Quotes from Brian Godawa

The geocentric picture in Scripture is a depiction through man's ancient perspective of God's purpose and humankind's significance. For a modern heliocentrist to attack that picture as falsifying the theology would be cultural imperialism. Reducing significance to physical location is simply a prejudice of material priority over spiritual purpose.

Enoch's party left their boats at the river's end. They had all forgotten the miracle of the changed river course within hours of steering upstream. After a few days, they had begun wondering if their memories had failed them and the river had always flowed north. But as soon as they ran their boats aground, the current suddenly turned back south. Enoch fell to the ground weeping in repentance.

Jesus turned sober. "Peter, get James and John. We are going up Mount Hermon." Simon gulped. Whatever had happened inside that cave, the incident at the Gates of Hades was a breach of the walls. But how could four unarmed commoners make an assault on the stronghold of evil itself?

Biblical writers did not teach their cosmography as scientific doctrine revealed by God about the way the physical universe was materially structured, they assumed the popular cosmography to teach their doctrine about God's purposes and meaning. To critique the cosmic model carrying the message is to miss the meaning altogether, which is the message.

Sarai knew her husband and his weaknesses, his sins, but loved him anyway. He was a man of confidence and faith, who still would have lapses of trust. He sometimes sought to control events for his own benefit. Even though El Shaddai had promised him his seed would inherit the land of Canaan, he occasionally felt he had to manage things on his own, because El Shaddai did not seem to be following through.

So much of their Scriptures was poetic and figurative language, like Jesus's parables about the kingdom of heaven. When Simon asked him why he spoke in parables, he quoted Isaiah about how the people's hearts were dulled and their eyes blinded by their own sin. So Yahweh would keep the secrets of the kingdom of heaven from everyone except those who repented. How much more of their hope and understanding was darkened by such hidden language from Yahweh?

what purpose it serves?" "To bear the guilt of the people and remind us of the ongoing need of having Yahweh in our minds.

These elements of the high priest's garments, as well as the other Levites' wardrobe were for the purpose of glory and beauty. But on this Day of Atonement, there was yet more glory and beauty at work. Eleazer first washed himself at the brazen laver that stood before the Tent of Meeting to cleanse himself for the ritual.

Host of heaven" was a term that referred to astronomical bodies that were also considered to be gods or members of the divine council.[8] The Encyclopedia Judaica notes that, "in many cultures the sky, the sun, the moon, and the known planets were conceived as personal gods. These gods were responsible for all or some aspects of existence. Prayers were addressed to them, offerings were made to them, and their opinions on important matters were sought through divination."[9]

They assembled before the throne of heaven to prosecute a lawsuit with the help of the rebel Watchers who fell to earth. This would not be like any other lawsuit the Accuser had ever litigated. This was a covenant lawsuit against the very judge himself, Yahweh Elohim, the maker of heaven and earth, the Lord of Hosts, the Suzerain King of kings.

Remember how we have talked about loving the earth and all her offspring? About how humans are no more important than animals? And how we should love all living things with an equal love?" It still didn't seem right to her. He continued, "Well, if we really love all humans, and we really love all the animals, then one of the ways we show that love is through unity. That is why we call it 'making love.

this island and her sister city, Sidon, just twenty-five miles north up the coast, had a far more dark and fascinating spiritual significance than mere Greek imperial expansion. The gods of the Phoenicians, Ba'al, Asherah and Molech, constituted a trinity of wickedness that shadowed Israel through much of her history. The Seed of Abraham never seemed to fully eradicate this Seed of the Serpent from their land. These gods seemed to have their talons dug deep into the soul of the nation.

He turned to the startled king, still kneeling on the floor stunned. He threw the sword clanging onto the floor by Saul. "That is what you should have done." Saul was speechless. Samuel said, "I am going to Ramah. Our paths shall never cross again — this side of Sheol." Samuel left.

the sacrifice." Eleazer took a bull and killed it for his own sins, letting the blood drain into a bronze basin. He would then clean the animal and burn it on the brazen altar of sacrifice that stood before the bronze laver. Caleb quizzed Achsah some more. "And what is the purpose of the high priest sacrificing for himself first?" She said, "He too is in need of forgiveness of sins to be able to represent his people.

There is more than just a symbolic connection between the physical heavens and the spiritual heavens in the Bible. In some passages, the stars of heaven are linked interchangeably with angelic heavenly beings, also referred to as "holy ones" or "sons of God" (Psa. 89:5-7; Job 1:6)[12].

Belial continued with the sincerity of a politician.

It was not through the childish fun and shallow pleasures of youth that a man and woman would become one soul and plumb the depths of intimacy. It was through mutual pain and suffering. It was in sharing hope in the midst of pain that they touched the very presence of God.

I am saying that these so-called signs and wonders of Jesus raising a little girl and the man, Lazarus, from the dead are unsubstantiated rumors and legends. There is no resurrection and there is no afterlife spoken of in the Scriptures. Pharisees draw their arguments from non-Scriptural sources and traditions, which we Sadducees simply do not recognize as authoritative. We alone stand on the Word of our God." Annas had a snooty arrogance to him.

could only be permanently overcome by a being of both deity and humanity, a kind of "god-man" that could become an eternal sacrifice. But he thought his imagination got away from him, for such a thing seemed impossible indeed. Eleazer then took a censer full of coals from the altar and brought it into the Tent of Meeting.

Something caught her eye in the tree root next to her. She looked closer. She jumped back in fright. The surface of the tree was not merely wooden bark, but it appeared to be the forms of myriads of humans fused into the bark, melted into the wood. They had become part of the wood themselves. They were frozen in agonized and painful positions. It was subtle, but she could see it. And it was like the entire tree was made out of these frozen statues of human pain.

Suffering Servant, and I quote, 'But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities… And they made his grave with the wicked… Yet, when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

A seven-armed golden lampstand is perpetually aflame with holy oil to light the tent. It is shaped like a blossoming almond tree, a symbol of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden so long ago. But it is also considered the 'light of the world' that gives light to all men.

Suddenly, a gush of wind seemed to flow through the room. It was more like a sucking of air leaving him breathless, and the air thick and heavy. A new despair came over him, but not from his confusion and unanswered questions. It was more like the answer to all his questions. He felt it deep in his soul. He knew with a clarity he had never known before that Yahweh had departed. He had left Saul, and he was never going to return.

In conclusion, the entire narrative of Deuteronomy 32 tells the story of God dispersing the nations at Babel and allotting the nations to be ruled by "gods" who were demons, or fallen divine beings called sons of God. God then allots the people of Israel for himself, through Abraham, and their territory of Canaan. But God's people fall away from him and worship these other gods and are judged for their apostasy. We will now see that Yahweh will judge these gods as well.