Church of God News

Statue Intended to be Habakkuk by Donatello (15th century)

COGwriter

Habakkuk was a Hebrew prophet.  Some observe a memorial to him on January 15th.

The Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906 reports this about him:

HABAKKUK (; LXX. Ἀμβακούμ; Vulgate, “Habacuc”):

Prophet; author of the eighth in the collection of the twelve minor prophetical books. The etymology of the name of the prophet is not clear. It seems to be a loan-word representing the Assyrian “hambaḳûḳu,” a garden-plant (Friedrich Delitzsch, “Prolegomena,” p. 84; König, “Historisch-Kritisches Lehrgebäude der Hebräischen Sprache,” ii. 1. 473, on the vocalization), and has the appearance of being a writer’s pseudonym (F. E. Peiser, “Der Prophet Habakuk,” in “Mitteilungen der Vorderasiatischen Gesellschaft,” 1903, i. 12). That he was a Levite has been urged on the strength of the postscript to ch. iii. (verse 19, “on my stringed instruments”), which indicates that he owned instruments: only a Levite was authorized to use an instrument to accompany his songs in the Temple. The superscription of the Septuagint apocryphon Βὴλ καὶ Δράκωυ, in the Codex Chisianus, also designates him a Levite.

Around 605-625 B.C. Habakkuk wrote a short book of the Bible that has a lot of implications for the time that we are now in.

Here are some passages from it (italics are not inspired but were headings in the translation):

1 The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.

The Prophet’s Question

2 O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!”And You will not save. 3 Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me;There is strife, and contention arises. 4 Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

The Lord’s Reply

5 “Look among the nations and watch — Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you. 6 For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs. 7 They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. 8 Their horses also are swifter than leopards,And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.   9 “They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand. 10 They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. 11 Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.”  ( Habakkuk 1:1-11)

Notice that the above states that the end time work will not believed by many even though God will reveal it through–which He does through His prophets, like Habakkuk.

The Prophet’s Second Question

12 Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction. 13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he? 14 Why do You make men like fish of the sea, Like creeping things that have no ruler over them? 15 They take up all of them with a hook, They catch them in their net, And gather them in their dragnet. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. 16 Therefore they sacrifice to their net, And burn incense to their dragnet; Because by them their share is sumptuous And their food plentiful. 17 Shall they therefore empty their net, And continue to slay nations without pity?  ( Habakkuk 1:12-17)

Notice that in the above the one getting punished will be punished by someone who in certain ways is worse than the one who will be punished.  So while some believe that in certain ways that the USA and its Anglo-allies are more “righteous” than the Beast power that will destroy it, the reality is that this is part of God’s plan.

2:1 I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.

The Just Live by Faith

2 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.  4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.( Habakkuk 2:1-4)

Notice that the prophecy that is being discussed is for the appointed time of the end.  It is a prophecy for our time–and will affect the proud.

Woe to the Wicked

5 “Indeed, because he transgresses by wine,He is a proud man,And he does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire as hell, And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied, He gathers to himself all nations And heaps up for himself all peoples. 6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his — how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you, Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it.   ( Habakkuk 2:5-8)

Actually, with an admitted $17+ trillion dollar debt and plans to increase that much further, the USA has increased pledges more than any nation in the history of the planet.  And on a per capita basis, the United Kingdom is one of the most indebted nations on the earth itself.

Since the above prophecy in Habakkuk will be fulfilled at the time of the end (cf. “The message was true, but the appointed time was long…in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come”, Daniel 10:1,14). Daniel 8:19, 11:27,29,35 use same the Hebrew term for “appointed time” as Habakkuk 2:3, while Daniel 10, using a different term, ties the latter days to the time in Daniel 8:19. Habakkuk 2 was not fulfilled in its entirety anciently.  Also, it makes little sense that Habakkuk would be directed towards the modern nation of Israel as it does not have enemy creditors. It must be a nation or group of nations with some prominence at the appointed time of the end. As far as “violence of the land” as a contributing factor, this would seem to include crime, military missions, and perhaps riots/civil unrest, but might it also include promotion of violent sports?

Whether or not Habakkuk himself died on January 15th, the reality is that since much of his message is for the appointed time of the end, his writing (that God inspired) is applicable today.

Do you believe the words that God inspired Habakkuk to write?  If so, do you really understand what is going to happen to the USA, UK, and their Anglo-descended allies relatively soon?

To learn more, please, with your Bible, check out the following:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
Prophecy Obama: Prophecies of Barack Obama? Reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?

Depiction of Levites Carrying the Ark of the Covenant

COGwriter

Some old claims about the Ark of the Covenant have been made available:

9 January 2014

livescience.com – A newly translated Hebrew text claims to reveal where treasures from King Solomon’s temple were hidden and discusses the fate of the Ark of the Covenant itself.

But unlike the Indiana Jones movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the text leaves the exact location of the Ark unclear and states that it, and the other treasures, “shall not be revealed until the day of the coming of the Messiah son of David …” putting it out of reach of any would-be treasure seeker…

The newly translated text, called “Treatise of the Vessels” (Massekhet Kelim in Hebrew), says the “treasures were concealed by a number of Levites and prophets,” writes James Davila, a professor at the University of St. Andrews, in an article in the book “Old Testament Pseudepigrapha More Noncanonical Scriptures Volume 1″ (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2013).

“Some of these (treasures) were hidden in various locations in the Land of Israel and in Babylonia, while others were delivered into the hands of the angels Shamshiel, Michael, Gabriel and perhaps Sariel …” writes Davila in his article.

The treatise is similar in some ways to the metallic “Copper Scroll,” one of the Dead Sea Scrolls found near the site of Qumran in the West Bank. The Copper Scroll also discusses the location of hidden treasure, although not from Solomon’s Temple…The Copper Scroll, which dates back around 1,900 years, and is made of copper, shows several “striking parallels” with the newly translated treatise, Davila said.  http://topinfopost.com/2014/01/09/the-ark-of-covenant-revealed-in-hebrew-text

I have heard the Hebrew claim before.  One concern that I have had is that if the Ark of the Covenant is found, this could possibly get more of the Jews to support the ecumenical end-time religion that will call itself Catholic.  This would be consistent with biblical (Revelation 13:4,8; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) and Catholic prophecies (see below).

The Bible is clear that the Ark of the Covenant is or will be in heaven:

Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. (Revelation 11:19)

It has been suggested that the physical ark of the covenant that the children of Israel had was patterned on one in heaven, thus it could still be on earth.

The Bible shows that well after Solomon’s sons would have died, that the Ark was still in a particular part of Jerusalem:

35:1 Now Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he set the priests in their duties and encouraged them for the service of the house of the LORD. 3 Then he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the LORD: “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel (2 Chronicles 35:1-3).

But that does not mean that it is still there. The Temple was destroyed and the Ark of the Covenant was lost.

As far as where the ark is to end up, furthermore, notice:

8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,And let Your saints shout for joy. 10 For Your servant David’s sake, Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed. 11 The Lord has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: “I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. 12 If your sons will keep My covenant And My testimony which I shall teach them, Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.” 13 For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14 “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15 I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17 There I will make the horn of David grow;I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.” (Psalms 132:8-18)

While Solomon wanted it to be in the temple he built to house the ark forever, God had David write Zion was the chosen location. If the ark of the covenant is now below the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill, known as Mt. Zion, that would have ramifications for the world as well as the Continuing Church of God (see Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill). It possibly could be related to a dream, see Temple Institute claims about the ‘Foundation Stone’ not truly scriptural and differ from Continuing Church of God beliefs and Dreams, the Bible, and the Continuing Church of God. Others say that Zion was really on the eastern side side of Jerusalem, and thus, that may be where the Ark could be or end up.

Reportedly the Muslims have a prophecy about the Ark and a leader they hope for called the Imam Mahdi:

The Book of Revelation says the Ark is in the temple of God in heaven (Rev. 11:19). Muslim scholars say it will be found near the end of times by the Mahdi – a messianic figure in Islam. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=102119

It is interesting, however, that many of the Muslims believe that there Mahdi will rise up after the finding of the Ark (the Mahdi of Islamic prophecy is like the one that the Bible indicates will be the final King of the South). Events seem to be happening in the Arab nations that align with the rising up of such a leader. Perhaps, if the claimed Ark is publicly shown (either the one claimed in Ethiopia or whatever may be in Jerusalem or somewhere else), he could point to it as proof that his timing for rising up was prophesied. We will see.

I perhaps should add that certain Catholic prophecies indicate that the two witnesses (which they often consider will be Enoch and Elijah) will rise up after the Ark is found:

Bl. Dionysus of Luetzenberg…prophecies:

“After the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant, Enoch and Elias will restore the Holy Sacrament of the Altar; Because of the fact that the Ark of the Covenant will be in the possession of the two holy prophets and not in Antichrist’s hands, the Jews will recognize that Jesus is the true Messias…”

( Luetzenberg, Antichristus Chapter 29 as cited in Birch D.A. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph. Queenship Publishing, Goleta (CA), 1996, p. 509)

But since both Islamic and Catholic prophecies suggest that it will be found, it is possible that some of them will point to the Ark in Ethiopia (some believe Ethiopia has the original Ark, while others believe that it has an early copy) or one in Jerusalem (or elsewhere) as proof that their prophecies are to be fulfilled. Or perhaps to a different location in the future. Or Catholics may claim that if the Ark of the Covenant has not been found, that some will claim that this is additional proof that the real two witnesses are not God’s two witnesses. Notice that the Catholics want to place their practices on in (by Holy Sacrament, they seem to mean their Eucharistic practices; here is an article about their origins: Marcus, the Marcosians, & Mithraism: Developers of the Eucharist?), these are the same Catholics that also keep trying to gain control of the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill.

I presume that if the Ark of the Covenant is shown or publicly claimed, some may wish to more thoroughly examine it. However, if it is the actual Ark of the Covenant, this would seem to be quite dangerous from a biblical point of view:

1 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. (2 Samuel 6:1-7)

Only Levites were supposed to move the Ark (cf. Deuteronomy 31:25; Joshua 3:3), and that is what David finally realized. Non-Levites, like Uzzah were never supposed to touch it. Though, since there was a change in the priesthood in the New Testament (Hebrews 7:11-12), it may be that ministers that God accepts could move or otherwise handle it. It may also be that it no longer has any special holiness any more.

Irrespective of that, f the Ark if found, it will have major implications.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill Could this building, often referred to as the Cenacle, which is located on a Mount Zion, possibly have been the oldest actual Christian church building? There is also a video titled Does the ‘Cenacle’ deal have prophetic ramifications?
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? What does the Bible teach about the temple in the end-times?
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
Marcus, the Marcosians, & Mithraism: Developers of the Eucharist? Marcus was a second century heretic condemned for having a ceremony similar to one still practiced by many who profess Christ. Might he also be in the apostolic succession list of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria? Where did the eucharistic host and IHS come from?
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?

Model of 516 B.C. Second Temple in Jerusalem (Ariely)

COGwriter

Various Islamic leaders have accused the nation of Israel of making plans for a temple in Jerusalem.  Various Protestant prophecy teachers (as well as some prophecy teachers that claim to be in the Church of God) have claimed that a Third Jewish Temple needs to be built prior to the return of Jesus Christ or sometime during the time of of the Great Tribulation.

Of course, groups like the Temple Institute want to build a new temple in Jerusalem (it would be considered the third, with Solomon’s temple, which was destroyed around 586 B.C., the first).  I visited that group a while back and they have their hopes which they have attempted to turn into reality with the creation of various implements that could be used in such a temple.

Politically, the nation of Israel would not currently risk building an actual temple in that region. However, that does not mean that it would not be interested in making provisions to do so.

While various ones believe that the Bible requires that another temple be built in Jerusalem in order to fulfill biblical prophecies, such as those involving physical animal sacrifices, this is not strictly so.

In New Testament times, Christians are repeatedly referred to as “the temple of God,” and all that the Jews actually require to perform sacrifices is an altar in the general area where the temple used to be, such as the type of altar that Temple Institute already has available. Notice what the Bible clearly teaches:

6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, although the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid. (Ezra 3:6)

From a Church of God perspective, notice what the late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

God made a prophecy in the third chapter of Malachy…Continuing, “…shall suddenly come to His temple…” What kind of temple is He coming to? Are the Jews going to tear down the Dome of the Rock and build a new temple? Oh, no!… A holy temple! Christ is coming to His church! Christ is coming to His temple! Do we see that? The church is the temple. “…in whom ye are also builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Armstrong, Herbert W. Congress of Leading Ministers Hears Defined and Reemphasized Spiritual Organization of Church. Worldwide News, March 6, 1981, p. 10)

While some have made a variety of false claims about Herbert Armstrong and the fulfillment of Daniel 11:31, notice what he actually wrote:

But, verse 11, “from the time the daily sacrifice shall be taken away . . . . ” Consider this a moment. This does NOT imply a material temple to be built in our time in Jerusalem. It does seem to imply the Israelis may restore the daily (twice daily) sacrifice – – possibly at the wailing wall. The indication is the armies of the “beast” of Revelation 17, entering Jerusalem (Dan. 11:41, Zech. 14:2), will stop this daily sacrifice. (Armstrong, Herbert W. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General’s Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979, Page 2)

Thus, Herbert Armstrong taught that there would be sacrifices that would be stopped. And that would, without a temple, at least require an altar in the appropriate area in Jerusalem. Which is consistent with other parts of the Bible (like Ezra 3:6).

But that does not mean that the Jews do not want a temple and may not ever try to have one. But from a strictly biblical perspective, a new temple in Jerusalem is not required.

As far as the view that a temple is needed for the ‘man of sin’ in 2 Thessalonians 2 to sit in, this also does NOT require that a Jewish Temple be built as the Jews are not the “temple of God’ in the New Testament.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? What does the Bible teach about the temple in the end-times?
Solomon’s Temple This is a a 5 minute animated film that shows one artist’s understanding of the details about Solomon’s temple.
The Temple and the Work This article discusses the two temples of the Old Testament and gives insight as to their possible relevance to the situation which has impacted the Church during this past decade or so.
Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill Could this building, often referred to as the Cenacle, which is located on a Mount Zion, possibly have been the oldest actual Christian church building? There is also a video titled Does the ‘Cenacle’ deal have prophetic ramifications?
Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a version in Mandarin: 主编： 谁是’大罪人’？Here is a link to a related YouTube video, in English, titled Who is the Man of Sin?

Windmill and canal near Hoogeveen, Netherlands, by Joyce Thiel 1983

COGwriter

A reader, retired teacher Bert Otten, who was once part of the old WCG, sent me a paper with his reasons why he feels that the Dutch are the descendants of the biblical tribe of Zebulun.  He told me that I could edit and/or use what he sent in any way.

Here are his ten clues with portions of the explanations edited out, mainly for space considerations:

1^st Clue: To dwell – dwelling

And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband DWELL with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun [=DWELLING] (Gen 30:19-20, KJV throughout, unless mentioned).

The name Zebulun means to dwell or dwelling and this gives a clue for the population of the low countries. Home, homeliness, cosiness, intimate dwelling, it’s all very important to the Dutch. The Dutch word ‘gezelligheid’ is hard to translate into other languages, ‘cosiness’ comes close.

The Netherlands is a relative small country, densely populated, 16 million people, and yet the biggest town, Amsterdam, has only 820,000 people (Rotterdam 620,000). The Netherlands has a village-like atmosphere compared to other countries. Foreigners often regard Holland as one big garden. There is no wilderness, no wild country. Everything is neat, clean, systematic, well ‘groomed’, ‘gezellig’, tidy, even our forests seem to be tidy…

2^nd Clue: dwellings ‘on-Sea’

Zebulun shall dwell at the SHORE of the sea, and he shall be a SHORE for ships … (Gen 49:13a, JPS). Z’vulun will live AT THE SEASHORE, with ships anchoring along his coast … (Gen 49:13a, CJB).

The Hebrew word ‘chof’ means a cove (as a sheltered bay):—coast [of the sea], haven, shore, [sea-]side.

The Netherlands has only sandy beaches, from the islands in the north (province of Friesland) to the islands in the south (province of Zealand). The beaches are bordered by sand dunes, sometimes 50m high and at some places 4km wide. Before the great land reclamations started, half of the country was close to the sea…

3^rd Clue: Zebulun, a haven for ships

Zebulun shall dwell at the HAVEN of the sea; and he shall be for an HAVEN OF SHIPS … (Gen 49:13).

There are different translations for ‘chof’. It can be translated either as beach or haven (port). This is quite logical when we see that in the past the beach was often the ‘port’ for vessels…

Rotterdam was the biggest port of the world for 50 years and still is the biggest port of Europe. Rotterdam and surrounding harbours are called Europoort. It is the ‘mouth’ of Europe. Rotterdam has a turnover of  430 million tons a year (2010). Rotterdam is the transport hub of Europe.

4^th Clue: Zebulun, a travelling people

And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy GOING OUT; and, Issachar, in thy tents (Deut 33:18)…

The VOC, Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the Dutch East India Company, had many ships built and organized many trips to the far east...

The VOC is the Dutch East India Company, the WIC is the West India Company and there was the Nordic Company of the whalers. The Dutch were the leading nation in whaling for two centuries, Zebulun rejoice in thy going out.

The Netherlands is a transport land, a transit land. Rotterdam is the hub of Europe, and Amsterdam is an important port too. The boers of South-Africa are mainly of Dutch stock and they had their ‘Great Trek’ (1830-1850) from the Cape towards what later was to become Natal, Orange Freestate and Transvaal, in an effort to escape the influence of the English…

5^th Clue: Zebulun, abundance of the seas

… for they [Zebulun and Issachar, Holland and…] shall suck of the ABUNDANCE of the SEAS … (Deut 33:19b).

Moses includes the blessing of Issachar into the blessing of Zebulun: And of Zebulun [Moses] said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents (v. 18). There is a separate emphasis in verse 18, but verse 19 concerns both tribes: They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand (v19).

The phrase abundance of the seas concerns many items over the past centuries: herring fishing, fishing in general, whaling, the harvesting of shrimps, mussels and oysters, trade coming by sea, dredging vessels, making of dykes, canals and ports, Holland-America line, Dutch merchant fleet in the 20^th century, naval wars, shipbuilding, etc. Our riches came from the sea and by sea!…

6^th Clue: Zebulun, treasures hid in the sand

… for they [Zebulun and Issachar, Holland and…] shall suck … of the TREASURES hid in the SAND (Deut 33:19c).

This part of the prophecy needs some elaboration. In the first place we think of the flatfish which hides in the sand which has been important to Dutch fishing.

Gravel and sand themselves are treasures as well. The Netherlands is situated in the delta of Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt. Below many parts of the Netherlands are huge layers of sand and gravel. Especially along the Meuse are many sand deeps and gravel deeps, lakes which have come into existence by dredging the layers of sand and gravel.

Holland is the biggest flower and bulb exporter in the world. Behind the sand dunes there are ‘geestgronden’. These ‘geestgronden’ exist of sand from the dunes, mixed with clay. This mixture is very useful for the growing of bulbs. So even our tulip fields are linked to the abundance of the sea and treasures hid in the sand, as the North Sea brought both the clay and the sand…

7^th Clue: Zebulun, a compassionate people

Now I will declare unto you what I did, I saw a man in distress and nakedness in wintertime, and had COMPASSION upon him, and stole away¹³⁴    [“Finis non determinat probitatem actus.”] a garment secretly from my house, and gave it to him who was in distress.  Do you therefore, my children, from that which God bestoweth upon you, show COMPASSION and mercy impartially to all men, and GIVE to every man with a good heart. And if ye have not at the time wherewith to GIVE to him that asketh you, have COMPASSION for him in bowels of mercy.  I know that my hand found not at the time wherewith to give to him that asked me, and I walked with him weeping for more than seven furlongs, and my bowels yearned towards him unto COMPASSION (The Testament of Zebulun Concerning Compassion and Mercy).

According to the writer of the pseudo-epigraphic The Testament of Zebulun, the patriarch Zebulun was a giver and full of compassion.

8^th Clue: Zebulun’s stone, a diamond

And thou shalt make the BREASTPLATE of judgment with cunning work … And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius [Ruben], a topaz [Simeon], and a carbuncle [Levi]: this shall be the first row. And the second row shall be an emerald [Judah], a sapphire [Issachar], and a DIAMOND [Zebulun] (Exodus 28:15-18).

Amsterdam has been a diamond city for 400 years. For 400 years Amsterdam was the most important diamond city in the world, but not anymore. Amsterdam retains first position in direct sales of diamonds to customers though. Famous diamonds like the Koh-I-Noor and the Star of the South were cut in Amsterdam (at Coster Diamonds).

There is a link between diamonds and Dutch speaking areas. Of course many diamonds were found in the Boer Republics of South Africa (near Kimberley of Orange Free State). Diamonds follow the trail of the tribe of Zebulun.

Antwerp was a diamond city before Amsterdam. At the time of the inquisition many diamond traders fled to Amsterdam. In the 1920’s the Amsterdam market collapsed and Antwerp grew in importance. Nowadays about 80% of the diamond trade is via Antwerp.

9^th Clue: Zebulun, writers, bookprinting

[From Deborah’s Song] … and out of Zebulun they that HANDLE THE PEN OF THE WRITER (Judges 5:14b)

After Jacob’s prophecies (Gen 49) and Moses’ blessings (Deut 33), Deborah’s Song (Jud 5) is often an important source for clues towards the identities of the tribes.

This important verse for identifying Zebulun is translated in the Greek Sepuagint as: … and from Zabulon came they that draw with the scribe’s pen of record (Judges 5:14b, LXXE).

Holland is a very literate country and everything having to do with books, reading, writing,  printing, publishing, cartography, Bible Societies, literacy, speaking foreign languages, can be seen as fulfilments of this clue.

Many Dutch people see Laurens Janszoon Coster (Haarlem, c. 1370 – 1440) as the inventor of the printing press. Although this cannot be proven and may not be true, Holland was a leading nation in printing in the 17^th century…

10^th Clue: Zebulun & Judah (Jews)

And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard … far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch. And on the east side … shall they of the standard of the camp of JUDAH pitch … And those that do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of ISSACHAR … Then the tribe of ZEBULUN … All that were numbered in the camp of JUDAH were 186,400, throughout their armies. These shall first set forth (Numbers 2:1-9).

There is a bond between Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. They are the three youngest sons of Leah.

The three tribes camped for 40 years in brotherly fashion in the camp of Judah (Num 9:1-9)…

Holland became independent in 1581 and over the past 430 years Jews have lived in relative peace among the Dutch, as long as we were independent. We lost control and were occupied in 1940 – 1945 by the Germans. Tragically 105,000 Jews were deported. The Germans were helped by a minority of Dutch nationals, sad to say. It would not have happened if we had been able to stay out of the war.

When the Dutch queen Beatrix visited the Knesset (1995), prime minister Rabin spoke of the ‘love story between Holland and Israel’. His speech can be read on http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Foreign+Relations/Israels+Foreign+Relations+since+1947/1995-1996/Address+in+the+Knesset+by+Prime+Minister+Rabin+in.htm

Rabin gave many possible reasons for the love relation between Holland and the State of Israel. Of course he did not mention the fact that we once resided together east of the tabernacle.

While I would have issues with some of the above (hence some of the edits that were not for space; nor am I convinced that ‘clue’ from The Testament of Zebulun is highly relevant), let me state that there are more valid reasons above than I saw in a book intended to prove this that I acquired years ago.  I should add that we have been to the Netherlands twice, it is tidy and on the sea, and has little that could be considered as wilderness.  And we have been to probably all of the provinces in the Netherlands.

And yes, let me conclude by stating that I do believe that the Dutch are essentially descended from biblical Zebulun.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?

Shawnee Leader Tecumseh

COGwriter

A news report indicates that native American ‘Indians’ had more of their origin in Europe and West Asia than East Asia:

November 20, 2013

American Indians may have a more complex pool of ancestors than scientists once thought, according to a 24,000-year-old arm bone found in Siberia. A DNA sample from the bone showed it belonged to a boy who was more closely related to American Indians and people living today in Europe and Western Asia than to East Asians, according to a paper published today in the journal Nature. The finding may mean that American Indians have European genes that predate Christopher Columbus and subsequent western migrations to the Americas. Most experts have thought that American Indians came from east Asia…http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/American-Indians-Origins-May-Trace-Back-to-4996389.php

Thus, many in the Western Hemisphere who are considered to be indigenous peoples, like the Native Americans, Carib, and the Mayans and Aztecs, (and likely Incas and others in South America) have genetic links to Europe and West Asia (many of the ancestors of the peoples in Europe also traveled through West Asia to get to Europe).

Although some are now starting to consider this possibility, this is not the first time many in the Church of God have heard this.

Decades ago, in the 2nd volume of his Compendium of World History (originally submitted in 1963, but revised in 1969), the late Dr. Herman Hoeh wrote:

For the first time, in this second volume, the early history of Europe will be made plain. Its connection with the New World, with American Indian civilization…

The Key to the history of the New World has been lost. Not a single historian or archaeologist knows the true origin of American Indian civilization. And no wonder! They have thrown away the keys to that history. One of those keys will be found in Danish history. The other — and most important — key in the checkered history of rugged Scotland…

In after ages the Cruithne came to be known, falsely, as Picts. The true Picts were another people altogether — an uncivilized people w ho painted themselves. Because the Cruithne ruled over the Picts who lived in the Scottis h highlands, later writers called them both “Picts.” The wild, unsettled Picts later disappeared from Scotland…

The previous volume of the Compendium established the significant fact that the symbol of the line of Easru and Mileadh was the Crimson or Red Branch — signifying the royal line Zarah, Judah’s son (Genesis 38:30). Now open the Bible to the genealogy of Judah. “And the sons of Zarah: Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara …. And the sons of Ethan: Azariah” (I Chronicles 2:6, 8). Here is an Azariah, of the family of Judah — and of Zarah, the Red Branch. Azariah was of the same generation as Moses — both were great-great-grandsons of Jacob (compare with Exodus 6:16-20). Notice also that Azariah’s descendants did not enter Palestine. His genealogy is not continued beyond the Exodus. That is significant. Further, the name Azariah in Hebrew is often shortened to Ezra (see any Biblical encyclopaedia). Its Old Irish form would be Easru. So here we have an Azariah (or Ezra), of the same generation as Moses, Living at the time of the Exodus, whose descendants did not settle in Palestine, and who was of the Crimson Branch. At the same time Irish history reveals an Easru — Old Irish for Azariah or Ezra — living in Moses’ day, crossing the Red Sea, but not settling in Palestine, whose descendants in after generations used the symbol of the Crimson Branch! Here is the line of Zarah — Judah! Easru is Azariah, Judah’s great-great-grandson.

THEY CROSSED THE ATLANTIC

The origin of the American Indian has puzzled Europeans from the day Columbus’ sailors set foot on the Caribbean isle. Yet, just four centuries earlier, the New World was common knowledge to the educated in North Europe and the Iberian Peninsula…

White Europeans did not become Indians by merely settling in the New World and becoming lost! The American Indians are not the “Lost Tribes of Israel,” or Egyptians. The American Indian looks as he does because his ancestors appeared that way before they traversed the waters of the Atlantic.

It may come as a surprise to learn it, but Europe and the Mediterranean world was early — and comparatively late — inhabited by “Red Men.” Everyone has heard of the famous Phoenician sailors of the ancient Mediterranean world. They are known to have traveled far out into the Atlantic and to Northwestern Europe. The Greeks called them Phoenicians because that is what they were — “Red Men.” The word “Phoenician” is derived from the Greek word for reddish dye. The ancient Egyptians painted the Phoenicians on their walled tombs and on papyri. Their skin color? Reddish. The Egyptians painted other peoples of Palestine white and black. They recognized three races of men living in Palestine in early ages. Julius Firmicus, an early writer, stated that “in Ethiopia all are born black; in Germany, white; and in Thrace, red.” Thrace was north of Greece and originally populated by the children of Tiras, son of Japheth (Gen. 10:2).

It was from Thrace that Odin led the Agathyrsi and other tribes to Northwestern Europe when he founded the Danish kingdom. Many of the warriors employed by the early princes of western Europe were fierce, of swarthy skin, naked and often tatooed and painted. Strabo, the Roman geographer, wrote that areas of Ireland and Britain were inhabited “by men entirely wild.” Jerome, writing in one of his letters in the fifth century, characterizes some of them as cannibals: “When they hunted the woods for prey, it is said they attacked the shepherd, rather than his flock; and that they curiously selected the most delicate and brawny parts, both of males and females, for their horrid repast.”…

AMERICAN INDIAN TRADITION

The common idea that American Indians had no means of preserving their history is a fiction based on the assumption that all Indians were on the same level of culture. Wild, rude tribes there were. But civilized nations existed too. They carefully preserved, among other things, the history of their journeys, and the duration of their habitation in the New World.

When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the New World they were amazed to find the Maya and Aztecs using bark paper to preserve history and daily records. It was obtained from the FICUS, a tree related to the mulberry. Bark was peeled off, beaten with a rubber mallet, and folded into sheets to make books. In Moctezuma’s palace Bernal Diaz followed an “accountant” who showed him “all the revenue that was brought … (and recorded) in his books which were made of paper which they call “amatl”, and he had a great house full of these books” (pages 184-185 of “The Ancient Sun Kingdoms of the Americas”, by von Hagen). Only a few escaped the book burning of the Spanish zealots, who sought to wipe out all vestiges of the previous culture and the lineage of their royal houses. Some rare codices have been preserved, however.

One is the “Popol Vuh”, a sacred book of the ancient Quiche Maya. In it are recorded the migrations and wanderings of their ancestors. It traces their origin eastward across the Atlantic Ocean to the Old World. Other Indians had similar origins of having to cross a great body of water from the northeast to reach their present land. (Later migrations, once they had arrived from the east, could take any direction.) The writer of the Popul Vuh declared: “They also multiplied there in the East …. All lived together, they existed in great numbers and walked there in the East …. There they were then, in great numbers, the black man and the white man, many of many classes, men of many tongues …. The speech of all was the same. They did not invoke wood nor stone, and they remembered the word of the Creator and the Maker The Maya record continues: “… they came from the East … they left there, from that great distance …. they crossed the sea” (pp. 181, 183). When they sought to establish their kingdom “they decided to go to the East …. It had been a long time since their fathers had died East, there whence came our fathers.’ Certainly they crossed the sea when they came there to the East, when they went to receive the investiture of the kingdom” (pp. 206-207). To what line of great kings in the east were these Quiche Maya journeying? To the successors of the great ruler who conducted them, about 1000 B.C., to the Usumacinta River in Mexico.

ENTER VOTAN

The Mayas claim that their kingdom was founded by a great eastern ruler named Votan or Oden or Dan by various tribes. He was a white man who came by sea from the east and settled them in their new land. The time of their migration, according to Ordonez, was ten centuries before the present era. This Votan — who was also worshipped as a god — was famous for having himself journeyed to a land where a great temple was being built. Do we have a king in Europe, living at the time Solomon’s temple was being built (around 1000 B.C.), who had dominion over the seas, who was worshipped as a god, and whose name sounded like Votan? Indeed — Woden or Odin, king of Denmark from 1040-999. He was worshipped later as a great god. Scandinavian literature is replete with accounts of his distant journeys which took him away from his homeland for many months, sometimes years. Just as king Odin or Danus gave his name to Denmark — Danmark — so Odin gave his name to the “forest of Dan” in the land of the Quiche Indians. (See pages 549 and 163 of volume V, “Native Races of the Pacific States”, by Hubert H. Bancroft.) “Dan … founded a monarchy on the Guatemalan plateau” (Bancroft, vol. I, p. 789). His capital, built for the Indians and their white suzerains, was named Amag-Dan. Here we have the records of Danish kings, as early as 1000 years before the birth of Christ, sailing to the New World and planting colonies of Red Men from Europe in the Yucatan and Guatemalan highlands. Is it any wonder that it was the Danes, of all nations of Europe, who continued to communicate with the New World in the days of Eric the Red? It was the king of Denmark who ruled over Iceland in the days of Christopher Columbus. Before Columbus awakened the sleepy Mediterranean world by his important journey across the Atlantic, he first sailed to Iceland where he obtained information for his fateful voyage. And is it not significant that it was an Icelandic nobleman, Eric Gnupson, who was consecrated by Pope Pascal II as Bishop of Greenland and the neighboring regions (“regionumque finitimarum”) in 1112? (See “Conquest by Man”, Paul Herrmann, p. 287.)

EARLY TIME OF MIGRATION

Tradition universally assigns white leadership to every major recorded historic migration of the American Indian from far to the northeast. The later history of Mexico commences with the establishment of a monarchy by the Toltecs of Mexico. The Toltecs were of white descent. They led and ruled over the Indians and spoke their languages. Charnay wrote in the “North American Review”, October 1881, “Physically Veytia describes the Toltec as a man of tall stature, white, and bearded.”

A carved head of a “noble Aztec,” on display in the National Museum, may be seen on plate 40 in George C. Vaillant’s “Aztecs of Mexico”. The noble Aztec was not an Indian at all, but a Norseman! Little wonder that wherever the Spanish journeyed they found the ruling classes much lighter than the people over whom they ruled. On occasion the conquistadors thought their women as fair or fairer than their Spanish women. “The Annals of the Cakchiquels — Lords of Totonicapan” contains direct reference to the racial descent of the nobles who led and governed the natives to the New World. “These, then, were the three nations of the Quiches, and they came from where the sun rises, descendants of Israel, of the same language and the same customs …. When they arrived at the edge of the sea, Balam-qitze (a native title for one in a religious office) touched it with his staff and at once a path opened, which then closed up again, for thus the great God wished it to be done, because they were the sons of Abraham and Jacob. So it was that those three nations (the “mixed multitude” of Exodus 12:38) passed through, and with them thirteen others called Vukamag” — meaning the 13 tribes. Israel had altogether 13 tribes including Levi. “We have written that which by tradition our ancestors told us, who came from the other part of the sea, who came from Civan-Tulan, bordering on Babylonia” page 170. Page 169 says they “…. came from the other part of the ocean, from where the sun rises.” (Translated by Delia Goetz; published by University of Oklahoma Press, 1953.)

Was the mysterious Civan-Tulan — meaning in Indian dialects a place of caves or ravines — the region of Petra, where Moses led the Children of Israel? Petra is famous for its caves. Canaanite Hivites, mixed with Egyptian stock, dwelt at Petra, or Mt. Seir, at the time of the Exodus (Genesis 36:2, 20, 24). They lived at peace with the Hebrews. This settlement of Hivites was a region dominated by Midian. A high priest who visited the land of Midian and Moab in Moses’ day was named Balaam — almost the exact spelling in the Quiche-Maya title Balam used for priests! The people led by Odin or Votan across the Atlantic to the New World were not exclusively the sons of Tiras from Thrace; some tribes were called Chivim, reports Ordonez the early Spanish writer. It is the very Hebrew spelling used for the English word Hivites, some of whom once lived in Mt. Seir, the land of caves, near Babylonia! So the Mexican Indians were a mixed people.  http://www.originofnations.org/HL_Hoeh/COMPENDIUM%20OF%20WORLD%20HISTORY%20-%20Vol.%202%20-%20Herman%20Hoeh.pdf

As far as the Popol Vuh goes, it was one of the Mayan items I became familiar with when doing research for my ‘2012’ book.

Dr. Hoeh was correct that the scholars of his day did not understand a lot about the ethnic origins of the indigenous peoples of North America.  Even today, scholars do not seem to realize who the descendants of the Germans, other Americans, and various ones are.

While neither I, nor Dr. Hoeh (towards the end of his life he indicated various concerns) agree with everything that he wrote in his Compendium, DNA evidence proves that his idea that native Americans had origins in Europe and West Asia has merit (though some of his specific reasons can be challenged).

Dr. Hoeh was also a big proponent of the idea that the modern descendants of the ancient Assyrians were the Germanic (and possibly other) peoples of central Europe.

Everyone had to come from somewhere, and much about the origins of nations is not known by the so-called ‘experts’ even today.

Some items of related interest may include:

Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, and the Caribbean in Prophecy [Español: México, América central, Suramérica, Brasil y el Caribe en la profecía] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What role might the various Caribbean nations/territories play?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012 or 2013? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood?
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people?

COGwriter

A new depiction of the biblical flood made the news:

November 15, 2013 – CINEMA – The first official trailer for “Noah,” Daren Aronofsky’s much talked about follow-up to 2010’s “Black Swan,” hit the Internet Thursday. The latest adaptation of the Book of Genesis narrative stars a grizzly-bearded Russell Crowe as the titular hero, and also features Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins and Ray Winstone. With the exception of a leaked trailer that circulated online late last month, the clip is the first real look at the director’s grandiose take on the biblical epic. Despite the release of the trailer, there are reports that the director and Paramount are currently at war over the final cut of the film after test audiences reacted poorly to the movie in New York, Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif. “Noah” is expected to be released on March 28, 2014. http://nypost.com/2013/11/14/darren-aronofskys-action-packed-trailer-for-noah-debuts/

The Bible shows that that particular flood ended nearly all life of the earth:

21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive. (Genesis 7:21-24)

As far as the things associated with Noah and the flood go, a concern that I have had for many years is that if at least part of the original ark that Noah built was found that this would be used to help not only persuade much of the world of the validity of the Genesis flood account (which is a good thing), but that it would also be used as a tool to recruit people to support the religion of the Beast of Revelation 13:1-8.

Both biblical (e.g. Revelation 13:4,8) and non-biblical prophecy warn of a time when an ecumenical religion will take over much of the world. If the biblical flood is ever truly accepted as having happened, this will likely represent part of a major turning point in getting more of humanity to accept a coming world religion that claims to be Christian.  The movie Noah may get more interest in the ark and finding it.  Since many cultures have a tale of the flood (see 300 Versions of the Flood), this will make the coming ecumenical religion acceptable even to certain cultures that do not normally refer to the Bible for their beliefs.

Jesus warned that the end times would be like the time  PRIOR to the flood of Noah’s time:

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,  39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.  41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.  42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.  (Matthew 24:36-44)

While many are excited about the upcoming movie Noah, others are concerned that between now and shortly after Noah is released, there will be various signs in the heavens portending the return of Jesus Christ and/or doom and destruction like the time of Noah’s flood.  Specifically, some are pointing to the recently visible (to the unaided human eye) Comet ISON for that between now and the end of January 2014 (Could Comet ISON be Wormwood of Bible Prophecy?), while others are pointing to the expected appearance of blood moons between April 15, 2014 and September 28, 2015 (Blood Moons and Prophecy).  But those views differ from what the Bible teaches.

Of course, those who truly understand and rely on the Bible “have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV). And we in the Continuing Church of God have the sure word because we believe what the Bible teaches and not opinions of humans that do not agree with the Bible.

We know the great flood happened.  We also know that while Jesus will return and the great tribulation will begin, neither of those will be prior to 2017–see also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?  (that article also has information on the approximate date of the biblical flood that Noah was saved from).

Between Comet ISON, the movie Noah, and blood moons, various ones will wonder about the Bible and its prophecies.

Some items of potentially related interest may include:

Have the Turks and Chinese Just Found Noah’s Ark? Some have so claimed. If true, this could change how much of the world views events from the Bible.
The Bible: Fact or Fiction? This is a booklet written by Douglas Winnail that answers if the Bible is just a collection of myths and legends or the inspired word of God.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2021 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2013, 2014, or 2015? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language video The Great Tribulation Will Not Begin Before 2017.
Blood Moons and Prophecy There are four ‘blood moons’ expected in 2014 and 2015. Do they signal the Day of the Lord or the return of Jesus Christ? A related YouTube video is also available: Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015.
Wormwood and Planet Nibiru Is Comet ISON really Planet X? Will the Earth be devastated by this in 2014? Here is a related YouTube video Could Comet ISON be Wormwood of Bible Prophecy?

The Day of Atonement lasts until sunset September 14, 2013.

In the original Hebrew, the Bible calls the day Yom Hakippurim (which is Hebrew for “Day of the Atonements”).
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The Day of Atonement in the Old Testament

A unique ceremony related the the Day of Atonement is discussed in in the Old Testament:

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, ASV)

8 ‘And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure; 9 and Aaron hath brought near the goat on which the lot for Jehovah hath gone up, and hath made it a sin-offering. 10 ‘And the goat on which the lot for a goat of departure hath gone up is caused to stand living before Jehovah to make atonement by it, to send it away for a goat of departure into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, YLT)

Christians note the parallels between the first of the two goats with Jesus and the second of the two goats with Satan (the Azazel goat).

Such as Jesus does get killed, but that Satan does not.

As far as ‘Azazel,’ notice the following:

R. Menachem interprets Azazel of Samael, the angel of death, the devil, the prince that hath power over desolate places: there are several Christian writers of great note, that understand this of the devil as Origen (b), among the ancients; and of the moderns, Cocceius (c), Witsius (d), and Spencer (e), who think that by these two goats is signified the twofold respect of Christ our Mediator; one to God, as a Judge, to whom he made satisfaction by his death; the other to the devil, the enemy with whom he conflicted in life; who, according to prophecy, was to be delivered up to Satan, and have his heel bruised by him; and who was to come, and did come into the wilderness of this world…(Gill, John. Exposition of the Entire Bible. [1746-63])

So, basically a Jewish rabbi (“R.” is an abbreviation for Rabbi) and certain leaders who professed Christ believed that the Azazel goat represented Satan. And that is consistent with the passages in Leviticus 16 and other scriptures.

Notice more about part of an Old Testament ceremony that occurred on the Day of Atonement:

And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness…And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp (Leviticus 16:20-22,26).

While some Protestant commentators understand this correctly, others either do not know what the Azazel goat represents or think it represents the physical life of Christ.  Yet, that latter explanation would not seem to be consistent with the statements in Leviticus 16:26 (bolded above).

Why?

Because notice that it is a fit man that takes the goat into the wilderness and he has to wash himself after he has released the aza’zel goat. If the second goat represented Christ, the fit man would have to wash BEFORE touching the goat and not AFTER releasing it. Touching the one representing Satan would make one unclean, but not touching the one representing Christ.

What happened to the live goat in Leviticus 16 is symbolic of Satan for two basic reasons:

1. The term scapegoat is an inappropriate translation into English, as it implies that blame is being placed where blame is not due. The Hebrew term is actually aza’zel. This is a term that some Jewish people have historically ascribed to a Satanic adversary.
2. What happens with the Azazel goat and what happens to Satan is quite similar, if one compares Leviticus 16:20-22,26 to Revelation 20:1-3.

The New Testament Fulfillment of the Binding of Azazel/Satan

The New Testament shows that Satan will be bound for a thousand years to be kept away from humanity during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ:

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. (Revelation 20:1-3)

Since the above is consistent with the ceremony in the Old Testament about bringing (essentially casting) the Azazel goat into the wilderness, it appears that the binding and casting of Satan into the bottomless pit will occur on the Atonement.

Notice that the Old Testament shows that it is a fit man that places the Azazel goat which bares blame for sins into the wilderness, and in the New Testament an angel that places Satan, who brought sin into the world, into the wilderness of the bottomless pit. (Contrary to the claims of those who do not take this portion of Revelation literally, this 1000 year binding of Satan has certainly not taken place since John was inspired to pen Revelation.)

The New Testament shows that the the Gentile Gospel writer Luke knew about the Day of Atonement, when he wrote:

9…sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over (Acts 27:9).

The Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God states this about the Day of Atonement (and more detail is in the article The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance):

The Day of Atonement, called “the Fast” in the New Testament (Acts 27:9), helps show our own weaknesses and need to be closer to God (Isaiah 58:5,11).  It also helps picture that Satan has a role in the sins of humankind and that he will be bound for one-thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3; cf. Leviticus 16:20-26; Isaiah 14:12-16).

While some believe that what the Old Testament pictures is past, the reality is that the Holy Days help show God’s plan of salvation, and in the case of the Day of Atonement, it also shows Satan’s role in sin and his coming binding for 1000 years.

Those who have more interest, may wish to study the following articles:

The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement”. Does it have any relevance for Christians today?
Sermon: The Bible and the Day of Atonement  The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement.” Does it have any relevance for Christians today? Was it observed in the New Testament? What did some of the ancient Hebrew ceremonies surrounding it mean? Does one goat in Leviticus represent Jesus and the other Satan? How does the New Testament help answer this?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Michael’s Day of Atonement Quiz Another free on-line Bible quiz by my son Michael.
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject. Here is a link to it in Mandarin Chinese 禁食的重要性.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days. (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Calendario Anual de Adoración –Una crítica basada en la Biblia y en la Historia: ¿Hay un Calendario Anual de Adoración en la Biblia?
Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days? The ‘Fall’ Holy Days come every year in September and/or October on the Roman calendar. Some call them Jewish holidays, but they were kept by Jesus, the apostles, and their early faithful followers. Should you keep them? What does the Bible teach? What do records of church history teach? What does the Bible teach about the Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day? Here is a link to a related sermon: Should you keep the Fall Holy Days?
The Book of Life and the Feast of Trumpets? Are they related? Is so how? If not, where not? What does the Feast of Trumpets, which the Jews call Rosh Hashanah, help teach?
The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement”. Does it have any relevance for Christians today?
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Is this pilgrimage holy day still valid? Does it teach anything relevant for today’s Christians? What is the Last Great Day? What do these days teach?
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time to Learn the Law The Bible teaches that every seven years that the law should be read at the Feast of Tabernacles. This is what I did at the first Feast site were I gave an actual sermon (as opposed to a sermonette) in 2006.
Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2013 This is information on the expected Feast of Tabernacles’ sites for the Continuing Church of God for 2013. The Feast in 2013 begins the evening of September 18.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2024, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos.

Devil	= Secret	+ Person	+ Garden

COGwriter

Do the Chinese people have ties to the Book of Genesis?  Have the Chinese retained any indirect knowledge of this in their writing?  We will look into the Bible and certain Chinese writings to answer those questions.

First, notice what the Bible teaches Adam’s wife Eve:

20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.  (Genesis 3:20)

All who lived would certainly include the Chinese.

The Bible also specifically teaches that all peoples were together and of the same language until after the tower of Babel:

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech…

6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:1,6-9).

Thus, until God confused human language and scattered people abroad, all humans were together and spoke the same language.

If the Bible is true (and I believe that it certainly is) then we would expect that perhaps somewhere the Chinese may have preserved some knowledge of some of the events recorded in the Bible prior to this scattering as well as some connection to the area of Babel.

Chinese Characters May Provide a Clue

Chinese characters are essentially the symbolic representation of words. It is my understanding that both the Chinese and Japanese languages share some of the same characters, and though they pronounce the words differently, thus a few of the characters have the same meaning in Japanese as they do in Chinese. There are over 600 symbols Chinese characters, and although some were changed in the 20th century, most still are essentially the same as they were thousands of years ago. (Now since I do not read Chinese, or Japanese, I am relying exclusively on the works of others–most heavily from Kees Noorlander from http://www.morgenster.org/signs.htm from which this portion of this paper is indebted to, plus a little bit from Babel Fish by Alta Vista, and quite a bit from http://www.zhongwen.com/ and from the book The Discovery of Genesis). It should be noted that in the 1950s China nearly decided to abolish characters and even now most Chinese are not taught the history and tradition behind their writing system.

Anyway, since the characters had to start from somewhere (and biblically they would have started sometime after the construction of the tower of Babel), some have suggested that perhaps these characters help demonstrate that the Chinese characters (and Japanese for that matter) demonstrate that they were familiar with some of the events recorded in the first chapters of the Book of Genesis.

For example, the Book of Genesis records:

8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden…9 The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden…10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. (Genesis 2:8,9, 10).

The term English term garden can be represented by the Chinese word tièn (also spelled tián). The Chinese symbol is four irrigation channels within an area of land (it can also mean farm or field). Or it possibly may be the four rivers with a type of tree in the middle of it.

Was that symbol influenced by the events recorded in the Bible or is this a coincidence?

It is difficult to know for certain as there are other Chinese symbols that can be used instead for garden.

However, there are several other characters to explore. There were two famous trees in the Garden of Eden:

9 The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9).

Recall that God gave Adam one command after placing him in the garden:

15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17).

It is of interest to note that a Chinese symbol for Prohibition is the combination of the symbols for two trees (mù) and command.  It should be noted that God, while He originally prohibited one tree, later prohibited access to the second tree (see Genesis 3:22-24).

In Genesis Eve stated:

2 We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:2).

It is also of interest to note that the Chinese symbol for Fruit is the combination of the symbols for tree and garden.  While Adam and Eve were in the garden, the devil decided to implement his plan to alienate humans from God. His plan was to suggest that God withheld secret information for the humans in the garden.

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5).

As shown above, notice that the Chinese symbol for Devil is composed of the characters for secret, person, and garden.  Sadly, Eve seemed to believe the devil as she desired to benefit from the fruit of the tree that was prohibited:

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate (Genesis 3:6).

God decided later to prohibit the second tree lest Eve and others desired it so much that they would go for it as well (see Genesis 3:22-24).

Notice the symbol for the Chinese word lán for desire or greed is a combination of the symbols for woman and two trees.  After succumbing to temptation, humans noticed that they were naked:

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. (Genesis 3:7).

The Chinese symbol for being naked has to do with clothing, one tree (the one that Adam and Eve were originally told not to eat from perhaps), and a garden with four irrigation canals.  After Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden they had children. On of their sons was Abel, who raised and sacrificed sheep:

2 Now Abel was a keeper of sheep…4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering (Genesis 4:2,4).

Notice what a Chinese character meaning righteous is made of sheep + a hand + a lance.  Interestingly, the New Testament account of Abel refers to:

35…the blood of righteous Abel (Matthew 23:35).

Thus, the Chinese symbol agrees with the New Testament account that essentially the sacrifice of sheep (by Abel, for example) was righteous.

Many know that Chinese history contains an account of some type of worldwide flood. There may be a couple of aspects of it preserved in its characters.

Notice a couple of statements in the Bible concerning the flood:

1 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. (Genesis 7:1).

20…in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water (1 Peter 3:20).

A Chinese word chuán for a type of boat is 8 + a mouth + a vessel. It may be of interest to note that one of the Chinese symbols for flood (chong) is a combination of an inverted symbol meaning “first Earthly branch” and eight (the term for eight may instead mean “person remaining””–that of itself is interesting as that the symbol for eight and “person remaining” look about the same–recall that on the ark there were only eight persons remaining alive).

After the flood, humans stayed together and built a tower:

1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:1-4).

Yet God did not care for this:

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11:5-7).

It is highly likely that when people saw others speaking foreign languages, that they thought that somehow something at this tower affected their mouths. The Chinese symbol of a tower is grass + clay + mankind + mouth. The tower of Babel was built with bricks (grass and clay) and humans originally had one language (or mouth). It is possible that this symbol is showing that the ancient Chinese recognized a connection to the biblical tower of Babel.

The Bible shows that after God confused the languages in Babel that He scattered humans all over:

8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth (Genesis 11:8-9).

For more about this, and to see the actual Chinese characters (which for some reason would not copy properly over to this post, please check out China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters.

Chinese Characters Predate Moses

While researching this paper I came across a quote that perhaps should be placed here:

 …the ancient Chinese people were quite familiar with the same record which the Hebrew Moses is popularly given credit for writing some 700 to 1,000 years later. Imagine this information being stored in special characters that were in use hundreds of years before the first page of the Bible was written! (Kang C.H., Nelson E.R. The Discovery of Genesis: How the Truths of Genesis Were Found Hidden in the Chinese Language. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1979, p. 5)

Notice that the development of Chinese characters predates the writing of the Book of Genesis. Thus, the Chinese characters seem to provide an ‘independent’ account that verifies portions of the accounts in Genesis.

Continuing, the authors of the previous citation go so far as to state:

Moreover we believe that the Chinese actually employed this historical knowledge as one small facet in the process of building their written language. The significance of this claim is broad. But most important, it appears to us to give support and added acceptance of the much slandered account of Biblical Genesis (Ibid).

 Thus, the existence of these Chinese characters should be a comfort to the Chinese that their ancestors did have some type of biblical witness, as well as the modern believers that even in a land as removed as it is from the Middle East, the Chinese did know about various portions of the Genesis account. And since their characters were developed prior to Moses writing Genesis, their very existence provides additional verification that the events were known for many thousands of years.

In addition to Chinese characters, the following is a prayer believed to be said prior to the acceptance of polytheism in China. This is believed to have been written in the neighborhood of 2230 B.C., about 700 or so years before Moses wrote the Book of Genesis:

Of old in the beginning was the great chaos, without form and dark. The five elements had not begun to revolve, nor the sun and the moon to shine. In the midst thereof there existed neither forms nor sound. Thou, O spiritual sovereign camest forth in Thy presidency, and the first didst divide the grosser parts from the purer. Thou madest heaven; Thou madest earth; Thou madest man. All things with their reproducing power got their being (He Sacrificed to ShangTi as reported in, without its edits, Kang C.H., Nelson E.R. The Discovery of Genesis: How the Truths of Genesis Were Found Hidden in the Chinese Language. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1979, p. 15).

The above, though not in perfect agreement, is in substantial agreement with the first chapter of the Book of Genesis. This account suggests that at least portions of what God did as also recorded in Genesis were known to ancient peoples, including the Chinese.

It is difficult to be absolutely certain why the Chinese characters described in this paper were developed. However, it seems reasonable to conclude that these symbols do provide evidence that the biblical accounts of the garden of Eden, the flood, and the tower of Babel did involve peoples, like the Chinese, who do not now live in the Middle East.

Hence, it appears likely that even from the beginnings, the ancestors of the modern Chinese did have some basic understandings of God and some of how He had intervened in the affairs of humankind.  And thus, Chinese characters appear to provide additional confirmation from outside the Bible that some of its basic assertions of humankind are correct.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Where the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long?
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?
God’s Grace is For All Is being Jewish a hindrance to salvation? What about not being a descendant of Israel? What does the Bible really teach?
Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading. Here is a link in Mandarin Chinese: 读圣经 Here is a link in the Spanish language: Lea la Biblia.
Bible: Superstition or Authority? Should you rely on the Bible? Is it reliable? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
What is the Appropriate Form of Biblical Interpretation? Should the Bible be literally understood? What do the writings of the Bible, Origen, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Augustine show?
Bible and Historical Resources on the Internet Electronic bibles, Two Babylons, early Christian literature, photos, and even links to old Herbert W. Armstrong materials.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, with some in items in the Tagalog language in progress that are intended to be added.

Bethlehem, City of David (Painting, 1882)

COGwriter

There seems to be more evidence of the biblical David and/or his son Solomon:

August 1, 2013

The 3,000-year-old fragment of pottery that leading expert claims could prove that Old Testament stories are TRUE

• Archaeologists discovered small piece of pottery with writing on it last year
• Found in modern day Israel, the 3000-year-old Ophel Inscription was originally though to have Biblical Canaanite language on it
• Now expert believes mysterious language is Hebrew, which could prove that ancient Israelites recorded history much earlier that originally thought
• Could mean Bible stories of King David and King Solomon were not passed down orally but written down at the time and are accurate…

This would make the Old Testament an historical account of real-life events.

As expected, Dr Petrovich’s claims are stirring up controversy among the archaeological community.

Tel Aviv University archaeologist Israel Finkelstein told FoxNews.com that the Ophel Inscription is critical to the early history of Israel but that romantic notions of the Bible shouldn’t cloud scientific methods.

In 2008, when a similar inscription was found at a site many now believe is one of King David’s palaces, he warned against the ‘revival in the belief that what’s written in the Bible is accurate like a newspaper.’  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2382535/3000-year-old-fragment-pottery-prove-Old-Testament-tales-Bible-TRUE-claims-leading-expert.html#ixzz2akfYJx3w

A few characters on the side of a 3,000-year-old earthenware jug dating back to the time of King David have stumped archaeologists until now — and a fresh translation may have profound ramifications for our understanding of the Bible.

Experts had suspected the fragmentary inscription was written in the language of the Canaanites, a biblical people who lived in the present-day Israel. Not so, says one expert who claims to have cracked the code: The mysterious language is actually the oldest form of written Hebrew, placing the ancient Israelites in Jerusalem earlier than previously believed.

“Hebrew speakers were controlling Jerusalem in the 10th century, which biblical chronology points to as the time of David and Solomon,” ancient Near Eastern history and biblical studies expert Douglas Petrovich told FoxNews.com. http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/07/31/3000-year-old-inscription-translated-biblical-history/#ixzz2akgD6C9v

Various ones have wanted to act like true science contradicts the Bible, but that simply is not true.  As we get closer to the end, it is interesting that archeologists continue to find more evidence of biblical peoples, places, figures, and events.

I believe, however, that this evidence will not be used so much to turn people to the God of the Bible as it will to those who look like lambs (cf. Revelation 13) but preach another gospel (Galatians 1:6-7).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading. Here is a link in Mandarin Chinese: 读圣经

Bible: Superstition or Authority? Should you rely on the Bible? Is it reliable? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
What is the Appropriate Form of Biblical Interpretation? Should the Bible be literally understood? What do the writings of the Bible, Origen, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Augustine show?
Bible and Historical Resources on the Internet Electronic bibles, Two Babylons, early Christian literature, photos, and even links to old Herbert W. Armstrong materials.

Biblical Archaeology This is a website that has more information on biblical archeological as is sometimes known as the Bib Arch site.