VICTORY IN CHRISTIAN WARFARE
(Second Edition)
CHAPTER 2 God’s Battle Plan
God has given a love letter to humanity which is a battle plan for every human being. God’s love letter describes a plan of warfare for the individual to wage war against God’s rival on their own behalf, with God’s help. God’s battle plan, if followed, cannot fail. It teaches the individual how to effectively take hold of God’s remedy and so have a necessary change of heart from selfishness to love, just like God’s heart of love.
Your Guide
Hello, I am Andrea P. Sutherland, the author of this book. I will be your guide to understanding the invisible war in the universe. I am a soldier in God’s army of good by virtue of understanding and implementing God’s battle plan for humanity. I expect that, if I remain loyal to God, to gain paradise and everlasting life, which is to be immortal.
You too can gain paradise and everlasting life! To this end I will be your guide to understanding and following God’s battle plan which cannot fail. God’s side is good and is light and his rival’s side is evil and is darkness. Let us choose the good and not the evil. Let us choose the light and not darkness.
Who is God?
God is a Family of three divine Persons, namely, the Father, the Son called Christ, and the Holy Spirit. God is self-existent, meaning that God is the One whose life which does not originate from any other. He is the Creator of the universe and the Source of all life in the universe apart from Himself.
God’s Battle Plan for Humanity
The battle plan God has drawn up for humanity is written in what is known as the Bible. By God’s ordering of events, the Bible is the world’s best-selling book and it is also the most widely distributed. It is estimated that over 5 billion copies have been printed.
God gave the Bible to humanity in a unique way. The Bible is a collection of books which were written over a period of approximately 1600 years by about 40 human authors. You may well ask, “How then is the Bible God’s battle plan since it was written by humans?” The answer is that the Bible itself gives us the rationale for saying it is God’s battle plan. So, we must find our answer by delving into the Bible itself.
Availability of the Bible
In today’s world in the twenty-first century, the Bible, God’s blueprint for war, is available worldwide and can be read by anyone who so desires. The Bible is widely available not only in print, but in electronic form on the Internet as text and audio or as an app for your smartphone. You can also read the Bible for free online at www.blueletterbible.org or you can download a free Bible app to your smartphone. Note that I do not necessarily recommend all the resources at the Blue Letter Bible website.
I recommend the free Blue Letter Bible app available for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. The app allows you to choose several free Bible versions to add to the app. Also, with this app, you can read the Bible offline, so that there is no need for an internet connection or mobile data on your phone after you download it. This feature is very useful as you can read the Bible anywhere you can take your device at no cost to you. Note that some of the other features require an internet connection.
I have also used the free Olive Tree Bible app which is available as a download for these devices—iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, and Windows. The app allows you to choose several free Bible versions to add to the app. Some resources in the app are available for sale, but the free resources are all you will ever need if all you want to do is to read the Bible. One great feature of the Olive Tree Bible app too is that it works offline.
The Format of the Bible
Before we can delve into the Bible, we must understand its format. The King James Version of the Bible (KJV), which is an English language version, consists of a collection of 66 books in all, with the first 39 books making up what is known as the “Old Testament”, and the remaining 27 books making up what is known as the “New Testament.” For example, the first book of the Bible is entitled “Genesis” and the last of the 66 books of the KJV is entitled “Revelation.”
Each book of the Bible consists of one or more chapters, with each chapter being divided into numbered sections called “verses.” For example, the book of “Genesis” has 50 chapters and the book of “Obadiah” has only one chapter.
Citing the Bible
Also, before we can delve into the Bible, we must understand how to cite it. There is a universal notation used to cite or make reference to the Bible. In this notation “Genesis 1:1″ means, “The book of Genesis, chapter 1, and verse 1, which is the first verse of chapter 1.” Similarly, “Genesis 1:5″ means “The book of Genesis, chapter 1, and verse 5, which is the fifth verse of chapter 1.”
Let us look at two more examples of this Bible notation. “Job 26:7″ means, “The book of Job, chapter 26, and verse 7 of chapter 26.” As another example, “Acts 18:12″ means, “The book of Acts, chapter 18, and verse 12 of chapter 18.” As an example, I will quote the verse, Genesis 1:1, which says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
How God Gave His Battle Plan to Humanity
As was said before, the Bible was written over a period of approximately 1600 years by about 40 authors. Our questions then that we are seeking to answer is, “How then is the Bible God’s battle plan since it was written by humans? Didn’t God write the Bible Himself?” Note that the Bible refers to itself as “scripture.” 2 Timothy 3:16.
There is a tiny section of the Bible, the Scripture, known as the “ten commandments” (Exodus 34:28), which God gave as “two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18. This section therefore was written by God Himself. Everything else in the Bible apart from the ten commandments was written by human authors.
How did the Bible’s human authors know what to write? They knew what to write because God communicated to these people through dreams, visions, and symbols, and He sometimes spoke audibly. These people then wrote down the thoughts that God gave them in human language, under God’s divine influence.
While there are portions of the Bible which are pen-inspired in that the human authors wrote down word for word what God said, the Bible is for the most part, thought-inspired as the authors wrote down, in their own words, under the inspiration of God, what was impressed upon their minds.
Therefore, when reading the Bible, we are reading either the exact words of God or the thoughts given by God to its human authors. We may say then that it is God who says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” 2 Timothy 3:16. God Himself, speaking of the Scripture, which is the Bible, says that it is “not…the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
(The three consecutive periods, “…”, as appears in the Bible verse which was previously quoted is known as an ellipsis, and it means that there are omitted words or phrases. Why? The reason for the omission is that many Bible verses convey complex, multifaceted thoughts. Therefore, I will use ellipses in order to simplify the verse by omitting words and phrases. By this means, I will be better able to convey the thought of focus at a particular point in this book.)
The King James Version of the Bible
The Bible was originally written in the Hebrew and Greek languages, with a small portion written in the Aramaic language. Specifically, the Old Testament was written in the Hebrew and Aramaic languages and the New Testament was written in the Greek language. The Bible has been translated into many languages since it was first written, and today in the twenty-first century there are many English language versions of the Bible available.
In this book, I have chosen to use only the English language version known as the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) in quoting from the Bible. It is my preferred English language version as it is the ONLY correct English translation of the Bible from its original languages. I read no other version of the Bible and I recommend the KJV to you. So, a few words about the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) are in order.
The English translation known as the King James Version (KJV) has been the most popular among English language versions over the last 400 years and more since it was first published in the year 1611. Since the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible dates back to the year 1611, it was, therefore, written in an older form of the English language.
Subsequently, the KJV was updated in the year 1769 to take account of changes in spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, and grammar that had occurred in the English language in the more than 150 years since it was published in 1611. Today’s English language in the twenty-first century now differs from the English of the 1769 updated version. Nevertheless, the King James Version is still highly readable and understandable.
Since the King James version is written in an older form of the English language, the pronouns thou, thee, thy, thine, ye, you, your, yours, all occur in the Bible text. We can easily understand the meaning of these pronouns whenever they occur in the KJV by using a simple rule. The rule is that all the pronouns beginning with the letter “t” are singular, while all the pronouns beginning with the letter “y” are plural.
The pronouns thou, thee and ye then would be translated into today’s English as you, and the pronouns thy and thine would be translated into today’s English as your. So, only three pronouns of the eight pronouns in the KJV occur in today’s English, while the KJV’s older form of English has an extra five pronouns for a total of eight pronouns.
This variety of eight pronouns in the KJV captures more accurately the meanings found in the original languages of the Bible, Hebrew and Greek, than the three pronouns you, your, and yours in modern English. Hence, in using a variety of pronouns the KJV gives a greater depth of meaning to the biblical text than a Bible translation without this differentiation of the pronouns.
Names of God in the Bible
The divine Family is collectively known as the “Godhead.” Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9. The Godhead is also commonly referred to as the “Trinity” although this word does not occur in the Bible.
God says of Himself, “God is the LORD” (Psalm 118:27), and He also says, “I am the LORD: that is my name.” Isaiah 42:8. He is “the Lord God” (Genesis 2:4) and “God the Lord.” Isaiah 42:5. Now when God refers to Himself as the “Lord,” He means that He is the self-existent, eternal One, who is the supreme Ruler of the universe.
In the King James Version of the Bible, the name for God is written with an uppercase letter “L” such as “Lord” and “LORD.” These words are distinct in meaning from the word “lord” written with a lowercase letter “l” which refers to a human being as “master” or “ruler.” So, God says of Himself, “Thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever.” Psalm 102:12.
The Bible’s Usage of the Word “God”
In God’s word, the Bible, the word “God” is used interchangeably as a collective name for the Godhead or for any of the individual members of the Godhead. For example, the Bible says, “Hear…the LORD our God is one LORD.” Deuteronomy 6:4. “God is one.” Galatians 3:20. Here the word “God” is used for the collective name “Godhead.” We could restate these verses by saying, “Hear, the LORD our Godhead is one LORD.” “The Godhead is one.”
There are three implications of the two Bible verses just quoted. The first implication is that the Godhead is a unit, a divine Family made up of three divine Persons. These are the Father, the Son called Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
The second implication is that the three Persons are equal to each other, in that, none is superior or inferior to the others. Each of the three Persons in the Godhead is a deity in their own right. The Father is God, the Son called Christ, is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
For each of the three divine Persons, the Father, the Son called Christ, and the Holy Spirit is “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” Hebrews 7:3. Each Person of the Godhead is self-existent and eternal.
The third implication is that the character and purposes of each of the Persons making up the Godhead are one and the same. The Persons of the Godhead are in perfect agreement with each other, so that they are perfectly united, never contradicting each other. Whatever is said by one divine Person can be taken as the words of the other two divine Persons.
Let us next consider God’s word which says, “God the Father.” John 6:27. Here we see the word “God” being used for one Person of the Godhead, namely, the Father. This interchangeable use of the word “God” causes no difficulty in interpreting the word of God, the Bible, since the Holy Spirit, who inspired the authors of the Bible, will guide us into the correct understanding, if we choose to be guided.
The Preservation of the Bible
“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” Psalm 12:6, 7. “Every word of God is pure.” Proverbs 30:5. “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:8. “The word of God…liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Peter 1:23. It is God Himself then who has preserved the Bible for us from the time it was written up until today, and God will preserve it forever.
How to Understand God’s Battle Plan
In order to be victorious in the invisible war in the universe, we must follow God’s battle plan given in the Bible, for this plan cannot fail. However, we cannot follow a plan that we do not understand. So, it is vital that we correctly understand the Bible, which is to correctly interpret the Bible. In this book then, we will be exploring the Bible in an endeavour to understand God’s plan of warfare.
Now “all scripture is given by inspiration of God.” 2 Timothy 3:16. “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [spoke] as they were moved by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit].” 2 Peter 1:20, 21.
(The words above in square brackets, [], are inserted by me, the author of this book, as my own explanatory note or translation note to aid you, the reader, in your understanding of the Bible text which is being quoted. For example, in the Bible verses quoted above I have inserted the translation note, [spoke], for the old English word “spake” which occurs in the verses. I have also inserted the name “Holy Spirit” (Psalm 51:11) which is another name for the “Holy Ghost” in the Bible.)
God Has Only One Battle Plan
According to the Bible, in the writing of all the Scriptures, including the prophetic portions, the human authors were inspired by God. These “holy men of God spake [spoke] as they were moved by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit].” 2 Peter 1:21. As was said before, the “Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21) and the “Holy Spirit” (Psalm 51:11) are one and the same divine Person.
“There is…one Spirit…one faith” (Ephesians 4:4, 5) so that “we all come in the unity of the faith.” Ephesians 4:13. Just as there is only one Holy Spirit, who is a member of the Godhead, there is only “one faith” (Ephesians 4:5), only one correct interpretation of the Scriptures, the Bible, all of which was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
God desires that all humanity have this “one faith” (Ephesians 4:5), this one interpretation of the Bible. Then all humanity will be perfectly aligned with the single battle plan for all of God’s army. This is a most important point to grasp.
There are many different interpretations of the Bible in our world today, but as we have seen there is only one correct interpretation. All others must, therefore, be erroneous.
Even though, some interpretations of the Bible today, may be a mixture of truth and error, as a whole they are still erroneous, just as a glass of pure water with a small amount of poison in it is nevertheless poisonous. For God says that the Bible is “the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and, hence, the correct interpretation of the Bible is pure truth, not mingled with any error. Therefore, God says, “Do not err, my beloved.” James 1:16.
The Holy Spirit Our Helper
How then can we find the correct, the true interpretation of the Bible? God’s answer is, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Matthew 7:7, 8. “Be not wise in your own conceits.” Romans 12:16. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord.” James 4:10. “The Spirit of truth…he will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13.
God means that we must ask Him to give us His Holy Spirit, who inspired the authors of the Bible, as a Helper and the Spirit will guide us into the correct interpretation of the Bible. This asking of ours is part of what is called “prayer.” What then is prayer? It is a two-way communication with God in that we speak to God and then listen to hear God speaking to us. Now God rarely speaks in an audible voice, but He can and does impress His thoughts upon our mind and/or directs us to the Scripture that we may know what is His word to us.
Why do we have to ask? We are required by God to ask because God will not force upon us that which we do not desire. If we do not desire the Holy Spirit’s aid, we will not receive it and we will, therefore, be left to our own “private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20), our own human reasoning and intellect, in order to interpret the Bible.
If we do not have the help of the Holy Spirit, the Bible will be read, even from its beginning to the end, without the reader understanding its true meaning. This is because it is a spiritual book as it is a product of the mind of the infinite God. Like “hid treasures” (Proverbs 2:4), like veins of precious ore hidden beneath the surface of the earth, so are spiritual riches concealed in God’s holy word. It requires mental effort and a prayerful approach to discover the hidden meaning of the word of God.
You may ask, “Why is the meaning of the Bible hidden?” This is a good question and one for which the answer will be given in this book. For now, I say to you just continue reading this book. All will be made clear, I promise.
The Bible is unlike human productions which can be understood by the sole application of human reasoning and intellect. Furthermore, if we come to the Bible, which is the word of God, to read it in a casual manner, or only with curiosity, or with preconceived notions, in effect we will not to be found among those that say, “I will hear what God the LORD will speak” (Psalm 85:8) to us individually through its pages.
Our ears then are not open to receive from the Holy Spirit the Bible’s correct interpretation and, hence, we will come away from the Bible with an erroneous interpretation. In order to arrive at the truths of the Bible, we must approach it with an open mind, a humble, teachable spirit, and with prayer, if we are to correctly understand the Bible and its message from God to us. This is the necessary approach to understanding God’s plan of warfare.
Validating Me, Your Guide
In view of what was said above, you might well ask, “How can I know that what the author of this book has written is a true interpretation of the Bible?” This is a fair question and one which you should indeed ask for God says, “The simple” (Proverbs 14:15), the naïve and gullible, “believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going” (Proverbs 14:15), in other words, the prudent man is discerning.
Therefore, as you read this book, ask the Holy Spirit to “guide you into all truth.” John 16:13. In this way, you can validate what I, your guide, have written in this book.
This book is, by no means, an exhaustive study of the Bible, but it is intended to give a foundation of essential Bible truths. If you find that the contents of this book are confirmed by the Holy Spirit, then this book will be to you a safe guide for your life as you yourself prayerfully read and study the Bible.
Conditional Promises of God
God promises, “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Matthew 21:22. There are two conditions upon which the fulfilment of this promise depends. If we meet the two conditions laid down by God, the promise to us will be fulfilled. Having met the conditions, we will receive the aid of the Holy Spirit.
One condition is, “And this is the confidence that we have in him [God], that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” 1 John 5:14, 15. The other condition is, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine [teaching], whether it be of God.” John 7:17.
The plan of warfare laid out by God in the Bible is God’s will for humanity and is a blessing to all. If the blessing we seek is according to God’s will and will be used by us in doing the will of God, then we will surely receive the blessing from God. Of such individuals we can say, joyfully and in truth, “Thou [God] hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden [withheld] the request of his lips.” Psalm 21:2.
God’s Battle Plan is God’s Will
You may ask, “Is God’s will the right thing for us to do?” God answers this question, saying, “I lead in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 8:20), “in all goodness and…truth.” Ephesians 5:9. “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.” Proverbs 4:11.
Now it is God’s will that we should have the aid of “the Spirit of God.” Genesis 1:2. Therefore, if, in all sincerity, you ask God for the assistance of the Holy Spirit, you will indeed receive the Spirit’s help and you will know for yourself “what is truth.” John 18:38. This is the proper approach to understanding the Bible.
Then we will know for ourselves that “the entrance of thy [God’s] words giveth light” (Psalm 119:130), the light of truth to “enlighten my darkness.” Psalm 18:28. “It giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130), it gives understanding to the naïve and gullible. For “thy [God’s] word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105. So, God’s army of good is an army of light, while His rival’s army of evil is an army of darkness.
Contrasting the two armies, God says, “Let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous.” 1 John 3:7. “They that are of a froward [wicked] heart are abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 11:20), who is God, “but such as are upright in their way are his delight.” Proverbs 11:20.
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20. So, God pronounces negative consequences for those people who are wicked, who have joined His rival’s army of evil.
Necessity of Firsthand Knowledge
We need to take into account God’s caution to “beware of evil workers” (Philippians 3:2) who “by the sleight [trickery] of men, and cunning craftiness [deviousness]…lie in wait to deceive.” Ephesians 4:14. It is critical that we do not receive an understanding of God’s word secondhand, becoming mere reflectors of other people’s thoughts.
Instead, by praying ourselves for the Holy Spirit to guide us, we will be connected to God, the Source of all truth. Thus, we will receive knowledge from God’s word firsthand and we will become trained by God to be thinkers for ourselves.
For God desires that “every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5) with respect to the truthfulness of the word of God, the Bible. By taking this approach, that you will become “grounded and settled” (Colossians 1:23) in your mind in God’s truths about God Himself and the universe in which we live.
Thanking God
“O give thanks unto the LORD” (Psalm 105:1), “blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications” (Psalm 28:6), the voice of my earnest prayers. Having asked God in sincerity for the aid of the Holy Spirit in understanding the Bible, we should believe that we have received the requested help and, hence, we should thank God for His blessing upon us.
The Godhead are real, divine Persons and we should treat them as such. Just as in everyday life, if we receive a gift, we thank the giver, so having received the gift of the Spirit’s help, we should express our gratitude to God.
God is “well pleased” (Isaiah 42:21) when we “offer unto God thanksgiving.” Psalm 50:14. Having thanked God, we may then say of God in truth, “Thou wast [You were] pleased with me.” Genesis 33:10. We need not wait for the evidence of a blessing, for having met the conditions in asking, we are to have faith that the promise is sure to be fulfilled.
Good Understanding Received From God
Surely, thereafter, we will find that what before may have appeared obscure and impenetrable in the Bible, will now open to our understanding because we have received the promised help. Our constant prayer to God should be “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of” (Psalm 119:18) “thy word” (Psalm 119:105), “the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.
Over a Million of God’s Thoughts in the Bible
The Bible is a book like no other. God’s plan of warfare is multifaceted and is given in detail with more than a million of God’s own thoughts in the Bible. We will now look at the rationale for saying that the Bible contains more than a million of God’s thoughts.
It is not necessary to fully understand all aspects of this rationale at this point. It is included here so that you are not left with only the option of taking my word as truth without an opportunity to examine the facts yourself.
Analysis of a Verse
The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible has 31,102 verses making up a total of 1,189 chapters, where each chapter consists of two or more verses. Now there are often one, two, or more thoughts in a verse which make up the overall thought of the verse. How is this so? Let us consider an example to see this for ourselves.
For example, consider the following verse: “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat [food] in due season.” Psalm 145:15. This verse contains two thoughts which make up the overall thought. The first thought in the verse is, “The eyes of all wait upon thee” (Psalm 145:15), which means that all life on earth is dependent upon God for sustenance.
The second thought in the verse is, “Thou givest them their meat [food] in due season.” (Psalm 145:15), which means that God provides food at the appropriate times. The overall thought of the verse is that God is the Giver of all necessary food on earth.
Calculations
Many of God’s thoughts in the Bible are themselves precepts, which are moral principles. For example, consider the following verse in which God says, “Thou shalt not kill.” Exodus 20:13. This is a precept, a moral principle, forbidding murder.
Many of the approximately 31,000 verses in the Bible are made up of two or more precepts, which means that they are made up of two or more of God’s thoughts. We can therefore estimate that there are at least 50,000 of God’s thoughts in the whole Bible. This is an arbitrary estimate and a conservative one as you will discern if you study the Bible.
For ease of computation, let us call these 50,000 thoughts our Estimate #1. Now each verse, each passage (where a passage consists of two or more consecutive verses in the Bible), each chapter, each book in the Bible has up to six or more applications.
Some of these six applications are (1) the literal meaning, (2) the application to me as an individual, (3) the application to God, (4) and to God’s rival. Now each application results in the discovery of more of God’s thoughts in the Bible. These additional thoughts are hidden beneath the surface from the superficial reader of the Bible.
Let us conservatively estimate that there are two applications of some of the passages of the Bible. Specifically, let us estimate that there are two applications of 15,000 verses, 20,000 passages, 500 chapters, and 50 books of the Bible. Once again this is an arbitrary estimate but nevertheless a conservative one, as you will agree when you become a mature student of the Bible, if you are not already mature in your knowledge of the word of God.
Calculating then, we find that there are (15,000 verses + 20,000 passages + 500 chapters + 50 books) x (2 applications) = (35,550 x 2) = 71,100 or approximately 70,000 additional thoughts in the Bible. Therefore, our Estimate #1 + 70,000 = 50,000 + 70,000 = 120, 000. Let us call these 120,000 of God’s thoughts in the Bible our Estimate #2. But this is not all of God’s thoughts in the Bible.
Let us consider the following rule given by God, “Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” Isaiah 28:10. If you will recall, a precept is a moral principle, or we may say, a moral instruction. This rule given by God means that we are to compare precept with precept, which is to compare Scripture with Scripture, comparing thought with thought. Such comparisons lead to the discovery of more of God’s thoughts in the Bible.
Therefore, assuming that each of the 120,000 thoughts in our Estimate #2 can be compared with 10 other thoughts in the entire Bible, we get (120,000 x 10) = 1,200,000 more of God’s thoughts found in the Bible. Again, this an arbitrary estimate but still a conservative one.
Now our Estimate #2 + 1,200,000 = 120,000 + 1,200,000 = 1,320,000 of God’s thoughts found in the Bible. Let us call these 1,320,000 thoughts our Estimate #3. Still, this is not all of God’s thoughts that are found in the Bible.
Let us assume that approximately 30% of our Estimate #3, which is 30% of the 1,320,000 thoughts calculated so far, can be compared with one aspect of history and life in today’s world. We find 30% of 1,320,000 = 396,000 or approximately 390,00 more of God’s thoughts enfolded in the Bible. Once more, this is an arbitrary estimate and a conservative one at that.
Our Estimate #3 + 390,000 = 1,320,000 + 390,000 = 1,710,000 of God’s thoughts in the Bible. We may now conclude that there are over a million of God’s thoughts to be found in the Bible. We will end our analysis of the Bible here, but you will find as you study the Bible yourself that there are, in fact, millions upon millions, and even billions, of God’s thoughts in the Bible.
Assimilating the Bible
Since there are more than a million of God’s thoughts in the Bible, we might well ask, “How can we read, understand, and assimilate it all?” You could, conceivably, read the entire Bible in a month or two, reading 40 or 20 chapters per day, but this is not practical for most people. Nor is it necessarily desirable. A more practical approach would be to read at least three chapters a day.
Consider then, if we were to read three chapters of the Bible every day in a year, we would read (365 days x 3 chapters) = 1,095 chapters in a year. This is 94 chapters less than the 1,189 chapters in the whole Bible. In another 32 days, we could complete reading the remaining 94 chapters by reading at the same rate of three chapters a day.
Therefore, it would take us a little more than a year to read through the entire Bible. A year is a long time for us to remember all that we have read. Furthermore, besides reading, God tells us to “study” (2 Timothy 2:15) the Bible, with study being an entirely different activity from reading. Now both reading and studying are necessary if we are to understand the Bible, God’s blueprint of warfare.
Since there are so many of God’s thoughts in the Bible to assimilate, it is profitable and even necessary to read the Bible daily, reading again and again from the beginning through to the end, in addition to a daily study of the Bible. For God says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing” (2 Timothy 2:15), rightly interpreting, “the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.
God desires that the student of the Bible should come to the realisation and, hence, wholeheartedly say, “Thy [God’s] word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105. God has designed that the Bible should be a lifelong guide to one’s daily life. This means that we are to continually be armed by the Bible, God’s battle plan, in order to be a soldier in God’s army of good.
The Bible is Inexhaustible
As you study the Bible, you will find that there is revealed a depth of thought and such multifaceted applications to your own life as to convince you, the Bible student, that no mere finite mind of human beings could have devised such a book with its many hidden truths. Conviction will come to you that the Bible is indeed the “word of God.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
As we contemplate the great truths revealed in the Bible, it is as if we look into a fountain that broadens and deepens beneath our gaze. This fountain’s breadth and depth is beyond comprehension. As we continue to gaze, the vision widens as the truths of God’s word expand and broaden beneath our view, and we see before us a vast, limitless, shoreless sea.
So, the diligent Bible student will come to realise that, in fact, the word of God, the Bible, is “unsearchable riches” (Ephesians 3:8), an inexhaustible treasure.
Choosing to Join God’s Army
Now God says, “Walk in the light” (1 John 1:7) of truth. This means that we are to practice the truth that has come to our understanding. “Then shall we know” (Hosea 6:3) that only “in thy [God’s] light shall we see light.” Psalm 36:9. Only when we follow in the way that God leads can we fully understand the Bible and, hence, understand God’s plan of warfare.
For “light is sown [disseminated] for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart” (Psalm 97:11) by God Himself, for they who “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7) of truth. Any neglect to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7) of truth, is to “walk in darkness.” Isaiah 59:9. This means that any neglect to join God’s army of light is to join His rival’s army of darkness. It is to choose evil instead of good.
What is Paradise Like?
Those persons who join God’s army and do not defect to his rival’s army will be made “immortal” (1 Timothy 1:17) by God. They will live forever with God in “paradise.” Revelation 2:7. The question you may be asking then is, “What is paradise like?” I have great news for you. God has given us a picture of paradise in the Bible so that we don’t have to speculate about it.
Nevertheless, God says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Here is how God describes paradise for us through the eyes of a man named John to whom God gave a vision, where a vision is supernatural mental imagery. “And I saw” (Revelation 21:1), in a vision, “a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:1, 2.
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God” (Revelation 21:3), God’s dwelling place, “is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:3, 4. Paradise then will be found on a newly recreated earth.
“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:5. Thus, the man named John who had the vision from God of the “new earth” (Revelation 21:1) wrote down in the Bible, which is the word of God, what he saw in the vision, as instructed by God.
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1), who is Christ. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:1, 2.
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it [in the holy city, new Jerusalem]; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face.” Revelation 22:3, 4.
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling” (Isaiah 11:6), the fat cattle, “together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” Isaiah 11:6, 7.
“And the sucking child” (Isaiah 11:8), the infant, “shall play on the hole of the asp [snake], and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ [viper’s] den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:8, 9.
“For the LORD shall comfort Zion” (Isaiah 51:3), where Zion is another name for “the holy city, new Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:2): “he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden” (Isaiah 51:3), a garden that God had planted on earth, “and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” Isaiah 51:3.
“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:10. This then is the picture of paradise which God paints for us in the Bible. Those who gain paradise will also gain heaven, because heaven which is God’s “dwelling place” (1 Kings 8:30) where God’s throne is, has been moved to the earth. Ans they will be free to roam throughout the vast immensity of the universe.