Word Substitutions by Bible Translators Change the Word of God to Fit Man-made Doctrine

"The major religions of today, especially Christianity, will have to be changed because they are not compatible with the changes to come. In order to do this, the Bible will be changed. It will be rewritten to fit the new religion. Gradually, key words will be replaced with new words having various shades of meaning. Then the meaning attached to the new word can be close to the old word - and as time goes on, other shades of meaning of that word can be emphasized, and then gradually that word replaced with another word. The idea is that everything in Scripture need not be rewritten, just key words replaced by other words. The variability in meaning attached to any word can be used as a tool to change the entire meaning of Scripture, and therefore make it acceptable to this new religion. Most people won't know the difference; and this was another one of the times where he said, 'The few who do notice the difference won't be enough to matter'." [The New Order of Barbarians: Changing the Bible Through Revisions of Key Words, Dr. Lawrence Dunegan, commenting on a March 20, 1969, gathering of pediatricians at a meeting of the Pittsburgh Pediatric Society where Dr. Richard Day, an insider to the NWO plans, gave a lecture]

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book,
'If any man shall add unto these things,
God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life,
And out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book'."
(Revelation 22:18-19)

Bible Translator Criticized Over Word Substitution

The Associated Press
April 26, 2012

One of the largest Bible translators in the world is undergoing an independent review after critics claimed language in some of their translations intended for Muslim countries misses the essential Christian idea of Trinity: the father, son and the holy spirit or ghost.

Critics argue that using words like "Messiah" instead of "Son" and "Lord" instead of "Father" badly distorts the doctrine, in which God is said to be one being in three persons.

"If you remove 'son,' you have to remove 'father,' and if you remove those, the whole thread of the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation is unraveled," said the Rev. Georges Houssney, the president of Horizons International, a Christian organization that works extensively with Muslims and himself a translator of the Bible into Arabic.

Orlando, Fla.-based Wycliffe Bible Translators argues the translations have never been about avoiding controversy, but choosing words that most accurately reflect the Gospels: Some concepts relating God to family members don't make sense in some cultures, so the language needs to reflect that.

"People are saying we're trying to do translation work that's not offensive to Muslims, and that's just not true," Wycliffe CEO Bob Creson said. "We are committed to the accurate translation of God's word. That is our highest value."

Translating the collection of ancient documents assembled together as the Bible has never been easy. Disputes over biblical language date from the early centuries of Christianity when the original Hebrew and Greek texts were brought to new countries, to making the Shakespearean language of the King James Version more understandable to modern readers.

Last month, Wycliffe agreed to an independent review of its policies by the World Evangelical Alliance, which plans to appoint a panel of experts to determine whether Wycliffe and affiliated groups are improperly replacing the terms "Son of God" and "God the Father."

The decision comes after a growing number of critics decried the materials as attempts to avoid controversy that fundamentally altered Christian theology. The dispute moved from Internet forums and online petitions to concern from large Christian bodies. The Assemblies of God — one of the largest Pentecostal fellowships, with more than 60 million members in affiliated churches worldwide — announced it would review its longstanding relationship with Wycliffe.

Wycliffe, an interdenominational group that works with a wide variety of churches and missionaries, says it won't publish any disputed materials until after the WEA panel issues its findings.

Creson said that in some cases, what are known to scholars as the "divine familial terms" — God the Father and the Son of God — don't make sense in translation in some cultures. Islamic teaching, for example, rejects the notion that God could be involved in a relationship similar to a human family, and Creson argues that people in such cultures might be immediately put off by those terms.

"Translation is a very laborious process, because you have to understand the culture of the community, and you don't understand that overnight," he said.

Houssney, along with other critics on the Biblical Missiology website, helped launch a petition online calling on Wycliffe to drop the disputed translations.

The Most Rev. John Harrower, Anglican bishop of Tasmania, was an early signatory of the petition. He argues the inaccurate translations make missionary work more difficult in the very communities where they're used.

"Changing fundamental words of Scripture such as 'father' and 'son' will also fuel the Muslim claim that the Bible is corrupted, full of errors and has been abrogated by the Quran and example of Muhammad," he wrote in an email.

For critics like Houssney, the changes aren't simply a matter of word choice, but theological choice.

"God says, 'This is my Son,' and we can't put other words in his mouth," he said.

The issue is at least partly philosophical, something that's long been an issue when it comes to presenting the Bible in new languages.

Wycliffe, which is involved in more than 1,500 Bible translation programs in roughly 90 countries, generally prefers a method known as "dynamic equivalent translation," Creson said, in which a literal, word-for-word approach is less important than conveying the essential meaning of a text.

"If you've got a culture that doesn't have sheep, and you want to translate the word 'sheep,' you either explain sheep or you find an equivalent term," Creson said.

The other major approach is generally known as "formal equivalent translation," said Timothy Beal, a professor of religion at Case Western Reserve University. That approach that strives for as close to a literal match as possible.

The importance of translation springs from the early centuries of Christianity, when the books of the New Testament, originally written in Greek, were translated by believers in places where that language wasn't spoken, said Ray Van Neste, director of the R.C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies at Union University.

"In some of those languages, it's the first written literature," he said. "It's part of the missionary impulse of Christianity that this is the very word of God, and that all people need the opportunity to hear it and read it."

The rendering of the Bible into languages other than Latin was one of the major disputes of the Protestant Reformation; John Wycliffe, the 14th century scholar the Orlando organization is named for, was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church for producing an English version of Scripture.

At times, even particular translations can become so entrenched that believers reject the possibility of improvement, Beal said, noting that some American churches advertise themselves as "King James Only," referring to the Shakespeare-era English translation.

"Translation is probably the most contentious topic in the history of the Bible," he said.

Wycliffe is now waiting for the WEA panel to convene. Creson said there will be 14 members of the group, and he expects some to be sympathetic to Wycliffe's approach and others to be critical. Messages seeking comment from the WEA were not returned.

"We're submitting ourselves to a global consultation that will look at our translation practices and we'll abide by the recommendations," Creson said. "If they make a recommendation to do something we've not done in the past, we'll go back and look at what we're doing."

It definitely won't end the larger discussion in Christianity about the best way to bring the word of God to believers.

"Translation is theology," Beal said. "You cannot translate without doing theology. Any time we translate a text, we're really creating something new."

Ephesians 6:12, Parallel Translations

I only read the King James Bible. Other versions, including the New King James Version, have changed thousands of words and ruined valuable verses. And this you must know: those who translated the NKJV did not believe that God perfectly preserved His Word! The Bible today basically has been rewritten by many of the major religious bodies (be wary of the devil's deceptive influence and infiltration of the Church, especially in altering God's Word).

King James Version (1611) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

American King James Version

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Douay-Rheims Bible

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.

Webster's Bible Translation

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)

Because your fight has not been with flesh and blood, but with Principalities and The Rulers and The Powers of this dark world and with wicked spirits which are under Heaven.

New King James Version

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.


King James 2000 Bible (©2003)

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

New International Version (©1984)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

New Living Translation (©2007)

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

English Standard Version (©2001)

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

International Standard Version (©2008)

For our struggle is not against human opponents, but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers in the darkness around us, and evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)

This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.

American Standard Version

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places .

Darby Bible Translation

because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against principalities, against authorities, against the universal lords of this darkness, against spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies.

English Revised Version

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Weymouth New Testament

For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood, but with the despotisms, the empires, the forces that control and govern this dark world--the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare.

World English Bible

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Young's Literal Translation

because we have not the wrestling with blood and flesh, but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, with the spiritual things of the evil in the heavenly places.This is not the case, according to scripture (King James Version).

The translations [above] changing "high places" to "heavenly places" distort God's Word in order to support the dispensational theory (the belief in two distinct peoples of God, ethnic Israel and the Church).

Satan is no longer in heaven battling the saints for the souls of the old dispensation. Revelation chapter 12 (an interlude which summarizes events leading up to the last day) describes the battle in heaven between Michael and Satan for the saints of the old dispensation, which occurred at the same time the "women clothed with the sun, being with child, brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron."

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.'

Satan was cast out of heaven when Christ defeated him on the cross. The gospel is being spread throughout the nations while Satan, upon his defeat, is bound and locked in the bottomless pit, where he is partially restrained (his spirit is always in the world, causing evil) until the sounding of the fifth trumpet, when he will be released for a little season (five months).

Let no man beguile you, for the devil is in the world already: he works in the world; he has made many bold attempts already to reach his culmination; and his final manifestation will be the consummation of a long process of development.

Near the end of this dispensation, the devil, Satan (and his special forces of fallen angels), shall be loosed out of the bottomless pit to rule over his earthly kingdom for 'a little season,' so that he will stand in the holy place, showing himself that he is God, and he will deceive many with his signs and wonders. This is the other king which is 'not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space' (Revelation 17:10).

In his final consummation, the devil, to whom the kingdoms of the world belong, will bring order out of chaos [caused by the destruction of 1/3 of the earth, including the death of 1/3 part of men, during the sounding of the trumpets]. He will succeed in combining all his kingdoms under one head and inspiring them all with the same principle. This anti-Christian kingdom ruled by Satan will consist of a wicked and universal world power with a central government doing wonderful things, but rising against the Most High and against Christ and His people.

When Christ returns in the clouds of heaven at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the final judgment and final battle (Armageddon) will be on that day, the Lord's Day: the earth will be utterly consumed by fire and God will create a new heaven and earth from which He will reign with His resurrected people for ever and ever (the resurrection of the dead is on the last day — the just to eternal life, the unjust to eternal damnation). For it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

The 1000 years (the fullness of time) spoken of in Revelation chapter 20 refers to this current dispensation until the return of Christ.

Scripture knows of only one Second Coming of the Lord, which marks the end of the world. The end is by way of universal catastrophe and the inauguration of the world to come. In the new heaven and earth, the eternal kingdom of God (the New Jerusalem) will come down from God out of heaven, and we shall be forever with the Lord.

INTERLUDE: CHRIST, THE LAMB, VERSUS SATAN, THE DRAGON (Revelation Chapters 12 and13)

Satan, the 'prince of this world,' is the 'king of the bottomless pit,' which is his current abode. We know this to be true based on the following Bible verses:

• "And the angel said unto her, 'Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end'." (Luke 1:30-33)


• Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." (John 18:36)


• "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" (Isaiah 14:12)


• Jesus said, "I saw Satan falling like a lightning from heaven." (Luke 10:18)


• Jesus said: "'Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.' This He said, signifying what death He should die." (John 12:31-22)


• Jesus said, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." (John 14:30)


• Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)


• Jesus said, "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." (John 16:11)


• Peter said, "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." (2 Peter 2:4)


• John said [when describing the vision of the birth of Christ while Michael is battling Satan over the saints in heaven], "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:9)


• Later John said, "And I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in His hand; and He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season." (Revelation 20:1-3)


• Immediately after the vision described above [when Christ, who has the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:18), binds Satan for 'a thousand years'] John sees a vision of the resurrected saints in heaven, who "lived and reigned with Christ 'a thousand years'." (Revelation 20:4)


• "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." (Revelation 17:8)


• "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth... And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." (Revelation 11:3,7)


• Jesus said: "Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" [Satan]. (1 Corinthians 15:24-26)

See Outline of the Book of Revelation

The Meaning of Numbers in the Book of Revelation

By Herman Hoeksema (1886 - 1965)
"Behold He Cometh: the Binding of Satan with a View to Gog and Magog"
©1969 Reformed Free Publishing Association

The period of Satan’s restraint is designated as "a thousand years." Again, it would be very arbitrary to interpret this in its literal sense. In the first place, all Scripture attaches a symbolical significance to numbers as it also does to colors and dimensions. Numbers such as one, three, four, six, seven, ten and twelve, and their combinations and products, represent certain realities of the kingdom of God.

The earthly relations are also, in their numbers, pictures of heavenly and spiritual realities of God’s covenant. For example, the truth of this is evident as soon as we call to mind that in our weekly period of time there is a combination of six plus one, labor and rest, time and the eternal Sabbath, the completion of the kingdom of God. Or that seven in Scripture (and especially in the book of Revelation) evidently occurs as the combination of three and four, the Triune God and the world, the perfection of God’s covenant.

Furthermore, the number twelve occurs as the product of three and four, which is evidently the number of the elect. In Scripture, we read of the 12 tribes, 12 apostles, 12 times 12,000 servants of God who are sealed, and 12 plus 12 elders around the throne of God and of the Lamb. These numbers abound in Scripture and, more emphatically, abound in their symbolical significance in the book of Revelation.

The whole book of Revelation is based on the scheme of the number seven. There are seven seals to the book, which is opened by the Lamb. The seventh seal itself dissolves into seven trumpets, and the seventh trumpet reveals itself as the seven vials. There are seven golden candlesticks just as the seven churches of Asia represent the complete picture of the Church in the world.

This is equally true of the number ten and its products, especially in the thousands. The days of tribulation for the church of Smyrna are ten. The number of the servants of God who are sealed is 10 times 10 times 10, multiplied by 144 (which is the product of 12 times 12). The number of those who appear on Mt. Zion with the Lamb, who have His Father’s name written on their foreheads, is 1000 times 144 (cf. Revelation chapter 14). The anti-Christian beast appears with 10 horns. The length and breadth and height of the New Jerusalem are 12 times 1000 furlongs.

The number ten itself suggests completeness, a fulness of measure. It is a round number. All the instances in Scripture where this number occurs denote the same idea. There are 10 plagues upon Egypt, indicating the fulness of the wrath of God upon Pharaoh and his people. There are 10 commandments, expressing the fulness of God’s ethical will for men. There are 144,000 people of God according to the election of grace; i.e., 10 times 10 times 10 times 144. There are 10 virgins, 10 talents, and 10 days of tribulation for the church of Smyrna. In all these instances, the number ten evidently expresses the idea of fulness or completeness.

The number ten represents the idea of completeness as determined by the will and counsel of God. The "thousand years" in Scripture is the number ten to the third power. It does not speak of days or even of hours, but of years; therefore, it suggests the idea of a long period.

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night... Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. ― Revelation 12:3-10,12

God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. ― 2 Peter 2:4

And He said unto them, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” - Luke 10:18

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. ― Revelation 20:1-3

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ― Revelation 20:4

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. ― Revelation 20:5

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. ― Revelation 20:6

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. ― Revelation 20:7-8

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth... And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. ― Revelation 11:3,7

For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. ― Psalms 90:4

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ― 2 Peter 3:8

See The Final Battle (Armageddon) and the Final Judgment