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Monday, May 14, 2012

COSMIC CRYPTOLOGY IN THE CHURCH

COSMS, CODES, AND CRYPTOLOGIES, Part 2

By Gaylene Goodroad*

 
Are we in possession of messages of extraterrestrial origin?
If so, what do they mean?
What do these messages from the edge of eternity portend for the future?
What has the science of cryptology revealed about these ancient texts? Is our universe itself a "digital message"?
Do these messages explain the interval between the miracle of our origin and the mystery of our destiny?
Read the implications of our finite universe and the shocking discoveries of quantum physics at the very boundaries of reality and learn their significance to our origin and personal destinies! 
(Koinonia House advertisement for Cosmic Codes) 

 
Chuck Missler’s Cosmic Codes: Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity is a 535-page textbook for the Koinonia Institute Bible Course, BTE 620: Introduction to Biblical Cryptology.[i] Here is a description from the KI [Koinonia Institute] Handbook: 

This course includes an introduction to cryptography (the study of secret writing), with a survey of codes and ciphers: transpositions and monoalphabetic, polyalphabetic, and polygraphic substitutions.

It explores the surprising use of encryptions in the Biblical text, including—but not limited to—the controversial equidistant-letter-sequences which have been so fancifully promoted. 

Microcodes ("jots and tittles"), Macrocodes (strategic anticipatory structures) and Metacodes (beyond the boundaries of physical reality) are explored. 

Paracryptology and extraterrestrial communication investigations are also highlighted.[ii]

Did you understand this quote? In order to interpret it one must use interchangeable language pulled from New Age physics** where “microcosm” becomes “microcode,” “macrocosm” becomes “macrocode,” and “metacosm” becomes “metacode.” These, and other terms linked to mystical, occultic, and arcane ideas, are vigorously used and taught in Cosmic Codes. This includes numerous highly unusual and extra biblical words that read like codes themselves—terms such as cryptography, cryptanalysis, cryptology, encipher, encode, ciphertext, cryptogram, decipher, decode, acrostic, and anagram.

Chuck Missler defines these secret code practices:

Some [codes], we discover are hidden behind, or underneath, our day-to-day traffic of ideas. The ones which are hidden usually reveal an ulterior intent or purpose…. From the ancient palaces of our earliest cultures to the super-secret “black chambers” of our most modern command posts, the art of secret writing—and the science of their decipherment—have determined the course of history. Cryptology—the study of secret codes and ciphers—has also been stimulated by its use in literature.[iii] [bold added, italics in original]


De-Coding the Bible

It is significant that the word “occult” means “hidden” or “secret.”[iv] The idea that the LORD God would imbed secret knowledge in His Word—requiring believers to “decrypt” it by using worldly techniques—soars to the heights of blasphemy. “Cryptological Bible study” is totally foreign to the Bible’s plain teachings and precepts. 

In fact, in both the Old and New Testaments, the Lord God Himself teaches the exact opposite (Isa. 45:16, 19; Jn. 18:20). Contradicting the idea of God communicating in “cosmic codes” is the fact that Lord Jesus Christ, The Word, (though on occasion He spoke in parables), spoke openly and not in hidden, encrypted language (Jn. 1:1; 18:20). 

Note that the LORD is speaking here:
  •  Isa 45:19 "I have not spoken in secret, In some dark land; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek Me in a waste place'; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, Declaring things that are upright.”
  • Isa 48:16 "Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD  has sent Me, and His Spirit."[v]
Plainly, the Lord declared twice that He has NOT spoken “in secret.” He is the One who spoke creation into existence; He is the Word (Gen. 1:3-31; John 1:1).

Here is how Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon defines the word “secret” (Heb. cether) in the verses above from Isaiah: “a hiding; hence something secret, clandestine, hidden, Jud. 3:10... ‘some secret thing;’ 1 Sam. 25:20... ‘the covert of the mountain....’”[vi]

According to the text’s plain meaning, God declares that He does not speak in secret, clandestine, or hidden language. Jesus Christ reiterates this declaration in John 18:20:
  • Jn 18:20 Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret.[vii]
According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, the word “secret” in John 18 comes from the Greek word, kryptos (from which we derive the English word cryptic, or “hidden”).[viii] Thayer’s further defines:

...hidden, concealed, secret: Mt. x. 26; Mk. iv. 22; Lk. viii. 17; xii. 2 . . . in secret, Mt. vi. 4, 6, 18 Rec.;... privately, in secret, Jn. vii. 4, 10; xviii. 20... [the hidden things of darkness i.e.] things covered by darkness, 1 Co. iv. 5;... the things which men conceal, Ro. ii. 16;... his secret thoughts, feelings, desires, 1 Co. iv. 2;.... into a secret place....[ix]

In direct contradiction to Missler’s thesis about hidden “cosmic codes,” the Lord Jesus Christ proclaims that He not only spoke openly (publicly), but never in secret, hidden, or encrypted language.

In Scripture, whenever a “mystery” (secret) was presented, it was the Lord God who “revealed” it. The word “mystery” (“secret,” Aramaic raz)[x] occurs 6 times in the Old Testament (all in the Book of Daniel)[xi]; and 19 times in the New Testament (“secret,” Gr. musterion).[xii] Note Daniel the prophet’s declaration:
  •  Dan 2:27 “Daniel answered before the king and said, ‘As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king’.”
  • Dan 2:28 "However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed.”[xiii] [Emphasis added]
The “wise men,” “conjurers,” “magicians,” and “diviners” could not reveal the mystery, because only the “God in heaven” reveals them.

Note the beginning words of the last book of the Bible:
  • Rev 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John.”[xiv]
The “Revelation” “lays bare” the mystery. It is a revealing, or an unveiling of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gr. apokalypsis).[xv] The “revelation” was initiated by God the Father, then given to Christ—the one and only mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5).

All that the Lord God wanted us to know, He recorded plainly in His book—which is to be read and pondered, not manipulated by those claiming to possess secret knowledge. Lest we become like the wise men, conjurers, magicians or diviners, we should leave alone any hidden mysteries until the God who knows them reveals them (Dan. 2:27-28; Rev. 1:1).

From Secret Codes to Extraterrestrial Communications

In the Preface to Cosmic Codes one can find occult methodologies—and the tenets of New Age physics. Chuck Missler writes:

The interception and breaking of secret codes have tumbled proud thrones and determined the outcome of major wars since the dawn of history. The decipherment of hidden messages has turned the tide of history on more occasions that one can enumerate.... 

Dedicated scientists continue to scan the heavens in their search for signals from distant galaxies. Committed teams of microbiologists and computer specialists continue their efforts to further decipher the genetic codes in our DNA. And now we discover that all this time there apparently have been hidden codes in the most widely distributed document on the Planet Earth—the Bible.

Is there a connection between all of these? Is there a relationship between the “Bible Codes” and the digital error-correcting codes hidden in our DNA? Is there a relationship between these digital codes and the discoveries of quantum physics at the very boundaries of reality itself?...

We will begin our review by exploring some background in the art of cryptology, the study of secret writing and some of the efforts which have been devoted to the pursuit of extraterrestrial communication—the attempts to discern signals from outside of our space-time....

What characteristics would an extraterrestrial communication require? How would we recognize an extraterrestrial message if we encountered one?...

We will also explore some of the deeply disturbing insights of quantum physics which are confronting our very concepts of reality. 

...It will however, be of paramount importance to first 'blindfold your prejudices' and presuppositions."[xvi] [Bold emphases added]

Beginning with a study of cryptology next opens the door to the "pursuit of extraterrestrial communication" and "attempts to discern signals from outside of our space-time"? How does a respected evangelical leader move so far away from the plain truth of Scripture? By blindfolding "prejudices" and biblical "presuppositions"?

The classical approach to studying the Bible emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s role in biblical illumination and requires the use of proper biblical hermeneutics and exegesis. However, to bolster his quantum spirituality teachings, Missler de-emphasizes the “classic approach,” calling it “myopic”. He writes:

(Many commentators tend to be like Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, who maintained that, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”644)  The classical approach to conservative Biblical hermeneutics usually emphasizes the following…. These emphases yield good intellectual hygiene. They are the pillars upon which traditional doctrines are rigorously anchored. It is the unwavering enslavement to the grip of context, however, that can seem myopic at times.[xvii] [italics in original, bold added]

Important questions must be asked—not only about the promotion of quantum spirituality, but also regarding the methodologies being used to justify it. Can these so-called hidden “cosmic codes” only be discovered and decrypted when the Scripture is released from the “myopic” and “unwavering enslavement to the grip of context”?

Is this the ultimate purpose of quantum spirituality—which is the mixture of quantum physics with New Age spirituality—to go beyond what is written in Scripture and "to boldly go where no man has gone before"?[xviii]


As one critic of the Bible code idea has insightfully observed:

Christians, quite frankly, have trouble enough obeying the plain and obvious things that we do understand from Scripture without making up other things.... Looking for secret codes is one big detour and diversion.... Ignoring the clear and plain message of the Bible takes us down a detour of speculation and away from the practical pursuit of obedience and growth. The speculative chasing of “Bible codes” is not something found in historic orthodox Christianity.... 

The pursuit of a Bible code is not about gain in any sense but about incredible loss. There is the loss of the Bible, the loss of the true knowledge of God and the Savior of mankind. It is about the loss of Bible doctrines regarding salvation and sanctification. Losing these we fail to search the Scriptures as we should (Psalm 1) and lose the information on how to find Christ and mature in Him (2 Timothy 3:14-17).[xvix] 



The Truth:
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God:
but those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children for ever,
that we may do all the words of this law.
(Deuteronomy 29:29)

Stay tuned for Part 3 in this multi-part series . . . .


Endnotes:
 [i] Dr. Chuck Missler, Cosmic Codes: Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity, Koinonia House, Coeur d’Alene, ID, 1999, Revised 2004. Note: Missler received his Ph.D. in 1999 from the online Louisiana Baptist University (LBU); Koinonia Institute Handbook, pg. 68;  http://www.studycenter.com/downloads/KI_Handbook.pdf; KI and LBU are partnership entities; http://www.khouse.org/articles/2004/534/; See also: http://www.studycenter.com/downloads/ki_info_kit.pdf. Also see: http://cosmiccodes.com/definitions.html, http://cosmiccodes.com/toc.html and http://cosmiccodes.com
[ii] Koinonia Institute Handbook, pp. 56-57.
[iii] Ibid, Cosmic Codes, pg. 5. Also see http://cosmiccodes.com/chapter1-pt1.html
[iv] The Free Dictionary online; http://www.thefreedictionary.com/occult.
    [v] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for '"secret"' in the NASB". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 14 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?
Criteria=secret&t=NASB >.
    [vi] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for cether (Strong's 5643)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 14 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H5643&t=NASB >.
    [vii] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for '"secret"' in the NASB". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 14 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?
Criteria=secret&t=NASB&cscs=Jhn >.
[viii] Ibid, The Free Dictionary online.
    [ix] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for kryptos (Strong's 2927)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 14 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=G2927&t=NASB >. NOTE: It is both ironic and unfortunate that Chuck Missler is a contributing partner to the online Blue Letter Bible; http://www.blueletterbible.org/audio_video/comm_author.cfm?AuthorID=21.
 [x] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for raz (Aramaic) (Strong's 7328)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 15 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H7328&t=NASB >.
    [xi] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for '"mystery"' in the NASB". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 15 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?
Criteria=mystery&t=NASB >.
    [xii] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for mystērion (Strong's 3466)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 15 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=G3466&t=NASB >.
    [xiii] Blue Letter Bible. "The Major Prophet Daniel 2 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 15 Feb 2012. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Dan&c=2&t=NASB >.
    [xiv] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for '"revelation"' in the NASB". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 15 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?
Criteria=%22revelation%22&t=NASB >.
    [xv] Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for apokalypsis (Strong's 602)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 15 Feb 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=G602&t=NASB >.
[xvi] Missler, Preface to Cosmic Codes, pg. ix. See: http://cosmiccodes.com/preface.html.
[xvii] Ibid, Cosmic Codes, pg. 351.
[xviii] Phrase taken from Star Trek's motto in the 1960s science fiction television program http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series 
[xvix] G. Richard Fisher, "The Bible Code: Prophetic Insight or Fertile Imagination?" Personal Freedom Outreach, http://www.pfo.org/biblcode.htm. 

*With special thanks to Pastor Larry DeBruyn's special insights and assistance with biblical commentary. 

**For further reading on Quantum Spirituality, see Pastor Larry DeBruyn's 6 Part series "Quantum Physics and the New Spirituality," published on Herescope in the Fall of 2010.
Related Reading: See "Quantum Alchemy," by Jackie Alnor, Apostasy Alert, June 19, 2007, http://www.apostasyalert.org/REFLECTIONS/quantum.htm

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