Survival of the friendliest?

NSF Study on Green Algae Finds Darwin Was Wrong About Competition

It raises an eyebrow, to say the least, to find a mainstream science story so offhandedly dissing Darwin, especially when the National Science Foundation is paying for it. That's what happened when the NSF's "Discoveries" website listed this: "Study suggests survival isn't always about competition." Yes, the NSF supported work that undermines a key Darwinian concept: competition among closely related species.

With $2 million in funding over a five-year period starting in 2010, researchers from the University of Michigan, led by Bradley Cardinale, with help from colleagues at the University of Maryland and UC Santa Barbara, set out to test a fundamental aspect of Darwin's theory. According to Darwin, closely related species compete more than distant ones, because they occupy similar ecological niches. The scientists neither intended nor expected to find Darwin's precept wrong. Examining closely related algae in North American lakes, they expected to find species battling each other for dominance. What they found was "completely unexpected," the report says. Look at the shock these scientists experienced:

The researchers ... were so uncomfortable with their results that they spent the next several months trying to disprove their own work. But the research held up.

"[Darwin's] hypothesis is so intuitive that it was hard for us to give it up. But we are becoming more and more convinced that he wasn't right about the organisms we've been studying," Cardinale says. "It doesn't mean the hypothesis won't hold for other organisms, but it's enough that we want to get biologists to rethink the generality of Darwin's hypothesis." (Emphasis added.)

So it's not about competition. It's about cooperation.

"If Darwin had been right, the older, more genetically unique species should have unique niches, and should compete less strongly, while the ones closely related should be ecologically similar and compete much more strongly -- but that's not what happened," Cardinale says. "We didn't see any evidence of that at all." They found this to be so in field experiments, lab experiments and surveys in 1,200 lakes in North America.

"If Darwin was right, we should've seen species that are genetically different and ecologically unique, doing unique things and not competing with other species," he adds. "But we didn't."

This result is important because competition is a key tenet of Darwinism. It harks back to the ideas of Thomas Malthus, who assumed that organisms, multiplying exponentially, cannot keep up with the food supply that only grows arithmetically. The inevitable consequence, Malthus reasoned, would be widespread death except for those individuals who could successfully compete for limited resources. Darwin depended on this notion when he built his theory of natural selection. In the sixth edition of On the Origin of Species, he used "survival of the fittest," a phrase coined by Herbert Spencer (another follower of Malthus), as a more accurate representation of his ideas, because it avoided the appearance of design (i.e., nature "selecting" something, as if on purpose).

Darwin "was obsessed with competition," Cardinale says. "He assumed the whole world was composed of species competing with each other, but we found that one-third of the species of algae we studied actually like each other. They don't grow as well unless you put them with another species. It may be that nature has a heck of a lot more mutualisms than we ever expected.

"Maybe species are co-evolving," he adds. "Maybe they are evolving together so they are more productive as a team than they are individually. We found that more than one-third of the time, that they like to be together. Maybe Darwin's presumption that the world may be dominated by competition is wrong."

Cardinale is being tentative with his "maybes" because it's a big deal to contradict the man most scientists view as the greatest biologist who ever lived, whose views are central to debates over design and loom large in battles over school science. But the evidence has spoken. If it proves true with other organisms, it's hard to overestimate the impact of this finding. The work was done by scientists supportive of Darwinism. This is huge! What will our Darwin-lobbying friends at the National Censor for Science Education do now? Oh, just ignore it, of course.

The scientists did not set out to disprove Darwin, but, in fact, to learn more about the genetic and ecological uniqueness of fresh-water green algae so they could provide conservationists with useful data for decision-making. "We went into it assuming Darwin to be right, and expecting to come up with some real numbers for conservationists," Cardinale says. "When we started coming up with numbers that showed he wasn't right, we were completely baffled."

The finding has political consequences as well. The EPA and non-governmental environmentalist organizations tend to focus on saving more distant species, thinking similar ones are redundant.

But if scientists ultimately prove Darwin wrong on a larger scale, "then we need to stop using his hypothesis as a basis for conservation decisions," Cardinale says. "We risk conserving things that are the least important, and losing things that are the most important. This does bring up the question: How do we prioritize?"

Like pulling on a sweater string, this finding threatens to unravel other parts of Darwin's theory. Consider the implications for his famous "Tree of Life" diagram:

Certain traits determine whether a species is a successful competitor or a poor competitor, he says. "Evolution does not appear to predict which species have good traits and bad traits," he says. "We should be able to look at the Tree of Life, and evolution should make it clear who will win in competition and who will lose. But the traits that regulate competition can't be predicted from the Tree of Life."

Cardinale tried to do some damage control by proposing co-evolution and cooperative evolution, but a little reflection shows that such ideas are fundamentally opposed to traditional Darwinism. Cooperation is the opposite of competition. Think of all the political baggage that stemmed from Darwin's doctrine of survival of the fittest. What if all the Social Darwinist regimes had been taught that the way to succeed is to cooperate? The mind boggles at the thought.

To be accurate, the finding allows that competition may work in some cases and not others. Algae may interact differently than mammals or dinosaurs. However this shakes out with further studies, one thing is clear: empirical observations show Darwin was wrong in a case designed to test his theory, and we didn't have to say it. Scientists with every desire to prove Darwin right found out with their own eyes. Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of the evidence.

Alas,no help from the hobbits.

The Little Lady of Flores Spoke from the Grave. But Said What, Exactly?

 

If Darwinian evolution is true, the human race should evolve into different species. Indeed, Darwin said that in Descent of Man. It is a feature, not a bug. But there is no clear evidence that it is happening. Thus, it would be most helpful to the argument if a new species (i.e., clearly human but not homo sapiens) was unearthed. Or at least, if the evidence was mixed, a species that could be argued into existence.

In 2003, an international archeology team was excavating the Liang Bua limestone cave (pictured above) on the Indonesian island of Flores, between Sumatra and East Timor. At a six meters depth, they unearthed the skeleton of a tiny ancient woman, about thirty years old. She was a meter in height (a little over a yard), with the brain capacity of a small chimpanzee.

When the discovery was announced in October 2004, the buzz was that she represented a new human species. As such, she was "extreme," "spectacular," "startling," and "incredible." The Return of the King was released that year, so she was dubbed the "hobbit."

One researcher hoped that a "male" would turn up. His wish was swiftly granted -- by a National Geographic artist who offered an imaginative drawing of a "male" returning from the hunt, looking impressively feral, and distinctly other than human. By August 2007, Science was calling the dig "hallowed ground." In that year, modern humans were predictably fingered as the villains that wiped out Flores man. In addition, the find answered another unmet need: To Henry Gee, writing in Nature, it posed "thorny questions about the uniqueness of Homo sapiens."

The cave turned up more than bones; it revealed stone tools, remains of fires, and the bones of pygmy elephants and other feasts. So the hobbit woman and the other individuals later unearthed -- the oldest dating from perhaps 94,000 years ago -- apparently followed the same lifestyle as other ancient human groups. But then how did we decide that they were not just one of the vast variety of human types?

The key fossil's small brain was taken by many researchers as evidence that the Floresians must be a separate species. That and an odd-shaped wrist bone. But almost immediately, a competing narrative appeared. In November, leading Indonesian scientist Teuku Jacob (1929-2007) announced that the Flores hobbit was an "ordinary human" and "just like us," but possibly with mental defects. Jacob took the bones to his own lab, and returned most of them the following February, amid charges that he had severely damaged them.

He also damaged the orthodox narrative. And Nature wasn't having any of that "just like us" stuff. In March 2005, it triumphantly reported the results of a computer simulation that bolstered the new species claim, in a story titled "Critics silenced by scans of hobbit skull." But the critics' silence did not dispel lingering doubt about "Homo floresiensis."

Concern was raised that the ongoing controversy might be good for creationism. One researcher offered that "we certainly make it easy for them when we have disagreements like this one. I think that a lot of what has been said is going to have to be retracted. Given the amount of media attention, it just makes the field look incompetent." He concluded: "Nobody is on the side of the angels now."

Not even the angels, it seemed.

By March 2008, the scene had changed again. New Scientist told us, "Researchers have uncovered bones that could drive another nail into the Homo floresiensis coffin." The magazine's nail-and-coffin metaphor is a signal: Doubt is now fashionable, not forbidden. Why? Apparently, diminutive humans had "overrun" a nearby island as recently as 1400 years ago -- "but despite their size these people clearly belonged to our species."

Meanwhile, more recent reconstructions have suggested that Flores man looked like us, and that earlier artists' reconstructions may have distorted this fact:

Basically, chimps don't have human cheeks, the study argues, so past reconstructions of the hobbit's face botched its likely looks. Or past efforts fell into the trap of assuming all early modern human species resembled "wild men," "missing links" or "ape-men."

And on it goes. The old bones told no new tale.

To get a sense of the breadth of positions in the controversy, see "Is the Hobbit's Brain Unfeasibly Small?" (maybe not); "Compelling Evidence Demonstrates that 'Hobbit' Fossil Does Not Represent A New Species of Hominid"; "Researchers offer alternate theory for found skull's asymmetry" (malformed individual); "'Hobbit' Was an Iodine-Deficient Human, Not Another Species, New Study Suggests."

Meanwhile, the Neanderthals were becoming ever more dissatisfied with their treatment at the hands of taxonomists.

The Watchtower Society's commentary on the book of Zechariah.

ZECHARIAH, BOOK OF

This book of the Hebrew Scriptures identifies its writer as “Zechariah the son of Berechiah the son of Iddo the prophet.” (Zec 1:1) It also provides a basis for establishing the time period covered and an approximate date for the composition. The last time indicator found in the book of Zechariah is the fourth day of Chislev in the fourth year of Darius’ reign (about December 1, 518 B.C.E.). (7:1) Accordingly, this book could not have been committed to writing before the close of 518 B.C.E. Since it was in the “eighth month in the second year of Darius” (October/November 520 B.C.E.) that “the word of Jehovah occurred to Zechariah” (1:1), the book covers a period of at least two years.

From chapter 9 onward the subject matter found in the book of Zechariah appears to differ considerably from the earlier section. No further reference is made to angels and visions or to Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Joshua. There is no mention of the temple-rebuilding work, and not even the name of Zechariah appears. In view of this and the nature of the prophecies contained in the latter chapters of the book, a number of critics maintain that this section could not have been written by Zechariah. However, it should be noted that Zechariah, like other prophets, wrote according to divine inspiration and did not receive all revelations at the same time or in the same manner. (2Pe 1:20, 21) Also, prophecies did not have to fit within a particular framework of existing circumstances and incorporate the name of the prophet or of some of his contemporaries for an entire book to be the work of the prophet. That the book of Zechariah forms one harmonious whole, instead of consisting of separate and unrelated parts recorded by different writers, is evident from the thoughts expressed therein. Throughout, the book highlights that Jerusalem would be restored and that Jehovah would come to the defense of the city.—Zec 1:13-21; 2:4, 5; 8:14-23; 9:11-17; 12:2-6; 14:3-21.

Historical Background. About February 9, 519 B.C.E., the prophet Zechariah heard the words: “The whole earth is sitting still and having no disturbance.” (Zec 1:7, 11) At that time Jerusalem was not a disturbing factor to the nations, but it appeared to observers that Jehovah had forsaken the city. Although the temple’s foundation had been laid in 536 B.C.E., the rebuilding work made slow progress on account of enemy opposition and finally, in 522 B.C.E., came under an official ban. (Ezr 4:4, 5, 24) Additionally, plagued by droughts and crop failures because of having neglected the temple rebuilding work, the repatriated Jews found themselves in very difficult circumstances. (Hag 1:6, 10, 11) They needed encouragement to continue the construction work despite mountainous obstacles.

Jehovah’s words, through Zechariah, must therefore have been a real source of comfort and inspiration to them. The visions seen by Zechariah clearly showed that it was the divine will for Jerusalem and its temple to be rebuilt. (Zec 1:16; chap 2) The power of the nations that had dispersed Judah would be shattered. (1:18-21) High Priest Joshua would gain an acceptable appearance before Jehovah (3:3-7), and Governor Zerubbabel would, with the help of God’s spirit, finish rebuilding the temple.—4:6-9.

Agreement With Other Bible Books. The book of Zechariah is in complete harmony with the rest of the Scriptures in identifying Jehovah as the Protector of his people. (Zec 2:5; compare De 33:27; Ps 46:11; 125:2.) He rewards or punishes individuals or nations according to their dealings and returns to those who repentantly return to him. (Zec 1:2-6; 7:11-14; compare Isa 55:6, 7; Jer 25:4-11; Eze 33:11; Mal 3:7; 2Pe 3:9.) Jehovah requires that those who desire his favor must speak truth and manifest obedience, justice, loving-kindness, and mercy. (Zec 7:7-10; 8:16, 17; compare De 24:17; Ps 15:1, 2; 82:3, 4; Pr 12:19; Jer 7:5, 6; Eph 4:25.) He does not respond to calls for aid from those who do not obey him.—Zec 7:13; compare Isa 1:15; La 3:42-44.

Also, noteworthy similarities are readily apparent by comparing passages in Zechariah with other scriptures.—Compare Zec 3:2 with Jude 9; Zec 4:3, 11-14 with Re 11:4; Zec 4:10 with Re 5:6; Zec 8:8 with Re 21:3; Zec 14:5 with Jude 14; Zec 14:7 with Re 21:25; Zec 14:8 with Re 22:1, 17.

Fulfillment of Prophecy. The fulfillment of prophecies recorded in the book of Zechariah testifies to its authenticity. What is known about Alexander the Great’s campaign in Syria, Phoenicia, and Philistia, including the conquest of Tyre and Gaza, fits the words of Zechariah 9:1-8 and, therefore, can be understood as a fulfillment of this prophecy. Numerous other prophecies contained in the book of Zechariah find their fulfillment in Christ Jesus—his entry into Jerusalem as king, “humble, and riding upon an ass” (Zec 9:9; Mt 21:5; Joh 12:15), his betrayal for “thirty silver pieces” (Zec 11:12, 13; Mt 26:15; 27:9), the subsequent scattering of his disciples (Zec 13:7; Mt 26:31; Mr 14:27), Jesus’ being pierced with a spear while on the stake (Zec 12:10; Joh 19:34, 37), and his role as King-Priest (Zec 6:12, 13; Heb 6:20; 8:1; 10:21).

[Box on page 1225]

HIGHLIGHTS OF ZECHARIAH

  Prophetic messages encouraging the Jews to resume temple rebuilding, also providing foregleams of the Messiah’s coming and his rule as King-Priest

  Written by Zechariah during the reign of Persian King Darius I, about 19 years after the first Jews arrived home from Babylon in 537 B.C.E.

A call to repentance, followed by eight visions and a prophecy about “Sprout” (1:1–6:15)

  First vision: A rider on a red horse standing with three other horsemen among the myrtle trees; the vision concludes with an assurance that Jerusalem will be shown mercy and the temple rebuilt

  Second vision: The four horns that dispersed Judah are cast down by four craftsmen

  Third vision: A young man with a measuring rope prepares to measure Jerusalem, but an angel foretells more growth as well as Jehovah’s protection for the city

  Fourth vision: High Priest Joshua’s befouled garments are removed and replaced with robes of state

  Fifth vision: Zechariah sees a gold lampstand with seven lamps supplied with oil from two olive trees; Zerubbabel will complete the temple rebuilding with the help of God’s spirit

  Sixth vision: A flying scroll represents the curse going forth because of all those stealing and those swearing falsely in Jehovah’s name

  Seventh vision: A woman named Wickedness is transported in an ephah measure to Shinar

  Eighth vision: Four chariots proceed from between two copper mountains to move about in the earth

  The man named Sprout will build Jehovah’s temple and serve as king-priest

Question about the observance of fasts commemorating the calamities that befell Jerusalem (7:1–8:23)

  Calamities came as punishment for disobedience; fasting in commemoration of these was not really done to Jehovah

  Jerusalem will enjoy divine favor; the former days of fasting will be transformed into “an exultation and a rejoicing and good festal seasons”; many from the nations will come to her to seek Jehovah’s favor

Judgment upon nations, Messianic prophecies, and the restoration of God’s people (9:1–14:21)

  Many cities and nations will experience Jehovah’s adverse judgment

  Zion’s righteous, humble King will come into the city on an ass

  Jehovah expresses anger against the false shepherds

  The scattered people of God will be brought out of Egypt and Assyria

  Zechariah is called to be a shepherd; the people are given an opportunity to pay for his work, and they value it at 30 silver pieces

  Jerusalem will become a burdensome stone that severely scratches anyone tampering with it

  A well will be opened for cleansing from sin; the shepherd will be struck, and the sheep will be scattered

  Jerusalem will come under attack, but Jehovah will war against the aggressors

  Those remaining out of the attacking nations will celebrate the Festival of Booths each year, bowing down before Jehovah as King

Zechariah1-7NWT(2013 Edition)

1 In the eighth month in the second year of Da·ri′us,+ the word of Jehovah came to the prophet Zech·a·ri′ah*+ son of Ber·e·chi′ah son of Id′do, saying: 2 “Jehovah grew greatly indignant at your fathers.+

3 “Say to them, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “‘Return to me,’ declares Jehovah of armies, ‘and I will return to you,’+ says Jehovah of armies.”’

4 “‘Do not become like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed: “This is what Jehovah of armies says, ‘Turn away,* please, from your evil ways and your evil deeds.’”’+

“‘But they did not listen, and they paid no attention to me,’+ declares Jehovah.

5 “‘Where are your fathers now? And did the prophets live forever? 6 However, my words and my decrees that I commanded my servants, the prophets, caught up with your fathers, did they not?’+ So they returned to me and said: ‘Jehovah of armies has dealt with us according to our ways and our deeds, just as he had determined to do.’”+

7 On the 24th day of the 11th month, that is, the month of She′bat,* in the second year of Da·ri′us,+ the word of Jehovah came to the prophet Zech·a·ri′ah son of Ber·e·chi′ah son of Id′do, saying: 8 “I saw a vision in the night. There was a man riding on a red horse, and he stood still among the myrtle trees in the ravine; and behind him there were red, reddish-brown, and white horses.”

9 So I said: “Who are these, my lord?”

The angel who was speaking with me replied: “I will show you who these are.”

10 Then the man who was standing still among the myrtle trees said: “These are the ones whom Jehovah has sent out to walk about in the earth.” 11 And they said to the angel of Jehovah who was standing among the myrtle trees: “We have walked about in the earth, and look! the whole earth is quiet and undisturbed.”+

12 So the angel of Jehovah said: “O Jehovah of armies, how long will you withhold your mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah,+ with whom you have been indignant these 70 years?”+

13 Jehovah answered the angel who was speaking with me, with kind and comforting words. 14 Then the angel who was speaking with me told me: “Call out, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great zeal.+ 15 With great indignation I am indignant with the nations that are at ease,+ because I felt indignant to a small extent,+ but they added to the calamity.”’+

16 “Therefore this is what Jehovah says: ‘“I will return to Jerusalem with mercy,+ and my own house will be built in her,”+ declares Jehovah of armies, “and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’+

17 “Call out once more and say, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “My cities will again overflow with goodness; and Jehovah will again comfort Zion+ and again choose Jerusalem.”’”+

18 Then I looked up and saw four horns.+ 19 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me: “What are these?” He replied: “These are the horns that dispersed Judah,+ Israel,+ and Jerusalem.”+

20 Jehovah then showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked: “What are these coming to do?”

He said: “These are the horns that dispersed Judah to such an extent that no one was able to raise his head. These others will come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations that lifted up their horns against the land of Judah, in order to disperse her.”

2 And I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line+ in his hand. 2 So I asked: “Where are you going?”

He replied: “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is her width and what is her length.”+

3 And look! the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel came to meet him. 4 Then he said to him: “Run over there and tell that young man, ‘“Jerusalem will be inhabited+ as open rural country,* because of all the men and livestock within her.+ 5 And I will become to her,” declares Jehovah, “a wall of fire all around,+ and I will become the glory in her midst.”’”+

6 “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,”+ declares Jehovah.

“For I have scattered you to the four winds of the heavens,”+ declares Jehovah.

7 “Come, Zion! Make your escape, you who are dwelling with the daughter of Babylon.+ 8 For this is what Jehovah of armies says, who after being glorified* has sent me to the nations that were plundering you:+ ‘Whoever touches you touches the pupil of my eye.*+ 9 For now I will wave my hand against them, and they will become plunder for their own slaves.’+ And you will certainly know that Jehovah of armies has sent me.

10 “Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion;+ for I am coming,+ and I will reside in your midst,”+ declares Jehovah. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to Jehovah in that day,+ and they will become my people; and I will reside in your midst.” And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies has sent me to you. 12 Jehovah will take possession of Judah as his portion on the holy ground, and he will again choose Jerusalem.+ 13 Be silent, all flesh,* before Jehovah, for he is taking action from his holy dwelling.

 

3 And he showed me Joshua+ the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan+ was standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 Then the angel of Jehovah said to Satan: “May Jehovah rebuke you, O Satan,+ yes, may Jehovah, who has chosen Jerusalem,+ rebuke you! Is not this one a burning log snatched out of the fire?”

3 Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and standing before the angel. 4 The angel said to those standing before him, “Remove his filthy garments.” Then he said to him, “See, I have caused your error* to pass away from you, and you will be clothed with fine garments.”*+

5 So I said: “Let a clean turban be put on his head.”+ And they put the clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah was standing nearby. 6 The angel of Jehovah then declared to Joshua: 7 “This is what Jehovah of armies says, ‘If you will walk in my ways and carry out your responsibilities before me, then you will serve as a judge in my house+ and take care of* my courtyards; and I will give you free access among these who are standing here.’

8 “‘Hear, please, O High Priest Joshua, you and your companions who sit before you, for these men serve as a sign; look! I am bringing in my servant+ Sprout!+ 9 See the stone that I have set before Joshua! On the one stone are seven eyes; and I am engraving an inscription on it,’ declares Jehovah of armies, ‘and I will take away the guilt of that land in one day.’+

10 “‘In that day,’ declares Jehovah of armies, ‘Each of you will invite your neighbor to come under your vine and under your fig tree.’”+

 

 

4 The angel who had been speaking with me came back and woke me up, as when waking someone from sleep. 2 Then he said to me: “What do you see?”

So I said: “I see, and look! a lampstand entirely of gold,+ with a bowl on top of it. There are seven lamps on it,+ yes, seven, and the lamps, which are at the top of it, have seven pipes. 3 And next to it are two olive trees,+ one on the right of the bowl and one on the left.”

4 Then I asked the angel who was speaking with me: “What do these things mean, my lord?” 5 So the angel who was speaking with me asked: “Do you not know what these things mean?”

I replied: “No, my lord.”

6 He then said to me: “This is the word of Jehovah to Ze·rub′ba·bel: ‘“Not by a military force, nor by power,+ but by my spirit,”+ says Jehovah of armies. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Ze·rub′ba·bel+ you will become a level land.*+ And he will bring out the top stone* amid shouts of: “How wonderful! How wonderful!”’”

8 The word of Jehovah again came to me, saying: 9 “The hands of Ze·rub′ba·bel have laid the foundation of this house,+ and his own hands will finish it.+ And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies has sent me to you. 10 For who has despised the day of small beginnings?*+ For they will rejoice and see the plumb line* in the hand of Ze·rub′ba·bel. These seven are the eyes of Jehovah, which are roving about in all the earth.”+

11 Then I asked him: “What is the meaning of these two olive trees on the right and on the left of the lampstand?”+ 12 I asked him a second time: “What is the meaning of the two bunches of twigs* of the olive trees that are pouring out the golden liquid through the two golden tubes?”

13 So he asked me: “Do you not know what these things mean?”

I replied: “No, my lord.”

14 He said: “These are the two anointed ones who are standing alongside the Lord of the whole earth.”+

 

 

5 Again I looked up, and I saw a flying scroll. 2 He asked me: “What do you see?”

I replied: “I see a flying scroll, which is 20 cubits* long and 10 cubits wide.”

3 Then he said to me: “This is the curse that is going out over the face of all the earth, because everyone who steals,+ as written on its one side, has gone unpunished; and everyone who makes a sworn oath,+ as written on its other side, has gone unpunished. 4 ‘I have sent it out,’ declares Jehovah of armies, ‘and it will enter into the house of the thief and into the house of the one who makes a false oath in my name; and it will remain inside that house and consume it and its timbers and its stones.’”

5 Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and said to me: “Look up, please, and see what is going out.”

6 So I asked: “What is it?”

He replied: “This is the e′phah container* that is going out.” He continued: “This is their appearance in all the earth.” 7 And I saw that the round lid of lead was lifted up, and there was a woman sitting inside the container. 8 So he said: “This is Wickedness.” Then he threw her back into the e′phah container, after which he thrust the lead weight over its mouth.

9 Then I looked up and saw two women coming forward, and they were soaring in the wind. They had wings like the wings of a stork. And they lifted up the container between the earth and heaven. 10 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me: “Where are they taking the e′phah container?”

11 He replied: “To the land of Shi′nar*+ to build her a house; and when it is prepared, she will be deposited there in her proper place.”

 

6 Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were of copper. 2 The first chariot had red horses, and the second chariot, black horses.+ 3 The third chariot had white horses, and the fourth chariot, speckled and dappled horses.+

4 I asked the angel who was speaking with me: “What are these, my lord?”

5 The angel answered me: “These are the four spirits+ of the heavens that are going out after having taken their station before the Lord of the whole earth.+ 6 The one* with the black horses is going out to the land of the north;+ the white ones are going out beyond the sea; and the speckled ones are going out to the land of the south. 7 And the dappled ones were eager to go out to walk about through the earth.” Then he said: “Go, walk about through the earth.” And they began walking about through the earth.

8 He then called out to me and said: “See, those going out to the land of the north have caused the spirit of Jehovah to rest in the land of the north.”

9 The word of Jehovah again came to me, saying: 10 “Take from Hel′dai, To·bi′jah, and Je·da′iah what they brought from the people in exile; and on that day, you must go to the house of Jo·si′ah the son of Zeph·a·ni′ah along with these who have come from Babylon. 11 You should take silver and gold and make a crown* and put it on the head of Joshua+ son of Je·hoz′a·dak, the high priest. 12 And say to him,

“‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “Here is the man whose name is Sprout.+ He will sprout from his own place, and he will build the temple of Jehovah.+ 13 He is the one who will build the temple of Jehovah, and he is the one who will assume the majesty. He will sit down on his throne and rule, and he will also be a priest on his throne,+ and there will be a peaceable agreement between the two.* 14 And the crown* will serve as a memorial* for He′lem, To·bi′jah, Je·da′iah,+ and Hen the son of Zeph·a·ni′ah, in the temple of Jehovah. 15 And those who are far away will come and take part in building the temple of Jehovah.” And you will have to know that Jehovah of armies has sent me to you. And it will occur—if you do not fail to listen to the voice of Jehovah your God.’”

 

 

7 And in the fourth year of King Da·ri′us, the word of Jehovah came to Zech·a·ri′ah+ on the fourth day of the ninth month, that is, the month of Chis′lev.* 2 The people of Beth′el sent Shar·e′zer and Re′gem-mel′ech and his men to beg for the favor* of Jehovah, 3 saying to the priests of the house* of Jehovah of armies and to the prophets: “Should I weep in the fifth month+ and abstain from food, as I have done for so many years?”

4 The word of Jehovah of armies again came to me, saying: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and wailed in the fifth month and in the seventh month+ for 70 years,+ did you really fast for me? 6 And when you would eat and drink, were you not eating for yourselves and drinking for yourselves? 7 Should you not obey the words that Jehovah proclaimed through the former prophets,+ while Jerusalem and her surrounding cities were inhabited and at peace, and while the Neg′eb and the She·phe′lah were inhabited?’”

8 The word of Jehovah again came to Zech·a·ri′ah, saying: 9 “This is what Jehovah of armies says, ‘Judge with true justice,+ and deal with one another in loyal love+ and mercy. 10 Do not defraud the widow or the fatherless child,*+ the foreigner+ or the poor;+ and do not scheme evil against one another in your hearts.’+ 11 But they kept refusing to pay attention,+ and they stubbornly turned their backs,+ and they stopped up their ears so as not to hear.+ 12 They made their heart like a diamond*+ and would not obey the law* and the words that Jehovah of armies sent by his spirit through the former prophets.+ So there came great indignation from Jehovah of armies.”+

13 “‘Just as they did not listen when I* called,+ so I would not listen when they called,’+ says Jehovah of armies. 14 ‘And I scattered them with a storm wind throughout all the nations that they had not known,+ and the land was left desolate behind them, with no one passing through or returning;+ for they turned the desirable land into an object of horror.’”

 

Bible illiteracy a crisis:Don't take my word for it.

The Church is Starving Itself: An Interview with Kenneth Berding

You say the church needs a revival of the Bible. What do you mean?

Dr. Berding: As with other times in history when love for God and his kingdom has waned, spiritually-minded people in our generation are longing for a renewal of the Holy Spirit. But I am convinced that any work of the Spirit not grounded in the Word of God is destined to be short-lived. My newest book Bible Revival: Recommitting Ourselves to One Book starts by comparing two revivals that took place in the country of Wales, the first in 1859 and the second in 1904. Both seem to have been genuine works of the Holy Spirit. But the impact of the first on the church and society was lasting, whereas the second was like a sparkler that spouted brilliant colors for a moment, sputtered, then grew suddenly dark. The difference between the two revivals was the Bible. In the first there was a strong emphasis on teaching the Bible and biblical doctrine; in the second such an emphasis was largely missing. If the Holy Spirit moved in revival in our generation I’m afraid that is might be short-lived in light of our current state of general disengagement with the Bible.

There are thousands of books about the Bible, yet you say yours is different since its aim is to help the reader “learn, live, and love the Bible.” How so?

Dr. Berding: Almost half of Bible Revival directly addresses the underlying spiritual problems that have contributed to our current generation’s disengagement with the Bible. The book doesn’t simply address how to interpret the Bible. Its probing of the underlying spiritual problems is what makes this book unique. Besides that, the book is short. People like short books.

How has technology’s distractions contributed to biblical illiteracy?

Dr. Berding: Technology is an enormous help for those who have the discipline to use it judiciously and keep its allurements at bay. The greatest problem with technology, though, is the amount of time we tend to devote to it—to social networking, television, video games, and internet surfing. Some of this time really needs to be given to reading God’s Word, memorizing it, meditating on it, and speaking about it to each other.

Yet, hasn’t technology made a positive contribution; for example, ubiquitous access to the Bible through such websites as Bible Gateway?

Dr. Berding: Absolutely! I am deeply grateful for the access people currently have to the Scriptures digitally, and I regularly recommend that my students access Bible Gateway. Furthermore, such technology has truly been a God-send to people in limited-access countries who want to learn God’s Word! Technology has also made it much easier to compare Bible translations, something that is extraordinarily helpful when doing a close study of a passage.

Still, I can’t help but reflect upon a comment made by a young man who was being challenged by a friend to start memorizing larger portions of Scripture. He cavalierly pulled out his smart phone, tapped it with his index finger, and retorted: “Why do I need to memorize the Bible? I’ve got it right here!” I wonder if that young man’s comment is in any way representative of a mindset shared by many who have been excessively devoted to technology.

How do you respond to people who say they’re too busy to read the Bible?

Dr. Berding: At the end of the first chapter of Bible Revival, I introduce people to Maxine Gowing, a woman who came to know the Lord at the age of 34. She was working two jobs and raising three children on her own. But her mentor emphasized from Day One the importance of the Bible for growth in her spiritual life. So Maxine carved out time to read, memorize, and talk to her children about the Bible. Maxine (now much further on in life) recently told me (though I had to squeeze the information out of her) that she memorized Philippians, Colossians, Hebrews, and 1 John during those years. If someone like Maxine could do this, I believe that any of us can make some time to read and learn the Bible. Will it entail for you cutting into a bit of sleep, or listening to a recording of the Bible while you drive to school or work, or reading the Bible aloud to your children before dinner? So be it. The Bible is basic to our Christian lives. All of us need to make it a priority.

You claim that many people have an underlying distrust of the Bible. Explain what you mean.

Dr. Berding: We live in a generation where lots of people distrust authoritative texts. Even though we are not always aware of it, many of us—self-professing Christians included—have breathed in this air of distrust. During doctoral studies I had to read a book titled Is There a Text in This Class? by Stanley Fish, a Duke University professor at that time. In his opinion, there are actually no meanings that you can discover from reading written words. Instead, social groups create their own subjective meanings when they read texts. Said differently, it isn’t possible to read a text and actually know what it means. You’re stuck with trying to make some sort of meaning out of it in whatever setting you find yourself. Have you ever heard the following comment? “Well, maybe the passage means that to you, but it doesn’t mean the same thing to me.” Anyone who makes such a comment is inhaling the same air as the professor I just mentioned. I have had various students over the years make a related comment: “There are so many different interpretations, how can we know which is correct?” They’re breathing in the same air.

The multitude of today’s Bible versions shows how nuanced and complex it is to translate Hebrew and Greek into English. How important is it to memorize Scripture perfectly and minutely word-for-word?

Dr. Berding: It’s important to memorize word-for-word, but not for the reason most people who emphasize it think. The goal in translation is that translators do everything possible to minimize the bits of lost meaning or added meaning that pop up whenever any text is translated from one language to another. That process is very nuanced. The goal in memorization is different. It’s that you remember what you’ve learned; and to do that you need to stick with one generally faithful translation. Yes, learn it word-for-word, otherwise you’re going to forget it. But if you discover that there is a problem somewhere in your otherwise-generally-faithful translation, my recommendation is that you switch out a word or phrase from another translation and memorize that expression in place of the problematic one. For example, right now I’m trying to memorize the book of Galatians, and the translation I’m using often employs the word bond-servant where slave would be a better translation. So I’ve penciled out bond-servant on my memorization paper and have replaced it with slave. Still, since most of us don’t have the background in biblical languages to make calls like this, my recommendation is that for the purpose of memorization—not for study, mind you—you stick with one translation and learn it word-for-word.

Why is it important to intentionally talk about the Bible with others?

Dr. Berding: First of all, the Bible itself instructs us to talk about the Bible. It’s one key theme of the book of Deuteronomy, which is concerned especially with parents speaking to their children (e.g., Deut. 4:9-10; 6:4-9; 11:18-20; 29:29; 31:12-13; 32:45-46). But beyond this, did you know that one of the quickest ways of remembering and retaining is by verbally relating to others what you have read? There is a good reason some of us become professors; we know that teaching others is one of the best ways to learn!

How can people achieve what you call Bible fluency?

Dr. Berding: The most important thing you can do to achieve “Bible fluency” is to set aside daily time to read (that is, larger sections), study (smaller sections, like paragraphs), and memorize God’s Word (click to learn the easiest way to memorize Bible passages). Furthermore, in September I’m releasing a project called simply Bible Fluency, which is a method for learning how to locate the most important events, characters, and themes in the Bible. Bible Fluency employs high quality recorded music, graphic art, teaching videos, a workbook, and class curriculum to help people learn their way around the Bible. All materials will be made available for free at biblefluency.com (once the password has been lifted) and some of the physical materials will be made available to purchase through Weaver Book Company. I’m super excited to be on the cusp of releasing this exceptionally useful resource in September. I anticipate that this is precisely the kind of resource people who visit Bible Gateway will be interested in using.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Dr. Berding: I’m “praying my heart out” that God will do a genuine work of renewal by the Holy Spirit in this generation. But I long for it to be a lasting work of God. In preparation for this we need to recommit ourselves to One Book—the Bible—and commit ourselves to learn it, value it, understand it, apply it, obey it, and speak it. Lord, may it be!