Modern christianity has been preaching a false god for awhile now. He is a user-friendly god - a sort of grandfather in the skies - the sort that human nature loves to hear about. He is not the real God of the Bible and not the real Creator of the universe. Modern christianity cannot preach the real God of the Bible and the real Creator of the universe because the human race hates him and thinks that he's evil.
Somewhat aware of this, modern christianity has given up presenting the real Creator of the universe and revealed in the Scriptures (the Torah, gospels, etc.). Instead, we have the grandfather-in-the-skies - the sort of god who thinks that man is just great. Unfortunately, this god does not exist.
Let's take a look at the REAL God of the Bible - the REAL Creator of the universe. You might be shocked. You see, he is nothing like what you hear about in church. You see, the real God of the Bible believes that human beings (those who disobey his commands) are tremendously evil....monstrously so, in fact. And they, in turn, believe him to be monstrously evil. Hence, the clash (see the book of Revelation for more details). As a matter of fact, they will even come and attack the physical presence of God himself (in Revelation 20).
But now for the real God of the Bible...the real Creator of the universe:
"6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel." Num. 25:6-8
So here we have a man of Israel (from the tribe of Simeon) and a Midianitish woman who are (implied) about to commit fornication. Phinehas goes after them and takes a javelin which he proceeds to kill both of them with. Is God horrified at Phinehas' deed? Surely divine vengeance must break forth upon him! Not really:
"10 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." Num. 25:10-13
Rather than rebuke Phinehas, God evidently rewards him with an everlasting priesthood. This narrative in Numbers tells us something extremely important about the nature of God - God believes that human beings are truly evil. This was, of course, the reason why God destroyed man in the Flood. It also, of course, is the reason God will destroy man in Revelation. So God believes that Phinehas is doing the right thing here - God sees these two individuals as quite evil. Another interesting passage:
"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord." Lev. 10:1-2
This story is made all the more interesting by the fact that Nadab and Abihu had being faithful followers - actually priests - to God up to this point. They had even been on Mt. Sinai and seen a manifestation of God with Moses. Yet they offer strange fire before God and are immediately devoured by YHWH.
Most interesting, wouldn't you agree? What does this tell us about God's nature vs. human nature? It tells us that God is a very, very, holy being, to be sure, but it also tells us something else - God views human nature, for whatever reason, to be incredibly evil. Human nature must view God as being incredibly evil. Or else there is simply no explanation for God's activity at this point.
I think that one more passage will suffice:
"11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.
22 And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them.
23 And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
24 And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them." Exodus 19:11-24
A most interesting passage. If the people even touch the mount they will die. God says he will break forth upon the people if they come up to the mount. There must be something about human nature that God finds INCREDIBLY evil. Or perhaps, it could be that human nature wants to kill God, and therefore God will retaliate in kind.
Irregardless, this God is not preached in modern christianity today (in my opinion). It is the god of human nature - the god human beings want to hear about. Hence, we have a society who believes in a God that doesn't exist - a nonexistent deity. The real God of the Bible, the true Creator of the universe, is a God of wrath and judgment. This flows, of course, from his absolute divine love.
I think a terrible theological mistake has been made by modern christianity.
Somewhat aware of this, modern christianity has given up presenting the real Creator of the universe and revealed in the Scriptures (the Torah, gospels, etc.). Instead, we have the grandfather-in-the-skies - the sort of god who thinks that man is just great. Unfortunately, this god does not exist.
Let's take a look at the REAL God of the Bible - the REAL Creator of the universe. You might be shocked. You see, he is nothing like what you hear about in church. You see, the real God of the Bible believes that human beings (those who disobey his commands) are tremendously evil....monstrously so, in fact. And they, in turn, believe him to be monstrously evil. Hence, the clash (see the book of Revelation for more details). As a matter of fact, they will even come and attack the physical presence of God himself (in Revelation 20).
But now for the real God of the Bible...the real Creator of the universe:
"6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel." Num. 25:6-8
So here we have a man of Israel (from the tribe of Simeon) and a Midianitish woman who are (implied) about to commit fornication. Phinehas goes after them and takes a javelin which he proceeds to kill both of them with. Is God horrified at Phinehas' deed? Surely divine vengeance must break forth upon him! Not really:
"10 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel." Num. 25:10-13
Rather than rebuke Phinehas, God evidently rewards him with an everlasting priesthood. This narrative in Numbers tells us something extremely important about the nature of God - God believes that human beings are truly evil. This was, of course, the reason why God destroyed man in the Flood. It also, of course, is the reason God will destroy man in Revelation. So God believes that Phinehas is doing the right thing here - God sees these two individuals as quite evil. Another interesting passage:
"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord." Lev. 10:1-2
This story is made all the more interesting by the fact that Nadab and Abihu had being faithful followers - actually priests - to God up to this point. They had even been on Mt. Sinai and seen a manifestation of God with Moses. Yet they offer strange fire before God and are immediately devoured by YHWH.
Most interesting, wouldn't you agree? What does this tell us about God's nature vs. human nature? It tells us that God is a very, very, holy being, to be sure, but it also tells us something else - God views human nature, for whatever reason, to be incredibly evil. Human nature must view God as being incredibly evil. Or else there is simply no explanation for God's activity at this point.
I think that one more passage will suffice:
"11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.
22 And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them.
23 And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
24 And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them." Exodus 19:11-24
A most interesting passage. If the people even touch the mount they will die. God says he will break forth upon the people if they come up to the mount. There must be something about human nature that God finds INCREDIBLY evil. Or perhaps, it could be that human nature wants to kill God, and therefore God will retaliate in kind.
Irregardless, this God is not preached in modern christianity today (in my opinion). It is the god of human nature - the god human beings want to hear about. Hence, we have a society who believes in a God that doesn't exist - a nonexistent deity. The real God of the Bible, the true Creator of the universe, is a God of wrath and judgment. This flows, of course, from his absolute divine love.
I think a terrible theological mistake has been made by modern christianity.