Eric Casagrande (9 Nov 2007)
"Reply To Lester"

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Hi John & All:

 

Thank you, my brother, for your kind reply.

 

I tried reading it several times, but I am not entirely clear on what you meant, so forgive me if I am coming at this from the wrong perspective.

 

If your understanding caused you to believe that I meant Jonah made up his own words to the prophecy, this is not what I was saying. My understanding of this situation was that Jonah did receive the words from God that Ninevah will be overthrown in forty days. What I am suggesting is that he only spoke part of that which he was instructed to say.

 

Just as an example -- God instructs Jonah to say:

 

"Repent or  Nineveh will be overthrown in forty days!"

 

But then (as an example) -- Jonah runs out and says:

 

"Nineveh will be overthrown in forty days!"

 

So ... yes, God most likely did say those words that the city of Nineveh would be overthrown in forty days ... but that was not what I was suggesting, which is that He prefaced that judgment statement with words calling for repentance in order to avoid said judgment ... which part Jonah did not repeat.

 

Could my understanding be correct? Sure.

 

Could my understanding be incorrect? Sure.

 

Now on the other hand, what I do find ironic is that you suggest that what I am saying is my private interpretation, and include 2 Peter 1: 20-21. Which in and of itself is fine, until you follow up by giving your private interpretation.

 

If I may inquire, how does reading a concordance make someone an expert in either the Hebrew / Aramaic or Greek languages?

 

I was privileged to spend five weeks in the Philippines this past spring, and I had the chance to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ not only in church, but to the destitute out on the streets. However, it doesn't make me an expert on the Philippines, missionary work, or their Tagalog and Bisayan dialects.

 

As to the fact that true prophets are not perfect in real life, what does that have to do with the inerrant Word of the Living God, which says:

 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither

are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways, and my

thoughts than your thoughts.

 

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from

heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the

earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may

give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

 

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my

mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it

shall accomplish that which I please, and it

shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

 

- Isaiah 55: 8-11

 

 

The bottom line is God's Word always comes to pass with 100% accuracy.

 

 

See ya in the air,

 

Eric