Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Insurgency: Children's Books About Martial Law Red-Tagged by NICA Chief

The 2022 election is finally over. According to the DILG one of the biggest losers was the CPP-NPA as apparently no politician paid extortion fees this year.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174297

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said there are no reports of politicians or local government unit (LGU) officials paying permits to campaign fees or any form of aid to terrorist groups such as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) in this elections.

“(We report Mr. President that we have not monitored any politician giving money or resources as permit to campaign against the CPP-NPA),” Año told President Rodrigo Duterte in a pre-recorded Talk to the People on Thursday.

He said the DILG will file the appropriate charges against personalities violating Republic Act 10168, otherwise known as the "Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012", which is also a violation of Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code and Article 137 of the Revised Penal Code or the Disloyalty of Public Officers.

This is very interesting in light of the fact that during the 2019 election the DILG claimed to know the names of 349 politicians paying those fees. 

https://www.dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-349-government-execs-pay-CPP-NPA-extortion-money-permit-to-campaign/NC-2019-1060

Año says that based on intelligence reports received by the DILG, 349 local and national government officials ranging from congressmen, provincial governors down to the barangay councilors have been identified as source of financial aid and are tied to the communist rebels. 

"We now have a watchlist, we know you. So if you are supporting communist rebels, in any way, you ascertain yourself as a supporter of terrorism and an enemy of the state, you establish yourself as an accomplice to their cause," he says.

What happened to those people? Were any of them running for reelection this year? Will they ever be held accountable? The AFP claims attempts by the NPA to extort politicians were greatly reduced because of open talks with local officials.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174519

Better communication and partnership between field units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and local leaders have effectively reduced attempts of the New People's Army (NPA) terrorists to carry out their extortion activities during the recent election season.

In a virtual press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Monday, AFP spokesperson Army Col. Ramon Zagala hailed the local leaders for their understanding of the issues and knowing that dwindling resources of the NPA mean the eventual resolve of the insurgency problem.

"I think we have better communications now. We are able to explain well, especially our field units, sa atin mga (on our) candidates, ating mga (on our) political leaders, they are now our partners in finding solutions in defeating insurgency and uplifting the lives of our countrymen affected by the insurgency," Zagala said. "With these communication(s), it significantly lowered the ability of the NPA to collect permit-to-win and permit-to-campaign (extortion schemes)."

Since the NPA is now lacking popular support, Zagala said these communist terrorists are unable to move as freely as they want and carry out their extortion rackets such as permit-to-win and permit-to-campaign schemes.

"We believe in the Armed Forces that constant communication, partnership with our local chief executives is one of the key successes that we have, that is why the NPA are not able to collect," he said.

So, did absolutely no politicians pay the NPA this year or was their ability to extort politicians significantly lowered which sounds like maybe a few did pay? It's not impossible that there was no paying of extortion fees this year but it sounds implausible. If it is true that none were paid then that is great. 

Another loser this election is history. Forgetting the history of the Marcos family 31 million Filipinos voted Bongbong Marcos for President. This prompted a children's book publisher to release a special bundle of books about martial law called the never forget bundle. Indeed those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. For their trouble they were red-tagged by no less than the Director of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/literature/adarna-martial-law-children-books-on-sale-may-2022/

It’s never too early to teach your kids about the Marcos dictatorship with Adarna House’s #NeverAgain bundle, available for pre-order at 20% off now until May 22.

The bundle contains five illustrated books that tell stories of the Martial Law era: Si Jhun Jhun, Noong Bago Ideklara Ang Batas Militar, EDSA, The Magic Arrow, Isang Harding Papel, and Ito Ang Diktadura.

Shipping for pre-orders begins on June 14.

The sale has led National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo to red-tag Adarna House, accusing the publishing company in a May 12 Facebook post of “radicalizing” children against the government. 

Lorraine Badoy got in on the action as well adding her own comments to NICA Director Alex Paul Monteagudo's Facebook post.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=4871947602917069&id=100003056314669&comment_id=4872080496237113

Alex Paul Monteagudo: This is how the CPP/NPA/NDF radicalize not just our youths, but our children. The Adarna Publishing House published these books and they are now on sale to subtly radicalize the Filipino children against our Governement, now!

Lorraine Badoy: The target audience of Adarna is from toddler to elementary level children. That early, they are planting hate and lies in the tender hearts of our children. Mga demonyo talaga

"They are planting hate and lies in the tender hearts of our children??" What a crock! They are teaching children about one of the darkest times in Philippine history, when Ferdinand Marcos was dictator. But it gets even better. 

Asked if the publisher was part of the CPP Lorraine responded thusly:

https://www.facebook.com

Adarna is not CPP. Just entered (i.e. infiltrated). They have a lot of nice books

They are not CPP but have been infiltrated by the CPP and have a lot oof nice books. Where is her proof that they have been infiltrated by the CPP? And what a backhanded compliment to accuse them of "planting hate and lies in the tender hearts of our children" and then say they have a lot of nice books. She can't even think straight. The red-tagging of a children's book publisher by the NICA Director and Lorraine Badoy is so shameful and disgraceful that even Neil Gaiman, author The Sandman and American Gods, took notice and called them out.

https://www.scoutmag.ph/71458/neil-gaiman-adarna-house/

Neil Gaiman is no stranger to Philippine lit, if his outspoken love for local mythology is enough of a clue. Now, the British writer has given his two cents on something else that hits close to home—children’s lit, and specifically, the red-tagging of it. 

In a tweet today, “The Sandman” and “Coraline” writer summed up his thoughts on a recent incident with children’s publishing company Adarna House, saying: “Not good.”

It should not be forgotten that Bongbong Marcos is on record saying the history of his family needs to be "revised."

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/1/10/Marcos-wants-to-revise-history-textbooks.html

After gaining consecutive victories on cases involving his family's alleged-ill gotten wealth, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. stressed Friday that it's about time for educational institutions to revise the content of history textbooks which have depicted their family in a bad light.

Marcos, the son of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, did not mention any names, but hit back at the opposition for their prolonged “political propaganda” which supposedly revised historical information about their family that is being taught on today’s youth.

The Commission on Human Rights, however, countered his call, saying it is a direct affront to the thousands of victims of human rights violations under Marcos' authoritarian rule.

“We have been calling on that for years. Syempre ang nakaupo, under the influence of our opposition, pero ‘di rin naman tama ‘yun. What has been proven wrong is that they continue to contend —essentially, you are teaching the children lies,” Marcos said in a forum in Manila.

“I think this is the very definition of revisionism. That is one important takeaway. We always knew that these were not true,” he added.

It is very probable many groups and people will be red tagged during the next six years as they dare to tell the documented truth about Ferdinand Marcos, the Marcos family, and how they plundered the Philippines.

Despite the NPA dwindling in numbers and strength there are fears that they are out to recruit your children. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174288

The Western Visayas Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF6 ELCAC) is calling on parents, guardians, and school officials to make sure children are in schools and not in the streets being brainwashed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army -National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

In a statement sent on Thursday, the task force through its spokesperson Prosecutor 2 Flosemer Chris Gonzales also called on barangay officials and community leaders to protect their communities from being infiltrated by the NPA.

“Together, we can protect our youth from becoming the next unwitting victim of the CPP-NPA-NDF and their front organizations,” the statement said.

Gonzales, who also serves as acting spokesperson for legal cluster of the national task force, said the call for vigilance was made amid protest rallies being conducted by front organizations of the communist terrorist group (CTG) denouncing the result of the May 9 polls.

“Recent events clearly tell us that our youth are facing a clear and present danger. The CPP-NPA-NDF terrorist group and their allied front organizations are on a recruitment spree targeting our students and our youth,” he added.

Once recruited the students will drop out of school to join the “armed terrorists” and many will end up dead, the statement said.

Gonzales' sole proof that the NPA is out recruiting is that front groups are protesting the May 9th election results. Disagreeing with the results of an election is now tantamount to being a communist. Unless of course you are Bongbong Marcos who still believes Robredo stole the Vice Presidency from him in 2016. At least the AFP is a bit more descriptive when talking about these rallies.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174378

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is more than ready to counter attacks or violent activities that might be conducted by the New People's Army (NPA) in the countryside following reports that militant groups will stage protest actions on Friday.

"If there are violent activities to be conducted by (the) CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)-NPA outside of Metro Manila, we are also prepared for them. As you know, we are in two modes, election mode and combat mode. Combat mode is continuous. We are going against all CPP-NPA in the countryside. (They) have lost a lot already, and soon enough we will be able to defeat them," said AFP spokesperson, Army Col. Ramon Zagala, during the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) special press conference.

He also assured the public that the AFP is in "control of order" especially against the NPA".

"And to those here in the urban areas, we will support the PNP (Philippine National Police) for operations against any untoward incident," Zagala said.

Also, the AFP spokesperson maintained that they respect the decision of some groups to gather and conduct protest actions in Metro Manila in connection with the just concluded elections.

"Like I said earlier, we have freedom of expression. They wish to assemble, we respect that. Our info really is there will be a rally. We see in the AFP no problem," Zagala said, noting that the Philippines is a free country and a democracy.

But, he said that those participating in these actions, especially their leaders, must be aware of the identities of people or groups joining them to prevent infiltration from CPP-NPA members and their allies.

It's not always possible to know the identity of everyone who joins your rally. Aside from that the rallies are going to be staged by alleged CPP front groups so wouldn't that mean they are already illegitimate? Perhaps the AFP is not on the same page as the NTF-ELCAC in condemning those groups.

One thing that Gonzales is right about is that anyone who joins the NPA will likely end up dead. Unless, that is, they surrender and avail of the nice benefits package. It seems that the AFP's campaign against the NPA has them turning on each other.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174286

An exhausted communist New People's Army (NPA) rebel was choked to death and ordered buried by his leader as he was a burden to their fleeing group, the military said Thursday.

In a report, the Army's 10th Infantry Division (10ID) said a former NPA fighter bared that top-ranking NPA leader Eric Jun Casilao killed and buried his comrade, Crispin Rollon, in a hinterland village in New Bataan town, Davao de Oro, last month.

The incident was revealed to them by "Vina”, a squad supply officer of NPA's Regional Operations Command (ROC) who surrendered to government forces on April 27.

Vina said Casilao killed Rollon because the latter was slowing the group's escape from the pursuing 10ID forces.

"Due to extreme starvation, Jeffrey was exhausted and could no longer walk. He became a burden to us, that is why he was beaten and choked to death by Casilao and buried in Andap," Vina was quoted in the military report.

Following her revelation, a joint operation was immediately launched by the 66th Infantry Battalion (66IB) together with personnel from New Bataan Municipal Police Station and Municipal Disaster Response Team on Wednesday to exhume the remains of Rollon.

Maj. Gen. Nolasco Mempin, 10ID commander, condemned the “murderous exploit” of the NPA.

“The barbaric act of NPA leaders is unacceptable. If only they chose to surrender, this would not have happened that they need to kill each other just for them to survive," Mempin said.

It sounds barbaric but its a fact of history that the communists always turn on each other. Lenin, Stalin, and Mao all had their purges of fellow comrades.

Here is something I missed from May 3rd.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/05/03/2178352/afp-basilan-cleared-abu-sayyaf-influence

The province of Basilan has been cleared of the influence of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group, the military announced yesterday.

The announcement was made following a recent meeting conducted by the Area Clearing Validation Board (ACVAB) at the headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) at Camp Navarro in this city.

“The ACVB evaluated Basilan and cleared the province of the influence of the Abu Sayyaf based on the recommendations of the preventing and countering violent extremism evaluation committee (PCVEC),” Westmincom chief Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr. said.

The PCVEC reported that 29 barangays across Basilan, which were formerly known for the presence and of being supportive of the bandits, are no longer under the influence of the terror group.

The military said the clearing of these areas came after the completion of a community support program conducted by the Joint Task Force Basilan (JTFB).

Religious leaders in the barangays are promoting the right teachings of Islam, and no extremist violence was monitored, the military said.

Note how it is being said that "the right teachings of Islam" are being taught which means no extremist violence. That means the violence is directly tied to Islam. That's an admission by the AFP that the insurgency is Mindanao is Islamic in nature.

Monday, May 16, 2022

The God Culture: The Land of Havilah is Not the Philippines

Where is the Biblical land of Havilah? According to Timothy Jay Schwab of The God Culture it's in the Philippines. Let's examine the relevant section from Solomon's Treasure which is "the monumental case for the Philippines no one can disprove." Then we will examine what the Bible has to say about the location of Havilah. 

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 60

The ancient land of Adam and Eve is designated as Havilah in Genesis 2 and it is represented by three resources which lead to only one nation even today. The Bible is proficient. This reminisces of the Rivers from Eden which we will test in Chapter 17. We truly attempt to leave no stone unturned in this expedition.

Genesis 2:10-12 KJV
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 60

This chapter is ridiculously byzantine as Tim ferrets out the meaning of the word Havilah and then attempts to test the resources attributed to it. 

When studying this passage, most scholars read it, even cite it and deviate from it to dock on assumptions which they do not return and validate with scripture. We will. However, this island (not India, Ethiopia nor Yemen) surrounded by the Pison River from Eden is named Havilah in antiquity. It’s interpretation divulges much more than solely some incidental estate.

 הוילח  havilah: that suffers pain; that brings forth, circle :

“That suffers pain, that brings forth” refers to childbirth – Eve’s curse from the Garden of Eden. What many miss is this word Havilah is a direct Hebrew variant of Eve’s Hebrew name as it is a reference not just to Eve’s curse but to Eve’s land named after her because Eve was not named until after the exile from the Garden. Notice also, this word Havilah means “circle” which is doubtlessly an allusion to the basis that it is encompassed by the Pison River. We will demonstrate the Pison is still there and still functions. We will also locate Havilah.

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 60-61

First note that Tim is saying Havilah is an island because it is "surrounded by the Pison River." However the word translated compass does not necessarily mean to encircle.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h5437/kjv/wlc/0-1/

סָבַב çâbab, saw-bab'; a primitive root; to revolve, surround, or border; used in various applications, literally and figuratively:—bring, cast, fetch, lead, make, walk, ×whirl, × round about, be about on every side, apply, avoid, beset (about), besiege, bring again, carry (about), change, cause to come about, × circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, round), drive, environ, × on every side, beset (close, come, compass, go, stand) round about, inclose, remove, return, set, sit down, turn (self) (about, aside, away, back).

We see this reflected in modern translations.

The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

https://biblehub.com/genesis/2-11.htm

There are no circular rivers on the face of the earth. Tim's solution is that the Pison River is an undersea ocean trench which circles the whole of the Philippines.

In Chapter 5 on Havilah, Land of Eve, we found that the Philippines leads the world in these three resources which define it as Ancient Havilah – gold, pearl and the onyx stone. To date, it maintains a leadership position in all three as it is the historic forerunner in gold abundance, has no rival in largest pearls on Earth and possesses the strongest onyx and marble from Romblon. Therefore, the Pison River must surround this whole land of the Philippines.

You can observe the culmination of the 65,000 kilometer Mid-Ocean Ridge off the coast of Mexico essentially. At that point begins a series of Oceanic Trenches which travel all the way up the coast of America to Alaska, then, over to Russia, down to Japan and splits and surrounds the whole land of the Philippines especially. This is the ancient Pison River, the first River From Eden that branches from the main source river. It is positioned at the end of the entire Eden River System yet it is ranked first. This is because Hebrew writing initiates from right to left or East to West in direction. Therefore, the Eastern-most river would be first.

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 275

Tim teaches that before the flood the earth had no ocean and was watered by a mega-river system.

The Bible tells us far more than we realize about the layout and ecosystem of the pre-flood existence. Prior to the Flood, the water system of the earth was described as five mega-rivers with fountains of the great deep within. There is no mention of a world ocean but we did not see a firm balance for exactly how much of the earth was water and how much land prior to the Flood until we studied 2 Esdras. 

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 269

These "five mega rivers" are now ocean trenches. This is completely wrong. There are not series of interconnecting ocean trenches along the coast of North America that culminates in surrounding the Philippines. 

Ocean trenches are long, narrow, steep-sided depressions found on the ocean floor that contain the greatest depths in the ocean (11,000 meters - western Pacific). There are 26 oceanic trenches in the world: 3 in the Atlantic Ocean, 1 in the Indian Ocean, and 22 in the Pacific Ocean (Figure 10p-3). Generally, the trenches mark the transition between continents and ocean basins, especially in the Pacific basin. Trenches are also the tectonic areas. 

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10p.html

Ocean trenches are evidence for plate tectonics which is something Timothy Jay Schwab rejects even though his Rivers from Eden maps outline these plates. 

We have but we reject the unproven science of moving plates floating on magma nor liquid. If we have such, a simple scientific test would tell us there would only be 1 continent and it would be a mountain into space with the earth moving at 1000 mph at the equator. No one has ever observed such. Furthermore, Moses speaks of the ancient mountains and lasting hills meaning from before the Flood. Land didn't move, it got carved out by mega tsunamis and rapid erosion. Yahuah God Bless.

Here is what the Philippines ocean trench system looks like. 

https://www.air-worldwide.com/blog/posts/2019/4/the-philippines-is-shaking-again/

These trenches do not "completely surround this whole land of the Philippines" as Tim says it must. 

Next Tim makes a huge leap saying that Havilah is related to the Hebrew word for Eve.

Genesis 3:20 KJV
And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

   הוח chavvah: life-giver; Chavvah (or Eve), the first woman:—Eve 

Eve is the life giver. Compare the two words and they are the same Hebrew letters. Havilah as a variant adds an “YL” or in Hebrew, a “Y,” YAD and an “L,” LAMED. Interestingly, “IY” is the Hebrew word for isle even and perhaps this is a prophetic forerunner to the Philippines, Havilah which will become over 7,000 islands after the Flood. Before the Flood, the Philippines was known as the Mountains of Eden but was one isle. Therefore, if one can locate this ancient land of Havilah, you have found the land of Adam and Eve as it is named for Eve. Let us unearth it now.

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 61

Do you see what Tim did here? He said Eve and Havilah are related because they have the same letters with Havilah adding a few extra letters. That is stupid. That is a dumb as saying "dumb" and "thumb" are related words because both end with "umb."  

Throughout his books and videos Tim refers to the Blue Letter Bible which is a website with many tools for examining the Hebrew and Greek. It is therefore astounding that, though the footnote for the definition refers to the BLB, Tim ignores what Blue Letter Bible has to say about the word Havilah. 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2341/kjv/wlc/0-1/

Havilah means circle and is given two locations. We also see that there are two Havilah's in the Bible. One a son of Cush and the other a son of Joktan. The rest of Tim's definition for Havilah, that suffers pain, that brings forth, is found in Hitchcock's Bible Names which is referenced in the footnote. BLB says this word has its root in H2342. 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2342/kjv/wlc/0-1/

חוּל chûwl, khool; or חִיל chîyl; a primitive root; properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively, to wait, to pervert:—bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.

This word is not found in Solomon's Gold which means Tim did not even bother to look it up. According to the Blue Letter Bible this word has no connection to the word translated Eve. Tim's etymology is false and entirely made up.

As we already proved out, this river surrounds the land of Adam and Eve named Havilah after Havah’s or Eve’s curse of childbirth. 

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 71

Tim has by no means proven that Havilah is named after "Eve's curse of childbirth." Why would Adam name his homeland after his wife's curse? That makes no sense and Tim's only source to believe that tale is the fake etymology he has rendered for Havilah which he has pulled out of his own head.

After the etymology comes the testing of the resources.

Genesis 2:11-12 KJV
The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

Three resources define this nation so now we assess. First, there is gold but not just some gold. The gold of this land is towb: טוב or abundant as in wealthy, prosperous or bountiful especially. In other words, this is not just any land of gold, it is the land of gold defined by having the most gold. Where is that? We already demonstrated the Philippines is the leader in all of history in gold.

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 61  

This is totally wrong. That Hebrew word does not mean abundant. That is a completely different word H7227. What Tim is doing here is making it appear like this means that the land is filled with gold but that's not what the text says. It says the gold is good meaning pleasant, agreeable, excellent, etc.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2896/kjv/wlc/0-1/

Tome Pires says the quality of gold from the Philippines is of poor quality.

The Borneans go to the lands of the Lucoes to buy gold, and foodstuffs as well, and the gold which they bring to Malacca is from the Lucoes and from the surrounding islands which are countless; and they all have more or less trade with one another. And the gold of these islands where they trade is of a low quality —indeed very low quality. 
The next resource is bdellium.

Next, we have bdellium which some scholars argue over yet it is a very simple topic to resolve. They generally claim it is either pearl or African resin. Please note the resin they mention as African is also found in the Philippines thus not specifically African even. This is an attempt to stretch the scripture for Africa to fit yet it cannot on many levels especially since it’s in the wrong direction, far too close and in Ham’s territory. The Hebrew word bdellium is only used twice in scripture. The second time does remedy.

Numbers 11:7 KJV
And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

Would it make sense that the Israelites ate manna the color of nasty, gritty, dirty looking blackish-brown resin, or pearly white? The entire Old Testament never mentions the word pearl in Hebrew except these two times but has a name for every sacred resin or spice used and none known as bdellium ever. It’s pearl and there really is no question.

Solomon's Treasure, pg. 61-62

Is Tim aware that not all bdellium is blackish-brown?

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/macro-closeup-organic-indian-bdellium-guggul-343884821

Granted that is Indian bdellium but the point remains that not all bdellium resin is black or brown. Modern translations have taken that into consideration.

The manna looked like small coriander seeds, and it was pale yellow like gum resin.

https://biblehub.com/numbers/11-7.htm

The last resource to be tested is onyx. Guess what? It too is found in the Philippines. Therefore Tim has successfully proven that Havilah is in the Philippines. Actually he has proven no such thing and ignores what the Bible says. Havilah is in Southern Arabia near Egypt.

Genesis 25:18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

1 Samuel 5:7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

There you go. End of story. There is one and only one land of Havilah in the Bible and it is not the Philippines. Here is a resource test for the region:

"Havilah. The rich land surrounded by the river Pishon according to the story of the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:11). Its richness derives from the GOLD, RESIN BDELLIUM and ONYX STONES present there. ALL THREE OF THESE PRODUCTS POINT TO SOUTH ARABIA AS THE LOCATION OF HAVILAH, since South Arabia is the homeland of valuable resins and precious stones. According to Pliny (Natural History 12.23), the tree which yields bdellium also grows in Arabia, and the resin from Commiphora mukul, Arabic muql, is up to now a Yemenite product...Onyx (Arabic gaz) is found at all times in various places in Yemen; and among the sorts which were usually named after the places where they are found, there was also a 'Khaulanite onyx' (al-Hamadani 1884:202-3). Among the gold mines of the Arabian peninsula, the mine of `Asam in the region of the Quda`a is attested, the gold of which is red and excellent; also attested are the mines of al-Qufa`a in the land of Khaulan, which yield gold of superior quality (cf. al-Hamadani 1968 :138-41). J. Halevy reports that, as an eyewitness in1870 in Sirwah in Khaulan, he saw Arabs washing gold and noted that gold was found in small grains of sand and in the river bed (1872:54). (p. 82. Vol. 3. W. W. Muller. "Havilah." David Noel Freedman. Editor. The Anchor Bible DictionaryNew York. Doubleday. 1992)

http://www.bibleorigins.net/PishonRiverMapWadiBishahAsir.html

I do not believe Tim read his Bible and missed this information. I believe he chose to ignore it. Rather than leaving no stone unturned he has declined to examine Genesis 25:18 and 1 Samuel 5:7 both in his book and his videos because it overturns his thesis. Now, he might counter by inquiring about the Pison River. Perhaps it is now a dry river bed running through Kuwait and Arabia as James Sauer thought. Perhaps it is not. One thing's for sure and that is the Pison River cannot be an underwater ocean trench. That is Tim's solution to the Rivers of Eden and it is wrong. The Bible mentions these rivers in a way that readers would be familiar with them. Making them be invisible underwater ocean trenches renders the text unintelligible.

The bottom line here is Timothy Jay Schwab is, as always, wrong. Havilah is not in the Philippines. It's an area to the south of Israel. The Bible says so.

Saturday, May 14, 2022

The God Culture: Dismissed: Where Do We Go When We Die Part 2

In the previous article in this series critiquing Timothy Jay Schwab's doctrine of the afterlife I looked at the meaning of the Greek word translated sleep and death. We saw that the word means literal sleep or metaphorical death depending on the context. There are also two other words, one which means sleep and only sleep and one which means death and only death with no metaphorical meaning for either. His challenge to show that sleep does not mean literal sleep was well met and I showed how disingenuous Tim is in his usage of those words.  I also looked at the chambers mentioned in Enoch. Tim says there are three but Enoch says there are four. The spirits in the fourth chamber will never leave that place. 

In this article I will briefly analyze and dismiss a few of Tim's videos in this series which have either no pertinent arguments in them for the subject at hand or no arguments at all. Let's start this review off by dismissing video 5 in this series.

Did A Witch Raise The Prophet Samuel From The Dead? Where Do We Go? Part 5 Answers In 2nd Esdras 23E

Did a witch raise the prophet Samuel from the dead? Tim says no she brought up a demon. The point of this video is to reinforce Tim's teaching that the dead are asleep in chambers in the earth and no one can bring them up except God. Therefore, she brought up a demon. This video is done away with in two precise slices. First of all the context of the entire story does not warrant us to believe anything except that Samuel was indeed brought up from the dead and not an impostor demon. How? You might as well explain how Balaam's Ass spoke or how Jesus made the blind see using spit and dirt. The how does not concern us here. It is the what that matters and she clearly brought up Samuel from the dead.

The fact that King Saul thought Samuel could be brought up from the dead shows with certainty that the Israelites did not have a conception of death as being a state of unconscious and inactive sleep. Rather it shows that they thought the spirits of dead men were aware and active in the afterlife. Thus this narrative contradicts Enoch's stories of the four chambers for the dead and Tim's whole scheme that the dead are asleep and inactive in one of those chambers. It is one more clue among many that Enoch was not written by the Patriarch Enoch before the flood but by someone in the Second Temple period of the 2nd century BC.

Second of all the Book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus says Samuel prophesied after his death. Tim believes that Sirach is scripture.

Did the Book of Sirach Find the Rivers From Eden?

4:23 It was the temple priests they exiled to Qumran who kept scripture and guess what? They kept Sirach as scripture as well and it was found there. It was canon from the only group qualified and ordained to say so.

If Sirach is scripture then that means Sirach 46:13-20 is scripture.
13 Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, beloved of his Lord, established a kingdom, and anointed princes over his people.

14 By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation, and the Lord had respect unto Jacob.

15 By his faithfulness he was found a true prophet, and by his word he was known to be faithful in vision.

16 He called upon the mighty Lord, when his enemies pressed upon him on every side, when he offered the sucking lamb.

17 And the Lord thundered from heaven, and with a great noise made his voice to be heard.

18 And he destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians, and all the princes of the Philistines.

19 And before his long sleep he made protestations in the sight of the Lord and his anointed, I have not taken any man's goods, so much as a shoe: and no man did accuse him.

20 And after his death he prophesied, and shewed the king his end, and lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.

How did Samuel prophesy after he was dead? That is clearly a reference to the witch of Endor calling him up. This passage decisively destroys video 5. This passage is either Scripture or it is not. Even if Tim does as usual and claim this passage is corrupt that does not solve the problem at all. That would be an unprovable ad hoc fallacy.

Video 7 is easily disposed of as well.

Is There a Difference Between Soul & Spirit? Where Do We Go? Part 7 Answers In 2nd Esdras 23G


This video is a continuation of part 6 where Tim discusses the difference between the soul and the spirit. This video is supposed to tell us why so many in the Church believe man is a tripartite being made of body, soul, and spirit. It is effectively a sustained tirade against the Trinity. 

2:37 But why the obsession with the number three in theology in this day and age? I mean they teach us there is a Trinity you know, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Well that is a term never found in the Bible. It's just not there. Uh, don't care what you think whether Trinity or not Trinity there is no word Trinity in the Bible, period. It's just not there. 

Um, the Bible also does not ever equate the Holy Spirit as the other two. It's just not there either. Important, no doubt, and understanding their roles all three is what's really important not polarizing ridiculously stupid arguments. "Oh you're this, oh you're that label, oh you're that label," you go label whatever you want. Go do it in the corner, um, because that's where we put dunces on this channel. They will not be commenting. If you watch 22 Kinds of Creation we cover this psalm as creation in scripture was that of two not three. The Holy Spirit was there but we are given no role for Him and no equation to the other two. It's just not there. There are two creators Elohim a plural word meaning heavenly being and before the angels were created there were only two Elohim and that was the Father and the Son who did the creating.

Does Tim not understand that the way he talks he comes off as a polytheistic when he says that there are two gods, Father and Son? But then he will say that the Father and Son are equated which is modalist language. Yet Tim teaches they are separate. This is why a correct doctrine of who the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are is vital and important. God is three persons sharing one essence or nature. Anything less and you are going to go off into serious error and have a total misunderstanding of who God is and the function of each person.

Saying that the word Trinity is not in the Bible is a garbage argument against the Trinity. It is no argument at all. Tim also says that there is no universe because the word is not found in the Bible. 

30:30  Now the word universe is not even actually a Bible word or concept. Think about that. Yahuah is never referred to in scripture as the Lord of the universe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H4dBijkqfM
Tim makes no coherent arguments against the Trinity and rails on and on about Pythagoras. It's like he is totally unaware of the vast body of writings from throughout Church history concerning the Trinity. He simply does not want deal with Hilary, Augustine, Tertullian, or the Cappadocians who all wrote extensively about the Trinity. Hint: THEY SAID NOTHING ABOUT PYTHAGORAS OR THE OCCULT! 

Tim literally says "they" teach these things because they want to open up their third eye. 

20:52 What we are seeing is the infusion of new age doctrine into these church doctrines. It is the new age community that separates the spirit from the soul. Again, we call that demon possession. They teach the mind is as powerful as the spirit or even more so as you can develop a third eye, even, where your soul can have the power, you know of a seer or whatever. like you know Josephus and the Pharisees in fact. Yeah, that is similar because Kabbalah, all the same. Like the Greek philosophers. Don't let your church inject new age garbage because that's what they're doing with this word soul.

This follows from a long section where Tim explains Hebrews 4:12 by saying the joints and marrow are the same thing.

16:14 This is firmly figurative language there's no doubting that. I mean it comes out and tells you that it is not intended to express a reality. But you don't walk around without your both joints and marrow do you? Uh, you won't be if you don't have them. In the function of joints and marrow ,uh, we're looking at bones here, okay? Joints are joining bones together and marrow runs through the bone so you need both. In other words the two are one in terms of bone. They function together. Without either good luck using your bones you will not.

However, the point of this scripture is to pinpoint things which are not truly separate and cannot be separated, really. I mean that's the point. You will not use your bones without both joints and marrow. You need both. You will not live eternally without your soul and spirit yet you do not need your current body do you? No you don't. We won't, that returns to dust. We receive new bodies but not a new soul and not a new spirit which are the same thing. They have to be.

Joints and marrow are NOT the same thing. They function together but they are NOT the same thing. They are able to be totally and really separated. Can your car run without gas? Of course not!  That does not make your gas and car the same thing. Someone left a rather insightful comment concerning this but Tim deleted it.

I usually like your videos however trying to say the inside of the bone is the same as the joint on the outside of the bone connecting other bones. One provides movement and one provides structure. They are not the same, but are part of the same system. The spirit binds the soul to the body, the spirit is the breath of life. We do not raincarnated, we die and go to Sheol and the spirit returns to the maker. John the Baptist had the spirit of Elijah, so if the soul is the  spirit then John the Baptist wasnt a new person, he would have been a reincarnated Elijah.

No, the spirit is not the same as the soul. John the Baptist had the soul of John the Baptist, but the spirit that brought life to Elijah also was imparted on John the Baptist to bring his body to life.

It's complete nonsense and since Tim cannot bring himself to deal with actual arguments for the Trinity it is proper to dismiss this video entirely and focus instead on video 6 and Tim's discussion of the soul and spirit. 


Maybe one day he will make a video where he actually does deal with arguments for the Trinity rather than setting up straw men. Literally no Christian believes in the Trinity because of occult numerology. Such nonsense betrays a total ignorance of Christian theology and history. 


If Tim really cared to understand the Trinity he would read the Cappadocians and their treatises against the Arians and the Eunomians because it is their views of the Trinity which were adopted as dogma at the 2nd Council of Nicea. Not long after the Western Church inserted the Filioque into the confession. Historically this is what led to the schism between the church East and West. I am quite sure Tim knows nothing of any of that history because he sure does not understand even the basics of Trinitarian doctrine especially as it relates to the Person of Christ and the Holy Spirit.


Likewise video 8 can also be scrapped for the same reasons. Video 8 is Tim's answer as to why the Church does not believe in soul sleep as he does. It's all because the Church incorporated the Egyptian Book of the Dead into their doctrines.


Egyptian Book of the Dead. Origin of Church Doctrine on Judgment? Part 8 Answers In 2nd Esdras 23H

13:25 But let's go to the source, their source, the Egyptian Book of the Dead to see what it says. Let's be clear because some get easily confused or so they wish to be in ignorance at times in order to make accusation of course. Uh, you know we teach the Bible and this is the opposite but we cover this because most churches today are teaching this doctrine right out of the Egyptian Book of the Dead and not from the Bible. They're missing it completely. So, for anyone wishing to show disgust by all means we certainly will. But how about you make sure you get our position right and realize that position is not the opposite because we get accused every time we do a video like this in that manner.

15:10 There are several ways you can read this Egyptian Book of the Dead. One is by E.A. Wallis Budge. Uh, he has put out a lot of different occult writings, indeed, uh he just loves them. But we're going to stick to a paraphrase for the sake of time since this is a YouTube video. Accounts differ in some and we're not going to cover "well this one says, but this one says, but this one says" who cares? Generally they are in agreement and all serve as the origin of this church doctrine. That's our point. Uh, which certainly does not come from the Bible and that's what we're getting at. We're going to use worldhistory.com, The Egyptian Afterlife

There are a number of problems in these two excerpts from this video. First of all Tim says those who criticize him need to get his position right. That is laughable because this entire video is him getting the position of the Catholic Church wrong! In fact, he does not once cite any official Catholic doctrine. Instead he cites from an internet article ABOUT the Egyptian Book of the Dead rather than FROM the Egyptian Book of the Dead. That means he is not even familiar with the book from which he claims the Church gets its doctrine of the afterlife. 

Tell us Tim, how the heck would the contents of this book somehow slip into the Church's teaching? He NEVER TELLS US!! He just makes accusation after unsubstantiated accusation. Does he not know that the Egyptian book of the Dead was WRITTEN IN HIEROGLYPHICS!! Nobody knew how to read Egyptian until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799! There is no way possible this unreadable text could have been read by any Christian and incorporated into Christian doctrine. Is Tim really that much of a moron or does he think his audience is too stupid to understand that?

The existence of the Book of the Dead was known as early as the Middle Ages, well before its contents could be understood. Since it was found in tombs, it was evidently a document of a religious nature, and this led to the widespread but mistaken belief that the Book of the Dead was the equivalent of a Bible or Qur'an

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_the_Dead

Everything in this video is just so blatantly false there is no proper way to deal with it except to throw it in the garbage. How can this man claim to have gone to seminary and been a minister for over 30 years and not know why Christians believe the things they do? This nonsense about the occult creeping into the Church and influencing her doctrines in any way is provably false if one would take the time to read the writings of the Church Fathers and especially the dogmatic definitions of the ecumenical councils. I have done this and I cannot pour years of study into one article. It is not possible. Tim needs to take his head out of the Dead Sea Scrolls and actually learn Christian doctrine. There is 2000 years of it.

The reason the Church believes that after death one is conscious and experiences either torments or joys is because the Bible teaches that. Listen to what Paul says to the Philippians.

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

It's notable that Tim does not deal with these verses at all. Paul says he desires to depart this life and be with Christ. What sense does it make, what hope is there, if what Paul really means is that he desires to die and fall asleep in a subterranean chamber somewhere below the Philippines? How is falling asleep and being unconscious far better than being alive and aware? How is to die and fall into an unconscious sleep gain?

43:19 We also locate the Garden of Eden in the Philippines, uh, below in the earth not up here on the surface.

1:21:34 Then there is the Garden of Eden that houses Yahuah's Holy of Holies on earth. Of course we didn't cover all of the many scriptures in the Garden of Eden there are tons but you know those. Um, but yes that is inside the earth the Hebrew word again is an enclosed garden. It's always been inside the earth and it never moved nor did the tree of life that's called kabbalah that's not bible. The bible says it's still there and that we'll have access to it on the after the day of judgment basically. And why Paul says when we die we are absent the body but in his presence. Why? How could that be? Well, because the chamber for the righteous is obviously next to the Garden of Eden. And what's in the Garden of Eden? The Holy of Holies of Yahuah on earth. Ha! Still in His presence. Exactly!

What Is Hell? Is It Real? Part 9 Answers In 2nd Esdras 23I



It's stupid beyond belief. Tim's doctrine of the afterlife offers NO HOPE to anyone. Sure, we will wake up after so many years to the final judgement and be with Jesus forever but so what? The hope we have is not that we will fall asleep at death for thousands or hundred of years but that, as Paul says, when we depart this life we shall be received into the very presence of Jesus Christ and live with him forever. It's as if Tim does not realize the great promise of the Gospel is to be united to Jesus Christ (Col 1:27; 1 Cor 3:16, 6:17, 19; 2 Peter 1:4; John 14:23, 17:22; Gal 2:19). Jesus Himself prays that the saints will be with Him in Heaven to behold his glory.

John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Truly to die is to gain eternity with Jesus Christ to whom we are united, not to sleep in some underground chamber next to the Philippines.