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I really enjoy your site. I have 2 questions. First, why did Jesus descend into hell before his resurrection? Second, in a National Geographic issue, there is an article on Herod. Was there more than one Herod, and if so, when did each of them live? Thank you for your work.

The time of Jesus birth was at the Fall Feast of Tabernacles. ( He tabernacles with us, God with us, His name Emanuel, God with us) Not The Jewish new year. He was born in a booth that was commanded from God that the Jews do during the feast of booths. The table inside the booth that they put the holy bread on is called a manger. (Jesus, bread of life placed on a table, manger) Just wanted you to know so we can more accurately celebrate our Wonderful Lord!

In your Ask a Bible Teacher section, I came upon this question, Why Did God Judge Eve First? and have a question of my own.

In Genesis 3:6 – “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”

Does “with her” mean at the time of her conversation with the serpent? If Adam was with her, had he not already sinned by allowing her to eat of the fruit?

I was having dinner with my (Christian) sister last night and started to tell her about something funny a pastor said, and she said that was wrong to say. She becomes smug about Christian beliefs. Her husband told her she was being self-righteous. She was saved before me so I get the impression that she thinks she’s a “better” Christian.

The same sister has another daughter who was married a year ago to a man with the last name of “Butts”. They are all Christians. She got together with them and had a picture taken with their backs to the camera, half bending over but looking at the camera. It says “Merry Christmas….from the Butts”. I think it’s cute but my sister thinks it’s unbiblical. She said the butt is a sexual part of the body and they should not have done that. She likened it to Sodom and Gomorrah. I think this is really stretching it and I don’t see anything wrong with the picture. What do you think?

I have 2 questions for you.

1. Where do you draw the line in case of what is acceptable and what is not when it comes down to women’s bathing swimsuit fashion. The most common reasoning is that 1 piece suit is less revealing, therefore better for a Christian woman. However, I just don’t understand where to draw the line here. The biggest difference between 1 piece and 2 piece in my mind is whether the stomach and sometimes the back is covered. I can’t see how that is a big deal since any swimsuit is extremely revealing by definition. Any thoughts on this?

2. Some preachers use a verse from the book of Leviticus to make a case against tattoos. I think the verse says that we were not supposed to make cuts on our skin. It very clear to me that Christians shouldn’t get tattoos because it a very pagan practice, but I don’t think its proper to use that particular verse to illustrate that point, simply because the verse prior to it speaks on restrictions for men not to cut their hair. If we were to take one verse literally, shouldn’t we take another one the same way?

I understand that my questions today aren’t as important in light of the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, but I just want to know.

I have enjoyed Jack’s articles posted on Rapture Ready but I really have problem with the following excerpt from the article “A Question We’ve All Asked”.

“The Book of Job is an example of the difference between Union and Fellowship. Job’s righteousness made him proud, a sin in God’s eyes. When Satan asked to torment him, God had to agree in spite of the fact that Job was one of the most righteous men on Earth, because he hadn’t confessed his sin. As long as Job relied on his own righteousness he was vulnerable to attack, and none of his complaints could change that, even though he remained a child of God. When he confessed, God put a stop to the torment and restored him.”

Please tell me the scripture reference where it says that Job’s righteousness made him proud. You are teaching in great contradiction to a very large body of Christian work and commentary when you propose that Job was living in unrepentant sin and that was the cause of Satan’s attacks. Wow, you amaze me! You will not find scriptural justification for your comments unless you work hard to squeak it out of the sermons of Job’s 3 friends whom God rebuked and Job prayed for in the end.

What do I do with Job 1:8 where God Himself says “have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth–a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.” How am I to ascertain that Job was proud — it’s not there Jack. If God says he had complete integrity how does that jive with your comment that he was proud. You error.

While most of your writings seem right on this comment about Job is quite alarming. You have wandered quite a ways from the truth in order to illustrate a point in the article that could have easily been illustrated with other Bible anecdotes. I hope you correct your thinking on this—and your writings which are wrong.

I have been reading about predestination. God knows our whole life, before conception. It is all planned out. He knows if we will choose Him (salvation) or not. He knows when people will die. Why pray for your loved ones, when God knows It is His will. All through the Bible, it talks about praying for people, but our lives are already planned out, according to God’s will.

My mother died of cancer several years ago. I’m wondering … Why did I pray so fervently, if I knew it was God’s choice to bring her home. Why do churches have “prayer requests”? We cannot change God’s mind. My mind is “reeling” about these thoughts. Hope you can help!

I have a question concerning the seeker/friendly church. The church I attend is very seeker/friendly I think. For example their are no crosses put in the church or at least where they may be a “distraction” because “we want to be sensitive to new people who are coming in for the first time.” The open study of end times is considered a distraction from the mission of the church and is not considered a priority.

Also lately I have considered giving my tithe to another ministry, one where it is being used to truely push the Kingdom forward in serious ways. It seems that the churches tithes are going toward paying off a building that was filled with expensive stuff. What do you think?

I recently read Romans 9 NLT. The part I am struggling with is “Gods prerogative”. The explanation is given in Romans 9:21. However, a clay pot does not have a soul, feelings or emotion. It does not care what it is. There is a big difference. God can obviously do what He wants, but it seems that it would interfere with his “LOVE and GRACE for EVERYONE”.

If God selects the people He wants to accept Him and selects the people He wants to reject Him before they ever exist then the ones who reject HIM are sent to hell for eternity is definitely not fair. Then we are told how we dare argue with God to even ask such a question. If God wants his people to “CHOOSE” to Love Him, He cannot force them by election. Also, the whole concept of spreading the Gospel is pointless other than being obedient. I sometimes feel as though I am one of those people God chose to send to destruction.

So is salvation “possible” for everyone or only the “elect”?

My wife and I have been married for 24 years. As ‘fully committed’ Christians we both tried to maintain our walk with God and I’d often pray and ask God to help me ‘change into the ‘right’ sort of husband that my wife wanted. However we both have a ‘lot of baggage’, etc and basically have found living together quite difficult. Now my wife feels that I don’t love her and never did, which is incorrect as I do love her but just find her difficult to live with. She recently told me that I was now in ‘sin’ and out of God’s grace as I wasn’t ‘loving my wife as Christ loves the church”.

Technically she’s correct I guess but I did tell her that I’m just a ‘fallible man’ whereas Christ is perfect., but as she’s’ the one who’s pulling away from me I ‘hope’ that I’m still in God’s grace. I know that all of my sins have been paid for at the cross and God now sees me as ‘righteous’. I’d appreciate your thoughts on this.