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April 21, 2010 by admin.
My wife and I were walking today and talking about the impending date of December 21, 2012. This day is eventful because of the so-called Mayan “long count” calendar. For thousands of years the calendar has accurately ticked off the time, but when a few days before Christmas of 2012 comes up, nothing. Nada. Zippo. The calendar runs out and there is a big blank as if the universe ceases to exist.
This has some seriously interesting implications, and folks from entertainment venues like The History Channel have started running shows about 2012 more frequently than before. A night or two ago I recorded a History Channel HD show linking the famous 16th century seer Nostradamus prophecies with this fatalistic date. The show indicates that Nostradamus–an astrologer who avidly watched the nighttime sky–was able to see this forthcoming time. Like anything else Nostradamus writes, we’re not talking here about pleasant things. Nostradamus was definitely a fire and brimstone curmudgeon whose writings do not speak of daisies and sweetness and light, but of war, bloodshed, violence and world catastrophes. But lots of what he did see has amazingly come true.
Before Christians dismiss Nostradamus as a false prophet because he was an astrologer, I want to tell you a quick story to see if I can temper that instinct a little bit. When my wife and I toured Israel the first time in 1996, we visited what was refuted to be the oldest synagogue on the earth in a little town near the Sea of Galilee called Tiberias. The thing that was most notable about this synagogue wasn’t that the tiny 1″ square floor tiles making up the center of the synagogue were still mostly intact, it was that they represented a giant zodiac. Turns out the ancient Hebrews and other people groups watched the nighttime skies and were quite aware of the rhythm of the circling sea of stars above them. For example, we know that the three wise men found Jesus by virtue of the stars. Of course we cannot pretend to say they were all faithful followers of YHWH, but we can say that the majority of them earnestly believed in the Ancient one and were not interested in some other form of worship. That is, they were not worshiping the stars, but looking for the One who had been prophesied.
Ever since seeing that zodiac in the synagogue, I have rethought my position about astrology. I still do not think people should be living their lives based upon their daily horoscope, and I still think that reading Tarot cards is a wicked thing to be doing–it is witchcraft. You should be looking to God only for your information about your future. That said, it is clear to me that the ancient Hebrews did not harbor the same sort of thinking we more conservative Christians today do about astrology. They believed that God put signs and stories in the sky by which people could chart their lives.
At one time I used to tell people I thought Nostradamus was in the same league as Edgar Cayce and Kalil Gibran–he had a familiar spirit, not of God, and someone we should not be listening to him. Today I am not so sure. Maybe Nostradamus was so hooked into the movements of constellations and planets that he was more of an astronomer than an astrologer. Where his prophetic capabilities come from, I am still not sure–maybe they’re evil, maybe they’re from God. But if you take a spin in the Bible through I and II Kings, you’ll read about prophets of God who were closer to God’s ear than others. For example Elijah and Elisha were clearly right in line with the Father, whereas there were other lesser prophets who were not mentioned in the scriptures but who were nonetheless prophets. The one thing I can say is that Nostradamus did not urge people to worship someone or something other than the one true God. Near as i know he didn’t urge people to worship anything at all. He simply wrote his quatrains. If anyone out there has conflicting information to what I’ve just written, please feel free to post your thoughts. I am not out to make Nostradamus look like a great man of God, because I don’t think he was, but I do think his prophecies are interesting and serve as compelling reading when we consider 12-21-12.
The History Channel show draws some pretty interesting intersections between Nostradamus and the sun. Evidently Nostradamus predicted a time near our infamous 12-21-12 date when the sun would go nuts. He predicts there will be some heavy solar activity, the extent of which we have seen before. Some solar scientists say we are in the 13th solar cycle (each of which is roughly 12 years or so) and this 13th cycle is thought to be the most irritable of all.
At the same time, astronomers are saying that the planets will go into an exact alignment that only happens once every 26,000 years. It is called the “galactic alignment.”
Here’s the interesting problem: If the sun gives off too huge of a solar flare, there is a possibility that the earth’s magnetic poles could shift, which would cause things that rely on magnetism–motors and gyroscopes to name a couple–to behave very erratically or not work at all. This could conceivably cause all motorized equipment relying on magnets to pull copper windings around a center point to stop, which is bad for things like powerplants, submarines, and the like. No power, no lights, computers, refrigeration, and so forth. Everything would come to a virtual standstill everywhere on the planet. Anywhere that electricity is being generated by powerplants relying on turbines, there would be no power. Batteries would eventually give up, and finally the world would fall into pre-electricity darkness.
Think about this for a moment: If the poles changed and didn’t exactly flip over in a 180 degree turn, but landed somewhere opposite one another in a completely different part of the world, it may take us quite a while to even figure out where the poles are at. Once we knew where the magnetic poles were we could begin rebuilding, but not before.
If motors, computers, cars, boats, trains and other motorized machinery fails, then finally the battery-backed-up computer equipment goes the same way, we are officially back to the horse and buggy days. People will be heating their homes with wood, and lighting them with candles and kerosene or oil lamps. Most grocery stores will quickly run out of food because they’re being looted. Files stored on computer hard drives may or may not survive–who knows what records will be available once the situation is rectified? Moreover, how long will it take before it’s rectified? Months? Years? Certainly not just a few days.
The president will declare a state of martial law, but who can enforce it? None of the jets work, or the helicopters, tanks, jeeps, or ships so even though the military has the orders, it does not have the might. There will be roving gangs of thugs. People will have to defend their property with guns or whatever else they might have. They will likely band together to help each other guard against evil people. Community gardens will spring up wherever there is some soil, though people will have to haul water because the city’s water pumps aren’t working. Sewer systems will ultimately back up because the wastewater treatment plant’s machinery isn’t working. A quiet will settle over the land–even quieter than when all air traffic was halted on 9/11 because there will be no cars or building machinery working.
If the problem lasts too long, various little village systems and governances will rise up, complete with stores, saloons, town hall, sheriff and jail.
In other words, time basically resets itself. Maybe this is why the Mayan calendar saw nothing past this date. It’s not that time stops, it just resets.
I do not believe this date reflects the rapture of Christians from the earth, but I suppose it is possible. My personal eschatology says that the rapture occurs then there is at least a 3 1/2 year period in which the Antichrist reigns in power, demands each person to serve him, comes completely against Israel and ultimately winds up defeated, but only thanks to the hand of the Almighty God. Whether Christians are raptured before the seven year Tribulation period, right at the onset of the Tribulation, or somewhere after the Tribulation has started does not violate my eschatology. Knowing exact dates would.
A World Net Daily article regarding the possibility of the second return of Jesus being etched in the nighttime sky validates the idea of astronomy/astrology as an early Hebrew pasttime.
As if that isn’t scary enough, another issue to think about is the subduction of the tectonic plates underlying the San Andreas fault. The (terrible) movie 2012 included this possibility and it is certainly not out of reason. Think of two huge earthen plates a dozen or more kilometers thick. (One kilometer is roughly 2/3 of a mile.) The two plates are butting one another right underneath San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, all the way up to Seattle. One plate slowly gives way to another and begins to slide under its stronger neighbor. One day–clang!–the lower plate completes its slide underneath its neighbor and with it comes a monstrous earthquake of a size never before recorded. Entire cities, towns and geographies are reshaped, with millions of people killed in the process. The movie 2012 envisions a huge tsunami along with the devastation, and I do not think this is out of reason either.
Could a huge solar flare cause such an event? I don’t know. My guess is know one knows. Could the subduction occur near the same time as the solar flare? Why not? There is certainly nothing to stop it. Like the housing bubble bursting, most people are keenly aware that it’s just a matter of time before the San Andreas Fault shoe drops.
Or, consider a giant upside-down volcano, one of the biggest on the planet. An upside-down volcano is called a caldera, and there’s one right in the middle of Yellowstone National Park. What if the caldera decided to erupt? What would happen? At best, a highly radiated area covering 1/4 or more of the US, with a dark cloud covering the majority of the country–a miniature “nuclear winter” as it were. We have seen some recent evidence of what this would be like with the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland. Air travel over Europe virtually halted overnight, stranding thousands of travelers for a week, and putting a chink in the Airlines’ schedules for weeks to come. And this volcano is very far northwest of Europe, not anywhere as close to Europeans as the Yellowstone caldera is to US and Canadian citizens. Once that radiated ash gets up in the jet stream it’s anyone’s guess as to what kind of devastation will follow.
What if a solar flare caused the caldera to erupt in addition to the plate subduction? Or what if the subduction caused the eruption? What if all this activity happens on 12-21-2012? Are there enough first responders?
Many remember the year 2000 bug–so-called “Y2K.” This was a man-made problem that, while mischievous, was not capable of nearly the power the above-listed God-made things carry with them. If, God forbid, such events took place, let me ask you a question: Would Barack Obama or any of the other politicians matter at that point in time? What would you be thinking about? Nationalized health insurance? The Colorado Rockies or Denver Broncos?
Hardly, my friend. You’d be thinking first about survival and next about your life in the next world–whether it exists or not, and if so, what your fate may be in it. And you’d be thinking the same thing about your family.
Even if nothing happens 12-21-12–if it is a non-event like Y2K was–nonetheless, it should make us think about the possibilities and what we were really put on the earth for. These next two years are a time for introspection, for gaining back ones’ spirituality, finding God for the first time or afresh and rededicating oneself anew, treating other people as you would have them treat you, and preparing for One of whom John the Baptist said he was “…unworthy to untie His sandals.”
There is a God, there is an afterlife–a life beyond this earth–and He has a place for you in it. Now is the time to rethink and reconsider yourself. Now is the time to find the spiritual you.
Posted in Technology, Energy, Politics, Spiritual | No Comments »
September 26, 2009 by admin.
It was a clear, calm and cold Colorado sky under which Johnny and Susan decided to go for a hike. Near the top of Cottonwood Pass just west of Buena Vista, they had chosen a far back country trail that promised untouched wild scenery, waterfalls and a serene lake at the end.
Perhaps it was that they had started early in the morning, or it was still just late April and there were snowbanks littered here and there along the path, but there was no one else on the trail with them. This did not matter: Johnny and Susan had each other’s company and that was enough for them and their current viewpoint of life: young, in love, with the entire world at their feet. Who needed anyone else?
As they walked, they pointed out to one another this small cluster of Aspen trees, that group of lichen-stained rocks, an occasional deer track emblazoned in the trail’s mud. Once in a while a tiny side trail would shoot off here or there - clearly not maintained by the forest service, just some point of interest for hikers who knew something about the area.
Johnny had a deeply back of mind sense there was someone or something else on the trail. It was only vaguely troubling to him, so he didn’t say anything to Susan as he didn’t want to needlessly trouble her with something that probably didn’t even exist. Just his imagination.
Finally, the temptation to scamper up one of the mysterious side trails got the best of them. This particular trail was only as wide as the sole of a shoe, but contained the portent of something particularly beautiful beyond. The forest was thin enough at this point that they could see a pool of blue sky beckoning to them near the crest of the trail, some fifty or seventy-five feet above them. They might be able to command a view of the Cottonwood valley they knew was immediately below them, but not visible from their current vantage point.
The cold wet grass wiped their calfs as they made their way up the trail. The trail was steep enough that they needed to grasp an occasional thin Aspen trunk for balance.
As they neared the top of the hill, the trail opened up to the fulfilled promise of a gorgeous panorama - it was clear at this point that they were higher than anything else within view.
Johnny was no more than three or four feet from the top when something long sprang at him. A mountain lion! The cat was huge, seventy-five or a hundred pounds, and clearly hungry. The cat’s mouth was wide open, revealing long brilliant white teeth. The nails on his paws were equally long and sharp.
As Johnny turned around to find out what all the commotion was about the cat hit him squarely in the chest, causing him to awkwardly stumble backward up the remainder of the hill where he nearly instantaneously disappeared from view.
Susan screamed, running up the trail after Johnny, and screamed even louder when she saw that Johnny had fallen off of a two hundred foot cliff and was now laying lifeless at its base, near the promised end of trail lake, blood staining the rocks he had landed on when he hit bottom.
Her screams did not last long. She felt the rip of the lion’s talons into her ribcage and neck and she was dead. The lion, hungry for the protein of meat–human or otherwise–began to feast on a complete meal: one he had not enjoyed in a very, very long time.
In the book of the prophet Jeremiah, there is a very interesting scripture that God gives to the Jews:
This is what the Lord says:
Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths. Which is the way to what is good? Then take it, and find rest for yourselves. But they protested: We won’t! (Jeremiah 6:16 - Holman Illustrated Study Bible)
For those who need a second or third version of the Bible for comparison, here is how it is worded in the Thompson Chain Reference of the New International Version (NIV):
This is what the Lord says:
Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, “We will not walk in it.”
I believe that in this age of supposedly “post-Christian” America (where we’re also supposedly “post-partisan” and “post-racist”) we are at exactly the crossroads Jeremiah is speaking of: a point in which the Lord is asking us to simply stand and look around at all we see. But there is an enemy on the road, silently, steathily watching us, waiting for the exact moment at which to strike.
And we’re tempted by this side-path or that, even though we don’t know what that path holds for us.
When we’re tempted by this little side-path or that one, we’re supposed to stop and look and ask “What are the ancient paths?” In other words, what are the good paths - where do I walk that I will stay safe?
But we will not do that. Instead, we are looking to man (side-path) for our answers: this scientist, that politician, this theologian, that psychologist, this actor, that TV star, this musician, that artist, this atheist, that “I am Jesus” evangelist.
Anyone but the Lord. We have almost lost contact with Him. Even if we believe in God, which many say they no longer do, He has been relegated to a back corner, a place where we go to connect with Him when we really need something. We no longer trust Him for the answers to our big problems.
Why? Because we’re afraid that if we do, and we let it be known that we do, people will think we’re some kind of nut, that we’re out of our mind. Never mind that people are wrapped up in every other kind of superstition there is, from astrology to 2012.
I believe that even though the Old Testament was essentially given as the treatise by which to live for the Jews, it is also relevant to modern-day Christians. God’s wisdom is transcendent. OK, we no longer live by the Law inscripted on the tablets by God and given to the Hebrews by Moses. There is a new dispensation–that of Grace (yeah!).
That said, we cannot say that God meant those words for only one group of people. My wife has this example: The Jews were forbidden from eating shellfish. Why? Just some rule that God laid down so that He could make sure people were obedient to Him? Not at all! It’s a very practical thing: Shellfish are bottom feeders, and as such are dirty, nasty creatures. They might be good eats, but they’re not good for you.
So when Jeremiah gives us this sage advice, we should be paying attention.
There are five things he says in this extremely important scripture:
1. You’re standing at a crossroads. Seldom before in America have we been at such a period of turmoil and disagreement as we are now. This must be what it was like during the civil war period.
2. You must simply stop and look. The thing you’re being asked to do is simply nothing. Just stop and look.
3. Once you’ve stopped, you’re to ask “Where are the ancient paths?” This is interesting because it is stated as paths, plural, not path, singular. I don’t think Jeremiah means there is more than one path to God - I think here he’s talking about ways in which God would have us to go given the circumstances we’re clearly in. The word ancient also implies that we should be paying far less attention to the current thinking and get back to something old, tried and true.
4. We don’t know where the ancient paths are at. We have to ask God to show them to us because we cannot see them.
5. But they did not. The Jews refused to listen, stubbornly saying “No! We will not!” In other words, the temptations of what was currently going on in their day looked so much better than the ancient paths, they simply refused to cooperate.
The outcome for them was not so good. God doesn’t send an “ask for the ancient paths” call just because He thinks you could somehow benefit from its wisdom. He sends that call because He has had enough and if people don’t obey, He is ready to show them exactly Who is in charge (and it isn’t any American politician!)
So, here’s my thinking: It’s time to get back to God. Get on our knees and ask “Where are the ancient paths? Show those paths to us again!” It’s time to put away the nonsense and filth in which we’ve been reviling ourselves; time to stop equivocating things we know are wrong (e.g. I know porn is wrong, but hey, everyone looks at it); and time to get back to prayer, reading the Bible, and worshiping God.
This lines up with another old Testament scripture:
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heavena nd will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (Second Chronicles 7:14 - NIV)
So the question is this: Will we just walk right past the crossroads - going to the right or to the left, or will we stop and look and ask God “Where are the ancient paths?” It’s clear to me that neither of the crossroads paths are the correct ones. What do you think?
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July 29, 2009 by Bill.
“For fire has been kindled because of My anger and burns to the depths of Sheol it devours the land and its produce and scorches the foundations of the mountains.” - Deuteronomy 32:22 Holman Illustrated Study Bible
This scripture is intriguing to me because I think it may indicate the origin of hell. This verse came from a “song” that God gave to Moses, ordering him to teach it to the Hebrews before they entered the promised land–the land flowing with milk and honey, the land, you will recall, in which Caleb and Joshua returned a good report and for which they were subsequently blessed–and before Moses died and “was gathered with his people.”
God knew that the Hebrews would almost immediately turn their back on His law and begin serving other gods, and so He wrote the song so that the Hebrews knew He knew, and understood what He was going to do to them should they commit such atrocities.
History shows that they did, and He did.
According to JewishEncyclopedia.com** Sheol is “very deep” and “marks the point at the greatest possible distance from heaven.” Sheol is a place of silence where warriors carry their weapons with them but have no power, they are mere shadows of themselves–hence they are the name “rephaim.”
Sheol is divided up into compartments. It has gates. It is a place where both the righteous and unrighteous go–the righteous to one day ascend unto God, the unrighteous elsewhere.
In the Deuteronomy verse quoted above, we see that God says that His fire burns to the depths of Sheol. If the righteous are also there, then my question is obvious: What becomes of them if they don’t deserve the fire of God’s anger? Moses, for example. Did he go to Sheol, and if so, was he rescued before God’s anger kindled and burned to its depths?
Another interesting phrase is that God’s fire “scorches the foundations of the mountains.” I assume the foundations of the mountains are the tectonic plates, which at their seams certainly contain untold quantities of molten rock.
But the most mysterious phrase is the one that says God’s fire “devours the land and its produce…” Clearly this has not yet happened. There have certainly been large fires over the millennia, but I (perhaps naively) assume this clause is saying the entire earth’s land and produce are devoured. This reminds me of Luke 12:49 where Jesus says “I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze.” Also 2 Peter 3:10, which says “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.” And finally, Revelation 21:1 says this: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea existed no longer.”
So, I’m wondering if this is a prophetic verse: God is saying that as He watches the Hebrews turn from His law to the foolishness of idolatry, His anger will so greatly kindle that His fire will ultimately burn up even Sheol.
Those that are found unrighteous are said to be cast into the lake of fire. This is the hell that I understand from my earliest days of Sunday school.
All of this activity seems to happen on the Judgment day, when the Book of Life is brought forward and those whose names are found in it are taken into the Lord’s presence, but those whose names are blotted out are cast into the lake of fire. I believe all names are written in the Book, but those who finally, ultimately and irrevocably reject God and His son are blotted out. I don’t think God happily does this blotting. I think this is a very sad time for the hosts of heaven.
Anyway, Deuteronomy 33:22 is an extremely interesting verse, one that is prophetic in nature and denotes God’s emotions toward a stubborn and rebellious people.
** http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=S&artid=614
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April 19, 2009 by admin.
Lately I’ve gotten interested in end-times prophecy again. I had taken a small hiatus from it, but the recent financial melt-down, subsequent efforts to fix it, and other world-wide events that have been going on got me interested again.
In theology, the topic of end-times prophecy and end-times prophetic events is called eschatology. As you might imagine, there are tons of different views on the topic of eschatology. For the record, I believe Jesus is going to come to the earth again in an event called the “rapture,” I am premillenial–that is, I believe the 1,000 year millenium in which Christ rules and reigns on the earth happens sometime after a 7-year event called The Tribulation (also known as The Day of the Lord), and I believe it’s possible that Christians may well have to go through at least 1/2 of the Tribulation and can do so without violating any of the timing events that Revelation and other books speak of.
Yes, I seriously believe this is going to happen.
Here’s what’s interesting though: I began going through the book of Daniel again because there is quite a bit of eschatological prophecy in the book, it had been awhile since I’d read it, and I wanted to refresh my knowledge.
I began by buying a book on Daniel by H.A. Ironside. Ironside is a famous Bible commentator who wrote the bulk of his expositionary work in the early 1900’s. His commentary on the book of Daniel was written in 1920. Ironside died in 1950. Like another Bible commentary hero of mine, J. Vernon McGee, Ironside has a way of taking very difficult passages, making them plain and easily understandable.
The first chapter of Daniel went fine for me. I reread about Daniel (in Aramaic, Belthashazzar) and his three friends (known in Aramaic as Meschach, Shadrach and Abednego) and the fact that Daniel and his buddies would not allow themselves to eat the same kind of food the Babylonians were eating. The reason? Because the Babylonians worshiped all kinds of gods and Daniel and his friends did not want to exhibit even a hint of disrespect for their God–Yahweh.
But in chapter 2 of Daniel, I learned something quite new. Ironside notes that the Bible says Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and wanted the wise men of the land to tell him what it was and interpret it for him. I knew that from before. But here’s the new thing: According to Ironside, Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t remember the dream! Have you ever had that happen? You dream a vivid, compelling dream, but 10 minutes after you wake up you can’t remember it, even though you knew when you were in the heat of it that it was important? I’ve had this happen dozens of times.
According to Ironside, Nebuchadnezzar not only wanted his wise men to tell him what the dream was, and interpret it for him: he wanted them to do so because he couldn’t remember what the heck he’d dreamed!
What’s extremely interesting about this is that some Bibles don’t say it this way. They imply that Nebuchadnezzar knew what the dream was. Here are some examples of the scripture in question - Daniel 2:5 - (taken from BlueLetterBible.org):
King James Version
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
American Standard Version
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye make not known unto me the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
New American Standard
The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap.
New Living Translation
But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be demolished into heaps of rubble!
Here’s the takeaway for serious Bible students: Look verses up in more than one version of the Bible! Just because the Bible says something one way in one version does not mean you have the whole story!
In the case of Daniel 2:5, there is a significant difference between Nebuchadnezzar not remembering what he had dreamed and demanding the wise people of the land to tell him what he dreamed and interpret the dream, versus Nebuchadnezzar knowing what he dreamed, but seeking to make sure his wise men were exactly that–wise men.
Finally, it’s important to note that Daniel did not take credit for the accomplishment. He was quick to tell Nebuchadnezzar that he, nor anyone else can tell a man what he dreamed. This work is up to God. Daniel made sure God got the credit for this work.
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December 27, 2008 by admin.
I’ve gotten interested in Chinese medicine of late. I’ve been reading an excellent book on the subject: Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine by Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korngold. My accupuncturist recommended this book, and another: Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell (actually by Lao Tzu, and translated by Mr. Mitchell).
In my reading I came across something very interesting: In the book Tao Te Ching (translated Book of the Way) the very first chapter says this:
The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.(emphasis mine)
This is interesting because religious Jews will not say the name of God. They say Ha Shem (the name) or Yahweh (sometimes written as YHWH, which means “Jehovah,” “The Lord,” or “Adonai”) but they never actually say or write the word God. Instead they’ll write G-d, leaving the vowel out of His name, in respect to Him.
I don’t know how many other cultures have such a tradition, but I find it fascinating that the Chinese and the Jews–two decidedly different cultures–share this belief in common.
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