VR,
Thanks for writing. Perhaps you'll allow me to preface my reply to your
questions and comments with a brief recap of relevant matters:
(1) In my initial response to Bob (2 Apr) I suggested that for historical
(Hebrew and Greek schemes of alphabetic numeration), scriptural (Rev.13:18)
and numerical (the absolute structures of numerical geometry) reasons the
potential for an exercise of the kind we are now discussing has existed for
some considerable time.
(2) I further suggested that that potential is now observed to be realised
particularly (but not exclusively) in the Hebrew of the Bible's first verse
and the Greek of the Creator's name. Clearly, such securely founded phenomena
are in keeping with biblical principles and expectations, and are an integral
part of God's Inspired Word to man. That they have come to light in our day
can't be without significance.
(3) Interestingly, the emergence of these phenomena over the past 25 or so
years has been accompanied by a marked antagonistic psychological reaction in
those to whom they have been revealed. Such acute cognitive dissonance has
been repeatedly observed in respect of forays on this list, and elsewhere.
(4) We therefore find that the discovery of the coordinated biblical phenomena
has released another - apparently unrelated - phenomenon; a most interesting
example of cause and effect - and, I believe, proof of God's strictures
concerning man - commonly (though euphemistically) referred to as original
sin.
(5) Man's attitude to the things of God now being revealed for what it really
is, how can he be trusted to correctly divine the truths regarding of his
origin - having rejected his Maker's account of how it happened, and the time
scale involved?
VR, having laid this foundation I am now better able to proceed to address
your specific questions and comments.
What do these phenomena accomplish? They certainly affirm the supernatural
origin of the Bible and the reality of God's being and sovereignty. But, in
addition, they bring to the light a fundamental truth concerning man, viz his
antipathy toward God, and the things of God - even after his becoming a
Christian.
How does this give us further revelation? They reveal something more of God's
character - in particular, the extent to which He is prepared to go, and the
means He is prepared to adopt, to confirm the truth of the gospel and to save
those who have rejected or compromised His Word.
How is God glorified? His status as God Almighty and Creator is surely
elevated and underlined by these phenomena. Clearly, He is bigger and more
able than we can ever have imagined.
Finally, regarding your comment,
"The problems I see are - if you merely analyze words with this technique it
would argue more for the supernatural aspects of the Hebrew language than the
Bible. And if you start analyzing phrases using this technique you suffer the
same problems as does the other Bible code i.e. any change in the text (EVER)
would completely destroy or manufacture false information."
It is claimed that ELS (Equidistant Letter Sequences) - which lie at the root
of what Drosnin describes in his book - are the key to the unlocking of
information believed to pervade the Torah and other Judaeo-Christian texts. I
make no such wide-ranging claim in respect of the verses of the Hebrew,
Aramaic and Greek originals. The facts appear to be that the coordinated
numerical geometries involving the uniquely symmetrical number 37 are largely
confined to the Bible's opening assertion and the name of its principal
character. It seems that these - together with a relatively small number of
other significant relationships - have been deemed sufficient by their Author
to achieve the purpose for which they were designed.
Sincerely,
Vernon
Mr C wrote:
> Vernon,
>
> Regarding this Bible code:
> What does it do?
> How does this give us further revelation?
> How is God glorified?
>
> Maybe I just don't get it... but all I see are some numeric oddities -
> some of which which all Bible scholars know, simple things like their
> fondness of 6, 7, 40, all the sevens in the opening passage of Genesis,
> etc. The only added twist I see is geometric representations and factors?
>
> The only possible application I can see would be to affirm the
> supernatural origin of the Bible?
>
> The problems I see are - if you merely analyze words with this technique
> it would argue more for the supernatural aspects of the Hebrew language
> than the Bible. And if you start analyzing phrases using this technique
> you suffer the same problems as does the other Bible code i.e. any change
> in the text (EVER) would completely destroy or manufacture false
> information.
>
> Early on I got caught up in the original Bible code by Drosnin - it touted
> being able to see past and future events etc. But as soon as I saw you
> could get virtually anything you wanted in this fashion (i.e. God is evil)
> I lost all interest in this alleged phenomena.
>
> -VR
>
>
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