left it that way, but did not. He created the “lights, sun, moon, and stars,” not for light, but to serve as markers for signs, seasons, days, and years. “Signs”: Certainly to include: (1) Weather (Matt. 16:2-3); (2) Testimony to God (Psalms 8, 19; Rom. 1:14-20); (3) Divine judgment (Joel 2:30-31; Matt. 24:29); (4) Navigation (Matt. 2:1-2). “Seasons”: It is the earth’s movement in relation to the sun and moon that determines the seasons and the calendar. The Scripture says they were also to be for telling the seasons, and the days, and the years. In the Jewish calendar a month occurs at every new moon. “Verses 15-18”: “Two great lights … to divide the light from the darkness”: It was God (not some other deity) who created the lights. Israel had originally come from Mesopotamia, where the celestial bodies were worshiped, and more recently from Egypt, where the sun was worshiped as a primary deity. God was revealing to them that the very stars, moons, and planets which Israel’s neighbors had worshiped were the products of His creation. Later, they became worshipers of the “host of heaven”, which led to their being taken captive out of the Promised Land. Genesis 1:15 “And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.” “Lights in the firmament … give light upon the earth”: To continue there as luminous bodies; as enlighteners, as the word signifies. Causing light, or as being the instruments of conveying it, particularly to the earth, as follows: “to give light upon the earth”; and the inhabitants of it, when formed: “and it was so”. These lights were formed and placed in the firmament of the heaven for such uses, and served such purposes as God willed and ordered they should. Genesis 1:16 “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.” “And God made two great lights” refers to the sun and moon. They did not appear (a different verb and stem), as the dry land did in verse 9, but were actually made (`asah, synonymous with bara’), at this time. God makes it clear that He, not the sun, is the earth’s Creator, and that God is not dependent upon the sun either for the earth’s material substance or for the sustaining of life. From the standpoint of astronomy, the sun and the moon are obviously not “the two great lights” of the universe. This is the language of appearance, as seen from man’s viewpoint. Genesis is written in geocentric (rather than heliocentric), terms. “Signs” in verse 14 might refer to unusual sights in the heavens, such as eclipses of the sun, rather than suggest that God designed the celestial bodies to determine the destinies of individual men as modern astrologers proclaim (2 Kings 23:12; Jer. 19:13; Zeph. 1:5), where God condemns such practice. Genesis 1:17 “And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,” In the fourth day’s work, the creation of the sun, moon, and stars is accounted for. All these are the works of God. The stars are spoken of as they appear to our eyes, without telling their number, nature, place, size, or motions; for the Scriptures were written, not to gratify curiosity, or make us astronomers, but to lead us to God, and make us saints. The lights of heaven are made to serve him; they do it faithfully, and shine in their season without fail. We are set as lights in this world to serve God; but do we in like manner answer the end of our creation? We do not: our light does not shine before God, as his lights shine before us. We burn our Master’s candles, but do not mind our Master’s work. Genesis 1:18 “And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.” And God set (literally, gave), them (i.e. sun, moon, and stars), in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and even the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. An intimation that on this day the astronomical arrangements for the illumination of the globe and the measurement of time were permanently settled. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:19 “And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.” This was the conclusion of the creation of the sun and moon as fixtures that we might see the light in, thus ending the 4th day. Genesis 1:20 “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” “Moving creature”: These creatures, including the extraordinarily large ones, included all sorts of fish and mammals, even dinosaurs (see notes on Job 40:15 – 41:1). “Let the waters bring forth”: is better translated and understood as, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures,” so as not to misleadingly suggest that the waters themselves produced marine life. This text also implies that aquatic life and fowl appeared simultaneously, denying the evolutionary sequence of reptiles before birds. God had now provided the habitation for the fish and the atmosphere and dry land for the fowl, so the logical step would be to populate the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and all bodies of waters with fish and all sea life. The dry land had appeared and God had populated the air above and the ground below with fowl. You see, God was doing all of this in preparation for his greatest creation (man). He needed to prepare food for the man before the creation of man. This whole creative act was God building a home for mankind. We are told in John chapter 14 that Jesus is in heaven now preparing our eternal home. John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.” You see God’s plan from the beginning was to build man a home. Genesis 1:21 “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.” “Great whales” is not the best translation; better is the term “great sea creatures” to include the great fish as well as whale. Taninim is used elsewhere to describe the serpent (Exodus 7:9-10, 12), and the dragon (Psalm 148:7: Isa. 51:9; Ezek. 29:3). There is no evidence whatever, either from paleontology or genetics that whales or great sea monsters could have developed from land animals. The theory of evolution claims that the first animals in the oceans were microscopic, single celled creatures, and that whales (sea cows), had to evolve from four-legged land mammals, which in turn evolved from cold-blooded marine creatures. Thus, they would have devolved! Just the vastness of the thousands of varieties of fish and birds of all kinds is mind boggling. To think that God in a moment of time (no matter how long), could figure out, all the varieties, and have each one have a useful job to do in God’s scheme of things is just beyond comprehension. God is not only love, but the greatest planner. You see, He figured out the needs of each one and fulfilled it here on day five. Genesis 1:22 “And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.” “Blessed”: this is the first occurrence of the word “bless” in Scripture. God’s admonition to “be fruitful and multiply” was the substance of the blessing. Genesis 1:23 “And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.” Here is the end of the fifth day. Verses 24-25: “Cattle … beasts”: This probably represents all kinds of large, four-legged animals. Genesis 1:24 “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.” “Beast of the earth”: Different from and larger than the clan of cattle, this would include dinosaurs like Behemoth (Job 40:15). “Living creature” is the same Hebrew expression used for man in 2:7, translated “living soul.” Genesis 1:25 “And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.” The Creator’s wisdom and power are to be admired as much in an ant as in an elephant. The power of God’s providence preserves all things, and fruitfulness is the effect of his blessing. The creation of the higher animals completed the earth’s preparation for the advent of man; to which, doubtless, the Creator’s commendation of his finished work had a special reference. Everything was in readiness for the “magnum opus” (the most important work), which was to close his creative labor and crown his completed cosmos. This most clearly shows and proves that the above creatures were not produced by the mere force of nature, or the powers the earth were possessed of, however the matter of it might be disposed and prepared, but by the omnipotent hand of God. You see, as I said before, God was preparing this planet for His greatest creation, mankind. All through these Scriptures, please take note that God said, “everything after its own kind”. Verse 26 is the reason all the things were created. Notice the plurality of the Creator as well. Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” In contrast to animals in verses 20 and 24 where God said, “Let the waters bring forth” and “Let the earth bring forth,” He now says, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” All others reproduce after their kind,” but man is the only one made in the image of God and reproducing in that image (5:3). The terms “image” and “likeness” are used synonymously, and refer primarily to man’s spiritual resemblance (rationally and morally) to his Maker. God placed a chasm between man and the beast, for only man has the capacity for eternal life, fellowship, moral discernment, self-consciousness, speech, and worship. “Us … our”: The first clear indication of the triunity of God (3:22; 11:7). The very name of God, Elohim (1:1), is a plural form of El. “Man”: The crowning point of creation, a living human, was made in God’s image to rule creation. Even after the Fall, man retains this image of God (9:6; James 3:9), though it has been marred. The plural pronoun “us” is most likely a majestic plural from the standpoint of Hebrew grammar and syntax. “Our image”: This defined man’s unique relation to God. Man is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes (9:6; Rom. 8:29; Col. 3:10; James 3:9). In his rational life, he was like God in that he could reason and had intellect, will, and emotion. In the moral sense, he was like God because he was good and sinless. “Image and likeness of God”: Man was created in both the image and likeness of God. An image is a representation or replica of one person or thing by another. An image may be similar but not necessarily identical to its original. The term “likeness” is used as a gauge of comparison, or analogy. When man fell, he retained an impaired image of God (9:6). Regaining a likeness of God is one of the accomplishments of salvation. Our spiritual likeness is restored in justification. Our character likeness is being continuously developed in the process of sanctification. We will be like Christ physically when we are glorified. God’s purpose in our lives today is to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; Gen. 1:26-27; Heb. 4:12). Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” “Man” is used in a generic sense which is amplified by the phrase “male and female” even though Eve’s physical formation is not detailed until 2:18-24. These words are not the usual Hebrew words for “man” (ish). and “woman” (ishah). The words used here specifically distinguish the sexes, male and female. Sexes are only implied with regard to animals, but not here. The reason is that a completely unique relationship was to develop, namely, holy marriage (2:22-24). Man was created by God on the sixth day of Creation and is the grand climax of all that God had accomplished in the Creation week of miracles. The final act of Creation was that God joined the material and immaterial parts of man. Man’s body was shaped from the dust, but then became a living soul only after God breathed the breath of life into his nostrils (2:7). Our formation; by natural birth is no less noteworthy than Adam’s formation from the dust. With David, we need to say, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14; also Genesis 2:7). The image and likeness of God is SPIRIT. God is SPIRIT. We are a spirit. We are housed in a body and possess a soul. If God is Spirit as the Word says He is, then the image and likeness of us, are spirit as well. As we read in verse 27, both man and woman are spirit. We will find as we continue this study that woman is just as responsible for the care and nurture of her spirit as man is. This is directly opposite of what some religions teach today. We are individual spirits, but our flesh is one with our spouse. Between verses 25 and 26 there is a separation. If you will notice after verse 25, God closed that creation with His statement, “And God said that it was good”. Man has a preeminence that no other creation has. Mankind, male and female, are made in the image of God. God created all the rest for mankind to rule over. Man, unlike all of the other creations, was created with a mind and will. Even to the point that God allows man’s will to choose God or Satan. Man alone was created with power to make decisions. Man alone was made to commune or fellowship with God. God is Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. He made man ruler of the earth. Because of man’s fallen state from his magnificent beginning (image of God), God the word, Jesus, took on a body and redeemed mankind and restored them to their original state of standing with God. The Bible says that when we get to heaven, we will recognize Jesus because we will be like Him. We will be restored to the image and likeness of God. We will not be God. We will be a shadow or image of the real thing. Our spirit will be in accord with His Spirit. We will be His servants or subordinates. You see God gave mankind dominion over this earth. Mankind, through an act of his will, turned this dominion over to Satan, as we will see in a later lesson. You know our whole country is under a president, and then smaller areas or states are under dominion of a governor, and then even smaller areas under a mayor. However, the mayor is under the governor on important matters; and all are under the president on the most important matters. You see, God is over all. We are His subordinates. Even though we shall rule and reign with Him, we will not be His equal. Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” “Dominion over”: This defined man’s unique relation to creation. Man was God’s representative in ruling over the creation. The command to rule separated him from the rest of living creation and defined his relationship as above the rest of creation (Psalm 8:6-8). Dominion is not the content by the consequence of the divine image (1 Cor. 6:3; 15:27-28; Heb. 2:7-10); James 3:7-8). “And God blessed them:” To “bless” is not only to bestow a gift, but also to assign a function. “Replenish” is better translated “fill the earth,” indicating the first time. It cannot be used in support of the refashioning of an already judged earth, for it always means to fill something the first time.  “Blessed”: This second blessing (1:22), involved reproduction and dominion. “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth”: God, having just created the universe, created His representative (rule over) and representation (image and likeness). Man would fill the earth and oversee its operation. “Subdue” does not suggest a wild and unruly condition for the creation because God Himself pronounced it “good.” Rather, it speaks of a productive ordering of the earth and its inhabitants to yield its riches and accomplish God’s purposes. In this verse, we see that mankind did not have to take dominion. The dominion was given to him by God. So many people associate sex of any kind (even the marriage bed), as the sin that caused the fall of man. This verse above proves this is not so. Mankind was commanded of God to be fruitful and multiply long before the sin in the Garden of Eden. The sin in the garden was disobedience to God. Verses 29-30: “I have given … for meat”: Prior to the curse (3:14-19), both mankind and beasts were vegetarians. Genesis 1:29 “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” “Meat” meant “food” in the early seventeenth century, when the KJV was translated. No actual animal flesh was condoned until after the Flood in Genesis 9:3. God provided the means for mankind’s needs from the very beginning. Everything that God created here on the earth was directly or indirectly for the use of man. Even the food for the animals would ultimately be of use to man as we read in verse 30. Genesis 1:30 “And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.” “God saw” is an expression in anthropomorphic terms (human characteristics or behavior), relating His evaluation of His Creation (6:5; 11:5). Now at the end of His Creation work, He says “it was very good,” “exceedingly good” and not simply “good” as before in the chapter. Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” There are several things the spirit must understand in the Scripture above. The number six means man. The verse reiterates again that God made all of it, and that everything was good. It also establishes the six days of work that we will see all through the Bible.
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[Repenting + Holiness = Entering Heaven / Kutubu + Utakatifu = Kuingia Mbinguni].