Expert: Brenda Martin - 1/26/2006

Question
Hi again Brenda, I was delighted by your early reply,
Regarding Solomon's book of Wisdom, I guess you are right abt its aurthor other than Solomon. I have not read abt Krishna's life in detail as of such, but he too was born in the same hour as Jesus and as like how Jesus is called the Good shepard, he is called 'the cowherd' I guess the name is in sankrit or some other indian lang. im not sure of its translation in sanskrit, another similarity is that Herod wished to hunt Jesus when he(Jesus) was young, and Kamsa wished hunt krishna when he was born. Have you read the Vedas, I have not much knowledge of it except that there are 4 of them, Rig Veda being the oldest.

Q1.I wanted to ask you another question, when was Adam created as in which year B.C, does the bible make any refence to the fakness of fossils of neanderthal man.
Coz
1.Archeologist say mordern man emmerged as a species 30,000 years ago (approx)
2.The is a mystery as to how the neaderthal man suddenly dissapeared and mordern man emerged.
3.By my search (I wish you verify it) Jesus is the 77th in lineage with Adam being the first, and Noah being 10th. Now Jesus was born around 6 to 4 B.C some sources say 6 A.D, so If there is a website that says when each person (at how many years old) had the son that led to Joseph and then Jesus, how much does this come to (years since Adam was created).  

Q2.The Gnostic Gospels who wrote this, I don't believe that this has a correct account of Jesus's words.  

Q3.Why is it that Jew don't accept Jesus as the Messaih, what (according to them) prophecy did he not fulfill, so as to be not regarded as the Messaih.

One more thing Brenda, I would (is you wish to give) like to know your e mail address, so that I could mail you directly... Don't feel hesitant to reject. Thank you once agiain.

Awaiting your reply
Luv Mark.

Answer
Hi there Mark, you asked--“WHEN WAS ADAM CREATED?”

The Bible gives specific attention to chronology. It provides a connected record that allows for a methodical count back to the beginning of human history. Such a calculation points to 4026 B.C.E. as the year in which God created Adam. Some 2,000 years later, Abraham was born. Another 2,000 years had elapsed by the time of Jesus' birth.

“DOES THE BIBLE MAKE ANY REFERENCE TO THE FAKENESS OF FOSSILS OF NEANDERTHAL MAN.”

The bible makes no mention at all of the Neanderthal man, God tells us how he created man, (from the dust) here is what some scientists have to say--

“The flesh and hair on such reconstructions have to be filled in by resorting to the imagination. . . . Skin color; the color, form, and distribution of the hair; the form of the features; and the aspect of the face—of these characters we know absolutely nothing for any prehistoric men.”—The Biology of Race (New York, 1971), James C. King, pp. 135, 151.

“The vast majority of artists' conceptions are based more on imagination than on evidence. . . . Artists must create something between an ape and a human being; the older the specimen is said to be, the more apelike they make it.”—Science Digest, April 1981, p. 41.

“Just as we are slowly learning that primitive men are not necessarily savages, so we must learn to realize that the early men of the Ice Age were neither brute beasts nor semi-apes nor cretins. Hence the ineffable stupidity of all attempts to reconstruct Neanderthal or even Peking man.”—Man, God and Magic (New York, 1961), Ivar Lissner, p. 304.

Neanderthal man (named after the Neander district in Germany where the first fossil was found) was undoubtedly human. At first he was pictured as bent over, stupid looking, hairy and apelike. Now it is known that this mistaken reconstruction was based on a fossil skeleton badly deformed by disease. Since then, many Neanderthal fossils have been found, confirming that he was not much different from modern humans. In his book Ice, Fred Hoyle stated: “There is no evidence that Neanderthal man was in any way inferior to ourselves.” As a result, recent drawings of Neanderthals have taken on a more modern look.

“MODERN MAN EMERGED AS A SPECIES 30,000 YEARS AGO, NEANDERTHAL MAN SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED AND MODERN MAN EMERGED.?”

Biblical chronology indicates that a period of about 6,000 years has passed since the creation of humans. Why, then, does one often read about far longer periods of time since acknowledged human types of fossils appeared?

Before concluding that Bible chronology is in error, consider that radioactive dating methods have come under sharp criticism by some scientists. A scientific journal reported on studies showing that “dates determined by radioactive decay may be off—not only by a few years, but by orders of magnitude.” It said: “Man, instead of having walked the earth for 3.6 million years, may have been around for only a few thousand.”

For example, the radiocarbon “clock.” This method of radiocarbon dating was developed over a period of two decades by scientists all over the world. It was widely acclaimed for accurate dating of artifacts from man's ancient history. But then a conference of the world's experts, including radiochemists, archaeologists and geologists, was held in Uppsala, Sweden, to compare notes.

The report of their conference showed that the fundamental assumptions on which the measurements were based had been found untrustworthy to a greater or lesser degree. For example, it found that the rate of radioactive carbon formation in the atmosphere has not been consistent in the past and that this method is not reliable in dating objects from about 2,000 B.C.E. or before.

Keep in mind that truly reliable evidence of man's activity on earth is given, not in millions of years, but in thousands. For example, in The Fate of the Earth we read: “Only six or seven thousand years ago . . . civilization emerged, enabling us to build up a human world.”

The Last Two Million Years states: “In the Old World, most of the critical steps in the farming revolution were taken between 10,000 and 5000 BC.” It also says: “Only for the last 5000 years has man left written records.”
The fact that the fossil record shows modern man suddenly appearing on earth, and that reliable historical records are admittedly recent, harmonizes with the Bible's chronology for human life on earth.

“JESUS IS THE 77TH IN LINEAGE WITH ADAM BEING THE FIRST, AND NOAH BEING 10TH?”

Luke chapter 3 & Matthew 1 give a genealogy of Jesus, Luke evidently follows the ancestry of Mary, thus showing Jesus' natural descent from David, while Matthew shows Jesus' legal right to the throne of David by descent from Solomon through Joseph, who was legally Jesus' father. (76,77 I count)

The genealogies in Genesis, Ruth, Chronicles, Luke & Matthew all make Noah the 10th in line from Adam, yes

“JESUS WAS BORN AROUND 6 TO 4 B.C SOME SOURCES SAY 6 A.D”

The bible tells us-- Jesus was born in the month of Ethanim (September-October) of the year 2 B.C.E., was baptized about the same time of the year in 29 C.E., and died about 3:00 p.m. on Friday, the 14th day of the spring month of Nisan (March-April), 33 C.E. The basis for these dates is as follows:

Jesus was born approximately six months after the birth of his relative John (the Baptizer), during the rule of Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus (31 B.C.E.–14 C.E.) and the Syrian governorship of Quirinius, and toward the close of the reign of Herod the Great over Judea.—Mt 2:1, 13, 20-22; Lu 1:24-31, 36; 2:1, 2, 7.

While the date of Herod's death is a debated one, there is considerable evidence pointing to 1 B.C.E.  A number of events intervened between the time of Jesus' birth and Herod's death. These included Jesus' circumcision on the eighth day (Lu 2:21); his being brought to the temple in Jerusalem 40 days after birth (Lu 2:22, 23; Le 12:1-4, 8); the journey of the astrologers “from eastern parts” to Bethlehem (where Jesus was no longer in a manger but in a house—Mt 2:1-11; compare Lu 2:7, 15, 16); Joseph and Mary's flight to Egypt with the young child (Mt 2:13-15); followed by Herod's realization that the astrologers had not followed his instructions, and the subsequent slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem and its districts under the age of two years (indicating that Jesus was not then a newborn infant). (Mt 2:16-18) Jesus' birth taking place in the fall of 2 B.C.E. would allow for the time required by these events intervening between his birth and the death of Herod, likely in 1 B.C.E. There is, however, added reason for placing Jesus' birth in 2 B.C.E.

Further basis for the dates is found at Luke 3:1-3, which shows that John the Baptizer began his preaching and baptizing in “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.” That 15th year ran from the latter half of 28 C.E. to August or September of 29 C.E. At some point in John's ministry, Jesus went to him and was baptized. When Jesus thereafter commenced his own ministry he was “about thirty years old.” (Lu 3:21-23) At the age of 30, the age at which David became king, Jesus would no longer be subject to human parents.—2Sa 5:4, 5; compare Lu 2:51.
According to Numbers 4:1-3, 22, 23, 29, 30, those going into sanctuary service under the Law covenant were “from thirty years old upward.” It is reasonable that John the Baptizer, who was a Levite and son of a priest, began his ministry at the same age, not at the temple, of course, but in the special assignment God had outlined for him. (Lu 1:1-17, 67, 76-79) The specific mention (twice) of the age difference between John and Jesus and the correlation between the appearances and messages of God's angel in announcing the births of the two sons (Lu 1) give ample basis for believing that their ministries followed a similar timetable, that is, the start of John's ministry (as the forerunner of Jesus) being followed about six months later by the commencement of Jesus' ministry.

On this basis, John's birth occurred 30 years before he began his ministry in Tiberius' 15th year, hence somewhere between the latter half of 3 B.C.E. and August or September of 2 B.C.E., with Jesus' birth following about six months later.

“WHEN EACH PERSON (AT HOW MANY YEARS OLD) HAD THE SON THAT LED TO JOSEPH AND THEN JESUS, HOW MUCH DOES THIS COME TO (YEARS SINCE ADAM WAS CREATED).”

The “Seed” Jesus is mentioned in (Genesis 3; 15) More than 2,000 years passed before this promise of a “seed” was again mentioned, God telling Abraham: “By means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves.” (Ge 22:18) Over 800 years later, renewed assurance was given to Abraham's descendant King David, and with the passing of more time God's prophets kept this flame of hope burning brightly. (2Sa 7:12, 16; Isa 9:6, 7)

More than 1,000 years after David and 4,000 YEARS after the original prophecy in Eden, the Promised Seed himself appeared, Jesus Christ, the legal heir to “the throne of David his father.” (Lu 1:31-33; Ga 3:16) Bruised in death by the earthly seed of the “serpent,” this “Son of the Most High” provided the ransom purchase price for the life rights lost to Adam's offspring, thus providing the only means whereby mankind can get everlasting life.

I can write every person and their ages, but that will take much longer. Will have a look and send it later if you like.

“THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS WHO WROTE THIS?”

A great chasm exists between the teachings of the Gnostic gospels and the Bible Gospels. This gap is especially noted when you compare Gnostic and Bible teachings regarding God, the resurrection, and salvation. Yet, a similarity can be seen between Gnosticism and ancient Greek philosophy, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

During the second and early third centuries C.E., the Gnostics ( a sect) combined apostate Christianity with Greek philosophy and Oriental mysticism. They claimed that all matter is evil and stressed that salvation came through mystical “knowledge”  rather than through faith in Christ as redeemer.

48 different Gnostic religious documents were found on an Egyptian hillside and some claim they are the secret words of Jesus, the bible disagrees.

WHY IS IT THAT JEW DON'T ACCEPT JESUS AS THE MESSIAH, WHAT (ACCORDING TO THEM) PROPHECY DID HE NOT FULFIL, SO AS TO BE NOT REGARDED AS THE MESSIAH.

Many Jews living today accept as fact that a man by the name of Jesus lived in the first century C.E. Even the Jewish Encyclopedia of 1904 identifies Jesus as the “Founder of Christianity” and places the time of his birth at about 2 B.C.E. Nevertheless, comparatively few Jews believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah or Christ.

This reason I can understand--Besides being guilty of dastardly actions toward the Jews and others, Christendom's churches have taught doctrines that make it difficult for Jews to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Believing in only one God, the Jews cannot see how Jesus could be equal to God as the second person of the Trinity. (the Jews are correct, God is one)

Now as for “prophecies” there are over 300 prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures regarding Jesus, from his birth to his death and everything in between, and they all found fulfilment in Jesus, so why did the Jews at that time say he was not the Messiah, lets see—

At that time the Jews were restive under Roman domination, were smarting under the Roman yoke. They anticipated a Messiah that would come as a great military figure to smash Roman power and break that yoke from off Jewish necks. Jesus did not measure up to these expectations, these hopes. They were disappointed in him and his talk of submissiveness under Rome displeased them. He exposed the hypocrisy of Jewish religious leaders, which first nettled them and finally enraged them to the point of demanding his death. As an unresisting lamb he was led to the slaughter.

Many prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures foretold Messiah's coming. For instance, this Messianic promise: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.' Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore.” And this one: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”—Isa. 9:6, 7; Dan. 7:13, 14, RS.

In fulfillment of these prophecies the Jews expected a Messiah who would set up a victorious earthly kingdom that would remain forever. But they overlooked this vital point: Messiah was foretold to come twice, once as a sacrifice to die for obedient men, and then as a reigning king over an everlasting government. In their anxiousness to be delivered from Rome and be politically exalted immediately they overlooked the necessity of the first presence and had eyes only for the glorious second presence. They looked for Messiah to come in the clouds of heaven and set up an everlasting earthly government. Instead he came riding on the foal of an ass recommending submission to the Roman yoke!

So at his first coming Jesus fulfilled Zechariah 9:9, RS: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass.” And he fulfilled Isaiah chapter 53 about dying a sacrificial death, despised and hated and classed with sinful transgressors.
It is at his second presence that he comes in clouds or in invisible heavenly kingship, and it is then that he is given an everlasting dominion from God that will administer peace and righteousness to all obedient mankind.

Then will Isaiah 9:6, 7 and Daniel 7:13, 14 be fulfilled, at the second presence and not at the first as the Jews nineteen centuries ago erroneously expected. If he had set up his everlasting kingship then, when would the prophecies of Isaiah chapter 53 and Zechariah 9:9 have fulfillment? The Jews back there were looking for the wrong signs, for the wrong presence of Messiah, so they failed to recognize Jesus as Messiah. Nevertheless, thousands of individual Jews did recognize him, accept him, and become the first Christians. Today Jews and others can see the signs Jesus foretold for his second presence, for that time is here.

YOUR E MAIL ADDRESS, SO THAT I COULD MAIL YOU DIRECTLY.

No problem, brenda@martin8620.freeserve.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you.

Brenda