A Tale Of Two Bibles ~ And A Gift Of Love!

THIS IS A TALE OF TWO BIBLES ~ AND A GIFT OF LOVE!   In 1987 I was led to the Filipino-American Church of Irvine (FACI) in Orange County, California.  In hindsight I see that it was the Holy Spirit leading a man lost in the world - into the Light of God.  Through the Pinoy love of God I experienced in the FACI fellowship family and especially in my first six months in their Bible studies, my eyes were opened and I became a Christ follower, a Christian. 

Once I became a believer, I began to read my Bible, alternating between the Old Testament and the New Testament - until I hit a brick wall.  At Bible study one Friday evening I told Pastor Sam Lacanienta, "I have been doing well until I hit the book of Romans.   I cannot make sense of it.  It is like butting my head against a wall."  He asked to see my Bible.  When I started attending the Bible studies, I brought the only Bible I had - a King James Bible given to me by Mormon visitors years before. 

Pastor Sam and the Fil-Am church were prepared for such possible problems.  They had a supply of new Study Bibles available.  That night he gave both Dory and me a new NASB Harper's Study Bible published by Zondervan.  For the past 32 years that has been my go-to Bible carrying me through many, many Bible studies, Sunday School classes, and worship services - and has been my main tool in the Christian writing ministry God gave me over 30 years ago.  Since my NASB Study Bible is now over 30 years old, it is getting a wee bit worn and old, but it still works for me.  When I go to church or Bible study, I always carry a notebook with me to use as a platform where I can lay my Bible.  Otherwise it may start to fall apart.

Years later Dory gifted her NASB Harper's Study Bible to a friend who was Roman Catholic, but had joined a Bible study group near her home.

A simple solution would be for me to buy a new Study Bible.  But unfortunately the Harper's NASB Study Bible has been out of print for about 25 years.  Next solution, buy a new Study Bible which is similar in quality, both print and study notes, to my current Bible.   But, sad to say, the only decent Christian bookstore in our area, the Berean Christian Bookstore in Riverside, was purchased by the Southern Baptist Convention - and closed.  It seems the SBC bought out many Christian bookstores - and in 2019 decided to close all of them.  Doesn't seem to be the Holy Spirit working, does it?

Someone suggested I go online to purchase a new Study Bible.  But that is not feasible for several reasons.  To buy a Bible online, I cannot be sure if the text, and even more important, the study notes, will enhance my studies.  I needed a Bible much like the one I have been using all my Christian life, but where to find one now?  There are pitfalls, even when buying a Bible in a Christian bookstore.

About 25 years ago I went to buy a Study Bible for a friend, Mary, who Dory and I had been inviting to church.  I found a beautiful Bible.  But when I opened it I found that the people who wrote the study notes were very undesirable - Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, and others from the "Name It And Claim It" Prosperity Gospel gang.  I put that beautiful Bible aside and found one that was not as attractive on the outside, but had great study notes inside.  I bought that one for our friend, Mary. 

Now I faced a similar dilemma.  Where do I buy a new Study Bible, NASB or NKJV, for myself?  The only decent Christian bookstores in our area are in some of the larger churches, i.e., Harvest International, etc. - but they are only open during Sunday church hours - when I am at my church.  What to do? 

Then I remembered that circa 2000 I saw a new Christian sister, Rachel Quintans in our Fil-Am Church of Corona (now CICF), who had the same Harper's NASB Study Bible as mine.  It had been gifted to her by our mutual Friend and Christian sister, Jean Fabian, who had been in the FACI church and Bible studies when I was saved in 1987.   She and Rachel were co-workers at a hospital in Orange County and she had gifted the Bible to Rachel.

Seeing Rachel in Bible studies over the past year or so, I noticed that she is using her digital Bible instead of the old fashioned paper Bible.   I wondered if she would want to sell the paper Bible?

I sent an e-mail:

Hi Rachel,  When we were all at CICF (back in the good old days), you had a Bible just like mine - "Harper Study Bible, New American Standard Bible" - published by Zondervan.   You told me that Jean Fabian had given it to you.  If you still have that Bible and are not using it, I would love to buy it from you.  My copy is over 30 years old and has been my go-to Bible all those years - and it is starting to show its age (not me, but my Bible).  Unfortunately that one has been out of print for many years.

I have been looking for a new Study Bible (NASB or NKJV) - but since the Southern Baptist bought and closed the Berean Christian bookstore in our neighborhood - I am having a hard time finding one that fits my needs.  Please let me know if you still have your copy, are not using it, and would be willing to sell it to me.   My love to you and all the Quintans Clan.

Rachel responded:

Hi Bro Bill – I still have it!  I do not use it as often as I should.  I usually use my digital bible via my cell phone.  It is my first Bible, but there is no one I would rather have it than YOU!   You can have it, no need to purchase it.

On Monday, November 25, 2019, my dear Christian sister, Rachel Quintans, came to our home and presented me with my new, almost new, much newer that my 30 year old -  Harper's NASB Study Bible.   Yes, I am a very happy camper!  I cannot express how much this new Bible means to me.

Circa 1999-2000, Rachel, her husband, Jun, and their two boys, Nash and Michael, were saved in our fellowship at the Fil-Am Church of Corona (now CICF).  And over the years Dory and I have worshiped with, done Bible study and Sunday School with, and been so blessed to have the whole Quintans clan as our Christian brethren.  One of our biggest thrills was to see their eldest son, John Nash, become an associate pastor at one of our local Fil-Am churches in Corona, while he is completing his studies in seminary.

So that is my tale of Two Bibles.  One which has served me well for almost 32 years ~ and now a virtually new duplicate which I pray will be serving me for another 32 years.  No laughing!  I do not intend to give up easily - unless I see Jesus Christ coming in the PreTrib Rapture before my next 32 years have come and gone.

Thank you, Lord, for my many Christian brethren, especially Sister Rachel Quintans and all the Quintans Clan.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Click on the image to enlarge:

Who Are The Two Witnesses Of Revelation 11?

Often I have written that all believers should have a clear understanding of their own personal Statement of Faith, i.e., that they clearly understand how we are saved and why "they" are saved.  That is just foundational for being a good witness of our faith, as Jesus Christ commands us in His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15).

I have known believers who have told me, "I don't care about all those details.  I am just concerned that I am a Christian believer and that I am saved.  I just want to hear the sermon and then go on about my week."  My question to them is, "If you do not understand what determines your salvation - how do you know that you are saved?"

I have a good Friend who has been a Christian brother for at least thirty years.  Yet a while back, in a Bible study, the pastor raised questions which made him question if he was truly a real believer.  My suggestion to him was to stop only listening to sermons, and concentrate on personally studying and knowing the Biblical doctrines which define our faith and the Gospel.  That way he would not have those doubts.

And as I have often written, the Biblical doctrines which define our faith can be viewed on two levels:   (1) Those Essential Biblical Doctrines which are the foundation of our faith and which without them we are not saved, and (2) those Non-Essential Biblical Doctrines, which while not affecting our salvation are key to our fuller overall understanding of Scripture - which can only add to our sense of Eternal Security in Christ and our effectiveness as witnesses for Christ.

Eschatology, a study of the End Times Prophecies, is one of those Non-Essential Biblical Doctrines or teachings.     Yet, even though our beliefs on eschatology do not affect our salvation, a solid Bible-based understanding of the End Times most certainly will affect our sense of eternal security.  Typically we who delve into a deeper study of the End Times find that the questions we receive often key on several major points of discussion:  (1) When will the Rapture happen, (2) when will the Second Coming of Christ happen, and (3) who are the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11?

Long ago I defined myself as a Dispensationalist, one who personally holds a "Dispensational View" of those issues.  To reiterate, I believe in a PreTribulation Rapture of the church and a PreMillennial Second Coming of Christ.  I believe that is the only Biblical scenario which fits with the Doctrine of Imminency as defined by Christ (Matthew 24:36-44, Luke 12:35-40). 

But who will be the Two Witnesses prophesied in Revelation 11? 

Previously I have thought it to be Moses and Elijah, representing the Law (Moses) and Prophecy (Elijah).  Also because they appeared with Christ at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). 

However, reading from The Revelation Record, written by Dr. Henry M. Morris, founder of the Institute for Creation Research, and published by Tyndale House Publishers in 1983, an excellent verse by verse commentary on the book of Revelation - I have had to rethink and possibly revise my thinking on this issue.  In his commentary Dr. Morris presents solid evidence that the Two Witnesses will be Elijah and Enoch, the only two men to be taken into heaven without tasting death.

Rather than me repeating what he has written so well, I offer this excerpt from that commentary.  After the excerpt I will give you the link to be able to read the full book online.  I use the online version as a copy/paste source in my writings to avoid typo errors, but find that I like reading the hard copy in my personal library for my studies:

The Revelation Record, Pages 194-195 (Page 78 on web site)
Dr. Henry M. Morris, Institute for Creation Research http://thebookofrevelationartist.com/Page_78_GIHK.php

Revelation 11:3, "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."

The mighty angel appears suddenly to change the subject, speaking of “my two witnesses.”  The assertion that these two witnesses are peculiarly His witnesses is further proof that the angel is Christ.  Furthermore their witness was to be in the form of prophecy.  They were true prophets, speaking by divine revelation under the authority of Christ, and the duration of their prophetic testimony was set at 1260 days, corresponding to forty-two months of thirty days, or three-and-a-half years.  .  .  .

The identity of the two witnesses has been a matter of much speculation.  Many have suggested that they represent the Law and the Prophets, but both the narrative and the context show clearly that they are real men who speak and perform miracles and then die and rise again. 

Many commentators conclude that they are two great future prophets whom God calls in the last days but whose names are unimportant and therefore unrevealed.  This is a possibility, but seems unlikely in view of Christ’s special identification of them as “my” witnesses, as though they were somehow known to Him and serving Him long before.  The reference to Zechariah’s prophecy of the olive trees and candlesticks (Revelation 11:4) suggests the same.

That they are men, however, and not angels is obvious from the fact that they die.  The most likely conclusion is that they are two of God’s faithful witnesses from former ages, sent back to witness again in the final age.  .  .  .

Elijah was taken into heaven without dying (2 Kings 2:11).  God must have had a reason for such a remarkable action; Elijah was no more deserving of such a privilege than many other saints before and since.  Evidently, God had a ministry for Elijah which required that he still remain living in his natural body.  There he has remained ever since, awaiting the time at the end of the age when he would return to earth to complete his prophetic mission to the people of Israel just “before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

But if Elijah is one of the witnesses, who is the other?  The majority of commentators believe it is Moses, primarily because Moses appeared with Elijah on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:3), and also because both Moses and Elijah had called forth miracles from heaven in the form of plagues on God’s enemies and could effectively represent both the Law and the Prophets.

However, there do seem to be serious problems with this solution.  Moses was not taken into heaven as Elijah was, but died and was buried (Deuteronomy 34:5, 6).  The appearance of Moses with Elijah on the mountain was not an actual physical descent from heaven but was merely a “vision” (Matthew 17:9, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead").  Despite the mysterious reference to Michael’s dispute with Satan over Moses’ body (Jude 9), it is likely that Moses’ spirit, like all others who died before Calvary, was in Sheol, at least until the time of Christ’s resurrection.

The greatest problem, however, with the assumption that Moses is one of the witnesses is that this would mean Moses would die twice, which would contradict Hebrews 9:27: “It is appointed unto men once to die.”  Furthermore, both Moses and Elijah were prophets to Israel, whereas the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are prophets of judgment to the whole world, both Jew and Gentile.

Bill Gray Note:  Yet we know from that Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, died twice.   John 11:43-44, "Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!'  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go.' "  So, since Lazarus obviously died twice, could not God have done the same with Moses?

All of these considerations point clearly to the great antediluvian patriarch Enoch as the second of the two witnesses.  Enoch is the only other man in all human history, besides Elijah, who was taken directly into heaven in his natural body without dying.  “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death” (Hebrews 11:5).  Neither he nor Elijah were given immortal bodies when they were translated however, because it was necessary for Christ first to die for their sins and rise again.  “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” (1 Corinthians 15:22, 23).

Thus Enoch and Elijah have been waiting in heaven in their natural bodies through all the intervening ages since their respective translations.  Therefore, although we cannot be absolutely certain, it does seem most probable that these are Christ’s two witnesses, sent to earth again in the last days to complete their prophetic testimonies to an ungodly world just before Christ returns. 

Enoch’s testimony, given to the antediluvians (Pre-Noahic flood population), could well be the essence of his message to the world in the tribulation period: “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 14, 15).

Enoch and Elijah are uniquely appropriate selections for this peculiar ministry in the last days.  For approximately the first 2,000 years of human history (Adam to Abraham), God was dealing with the world of mankind as a whole.  For approximately the second 2,000 years of history (Abraham to Christ), He was dealing primarily with the chosen nation Israel. 

It is significant that Enoch’s prophetic ministry was to the first group and that he preached and was translated during about the middle of the “Gentile” (or “nations”) epoch of history.  Elijah’s ministry was to Israel, and he preached and was translated at about the middle of the period from Abraham to Calvary.

Bill Gray Note:  Enoch prophesied to all people before Noah's Flood for 2000 years (Adam to Abraham).   Elijah prophesied to the Jewish nation for 2000 years (Abraham to Christ) after Noah's Flood.

The third major period of history is the Church Age, also about 2,000 years in duration, during which the members of Christ’s Church, through the prophetic written Word, preach to both Jews and Gentiles.  This age is terminated by the rapture of the Church. 

During the tribulation, with the Church no longer on earth, God will send back His two greatest prophets of the two former ages (Enoch and Elijah) to renew and to complete their respective testimonies to Gentiles and Jews, proclaiming to the whole ungodly world the mighty judgments of God.  After living in their natural flesh in heaven for an average of over three-and-a-half thousand years, they will preach again on earth for a final three-and-a-half years, and then finally be put to death for three-and-a-half days.

As we can see, there is no way to absolutely say whether the Two Witnesses are Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah.  Does it really matter and will this affect our salvation?  No, but doesn't this intrigue you, make you want to dig deeper into Scripture to learn more?  For me, that is the purpose of Bible study, to encourage all of us to dig deeper into the Bible, including the Non-Essential Biblical Doctrines.

I realize that not all believers will wander through the books of prophecy, especially the book of Revelation, and may still contend, "I don't care about all those details.  I am just concerned that I am a Christian believer and that I am saved."

But, you would not begin reading a great novel, or watching an exciting movie - and just close the book or walk out of the theater in the middle without knowing how the story ends, would you?  That would leave you hanging, wondering, "How did it end?"
   
And since "This Is Your Life" - aren't you interested in knowing how it ends, what comes next, and if YOU will win or lose?  You should know that you have eternal salvation, but what does that mean?  That is why studying the Non-Essential Biblical Doctrines and teachings should be a part of your Christian knowledge.  Personally, I find comfort and security in KNOWING how the story ends.

As promised, this is the link to the home page and full access to the book "The Revelation Record."  I pray that you will find this closing book of our Bible exciting and that you will be so intrigued that you will continue to study Eschatology, prophecies of how OUR story ends - and the eternal life begins.

The Revelation Record,  By Dr. Henry M. Morris, A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Revelation http://thebookofrevelationartist.com/Home_Page.php

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Click on the image to enlarge: