Sun Worship, religious devotion paid to the sun either as a deity or as the symbol of a deity. Sun worship was practiced by the Iroquois, Plains, and Tsimshian peoples of North America and reached a high state of development among the Native Americans of Mexico and Peru. The sun was also a Hindu deity, regarded as maleficent by the Dravidians of southern India and as benevolent by the Munda of the central parts. The Babylonians were sun worshipers, and in ancient Persia worship of the sun was an integral part of the elaborate cult of Mithras. The ancient Egyptians worshiped the sun god Ra.In ancient Greece the deities of the sun were Helios and Apollo. The worship of Helios was widespread; temples were built in Corinth, Árgos, Troezen (no longer in existence), and many other cities, but the principal seat was on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, where four white horses were sacrificed annually to the god. A similar sacrifice was offered on the summit of Mount Hagios Elias, in the Taïyetos Mountains, in Laconia. In time virtually all the functions of Helios were transferred to the god Apollo, in his identity as Phoebus. Sun worship persisted in Europe even after the introduction of Christianity, as is evidenced by its disguised survival in such traditional Christian practices as the Easter bonfire and the Yule log on Christmas.
Is the Bible Scientific?1 Another objection sometimes raised against the Bible is that it is unscientific. Today, science is highly thought of. Scientists have sent men to the moon. They have made life more comfortable for some. And they have made great strides in medicine, so that many sick people now recover from sicknesses that fifty years ago would have killed them. Hence, men tend to look down on things that they feel are not scientific.2 However, there are more important things than science. Loving our neighbor and serving God are more important. With all the progress of science today, men still fight wars and oppress and kill one another. In fact, because of science, warfare is much more destructive than it used to be. Hence, we have a greater need than ever to learn about God and his purposes.3 The Bible tells us about God. That is why it is so valuable. It is not a book about science. Nevertheless, when it touches on things that have to do with science, it often agrees with modern scientific thinking. For example, in Bible times there were many theories about the shape of the earth and how it was supported. Some thought it was held up by a huge turtle. Others taught that the Titan, Atlas, held it in place. What does the Bible say? [God] is stretching out the north over the empty place, hanging the earth upon nothing. It also says about the shape of the earth: There is One [God] who is dwelling above the circle of the earth.?Job 26:7; Isaiah 40:22.4 Does that sound unscientific to you? Or is that not exactly what the American and Russian astronauts see when they venture into outer space in their rocket ships? How could people thousands of years ago have known that the earth was hanging in empty space unless God himself had revealed it to them?5 Another instance where the Bible is largely in agreement with modern science is in the handling of disease. Of course, in the days when the Bible was written the medicines that are available today were unknown. But within the limitations of the times, Gods Word protected his worshipers from the worst effects of sickness. In the days of Moses, for example, leprosy was a serious threat. The Bible gives detailed instructions that many modern doctors would agree with about how to quarantine someone suspected of having leprosy, and so keep the rest of the nation clean. (Leviticus 13:114:57) In fact this part of the Bible contains many laws about cleanliness that suggest a knowledge of sanitary principles far in advance of that early time. This, of course, is what we would expect when we remember that it was God who gave them these laws.6 Hence, the objections raised by some that the Bible is contradictory or unscientific are no reason for rejecting this book as the Word of God. Most of these objections spring from a lack of understanding, and when investigated, they only add to the evidence that the Bible truly is divinely inspired. But there is greater evidence than what has been mentioned so far that the Bible (Tevrat and Injil) comes from God.
THE DIVINE NAMEJEHOVAH?the name of the Sovereign Lord of the universe. It is the name by which he himself chose to be identified. The Tetragrammaton (as the four Hebrew letters of Gods name are known) occurs in the Hebrew text of the Bible nearly 7,000 times?far more often than does any descriptive title for God. That name is no mere label. It distinguishes the true God from all other gods, including man-made gods. It is the name that all intelligent creatures should know, honor, and sanctify.The name Jehovah identifies the Creator of heaven and earth (Ge 2:4), the God and Father of Jesus Christ (Mt 4:10; Joh 20:17), the One who has promised to establish new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness will prevail.?Isa 65:17, 25; 2Pe 3:13.Surprisingly, many Bible translations today do not contain the divine name at all. Why? A superstitious idea arose among the Jews that it was wrong to pronounce that name. This resulted first in avoiding spoken use of the divine name among the Jews, then in removal of Gods personal name from Greek manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures. Eventually, in most translations of the Bible the divine name was completely replaced by expressions such as Lord and God. It is noteworthy that only the most vital name of all?Jehovah?was tampered with; other Bible names were not.Yet, it is vital for all mankind to know the divine name. (Ro 10:13) This involves much more than just knowing what Gods personal name is. It includes knowing also the person represented by the name and living in a way consistent with the purposes connected with that name. It is the responsibility of all who worship the true God to be diligent in making his name known to others, as Jesus did. (Joh 17:6, 26) Jehovah God promises to bless those who know, use, and honor his great name.?Ps 91:14.
The Bible and YouModern critics say that the Bible is unscientific and contradictory, that it is just a collection of myths. Jesus, on the other hand, said: Your [Gods] word is truth. (John 17:17) The evidence supports Jesus rather than the critics. The facts show that the Bible is historically truthful. Moreover, its remarkable harmony, its true prophecies, its deep wisdom, and its power for good in peoples lives all demonstrate that the Bible is the written Word of God. As the apostle Paul wrote: All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial.?2 Timothy 3:16.THE fact that the Bible is Gods word, not mans, has profound implications. It means that God really has communicated with humans. He has answered many of our questions and has shown the solution to many of our problems. It also means that the prospects for the future described in the Bible are genuine. Gods Kingdom really is ruling and in time will act to remove from this earth all injustice, oppression, and suffering.2 Now, the question is: What will you do with this information? At the very least, the knowledge that the Bible is Gods Word should encourage you to look into it. The psalmist promised happiness for those who do so when he wrote: Happy is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked ones . . . but his delight is in the law of Jehovah, and in his law he reads in an undertone day and night.?Psalm 1:1, 2.Accept Help3 Likely, in your reading of the Bible, you will find things that you do not understand. (2 Peter 3:16) An event recorded in the Bible book of Acts shows that this should be expected. Soon after the death of Jesus, an Ethiopian was reading from the prophecies of the Bible book of Isaiah. The Christian evangelist Philip met up with the man and asked: Do you actually know what you are reading? The Ethiopian did not, so he invited Philip to help him understand.?Acts 8:30, 31.
New Systems of ThingsGod, who long ago spoke on many occasions and in many ways to our forefathers by means of the prophets, has at the end of these days spoken to us by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things.?Heb. 1:1, 2, NW.JEHOVAH God is the Maker of righteous systems of things. They are all under his supreme control. He has arranged them in an order that leads from one set of good things to better or grander things, at last reaching a height of goodness that leaves us with nothing further to be desired. He is a God of order and knows whither he is proceeding with his arrangements. His goal is to rid the entire universe of all forces of wickedness and disturbance. He will do this by means of his promised government in the hands of his glorified Son, Jesus Christ, thus bringing all living creation, seen and unseen, into peaceful, obedient relationship with their Creator and God. By attaining this goal he will vindicate himself as Rightful Sovereign over all the universe. To this end he has made a series of systems of things to follow one another. His Son has a most important part in the vindication of Jehovahs universal sovereignty, and he has used him in the making of the systems of things.2 This present worldly system of things under Satan its god is permitted only for a time. It does not have the divine approval. It has had the witnesses of Jehovah God among it since its beginning after the Flood, but it has never been able to amalgamate them with itself. They have been left in this world by God in order to deliver a witness concerning his purpose to establish a new world government. But the world has acted unworthily of their presence by disregarding their message and viciously persecuting them for it. By this we mean not just the pre-Christian prophets from Noah down to John the Baptist, whose exploits and sufferings are described in chapter eleven of Pauls letter to the Hebrews. We mean also the little flock of true Christians of whom only a remnant is on earth today; yes, and the great crowd of other sheep who have flocked to their side in order to serve as Jehovahs witnesses with them. The persecution of all these modern witnesses of the Most High God since World War I was foretold by Jesus, who said it would be a clear sign of the consummation of this wicked system of Satan. Its persecution of them has become notorious, thus proving the world is not worthy of them. For this reason it will be destroyed.?Heb. 11:38; Matt. 24:9; Rev. 7:9, 10, NW; John 10:16.3 One of the evidences that we had reached its consummation and that its end was near was to be a separating work between its peoples, particularly those within Christendom, which claims to be the realm of Christianity. Jesus pictorially described the climax of the separating work and the fiery destruction of the fake Christians, and said: The harvest is a consummation of a system of things, and the reapers are angels. Therefore, just as the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be in the consummation of the system of things. The Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out from his kingdom all things that cause stumbling and persons who are doing lawlessness, and they will pitch them into the fiery furnace. There is where their weeping and the gnashing of their teeth will be. Likening the separation work to a separating of good and bad fish scooped up in a dragnet, Jesus further said: That is how it will be in the consummation of the system of things: the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous and will cast them into the fiery furnace. This separating work has been going on since A.D. 1919 as a result of the Kingdom testimony delivered by Jehovahs witnesses in all nations of the earth. The fact now that the weeping and gnashing of the teeth of the rejected unworthy ones has begun proves we are near the climax of the dividing work and that the accomplished end is near upon this world.?Matt. 13:39-42, 47-50; 24:14, NW.
The Bible and YouModern critics say that the Bible is unscientific and contradictory, that it is just a collection of myths. Jesus, on the other hand, said: Your [Gods] word is truth. (John 17:17) The evidence supports Jesus rather than the critics. The facts show that the Bible is historically truthful. Moreover, its remarkable harmony, its true prophecies, its deep wisdom, and its power for good in peoples lives all demonstrate that the Bible is the written Word of God. As the apostle Paul wrote: All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial.?2 Timothy 3:16.THE fact that the Bible is Gods word, not mans, has profound implications. It means that God really has communicated with humans. He has answered many of our questions and has shown the solution to many of our problems. It also means that the prospects for the future described in the Bible are genuine. Gods Kingdom really is ruling and in time will act to remove from this earth all injustice, oppression, and suffering.2 Now, the question is: What will you do with this information? At the very least, the knowledge that the Bible is Gods Word should encourage you to look into it. The psalmist promised happiness for those who do so when he wrote: Happy is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked ones . . . but his delight is in the law of Jehovah, and in his law he reads in an undertone day and night.?Psalm 1:1, 2.Accept Help3 Likely, in your reading of the Bible, you will find things that you do not understand. (2 Peter 3:16) An event recorded in the Bible book of Acts shows that this should be expected. Soon after the death of Jesus, an Ethiopian was reading from the prophecies of the Bible book of Isaiah. The Christian evangelist Philip met up with the man and asked: Do you actually know what you are reading? The Ethiopian did not, so he invited Philip to help him understand.?Acts 8:30, 31.
The Bible and YouModern critics say that the Bible is unscientific and contradictory, that it is just a collection of myths. Jesus, on the other hand, said: Your [Gods] word is truth. (John 17:17) The evidence supports Jesus rather than the critics. The facts show that the Bible is historically truthful. Moreover, its remarkable harmony, its true prophecies, its deep wisdom, and its power for good in peoples lives all demonstrate that the Bible is the written Word of God. As the apostle Paul wrote: All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial.?2 Timothy 3:16.THE fact that the Bible is Gods word, not mans, has profound implications. It means that God really has communicated with humans. He has answered many of our questions and has shown the solution to many of our problems. It also means that the prospects for the future described in the Bible are genuine. Gods Kingdom really is ruling and in time will act to remove from this earth all injustice, oppression, and suffering.2 Now, the question is: What will you do with this information? At the very least, the knowledge that the Bible is Gods Word should encourage you to look into it. The psalmist promised happiness for those who do so when he wrote: Happy is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked ones . . . but his delight is in the law of Jehovah, and in his law he reads in an undertone day and night.?Psalm 1:1, 2.
