Why Do People Have Different Opinions On What The Bible Says?

The Word of God is a living document with so many layers that are hidden for us to discover and if we don’t dig into it to find the Truth for ourselves, we may end up parroting to others what we have heard from someone else who is said to be an expert on the subject instead of going to the source of Truth, which is God’s Word. Without knowing the Truth intimately for ourselves, we easily miss the wonderful discoveries that our Heavenly Father has left for us in His Word to uncover.

One example I encountered recently from someone, who pointed out to me how the Word of God contradicts itself, offered me the following two passages to substantiate their claim:

Ecc 1:4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

They then asked: So which is it? Does the earth abide forever or does it pass away?

The problem with this question is not with what is written in these passages, but the fact that those who offer this kind of proof, claiming that the Word of God contradicts itself, have not understood how this one-of-a-kind supernatural Book was constructed neither have they shown any interest in  studying the Word of God for themselves. We have to keep in mind what our Heavenly Father told us regarding the understanding of His Word:

Isa 28:9-10 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Information about things we want to know in the Word of God is strewn throughout the scriptures and we have to consider all of God’s Word to get the full picture. If we draw our conclusion about the reliability of the Bible and whether it contradicts itself by only focusing on two verses that concern the earth, we have in fact left out 99.78 % of what is said about just the earth in the Bible. There are 904 other verses in which more is revealed about the earth. This is similar to claiming you have obtained a degree in Engineering because you watched one YouTube video about an engineering subject.

However, for many who read the Bible, it would cause them to shudder when faced with this apparent dilemma. To some, it would seem that there is absolutely no way in which someone would be able to refute this apparent contradiction. How do we resolve this then?

Note how these two passages do not mention anything about the fact that there are more than one version of the earth mentioned in the Bible and that the destruction of the current earth is discussed in many other passages while the creation of new heavens and a new earth that will endure forever are also mentioned in several passages of God’s Word. To touch on only a few aspects that are missed in the examples provided, but provided in other passages – consider the following:

• The timeline involved with the events that concern the old and new earth is not mentioned
• The fact that there is more than one version of the earth and the heavens that we need to know about is left out
• The sequence of events involved with the destruction of this earth and the creation of a new earth in is not mentioned
• The differences between the two versions are not given
• The reasons for having two versions are left out
• The differences in conditions on earth today and that which existed before Noah’s Flood and that which will exist on the new earth are not mentioned either.

Here are only a few additional clarifying passages representing an additional 0.66% of passages that involve the earth that easily resolves the apparent contradiction when we consider the additional information provided in them:

Isa 51:6  Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

Isa 24:19-21  The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

Isa 65:17  For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Isa 66:22  For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Six additional verses clearly remove the apparent contradiction between the two initial passages where our Heavenly Father tells us that it is the new version of the heaven and the earth that will remain forever, but the earth that we live on today, in its current form, will be destroyed and replaced.

Another subject that sees a lot of contention and disagreement, even among Christians, concerns the resurrection of the dead – this is also what I would like to focus the rest of the series on as I am of the opinion that the Word shows us that what a person believes regarding this subject will have an impact on their eternal position in the Body of Christ. This was even a contentious subject for the people who only had the Old Testament to study as can be seen in the following passage:

Act 23:8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

This difference in opinion regarding the resurrection of the dead is therefore not something new, and today, it remains one of the most contentious subjects in the Bible. There are some who believe in a resurrection and ascension of people before the start of the Tribulation, there are some who believe that this event occurs towards the middle of the Tribulation and others who believe it only occurs after the Tribulation. Have you ever thought about this: How is it possible that people, who read the exact same book, can reach such contradicting and diverging conclusions?

Once again, we face a situation as I have demonstrated with the two passages about the earth that would seem to contradict each other. If we only consider a portion of God’s Word and not all of it, we encounter viewpoints that would seem to directly oppose someone else’s view of the exact same subject. However, when we dig a little deeper into the Word of God, looking for more information regarding the subject, we begin to realize why there are opposing views and that both views may be applicable, but that people are blind to this, because of their approach to the Word. I believe a traditional approach to understanding the Bible (which allows people to adopt a viewpoint that would contradict certain passages in the Word) clearly explains to us the reason for having four predominant views regarding the resurrection and ascension of believers in Christ. Since most people try to understand the Bible by forming a timeline of events, based on the chronology with which the information was written and only using specific passages that supports that viewpoint, it is clear to see how different groups can end up arguing about a specific subject. This is similar to a situation in which four groups are constructing four quadrants of a puzzle and where each quadrant contains information that differs completely from the other three quadrants, but instead of putting the four quadrants together to see the full picture, each group argues about the validity of the quadrant that they have assembled above that of the other groups. This is exactly what I see happening in the body of Christ when subjects such as the Resurrection or the Rapture are mentioned. When we approach this from the perspective explained to us in Isaiah 28:9-10, we receive intelligence into the Word of God that is clearly substantiated and supported by scripture without contradiction and which also incorporates very important models to further affirm the validity of the understanding or conclusion.      

So let us look at the subject of the Resurrection of the dead, where we examine another apparent contradiction in the Bible. We have the following two passages that both relate to the resurrection of the dead – and the first one comes from Revelation 20:

Rev 20:4-5 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

John mentions in this passage from the Book of Revelation that the resurrection of those who are beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the Word of God represent the “First Resurrection.” Now think about this carefully. Does this passage not contradict what is written in the gospels where Jesus’s resurrection was first reported to us and happened prior to John writing the Book of Revelation. Also, consider that John who wrote the Book of Revelation was a witness of Jesus’s resurrection with the other disciples. How can a future resurrection that is prophesied in the Word of God, be called the First Resurrection when there exists a well-documented description of Jesus’s resurrection in the Bible and other Historic documents that occurred almost 2,000 years ago?

Mat 27:52-53  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

So how do we resolve this apparent contradiction? Can we apply the same approach to these two passages as in the case of the earth example?

First, we need to understand that our Heavenly Father intended us to study His Word in great detail and the deeper we go the more interesting and astonishing things we uncover. There are three very important aspects that we need to keep in mind when we study the Word of God:

1. Our heavenly Father holds his Word in very high regard – even higher than His name and we should, therefore, treat His Word as such.

Psa 138:2  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

2. The Word of God was inspired by the Holy Spirit and was given to man with very specific purposes in mind as can see in this passage:

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

3. Our Heavenly Father promised to keep every letter of His Word intact, even after this world passes away, so that we would be able to obtain the Truth from it.

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

When we believe the Word of God to be what is described in these passages, we shift aside our own and others’ opinions on what is written and rather put our trust in what God says. It then becomes our standard, against which we can measure anything.

So let us take the first step in discovering more information that will help us to resolve the apparent contradiction between Revelation 20 and Matthew 27:

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

This passage would seem to suggest that the First Resurrection may consist of parts, or as per the Strong’s concordance, it means to get as a section or an allotment or a division or a share

So if the First Resurrection consists of parts or sections, how do we know how many parts there are? We know it has to be more than one, but, is it Two? Three? Four? Or even more? The answer needs to be answered by the Word of God as well and it elegantly does so in at least three different ways that I can see, so that we can verify and know that our understanding and conclusion in this regard is correct, while at the same time supporting various models that are provided to us in the Bible. This is what we read in 1 Corinthians 15:

1Co 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

These two verses clearly tell us that when we think about the resurrection of Christ that we need to think about a harvest that is gathered in.  The second passage goes further, pointing out that there is a specific order involved, but then, when we understand the harvest model we see that this particular passage once again provides only part of what we need to know in order to understand this order perfectly.  

So what does the Word of God tell us about a harvest and more specifically, how many parts are there to a harvest? We read the following in Leviticus 23 regarding the first fruits of a harvest:

Lev 23:10-11 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

The first harvest event, that is required according to the Word of God, requires a sheaf from the crop to be collected and to be given to a priest at the Temple who will then wave it before the Lord on the day following the Sabbath. Now a sheaf is a relatively small collection of ears or fruit from the crop and not a single ear or fruit on its own. If this pattern or model is strictly applied to Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, we would then expect to see more than just one person resurrected from the dead. Does the Bible provide us with proof of others being resurrected with Jesus to become the First Fruits of the First Resurrection? Using the same reasoning, we have to argue that if a farmer is expected to bring a sheaf or a collection of fruit and not just a single fruit or ear of Barley or Wheat to the Temple, was Jesus alone in this resurrection event, or were there more that were raised with Him into glorified bodies to represent a sheaf of first fruits of God’s harvest which is called the First Resurrection in Revelation 20? The answer to this question is given in the next passage:

Mat 27:52-53 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Although this is the only passage in the Word of God to speak about the resurrection of others who were resurrected with Jesus, it is important to realize that this passage is the first to confirm that Jesus’s resurrection from the dead with some of the Old Testament Saints follows the harvest pattern for the first fruits exactly as it is described to us in the Word.  We see that even the day on which the sheaf of firstfruits is supposed to be waived by the priest before the Lord, coincides with the day on which Jesus was resurrected and presented before the Father in heaven as the first fruits of a series of resurrection events that will represent a harvest of souls. First Fruits are waived before the Lord on the day after Sabbath or the first day of the week. Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the first day of the week.

The word continues to explain to us the function of the first fruits and tells us what happens to the rest of the harvest after the first fruits have been harvested:

Rom 11:16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

Lev 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

The first of these two passages tells us that the First Fruits’ purpose is to sanctify the rest of the harvest. Jesus came to earth to do exactly that - 

Heb 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

The second passage gives us the last bit of information to discover the number of parts that a harvest consists of and the answer then is THREE.

A harvest consists of the First Fruits and the Main harvest that is gathered in by the owner of the field, while the gleanings or the corners of the field that are left to the poor and the owner of the crop is not allowed to harvest these. This is quite important to take note of, as it means that there will be one more harvest event that will be carried out by the owner of the crop and a final harvest that will be carried out by those, known as the “poor”. 

Can you see how the apparent contradiction between Revelation 20 and Matthew 27 is now beginning to dissipate when we begin to understand how to interpret what is said? If Jesus and the OT saints that were resurrected with Him represent the first fruits of this harvest, then John’s remark in which he says “this is the First Resurrection” would mark the completion of this three-part harvest and the people that are described in the passage preceding this resurrection would be the corners of God’s field who will be harvested by those who will be known as the poor.

Before we get into the detail of the remaining parts of the harvest, can we find any corroboration or further supporting evidence for the association between the three-part harvest model and the resurrection of the dead which is called the First Resurrection in Revelation 20?

Let us see what Jesus said about His own resurrection: Jesus gave the Jews a very interesting answer when they asked Him for a sign:

Joh 2:18-21  Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.

In this passage, Jesus clearly associates the Temple with the resurrection of His body and mentions three days that will be required to raise it up. Now, the Word of God also has the following to say which we carefully need to consider when trying to grasp the full meaning of what Jesus said:

1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

When we read John chapter 2 verse 18-21 we are traditionally taught that the three days that Jesus mentioned represent the time that He would spend in the grave before His resurrection. This is a very accurate understanding, but what we are not shown is the meaning of the three days that Jesus mentioned on another level – when we take into account what is written in the two passages from 1 Corinthians.

If we are the Temple of God and the Body of Christ, what Jesus said in this passage must also apply to those who have become the Body of Christ. Since the entire body of Christ had not yet been glorified but only the portion which is known as the First Fruits, how do the three days apply to the entire Body or Temple? It is clear that Jesus then infers that three separate resurrection events that will each occur on a specific day would be required to raise up the completed Temple. I find it absolutely amazing to see how our Heavenly Father had hidden amazing nuggets for us in His Word to discover, further affirming what we have discovered in the Harvest model. 

The heavenly temple of God, just as the harvest model, consists of three very distinguishable sections. Exodus and other books describe these to us as the Most Holy place, the Holy place, and the Outer Court. Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, with a number of Old Testament Saints, would then, just as the harvest model, have to represent a portion of the Temple if there is a resurrection day assigned to each portion according to Jesus’s words. Does the Bible provide us with any clues as to which section was completed by Jesus and the Old Testament Saints’ resurrection? In Revelation chapter 4, John is taken to the Throne Room in Heaven or the place where God dwells described to us in the Old Testament as the Most Holy part of the Temple.  

Rev 4:10-11 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

This passage also tells us about 24 Elders that are positioned on thrones in this location and when we read what Isaiah and Ezekiel saw when they were taken to God’s throne room, the 24 Elders are conspicuously missing from their accounts. In Chapter 5 of Revelation we are also told that the Lamb which was slain was standing in the midst of the 24 Elders, giving us the idea of a sheaf possibly:

Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

The important question then is who or what are the elders or who do they represent? There are many opinions on the 24 Elders among bible scholars and prophecy experts, and we can debate whose opinion is closer to the truth, but let us rather consult the Word of God for a simple answer.   We find a description of the Elders who are all Old Testament believers described to us in Hebrews 11 having a very specific quality which also defines the rest of this harvest and we read the following about them:

Heb 11:1-2 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. 

Paul continues to describe at least 16 people by name that have been resurrected with Jesus as part of the First Fruits and who have become the 24 elders that are seen in the Most Holy place of the Heavenly Temple. When we grasp how God has provided these models to understand specific concepts in His Word, we also begin to see that there remain another two sections of the Temple that will be raised up on two separate days when their resurrection events will happen – two sections that will represent the main harvest of God’s crop and lastly, the corners of that field.

To summarize this then – we have seen that the Word of God shows us that the First resurrection consists of three parts, based on the association with the harvest and temple models and the fact that Jesus said that He would raise the temple of his body up in three days. Each day assigned to a specific section and understanding that the first section had been completed when Jesus and the 24 Elders were resurrected.

To find out more, please watch the series linked at the top of this video for more information.