Book of Enoch

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the Book of Enoch. This follows this post about marijuana being legalized in states such as Colorado and Washington.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown  for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Book of Enoch


 Is the book of Enoch valid? Should the apocrypha be held on the level of scripture?



[Steve Myers] A question came in from our BeyondToday.tv website from Dan. He asked this, "Is the Book of Enoch inspired writing that Christians should study like the Bible?"



It's a good question Dan. The answer is no. The Book of Enoch is in a group of various books that's called pseudepigrapha and that name used by scholars describes these books and the Apocrypha for that matter very specifically. Here's what that word really means. This "pseude" means false. And the "pigrapha" part means writings. So here we are with a description of these words as false writings.



Now they sound very official because nobody knows who the real authors are, but they use titles like the Book of Enoch or the Book of Beirut or the Book of Solomon, and Moses, and Adam, and names like this when in actuality we don't know who wrote them. And they're described in an interesting way in Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Here's what Nelson says, "The pseudepigrapha are a collection of Jewish books containing various forms of literature using names of famous people in Israel's history for the titles of the books." Now the interesting part is that these books have many false concepts that go contrary to the inspired word of God, many things that are in direct contradiction - probably too much then we can even discuss in this short daily today.



But as you look into these books you'll find there are many errors. One in the Book of Enoch specifically is about angels. Now it proposes that angels somehow took human wives for themselves. Now that goes directly against what Jesus Christ Himself taught in the book of Mark where He said that angels don't marry, and they are not given in marriage. They are not sexual beings, and so that would be impossible. So many instances throughout the Apocrypha and the pseudepigrapha are just non-biblical.



So be careful when it comes to these things. Don't let anyone sell you something that doesn't match with the true inspired word of God. In fact there's an interesting passage over in the book of Hebrews that's a good reminder for all of us. In Hebrews 13:9Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.



See All... it says, "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines."



In other words stick to the truth of God. Stick to God's inspired word, then you'll never go wrong.



That's BT Daily . We'll see you next time.

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Is belief in the signs of the zodiac wrong?

An interesting article from www.ucg.org analyzing horoscopes. This follows this post about the new governments in the Middle East. For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Is belief in the signs of the zodiac wrong?


Is believing in your horoscope okay?



Answer:



Although some firmly believe that the success of their day, the good fortune of their decisions and even their lives depend on advice they get from the signs of the zodiac, this is not what God says. God nowhere in the Bible tells us to build our lives around moon phases and the signs of the zodiac as astrologers teach. God even said that He will burn up unrepentant astrologers (Isaiah:47:13-14[13]Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.[14]Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.).



Jeremiah:10:2-3[2]Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.[3]For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. tells us very clearly: "Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain . . ." (King James Version).



Astrology, moreover, is a form of idolatry because it puts man's devices before God's ways. Astrologers teach people to try to obtain success by means of astrology. But God expressly forbids this worship of the constellations and the host of heaven (2 Kings:23:5And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.).



Just before the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land, God, through Moses, reminded the people about the importance of obeying the laws that He had given them.



Notice the word of caution recorded in Deuteronomy:4:19And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.: "And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the people under the whole heaven as a heritage."



The sun, moon and stars were not to be served in any way. The signs of the zodiac are not something to put stock in or to believe as determiners of our daily lives or destinies.

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