In the first part of this series, we explained that “in the beginning” God created the heavens (the entire physical universe) and the earth, but that due to a catastrophe, the earth BECAME void and empty and that God restored the surface of the earth within six days. We also pointed out that God made man at that time. However, the earth had not been originally created in a state of emptiness, corruption and decay. Before God created the physical universe and the earth, He had already created angels and other spiritual “things” (regarding the existence of spiritual “things,” please see our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”–see pages 59-62).

In this booklet, we also stated the following in our introduction:

“The Bible reveals to us that there was a time when only God existed. However, that statement is coupled with the biblical understanding that God actually consists of two beings—the Father and the Son. John 1:1 tells us, ‘In the beginning [before anything else was created] was the Word [the Son of God—Jesus Christ], and the Word was with God [God the Father], and the Word was God.’ God has always existed. There was never a time when God (both the Father and the Son) did not exist.

“The Bible does not tell us what God did before He began creating within the spirit world and then the physical universe. We are told, however, that there was a time when God started His Work of creation. We might speculate that God spent a lot of time in planning His creation. We are not told, however, how long this took nor what God did before He began to plan His creation.

“We humans tend to think of creation as referring to the physical universe—the galaxies, the suns, the stars and planets, and our own earth and the life forms on it, including man. God, however, did not start His work of creation by creating physical things. He first created spiritual things. This spirit realm still exists today, but since it is invisible to the human eye, many choose not to believe in it. However, when rightly understood, the spirit world is much more real than the physical world. It is, in fact, permanent, unlike the physical world, which is temporary. The created spirit world has existed much longer than anything physical, and it will continue to exist for all of eternity.”

In our first installment of this series, we pointed out that when God created the earth, angels shouted for joy because the earth was created in such a beautiful state.

We also alluded to the fact that some angels occupied the earth prior to man, and that they were led by a beautiful archangel and cherub with the name of Lucifer. However, as we explained, he and his angels rebelled against and tried to fight God and invaded the third heaven, but they were defeated and cast back down to the earth, where they still live and rule today. Lucifer’s name was changed to Satan or the Devil, and the angels under his rule became known as devils or demons.

In Part 2 of our afore-mentioned booklet, titled, “The World of Demons,” we stated under “Lucifer and Satan”:

“The Bible reveals that God created all of the angels. They were not created as robots, but as spirit beings with the power to choose and to decide. One high-ranking angel, a cherub by the name of Lucifer, rebelled and sinned against God (Isaiah 14:12–15; Ezekiel 28:11–17). Lucifer wanted to ‘ascend to heaven’ to dethrone God (Isaiah 14:13). He wanted to ‘ascend above the heights of the clouds’ (Isaiah 14:14). This shows us that he was here on earth, because he wanted to ascend above the clouds of the earth to go to heaven. When he sinned, he was thrown back to this earth (Isaiah 14:12).

“He became Satan, which means enemy or adversary. Lucifer, or Satan, was already here on earth when Adam and Eve were created. We are told that the serpent was already here in order to deceive Eve when Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden. The serpent is identified as Satan the devil (Revelation 12:9). Since Satan appeared to the first man and his wife as the deceiver, he must have lived on this earth prior to man as Lucifer—when he was not yet the deceiver—before he tried to ‘ascend to heaven.’ 

“Actually, before he was sent to earth, Lucifer had been trained in heaven before the very throne of God, and he had angels under his command. We read in Ezekiel 28:14 that he was the anointed cherub who covers. Recall that the cherubs covered the throne of God when God appeared to Moses in the Tabernacle. Also, we read in Ezekiel 28:14 that Lucifer was on the holy mountain of God in heaven (compare Hebrews 12:22). When he sinned by trying to ascend from this earth to heaven to dethrone God, he was cast out of the mountain of God (Ezekiel 28:16). Christ later said that He saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning (Luke 10:18).

“In the Hebrew, the word translated as ‘Lucifer’ in the Authorized Version and in many other translations, is “helel,’ or ‘heylel,’ which means ‘lightbringer,’ ‘shining one,’ ‘morning star,’ or ‘shining star of the dawn.’ The word ‘Lucifer’ is the Latin translation of the Hebrew word ‘helel,’ or ‘heylel,’ conveying exactly the same meaning. It is therefore appropriate to use this word in describing the cherub who later became Satan (‘sawtwan’ in Hebrew).

“Satan, the prince of darkness, is still ruling on this earth. Revelation 2:13 tells us expressly that Satan has a ‘throne’ here on earth. He holds the people of this world captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). He has authority over all the kingdoms of this world (Luke 4:5–7). He is called the ‘ruler of this world’ in John 14:30. He is even called the ‘god of this age’ in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Satan is called ‘the prince of the power of the air’ in Ephesians 2:2.”

Why did Satan rebel against God? We read that he wanted to become like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14). This refers to God’s position. God was the ruler of the universe, while Lucifer was “only” the ruler of the earth. It appears he craved for more. This conclusion becomes even more compelling when realizing in what state Lucifer had been created. We read that he was “the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” and that ”every precious stone was [his] covering” (Ezekiel 28:13). For a while, he was “perfect in [his] ways,” but then “iniquity was found in” him and he “became filled with violence within” (verses 14-16). He became guilty of sin (same verse). It started with pride—his “heart was lifted up because of [his] beauty” and he “corrupted [his] wisdom” (verse 17).

He apparently began to think that because of his “perfection” and great wisdom, he could do as good a job—if not a better job—than God, in ruling not just the earth, but the entire universe. He passed on this line of selfish thinking and pride to the angels under his command, who, sadly, began to adopt his reasoning. We do not know how much time passed until the angels had convinced themselves that they should follow Lucifer—it could have taken thousands, if not millions of years. A human example could be seen in Absalom, and how he persuaded the people of Israel and Judah to assist him in his rebellion against his father David. When one wants to find “fault” with another being over some real or imagined “injustice,” one can quickly do so. And with that mindset, one can even blame and disagree with God regarding actions He takes (compare Revelation 16:8-9, 21).

Rather than quickly repenting, Lucifer and his angels continued to “become futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (compare Romans 1:21-22), until they became “haters of God” (verse 30). Their hate caused them to launch an attack against God in heaven, thinking they could actually knock Him off His throne and take over the rule of the physical universe and the third heaven, where God dwells, including the spiritual “things” in the third heaven.

(We might even conclude that it was ultimately Satan’s goal to rule over all the other angels as well, but he must surely have known that his attack on God would not bring about this immediate result, but that it would have required a long period of time to convince God’s angels to follow him. Since his short-term goal was to rule the universe, he had to knock God off His throne and subdue His angels in a spiritual warfare. He might have thought that in time, he would perhaps be able to convince God’s angels as well to submit to him, as he had been successful to persuade the angels under his original command to obey him.)

Referring especially to the role which Lucifer’s angels played in this appalling spiritual rebellion, we stated the following in part 2 of our afore-mentioned booklet, under “Angels Became Demons”:

“Lucifer was not the only spirit being who rebelled against God. The angels under his control accompanied him and became known as demons thereafter. A reference to that rebellion is made in Revelation 12:4, stating that one-third of the angels (referred to as ‘stars’) followed Satan and became demons. This indicates that the other two-thirds of the angels stayed loyal to God…

“We read in Jude 6 about angels who did not keep their own domain (the earth), but left their own abode in order to go to heaven to dethrone God. They are now reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, that is, they are angels of darkness. They are still ruling this earth under Satan (compare Ephesians 6:12 where demons are called ‘the RULERS of the darkness of this age’). They are ‘chained,’ or held captive, by their own spiritual perversion. We read in 2 Peter 2:4 that ‘…God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell [in Greek, tartarus, describing a condition, rather than a place] and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.’”

Lucifer had been trained at God’s very throne in heaven, as one of the cherubim “covering” the throne with his wings, and inasmuch as God later created the earth and placed Lucifer there with one third of all created angels, it follows that Lucifer was trained as to how to administer God’s government of love and justice among the angels and as to how to rule with them on earth, which, as you will recall, was created in a beautiful state. As God would later give man the charge to “have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on earth” (Genesis 1:28), so it stands to reason that a similar charge was given by God to Lucifer and his angels. We do not read that Lucifer and his angels created the animal and plant world which existed at that time—long before the creation of man—but we read that everything was created by God through Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:16). We also read that the angels shouted for joy when the earth, including its animals, was created, which would imply that all the animals were peaceful and not ferocious creatures.

When God recreated the surface of the earth and created the more “modern” animals, they were created in a peaceful state.  God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden, telling them to “tend and to keep” it (Genesis 2:15). The animals were brought to Adam so that he would name them—including lions, crocodiles, snakes and serpents, scorpions and other animals that are “wild” and potentially aggressive today, but which were apparently tame then. As we will explain, they became wild due to sin; and something similar happened to the dinosaurs prior to man—they too became wild due to sin. God did not create them as vicious animals as we see them sometimes portrayed in movies today.

In our Q&A on the cruel nature of some of today’s animals, we stated the following:

“There is no biblical evidence that God created animals at the beginning with vicious natures. We do find, however, that the nature of animals changed, when they gave in to Satan’s influence.

“We read, for example, in Genesis 3:1 that ‘the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.’ While Satan is described as a serpent and as a dragon (Revelation 20:2), it appears that Eve was confronted by and spoke to a real serpent in the Genesis account. Satan gave the serpent a voice — as later, God gave a donkey a man’s voice to speak to the false prophet Balaam (Numbers 22:28; 2 Peter 2:16).

“We read that the serpent — that is, the animal — was more cunning or more subtle than every other beast of the field. Later, God punished the serpent, stating that it was more cursed than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field (Genesis 3:14). God pronounces punishment on a literal serpent, as well as, of course, on Satan the devil who used the serpent.

“Did God create the serpent with a cunning and subtle nature? The Hebrew word for ‘was,’ in Genesis 3:1, is ‘haya,’ which can also mean, ‘became.’ It appears that the serpent — under Satan’s influence and control — had become more subtle and cunning than the other animals. At that point, its nature had changed.

“Under the influence of Satan, in due course, the nature of other animals changed, too. In fact, the nature of animals became so evil that God decided to kill them in a flood. We read in Genesis 6:7 that God was sorry that He had made man and beast. Genesis 6:11 tells us that the earth was corrupt and filled with violence. Genesis 6:12 adds that all flesh had corrupted their way. This includes the animal world. Genesis 6:13 states that the end of all flesh had come, and that the earth — due to Satan’s influence and control — had become filled with violence through them. Genesis 7:21 states specifically that the term ‘all flesh’ includes at least all of the land animals and birds, as well as man: ‘And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.’’

God did not create Lucifer and his angels as evil monstrous creatures either. As we saw, they became that way. As the nature of the animals changed in the post-Adamic world, under Satan’s influence, so it is fairly certain that the nature of the animals changed as well in the pre-Adamic world. As Lucifer decided to rebel against God, his nature changed, and as he was able, in the process of time, to influence his angels under him to follow him in unrighteous conduct, their nature changed too. This, in turn, had consequences for the nature of the animal world under their control. Peaceful animals became vicious and hostile. Some began to attack and devour each other. We do not know whether some animals were originally created as flesh-eating creatures, or whether they became that way, but in any event, they were not created as vicious creatures.

When God created the animals at the time of Adam, it does not appear that they were flesh-eaters. Rather, we read that God gave “green herbs” for food to the animals (Genesis 1:30). We also know that after Christ’s return, the lion will again eat straw like an ox (Isaiah 11:7). In any event, the lion’s original tame nature at the time of Adam’s creation became wild subsequently. But its tame nature will be restored.

It appears that when Satan and his demons launched their attack against God, all flesh on the earth had corrupted itself. And as God destroyed the animals in a Flood at the time of Noah, so He might have also destroyed the animals at the time prior to Adam, when Satan and his demons were thrown back to the earth. This spiritual fight between God and Satan would not have automatically brought about destruction to the physical surface of the earth; so an additional action was necessary.

It is also possible that Satan and the demons caused the physical destruction of the earth, or that they had a part in it. It is possible that Satan’s and his demons’ twisted and perverted minds, in rage and anger, destroyed the surface of the earth and the animal world under their control when they realized that their fight against God would prove unsuccessful. Satan is THE destroyer (Revelation 9:11); he loves to destroy whatever he can. He will inspire man to be willing to destroy this entire planet just prior to Christ’s return, because his wrath is very great (Revelation 12:12). The mindset of demons is equally destructive. They can influence people whom they possess to become self-destructive (Mark 5:2-5) and to kill themselves (Mark 9:14-22). They also caused the herd of swine to kill themselves when they possessed them (Matthew 8:30-32).

Satan’s rebellion against God caused the earth to become void and empty, and all the animals were destroyed, including the dinosaurs in existence at that time. God restored and renewed the surface of the earth and made it habitable for man to live on it. But due to Satan’s influence, the earth has become corrupted again (compare Hosea 4:3), and when Christ returns, another renewal of the largely destroyed earth will have to occur, so that a Millennium of peace and happiness can begin.

(To be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

As we will see in this new series, the answer to the question in this Q&A is clearly yes. We will explain that the dinosaurs were created and existed PRIOR TO modern MAN, and that they became extinct BEFORE the creation of man (Adam and Eve), due to a universal catastrophe which engulfed the entire earth. 

We will explain the cause for this catastrophe, and that God subsequently restored the surface of the earth and that He brought into existence modern man at that time, as well as the kinds of animals and plants which are basically still known today. (However, God re-created some dinosaur-type animals, when He created man, as will be discussed). A subsequent worldwide catastrophe at the time of Noah wiped out all land animals and birds and insects (but not necessarily sea animals), except for those which were preserved in the Ark.

In this new series, we will also respond to “objections” which are raised against our conclusions. These objections claim that the earth is only 6,000 years old, and that God created all dinosaurs and man together at the same time–“in the beginning”–and that all the dinosaurs and man continued to live together on this planet, until they were destroyed in Noah’s Flood. As we will show, this erroneous idea cannot be based on the Bible.

In our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?”, we explain, first of all, that neither the universe, nor the earth, nor man and animals, as well as plants, were the product of (atheistic or theistic) evolution, but that GOD created everything “by fiat” (while we are not denying that modifications did and do take place within a species (there are different “types” or “breeds” of dogs or cats), but not from one species (cat) to another species (dog), or from a reptile to a bird, from a bird to a mammal, and most certainly not from an animal (ape) to man.)

In the chapter, “The Proof of Creation,” we state the following:

“While scientists tell us the beginning of the universe began with a ‘big bang,’ the Bible tells us something altogether different. God says in Genesis 1:1, ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ The word ‘heavens’ is plural, referring to the entire universe. In Isaiah 45:11-13, God says, ‘Thus says the Lord, the holy One of Israel, and His Maker:… I have made the earth, and created man on it. I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host [the stars, planets, etc.] I have commanded.’

“The New Testament confirms these claims in Hebrews 11:3, ‘By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.’ Hebrews 1:10 tells us, ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.’ Again, we are told that it was God who brought into existence everything there is. Revelation 4:11 states, ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.’…

“Note God’s purpose for His creation in Isaiah 45:18, ‘For thus says the Lord who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited.’ The Hebrew word for ‘in vain’ is ‘tohu,’ which means ‘empty’ or ‘in a state of waste.’ When God created the earth, it was not created in a state of being empty or waste. Rather, we read in the book of Job, that the angels were delighted when they saw the beauty of the earth, as God had created it. Job 38:4-7, ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth… when the morning stars [high-ranking angels, compare Isaiah 14:12, New International Version] sang together, and all the sons of God [lower-ranking angels in this case, compare Job 1:6; 2;1] shouted for joy?”’ The angels would not have shouted for joy if the earth had been an empty, wasted, uninhabitable planet, which had to wait millions of years for physical life to evolve. No, the earth was created in a beautiful condition, capable, at the time of its creation, of supporting life.”

Before continuing, please note that “angels” were already in existence when the earth was created. We read that God created everything. “God” is a translation of the Hebrew word “Elohim,” which describes a Family of God beings, consisting of the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. That is why “God” said, “Let US make man in OUR image” (Genesis 1:26). God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:1-2)—the visible AND the invisible (Colossians 1:13-18, especially verse 16). Angels are created beings, and as we will see in the next installment, one third of them were placed on the earth for a special purpose. We are not told how long ago the earth was created—let alone, how long prior to that the angels came into existence by the hand of God. Also remember that God did NOT create the earth “in vain”– in a state of emptiness and destruction.

In the chapter titled, “The Earth Became Void and Empty,” our booklet on the Theory of Evolution states:

“With this in mind, let’s read Genesis 1:2, ‘The earth was without form [Hebrew ‘tohu’], and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep.’ A more correct translation would be, ‘The earth became void and without form.’ Some translations, like the Companion Bible and The New International Version, have made notations to this effect. [The German Elberfelder Bible states in a footnote as well that the translation can be rendered as, “became” (“wurde”” in German].

“We saw that Isaiah 45:18 tells us that God did not create the earth in vain, or ‘tohu.’ The Hebrew word for ‘in vain’ in Isaiah 45:18, ‘tohu,’ is the same word used in Genesis 1:2, and rendered there, ‘without form.’ So we read in Isaiah that God did not create the earth ‘void’ and ‘empty,’ but we also read in Genesis 1:2 that the earth was ‘void’ and ‘empty.’ Since the Bible does not contradict itself, the only explanation is that the earth, which had NOT been created ‘void,’ subsequently BECAME ‘void.’

“The reason why some translate Genesis 1:2 as, ‘The earth WAS void and empty,’ rather than, ‘The earth BECAME void and empty,’ is based on the fact that the Hebrew word, translated ‘was’ or ‘became,’ can indeed mean both, based on the context. The word in Hebrew is ‘haya.’ It is up to the translator to decide whether to use ‘was’ or ‘became,’ and unless the translator understands what transpired here, based on what the Bible says elsewhere, the resulting translation is going to be misleading.

“Let’s look at some examples that show that the Hebrew word ‘haya’ can mean ‘became.’ As a matter of fact, in the following passages, the word ‘haya’ can ONLY mean ‘became,’ and NOT ‘was.’ Genesis 2:7 says, ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man BECAME [haya] a living being.’ Let’s also read Genesis 19:26, ‘But Lot’s wife looked back behind him, and she BECAME [haya] a pillar of salt.’ Another interesting passage is found in Deuteronomy 27:9, ‘Then Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying, “This day you have BECOME [haya] the people of the Lord your God.”’ Finally, 2 Samuel 7:24: ‘For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever, and You, Lord, have BECOME [haya] their God.’

“Many theologians and scientists have correctly postulated that the state of emptiness, described in Genesis 1:2, occurred long after the state described in Genesis 1:1, when God created the earth. For instance, Joseph Free, Ph.D., Professor of archaeology and history, published a book in 1950, entitled, ‘Archaeology and Bible History.’ He writes on pages 19 and 20, ‘The date of the creation of the universe is an entirely different question from the date of the creation of man. The universe may have been created shortly before the creation of man…or long before, depending on whether or not a long period of time is involved in the first two verses of Genesis. [T]he original creation of the universe and the earth is described in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Then a period of time followed during which “the earth was without form and void.” … This period of time may have been of any length, and could include the geological ages observable in the earth’s surface… After this cataclysmic period, the putting of the world in order is described in Genesis 1: 2b, 3 ff…

“‘In the nineteenth century George H. Pumber in his book, ‘Earth’s Earliest Ages,’ popularized this view that there may have been a long period or gap in Genesis 1:1, 2, and it is sometimes charged that the whole idea is due merely to his book. The possibility of a gap or a long period of time in Genesis 1:1, 2, has, however, been held by many competent theologians…’ …”

We will later address what caused this cataclysmic period, and why the earth, after it had been created beautifully, BECAME a wasteland. But before the earth became empty, animals already lived on the earth. It is important to remember, however, that man did not exist at that time. His creation is described in Genesis 1:26, after God had made the earth habitable again, and after He had created animals which live, for the most part, still today. An interesting passage describing the re-creation or the renewal of the surface of the earth can be found in Psalms 104:30, “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You RENEW the FACE of the earth.”

In our booklet on Evolution, we continue to describe scientific evidence that the earth did in fact BECOME void and empty through a worldwide catastrophe, and that this cataclysmic event caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and other pre-Adamic animals. We will not take the space here to repeat these findings, but recommend to our readers to study our booklet in that respect. However, we will continue with quotes from our booklet, showing the BIBLICAL evidence for this worldwide catastrophe and God’s subsequent restoration of the surface of the earth and the creation of man.

In the chapter, “In the Beginning…,” we say the following:

“The Bible confirms a catastrophic event in the past that destroyed a previously beautiful earth. This event produced darkness and devastation that God had to remove when He renewed the surface of the earth. Looking at Genesis 1 more carefully, we can see that the darkness was the result of comets or asteroids hitting the earth, as well as subsequent volcanic eruptions. Genesis 1:3 says that God said there should be light, and that there was light. But then we read that subsequently, God made the sun, the moon and the stars. Is this a contradiction? Was the great skeptic Voltaire correct when he asked sarcastically, ‘How could there be light, when there was not a sun yet?’ The answer becomes clear when we remember what happens when a meteor or an asteroid or a comet hits the surface of the earth. The smoke from the flames can darken the sky for months, even years. Sunlight could not come through. God had to eliminate the darkness so that the light of the sun could shine through to the earth.

“But still, how can it be that God made the sun on the fourth day, after He had already made light on the first day? The answer is that the Hebrew word translated ‘made’ in verse 16 can also be translated ‘had made’ or ‘will have made.’ One must always consider the context. Remember in Genesis 1:1, ‘In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth.’ God did indeed make the sun, moon and stars in the beginning, though we are not told the time frame of the original creation of these elements. Therefore, verse 16 must be correctly translated that God HAD already made the sun, moon and stars. Then on the fourth day God eliminated all the smoke and dust so that the sun, moon and stars could be viewed again in full clarity and strength.

“Reading verses 14 and 15 again, ‘Then God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night…and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth.’ In other words, let them become fully visible. Until then they divided nothing, as there was still a lot of smoke and ashes.

“Commentator R.K. Harrison, in his ‘Introduction to the Old Testament,’ points out that Genesis 1 is written as if the writer was on the earth at the time he wrote, and describes the phases of re-creation in the way he would have seen them. From that standpoint, the writer would have seen the sun, moon and stars on the fourth day when God removed the darkness caused by the fallout…”

We continue to address the question why the earth was covered with water, as verse 2 tells us. We explain that huge tidal waves can be produced by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in the oceans, and we give numerous historical ancient as well “more modern” examples to that effect.

We state that “scientists tell us that even today, in order to see most of the earth flooded with water, not too many spectacular occurrences are necessary. For instance, Bangkok, Thailand, is located only one meter above sea level. A large portion of the Netherlands is actually under sea level. Many developing countries, in fact, are threatened by the possibility of tidal waves or tsunamis. So it is possible, even from a scientific view, that meteors, asteroids and comets hitting the earth, combined with resulting earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and sinking of the earth, as well as huge tidal waves or tsunamis, could have resulted in the surface of the earth being covered with water.”

In our chapter, “Punishment for Sin,” we begin to answer the question WHY such a worldwide destruction which destroyed the dinosaurs occurred after the earth had been created in a beautiful state, so that the angels shouted for joy. We state:

“The cause for the destruction was sin. The Bible tells us that angels occupied the earth prior to man and their leader was Lucifer. But Lucifer became proud and haughty. He induced the angels under him to fight against the very God who created them. Of course, they lost…

“Lucifer’s name, meaning Lightbringer, was changed to Satan, meaning Adversary. The angels under him became known as demons. And because of the sin committed by Satan and his angels, the earth that they inhabited was destroyed. This physical destruction, caused by sudden catastrophes, explains part of the fossil record. Remember, fossils can only be formed in a sudden way. Gradual changes don’t create fossils. Some fossils were formed during other catastrophes, such as the world-wide flood. Again, such catastrophes took place because of sinful conduct of the inhabitants of the earth. A lesson we should learn from this is that sin has a price—you reap what you sow. The fossil record proves that evolution did not take place, and could not have taken place. Rather, fossils establish the existence of sudden catastrophes.”

In our next installment, we will commence to explain in more detail WHY God placed angels, under Lucifer, on the earth; WHY and HOW the earth became gradually corrupted under their rule (after all, since God created the earth and its physical inhabitants in a beautiful and peaceful state, it is hardly comprehensible that He would have created some of the animals as vicious and mean-spirited carnivores); HOW and WHY Lucifer and the angels under his command rebelled against God; and WHY the subsequent SPIRITUAL battle between God and Satan caused the earth to become PHYSICALLY destroyed, causing the extinction of all the dinosaurs alive at that time.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Many of the writers and reviewers of this publication once belonged to a different church organization. For the purpose of this Q&A, it does not matter whether or not you, as the reader, are familiar with that organization. Even if you have never heard of that organization, the following should still be very revealing. The organization referred to (the Worldwide Church of God under its human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong, who died  in 1986)  had taught the truth for decades. A few years after its founder died, the new leadership began to introduce doctrinal changes. The changes were subtly introduced, and it was claimed at the time that they were just clarifications or changes in terminology.

Before explaining in detail what actually happened, let us examine the nation of Israel and the building of the first temple under King Solomon to extract historical lessons from  it. 

When a nation or a church organization is pleasing God through faithful obedience, God blesses that nation or church. The first temple at Jerusalem was a most magnificent building. We can read about the Queen of Sheba, a person who was used to opulence and grandeur.  When she came to visit Solomon and viewed the temple, the servants and all that Solomon had done, she fainted. We read in 1 Kings 10:1-5 (in the Authorized Version):

“And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.”

Yet in spite of all the gold, silver and costly things in the temple and in Jerusalem, the temple was subsequently completely destroyed. Why did God allow this?  After all, even the ark of the covenant was placed in this beautiful temple.

We can read in the book of Ezra that at the time when the second temple was built, the people wept because they had seen the spendour of the first temple under Solomon,  and this second house did not remotely compare to it. Ezra 3:10-12 states (Authorized Version):

“And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy…”

Later, Jesus warned the disciples that the second temple, which had been greatly beautified by Herod, would also be destroyed. This occurred in 70 AD under Titus.

God allowed the destruction of the first and second temples because of sinful conduct and behaviour.

Sin, if not dealt with, is destructive to a nation, a church and an individual.

The Worldwide Church of God’s Auditorium in Pasadena, California, was one of the nicest buildings in the US, with near perfect acoustics for anyone speaking from or singing on stage.  Important people lectured there and world-renown artists played and performed. There was an  inscription in gold letters on the wall of the entryway, stating in part: “DEDICATED TO THE GREAT GOD.”

Yet today, the Auditorium and the entire College campus are no longer in the hands of Church members, and many of the buildings on campus have been torn down. So, what happened? The Worldwide Church of God has collapsed—even its name was changed, so technically, it does no longer exist; and the Church’s three Colleges (in Pasadena, Bricket Wood, England, and Big Sandy, Texas) are no longer operated by the Church.

Let us realize how sinful doctrinal compromise and false teachings led to the entire downfall of the Worldwide Church of God organization. It all really started with a “new understanding” regarding the “Born Again” teaching. As we explain in our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?”, we are begotten when we receive the Holy Spirit, but not yet born. The Worldwide Church of God under Herbert Armstrong understood and taught this, but the new leadership after Mr. Armstrong’s death was very anxious to change this teaching and to proclaim that we are already born again when we receive God’s Spirit.

Why were they determined to do this? Why was Satan’s first major attack on the doctrines of the Church directed towards that very teaching on “Born Again”?

Satan is not stupid. His agenda is and was to be worshipped as god and to replace the one and true God as supreme Commander of the universe. Satan is also very subtle. He is an expert at deception and lying.

The great commission to the Church of God is to preach and publish the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness, and to feed the flock. At the very core of this gospel message is the knowledge and understanding about “born again” and the fact that God is reproducing Himself through mankind.  Man’s potential is to become a born-again immortal God being in the Family or Kingdom of God.

In Satan’s eyes, the dismantling and changing of this understanding was crucial to bringing the church down, since that knowledge also includes the fact that as sons and daughters of God, we will replace Satan and the demons as the present rulers of this world.

Corrupting this understanding was just like placing a virus in a computer. Corrupting it was crucial in Satan’s efforts to ultimately destroy the Worldwide Church of God.

Christ is the Head of the Church of God, which is a spiritual organism. It operates through human organizations. If you think of a Church organization as a body, it stands on two legs.  The doctrine of “born again” was one leg which Satan wanted to cut off. The other leg which had to be cut off in Satan’s mind was the correct understanding about the nature of God–the knowledge that God is a Family, currently consisting of two Members. This knowledge is crucial to the gospel message, since it also helps us to understand our ultimate destiny.

Slowly turning that correct understanding to the pagan and unbiblical doctrine of the Trinity in all its various forms was cutting the second leg from the body which caused the body to fall, and the Worldwide Church of God has never recovered from that fall.

These two doctrines are crucial in order for us to stand as a Church, and they are also crucial for the gospel message to be properly understood. In order to spiritually survive today, we must never let go or compromise on those two doctrines. If we do, then the understanding of other doctrines will also be lost over a period of time.

Changing true doctrines and teaching spiritual error is sin. The Worldwide Church of God organization with its many buildings and campuses was destroyed because of the sinful and misleading conduct and doctrinal error of its leadership, after Herbert Armstrong’s death, and the many ministers and members who accepted these false teachings.

Let’s fully understand the destructiveness of sin regardless of the grandeur and spendour of Solomon’s temple; the temple in Jesus’ time; and the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. They were destroyed or polluted, and the Auditorium and the Pasadena campus of the Worldwide Church of God are now in the hands of Sunday-worshippers –all because of sin.

That’s why it is so crucial not to compromise with doctrine but to stick to the trunk of the tree, and not to get side-tracked from the commission of the Church of preaching the true gospel which contains the only hope for mankind.

In our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again,” we describe in detail the doctrinal downfall of the Worldwide Church of God from its unique correct scriptural understanding to an appalling blasphemous apostasy:

“When the change on ‘born again’ came, some noted that this would ultimately lead to a change regarding the nature of God and the potential of man. A few years later, those changes, anticipated by some, actually had taken place. How could anyone have foreseen this development?

“Simply, because the correct ‘born again’ understanding goes hand in hand with other important Biblical concepts and teachings. When we understand that Christians—those who have received the Holy Spirit—are ‘begotten’ of the Father, we also understand that the Father is reproducing Himself through us. We understand that God is a Family, and that God wants to enlarge His Family through us. We also understand that Christ, the SON of God and the firstborn among many brethren, will marry His church at the time of His return (Revelation 19:7–9; Matthew 22:2; 25:10; Ephesians 5:31–32).

“One important principle taught in the Bible is that a kind only reproduces according to its own kind… [This] shows that Christ will NOT marry a church that is physical. Christ is God—a Spirit being. Christ will only marry Spirit beings. We understand that we are not yet Spirit beings. We also understand, however, that we WILL BE Spirit beings at the time of our resurrection and change to immortality. THEN we WILL BE spirit. THEN we WILL BE born again. THEN Christ WILL marry us. And NOT BEFORE!

“All of these Biblical concepts go together. After we are begotten of God’s Spirit, we have to grow in Christ’s knowledge. We have to become perfect (Matthew 5:48). The receipt of the Holy Spirit is just the BEGINNING of our journey toward perfection and ultimate entrance into the Kingdom of God.

“We understand, too, that the Kingdom of God has not yet come. Christ has not yet established the Kingdom of God on earth. He will do so when He returns. At that time, we will be IN the Kingdom of God. Why? Because we WILL BE God—and God is a Kingdom—the Family of God RULING over creation…

“Since Christ’s death made it possible that man can become God, and since Christ will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords in this Kingdom, under God the Father, the gospel message also includes information about Christ Himself. However, the gospel message goes beyond the person of Christ. It’s a message brought by Christ—not a message limited to the personage of Christ…

“We understand that our ultimate salvation is still in the future—that we will be saved when we enter God’s Kingdom—at which time we will be God…

“In time… we heard the terminology of a gospel about Christ, or that Christ was the gospel. At the same time, we were taught that the Kingdom, although still future to an extent, had already arrived, that we were already in the Kingdom, and that Christ would only come to ‘inaugurate’ the Kingdom.

“We were also taught that we were already saved. All of these ‘new’ teachings were ‘logical’ extensions of the false understanding of ‘born again.’ IF we were already ‘born again,’ then we could see and enter the Kingdom. Therefore, so the reasoning went, since we ‘were already’ born again, we ‘were already’ in the Kingdom and already saved. Since we were already saved, we were gradually taught that we didn’t have to ‘grow’ anymore in Christ’s knowledge as how to keep the law, since the law was allegedly no longer in force and effect. No more Ten Commandments, let alone any commanded observance of God’s annual Holy Days, as Christ supposedly did away with them all! Christ’s statement that we cannot see the Kingdom was incorrectly interpreted… in a way that He was merely talking about ‘perceiving’ the powers of the Kingdom. Of course, these so-called new concepts also required a ‘re-definition’ of what the Bible says about the Kingdom of God.

“Then, we were told that it is incorrect to say that God IS a Family—rather, we should say that God HAS a family. With that ‘subtle’ change, the truth of the nature of God began to become obscure. If God were not a Family, then God was not reproducing Himself, either. Again, we see the ‘logical’ consequence of the ‘born again’ change. This, then, led to the ultimate change regarding the nature of God. God was no longer perceived as consisting of two Beings (God the Father and God the Son), but as just ONE Being. Since God was no longer a Family, there was no longer a duality in the Godhead, either. Clear Scriptures proving the duality of the Godhead were re-interpreted, twisted, or simply ignored…

“We were also taught that God, although one Person, represents Himself within a ‘threefold mode of being.’ A ‘clever’ argument was presented that a person can have three functions—that of a father, a husband, and a president. In other words, God was described as consisting of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but these three ‘functions’ were not Persons, but ‘hypostases.’ This concept had been adopted from a Greek Orthodox idea that stemmed from pagan Greeks like Plato and Aristotle. It was then reasoned that Jesus Christ was a created being who did not exist prior to His human birth. So, we suddenly were introduced to God (one Person in three hypostases), and Christ (another—created—person), who was or somehow became a son, but separate and apart from the ‘Son’-hypostasis of the God-Person. We were even told that the Son was still in heaven (as one of the three hypostases), while Christ was here on earth, and that the Son remained alive when Christ, the physical person, died. With that idea, the supreme sacrifice of Christ had been denied and rejected.

“To add further to the confusion and heresy, we were subsequently told, without any explanation, that God was a Trinity, the same concept taught by the Catholic Church and most Protestant churches—one Person in three Persons (no longer ‘hypostases,’ as previously represented). Christ had now become part of the Trinity, although it remained unclear what He was before He became man, what He was when He was here on earth, and what He became after His resurrection. God, in any event, had become a closed Trinity. Since He was no longer a Family, man could not become a part of that Family. It was taught that God would ‘adopt’ Christians, but Christians would never become God’s real sons and daughters. God was no longer reproducing Himself through man. It was taught that God was CREATING or building a somewhat figurative ‘family.’ However, God was no longer adding to the very Family that He is and that He always has been. Christians were no longer understood as becoming members of the very God Family, with God being their true and real Father, and Christ being their true and real elder Brother…

“Without the ‘born again’ change, the subsequent changes could not have occurred. It is, therefore, imperative that we not tamper with the correct understanding of ‘born again.’ If we do, even in seemingly unimportant areas of ‘terminology’ or ‘explanations,’ we will change the proper understanding of what ‘born again’ means, and we will thereby open a floodgate of change, again. In the end, we might very well find ourselves being totally void of all correct Biblical understanding. It happened before to those who apparently understood the truth at one time. Let us not think that it could not happen again. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says…’ (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).”

The Bible tells us that a falling away from the truth is still to occur in the Church of God, just prior to the return of Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). If history is our guide, then something very similar to the last apostasy in the Worldwide Church of God will happen again in God’s Church in the not-too-distant future. Even though we are clearly living today in the Laodicea era of the Church—which can be described as a big lukewarm social club without real zeal, being filled with riches, pride and self-deception (Revelation 3:14-18)—there are still remnants of some of the previous eras in existence today. One era is designated as Sardis, describing a church which has a name that it is living and alive, but it is spiritually dead, with works which are not perfect before God, and only very few in that church have not defiled their garments and are worthy to be given white clothes (Revelation 3:1).

Another remnant is that of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-10), designating a faithful church with little strength, which keeps Christ’s Word and which does not deny His name. It stays faithful to the truth and refuses to compromise with doctrine. Only members with that Philadelphia spirit are promised protection from the terrible times to come.  It is they who will not fall for the errors of doctrinal deception, and only they will be spared from the clutches of the falling away from the truth which is still prophesied to happen.

If you are in a church organization which has begun to compromise with the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3)—especially in the areas of “born again” and the gospel of the Kingdom or Family of God—then God tells you to come out of that spiritual Babylon of confusion (Revelation 18:4), and to refuse to partake of its sins of false teachings. If you have and embrace the truth, make sure that you continue to hold on to it, no matter what the circumstances and challenges may be.

Lead Writers: Rene Messier and Norbert Link