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letters completely void. That Code proponents anyone familiar with the history of the trans-
can find "hidden messages embedded" in the mission of the Hebrew text. And one does not
Hebrew text is not disputed. But the only pos- need to dig too deeply to find the relevant in-
sible conclusions are that they exist either due formation. Sadly, a number of non-believing
to pure chance or possibly the Masoretes de- critics of Christianity have taken the small
liberately rearranged the letter sequences of the amount of time necessary to research this very
Hebrew text to produce the Code. This latter same data and have posted papers on the Inter-
possibility is extremely doubtful, as there is no net ridiculing the Code, which are readily
evidence from any of the Jewish writings of the available and free. To these critics such
period to indicate such as effort was under- "Christian" fads only substantiate their view
taken and it would go against everything for that believers are gullible fools easily taken in
which the Masoretes stood. by fantasies and myths.

The problem with Christian "fads" like the Rather than pursuing serious study and unbi-
Code is that they only serve to further discredit ased inquiry of Scripture we have many Chris-
the cause of Christ and Scripture in the eyes of tians using their computers today to find the
a lost world. Many believers hop on such "deeper, hidden messages" buried behind the
bandwagons because they seem to offer spec- plain text of Scripture. As Allon Maxwell has
tacular evidence for the divine authorship of so aptly put it, many believers are using their
the Bible. The sensational always makes for an computers "for a form of divination" (Allon
effective sales tool. Yet the Code should warn Maxwell, Bible Digest, p. 92, February 1999).
us of the danger of accepting every new fad The human desire to find easy answers and
and idea uncritically. Perhaps this Christian short cuts is as understandable as the appeal of
tendency stems from the subtle evangelical atti- the sensational, but when it comes to the study
tude that views Scripture, spiritual catch- of Scripture there is no substitute for serious
phrases, sacraments and church traditions individual research. Unfortunately, the desire
almost as if they were magical talismans rather to "search Scriptures daily to see if these things
than tools to help lead us to truth. That the be so" scarcely exists in the Body of Christ, at
Code was not original to the OT text is clear to least in North America.

Q & A: used as a title for YEHOVAH. It designates human su-
periors of all types (father, king, owner, etc.) and
sometimes angels -- but never YEHOVAH. So Psalm
If it is true that the Messiah is not God, but the 110:1 is a most precious testimony to the truth that
son of God, why is it that the Messiah is given the the Messiah is not YEHOVAH Himself but the son of
divine title for God, Adonai, in Psalm 110:1? I YEHOVAH, David's son and David's superior, lord.
read that this is so in the NASV marginal note to The RV, RSV, NRSV and the 1973 version of the
Acts 2:36. NASV read correctly, "the Lord said to my lord...," us-
ing the lower case "l." The Knox translation reads "the
I am sorry to have to point out that there is a serious Lord said to my Master." One modern paraphrase ver-
factual mistake in what you read in that source. You sion helpfully writes in Matthew 22:43-45 (note the
may have to ask someone who knows Hebrew, but the small "l's"): "He said to them, 'How is it that David in
word for the Messiah in Psalm 110:1 is not in fact the spirit calls him lord, in the words, "The Lord said
Adonai (the Lord God in all of its 449 occurrences) to my lord, 'Sit at my right hand till I put your ene-
but the different word adoni which always means a su- mies under your feet'"? If then David calls him lord,
perior who is not YEHOVAH. Strong's Concordance how is he to be his son?'" (The Bible in Living Eng-
unfortunately does not let you see the important dif- lish, Steven F. Byington).
ference between Adonai and adoni. Adoni is never

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