F.M. Riley (29
July 2018)
"A Response and an
Admonition"
A Response and an
Admonition
By Pastor F. M. Riley
July 27, 2018
"I will delight myself in Thy statues:
I will not forget Thy Word."
Psalm 119:16
Dear Brother __________,
Response From a Reader
Thank you for replying to my Bible
Study, and for your questions, although it appears that you have
some doubts. I will attempt to answer your
questions, and hopefully to reconcile your doubts with the
truths of God's Word.
Dear brother, you asked what edition I am
using?
My Answer
In my studies and in my preaching and teaching, I have used only
the King James Bible throughout my 64 years in the Lord's
ministry. In the rare instances when I refer to another
version, it is only as a confirmation.
You have adamantly stated
that Strong's Concordance never defines the words "head" and
"corner" as "the top, capstone; higher stone; or stone in the
topmost or elevated position." Dear brother, you
couldn't be more wrong in your statement.
New Testament.......
Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17,
Acts 4:11, and 1 Peter 2:6-7, are all translated
from the Greek word, kephale, Strong's No. 2776. Here is
an exact quotation from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, 21st
Century Edition, and I quote.....
2776.....head (of a body) top (stone in
a building), by extension: someone or something in the primary
place, the point of origin: head (57), heads (19)
This definition in Strong's explicitly
states that the word means, "top (stone in a building).
Since this is a direct quotation from Strong's definition, then
it is obviously what he meant in preparing his Concordance.
The numbers in parenthesis are the
number of times the words are translated as such in the
Bible. In this case, this Greek word is translated as head
or heads 76 times in the KJV Bible.
204.....Then there is the passage in
Ephesians 2:20, Strong's No. 204. The Greek word here is
akrogoniaios. Strongs defines this word as meaning.....
"cornerstone, an essential stone in the construction of a
building,-chief corner stone [2]
Old Testament.......
6434 - 6438.......In Isaiah 28:16 the Hebrew
words, both pen and pinna are used, Strong's No's 6434 and
6438. Strong's defines the Hebrew word, pen," No. 6434, as
meaning.....
"corner (of a structure),
cornerstone (as a crucial element); stronghold; by extension:
leader:-(2)
Then the word, pinna, No. 6438 in
Strong's is defined as.....
"same as 6434; corner (of a structure)
cornerstone (as a crucial element); stronghold; by extension:
leader:-corner [16], corners [6], chief [2], towers [2],
bulwarks [1], stay [1].
7222.......In Zechariah 4:7 the Hebrew
word ro'sa, Strong's No. 7222, is defined as meaning,
"uppermost, (capstone);-headstone (68).
In this passage in Zechariah is the one
place in the Bible where Strong's defines the Hebrew word used
as a "capstone." But right here it is in Strong's
Exhaustive Concordance, 21st Century Edition.
More Response From the Reader
You said that everything you find about
cornerstones is that they are the first stone laid, and all
other stones must line up with them for the soundness of the
building.
My Response
Dear brother, while pastoring small
churches throughout most of my years in the Lord's ministry, I
had to work at secular jobs in order to provide sufficient
support my family. Due to this situation, I worked in
construction and carpentry for some forty years.
So I am well acquainted with the
construction of buildings, both of wood and of stone. I
have never known of a brick, block, or stone building,
where the cornerstone was set first, and all the rest of the
building set in line with the cornerstone. But I have seen
many brick, block, or stone buildings where the contractor
erecting the building left room for a cornerstone to be set in
one corner of the building. It was usually the last stone
set in the building. If it was an important building, the
people usually had a ceremony of some kind and set an engraved
cornerstone down close to the foundation where people could read
it. Check this out for yourself.
Still More Response From the Reader
You stated that Weekly World News is
hardly a good source, and that their online photo appeared to
you to be "hoaky."
My Response
I am well aware that Weekly World News
is generally regarded as a "tabloid" which one can pick up at
the grocery store each week. There are many such
"tabloids," and most of them do not have a good reputation for
publishing truth. Many "tabloids" engage in "hear
say" and gossip about celebrities, even if they have to
make up or embellish some of their stories. So I
anticipated some rejection, based on the report first published
in Weekly World News.
However, the account of the Hubble
discovery and photos was not made up. And according to
information I received, the smuggled NASA photo and discovery
was first offered to several major national and international
newspapers, but they all refused to publish the story and photo,
for fear of trouble with NASA, and possible lawsuits over
it's publication. Finally, the discovery and photo made by
Hubble was offered to Weekly World News. When Weekly World News
was approached with the discovery and photo, they jumped at the
opportunity to publish such a sensational story, that the
large national and international papers wouldn't
touch. This speaks for itself!
As to the online photo being
"hoaky." Did you really expect to see a very clear
detailed photo, when Hubble was taking the photos from a
distance of a hundred thousand miles or more away? I can
say that the photo as originally published by Weekly World News
is much clearer than the copies which have been made from
it. Dear brother, your "hoaky" response to my Bible Study
on this subject is hardly what I expected from you.
And Still More.......
Here I decided to directly quote your
objection to my study.......
"Most people would be measuring in
todays miles to get a understanding of size. Online
conversion website places 12,000 stadia at 1379.44+ miles
placing 1 stadia at 606.95+ feet and a greek mile or 8 stadia at
4855.643+ making 12,000 stadia exactly 1500 Greek miles.
BUT since that would not mean anything to people today it is
best to measure it in todays miles that people would
understand."
My Answer
In my study I thought I stated very
clearly to my readers that the Greek word used in Revelation
21:16, translated as "furlong," is the word, "stadia."
Then I gave the length of a staida in feet, so that my readers
could understand; 606 feet. Multiplied out, and then
changed into miles, the final figure is 1500 miles.
You reached the same conclusion in your
calculations, except you said 1500 Greek miles. Either
way, whether in today's miles or Greek miles, New Jerusalem is
1,500 miles to each side, and in height. So we both
basically reached the same conclusion. So what is the
problem? Are you just looking for something to "nit pick"
about?
I am not a "beginner." I fully
understand that the Hebrew and Greek words are important.
That is exactly why I often refer to them and their meanings in
my Bible Studies.
But when you say that New Jerusalem
should be measured in todays miles in order to get an
understanding of it's size, are you saying that serious Bible
students should just ignore the Hebrew and Greek languages in
which God's inspired Word was given to us? Well...??
An Admonition
I am not trying to be offensive to this
reader, or to any reader of my studies. But I stand by my
statements made in my study, The Great Golden Pyramid. I
believe I wrote out the truth of God's Word in my study.
The only type of architecture I am
aware of which has a "headstone" or "capstone" on it is a
pyramid. Seven times in the inspired Word, the Lord Jesus
Christ is said to be "the head of the corner." A literal
paraphrase of this statement, would be, "the headstone of the
corner." Now what type of building has a head stone which
also serves as the capstone? Only a pyramid!
I think that this statement about
Christ being "the head of the corner," being repeated seven
times in the inspired Word would be sufficient grounds for any
Bible believer to accept it at face value, as spiritual truth.
Folks, I refuse to argue against the
plain statements of God's Word, in this case a statement which
is repeated in the Word seven times. I would hope that all
of God's people would also refuse to reject the truths of God's
Word, and argue against what God's Word explicitly and literally
says.
But in Christ Every Believer is Free
Any reader who is a true believer has
been made "free" in Christ Jesus, John 8:32-36. Then each
believer is "free" to believe whatever they want to believe, and
whatever theory or opinion they choose to believe, whether it
agrees with God's Word or not. No reader is required to
believe what I believe, and vice versa. But every believer
is required to believe what God's Word says.
Just remember that Matthew 12:36-37 and
2 Corinthians 5:10 are still in the Bible! Every believer
will be required by the Lord Himself to give account for
whatever we believe and teach. PERIOD!
Dear readers, if you "profess" to be a
Christian believer, please seriously study God's Word, receiving
what God's inspired Word actually says and teaches. Then,
as a "born again" believer, uphold and defend the Word until the
Lord takes each of us "home," either by death or by the
rapture. You have my admonition!
May the Lord God be pleased to add His
blessings to this response and admonition. Please remember
me in prayer when you go to Father God's throne of grace.
2 Corinthians 13:14.
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Personal Contact Information:
POSTAL.......Pastor F. M. Riley, 14275 Co. Rd. 8120, Rolla,
Missouri 65401
EMAIL..........francismriley34@gmail.com
PHONE........573-202-6493
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