DOCTRINE OF MURDER
  1. Satan is called a murderer (Jn.8:44 "You are of your father the devil [via the indwelling of Adam's original sin, genetic engineering, spiritual death] and you want to do the desires of your father [negative volition follows the STA {sinful trend of Adam} grid: they will murder Jesus]. He was a murderer from the beginning [Satan is an accomplice to every murder, since he is the father of the ISTA; from the first murderer to the victims of international politics in the present hour, cp. Rev.18:24], and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him [Satan is behind every lie, every distortion, every conspiracy and every deception. The ISTA is his greatest tactical victory]. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature [i.e., his fallen nature; he as the god of this world {2Cor.4:4} is behind every lie in the person of the ISTA]; for he is a liar and the father of lies." The fact that he is symbolized as a great red dragon lurking in the sea of humanity emphasizes his murderous ways. Red, as in "blood", is his color.)
  2. The first murder victim was Abel, who was murdered by his brother, Cain (Gen.4:115; 1Jn.3:12).
    1. The murder was due to a conflict in belief (Heb.11:4).
    2. Religiously inspired murder is a regular feature of the Angelic Conflict (Jd.11; Mt.23:34-37; Rev.17:6, the murder of Jesus).
  3. Sinful anger constitutes mental attitude murder (Mt.5:21,22; Jam.4:1,2).
  4. Murder is one of the sins God particularly hates (Prov.6:16-19).
  5. Murder and the mental attitude sins that lead up to it are sponsored by the STA (Mk.7:21; Gal.5:1921; Jam.4:1,2; jealousy, anger, greed, power lust).
  6. Heathenism is characterized by this sin (Rom.1:28-32; cp. 3:15).
  7. A believer can commit murder and still be a believer (1Pet.4:15, King David). However, every murderer does not have eternal life in him (1Jn.3:15).
  8. Murder is prohibited by the sixth commandment of the Mosaic Law (Ex.20:13; Deut.5:17 "You shall not commit murder" is the Qal.imperf.2per.pl. of xc;r' , ratsach. Of the 43X this verb occurs, only once is it used of sanctified killing, Num.35:27; some 30X it is used in connection with the incident of manslaughter [accidental killing]. The general Hebrew word for" killing" is lJ;q' , Qatal, which is used both for legitimate and non-legitimate killing in the Old Testament).
  9. Capital punishment is the divinely ordained punishment for this crime (Deut.21:22,23; cf. 17:8-13). It was instituted before the Mosaic Law was instituted.
    1. Capital punishment is commanded to Noah's descendants and the nations they founded for the entire course of the postdiluvian civilization (Gen.9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man").
    2. Capital punishment was incorporated into the Mosaic Law (Ex.21:12 "He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death [Hophal imperf. w/Qal.infin.abs. of twOm , Moth: to die]").
    3. Was taught by Jesus Himself (Mt.26:50-54; Jn.13:10, 11; Lk.22:49, 50; cf. 22:36-38).
    4. Was taught by Paul as a valid practice (Rom.13:14), and by Peter (1Pet.2:13,14).
    5. Will be a legal reality in the Millennium (Rev.2:27; 12:5; 19:15).
    6. Paul taught the Royal Family that one of the lawful uses of the Law in the Church Age was that murder is a crime (2Tim.1:8-11 "Any who reject the items in this list as being criminal and subject to judicial prosecution are not affiliated with sound doctrine").
  10. Killing that does not constitute murder.
    1. Self-defense (Ex.22:2; Lk.22:36).
    2. Capital punishment (Gen.9:6).
    3. War (see Doctrine of; universal military training, Num.1).
      1. Covert aggression is the basis for declaring war (Num.31:1ff).
      2. Total victory (Deut.20:10-18).
      3. To use the Faith-Rest technique when entering battle (Deut.20:14).
      4. The Lord is known as "a man of war" (Ex.15:3), and as "the Lord of the armies" (1Sam.17:45).
      5. One of the books of the Jews was called "the book of the Wars of Yahweh" (Num.21:14).
      6. David praised God for giving him the skills to fight in combat (Psa.144:1).
      7. The Lord sent the army into battle (2Chr.13:12).
      8. He delivered the enemy into Israel's hands (Deut.20:13).
      9. The Lord will once again strap on His sword and defeat the nations in the Tribulation (Rev.19:15,16).
      10. He will unleash a new weapon upon the forces at Armageddon not approved by the Geneva Convention! (Zech.14:12-15).
Reviewed: July 2, 1995



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