Why do we see such a great migrant crisis in Europe and elsewhere? Why will this crisis become even much bigger? Does sin have anything to do with it? How does God look at mass migrations? What is the future of Syria? How will all of this affect the USA, the UK and the Middle East? Will it lead to a powerful European army under a charismatic leader, bringing about the great tribulation?
Norbert Link
Did Joseph Build the Pyramids?
Recently, Republican Presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson brought attention again to the hypothesis that Joseph might have built the Egyptian pyramids. He added that it is his belief that they were built to store grain. “Experts” dismissed this conclusion, stating that it was “accepted science they were tombs for pharaohs.” Others claimed that no “major Jewish or Christian sect shares his belief about the pyramids’ origins.” Dr. Carson’s own church, the Seventh-Day Adventists, “clarified” that Dr. Carson’s belief about the pyramids were “his own interpretation.”
Could it be, however, that science and Dr. Carson’s concepts might harmonize, to a certain extent? Even though there is no evidence that Joseph built all of the pyramids or that the pyramids were built for the purpose of storing grain during the biblical seven years of famine in Egypt, there IS evidence that Joseph might have been involved with building one particular pyramid–the Cheops or Great Pyramid, together with Pharaoh Khufu. In addition, there is evidence to show that Pharaoh Khufu was none other than the biblical Job.
In his article, “Who Built the Great Pyramid?” (The Plain Truth, May 1964), Dr. Herman Hoeh pointed out:
“At the true entrance to the Great Pyramid we saw the hieroglyphic carving containing the name of the mighty builder of this architectural wonder of the ancient world. His name in Egyptian is spelled Khufu by modern writers. The Greeks spelled his name Cheops. That is why the Pyramid is often called the Pyramid of Cheops today…
“The Egyptian historian Manetho, who lived in the third century before Christ, wrote that Khufu ‘was of a DIFFERENT RACE’ from the Egyptians (Wathen’s Arts and Antiquities of Egypt, p. 54). Herodotus, the famous Greek historian of the 5th century before Christ, states that the builders of the Great Pyramid were SHEPHERDS (Euterpe §128). But the Egyptians were not shepherds! Notice Genesis 46:31-34: ‘And Joseph said unto his brethren… I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house… are come unto me; and the men are shepherds…And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle… FOR EVERY SHEPHERD IS AN ABOMINATION UNTO THE EGYPTIANS.” …
“Cheops was not a polytheist. He was a worshipper of the One God. ‘Cheops closed the temples and prohibited the Egyptians from offering sacrifices,’ wrote Herodotus in book II of his History, §124…
“The facts of history are that Cheops (1726-1663 B.C.) was a young contemporary of King Zoser of Egypt. Zoser (1737-1718 B.C.) built the ‘step pyramid’ shortly before Cheops built the Great Pyramid (Budge, A History of Egypt, vol. II, p. 9)… king Zoser ruled part of Lower Egypt at the same time Joseph was Prime Minister under Pharaoh Amenemhet III, king of Upper Egypt. Ancient Egypt… was a confederation of small city states. Amenemhet III (1741-1692 B.C.) was king of Upper Egypt and Pharaoh of all Egypt. But under him were lesser kings, among whom was Zoser. Cheops was [also] a foreign [lesser] King whose domain extended into the Delta of Egypt.
“King Zoser recorded the seven years’ drought in Joseph’s time. ‘My heart is in great anxiety,’ said Zoser, ‘for in my time the Nile has not overflowed for a period of SEVEN YEARS’ (Cambridge Ancient History, p. 309-310, vol. I). The Bible reveals the seven years of famine extended from 1727 to 1720 B.C. Here is clear evidence that Cheops, a contemporary of Zoser, must have built the Great Pyramid during the beginning of the sojourn (1726-1487 B.C.) of Israel in Egypt and about the time of the seven years of famine!…
“A noted man who helped Cheops in building the Pyramid was named Souf. He was ‘chief of the works of Khufu’ (Rawlinson’s Egypt, ch. 14)… Elsewhere he is called ‘Saf-hotep’ — meaning ‘Saf the servant.’ He was apparently one of 12 brothers who built the Labyrinth — the ‘Pentagon’ of Ancient Egypt — for Amenemhet III (Wathen’s Antiquities, p. 142)… ‘Souf’… could be none other than Joseph!… Egyptians still call Joseph ‘Yousuf.’… A corrupted Egyptian story records an incident in the later life of Cheops or Khufu, in which he calls an aged Egyptian sage to his palace (Budge’s Egypt, vol. II, p. 43). The sage lived 110 years. Joseph died at 110 years of age (Gen. 50:26)…
“Manetho, the Egyptian historian, wrote of Cheops: ‘He was arrogant toward the gods, but repented and wrote the Sacred Book… a work of great importance’ (see Wathen’s Antiquities, p. 268; and Budge’s Egypt, vol. II, p. 31)…
“Cheops has another name — Saaru of Shaaru (Petrie’s History of Egypt, vol. I, p. 37). Saaru is another name ‘for the inhabitants of Mt. Seir’ (Rawlinson’s History of Egypt, ch. 22). Khufu, then, was a foreign King whose domain extended from Mt. Seir to Lower Egypt during and after the time of Joseph… Mt. Seir was famous in history as the ‘Land of Uz’ (Vol. III of Clarke’s Commentary, preface to Book of Job). Uz was a descendant of Seir the Horite (Gen. 36:28). The Arabs preserve a corrupt record of Cheops of Mt. Seir or of the Land of Uz. They call him the ‘wizard of Oz.’ Now what individual who dwelled in Uz [note Job 1:1] was arrogant, repented of his sin and wrote a Sacred Book? None other than JOB! And the Sacred Book is the Book of Job! …
“The ancient Greeks called Job ‘Cheops’… Plainly, Cheops is but an altered pronunciation of Job! …
“Cheops lived in Joseph’s time. So did Job! Job lived in the generation after Esau, for one of his friends was Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 2:11). Eliphaz was the father of the Temanites (Gen. 36: 11) and the son of Esau, Jacob’s brother (verse 10). Eliphaz and Joseph were first cousins. Job lived before the Mosaic law which permitted only Levites to sacrifice. Notice that Job sacrificed to God for his family as was customarily done in patriarchal times (Job 1:5; 42:8). None of the conversation in the book of Job refers to the exodus under Moses…
“Coming into Egypt with Jacob in 1726 was a grandson — named Job! ‘And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons… And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Phuvah and Job, and Shimron’ (Genesis 46:13)… Cheops or Job was Joseph’s nephew…
“We might also consider whether the pyramid was designed by Job to be the tomb or resting place of Joseph’s mummy, before it was carried up out of Egypt by Moses (Exodus 13:19). Cheops or Job, according to the ancient historians, was not buried in it. The sarcophagus in the ‘King’s chamber’ was empty in ancient times. No treasures were hidden in the Pyramid’s inner recesses…”
We also find some additional biblical statements which might support the conclusion that Job was a king and none other than Pharaoh Khufu or Cheops who built the Great Pyramid.
For instance, we read in Job 3:11-15 that in case of Job’s death at his birth, he would have been buried with kings and princes, showing that he was of royal blood.
In the Plain Truth of October 1957, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in his article, “Why Must Men Suffer?”:
“Some authorities believe that Job was the architect and director of the building of the Great Pyramid—still today the largest building on earth, and prior to the construction of the Woolworth building the tallest. That Job was proud of his righteousness is plain. That he also might have been puffed up over constructing the world’s greatest building clears up much that God says now to him. Job was too well aware of his righteousness. God now proceeded to deflate his ego. Can it, then be possible God now compares His creation of the earth, and all that is, to the comparatively insignificant accomplishment of building the Great Pyramid? It’s interesting to keep this possibility in mind.
“‘When I founded the earth,’ God opened up on Job, ‘where were you, then? Answer me that, if you have wit to know! Who measured out the earth?—do you know that? Who stretched the builder’s line on it? What were its pedestals placed on? Who laid the cornerstone, when the morning-stars were singing, and all the angels chanted in their joy?’” (Verses 4-7). It is significant that a pyramid is the only kind of building on earth where the corner-stone is the top stone—the last stone laid—at the COMPLETION of the building! And here God represents the symbolic ‘corner-stone’ of the EARTH as being laid at its completion—when the angels shouted for joy! And so God continued to deflate poor Job. Job may have been the most righteous man on earth—yet how insignificant he was, compared to GOD!”
Many have responded with ridicule to Dr. Carson’s “personal interpretation” that Joseph might have built the pyramids. Even though it appears that he was “only” involved with building one pyramid—the Cheops or Great Pyramid—and even though it cannot be proven that this was done for the purpose of storing grain (although the construction of the Great Pyramid began apparently about the time of the seven years of famine), this example of a hostile, scoffing and arrogant reaction shows that one should be careful not to reject and dismiss ideas out of hand, labeling them as “odd” or “stupid,” only because they do not seem to fit into the paradigm of commonly held concepts and beliefs. After all, “let GOD be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).
What Will Be the Conditions During the Great White Throne Judgment Period?
Most professing Christians do not understand that the Bible speaks about more than just one resurrection. In fact, Scripture reveals three resurrections.
In our “Statement of Beliefs,” we address the three resurrections in the context of God’s annual Holy Days in the Fall or Autumn, as follows:
“The Feast of Trumpets… symbolizes the soon coming return of Jesus Christ to this earth (Leviticus 23:24-25; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), and our resurrection or change to immortality, to be born again into the Kingdom or Family of God (1 Corinthians 15:50-54, 42-49; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; John 3: 3, 5-8)…
“The Feast of Tabernacles… symbolizes the reign of Christ for 1,000 years, together with His saints made immortal, during which time Satan will be bound and the entire world will be living under the government of God (Leviticus 23:33-35; Daniel 7:27; John 7:2-8, 10-14; Revelation 20:4)…
“The Last Great Day… symbolizes a 100-year period called the ‘Great White Throne Judgment,’ during which all persons who have ever lived and who were never called by God for salvation during this life, will have their first opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior (Leviticus 23:36; John 7:37; Revelation 20:11-12). At the end of that period, there will be a judgment during which all people who have ever lived and who have refused to accept Christ as their Savior, will be finally condemned to eternal death and destroyed in Gehenna fire (Revelation 20:13-15).”
In our free booklet, “Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation“, we state the following:
“In Revelation 20, we are introduced to the concept of THREE resurrections… Paul was inspired by God to write in 1 Corinthians 15:20–26… that there is an ORDER of resurrections… When Christ returns, only those who died IN CHRIST will be resurrected. They will be resurrected to immortality. However, not all of the dead will be resurrected at that time… This resurrection to eternal life at the time of Christ’s return is described in 1 Corinthians 15:50–54… Those in the first resurrection will become immortal Spirit beings—they will be part of the resurrection of ETERNAL LIFE. They will rule with Christ ON THIS EARTH for a thousand years (Revelation 20: 4, 6; 5:9–10)…
“Following the first resurrection of those who died ‘in Christ’ will be the second resurrection of those who had not accepted Christ when they died. They will come back to live as humans, and will then have their first opportunity to learn the truth and accept Christ. But their resurrection will come LATER—it will NOT occur at the time of Christ’s return. Revelation 20:5, 11–12 describes the SECOND resurrection: ‘But the REST OF THE DEAD [who were not in the FIRST resurrection] did not live again UNTIL the thousand years [the Millennium] were finished… Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it… And I saw the dead, small and great, STANDING before God… And the dead were JUDGED…’
“This second resurrection is not one to eternal life, but to physical life. It is a resurrection to JUDGMENT… Ezekiel 37:7–11 describes the resurrection of the entire house of Israel to PHYSICAL LIFE. They will be resurrected in the SECOND resurrection. When the dead of Israel are brought back again to physical life, God will deal with them as He deals with true Christians today… It is not only the people of Israel who will be resurrected at that time. We read in Matthew 12:41–42 that the men of Nineveh and the queen of the South ‘will RISE UP in the JUDGMENT’ together with people who were alive at the time of Jesus Christ. Compare, too, Matthew 10:14–15 and Matthew 11:21–24, referring to other unconverted people who had died in the past…
“But there will be a FINAL resurrection following the second resurrection. We refer to it as the THIRD resurrection… Unfortunately, there are those who have rejected their opportunity to come to repentance and accept Christ. They have committed the ‘unpardonable sin.’ They once knew and understood perfectly well that they had to submit to Christ, but they refused to do so. They became bitter, hateful, resentful and malicious. They made the irreversible decision NEVER to repent… God will save such a person from eternal misery, by DESTROYING him in a lake of fire. Revelation 20:13–15 describes the THIRD resurrection, which will occur sometime AFTER the judgment period of the second resurrection: ‘The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.’”
In this series of articles, we will be addressing in detail the nature and conditions of the Second Resurrection or the Great White Throne Judgment.
In our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy — From Now Until Forever,” we state that “As a general truism, when we look at the physical conditions during the Millennium and compare them with the conditions during the Great White Throne Judgment period, we find that the conditions are very similar.”
This observation has great consequences for the understanding of how exactly the people in the Second Resurrection will live.
We make the following statements in our afore-mentioned booklet on “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever”:
“For instance, we read the famous statement in Isaiah 11:6-9 that during the Millennium, wild beasts will be tame and that the wolf and lamb shall feed together. The same conditions are described in Isaiah 65:25, referring to the Great White Throne Judgment period (compare the context in verses 17 and 20), but a few more details are given then; i.e., that ‘dust shall be the serpent’s food.’…
“We know that Christ will come to restore all things on this earth (Acts 3:19-21), and… this includes, of course, the establishment of the government of God here on earth. The restoration must therefore also apply, by necessity, to the time period of the Great White Throne Judgment. Christ’s restoration includes the fact that mankind will be brought to repentance at that time, and that the Holy Spirit will be offered to them… Christ will rule on the throne of David in Jerusalem during the Millennium. His rule will continue during the Great White Throne Judgment period. He will continue to RULE on the throne of David in Jerusalem (Luke 1:32-33)…
“Notice Isaiah 25:7-9: ‘And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over ALL people, And the veil that is spread over ALL nations. He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from ALL faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from ALL the earth; for the LORD has spoken.’ As we can see, this is the ultimate goal. This message is partially repeated in Revelation 21:4, when God the Father dwells on the new earth.
“In order to achieve that goal in fulfillment of God’s Will that all men should be saved (even though some will refuse to be saved), Christ’s rule during the Great White Throne Judgment period must allow for that process—including the removal of the spiritual veil which blinds the people to the truth… Even though God will remove the spiritual veil from people’s minds, they still need to be taught the right way, and they have to be encouraged to stay on that right path, as is explained in Isaiah 30:20-21, referring to teachers showing the way. God’s immortal saints will be those teachers, and the God Family will hasten righteousness in mercy on the earth (Isaiah 16:5; Psalm 96:13; 67:3-4).”
It is important to focus on this process of salvation. People will not accept Christ “automatically.” This is not the case today for those who are being called for salvation in this day and age, and this won’t be the case during the Millennium either. Let us focus on a few examples as to how people are being brought to Christ and God’s Way of Life in the Millennium, from which we can deduce how Christ will deal with the people during the Great White Throne Judgment period:
Quoting again from our afore-mentioned booklet on Biblical Prophecy:
“The Bible makes it very clear that after Christ’s return, He will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem (Luke 1:32) to rule the entire world. But all the nations will not automatically and immediately know and embrace the truth; they will have to be taught and their minds will have to be opened. Their conversion will be a process—the same as ours is today…
“Recall that at the beginning of the Millennium, Asiatic hordes will try to conquer the land of Israel (compare chapters 38 and 39 of the book of Ezekiel). But notice WHY God will deal with the hordes supernaturally, mightily and swiftly: For one reason, He wants to have the survivors of Israel and Judah understand, once and for all, HOW powerful God is, and that He will always defend them, and that there is never a need for them to fight in war. In fact, God wants them to realize that it would always be wrong for them to fight in war.
“Notice Ezekiel 39:22: ‘So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward.’ Compare also verse 7, first part: ‘So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel. And I will not let them profane My holy name anymore.’ The second part of Ezekiel 39:7 tells us this: ‘Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.’
“… when God intervenes for Israel and when He brings the Far Eastern nations into judgment with a great earthquake, pestilence and bloodshed, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:19, 22), so that even the troops of the hostile armies will begin to fight each other (verse 21), then it will become clear to the nations that God is now hallowed in Israel, and that Israel’s former sins have been forgiven. But equally importantly, Israel will know and understand this too (compare Ezekiel 39:27-29)…”
In the Millennium, individuals and nations will not automatically accept the fact that they must cease from war. It will take time to bring about the transformation of their minds to understand the utter futility of war. We read in Isaiah 2:3 about conditions in the Millennium: “Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD… He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’… He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.”
Those who are being resurrected to physical life during the Great White Throne Judgment period will also have to learn that war is wrong. This learning process will require some time.
In our booklet on Biblical Prophecy, we continue to describe further developments during the Millennium:
“… not every nation is going to be willing to obey God immediately and to keep His Sabbath and His Holy Days. We read in Zechariah 14:16-19, that not every nation will immediately worship God in the right way—some will refuse for a while to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. When this happens, God will deal with them. He will withhold certain blessings—rain in due season, which is necessary for a good harvest—and so they will learn swiftly that it does not pay to disobey God…”
There is no reason to assume that it will be different in the Great White Throne Judgment period. There will be those who won’t easily want to follow God’s Law, including His provisions regarding the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days. So, God will have to deal with them in the same way as He will have to correct the disobedient ones in the Millennium.
It is the same today. God chastens us when we disobey Him (Hebrews 12:4-11; Revelation 3:19). He will do the same in the Millennium AND during the Great White Throne Judgment period. In the next installment, we will continue to see how exactly God will deal with those who will be brought back to physical life in the Second Resurrection.
(To Be Continued)
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
Did Joseph Build the Pyramids?
Republican Presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson brought again attention to the hypothesis that Joseph might have built the Egyptian pyramids. He added that it is his belief that they were built to store grain. “Experts” dismissed this conclusion, citing contrary scientific evidence, but could it be that science and Dr. Carson’s concepts might harmonize, to a certain extent? In fact, this program shows that there IS evidence that Joseph might have been involved, together with Pharaoh Khufu or Cheops, with building one particular pyramid–the Cheops or Great Pyramid. In addition, there is evidence to show that Pharaoh Khufu was none other than the biblical Job.
Download Audio Download VideoWhat’s in Store for Totalitarian Turkey?
The current migrant crisis in Europe has set the stage for a temporarily friendly relationship between Germany and Turkey, with grave consequences for the future. Most people, especially in the USA and the UK, are totally ignorant about what the Bible prophesies in this regard and how they will be affected directly by these developments, culminating in nuclear warfare, defeat in war and captivity, and the worst time in human history. It is high time to wake up, as our personal survival is a stake. We are offering two free booklets, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy” and “Germany in Prophecy.”
Download Audio Download VideoHalloween–A Feast for the Devil?
Halloween is dedicated to Satan the devil. Satanists celebrate it as one of Satan’s holidays. It is associated with the occult, with witches and paganism, and it is known as the festival of the dead. Trick-or-treat, masks and jack-o’-lantern are all ancient practices or symbols in connection with feared encounters with spirits of the dead, demons and damned souls. But some professing Christians argue that it is not wrong for them and their children to observe Halloween and participate in at least some of its practices. Does God agree?
Download Audio Download VideoMarriage without a License?
Today, many men and women are living together without being married. But is such an arrangement acceptable in God’s eyes? Or is this conduct equated in Scripture with fornication? How does a marriage begin? Did God create Adam and Eve as husband and wife? Is marriage a covenant which is preceded by engagement or betrothal? What about a wedding and a wedding supper? How about adultery and divorce? What connection is there between a physical marriage and the spiritual marriage between the Church of God as the bride and Jesus Christ as the bridegroom?
Fighting for the Temple Mount — WHY?
Stunning events are happening in the Middle East and in East Jerusalem, which have direct relevance to biblical prophecy. WHY are calls being heard from Palestinians, Arab nations and France to deploy an international force in East Jerusalem and at the Temple Mount? Why is the UN adopting a resolution condemning Israel for “illegal measures taken against the freedom of worship of Muslims to the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” which is situated on the Temple Mount? Why is it recommended that the Temple Mount should be closed to Jews? In this program, we show you the most recent developments and explain to you from the Bible WHY they are so important, in the light of Christ’s, Paul’s, John’s and Daniel’s end-time warnings pertaining to Jerusalem. We offer you our free booklet, “The Book of Zechariah–Prophecies for Today!”
Download Audio Download VideoStripes at the Great White Throne Judgment
In the Second Resurrection or the Great White Throne Judgment, God will offer salvation to all those who died without having been called. But what is meant with the stripes which some will receive? Why will it be more tolerable for some than for others, and why will some receive greater condemnation? Will God just ignore the horrible crimes and atrocities of mass murderers and perverts? What is meant with the statement that tax collectors and harlots will enter the Kingdom of God before the Pharisees?
Unconditional Promise for Healing in this Life?
In previous Q&A’s, we have set forth some of the biblical requirements for physical healing.
We pointed out that because of Christ’s supreme Sacrifice, God has promised to heal our physical illnesses, if we are fulfilling certain conditions. We showed that God expects a sick person to ask the ministers of His Church to anoint the sick with oil or send an anointed cloth to the sick person. We also showed that the sick person must have faith to be healed, and that he or she must do the things “which are pleasing in God’s sight.” In addition, keeping God’s commandments is an absolute necessity.
At the same time, we must not conclude that we are guilty of neglecting or violating these requirements if we do not enjoy healing right away. We must of course prove, test and examine ourselves in this regard, but that is not to say that we are to run around with a guilty conscience, assuming we are not healed because we are the most terrible sinner in the world, lacking faith, while we are unable to determine in what regard we have supposedly failed. To develop a guilt complex and fall into depression as a consequence is most certainly not the right approach.
We must understand that God might have an overriding purpose for not healing us right away, KNOWING at the same time that God cannot lie, and that HE WILL heal us in His due time. It is important to develop a close relationship with God so that “delayed” healing or other “delayed” answers to our prayers will NEVER result in us doubting God and His Word.
In our free booklet, “Sickness and Healing–What the Bible Tells Us,” we state the following:
“Paul seems to have had another sickness that was not healed by God during his lifetime. We read in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10: ‘And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations [Paul had just described how God let him see, in a vision, the third heaven, or paradise, where God dwells], a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet [beat] me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times [he asked God three times in a very formal way that he be healed from that sickness] that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities [or weaknesses or sicknesses], that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’
“We see from this passage that Paul’s sickness—some think it was malaria [while others think it might have been an eye problem]—was NOT the result of an individual sin of Paul. We can also see that this particular sickness was caused by Satan, not God, but God did allow it. Further, God chose not to heal Paul from this sickness during his life. The reason God allowed this sickness was so that Paul would NOT sin and so that he could more fully appreciate and recognize what it meant to suffer, just as Christ suffered. Christ said, when he called Saul, that Saul had to experience what it meant to suffer for Christ’s name (Acts 9:16). Paul later commented that he bore in his body ‘the marks of the Lord Jesus’ (Galatians 6:17).”
The fact that God did not heal Paul at that time (Paul WILL be healed in his resurrection to eternal life) had NOTHING to do with sinful conduct or lack of faith. Rather, God chose not to heal Paul at that time because that was the BETTER course of action.
We also stated this in a previous Q&A on Paul’s faith:
“The question of sickness and healing has confused many people. Some don’t believe in godly healing; others claim that given enough faith, God will heal every sickness in this life. Some carry with them feelings of guilt, as they prayed to God for healing and were not healed, concluding that the reason must be their fault and their lack of faith. Some conclude that if we prayed to God for healing ‘in accordance with’ or ‘subject to’ His Will, this would already signify our doubt in God’s intervention. Some say that when Paul asked God for healing (compare 2 Corinthians 12:7-10), Paul did not really have the faith that God would heal him. They make the same argument regarding Elisha (2 Kings 13:14, 20-21), stating that Elisha was not healed because he did not have the faith that he would be healed.
“We should be able to see that these conclusions cannot possibly be correct. To suggest that Paul and Elisha did not have enough faith in God’s healing is absolutely wrong. But those ideas show the confusion some people have regarding this often-misunderstood topic of sickness and healing…
“Some say that if we only have enough faith in God to heal, then we have an unconditional promise for healing in each and every case. But… this is not correct. If it were so, why was the apostle Paul not healed? Why were righteous prophets, like Elisha, not healed? … we must understand that it may NOT be God’s Will to heal us right away, or completely, or at all, in this life. And there are reasons for that. To argue with and deny this, we are really ‘tempting’ God or better ‘testing Him severely,’ trying to force OUR Will on Him. Some have done this, refusing to take medical help–for instance, an insulin-dependent diabetic refuses to take insulin–’believing’ that God would heal the person of diabetes. In some cases, they nearly died, and some did, in fact, die. This is not unconditional faith—it is ‘foolishness’ and unbiblical conduct…
“Christ experienced what it was like to suffer in the flesh, so that He could become our merciful High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14–16; 5:6–8). All of us need to be compassionate and merciful toward others. In going through trials and suffering, including [a prolonged] sickness, we develop empathy for others who are also afflicted with sickness (compare 2 Corinthians 1:3–7). This may be, at times, one of the reasons why God may decide not to heal us right away.
“… even if we had ‘perfect’ faith and lived a ‘perfect’ life and had brought about perfect reconciliation with our brother and sister, God might STILL NOT heal us in this life from a particular sickness. Why not? Because God might have in mind a superior purpose for us in this life which He deems much more important than our healing from temporary frailties… If we REALLY love God, then we will have developed such a close relationship with Him that we will understand and accept the fact that God may respond to our plea for healing with the words, ‘Not yet, My child.’…
“… if we are sick, we are to pray to God for healing and avail ourselves of the privilege of calling for the elders of His Church to anoint us with oil and to pray for us. MANY were healed who did this – some miraculously in an instant. Others did not experience immediate healing, or healing at all in this life, but lack of faith or ungodly living or lack of reconciliation with others did not HAVE to be the reason. We must of course make sure that we do our part, and we must then have the unshakable confidence and trust that God WILL heal us—in HIS due time—never questioning Him, and never trying to ‘force’ Him to do what WE want Him to do, even though it would not be in our best interest and might even prevent us from entering His Kingdom. We might not fully understand all the reasons why someone is not healed right away or at all… but we MUST have the absolute faith and conviction that God knows everything; that He can do everything; and that He will do everything that we ask… in His due time and subject to His Will.”
Referring to praying to God subject to His Will, we should understand what is meant by this. We stated in a previous Q&A on godly requirements for healing:
“Christ KNEW that He had to go through His ordeal, but as a human being, He WISHED so hard that there could be another way. Deep down inside, He understood, of course, that there was no other way (He Himself had inspired Old Testament writers to prophesy about His torture and crucifixion), but He just expressed His innermost feelings to the Father in prayer. But He always added that the Father’s Will had to be done, not Christ’s human will which did not want to go through these terrible events just ahead of Him. And He submitted to the Father’s Will in everything. This must be our approach as well. We must never argue with God and oppose God’s Will for us, whatever it may be. But submitting to God’s Will has nothing to do with lack of faith.
“When we ask God for healing, we MUST believe that our request will be granted. When we ask God for healing, we must not doubt at the same time by thinking that perhaps it is not God’s Will to heal us. Such a prayer would show doubt (Matthew 21:21-22; Mark 11:23). It would not avail anything, because why would we even ask God for healing in the first place? If in a particular case God does not intervene right away, or for a longer period of time, we must not lose faith and give in to doubt (Matthew 14:31), but rather, our faith must grow ever stronger (Romans 4:20, Living Bible), being totally convinced that God will answer our prayer of faith in His due time. And let us not forget that no sickness—no matter how severe—is beyond God’s power to heal. There is NOTHING too hard or impossible for God (Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17).”
It really boils down to the question as to whether we have “unconditional love” for God and His Way of Life–never willing to forsake that way if things don’t work out in the way which we want them to. A good description of unconditional love for God can be found in Luke 16:13, where we read that loving our Master means, holding on to Him (Authorized Version) or being devoted to Him (NIV). The Living Bible states that we will be enthusiastic about Him. Christ had an extremely intimate relationship with the Father. We read that He is in the “bosom of the Father” (John 1:18). The NIV says that He is in “closest relationship with the Father.” The Pulpit Commentary adds that Christ is “in most intimate and loving fellowship with the Father.” We must acquire that same kind of relationship with God. We read in a parable, for example, that Lazarus was “in Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:23), describing the same close relationship and unity of mind. Christ NEVER doubted that whatever the Father decided was best for Him and others. James tells us too that God is the Giver of good and perfect gifts (James 1:17). We must never lose this conviction that God knows best, and that whatever He decides is the very best for us. With that understanding, we will gladly accept God’s Will in our lives… whatever it may be.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
