540 Witnesses At The Scene Of All Time

Ok so we are going to get strange and funky but stick with me and it will all come around.

I asked Google AI the following question:

“How many people have been convicted of murder with only one witness?”

There is no exact national database tracking the total number of murder convictions that rely on a single witness, but the number is estimated to be in the thousands. In the United States, a jury can legally convict someone of murder beyond a reasonable doubt using only the testimony of a single witness, even if there is no physical or forensic evidence. 

The reality of these convictions highlights significant flaws in the justice system:

• The Scale of Misidentification: According to the Innocence Project, approximately 69% of DNA exoneration cases and hundreds of non-DNA exonerations involved eyewitness misidentification. 
• Leading Cause of Wrongful Convictions: Faulty witness testimony is the leading contributing factor to wrongful convictions in the U.S.
• The "One Witness" Standard: Statistically, tens of thousands of felony suspects are targeted yearly in cases where the only critical evidence is a single eyewitness

Then because a one witness world can be unreliable, I went to see what the bible stated about witnesses.

The Bible requires two or three witnesses to establish any charge, accusation, or unrepentant sin. This principle serves to protect individuals from false accusations, ensure fairness, and provide a clear, step-by-step process to restore relationships and address wrongdoing. 

The Scriptures outline this standard across both the Old and New Testaments:

• The Old Testament Standard: The Law of Moses strictly forbade convicting someone of a crime or sin on the testimony of a single witness. Matters had to be confirmed by the mouth of two or three witnesses (e.g., Deuteronomy 19:15).
   
  • Deut 19:15 - 15 “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.

The New Testament Application: Jesus and the apostles repeatedly reinforced this rule (e.g., 2 Corinthians 13:1). 

• 2 Cor 13:1 - 13 This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”

The Process of Addressing Sin

When a fellow believer falls into sin, the Bible lays out a specific progression of how witnesses and church members should be involved (Matthew 18:15-17):

https://appliedstrengthsministry.org/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Hello, this is Kammy Podcast Preacher. Welcome back to my podcast Deep Waters. This podcast is brought to you by Five Strength Ministry, where we believe working together in our strengths is the effect of working out the will and calling of God and into our lives. Thanks for joining me. Let's open up in prayer. Blessed be the God and Father of your Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as he chose you and him before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and without blame before him in life, having predestined you to adoption as a son or daughter by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, which he purposed in himself, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made you accept it in the beloved. In him you have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace which he made to abound towards you in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to you the mystery of his will, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him. I ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the knowledge of the mystery of him, and to the deepest knowledge of him that you are willing and able to receive, that the eyes of your understanding would be open wider, and that you would be enlightened to who he is, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in you, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward you who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, that he would grant that you would be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man, and into your spirit and heart, and that you would be able to stand against your flesh, this world, and the devil in and through any in all temptations. I pray that your love may abound more and more in all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ of the glory and praise of God. I ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work, strengthen with all might, according to his glorious power, and all patience and long suffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints who walked in the light. I pray that your hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love and unity, and that you would attain to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which has been given to each of my listeners by Christ Jesus, that you are enriched in everything by him, in all utterance and all knowledge, so that you do not come short in obtaining or operating in your calling and purpose, nor in using any spiritual gifts or talents, eagerly waiting for the continued revelation of our Lord Jesus, who will confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the nearer coming of the day of our Lord. God is faithful by whom you are called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus. Okay, so now therefore, my sisters and brothers in Christ, when things get tough, think about whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and whatever things are of a good report. If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things alone. I pray that in these very end of time days, that you would let your love be without hypocrisy, hate and loathe what is evil, cling to what is good and righteous, be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent and fully engulfed in spiritual fire, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, walking in the peace of God, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, that is each other, and that you would be given the hospitality. May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like minded towards one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we learn to be of one mind, in one accord, operating completely and fully in love and unity, always striving for the working out of God's specific will for each of our lives, while working in partnership with each other within the church and the Holy Spirit, as he manifests his miracle signs and wonders through the daily activities of our ministry and kingdom work, and while we also go out preaching the gospel in word and deed. Let us love and serve one another, our enemy, and those who wouldn't expect us to do so, considering each person better than ourselves. Find up any words or thoughts that are contrary to the love of God or which would set you back in your Christian walk. Step out on faith today and walk with God, being assured that nothing will separate you from him, as long as you abide in him. Call those things that don't exist as though they do. Remember he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. Be more than a conqueror today, submitting to the will of God in everything. Let each of us express uncompromising love towards one another in humility while maintaining a teachable spirit. I pray that God will give you the revelation within this message that he intends you to receive with the understanding. Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. The title of this message is five hundred and forty witnesses at the scene of all time. Okay, so we're going to get a little strange and funky, but stick with me and it will all come around. I ask Google AI the following question How many people have been convicted of murder with only one witness? There is no exact national database tracking the total number of murder convictions that rely on a single witness, but the number is estimated to be in the thousands. In the United States, a jury can legally convict someone of murder beyond a reasonable doubt, using only the testimony of a single witness, even if there is no physical or forensic evidence. The reality of these convictions highlights significant flaws in the justice system, the scale of misidentification. According to the Innocence Project, approximately sixty nine percent of DNA exoneration cases and hundreds of non DNA exonerations involved eyewitness misidentification, leading cause of wrongful convictions. Faulty witness testimony is a leading contributing factor to wrongful convictions in the US. One witness standard statistically, tens of thousands of felony suspects are targeted yearly in cases where only the critical evidence is a single eyewitness. Then because so a one witness world can be unreliable, I want to see what the Bible stated about witnesses. The Bible requires two or three witnesses to establish any charge, accusation, or unrepentant sin. This principle serves to protect individuals from false accusations, ensures fairness, and provides a clear step by step process to restore relationships and address wrongdoing. The scripture outlines this standard across both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament standard, the law of Moses strictly forbade convicting someone of a crime or sin on the testimony of a single witness. Matters had to be confirmed by the mouth of two or three witnesses, Deuteronomy nineteen fifteen. One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any inquiry or any sin that he commits. By the mouth of two or three witnesses, the matter shall be established. The New Testament application, Jesus and the apostles repeatedly reinforce this rule. Second Corinthians thirteen one. This will be the third time I am coming to you. By the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall be established. The process of addressing sin. When a fellow believer falls into sin, the Bible lays out a specific progression of how witnesses and church members should be involved Matthew eighteen, fifteen through seventeen. Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother, but if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Private correction. First, confront the person alone. Don't tell a bunch of people before you meet with that person. Just go confront the person. The goal is genuine repentance and reconciliation. Two, bring witnesses. If a person does not listen, you should bring one or two others along. The purpose is twofold, to provide witnesses who can verify the facts of the wrongdoing and to offer additional counsel and love. If a meeting is set up, for example, and you decide not to show up, that is not a biblical process for handling confrontation, and you would be in error and even potentially sin. The other should not be your friends or even spouses or siblings. The other should be comprised of authentically born again believers whose character has stood the test of time. Oftentimes elders are selected as they are both spiritually and naturally mature. This reduces the potential for ganging up on an individual or even many of the problems that are associated with nepotism involving the church. If the individual still refuses to turn from the sin, the matter should be brought before the local church or spiritual community for accountability. My take on spiritual community is if you have a life group, then you would bring it before them, not just to any old church person. Protecting leadership. The Bible also applies this standard specifically to church leaders. The apostle Paul instructed Timothy to not even entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is backed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Okay, so I know we appear to have a parallel message with those type of scriptures, which is how we need to deal with each other in love. To be honest, it has been my experience, which is that I have seen the violation of this biblical protocol for solving issues of accusation and potentially misunderstandings many times within the body of Christ. It is as if they are seen as good suggestions and not spiritual disciplines or protocols to be exercised. My thought is that sometimes the sheep warn the shepherd of impending danger, and if the shepherd, the pastor, ignores the voice of his sheep, he places them at great risk for deception and for even getting offended and falling into sin. Solving problems is a leadership requirement. It is not an option. Spiritual maturity is mandatory as a leader. You are not ready for leadership if you are repeatedly offendable and always find blame in others, but not in yourself. An often pattern of somebody who is immature is when they say I will take this up before the Lord, and they disregard the counsel of men. Okay, so before I do get into another message, allow me to explain why I am going down the witnessing road. There were over five hundred witnesses to both the dead and Jesus rising, and yet such a low response to the unimaginable miracle that followed. Over five hundred people saw Jesus after he was hanging on the cross, walking around for forty days after his death, and but only one hundred and twenty plus or minus people showed up to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. According to biblical accounts and early Christian writings, over five hundred people saw the resurrected Jesus. The New Testament records his appearances, over forty days to individuals, small groups, and large crowds. The specific eyewitness groups and individuals include over five hundred people. Paul states Jesus appeared to more than five hundred followers at the same time, noting that most were still alive to be questioned. After that he was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. Okay, so think about this as it was a story of the day. The pool of people saw him after he was declared dead by the Roman guard. So but if we make the assumption that people were sending this information out using their form of social media, how many also believed the story in addition to those who actually saw him after he was dead? Some by virtue of their position or station in life and credibility would have been believed, right? Look at this scene for a minute. Five hundred people all saw him at the same time. It makes it kind of crazy when you think about how many people deny the fact that he even lived. So before we finish up with the how many people saw Jesus after he died thing, just after we finish this, we will take a look at another question I asked Google AI to see what effects those five hundred witnesses have on today's tech based world. The disciples and apostles, Jesus famously appeared to his closest followers, often referred to as the twelve on multiple occasions, including the famous instance involving doubting Thomas, Corinthians fifteen five, and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve, Luke twenty four, thirty six forty nine. Now as they said these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, peace to you. But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold, my hands and my feet, that it is I myself, handle me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet, but while they still did not believe for joy, and marvelled, he said to them, have you any food here? So they gave him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb, and he took it and ate it in their presence. Then he said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets, and the Psalms concerning me. And he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures. Listen, they got a PhD in Christianity in the flash of an eye. Then he said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and you are witnesses of these things. Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then his disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, peace to you, as the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas, called the twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. So he said to them, Unless I see his hands and the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace to you. Then he said to Thomas, reach your fingers here, and look at my hands, and reach your hand here, and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believe. And Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Matthew twenty eight, sixteen through twenty. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some still doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples, that is life learners, of all the nations, that is all the people groups, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, amen. Specific individuals that Jesus showed himself to individual accounts named Mary Magdalene, Peter, Cephas, and Jesus' brother James, the two on the road to Ems. Luke's gospel recounts Jesus speaking and walking with two unnamed disciples. Because this is an important step in your end time protection from the enormous deception that is currently in play, I want to include the majority of the background or post resurrection witnesses and the scriptures that support his appearing, not just to one witness, but to a statistically impossible crowd, so that we can be assured in these very days that Jesus is God and is the only way to salvation. I say it in this way because the Antichrist will try and include other false gods in the salvation equation, and we know this because we have billions of people right now believing in false Christs or false gods, who are in many cases empowered by demons. The New Testament explicitly documents at least ten other separate post resurrection appearances of Jesus beyond his initial meeting with the corporate group of core apostles. Chronologically, these accounts span a forty day period between his resurrection and ascension, followed by later supernatural revelations. Mary Magdalene, the event, Jesus meets a weeping Mary Magdalene along outside the empty tomb on Easter morning. She initially mistakes him for a gardener until he calls her by name. The scriptures John twenty, eleven through eighteen, and Mark sixteen, verse nine. The other woman at the tomb, the event, as Mary the mother of James, Salome, and Joanna run from the tomb to alert the disciples, Jesus intercepts them. They fall to the ground, clasp his feet and worship him. Scripture Matthew twenty eight eight through ten. Simon Peter, Cephas, the event. Jesus meets privately with Peter on Resurrection Sunday. The specific details of their conversation are unrecorded, but the event is validated by the remaining apostles and Paul. Scripture Luke twenty four thirty four and first Corinthians fifteen five. I want to look at those two scriptures. Luke twenty four thirty four, saying the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. And that he was seen by Cephas and then by the twelve. The two disciples on the road to Emers. The event Jesus walks incognito with Cleophys and an unnamed disciple. He explains the Old Testament prophecies regarding himself and reveals his true identity while breaking bread. Scripture Luke twenty four, thirteen through thirty two. Seven disciples fishing. The event. Jesus appears on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He causes a miraculous catch of fish, prepares breakfast for them, and formally restores Peter following Peter's prior denials. Scripture John twenty one through twenty three. More than five hundred believers at once. The event Jesus manifests before a massive crowd of followers simultaneously. Paul notes that the majority of these eyewitnesses were still alive to verify the event decades later. Scripture Corinthians fifteen six. James, Jesus' brother. The event. Jesus appears privately to his biological half brother James. This targeted encounter transformed James from a resurrection skeptic into a central leader of the early Jerusalem church. Scripture Corinthians fifteen seven. After that he was seen by James and then by all the apostles. The final ascension, the event at the Mount of Olives, near Bethany, Jesus issues final instructions to his followers. He promises the empowerment of the Holy Spirit before being physically lifted into heaven. Scripture Acts one three eleven and Luke twenty four fifty through fifty three. Stephen the Martyr, the event moments before being stoned to death, the deacon, Stephen, experiences a heavenly vision. He witnesses the heavens open up to reveal Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Scripture Acts seven verses fifty five through fifty six. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, Look, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Saul of Tarsus, the event, the aggressively anti Christian Pharisee, Saul is blinded by a brilliant light on the road to Damascus. The ascended Christ speaks out to him, resulting in Saul's immediate conversion to Christianity. Scripture Acts nine, three through six and first Corinthians fifteen, eight. Now I did mention statistical probability, so I asked Google, what is a statistical probability if you had over five hundred eyewitnesses to an event that it wouldn't have happened? The probability that an event didn't happen with five hundred eyewitnesses depends entirely on whether the witnesses are independent and reliable. If 500 truly independent individuals correctly observe a mundane event, the probability of them all being wrong is mathematically near zero. However, if testing Testimonies are interdependent, influenced by suggestion, or trace back to a single historical source, the probability of error increases significantly. So this definition already went sideways, as the question was if eyewitnesses saw, not if groupthink was an operation. So there is zero probability that the witnesses saw, and then it was later suggested that what they saw was a ghost, for example. This was a lock, as we also see in today's world where just one witness who saw something may go to great lengths even to the detriment of their own reputation to prove or not to waver in their conviction of what they saw. I saw what I saw, or I know what I saw, and that is that is often quoted with these eyewitness types. Back to the definition, the statistical likelihood of the event is framed by several factors independence versus suggestibility. If five hundred individuals acting as completely separate data points makes an observation with an eighty percent accuracy rate, the probability of them all being wrong simultaneously is one negative point eighty to the five hundredth power. This yields an astronomically low fraction, making the event virtually certain to have happened. Mass suggestibility in reality, eyewitnesses are rarely isolated. Psychological research indicates that memory is highly malleable, and crowds are susceptible to suggestion, collective delusion, or implanted false memories. If witnesses share a cultural background or discuss the event together, their testimonies become dependent variables rather than independent confirmations. This explanation is also irrelevant as people saw what they could explain. I saw Jesus on such and such a date, and therefore I believe that this is why their witness is solid. Single source versus multiple testimonies. A critical distinction in historical or legal statistics is whether you have five hundred distinct verified testimonies, or if you have one source claiming there were five hundred eyewitnesses. If a single document asserts a crowd saw an event without five hundred independent accounts surviving to be crossed examined, the statistical probability is simply the likelihood that the original author is exaggerating, mistaken, or fabricating the claim. Again, this is not the case. It was Jesus standing in front of 500 people. They all saw what they saw. There's a Bayes theorem and extraordinary claims. According to Bayes' theorem, the probability that an extraordinary or physically impossible event happened depends on how likely it is to occur versus how likely it is for the witnesses to be mistaken or lying. If the event breaks known laws of physics, e.g. a supernatural miracle, the mathematical prior probability of that event happening is near zero. In these cases, the probability that the witnesses are mistaken, which is a well documented psychological phenomenon, is statistically higher than the probability that the physical event occurred. So that last bit misses the whole point, which is that Jesus' resurrection was indeed a miracle. And like him walking on the top of water or rebuking the wind and waves, he clearly demonstrated that he was Lord and King and God, even of the limited natural world. So psychology has nothing to do with actually looking in the face of Jesus after you knew that he had died. Okay, so forty days is also significant and warrants a short peek into why Jesus was visible for exactly forty days after his resurrection. In Christian tradition, Jesus remained on earth for forty days after his resurrection to provide undeniable proof that he was alive, to finalize the theological education of his disciples, and to prepare them to lead the early church. Another way of expressing undeniable is to say that his resurrection was statistically impossible to prove that it in fact didn't happen. The specific forty day time frame served several distinct purposes. Irrefutable proof. He spent his time erasing the disciples' doubts by eating with them and letting them physically touch his wounds. This ensured the resurrection was understood as a historical, physical, and spiritual reality. Preparation for mission. Jesus commissioned his followers, known as the Great Commission, and gave them a final instruction on spreading the gospel, Matthew twenty eight, eighteen through twenty. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples, that is life learners, of all the nations and people groups, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, amen. Spiritual restoration. This period allowed Jesus to personally forgive, restore, and recommission key followers like Peter, who had denied him three times during his trial. Matthew twenty six, sixty nine through seventy five, Mark fourteen, sixty six through seventy two, Luke twenty two, fifty four through sixty two, and John eighteen, fifteen through twenty seven. Let's see Jesus restore Peter, shall we? John twenty one, fifteen through nineteen. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, feed my lambs. He said to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, Tin my sheep. He said to him a third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. Most assuredly I say to you, When you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish. This he spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God, and when he had spoken this, he said to him, Follow me. Jesus asked three times to break the curse that Peter had entered into through his rejecting that he knew Jesus. Biblical fulfillment in biblical numerology forty often signifies a period of transition, testing, or vital preparation. It paralleled other major biblical milestones, such as the forty days Jesus spent in a wilderness and the forty years the Israelites spent wandering before entering the promised land. After these forty days, Jesus physically ascended into heaven, clearing the way for the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This transition allowed the disciples to shift from relying on Jesus' physical presence to living by faith through the Holy Spirit. So I asked, what is the probability that Jesus rose from the dead? Now but before we get to the answer, consider again how many witnesses you yourself would need before believing in some strange events of our days. For example, if five hundred people saw Bigfoot all at once, or aliens or alien crafts all at once, or the Loch Ness monster, or fire breathing dragons. Would that convince you that these things are real? Probably more so than individual witnesses that we get in today's world so often, right? Evaluating the likelihood of Jesus' resurrection depends entirely on whether you approach it through the lens of empirical science, historical methodology, or personal faith. Because it is a singular, supernatural event, it cannot be definitely proven or assigned an exact mathematical probability. So this statement is actually false, as we have already seen the probability is less than zero that the event didn't happen. Perspectives on the resurrection generally fall into three main categories the historical perspective, scholarly consensus. Mainstream historians and biblical scholars generally view the resurrection as a theological claim rather than empirical, verifiable historical event. However, historians universally agree on a few foundational facts surrounding the origins of Christianity. The crucifixion, Jesus was executed by the Roman Empire. The empty tomb, most scholars agree that Jesus' tomb was discovered empty by his female followers shortly after his death. Belief of the disciples historians accept that the early disciples genuinely believed they experienced post death encounters with Jesus, leading to the explosive growth of the early Christian church. While historians acknowledge these facts, they differ on the cause, often attributing the events to early Christian mythmaking, grief induced hallucinations, or a profound spiritual awakening. Now let me again deal with this. That is demonic, that is not God, and that is not buried in faith. And these arguments are going to come around in these end of the end of times. So we have to be biblically knowledgeable, operating in faith and love and serving the Lord, or we're going to start to believe some of this stuff. A scientific and naturalistic perspective, from a purely scientific standpoint, I would say from fake believers, make believers, nonbelievers, and those stuck in the valley of indecision perspective, a physical resurrection from the dead is considered impossible because it violates the known laws of nature. So here we would have to assume that mankind knows everything about nature and we don't. Science requires empirical, repeatable evidence. Skeptics and naturalists often point to alternative explanations for the historical facts, such as the swoon theory, the unlikely idea that Jesus merely survived the crucifixion, later reviving in the cool of the tomb. Even though there were eyewitnesses that he was actually dead and he got a spear stuck in his side, right? Hallucinations, the theory that the disciples experience intense psychological or grief induced visions. Now this wouldn't just be his disciples, but over five hundred people and a whole bunch of other people that would have had to experience the same thing, which is impossible, statistically speaking. The legend theory, the idea that the stories of the empty tomb and physical appearances were embellished decades later. Again, this is not true. But when you don't believe in God, you are looking for data to support your position, and this is unfortunate. The Christian theological perspective for Christians, the resurrection is not just an event from the past, but the literal foundational cornerstone of their faith. Apologists, those who defend a faith through reason, argue that the resurrection is the most logical explanation for the known facts. They contend that the rapid spread of Christianity and the willingness of the disciples to be martyred for their claims makes the theories of mass hallucination or conspiracy highly unlikely. So let's deal with the obvious, which is that after knowing, as they should have, that there was a zero probability that the event didn't occur, yet only a hundred and twenty plus or minus people showed up to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit, so that they can continue the work of Jesus, thus doing what many of them saw that he did, as well as doing greater things than he did. Acts chapter one and two and John fourteen, verse twelve. Percentage wise, approximately twenty two percent of the eyewitnesses ended up in the upper room. This is not even to consider how many people Jesus and his disciples ministered to in his three and a half years of ministry. Both Matthew and Luke support this math. Let's look. Luke thirteen, twenty three through twenty eight. Then one said to him, Lord, are there few who were saved? And he said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open for us, and he will answer and say to you, I do not know you where you are from. Then you will begin to say, We ate and we drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets, but he will say, I tell you I do not know you where you are from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves are thrust out. Matthew seven, thirteen through fourteen. Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, that is separation from God. And there are many who go in by it, because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. That means you have to be looking for it in order to find it. In closing you must ask, why does this matter to me, Podcast Preacher? I believe in Jesus and am doing his will for my life. Great question, and allow me to explain what is already beginning and has been happening in these very our own days and times. I will scripture don't to end this message as I've already discussed many of these points in other messages. Luke eighteen eight. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on earth? Don't think this can happen to you? Hm Matthew twenty four twelve. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. He's talking about believers because non believers don't love God, or those who follow him. Still can't possibly happen to you?

SPEAKER_01 35:44

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 35:44

Luke seventeen twenty six, and as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man. Giants, fallen angels, and the thwarted plan of Satan, trying to prevent the birth of Jesus still resulted in all flesh being corrupted Genesis six. Luke seventeen twenty eight. Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot, they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. The deeper meaning as to why the cities were destroyed is that the men who were being motivated by Satan were seeking to sex the angels. This already happened, and God flooded the world because of the evil results of that mess. Genesis chapter six. Luke twenty one eleven. And there will be great earthquakes in various places. You know, just recently there were four great earthquakes in the same place. You can go to USGS to find out where those were. And famines and pestilences, and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. Let's look at what fearful sights actually represent. In Luke twenty one eleven, Jesus warns that the prelude to the end of the age will include fearful sights and great signs from heaven. The phrase fearful sights translates to the Greek word phobetra, which refers to terrors, frightful things, or spectacles of horror. The original Greek context. This plural noun comes from the root phobi, to fear. It carries the idea of something so unnatural and bizarre that it causes visceral involuntary panic. Could aliens fall into this description? Don't dismiss that. Historical nuance. In ancient Greek literature the word was sometimes used to describe terrifying monsters or phenomena in the sky, such as celestial anomalies or comets that were thought to portend doom. Usage, while the other gospel writers, that is Matthew and Mark, omit this specific term, Luke uses it as an overarching descriptor for visual panic induced events that are completely out of human control. The immediate and broader meaning, biblical scholars generally divide the meaning of fearful sights into two primary fulfillments. The fall of Jerusalem seventy AD, historians like Josephus recorded terrifying, inexplicable events leading up to the Roman siege, including a star resembling a sword hanging over the city, chariots battling in the skies, and a bright light shining around the temple. In time tribulation, and this is where our focus is, in the context of Jesus' Olivet Discourse, the term points to apocalyptic phenomena. It describes visually traumatic events, cosmic disturbances and terrifying anomalies originating directly from the sky. Luke twenty one twenty six. Men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. Ladies and gentlemen, we are in these days. Are you still feeling exempt from what is shortly to come? Look, I'm not trying to fear you into Christian activity, but warn you that the end of time has begun and we are right now sailing through the book of Revelation, and in order to rise above what is sure to come, we must have the healthiest dose of the Word of God in us and working through us. No fear as we already know the outcome, but if you have been inclined to sit on your spiritual hands, you will be a target for end time deception and fall for the great deceptions that are right now having their foundations being laid. Project Bluebeam CERN, a significant disclosure and propagation of aliens, Bigfoot and Abominable Snowmen or similar sightings increasing. So this is just me. Bluebeam will project images or fearful sights in heavens to convince people that Jesus is just one way to God, or that he is nothing more than a prophet or great teacher. CERN CERN has the same purpose, according to history and the will of Satan, to potentially open up a portal which may open up the abyss as described in Revelation. Revelation nine through eleven. Then the fifth angel sounded and saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the keys to the bottomless pit, and he opened a bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth, and to them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, and they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them. The shape of the locust was like a horse prepared for battle, on their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men, they had hair like women's hair, and teeth were like the lion's teeth, and they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months, and they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has a name Apollyon. But Podcast Preacher, what about the disclosure of real aliens? Why is this even a thing? Satan has been around for a long time, and he has tried to destroy all of humanity to stop the birth of Jesus, and was nearly successful. God had one person who was perfect, meaning his DNA was absent of the already corrupted world. We know this man is Noah. Satan is trying to do it again, but this time to get the whole world to walk away from God and to worship him. Will it get so bad that God would destroy the world again? Second Peter three, seven through twelve. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perition of ungodly men. But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Notice Peter said looking for We have way too many people ignoring the signs of the time, for a variety of reasons, including a church that isn't really equipping the saints for the work of ministry or making disciples, that is life learners. And there's even fear in the process that, oh, I'm just going to stay in my lane, and whatever happens, happens. I just know that I'm going to heaven. That's kind of selfish considering the fact that we are to serve God and do his will, which includes helping other people so that they don't go to hell. Can we say that Satan has been waiting this whole time for mankind to develop the technology that will enable Satan to Well, let's look. Matthew twenty four, twenty four. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Great signs and wonders can come through technology just as much as it can come supernaturally. And Project Bluebeam and CERN can be a couple of those technologies that will do this. My thought regarding the proliferation of alien stuff is that Satan will use that narrative to explain away the rapture so that he can win the hearts and souls of many who are not. Or were borderline Christians. He will not be able to explain away the rapture except but by something that people are just dying to believe in, which is that we are originally from an alien race of superbeings. The truth is that aliens are a product of giant DNA and fallen sons of God, contaminating flesh in the same way that they did back in the days of Noah. Let's look into the book of Giants, Enoch, Jasher, and Jubilees to see what happened the first time so that you are aware that it will happen the second time. Remember, we have many who don't believe in Jesus at any level saying it is or was just a myth, being so far removed from the original events. None of the books mentioned are scripture, but they are reliable historical documents saying basically the same thing. The Book of Enoch, giants are primarily discussed in chapters six through fifteen of the Book of Enoch, specifically within the section known as the Book of Watchers. This narrative greatly expands on the brief mention of the Nephilim in Genesis six, verse four. Key chapters, chapter seven detailing the angels, the watchers, descending to earth, taking human wives, giving birth to great giants. It states that the giants grew to an enormous side, traditionally translated as three thousand Ls, and began devouring mankind and consuming all their food. This is what led to them being cannibalistic and eating one another. Chapter fifteen recounts God's judgment sent through Enoch back to the watchers. It explained that the giants are bastards and reprobates, and declares that when their physical bodies die, their spirits will remain on earth as evil demons. The existence and violence of these giants is a central catalyst for the biblical great flood, as Enoch is sent to intercede and relay the impending destruction of the earth. You can read these exact passages on the Internet Sacred Text Archive. Additionally, the ancient text known as the Book of Giants, a separate but reliable document found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, expands extensively on the dreams and impending doom of these giant offsprings, such as the characters Mawe and Oya. Additionally, in chapter seven and eight of the Book of Enoch, the fallen angels, known as the Watchers, explicitly teach humanity forbidden knowledge and occult arts that brought violence, warfare, and sin into the world. Pay attention to that right there, folks. Yes, Adam and Eve sinned, but their sin was magnified by these giants introducing forbidden knowledge and occult arts. The specific knowledge and skills they introduced include metallurgy and warfare. Under the leadership of Azelzal, humanity was taught how to mine and work metals. This knowledge was used to forge swords, knives, shields, coats of mail, and other weaponry, cosmetics and adornment. Ezelza also taught humans how to beautify themselves using physical ornamentation. This included teaching women how to use eyeshadow, antimony, dyes and jewelry. Magic and occult scientists, the fallen angels taught mankind enchantments, spells, charms, and the cutting of roots. They also introduced the practice of reading omens and fortune telling. Remember, Satan is behind all of this information, and he's doing it to completely pollute mankind so that Jesus could not have been born. Astronomy and signs, various other fallen leaders, such as Barakal and Kawabel taught humans how to track and interpret the signs of the sun, moon, and stars, astrology and divination. According to the text, the revelation of these secrets was catastrophic because humans were never intended to possess this celestial knowledge. The resulting technology and weaponry led to widespread warfare, while the occult practices led to sorcery and deeper moral corruption, and I would also say it was turning humanity from worshiping God to worshiping demons and false gods who are empowered by demons. Now we have a better idea as to why God wrote the book of Leviticus, telling us things like do not drink blood, stay away from bestiality, no homosexuality and lesbianism. All of these are no no's. These things as well as many other things were introduced to a mankind that simply became extremely corruptible and had to be destroyed to save the human race. Again, these eyes were introduced to mankind by the giants. The Book of Jasher. The book of Jasher does not detail the specific knowledge or forbidden technology introduced by the fallen sons of God. Instead, detailed accounts of watchers and Nephilim sharing forbidden knowledge, like metallurgy, astrology, and sorcery are found in the Book of Enoch, of which we just read. While the Book of Jasher does not explain this specific angelic knowledge, it does describe the resulting corruption before the great flood. Mixture of species, pay attention to this, it is important because it's happening again. It states that the humanity began taking the cattle of the earth and the beasts of the field to teach the mixture of animals of one species with the other in order to provoke God. This also led to bestiality, but we'll get to that in a minute. Violence and oppression. The book highlights that judges and rulers took the wives of other men by force, plunging the earth into violence and lawlessness. The Book of Jubilees The Book of Jubilees does not provide as described a list of forbidden arts as the Book of Enoch, which lists metallurgy for weapons, cosmetics, and sorcery. Instead, Jubilees emphasizes that the watchers were originally sent to instruct humanity in justice and righteousness, but apostasized when they intermarried with human women, and I'm sure they were convinced by Satan to do that. However, Jubilees does specify one major form of knowledge the angels introduced that led to mankind's pre flood corruption, medicines and the healing of diseases, specifically as seductions. Here are the key details from the text. The original mission, the sons of God, watchers were sent down by God to teach human beings how to live uprightly and to do judgment on earth. The seduction, they rebelled and introduced hidden knowledge to their wives and offspring, including the medicines of their diseases and various seductions. How knowledge was preserved. After the flood, evil spirits, the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim, continued to try and lead humanity astray. To stop this, God commanded the angels to teach Noah all these medicines of the diseases so he could heal them with herbs. Noah wrote this medicinal knowledge down in a book and gave it to his son Shem. Astrological knowledge, Jubilees chapter eight, briefly references that the watchers also taught astrology. This corrupt astrological teaching was famously discovered after the flood carved into a rock. Because the text views this pre flood knowledge as inherently intertwined with demonic seduction and corrupted practices, God had to reveal the proper, righteous use of these medicines to Noah for the preservation of humanity. The Book of Giants Yes, the Book of Giants, a Dead Sea Scrolls text related to the Book of Enoch, does describe the Watchers, the fallen sons of God, introducing forbidden knowledge to mankind. However, while the Book of Giants focuses heavily on the violent consequences of this hybrid race, it is a preceding Book of Enoch that provides a detailed catalog of exactly what that forbidden knowledge was. The specific teaching introduced by the fallen angels to humanity include, and forgive me for the redundancy, but I think it's necessary. Metallurgy and weaponry. According to the Book of Enoch, the leader Ezelzal taught mankind how to make swords, knives, shields, and breastplates. He also introduced the mining and forging of metals like iron, gold, and silver, fundamentally altering human civilization. Aesthetics and beauty, the angels also taught humans how to manipulate their physical appearance. This included the use of cosmetics and dyes to beautify their face and hair, as well as the creation of jewelry and ornaments. Divination and magic, several fallen angels, introduced occult practices. This included teaching mankind about the stars in astrology, sorcery, incantations, the cutting of roots, and the properties of medicinal plants. The result in the Book of Giants, the Book of Giants, often read alongside Enoch, picks up on the fallout of this. It tells the story of the offspring of these angels, the giant Nephilim. Once humanity had access to weapons, warfare, and occult knowledge, the giants used it to enslave, exploit, and destroy mankind and the animal world. The text focuses on the panic of the giants, as they have terrifying apocalyptic dreams and seek the patriarch Enoch to interpret their fate before the Great Flood. Bestiality, the claims that bestiality was introduced to humanity is detailed in the Apocryphal ancient text known as the Book of Giants and First Enoch. These texts describe the watchers, fallen angels, taking human wives, and siring the Nephilim, a race of monstrous giants. According to the narrative in the Book of Giants, these giants and their offspring brought massive corruption to the earth, turning against humanity, exploiting them in slavery and committing acts of violence and sexual debauchery, which explicitly included having intercourse with animals. If you go to Wikipedia and type in the Book of Giants, you can see a cumulative and historical account of the giants. Again, see how much God really loved us? He has been the whole time trying to separate humanity from repeating the sins of those in the days of Noah. And but he tells us that as it was back then, it will be again. You can do a more comprehensive study in what we are right now doing in terms of mixing the seeds of animals and humans as well as plants. Now the stories of Bigfoot, the abominable snowman, and aliens take on new meaning as we understand what happened then will happen again. The only thing that has changed is the technology and the mass exodus from God that humanity is right now struggling with. So what's the problem, podcast preacher? Survey shows the reading of the Bible cover to cover is relatively rare. In the US, studies indicate that roughly thirteen to twenty percent of adults report reading the entire Bible from start to finish at least once. And if we think that thirteen to twenty percent is good because they read the Bible once, you would be mistaken, seriously mistaken, because one time is not enough. As many as eighty percent of the world's Christian population is subject to fall for the great deception because they are ill equipped to apply biblical truths into their lives. This doesn't account for the billions who don't believe in God and Jesus as the only Savior of the entire human race. Second Thessalonians two eleven. Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by the word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. This won't happen until the church is raptured, and if I am correct, Satan uses the alien narrative to explain away the rapture. Do you not remember that when I was still with you? This is Paul talking. I told you these things, he's talking about the rapture, and now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of the lawless is already at work. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. We're talking about the church being raptured. Once that happens, there is nothing restraining evil, or the Antichrist. This is talking about the church. Again, it's important to remember. As long as we are still on earth, the Antichrist cannot come, but once we are raptured, he will come quickly and make a quick work of the God ignorant. Verse eight. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders. Remember Project Bluebeam and CERN? And with all unrighteous deception among those who perished, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved, and for this reason God will send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie, that is, believe the Antichrist. Yes, this is serious enough that you should know that rejecting Jesus Christ is to ask God to deceive you so that you would believe the Antichrist's lie. Luke twenty one eleven and there will be great earthquakes in various places and famines and pestilences, and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. I know, we've already included that, but listen, are you saying that I will see monsters and aliens, and that at this time I will believe that they are somehow responsible for the creation of humanity? Bestiality creates and has created monsters, including, I believe, aliens. Now all of these fleshly corruptions are motivated by Satan and his demons. When you worship other gods, you are actually worshiping demons, the very thing that Satan seeks from God's humanity. Leviticus seventeen seven explicitly states they shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons. Deuteronomy thirty two seventeen mentions that the Israelites sacrifice to demons, not to God. Psalms one hundred six thirty seven condemns the practice of sacrificing sons and daughter to the demons of Canaan. New Testament, first Corinthians ten twenty. The Apostle Paul explains that sacrifices made to pagan idols are actually offered to demons, adding, I do not want you to be participants with demons. First Corinthians ten twenty-one warns believers that you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. Revelation nine twenty condemns humanity for not repenting and turning away from worshipping demons and idols. Are you guys hearing this? So how do we stay clear of believing the lie? We remain sound spiritual witnesses for Jesus by and through obedience to his will for our lives. The idea that believers become witnesses for Jesus through their actions and testimony is rooted in several New Testament passages, most notably Acts 1.8. In this verse Jesus tells his followers, You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Specific scriptures detail how we act as or become his witnesses. Obedience and the Holy Spirit. In Acts 5.32, the apostle states, and we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. So if we have the Holy Spirit, we are now also witnesses because he was, living a godly life. In Colossians 3.17, it is stated, And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, loving one another. Jesus said in John 13, 35, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, that is, like learners of Jesus Christ and God, if you love one another. Isaiah 43.10. You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant, whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after me. Demons are real, false gods are not. They are or can be empowered by demons, but in and of themselves, they have no power. If you're in unrepentant sin, that sin is like a magnet which will draw you to worship demons through false gods. Let us close in prayer. May the Lord make you increase in abound in love to one another and to all, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before your God and Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Now may the God of peace, the one in whom we call wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, may He Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, of which we are so close to see. To our Lord of Lords and our King of Kings, to our high and lifted up great high priest, who has, once and for all, paid the price, that you might see and hear God, may He hear and respond to our prayer. To our God we stand and pray as He too always lives to make intercession for you, while seated at the right hand of the Father. May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you, what is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Well that's it for today. Remember us not what you find wrong or disagree with regarding these messages, but what you can take away from it. Together we can do more to impact the kingdom than if we work alone. Let's flip the script and still kill and destroy the works of the enemy, and create space for the light of light to shine through into people's lives. Find us even click on the like and subscribe button. Link this message out, or teach from it in your Bible study, your life or style group, you can be assured it comes from one call to teach, and though, imperfect, you have the word of God to use to test everything I say. Let's build this ministry together. Thanks and see you next time in Deep Water.