- Author:gospel
- Category:Sermons
Hello readers, sorry for the long silence. To make things easier, some of the Facebook posts will be shared here for those who are not Facebook people like some of us. This post is not continuous and was done under several headers to give readers a choice of what to read. Some readers dislike long posts on social media
1. PHOTO
The picture is from the youngest Nation State in Africa.South Sudan. Those are some Gospel of God Church members – anointed servantsincluded. It is a branch of the church like any other – not only by the looks.
This post continues under several titles, sub-titles or modules because there are different types of readers. Some only want to see thepicture and caption. Others may want more explanations, background information and scriptures. The choice belongs to the reader. The various titles or modules need not be directly related to the picture and one may choose what they are interested in.
There was a question as to why a post had verses from Enoch only – and not the more familiar Bible books. It should be remembered was just one of the hundreds of posts on the page. However, in replying to the question, there is an opportunity to expound on some issues.
First, let it be known that this book is one of those in the Ethiopia Bible which has a total of 88 Books – and which is a Bible like any other. It doesn’t belong to and was not written by Gospel of God. It was read in the early Christian Church and is believed to have been quoted by Jude since Jude 14 = 1 Enoch 8 (or 7).
It should also be remembered that Ethiopia was a key country in Baba Johane’s strategic plan or vision. There is a lot of work to be done there. As a result, the Bible they know can also be used to teach.
For those who need to learn more, it should also be known that there is no single thing called Bible. The 65 book Bible (or Canon) most read is more because of history. In those areas there the early Church existed including Rome, Syria and Greece, and Ethiopia there are canons with different numbers of books. It has sometimes the nature formerly colonized people to despise their own. Someone will respect something King James … or the like names, but Ethiopia?
Another reason why Enoch was used was to depict the nature of Baba Johanes teaching. He did not go to the usual schools or the fine theological colleges teaching specific doctrines. His was just to tell people the truth and send them to look for books to verify what he had taught: “Go to Kenya, find this and that bookshop, one page … you will find…”.
4. COMPARISON OF ‘BIBLE’ AND BOOK OF ENOCHVERSES
For the verses that were given from Enoch, there were similar verses from the Bible. They do not change the message in any way.
The Book of Jude
Jude is a short book that contains only one chapter and is found just before the book of Revelations .Verse 14 says: The LORD is coming with thousands of holy ones to execute judgement upon all. Is this not the same as Malachi 4:5, what about Revelations19:10 … where the rider of a white horse comes with the armies of heaven? Are those not thousands of holy ones? How many people are in a standard army? And what about armies? In military terms an army proper with battalions, brigades, divisions, corps, has about 120,000 people. That is why some countries such as China talk of several armies commanded by a 5 star general called Field Marshall.
The Most-High God descending in the South
From 1 Enoch 77:1 or 76:1-2 we read about the Most-high, he who is blessed forever descending in the southern quarter of the earth. That can only be one being, the supreme spirit being called God the Father. For the son cannot be higher than the father. The reason it is the father who sends the son and not the converse. How does this verse compare with the Bible? Isaiah 19:1 Tells us about the LORD coming to Egypt, riding in the clouds. For those who have read more, LORD in the scriptures is Yawheh (or Jehovah). It is a name that Jews do not pronounce, and so they read the world LORD instead or Addonai. Thus, there is only one LORD (in caps) – and he is the one coming. Are these books not talking about the same thing? How does he descend from the clouds? He sends someone, a redeemer is born Isaiah19:20 to the Egyptians and the LORD manifests himself though him. There are other prophecies even on this page that talk of the LORD’s presence in Africa.
What does Revelations 19:11 … say? The rider of a white horse who but himself knows his name. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Who is that if not the father himself? Who is the all knowing? Remember Jesus said there was that known to the father and not even the son or angels (Matthew 24:36). This discussion continues in section 6 for the sake of one who asked “so Jesus is not coming”?
The great lamb with Black Horns
1 Enoch 90:32. Here a spiritual eye is needed. This animal is the same as Isaiah 19:20 also called savior in some versions such as KJV. Itis black because it is from the house of Ham. Egypt or Mizriam was the son of Ham whose Father is Noah. Black colour usually has a different meaning in visions but in this case, one cannot say that the meaning is negative, because the LORD of the sheep (believers) rejoiced over it and it was their leader. The first among them …
5. SUDAN AND THE REST OF CUSH IN THE BIBLEAND IN HISTORY
It should be remembered that what is called Ethiopia today, was officially so-called last century. The previous official name was Abyssinia, though it had been used interchangeably with Ethiopia. At the same time, what is called Sudan today was part of the older Cush – derived from the name of the son of Ham called Cush – whose descendants populated Africa. Therefore, a lot of Africa can correctly be called Cush.
The name Ethiopia which came to be used later actually means burned faces in Greece – describing the general complexion of African people (Jeremiah 13:23).
What about the name Sudan? It is derived from an Arabic word ‘sud’ – which is related to the color black. Again, historically the name Sudan did not belong to the country that uses the name today. A person looking for Sudan around the 6th Century would have been referred to the West African Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali and Songhai – the reason while some older African maps have ‘French Sudan’ in West Africa.
The Garden of Eden
Sudan is one of the countries that was mentioned in the Bible. While the name Sudan may not be found in some translations, the equivalent name is Cush or Ethiopia. Actually, the first country to be mentioned most clearly in the Bible is Ethiopia/Sudan – when describing the location of Eden, Genesis tells us that a stream flowed through the garden of Eden … beyond Eden it is divided into rivers … the second is called Gihon (or Nile). It flows through the country of Cush (or Ethiopia –depending on Bible versions).
Ethiopian Eunuch
In the book of Acts there is the story about Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. Reading further one will find that he was from the Ancient Kingdom of Cush or Merowe in present day Sudan (North).It was an old civilization that was in place around 600 BC. Among other developments such as use of iron, they had their scripts or writings.
Zephaniah 3:10:
From Beyond the rivers of Cush, my scattered people, will bring me offering.
Isaiah 18:1-7
Go swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth skinned, to a people feared far and wide …
These verses are believed by some to refer to South Sudan because of the particularly tall people. However, others think that it refers to Kenya but that is a detail because the same peoples occupy the countries it could be a reference to either.
6. PROPHETIC VISIONS OF THE SECOND COMING
Once again, the sake of one who asked in an earlier thread, “so Jesus is not coming”? And since it is not a rare question, some of the answercan be repeated here. Revelations 1:4 says: Blessed is he who is, and who was and who is to come? Who is that? Is it not the father himself? Some will say Jesus but is there a name Jesus in the sentence? And goes on to say: And the 7spirits in front of his throne. Only then does it say: And Jesus Christ. So funny as it may sound because many of us have also been there, it is the father who is coming.
If Jesus who is awaited by many is to be believed, he said Luke 20:9-9, that there was a vineyard that had an owner and was rented out to tenants who misbehaved. He kept on sending messengers (prophets) but they were beaten. In his wisdom he sent his son(Jesus) who was killed. Therefore, he asks what will the owner (God) do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Remember the owner used to send, but eventually he is coming himself. Elsewhere in 1 Enoch90, the old Jerusalem was lifted and taken to a place south of the land. There is this chorus is Shona which some of us write badly: The gospel was taken from the Judah's to the African on the mountain of Marimba. “Vhangeri raka… MuAfurika pa gomo reMarimba. That is where the world is.
Meaning, Christ comes the second time not in the unitary way that is being preached but in unity with the Father. A reading of section 5 may also clarify a little more. What about the Bible that tell us that there will be angels and trumpets and horses and dragons and so on in the last days? Well, the person who can ask such a question is a very normal possibly intelligent person who has not interacted with prophets or paid attention to the way they explain things. Let us not even talk about a prophet but look at the apostle Paul from his initial interaction with the holy spirit as one who was to be a prophet. He could see visions as soon as he met Jesus. The people who were with Paul did not see anything or hear anything. Jesus asked why Paul was persecuting him. Paul had never met Jesus before, but he was persecuting him indirectly. By attacking Christians. Even in Revelations 19:19 we see the beast and the Kings of the earth gather to fight the rider of the white horse. It does not mean there will be a horse at all. They will instead be fighting believers. That is why in Chapter 20, Satan will gather the armies to surround the camp of God’s people – but fire will come down from heaven and destroy them– this because believers or saints as they are called, will be in earth up to the final day when some shall survive the destruction. Again and again, those who were raised in Chapter 20:4 are souls who will reign with Jesus for a thousand years again is not a literal reign. Or do people mean Jesus will occupy the white house or such like places?
Finally, if one wants to see clearly that the horse was a vision, the rider carried a sword – called the Word of God that cuts the nations. That is not a normal sword. Daniel explains the same thing to Nebuchadnezzar. A stone will come from heaven and destroy the statue of nations from Babylon to Medo Persia to the last empire ... Can such as statue exist? No, it was a vision. In fact, the stone is the same sword that will cut the nations because a lot of times prophets are shown the same thing using different images. Just like Joseph the sun and moon and stars were also the sheaves of grain in the field that represented his parents and brothers.
Ngundeng Bong
One prophecy of the more times that will be mentioned because of South Sudan (and is not from the Bible) is that of a South Sudanese prophet who came from the Nuer people in the 1800s. (Let us not go into the details of how prophets are evaluated and identified for now) He was called Ngundeng Bong and his prophecies were many including themes such as the Sudanese Civil war(s). Quoting some apostles, Ngundeng spoke about the coming of Baba Johane a redeemer from the South – who would be identified through a symbol of star and moon. They would meet him (his people) in the Eastin present day Ethiopia. Like Baba Johane, Ngundeng had a staff that was confiscated and taken to a museum in Europe.