Posts tagged Educational

2.1 – Definition of Antichrist in Christianity

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Let’s begin our first chapter by learning what the term “Antichrist” means in Christianity. The following is from various sources (in blue).

 

According to christianity.about.com;

Although the Bible does not specifically name who the antichrist will be, it does give us some clues as to what he will be like.

Antichrist

The name “antichrist” is only found in 1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3, and 2 John 7. The Apostle John was the only Bible writer to use the name antichrist. Studying these verses, we learn that many antichrists (false teachers) will appear between the time of Christ’s first and second coming, but there will be one great antichrist who will rise to power during the end times, or “last hour,” as 1 John phrases it. He will deny that Jesus is the Christ. He will deny both God the Father and God the Son. He will be a liar and a deceiver.

1 John 4:1-3 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” (NKJV)

By the end times, many will easily be deceived and embrace the antichrist because his spirit will already dwell within the world.

Man of Sin

In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, the antichrist is described as the man of sin,” orson of perdition.” Here Paul, like John, is also warning believers about the antichrist’s ability to deceive:


“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (NKJV)


The NIV makes it clearer that a time of rebellion will come prior to Christ’s return and then the “man of lawlessness, the man doomed to destruction” will be revealed. The antichrist eventually will exalt himself above God to be worshiped in the Lord’s Temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Verses 9 and 10 say that the antichrist will do counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, to gain a following and deceive many.

The Beast

In Revelation 13:5-8, the antichrist is referred to as “the beast.”

According to bibledatabase.org;

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

“Antichrist:

against Christ, or an opposition Christ, a rival Christ. The word is used only by the apostle John. Referring to false teachers, he says (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7), “Even now are there many antichrists.” (1.) This name has been applied to the “little horn” of the “king of fierce countenance” (Dan. 7:24, 25; 8:23-25). (2.) It has been applied also to the “false Christs” spoken of by our Lord (Matt. 24:5, 23, 24). (3.) To the “man of sin” described by Paul (2 Thess. 2:3, 4, 8-10). (4.) And to the “beast from the sea” (Rev. 13:1; 17:1-18).


Other definitions of Antichrist on the Web:

  • (Christianity) the adversary of Christ (or Christianity) mentioned in the New Testament; the Antichrist will rule the world until overthrown by the Second Coming of Christ
    wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
  • The Antichrist according to Christianity, is one who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ while resembling him in a deceptive manner. The Antichrist is directly comparable to the figures of the Dajjal and Armilus in Islamic and Jewish eschatology, respectively.
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antichrist
  • One under the direct control of the Devil, who will lead the abomination in the end times
    en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Antichrist
  • One who works against the teachings of Christ
    en.wiktionary.org/wiki/antichrist
  • A false Christ who is supposed to rise to power during the Tribulation.
    www.abhota.info/endgloss.htm
  • Against Christ, or an opposition Christ, a rival Christ. The word is used only by the apostle John. Referring to false teachers, he says (Jo1 2:18, Jo1 2:22; Jo1 4:3; Jo2 1:7), “Even now are there many antichrists.” (1. …
    sacred-texts.com/bib/ebd/ebd025.htm
  • A figure who opposes God. The word is used to describe a spirit of rebellion against God, “…the spirit of the Antichrist…” (1 John 4:3) and of a specific future person identified as the man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:3). He actively opposes Christ (2 Thess. …
    www.spiritrestoration.org/Theological_Terms/A_Prior_%20to_Born_Again.htm

So it seems there are several references and contexts that could be used for the term – Antichrist. In context with the main topic, he is mainly referred to as; someone in “opposition” to, or “against Christ“, hence the name “AntiChrist”; even to the extent as a being described as one of the “false Christs” (meaning; ‘more than one‘).

Interestingly, the last section (4.) mentions of a “beast from the sea“. It’s interesting because in the Islamic Hadiths it also mentions of some respected companions of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) who had an encounter with a “beast” type of being (often referred to as “Dajjal“) on an island, after being washed about by big tides in the sea (see “What Does Islam Say About The Antichrist?). This verse is in direct relation to the Antichrist.

What else does the Gospel say about this “false teaching liar and deceptive little horn” who is supposed to be in direct ‘opposition against Christ‘?


… that’s in the next chapter: 2.2 — Physical & Characteristic Nature of the Antichrist

2 – What Does Christianity Say About The Antichrist?

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Chapter 2:

After doing some research on Christian scriptures relating to the Antichrist (a.k.a. “Dajjal”), I was surprised by the amount of information available. More so, I was surprised at the striking similarities shared between the Christian and Islamic viewpoints. The more I read into different religions/faiths, the more I see the same fundamental teachings and prophecies shared between the two. They are more akin to each other than any other major religions in my view. In saying this, I am going to provide some extracts from the Gospels (relating to the Antichrist) as my main source. Any other additions or comments are welcome.

But first, let me begin with an explanation on the Christian scriptures (Gospels) in which I will use as my source. According to Wikipedia:

A gospel (from Old English, gōd spell “good news”) is a writing that describes the life of Jesus. The word is primarily used to refer to the four canonical gospels: the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John, probably written between AD 65 and 110. They appear to have been originally untitled; they were quoted anonymously in the first half of the second century (i.e. 100–150) but the names by which they are currently known appear suddenly around the year 180.[1]

The term “Gospel” refers also to the message itself of the four Gospels or of the whole New Testament.

In addition to the four canonical gospels, early Christians wrote other gospels that were not accepted into the canon. Such non canonical gospels as:

  • Gospel of the Hebrews
  • Gospel of Thomas
  • Gospel of Peter
  • Gospel of Judas
  • The sayings gospel Q
  • Infancy gospels
  • Harmonies
  • Marcion’s gospel of Luke

There are prophecies in the Gospels known as Bible Prophecy; and this is another area I will highlight as it relates to the End Times and the discussion of the Antichrist. Just like my previous chapters on What Islam Says About Dajjal; here too, I will divide each chapter within sub-chapters indexed accordingly for ease:

Vedic Maths

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After I discovered OneEye, I realised that the block of numbers I used in the graph was already known by an Indian Mathematical system known as “Vedic Mathematics”. The block of repeating numbers is also known as the “Vedic Square”. This made me wonder about the actual system and whether anyone else may have stumbled upon this graph before me? Alas, to no avail! No-one knew of this graph after searching for a few years on-line and via libraries.

I eventually made contact with a very well known and respected teacher in the field of Vedic Maths (Mr. Kenneth Williams). To my delight, he responded in a very positive way and thought my find was “at the edge of something big”… but what? Well… only time will tell, because none of us know the answer to that yet! Nevertheless, I wanted to devote a section purely on Vedic Maths so I thought I would let these established sites explain to you all; the benefits Vedic Maths could have on your mental capacity, and how you can calculate massive numbers in a matter of seconds… AND MENTALLY TOO! Read on…

Introduction To Vedic Maths

Vedic Mathematics is the name given to the ancient system of Indian Mathematics which was rediscovered from the Vedas between 1911 and 1918 by Sri Bharati Krsna Tirthaji (1884-1960). According to his research all of mathematics is based on sixteen Sutras, or word-formulae. For example, ‘Vertically and Crosswise` is one of these Sutras. These formulae describe the way the mind naturally works and are therefore a great help in directing the student to the appropriate method of solution.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the Vedic system is its coherence. Instead of a hotch-potch of unrelated techniques the whole system is beautifully interrelated and unified: the general multiplication method, for example, is easily reversed to allow one-line divisions and the simple squaring method can be reversed to give one-line square roots. And these are all easily understood. This unifying quality is very satisfying, it makes mathematics easy and enjoyable and encourages innovation.

In the Vedic system ‘difficult’ problems or huge sums can often be solved immediately by the Vedic method. These striking and beautiful methods are just a part of a complete system of mathematics which is far more systematic than the modern ‘system’. Vedic Mathematics manifests the coherent and unified structure of mathematics and the methods are complementary, direct and easy.

The simplicity of Vedic Mathematics means that calculations can be carried out mentally (though the methods can also be written down). There are many advantages in using a flexible, mental system. Pupils can invent their own methods, they are not limited to the one ‘correct’ method. This leads to more creative, interested and intelligent pupils.

Interest in the Vedic system is growing in education where mathematics teachers are looking for something better and finding the Vedic system is the answer. Research is being carried out in many areas including the effects of learning Vedic Maths on children; developing new, powerful but easy applications of the Vedic Sutras in geometry, calculus, computing etc.

But the real beauty and effectiveness of Vedic Mathematics cannot be fully appreciated without actually practising the system. One can then see that it is perhaps the most refined and efficient mathematical system possible.

Reference: Courtesy of VedicMaths.org

What is High Speed Vedic Maths?

High Speed Vedic Mathematics is a super fast way of calculation whereby you can do supposedly complex calculations like 998 x 997 in less than five seconds flat. It is highly beneficial for school and college students and students who are appearing for their entrance examinations.

High Speed Vedic Mathematics is far more systematic, simplified and unified than the conventional system. It is a mental tool for calculation that encourages the development and use of intuition and innovation, while giving the student a lot of flexibility, fun and satisfaction . For your child, it means giving them a competitive edge, a way to optimize their performance and gives them an edge in mathematics and logic that will help them to shine in the classroom and beyond.

Therefore it’s direct and easy to implement in schools – a reason behind its enormous popularity among academicians and students. It complements the Mathematics curriculum conventionally taught in schools by acting as a powerful checking tool and goes to save precious time in examinations.

There are just 16 Jaw-Dropping Sutras or Word Formulae which solve all known mathematical problems in the branches of Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Calculus. They are easy to understand, easy to apply and easy to remember.

High Speed Vedic Mathematics was founded by Swami Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaja who was the Sankaracharya (Monk of the Highest Order) of Govardhan Matha in Puri. They are called “Vedic” as because the sutras are said to be contained in the Atharva Veda – a branch of mathematics and engineering in the Ancient Indian Scriptures.

Benefits of High Speed Vedic Mathematics.

High Speed Vedic Mathematics is more than 10-15 times or over 1500% times faster than the normal mathematics. How do we say this? You can test it yourself. We tested a normal student to calculate 998 x 997; he took the time of 85 seconds and did it correctly in the normal way. And then when we taught him the Vedic Method of Multiplication the same person could do it in about 5 seconds. Not only did this person suddenly become more confident , bubbling with energy and high self esteem . He wanted to solve more problems which showed a remarkable increase in his interest in the subject.

  • High Speed Vedic Mathematics is 10-15 times faster than normal Maths.
  • Better and Much Improved Academic Performance in school and Instant Results.
  • Sharpens your mind, increases mental agility and intelligence.
  • A Complete System comprising all the benefits of Mental Maths .
  • Develops Left & Right Sides of the brains by increasing visualization and concentration abilities.
  • Vedic Mathematics cultivates an interest for numbers and eliminates the math-phobia present in the students.
  • Vedic Maths is easy to understand, easy to apply and easy to remember.
  • Increases your speed and accuracy . Become a Mental Calculator yourself.
  • Improves memory and boosts self confidence.

Reference: Courtesy of VedicMathsIndia.org

Vedic Maths Tutorials

Here are some awesome tutorials to help you speed up your mind and mental calculation abilities. There are some easy to follow lessons with self-testing quizes to see your progress. Try it out and see just how much you can impress yourself, your friends, peers and teachers. These tutorials do not attempt to teach the systematic use of the sutras.

The tutorials are courtesy of VedicMaths.org.

My Article On VedicMaths.org’s Newsletter

I was delighted to be asked to write an article about my discovery of OneEye by Mr. Kenneth Williams from the VedicMaths.org website, and to be published in their newsletter (66th issue). Ken is a renowned author and teacher of Vedic Mathematics, with many years of knowledge and experience. He actively promotes knowledge about Vedic Mathematics and has developed a range of material for teaching/learning Vedic Mathematics, which are available through their web site.

Once again, my thanks goes out to Mr. Williams for all his help on the subject of Vedic Maths and for allowing me to be mentioned in their newsletter. I hope you all enjoy it and find it opens your mind to a different way of thinking, or a simpler way in the end?

Go here for more information on subscribing to VedicMaths.org’s Newsletter.

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