Question and Answers

---

    One individual has asked me "What do you think was contained in the knowledge that Adam and Eve ate of in the Garden of Eden?"

    I can only respond with this answer:

    Genesis 2:9 "And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life (sign and seal of immortal life) also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil (test of obedience)."

    Tree of Knowledge is a special tree in the Garden of Eden, set apart by He Jehovah God (LORD God) as an instrument to test the obedience of Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:9, 17).

    Let us break down this phrase: "also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil"

• First: "{also} in the midst of the garden"
  Heb. (Final Nun Gimel    He    Final Caph (Vau vowel) Tau    Beth)
  
  • garden - Heb. gan, gan, or (fem.) gannah, gan-naw', from Heb. ganan, gaw-nan', a primary root to hedge about, i.e. protect, defend, and other sources call it a covered or hidden place; Gr. kepos.
    
    • Here we see the old paradise lost by sin that is to be regained as a new paradise by the people of God Rev. 22:1-5.
  
  
• Second: "and the tree of knowledge"
  Heb. (Tau Ayin Daleth    He    Final Tzaddi Ayin    Vau)
  
  • knowledge - Heb. da'ath, dah'-ath, from Heb. yada', yaw-dah', a primary root to know; thus knowledge, cunning, [ig-]norantly, know (-ledge), [un-] awares (wittingly).
    
    • Later God "know(s)" in Gen. 3:5 as Ayin Daleth Yod or Heb. yada', yaw-dah', whereas in Gen. 2:9 it is seen as a special tree of knowledge - as Daleth (Doh) Ayin Tau - Heb. da'ath, dah'-ath.    Some sources claim this is possibly the duat - or not shown here is science - Heb. madda' seen in Dan. 1:4, Gr. gnosis, 1 Tim. 6:20 where "knowledge" is to understand knowledge or thought.
      
    • One source shows that at the site of Eridu, situated near what was considered to be the ancient shoreline, clay tablets have been found that tell of a garden in the neighborhood in which grew a sacred palm tree.
      
    • Another source stated that the Egyptian's believed in the Duat, a magical "Abode for rising to the stars" or a magical land divided into twelve divisions, and was traversed in twelve hours.    Hieroglyphically it is a star and a falcon or simply a star within a circle, denoting a celestial or heavenly association.    The Duat was divided into twelve divisions, variably described as fields, plains, walled circles, caverns or halls.    Amen-Ta was called the "Hidden Place" which had two magical trees.
      
  • tree - Heb. 'ets, ates from Heb. 'atsah aw-tsaw', a primary root properly to fasten (or make firm), thus a tree (from its firmness).
  
  
• Third: "{of} good and evil"
  Heb. (Ayin Resh    Vau    Beth (Vau vowel) Teth)
  
  • evil or wicked, wickedness - Heb. ra', rah, from Heb. ra'a', raw-ah', a primary root properly to spoil (lit. by breaking into pieces) fig. to make (or be) good for nothing, thus bad or (as noun) evil one source call the Heb. rasha, Gr. poneros, poneria, kakos, meaning moral evil or sin is any lack of conformity to the moral law of God;
    
  • good - Heb. towb, tobe, a primary root to be (trans. do or make) good (or well) in the wildest sense; Gr. agathos, kalos.
    

    The above viewpoint leaves one to acknowledge that the tree of knowledge allows one to gain good and evil.
    SO as readers of my work, which one do you believe that I have gained?

---

    Another comment sent to me was: "How would your beliefs differ *in essence* from the beliefs that I previously stated in my original email.    Copied again here for your convenience: I believe that there is one God, comprised of Father-Son-Holy Ghost.    I believe that Jesus Christ is the creative force, which made all that is.    Yet, despite His supreme power and majesty, He still knows me and created me and loves me.    He died by the hands of evil men controlled by Satanic forces and spirits, rose from the grave, and is seated at the right hand of His Father.    And, He will return like a Lion in Glory to ravage His enemies and collect His loved ones."

    Response to the above comment is that my own beliefs are not totally good or evil.    The truth is out there.
    As has been referenced at the following link http://www.mazzaroth.com/ChapterOne/GenesisDayOneCapricornus.htm, "The correct translation of the first sentence of the Bible Genesis 1:1 should be read in the English as, "In the beginning gods created the heaven and the earth,"
    Although in Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," as stated in the KJV.
    Hebrew passage: "Berashith Bera Elohim Ath Ha Shamaim Va Ath Ha Aretz."
    Berashith (In the beginning)-Bera (created)-Elohim (God or gods)-Ath (the)-Ha Shamaim (heaven) Va Ath (and the) Ha Aretz (earth).
    As seen in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Hebrew word for God is 'elohiym, el-o-heem', plural of Heb. 'elowahh, el-o'-ah, rarely (shortened) 'eloahh, el-o'-ah, prob. prolonged (emphatic) from the Heb. 'el, ale, strength, mighty, the Almighty; a deity or the Deity, God, god; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus especially with the article 'the') of the supreme God, occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates, and sometimes as a superlative, angels, God (gods).
    As I stated on this page http://www.mazzaroth.com/ChapterOne/AttributesOfGod.htm, "The Hebrew word, "Elohim," is the Old Testament plural form of "Eloah" and "Eloah" meaning "gods."    Eloah and Eloah in the singular form appear forty times in Job alone.    The word God (Elohim) in Genesis 1:1 means the "plural majesty of the one God."

    As you know I claim that the God in Genesis 1, the Elohim is seen as the (10) Sefiroth, which is the bridge connecting the finite universe with the infinite God (Jehovah God).    The Elohim (God in Genesis 1) began 'their' creation or better stated reorganization as in a Glaciation restoration, which is conceivable without leaving the bounds of rationality and without contradicting the Biblical text.    This leaves room for the existence before the restoration of dinosaurs and other species (i.e. pre-hominid) that may have evolved or were just destroyed in a previous world cataclysm!    The word God (Elohim) in Genesis 1:1 means the "plural majesty of the one God."    These plural or manifold extensions allow us to see the works of the infinite or eternal God.
    Since modern science (i.e. evolutionist) are promoting that some form of man was on earth for hundreds of thousands of years before the Bible was written.    This prompts us to view Genesis as the beginning of a specific type of mankind.
    Also on another page I provide this definition:

• Elohim
  • Hebrew idiom of a plural of magnitude or majesty (Gen. 1:1), used of heathen gods, or of angels or judges as representatives of God, Elohim is plural in sense as well as form.
  • It's etymology, the most likely roots mean either "be strong," or "be in front," the power and preeminence of God; as to EL (Heb. 'el, God) it is a generic word for God in the Semitic languages: Aramaic elah, Arabic ilah, Akkadian ilu.
  • In the OT, el is used over two hundred times for God.
    • El has a plural, elim, occasionally elhm in Ugaritic; but the Hebrews needed no plural, though a plural term, 'elohim, was their regular name for God.
    • The root from which 'el was derived may have come from 'wl, "to be strong"; from an Arabic root 'ul, "to be infront of" as a leader from a Hebrew root 'lh to which both 'el and 'elohim belonged, with the meaning "strong"; from the preposition el, "to be infront of"; and using the same prepositions, as putting forth the idea of God as the goal for which all men seek.
  • A truly satisfactory theory is impossible, because 'el and the other terms for God, 'elohim and 'eloha, are all prehistoric in origin.
    
• make their return in Genesis 6:2,
  • when the "sons of God" have intercourse with the "daughters of men," ..."and they took them wives of all which they chose."
  • The results of this event beget Lamech (Heb. Lemek, leh'-mek, from an unused root of uncertain meaning), father of Noah, based his faith on the promised deliverance from the Adamic curse of Gen. 3:14-19, he foresees, even if faintly, the coming of One of his seed (cf. 1 Chron. 1:3; Luke 3:36) who will remove that curse (cf. Rom. 8:18-25).
  • Jared was Enoch's' father, who through tradition dictated to his son about 5800 B.C. "The Lamentations of Jared" how Gods came to the earth and led astray his own tribe of Adam and those tribes of Cain also.
    

    Jehovah God, or the LORD God is seen in Genesis 2.
Now by switching our thoughts ahead to Genesis Two, we find "there was no man to till the ground" or without enough intelligence to till the ground (Earth - Heb. 'adhamah, ground).    Although at this point the LORD God (Jehovah the God of Genesis 2) had not yet created his man.
    Is Jehovah's creation of Adam (from the dust of the ground, whom was given a living soul and then placed in Eden) biblically referenced with Day Three of the creation?
    To continue as seen on http://www.mazzaroth.com/ChapterOne/GenesisDayThreeScorpius.htm, we note the following
    The Elohim create their man in Genesis 1:26-28. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion.."    I hope you can see the plural majesty in the Bible verse regarding the Elohim - gods.
    Yahweh or Jehovah (LORD) does not even show up till Chapter 2.
    "Yahweh in Genesis 2:7 created His man and gave him a living soul.
    Then in Genesis 2:8 Yahweh made a Garden in Eden, to nurture his new creation.

• Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
• Genesis 2:8 "And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed."
  

    The word Jehovah can be used in the singular or plural and, as masculine or feminine.

• Some of these names include: Jehovah, the God of Israel; Adonai (His Lords); Jehovah (plural); the name-Jehovah; the Voice-Jehovah; Jehovah of Hosts (the 'Man of War'); Jehovah-El-Shaddai (who covenanted with Abraham).
• Thus Elohim (Gods); Yahweh (LORD); and Adonai (Lord).    God (Heb. 'elohim, el, 'elyon, shadday, yahweh, Gr. theos).    One God of all the earth.
  

    I put the above information here in order to add to the following.

    As to the comment, which was an issue about the Trinity - is one eternal God, the Lord, who is holy love.    He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.    This is not three deities, but one Godhead, which all three persons share.    The Trinity is a mystery, but traditional Christians see God as One in Three and Three in One.

• 1) Father:    God is the Father of Israel and the anointed King of his people, Jesus.
  
• 2) Son:    Jesus Christ, the son recognized God as the heavenly Father, the eternal God.
  • Jesus, the son told his disciples that he would be going to his Father.
  • Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, was the incarnate Son of God, or God made man.
    
• 3) Spirit:    The Holy Spirit is also God, the apostles looked at this entity as a Person, which performed many human-like actions.
  

    So thus all Trinitarians believe that God, the LORD, is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.    This dogma of the Trinity is found in the Nicene Creed.
    Its classic formula: There is one God and three Persons, each of who shares the one Being or Godhead with the two other Persons.

    I believe that the "LORD God (i.e. Jehovah God)" is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, a trinity that is one Being, and even the one mentioned in Deut. 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:"

    Since my book is titled "The Alpha and the Omega," I would like to further answer this comment with the following response.

• God is of the Alpha (cause and existence).
  • Whether matter is formless eternal or formless created is still undetermined.
  • Is God in the matter, is the main reason why the Trinity was developed or the three hypothesis of God.
  • The old phrase, "Can God do anything?"
    • "Can God make a rock bigger than he can move?"
    • The answer of course is.    Yes, he can.
    • But then we are left with the dilemma, that God would not be able to "move the rock that He made."
    • Thus he cannot do everything.
    • This is our feeble minds attempt to make an image of a God whom is so sublime, that we cannot possibly even comprehend what God is.    My description of the Elohim is a feasible way to envision the sublime concept of the infinite eternal God, reaching into the finite world to do His will, through his extensions.

    In Rev. 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

    It was (Jehovah) LORD God and the Elohim (God) alone that existed in immortality.

• All were one, but then they referred to themselves as "we, our, us, etc."
• When Jesus Christ was generated as when the Elohim were generated - time began with a relationship between these two entities.
• The Holy Spirit is emanated from Jehovah (LORD) God, as His power, a means which Christ and all the Hosts (Elohim) are connected to Jehovah (LORD) God.
  • The titles "Alpha" and "Omega" delegate the position of the Elohim to the elect (church) through Jesus Christ.
  • In Rev. 1:8 and 1:11 in the KJV refers to the "Alpha and Omega" as applied to Jesus Christ.    It is strangely omitted in the RSV and the oldest manuscripts.    It has been later inserted in the Receptus and hence the KJV.
• In Eph. 1:23 "when he becomes all in all."
• Eph. 4:6 "as God become all in all."
• In Rev. 21:6 "And he said to me, 'It is done!'    I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.." (RSV)
      This is a reference to Christ becoming the Alpha and the Omega or the process of God becoming all in all.    This shows that Christ was not that way in the beginning.
      Rev. 22:13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
      God is also the Omega (Rev. 1:8 end objective of the action).

    I know I am looking for the truth written as stated in the Scriptures.    I hope this lets you know what I basically believe.

    As to other religions:
Should You Believe in the Trinity?    Is Jesus Christ the Almighty God?
    The following is highlights from a pamphlet released by the WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY from various countries.
    The Trinity has been the central doctrine of the churches for centuries, although various Trinitarian concepts exist, the general teaching is that in the Godhead there are three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, yet, together they are but one God.    The doctrine says that the three are coequal, almighty, and uncreated, having existed eternally in the Godhead.
    Others claim the Trinity doctrine is false, that Almighty God stands alone as a separate, eternal, and all-powerful being.    They claim that Jesus in his prehuman existence was, like the angels, a separate spirit person created by God, thus he must have had a beginning, and has never been Almighty God's equal in any sense.    They also believe that the holy ghost is not a person but God's spirit, his active force.
    The Catholics and the Greek Orthodox worship one God in Trinity as do nearly all other churches.    The doctrine of the Trinity is considered to be "beyond the grasp of human reason," and it is accepted by faith that God is one and God is three.    Although some Protestants claim the word Trinity is not found in the Bible, it did not find a place in the theology of the church until the 4^th century.    The word tri'as, of which the Latin trinitas is a translation, is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180.    The Hebrew Bible does not contain a doctrine of the Trinity and was never taught in the Old Testament 39 books.    Likewise the New Testament's canon of 27 books does not contain an explicit doctrine of the Trinity, nor does Jesus Christ ever mention it.
    The ante-Nicene religious teachers in the early centuries after Christ's birth never acknowledged the existence of a Trinity with the Godhead.    Justin Martyr, who died about 165 A.D., Irenaeus in 200 A.D., Clement of Alexandria in 215 A.D., Tertullian in 230 A.D., Hippolytus in 235 A.D., and Origen, who died about 250 A.D., all promoted that the prehuman Jesus the son was not equal to the one true God, and not as one numerical essence, not Three in One.    Therefore the concept of the Trinity was unknown throughout those Biblical times.
    Many think the doctrine of the Trinity was formulated at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., which is not totally correct, but they did assert that Christ was of the same substance as God, which laid the groundwork for later Trinitarian theology.
    Roman emperor Constantine, who was not a Christian but a pagan worshipper of the Sun, summoned all bishops to Nicaea to resolve the dispute of whether Jesus was God.    He did this to solidify Christians to avoid the religious division as a threat to his empire.    They decided on the nature of Jesus but not the role of the holy spirit.
    In 381 A.D. Emperor Theodosius decided to clarify the formula of placing the holy spirit on the same level as God and Christ, establishing the creed of the Council of Nicaea as the standard and convened the Council of Constantinople, and the beginning of the Trinity concept.    Trinitarianism developed from there in the West, in the Scholasticism of the Middle Ages.
    Athanasian was a clergyman who supported Constantine at Nicaea and died in 373 A.D.    The Athanasian Creed bears his name which he did not compose, and may have been done in France or Spain in the 5^th or 6^th century and continued into Germany in the 9 ^th century, "We worship one God in Trinity ... The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God; and yet they are not three gods, but one God."
    This creed was unknown to the Eastern Church until the 12^th century.    So was this concept guided by the Word of God, or church politics?    So one could wonder if this is Apostasy foretold as seen in: 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 7; Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1-3; Jude 3, 4; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4; Matthew 13:24-43; and 1 Timothy 1:6.    So did pagan beliefs invade Christianity and was it influenced by Greek philosophy?    We are talking about the Church of Rome bringing in the incomprehensible dogma of the trinity.

    This page updated on June 18, 2003 and July 15, 2006.
To return to the Foreword from the Author.