bible q & a
If you have any questions, send them to onthewallministries@shaw.ca. We will do our best to research the answer and reply to you by e-mail. Some of your questions will be posted here.
Q: Isn't Christianity just like all other religions?
A: There are a couple of major differences that separates Christianity from all other religions. Firstly, other religions teach that a person must earn their place in eternity with good deeds. Christianity teaches that we cannot earn our way to heaven but simply accept Jesus as our righteousness. Secondly, all other religions had mortal leaders. Buddha is still in his grave, so is Muhammed. Jesus rose from the dead (see our page, Who is Jesus) and is now seated at the right hand of God (Heb 1:13)
Q: How can I trust that the bible is true?
A: Prophecy is a wonderful gift. One third of the bible is prophecy, some having been fulfilled and more yet to come. Because of the way the Scriptures were carefully copied and checked we can trust that our bible reads as it should and because of additional sources outside of the bible we accurately date certain prophecies. For instance, The book of Isaiah contains a prophecy about a future king named Cyrus that would release captive Israelites and rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem (Isa 44:28) This prophecy was made over a hundred years before Cyrus was born, before the Israelites had even been taken captive to Babylon and before the temple was destroyed. There are many other examples but this one alone should be proof enough that there is something supernatural about the Holy Bible.
Q: Why did Jesus Christ come to earth?
A: (1) To be our example (2) To show us the Father (3) To be our substitute (4) To seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).
Q: Is there more than one heaven?
A: Yes there are three heavens? (Deuteronomy 10:14) The first heaven is the atmosphere, the clouds air; our atmosphere called "the firmament" (Gen 1:8) The second heaven is where the stars, moon and sun are. (Gen 1:14, & chapter 18) It is beyond the first firmament (Psalms 8:3 (heavens, plural) Ephesians 6) The third heaven is the called "the farthest heaven", the realm in which our Father, God, His Son sitting on His right hand side, with His holy angels preside. (2 Corinthians 12:1-3) Also see 1 Kings 22:19, Rev 7:9-12)
Q: What is man's greatest need?
A: Our greatest need is Salvation.
Q: I'm a good person. I haven't murdered anyone... etc. Why should I not get into heaven?
A: We are being measured against God's perfect standard, not our human standards. It doesn't matter how "good" we've been (or how bad), we still cannot satisfy the perfect righteousness that is required to stand in God's presence. Think of it this way. You hold the world's record for farthest football toss and you are challenged by a 3 year old to see who can throw a football across the Grand Canyon. You throw better than you ever have and the football goes farther than it ever has. The three year old's football drops dismally at his feet and rolls over the edge into the canyon. You have clearly beaten your human opponent but remember the challenge was to throw ACROSS the Grand Canyon and you missed that by several hundred yards. By that standard you have both failed. In the same way, we ALL fail to meet the righteous, sinless standard of God. It is only because God Himself (Jesus was God in the flesh) sacrificed His own life to pay the debt to cover your sin that you can share His righteousness. You can get to heaven because of what HE did... not what you do or don't do.
Q: If I do not have any sins counted against me, why should I go to hell?
A: That's a good question. A person will go to hell for rejecting Jesus Christ as his or her Savior. Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). You must be born again in order to be saved from hell and spend eternity in heaven.
Q: Is it dangerous to speak for God when He hasn't told you to do so?
A: Pelatiah lied that God had spoken to him (Ezekiel 11:1-15). The book of Ezekiel teaches us how to listen when God talks. (Isaiah 65:24)
Q: What is Prophecy?
A: All true prophecies are from God. Prophecy involves much more than foretelling. Prophets are the spokespersons for God, just as Elisha told the son of another prophet to go anoint Jehu (2 Kings 9:1-3). And Isaiah told Hezekiah to put his house in order because he was going to die (2 Kings 20:1). Jonah is another example of a prophet which was sent on a journey to warn the city of Nineveh (Jonah 1:1). Some prophecy in the Bible can be conditional, depending on the response of those who hear the prophecy and comply accordingly.
The Bible predicts the future (Isaiah 65:1-23). Many have come to pass and many are yet to come; in fact some are happening right now. Prophecy predicts time periods, peace and blessings (Genesis 1:22, 24:35; Job 42:12; Psalms 45:2), destructions (Deuteronomy 30:15-18), specific locations and specific names in Bible prophecy, for example Cyrus in Isaiah 45:2 and Jesus' birth at Bethlehem in Micah 5:2.
John wrote a whole book of prophecy called Revelation about end time events. In general a prophet's message was and is a clear call for repentance.
Caution: Not everyone who claims to be a prophet speaks for God. We must all test a prophet to see if he or she speaks the truth. The first thing we must do is go right to the Scripture to see if what we heard coincide with the word of God, because God never contradicts Himself. If anyone says anything that is against the Bible, then that person is a false prophet.
The Scripture clearly says that if a prophet or anyone tries to convince people to serve or worship or believe a god other than the God of Israel who created all things and is in control of all things, then that person is a deceiver (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). The second thing (test) is if that prediction comes through. If anyone that says they are a prophet and they predict a certain day or time for some event to happen and that day or time passes without an ounce of truth then that person (prophet) is a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
Q: When is Jesus coming?
A: "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only (Matthew 24:36-44). So not even the angels know when this age will end and the Scripture warns us to make sure we are to prepared for His coming, and not to be caught off guard. (Matthew 24:42, 44; Luke 12:40). Only God knows His coming, and when He comes everyone will know and see Him and know for sure it is Him because His coming will be unmistakable (Matthew 24:27-31). The Lord's arrival will be announced with a loud trumpet sound
Q: Why is there a rainbow?
A: The rainbow we see was a covenant between God and Noah. After the flood God set a rainbow in the clouds for the first time to promise that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. (Genesis 9:12-17)