Friday, February 6, 2015

Oculus Rift- What the heck is this?

Oculus Rift

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Orlovsky and Oculus Rift.jpg
Sergey Orlovskiy using the first version of the Oculus Rift development kit (with separate headphones)
TypeHead-mounted display
Release date2015 (target)[1]
Inventor(s)Palmer Luckey (founder)[2]
ManufacturerOculus VR
Display TechnologyDevelopment Kit 1: LCD
Development Kit 2: OLED
Consumer Version: OLED
ResolutionDevelopment Kit 1: 1280×800 (640×800 per eye)[3]
Development Kit 2: 1920×1080 (960×1080 per eye)[4]
Consumer Version: At least 1920×1080[5][6]
FOV (Nominal)Development Kit 1: 110°[3]
Development Kit 2: 100°
Consumer Version: TBA
Head TrackingDevelopment Kit 1: 3DOF (3-axis rotational tracking)
Development Kit 2: 6DOF (3-axis rotational tracking + 3-axis positional tracking)
Consumer Version: 6DOF (3-axis rotational tracking + 3-axis positional tracking)
PlatformsMicrosoft Windows
OS X[3]
Linux
ConnectionDVI/HDMI and USB[3]
WebsiteOfficial website
The Rift is an upcoming virtual reality head-mounted display, being developed by Oculus VR. During its period as an independent company, Oculus VR raised US$2.4 million for the development of the Rift.[3]
The consumer version of the product is expected to become available sometime in 2015.[1] Oculus released two 'development kits', DK1 in late 2012 and DK2 in mid 2014, to give developers a chance to develop content in time for the Rift's release; these have also been purchased by many virtual reality enthusiasts for general usage. Oculus has stated that there will not be a DK3 but will instead release the consumer version next.[7]


History[edit]

Through Meant to be Seen (MTBS)'s 3D discussion forums,[8] Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus, developed the idea of creating a new head-mounted display that was both more effective than what was then on the market, and inexpensive for gamers.
Coincidentally, John Carmack had been doing his own research and happened upon Luckey's developments. After sampling an early unit, Carmack favored Luckey's prototype and just before the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Id Software announced that their future updated version of Doom 3, which would be known as BFG Edition, would be compatible with head-mounted display units.[9] During the convention, Carmack introduced a duct taped head-mounted display based on Luckey's Oculus Rift prototype, which ran Carmack's own software. The unit featured a high speed IMU and a 5.6-inch (14 cm) LCD display, visible via dual lenses that were positioned over the eyes to provide a 90 degrees horizontal and 110 degrees vertical stereoscopic 3D perspective.[10][11]
On March 25, 2014, Facebook announced that it had agreed to buy Oculus VR for $400 million in cash, $1.6 billion in Facebook stock, and an additional $300 million subject to Oculus VR meeting certain financial targets in a transaction expected to close in the second quarter of 2014.[12][13][14]

Developer versions[edit]

The Oculus developer kit was an initial version financed by a Kickstarter campaign, which sought to get the initial Oculus Rift into the hands of developers to begin integration of the device into their games.[15] Since then, four different iterations of the hardware have been revealed to the public.

Developer kit[edit]

  • First version of the Oculus Rift development kit
  • Front view
  • Back view
  • Control box
In August 2012, Oculus announced that the "dev kit" version of the Oculus Rift would be given as a reward to backers who pledged $300 or more on Kickstarter.[16] There was also a limited run of 100 unassembled Rift prototype kits for pledges over $275 that would ship a month earlier.[3]
Developer kit preorders were made available for $300 on their website starting on September 26, 2012. These kits sold at a rate of 4–5 per minute for the first day, before slowing down throughout the week.[17] As of March 12, 2014, the Rift DK1 kit was no longer available to order from Oculus.[18]
While the first prototypes of the device used a 5.6-inch (14 cm) screen, the Rift developer kit uses a different 7-inch (18 cm) screen. The panel's pixel switching time is also significantly lower, reducing latency and motion blur when turning one's head quickly. The pixel fill is also better, reducing the screen door effect and making individual pixels less noticeable. The LCD is brighter and the color depth is 24 bits per pixel.
The 7-inch screen also makes the stereoscopic 3D no longer 100% overlapping, the left eye seeing extra area to the left and the right eye seeing extra area to the right. The field of view (FOV) is more than 90 degrees horizontal (110 degrees diagonal), which is more than double the FOV of most competing devices, and is the primary strength of the device. The resolution is 1280×800 (16:10 aspect ratio), which leads to an effective of 640×800 per eye (4:5 aspect ratio). However, since the Rift does not feature a 100% overlap between the eyes, the combined horizontal resolution is effectively greater than 640. The image for each eye is shown in the panel as a barrel distorted image that is then corrected by pincushion effect created by lenses in the headset, generating a spherical-mapped image for each eye.
Initial prototypes used a Hillcrest Labs 3DoF head tracker that is normally 125 Hz, with a special firmware that John Carmack requested which makes it run at 250 Hz, tracker latency being vital due to the dependency of virtual reality's realism on response time. The latest version includes Oculus' new 1000 Hz Adjacent Reality Tracker that will allow for much lower latency tracking than almost any other tracker. It uses a combination of 3-axis gyros, accelerometers, and magnetometers, which make it capable of absolute (relative to Earth) head orientation tracking without drift.[19][20]
The weight of the headset is approximately 379 g (13.4 oz),[21] which is an increase of about 90 g (3.2 oz) in weight due to the increased screen size, and it does not include headphones.
A dial on each side of the headset allows adjusting each display to be moved closer or further away from the eyes. The development kit also includes interchangeable lenses that will allow for simple dioptric correction.
In June 2013, a 1080p version of the Rift was shown at Electronic Entertainment Expo.[22]
The entire source for the Rift DK1 was released to the public in September 2014, including the firmware, schematics, and mechanicals for the device. The firmware is released under a simplified BSD license, while the schematics and mechanicals are released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.[23]

Crystal Cove[edit]

In January 2014, an updated prototype codenamed "Crystal Cove" was unveiled at Consumer Electronics Show, which uses a special low-persistence of vision OLED display, and includes a new motion tracking system that uses an external camera which tracks infrared dots located on the headset. The new motion tracking system would allow the system to detect actions such as leaning or crouching, which should help alleviate sickness experienced by users when the software did not respond to these actions.[24]

Developer kit 2[edit]

In March 2014 at GDC, Oculus announced the upcoming Devkit 2 (DK2) which they expected to begin shipping in July 2014.[25] It features several improvements over the first development kit, such as having a higher-resolution (960×1080 per eye) low-persistence pentile AMOLED display, higher refresh rate, head positional tracking, a detachable cable, and the omission of the need for the external control box.[26]
A teardown of DK2 revealed that it incorporates exactly the same screen as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone, including the front panel from the device itself.[27]

Crescent Bay[edit]

In September 2014, during the Oculus Connect conference in Los Angeles, Oculus once again presented an updated version of the Rift, codenamed Crescent Bay. This version has a greater resolution than the DK2, a lower weight, built-in audio, and 360-degree tracking thanks to the presence of tracking LEDs in the back of the headset.[28] Oculus has also licensed software library RealSpace3D, which is expected to provide the Rift with HRTF and reverb algorithms.[28]

Consumer version[edit]

A consumer-oriented version of the Rift is in development, which will be aimed at a general market and feature improved components. Improved head tracking, positional tracking, higher resolution,[29] and wireless operation are some of the features under consideration for the consumer Rift.[30] The consumer version of the Rift will have integrated audio. The headphones will use HRTF audio so that sounds can be better located in a three-dimensional space.[31]
On April 30, 2014, Business Insider titled an article to assert that the consumer version of the Rift will be released in 2015, based on a partial quote attributed to "Management at Oculus VR." The quote in question indicates that the company would be "disappointed" if the headset is not released commercially before 2016.[32] This article has been referenced by multiple other sources as official confirmation of a 2015 release date,[33][34][35][36] but representatives of Oculus assert that no release date has yet been announced.[37][38] In February 2015, Palmer Luckey stated that, despite rumors, the consumer version does not have a May 2015 release date.[39]

Adoption[edit]

See also: List of games with Oculus Rift support
Paramount for the immersion into virtual reality are a high frame rate (at least 95 fps) as well as a low latency. Furthermore a pixel persistence lower than 3 ms is required to avoid nausea when moving the head around.
Oculus has produced a software development kit (SDK) to assist developers with integrating the Oculus Rift with their games. The SDK includes code, samples and documentation. Since its introduction, many developers have been working on integration.[40]
Team Fortress 2 was the first game to add support for the Oculus Rift, and is currently available to play with the Oculus Rift dev kit by use of a command line option. The second title to support the Oculus Rift was the Oculus-only version of Museum of the Microstar which was released in April 2013. Half-Life 2 was the third, and Hawken is the fourth game to support the Rift; it was prominently featured in the Kickstarter, and Oculus used it to demo the Rift at the GDC.
Several titles are playable on the Rift via the free and open source Vireio Perception VR drivers.[41] Games currently with full or partial support include Left 4 Dead, Hawken, Skyrim, Portal 2, Half-Life 2, BioShock,[42] Star Citizen, and Elite: Dangerous.[43]
Many existing games do not translate well to VR due to using features such as HUD, cutscenes, menus, third person sections, fast movement speeds, not being able to see one's own body, etc.

Related projects[edit]

While working as a designer at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies, Palmer Luckey worked on the FOV2GO project: an inexpensive kit consisting of a simple housing and optics to allow someone to put together a cheap HMD using a mobile phone as the display device.[44][45][46] The FOV2GO project is now available as a template allowing anyone to build the unit themselves.[47]
A team from the University of Southern California is working on creating a fully immersive virtual reality experience called "Project Holodeck", which utilises Razer Hydra motion controllers, PS Move positional tracking, and the Oculus Rift HMDs to give the user the impression of being inside of a complete virtual world.[48][49]
At the 2014 Game Developers Conference, Sony announced Project Morpheus, and had prototype units on hand for demonstration.[50]
FlyPrague rotation platform with 4 passengers aboard wearing Rifts.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Gordon, Rob. "Oculus Rift Will Be Cheaper Thanks To Facebook; Aiming For 2015 Release". Game Rant. Retrieved September 30, 2014. 
  2. Jump up ^ "Oculus Rift virtual reality headset gets Kickstarter cash". BBC. August 1, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012. 
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Oculus Rift: Step Into the Game". Retrieved August 1, 2012. 
  4. Jump up ^ "The All New Oculus Rift Development kit 2 (DK2) Virtual Reality Headset". Oculus VR. Retrieved September 30, 2014. 
  5. Jump up ^ Chan, Norman (September 24, 2014). "My 10 Virtual Reality Takeaways from Oculus Connect". Tested. Retrieved September 30, 2014. 
  6. Jump up ^ Hollister, Sean (March 19, 2014). "World-builders, rejoice: the final Oculus Rift VR dev kit is here". The Verge. Retrieved September 30, 2014. 
  7. Jump up ^ "Oculus VR Palmer Luckey Talks Crescent Bay". Youtube. GamerHub TV. 
  8. Jump up ^ "Meant to be Seen – View topic – Oculus "Rift" : An open-source HMD for Kickstarter". Mtbs3d.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09. 
  9. Jump up ^ "Carmack Makes Virtual Reality Actually Cool". 
  10. Jump up ^ Welsh, Oli (June 7, 2012). "John Carmack and the Virtual Reality Dream". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 1, 2012. 
  11. Jump up ^ Rosenberg, Adam (June 14, 2012). "Hands-On With Oculus Rift, John Carmack's Virtual Reality Goggles". G4TV. Retrieved August 1, 2012. 
  12. Jump up ^ Welch, Chris (March 25, 2014). "Facebook buying Oculus VR for $2 billion". The Verge. Retrieved March 26, 2014. 
  13. Jump up ^ "Facebook to Acquire Oculus" (Press release). Facebook newsroom. March 25, 2014. 
  14. Jump up ^ Kovach, Steve (March 25, 2014). "Facebook Buys Oculus VR For $2 Billion". Business Insider. Retrieved May 12, 2014. 
  15. Jump up ^ "Watch the QuakeCon Virtual Reality Keynotes Here " Road to Virtual RealityRoad to Virtual Reality". Roadtovr.com. August 5, 2012. Retrieved 2013-09-09. 
  16. Jump up ^ "Update on Developer Kit Technology, Shipping Details". Oculus VR. November 28, 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-20. 
  17. Jump up ^ "Oculus Rift pre-order open now". Mtbs3d.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09. 
  18. Jump up ^ "Devkit 1 Sold out". OculusVr. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 
  19. Jump up ^ "Oculus Rift: Step Into the Game by Oculus » Online Pre-Orders Live! – Kickstarter". Kickstarter.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09. 
  20. Jump up ^ "Former Apple Talent Developing Oculus Rift Headtracker, "9 DOF" and 760Hz Gyro Sampling". Roadtovr.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09. 
  21. Jump up ^ "Inside Oculus: a tour of virtual reality's would-be savior". Theverge.com. March 19, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-09. 
  22. Jump up ^ "E3 2013: New 1080p Oculus Rift with Unreal Engine 4". IGN. Retrieved 2013-11-01. 
  23. Jump up ^ "OculusVR/RiftDK1". github.com. Retrieved 29 September 2014. 
  24. Jump up ^ "Oculus reveals Crystal Cove prototype virtual reality headset with intriguing OLED display". The Verge. Retrieved January 7, 2014. 
  25. Jump up ^ "Announcing the Oculus Rift Development Kit 2 (DK2)". Oculus VR. March 19, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-06. 
  26. Jump up ^ Lang, Ben (March 19, 2014). "GDC 2014: Oculus Rift Developer Kit 2 (DK2) Release Date and Pre-order". roadtovr.com. Retrieved 2014-03-25. 
  27. Jump up ^ "New Oculus Rift dev kit uses front of a Galaxy Note 3 as its screen". The Verge. Retrieved 31 July 2014. 
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b "Oculus Unveils New Crescent Bay Rift Model With Integrated Audio, 360 Tracking". 2014-09-20. 
  29. Jump up ^ "The Oculus Rift Now Does 1080p". Kotaku. Retrieved June 14, 2013. 
  30. Jump up ^ "Oculus Rift 2.0, a 1080p+ High FoV HMD by 2013 Under $1000? " Road to Virtual RealityRoad to Virtual Reality". Roadtovr.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09. 
  31. Jump up ^ Robertson, Adi. "A Rift controller is coming soon, and other things Oculus told us at CES". The Verge. 
  32. Jump up ^ "Oculus Rift Will Finally Go on Sale To Consumers Next Year". Business Insider. April 30, 2014. 
  33. Jump up ^ "Oculus Rift launch date officially confirmed for 2015". Beta News. May 2, 2014. 
  34. Jump up ^ "Oculus Rift Won't Arrive Until 2015". Tom's Hardware. May 1, 2014. 
  35. Jump up ^ "Officials Announce Oculus Rift Should Hit Stores in 2015". Crowdfund Insider. May 1, 2014. 
  36. Jump up ^ "Commercial version of the Oculus Rift set to hit the market in 2015". Kit Guru. May 2, 2014. 
  37. Jump up ^ "Update From Oculus- News Bits: Oculus Confirms Consumer Rift for 2015?". Road to VR. 
  38. Jump up ^ "I E-mailed Oculus immediately after seeing the business insider article about CV1 release, here's their response". Reddit /r/Oculus. May 2, 2014. 
  39. Jump up ^ Feltham, Jamie. "Luckey Debunks Oculus Rift May Launch And Other Rumors". VR Focus. 
  40. Jump up ^ Dutta, Soni. "Why Oculus Rift is the Future in Gaming". Gizmoworld. Retrieved December 18, 2013. 
  41. Jump up ^ "Introducing Vireio Perception (3D Driver for Oculus Rift)". Mtbs3d.com. Retrieved 2013-11-01. 
  42. Jump up ^ "MTBS GameGrade VR". Mtbs3d.com. Retrieved 2014-01-14. 
  43. Jump up ^ Kickstarter, Elite: Dangerous will support Oculus Rift, October 10, 2013
  44. Jump up ^ Nelson, David (June 12, 2012). "MxR Lab Members and Alum Get Play at E3". University of Southern California. Retrieved August 2, 2012. 
  45. Jump up ^ "MxR". University of Southern California. Retrieved August 2, 2012. 
  46. Jump up ^ "People". University of Southern California. Retrieved August 2, 2012. 
  47. Jump up ^ "FOV2GO Viewer". University of Southern California. Retrieved March 12, 2014. 
  48. Jump up ^ "Project Holodeck " Project Holodeck". Projectholodeck.com. May 17, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-09. 
  49. Jump up ^ "Project Holodeck Seeks to Build a Platform for Virtual Reality GamesRoad to Virtual Reality". Roadtovr.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09. 
  50. Jump up ^ Wingfield, Nick (March 19, 2014). "Sony Unveils Virtual Reality Headset". New York Times blogs. The New York Times. Retrieved March 26, 2014. 

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oculus Rift.
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02-06-15 Hummingbird027's Updates on End-Time and Prophetic News



Published on Feb 6, 2015
See all citations inside video or at hummingbird027.com

http://hummingbird027.com/2014/09/05/...
New video: Psalms 83 - The Destruction of Edom and Tyre - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJgqk...
Has Individualism Become A Threat To The Church? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TMU9...
The Confusion of Egypt - Isaiah 19 and the Dams - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZy4t...
360 Day Year and the Binary Star Twin Coming - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iH7kU...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDW2rS... - Man-Child, Satan's Final Fall, and the inbound Binary Star System part 1 of 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMfYOx... - Zephaniah -- Last call to repent and be hidden before the Day of the Lord
Gog-Magog and the Invasion of Israel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgZ37O...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCvFos... -- Isaiah 17 & Psalms 83 Countdown
http://philologos.org/__eb-trb/defaul... - The Remnant Bride
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QlqGU... - Truth behind the Black Stone, Muhammad & Kaaba -- First Built by Asa'd Abu Karb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu-4bJ... - Strait is the Gate and Narrow is the Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH705x... - Sanctification is a Process
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPXrGh... - The Three Raptures or Harvests of Souls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwQkwA... - The Bema Judgment Seat of Christ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56gck6... - Difference between the Laodicean and Philadelphian Church pt1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8zTHE... - Baptism of fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTdxFw... -- Mark of the Beast, Anti-Soul Vaccinations, and Your Salvation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-dZtj... -- Annunaki, Satan's Seedline, and the Alien Deception
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixsva4... -- For Those Whom are Left Behind pt1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8cCpi... -- The Blood of Christ, 24 Chromosomes, and Jachin and Boaz pt1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6kaUt... -- The Reason's I Believe in the Rapture pt1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIh-FN... - The Manchild pt 1
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"San Francisco Treat" Earthquakes And Rain?



Published on Feb 6, 2015
San Francisco has not had rain in 44 days and just got hit with 7 earthquakes, Whaaaaaaaat? http://www.paulbegleyprophecy.com also http://h.churchapp.mobi/paulbegleypro... also http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015... also http://time.com/3698612/california-he...
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Jordan Vows To "Eradicate" ISIS From The Middle East



Published on Feb 6, 2015
King Abdullah II vows to eradicate Islamic State of Iraq and Syria from the Middle East http://www.paulbegleyprophecy.com also http://www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-v... also http://h.churchapp.mobi/paulbegleypro...
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"Kerry Calls Out Russia"



Published on Feb 6, 2015
US Sec. of State John F. Kerry calls out Russia in a press conference in Kiev, Ukraine about Russia's aggression http://www.paulbegleyprophecy.com also http://h.churchapp.mobi/paulbegleypro... also http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-...
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Ouija Board "Predicts Mother Daughter Death"



Published on Feb 6, 2015
In the United Kingdom a mother and daughter using an "Ouija Board" summon up "Evil Demon Spirits" that predict their death was coming and within hours…. http://www.paulbegleyprophecy.com also http://h.churchapp.mobi/paulbegleypro... also http://www.opposingviews.com/i/societ...
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"Time Is Running Out" / "Bring Him Up"



Published on Feb 6, 2015
Pastor Paul Begley of Indiana preaching in New York City at Harvest Army Church International on Jan 19, 2015 http://www.paulbegleyprophecy.com also http://h.churchapp.mobi/paulbegleypro...
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"Miracle On Ice" Power Of Prayer



Published on Feb 6, 2015
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"Words Of Truth"



Published on Feb 6, 2015
Pastor Paul Begley reads Matthew Chapter 5 and the powerful Words of Truth http://www.paulbegleyprophecy.com also http://h.churchapp.mobi/paulbegleypro...
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Thursday, February 5, 2015

I believe this with all of my heart and God will go before us and He will always win!

I believe this with all of my heart and God will go before us and He will always win! Stand, Stand and fight and fight Spiritually. There is great Spiritual Warfare going on in the heavenlies and we know what happens in the heavenlies is felt on earth. This evil must be stopped! I think we should rid the world of the radical Islamist and send them ......where they want to go so badly! America can do that! Pray and pray and we will follow God and do what He ask His people to do!
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Question: "Are the demons the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim?"

Question: "Are the demons the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim?"

Answer: As a background, please read our articles on “Who were the sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4?”, and “Who were the Nephilim?” With the understanding that the sons of God were the fallen angels, and that the Nephilim were the hybrid offspring of the union between the fallen angels and human women, the question then arises, What happened to the spirits of the Nephilim after they were killed, whether by the flood, or in the case of the possible post-flood Nephilim (Genesis 6:4; Numbers 13:33), after the flood?

Some speculate that the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim remained on the earth and became what we now refer to as demons. The presumption is that, as angelic-human hybrids, the spirits of the Nephilim would have been different from the human soul-spirit, having the ability to remain present in this world despite no longer having a physical body. This would possibly explain the desire the demons have to possess human beings, thus gaining control over a physical body. This would also make some sense from the perspective of the fallen angels, who are outnumbered 2-1 by the holy angels, giving them a good reason to seek to increase their ranks.

The Nephilim explanation for the origin of the demons is partly the result of a misunderstanding of who exactly are the “spirits in prison” in 1 Peter 3:19 (see also Jude 6). Many misunderstand the “spirits in prison” to be all of the fallen angels who rebelled against God. If all of the fallen angels are imprisoned, then there must be an alternate explanation for the existence of demons; thus, the need for the Nephilim explanation. However, clearly, not all of the fallen angels are imprisoned. Satan, the leader of the angelic rebellion against God, is not imprisoned. Why would God allow the rebel leader to remain free but then confine the angels who followed Satan in the rebellion? No, it makes more sense to understand the “spirits in prison” as the fallen angels who participated in an additional rebellion, viz., the sons-of-God/daughters–of-men incident. The fallen angels who mated with human females are the ones who are imprisoned. There is no solid biblical reason to reject the idea that the demons are the same beings as the fallen angels.

The idea that the demons are the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim is also drawn from the book of Enoch, which goes into great detail regarding the Nephilim. We have to remember that, while the book of Enoch contains some truth (Jude 14), it is not the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. We should never base a belief exclusively, or even primarily, on extra-biblical literature. So, with no need to explain the existence of demons outside of the fallen angels, and with no clear evidence in Scripture for the spirits of the Nephilim continuing on Earth, there is no solid basis on which to identify the demons with the spirits of the Nephilim. While the idea is possible, it cannot be derived explicitly from Scripture, and therefore should not be considered the best explanation of the origin of the demons.
Recommended Resources: Angels: Elect & Evil by C. Fred Dickason and Logos Bible Software.

Related Topics:

Who were the sons of God and daughters of men in


Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Nephilim-demons.html#ixzz3QurbRkrV
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Question: "What is the book of Enoch and should it be in the Bible?"

Question: "What is the book of Enoch and should it be in the Bible?"

Answer: The Book of Enoch is any of several pseudepigraphal (falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed authorship is unfounded) works that attribute themselves to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah; that is, Enoch son of Jared (Genesis 5:18). Enoch is also one of the two people in the Bible taken up to heaven without dying (the other being Elijah), as the Bible says "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him." (Genesis 5:24; see also Hebrews 11:5). Most commonly, the phrase "Book of Enoch" refers to 1 Enoch, which is wholly extant only in the Ethiopic language.

The biblical book of Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch in verses 14-15, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’” But this does not mean the Book of Enoch is inspired by God and should be in the Bible.

Jude’s quote is not the only quote in the Bible from a non-biblical source. The Apostle Paul quotes Epimenides in Titus 1:12 but that does not mean we should give any additional authority to Epimenides’ writings. The same is true with Jude, verses 14-15. Jude quoting from the book of Enoch does not indicate the entire Book of Enoch is inspired, or even true. All it means is that particular verse is true. It is interesting to note that no scholars believe the Book of Enoch to have truly been written by the Enoch in the Bible. Enoch was seven generations from Adam, prior to the Flood (Genesis 5:1-24). Evidently, though, this was genuinely something that Enoch prophesied – or the Bible would not attribute it to him, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men…” (Jude 14). This saying of Enoch was evidently handed down by tradition, and eventually recorded in the Book of Enoch.

We should treat the Book of Enoch (and the other books like it) in the same manner we do the other Apocryphal writings. Some of what the Apocrypha says is true and correct, but at the same time, much of it is false and historically inaccurate. If you read these books, you have to treat them as interesting but fallible historical documents, not as the inspired, authoritative Word of God.
Recommended Resources: The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce and Logos Bible Software.

Related Topics:

Who was Enoch in the Bible?

What is the Shepherd of Hermas and


Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/book-of-Enoch.html#ixzz3QupensIe
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Book of Jubilees Question: "What is the Book of Jubilees and should it be in the Bible?"

Book of Jubilees
Question: "What is the Book of Jubilees and should it be in the Bible?"

Answer: The Book of Jubilees, sometimes called the “Lesser Genesis,” was probably written in the 2nd century BC and records an account of the biblical history of the world from the creation to Moses. The book divides history into periods or “jubilees” of 49 years. Generally, the Book of Jubilees follows the account of creation as recorded in the Book of Genesis, but provides interesting details such as names of Adam’s daughters.

The only complete version of the Book of Jubilees is written in Ethiopian, though most scholars believe that it was originally written in Hebrew. There are some fragments existing today in Greek and Latin, but nowhere near a complete book in either language.

Perhaps the most obvious reason for the book was the author’s preoccupation with advocating a solar calendar based on days and months rather than on the Jewish, lunar-based calendar. In fact, some scholars have pointed out that it appears the book was written exactly for that purpose—to push the author’s idea that the solar-based calendar more accurately represents the 49 years and provided for a better understanding of prophecy. If that is true, then the Book of Jubilees may well have merely been an attempt to show how the solar calendar better fits in the biblical account of time and prophecy.

As for whether the Book of Jubilees should be in the Bible, we must first recognize the fact that God is the One at work in the Scriptures, and if He wanted the Book of Jubilees as a part of Scripture, no man (or Satan) could have prevented it. Hundreds and hundreds of years of Christian (and Jewish) scholars have labored to ensure that the Holy Scriptures remain true and untainted. Part of the problem with the Book of Jubilees is that so little remains of original writings that there is no way to determine if the book as it now exists is the same book that was originally written. This is one huge reason that the Book of Jubilees fails the standards of the canon of Scripture.
Recommended Resources: The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce and Logos Bible Software.

Related Topics:

What is the book of Jasher and should it be


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Question: "What is the Shepherd of Hermas and should it be in the Bible?"

Question: "What is the Shepherd of Hermas and should it be in the Bible?"

Answer: “The Shepherd of Hermas” was a religious literary work of the second and third centuries and was considered a valuable book by many early Christians. “The Shepherd of Hermas” was even considered canonical Scripture by some of the early church fathers such as Irenaeus during the period in which the New Testament was being canonized. Basically, it was written as a call to repentance and adherence to a strict moralistic life.

The author of “The Shepherd of Hermas” is not known. However, a number of ancient sources attribute the work to a Hermas who was a brother of Pius I, the Bishop of Rome from 140 to 155. In the story, Hermas speaks of his life and the development of Christian virtues as he tells of his story as a freed Christian slave. Throughout the book Hermas purports to be just a simple man whose desire is to be devout and diligent in all that he does. The teaching point of the book is mostly ethical, not theological. The work is divided into three main sections with the first section describing five visions, the second section presenting 12 mandates, and the last section composed of ten parables, sometimes referred to as similitudes.

The story involves Hermas, who becomes a slave to a woman named Rhoda. Later, after she had given Hermas his freedom, their paths cross again. Hermas has a vision in which Rhoda appears asking for his forgiveness regarding her, believing he had certain impure thoughts. It is in this vision that an old woman helps him by telling him to do penance as well as make right the sins of his people. In another vision Hermas is visited by an angel of repentance who emerges as a shepherd and delivers certain laws and mandates that become instrumental in the establishments of early Christian ethics. These mandates also appeared in visions as the angel-like shepherd gives his instructions.

“The Shepherd of Hermas" is also significant in that some of its visions definitely seem to subscribe to a premillennial understanding of the end times. Some scholars even see hints of pretribulationism in the "Shepherd of Hermas." The existence of premillennial thinking in a Christian work from the second or third century gives credence to premillennial theologians’ arguments against the idea that amillennialism was the universally held belief in the early church.

But why isn’t “The Shepherd of Hermas" in the Bible? Was it not considered an “inspired book”? Is it considered a “lost book” of the Bible? We must first realize that many biblical scholars acknowledge the existence of false writings that have never been seriously considered for inclusion in the Bible. Examples are “The Assumption of Moses” and “The Book of Enoch.” However, Bible scholars concur that they are not inspired writings. The "Shepherd of Hermas" was thought by some to be authoritative, so it hovered around the canon for some time before it was, at the leading of the Holy Spirit, dismissed.
Recommended Resources: The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce and Logos Bible Software.

Related Topics:

What is the book of Enoch and should


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Question: "What is the Book of Jasher/Jashar and should it be in the Bible?"

Question: "What is the Book of Jasher/Jashar and should it be in the Bible?"

Answer: Also known as the “Book of the Upright One” in the Greek Septuagint and the “Book of the Just Ones” in the Latin Vulgate, the Book of Jasher was probably a collection or compilation of ancient Hebrew songs and poems praising the heroes of Israel and their exploits in battle. The Book of Jasher is mentioned in Joshua 10:12-13 when the Lord stopped the sun in the middle of the day during the battle of Beth Horon. It is also mentioned in 2 Samuel 1:18-27 as containing the Song or Lament of the Bow, that mournful funeral song which David composed at the time of the death of Saul and Jonathan.

The question is, if the Book of Jasher is mentioned in the Bible, why was it left out of the canon of Scripture? We know that God directed the authors of the Scriptures to use passages from many and various extra-biblical sources in composing His Word. The passage recorded in Joshua 10:13 is a good example. In recording this battle, Joshua included passages from the Book of Jasher not because it was his only source of what occurred; rather, he was stating, in effect, “If you don’t believe what I’m saying, then go read it in the Book of Jasher. Even that book has a record of this event.”

There are other Hebrew works that are mentioned in the Bible that God directed the authors to use. Some of these include the Book of the Wars of the Lord (Numbers 21:14), the Book of Samuel the Seer, the Book of Nathan the Prophet, and the Book of Gad the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29). Also, there are the Acts of Rehoboam and the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (1 Kings 14:29). We also know that Solomon composed more than a thousand songs (1 Kings 4:32), yet only two are preserved in the book of Psalms (72 and 127). Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, Paul included a quotation from the Cretan poet Epimenides (Titus 1:12) and quoted from the poets Epimenides and Aratus in his speech at Athens (Acts 17:28).

The point is that the divine Author of the Bible used materials chosen from many different sources, fitting them into His grand design for the Scriptures. We must understand that history as recorded in the Bible did not occur in isolation. The people mentioned in the Bible interacted with other people. For example, though the Bible is clear that there is only one God, the Bible mentions a number of the gods people worshipped both within Israel and in the nations around. Similarly, as in Acts 17:28 and Titus 1:12, we sometimes find secular writers being quoted. This doesn't mean that these quoted writers were inspired. It simply means they happened to say something that was useful in making a point.

There is a book called “The Book of Jasher” today, although it is not the same book as mentioned in the Old Testament. It is an eighteenth-century forgery that alleges to be a translation of the “lost” Book of Jasher by Alcuin, an eighth-century English scholar. There is also a more recent book titled “The Book of Jashar” by science fiction and fantasy writer Benjamin Rosenbaum. This book is a complete work of fiction.

Another book by this same name, called by many “Pseudo-Jasher,” while written in Hebrew, is also not the “Book of Jasher” mentioned in Scripture. It is a book of Jewish legends from the creation to the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, but scholars hold that it did not exist before A.D. 1625. In addition, there are several other theological works by Jewish rabbis and scholars called “Sefer ha Yashar,” but none of these claim to be the original Book of Jasher.

In the end, we must conclude that the Book of Jasher mentioned in the Bible was lost and has not survived to modern times. All we really know about it is found in the two Scripture quotations mentioned earlier. The other books by that title are mere fictions or Jewish moral treatises.
Recommended Resources: The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce and Logos Bible Software.

Related Topics:

What is the book of Enoch and should it be in the Bible


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Question: "Is it possible that more books could be added to the Bible?"

books added Bible
Question: "Is it possible that more books could be added to the Bible?"

Answer: There is no reason to believe that God would present further revelation to add to His Word. The Bible begins with the very beginning of humanity—Genesis—and ends with the end of humanity as we know it—Revelation. Everything in between is for our benefit as believers, to be empowered with God's truth in our daily living. We know this from 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

If further books were added to the Bible, that would equate to saying that the Bible we have today is incomplete—that it does not tell us everything we need to know. Although it only applies directly to the book of Revelation, Revelation 22:18-20 teaches us an important truth about adding to God's Word: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city...”

We have all that we need in the current 66 books of the Bible. There is not a single situation in life that cannot be addressed by Scripture. What was begun in Genesis finds conclusion in Revelation. The Bible is absolutely complete and sufficient. Could God add to the Bible? Of course He could. However, there is no reason, biblically or theologically, to believe that He is going to do so, or that there is any need for Him to do so.
Recommended Resources: The Missing Gospels: Unearthing the Truth Behind Alternative Christianities by Darrell Bock and Logos Bible Software.


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Question: "How do we decide which books belong in the Bible since the Bible does not say which books belong in the Bible?"

canonicity scriptural
Question: "How do we decide which books belong in the Bible since the Bible does not say which books belong in the Bible?"

Answer: If Scripture is to be our sole authority, on what authority do we know which books belong in the Bible - since the Bible does not state which books should be in the Bible? This is a very important question, because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In the chain of communication from God to humanity, is there a weak link? If so, then the whole chain fails, and the communication ultimately cannot be trusted.

Consider the various "links" comprising God's communication to us: first came God's desire to communicate. This was rooted in His love, for the most loving thing a good God can do is reveal Himself to His creation. Next came the actual transmission of God's Word through human writers. This involved a process the Bible calls "inspiration," in which God breathed the words that the human agents recorded (2 Timothy 3:16). After that came dissemination, as the Word was delivered to its audience through preaching or other means. Then came recognition, as God's people distinguished Holy Scripture from other religious writings. And then, preservation, through which God's Word has survived to the present day, despite many attempts to destroy it. And finally, illumination, as the Holy Spirit opens the believer's understanding to receive the Word.

And that's the "chain"--the demonstration of God's love in the inspiration, dissemination, recognition, preservation, and illumination of His Word. We believe that God was involved in each step of the process, for why would God go to such lengths to inspire His Word and then not preserve it? Why would He speak to us and then fail to guide us in recognizing His speech?

This recognition of God's Word is usually called "canonization." We are careful to say that God determined the canon, and the church discovered the canon. The canon of Scripture was not created by the church; rather, the church discovered or recognized it. In other words, God's Word was inspired and authoritative from its inception--it "stands firm in the heavens" (Psalm 119:89)--and the church simply recognized that fact and accepted it.

The criteria the church used for recognizing and collecting the Word of God are as follows:

1) Was the book written by a prophet of God?
2) Was the writer authenticated by miracles to confirm his message?
3) Does the book tell the truth about God, with no falsehood or contradiction?
4) Does the book evince a divine capacity to transform lives?
5) Was the book accepted as God's Word by the people to whom it was first delivered?

Of these criteria, the one of most importance was the first one--was the book written by a prophet? Its corollary, did the book receive apostolic approval?, was the chief test of canonicity in the early church. This criterion is a logical result of knowing what an "apostle" was. The apostles were gifted by God to be the founders and leaders of the church, so it is reasonable to accept that through them came the Word governing the church.

The apostles were promised the Spirit of truth who would bring to their remembrance what Christ had said (John 14:26) and guide them into "all truth" (John 16:13). After the ascension of Christ, the apostles received supernatural gifts to enable their work and confirm their message (Acts 2:4). God's household is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets" (Ephesians 2:20). Given the apostles' special commission, it only makes sense that the church made apostolicity the number-one test of canonicity. Thus, the Gospel of Matthew was considered canonical (it was written by an apostle); and the Gospel of Mark, with its close association with the Apostle Peter, was also accepted.

When the New Testament was being written, the individual books and letters were immediately accepted as God's Word and circulated for the benefits of others. The church of Thessalonica received Paul's word as the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Paul's epistles were circulating among the churches even during apostolic times (Colossians 4:16). Peter recognized Paul's writings as inspired by God and equated them with "the rest of the Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:15-16). Paul quoted the Gospel of Luke and called it "Scripture" (1 Timothy 5:18). This widespread acceptance stands in stark contrast to the few debated books, eventually rejected as non-canonical, that enjoyed a limited favor for a time.

Later, as heresy increased and some within the church began clamoring for the acceptance of spurious religious writings, the church wisely held a council to officially confirm their acceptance of the 27 New Testament books. The criteria they used allowed them to objectively distinguish what God had given them from that of human origin. They concluded that they would stay with the books that were universally accepted. In so doing, they determined to continue in "the apostles' teaching" (Acts 2:42).
Recommended Resources: The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce and Logos Bible Software.


Related Topics:

How and when was the canon of the Bible put together


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Question: How and when was the canon of the Bible put together?

Question: "How and when was the canon of the Bible put together?"

Answer: The term “canon” is used to describe the books that are divinely inspired and therefore belong in the Bible. The difficulty in determining the biblical canon is that the Bible does not give us a list of the books that belong in the Bible. Determining the canon was a process conducted first by Jewish rabbis and scholars and later by early Christians. Ultimately, it was God who decided what books belonged in the biblical canon. A book of Scripture belonged in the canon from the moment God inspired its writing. It was simply a matter of God’s convincing His human followers which books should be included in the Bible.

Compared to the New Testament, there was much less controversy over the canon of the Old Testament. Hebrew believers recognized God’s messengers and accepted their writings as inspired of God. While there was undeniably some debate in regards to the Old Testament canon, by A.D. 250 there was nearly universal agreement on the canon of Hebrew Scripture. The only issue that remained was the Apocrypha, with some debate and discussion continuing today. The vast majority of Hebrew scholars considered the Apocrypha to be good historical and religious documents, but not on the same level as the Hebrew Scriptures.

For the New Testament, the process of the recognition and collection began in the first centuries of the Christian church. Very early on, some of the New Testament books were being recognized. Paul considered Luke’s writings to be as authoritative as the Old Testament (1 Timothy 5:18; see also Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7). Peter recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). Some of the books of the New Testament were being circulated among the churches (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27). Clement of Rome mentioned at least eight New Testament books (A.D. 95). Ignatius of Antioch acknowledged about seven books (A.D. 115). Polycarp, a disciple of John the apostle, acknowledged 15 books (A.D. 108). Later, Irenaeus mentioned 21 books (A.D. 185). Hippolytus recognized 22 books (A.D. 170-235). The New Testament books receiving the most controversy were Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, and 3 John.

The first “canon” was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in A.D. 170. The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, and 3 John. In A.D. 363, the Council of Laodicea stated that only the Old Testament (along with the Apocrypha) and the 27 books of the New Testament were to be read in the churches. The Council of Hippo (A.D. 393) and the Council of Carthage (A.D. 397) also affirmed the same 27 books as authoritative.

The councils followed something similar to the following principles to determine whether a New Testament book was truly inspired by the Holy Spirit: 1) Was the author an apostle or have a close connection with an apostle? 2) Is the book being accepted by the body of Christ at large? 3) Did the book contain consistency of doctrine and orthodox teaching? 4) Did the book bear evidence of high moral and spiritual values that would reflect a work of the Holy Spirit? Again, it is crucial to remember that the church did not determine the canon. No early church council decided on the canon. It was God, and God alone, who determined which books belonged in the Bible. It was simply a matter of God’s imparting to His followers what He had already decided. The human process of collecting the books of the Bible was flawed, but God, in His sovereignty, and despite our ignorance and stubbornness, brought the early church to the recognition of the books He had inspired.
Recommended Resources: The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce and Logos Bible Software.


Related Topics:


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