Does He know whether and when we will sin? Does He know how prophesied events will come to pass?

The answer depends on the circumstances.

First, let us quote from chapter 3 of our free booklet, “Are You Predestined to Be Saved?”:

“The Bible contains many unconditional prophecies—most of which are for the end-time—to be fulfilled just ahead of us. Many are familiar with the Olivet Prophecy that Jesus Christ gave to His disciples prior to His death. Also, the book of Revelation is a prophecy for our time. The longest cohesive and uninterrupted Old Testament prophecy can be found in the eleventh chapter of the book of Daniel. Biblical scholars understand that that prophecy culminates in end-time events. Some recognize that many verses in the 11th chapter describe historic events that have already come to pass, events that were still future at the time Daniel wrote them down…

“God clearly has determined—predestined—well ahead of prophesied events, what will happen in the future. Isaiah 42:9 quotes God as saying: ‘…”Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”‘ Isaiah 46:9-10 adds: ‘Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, “My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.”‘ Isaiah 48:5-7 continues: “Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you… I have made you hear new things from this time, Even hidden things, and you did not know them. They are created now, and not from the beginning; and before this day you have not heard them…”’

“How is this even possible? How could God know thousands of years ago what would happen and what certain men would do?

“Part of the answer is revealed in Scriptures such as Ezra 1:1: ‘Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom.’ We find here that God gave a prophecy to Jeremiah, and when the time of fulfillment had arrived, He influenced King Cyrus to act as prophesied. There are numerous examples in the Bible where such a course of action by God is described…”

To interject, we might also consider Isaiah 44:24-26. Sometimes, God inspires His servants to pronounce future events, and God “confirms the word of His servant and performs the counsel of His messengers” (verse 26). The NIV says that God “carries out” the word of His servant; and the revised Luther Bible writes that God “makes it true.”

To continue with the quote from the above-mentioned booklet:

“When the sixth angel sounds his trumpet, ‘four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind’ (Revelation 9:15). This Scripture tells us plainly that, thousands of years ago, God had decreed… that four angels would kill a third of man at a very clearly designated time…  Verse 16 continues: ‘Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.’ Continuing in verses 18-21: ‘By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone… But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.’

“We should take note here of several facts: First, God told John almost 2,000 years ago that just prior to Christ’s return, an army of two hundred million would kill a third of mankind. But God also knew that the rest of mankind who would survive that attack would NOT repent. This is remarkable, as in another situation, man WILL repent (compare Revelation 11:13). So God knew when some would repent and when most would not. How does God know when some will repent? We can answer this question in part: Because it is GOD who grants us repentance (Romans 2:4)—so He knew in advance to whom He would offer the gift of repentance at a certain time. What escapes human understanding is the fact that, in addition to knowing when to offer the gift of repentance to some, God also knew in advance who would accept His gift…

“In addition, God outlines the history of the New Testament Church in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, pointing out, among other things, that there would be seven eras… God also describes the predominant characteristics of the Christians in each of those eras, well in advance of their existence (compare chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation).

“In subsequent chapters of the book of Revelation, God outlines the history of the false church, and of the political system which it will rule, pointing out that the Roman Empire would be resurrected ten times, and that the false church would direct seven of those resurrections. Further… both a religious leader [the false prophet] and a political leader [the beast] are clearly identified who will fight against the returning Christ, while two Christian leaders, the Two Witnesses, will prophecy for exactly 1,260 days, before they will be killed by the political leader in the city of Jerusalem. God knew all of this in advance. It is predestined to happen. These prophecies… are certain to occur.”

On the other hand, we must realize that generally speaking, God has decided NOT to know whether human beings sin, and that is particularly true for those whom He decided “before time began” (Titus 1:1) to call to the truth in this day and age. God has created man as a free moral agent, and even though God knows that we are dust, and that “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21; compare Ecclesiastes 7:29), He has generally chosen NOT to know how we will act specifically in a particular situation. That is why He tests us in order to know how we will respond (Exodus 15:25; 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:2, 16).

As we have seen, there are exceptions. God knows, of course, how the beast and the false prophet will act in the future, but we must also realize that God will not call them for salvation in this day and age. Their opportunity to repent and follow God will be given to them later, in the Great White Throne Judgment period. Also, Christ knew “from the beginning” that Judas Iscariot would betray Him (John 6:64; 13:11; 17:12; Acts 1:16)… but Judas was never called for salvation, and he will be offered repentance in the Second Resurrection.

However, generally speaking, God has decided not to know ahead of time, whether or not we will sin, and because of this decision, He “learns” from human conduct. That is, when He noticed how evil and wicked mankind had become prior to the Flood, His reaction of surprise and dismay is clearly revealed in Genesis 6:5-7:

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every human intent of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was SORRY that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth… for I am SORRY that I have made them.'”

After God had anointed Saul to be king over Israel and had given him the Holy Spirit, He decided to take the Holy Spirit away from him and to replace him as king, when he rebelled against God. It is clear from the context that God did not know ahead of time—because He had CHOSEN not to know—that Saul would turn his back on God. We read that “the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:35).

Also, we read that later, Israel and mankind in general would act in such a horrible way that God was utterly surprised that man could reach such a depraved state of existence, saying that man’s behavior never entered His heart and His mind (Jeremiah 7:31; 19:5; 32:35). The Living Bible gives the intended meaning, as follows: “… a deed so horrible I’ve never even thought of it, let alone commanded it to be done (7:31)… something I never commanded, and cannot imagine suggesting. What an incredible evil…” (32:35)

On the other hand, when God calls us and gives us His Holy Spirit, He is totally convinced that we can make it (Philippians 1:6). He even said about young David when He anointed him to be king, that he was a man after His own heart who would do all His Will (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). This does not mean that David would not sin, but it means that God knew and looked at his heart (1 Samuel 16:7), and He knew that David would repent of his sins, once they came to his attention. We also read that after God had studied and tested Abraham, He knew that he would teach God’s way to his children. God said: “For I know him, that he WILL command his children and his household after him, and they SHALL keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment…” (Genesis 18:19, Authorized Version.)

This then raises the question as to whether God knew that Adam and Eve would sin and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The answer is that God did NOT know, as He CHOSE not to know, but He realized, of course, that Adam and Eve could sin by disobeying Him, as they had been created as free moral agents. As to the questions as to what would have happened IF they had rejected the tree of knowledge and had chosen instead to eat from the tree of life, please see two of our Q&As on this topic, http://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-9333/ and http://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-3149/. We explain that they would not have become immortal right away, and that even after eating from the tree of life, they still would have sinned from time to time, as we do today, since NO HUMAN BEING exists who does not sin (1 Kings 8:46; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). (There is only one exception of a sinless human being, see below.) This means that regardless of Adam and Eve’s original decision in the Garden of Eden, Jesus Christ still would have had to come in the flesh to die for our sins. He was indeed predestined, from the foundation of the world, to be our Sacrificial Lamb (compare Revelation 13:8).

This brings up another question. Did God the Father and Jesus Christ KNOW, when it was decreed that the Son of God would become a man to overcome sin in the flesh, that Jesus, as a human being, would NEVER sin, so that He could become the perfect Sacrifice for us, making possible the forgiveness of our sins and our entry into the Kingdom of God?

First of all, both the Father and Jesus Christ had the absolute conviction and complete confidence that Jesus would NOT sin. This does not negate the fact that Jesus, as a man, having become totally flesh as we are today (John 1:14; Hebrews 2:14; Romans 8:3), COULD have sinned. He had to struggle against sin so that He remained sinless throughout His human life (compare Hebrews 5:6-9; 12:3-4).

But more is involved. We read throughout the Old Testament, long BEFORE Jesus became a man, that He, as the Messiah, would succeed in the flesh (Isaiah 52:13, so the Luther Bible and the Menge Bible; the Revised English Bible says: “My servant will achieve success…”) and that He would subsequently rule as a glorified God being–with the glorified saints –on and over this earth in the Kingdom of God (compare for instance Isaiah 2:1-4; Daniel 2:44; 7:9, 13-14, 27; Zechariah 14:3-5, 9). That rule would only be possible if Jesus never sinned. Apart from the complete confidence that He would not sin, it APPEARS that God, who inspired the Old Testament prophecies, might have looked into the future… beyond Christ’s first coming, knowing that He would remain sinless, as otherwise, none of the Old Testament prophecies predicting as a certainty His rule on earth as the Messiah could come to pass.

This brings us to another important question. Even though God has decided NOT to know whether and when WE will sin and also, whether we will commit the UNPARDONABLE sin, He has the utmost confidence in us that we will NOT fail Him. He knows that MOST of those whom He has foreknown, predestined, called, chosen and justified in this day and age WILL remain faithful and will make it as glorified beings into His Kingdom (Romans 8:29-30; Revelation 17:14). He wants YOU to be successful. But then, even though King Saul had received God’s Holy Spirit, he lost it and will apparently end up in the lake of fire. And so, God warns all of us: “Hold fast what you HAVE, that no one may take your crown” (Revelation 3:11). The decision is ours.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

To be blunt, voting in governmental, national and presidential elections violates God’s plan for true Christians and constitutes a grave sin. It manifests the absence of faith in God; reveals a complete lack of understanding as to what the role of a true Christian is today; and shows utter ignorance as to who is ruling this world. We will not mince words in this Q&A, because FAR TOO MANY Christians are deceived and are deceiving others on this topic, foolishly thinking that they are serving God and their country by voting in governmental elections.

We point out the following in our Statement of Beliefs:

“We believe that a Christian’s duty to God is of a superior and higher nature than our duty arising from any human relationship (Acts 4:18-20; 5:27-29). We therefore, following Biblical commands and principles, do not participate in voting for national elections or jury duty, and we do not join the military.”

Why is this? WHY do we take such a strong stance against voting in national elections, while other Christians do not seem to see any problems with this? WHY do we claim that it is part of the Christian DUTY NOT to vote in governmental elections?

The simple answer is: We will NOT water down the truth of God, even though many others do. We will NOT swim with the stream of national pride, patriotism and nationalism, if it involves violating God’s Law. We WILL obey God rather than man, not being afraid of men and their antagonistic reactions and hateful persecution, but being FEARFUL of becoming luke-warm and compromising with God’s Will, even though many Christians do.

In our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?”, we address biblical passages which PROHIBIT a true Christian from voting in governmental and presidential elections and from getting involved in political campaigns in ANY way, pointing out that one cannot separate the issues of voting, jury duty service and FIGHTING IN WAR! We state the following:

“It is inconsistent to take the position that one cannot join the military because one is an ambassador of Jesus Christ and a citizen of another government – the Kingdom of God – while at the same time serving on a jury or voting in governmental elections. For instance, in the United States, the President is also the Commander-in-Chief, having both the right and the obligation under the Constitution, in certain circumstances, to declare war. How can one refuse to participate in war, while voting for a person who has the right and the obligation to declare war? In the past, people were disqualified as conscientious objectors because they did not refuse to serve on a jury or to vote in governmental elections. It was ruled that such an obvious inconsistency in position showed evidence for non-sincerity of the applicant.”

We also explain in our booklet that it is SATAN who rules this world and EVERY country, WITHOUT exception. It is true, of course, that Satan can only do what God ALLOWS him to do, but generally speaking, God is NOT getting involved in the affairs of this world, and neither should we. God will ONLY intervene and see to it that certain individuals end up in governmental positions, if they are temporarily needed to fulfill aspects of God’s plan. But this would be GOD’s doing, NOT ours.

We state the following in our above-mentioned booklet:

“Another reason why a Christian is not to vote for a candidate in governmental or local council elections is because he understands the truth about this being Satan’s world at the present time. It is Satan who, with the general permission of God, places candidates into governmental offices. If we were to vote, we might involve ourselves quite directly in Satan’s system. Hosea 8:4 gives us God’s warning in this regard: ‘They set up kings, but not by Me; they made princes, but I did not acknowledge them.’

“Sometimes, in order to ensure that certain aspects of His plan are fulfilled, God Himself might intervene to see to it that the person best (or perhaps worst) suited for the job at that time gets the job… How would God look at us when He intervenes directly to place a specific person into office, while we did not vote for that person, but rather for someone whom God does not want to see in charge at that time? It is obvious that our vote would be found to be in opposition to God’s Will.

“To give a prophetic and an historical example, Biblical prophecy reveals that a final political leader of the resurrected Roman Empire – the ‘beast’ – will soon arise in Europe. According to God’s prophetic plan, this person will be placed in office in the very last days, wreaking total havoc on this planet. It is Satan, with God’s permission, who will give his power and authority to this person (Revelation 13:4-5). A Christian could not and should not vote for this person, of course, as he will persecute and kill many of the ‘saints’ (Revelation 13:7), and he will even attempt to fight the returning Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:19). Neither should a Christian have voted for Adolph Hitler, although it is clear now that Hitler came to power, as prophesied, to bring about the ninth resurrection of the Roman Empire. This is to say that God allowed Hitler to become ruler over Germany so that prophecy could be fulfilled.

“The Bible shows that God sometimes appoints directly, or permits Satan to place into office, strong or weak leaders, depending on the situation, in order to insure that God’s purpose will be carried out. For example, God allowed ancient Pharaoh, at the time of the Exodus, to be ruler over Egypt for a very specific reason – ‘that [God] may show [His] power in [him], and that [God’s] name may be declared in all the earth’ (Exodus 9:16).”

In regard to Pharaoh, we read that God placed him into power because he was a stubborn, self-righteous and ungodly person who would refuse to obey God and do His Will. God announced to Moses that He was “sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand” (Exodus 3:19). Pharaoh would only yield after God had stricken Egypt with “all My wonders which I will do in its midst” (verse 20). God pronounced to Pharaoh that “indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16). Paul later quoted this passage in Romans 9:17 in the context of God’s Will and His decision as to whom He wants to grant mercy in this day and age. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:4 that “The LORD has made all FOR HIMSELF, Yes, even the WICKED  for the day of doom.” The fact that GOD raised up and gave rulership to wicked Pharaoh for the day of his doom in order to show His mercy towards Israel PROVES that any HUMAN voting for governmental leaders is useless, futile and CONTRARY TO GOD’S Will.

While the Jewish leadership was willing to fight the Babylonian army under King Nebuchadnezzar, the prophet Jeremiah proclaimed God’s Will to the Jewish people NOT to fight, but to put down their weapons and to surrender to the foreign king. Jeremiah did not find a popular acceptance of this command; in fact, he was labeled a traitor and imprisoned as a consequence. King Nebuchadnezzar conquered and subdued the house of Judah, as it had been prophesied, but he was by no means a righteous king. He was full of pride and because of his arrogance and lack of humility, God removed him from his throne for seven years and let him become insane, living with the animals. After that, God restored his sanity and placed him back on his throne. The accompanying lessons before, during and after Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity are strikingly revealed in the Bible. We read in Daniel 2:21 that God “removes kings and raises up kings” (Daniel 2:21). We also read in Daniel 4:32; 5:21 that it is GOD who gives a kingdom to whomever HE chooses. God wants us to know that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever HE WILL, And sets over it the LOWEST of men” (Daniel 4:17). The Authorized Version even says that He “setteth up over it the BASEST of men.”

As mentioned, God will do so when His plan requires it; otherwise, He leaves it to Satan to appoint those whom he wants to rule this world. Satan understands this. He showed Jesus in the wilderness all THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD in a moment of time, and said to Him: “ALL this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to ME, and I give it to WHOMEVER I WISH” (Luke 4:5-6). Jesus knew this to be true, and we do not read that He disputed Satan’s claim. This is simply NOT God’s world, and neither is it the world of true Christians. Jesus said that the world hates us because we are not part of it (John 17:14). How FOOLISH to think that we should be a part of it by voting in governmental elections, believing that we can thereby make this world a better place or help our country in any way. How FOOLISH to think that we should be trying to improve Satan’s handiwork.

In our before-mentioned booklet, we state the following about the related topic of jury duty service:

“A true Christian is a stranger, alien and exile (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13) while here on earth; an ambassador for Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20); and a representative of God’s Kingdom. As such, and in being a light to the world by proper conduct (Matthew 5:14-16), a true Christian does not take part in this world’s governmental or political affairs, as presently, it is not God who rules this earth, but Satan the devil (Revelation 2:13; Luke 4:5-6). Christians are challenged to come out of the governmental and political systems of this world. Christ, knowing that God’s Kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), refused to judge a civil matter when He was asked to do so (Luke 12:14). Paul, likewise, prohibited judging those ‘who are outside’ the church (1 Corinthians 5:12).”

As Christ did not JUDGE a civil matter, so He did not VOTE in governmental elections either, and Christians are likewise PROHIBITED from doing so.

The Bible is very clear: We are SINNING if we judge in jury duty services or vote in national elections, while forgetting our true responsibility of being AMBASSADORS for Christ and the coming Kingdom of God. Once God rules on earth, there will be NO MORE VOTING in political campaigns. For true Christians, there must be no voting today.

Please also view Pastor Brian Gale’s recently video-recorded sermon, “My Candidate Is Not Standing.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The Bible hints very strongly at the idea that the USA and the UK will be defeated in a nuclear war. However, the USA and the UK will not be attacked by Russia, but by a European power bloc under the leadership of a modern Assyrian ruler–the proverbial “beast” in the book of Revelation or the “king of the North” in the book of Daniel. Many of our booklets explain the biblical teaching in this regard, including, “Germany in Prophecy,” “Europe in Prophecy,” “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire,” “The Book of Zechariah–Prophecies for Today” and “Biblical Prophecy–From Now Until Forever.”

In these booklets, we are showing that the descendants of the ancient house of Israel can be found today in countries such as the USA and the UK, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and we are also quoting many passages which indicate that the European attack will be launched with nuclear weapons.

We say in “Europe in Prophecy”:

“Another clear and sobering prophecy of Israel and Judah’s punishment can be found in Ezekiel 6:6: ‘In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate…. The slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered throughout the countries. Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me.’

“In Ezekiel 39:23, God states, ‘The Gentiles will know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them.’ Even Gentile nations will know why God is allowing this captivity of the modern-day descendants of Israel and Judah. The Germans will be the dominant people of the coming united Europe, which will conquer both the United States of America and Great Britain as well as the Jews, transporting captives to Europe and Egypt. This will all happen just prior to the return of Jesus Christ—for, in the remainder of Ezekiel 39, the prophet reveals that Christ will come to free the captives and bring them back into their land.

“Hosea 11 confirms this. Jesus Christ says, ‘How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel…? [God] will roar like a lion. When He roars, then His sons shall come trembling… like a bird from Egypt, like a dove from the land of Assyria, and I will let them dwell in their houses, says the Lord’ (vv. 8-11). Jesus Christ is going to come back to end this captivity. Also, in Jeremiah 46:27, He says, ‘Do not be dismayed, O Israel. For behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring [all your descendants] from the land of their captivity.’

“Christ will come back to make an end of the war and destruction going on. Conditions will be so terrible that if Jesus Christ were not to intervene, all of mankind would be annihilated. He states in Matthew 24:22, ‘And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive], but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.’ That means no human being on the face of the earth would survive.”

The before-quoted passage should tell us several things: First, the modern descendants of the house of Israel will be taken away from the lands they are occupying and they will be transported, as captives of war, to other countries. Why? One reason is that they will be used as slaves and forced laborers in foreign lands. But an additional reason is that their lands will be in such a terrible state that they could not live there anymore. This strongly hints at nuclear war. This is supported by the fact that ultimately, the war will become all-encompassing, threatening the very survival of mankind. In addition, we read that in ALL of the dwelling places of the house of Israel, the cities will be laid waste, and the high places will be desolate. To lay waste or destroy major modern cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Washington, San Francisco, Boston, as well as London, could only be possible through the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

In our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” we elaborate on this, as follows:

“About 60 million people live in the British Isles. How can one-third, as Ezekiel 5:12 said, that is, about 20 million die within a short period of time?… About 296,530,000 people live in the United States; about 32,508,000 live in Canada; about 19,913,000 live in Australia; almost 4,000,000 live in New Zealand; and almost 43,000,000 people live in South Africa. According to Biblical prophecy, one third of all of those will die within a short period of time…

“In addition to famine and disease, Psalm 91:3 refers to modern Israel’s eventual deliverance from ‘the noisome pestilence’ (Authorized Version). Strong’s Concordance (Hebrew #1942) defines the Hebrew word for ‘noisome’ as ‘rushing, falling, ruin, calamity and very wickedness.’ It seems to refer to a disaster from the sky, conceivably from rockets, missiles and bombs, and would most likely include chemical and biological substances. By this means around 20 million—one-third of the nation of Ephraim—will die, in addition to the proportionate deaths of those of the other tribes of the houses of Israel and Judah…

“The next one-third of the people will be struck with the sword [weapons of war], thus another 20 million of the people of the British nation, and also one-third of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will die, presumably by hydrogen or atomic bombs or other weapons exploding onto the modern cities of the United States, Great Britain and other English-speaking nations in the world. So now, we can envisage a very extreme scenario with a full two-thirds of the people DEAD!…

“The final third will be sold as slaves around the world. The Scriptures tell us that ‘…the LORD will scatter you [the modern houses of Israel and Judah] among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and…you shall find no rest…Your life shall hang in doubt before you; you shall fear day and night, and have no assurance of life’ (Deuteronomy 28:64–66).”

Later in the booklet, we state this:

“Note God’s anger against Jerusalem: ‘…In the day of the LORD’S anger There was no refugee or survivor,’ or as the Authorized Version reads, ‘… none escaped nor remained [in the land]’ (Lamentations 2:22). In light of Manasseh’s (America’s) current superpower status and their close relationship with Ephraim (UK), will there be any retaliation against the rising end-time European superpower by the United States and Great Britain? The answer is, No… God will thwart any attempts of the modern house of Israel to retaliate.”

We must also remember that when Europe attacks the state of Israel, it will also attack the USA and the UK at approximately the same time. This means, that all will be defeated together. Therefore, the USA and the UK will be in no position to “retaliate” against Europe—even if they wanted to. We read in Hosea 5:5 (Authorized Version): “And the pride of Israel [here a reference to Manasseh, the USA] doeth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim [here a reference to Ephraim, the UK and the British Commonwealth] fall in their iniquity; Judah [the state of Israel] also shall fall WITH them.”

In our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” we state this:

“Notice in Hosea 5:9: ‘Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.'”

We must not forget that the USA and the UK, as well as other English-speaking nations, will be attacked and destroyed at the beginning of the most terrible time, called the Great Tribulation. We state in our booklet, “The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”:

“At the same time of this religious persecution of God’s servants, the modern nations and peoples of Judah and of the house of Israel (the English-speaking nations of the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and others) will be attacked and destroyed in war, mainly by a European power bloc, during the ‘Great Tribulation’ (Matthew 24:15–28; Mark 13:14–20; Luke 21:20–24; Daniel 12:1; Jeremiah 30:10; Hosea 9:3; 13:16; Amos 6:7; 7:17).”

As mentioned before, Jesus said that no human being would even survive the time of the Great Tribulation, if God had not shortened these terrible days. The total annihilation of mankind is only imaginable through the use of nuclear weapons. It therefore seems abundantly clear that nuclear weapons will be used during this terrible time, beginning with the European attack on the USA and the UK.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

It depends.

Before answering the particular question at issue, we need to understand that a true Christian is not obligated to avoid a certain practice or conduct, only because pagans are engaged in it. We addressed this question in two previous Q&As, titled “Should Christians Use Symbols which Are Used by Pagans?“ and “Should Christians Wear Wedding Rings?” .

We pointed out the following in the Q&A on wedding rings:

“… we must be careful that we do not… prohibit everything, whether it is used in worship services or otherwise, only because pagans might have engaged in it. We addressed this issue in a recent Q&A, which answered the question as to whether Christians should use symbols which are used by pagans. Among other symbols, we discussed the symbol of the heart, certain symbols which are being used in sign language, the Star of David and the symbols of stars in general. We also pointed out that the mere fact that pagans and occultists attach a particular meaning and human interpretation to certain symbols should not compel a Christian to refrain from using these symbols. This same principle applies to wedding rings…

“Inasmuch as the Bible has to be our guide on whatever questions might arise, it is immaterial as to what superstitious meanings pagans and occultists may give to their use of wedding rings. Since the Bible clearly allows the wearing of wedding rings, pagan and occult interpretations are meaningless for us—as long as we do not wear wedding rings with a superstitious understanding of occult practices.”

This same principle applies to the lighting of candles in memory of a deceased loved one.

Even though not compelling, it is still interesting to note that this tradition has been used in Judaism.

The website of JewishBoston.com addressed the question: “Where does the custom of lighting memorial candles for the dead come from…?”

Rabbi Neal Gold responded as follows, especially addressing the annual memorial day of “yahrtzeit” — the yearly anniversary of a loved one’s death which goes back to Talmudic times:

“A Yahrtzeit candle should be lit on the evening of the anniversary (remembering that in the Jewish calendar days begin at sunset). If the anniversary falls on Shabbat or on a holiday, the Yahrtzeit candle is lit before the Shabbat/holiday candles. The candle typically will burn for 24 hours…”

We are also informed by another source that Jews light a Yahrzeit candle to remember someone who brightened our lives, stating that amid the sadness and gloom of mourning, light is a symbol of hope and of comfort. Mourners light a candle in honor of the decedent that burns for 24 hours. This ceremony is conducted on the anniversary of special family members each year to ensure that their memory is cherished. In addition, during services on Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret, the last day of Passover, and Shavu’ot, close relatives recite the mourner’s prayer, Yizkor (“May He remember…”) in synagogue. Yahrzeit candles are also lit on those days.

Even though the Bible does not say anything about an annual memorial of loved ones (or a “Yahrtzeit”), it is important for us to note that the lighting of candles is associated with it, as well as on other occasions in Judaism, without pointing at any pagan origin.

At the same time, we find in Scripture that mourning for dead loved ones and also remembering those who have died is very clearly not against God’s Will. We read in Genesis 37:34-35 that Jacob mourned many days for his son Joseph (who he thought had died). In turn, the Egyptians mourned for dead Joseph seventy days (Genesis 50:3-4). The Israelites mourned for Moses thirty days (Deuteronomy 34:8). A reference to a long-time mourning for the dead is also found in 2 Samuel 14:2-6. King David mourned for his dead son Absalom even though he had betrayed him (2 Samuel 19:2-4). We read that Israel will mourn for Christ and His death, when they realize why Christ died, “as one mourns for his only son, and… as one grieves for a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).

As we will see, since we are allowed to mourn over the death of a loved one, we most certainly are allowed to express our good memories of him or her and our hope in his or her future life.

It is true, of course, that lighting a candle is applied in Catholicism and paganism. Candles burning in a Roman Catholic church are thought to continue the prayer’s petition long after he/she has left the church. But to ascribe power to candles is unbiblical. On the eve of All Souls’ Day in Ireland, families lit a candle in the window to guide the souls of the dead back to their old homes. Candles are lit for the dead as a way of symbolizing their rebirth and transition. This is equally unbiblical, as man does not possess an immortal soul which continues to live when a person dies.

This brings us to the question as to whether a Christian would be free to light candles in memory of a deceased loved one, as long as he does not do it with the wrong understanding of ascribing power to the candle or believing in an immortal soul concept.

We know that in Old Testament times, candles played an important role even in worship services. We read about the golden lampstand with seven lamps (Exodus 25:37), and the lamps had to burn continuously (Exodus 27:20-21). In the New Testament, Christ often used the symbol of light to express His love and concern for the world, and we are told that we are the light of the world and that we are not to light a lamp (or a candle) and put it under a basket. New Testament Christians would light candles at the beginning of the Sabbath, as they would do in the evening of every new day (remember, they did not have any electrical lights). In addition, Christ refers to entire churches as “candlesticks.”

There is rich symbolism in the act of lighting a candle on behalf of a loved one, if we combine with it the contemplation on the promise that one day our loved one will rise from the dead and that we will see him or her again.

We read in Proverbs 20:27 that every human being has a spirit, which is the “lamp of the LORD.” The Authorized Version says that the human spirit is “the candle of the LORD.” Ecclesiastes 12:7 tells us that when a person dies, his or her spirit goes back to God in heaven who gave it (compare Zechariah 12:1). God preserves the human spirit in heaven until He uses it for the resurrection of the dead person. We understand of course, that the spirit in man is not conscious while it is preserved in heaven. It is not a living soul, and we do not pray or communicate in any way to the human spirit or a conscious soul, when we think of a deceased loved one, by lighting a candle.

Nevertheless, in lighting a candle for a deceased loved one, we might think of the fact that his or her spirit (“the lamp of the LORD”) is preserved in heaven and that God has promised that one day, the deceased loved one will be resurrected and brought back to life. We read in Hebrews 12:22-24 that in prayer to God, we come to the heavenly Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the innumerable company of angels, the general assembly and church of the first-begotten registered in heaven, AND to the “spirits of the just men made perfect.” But the promise of the preservation of the human spirit and future resurrections applies to everyone—not just to those who have been “made perfect” and will be in the FIRST resurrection. The overwhelming majority of human beings will be brought back to life in a SECOND resurrection (compare Revelation 20:5, speaking of the “first” resurrection, with Revelation 20:11-12, describing the second resurrection).

To light a candle in memory of a loved one would not be wrong with the understanding, as described herein. However, we do not advocate, nor will we follow the practice, of lighting candles in general church services—apart perhaps from a one-time special memorial service for a deceased loved one.

The comments herein are meant to constitute a permission and not a command. If someone would feel uncomfortable with lighting a candle for a deceased loved one at any time, he or she should not do it, because whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link