Dr Paul Allen

Without question, one of the strangest verses in the Bible is Jude 9: But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Questions have long swirled around this verse and the death and burial of Moses in general. The canonical record of the death and burial of Moses is shrouded in mystery in Deuteronomy 34. Verse 1 says, “Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan.”  A few verses later, verses 5-6 add, “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-Peor, but no man knows his burial place to this day.” After seeing the Promised Land from afar, Moses died alone in the presence of the Lord. Then something mysterious happened: Moses did ...

Guido Reni's archangel Michael (in the Capuchin church of Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome) tramples Satan (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Spiritual warfare is real. It might not make the news; but it ought to. Paul acknowledges this in Ephesians 6 : 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. But the weapons of this warfare are often somewhat misunderstood.  In some church circles, for example, it is commonplace to hear pastors and their people talk of “binding Satan ” or “renouncing the devil’s presence” or some such display of confidence. Reasons why this maybe misguided. 1. Satan is (most probably) not in earshot There is a pernicious paranoia that permeates churches today: folks think Satan can hear them speak. Some people unwittingly pad Satan’s résumé to include God ’s unique attributes of omniscience a...

Sodom and Gomorrha, Alte Pinakothek, Room 23 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.” ( Jude 1:8 ) The King James translators supplied the term “filthy” for the dreamers that Jude denounces because of the “likewise” that introduces their condemnation. The prior verses had condemned certain angels and the populations of Sodom and Gomorrha because of their perversion of God ’s sexual design. These dreamers not only “stain” the flesh but have become so arrogant that they give “no standing” to any authority and “blaspheme” those who have any “glory.” Not even Michael the archangel had that kind of attitude; Jude notes in the next verse that Michael didn’t rebuke Lucifer when he was carrying out God’s mission for Moses ’ body. Some people are way out of line! Jude’s whole message is focused on those who are attempting to resist, undo, damage, distort, or otherwise disrupt the work of God’s peop...

An angel comforting Jesus before his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Daniel 12:1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people” ( v. 1a ). Central to the biblical description of God is the doctrine of divine providence . Scripture is clear that the Lord did not make the world and then leave it alone to run its course. Rather, He continues to uphold and sustain His creation ( Heb. 1:1–4 ). God’s continuing involvement with creation is according to His design as He works out “all things according to the counsel of his will” ( Eph. 1:11 ). What is often forgotten when considering divine providence is that the angels are some of the many secondary agents through which the primary agent — God Himself — works out His plan. Angels themselves are not divine; they are creatures who, along with everything else the Almighty has made ( Rev.4:11 ), have an origin in space and time. That the Lord uses angels to govern His creat...

In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.  The New World Translation This is one of the most common verses of contention between the  Jehovah's Witnesses  and Christians. Their false assumption is that Jesus is not God in flesh, but Michael the archangel who became a man.  Therefore, since they deny that  Jesus is divine , they have altered the Bible in  John 1:1  so that Jesus is not divine in nature.  The New World Translation has added the word "a" to the verse so it says, "...and the Word was a  god."  The correct translation for this verse is " In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."  This is how it is rendered in the NASB, NIV, KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, etc. The New World translation is incorrect in its translation of this verse for several reasons.  First of all, the Bible teaches a strict monotheism.  To say that Jesus is "a god" i...

Luca Giordano's painting of St. Michael the Archangel and the Fallen Angels, Vienna, 1666 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Daniel 12:1 "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people" ( v. 1a ). Central to the biblical description of God is the doctrine of divine providence . Scripture is clear that the Lord did not make the world and then leave it alone to run its course. Rather, He continues to uphold and sustain His creation ( Heb. 1:1-4 ). God 's continuing involvement with creation is according to His design as He works out "all things according to the counsel of his will" ( Eph. 1:11 ). What is often forgotten when considering divine providence is that the angels are some of the many secondary agents through which the primary agent - God Himself - works out His plan. Angels themselves are not divine; they are creatures who, along with everything else the Almighty has made ( Rev. 4:11 ), have an origin in space a...