DOCSLIB.ORG

Plan for Sunday School at Home – Senior Class

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Plan for Sunday School at Home – Senior Class Last updated: 2020-05-20_20h25 Plan for Sunday School at Home – Senior Class Introduction During these times when we are not able to meet in person to share God’s Word with the entire Sunday School Class, the Sunday School teachers are proposing that the senior class continue their own individual study at home and then meet by teleconference on Sundays at 10:30 am. In general, the course will look at the main characters in the Old Testament and examine the first six books of the Bible, from Genesis to Joshua. There will be a special lesson for Passion Week. Course Structure 1. During the week, students will watch the suggested videos for that week; links given below. The students will also reflect on the indicated study questions; questions given below. 2. On Sunday mornings, at 10:30 am, students will join a teleconference to discuss the suggested videos and chat with one another on their thoughts about how the videos reflect on their own lives. Course Schedule p. Videos viewed For Sunday Subject Links to The Bible Project Videos # during week of School on 2 2020-03-30 2020-04-05 Introduction to Spiritual https://youtu.be/cBxOZqtGTXE -2020-04-04 at 9:30 am Beings 3 2020-04-06 - 2020-04-12 Easter Special John – Part I: https://youtu.be/RUfh_wOsauk 2020-04-11 at 9:30 am John – Part II: https://youtu.be/G-2e9mMf7E8 5 2020-04-13 - 2020-04-19 Spiritual Beings Series Elohim: https://youtu.be/U5iyUik97Lg 2020-04-18 at 10:30 am (continued) Divine Council: https://youtu.be/e1rai6WoOJU Angels and Cherubim: https://youtu.be/-bMRxQbLUlg The Angel of the Lord: https://youtu.be/qgmf8bHayXw The Satan and Demons: https://youtu.be/CamYtVpoTNk The New Humanity: https://youtu.be/takEeHtRrMw 10 2020-04-20 - 2020-04-26 Genesis Genesis (1-11): https://youtu.be/GQI72THyO5I 2020-04-25 at 10:30 am Genesis (12-50): https://youtu.be/F4isSyennFo 13 2020-04-27 - 2020-05-03 Exodus Exodus (1-18): https://youtu.be/jH_aojNJM3E 2020-05-02 at 10:30 am Exodus (19-40): https://youtu.be/oNpTha80yyE 17 2020-05-04 - 2020-05-10 Leviticus https://youtu.be/IJ-FekWUZzE 2020-05-09 at 10:30 am https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmvyrLXoQio 21 2020-05-11 - 2020-05-17 Numbers https://youtu.be/tp5MIrMZFqo 2020-05-16 at 10:30 am https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zebxH-5o-SQ 25 2020-05-18 - 2020-05-24 Deuteronomy https://youtu.be/q5QEH9bH8AU 2020-05-23 at 10:30 am https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMhmDPWeftw 31 2020-05-25 - 2020-05-31 Joshua https://youtu.be/JqOqJlFF_eU 2020-05-30 at 10:30 am Page 1 of 31 Last updated: 2020-05-20_20h25 Lesson Guide Subject: Introduction to Spiritual Beings return to course schedule Week: March 30th – April 4th Link: https://youtu.be/cBxOZqtGTXE Group discussion: Sunday, April 5th, 10:30 am (text your phone number to and you will be phoned at the start of class) Study Questions: 1. Who are the three main ‘characters’ in the Bible? 2. What is the name used in the Bible for spiritual beings? 3. Are the spiritual beings that we see in popular movies and TV shows an accurate reflection of how the Bible describes spiritual beings? 4. Our reality is composed of how many realms? What are the names of these realms? Are they completely separated? 5. What is the name used in the Bible for humans? 6. What job does God give to all humanity? 7. Do all spiritual beings serve God? 8. What did humanity do after it fell into sin? return to course schedule _ Page 2 of 31 Last updated: 2020-05-20_20h25 Lesson Guide Subject: Easter Special: The book of St-John return to course schedule Week: April 6th – April 11th Link: John – Part I: https ://youtu.be/RUfh_wOsauk John – Part II: https://youtu.be/G-2e9mMf7E8 Group discussion: Sunday, April 12th, 9:30 am (text your phone number to and you will be phoned at the start of class) Study Questions: Part One – Establishes Jesus as God 1. Is the Gospel of St-John a firsthand wittiness account or a collection of stories recorded by someone who was not present when they happened? 2. Is Jesus spoken about in the Old Testament? 3. What happened every time Jesus performed a miracle? 4. What did Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine symbolize? 5. What prophecy did Jesus’ make when he drove the moneylenders from the Holy Temple? 6. When Jesus speaks to the women at the well, what claim does He make? 7. What does Jesus call Himself when He feeds the five thousand? Page 3 of 31 Last updated: 2020-05-20_20h25 Part Two – Passion Week 8. What shocking thing does Jesus do at the Last Supper? Why was this shocking? Why did He do it? 9. What does Jesus tell His disciples to do? 10. Who is it that Jesus says He will send ‘after He goes away’? What will the person do? 11. Name 3 of Jesus’ “I Am…” statements? How many were there? 12. Who is the first person to see Jesus following His resurrection? 13. Name 3 of Jesus’ miraculous signs recorded in the Gospel of St-John? How many were there? return to course schedule _ Page 4 of 31 Last updated: 2020-05-20_20h25 Lesson Guide Subject: Spiritual Beings Series (continued) return to course schedule Week: April 13th – April 18th Link: Elohim: https://youtu.be/U5iyUik97Lg Divine Council: https://youtu.be/e1rai6WoOJU Angels and Cherubim: https://youtu.be/-bMRxQbLUlg The Angel of the Lord: https://youtu.be/qgmf8bHayXw The Satan and Demons: https://youtu.be/CamYtVpoTNk The New Humanity: https://youtu.be/takEeHtRrMw Group discussion: Sunday, April 19th, 10:30 am (text your phone number to and you will be phoned at the start of class) Study Questions: Elohim 1. There are different names for the biblical spiritual beings in different languages. What is the name in Hebrew? What is the name in Greek? 2. When we say “spiritual beings” we are saying the name of a category of beings. What is some of the beings that fit into this category? 3. What is the name of the Christian god? 4. Is our God part of the Elohim? How does our God compare to the members of the Elohim: Is He less powerful, equally powerful or more powerful? Divine Council Page 5 of 31 Last updated: 2020-05-20_20h25 5. What are some other names used in the Bible for the Divine Council? 6. What does the Divine Council do? Does God need them? 7. Can the members of the Divine Council do evil? 8. When we look at earthly nations that do evil, are these nations only comprised of humans doing bad things (e.g., sin)? 9. Can the rebels to the Divine Council be defeated? Who can do this? 10. Are the rebels to the Divine Council around today? Are they still a problem? Do we need to fear the rebels to the Divine Council? Why not? How do we know this? 11. What is our only defense against the rebels to the Divine Council? Angels and Cherubim Page 6 of 31 Last updated: 2020-05-20_20h25 12. In the Old Testament, where are some of the physical places that we find cherubim? What are they doing? 13. How does the Bible describe the appearance of cherubim? Why do they look like this? 14. Are cherubim angels? 15. What does the word ‘angel’ mean? 16. What do we find angels doing in the Bible? The Angel of the Lord 17. Is the Angel of the Lord the same as all other angels mentioned in the Bible? 18. In those Bible stories in which the “Angel of the Lord” appears, who else always shows up? Page 7 of 31 Last updated: 2020-05-20_20h25 19. Whom is it that we say is the Angel of Lord? The Satan and Demons 20. What is the Satan: God, a member of the Elohim or a person? 21. What does Satan mean? Is it a name or a description? 22. What does the Satan want from people? 23. How many times are we told of the rebellion against God by the members of the Divine Council? 24. Do demons exist? What does the Bible say demons do in the earthly realm? The New Humanity 25. Were Adam and Eve spiritual beings? Page 8 of 31 Last updated: 2020-05-20_20h25 26. In the Garden of Eden, from which of the two trees mentioned were humans allowed to eat? . 27. When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Life, what did it allow them to do? What was lost to them, and by us, when the Tree of Life was no longer accessible? 28. We are unable to always resist the temptations of the rebels to the Divine Council. Was Jesus? 29. When we follow Jesus, we are asked to become a new type of humanity. The lesson mentions three ways in which we must think differently than those humans who ignore Jesus. a) Who says that all people are created equal: The world or Jesus? b) Who says that power comes from forcing your will on others: The world or Jesus? c) Who says that peace comes from love: The world or Jesus? 30. In communion, we say that we eat of the body of Jesus and drink of His blood. Is this similar to anything else in the video clip? What is this other event? How is it similar? 31.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • God Among the Gods: an Analysis of the Function of Yahweh in the Divine Council of Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 82
    LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND GRADUATE SCHOOL GOD AMONG THE GODS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE FUNCTION OF YAHWEH IN THE DIVINE COUNCIL OF DEUTERONOMY 32 AND PSALM 82 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF RELIGION IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES BY DANIEL PORTER LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA MAY 2010 The views expressed in this thesis do not necessarily represent the views of the institution and/or of the thesis readers. Copyright © 2010 by Daniel Porter All Rights Reserved. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my wife, Mariel And My Parents, The Rev. Fred A. Porter and Drenda Porter Special thanks to Dr. Ed Hindson and Dr. Al Fuhr for their direction and advice through the course of this project. iii ABSTRACT The importance of the Ugaritic texts discovered in 1929 to ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Studies is one of constant debate. The Ugaritic texts offer a window into the cosmology that shaped the ancient Near East and Semitic religions. One of the profound concepts is the idea of a divine council and its function in maintaining order in the cosmos. Over this council sits a high god identified as El in the Ugaritic texts whose divine function is to maintain order in the divine realm as well on earth. Due to Ugarit‟s involvement in the ancient world and the text‟s representation of Canaanite cosmology, scholars have argued that the Ugaritic pantheon is evidenced in the Hebrew Bible where Yahweh appears in conjunction with other divine beings. Drawing on imagery from both the Ugaritic and Hebrew texts, scholars argue that Yahweh was not originally the high god of Israel, and the idea of “Yahweh alone” was a progression throughout the biblical record.
    [Show full text]
  • The Divine Council in the Hebrew Bibleó
    ÒThe Divine Council in the Hebrew BibleÓ Chapter 2 of: VISIONS OF THE DIVINE COUNCIL IN THE HEBREW BIBLE A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Religion Division Pepperdine University Malibu, California by Paul B. Sumner April 1991 (corrected February 2013) © 1991, 2013 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED hebrew-streams.org ABSTRACT The divine council in the Hebrew Bible is a symbolic ruling body consisting of God as the supreme monarch and various supernatural attendants. According to Patrick Miller, the divine council is one of the central cosmological symbols in the Hebrew Bible. That is, it is one of the BibleÕs ways of describing how God maintains order in the the Creation. Working through innumerable hosts of angelic servants, God creates and rules the physical universe, as well as the world of men. In his position as head of the council, God holds three primary offices: King, Judge, and Warrior. He is absolute ruler over all. He makes judicial decisions about the activities of its occupants. And he initiates punitive actions against those forces (divine or human) which cause chaos and disorder (i.e. sin), in order to restore tsedaqah (righteousness) and shalom (wholeness, peace). His obedient angels serve him in each of his corresponding offices. In his royal throne-room, they praise their King and act as his official counsellors, courtiers, and messengers. As members of the court, they act as witnesses, investigating detectives, bailiffs, and perhaps fellow judges. As members of the WarriorÕs vast army, they wage war on evil beings. The existence of the divine council is witnesses to by various literary genres of the Hebrew Bible.
    [Show full text]
  • The Heavenly Family of Ugarit
    1 Stephen O. Smoot History 238 Ancient Near Eastern Studies The Heavenly Family of Ugarit Introduction Next to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi codices, the Ugaritic texts are undoubtedly some of the most important texts to have come forth from out of the dust of the ancient Near East. Their importance in giving an accurate reconstruction of Canaanite religion free from the polemical bias of the biblical authors is immeasurable. The Ugaritic texts also shed further light on the development of Northwest Semitic languages including Hebrew. Without the library of Ugarit, we would be severely handicapped in our understanding of the history of Syro- Palestinian religion and culture.1 The most striking feature of the Ugaritic texts is the vivid depiction of the divine council, or the heavenly family of gods. Mark S. Smith informs us that this depiction of the heavenly assembly of gods is central to Canaanite religion, and cannot be lightly ignored.2 The same is true for later Israelite religion, including the depiction of the divine council in the Hebrew Bible. Although the scope of this paper does not allow us to look at the Israelite divine council more closely, it is clear that Israelite religion drew heavily from an earlier Canaanite religious milieu.3 Background 1 C. L. Seow, “Ugarit,” in The Oxford Companion to the Bible, ed. Bruce M. Metzger and Michael D. Coogan (New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1993), 785–86. 2 Mark S. Smith, The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel’s Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts (New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 2001), esp.
    [Show full text]
  • Divine Council-Dotwpw
    DIVINE COUNCIL The term divine council is used by Hebrew and Semitics scholars to refer to the heavenly host, the pantheon of divine beings who administer the affairs of the cosmos. All ancient Mediterranean cultures had some conception of a divine council. The divine council of Israelite religion, known primarily through the psalms, was distinct in important ways. 1. Textual Evidence 2. Monotheism in the Hebrew Bible and the Divine Council 3. The Divine Council, Jewish Binitarianism and New Testament Christology 1. Textual Evidence 1.1. The Council of the Gods/God. Comparison of the Hebrew Bible with other ancient religious texts reveals overlaps between the divine councils of the surrounding nations and Israel’s version of the heavenly bureaucracy. The parade example is the literature from Ras Shamra (Ugarit). Translated shortly after their discovery in the 1930s, these tablets contain several phrases describing a council of gods that are conceptually and linguistically parallel to the Hebrew Bible. The Ugaritic council was led by “El,” the same proper name used in the Hebrew Bible for the God of Israel (e.g., Is 40:18; 43:12). References to the “council of El” include pḫr ʾilm (“the assembly of El/the gods” [KTU 1.47:29; 1.118:28; 1.148:9]); pḫr bn ʾilm (“the assembly of the sons of El/the gods” [KTU 1.4.III:14]); mpḫrt bn ʾil (“the assembly of the sons of El” [KTU 1.65:3; cf. 1.40:25, 42]); dr bn ʾil (“assembly [circle, group] of the sons of El” [KTU 1.40:25, 33–34]); ʿdt ʾilm (“assembly of El/the gods” [KTU 1.15.II:7, 11]).
    [Show full text]
  • The Divine Council in Late Canonical And
    THE DIVINE COUNCIL IN LATE CANONICAL AND NON-CANONICAL SECOND TEMPLE JEWISH LITERATURE by Michael S. Heiser A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of The requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Hebrew and Semitic Studies) at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON 2004 Copyright by Michael S. Heiser 2004 All Rights Reserved THE DIVINE COUNCIL IN LATE CANONICAL AND NON-CANONICAL SECOND TEMPLE JEWISH LITERATURE Table of Contents Abstract Abbreviations Chapter One: Introduction to the Study . 1 1.1 Previous Divine Council Scholarship and the Need for This Study 1.2 Divine Plurality in Late Canonical Texts and Assumptions About Israelite Monotheism 1.3 The Problem of Divine Plurality in Second Temple Non-Canonical Jewish Literature 1.4 Comments on Metaphor and Divine Imagery 1.5 Overview of Ensuing Chapters Chapter Two: The Divine Council of Pre-Exilic Israelite Religion as the Backdrop for Divine Plurality in Late Canonical and Non-Canonical Texts . 34 2.1 Terminology for the Divine Council 2.2 The Meeting Place of the Divine Council 2.3 The Members of the Divine Council 2.4 The Structure and Operation of the Divine Council’s Bureaucracy 2.5 The Status and Role of the Vice-Regent 2.6 Interpretation of Divine Hypostases and the Vice-Regent in Second Temple Texts Chapter Three: Assumptions of Exilic Redaction and the Progression From Polytheism to Monotheism: The Argument from Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 82 . 68 3.1 Text-Historical Assumptions and Late Israelite Religion 3.2 The Argument for Exilic Alteration or Elimination of the Divine Council 3.3 Psalm 82: Yahweh-El or Yahweh and El? 3.4 The Relationship of Deuteronomy 32:8-9 to Psalm 82 3.5 Summation Chapter Four: The Divine Council and Monolatry in Deuteronomy and Deutero-Isaiah .
    [Show full text]
  • Council, Chaos, and Creation in the Book of Abraham
    Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Volume 22 Number 2 Article 4 2013 Council, Chaos, and Creation in the Book of Abraham Stephen O. Smoot Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Smoot, Stephen O. (2013) "Council, Chaos, and Creation in the Book of Abraham," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Vol. 22 : No. 2 , Article 4. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol22/iss2/4 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Title Council, Chaos, and Creation in the Book of Abraham Author(s) Stephen O. Smoot Reference Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 22/2 (2013): 28–39. ISSN 1948-7487 (print), 2167-7565 (online) Abstract The Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price depicts the creation, including the motifs of the divine council, primeval chaos, and creation from preexisting matter. This depiction fits nicely in an ancient Near Eastern cultural background and has strong affinities with the depiction of the cosmos found in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient Near Eastern texts (especially Egyptian and Mesopotamian). COUNCIL, CHAOS, & CREATION IN THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM STEPHEN O. SMOOT Nun, the god of the primeval waters (though the waters are not represented in this colorful depiction), lifts a ship bearing the scarab beetle, who is pushing the rising sun, symbolic of birth and transition.
    [Show full text]
  • Egyptian Myth and Legend
    EGYPTIAN MYTH AND LEGEND Donald Mackenzie EGYPTIAN MYTH AND LEGEND Table of Contents EGYPTIAN MYTH AND LEGEND................................................................................................................1 Donald Mackenzie...................................................................................................................................1 PREFACE................................................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................4 CHAPTER I. Creation Legend of Sun Worshippers............................................................................17 CHAPTER II. The Tragedy of Osiris....................................................................................................23 CHAPTER III. Dawn of Civilization.....................................................................................................30 CHAPTER IV. The Peasant who became King....................................................................................36 CHAPTER V. Racial Myths in Egypt and Europe...............................................................................45 CHAPTER VI. The City of the Elf God................................................................................................50 CHAPTER VII. Death and the Judgment..............................................................................................54
    [Show full text]
  • The Divine Council
    1 THE DIVINE COUNCIL A term used by Hebrew and Semitics scholars for the heavenly host, the pantheon of divine beings who administer the affairs of the cosmos. All ancient Mediterranean cultures had some conception of a divine council. The divine council of Israelite religion, known primarily through the psalms, was distinct in important ways. 1. Textual Evidence 1.1. The Council of the Gods / God Comparison of the Hebrew Bible with other ancient religious texts reveals overlaps between the divine councils of the surrounding nations and Israel’s version of the heavenly bureaucracy. The parade example is the literature from Ras Shamra (Ugarit). Translated shortly after their discovery in the 1930s, these tablets contain several phrases describing a council of gods that are conceptually and linguistically parallel to the Hebrew Bible. The Ugaritic council was led by El, the same proper name used in the Hebrew Bible for the God of Israel (e.g., Is 40:18; 43:12). References to the “council of El” include: ph}r )ilm ("the assembly of El/ the gods”; KTU 1.47:29, 1.118:28, 1.148:9); ph}r bn )ilm ("the assembly of the sons of El/ the gods”; KTU 1.4.III:14); mph}rt bn )il ("the assembly of the sons of El”; KTU 1.65:3; cf. 1.40:25, 42); dr bn )il ("assembly [circle, group] of the sons of El”; KTU 1.40:25, 33-34); and (dt )ilm ("assembly of El / the gods”; KTU 1.15.II: 7, 11). Phoenician texts, such as the Karatepe inscription, also describe a Semitic pantheon: wkl dr bn )lm (“and all the circle/group of the sons of the gods”; KAI 26.III.19; 27.12).
    [Show full text]
  • The Divine Council
    The Divine Council SPIRITUAL BEINGS: EPISODE 3 — VIDEO NOTES When many people think of spiritual beings in the Bible, beings. In the study notes for episode two of the Spiritual it’s usually God and angels, Satan and demons, that come Beings series, we discovered that the biblical words elo- to mind. The biblical authors, however, have a much him and theos can refer to spiritual beings that are not the more nuanced conception of the spiritual realm, which is one Creator God. So who are these other elohim, and what matched by a wide vocabulary for talking about spiritual role do they play in the biblical story? SECTION 1 The biblical authors believed that heaven and earth are parallel realities, each inhabited by creatures that have been delegated with God’s blessing to rule and oversee that realm. 1. In the heavens, the celestial lights are appointed to “rule” day and night, that is, the order of time. GENESIS 1:14-18 2. On the land, humans are appointed as God’s image to rule over land, sea, and air creatures. GENESIS 1:26-30 3. These creatures are called “the host of heaven” and “the host of the land” GENESIS 2:1 SECTION 2 This portrait of the ordered world is fundamental to understanding the biblical storyline, and it prepares us for an entire tier of creatures in the spiritual realm that we will meet at many points in the Bible. This crew goes by many titles, but in every appearance, beings are portrayed as honoring the one who created and their role in the heavenly realm is similar.
    [Show full text]
  • Angelic Hierarchy
    Christian Angelology Angelic Hierarchy Scripture Foundations There are, as we saw, references to angel types in the Old Testament such as Cherubim and Seraphim. However there is no indication in those passages for the relationship between the types of angels. It would make sense for God to have ordered the heavenly realm in some manner, but we have few clues until the Book of Daniel. There are two important points about angelic governance and hierarchy in Daniel 10. First, it is clear that there are angels appointed over nations of people. Michael is called “your prince” (10:21) in the same context that there appears a “prince” of Persia, (10:13) and a “prince” of Greece. (10:20) It would seem reasonable to believe that this idea covers more then just Israel, Persia, and Greece, particularly in light of Deuteronomy 32:8 and the plural “princes” in verse 21. Second, there are possibly at least three ranks listed in this passage. If there are angelic princes then it seems reasonable to assume not all angels have that title, and there are angels and prince angels. Also, Michael is not just called a prince but “one of the chief princes”. Perhaps there is also a distinction between prince angels and chief prince angels. Aquinas and Bonaventure disagreed on the nature of these princes in the Book of Daniel. If these are both angels, then why are they working against each other? For Aquinas the fall of the angels had happened prior and so removed from positions of authority. Thus for him this passage represents angels in imperfect understanding of God's will, and so at conflict over their service.
    [Show full text]
  • Genesis, Goliath and Neandertal
    Introduction to the book “Giants, DNA and the Bible” In this research study, I would like to draw your attention to the topic of Neandertal Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and related matters from the perspective of God‘s Word, the Bible. The inspiration for this book came to me as a student of genetics, when I was introduced to the notion that Neandertal DNA is different from human DNA. It started me on a quest that took me through a journey of a greater understanding of human and non-human life. The Bible is the foundation for every human endeavor, spiritual, mental or physical. New scientific discoveries need to be evaluated in light of what is written in the Bible, God‘s Holy Word. No other book or document in the world is self-consistent with true and accurate information, made with symmetry and structural beauty. God, who is the author of the Bible, gave revelation to many writers throughout history. Once you understand that God is the sole author of the Bible, you‘ve then taken the first and most important step in biblical study. It is vital to take into account that the original manuscripts of the Bible were perfect at the time of revelation, but have since been diluted through multiple revisions and versions. My purpose in this book is to show that science—in this instance, molecular biology, is in harmony with the Word of God, and that it can shed new light on the accuracy and symmetry of the Holy Scriptures. We can evaluate recent genetic, anthropological and astronomical discoveries, and behold their consistence with information revealed in scripture.
    [Show full text]
  • The Council of Yahweh: Its Structure and Membership
    The Council of Yahweh: Its Structure and Membership by Marylyn Ellen White A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Theology of the University of St. Michael’s College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology Awarded by the University of St. Michael’s College © Copyright by Marylyn Ellen White 2012 ii The Council of Yahweh: Its Structure and Membership Marylyn Ellen White Doctor of Philosophy in Theology University of St. Michael’s College 2012 Abstract In this dissertation, I establish five criteria for determining a Council of Yahweh text: 1) Multiple gods are present; 2) The setting is Heaven; 3) There is judgment; 4) There is some form of discussion; and 5) Yahweh is the leader of the council. Using these criteria I determine that the Council of Yahweh texts are Isaiah 6, 1 Kings 22, Job 1-2, Zechariah 3, and Daniel 7. Then using the criteria of being named, a witness and involved, along with the literary context, I explore these texts to determine if the characters involved are members of the Council of Yahweh. After establishing a cast of members, I determine that there are three tiers of membership within the council. The first tier belongs to the chief god, in this case Yahweh. The second tier is called the Councilors and the two divisions are the Advisors and the Officers. The third tier is the Agents and the two divisions on this tier are the Commissioned and the Officials. Finally, I explore the potential for conceptual evolution, especially in relationship to monotheism and the participation of human beings within the Council of Yahweh.
    [Show full text]