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Has anyone ever asked you this question? What will you answer them?
Luke 4:25-27
[25] But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;
26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. [1 Kings 17:1, 8-16; 18:1]
27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."[2 Kings 5:1-15]
It is only when Lord Jesus sends us that they will be healed.
1It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven (oo-ran-os' the Greek word for heaven). [2 Corinthians 12:1-2]
I know a man in Christ: Here Paul the apostle is referring to himself, but he speaks with reserve to avoid boasting about himself rather than the Lord who granted him such a privilege.
Fourteen years ago: This is about A.D.42, in the period of his Christian life not described in the book of Acts.
The third heaven: The idea of "the third heaven" is a strange concept to us today that raises all sorts of questions. Are there different levels of heaven? Do different levels of heaven correspond to how well one has lived; more good works the higher the level, with "death bed" conversions being at the bottom? What exactly is "the third heaven"?
The first heaven is what we see by day (the sky), the second heaven is what we see by night (the stars), and the third heaven is (where God lives).
These layers were called "heavens" or shamayim in the Old Testament or “oo-ran-os "heavens" in the New Testament era.
Also, the concept of seventh heaven is not biblically correct.
Despite the large number of cartoons and the almost universally accepted tradition, the Bible does not say that Eve ate an apple.
“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. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” [Genesis 3:6]
Genesis most definitely records that she did eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Why then is it so popular to believe that Adam and Eve ate an apple?
One reason is that the Latin word for evil is malum and the Latin word for apple is also malum. In the fourth century AD, the word malum appeared in the Latin Vulgate translation of Genesis in the phrase ‘the tree of knowledge of good and evil (malum)’. From that time on people began to associate the apple with the fruit which Eve ate. But now we surely know that Eve did not eat the fruit of the apple tree—she ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s Word, we are still suffering the consequences. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned..” [Romans 5:12]
This is one of the most common questions raised by Bible critics.
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the Lord."
2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. [Genesis 4:1-2]
“Adam knew Eve his wife” expresses the close sexual experience of marriage.
Also, from the above verses we see that Cain was the first son of Adam and Eve and Abel was the second.
Important Note: “She (Eve) conceived and bore Cain”…….She (Eve) bore again.
Eve conceived once and bore twice, that’s twins. This has lead bible scholars to suggest that Cain and Abel were twins.
Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. [Genesis 4:8]
In this verse we see how Cain murdered his only brother out of jealousy.
14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me."
15 And the Lord said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. [Genesis 4:14-15]
“Anyone who finds me will kill me” question: who else was there on the earth at that time? Even the Lord said, “Whoever kills Cain” this means that there were people on the earth (surely not as many as today)
16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son--Enoch. [Genesis 4:16-17]
“And Cain knew his wife” what does that mean?
Now skeptics say, where did all those other people came from if no one except Adam, Eve, and Cain were living at this time. Also, whom did Cain marry? So these same critics proposed a solution.
1. There must have been a “pre-Adamic” race living close be in the vicinity
The Bible clearly says Adam was the first man.
And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam (refers to our Lord Jesus Christ) became a life-giving spirit. [1 Corinthians15:45]
And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. [Genesis 3:20]
Again the Bible clearly teaches that Eve was the first woman. So the theory of the existence of a “pre-Adamic” race during the time of Adam and Eve goes for a toss.
What is the truth?
Even after decay and death entered the world at the time of God’s great curse on man’s dominion, most men did live for hundreds of years and undoubtedly had large families.
After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died. [Genesis 5:4, 5]
Since Now the Bible does not indicate at what period of his life Cain murdered his brother, took his wife, or built his city. It is obviously during these time periods that Adam “had many sons and daughters” [Genesis 5:4] So it is very obvious that Cain married one of his sisters.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, [Matthew 2:1] Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. [Matthew 2:7] From these scriptures, we can easily know that they were not kings but “wise men” the Greek word is “maggoi” meaning they were powerful astrologers from Persia (Iran) This was a fulfillment of the prophecies such as: 5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. [Isaiah 60:5-6]10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles wll bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. 11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him. [Psalm 72:10-11]11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. [Matthew 2:11] The number of the wise men is not specified in the gospels, though it is assumed three since there are three gifts mentioned.
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